#dc#dc comics#batman#tim drake#bruce wayne#batfamily#dick grayson#batfam#dc fanart
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Italy
seen from Canada
seen from Japan
seen from Australia
seen from T1
seen from Netherlands
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from Greece
seen from Malaysia
seen from Yemen
seen from France
seen from Finland
seen from Greece
Okay but what's more seductive, sucking a popsicle or licking an ice cream cone. Yes I'm asking for reasons no you can't know them.
Character: Bianca Davri
I’m sorry I took FOREVER to do these. <3 I hope it was worth the wait!
Break their Ass Down: Bianca Davri
How I feel about this character
I like and respect her. We don’t know a lot about her, but what we DO know is kind of badass. She’s probably about Varric’s age (40ish), and we can assume the bulk of her work has been completed in about 20 years (from her 20s through to the present day) and in that time she’s completed MULTIPLE life changing inventions that are honestly pulling Thedas into the industrial revolution if you look at OUR world history and compare what happened when similar inventions were created that revolutionized the backbreaking labor of agriculture and manufacturing.
She is absolutely a genius, and she knows it. That confidence and her reputation/skill makes her sexy and powerful. But there’s hints that she didn’t have the power she has now in former years. I think if she had met Varric now, when she’s older and more established, their romance wouldn’t be such a tragedy. But there’s something undeniably compelling about a brilliant young woman who runs away from at least one wedding to take off with a dashing rogue before she realizes she has to do what everyone wants her to do.
All the people I ship romantically with this character
Varric - up to a point and in canon-divergent AUs. I think their tragic romance is really beautiful when they’re young, but I think by the time it reaches DAI it’s clearly toxic for bother characters (is Bianca holding onto the one thing she ever really picked for herself to spite her family? is Varric so caught up in a story he can’t handle reality?) However - I think they’d work really well together in a universe where they don’t meet until they’re older and it doesn’t go sideways quite so badly.
Bogdan - we know absolutely nothing about him except that he was stood up at the altar at least once and that he helps Bianca with selling her inventions. In my writing, I’ve never been able to nail down what exactly I want his character to be. I wrote him as kind of an idiot in my first Varric/Cadash fic, set him up to be a minor antagonist in GwtAT (in both fics he’s quite possibly emotionally abusive or at the very least neglectful), but I’ve always written him as forgiving and loving. I very much love the idea of a man who also wasn’t sold on marrying a woman clealy in love with someone else, but they work it out and form a strong, solid partnership. I would ship that version of Bogdan with Bianca in a heartbeat.
Dagna - this is a crack pair I am super invested in emotionally and has been gifted to me by @jarakrisafis once. I love the rivals-to-lovers aspect of it. Two brilliant women in competition before the sexual tension escalates and then they form a brilliant partnership? sign me the fuck up.
Nobody - I said it. In both my first Cadash/Varric fic and in GwtAT, Bianca ends up alone and free. I think that’s quite a happy ending for her - she doesn’t need a romantic interest, she lives a happy and fulfilled life making the world better free of the drama.
My non-romantic OTP for this character
Varric - Post DAI I really like the idea of old lovers becoming friends and realizing they’re better that way. I don’t think anyone knows either of them as well as the other one does, and I find it hard to imagine that Varric ever quite leaves Bianca’s life even if it’s platonic.
Dagna - they should be friends. that’s it that’s all.
My unpopular opinion about this character
Bianca isn’t an asshole, fandom is just mean to complicated female characters.
Bianca does some shady shit during DAI. That red lyrium thing was CLEARLY a mistake, and she knows it, but I don’t blame her for not admitting it right away. She’s a genius - so her mistakes are correspondingly huge as well - she doesn’t play for small stakes. She didn’t double cross Varric as much as go around him to try and help him - a thing Varric is VERY guilty of doing for his friends as well but nobody ever calls him out on it (paying off the gangs to leave Anders alone even though Anders says not to? Trying to get Fenris a job he doesn’t want? Annoying Merrill to go outside until she’s ABSOLUTELY aggravated with him?)
Bianca’s mistake was made with good intentions, and while she may have helped Corypheus, I’m pretty sure he’d have found a way without her. In fact, it’s a little known fact Bianca actually shows up at that keep in Emprise du Lion to help clean up the red lyrium as an NPC. Check out this post by @pikapeppa to see the dialogue (thank you for compiling this by the way I’ve used it as a resource a hundred times)
Yeah. She fucking stays with the Inquisition to clean up a mess she helped cause. The most brilliant woman in Thedas, literally two votes away from being a surfacer Paragon, stays in the worst fucking place in Thedas to help the Inquisitor.
Nobody ever takes that into consideration when bashing her.
