#meta knight is trying really hard to be proud of Kirby

[lanzamoony]

HUGS! (ft. Kirby characters) pt.1

(Not proofread) Kirby

He's my baby, He's our baby. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

He'll be more than happy to hug you if he knows you. After all, (almost) everyone is his friend!

He'll make happy sounds, and will ask you to hold him.

May or may not fall asleep in your arms...

He doesn't need a reason, he's just made of love <3

But if I had to write about any situation... it'd be this:

You had a rough day, Meta Knight's hard training lessons, Dedede's nagging, and various things that just drained your energy. You were in the beach, looking at the sea as your thought started to fill your mind. If only you could mute your consciousness...

What you didn't notice, however, was the small heroe next to you, who let out a concerned "poyo?" At the sight of a sad friend.

You didn't notice him run away either, but you did saw him running back to you with some apples. He sat next to you and gave you one of them happily, as if he were trying to cheer you up. He listened to your problems, and even if he didn't understand some of them, he comforted you as best as he could.

You two saw the sunset begin, and he jumped in your arms. It was int that moment that you realize that you'll always have a friend who's willing to listen to you, no matter what. Although he may fall asleep in your arms after that, like what was happening at the moment.

Meta knight

No. At least, not without asking for permission.

Let's be honest, he's a cold knight and even if he cares for his friends he's not a fan of physical contact.

So it takes a lot, A LOT of hard work to get him to trust you. Many battles and long training sessions, nights of talking and insufferable scolding during hikes.

He does that because he cares for your safety, but you're still a stranger to him. Though, your resilience and kindness have surprised this stoic knight.

Seeing you work hard and smile everyday was suspicious, not many are able to pass his training...

But one day, he saw you crying in your quarters out of exhaustion. He felt... guilty.

So he decided to set his ego to the side and apologize.

Try to imagine the expression under his mask when you told him you just wanted to make him proud because you didn't feel like you belonged to dreamland. :(

He hugged you. It was akward, yes, but it's the thought that matters. He feels bad for you, after all.

Meta had the great Idea of asking you to meet up for lunch the next day, to get to know eachother.

King Dedede

In his defense, he was very cold.

Winter in Dreamland, a strange sight but always welcomed by the most playful ones.

You came to Dreamland not too long ago, and the self-claimed king has hated you ever since. I mean, getting back at him for his insults is so unfair....! (Cue him throwing a fit at poor escargoon because you always manage to see him coming at you with a new scheme to ruin your day)

So when he saw you giving away sweet, hot chocolate to people in the town, he became furious (He wanted you to offer him hot chocolate too). He got closer to throw subtle comments about your chocolate not being tasty, and it ended up in a snowball fight.

What he didn't expect, was you covering him completely in snow.

It seems like Meta knight's training was worth it, after all.

This all leads us to the current situation: him having catched a cold and staying in your guest room at the castle. "It was your fault, you take care of him" (Escargoon's words).

He looked at your figure entering the bedroom with some (burning hot) soup and a cup, not really being in the mood to take medicine. You had to practically force him to finish the soup, but there were no problems when he realized the mysterious cup was filled with your hot chocolate.

After that, when the tiredness started to kick in, you decided it was a good moment to get to know him. Turns out he's not that bad, he's just... lonely. And traumatized (For everything that happens to him in the games).

You were about to go away, but he stopped you. You were about to ask why, when he sat up amd wrapped his arms around you. "Please" was the only thing he said. You really couldn't say no, huh?

You may have gotten a cold last night, but hey, at least you don't have a tyrant making your life impossible everyday! Now, you just have a whiny penguin nagging you with his schemes and plans. If you already understood Escargoon's suffering, now you two bond over it. Waddle Dee's

MY BABIES

It was an average friday. You used to watch movies every friday night before coming to Dreamland, and it didn't change since there were TV's here too.

You put on whatever movie you could find, grabbed some snacks, a blanket, and sat on the couch. Everything was normal, until you heard a soft knock on the door. It was Bandana Waddle Dee, who came to see if you were doing alright. You cpuld tell he was happy when you offered him to sit next to you.

You talked to him through the entire movie, sharing the snacks and the blankets, carrying him to his quarters when he fell asleep. (He's so pure I can't-)

He came back the next friday, and the next, but that time he brought two other Waddle Dee's with him, claiming that they were following him. Fortunately, you had more that enough snacks for everyone.

But as weeks passed, your room started to get more crowded, to the point that you had to improvise a projector in the gardens and organise the snack and blankets/pillows situation.

By the time two months had passed, and you moved to the plaza (people like Dedede, Escargoon or Meta Knight may be in the crowd, but disguised or hidden, trying not to be suspicious they are).

However, you'll always be surrounded by a pile of happy Waddle Dee's, with any lucky one sleeping in your arms. It's safe to say that they absolutely adore you.

Me writing the day before an exam bc I'm just that awesome (The anxiety creature is whispering in my ear)-

Ok first of all, I want to let you know that I'm aware that you can't catch a cold for not wearing a coat or being cold, it's just series/games/fanfic logic. I just feel the need to clarify this..

So yeah

I'm tired. (Zzz)

I wanted to be Susie in life but I feel like I'm slowly turning into Escargoon-

Anyways have a good day/night!

#Kirby #Kirby characters x reader #Meta knight #Meta knight x reader #king dedede #King Dedede x reader #waddle dee #bandana waddle dee #Yes #here have this #Good night pookie

[veveisveryuncool]

Please share some of your 8587420 metadede wedding headcanons, I'd love to hear them /gen

YEAHYEAH YOU GOT IT ANON!!!!! order up under the cut :D

Kirby was sosososo excited to be the flower girl and kept making an absolute mess out of the flowers during rehearsals (Ribbon got to practice with him and cheered the hardest when he finally made it down the aisle in one piece)

Kirby definitely did that thing you see in cute wedding videos where he saw Meta Knight and Dedede at the end of the aisle and sprinted towards them

Bandee was also really excited to be the ring bearer but also had an equal amount of anxiety

but he did such a good job and was super proud of that, good for him :]

Since Kirby and Bandee already had spots, MK and Dedede asked Sailor Dee and Adeleine to walk as their family (kinda like a mother of the bride/groom, but since both their parents don't exist/are super dead, they used the people they considered family)

Adeleine nearly broke down in tears when she realized that Dedede saw her as family

Sailor was just absolutely ecstatic and promised that she would do the best she could (they both did)

The entire wedding had a star/heaven motif (partners who shook the heavens, anyone?)

twas lovingly chosen by the decorations commitee, aka Taranza, Adeleine, and Prince Fluff

oh fun fact i was originally going to have Fluff be the officiator bc royalty, but let's be honest this guy was probably playing the most gorgeous piano piece during the ceremony

Bandana Dee, Adeleine, and MK all got to keep their character-defining headwear during the wedding. This is important.

Out of the reformed villains club (Magolor, Susie, Taranza, Marx), Taranza was the only one allowed to work on the wedding. To everybody else, he acts humble and modest about this privelige, but to their little club, he is rubbing it in everyone's face

Taranza also picked out the flowers for Kirby and the decorations, given that MK and DDD know jack about floral design

You can be sure as hell that all the Meta-Knights and Halberd crew were there, all crying a river

Like even Captain Vul was getting teary eyed

They had the most legendary bachelor (+ Sailor Dee) party ever

All the Castle Dedede waddle dees were there.

All of them.

they took up at least 80% of the seating, but Dedede made sure everyone had a place to sit

Instead of wedding rings, they used bracelets!! (they have,, no fingers guys)

It’s a simple silver band engraved with a hammer and Galaxia on it (yes inspired by that one fic)

because nothing says “i love you” more than you and your partner’s weapon mains crossed together

Meta Knight proposed first because face it this guy is whipped af

He’s been trying to propose since Robobot but every time he tries, he gets comically interrupted by Kirby or Bandee or an eldritch horror or even Dedede himself

They’ve been acting like an old married couple since literally forever, why not make it official? 

But also Dedede was overjoyed to have an official big beautiful wedding

Their vows were both meticulously crafted, and while MK was extremely secretive of his, Dedede often pouted about how hard it was to put how much he loved him on paper

like DDD even practiced on MK multiple times just to get it right

In the end though DDD just winged it on the day of

and it was the most pure, lovingly said speech Meta had ever heard

During the kiss, MK did that thing where he used his mask to cover their faces like in old western movies 

Marx and Magolor, who only came for the potential face reveal, were monumentally disappointed, “oh cOME ON” “what a ripoff! i can’t believe i changed my hat and got a new bowtie for this! i demand a refund!”

Susie was also lowkey miffed but she found Marx and Magolor’s reactions way funnier

Kirby and Bandee, however, were hyped up more than anything for the wedding

“If your dad marries my dad, then that means that we’d be siblings for real!!!!”

they were honestly more excited and impatient than MK and DDD were lol

now they have officially become a big happy family <333

#meta knight #king dedede #metadad #dededad #metadede #kirby #kirby series #kirby headcanons #have fun with this #rb with your own hcs i love to read them!! #anyways they are so <3 i love them

[owlixx]

Kirby Super Star Ultra Thoughts

Opted to just play the remake instead of playing both versions, like I did with Adventure/Nightmare in Dream Land

This is the first one of these that I have ample experience with

Owned this physically as a kid and remember playing it a bunch in middle school

I particularly remember getting lost in great cave offensive, not necessarily in a bad way

I also have played through a good chunk of the SNES original as a coop game a couple times over the years, but never gotten past the first few “games”

What I’m getting at is that Spring Breeze/Dynablade reminded me of being in college/high school, Great Cave Offensive reminded me of middle school, and Milky Way Wishes was brand new

Most importantly, this entire game is just such a joy

Having not played this game properly in single player in a decade really made this a unique experience

Also, playing the games leading up really helped me appreciate this game more

I was especially impressed by the graphics, the variety of the different games, and how fun the copy abilities are

Finally having multiple moves per copy ability increases the fun drastically

I actually really enjoyed summoning AI companions even if they ended up destroying one of the treasures in Great Cave Offensive

I think it’s bogus that the DS version requires player 2 to look over player 1’s shoulder

Milky Way Wishes ended up being my favorite game of the bunch because of how you permanently unlock copy abilities to switch between

I really enjoyed that we got to see multiple different types of level design here:

Old kirby levels remixed for the new style in Spring Breeze

An original set of levels in Dynablade

A single large interconnected level with collectibles in Great Cave Offensive

A time-restricted level in Meta Knight’s Revenge

Puzzle/unlockable based in Milky Way Wishes (especially loved that season-swapping puzzle at the start!)

