The Critical Role Aspec Fest is a month-long fanwork fest (with a prompt for each week) celebrating aromantic-spectrum and asexual-spectrum experiences!
WEEK 4 (Feb 22nd-28th): Free week! Whatever your heart desires.
FAQs
(if something isn't answered here, please feel free to send an ask or message!)
Can I make something about a character being demisexual or demiromantic or (insert other label)? Can I make something about a character who's straight?
Absolutely - please do! Aspec is a very broad umbrella term, and this event is all about celebrating a variety of experiences that aren't well-represented in media. If it feels right to you, go for it. I'm not going to exclude any works from the fest just because they aren't relatable to me.
What types of fanworks can I make for the fest?
Anything! Be that fanfiction, fanart, meta, gifsets, edits etc. - everything is welcome! If you're writing fanfiction, you're encouraged to post to the AO3 collection here.
Which Critical Role characters can I make fanworks about?
Do I have to make a fanwork for every week to take part?
Nope! The more the merrier, but we're doing this for fun, not to stress!
Anyone in anything they've streamed - so the main campaigns, EXUs, Candela Obscura, Daggerheart or other oneshots!
Do I need to be aspec to join?
Definitely not, as long as you're coming in with the mindset of being respectful of our experiences. For one, I'm aromantic but not ace-spec - so making works about ace-spec experiences is naturally going to be more difficult for me, but entirely doable with a little bit of research! I think it's a great way to learn about others.
Why February? Why a whole month?
Yes, there are plenty of aspec weeks hosted in other fandoms, which are great and the inspiration for this event! But personally, I am both slow and busy, so making just one thing per week is much more achievable for me. I chose February because Aromantic Awareness Week is the week after Valentine's day, and this fest was originally going to take place during that time. I'm also unaware of any other fandom events happening in February (although please let me know otherwise, just for my own interest!). The fact that February splits so nicely into 4 whole weeks is an added bonus!
Edit: There is another CR fandom event this month - @vexlethuary!
Would you like people to share around the existence of this fest?
(Okay, maybe this one's a bit of a cheat.) Yes please! Even if you don't plan on taking part, getting eyes on the existence of this event would be wonderful. This is the first fandom event I've ever hosted, and I don't have a huge platform among fic writers, who are likely the largest contingent of nerds (lovingly) who'd be interested in taking part in an event like this.
Other Rules
Please don't bash any ships or headcanons you don't like! Part of the fun of fandom is seeing the broad range of possible interpretations, and I'd always rather foster a sense of community rather than opposition.
Suggestive, NSFW and whump content is fully allowed, but must be tagged correctly for whatever platform you're posting on. When reblogging suggestive or NSFW content, I'll use the tag #CRAspecFestNSFW, so filter that if you'd like.
Fanworks should be focused on aspec experiences or characters, but other topics or characters can totally be included, and these experiences don't have to be super clear or well-labelled in-text (gods know that real-life experiences are often opaque and confusing) - it's your intention that matters. This is up to your discretion, really. As with the rule of thumb for AO3 tagging - if someone was viewing this for aspec content, would they be disappointed? If so, you can always rework it, or post it outside of this fest.
Please consider adding alt text to any images you post - here's a useful guide if you're not sure what to write.
This account will be reblogging every fanwork made for the fest - just remember to tag us, and use the #CRAspecFest tag! If you don't have a tumblr account and want a post about your work to be included, send a message.
There'll be more posts on this account with ideas for how to approach the prompts, plus reminders at the start of each week, tagged #CRAspecFestPosts. All submission reblogs will be tagged #CRAspecFestWorks (and #CRAspecFestNSFW if applicable).
theme: exploring how common romantic tropes could apply to platonic relationships. fics should not focus on romantic relationships
this is originally a writing challenge, but you are welcome to use any medium you choose
all fandoms are welcome
no requirement to complete the entire week; just to explore the dates that seem most appealing to you
all fics may be entered into this (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/noromo2026) open collection on ao3. tag @noromogiftexchange and use the hashtag #subvertingromanticrelationships2026 for reblogs
If I do run this fest again in 2026, it'll be later in the year :) I've been gearing up to run @cr-fem-fanwork-fest, which is focused around the female characters of critical role, and I just announced the dates for!
But I had lost of fun running CR Aspec Fest, and would absolutely love to come back to it in the future.
Missing holiday fandom events of old? Want to spend some time working on fanworks this winter? Critmas Wishing Tree is back for a second year!
