#cullen positive

[broodwolf221]

i have a feeling this might be one of my more contentious bits of meta, but - cullen positive!

i just think... i understand why people don't like him and a lot of it is fine, but i feel like there's also some misunderstandings or oversimplifications going around

first: templar = bad.

as an organization, yes! as individuals, no! templars are like horrible magic cops, that's bad, but we have to keep in mind that a lot of them - including alistair, including cullen - were given over to the chantry when they were very young and indoctrinated into becoming templars. some join later in life and those i take more issue with, but the ones who were given over to it young? i find it hard to blame them for becoming templars

second: it's a religious calling.

there's a huge amount of religious/cultural pressure to conform to chantry teachings, and this is the way someone who's not cut out to be a chantry member can still conform and gain social standing and respect. there's also the strong chantry pressure of Mages Are Bad, Actually, so the templars are seen as something of a divine protector of the innocent. obviously this is fucked up and inaccurate, but it's worth noting that the pressure and social gains are real, and that even lower-class citizens seem able to become templars. and if someone was only good at fighting, had little to no educational background, and still wanted to support themselves or their family? what are their choices? become a mercenary, criminal, or become a templar.

third: lyrium

after they take their vows, they're given their first draught of lyrium. so... let's look at this critically for a second. children given over, taught that mages are bad, that templars are good, that the chantry is good, that the chantry teachings are real, and that their faith would be rewarded. they're even schooled by the chantry, so they have little to no access to any points of view outside of it. then, if appropriate, they're asked: do you want to be a templar? and if they say yes, if they take their vows, they're given a drug that creates a profound dependency.

fourth: okay, but this was supposed to be about cullen?

and it is! bc cullen turned his back on all that. i'm not saying he didn't make mistakes - he's not saying he didn't make mistakes, horrible ones! but meredith lied to him in order to keep him committed, because she knew he wouldn't approve of what she was doing.

on a personal level, he was: indoctrinated into a cult (yeah i'm calling the chantry/the templar order a cult bc it is); tortured by the exact thing he was taught to fear and revile; following that torture, tried once again to return to the one thing he knew how to do and was deceived and led astray by a brutal commander who he wouldn't have followed if he'd known what was happening. and what did he do with all that?

he turned away. he rejected it. he rejected a large part of his upbringing, his sociocultural heritage, his faith, his indoctrination - and, oh yeah, his addiction. as a recovering addict, i find his story frankly amazing. he's willing to die to distance himself from what he now knows the templar order to be.

and cole mentions that cullen is one of the good ones when you ask him about templars. cullen has a lot of shit to unpack and a lot of trauma around magic and mages, and he's been cruel and contributed to a brutal system, but he's also grown a lot. like... it must have been so hard. he rejected everything. and sure, now he's serving the inquisition, another facet of the chantry, but even then... it's not the same, not at all. for one, the inquisition and the chantry are constantly at odds.

so he rejected everything he was taught, everything he was trained in, all that his significant trauma taught him, and the pull of addiction. he's changing himself. he's learning and growing. he's catching the remains of his own prejudice. again: if you don't like him, that's fine, i get it. he's far from perfect. but i really appreciate characters who take it upon themselves to question their beliefs, to grow and learn and change.

so yeah. i like him.

[xxstrawberryfeelsxx]

This is the ass of a killer, Bella 💅🏼

[spicysidesalad]

New haircut

[weaponizedmoth]

Reveal your true talent and draw Edward Cullen

Here he is! Behold, true art. I also drew his notorious sidekicks, such as his future son in law and his future child bride! WOOOO!

Thank you for requesting this!

[crossdressingdeath]

Oh. Right. I'd forgotten about that fun little conversation where Cullen tells Cassandra to nominate a new commander and she refuses. And there's no opportunity to say "No, you don't get to make that call, you will nominate a new commander, that is an order". Genuinely, for all that Quiz is supposedly the most powerful person in Thedas it really does feel like they're trapped under the advisors' and Cassandra's control! This is my organization, Cullen is my commander (against my will, but even so); why the fuck does Cassandra get the final say on whether or not Meredith's right-hand-man currently going through withdrawal stays as commander?! Shouldn't that be the decision of... oh, I don't know, the Inquisitor?!