And haven’t done it yet, but getting to play as meta knight and the helpers in the extra DS modes

So yes, the different games feature a mostly similar Kirby and abilities (except Milky Way wishes and the extra DS modes) but because the concept behind the level design is so different, that’s what makes them feel distinct to me

Favorite abilities were hammer, parasol, yoyo, wing, jet

Loved the way parasol and wheelie could connect you and your companion

Really every ability in this game feels amazing to use though with dash attacks, dash jump attacks, blocking, and other unique moves

Still not a fan of stone, copy

Didn’t even try plasma somehow

If laser is in this game, I never got it

Generally avoided the screen clear abilities this time

I wish modern Kirby games had a mode like Milky Way Wishes and the new DS modes (meta knight remix + playing as every helper)

The sword fight against meta knight is even better this time with the addition of all the new moves you can do

I love all the references to other Nintendo games in great cave offensive

Love that Kirby still gets to change color for each ability

Really just want to emphasize how much joy this game brought me.

I’ve been having fun up til now, but I couldn’t stop smiling while playing this game, especially the further I got

Actually played this on a genuine DSi XL which probably helped sell me on the nostalgia

I have a hard time imagining that another game is going to top this one, besides maybe Robobot because I already know that one slaps

I am wondering if Amazing Mirror is going to remind me of Great Cave Offensive (and if I’ll get stuck and have to skip it)

I beat the shoot ‘em up section and Marx in a single try! Very proud, I was on my last hit point and had never seen that content before

Side note: I am already multiple worlds into Robobot, Return to Dream Land, and Epic Yarn from a while ago. I plan to just continue where I left off in those games, maybe just replaying the opening level of each to get my head screwed back on.

Up next: I believe Dream Land 3 is next, perhaps after a brief detour into Star Stacker

#kirby #retro gaming #Nintendo #Ds #nds #kirby super star #kirby super star ultra #16 but

[spidersandtomatos]

Just do the right thing for once

Im not a writer plz go easy on meeeeeeee ;o;

He is lying there with his wings sprawled, one of them is bent in an odd angle probably broken. You did it, you got your title back from him  it wasn't as hard as you thought it would be, maybe it's because this time you weren't previously sealed in that dreaded crystal, maybe it's because this time you had been training nonstop not even to get your title back, it just kept your mind busy and away from having another breakdown.

You run a hand through your messy hair, he broke one of your horns... Great, now you have to wait for it to grow back. 

Happiness is what you should be feeling, you should feel proud, this bastard had made your life hell only giving you the sweet taste of freedom to fight you, and once he was done kicking your ass? He left, leaving you on the verge of death and for Nova to drag you back to that crystal hell every time. But you don't feel happy and you don't feel like you finally made him feel what you felt either.

You feel sick, what is wrong with you?, why did you let your anger and resentment get the best of you?

This is not what the greatest warrior in the galaxy would do is what echoes in your head, no, this isn't why Twinkle Popopo searched you tirelessly for... It was because you were someone that would help the weak and destroy the evil while never asking anything in return, the hero you would have loved to have saved your planet from being consumed by dark matter as a child. You really had fallen from grace hadn't you?, being sealed away wasn't your fault but what you do now is your full responsability, you can choose to do better and move on or you can choose to sink deeper.

A very soft wheezing noise breaks you out of your train of thought, Meta Knight is still alive, he is breathing softly, consciousness flickering in and out.

"Let him die here, he never had any qualms about it when it was you the one lying in a pool of your own blood" a dark thought snakes its way into your mind.

You shake your head angrily, no!, Kirby would never forgive you, the child has done nothing but be kind and understanding, the knight was almost like a father to them, you could never do something like that.

Besides.... It seems this version of Meta knight has never encountered you before.. He doesn't have any of the scars you made sure to leave on the other one, this one even followed the chivalry code and while fighting even admitted he had always wanted to challenge you but he had never seen you before, this system's clockwork star had been destroyed by Kirby so wishing to fight you wasn’t possible.

Wonderful!, that means this is probably not even you own fucking timeline!.

You groan in frustration and go where Meta knight is lying, healing magic is not your forte, physical pain it's very much a foreign thing to you plus your body healed at a fast pace every time you were close to kick the bucket rendering learning it unnecessary, you only learned after Hyness adopted Zan Partizanne because like any kid she would get hurt from all that jumping and running around.

You only hope this works

Bringing a hand into Meta Knight's chest you concentrate as much as you can, waves of magic slowly enveloping his body, you map the injuries in your mind, and start to mend him even if only to keep him from dying and leave his body do the rest of the work, after a few minutes he seems to have regained consciousness because he starts to panic trying to squirm of your grasp.

You firmly grab one of his wrists with your other hand "Stop, I'm trying to fix you so you don't die" you try to sound firm but probably sound more angry than anything as he is glaring back at you but won't move anymore.

Good, you continue to try to heal this fool and after a few more minutes you are done, he isn't fully healed but at least his lung is no longer collapsed and he stopped bleeding, you pick him up in your arms, squirming begins again as he is yelling at you, most of it you can't really understand since you barely can speak Popstar's modern language but you can make up something about reputation and "I can walk", this idiot, you know both of his legs have one or two broken bones, walking will just make it worse.

“ENOUGH!" you glare at him in anger "I don't want to do this either, if you walk in your current state you will fuck up the healing process" he glares back at you fuming but shuts up, he probably realized his injuries are nothing to bat an eye for... Or maybe realized angering the emotionally unstable astral was not a good idea in his current state, you don't care.

You use your faithful lance to open a dimensional rift to Popstar, crossing the threshold you are already dreading Kirby's reaction to Meta Knight’s injuries.

#Galacta knight #Meta knight #Fic?? #I guess?? #Writing this gave me more respect for fic authors #Meta knight doesn't like being carried bridal style

[allykakamatsu]

Danganronpa V3 Smash Bros Tournament!

•Monokuma decides a good way to get everyone to kill each other is a Smash Bros Tournament, I mean, with all the salt someone’s bound to snap.

•No one kills each other, aside from Maki attempting to kill Kokichi, but it does become a weekly tradition despite the rage.

Kaede Akamatsu

• Get’s into a heated debate over who gets to main Rosalina with Kaito, but after a bit she caved and agreed to pick someone else.

•She end’s up picking Peach after Tsumugi makes a comment that they kinda look alike.

•Little did anyone know that Kaede is actually kinda a monster with Peach and frequently does really well in the tournaments.

•Favourite stage is New Donk city, and every time she gets to play on it she sings Jump up Superstar the entire match.

•Nobody is sure if they love or hate it.

•When not singing, she’ll make the stage music anything that has a dominant Piano.

•Favourite item is the Star Rod

Shuichi Saihara

• Acts like he’s never played before and decides to main Chrom due to him seeing easy enough to play and liking his personality.

•In actuality has played on and off for years and is a proud Dedede main but is too embarrassed to admit it.

•Also plays Pikachu but cause it’s Miu’s main he doesn’t usually use the electric mouse.

•Usually middle of the road in the tournaments.

•Prefers to fight on Battlefield but so long as the stage doesn’t move he can live with anything.

•Likes to keep items off.

Rantaro Amami:

•Good with all three Link forms, but has a bias for Toon Link.

•Can’t remember when he started playing, but given how he’s the only one who doesn’t panic by tripping they assume it’s Brawl.

•They also assume this because whenever someone picks Meta Knight he gets visibly distressed.

•Tournament wise he Can either do really well or really s**t depending on the day.

•Doesn’t have a favourite stage but tends to pick the Zelda stages cause he likes them the best.

•The only one who’s happy when a warp star shows up.

Ryoma Hoshi:

•At first played Incineroar cause its the only cat.

•After realising how bad his recovery was though, he kinda just tried anything to see what would work.

•Found a few semi-mains, namely Snake, Link and Villager

•Usually doesn‘t try to hard in tournaments so comes in last, or will even sit out, but when he wants to win, he will.

•Moral of the story, if he picks Villager, panic.

•No stage or item preference, but when it’s his turn to pick he tends to go with Shadow Moses island cause he likes the look.

Kirumi Tojo

•Mains everyone and is good with all of them.

•Like, can beat Mario with Little Mac good.

•Does have a slight preference towards Shiek though due to her admiring the ninja’s loyalty.

•Due to her skills, she tends to sit out with Ryoma to give everyone a chance.

•When she does play though, well, try not to loose too fast.

•Also usually the one who has to stop Maki killing Kokichi if he beats her.

•Always goes random when stage picking time comes, but also puts all the stages in battlefield mode in case it lands on something BS.

•For similar reasons tries to ignore items

Angie Yonaga

•Everyone expected her to pick Palutena, and while she does have her as a sub main, Angie usually plays Sephiroth. •Why? Angel (kinda), kick ass theme, and loves watching the others panic when they see him. Plus, Atua told her to pick someone unexpected.

•Also tried Pit and Dark Pit, and while she likes their personalities she isn’t big on their gameplay.

•To this day the only one who’s beat Kirumi in a match, and outside of that time she’s still good in tournaments.

•Atua told Angie to pick Big Blue one day, and ever since everyone dreads her turn on stage select.