What I think people really don’t like is Bianca threatening to rip out your Inquisitor’s eyeballs if they get Varric hurt and using them to clean up her mistake. And you know what, fair, you don’t have to like your OC getting threatened or used.
But Varric arguably uses the Inquisition to clean up Hawke’s mess, and if he would have threatened your OC for Hawke, I don’t think anyone would have cared.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
A lot of the information about Varric and Bianca’s relationship seems almost...optional to find? And it’s so many throwaway lines. We see Varric and Bianca at one of the worst moments in their relationship, but we don’t see how they got there. And because the moment is caused by Bianca’s mistake, she comes out looking worse than Varric, but I don’t think that’s true either.
I truly believe that Varric and Bianca’s relationship is/should be over by the time DAI ends, it’s run it’s course, but I don’t think either of them are the SOLE cause for it being over. They both contributed to an increasingly untenable relationship and Varric got off way too easy for his part of it in game, leaving Bianca to take the hit. It’s unfair.
I’ll still take these break the characters down asks! I’m working my way through them, but here’s who I have on deck:
Maria Cadash
Varric Tethras
And who I’ve done:
Velanna
Bianca Davri
Good morning to everyone who has ever squealed, flipped tables, left my novel length comments, or just magically knew the right time to leave me a single line saying "hey I love your work."
Good morning to all my silent readers who keep coming back to my stories. I see you, I know you're there, and you're absolutely delightful.
Good morning to everyone who's clicked a ❤, reblogged a post, or sent it on to their friend with an "okay hear me out it's really good."
Good morning to all the people who slide into my DMs, nervous or furious or laughing their ass off, to yell at me about the characters we love.
Rare pair authors do not deserve rare pair readers. You guys deserve a round of applause.
I LOVE YOU ALL
this may be obvious, but break down Varric!
How dare you play to my VERY obvious obsession 😂 sorry this took FOREVER.
Break the Character Down: Varric Tethras
How I feel about this character
This is my video game husband. In fact, I think he may be my favorite character in any piece of media ever. He is deliciously complicated and self-aware while also being a complete dumbass and I think that’s very sexy. He tries very hard to connect with people, he is the definition of chaotic good, his morality is very muddy, and he’s got this tragic romantic past that I adore.
All the people I ship romantically with this character
@hollyand-writes introduced me to the idea of a fandom bicycle. A fandom bicycle is a character you will let anyone ride.
Varric is my fandom bicycle.
There are REMARKABLY few people I won’t ship him with at all. Some things (such as Bianca and him) I only like if done in specific ways, but honestly I will pretty much devour any m/f Varric content (in general I prefer to stick to m/f and f/f personally but I absolutely support the m/m Varric shippers you guys go.)
I started off shipping Varric with fHawke and I think I’ve probably read just about every fic in that tag published before 2018. They’ve got the wonderful best friends to lovers vibes, complete with mutual pining, idiots in love, slow burn, the whole schtick. The DA2 crew really works amazingly in modern AUs too and I love modern AUs so I’ve read a lot of them.
I moved into Varric/fCadash because DAI let me make an absolutely beautiful Cadash and then wouldn’t let me touch the chest hair and I’m still mad about it. I think Varric/FCadash is probably my OTP now. There’s 90ish things in the tag and I’ve written 35 of them. I’ve heard when I get to 51% I’ve got a controlling interest and am queen of that ship. IMO, DAI is where Varric does a lot of “growing up” so to speak and it’s the perfect time to let go of his past and start something new.
My newest ship is Varric/Solas and I’m VERY into it because Varric is one the of the few people who appears to “win” his vague convoluted “I’m definitely not the dread wolf these are totally normal conversations to have” dialogue series with Solas. IMO this could mean that if ANYONE could talk Solas down, it may be Varric (and why NOT Varric?)
I also like Varric in polycules because I don’t think he’s a man who really minds sharing that much (I mean. Bianca is married and they’re canonically unfaithful to each other with other people).
My non-romantic OTP for this character
Cole - I’m sorry this is Varric’s son. he is SO good for him. I enjoy the way Varric watches out for him and takes care of him. Such big brother energy it is very sexy.
Hawke - I LOVE a good platonic Varric and Hawke. God it’s SO good. best friendship ever.
My unpopular opinion about this character
Varric is not a big cuddly teddy bear - he just wants you to think he is. Varric is ruthless and dangerous. There are MANY times where Varric shoots first, asks questions later, and it’s kind of merciless. He was raised in the Merchant’s Guild, which is very cutthroat, and has no qualms about illegal activity.
I think Varric is very devoted to his friends and doesn’t want to see innocent people hurt. However. I think Varric would sacrifice innocent people to save his friends, and that’s an integral part of his character people forget.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
YOU ALL KNOW THIS THAT’S WHY YOU’RE ON THIS BLOG IT IS VERY MUCH MY BRAND.
manka can have some chest hair pls bioware.
