#i love commissioning fanart of my own fics it's my favorite thing to do

[sunderwight]

Shen Yuan with a Luo Binghe dakimakura is great but sometimes I stop and think about how a role reversal would have looked (i.e. Binghe as the reader who transmigrates in, Shen Yuan as the fictional character he was obsessing over) and oh my god. Fan Binghe who grew up with chronically online geek culture would have been next level in the absence of an actual, physical Shen Yuan/SQQ. Fan Binghe would have owned everything. He probably would have had to commission it all himself, either because the novel wasn't popular enough for the level of desired merch or because the mainstream commercially produced products were too cheap or flimsy or inaccurate for his specifications or probably both. Perfect hand fan recreations. Replica Xiu Ya (it's an actual sword) hanging on his wall. Fanart both done in a classical style (as in, 'what Shen Qingqiu might actually have hanging on his walls') as well as a variety of character portraits and erotic art zines. Printed and hand-bound copies of his favorite fanfics. Somewhere in China there's an amateur bookbinder who is making BANK off of this obsession, producing the most high level gorgeously bound copies of the filthiest smut and fluffiest hurt-comfort teacher/student fics.

Luo Binghe would be controversial in fandom because he is just as nitpicky and wank-y as Shen Yuan, with an extra dose of turning up in the comments sometimes to act like a jealous/possessive boyfriend accusing writers of being a little TOO lustful towards his unlikely waifu, but on the other hand he is rich and he will pay through goddamn nose for anything and everything that caters to his preferences. So a solid chunk of the fan creators just do things they think he'd like because they want in on the cash cow, while much of the rest of the fandom hates his guts because they feel like he hijacked everything with his own fanon and headcanons and obsessions. Shen Yuan isn't even that popular! Most of the rest of the fandom is kind of down on him as a cliche clueless danmei protagonist, they're all there for the score of blueballed love interests. Beautiful Liu Qingge and darkhorse Shang Qinghua and mysterious, tortured Yue Qingyuan and whatever the hell is going on with his evil doppelganger, Shen Jiu. Luo Binghe doesn't ever commission Shen Yuan with any of them, though! He's always solo, or maybe with a faceless tentacle monster or something!

It gets weird. There are probably Woman Buying Wonder Bread-esque memes about Binghe's highly specific kink commissions. On the other hand, Luo Binghe comes down harder than the actual artists on unsanctioned reposts because he commissioned Shen Yuan in that sexy lingerie fondling a really huge sword and it's not just for anyone to go around putting that up on whatever website they please!

He would own several dakimakura and they would arguably be more normal than a lot of the rest of his collection, is what I'm saying. He'd have them in different poses and seasonal outfits and versions that were acceptable for company and ones that had to get tucked into a drawer under the bed every morning because they were for Binghe's eyes only. And it wouldn't even just be the sexy ones, but also the ones where Shizun looks soft and fond and gentle and affectionate. The man was definitely working his way up to commissioning a lifelike Shen Yuan sex doll when the universe did absolutely everyone a favor and yeeted him into a transmigration scenario.

[jtl07]

There's a story behind each trinket, each wrapper, each pebble and Beatrice learns to always turn out Ava's pockets before putting her clothes in the wash. While the machine rumbles, she'll have Ava explain each one, allow herself to lean into Ava's side as she plucks each item from Beatrice's palm. (When they get to the end, Beatrice leaves her palm open and sometimes, Ava will take her hand. And Beatrice will want - Ava; will want to ask what kind of story Ava thinks they'll have, how many chapters, how many novels will it span. It's the same part of her that wants desperately to hear forever from Ava's lips.)

Art for pocketful commissioned from the ever incredible, the incomparable @princington

(More thoughts - about Prince, about their art - below the cut)

Prince has done so many wonderful works of art for the Warrior Nun fandom, especially their fanart for fanfics - there have been countless times I've discovered a new beloved fic through their art. It's even more special when it's your own fic - it's like looking through someone else's eyes, and when it's an artist like Prince, it's nothing short of awe-inspiring. So when I was thinking of getting art commissioned for pocketful, I knew it had to be Prince.

They were very kind and easy to work with, and they took one of my favorite moments I've written and made me fall in love with it all over again. I mean, look at their expressions! If you've seen Prince's work, you know that they have an extraordinary ability in drawing emotion in such a heartfelt way. I love the fondness, the intimacy, the devotion. I just - [goes off to flail and squee for 10 minutes]

And then there's the physical closeness, how Ava's almost in Bea's lap, how indulgent Bea is as Ava is pointing out the different items in her palm (I love that there's a leaf!). There's so much to love in this - the contrasts and "them"ness in their posture, in their clothes. Also the way Bea has her hand tucked between her thighs makes me think about how she tries so hard to keep her hands to herself, yknow? (That theme was one of the things that made me want to write this particular fic to begin with.) And gosh, how comfortable they both are here, in this humble, gentle space they've carved for themselves. It's incredible, seeing this scene like this.

Prince, we're so lucky to have you - thanks for all you do and for sharing your amazing work with us. I'm going to treasure this for a very long time <3

[brisquad-unit-4402]

IM LOSING IT OVER YOUR RECENT IKE FIC. LIKE OH MY GOD. its so sweet and heartwrenching i felt just as nervous and anxious as reader the entire time, and when ike reciprocated my heart MELTED AHHH his freckles!!! how kind and beautiful he is, and his confusion turning into acceptance and his SQUEALSSS AAAA. i cant take it this is my fav ike and probably luxiem fic of all time. all of your hard work paid off so well, it was so well structured and emotional and everyone felt so real!! like they arent characters, theyre actual people!!

ahh, now i wish i knew ike's perspective during those stream moments and his reaction to pen and paper ship content HAHA. i imagine he swiftly bookmarks it on his private account but he keeps blushing and his hands shake whenever he sees any fanart WAAAH. maybe one time he sees pen and paper kissing and he cant properly look at the notifications from reader's chat without FLUSHING RED i love them so bad

i love whenever i'm reading a fanfic and it's so sweetly emotional that you feel your own emotions kicking in. so whenever i hear my work has that effect on someone else it's one of the nicest feelings in the world and WHAT DO YOU MEAN FAVORITE IKE AND/OR LUXIEM FIC EVER. that's super high praise thank youuuuu sobsobsob

i mean this is the kindest most /posi way possible but "they aren't charcters, they're actual people" is the scariest compliment i've ever heard. like on one hand i'm genuinely happy! i worked really hard on keeping multifaceted personalities in mind even for the minor characters! but also Oh No. I'm Writing Vtubers. We Need To Play This So Carefully And So Conscious Of The Creator/Audience Boundary Or My Ass Is GONE

real talk one of my most favorite ike things is when he squeals at something cute or because he's embarrassed ahhhh. and his speaking voice gets so high pitched and soft when he's flustered too like?? it's probably my favorite charm point of his

the ogs remember the poll i ran like a month ago about if ike should have freckles or not. shoutout to the landslide victory, if i remember correctly 97% of voters wanted ike with freckles! so glad that worked out, it works so well with the star theme and the difference between an online friendship meeting irl, and how reader loves them because it's a reminder that they have so much to learn about ike and are ready/willing, and also, freckles are just plain adorable. ike is just plain adorable. put them together and if i were richer and thirstier i'd be commissioning an artist

