cantolopejeevas

[cantolopejeevas]

Crawling out of my hole to say that I'm doing ArtFight this year, lol.

[cantolopejeevas]

also whos rowerna's patron? whats her warlock pact about?

Oc Info:

Roweena (18, She/Her) is a Gravity Genasi, College of Contracts Bard/Pact of the Fiend Warlock

The kitty hand puppet IS Roweena's patron! She calls them Sprinkle, but they have an actual fiendish name too (I just never picked one and I think they kinda like going by Sprinkle lol). tl;dr is that Sprinkle is actually a Balor that's power is heavily weakened right now and Roweena is helping them while they slowly recover. In exchange for the protection, Roweena gets pact magic! (And because of the bard subclass she has, they have a role in that too. College of Contracts is like the Warlock of Bards, but its homebrew.)

I'll put more intricate details under a readmore, but trigger warnings abound because its not a fun backstory! All of the following will be mentioned, but I won't be doing any intense detail so

tw: human trafficking, torture, kidnapping, non-consensual body modification, body horror (what I would consider, but I'm kinda squeamish about it), more accurately I guess just removal of a body part, death (of a friend, but nobody named).

bonus of Sprinkle's actual form:

I leave a lot of stuff ubder here vague because I flesh out my characters' backstories while I play them in game and we haven't played this campaign yet! Plus I like to leave holes for whoever ends up dm-ing the campaign if they need to weave it into the plot!

So! Roweena was the equivalent of a kpop idol and had freshly joined a group. She was young and very aspirational, so she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about everything. (And a good number of girls were in the group. Like the size of Twice, I'd say?)

Anyway, a lot of the girls were decently famous (NOT as famous as Twice lol) and some of the girls in the group (Roweena included) were considered "exotic races" so fucked up freaks with a lot of money were interested in "collecting" them. Thus, the group was kidnapped and set to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Roweena was the mouthiest of the group, since she was too young and spunky to realize the real danger of everything, and she felt very protective of the girls she idolized and had just joined. Because of this, Roweena was tortured as an example. Ultimately, she got so annoying to her captors that they decided losing some of her value would be worth it to shut her up, and they cut out her tongue. It made her unable to sing for anyone that would buy her, but they figured it'd be fine since she wasn't even that well known.

The captors also dealt in other rare creatures that could be sold off, one including a VERY weakened Balor that was chained up in the facility. (The captors had most likely bought them off of a group of very powerful adventurers, not actually felled them themselves.) Roweena showed compassion to all of the creatures that were captured, but the Balor took a specific liking to her because of her blind kindness and talked Roweena into helping them out if they helped her and her group escape.

The Balor was true to their word, being a crazy strong ally even in their weakened state, but there was at least one death in the group because of the escape attempt and multiple casualties. Even girls who weren't injured were heavily traumatized by the event and all but Roweena decided it would be better to completely give up being idols and go into hiding/low profile lives.

Roweena was still dedicated to being an idol and wanted to spread joy and positivity with her music, so she wanted to continue pursuing her dreams solo. The Balor was in no state to travel anywhere on their own and Roweena was at a huge risk for being caught by the same group again (plus at a major disadvantage with no tongue). So the two struck up a pact. Roweena would keep the Balor safe and help them recover their powers. In exchange, the Balor granted Roweena magic she could use to protect herself, and they gave her the tongue of a demon she could use to sing and talk again (hence why her tongue is purple and stiched up). The Balor uses the hand puppet as a "body" to conserve energy and fly under the radar, and can't really conjure up their demon form freely because it takes a LOT of energy. And Roweena gave them the name Sprinkle because she thought it was cute :3

[cantolopejeevas]

*nods* i see, i see........ is there someone animarina would like more? lahla looks fishy too! maybe them?

Lahla is abrasive to just about everyone (and also acts like she's royalty which she isn't ((yet))). BUT! Animarina would like hanging out with River and Seraphina! They're both sweeties and Seraphina lives on her family's farm, so they get to talk about critters together!! Plus River can bake and both these girls would SCARF DOWN a pastry hahaha

OC info:

Animarina (19, She/Her) is a Half-Triton, Circle of the Shepherd Druid/Feywanderer Ranger

River (15, He/Him) is a Beasthide Shifter, College of Eloquence Bard

Seraphina (16, She/Her) is a Greater Hellhound/Aasimar, Domain of Order Cleric

Lahla (86 - equivalent of like 30-ish in terms of triton lifespan, She/Her) is a Triton, Path of Nature's Wrath Barbarian

[cantolopejeevas]

all my d&d characters :)

[cantolopejeevas]

anamrina, roweena and sylrel look like a friend group, do they actually get along? :o

they're all pretty close in age, so you'd think! (18, 19, and 15 left to right) but Animarina is a HARD pacifist and the other two are way too cool with death and necromancy for her taste. Animarina gets along with Sylrel well enough when she can keep the topic non-necromancy related. But Roweena is way too chill with murder, it makes Animarina nervous lol.

