#kirby gets creative

[soul-of-vengeance]

Cooler, Better Drow (and Lolth)

So this is a re-write of drow culture and the Lolth cult that I've had in my head for several years, ever since I played a Lolth-sworn drow in a friend's campaign. This is the first time I've refined it enough to write down. Hopefully someone will find it as fun as I do!

(A note: this is not part of my Anchored Worlds campaign setting, as Lolth technically doesn't exist anymore in that setting.)

The drow are not a "dark perversions" of surface elves, but merely another branch of the elven family tree. They are not as numerous as the elves above, but still number in the hundreds of thousands. Their population is fairly evenly divided among seven massive city-states in the Underdark, with a small number living in the world beyond and even, in a few special cases, above their brethren. How so many elves came to live beneath the surface is lost to history, a history most drow have no inclination to uncover. Even the oldest matriarchs remember only the comforting dark and hardship of the Underdark.

The four Lolth-sworn city-states are: Menzoberranzan (the “City of Spiders,” and the largest Lolth-sworn city,) Ched Nasad (the “City of Shimmering Webs”,)  Orlytlar (the “dark jewel”,) and Ust Natha (“the first.”) The three “free” drow city-states are Haundrauth, Erydndlyn, and Sshamath (the “City of Dark Weavings”.)

Drow Physiology

Drow at first glance resemble elves with their uniquely fey beauty, but with starkly different coloration. Drow skin tones range from jet black to light grey among one ethnicity, and from pale blue to pale purple in another. They typically have white or purple teeth. Their hair could be white, black, pale yellow, or occasionally coppery in color. Eyes could be various shades of red or pink, and some shades of near-white blue, lilac, or silver were not uncommon. 

Drow, having been so magically altered by their surroundings, cannot thrive in light. They are extremely sensitive to sunlight, so much so that only a day on a relatively cool day can cause painful burns. Those who must go above ground have specially-made balms to protect their skin. Their magic is weaker in the sun, and drow-enchanted items tend to lose their magic if they are above ground for longer than a week or two. Being in the sun too long can also cause "sun fever," which can be fatal if not dealt with.

Lolth-sworn Drow have been magically altered. They almost always have white hair and red eyes. This is a show of magical favor from their goddess, who has a fondness for those colors. They also typically have black or grey teeth, and bright red gums, tongue, and throats. Lolth-sworn women are also taller and stronger than their men. They may also rarely have some other interesting features.

Drow Culture

Drow are, of course, elves, and like all elves they are uniquely in tune with their surroundings. The Underdark is cold, harsh, dangerous, and unforgiving, and so too are the drow. The flora and fauna do not respond as kindly to elven magicks as those aboveground, so the drow have adapted without what is typically a cornerstone of elven culture. Cruelty is not seen as such, for their very circumstances are cruel, and so it is seen as perfectly normal. Softness and kindness are weaknesses that will get you killed in the wilds of the Underdark, and are discouraged even in civilization. 

When introducing themself, a drow will state first their House name, then their family name, and lastly their public name. Unlike other elves, drow do not have child and adult names, though they may change their given name if they dislike it. Drow have "public" names that are based on their true given names. Perhaps a remnant of their fey ancestry, they do not give their true given names lightly. For example, my drow character's given name is Shyam, and his public name is Sam.

Drow culture is matriarchal in nature and has a strict authority structure that begins with the family unit. Every family has a matriarch whose word is final in all matters. She may then have favored daughters who may make decisions in her stead. When she dies, her daughters will contest her position, in battles that can be physical, magical, or mental in nature. In the event that a family should ever be without a matriarch, the family name is recorded as being a "dead line," and the remaining men will petition to be adopted into another family. In the event that they are not adopted, slavery or exile to the surface are a man's only option.

Their culture is functionally caste-based, though the castes have no official names. The "castes" are, in order of authority: those of high religious standing (Houses), those of magical genius, those of artisanal prowess, those adept at combat, and those who make up the foundation. The entire family would be elevated (or lowered) to a caste depending on the skills and standing of their matriarch and her favored daughters.

Drow society is divided into Houses, which are headed by religious-caste noble families that take other non-noble families under their banner. Each House has its own distinct insignia, style, banner, and rules. Technically speaking, every drow belongs to a House even if they are born into a lower-caste family. Very rarely, a House may trade a family to another, either by choice of the House matriarch or, more commonly, by petition by the matriarch of the family. This is usually done to strengthen or elevate one's position, and requires proof that the family deserves the move.

Authority is very important to drow. They have absolute loyalty to their House matriarch first, family matriarch second, and blood mother third. Beyond that, the only other authority a drow will acknowledge is their god, if they worship one. They have no obligation to obey any other House matriarch, any other family matriarch, or even any female family member besides their mother. They will acknowledge no other law or order, even if they are in another city or country. Being in a king's country is not reason enough for a drow to follow his orders, especially an order she dislikes. A drow may play along simply to make her life easier, but she will make it clear where her loyalties lie. Even exiled drow will typically choose one individual to place their entire faith in, and will answer to no one else.

It is believed that every drow and every family has a "true place," or a "true calling," and that they are always born below their calling so that they can fight for it. In this way, the individual, and the family, become strong enough and cunning enough to survive. It is believed that eventually you will feel a sense of "divine contentment" that means you have found your place. Drow are in a constant struggle against one another to elevate themselves, and the harsh environment of the Underdark has made them harsh in turn. Violence, torture, extortion, and scheming are a drow's expected tools to advance in society.