I’ll still take these break the characters down asks!
Who I’ve done:
Velanna
Bianca Davri
Maria Cadash
Varric Tethras
Sitting in my inbox:
Solas
The Pursuit of Engagement
I’ve noticed something over the past few days about how far people in fandom will go sometimes to force engagement and it’s honestly more than a little alarming.
I’m defining engagement as likes/reblogs/retweets/comments, mostly on social media, although I’ve noticed the same trends within AO3. I’m not sure if there’s a particular reason it’s all bubbling up right now in the same posts - but I’ve got some thoughts on it I’d love to share.
Creating is a lonely process, one creators pour their heart and soul into. For most of us, our works aren’t just art, fiction, meta, or poetry. They are glimpses into the complicated inner workings of our minds and a slice of vulnerability. When we put something out into the world, many creators fear rejection because rejection of our work, in our minds, is entangled with rejection of us and our value.
I think it’s very important that we remember we have value - regardless of whether or not our work is critiqued, objected to, or ignored completely. This is a lesson that needs learned because it doesn’t come easily. And, frankly, it’s okay to be upset when a piece doesn’t get the reaction you want. It’s a normal human emotion. You can sit with that hurt and then put it aside - but if you believe YOU are being rejected instead of your work...
Well. That’s when we start pursuing what I like to think of as the “Pursuit of Engagement”. It is the belief that comments, likes, reblogs, and retweets must be pursued at all costs. When I observe this culture, I see:
The belief that one creator getting attention somehow “takes away” the attention of other creators
Content that is popular is morally objectionable for x, y, or z reason and it is the job of other people to tear it down
It is okay to say things that are rude and created just to stir controversy to generate more attention
People who block/mute/ignore certain topics or creative works hate the creator as a person and owe the creator an explanation for it
Other fandom creators aren’t people - they are faceless entities that exist as antagonists in an us vs. them mentality.
The cycle is never-ending because there will always be someone who has more engagement than someone else - usually due to a combination of passion and skill and random factors such as luck and timing.
How do we break the Pursuit of Engagement cycle?
I’m not actually sure. I think a lot of it has to be done - both as fandom as a whole (refusing to engage in discourse for discourse’s sake, censoring harassment of other creators, refusing to engage in blatant ploys for engagement, and generally remembering that people are people are all good starts) and as individuals.
If you think engagement defines you as a person or reflects on your value as a creator - it does not and never will. Any work created in good faith because of your passion for something deserves to exist purely because you have created it, whether you never show it to anyone or put it out to crickets. No matter what, you made a thing, and that is an amazing accomplishment.
If that’s a lesson we all keep telling each other, maybe the pursuit of engagement loosens it’s grip a little bit.
I've never asked, or expected, the effort I put into engaging with fandom to be noticed by most people. In fact, I'm happier not percieved in general. So it may have escaped notice I do A Lot.
In truth I love it. I love encouraging and supporting all of you. I wish I could do more - that I had the energy to read all your works, reblog all your art, love and support and shriek about everything you do. I try my best, but tumblr is vast, things slip through my feed. It looks like I'm including or excluding based on nothing more than a tag or reblog. I never want to hurt people's feelings, but I do sometimes, and I'm sorry.
I think though, more often, the person I'm hurting is myself. I try to force myself to enjoy content that isn't really for me because my friends like it. Sometimes I make fandom into work instead of fun.
AlI want is to create with the four or five people that are also into the things I'm creating. I know that I am not for everyone. I love that so many people have found their way to me anyway regardless.
I know it is a compliment. That I have done or said something to draw you here even if you're not into the fine dwarven bullshit I'm peddling. I am flattered, and humbled, and so overwhelmed sometimes I don't know what to do with my emotions. I want to spotlight all of you in return. And it feels like I can never give back fast enough.
Ultimately fandom is all about squeezing serotonin out of the thing you love. It's about what sparks joy and love, and while creating always brings me joy (and always will), often tumblr does not. It is not the fault of any one thing or the other - it just is. And if I want to continue to exist in fandom, and get joy from creating like I have, I need to change the way I'm doing things.
I've shrunk my queue to stretch it out and will be putting most things into it. I'll probably also be taking frequent days long breaks from fandom tumblr to do my own thing. I'm going to be shrinking my tags list to people whose content I interact with most frequently, possibly rotating people in and out, and pulling back on the number of WIP days I'm doing. Please continue to tag me and if I'm doing it that week, I'll try to read all your things and comment, but please don't be shocked if some weeks I don't.
My events, stories, and love of all you will of course persist. I just need to be a bit quieter here for my peace of mind.
Maria Cadash
Interesting 👀 Sorry this took forever! I am excited to break my own fucking character down though!