For once in his entire fucking life Cullen is putting someone else above himself. He looks at himself and his situation and says "No, this is not a position I should be in, it's not good for me or the Inquisition", and Bioware chooses this occasion to not let the player side with their special, special boy? The one time he's actually right? He's going through withdrawal. For five whole seconds it seems to actually be affecting him. He's not in any state to be leading armies and he knows it. And beyond that I reiterate my usual point of Meredith's second-in-command, leader of her death squads already being quite possibly the worst possible choice for a prominent member of the Inquisition if they want to appear even neutral in the mage/Templar conflict, which as a peacekeeping force they really should. He shouldn't be commander, and now he doesn't want to be commander, and if you like him it's also clear that it's getting increasingly unhealthy for him to be commander, so why can't Quiz just tell Cassandra that she doesn't get to just decide that their commander should be a high-ranking Templar going through withdrawal?! She should not have that power! She isn't even one of the Inquisitor's official advisors or seconds-in-command, much less the one in charge! It's not good for Cullen to be in such a high-stress position, it's not good for the Inquisition to have one of the leaders of the atrocities in Kirkwall in such a prominent role, and if your Inquisitor is a mage (or an elf, given the whole thing about Templars being sent in to harass and sometimes slaughter the Dalish for the local lord/the Chantry) it's not good for them to be forced to work so closely with someone who was part of the group largely responsible for oppressing them and who still clearly shares the beliefs of that group! He shouldn't be the commander for so many reasons, and many Inquisitors have good reason not to want him as the commander, so why does Cassandra get to unilaterally decide that he stays?

[quillfulwriter]

I think we should help boost the amount of works in this tag... It's late June/early July area... Just saying... 👀

[andrewknightley]

it is really something of dai that its basically impossible to be rude to cullen in conver, and also it is impossible to NOT be a jerk to sera. but in the other hand sera is immortal and you can manipulate cullen to die. interesting choices were made here

[breadedsinner]

While the Chantry's influence is inextricably tied to Sebastian's character and I appreciate more sympathetic takes that consider said influence, I am not sure how I feel about reducing it to "brainwashing", because it undermines:

Sebastian's ability to criticize Elthina/the Chantry, or at least to understand there are problems.

The fact that the Chantry is a huge part of the culture, and virtually none of the human characters are free of its influence, even ones that claim to not believe or care.

Just the utter Molotov Cocktail of insecurities and issues this boy has.

[gyrovagi]

i do think caden has relatively speaking a really straightforward quasi-'normal' friendship with vivienne but at the same time it's . like they do like each other genuinely! they're similar in a way that means they get along and they for real hang out and tastefully gossip. but both of them are so used to maintaining a certain distance from other people that i don't think either of them are even aware of the fact that it's there. neither of them can bear to be vulnerable. even when viv loses bastien which is something she just has no control over, even then she keeps her cards so close to her chest. and caden doesn't have any qualms about getting her the wyvern heart and he is deeply sympathetic for her loss but it's like. they both like each other for the people they are but this precludes 'true' closeness and vulnerability, because that's something neither of them allow themself, and neither of them are interested in changing that in themself or in each other. hm.

[kitty-cuddle-time]

YOU DO TWILIGHT AGERE???? CAN I PLEASE HEAR ABOUT THIS? I DIDNT EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED!!!! TELL ME EVERYTHING ALL OF YOUR HEADCANONS

hi! i’m sorry for the late response :( sadly i dont have very many twilight hcs but i’ll tell you the ones i do have!!

-Carlisle is the ultimate caregiver. he’s just such A Dad™️

-sometimes patients at the hospital will start slipping, and somehow he can always sense it and he immediately goes into cg mode, bringing them healthy snacks and fun little toys

-and ofc Esme is the ultimate mom!!

-i feel like Alice is a kiddo regressor. she’s very curious and loves to explore!!

-although i don’t think all the Cullen kids are (consistent) regressors, i think that all of them have regressed at least once. the combined parent/cg energy of Carlisle and Esme is just That Strong

anyway that’s all i have for now!! i’m sorry i dont have more hcs, but i’ll definitely post some more if i think of any!!

[petratherrock]

Listen don't ever let them tell you the girlies did describing eye colors better than Edward "milk chocolate is the color of my crush's" Cullen

what do you mean oddly deep brown eyes have you met most Asians, Edward?