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

real talk tho i feel like ike goes from 1 to 100 whenever he catches himself simping over reader before the off-collab. either he's really good at acting composed, being normal, just interacting with his best friend like best friends do... or he's a stuttering, blushy mess that wavers like jell-o.

ike's the type of guy to sleepily check twitter before going to bed and whenever he sees pen and paper on his fyp it's like he snaps awake. maybe even squeaks or goes "a!" if it's especially.... you know. sometimes he can't even comprehend that people want him and reader to. well. his mouth goes dry.

and then he feels so dirty and embarrassed just because it's there, but... he's still looking at it. is it bad he's still looking at it? it definitely is but it's captivating, in a way. somehow. the artists are so talented, and somehow they nail your body language to a t, and the way your hair swoops above your eyes, and draw you with the cutest little expressions, and—

ah, who is he kidding.

in moments of weakness it triggers something in him to bury his face a little deeper in his blankets, pretend the screen's light would cool the heat pooling over his cheeks, and search the hashtag himself.

not even three pieces of fanart later, he has to throw his phone face-down on the mattress, cover his blush with a pillow, and now he's definitely squealing. it's healing and it makes him ill. it's... pretty. you're pretty. and he's pretty dumb for letting a silly crush distort itself like this.

the worst part is that some of these line up a little too well with daydreams he wanted to lock away until the end of time. he likes when he takes the lead. the stunned, puppyish expression so rare it only shows up on your face during the biggest plot twists during a stream, but coated in a darkened blush as he pecks them on the cheek, elegant and composed. calm.

ohhhh, this can't be good for his heart. especially when ike himself is so red-faced just thinking of it. calm, his foot.

still with the pillow over his flush, ike feels around for his phone and sets it on his nightstand. he chides himself. that's enough internet for the day, eveland! now quit acting like a shoujo high schooler in love and go to bed already, it's not going to happen!

he sets his face into a determined frown as he lifts the pillow and sets it aside. with any luck, he'd go the rest of the night without thinking of reader and his feelings for them.

the frown eases as he nestles into his blankets and tucks himself in. soft sheets and warm comfort greet him as he shuts his eyes, and he enters the fluffy haze of sleep as he slips into dreamland...

...is what he'd like to say, but not even ten seconds later his eyes snap open and jerks upright in bed. wait, i'm acting like i'm in love?!

he sits with the thought seeping through his brain like a corrosive acid, filing through every little moment he daydreamed about you, and when those don't paint him a picture he likes, he tries to recall the moments he shared with you instead. those are even fonder, and even worse.

he slaps his hands over his face and sighs, and when it sounds lovesick he sighs even more.

✧. ┊ masterpost ✧. ┊ kofi

[sinyaru]

Art Raffle! naruto fanfic writers appreciation ! /round14

To note: THIS IS A NARUTO RAFFLE, I will not accept other fandoms

What you have to do to enter this raffle: REBLOG this post and…read the post ? XD You don’t  need to be a follower. (though follows are highly appreciated, of   course! <3) Just, again, please read the whole post. I don’t want people to ask me later to draw things that I’ve said below that I won’t draw.

How will I go about this:

I   will collect all the people who reblogged this post and list them.  Each  of the participants will have a number which will be later drawn  using  random.org

The art I offer for this raffle will be based on  fanfics. Meaning  that the winner gets to pick a story of their own to  which I will draw  fanart of. If said winner does not write, they are  free to pick their  favorite story that is written by a different  person. Even if you do  write, you can still pick a different person’s  story

I know some  fanfic writers out there really appreciate art  being based on their  stories, so I’ve decided to do this little thing!

For  those of you  who neither write nor read, that’s too bad. But I might  sometimes in  the future make a raffle that is not like the ones I’ve  usually held. So  keep your head up~ (yo, seriously, please read the  whole post if you really want to enter this raffle. I will know if you  don’t. *glare*// tag “ficlove” in your tags when reblogging this post so  I know you’ve actually went through w/ reading the post). If you are  one of those people though, but know  someone who writes you can sure  give your winning prize to them. Be  kind, do good.

Please don’t  throw a 100k long fic at me, it will take me forever to read XD but if  that’s just the fic you really want to get art for, go ahead. Just have  in mind I’ll be extremely slow w/ reading it.

Characters I do NOT  want to draw:  Sakura, Sasuke, Orochimaru, anyone from team Taka, Baki,  Tajima,  Butsuma, TenTen, Kinkaku/Ginkaku, Danzo, Hiruzen, characters  from the  Boruto  generation (they’re just characters I have 0 interest in;;  nothing too  personal) ( my commissions are open to these characters  though; haha)

Things I would LOVE to draw (but not limited to) : fluff/romantic stuff <3 , battles! >:O , friendship yay! and of course… smut

some ships I would LOVE  to draw  (but not limited to) : MadaTobi, IzuTobi,   KakaObi, KakaIru,  HashiMada,  MadaObi, ShikaTema, KoteIzu, Itama/Izuna, KakaTenzo,  NaruHina,  SaiIno (list goes from my current hype to lowest hype atm)

one thing I keep forgetting to add on here the previous times:

I  will NOT draw underage; kinks I find unpleasing; ships I find  unpleasing; incest; etc. // if you’re unsure, feel free to ask (you guys  feel free to ship whatever you want, just don’t make me draw it XD)

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE

DEADLINE FOR ENTERING THE RAFFLE IS THE 4TH OF APRIL

[ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian]

Hello there!

a little "about me" post

my art

♡ My AO3 ♡ My Ko-fi ♡ My Cara ♡ My Pillowfort ♡ My Wattpad ♡

I'm a very long-winded person and when I like doing something, I like doing A LOT of it. I have a lot of fandoms, I like pretty art and cats, I write and muse about stuff - it's all a huge mess if I put it in one place. So that's why I decided to split my obsessions into several neat piles, so people could have an easier time deciding whether to follow, ignore or block my stuff according to their preferences.

Order an OC commission on my Ko-fi ♡

Here are my blogs which you're free to explore and follow as you like:

» ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian

The main blog where I shout into nothingness. But where I also post lots of Star Trek, mainly about Cardassians (bc I love them). I do not do Garashir, tho, look for that particular bit elsewhere (not bc I don't ship them, but bc I'm severely overfed to the point of having an allergic rection). My focus Cardassian is Damar, followed by Dukat. I'm super open to reblogging your OCs, though. My other favorite fandoms you might come across on this blog (which I don't post enough about to make a separate blog): Mass Effect, Discworld, Tolkien, Detroit: Become Human, Apex Legends, Marvel/DC, Hunger Games. I also ramble, post about writing in general, reblog some fitting memes and pets/animals, share my own photography, reblog art etc.