Drow culture is, to outsiders, oxymoronic. On one hand, it is encouraged to view the drow around you as competitors to your true status in society, and it is encouraged to eliminate or humiliate them by any means necessary for your own advancement. However, there is also a strong importance placed on kin. A drow might view her sister as a bitter enemy for their mother's favor, but would still defend her from an assassin from another family. Similarly, a drow would always defend another drow from another species, but in the safety of their insular city-state, might stab her in the back in the street.

Artistry in all its forms is highly prized in drow society, and families will often strive to cultivate a favored child into an artisan worthy of elevating their family. Tangentially related to this is the hedonism that pervades drow culture. In the harsh environment of the Underdark, life and pleasure are not guaranteed, so it is said to take it wherever you can find it and enjoy it to its fullest.

Marriage is not very common, for loyalty to the family trumps other loves. Many drow may have one or even a handful of committed partners, but exchanging vows and names is extremely rare, and often seen as a betrayal of your birth family. The culture is extremely heteronormative. Due to the high mortality rate in the Underdark, having as many children as possible is encouraged, and to that end anything besides heterosexuality is frowned upon, if not punishable by religious law.

While a child will always be cared for by its mother's family, there is still good reason for the father to stay in the child and mother's good graces. A mother may pay a "child tithe" to the father of her child, which is usually based on the talent, beauty, potential, and magical ability of the child. A man who has exceptionally talented progeny may increase his family's wealth in this way. A mother will usually cultivate all of her children's talents, even her sons who cannot elevate the family. It is still a source of pride to have all your children be talented and worthy of praise.

Morality among drow is an interesting subject. The ruthless competition of their society lends itself to what a surfacer would consider deeply immoral behavior: political conniving, assassination, torture, and other "unsavory" behaviors are common. On the other hand, some things are forbidden by cultural norm. Rape and sexual violence are considered a disgusting act, as is desecration or disturbance of a dead (drow) body that has been laid to rest. Impersonating another drow by name or pretending to be of another House, even for the lauded purpose of elevation, is outright illegal and punishable by death at the hands of the slighted party.

The drow body is considered a masterwork of divinity, and extreme body modification is frowned upon. Tattoos, piercings, and dying one's hair are all seen as a form of desecration to the holy, and the punishment may be severe depending on how strict one's matriarch is. Hair is especially important to a drow. For one, hairstyle is an easy way to distinguish one's House. For another, their long hair is one of the vanities drow allow themselves. To cut one's hair dramatically (trims and accounting for style are permitted) is seen as cutting oneself off from the House. A drow will never cut her hair except under two circumstances: exile or certain death. The reasons to do so when exiled are obvious, but to do so before certain death is a superstition. It is believed that cutting your hair before facing your death is to ensure that the death doesn't creep into your family via your hair.

Slavery is one of the "unsavory" pillars of drow society that those within consider completely normal, and even natural. Their caste-based thinking extends past their selves and includes other species, which drow consider themselves above. That said, even drow (of lower caste) can be slaves. Slaves are considered part of a family's wealth, and can be obtained a number of ways. It is generally understood in the Underdark that to lose a fight against a drow is to forfeit your freedom to them. Slavery to a House is also a potential punishment for crimes against them. Slavery is a lifelong sentence, and slaves are given a magical tattoo that identifies them as such to drow. The tattoos are not House-specific, because slaves change hands as easily as currency.

The Dark Seldarine

The Dark Seldarine "pantheon" is not a true pantheon, but simply a group of gods worshiped by the drow.

Eilistraee is the most widely worshiped drow goddess, who oversees beauty, song, dance, freedom, moonlight, swordwork, and hunting. While she is typically thought of as a good-aligned goddess, she seems to have no issue with drow culture, which as stated is typically seen as deeply immoral. By contrast, she deeply loves her drow worshippers, whose love of life and pleasure aligns with her domain. 

Vhaeraun, the elder twin of Eilistraee, is a god of thievery and magic, and is seen as a patron of drow men. He is generally worshiped alongside his sister, though he prefers his followers to be more ambitious.

Selvetarm, also called the Son of Lolth, is a god of warriors and battle. His worship is chiefly among those who leave Lolth's cult and find sanctuary in other cities. He despises Lolth, and encourages those who leave to take up arms against her followers.

Kiaransalee has some small churches in the Underdark. A goddess of revenge and necromancy, her worship is controversial, as some of her followers will raise drow corpses, which is seen as desecration of the beloved dead.

Zinzerena is not usually openly worshiped. She is the goddess of lies and illusion, and shares patronage of assassins with Lolth, whom she despises.

Lolth

Lolth is a lesser deity associated with the Trickery and War domains. She is, by her own reckoning, a goddess of darkness, spiders, and chaos. She is the patron of weavers and assassins. Lolth is one example of a being that was raised to godhood. Originally a tanar'ri demon, she manipulated and schemed her way to such power that she was elevated to a god. This ruthless ambition and endless drive became the center of her divinity, as she demands the same qualities of her worshippers. She pulled her original fortress in the Abyss into its own divine realm known as the Demonweb Pits. She still has demons in her employ, the Yochlols, but is now chiefly concerned with spreading her worship.

