Cute Chronicles – On the Good Ship Fanfic

Su-per cutesy happy fun gaming reading time!

Not many people will admit to liking fanfiction and fanart, but here goes: I love it. Well, love is a strong word. I enjoy reading fanfic, and looking at fanart. What individuals can come up with when inspired by their favourite works can be entertaining, amusing and inspiring. It can also be equally horrifying and self-indulgent.

Fanworks have great potential to expand and explore a universe, or they can also be really great at just zoning in and filling in gaps. As a recent example, take the Mass Effect ending controversy. Before the extended cut was announced, amid the outcry there was also a massive wave of ‘fix-it’ fics which looked to finish what fans felt was unfinished and answer the myriad of questions left by the ending.

I’m not saying that it’s perfect – it’s a minefield. A good chunk of what you will come across will be utter crap, or will have something wrong with it, something that might not fit with your view of a character or events. What you’ll also find is that quality and quantity varies depending on the fandom. However, there are some pieces which are clever, creative and enjoyable to read. Here’s a selection of some of my favourite video game fanfiction from my three favourite fandoms of the moment: Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Ace Attorney.

Warnings are given here, but more detailed warnings are available on the actual fic’s page. It’s common courtesy in fandom to give work a rating (e.g. PG, 18 or the American-centric NC-17 etc) as well as appropriate warnings and possible triggers that could affect people adversely (e.g. ‘character death’, ‘depression’, ‘violence/gore’). Welcome to the good ship fanfic, hope you enjoy the ride and remember, if you don’t like it, then don’t read it!

Art by agregor (click image to go to Deviantart)

Dragon Age

The New Princess
In this ‘alternate universe’, Sebastian is an unruly, womanising cur and Hawke is a noblewoman unhappily married off to Sebastian’s cold, calculating father. What starts off as a game of revenge quickly turns into something more as Sebastian falls for Hawke – hard. It’s a little cheesey in places, but entertaining nonetheless. Sebastian deserves more attention than he gets.
Warnings: Explicit material in a few places.

Days of Wine and Roses
Alistair is happily married to the Warden Cousland, but the end always comes for the Wardens. I like that this one takes the fate of the Warden to its logical conclusion.
Warnings: Gore, I suppose? It gets quite grim at the end.

Art by behnkestudio (click image to go to Deviantart)

Mass Effect

Certus
Snapshots, variations and moments in-between what you saw happening in the games. Mass Effect has so many characters that it’s easy to think that there was a lot going on that you didn’t see…

Sleepless
This fic looks at the events of Mass Effect 3 with Shepard/Vega romance. A lot of people were upset when Vega wasn’t a romanceable option, but this fic isn’t just a quick slot-in. The author takes time to build the tension between Shepard and Vega and their various dilemmas but mostly I recommend this fic because of the brilliant way a romanced Kaidan’s reaction is handled.

Art by hsong (click image to go to Deviantart)

Ace Attorney

Twelve Years of Christmas
A series of vignettes focusing on Miles Edgeworth’s different experiences of Christmas. Strangely affecting if you know the character.

Untitled
Not really fic, but such a wonderful short comic that I couldn’t resist including it here. “Alone in a foreign country, still in shock over his father’s death, Miles turns to the only companion he can find – his new sister.”


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