I've decided in my nostalgia for mid-2010s fandom (ah blissful torturous teenagehood) what this fandom/pairing needs is more fic rec lists
To that end, and without overestimating my total lack of influence whatsoever, I present the first installment of
Cullrian Fic Recs
This inaugural list featuring my favourite trope for them of all the tropes: Misguided Pining/Insecurity
Various AU lists will be forthcoming but for now these are shorter fics which also mostly fit the game canon. Enjoy!
take all my loves, my love - susiecarter - M - 2566 words
If you need a tasty treat to sell you on Cullrian in under 3k, this will do it. They're fuckbuddies. Dorian thinks he know what it is: he's obviously wrong. Deliciously angsty miscommunication, achingly lovely resolution, all in a ridiculously tight package.
this song is about you - susiecarter - M - 11,257 words
Now your appetite is whetted, enjoy its sister-fic - these are the only two cullrian fics susiecarter ever wrote and I mourn that fact routinely. This features some truly delightful imaginings of a second Wicked Grace game where Cullen isn't the one losing clothes. Also featured: hot drunk sex, Dorian's hang-ups, exquisitely sweet virgin!Cullen that is never soppy. 9/10, losing a point because there's not 100k of it. Cullen’s POV.
Checkmate - Kauri - E - 6521 words
Another lovely thing that packs a whole bunch of feels into a very few words in a way I'd frankly kill for (my style is more... verbose). Progresses from Dorian setting out to seduce Cullen to a romcom-worthy yet understated confrontation with his own expectations for relationships.
Mutually Beneficial - Verayne - E - 13,364 words
Billed in the tags as Dorian's fairytale, this delivers - the two make a political alliance to encourage positive interactions between the Templars and rebel mages in the Inquisition force. There are sexy duels that also smack you in the heart. There is my second favourite Inquisition trope after the Wicked Grace: the Winter Palace. The end makes me squeal every time.
Treading Water in the Wishing Well - springdreaming - E - 11,672
I'll avoid saying too much about the plot of this one because it'll give spoilers, but the fantastically romcom-worthy premise is that Sera fancies Lavellan, but Lavellan and Cullen fancy each other. What does she do? Recruits Dorian to help split them up, obviously. Genuinely funny at times which is as you expect with good Sera writing. Pining like an exquisite knife. Dorian's POV.