Her former demonic nature is obvious in the way she approaches her followers. Though she does need them as any god needs worshippers, she views them as more like playthings, finding great amusement in all they do in her name and at her behest. Her tenets are almost similar to a demonic deal, as she offers power and protection in exchange for worship. To the educated, her priestesses are more akin to fiend-pacted warlocks than holy woman.

Lolth introduced herself to the drow (comparatively) recently, targeting priestesses at the head of powerful Houses to let her doctrine trickle down. She slotted her own worship neatly into existing drow culture, exaggerating what she liked and downplaying what she didn't. The Lolth-sworn city-states grew even more xenophobic and closed off than they already were, so much so that they do not even allow more than minimal trade with non-Lolth-sworn cities. Four of the seven drow city-states are Lolth-sworn.

Lolth is not as capricious or actively malicious to her worshippers as in D&D 5e canon, but she is by no means pleasant. She positioned herself to the drow as the ultimate matriarch, mother of the dark and chaos in which they lived. By allying themselves with her, the Lolth-sworn gain allies among other creatures living in the Underdark.

Lolth has extremely high standards and rigid rules that her worshippers must follow. She does change these rules at times, often waiting for someone to break the unknown tenet and making an example of them to spread the news. She encourages paranoia and sadism, and found the drow society structure one that fit nicely with her tastes. She amuses herself with the machinations and ambitions of her subjects.

Lolth's goal is to spread her influence as far as she can. She is currently looking to subjugate the entire Underdark, and then she plans to turn her gaze to the world above. She plans a two-pronged attack: invasion on the weaker nations above and indoctrination of the stronger.

The Cult of Lolth

The Cult of Lolth (though they call themselves a Church) is widespread, being practiced in over half of the drow city-states. Under Lolth's rule, some aspects of existing drow culture are magnified.

For instance, far past being matriarchal, Lolth has an active disdain for men due to several drow heroes who directly opposed her takeover…and were all, coincidentally, men. For this, she punishes all drow men. This bleeds through to her followers. In ordinary drow society, sons are not favored but are still cherished and allowed many of the same rights of women, but little authority. Under Lolth, however, men are close to second-hand citizens. A man is considered to be a caste below the women in his family. Men on the lowest class are essentially slaves. Though they cannot be traded as slaves can, they have little rights and are entirely at the mercy of their matriarchs.

To distinguish her drow from "the rabble," Lolth changed her earliest followers physically, and the changes slowly spread as worship did. Those in the Underdark can tell a Lolth-sworn from a mile away, and know to avoid them. Lolth is also far less strict on body modification and hair length, allowing tattoos, piercings, and even cutting one's hair. She delights in the inner conflict this causes, as the drow's cultural sensibilities clash with the freedom their goddess allows.

Another aspect she magnifies, which was the primary reason she chose the drow as her first worshippers, is the ambition. While drow culture believes everyone has a "true" place and your life's goal is to achieve it by any means, Lolth encourages her followers to always strive to go above and not settle, even if you feel what the drow refer to as "divine contentment" with your place. She delights in the sadism and chaos she sows among her followers.

While typical drow culture views violence as another art form to be perfected, Lolth favors brutality, sadism, and even desecration, pushing her followers to the brink of their sensibilities and beyond. Her followers have a reputation for treating those they kill and capture with a uniquely twisted form of sadistic torture.

Lolth is the patron of weavers, fiber crafters, and metalworkers. She placed a high importance on those particular crafts, and had a love of woven beauty. Of course, spiders and webs are a large motif that can be found in Lolth-sworn art, as well as the colors red and white. She favors these, and may even punish someone who creates a masterpiece that doesn't meet her preferences. 

Lolth desires to one day have all drow under her rule, and her followers sometimes attack other drow to be brought back as slaves and indoctrinated. Drow captured in this manner are an abnormality in society. These individuals (and only them) may be freed from slavery by marrying or being adopted into a House or family, only after swearing fealty to Lolth and passing a trial of faith. These drow are especially favored by Lolth and her worshippers, who sees them as the ultimate triumph of their faith.

One interesting, and potentially tragic, quirk of drow born into Lolth's cult is that, unlike all other elves including drow, they do not see their past lives when they meditate. It is unclear whether this is because they do not reincarnate or if Lolth is somehow suppressing their connection to their past lives. Some of the opponents of Lolth's cult believe that she takes her followers' souls when they die, though for what purpose is unclear.

As stated above, Lolth frequently changes the rules of her cult. However, three rules have never changed:

Worship only Lolth, and put her first. (Worship or fealty to any other god is forbidden, and Lolth demands total obedience. She even asks her worshippers to put her above even their mother and matriarchs, a challenging concept for many drow.)

Second to Lolth is the brood. (Protect kin at all costs. House first, then family, then all drow. She also demands they protect and cultivate spiders, including a demonic breed she created for this very purpose.)

Dig deeper into the darkness. (Be ruthlessly ambitious, do whatever it takes to survive and thrive. Take every avenue of power available to you.)

Driders

Driders are created when a faithful drow fails Lolth in a very specific way (more than simply not adhering to her tenets) or fails a test set by Lolth. They are transformed into a being that is extremely Lolth-like, a drow's upper torso with a spider's body below. It is a truly ironic punishment: although they now resemble their beloved goddess, the drow consider their body to be a sacred and beautiful thing, and any permanent transformation is a perversion of it. Worse, they are cut off from their family and exiled to the Underdark alone.

Driders are simultaneously pitied and reviled by Lolth-sworn and regular drow alike.