Also these two city girls don't appreciate a nice, quiet fishing trip. Their yapping would definitely scare all the fish lol.

OC info:

Roweena (18, She/Her) is a Gravity Genasi, College of Contracts Bard/Pact of the Fiend Warlock

Animarina (19, She/Her) is a Half-Triton, Circle of the Shepherd Druid/Feywanderer Ranger

Sylrel (15, She/Her) is a Fey'ri Tiefling, Journey of Harmony Shaman

[cantolopejeevas]

it's kinda a redraw

[cantolopejeevas]

💃 OC in some radical 90’s clothes, for Mikey, Amano, and Roweena

hit me baby one more time and all that

[cantolopejeevas]

these are the boys we're shipping right

[cantolopejeevas]

“...and I think that when Princess Pretty Pink used the magic of her unicorn horn to heal the villain at the end, that it was a powerful statement on, like, redemption and the ability of just a little bit of kindness going a long, long way! What do you think?”

“Mmm, yeah? Sounds good.”

“Right!? And, oh! Get this, I noticed in the scene where Pretty Princess Pink has the Diamond Diadem of Dreams…”

Umbra watched, a ghost of a smile on his lips, as the two girls talked. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that Sylrel yapped while Friday listened, nodded, and stuffed her face full of stir fry. Either way, they both seemed pretty happy with the arrangement, if those idly swinging tiefling tails were anything to go by.

Just being around those two invigorated him, and he just couldn’t put a finger on why. Still, it staved off the miasma of death in his bones. If only a little.

“Umbra?”

He blinked, remembered to breathe, and clocked back into his body. “‘Sup?”

Sylrel pressed her fingers together, and her teeth worried into her lip. “Did you like the movie?”

“Yeah,” he smoothly half-lied. Not that he hated– or even disliked– it. There was just something unnerving about the ever-present sentiment that anyone could be redeemed. Made him feel nauseous. “Had fun. Like hearing you talk about it, too.”

Friday gave him a skeptical side-eye, still hunched over her bowl. “You sure about that? It is kinda… Kiddy stuff.”

“Dude. That matters… Why?”

“I mean, she’s got a point,” Sylrel muttered, fork toying with the hunk of cake still on her plate. Damn it. “I guess I should’ve take you to see–”

“Art is art,” he interrupted, before her mood could spiral down even more. “It’s not one-hundred percent my bag, but I’m not gonna knock it. ‘Sides, the kinds of things we like can say a lot about us. And the kind of person who eats up cute, sweet, and happy… Well. Let’s just say I vibe with it.”

Sylrel’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

He grinned. “Really really.”

“So,” Friday cut in, head cocked curiously, “what kind of movies do you like, Umbra? Can you even remember?”

A brick wall popped up in his brain. “Nope,” he answered casually. “Sure can’t.”

“We can always find out!” Sylrel cheerfully said, leaning over the table. “If we’re going to make this a regular thing, we can just watch them all!”

Friday snorted. “Even ones you’re not allowed to see?”

“An adult will be there, so! It’s fine!”

“Think you can handle blood?”

“Yup!”

“And monsters?”

“Uh-huh…”

“And…” 

Friday coiled down, mischief written all over her face. Then, in a flash, she leapt up, menacing Sylrel with a play-threat of claws.

“Jumpscares!?”

That scream quickly turned into a stream of giggles, and a playful swat on the arm. Umbra tapped his cup, and wished– and wished and wished and wished– that these two could stay this way.

Happy.

why do the saddest songs always sound the most fun

[cantolopejeevas]

“Zhis is not a good idea.”

Jo giggled, still arm in arm with her reluctant classmate Iora as she pulled them along, along, along. “You always say that!”

“Because I am always right. He is probably still mad at you.” There was a subtle shift to their naturally even tone, like the softest lilt of amusement. “And still trying to get feazhers out of his mouth…”

“I said I was sorry!”

“Sxaxha is not a man of words, he is a man of action.”

“Which is why we’re inviting him to eat lunch with– oof!”

Face-first, right into someone’s back. Jo’s hands immediately flew up to her aching nose and she tried to apologize! She really did! But a low, rumbling snarl and the lash of a tail between her feet had her leaping back behind Iora. They steeled themself, electric yellow eyes unflinching as they met the burning blue of one Sxaxha, Son of Fevni.

“You ran into me,” he said. Threateningly.

“And what if I did?”

“Iora!” Jo hissed in their ear. “Be nice!”

Sxaxha gave her an elevator look. Most everyone did, nowadays. Going from Sun Elf to Harpy over the weekend was kind of a big change.

“You two want something.”

“No,” Iora corrected, cocking their head. “She wants somezhing.”

Ire and frustration dripped from the very fibre of Sxaxha’s being. She might’ve honestly been considering ducking out of this. Like, sorry, didn’t mean to bother you! Talk to you later! Feel free to keep the feathers!