[pinayelf]

I'm not putting this on the post bc lmao idw more ppl to see it but my toxic da trait is that im gonna defend cullen and idc abt any of it anymore if ppl can woobify actual evil characters for fun then cullen (who isn't even evil) is my lil pookie bear pumpkin pie cuddlebug 🫶🏽

[solariieus]

★﹒spotify playlists i made inspired by twilight movies: °.•☆彡

team edward

you're dating alice cullen

my twilight concept

[siswritesyanderes]

Hey! Im rereading rule one and i felt awkward saying this in a comment but i just wanted to mention how much i really like your characterisation of the cullens and how youve chosen to write them. In general your writing is very well done and intriguing but the way youve chosen to go about some things is very fun. Its been about a year, maybe a year and a half since i last read rule one especially the earlier chapters and im at the point where nessie steals sadie's dog and im just like... Woah. Holy shit. Youve really nailed down the horror of nessie? Like u know its good if its making me go oh holy shit bc im pretty immune to a lot of horror centric things like this. Idk i guess i forgot just how horrifying you made nessies pov of things so it really punched me in the face in a good way. I really admire how youve gone about this fic in general tbh bc you have this sense of creeping horror that actually hits bc its not ignoring the bad elements of canon and the canons bad implications and ur actually confronting them head on in a realistic way while also not going overboard and bashing on canon? Idk its a really precarious balancing act youve got going on but its real inspiring to see how well u do it. What was your thought process for nessies characterisation like? Like how did u arrive at the point we see in the fic. Sorry if this is all over the place its 6 am and im just in awe and really enjoying re reading rule one and i thought itd be cool to let u know how much im enjoying ur writing choices! Ty for sharing your writing with us

Thank you so, so much! For the compliments and for the opportunity to ramble about this, lol.

I guess I just felt fascinated by the potential consequences of Renesmee growing physically at such an accelerated rate. In Breaking Dawn (and the Twilight Illustrated Guide), it's indicated that she has a complete understanding of what is said and done around her, but she still acts like a child. She's still a child. And I find it interesting to imagine what a person would be like if they feel like- and indeed, are -a child but have capabilities that exceed their age and size and don't have worldly experience to match their mental awareness.

I've read fics like "Wedding Crashers" where Renesmee is written as Veruca Salt-level spoiled, and she is positioned to have shades of that, being raised in a family that has bottomless money and seeing evidence in her first year of life that she is so important to everyone she knows that they will put their lives on the line for her. If she fully understood everything that was happening around her during Breaking Dawn, what must all of it have looked like through her eyes?

The book mentions that she only ever sleeps in someone's arms, never in a crib, because she lives in a house of sleepless vampires. Has she ever been denied anything? If so, what? And how did it feel? Pretty much everyone adores Renesmee, or is fascinated by her. One of the first people she laid eyes on imprinted on her on sight. She was brought to the most feared vampire in the world and touched his face, and then the bad guys went away and everyone was happy. She remembers all of it. She understood what was happening. How would that affect a kid?!

And, like the fic kind of explores, a lot of the things she's learned about her family and their lives before she was born would send some pretty concerning lessons about morality that I think someone would have to confront down the line- whether it be her family, or someone Renesmee meets who objects to being treated the way she's learned to treat people, or just Renesmee herself if she happens to learn better without being given reason to.

I just really enjoy exploring the duality of Renesmee as someone who was practically designed in a lab to be hugely entitled and selfish but also just a child who wants everyone to have a good time. She doesn't quite believe her actions have consequences, because everyone in her life is ready to fix anything she does and no one will hold anything against her because she's three and she doesn't know any better, and she's consciously aware of all of it, but also she is three and she doesn't know any better. Imagine an actual three year old, with all the tendency toward misbehavior that entails, but make them 1. capable of going anywhere they want, 2. superpowered, and 3. very aware that they won't get into any real trouble for whatever they do. Her heart's in the right place, but she's a kid, and a kid whose few life experiences to draw on, to guide her judgement, are all bizarre.

To answer your question about balancing a realistic tone without bashing canon, I guess my approach has been to kind of just go "Yes, and" to most things that are established in the books. (The exceptions, as mentioned in some of the chapter notes, being the child grooming and the idea that venom removes melanin; those two things I just got rid of.) I try not to go, "That's stupid, and here's why." For any given thing that the books hold to be true, I try to have a response of, "Okay, but let's look at the consequences." I won't take away anyone's happy ending, no matter how dubiously-obtained I find it, but their actions to get there still matter. I'm glad to hear you found it effective!