[cosmic-dichotomy]

Prologue: A Better Beginning, Ch3

Rating: Mature (graphic descriptions of violence)

Fic Summary: Things have gone wrong from the first moment Rajani "Cash" Ryder has awoken in Andromeda. A mysterious force damaging the ark, their brother in a coma, and a shuttle ride turned freefall into unknown wilderness. Along with the other survivors of the crash, they must make sense of this new galaxy, and try to survive it.

Chapter Summary: Cash and Liam go looking for Kirkland, and unfortunately find him. They also find three more hostile aliens, and Cash has a very bad time.

Notes: This chapter contains an explicit and graphic description of an OCD obsession/compulsion cycle. If you need to skip it, it begins after the sentence, "A little help?" and ends at the sentence "You good?"

The way I plan to depict Cash's OCD in this story (and the entirety of the series) is to explicitly detail the cycle the first time we the audience experience it, and anytime after we experience it thereafter, I will assume you know what Cash is going to do, and will describe it much more vaguely.

Read Ch. 3 | Read First Chapter | Read Full Series

[chibifox2002]

Oh hey look! A cute little father daughter duo!

How lovely!

[l1ght-n1ghts]

HAPPY DEDEDE DURSDAY. Have THE King of Dream Land in all of his glory in the dragon au!

+Design notes/headcanons under cut

Based off of King Penguins! It let me give him a splash of color, and so his chick plumage was brown to make him look like the Waddle Dees! And also “King” Penguin. Haha.

Also based (generally) off of Theropod Dinosaurs. Namely, the Therizinosaurus for its body plan. I didn’t give him the killer claws because I still wanted him to be able to use his hammer. Maybe in another life, Dedede.

While he is primarily bipedal, he can swap to a quadruped stance if desired. He only usually does this if a ceiling is too low for him, or if he goes beast mode (like in Forgotten Land)

His horns form a crown-like formation on his head that was inspired by his mask during Masked Dedede fights. He polishes them to make them shiny like gold!

He has a throat pouch that lets him store food and, when he wants to float, air. He taught himself this through pure spite. I'm actually pretty sure the spite part is canon.

Dedede actually has a good amount of scars, but most of them are smaller and hidden by his feathers. Some, however, stick out quite a bit.

Has a stubborn hoarding instinct. Dedede’s initial greed as a ruler combined with this trait is what sparked the whole “stealing all the food in Dream Land” thing. After he grows as a person (gets his ass kicked) and becomes a good King, he moves on to hoard other things. It’s usually shiny things and small bits of food. He shares it with people he trusts (the Dees and eventually his friends)

The Dees look remarkably similar to a weirdly proportioned chick in his eyes (Same general body plan. Warm shades that are close to being brown. Cute, high-pitched calls). This sets off so many protective instincts in his head it drives him NUTS. Like he knows logically that they’re fully grown, but that won’t stop his brain from going “THAT IS A CHILD.” at first. This only gets worse with time :)

[paintpanic]

[starsandnoodles]

Today I did a lot of doodles so I’m going to post them now because I haven’t been posting a lot!!

First, the crossover no one asked for

Second, Taranza picking a fight and being angry because part of my soul needs more bastard Taranza content DESPERATELY. Like guys… feed my soul.

Third, Susie Haltmann but a Gijinka based more or less on my own outfit today (I cannot write T’s very well I apologize if it looks like an R)

And last but not least a drawing of Susie Haltmann I started months ago and finally finished today

[milfygerard]

there was a weird phase for awhile on this site where everyone pretended that gerard was like a shitty mid tier comic writer and like. You guys dont read enough comics. you dont know what bad comics look like.

[ferahntics]

God my OC adoption list is getting longer and longer

[tumpadumpling]

I- I wrote another thing

Kirby & Bandanna Waddle Dee friendship inbound (1,314 words)

Kirdana not intended ‘cause i personally see kirby on the aro/ace spectrum and this is supposed to be a ridiculously fluffy found-family piece, but as long as you don’t see them as siblings then i guess its free starspear real estate

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A fantastic, sweet smell wafted through the halls of Castle Dedede, warm and sugary and deeply cake-y, Kirby thought dreamily from his perch on a counter. He was busily licking a batter-covered spoon and trying his best not to add too much to the mess that currently littered he and his friend’s sweet-covered workspace.

The castle kitchens were empty save for the two, the quiet place instead filled with the sounds of clinking measuring spoons, rattling double boilers, and ticking timers as they worked. Steam and house-dust clouded the window’s sunbeams, filling the room with a toasty glow.

He and Bandanna Waddle Dee had spent half the afternoon working side by side, busily cooking… something.  Kirby wasn’t really sure what it was; to be honest, Bandanna seemed a little shy about answering his eager questions, but to him at least it looked like cupcakes. They had a wrapper and pretty toppings just like one, but usually they were a lot bigger: these couldn’t be any bigger than a strawberry.

Leaning to get a better look, he plopped the now-spotless stirring spoon in the nearby sink and asked, “Are these fairy cupcakes?”

“They’re petite-fours, Kirby, a Floralian dessert. Though, these’re probably not as good as the real deal from a bakery,” Bandanna answered humbly. “They have way more layers, I’m sure.”

“They are pretty for cupcakes!” Kirby confirmed, completely mishearing the dee, and focused entirely on the tiny desserts that the waddle dee was mixing and pouring so delicately. The wrappers crinkled as he put on, what Kirby hoped, were the finishing touches.

