spiffy07

[spiffy07]

📜 Statement on Cassarian, Age Difference, and Ethical Boundaries in My Creative Work

Lately, I’ve been receiving messages filled with criticism, accusations, and even threats because I ship Cassarian – the romantic pairing of Cassandra and Varian from Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. That’s why I’d like to clearly and openly state my approach to this ship, these characters, the topic of age difference, and the moral boundaries that I consciously and consistently uphold as a creator.

Yes, I ship Cassarian. But I do it with full awareness, responsibility, and respect for clear ethical lines. Cassandra and Varian are characters who go through complex personal journeys. That emotional depth is what makes their connection compelling — not as a shallow romance, but as a story of healing, redemption, trust, and slow emotional growth. In my interpretations, if they end up in a romantic relationship at all, it only happens once Varian is a legal, emotionally mature adult, fully capable of making his own choices and navigating a relationship as an equal partner.

In my work, there is never any romantic or suggestive interaction between an adult and a child. Period. While Varian is a teenager — as he is by the end of the series — their bond is strictly platonic and built on trust, growth, and friendship. I do not sexualize or romanticize that dynamic in any way. If I portray an older Varian in my art, it is only then — as a grown man — that any gentle, romantic nuance may appear. And even then, it is never based on age difference. It’s based on mutual respect, maturity, and emotional evolution.

Now let’s talk about age. Cassandra is about 8 years older than Varian. Is that a significant gap? Yes — but is it inherently wrong? No. Especially not in the historical and narrative context of the world the series is set in. Tangled: The Series takes place in a fictional, pseudo-medieval world where cultural norms around age and adulthood were vastly different. In societies inspired by that era, 16 or 17 years old was considered a perfectly normal age to enter adulthood — to work, rule, marry, or start a family.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we should copy those values today, but we must recognize that in fiction set in those worlds, age is understood differently.

Moreover, Cassarian is far from the only ship with an age gap — many canon Disney (and non-Disney) couples have even bigger ones, and are universally accepted as romantic leads. Examples include:

Rapunzel (18) and Eugene (22-23) – an 4-5 year age gap, canon, and central to the story.

Ariel (16) and Eric (18) – a 2 year difference.

Aurora (16) and Philip (about 20) – again, 4 years.

Snow White (14) and Prince Florian 18– arguably the most extreme.

Belle (17-ish) and Beast (21) – a 4 year gap, again canon.

Megara 28 and Hercules 18– 10 years Meg is an adult with a troubled past, Herc is just entering adulthood.

These relationships are treated as valid and romantic, and they are often portrayed as empowering or redemptive — because age difference alone does not determine the ethics of a relationship. What does matter is consent, maturity, mutual respect, and healthy dynamics. That’s what I always focus on. And I'm not justifying or normalizing such relationships, I'm just presenting the facts.

Despite this, I still receive messages accusing me of things that are not only false, but dangerous. I’m told Cassandra is a "canon lesbian" — which she is not. That’s a headcanon, and I respect others’ headcanons — but they are not canon. I’ve been told Varian is “canonically bi” and has to be with Hugo — even though Hugo’s arc was abandoned by the writers, and his role in the series was antagonistic and emotionally manipulative. Hugo was never a healthy partner to Varian — not narratively, emotionally, or thematically. Their dynamic was built on manipulation and imbalance, not love or growth.

I understand that not everyone likes Cassarian. That’s okay. Fandom is full of diverse opinions and interpretations. But that does not give anyone the right to harass me, threaten me, or — worst of all — label me with horrific accusations like “pdf” simply because I ship two adult characters with a seven-year difference. That kind of accusation is vile, false, and extremely harmful. It trivializes real abuse and exploits language meant to protect people for the sake of fandom drama.

Let me be very clear:

I do not create NSFW content.

I do not ship minors with adults.

I do not romanticize grooming, manipulation, or coercion.

I do not ignore moral implications — I analyze and reflect on them with care.

And I do not treat fiction as a license for anything goes. I hold myself to high standards, both artistically and ethically.

I believe in writing and drawing with emotional depth, with clear boundaries, and with creative responsibility. I will never apologize for that.

If Cassarian isn’t your thing, you’re free to ignore it. But if you choose to attack me, dehumanize me, or spread lies about me — you’ve crossed the line. This blog is my space. My interpretations. My fictional universe. My ethics — clear, thoughtful, and consistent.

If you understand and respect that, you are welcome here. If not, kindly leave.

And remember:

Fiction is not reality. And moral, thoughtful creative work is not a crime.

Thank you to everyone who understands that creativity can be diverse — and that respect does not mean agreement. It means humanity.

[spiffy07]

drew these three on the same page

my sister was like "why is hector smiling?" and I was like "...maybe adira tripped or smth?? idk?"