» pixie-in-a-moonlantern

The initiated already know: Baldur's Gate 3 brainrot blog. I post my OC screenshots, my own and reblogged fanfiction, reblog A LOT of blorbos (Halsin, Gortash, Raphael,..), whether it's art or headcanons. I do not have any VP tools, so my screens are only lightly edited to be prettier, and that's it. I prefer to avoid posting negative stuff, so it's just batshit obsession and thoughts.

» shaved-wampa

Diehard fans surely got the joke: Star Wars brainrot, and that goes for every conceivable piece of the fandom, even the bits you might not agree with - I don't discriminate. My all-time favorites are: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bode Akuna. Yes, just the two, because I also have a huge pile of characters I love, but don't really focus on: Padmé, Ahsoka, Ventress, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Din Djarin, lil Grogu, Cody, infinite number of other Clones, ... soooo many. My top two are just the guys I actually write about. Bode's and Obi-Wan's fics are unfortunately on hold right now (sigh).

» cyber-vianne-77

As the name suggests, this is my Cyberpunk 2077 blog. I used to do a lot of virtual photography in that one - and yes, this time I mean real VP, though still no paid tools, just vanilla and free mods. I love Goro Takemura and ship my fem V with him heavily - wrote a dope fanfiction about them called 'Broken' (and following parts 'Gimme Danger' and 'Last Caress'). I reblog other cp77 vp (especially of Goro) and fanart. I don't currently play the game or shoot photos, but I have a large collection I plan to drizzle over the next few months, until I maybe decide to go back to cp77 for a while again and finally play Phantom Liberty that's been waiting for me for a long time now xD.

» sergeant-sassy

A mix of obsessions with one man in common: John Hopkins, a British actor :). Seen in Midsomer Murders and lately heard in various games as a voice actor. I've fallen for him for the first time 20 years ago - and he returned to me as Erend in Horizon games (Zero Dawn & Forbidden West). I love the games and its characters and take a lot of screenshots, too :). So it's a weird dump of Ereloy, Kotaloy (because Noshir) and Midsomer Murders :3

» goodness-all-around

My "assorted dopeness" reblogs. It's getting 0 attention so I just usually post shit to cardassian or to my private collection to avoid overflowing my main.

I will update the list if I happen to change things or add/remove blogs. Thanks for your attention and see you in the activity notifs! 💛

Bits of trivia: I'm Czech, cis woman (bi & poly and, frankly, hyper), 32, in a relationship, mom to a 5yo boy, a writer struggling to finish and publish her first original novel, drowning her sorrows in fanfic instead :). I got to most of my fandoms quite late in life, because where I live this info only started to properly flow in with the coming of the internet. I'm usually a casual fan, though when I hit a gold vein I can get a bit obsessed. I love writing fanfiction, which is mostly why I'm here on this site. I self-insert a lot (therapy writing) and usually ship us, with the rare occasion of finding a couple where I can identify with one of them (or mold them to my image because I like or even fancy them). I've spent my life believing I was hetero and discovered I'm not only once I (finally) was in a hetero relationship and had a kid, so... my ships are also hetero. It's a habit, not hating, I don't discredit any gay ships (maybe quietly to myself when they don't make any sense to me character-wise, lol). My AO3 account: XindiChick I usually try to write even the most niche of my ships in a way that doesn't require much knowledge of the original, so you're welcome to browse and read to your heart's content if you happen to like my style. I welcome any interactions, especially comments, because I don't get many.

I think it's something everyone should always be aware of, but I've also seen many people ignoring this unsaid rule:

HATERS NEED NOT INTERACT

- lest they get blocked. I'm not here to argue with you about why I like certain characters and why you think I shouldn't. Go simp for your own top picks on your own blogs and leave me alone. Same goes for any of my personal trivia I shared.

Also:

DISCLAIMER: My blogs are a safe space for everyone who doesn't go around hating on everyone else. I will block indiscriminantly assholes of every shape, color, faith, gender, orientation etc., just as I will happily interact with good people of any kind. Idc what your deal is, I just wanna enjoy being on this platform, so if you plan to rain on it, don't expect me to indulge you.

Icons by: @rpschtuff

By the way, a fun fact known only to people aware of my main fanfic novel, The Casualty, the Cardassian in my username was actually born Bajoran, but raised Cardassian, which is why she's a Cardassian in heart and spirit. She's your friendly reminder that not all Cardies are the same and as a nation have the capacity to be much better than how they were presented in the DS9, which is what she's trying to achieve.

[stellanslashgeode]

💕🎨🦋🦈🚦📚💥 for the writer ask game ☺️

Thanks for the ask, @jedimasterbailey ! I’ll see if I can not be long winded because this is a lot!

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I think my best is Sundari Lament. I put a lot of polishing to make that a satisfying story and the narrative took on a life of its own. It made itself better almost despite myself.

But I think my favorite is From Uncanny to Concordance. It’s short but I loved writing it and it came out saying exactly what I wanted to express. I also have a lot of fondness for Jedi: Dropout.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I am very happy with the art I commissioned for Sundari Lament and fan art I received for Let’s Call It Love. The one moment I would love to get fanart for that I haven’t yet is this one quick scene in Lavender and Chartreuse involving a bathrobe drawstring. I think it’s one of the most sensual things I’ve written.

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

Barriss is my muse so she’s up there. I also love writing for Satine Kryze. She’s so inspiring. I also love writing Anakin and Padmé, which is weird because you’d think it would be so hard since Star Wars can’t seem to sell it well. I love writing undervalued characters like Raffa and Trace Martez and Tepoh.

🦈 Which character is the toughest to write?

One I haven’t yet written for: Luthen Rael. I have a scene in my head and a lot of the dialogue. But Andor is so well written I am intimidated. How can I do better that the “I have made my mind a sunless place” speech?

🚦What sort of endings do you prefer to write: ambiguous, bad, happily ever after, etc.?

I kind of like ambiguous endings best. Who knows what happens after The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Barriss Offee? Even some of my happy endings can expand. I’m sure things remain rocky after Heart of Kyber, for instance.

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

I know so many good writers! There’s @jedimasterbailey @airlockfailure @kalevalakryze @machinerismsx @greenflower21 @archduke42 @kaaragen and @frogblast-the-ventcore is just starting out. As far as fics Across the Frozen Sea is very sweet and influenced my work a lot, especially Jedi: Dropout. the moments when we smile and those in between is maybe my favorite fic so far. Tum Durare Solum/ How the Earth Began to Harden is very good and I want to read where it goes. And of course @bluedeedeedoop ‘s fabric store Barrisoka AU Me and you and awkward silence...