His friend seemed to blush a little, but he still hurried to correct him. “I guess so, and thank you, but they’re called –”

“They’re so tiny and adorable! I like this one.” Kirby pointed to a white one with rainbow pastel sprinkles. “It looks like Bubbly Clouds.”

“Yeah, I guess it really does,” the dee pondered, voice hushed. He cleared his voice, tapping his cheeks as if to disperse the growing heat. He was really red now, Kirby thought. Did he think he wouldn’t like the fairy cupcakes?

That was silly! Anything made by his friend makes it the best ever. Full stop.

“Anyway, you wanna be my taste-tester, Kirby?”

“Oh, do I!” Kirby squealed with glee. He took the fluffy white one from the tray, and with a flat look from Bandanna Waddle Dee, he slowly unwrapped it before carefully eating it in one bite.

Kirby could practically feel his eyes dilate as the tiny patisserie melted in his mouth. He bounced excitedly, knocking the empty mixing bowl off the tile counter with a clatter. He nearly tipped off himself had Bandanna not nudged him back onto it.

Kirby tasted the vanilla cream first, cool and fluffy. Kirby gave a little squeak of joy as he felt the little star-shaped sugar bits in his mouth, before a layer of crisp, dipped milk chocolate took over. Then vanilla returned, this time as a layer of dainty, almost eggy custard, before suddenly blueberry jelly, sweet and smooth with a touch of sour, filled his mouth. And then apricot jam– sugary, light, and so refined, Kirby thought – slowly but surely swept in like an ocean with a lazy tide. When Kirby couldn’t resist the urge to finally bite down on the magical dessert, there was another delicate little crack of chocolate, followed by the soft little crunch of still-warm shortbread cookie.

Now mostly sure that Kirby wouldn’t crack his head on the stone floor, Bandanna Dee was twiddling his arms nervously as he watched his friend practically transcend in front of him. “Was it okay?” he asked timidly at last.

“Okay…?” Kirby murmured, mind still far away in petite-four heaven.

Okay? Oh, they were way more than okay.

“They’re absolutely amazing!” Kirby gushed, determinedly pushing past the sweet-induced euphoria of Bandanna’s delectable cooking, before he grabbed another and hurriedly pushed it towards his friend. “Here – you try, you try!”

Bandanna Dee took the wrapped treat in his hands gingerly and slowly unwrapped it. He popped it in his mouth, and closed his eyes.

After a few moments, he reopened them, and sighed. He walked over to the trash bin and tossed the wrapper. “They’re alright. I could’ve matched the flavors a little better, but they’re pretty good.”

What? That was… so not true. Even when closed, Kirby could see the wonder flit through his friend’s expression at the magical not-a-cupcake.

Could… Could Bandanna not see it?

Of course he couldn’t see the look on his own face, that’d be silly; but it was really strange, Kirby thought, as he slid carefully off the counter top and stared at his friend’s disappointed look. As he watched Bandanna Dee’s face morph to one of confusion, and finally, embarrassment,  he only became more and more flabbergasted.

How on Popstar could his friend not see how amazing his tiny cupcakes were? How amazing all his desserts were? By the way he was blushing earlier, you’d think the poor waddle dee had never gotten a compliment in his life.

It all seemed kind of familiar.

Dedede had told him before about the awful little voice that lives in some people’s heads – no matter how well they do, no matter how wonderful they are, and especially no matter how kind and sweet they are, that yucky little voice would never quit bullying them. He sounded far too knowledgeable about it in that moment for Kirby’s comfort, and it was scary then, but now...

Kirby decided he really didn’t like that little voice.

He looked his dear friend in the eye. “Bandanna,” Kirby began to talk very seriously, face in a grave pout. And then he jumped at the bewildered waddle dee, hugging him tightly, twirling him a half-turn and started talking a mile a minute with the biggest grin on his face to match the joy in his eyes.

“They are the best things I have ever eaten. Ever! You made up the combinations yourself? They taste like hanging out with you! And I can tell you, there’s nothing better than that!”

Bandanna’s eyes lit up in shock, and so did his tomato flush. Direct hit!

“I’ve been to those fancy bakeries you talked about, and they’re good, but these are way better! You’re the best chef I’ve ever met, Bandanna!”

The bashful dee was speechless, and merely hid his eyes. Kirby kept going.

“It’s like eating all my favorite flavors one after another, all at once! It’s amazing!” Kirby let go for a moment to ecstatically hold up another petite-four. “And you decorated them so beautifully! Look, this one’s just like a strawberry!” It was, indeed; a berry-red one with chocolate shavings carefully arranged like seeds all across the top, with two tiny mint leaves stuck just under the cream. “It’s just the right size, too. It’s sooo cute!”

Kirby finally let up in his bombardment to watch his friend practically melt into the floor, hiding his blushing red mess of a face under his bandanna. It was positively adorable, Kirby thought, as he plopped down right beside him.

“You don’t have to make fun of me,” the waddle dee whined. The puff patted him on the arm. “Really! A simple answer would’ve been fine.”

“Nope! It wouldn’t. Because I meant every word I said, and then some,” his friend declared earnestly, leaning almost upside down and peeking under the blue cloth. “You’re something really special, Bandanna Dee, and more people should say it.”

“Thank you. You’re really special too,” the little dee whispered.