How does it work? It's simple: People leave prompts. Writers and artists can look through the prompts and write something based off of them, post them anonymously, and then at the end of the fest, the artists and writers are revealed!
Prompts start on November 23 at Critmas Wishing Tree on AO3
Have more questions, check out our FAQ and spread the word!
As you may unfortunately be aware, scammers are currently flooding fanfiction comments with art commission scams (more info on the scam and what to look out for here). And we're absolutely sick of it. So here's our solution! Fanart Frenzy - an event designed to counteract these scammers and their impact on the fanfiction community, as well as raise awareness of their evolving scams.
What is Fanart Frenzy?
Fanart Frenzy is a month-long bingo event designed to bring a wave of fanfiction-inspired fanart into the community, entirely free and unsolicited, as fandom is supposed to be, in order to stem the flow of these scammers, encourage our favorite fic writers, and liven up our fandoms. Our first event will take place from January 1-31, 2026.
How does it work?
You can sign up via our sign up form! In late December, we'll send out bingo cards to each participant with prompts guiding you towards fics in your fandom to make art for. (Ex. Make art for a fic with no comments). Throughout January, you can make as few or as many pieces of art as you like - you can aim for a bingo, a blackout, or just pick one fic you really want to make art for. Post your work anywhere you'd normally post it, then share it with the writer and the Fanart Frenzy community.
Can't draw?
No worries! This event is about all kinds of art, not just traditional art - everything from playlists to gif sets to cookies to fiber arts, memes, and more. Anything artistic you can do inspired by a fanfic is perfect for this event.
If you don't enjoy making art, the event also includes a Comment Challenge! During sign up, you can choose a bingo card with only art-related prompts, only commenting-related prompts, or a mix of the two. Non-artists can participate alongside artists by following the prompts to find fics in their fandoms in need of thoughtful, kind comments. (Ex. Leave a comment on a fic you've reread.)
You can also help us out by spreading the word! Please tell your friends and fandom communities about our event!
If you’d like to join our event team as an official promoter in your fandom(s), please indicate your interest in our entry form! If we have an opening for someone in your fandom, we'll get in touch! More info on becoming a promoter and what that entails here.
Before the event starts, please join us on our discord server, follow us here on tumblr or on reddit and bluesky!
Have any questions, concerns, or comments? Please drop them here or send us a message and we'll answer as soon as possible!
This week, we're looking for fics that were created for fandom events! Whether it's monthly events (Kinktobers, Whumptobers, ect), ones associated with holidays (Critmas), or Shadowgast Weeks, Big Bangs, or other more esoteric events - they should count!
It's not the easiest search on AO3, but here's a few:
Critmas Wishing Tree
Critmas Exchange
Shadowgastbang
TRASHCAN
CleartheShelters
AIFLKinktober,
Shadowgast Week.
But there's plenty more that I'm missing!
It’s a good time to be a Critical Role fan. Only a few days ago, Amazon Prime released the preview for Mighty Nein, the animated…
It’s not just the fact that these characters exist: it’s who they are. An allo viewer going into the series with misconceptions about all aspecs being cold, unattractive loners would have a hard time keeping that impression after watching Critical Role. Who could see us as uncaring after witnessing Keyleth’s huge heart, Caduceus’s kindness, Dariax’s cheerfulness, or Essek’s devotion to his friends?
Hello, fellow fandom-obsessed creatives! Please join us for the 10th (!!!) edition of #AggressivelyArospecWeek!
Every year, #AggressivelyArospecWeek (#AAW for short) is an occasion to promote the creation of arospec fancontent by arospec creators. For an entire week, people on the aromantic spectrum celebrate their experiences through fandom and art.
For this event, "fancontent" means any creation related to a fandom, whether it's a headcanon, a piece of meta, fanfic, fanart, a playlist,... All fandoms are welcome!
The content created for this event should center a character's arospec identity (this can be a canon identity or a headcanon).
We only accept entries from creators who identify as being on the aromantic spectrum or who are questioning whether they might be.
This event is an opportunity for creators to explore their identities through fanwork within a supportive community. It's also a perfect way for fans of all kinds (arospec or not) to enjoy art and have fun!
Join us from June 22 to June 28 2025 for an explosion of arospec fancontent on your dash!
To submit content to the event, please make a new post between June 22 and June 28 and tag it as #AggressivelyArospecWeek. You can also submit your work directly to our blog through the ask and submission boxes. Your post will then be shared on the Aggressively Arospec blog.
A collection will also be opened on Archive of Our Own to round up all the fanfics posted on there. Just search for "Aggressively Arospec Week '25" in the "Post to collections" tab when you're posting on AO3.