I quietly have a thing for Foxiyo and Playing in the Perception Pool and Invictus are my favorites in that department. Invictus really inspired my fic Inferno. I know I’m leeaving writers and good works out rn, too! Coming Home to You is so good as is Body and Soul by @morose-magnetrix

💥 What is one canon thing that you wish you could change?

Look, I’m a simple fan. I just want to know what happened to Barriss. If she was executed right after The Wrong Jedi ended I’ll say that sucks and move on but at least I’ll know. I’m glad Dave changed the original ending where she blew herself up. That would have been too far with the character assassination. And would have made even more mess in the Legends canon since she already had an established death in 2013. If there’s not going to be any more Barriss content just tell us and we’ll write it. I just want closure.

[jaeellec]

Instagram🔹Wattpad🔹Ko-fi🔹Art Tag

Formerly apirateslifeforbudgie

Welcome! You've had the misfortune of stumbling upon my blog, but may as well linger while you're here!

My ask box and messages are always open! I don't mind chit chat about common interests or OCs, just be sure to keep things kind!

Commissions are currently open! I need to make another comm post, but feel free to message me in the meantime! I offer character art ranging from simple busts to full design sheets, Log Collection covers, Wattpad covers, wanted posters, devil fruit design, Hanafuda cards, fake screenshots, so on and so forth. And I have a graphic design background, so I can do logos too! Whatever you need, I'm your girl~

I've got all the basic bases covered above, but *Starship Troopers voice* would you like to know more?

I go by Jaeelle! At least on the internet I do. This is a One Piece blog that I made for the sole purpose of posting my fanart and fanfiction with JJK content showing up from time to time. You will also see my OCs often - especially my main character - I've had most of them for a very long time and they are a major part of me. Currently, they are in the world of One Piece while a handful are also in JJK at the moment. I will talk more of my fics a little further down!

As much as I love One Piece (despite trashing it for years and years please forgive me), it is not my only interest! I am very much into plenty of other anime (literally too many to name), video games (ranging all the way from Stardew Valley to the SoulsBorne games. Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3, Skyrim and Fallout 3 are personal favorites), horror movies, TV shows (GOT/HOTD, The Boys, Love Death & Robots, Yellowjackets, Spartacus), comic books (I used to own a comic shop!), music, and dragons! I love, love, love dragons.

Clearly, I am very much into many fantasy tales of all medium. If there's anything to know about me, it's that I love deep-diving into lore and background for characters and worlds alike, and I hope that presents itself in my writing. And speaking of...

As I mentioned, my characters are currently in the worlds of One Piece and JJK. While I have written or posted nothing for JJK (and am unsure if I will), below is how the One Piece story has shaped itself!

ONE PIECE: WANDERING STAR - (In Progress/Unpublished for now) This is the main story! It focuses on the Captain Trio and is led by my main character, as this is her story - the classic One Piece tale of reclaiming a kingdom but take it a little darker. Lots of revenge, so much beheading, but a little wonder and romance sweetens the adventure.

If you would like to sample some snippets from the story to see if you're into it, check them out here.

There is also a playlist I made for the series here!

BLACK STAR - (Not Started/Not Posted) If Wandering Star is dark, then this prequel story of Carmen's time in Eventide is downright gritty. Glimpses will be given in WS, but this is the brutal uncut tale, and it takes place roughly around the events of Sabaody and the Summit War.

DAMN THE STARS - (Select Scenes/Not Posted) This is Wandering Star's sequel! It's a Kid Pirate story that runs parallel to the in-anime events ranging from just before Punk Hazard to the start of Wano. Still undecided how far I wanna take the mature content in this one.

There are also anime inserts to be written for my main character! While there are some earlier mentions, her first "official" in-anime appearance would start at episode 603 and (as of today) end at episode 1112. But I'm sure there will be more to come!

That should be a good start! Enjoy your adventure!

[shallyne]

2022 ACOTAR favorites

The end of 2022 is nearing and I thought it's time to put the negative things to the side and talk about my favorite things around ACOTAR and the fandom this year! 💕

Favorite account(s): @cursebreakerswolf @colorlesschristmastree @brieslibrary @reverie-tales

Favorite headcanon: Nyx glows like Feyre when happy

Favorite character(s): Feyre and Bryaxis

Favorite fanfiction: Darling, Let's Run by @the-lonelybarricade and Howling Moon by @writtenonreceipts (first fic I ready probably got me obsessed with Bryaxis and Witch Feyre) and Of the Archer and the Dark by @thesistersarcheron

Favorite fanart: This is so hard because there are SO MANY good artists and fanarts out there, my head is spinning just thinking about it. But if I had to choose its gonna be this fanart by @/heyovivi that was commissioned by @highqueenmorrigan

Feyre in an overall just does things to me and all the little Crescent City details are so CUTE

Favorite book: my fav from the series is a court of mist and fury and a court of frost and starlight! It's so hard to choose

Favorite ship: Feysand! Who would have thought?

Favorite artist: That's also a hard one because there are so many good ones out there, artist I didn't even have to blessing to find yet but I guess it's gonna be jessdraw.s

Favorite appreciation week/month: That's honestly an easy one: @feysand-month! Honorable mention to @unofficialfeysandmonth2022 for putting all the Feysand Month posts together bc the official account seems to be inactive on here. A close second is @feyreweek tho because I love to celebrate my babies!

I am tagging some people to spread their own positivity on here: @reverie-tales @terrasenshighlady @ultadverb @thesistersarcheron + everyone I tagged through the course of this post and everyone else who wants to do this ❤️

If you don't want to answer some of these, that's okay! Delete them, add some of your own if you want 🥰

I wish y'all a nice day, happy rest holidays and a wonderful new year!

[bumblepony]

🍄🎨🧩

🍄 ⇢ share a headcanon for one of your favorite ships or pairings.

Oh ho ho I have so many

Ellie/Dina/Jesse: Most people who follow my blog or my writing on AO3 know that I believe that if Jesse had lived, He, Dina, and Ellie would have ended up in a Polyamorous relationship, with Dina being the hinge. Ellie and Jesse are still best buds, and they love the crap out of each other, but they never want to bone.

So my headcannon for them is that they have two bedrooms in their house, but the second bedroom is not for Jesse; it's for Dina. Ellie and Jesse usually end up sleeping in the same bed together because they both sleep like the dead, whereas Dina is an extremely light sleeper. Ellie moves a lot in her sleep and Jesse snores. But because they both sleep so deeply, they don't bother each other, but poor Dina can't handle it. (This may or may not be modeled after my triforce, where my poor wife is Dina, and my husband and I are Ellie and Jesse.)

🎨 ⇢ link your favorite piece of fanart and explain why you like it

This one is so hard because I have both seen and commissioned so many beautiful pieces of fan art, but this one is near and dear to my heart. It is the first piece of fan art I commissioned for my own work, and it's exactly what I wanted. Plus is still one of my favorite self-indulgent fics, What Makes a Family Oh I forgot the artist is @petitcroc here on Tumblr.