Tenko Chabishira

• Always plays as a girl no matter what.

•Plays Min Min more often than not, but occasionally surprises everyone by whipping out villager.

•Why? “She’s Himiko cute!!”

•Pretty good at the game, but super competitive. Unless you’re Himiko, be prepared to get yelled at at least once if she looses.

•One day while everyone was playing random, she got Ken and kinda hated that she likes it so she occasionally plays him in private. •Shuichi caught her doing this while he was playing Dedede, and they both promised to never tell a soul.

•Punch Out stage or bust!

•Doesn’t have an opinion on items, but when she plays villager she hopes for the bunny hood cause she thinks it’s adorable.

Korekiyo Shinguji

•Lucario or bust (he likes the aura theme) though he’s also kinda a monster with Lucina

•Strangely though, whenever he uses Lucina he acts... different? (the class is convinced he’s possessed when this happens.)

•Outside of that though, tends to be one of the worse players.

•Second to none at recovery though.

•Hyrule castle has been his favourite stage since day one And that’s never gonna change.

•Always has items on, he likes the surprise factor (he and Shuichi are never allowed have a one on one fight)

Miu Iruma

•Has probably been playing the longest aside from Kirumi.

•Has played all the games, and cause Of this is decent with all of the OG 8, but will always pick Pikachu.

•Will only ever pick someone else if it’s a random match or someone makes her give Shuichi a turn, and in that case she picks Pichu as a backup.

•Despite her boasting, is usually in the lower end of the group.

•Doesn’t stop her from rubbing it in when she wins though.

•Tends to go for Wily’s castle for her stage, if for no other reason than she’s the only one who can handle the yellow devil.

•Super Hammer or bust!

Gonta Gokuhara

•Likes Donkey Kong the best, but also tries to learn how to play Joker from Kokichi cause he looks like a gentleman.

•Also likes all the Pokémon even if he isn’t the best with them.

•Honestly, aside from Olimar he likes everyone, and he only really dislikes Olimar cause he’s bullying the bugs!

•Everyone agrees to never touch the pikmin rep when he’s in the room.

•Tends to come in last with the only one he can beat kinda consistently is Ryoma without villager, but he still has a lot of fun.

•Tends to pick whatever stage everyone likes best, and has no clue how to use items.

Kokichi Ouma

•Always plays Joker because who else is a phantom thief going to pick.

•Actually he plays Villager in his spare time but Kaito is the only that knows and that was a mistake so shh.....

•Begrudgingly teaches Gonta how to play, if only from the horror on someone’s face when they get cocky only to loose to the guy who didn’t even know what a Smash Bros was a few weeks ago.

•Peak troll. Camps with gun, let’s people *cough* Kaito and Miu *cough* Hit fake smash balls, always picks the auto scrolling stages, he just loves making everyone groan.

•Only thing that makes him visibly salty is Miu on stage select cause f**k yellow devil.

Kaito Momota

•A proud Rosalina main. A badass space princess that protects the stars, what’s not to love?

•First time they all play, they all expect him to suck..... so you can imagine their surprise he‘a one of the best players in the class, especially at edge guard

•Despite that, is the most susceptible to stage hazards and bad items, especially fake smash balls. He has gotten better at recovering from them though.

•Never asks anyone to turn them off though, cause it’s worth it for the black hole and the assist trophies.

•Whenever Kiyo plays Lucina, he makes sure to sit at the other end of the couch.

•Always tries to give people pointers, though since he really only plays one character he’s not the best at it.

•Will ALWAYS pick either the Mario Galaxy stage or the Star Fox stages

Tsumugi Shirogane

•Tends to pick Kirby for A, the cute hats, and B, it gives her an excuse to rant about the lore. You know those Kirby fans who obnoxiously push how the series is super deep? That’s Tsumugi.

•Rants the whole match, leading to people preferring Kokichi obnoxiously joining in on Kaede’s singing to it. •Knowing they’re not safe when she’s not playing either, they all agree that unless it’s random’s to never pick a Kirby stage or character (another reason for Shuichi to hide being a Dedede main)

•She’ll occasionally rant about other series too, but Kirby is the biggest example.

•Despite this, she’s actually a pretty good player, even if she can be a bit to sadistic with down special sometimes.

Kiibo

•Refuses to touch ROB or MegaMan to avoid falling into the stereotype of the robot playing the robots.

•Instead picks Pyra and Mythra cause they’re great characters with a bit of computer theme that only Tsumugi knows about mercifully hasn’t ranted on yet.

•Plays very predictably, but just because you know a Lightning Buster- Prominence Revolt is coming doesn't mean blocking it is easier.

•As such is usually in the middle of the pack tournament wise. •Refuses to use side B as Pyra because one time he did and Kokichi did a stupid combo which took him from 30% to death so he’s not taking any chances again.

•Tends to put The stage on random, which he occasionally regrets if he rolls a side scroller.

Himiko Yumeno:

•Mains ALL the magic users. •Robin, Zelda, Hero, Sephiroth, so long as they have a big focus on magic she’s all in.

•Tends to use Hero the most, specifically Eight, because she likes the MP gauge.

•Despite seemingly never practicing and only doing okay with most moves, is the fastest thing in the freaking world at picking the right spell. If she gets magic burst or Kamikaze, prepare to die.

•Everyone assumes she’s probably played Dragon Quest cause of this, but she hasn’t confirmed and just chalks her skill up to magic.

•The only one who can make Tenko stop raging.

•Keeping with the theme, will usually pick the World Tree stage.

Maki Harukawa

•Messed around with everyone a bit but was only super good as Zero Suit Samus.

•Even then she’s mostly middle of the pack, but she doesn’t mind too much.

•Unless she looses to Kokichi, then it’s a struggle for Kaito and Kirumi to stop her from killing him.

•Tends to handle snacks cause Kirumi has to be in the room to keep order and she usually gets knocked out early. •The most frequent subject of Kaito’s tips, which range from helpful to ”Kaito I don’t have a f**king Luma”

•Tends to pick Shadow Moses island cause she likes the look, and though she won’t tell anyone she loves the music

#If you have any different main suggestions let me know #And yes this is the same continuity as the Saihara Games #This how they’re settling issues now? #Side Mode Au #Danganronpa #Danganronpa V3 #Danganronpa Killing harmony #Shuichi Saihara #kaede akamatsu #Rantaro Amami #Ryoma Hoshi #Kirumi Tojo #Angie Yonaga #tenko chabashira #Korekiyo shinguuji #Gonta Gokuhara #Miu Ituma #Kaito Momota #Kokichi Oma #Tsumugi Shirogane #Kiibo #K1-B0 #Himiko Yumeno #Maki Harukawa

[otaku553]

Dreamy Gear Waddle Dee and Dedede are here! I’ll do Daroach and Magolor next :D If you’re looking for Kirby and Meta Knight, they’re over here.

Design process under the cut again!

So with Dee, I knew I wanted them to be young, but still older than Kirby since they seem to explain stuff to Kirby. I settled on the age of 14, which would make them young but still old enough to work as a mechanic (sort of) and knowledgable enough about the world to explain things to Kirby (but still having the naivety of a child). You can see that I kept making Dee taller and taller in every iteration XD

I wanted to keep the bandana in there somewhere, so I made it a scarf under the collar of their shirt. Dee’s design was sort of difficult because I still wanted to keep a somewhat gender-neutral design. A lot of the fashions I saw either leaned towards masculine or feminine, and nothing much in between. I settled on more masculine clothes because it would make more sense for a mechanic at the time, but tried to keep some of the gender-neutral aspect through their coat.

The hair turned out shorter than I would usually draw their hair, but much longer than Kirby’s anyways, since short hair was much more popular at the time. I wanted it to fit nicely with the cap, and I’m pretty happy with it!

I think at first I was thinking that Waddle Dee would be sort of middle class, which is why I had that vest. It looked too formal though. Since they were a mechanic, but still young, I reconsidered. They were probably lower-middle class or so, especially considering the sewn in patch on their hat. I tried to include the sewn patch motif in several places, since it would really drive home that they didn’t really have the money to replace their coat. I like to think that they’re reasonable and would’ve saved up enough for one by now, but they also always buy food for Kirby, so they’re sort of giving up some luxuries to make sure Kirby is alright.

The discovery of overalls was amazing. It fits them so well! I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t maintain as much of their color pallette without the coat though, so I made the suspenders colored, to keep some of that orange. Overall, I’m pretty proud of this design!

Dedede’s design is where I realized I sort of screwed up?? Aviator hats didn’t become a thing until early 20th century which yeah is pretty close to what I had of like the 1890s, but not quite there. Oh well. Anyways, I saw this really nice image of a vintage pilot, and I thought that suited Dedede perfectly. Not only did it keep that nice formal looking suit that a president of a factory would have, it had fur!! which is a must in any Dedede design. So there wasn’t as much research into the styles for this. I ended up hiding the inner jacket layer so that the vest would be more visible. I also made the zigzag pattern a vest instead of a sash because I thought it made more sense that way. I wanted to keep it as close to the official render as possible so I kept the belt buckles on the vest, but I personally don’t think the buckles are really accurate for the time period-- I’m not sure though.

It’s subtle but there’s also pockets on the coat, which I think he stores his gloves in. Hmm, I thought I should maybe put the goggles on the aviator hat in one ref image, but the big ornate bulb thing at the front would probably impede that. There’s also the black fur on the coat! Just to give a more classy look. The collar can also be flipped up for a high collar to protect him from the wind. My priority with the coat was to make it practical while looking classy, so it can close all the way.

That’s most of it! Thanks for reading, if you did. I love seeing people appreciate the thought I put into these because I really try my best.

In other news, I started a fic! It’s just about cute interactions between Dreamy Gear Meta and Kirby, which is a dynamic I really want to see. It’s also got a summary of the Dreamy Gear novel in it, but I am not going to link it because my account is cringe. I’m not hard to find at all, so if you do go looking for it, you won’t really need any hints.