…But she couldn’t. Because she’d never seen Sxaxha eat lunch with anyone, or hang out with anyeone, or even talk with anyone.

And she’d never seen him smile.

“Do you want to eat lunch with us?” she asked, with a big one of her own. “Iora and I have the best table in the courtyard!”

“We eat by the dumpster.”

A snarl from Sxaxha. “I know this already.”

Jo flitted forward despite every bone in her body wanting to take flight. “So? What do you say? It’ll be fun!”

His eyes narrowed. Another rumble, furious. “You are trying to apologize again.”

“Maybe? I still feel really bad.”

“Do not.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

Ugh! What was even happening? She couldn’t read him. At all. She glanced over at Iora– her one anchor since this began. If anyone would know what to do or what to say or even why this was going the exact wrong way, they would.

“If you want her to not worry,” they said, a strange look on their face, “zhen you should accept zhe offer.”

“I am not doing that.”

Her heart jolted. Would he be like this if… If she wasn’t a monster?

“Come,” he said. “You will eat at my table, where the rats won’t be liable to steal your food.”

It was only when Iora’s elbow nudged into her side that she managed to come out of her stupor. “Well?”

She blinked, and put her smile back on. “...Right! Let’s go!”

all i wanna do is find out what i'm so afraid of

[cantolopejeevas]

“If I angle this just so… Yes, that'll work beautifully…”

Seraphina hummed. “You don't gotta think about it so hard.”

One fluffy claw held up a finger while the other three shuffled around, grabbing tools, pencil, paper. “There's a science to this,” Isabelle explained. “Humans are very particular. One off detail and suddenly, they're not scared anymore. Or worse, they become endeared.”

“Uh-huh… So what're you making again?”

A grin, playful and teasing. “Trying to steal my idea?”

“Nope! I'm already making the one thing I know'll scare those humans like a yeth-hound in the chicken coop.”

“Jesus?”

“You bet!” She proudly spun the pumpkin around to show off her handiwork. “You don't think his eyes look too wonky, do you? Those always trip me up.”

Hand on her chin, Isabelle leaned in for a closer look. “He looks fine to me. Do you make Jesus every year?”

“Well, yeah. To scare the humans!”

“Right…”

Splat!

The two of them looked over to see a fresh pile of pumpkin guts melting onto the table, and Oliver looming overhead. Slowly, those ghost-white eyes blinked. Then the sweetest smile crept up underneath.

“I am having fun.”

“Ha! Sure looks like it, Ollie.” Isabelle swung over to put an arm around his shoulders. “You don't mind taking care of mine too, right?”

“Of course not.”

“You're the best!”

“So what're you gonna carve?” Seraphina asked. To be honest, she couldn't wrap her head around the way his brain worked half the time. Still, she liked trying.

“A human.”

Her snout scrunched. “I don't think humans are afraid of each other.”

“They should be. Humans are terrifying.”

“He's got a point!”

“Well, yeah, humans are scary to us. But it'd be like if I was scared of my brothers. That just don't make no sense.”

“...Hm. Understood.” One of the beads of– to put it bluntly– Oliver hanging around his head wibbled as he made the first cut. “I will make him wrong, then.”

“Uh… ‘Wrong’ how?”

“That is a secret.”

“Sounds like a cop-out,” Isabelle joked, pulling back so all four hands could work on her pumpkin. “What if you just make a normal human?”

“Would you know the difference?”

She blanched. “I… Guess not? Do you think a human would?”

“Not consciously.”

“Huh. I suppose that is kinda creepy… In a more subtle way.” One hand ruffled his hair. “Good on you, Ollie!”

He flushed, pleased with himself. “I'm glad you like it.” One too-long finger scratched the rind of his pumpkin. “I… I want to make one that will impress you both. This is my first time carving pumpkins with friends.” 

If that couldn't melt an iceberg in winter.

“It's all about having fun,” Seraphina said, putting a paw on his arm. “Tell you what, my family usually roasts the seeds after we're done– they're real good with cinnamon. You wanna give it a try?”

Boy, did he light up. “Yes, please!”

“Isabelle? You in?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

happy human-ween, we're scaring humans away with pumpkins

[cantolopejeevas]

looks like my summer vacation is… over.

[cantolopejeevas]

hooray for blue charmander!

somehow I've done another Chartodile family moment

[cantolopejeevas]

we're all just going to smile and ignore the blatant style shift in the middle of this. this took WAY too long to finish.

[cantolopejeevas]

👑 OC dressed as royalty, for Vi, Sebni, and Lahla

and somehow they're all correct

[cantolopejeevas]

I’m trying to gauge whether what I consider a normal length hospital stay is, well, normal

[cantolopejeevas]

Prompts incoming!! Feel free to do them in any order, lol.

❄ OC in what they’d wear on a very cold day, for Edranel and Tyra~ :)

Edranel is used to more spring-like weather........but his bestie is in the cold.......oh the agony........