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

Unintelligible writing. I can handle a lot when it comes to topics, but when I can't understand what is trying to convey to me, I just give up.

Topic-wise, there are things I won't read, but they don't always make me click away right away; if the writing is really good and I like the premises of the story, I may try to skim the story or ignore the parts I don't enjoy.

Thinking about it, I will click away from a story that is just pain for pain's sake. If I'm going to read this whole story and this character is put through the wringer and, in the end, they gain nothing from it, then I'm not going to read it. The world is a hard enough place to live in; I don't want to read fantasy about that, either. Not dissing anyone who does love that, do what makes you happy it's just not my cup of tea.

[michellemisfit]

hey you! can you believe it’s the end of the year? 🥳✨🥂

to wrap up another fucking fantastic year of loving on ian & mickey & each other, please share:

your favorite thing you created this year

a fanfic that you can’t wait to reread

a piece of fan art you can’t stop thinking about

happy new year! cheers to another go around the sun! xx

I was just about to start doing my make up and get dressed, ready to go out and greet 2023. But I’ll totally stop for this!! 🙌 Thank you @gallawitchxx for including me 🥰

1. I should say my drawings for the Gallavich Gift Exchange, seeing as it’s my first piece of fanart, and I only write fic once every three years or so lol

But GGE happened like 5 minutes ago, whereas before that I spent about 6 months working my arse off to find perfect matches for our boys for my Gallacats 🐈‍⬛🐈, and I’m still really proud of like 90% of them, and downright smug about 20% of them. Including the below. Which never got the love I felt it deserved. - I was pleased as punch when I thought of this match, and then managed to find the perfect pictures for it. - angst as fuck, sure, but clever… right?

I still haven’t worked out how to link to a tag search result, so here’s the link to the original post for the above (sad Ian), and you can hit the 🐈‍⬛🐈 tag from there, if you fancy browsing my Gallacats :)

2. A fanfic I always always always go back to is @gallavichy’s Cooperative Gameplay. However I have literally just finished re-reading that five days ago, so that will tide me over for a couple of months, hopefully! lol

So instead… I must say that after all of the hard core socialising and all of the fancy food that Christmas brought, I have been craving the peace and quite and simple pleasures of… maybe a dingy little diner? 🤔

Just this perfect place, where you get left to your own devices, have coffee, have a piece of toast, work your way up to some good food, eventually good company, and then one day you slowly fall in love… @loftec’s None The Wiser, anyone?

3. I have adored @mariemarion’s work since back in the Shadowhunters fandom, and decided - for the first time ever - to commission artwork this year. I loved the entire process, and I’m obsessed with both pieces she made for me!

I would also be remiss if I didn’t given shout out to @steorie whose sketch of Ian and Mickey’s faces is one of the first Shameless fanart that immediately made itself at home in my brain.

And that was before realising just how much colour stephi manages to pack into her pieces of art, making me wish I wasn’t such a basic pencil bitch… haha

And I’d like to send some love to @suzy-queued for her Kinktober Series. The pieces were clever, funny, silly, hot, and often downright filthy… all of which is GOOD, of course! But I also admired the fact that Deena completed every single day of the challenge. Crazy inspiring, that! Hats off to you!

[reno2005]

Hey Welcome to My Blog!

[Profile pic commissioned from QiQii ]

Obviously a huge Leon fan. I want this blog to represent that but also be a nice peaceful/calm place I can come to and enjoy whenever I want to see Leon content. The following is some things I’d like people to know:

This is a side blog, so if I follow you or like posts it’ll be from my main. If i reply it will be with this blog of course but sometimes I might mistakenly reply with my main. My Main: @openworldexplorations My “whatever I like” side blog: @magikarpthegreat

Not the biggest fan(read as: at all) of 6 and most of the movies lorewise. If you like it that’s fine, I’m not here to argue or fight anyone, I just don’t personally like them so you won’t see any reference to those here. I do however like some of his looks in said things so I don’t mind some fanart/etc of those. That being said, expect mainly RE2 & RE4 99% of the time and not much of anything new either.

I love fanart and I’d love to share the cool fanart I see with others so you’ll see a lot here. This includes screenshots and all kinds of stuff.

I love gifs and I make some here and there. If a gif post is mine you’ll see “my own gifs” in the tags. My main focus when I make gifs is “do I want to see this moment on repeat?”. Other people’s much more awesome gifs will be tagged under “others gifs”.

Here is my archive if you need to find anything specific.

Click here for a random post.

I used to write fics for other things I was super into back in the day. I stopped liking said thing and haven’t written in a while so I’m very rusty but I love this blondie/sometimes brunette a lot so I’m gonna give it another go. Some things to note about my fic goals:

I want to write reader fics.

I want to write a lot of happier moments. I’ve had many rough years in my life and this guy was a big help/comfort, I’d like that to reflect in my writing. With that in mind, you won’t see much angst or sadness here at all. Basically I want to imagine happy/comforting/silly/cool moments with Leon.

My fics are always short. I just prefer writing short stories or blurbs.(I’m also a little impatient and like to get to the good stuff) my fics will be tagged under “reno2005fics”.

There will also be nsfw fics occasionally(I mean c’mon). I will tag these of course. If a fic is nsfw it will be either gender neutral or male reader.(sfw fics will usually be GN)

Finally, if you’re curious(and bothered to read this far. I’m sorry this is long lol) Reno is a song by my favorite band Red Vox and I imagine Leon would like the band a lot.

[zadien]

💥 🍬 😎 💎 🔥🚦💌 🎨

Sorry i got carried away 😅 (feel free to ignore any duplicates)

💥What is one canon thing that you wish you could change? I’d have Ian in Beyblade more and give Hilary a story arc for herself - and have the whole show be more cohesive. But honestly, I don’t generally want to change canon so much. People made their decisions for a reason, I have to go with it. Like obviously I’d love canon FF7 to be a little more blatant with their intentions and while I’d love for Zack and Aerith to, you know, live I know that the story would not work without their deaths. So it would be pointless. I do think shipping drama would be less volatile if certain things were made explicit from the beginning but that’s minor stuff really.

🍬 Do you write for multiple fandoms? If yes, what is your favorite fic of yours for each fandom? I write for multiple but also I don’t. Beyblade is the one true fandom and everything else is like a one night stand. I do write for FFVII when the moment takes me and Fall Ball Fling is currently my fave since it’s the one I’m writing. SLTS is obviously my first love of Beyblade, though honestly, I think my fave fic for Beyblade is Time After Time. It’s something I really enjoy rereading myself. Kai and Amber as adults making adult decisions while in the shadows Gavvy exists.