#kirby #kirby gijinka #king dedede #dedede gijinka #waddle dee #waddle dee gijinka #bandana dee gijinka #bandana waddle dee gijinka #bandana dee #bandana waddle dee #kirby dreamy gear

[eldritch-elrics]

fic writer meme

thanks @gusu-emilu for the tag! i’m so late to this but i didn’t forget :3

@the-golden-ghost i know i’ve sent you so many of these lmao but just in case you want to do another one! also @candygothjester , @wolffyluna , @cloudheaded if you like??

How many works do you have on AO3?

81! (that’s the reverse of your number emilu lol)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

540,039 ...... this is over ~6 years but still WOW that number is big

continued under the cut because Long

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

according to my ao3 page, approx. 25. much of the variety comes from crossovers (steven universe, mob psycho 100, and uzumaki are all on there just because i crossed them over with the magnus archives) and also because i used to write fic for a shit ton of different shakespeare plays lmao

i won’t list all the fandoms on my page, but the top 5 are mdzs/cql, the magnus archives, homestuck, hamlet, and kirby. technically star trek should be there too but i never put any of my star trek fic on ao3

(i’m quite liking the range of the top 5... especially since i’ve got a novel/tv show, podcast, multimedia webcomic, play, and video game series!)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

spacetime, sexuality, and other complex conundrums (547 kudos) - a very long homestuck canon divergence au in which one character is thrown back in time and forced to repeat a very long and very boring portion of canon. except it isn’t boring in this fic, because it’s full of awkward teenage love triangles, which eventually result in polyamory. this is still the longest single thing i’ve written lol

greatest warriors (318) - kirby fic! it’s an enemies-to-lovers fic with meta knight and galacta knight, and it’s also about meta knight dealing with his post-mind-control trauma (sometimes pretty poorly). there’s homoerotic swordfighting and lots of lore speculation. i have made so many friends through this fic it’s insane (and really cool!)

closed eyes and open arms (296) - fun fluffy get-together fic for ed and ling from fmab, set during a time period that canon skips over. i don’t think this is my most unique or creative fic but it’s sweet! and it was fun to write

too hard a knot for me to untie (248) - another homestuck one. fairly generic first kiss/get-together fic (though with shakespeare references, which was fun)

nothing beside remains (244) - mdzs! my “xue yang sacrifices himself to bring back xiao xingchen” fic! i’m so glad this is up here because i’m very proud of it :D

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

most of them! i always love when authors respond to my comments, so i try to do the same

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

almost certainly stand at the pit’s mouth, which ends with mo xuanyu’s (canon) death after he’s just spent 9k words panicking about whether or not he wants to die after all. fun fact: my mom read this and told me it was so devastating she was thinking about it for days and days afterward, so... success?

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

yes! i’ve been writing crossovers ever since i’ve been writing fic. i think the two fandoms i’ve crossed stuff over with most are star trek and the magnus archives. especially memorable are the star trek + shakespeare’s tempest one i wrote (for a school project!), magnus archives + steven universe, and, my personal favorite, this one that’s tagged with “the adventure zone” and “philosophy rpf.”

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

not HATE per se, but i’ve gotten a couple comments along the lines of “this is a cool fic; here’s a list of things i like and a list of things i didn’t like.” which feels kind of rude to comment on a fic lol, even if it is sometimes cool to see people’s honest opinion. like.. some of it was good constructive criticism, but it’s not the best practice to offer concrit out of the blue

Do you write smut? if so what kind?

yeah......

oh god the tones of all my smutty works are VASTLY different, but i guess i could say that a throughline is that most of it involves characters who aren’t really romantically involved? either they’re friends, enemies, or somewhere straddling the line... i just like using smut to complicate relationship dynamics!

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge..

Have you ever had a fic translated?

not yet, but i recently got a comment from someone asking if they could translate one of my ningxian fics into russian!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i wrote a couple star trek/star wars crossovers with a friend once in middle school lmao... idk i probably still have those lying around somewhere

What’s your all time favorite ship?

i cannot possibly choose an “all time favorite” because i switch between a lot pretty rapidly (and my tastes change over time!) but rn i’m really feeling xuexiao :3 it’s about the COMPLEXITY

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

gonna limit myself to just things that are on ao3 but - a cross-country guide to diplomacy and babysitting, which is a fmab post-canon road trip fic! i had like a whole plot and everything... maybe if i ever go back to fmab fic (and i’m sure i will) i’ll finish it but hmmm we shall see

What are your writing strengths?

i’m pretty good at angst! making people feel devastated! but sometimes in like a cathartic way? also i’d like to think i’ve been steadily improving at incorporating humor into my fics but i have yet to receive feedback on that

also i’m good at wacky surreal shit hehe

What are your writing weaknesses?

this is probably something all writers feel about their own work, but sometimes i feel like my prose can get very same-y and everything i write sounds the same lmao

also, longer plots where there’s tension beyond just misunderstandings & interpersonal (/psychological) drama - those are tricky. i go for a very specific type of conflict in my fics usually!

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

not sure about dialogue, but in cdrama/cnovel fic i like when authors use the chinese titles!

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

star trek!

...well i did write angry birds fanfic once for a school project when i was about 8 but that’s beside the point

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

again, impossible to say, but i do love stand at the pit’s mouth

#writing #fanfiction #tag meme #my post

[friendship-ended-with-pokespe]

Kirby and the Dangerous Gourmet Mansion!? Chapter 9

Returning to Mrs. ParfaitLike’s mansion, Kirby and his friends freed the chefs who were locked up in the hidden rooms. Having been robbed of their freedom for several days, the chefs were quite weak, but they all became lively after being freed.

Chef Kawasaki spoke on behalf of the chefs. “Thank you, Meta Knight, Kirby, and Your Majesty......” “Why am I at the very end! Start over!” Rebuked by King Dedede, Chef Kawasaki reluctantly corrected himself. “Thank you so much, Your Highness, Meta Knight, and Kirby. We were saved thanks to you guys.” “You must've had a hard time!” Said Kirby. “Yup, good grief......” Interrupting what Chef Kawasaki was about to say, the chefs started clamoring. “I was confined after being told that the way I sliced the carrot was 0.1 millimeter too thin!” “For me, she said that the soup was too hot! Even when it's best while nice and hot!” “It was the opposite for me. I was told that my stew was cold! Even when it got cold while she was absorbed in a magazine!” Other chefs in unison started bringing up their complaint as well. Meta Knight calmed what ended up into an uproar. “I understand your grievances, but can’t you guys get over that? I want you guys to show us what you got by making a dish.” The chefs looked at Meta Knight in silence. Meta Knight continued. “Let's continue Mrs. ParfaitLike’s birthday party. Each one of you will make your respective master dish.” “For Mrs. Parfaitlike!?” The chefs were stirred up again. “You’re kidding me! Not in a million years!” “I don't want to cook for that jerk’s birthday!” “I'm out of here! See ya!” Meta Knight addressed the chefs who were about to leave. “I get your complaints. However, you guys should have your pride as chefs.” “You said......pride?” “How about making a dish you were satisfied with when hired at this mansion? Everyone here probably has complaints, so I would like for you guys to clear that up.” The chefs looked at each other on the face. Meta Knight continued. “It's not just for Mrs. ParfaitLike. Why not cook in consideration of us?” “I want, I want it! Everyone's master dish!” With his eyes sparkling, Kirby hopped up and down. “......We were only thinking of complaints. Since we were gonna make our specialty dish with all our efforts, but were unable to.” Said Chef Kawasaki. The chefs all nodded in agreement. “Regarding us the chefs, cooking someone a dish is the happiest thing. We understand. Let's make the best dishes!” “Hooray!” Kirby is overjoyed. “Uhuhuhu......” King Dedede is also letting out an ominous laugh. Mrs. ParfaitLike was looking away in an offish manner.

Kirby briefly returned to Castle Dedede and met up with Waddle Dee. “Ah, Kirby! Welcome back. How was the party? What about His Highness?” “Actually, right in the midst of the party, an absurd incident happened!” Kirby told Waddle Dee about the kidnapping incident. “So you see, I put all my heart into it and sang, so everyone applauded. Mrs. ParfaitLike was moved with tears! The incident was solved, and they lived happily ever after!” “......H-Hmm......?” Waddle Dee was puzzled, knowing how tone-deaf Kirby is. Kirby pulled Waddle Dee’s hands. “After this, we’ll continue Mrs. ParfaitLikes birthday party. You should come too!” “Huh? But I don't have the invitation......” “There's no need for an invitation anymore. It's fine, so come!” “Sure! Thanks, Kirby!”

The party was all prepared by the time the pair arrived at Mrs. ParfaitLike’s mansion. Carried to the table were the chef’s proud cuisine cooked with all their efforts. “Wow~! Looks delicious~!” “Let's eat~!” “Time to dig in!” In an instant, Kirby and King Dedede were immersed in it. Waddle Dee’s eyes were also sparkling. “So good~! This shrimp pilaf is the best~!” “Whoa, this steak! It's Chef Kawasaki's flavor!” Usually, Meta Knight would warn them to eat quietly, but this time, he didn't say anything to the pair. He said to Mrs. ParfaitLike, who sat next to him. “How are the chef’s proud dishes?” Mrs. ParfaitLike pouted and answered. “I don't like how the vegetable is sliced. I like thicker cuts.” Standing behind Mrs. ParfaitLike, Chef Kawasaki explained. “I'm coming up with a way to make the texture better. It's natural that I would cut it differently based on the cooking.” “My! Are you talking back to me!? How audacious......” Meta Knight rebuked Mrs. ParfaitLike, who was enraged. “Even if you're being picky while eating, it wouldn't make it taste any better. Why not just savour it amenably? Like those two......” Meta Knight looked at Kirby and King Dedede. The two are indiscriminately popping into their mouth any dishes that come. “So yummy~! I would like some more~!” “What a pain! Bring me 10 servings each!” “......” Turning his eyes, Meta Knight muttered. “No, I think it'll be better to not follow their example......setting that aside, with a scowl like that, nothing you eat will taste delicious, Mrs. ParfaitLike.” “Hmph! It's none of your business.” With a face more frightening than ever, she eats the cooking with a dull look. Right at that moment: A large box loaded on a wagon was carried over. Kirby tilted his head in confusion. “What's that box? Is there something inside?” “It's a cake made with all the chefs working together.” Answered Chef Kawasaki. “Cake!?” “It's a cake for Mrs. ParfaitLike’s birthday.” The chefs pulled the ribbon attached to the box, and the box split open. From the inside appeared a large, towering, pure white birthday cake!

