like dogs, shianni

kristjanson writes a lesbian, and gives you absolutely no opportunity to extend her kindness or empathy: sera is marginalised across several dimensions, both in- and out of-of-universe, as an elf, as neurodivergent, as a lesbian, and her romance is marked by scenes you are intended to read as hysterical, irrational, unreasonable. your reward for being interested in a neurodivergent lesbian is getting shouted at, having a bow pointed at you, don't you regret this? and again, in mass effect - you romanced Black man and he leaves you without a word, he takes up with another woman and starts a family behind your back, what did you expect?

kristjanson's writing is so full of racist, homophobic, bigoted tropes that are levelled against the player and the romance in a way that feels like punishment, like he wants to make sure no-one (no woman) can have a joyful, fulfilling relationship with a marginalised person, like you don't deserve to be successful in these relationships without conditions. and i love a difficult, unconventional, even tragic romance in games, but in contrast to the treatment the other romances get it is notable to me that kristjanson singles out the lesbian and the Black man for treatment that not only punishes the characters involved but leans heavily on stereotypes particular to those groups.

Costume Appreciation

Welcome to the Dragon Age Big Bang!

A fandom Big Bang encourages writers to produce a new, long piece of fanfiction, with the challenge of a deadline. Each fic will be paired with an artist, who will work with the author to create a new illustration based off of the themes and vibes of that work. Each team of participants in this event will produce: One (1) new, complete Dragon Age Fanfic of at least 25,000 words, and at least one (1) art piece inspired by that fic.

Completing these on time will ensure:

The fic (with embedded art, linked to the artist) is included in the AO3 Collection

The fic and art will be advertised on the Tumblr for the Bang, tagging both artist & writer

Unlike an exchange, this event is a collaboration between the artist and writer. All participants are valued equally in this event - artwork created for the Bang is not a commission or "free art". Participants strive to inspire each other with their works, while having fun and showcasing their individual work and creative effort.

Longfics can be anything you like, within our sparing content guidelines! Artists are asked to make an earnest effort to capture a vibe or scene of the fic, respect character descriptions, and collaborate with the writer on that content.

Check out our event requirements in detail on our new website:

The Dragon Age Big Bang Event Guidebook

Why Would I Do This?

Fandom! This is an opportunity to produce new works for Dragon Age - we love this fandom and making things for it, and it is works like the ones you'll make for this event that keep it alive.

Fun! This fandom can be extremely kind and full of mutual appreciation and interaction between artists and writers. Well done collaborations, with clear communication and reasonable guidelines, can be very fun and personally rewarding. If all goes well, new friendships and future collaborations may be formed!

Challenge! Whether from the deadline, the creation requirements, or taking inspiration from a written work, there’s a level of challenge involved with this event that can be exciting and inspiring.

Advertising! All works completed by the event deadline will be advertised here on our blog. The mods are artists and writers ourselves, and we know the importance of celebrating a finished piece and sharing it for others to see.

Andraste's Grace