😎What fics do you prefer on a scale of canon-compliant to wildly original? Depends on the fandom I’m reading for. Like Beyblade, I’m happy with either, though I tend to read more original stuff because you can do way more with it and you’re not constrained to the canon character relationships. For Final Fantasy, it’s such a complete story in canon that I don’t need to read anything more in that world, so again wildly original is good for that fandom. For Haikyuu, I'd want canon but also how can you improve on canon for that show??? For other fandoms, I really want canon compliant. I want canon-compliant to explain what the hell canon was doing and fix it — within reason.

💎Do you often write about a relationship or focus on an individual? Oh, it’s always a relationship of some sort. It’s either friendship, familial or romantic. I have to have some kind of relationship in the fic because none of my characters are wildly entertaining on their own. Also, I love dialogue and you get better dialogue exploring a relationship than exploring an individual.

🔥Have you included any sexy scenes in your fics? If yes, do you find them easy or difficult to write? Yes, I have, there's The Phoenix and Ember Reunion and Time After Time. And they’re horrible to write. God, I hate writing them but they’re also fun. I just find that when I’m writing them, I’m very concerned about how it reads, is it too clinical? Is the chemistry coming across? Will the reader understand why this is occurring? As someone who has on MANY occasions watched a show and wondered, why is this happening now? I don’t want a reader to feel that way about my scenes. I do feel I write them very unsexily, which I want to work on. But I also don’t write very fiery passionate characters either so there’s no cause for a blaze on the page.

🚦What sort of endings do you prefer to write: ambiguous, bad, happily ever after, etc.? HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!! Because life is shitty enough. And if I can’t find it, I’m gonna live vicariously through my characters who will. It’s all about how they find it.

💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write? Bed sharing. It tends to pop up in mostly everything I write. I just love the idea of people letting down their guard when sleeping and ending up cuddling, even if it’s platonic cuddles or puppy piles. It’s such an expression of trust.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see? I think Saving probably is the most visual fanfic I’ve written, but I got fan art for that and commissioned a piece from Lucy so that was amazing! But I’d love something for SLTS, I just don’t know what I’d want. I never really think about fanart for my stuff because it’s not the kind of writing that would inspire fan art, you know? OH! No, I’d love to see jock Tyson and diligent student Hilary because their dynamic in SLTS gives me life. They’re so much fun. For Fall Ball Fling, there’s a scene involving the iconic Water Tower which would be cute but I’m sure there’s tons of fan art of them and the water tower - I just want Tifa in her new outfit from Ever Crisis because she’s stunning.

Thanks for asking!!! 💖

[anarchy-and-piglins]

I had @rerith draw Technoblade in the Backrooms from my fic Say X Amount of Words and I absolutely adore how he came out <3 Trying to get benchtrio on the phone perhaps?

(psst, go follow Reri by the way they do very pog art)

[apompkwrites]

Hi, hello 👉👈

I really love the streamer AU and would like to request Albedo, Xiao, Tartaglia and Kaeya's reaction to reader's possible death theories

Just like the theories we have about them, I wonder how would they react to their favorite character possibly having a "bad ending" in the game

Like how Mona said that Kaeya's fate would catch him soon, or about Xiao's karmic thing

Sorry for bothering and thank you ✨

reader impact || fan theories

series masterlist characters: albedo, childe, kaeya, xiao genre: angst? is that what you would call this?? i don't know. summary: with so much backstory and lore, there are bound to be fan theories on the different characters in genshin. what happens when our streamers read some... unfortunate endings regarding you? notes: i normally don't look at theories... ugh mihoyo why. anyway, i made the written portions before the bullet points act as a theory fic or something similar to that :)

albedo -

"i have the utmost faith in you, traveler," you mutter as the star on your neck seems to crack. your neck begins to split apart and light pink light glows from underneath it. the cracks travel throughout your body.

your hands are pitch black and your upper arms are pink with a soft gradient connecting the two colors. you shake and tremble in what remained of your dragonspine camp. several chemicals and glass shards are scattered across the dirt floor.

"please. as my... former assistant. stop me."

albedo almost closed the tab right there.

the only thing stopping him is his chat, who is just freaking out about the fan theory comic sent to him.

the notebook on his desk, which still had a camera pointed at it, was filled with frustrated scribbles and illegible drawings.

he almost broke his pencil.

he just wants to leave.

he's been streaming his reaction to plenty of fan theories about genshin's universe, such as paimon's origins and possible endings for the other characters.

he thought that you would have fun happy theories.

no.

not at all.

remember when i said he would pretend nothing bad is happening to you during his first meeting?

yeah, he held that denial until now.

now he's forced to confront the (very possible) idea that you will be a boss he'll have to fight later.

he absolutely loves the person who made the art.

he absolutely hates that this idea is the only thing he'll think about for... at least half a year.

childe -

"this... this is it for me, huh?" you heave, your body sprawled out on the bloodied grass and dirt. your weapon has long been abandoned, tossed to the side like trash. "you... fought valiantly as always, sweetheart. i'm... i'm proud of you."

it wasn't supposed to end like this. you were never supposed to die here, surrounded by the remnants of your enemies and comrades. you were supposed to go home.

to your family. introduce them to the otherworldly traveler you lovingly dubbed sweetheart.

"ah, i broke my promise, didn't i?" you hum, staring up at the sky through half-lidded eyes. "i told you i would introduce you to my family. my siblings would have loved you... i guess i'll be thrown on the ice for breaking it, won't i?"

he can and will ugly cry at this theory.

he doesn't even care he's caught on stream crying.

it just hits too close to home, especially as a big brother himself.

he'd call his siblings into his streaming room.

and once they come inside?

he'll hug them.

and hold them.

he'll promise to you that if that day ever did come in the game, he'd find a way to get to your siblings and meet them.

it doesn't matter if the game doesn't let him.

he'll either find it on his own in-game (which would probably grant him an achievement) or commission someone to make fanart/write a fic about this encounter.

and until then, he'll make sure to treasure you in his party.

kaeya -

"this soon, huh?" you chuckle dryly. your brows are furrowed as you stand alone. you knew this day would come. why wouldn't it?

fate was always cruel like that. coming to mondstadt for your people then growing close to the outsiders there. it was always cruel. it didn't matter if you were good or bad, fate always had a plan for you.

"what should i do?" you mutter, seemingly weighing your options in your hands. "take revenge for my people... abandon them for a new home... what would be the best choice?"

there wasn't one. and you knew that all too well. you knew you had to make a choice or else the universe would make it for you.

and if you left it up to chance... neither home you had grown with would survive.

can we go back to the simpler times, please?

all he wants is to go back to the beginning of the game when he was oh so naive.

he wanted to boot up the game again and just flirt with you until he passes on.

this theory... will actually be the death of him.

thinking you'll be forced to choose the future of mondstadt, or even teyvat, is an idea he wants to abandon entirely.

he wants to give you a glass of your favorite drink and get wasted until the sun comes up.

he takes this as a personal attack and will refuse to believe it.

but sometimes he does.

and when that happens, it's time for a drink.

just like you.

he'll join you in drinking your sorrows away for all eternity.

xiao -

"it's been years since i last heard the song of the dihua flute," you growl, clutching onto your cracking mask. the object is permanently stuck to your face. the only way to see your strained face was to look closely at the cracks, which allow a sliver of your skin to escape.

it's been a millennium or so since you started protecting liyue in secret. it's been a millennium or so since you started carrying the heavy burden of karmic debt on your shoulders.