With the whipped cream decorated finely like a lace, it’s also topped with plenty of fruits. “Whoa~! Amazing!” “Looks delicious~!” Kirby and Waddle Dee shouted together in joy. Mrs. ParfaitLike also stops frowning and has her mouth wide open. Chef Kawasaki handed her a knife. “We've put plenty of Madam’s favorite fruits. Please cut it.” “S......Sure.” Mrs. ParfaitLike stood up and gently inserted the knife into the cake. At that moment- With a pop, a sound resembling an explosion resounded. The top of the cake opened, and from there small objects started falling in pieces! “Kyaa~! What's this!? A bomb!? Kya~! Somebody save me~!” Collapsing to the ground, Mrs. ParfaitLike held her head and screamed. Chef Kawasaki and the other chefs started laughing. “Please pardon us. We ended up frightening you.” “W......What!? Could it be that you people are trying to get back at me......!” “Of course not. This is only a surprise present. Happy birthday, Mrs. ParfaitLike!” Picking up the objects that fell from the cake, Kirby shouts. “Ah, these are candies. They're shaped like cute flowers~!” Stretching her hands nervously, Mrs. ParfaitLike picked up a candy scattered on the floor. “My......it really is. A tulip-shaped candy......” “We heard that Madam likes tulip. Instead of a bouquet, we all thought of a mechanic that would be more chef-like.” “Just why......would you do this......? I made you all suffer.” “Certainly, we did end up having a rough time. So we also wanted to get back at you. However, we realized after hearing it from Meta Knight. That we must have our pride as......chefs.” The chefs nodded in agreement to Chef Kawasaki’s words. “That's right, we are chefs. We all discussed that rather than thinking of revenge, cooking a dish that makes someone happy is much better.” Mrs. ParfaitLike gathered the candies in a cherishing manner. With her cheeks red, her grim expression changed into a smile. “Thank you......and also, I'm sorry. It's my first time with a delightful present like this.” Chef Kawasaki also answered with a smile. “There’s still plenty of dishes to go. Please continue the party.” “Yippee!” Of course, Kirby was the first one to shout in delight. Everyone seated once again, and savored the dishes that were brought out. Mrs. ParfaitLike’s face became all bright, and would let out a laugh many times. “Ahh, so delicious! I'm truly happy that I could eat delicious cuisine like this!” “Me too~! I'm so happy~!” “I......was mistaken.” Putting her knife and fork down, she spoke in earnestness. “Forgetting the joy of eating, I would only be picky in a stuck-up manner......and was unable to savor the cooking in a true manner. So it's really joyful to share a table with every one of you!” “I’m also joyful~!” “Yeah, me too......” Dedede was caught up in agreeing with Kirby, but quickly corrected himself. “Nah, it's not joyful at all! There's no way sitting with you would be fun!” “What did you just say~!? Actually, even I don't wanna eat with you!” “You wanna go!?” “Stop that. It's unsightly at times like this.” Said Meta Knight with a bitter smile. “But......King Dedede......” “From what I saw, the two of you are made just for each other.” “What!? I would never with this chump......!” “I'm not made......for him......” Kirby contemplated. “But, the two-on-one role with him might've been a bit fun.” “Hm? You say that's fun? That's ‘cause all you did was smile on top of me! My shoulder was all stiff!” “It wasn't fun?” “Mm......that's hard to say......” King Dedede also pondered. “It was different than usual, so it felt fresh. Everyone thought we were a girl......” “......And thought we were Meta Knight’s lover!” “......I want you guys to forget that.” Meta Knight said in a gloomy voice. “In any case, how about you guys get along instead of constantly being at each other's throats?” “I'm not......gonna be friends with him......!” “Just this time, you know!” “F-Fine......just this time, then.” Hearing the two squabbling, Waddle Dee smiled cheerfully and whispered to Meta Knight. “His Highness and Kirby somehow seem to go along together.” “......You're right.” “Even if just a little, a friendship might grow between the two. Thank goodness......” At that moment, Mrs. ParfaitLike stood up and spoke.  “Oh right, I should give all of you a reward. It was thanks to everyone that I was able to open my eyes.” “No, we don't really need......” Meta Knight was going to decline, but Kirby and King Dedede of course did not. “Reward!? What is it!? A feast!?” “Yeah, that's a good way of thinking. What are you gonna give? Something to eat, huh!?” “Right......I wonder what would work......” After a bit of thought, Mrs. ParfaitLike nodded saying, “That's right!” “That will do. Just a minute, please.” She cheerfully left the mansion. When returning, what she held in her hands was a basket filled to the brim with round, rainbow-colored stuff. She placed it on the table. Kirby and Dedede were puzzled. “What is that? Isn't it......a ball, you know?” “These are special fruits that can only be harvested in my hometown. We call them Rainbow Berries.” “Rainbow Berries!? Are they delicious!?” “Of course. Just eating it like this is delicious too, but it's the best when pickling it in a syrup, or jellying it. It's a really precious fruit that you can’t get your hands on anywhere else.” “You’re giving such a valuable thing to us......” “Yes, Lord Meta Knight. Please share it with Mr. Kirby and Mr. Dedede......” Kirby didn't hear it. “Time to dig in!” Shouting loudly, Kirby puffed his chest out in an inhale stance. “......Stop, Kirby!” Having realized, Meta Knight tried to stop him, but didn’t make it in time. Crying out, “Guoooo,” Kirby swallowed the pile of Rainbow Berries, including the basket.

Mrs. ParfaitLike turned pale, and seemed like collapsing. “T-The precious Rainbow Fruits have been......a legendary fruit even more expensive than a diamond has been~!” “Phew! That was yummy!” Kirby smiled in satisfaction, and patted his belly. “I want some more~! Hey, are there any seconds, Mrs. ParfaitLike?” “T-There's no way would there be any! Guy-! You pig!!!” Once again, Mrs. ParfaitLike returned to a face as frightening as before. Needless to say, King Dedede had an even scarier face than her. “You chump...... What do you mean you ate it all alone? Return my share~!” “Ah, I already ate it~. Sorry~.” “You think saying sorry will cut it!?” King Dedede lunged at Kirby. Kirby swiftly jumped up and avoided King Dedede. “Wait! You~!” “Ehehe~. It's no use!” King Dedede is chasing after Kirby in a run. The pair rushed out of the mansion and went out of sight before long. “Good grief.” Meta Knight sighed. “It seems what appeared to be a growing friendship was just an illusion. Both of them are always like that.” “It seems so, sir.” Waddle Dee also sighed heavily.

“Wait! Today’s the day I don't forgive you!” “I said I'm sorry, come on~!” It’s uncertain when the chase between Kirby and Dedede will end. Today too, Dream Land is at peace.

Previous chapter

Table of contents

#kirby novels #kirby of the stars #light novel #translation #kirby #waddle dee #king dedede #meta knight #chef kawasaki #How did they cook the dishes if they bought up all the nearby stores

[moonamite]

Unusual encounter.

Sunlight peeked through the treetops, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. The trees were tall and proud, towering over the small form below them. Pushing through the slightly overgrown grass was a purple jester, with a sour look on his face, muttering to himself. He flicked his ear as the grass tickled his sides. “This is SO stupid!” He complained out loud to himself, kicking over a small rock. He’d gotten into an argument with Kirby earlier. It wasn’t even a big argument! It was a little quarrel! And that frog-face Meta Knight thought he was threatening him! As if he ever would! He only tried to take over the world ONCE and that Old Bullfrog was STILL not over it! EVERYTHING IS STUPID AND UNFAIR AND I HATE IT HERE. Then he saw something dart out of the corner of his eye. A frog? No, it was WAY too big to be a frog... He crouched down and stalked in the direction of the noises, his ears perked. He hesitated for a little while longer... and then... POUNCED! His golden wing-talons slammed into a big slimy wriggling thing. And what was even weirder was that it screamed. “Eep! I’m sorry!” The mystery person shrieked, squirming under his grasp. He looked down and- Oh. False alarm, it was just the King’s dopey secretary. “Hey! You! It’s you, the snail from the castle!” He shouted. He’d seen him anxiously sneaking around in the castle when he’d hang out with Kirby. “Erm... Yes, it’s me... Can you please get off me?” The snail said, straining his voice. He got off him, and watched him straighten himself out. The large Mollusk twitched his long whiskers, wincing. “What are YOU doing here?” He asked harshly. The snail looked down at him- Which was SO ANNOYING, he HATED BEING SHORT- And sighed. “I wanted to see what kind of plant-life grew in these forests.” He explained. “Um. What are you doing here...?” He asked cautiously. Marx was somewhat surprised that this cowardly snail was conversing with him, of all people. “That old fart Meta Knight got mad at me for no reason! AGAIN!” He complained. “All I did was get into a small argument with Kirby, and he was acting like I spat in his cereal or something!” The snail tipped his head. His face was SO DOPEY. It was like his thoughts moved like a glacier. His eyes reminded Marx of a swamp- Green, drippy, and slow.  He looked back up to him after what felt like FOREVER, and made a face. UGH, why is everyone so HARD TO READ? “I know Meta Knight.” He said slowly, nodding. Marx rolled his eyes. “OBVIOUSLY.” He said. “And?” The snail blinked. “Well, maybe I can talk to him about it? I’m sure I can explain everything to him.” He explained. Marx narrowed his eyes. “Really? You?” The purple mollusk flinched. “W-well... That’s why I said ‘Maybe’. And, I’m sure he’ll listen if I Talk to him. Give me a chance? Um- Please?” He said hopefully. Marx opened his mouth. Then closed it. Wait, Said the little voice in his head. What about Kirby? It whispered obnoxiously. What would he want? It asked. He considered this. He’d probably want me to give this guy a chance. Even though he’s a TOTAL STRANGER. But that’s what Kirby would do, he’d trust him. Because that’s just the kind of person he is. He growled and rubbed his forehead in between his talons. Why am I such a ball of mush? “Fine.” He said, startling the snail. “I GUESS you can try.” The snail nodded. “Ok... I guess I’ll get going now...” He paused, gazing at the jester. “I’m Escargoon, by the way.” He said, pretty late into the conversation. “Who are you?” Marx snorted. “You don’t know me? ME?” He asked, bewildered. Well, that does explain why he isn’t more... you know, TERRIFIED. Escargoon shook his head. “I’m Marx. And that explains a lot.” Escargoon looked at him, confused- An emotion he COULD read. “Long story.” He said, waving a claw dismissively. “Well, Marx,” He started, turning around. “I’ll get going now. It was... Interesting to meet you?” He said, making an awkward face. Marx barked a laugh, and they parted ways. Well, it kinda made sense. He had heard rumors that the odd purple snail- Escargoon- Wasn’t from around here. But Meta Knight would probably tell him everything, and he’d hate him like everyone else did. But It’s not like I care! He thought, panicked. Why would I care? Who cares? Not me! I only just met him anyways! MARX, YOU BIG DOPE. STOP CARING. STOP CARING ABOUT THAT WEIRD, DOPEY, MUSHY SNAIL. He groaned. He knew what he was feeling now- And he was feeling SO ANNOYED.  UGH, I HATE FEELING FEELINGS.