From the Break the Character Down asks: Maria Cadash
How I feel about this character
I love her a lot. She is, by far, my favorite OC and has the richest, most vibrant backstory and personality. She is the character that occupies most of my daydreaming and who I know better than any other. I have spent much time hating and adoring her in equal measure.
All the people I ship romantically with this character
okay listen this is my big secret but Maria is very shippable. I could see her happy with MANY people.
Varric Tethras - obviously. I think he is Maria’s soulmate. I was just joking that Varric has a type, and Maria is very much that type. He’s intrigued by her penchant for dangerous heroics, her jokes, her intelligence, her beauty, and is enthralled with the softer vulnerability she shows with him. He sees through her bullshit, knows when she’s fraying at the edges, and she sees through all his nonsense to who he is under the chest hair. They can’t hide from each other, no matter how they try, and it’s beautiful.
Solas - okay listen. Deep down, they’re actually both nerds. Big nerds. I also think he admires her ability to be what the world needs her to be, even though she’s happier in the quiet silence of a small group. I also think it breaks his heart to see Maria become the Inquisitor, KNOWING he made her this way and she would have been so much happier if she’d never been.
Solas/Varric/Maria - I’M NOT TAKING COMMENTS THIS IS WHO I AM NOW
Cole - Maria is an abuse survivor. cole is sweet, gentle, and patient. He would NEVER hurt her and would know, intrinsically, what he can and can’t do in their relationship. There’s something enchanting about that fantasy.
Iron Bull - actually when I did Maria’s playthrough of DAI this was her romance interest. They’ve got the same vibes as Maria and Varric, but less convoluted bullshit which is hysterical because he’s a spy.
Cassandra - there’s a universe where they’re both each other’s first girlfriend and it’s adorable. they’ve got the rivals-to-lovers vibe I adore. Criminal meets do-gooder? be still my heart.
My non-romantic OTP for this character
Blackwall - Maria’s father was Not Great in GwtAT and most AUs. I’ve written it that Blackwall and Maria have a spark of physical attraction, but it’s quickly snuffed out and he fulfils a bit of that father-figure/older brother role for her. It’s very sweet.
My unpopular opinion about this character
Her writer is a hack. >.>
A real unpopular opinion, for all DAI protags, is that I think it’s very important that the Inquisitor’s arm is not magically fixed post-Trespasser. Maria never gets a fancy prosthetic made by Bianca, she never gets a magic fade arm. She lost her arm to the anchor - and that’s how it stays. I think it’s super disrespectful to “fix” a disabled inquisitor, as a disabled person myself, and it’s one of my pet peeves in all forms of media (not just fanfiction).
I want to see our DAI protags continuing to kick ass with one arm in DA4 an beyond. They definitely still can.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
LET ME ROMANCE VARRIC YOU COWARDS.
I’ll still take these break the characters down asks! I’m working my way through them, but here’s who I have on deck:
Varric Tethras
And who I’ve done:
Velanna
Bianca Davri
Maria Cadash
Velanna for the character breakdown ☺️
Hello I asked for all these on June 3rd and then took a tumblr break like an asshole. sorry diz, love me anyway??
ANYWAY watch me break a character’s ass down: the Velanna edition.
How I feel about this character
I adore angry stabby female characters in fiction. Let women be angry, let their anger be destructive and vengeful. AND THEN let them be vulnerable. Let them be cared for in spite of (OR BETTER YET BECAUSE) they are angry. Velanna falls into this. I adore her.
All the people I ship romantically with this character Frankly I think the whole fucking Awakening crew is one bad/good decision away from a polycule. But:
Nathaniel - he learns SO MUCH from her. and they shouldn’t be together because he’s everything she hates and she’s everything he was taught to look down on.
Anders - he annoys her AND I think makes her laugh. his breezy optimism and jokes hide the same pain and anger she’s got beneath the surface. they’re more alike than they seem.
Sigrun - she’s the perfect stabby cinnamon roll to balance her out. there’s nothing wrong with this ship except it’s not canon.
Nathaniel/Anders/Sigrun/Velanna - yes. immediately. all of them for an OT4.
My non-romantic OTP for this character
Velanna & Warden: I ship them as a BROTP. The Warden gives her stability and strength and friendship and I love that for them.
My unpopular opinion about this character
Fandom makes her too one-dimensional and focuses on her anti-human stance like that’s literally the only thing she’s got going on. it’s not even the primary driving characteristic of her character - she claims to hate humans but works with A LOT of them. her trauma is the real driving issue.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
Sigrun/Velanna should have been canon fight me.
I’ll still take these break the characters down asks! I’m working my way through them, but here’s who I have on deck:
Bianca Davri
Maria Cadash
Varric Tethras
(hilarious coincidence I’ve got the three of them I know, they would NOT be thrilled) XD