"i have promised you that i would strike you down if you were ever taken by the darkness," you comment as your body involuntarily grabs your weapon. "i only wish for you to do the same for me. allow me... to peacefully... join their ranks."

he hates how probable this is.

and he hates how he actually believes this will happen.

he doesn't want to.

but there's too much evidence pointing to it.

all of your lore and the patterns the other yakshas followed...

he'll end the stream right there because he is not dealing with all of these emotions in front of a bunch of people.

he doesn't need that right now.

what will he do when he ends the stream?

probably contemplate everything he's known until this point.

and then look for fan content about you.

happy fan content.

he's the type of person to read fanfics about you.

be it reader insert or just general stories, he'll read it.

he just wants to think about you having happy endings :)

please, he's desperate for some fluff.

[missn11]

You KNOW I gotta ask: LaCroix

@waldenwayfarer aw thanks, I was waiting for someone to ask :D

favorite thing about them

Oh where to start? XD I love LaCroix's voice, his manner of speaking, all his amazingly dramatic gestures. I also the slow decline LaCroix goes through the game, from a facade of a leader that has everything together (even though we all see that he has anything but under control) to the mask slipping down to show a man at his wits' ends. I also find him very fun to write about, there is so much to explore with LaCroix in fics, what is his real background, what was going on in his head throughout vtmb, could he ever make the right choices if given the chance to? Etc, etc, etc.

Also on the shallow side, I love how he looks on his knees! XDDD

least favorite thing about them

(I love the way he lieeessss) LaCroix does have a bad habit not seeing a good thing when it shows up, and it is sad and annoying (but fun to explore in fics where he can learn to trust the fledgling) that he can't handle the idea that someone might not be against him or is not disposable. Also I get werewolf are a scary part of the WOD for you, LaCroix but tons of trees getting cut down is badddddd.

favorite line

"The folly of leadership is knowing that no matter what you do, behind your back there's hundreds certain that their own solution is the sounder one, and that your decision was the... by-product of a whimsical dart toss."

brOTP

With the Sheriff! I really wished they elaborated on there relationship, and made it more of a friendship tbh. I bet the Sheriff has some funny stories about young LaCroix and LaCroix has some exciting ones about the Sheriff! :D

OTP

I have many XD LaCroix/Ming Xiao (come on they had something going on in that alliance! XD) LaCroix/Nines (the parallels and hate sex are too wonderful to not ship!) and the best for me is LaCroix/Nines/Ming Xiao which brings the best all both ships! >:3 And I've now grown a fondness for the crackship (maybe it isn't crack but doooommed) LaCroix/Damsel (the hate sex will be offff the charts!)

nOTP

A year ago I would've said LaCroix/Damsel but I have since mended my wicked ways and realized the potential in that ship and to be honest I've found myself being open to most ships with LaCroix! Maybe LaCroix/Boris? I mean Boris is pretty awful that even LaCroix would have too much of an issue with him! XD

random headcanon

When LaCroix is too stressed out and needs a break from his Princely duties, he likes go out in a disguise, black cap worn backwards, leather jacket and a white shirt and jeans, goes by the name Jean, and go out to the nearest Jazz club or to the beach if he is feeling bold. its also the outfit he wears to spy on the Anarchs.

unpopular opinion

That he is so arrogant and stupid to be unaware of his lack of popularity, its really clear that he is very, very, very aware of most people don't respect or like him, his actions throughout the game show that. He would likely never have let the fledgling live through the trial if Nines hadn't spoke up.

song i associate with them

oh man so many XD but one of them is From The Pinnacle To The Pit by Ghost

favorite picture of them

Oh god I have so many faves! XD let me break it down to my top five or something... the order of this list doesn't have a ranking, they are all amazing.

1.

This is a big fave of mine, I love how beautiful LaCroix looks in their art style and I do wish I could commission this artist but sadly they don't do commission (valid btw)

2.

All of @iravaid 's LaCroix fanart is really wonderful especially their latest piece, I recomending checking out their artwork (and perhaps commissioning them too if like what you see) :D

3.

I may be bias since I commissioned this but @luxecoffin did amazing job with capturing how handsome and subby LaCroix is >:D

4.

Also @vampemoqueen has done some lovely art of LaCroix as well :D

5.

@denanocturna has done some lovely LaCroix, he looks so sweet looking, perfect to hide his sinister vampric nature

Btw I love a lot of fanart of LaCroix that this fandom has made and it was hard to choose! XD

Thanks again to @waldenwayfarer for sending this ask, this was fun to fill out :D

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Why Cullen?

Today I bring you a post I’ve been in the process of mentally drafting for a while, a post that essentially analyzes the age old question in the Dragon Age fandom: Why is there always something with Cullen?

To do this, I am going to go through different “phases” of Cullen discourse. My thesis and answering the titular question: It’s complicated, and I don’t think I can answer “Why Cullen,” but “there’s sometimes recycled discourses made about his character through the years, maybe there’s a pattern.” When it comes to Cullen’s detractors, I understand the fact that it might be frustrating to see much content for someone so “boring” when there’s more “interesting” and “well done” characters (though interest is of course relevant) so it leads to a lot of vitriol from both new and old fans who think the man had too much screen time already. Furthermore, he is highly complicated man dressed as a Disney prince, and the “Disney-esque” feel of his romance creates a dissonance between coming to terms with his problematic past and reveling in the romanticism. We can have a happy medium everyone,  but because of what I can only describe as “tik tok thought” it’s become looked down upon to have problematic favorites, which leads to guilt in liking something problematic, or outright revisionism.

But liking things with problematic elements doesn’t make you a bad person.

Alright, let’s begin: 

The first phase truly began of course with DAO with Cullen’s crush on the female Circle Mage Warden. Some were endeared, others not so much. I cannot speak to this phase too much as I was around 15-16 and pretty preoccupied with my high school drama instead of fandom, though I played both DAO and DA2 upon it’s release and followed updates for DA2 before it came out. Despite not being an active fandom member I was what they would call, a lurker. I knew some people liked Cullen and thought he was cute, wishing for more screen time after the game and hoping he’d be in DAI through IMDB message boards (remember those?) and YoutTube comments. When news broke he’d be an advisor in DAI and a romance option, I remember seeing a lot of people in those same spaces rejoice. I’m sure there were also people who weren’t so pleased, but from what I saw, people were happy. When Inquisition did release, I actually did quite a bit more lurking on tumblr despite the fact I didn’t have a blog, because I played the romance route, really gravitated toward it, and wanted to see fanart and such. People liked the romance, liked his arc and how Bioware handled his struggles with lyrium; and found it realistic. Even in my lurking days I did see some blowback on Cullen from detractors, those who didn’t think he should have been the military advisor (which canonically it makes total sense to me why he’s where he’s at, but I won’t get into it here however.) But likely because I wasn’t fully “in fandom,” my surface level understanding of how tumblr felt about Cullen was relatively positive and there was only standard fare discourse.

