Sᴜɴ︎︎︎✧︎Rɪsᴇ

(not my art btw)

Sorry, I wish I could draw them more often, but now I'm facing burnout and took a break😅

Lately, I've been thinking deeply about something. I had a discussion with a friend recently, and it got me reflecting on this topic.

Today I want to talk about my drawings of Wanderer and Lumine. Some people have pointed out that in my art and comics, he's too soft compared to his in-game canon. You're free to think whatever you want about that, but personally? I don't see it that way. Here's why.

1. I want to make something clear: my drawings don't depict any specific moment from the game. They could be the present, the future, even a dream — however you want to interpret them.

2. My art isn't about strictly adhering to a character's so-called "canon personality." It's about a state of being — right here, right now. They're literally compensation for the kind of content I personally feel is missing with these characters in the fandom.

I believe that if a character is capable of feeling anger or suffering, they're also capable of being happy. Besides, in my works, I interpret them as a couple who deeply love and respect each other — a space where there are no masks, no defense mechanisms left between them.

Happiness isn't about canon. It's about a state of being.

3. I've always seen Wanderer as more than just a collection of traits and stereotypes. That's why it always surprises me when people are afraid to depict him with an emotion or reaction that's "out of character." In most fanworks, he's almost always composed, expressionless, sharp-tongued — rarely vulnerable or anything else.

Sure, you could say that's "canon-compliant." But in my humble opinion, the game itself has broken those stereotypes multiple times throughout his character development, hinting that he can be so many different things.

And God, that's exactly what I love about him!

I love Scara not because of the stereotypical "edgy guy" image — but because of his depth. His internal conflict. His whole story is about humanity. And themes like "what's right" and "what's wrong" have always resonated deeply with me.

4. If you check out the Scaralumi wiki (which compiles canon moments from the game, mind you), there are multiple instances where he mentions being happy when she's happy. That's literally translated from his Chinese lines. And honestly? Lines like that perfectly capture what their dynamic feels like — a state of comfort and safety that's been highlighted in-game more than once (like his dialogues with Durin in the teapot, or his birthday letter this year).

I could go deeper into this, but I won't drag it out.

Here's something I've never said here before: all of my Scaralumi art is actually based on a fanfiction I'm not currently writing. But my perception of them has stayed the same — and honestly? The game has only reinforced it in some ways.

You're free to interpret things however you want. Think whatever you want.

But the warmth in my art? That's not just something these characters need. It's something I need too.

First, I have nothing against headcanons. But when some people, unwilling to listen to any refutation of their theories, claim that only they are right, it becomes really annoying.

I wanted to explore this topic more deeply and came across a post on Reddit. It confirms that Wanderer is indeed a man in canon, and that his design carries primarily traditional and cultural meaning. The post also analyzes how these primary sources can sometimes be overlooked when headcanons are treated as established canon.

It's completely okay to come up with headcanons if you like them. However, claiming they are canon without proof raises questions and leads to unnecessary conflict, often escalating to personal insults. This really worries me because I myself have encountered people who called me homophobic and transphobic for trying to explain the lore. They even harassed me and damaged my reputation on social media by spreading rumors.

Creativity is always great, but it should not spread misinformation or make others feel offended by having an opinion imposed on them.

I'll leave a link to the post here for review; it is really very interesting and clarifies many details.

If you have the opportunity, please thank the author for their work.

The fact that three years later people still don't understand Scaramouche's character is simply absurd.

DUDE, THIS GUY WILL DENY IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY AND SAY THAT HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT EVERYONE, BUT THEN HE WILL SACRIFICE HIS LIFE TO SAVE EVERYONE AND THIS IS THE CANON IN THE GAME ALSO TATARASUNA REFERENCE???

Erasing yourself in order not to escape responsibility, but to change the result? You've been shown more than once in Sumeru, Simulanka and Nod Krai, that Wanderer will not stand aside if someone is in danger.

And people still think he's a complete bastard who only thinks about his own interests? His whole conflict has always been ABOUT HUMANITY, AND NOW IN THE GAME THIS GUY HAS RECOGNIZED HIMSELF AS A HUMAN BEING.

You probably just skip the dialogues and don't give importance to what happens between the characters outside of screen time.

Every letter, every note to the birthday art, dialogues in the teapot, etc. introduces us in more detail how the characters relate to the Traveler and each other.