#also the requisite dig at AMC but they obviously don't give a fuck about anyone's fanon LMAO

[monstersinthecosmos]

Why is Armand depicted as looking like he's 12 in so many fanworks? I know 17 is young, but I don't remember myself or any of my classmates looking like fetuses in high school. I can't remember anything in the books describing him as looking like a little kid either so where did it come from?

Ngl I'm fine with any casting that doesn't follow this fanon description because I don't want to see anybody who looks that young sucking and fucking.

Gonna be real with you, I've personally never seen fanart where he looks 12, so I'm not sure where you're seeing it.

What I have seen, overwhelmingly, is that most artists in this fandom don't use veristic art styles. I've been reblogging Armand art for years and there's not a ton of realism in here lol. If you see any of these random Armands and think he looks 12, I feel like that's a You thing.

TVL does describe him as being chubby and there's a handful of artists who draw that a lot! Like having baby fat in his face still, that's so tragic lol. A lot of characters describe him as cherubic. I think the two extremes of Armand art are either his chubby face or his complete waification. I think it's also always worth asking the creator why they depict him as younger. It could be a point of catharsis to exaggerate for their own storytelling purposes, it could also be their style or level of technical skill. I'm not the person to answer that for everybody.

I see this conversation in anime fandoms a lot, too, this idea that the art or animation style is so far removed from the human form that it becomes whatever the artist says it is. And you as the viewer make those decisions, as well, even if it's subconscious. Like lol -

I reblogged this pic of Louis the other day, too; does he look 12 because he's chibi or can you look at it and understand it's just cute and that he's a grown man?

It really gets into this kinda hairy conversation about art being coded and I don't think you can draw those lines without falling into some problematic traps. I can't recall what the anime title was but a while back there was this big controversy with fandom antis upset that this adult character was "child coded" because she was short and had small tits. It gets into this area of saying that women are children if they have small tits. In Armand's case, it gets into rules like "skinny people don't look like adults" or "people with chubby faces don't look like adults" and whether you're intending to say this or not in your ask, in Fandom Wank Olympics this conversation always concludes with: You are a predator if you're attracted to someone who is too skinny or who has small tits or a chubby face. Likewise, if you are too skinny or have small tits or a chubby face you do not have the agency to enter adult relationships because everyone attracted to you is a predator. Same goes for the infantilization of short people.

(Cough, looking at you AMC and how Claudia is doomed for having small tits.)

So anyway not to get heavy but that's where it sounded like your message was going.

In the end, it's art, it's 2D, I'm not sure where you're seeing 12 year olds in the Armand artwork but I'd wonder if that's your own lens and your own bias. I've been a hardcore loser Armand stan for most of my life and I haven't seen this fanon that people treat him like he's 12. The opposite, in fact.

Fanart of a vampire who has never existed does not hurt anybody. You cannot victimize Armand, he is not real. So whether people make him look 12 on purpose or not ........... who cares?

As far as the show goes, they hired a 19 year old for Claudia and made it obvious that they're not willing to work with minors, so I wouldn't worry about it. They're not going to hire a 12 year old. And like you said, 17 year olds don't look like that anyway, so I'm not sure what the issue is.

As a final bonus meta point: I think it's funny when people get grossed out by Armand (or Claudia's) age because it's exactly the reason their stories are horrifying. You're supposed to be uncomfortable lol. Their lives are difficult because people think they are children. Armand manages because he looks a bit older, but every character describes him as being so disarmingly beautiful because he seems young, when he's in fact so cold and shrewd and dangerous. That dichotomy is where the flavor's at, baby! That's the point! He's 500 years old bro!

But if it makes you uncomfortable I'd suggest just blocking artists whose styles look too young. Curate your dash! I know sometimes a blocked OP shows up in reblogs and whatever but I'd suggest muting the OP's name on XKit to prevent that, it works really well for me!