Phase 2: I can speak about this phase better because I established this blog in 2017. Two years after DAI was released, you still had a lot of fans who loved his romance and character, but you also saw a lot of those fans really dive into his flaws, insisting even that just focusing on the Disney Prince aspects of him reduced his character. There were also more internal debates. Would realistically Cullen be a good father was one. One thing however was for sure, there was a strange them and us line between detractors and fans, and to many fans, myself included, oftentimes the Cullen blowback would extend beyond the valid, “hey I don’t think his characterization was handled well” or “his redemption arc isn’t that great” to outright vitriolic hate that blatantly ignored his PTSD and lyrium addiction, and even sometimes “you just like Cullen because he’s white.” As a POC fan it was a fantastic thing to be accused of. I used to be more involved with discord during this period and I remember a few discussions about this as well. Even those indifferent to Cullen didn’t get it.

Overall, I have to say the air was one where people in Cullen fandom enjoyed all aspects of him, from delving into this troubled past to indulging in the Disney prince aspects of him. It was a happy medium I think, even if occasionally I would see a Cullen fan feel bad for liking him, and feel like they needed to justify it. Heck I even did and still do feel that way sometimes, like I need to justify what I like. But we all come into fandom for different reasons. I come into fandom some days for different things. Sometimes I want smut with my favorite character, other times I want more intense thought pieces and challenging fics. Great thing about fandom is that it’s a bakery that has cherry tarts, cinnamon rolls, or all kinds of pie depending on your mood. Craving a different sweet treat, you can make your own. Or you can commission an artist or writer for something you fancy.

*(sexual assault mentions here late in the paragraph****)And now I’ve been warped back into Cullen/DA fandom through what I am calling phase three, where the general air on Cullen reads as….very different. After having one foot outside DA fandom for a while coming back and reading the air has been different. There was the bizarre nuggetgate and other things with Cullen. Now, instead of accepting his flaws and exploring him there seems to be a lot of revisionism going on, as if his past never happened or we’re supposed to ignore he was a templar. A sexually active Cullen is looked down upon but in a different way from before. Instead of smut works with him “reducing his complicated character.” it’s distasteful to write smut with him where he’s sexually dominant or even just a lot of smut because he was sexually assaulted. (***Now, it is implied that he was, if you are a female Circle mage in DAO, with “sifting through my thoughts, tempting me with the one thing I always wanted but could never have” but this is an implication. I will be honest, it is what I have implied. However, it’s not there if you’re not a female Mage. He was however canonically sexually harassed in the Winter Palace, something I will always argue, even if canon treats it like a joke, even if Leliana tells him to “just look pretty.” Just because he is a man doesn’t make it funny that someone grabbed his bottom, and if you take Cole he flat out says “Cullen is afraid.”***)

So here I am, wondering what changed and what’s going on. Here’s what I believe: Cullen is a complicated character and his flaws and his past make him interesting to me, and they are interesting to explore. However there is nothing wrong with wanting to just explore a romantic, sexual Cullen. He’s a character with many facets. He’s romantic, determined, nostalgic, stubborn, unrelenting, loyal, driven, all things that made him seem so real. Here we get to my theory: in today’s media “criticisms” I see people—particularly younger people—beat themselves up for liking something problematic. It’s like every time you engage with media that’s potentially problematic you have to write essays to yourself why it is so and hold yourself accountable. I see this on tik-tok a lot and why I refer to it as “tik tok thought.” Look at the way some young Hamilton fans talk about the musical, or heck even here, and you may see what I mean. It’s like if you don’t acknowledge the problematic aspects of the historical figures behind their fictional portrayals in the show you’re a bad person. Same thing with nostalgic Disney fans my age in younger, if you don’t clown on Ariel for “choosing a man over anything” (SHE LIKED THE SURFACE WORLD BEFORE SHE MET ERIC) you don’t get your brownie points.

I want to make it clear: being critical of media is good. I am glad I see young people and people my age think about the messages we are given in media, but somehow this is turned into ANALYZE EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. Ya’ll I’m a grad student. I’m critical most of the time, when I come to my tumblr blog’s lawn I’m here mostly to have some fun, and hey sometimes my fun is being critical. But sometimes it isn’t. You do not have to always be critical. You do not have to beat yourself up for liking something that’s problematic or write an essay about why it is as if that’s your due diligence in stanning a fictional character. I’m going to be honest I used to kind of think I had to justify my likes once, especially because of the Cullen vitriol on tumblr. I worked overtime in my early fanfic efforts to try to prove to the world I knew Cullen was problematic for fear I’d be perceived as just an idiot horny fangirl. Well, let me tell you: I largely don’t think that way anymore. If I want to just enjoy writing some smut or reading some smut with him, I am. But I think there is a second part of this in Cullen fandom currently, a revisionism of his problematic elements. Now, if you have to do mental gymnastics with a character in an effort to ignore problematic elements, perhaps you don’t like the character that much. That’s totally okay. DA has many awesome characters to write about and stan.

So, why Cullen? For so many reasons a bit of a shit show has always followed this character. There’s a divide between fans and his detractors and sometimes there’s a divide within the Cullen fandom. What I can extrapolate for now is the need to keep him squeaky clean and safe and away from anything “problematic” because his of past, his templar roots, or the fact that he’s white when there are POC characters with less content. It reads as a guilt associated with liking him. But please, do not be guilty. He’s not real. Templars aren’t real, mages aren’t real, Cullen isn’t real. Here’s my advice, something I learned while in my directing class in college. What my teacher always said was direct what turns you on, direct a story that gets you thinking, gets you excited. What gets you thinking and excited in a fictional world may be tons of conflict and dramatics, or it may be peace and love. Sometimes it can be both or more. Don’t shame others for coming to a bakery and wanting blueberry when you want cherry, and the baker has both, especially if the baker labels each pie, especially if the recipe for the pie has some salt in it and people like the salt. We can have it all and enjoy it all. What we want in our fiction doesn’t always align with something we may want real life. Lots of people write Modern girl in Thedas stories. Ya’ll if that actually happened to one of us it would probably suck. I’d probably get killed and not even get to meet Cullen and pose around the desk to get things going, so I’d rather it not happen. However, it is fun to read about.

Again, don’t be guilty for liking Cullen, please. But if you have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to like Cullen, maybe you don’t like him at all. To that I say, there are many other amazing characters, or perhaps you could write your own.