#kirby marx #Kirby #escargoon #mini fic

[froborr]

Brief class analyses of the Smash Bros. cast

Bayonetta: Basically an aristocrat, but revolution-supporting. A comrade, more or less. Bowser: King of the Koopas. Aristocrat. Bowser, Jr.: Prince of the Koopas. Aristocrat. Captain Falcon: Cop. Chrom: Prince of Halisse. Aristocrat. Cloud: Low-ranking mercenary turned anti-corporate eco-terrorist. Definitely a comrade. Corrin: Born to one royal family and raised by another. Aristocrat. Daisy: Princess of Sarasaland. Aristocrat. Dark Pit: Totally a libertarian, and therefore an ally of the bourgeoisie. Dark Samus: Living avatar of a whole planet, so basically an aristocrat. Diddy Kong: Mooches off his rich friend. Bourgeois. Donkey Kong: Lives off wealth inherited from his grandfather. Bourgeois. Dr. Mario: Working-class background (Brooklyn plumber) turned con artist. Working class, but keep an eye on him. Duck Hunt: Formerly employed/enslaved by a hunter, now allied with the prey against his former master. Comrade to the core. Falco: Mercenary. Working class, more or less. Fox: Owner of a mercenary company. Bourgeois. Ganondorf: King of the Gerudo. Aristocrat. Greninja: All Pokemon are comrades. Ice Climbers: Rich kids with an expensive hobby. Definitely bourgeois. Ike: Inherited a mercenary company from his dad. Bourgeois. Incineroar: All Pokemon are comrades. Inkling: Punk enough to be comrades, yeah. Isabelle: Low-level functionary in local government. Comrade. Jigglypuff: All Pokemon are comrades. Joker: Anti-authoritarian rebel, sounds like a comrade to me. Ken: Born to a wealthy family. Bourgeois. King Dedede: Not actually a king, but not for want of trying. Has an army. Let's say bourgeois. King K. Rool: King of the Kremlings. Aristocrat. Kirby: is shaped like a comrade. Link: Farm kid turned wandering adventurer (i.e., homeless). Working class, but too many ties to the aristocracy to be considered a comrade. Little Mac: Working class background in a rags-to-riches sports story. Probable comrade. Lucario: Except him. Lucas: Working-class enemy of the capitalist pig Porky. A comrade to be sure. Lucina: Halissean royalty. Aristocrat. Luigi: Working-class through and through. A true comrade. Mario: Working-class background turned enforcer for the undemocratic Toadstool regime. Class traitor. Marth: Halissean royalty. Aristocrat. Mega Man: Robots have been working-class since Capek. Comrade. Meta Knight: Aristocrat, it's right there in the name. Mewtwo: De facto leader of a commune. Tried to bring about the apocalypse to end injustice. Definite comrade. Mii Brawler: Comrade. Mii Gunner: Bourgeois. Mii Swordfighter: Aristocrat. Mr. Game and Watch: Has been a firefighter and a line cook, but also a judge, which implies those other jobs were paying his way through law school on his way to becoming part of the so-called "justice system." Cop. Ness: Lucas, but in red. Comrade. Olimar: Abused, hard-working employee, the fruits of whose labors are stolen to pay down his employer's debts. One awakening of class consciousness away from being a comrade. Pac-Man: Endlessly persecutes the ghosts while devouring all the fruit. Total cop. Palutena: Goddess, which is royalty but moreso. Aristocrat. Peach: Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom. Aristocrat. Pichu: All Pokemon are comrades. Pikachu: Pichu time-traveled back from the glorious post-revolutionary future, when we all can be truly said to have evolved. Pit: Palutena's pet cop. Piranha Plant: ♪ Do you remember the Piranha Plant/you roasted in 5-1?/And were there when his family/received the news about their son? ♪ *salutes the fallen comrade* Pokemon Trainer: Doing the 10-year-old equivalent of backpacking around Europe for a year. Bourgeois. R.O.B.: Factory worker turned religious leader. Comrade, but a bit suspect. Richter: The Belmonts are all aristocrats. Ridley: Leads a company of pirates. Basically a mob boss. Bourgeois. Robin: Friends with and born to aristocrats, but not really one of them. Basically as much of a comrade as you are. Rosalina: Again, deities are like super-aristocrats. Roy: Prince of Lycia. Aristocrat. Ryu: Orphan raised by owner of, and presumably heir to, a dojo. Bourgeois. Samus: Soldier turned bounty hunter, committed genocide. Cop. Sheik: Displaced aristocrat, but still an aristocrat. Shulk: Have you seen those shorts? Bourgeois af. Simon: The Belmonts are all aristocrats. Snake: Elite government spy. In other words, cop. Sonic: One of those middle-class kids who heard the word “anarchy” on Tumblr and now think they’re a revolutionary, only he actually goes out and does it. Comrade. Toon Link: Orphan who grew up in a fishing village and became a pirate. Sounds solidly working-class to me. Villager: Built themselves from nothing to small-town mayor. Dedicated to the material well-being of their citizens. A comrade. Wario: Despite working-class background, utterly dedicated to the bourgeois ideals of greed and consumption. Another class traitor. Wii Fit Trainer: Spends all their time working for rich white women, so either craves acceptance by them (class traitor) or hates them (comrade), nothing in between. Wolf: Owns a mercenary company. Bourgeois. Yoshi: Spends his life being sat on by the class traitor Mario, when he isn’t being outright sacrificed so Mario can get ahead. Doubtless a comrade, just biding his time before the Yoshis can rise up en masse and oh look it’s his Final Smash. Young Link: Raised in basically a commune. Definitely a comrade. Zelda: Princess of Hyrule. Aristocrat. Zero Suit Samus: An out and proud trans woman who refuses to be contained in the armor of a bounty hunter any longer. If she’s not a comrade already, a few months on trans Twitter should fix that.

#why yes this is inspired by the fake AOC tweet going around

[supercasey]

RvB Character’s SSBU Mains

BGC CREW ---------------- Church: Sonic main. Is convinced that playing as Sonic is "meta" and that somehow it means he's a pro. Sore loser. Swearing and screaming the entire match, even if he's winning. Caboose: Kirby/Incineroar main. People tend to leave him alone during matches because he seems unskilled/too sweet, but if he gets his hands on you you're fucked. Tucker: Classic Link main. Has mastered bombs, up B, and nothing else. He'd be better at the game if he focused on fighting rather than flirting. Sister: Pikachu/Isabelle main. Down B is life as Pikachu. Closest of the BGC to pro other than Tex. You think she'd be flirting but she's here to win. Abuses the Isabelle glitch for as long as she can. Tex: Dark Samus/Falco main. Will backhand you if you mention Zero Suit Samus. Is a pro but also a show off in the most subtle of ways. Is the only one who's beaten Carolina and she's way too proud of it. Sarge: Bowser/Ridley main. Suicides as Bowser and side B's himself to death constantly as Ridley. Will complain that there's "too many fighters" and mutter about how he misses the N64 version (despite not maining any of those characters). 1v1’s Grif and loses every time. Simmons: Chrom/Roy main. "Roy's our boy!" Can't get himself back on the map to save his life. Waits for everyone to thin themselves out before swooping in to finish them off. Gets mad when Grif mistakes which character he is. Grif: Wario/Yoshi main. Plays Wario when he's just goofing around, but he'll switch to Yoshi if you piss him off/challenge him. Used to be pro but hated how competitive it was. Typically takes second or third place in full BGC matches, but almost always first in Red Team matches. Donut: Peach/Kirby main. Can play fairly well on most of the characters but he loves Peach the most. Has mastered charge attacks but rarely uses them. Side B is life as Peach. Endless vore jokes as Kirby. Lopez: ROB main. Would be a lot better if he gave a damn, but he's typically just a stand-in player. If left alone, he'll rewire his controller into something else entirely. Hogs items. Can't land his FS for shit.