Kirby giggled, hugging him again. Bandanna Dee was warm, almost worryingly so, but that was probably just the embarrassment that was even still turning him into a little puddle on the floor. And all from just a simple compliment! If Kirby had any say, that little voice wouldn’t be sticking around long – in his friend, or anybody.

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oh my gosh thank u for reading this far!!! you are literally the coolest person ever and i appreciate you. I am sending you virtual love and flowers with my mind. this is absolutely not the most nuanced work of fiction, but i had fun with it and i hope you did too. Have a great day!!

[perenlop]

can i be honest and say i dont understand the sudden vitriol ive seen against how kirby presents its lore

[lemonykeeby]

im still trying to see if i can find some cute kirby charms to make jewelry with

[jaydove-writes]

Moving intro to pinned post so bio is less cluttered

~ he/him, cis, biromantic asexual, engaged to @starlightprincess98, (Planning to get married February 14th 2026) born July 12th 1997 (listed the year so I don't have to update my age every year) ****

Platonic soulmates: @aflairforthemelodramaticc and @translesbianfoxgirl

**** Formerly known as **** @princesssparkle42 **** @jaydovesworld **** Other blogs include **** @ask-skybluecmc, if you want to do some MLP OC RP **** @phoenix-of-grandeur, if you want to talk about your favorite games or mine (Though I also do that on main) **** @phiction-of-grandeur, if you want to talk about your stories or mine (Again I do that on main) **** @ask-the-felicity-crew, if you want to RP between your OCs and mine or ask me questions that I will answer as mine. The characters may or may not know they are fictional depending on when in the timeline you ask them.

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@ask-simon-devlyn, same as the Felicity Crew, but centered around the captain, Simon Devlyn. On this blog Simon knows he's fictional.

**** I love talking to people and making new friends! I'm also creating my own story series called Starbourne. **** Show Fandoms: **** MLP **** Steven Universe **** The Owl House **** Amphibia

**** The Ghost and Molly McGee **** Sailor Moon **** Cardcaptor Sakura

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Spongebob Squarepants ****

More later

**** Game Fandoms: **** Any RPG that features Mario **** Any indie game inspired by Paper Mario ****

Undertale and Deltarune ****

Kirby **** Zelda (mainly just watching other people play them) **** Pokemon (see Zelda) **** Might add more later **** Book Fandoms: **** Percy Jackson et al **** Amari **** Serafina **** Might add more later ****

Webcomic Fandoms

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Homestuck

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Down to Earth

***** Donation Links

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Kofi

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Patreon

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PayPal

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Book 1 of my series, Starbourne, is FREE!! For the other books please donate $6 per book to one of the aforementioned links. I'm planning on making this a series of 9, but currently working on book 2.

Doing one of those note things for motivation (or notivation because notes lol)

25 notes - I do the dishes and clean out the litter box (done, for now... But these are Sisyphean tasks)

50 notes - I clean up around the house (I did a little cleanup, might do more later)

100 notes - I do a little work on my book (it still needs editing before I can publish it and write the sequel, but I'll do some work on that when my PC stops crashing)

250 notes - I start working on book 2 (or work harder on editing book 1 if it still needs it)

500 notes - I participate in artfight (in the first July after it reaches this threshold. I doubt it'll get there by this month.)

1k notes - I start working on a video game in the Starbourne multiverse. A small one, like Undertale is to Deltarune. I'm calling it Saturn Robe which is an anagram for Starbourne, like Undertale is for Deltarune.

2.5k notes - I start working on my dream game, Starbourne. The one that's the reason I started writing in the first place. (If the small game isn't finished I work harder on that)

5k notes - I dedicate my time to taking care of myself/my partner/my family, and working on my dream game.

10k notes - I become a god in the Tumblrverse (this will not happen)

If you want to know more about Starbourne, check out my other blog @phiction-of-grandeur and my community for more details. My askbox is always open if you want to ask me something.

Here's the first book now:

[cosmic-dichotomy]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Thor (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Jane Foster/Thor, Loki (Marvel)/Original Character(s), Loki & Thor (Marvel) Characters: Original Characters, Loki (Marvel), Jane Foster (Marvel), Thor (Marvel) Additional Tags: Political Intrigue, Drama & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, POV Alternating, Prophecies, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Established Relationship, Slow Burn, One-Sided Relationship, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Betrayal, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Protective Thor (Marvel), Black Character(s), BDSM, Sadomasochism, Flogging, Whipping, Wax Play, Bondage, Suspension, Anal Sex, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Sub Loki (Marvel), Minor Character Death, Blood and Violence, Abandonment, Family Secrets, Assassination Attempt(s), Implied/Referenced Torture, Eventual Smut Summary:

After falling from the Bifrost, Loki drifted through space and found himself in a place outside of reality, where he met a very peculiar being. While at first it seemed as though this meeting only served to give him a way back home, years later it seems as though the mortal (?) Golnar may be a valuable ally against the coming apocalypse. Its obvious fondness for him becomes a valuable tool in both Loki's selfless and his self-serving endeavors.

In present day, Thor is grappling with the fallout of Loki's actions against both Johtunheim and Earth, all while maintaining his relationship with Jane despite the realms between them. When ancient enemies begin to rise seemingly from the dead and his father suffers a mortal wound while fending off a creature believed to be myth, all signs start to point towards the fulfilling of an old, apocalyptic prophesy.

Together, the two brothers must work to stop the coming of Ragnarok, with allies and enemies old and new coming forth as the threat grows closer. As they begin to uncover secrets that shake their family and the world, their bond is tested as never before in the face of a divine apocalypse.