Help us make the 10th year of this event another success! We've only come this far through your support and creativity.
Please, take a second to share this post so your followers get to join in the fun as well 💚
(For more information, check out our "About" page or our FAQ section. If you need some inspiration, you can also check out all previous submissions in our #AggressivelyArospecWeek tag.)
Thank you so much to everyone who participated, spread the word or gave love to all our wonderful submissions!
This has truly been wonderful <3
We had a wild 26 works submitted! That's way more than I was expecting! Campaign two characters were the favourites by far - with 17 works about them, compared to 3 each for campaigns one and three, and 3 more that were fun and difficult to categorise (and isn't that wonderfully in the spirit of the thing?)
And if you still haven't finished works you wanted to submit for the fest - worry not! This account will still be here to reblog them :) The world always needs more wonderful aspec rep!
comic affectionately titled 'stone butch beaus' (i am now too attached to the title to change it) (unfortunately this means pronouncing beaus like booze)
Anyway this is for @cr-aspec-fest week 2 (don't look at the date) - asexual spectrum! Because I was thinking about who in the Mighty Nein I could make something for and I was like, hm, well, obviously not Beau, she's way too horny- WAIT-?
Chapter Specific Tags: Miscommunication & Communication, Kissing, Awkward Wizards are Awkward, Sex-Ambivalent & Demi Essek, Exploration of Boundaries, Sexual Tension
Chapter Word Count: 7.9k
Chapter Summary:
Caleb is. Very pretty. He could cover up again, maybe should. They have things to do today.
But not for a little while yet.
Essek’s hands are cooling. He knows Caleb to be very warm.
-
AKA the wizards pause one physical study to begin another
Read on AO3
~
It's here it's here at long last! :D
This one is also my last entry for this year's @cr-aspec-fest, just in the nick of time! Here is Week 2: Ace-spec! 🖤🩶🤍💜
Verin laughs and stands up, his robe rustling against the sofa. “I’ll go get the bath going. And I won’t forget the chamomile oil.”
“Thanks, Verin,” Keyleth says. She turns back to her dresser and listens to the sound of Verin’s footsteps as he pads into the adjoining bathroom, something long-dormant in her heart stirring at the near-domesticity of it.
When she hears the water start to run, she lets out a long breath.
It’s… strange. Having feelings for someone again.
Centuries down the line, Keyleth finds herself in love for the second time in her life and realizes that maybe, just maybe, it's a leap of faith worth taking.
Hello my friends! Might I interest you in some Verleth, set in the same thyme time period as my Thymessek fics, and written for @cr-aspec-fest ? I've had a lot of fun writing this one! Delving into Keyleth's POV was a nice change of pace and I always enjoy exploring a new character. And Verin is always a treat XD I hope you enjoy! <3
Time for the final Week 4 (free week)! With the suggestion of wacky crossovers on the table, I decided to combine my favorite aroace cleric from c2 with my favorite aroace-coded rogue from Dimension 20's Fantasy High series. I just thought a conversation between Caduceus and Riz could be very sweet and/or absolutely hilarious. Since I'm just writing this on the fly, we'll see which direction it goes as it goes. Either way, this has been such a fun event, and I'm glad I got to participate each week!
Caduceus sets a steaming mug of tea down in front of the small teenage goblin boy in odd-looking clothing who sits at the Clay's otherwise quiet kitchen table. He sets his own cup of tea down before taking his usual seat catty-cornered (or caddy-cornered, in his case) to the goblin.
The goblin--who had eventually introduced himself as Riz once the initial panic and paranoia of suddenly finding himself in a different universe wore off--eyes the cup with obvious distrust. "What's in this exactly?"
"The Exeners," Caduceus replies in his usual low, mellow tone. "They help with soothing nerves, which I'm sure you have noticed in yourself what with this strange situation. I'm afraid I can't remember what you called it."
"A Time Quangle," Riz sighs with the weight of familiarity. "But wait, back up a second. You said this was the Exeners? Is that some sort of code for alcohol or...?"
Caduceus smiles. "No, I'm not fond of the stuff, and I've learned by now not to give it to teenagers. I much prefer the tea that the Wildmother provides for us here in the Grove, which is what is in both of our cups."
Riz leans over his cup and gives a tentative sniff of the aromatic steam rising from it. "You don't happen to have any coffee, do you? Depending on how long it's gonna take to solve this Quangle, I'm probably gonna need something to boost the ole noggin, especially if I need to overcome my less than stellar sleep last night."