Doc: Dr. Mario/Mr. Game & Watch main. Pretends to think that the game is too violent but secretly loves it. An unforgiving monster as G&W. Sucks as Dr. Mario but refuses to give up on him. If he gets an item run away at all costs. FREELANCERS ---------------------- Carolina: Fox/Zero Suit Samus main. Primary plays Fox but will switch to ZS Samus for shits and giggles. Is impossible to get off the map and will bully you into a corner. Hates items. Will get pissed if killed by items. Washington: Villager/Wolf main. Only mained Wolf in PFL, now he plays as the Villager because he finds it fun. Absolute monster if he's put into a small space with someone. Can switch to Random and still get in the top three. York: Duck Hunt/Pit main. Is just here to have a good time/troll. Loves when items are on. Spams his FS and always gets someone with it. Actually not that great with his A moves but he still gets by. Maine: King Dedede/Meta Knight main. Cannot believe no one got the Meta joke until it was too late. Terrible in the air but terrifying on the ground. Hogs all the items. Mad that no one wants to play with Spirits on. North: Ice Climbers main. Never loses his other ice climber. Will throw himself off the map if he loses his other ice climber. Arguably the least aggressive player but he's still fairly good. Misses when his main was OP back in Melee. South: Bayonetta main. You know why she mains her. Fucking incredible with her side attacks but falls off the map a lot. Doesn't pay attention to surroundings. Will deck you irl for spamming items. CT: Sheik/Snake/Greninja main. Loves the "stealth" characters even though there's no stealth. Hides for most of the game before jumping in at the end, only to lose. If she goes down, you're coming with her. Wyoming: Ryu/Snake main. Hates the game but hates sharing a main with CT even more. Spams aerial moves until he accidentally falls off the map. Fairly decent aim, but still can't land a single FS.

Florida: Wii Fit Trainer/Pac-Man main. Terrible at getting back on the map but even worse at melee fighting. Is arguably the worst at this game but the scary shit he says while playing keeps anyone from saying anything about it. CHORUS KIDS --------------------- Felix: Bowser Jr/Shulk main. Insufferable asshole who targets whoever's losing and destroys them. Lands FSs without even trying. Tried going pro but got banned from all the tournaments. Locus: King K Rool/Lucario main. Really fucking good at the game because it's all he plays. Has unlocked all the spirits. Refuses to use spirits. Waits until there’s only one person left so he can 1v1 them. Kimball: Palutena/Samus main. Is here to have a good time. Didn’t grow up with a lot of video games but she’s still fairly good. Enjoys ganging up on Doyle. Can actually take Carolina in a fight but doesn’t want to.

Doyle: Luigi main. Has never once played a video game but is still reasonably okay. Runs away at the first sign of a FS. Spams items out of fear. Humble loser.

Dr. Grey: Jigglypuff main. Acts like a cryptid for a majority of the match (you only see her when she’s grabbing items). Manages to catch everyone- even in an eight player free for all- with her FS. Worryingly quiet.

Palomo: Captain Olimar/Young Link main. Isn’t even good with YL but he wanted to match Tucker’s main (much to Tucker’s annoyance). Terrible at refreshing his Pikmin stock. Brags hardcore when he wins (not that it happens a lot).

Jensen: Daisy/Lucas main. You’d think she’d take it easy on people but she goes for the kill. Unabashedly goes for Palomo out of anger and spite. Do not test her. Forgets to use her FS despite being reminded that she has her’s ready.

Smith: Mario/Pokemon Trainer main. Doesn’t care that Mario’s FS is shit, he’s here to have fun. Will back off if he’s wailing on someone too hard. Cries on the inside when his Pokemon are knocked out as PT.

Bitters: Ness/Mewtwo main. The best out of the Chorus Kids, it isn’t even much of a competition anymore. Loves taking on Grif and/or Carolina because it’s a challenge. Sometimes shows off but he earned it tbh.

Matthews: Kirby/Little Mac main. Just here to have fun. Will hide by Bitters even if it’s not a team match. Side B’s to his death as LM. Really good with items and cries when Bitters won’t turn them on.

BONUS EXTRAS ------------------------

The Director: Mario/Cloud main. Only playing because Carolina guilt-tripped him into it. Gets upset when he can’t figure out where he is in a crowded brawl. Is decent at the game because Allison made him play the older versions back in the day, but still not great. Yells a lot.

The Counselor: Mega Man main. Only plays MM because he recognizes him. Refuses to switch despite sucking as MM. If he lands a FS he gets way too proud about it. Low-key threatens to fire any Freelancer who really gangs up on him.

The Chairman: Ganondorf main. Hates this game more than anything else. Is infuriatingly slow and even when he reaches someone, he forgets to attack/misses. Doesn’t know how to FS and everyone hates him too much to explain it. Rage quits.

Sharkface: Inkling main. Blue Inkling all the way. Keeps forgetting to reload his ink. Stays as a squid and hops around the entire game. Surprisingly wholesome and has more fun than anyone else playing, despite never winning. Paints people blue and laughs.

Vic: ??? Random main. Talks non-stop the entire game and it’s the most infuriating thing. Wonderful at recovery, even on characters with shit recovery. FSs way too much.

((I’m fine with constructive criticism, but this was all made in good fun, so please don’t flip out about who plays who too much. Please note that I’m not caught up. I’ve only seen up to RvB13 and a few RvB14 episodes, but not many. Feel free to add future characters. Hope you all enjoy this!))

#rvb #rvb ssbu au #ssb #ssbu #grif #simmons #sarge #donut #tucker #caboose #church #sister #kaikaina grif #tex #agent tex #agent texas #agent washington #agent carolina #doc #agent york #agent new york #agent wyoming #agent connecticut #agent florida #butch flowers #agent maine #the meta #agent north dakota #agent south dakota #issac gates

[scribemallow]

kirburbia ch. 25

(just noticed that i mislabeled the last one, whoops)

this one.. should speak for itself. i wanted to write it so bad that i broke schedule, so i hope you guys enjoy it.

read below in full, or in full on ao3!

Returned to dignity and polite silence by Kirby’s interruptance, the rest of the meal passes in relative peace between Dedede and Meta Knight, a peace that only stops for occasional snide and resentful glares across the table when Kirby isn’t looking at either of them for approval. Happy to consume his order without much input from Dedede or Meta, and surprisingly hungry even for him, Kirby provided them a good many opportunities for said snide glares, despite the residual guilt surrounding exposing a child to their conceited adult conflicts. It became the only thing that Dedede and Meta Knight could agree on in the moment- whatever had just happened, it shouldn’t be Kirby’s problem. So they would have to be civil, at least for now.

“What are we going to do when we get back home?” Kirby’s innocent voice highlighted his lack of perspective on the argument or the situation. Prompted to speak again for the first time since his entry, Dedede and Meta Knight looked between each other with barely-concealed spite, trying to determine the answerer with their eyes. Eventually, Dedede gave in, conceding that it was his house and that he, and nobody else, would dictate what went on inside.

“I dunno. I guess we just chill out and watch TV or whatever people want to do. Go for a walk for a while-“ Meta Knight poked his tongue out at the edge in Dedede’s words “-or sleep early and leave everyone else alone.”

“Oh.” Kirby murmured. Dedede flinched. Did that go badly? “Well, that’s okay. Can I pick what goes on the TV? Please?” He’d recently been fixated on one of the bright human children’s shows which aired 24/7 on a cartoon network. It really didn’t catch Dedede’s fancy, while Meta Knight was actively hostile and avoidant towards it. But desperate to appease Kirby, Dedede and Meta Knight nodded together.

“Of course, Kirby. Just watch whatever you’d like and that’s fine, I’m sure me and- I, I can find something to do while you’re watching the TV. It’s a nice day, after all. Or it was until we came in here. Has the weather changed?”

What he says is true, Meta thinks, but I know he’s making jabs at me. I wish I’d never said a word to him about that stupid situation earlier.

-------------------

Meta Knight and Dedede made haste towards the car as soon as Kirby finished. Without his reminder, nervous as it was, both of them were liable to forget the bill in the anger and confusion they directed towards each other. At the doors of the vehicle, it suddenly felt much smaller for the both of them, Meta Knight crawling into the back seat as soon as he saw an opening. Kirby’s curiousity provoked, he spoke up.

“Why is Meta Knight in my seat?” Both of the adults stood, dumbstruck by how complicated the situation made everything. Taking a deep breath, Meta Knight took his turn to speak.

“Because I wanted to let you sit in the front seat. You’re a good kid, so I know you’ll have a nice time up there. My treat.”

“Okay.” Slightly anxious, Kirby pulled hard enough on the doorhandle to open it, sitting down on the seat that- in comparison to the rest- felt much bigger than him. Meta Knight watched, impressed, as he put his seatbelt on perfectly and as a matter of instinct. Despite the unresolved tension in the air, he couldn’t help but be proud of Kirby, who learnt so quickly as he moved between worlds and situations.

But I don’t want him to deal with this. He doesn’t deserve it. One day… maybe he’ll understand.

---------------------------

The afternoon and evening passes with relative ease, mostly due to Meta Knight and Dedede avoiding each other like the plague. While Meta subsists on snacks and energy bars that he purchased previously, Dedede orders pizza for him and Kirby, reluctantly sitting through a clutch of cartoon episodes to try and reassure him that everything is fine, nothing has gone wrong, we’re both here for you. Four episodes in, it occurred to Dedede that maybe Kirby didn’t need babying like this, God-Killer that he was. Still, the idea of trying to explain everything that went down made him nauseous in some strange fashion, so he abandoned that line of thinking for the screen, where colourful characters not unlike those at home on Planet Popstar jittered and flaunted. It didn’t take much self-examination to know that his heart wasn’t in it- he didn’t know the plotline, or the characters, or even if there was either of the two. Guilt can make you do some crazy shit, he thinks, but it can’t really change your mind.