[korattata]

I'm getting kinda tired of the tournament things tbh, mostly bc my brain doesnt know how to handle competition and gets very >:( when the thing i like loses

[postcardsfromheapside]

I need to be salty for a hot second about people who are upset about aspects of Lucanis' romance.

I'll put everything else under the break for spoilers, but in general, I am so disappointed in a large portion of this fanbase who apparently thought "disaster" meant "romantasy," but also it's in keeping with how a lot of people seem unable to put things in context.

One of the complaints I keep seeing run past is that the scene where you commit to a relationship with Lucanis seems pefunctory, or out of the blue, there's nothing really romantic about it, it's too similar to the platonic route, etc, etc, ETC.

I romanced Emmrich, but I've seen other people's versions of romancing Lucanis. I'm just going to kind of word vomit here, and hope I can come up with something cohesive.

As someone who id's with Lucanis for "generational abuse" and "dumpster fire disaster bi" and "using socially acceptable drugs as coping mechanisms in place of addressing your problems" reasons, it's been really fucking annoying watching the almost deliberate misinterpretation of his character even after Mary Kirby dropped several explanations on social media. It's like a large part of the fanbase saw all that and turned into the "yes yes, very sad...anyway!" meme and went right on fetishizing him...then got mad when he didn't turn into the seductive Dom with wings they were hoping for.

You commit to Lucanis after (what I consider) a very intense scene inside his "mind prison." He's struggling so much internally that Spite wrests control of his body from him in front of witnesses and begs Rook to help them. Lucanis would never ask Rook to do so on his own, he's terrible at asking for the help he truly needs. Spite drags Rook into the Fade Ossuary and demands they free Lucanis from his self-imposed prison. And whether you're a friend or would-be lover, Rook slowly talks Lucanis out of a host of self doubts regarding his family and friends. Can he trust himself not to hurt other people, now that he's saddled with this affliction? Has he disappointed the people he cares about most? Do these new people he's coming to care about actually trust and care about him? The rooms are filled with fragmented thoughts that peter out into regrets. You're literally seeing Lucanis' fractured and complicated emotions.

One of them tore a hole straight through me: "You'd have to kill me...And Spite would die."

You'd have to kill him to get rid of the demon. And he'd regret the death of the demon that's protected him and given him strength, through a brutal year of betrayal and torment. I don't know if y'all remember the scenes in the Ossuary of the failed experiments and the corpses you had to pass to get to his jar of blood. It wasn't fun.

When you break out of the mind prison after helping him bond with Spite, it's intimate and momentous, even on a platonic route. You've seen desperate and lonely parts of him he'd never willingly show anyone.

As you're convincing Lucanis that it's okay to leave his mind-prison, you tell him you understand that it's easier to deal with problems like the Ossuary and Zara than healing and living with Spite, potentially hurting people he cares about. But he wants to. It's Rook's job to help him see a path out, a way for him to make the struggle easier so he can begin to heal himself.

I need to stress: you aren't "fixing" him. You're acting as his lighthouse, regardless of whether you're a friend or a lover. Sometimes people need help. He's still going to have to do the work to get there.

As a friend, it was extremely rewarding to come back to the kitchen and see him doing exactly as I'd hoped: moving on with the business of *living*. He made a nice dinner for everyone he's come to care for, and a special dessert for Neve. Cooking is where Lucanis finds creativity, and comfort, and connection with his friends and family. He isn't very good with words, but he will note everything you consume, and try to make you feel loved by expressing it that way.

Which is why I think it's important you don't dismiss the commitment on the romantic route. He remembers YOUR favorite drink and makes YOU a special dessert if you're romancing him. Lucanis isn't going to get poetic. You've already made him feel raw. You've seen the ugly, embarassing parts of him. What is he supposed to say? Usually it takes Spite reaching through his body to actually be direct. Instead, Lucanis reaches for food, his favorite medium, to try and apologize for inadvertently showing you those things, to thank you for helping him despite seeing what he considers the most shameful parts of him. Your commitment is letting him know that you value him, that he has nothing to be ashamed of, that you understand what he's trying to express with his struggling communication skills, which appear to get better as your relationship progresses from there.

It's weird that some of y'all don't feel that this is heartfelt and important, because you'd rather him act out some sensuous fantasy trope. It's also weird that some of you haven't figured out that many scenes in RPG's can be similar on platonic and romantic routes with tweaks to shade context.

(Also just in case this comes up: cooking is not his "love language" - that whole concept was invented by a misogynistic weirdo and we should remove it from our ideas of communication)

Anyway, this guy is my Rook's bestie and I'll go down swinging for him, you should appreciate the fuck out of him and stop acting like his writer didn't craft a perfectly funny little weirdo who is bad at showing people his tender parts and terrible at interpersonal relationships.

[thanyatargaryen]

Surprise My Love

Ok I'm trying to do this for the first time because I'm not used to creative writing and if you see this and you have any ideas please let me know.

Rating: PG

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x reader

You have been in LA more often creating content for your Youtube channel and you started hearing rumors in social media that you were dating an older man. At the same time the heartthrob Pedro Pascal was seen more often in LA spending time with a secret someone. The situation spiked the paparazzi lenses taking pictures of him talking with someone in a coffee shop often or having secret encounters with a person in secluded restaurants.