[spiffy07]

Okay, I've got a rant I need to get off my chest, here we go.

I live in a Catholic household that puts a lot of emphasis on being beautiful in a modest way, whether it's clothing or speech or whatever. I personally have never faced any backlash because of this, but there have been a few times recently where my little sisters have gotten rude comments and snarky pushback.

So here's the deal.

If I or my sisters decide we want to wear dresses and skirts on the daily, it shouldn't affect you in any way.

We're not attacking you. We're allowed to wear beautiful, modest clothing. Leave us be.

If you feel angry at our private, perfectly acceptable choices, that's on you. We're doing our best to keep ourselves, and the people who see us, away from inappropriate attention.

Back off. And leave my sisters alone.

Thanks :)

[spiffy07]

🎵 I'd give anything for you...

[spiffy07]

Cassie! 💜

[spiffy07]

Some BotC sketches 😄

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Baby mine, don't you cry

[spiffy07]

Um

they're mildly cute, tbh

but also mildly horrifying

[spiffy07]

Desperate Measures - Thirteen: Nigel (on Wattpad) 

[spiffy07]

*muttering to myself* don’t analyze the pillow thing it’s not that deep iT’S NOT THAT DEEP GOD HELP ME—

so it was weird how rapunzel snatched the pillow away from varian in “day of the animals”, right? kiera and catalina were bemoaning their fate, kiera threw a pillow at varian for (hypocritically) reminding her of her crimes, and he started to throw it back. if rapunzel had let it play out, they would have been distracted with a good old-fashioned pillow brawl. that would have given her time to try to work out a plan, since she admitted she didn’t really have one.

now, it’s perfectly likely that she just didn’t think about that. she hasn’t been socialized— maybe she thought they were only getting angrier with each other, instead of doing a couple jabs that were in play/to alleviate tension. maybe she misunderstood, or maybe she just wanted them to focus on their circumstances.

but it’s odd. i feel like, had it been non-moonstone’d cass, eugene, and lance, rapunzel would’ve let them tussle a bit. or if it had just been kiera and catalina with her.

my point isn’t to demonize rapunzel. all she did was stop a pillow fight, for crying out loud. however, i think this reveals that she’s been traumatized by varian’s actions, and she’s subtly trying to prevent him from even getting a little angry.

she lost her first mother figure, and, for all anyone knew at that point in time, the amber could have killed her second one. varian proved that gothel wasn’t just a one-time thing— people can betray rapunzel again and again. varian proved that the guards aren’t invincible, and— even though this wasn’t his fault at all— his role in things led to rapunzel seeing how low frederic is willing to stoop.

and then, on varian’s side of things, he’s going to notice what rapunzel’s doing sooner or later. he’s going to feel babysat at best and untrustworthy/traitorous at worst. he probably will get angry if this goes on for too long, and that confrontation will reveal that forgiveness can’t be as easy as they’re both pretending it is.

[spiffy07]

A Varian speed draw I did awhile back. I'm a lefty, so my hand kinda covers him up during the process ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[spiffy07]

Desperate Measures - Twelve: Rapunzel (on Wattpad) 

[spiffy07]

[spiffy07]

"So, Cass..."

Cass turned to look suspiciously at Rapunzel.

The princess grinned. "There's gotta be someone you're at least a little interested in, right?"

The raven-haired woman glared at her best friend. "Raps, I've told you so many times, there's-"

At that moment they turned the corner to see Varian and Eugene perusing the market stalls. The alchemist leaned against a nearby building, his pendant of office shining in the sunlight. His hair was combed and his face was washed, probably because Eugene made him do so, and he was wearing a clean red vest.

He looked... handsome?

Cass realized she was staring and quickly looked away, heat rising up her neck as Varian spotted them and waved casually.

"-Nobody!" she blurted to Rapunzel. "Absolutely nobody."

The princess looked between her friend to the alchemist and back again, her smile widening. "Your red face says otherwise!"

[spiffy07]

Hi Lackadaisy fandom

I have discovered you like Rocky discovered the mysteries of the Space Coffee

In a burst of happy confusion

[spiffy07]

Tangled the Series Oneshots! - Sick Day (Modern AU) 

Fluffy Cassarian oneshot!

[spiffy07]

Desperate Measures - Eleven: Rapunzel (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1557332710-desperate-measures-eleven-rapunzel?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=AemiliaBenedictus All Varian wanted was to free his father, even if it means committing treason. But he has to ask himself: Will he really go that far? An experiment gone wrong forces Rapunzel, Cass, and Eugene onto the scene, only to find the wayward alchemist has vanished without a trace. Rumors fly, secrets are revealed, and darkest fears are confronted as they try to figure out where Varian went... and where the mysterious monster that has been attacking Corona's citizens is hiding.