"If you need to rest, some of my friends are staying here for a few days. One of them is a wizard who can create a tower with guest rooms, and he's more than used to catering his rooms for individuals of different sizes, if that is a concern at all. His best friend actually spent much of their time together as a goblin."
Riz tilts his head inquisitively. "And this friend is not... a goblin... anymore? How does that work?"
"I'm unsure of the exact magic, but I remember they broke a bathtub and needed quite a bit of clay." Caduceus' smile becomes even dreamier than usual at the memory of that fateful day.
"Interesting.... Well, I appreciate the offer, but I really need to just solve this Quangle and get back home. No time to rest, especially if I'm the only one who got Quangled into this world." Riz's ear perk up underneath his flat cap. "You said your friend is a wizard? His name wouldn't happen to be Aguefort, would it?"
Caduceus hums in thought. "The name doesn't sound familiar, though I know my friend takes on many aliases to serve his purposes."
"Old man?" Riz prompts. "Loves chronomancy and phoenixes?"
"Chronomancy, yes. Phoenixes, I'm unsure. I wouldn't call him old by any means, but I've been told I have a strange perception of time and aging before. As far as I know, he is of this universe, if that rules out anything."
Riz shakes his head. "Principal Aguefort can embed himself in any universe, it seems, and make it look completely natural. I'll probably only really know for sure if your friend is him or not once I see him."
Caduceus nods. "I can ask him to come in from his gardening outside, but I will warn you that his partner and the rest of our mutual friends here will want to join in an investigation of you, as an unexpected guest from another world."
Riz's face twitches at the mention of Caleb's "partner"; fortunately, Caduceus is insightful enough to both note the reaction and not mention it right away. "Sure, the more heads to help solve this Quangle, the better. Even if your wizard friend isn't Principal Aguefort, I'm sure he's smart. That is, if he's anything like my wizard friend."
Caduceus gives another nod and stands from his seat to walk over to the window overlooking the garden. "Mister Caleb?"
A shock of red hair covered by a wide-brimmed sun hat pops up from behind a tall row of tomato vines twined around metal stands. "Ja?" Caleb calls back. "What is it, Herr Clay?"
"Would you mind taking a break and coming into the kitchen? There's been a bit of an odd situation that might require your particular attention." Caduceus pauses for a moment, considering. "And you might as well call a team meeting while you're at it."
Caleb nods. "I will go grab Essek. Yasha and Beauregard may be harder to procure. I believe they had retreated to the tower for a bit of, ah, alone time."
Caduceus takes his leave from the window, silently grateful that he does not have to be the one to interrupt the married couple's "alone time." Riz is watching him as he returns to the kitchen table. Both cups of tea remain untouched so far, a fact that he deems to remedy after retaking his seat. He closes his eyes and smiles at the unsurprising pleasantness of the tea.
Riz pokes at his own cup, looking at it like Veth might look at some new alchemical mixture with yet-unknown properties. "So," he starts with all the faux casualness of a socially awkward teenager, "it sounds like people around here are 'hookin' up.'"
Caduceus hums. "I believe I recognize that phrase from one of my other friend's jokes, and if I am understanding you correctly, then yes, there are some couples visiting here today. I don't pretend to understand the specifics of their activities together since it's not something I'm personally interested in investing my time and energy into, but I know enough to respect their privacy around it."
Riz nods, slightly abashed. "Right, right, privacy. I respect that." There's a prolonged pause, then a spark of genuine curiosity. "But you said that you're not... interested in that... stuff?"
Caduceus smiles, just a little bit smug from his guess about Riz holding true to the insight he had glimpsed. "I've never found myself inclined towards seeking it out, no, and I've apparently been oblivious to offers before."
There's another pause before Riz blurts out, "I lied about dating someone once, and now I have a mirror demon thing named Baron that calls themself my 'romance partner' and keeps trying to take me away to see his 'stark father' in this place called the Baronies."
As much information as that is to take in, Caduceus sees the heart of the matter immediately. "Why did you feel the need to lie?"
It's like Riz's mask of constant suspicion and wariness has cracked wide open; he even cups his small hands around his cup of tea. "Because everyone kept talking about dating and sex and stuff! And I did talk with my dad about the whole thing when I saw him in like, heaven, I think? And he said he'd accept me no matter what. But he still... he also talked about coming out of this teenage 'phase' or whatever and eventually finding my mom and falling in love and all that."
"And you want to be like him," Caduceus deduces.
"I mean, yeah! He's the coolest spy angel goblin guy ever. My whole family is full of badasses."