Funny enough, you were indeed dating an older man... Pedro Pascal whom you met a few months ago at the announcement of The Fantastic Four: First Steps at San Diego Comic Con. You were recording and interview for your channel since you had an agreement with Marvel for promotion. The situation was funny since you both were able to jock around and the vibe was so carefree even after the age difference. The vibe was in high levels between you to that even Vanessa Kirby noticed and invited you to the after dinner event and that how it all started.

Throughout the night you were talking about everything and nothing with Pedro. The conversation was so light hearted talking about your childhood in your home country and his childhood and how he used to go to the movies with his dad, living with his siblings mostly Javiera. His jobs and the first time you saw some of his work, the books both like to read and the movies you watch to disconnect from the world. Even after dinner you kept talking outside the restaurant and he asked your number to keep in touch. You could feel the cold breeze of the sea near the restaurant and your cheeks getting hotter by the second as you took your phone and exchanged numbers. You saved your number on his phone with your name and he being cheeky saved his as Z. Pascal which you knew what it meant and made you giggle. Pedro offered to take you home or order a cab for you but you declined since you had parked your car at a nearby hotel.

After that, you exchanged numbers with Vanessa with whom you had a great connection throughout the interview and dinner. She was asking question about your work as content creator and how it all started with your youtube channel. You explained how you had always wanted to do content creation and how much it took you to actually take a leap of faith on yourself and actually do it. She was amazed on your trajectory from being a student and all the work you did with your family and as a university teacher while taking classes making life a bit harder. She was amazed and asked what was to do in San Diego you gave her a list and she was interested in many places to visit.

Time ran out and you all ended your night around 2 am as the valet got your car you were playing with your phone and a text came through "Are you free tomorrow night?" P. It made you smile and right at the moment you were going to answer your car arrived. You got in after giving a tip to the valet and fixing your seat. The car felt warm but it wasn't the car it was you feeling happy after the text. As you start driving you make the call answering "I'm free after 5 pm tomorrow" :) and that was how you got your first "date".

It was a quick dinner at the hotel restaurant where he as staying, a sushi bar and you got to talk even more about what you do and what you like to do. The date was full little touches on each other, knee, hand, shoulder, arm you name it. the night ended around 10 pm. "I appreciate you taking the time to have dinner with me, even though I'm not often on the west coast I would like to keep talking if you feel like it." You were completely surprised and over the moon you took a big gulp and looked at him "I appreciate the invitation, i had a great time and I hope we keep talking too. If you ever want to come to San Diego i can be you and your family's personal tour guide." He closes on you and kisses your hand like a gentleman "I will take that offer for sure and i hope to see you after we come back from filming."

"Are you going straight to filming after the con?"

"Yes we are going to Spain as i finish a few things for Gladiator "

"Wow well i hope to her from you soon and take care it was an amazing and beautiful dinner."

"I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the night because i did too." Right at that moment your car got to the valet, Pedro opened your door and waved goodbye.

Months passed and at this point you were biting your nails at the airport on your way to Malta to visit Pedro. It was your first time doing something so crazy as this. You could see a few people walking around and a few groups of teenagers and college age people looking at you. Out off nowhere you feel a hand on your shoulder and they as "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you but i was was talking with my friends and we think you look like this Youtuber that does interviews to people from Hollywood and things like that..."

"OH! Yes it's me." that answer brought a group of 15y/o asking for a group pic when you hear your flight getting called for second time which was a bad thing. The group was going nuts that if they wanted individual pics or group. "Why don't we ask someone to take a picture with your phone and then i reposted on my stories... it will be nice to have it before i get into the plane." That is when they all agreed and someone took the picture, at least 20 teens were scattered on the floor and smiling which made you happy since it was your job that brought so many people together and this is proof of it.

After the picture gets taken the last call comes through and to take the people and run to the plane almost not making it. I that's weird to think that since you had been at the airport 3 hours prior to your flight. You were nervous about how impetuous this decision was for you. After talking with John (Quinn) and getting the surprise for Pedro this was the only way the surprise could happen. You apologized to the flight attendants for the delay and go to your seat, the crew makes all the safety checks and talk to the passengers. Straight after that you get your earbuds on and try to forget not to be anxious for 16 hours. You started watching a show on netflix for a few hours, then a 1 hour nap and then read your book for the last 4 hours of your flight arriving to Malta around 1:30 pm.

It took about 30 minutes to get through customs and pick up your luggage since you had done customs online at the kiosk after you got off the plane. By 2 pm John had a car waiting for you and when you get picked up the jitters start on your belly. While arriving to the hotel you get a note from the people at checking it is from John "We are having lunch and the car that picked you up will take you there" Johnny Boy. Giggling you get taken to your room where you change your clothes to a nice flowy dress and flats. You run to the elevator and down to the car where the driver took you to that little restaurant near the beach. John had sent a text with his location for you to find them easier when you arrived. The driver gets to the main entrance of the restaurant and the hostess takes you to the main path towards the isolated tend where Paul, John, Pedro and Fred were eating.

You were so happy to see Pedro even from afar, you saw John taking a selfie and what bette moment to surprise him than with a hug. You sneaked up on the small group and stood behind Pedro. He was weird out because he could smell your perfume and that's when you lean into him and whisper "Hello General." Pedro is speechless and all the guys are taking pictures, he stands up and hugs you tight while you wrap your hands around his neck and kiss him. "This is indeed a good surprise my lady."

I hope you like it and please let me know what else i could do to improve my writing.