“How’s the show, Kirbo?” The moment after he says it, the rhyme embarrasses Dedede.

“It’s okay. I think I seen this episode before, though, Debebe. I’m sleepy, too.” Indeed, Kirby’s voice was tired, and Dedede guessed that the day had tired him out. Then he felt a little bad, about how Kirby might not feel so tired if he hadn’t been in such a strange environment.

“You wanna go to bed, kid? I can lead you up the stairs, if that’ll make it easier for you.” Unable to stop Meta Knight from sleeping in his room, Dedede had thought at length about sleeping on the couch. But he’d go up there if Kirby wanted it.

“Yeah.” At the confirmation, Dedede reached to lift Kirby over his shoulders, balancing him there. “Alright, get steady.”

---------

The upstairs landing had the lights off, but Dedede had spent enough time in the room to get Kirby there without looking too hard. Saying goodbye for the night, he shut the door on Kirby, and looked into the hallway.

To where Meta Knight’s room, and his, were across from each other. Even with a hall between them, Dedede felt he couldn’t face him, not after this.

But, he thought. I’m already up here. May as well sleep in a bed.

------------------------

Meta Knight knows Dedede sleeps heavy. Knows he went to bed hours ago- the clock next to him reads, in red light, 2:03 AM. Which is why, after half an hour of rumination, he slips quietly out of bed and into the hallway, then downstairs. Trying as hard as he can to not creak the stairs, retrieving the car keys from a small shell-shaped dish Dedede kept on a cupboard near the entrance. Gripping the plastic part to minimize jingle, knowing the door key was attached to the same ring for ease.

He’s thankful that Dedede chose a modern house as he unlocks the door. It doesn’t make a sound, nor does the car when he calls it into action.

#metadede #kirby #meta knight #king dedede #kirburbia

[juushika]

I try to do this every year: here's the best media that I encountered, but which was probably not released, in 2017. It’s long!! oops!!

Books

I read 176 books in 2017. My primary reading goal was to prioritize authors of color, ideally making them half of my reading material. This fell apart somewhat in the face of various and intense life stresses, but in the end 40% of the books I read this year were by PoC, up from 10%* from last year, and I'm proud of that. It's something I will continue to prioritize.

* a metric which may be somewhat out of date, as I discovered neato things while looking into Jewish authors!! but I'm too lazy for recalculations, so let's let it stand

Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller. I love this book so much that it took me five months to write a review. Miller wrote it with precise, peculiar inspirations--the identity of a mysterious artist; sessions with a ouija board--and while I traditionally resist the idea that the author is a conduit rather than a creator (yes to authorial responsibility! boo on authorial intent!) I think there can be moments when an author reaches above and beyond themselves. I believe Beagle did this in The Last Unicorn:

A lot of things appeal to people out of their own histories in that story. I feel sometimes like Schmendrick, when the first time he actually casts real magic summoning up the shades of Robin Hood, Maid Marian and the Merry Men...people who never existed, really they’re myths, and yet there they are. And at that point he falls on his face, picks himself up, and thinks: "I wonder what I did...I did something..." Which is very much the way I feel about The Last Unicorn. Finally, fifty years later. (source)

And I believe that Miller does it here. This is an exceptional novel; its purpose and joy and energy is remarkable, and it may be safe to call it my favorite book of the year.

Graceling series by Kristin Cashore. The books stand alone and are all perfectly good; but it's Bitterblue that won me, and I think it benefits from reading the entire series. This uses a speculative concept to explore trauma and abuse in ways that are simultaneously metaphorical, literal, and unique to the worldbuilding. I admire a narrative that's able to capitalize on the potential of its genre in that way, and there's interesting narrative-in-absentia techniques at play here, and, crucially, it's thoughtful and compassionate.

Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. I adore the companion animal trope, and am dubious of dragons; I did not expect that this would be so thorough an exploration of the former as to totally negate the later. It engages almost every question that surrounds this trope, especially re: sapience, personhood, power dynamics; the long-form adventure allows for a diverse and evolving culture. And it's tropey in every way it needs to be to give its premise emotional weight. Multiple books in this series won a 5-star rating, and as many made me cry. It's as in love and as engaged with this trope as I am. Simon Vance's audio narration makes these an especial delight.

Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree, Jr. I read this in the same year as my first Joanna Russ book (The Female Man)--and neither are perfect, but both are invaluable, and the combined effect has stayed with me. But nothing lingered moreso than this Tiptree collection: so exhaustive, so exhausting; the tension between her profound bitterness and daydreaming, between her (presumed, implicit, assumed) male PoV and persistent feminist themes, elevates this collection beyond the limitations of individual stories.

The Devourers by Indra Das. It would be insincere to say that this is what I wish every werewolf novel would be--I love them all uniquely--but this is what I wish every werewolf novel would be: this visceral, this vivid, this inhuman, this engaged with the concept of the Other.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf. The only real goal in life is to love or be loved as Virginia Woolf loved Vita Sackville-West; the energy that emanates from this, passionate and playful and irreverent, is incandescent. I always expect historical books about sex and gender to be restrained or dated, and for good reason, but this has aged so well; it's fluid and complicated, but too quick to become heavy. In every page, a delight.

Honorable mentions in books

Ursula K. Le Guin. I read a handful of her books this year; I didn't love them all equally (The Beginning Place is hardly her most famous but it's my favorite so far) but I'm consistently impressed, no matter how minor the work. She's profoundly skilled; she integrates and expands her central theses in ways that capitalize on the speculative genres she writes in, to great effect.

Octavia E. Butler by Gerry Canavan. I hesitate to say that I loved this biography more than Butler's novels themselves, but that reflects how it felt to read this: it summarized, contextualized, and celebrated Butler's cumulative effort and impact in a way that made me appreciate her anew.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore. I read a lot of YA I bounce off of, a lot of magical realism I don't think works; but this I loved, for its specific images, for the way that the fluidity of its style suits its issues of gender, for its beauty and love.

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson. The energy in this is infectious, and needs to be, as it's as much about a love affair with a speculative premise and a place as with a person--and all those elements are accessible, distinctive, alive.

Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner. Fairyland which feels truly transporting and fantastic, truly fae, is hard to capture. This is such a quiet book, unassuming in structure and frame, but its depiction of fairyland is one of the most convincing that I've ever seen.

Games

Nier: Automata. I watched this played on release, and called it then, in March: game of the year. I was not mistaken. There's more this could do, further it could go; but what it does, with its androids and tropes, its meta elements and narrative structure and soundtrack, is phenomenal. One of the most remarkable things that a game can do is be profoundly wedded to its interactive medium, because few other platforms have the opportunity to interact with the consumer so directly--and Automata achieves that, to great effect.

Kirby series. I have no particular love of platforms, Nintendo, or nostalgia; but these looked cute, and: they are. Kirby is shaped like friendship, and the softness and colors of level design, the creative gameplay of Kirby's transformations, the sincerely impressive interaction with level elements in games like Epic Yarn, are a complete package. These brought me unmitigated joy; that's not something I often find.

Honorable mentions in video games

Dishonored 2. The plot and setting hasn't stuck with me as much as the first game. But to internalize criticism and then go on to make a more diverse game is fantastic (and it pays off, in Meagan Foster especially), and the small, almost-domestic moments and ongoing lore/religion in the worldbuilding are very much my thing.

Dark Souls III DLC. The base game was on my list last year, so this entry feels like cheating--but these were substantial additions, big worlds and significant narrative and so many new monster designs, all of which compliment the base game. It's an impressive product, and I wish more DLC resembled it.

Closure. A little indie puzzle platformed that exceeds expectations for that genre because the way that its core game mechanic interacts with player, art design, atmosphere, and narrative is so successful. (It even makes up for sometimes-finicky physics.)

Visual Media

Car Boys. I'm disappointed that Nick Robinson proved not to be the person we wanted him to be, but that doesn't change the profound impact that this series had on me. Not only is it a fantastic example of emergent narrative, it simultaneously embraces my fear of existential horror and my profound longing for a greater meaning. This served a similar function for me as did Critical Role last year, despite dissimilarities in tone and content.

Dark Matter season 3. The boy and I have been watching this together, and with few misstep we've been consistently satisfied with the way this series combines found family tropes and genre mainstays. But season 3 is a cut above. It's still all those things, but the ongoing, consistent character development, particularly of the female characters, most especially of the Android, is phenomenal. There were episodes that made me cry, that I would call legitimately perfect.

Blame! I've enjoyed everything I've seen by Polygon Pictures, including Knights of Sidonia, but this is the best they could be: tropes I love, a perfect setting for their visual style and capabilities; great pacing, writing that does interesting things with its subgenre. Without competition, the best film I saw this year; it looks great and it’s just so engaging to watch.

Person of Interest. Found family/AI feels is in essence all I've ever wanted from a narrative, and this delivers, delivers in droves: it has the crime serial format I love but, like Fringe, deviates from format to great effect. But it's the particular combination of themes that sold me: using AI as a launchpad to explore all varieties of personhood and socialization.

Honorable mentions in visual media

Yuri!!! on Ice. There is a need in the world for stories like this; queer love stories, stories about what it means to become one's best self, stories which are funny and sweet and profoundly empathetic. This year started poorly (and just kept on keepin' on, but:) and there was a sense of karmic balance that this existed post-election. It's escapism without being hollow; it's how I want the world to be.

Polygon. Monster Factory goes here. So does Awful Squad. But the boy and I have been branching out and watching almost anything that pops up on this channel; the balance between inoffensive good humor and video game nerdom is really likable.

#Juu reads #Juu plays #Juu watches other people play #Juu watches #reference #too many to tag #Temeraire series #James Tiptree Jr. #Indra Das #Octavia E. Butler #Nier: Automata #Kirby #Dishonored #Dark Souls III #Closure #Car Boys #Person of Interest #Yuri on Ice #Monster Factory