Caduceus' smile widens. "Well then, it sounds like your worries about a... I believe you called it a 'mirror demon thing.' It sounds like you, as a member of your family of badasses, have it handled. I have all the faith in you."
Riz tilts his head. "But you just met me."
"Unlike the specific intimacies that many of my friends share, faith is something that comes easily to me."
"I kinda wish you could talk to my cleric friend. I feel like she'd gain a lot of what she's been missing from you."
Caduceus nods. "As I'm sure I'd gain some insight from her in return."
Riz snorts quietly. "If by 'insight,' you mean a ribbon-dancing lesson and a possible existential crisis, you'd be right." He finally takes a sip from his mug and makes a noise of pleased surprise that's so common from those sampling the Grove's tea for the first time. "This is pretty good. I'm not much of a tea guy myself, but if the day ever came where I didn't have to stay up until at least midnight trying to crack another case, I'd definitely drink more of this stuff."
"I'm sure the Exeners would appreciate the compliment."
Just then, the kitchen fills with the four members of the Mighty Nein who have decided to visit the Grove at this time. Caleb leads a disguised Essek, the couple standing intimately close even if there's no physical contact between them. Behind them, Beau and Yasha only appear slightly disheveled to Caduceus' perceptive eyes, but they're constantly nudging one another or seemingly finding any excuse to brush aside each other's hair.
Caleb and Essek take in the Grove's unexpected guest with silent wariness and matching analytical gazes. Beau, however, is never afraid to voice her thoughts to the world at large.
"Who the fuck is this guy?" she asks the room. "If Luc somehow managed to get himself killed and cursed by a hag, I think Veth would murder us all just as I got to start laughing my ass off at how much he's following the whole 'like mother, like son' thing."
"I do not think this is Luc," Essek says in a clipped tone.
"You're right," Beau agrees. "Luc would never be caught dead in whatever the fuck this outfit is."
Riz waves a hand in greeting, and Caleb is already shifting to start the somatics of a counterspell. "Hey, I'm right here," the goblin says in a voice that is decidedly not that of Luc Brenatto. "Name's Riz, and I'm in a bit of a Time Quangle. I get the feeling now that none of you know an Arthur Aguefort?"
Both Caleb and Essek's attitudes shift from suspicion to curiosity, and Caduceus stands up to go make all of them some more tea just as the other four members of the Nein launch into a light interrogation of the Grove's otherworldly guest. Most of the more technical words go in one fuzzy ear and out the other, which isn't unusual, but he does feel some satisfaction in holding an understanding of one element of Riz's situation that the others could not share in the same way. In fact, every so often, Riz glances over towards the cleric as if seeking reassurance, which Caduceus is all too happy to provide in the form of a warm smile and a still warmer refill of tea.
Wildmother willing, the collective minds of the Mighty Nein's brightest will solve this "Quangle" thing, get Riz home to his universe, and ensure that all parties end up benefiting from this strange situation. Caduceus has all the faith that things will turn out alright for the little goblin, even beyond this particular visit to Exandria. After all, the cleric would know better than most about the path Riz is set to traverse as he continues to grow and love alongside his family and friends.
It is Free Week, so here are some of my (tidied up) notes on TS!Essek and TS!Caleb's senses of attraction that I also used as reference for the wizard math post :D
I've gone ahead and typed up extra thoughts over on AO3 if you would like to read those as well :3
remember, tell the cops, nothing without a lawyer. be safe And punch or pepper spray or slap a nazi.
@cr-aspec-fest
Additional Tags:, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Punk, Goths, Genderfluid Mollymauk Tealeaf, Mollymauk Tealeaf is Good With Kids, Runaan is goth!, Most of Moonshadow elves tribes Live in the Kryn dynasty, Ethari is punk like mollymauk, and they were ROOMMATES, 2 goths and 2 punks live in a house, cr-aspec-fest's Critical Role Aspec Fest 2025, Xhorhouse (Critical Role), Queerplatonic Relationships, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic,References to real world political groups, Aromantic Asexual Caduceus Clay, Disabled Ethari (The Dragon Prince), One goth-punk two punks and a goth live in a house, As roommates, Mainecoon cat sized spiders are the cats.
There is a topic that might be a little close to home. But there is some context beyond this point.
The home of three crows and a raven.
Warning:
So in this story there is hints of Homophobic and police violence. It is say in passing as That is not the focus of the story, though. It is important to be said in passing because it sets up the context of which the story takes place. I keep it that way.