I always love getting comments about Renesmee's characterization! I love it, because the fic isn't even about her, so I love to know that a relatively small aspect of it stood out to you.

Also, thank you for specifying that you're rereading the earlier chapters, because I'm super self-conscious about those. 🤣

[lesbiany2kvampiregirls]

Okay, but it would be perfect to publish it.

Imagine everyone is LGBTQ+.

And of course, I'd had to include a slayer in the mix.

A poly relationship between mortal enemies and someone in the middle.

(Memorias de indhun) ehem ehem.

I don't even want it to be explicitly sexual. Just any sliver of slayer x girl x vampire would work for me.

[partystoragechest]

A story of romance, drama, and politics which neither Trevelyan nor Cullen wish to be in.

Canon divergent fic in which Josephine solves the matter of post-Wicked Hearts attention by inviting four noblewomen to compete for Cullen's affections.

(Masterpost. Previous entry. Next entry. Words: 597. Rating: all audiences. Note: none of the locations or nobles featured are canon. I like making up names.)

Prologue, Addendum

The office of Lady Josephine Montilyet was, as far as the rooms of Skyhold were considered, one of the most pleasant to be in.

And this was quite purposeful, of course. It quite befit the role of Ambassador of the Inquisition to have a place in which their esteemed guests would be more than happy to spend some time, being talked into whatever favour Lady Montilyet would have them do for the sake of the cause. The seating was plush, the rugs so ample that they all but silenced her heeled shoes when stepped upon, and the hearth-fire crackled with warmth. The perfect atmosphere.

That was ruined, this morn, by an abrupt knock at the door.

“Come in,” Josephine sang from her desk, far too professional to be perturbed by such a thing.

The door swung open, and the Commander of the Inquisition strode in. Where Josephine represented the elegance of the finest breeding, Commander Cullen Rutherford represented the average Fereldan. His workboots thumped against her lovely rugs, as he stormed toward her desk. Unfazed, she continued to work.

“Josephine, who is Lady Tam Erridge?”

“The daughter of Bann Erridge, of West Coldon,” she answered dutifully.

Cullen growled. “And why has she sent me a letter saying how much she looks forward to seeing me?”

Josephine glanced up from her work, and noted the letter he brandished. “Ah.”

“What is going on, Josephine?”

Josephine rose, and held out a hand. Cullen placed the letter into it, and waited as she read it for herself. When she had finished, she nodded, folded up the letter, and placed it onto her desk.

“I had noticed how discomforted you have been by the postal attentions of the Orlesian court lately, and thought of a way we might… reduce their interest.”

Josephine moved from behind the desk, to pace toward the fire. Cullen followed her path with narrowed eyes.

“The plan was,” she explained, “to invite some of those interested nobles here—the most level-headed, of course—and have them get to know you, and once the allure of the mystery was gone, send them back home to tell all of their friends how not interesting you were. It is a long investment, I admit, but the pay-off will be strong.”

Cullen listened to this explanation. Yet, the moment she was done, his eyes flicked to the letter on the desk.

“You already invited them, didn’t you?”

Josephine employed a tactical pause: “Well, I might have… made some enquiries.”

“Josephine.”

“It’s just four women.”

Cullen choked on what was supposed to be a scoff. “Four!? I barely have time for my work, I don’t have time for four noblewomen to disturb me all day.”

“It won’t be all day—I have already begun adjusting your schedule so that you can fit them in around your work.”

“I’m not doing this,” he stated firmly, “send them letters and tell them not to come.”

Matter-of-factly, she replied, “They’re already on their way.”

“What?”

“Cullen, trust me. This will work. Let them spend five minutes with you; I’m sure you are capable of being off-putting enough within such a timespan that they will stay no longer than a day.”

Cullen hesitated—but sighed. “Who are they, these noblewomen?”

Josephine hurried to collect a list from her desk, and read with pride, “Lady Erridge of West Coldon, whom you already know; Lady Samient of Samient—daughter of the Duke Samient; Baroness Touledy of Val Misrenne, holder of her own title; and”—she found the last name—“daughter of the Bann of Ostwick, one Lady Trevelyan.”