foxinthestars

(Crossposted from tumblr because I don't even know what goes where anymore.)

Update re: AkaYona cosplay and body image issues…

Yeah, thinking about doing an AkaYona cosplay as a fat woman did sting, but I already knew that I could probably claim it somehow if I gave it more thought (and whether I end up actually doing it or not, at least finding some way into the option would be healthier than giving in to the sense of “not for you”).

One obvious option was to invent an OC (previous generation dragon warrior, white dragon villager, etc), and while it might work if I really did go all the way and give that person a story, my initial reaction to that option was “that just makes it worse!” — it was just rubbing it in that “you are not a main character; you are not Chosen.”

So going back to the main characters, I thought, is there one that I could really imagine looking like me in that way…

And I decided it was Yona.

I mean, it’s a very short walk to a Chubby Yona AU — just suppose she favored her dad’s end of the gene pool a bit more. And when I tried to imagine what that AU would be like, I think that hearteningly little would actually change. The people who love her would still totally love her. Hell, I think the guys who pick her up would still do it without any serious fussing. Hak would probably needle her about it sometimes but it wouldn’t be anything meaner than when he needles her about her appearance in canon (::coughselfdefence::). It might add something to Yoon’s initial disgust with her (him having grown up hungry and all), but he’d get over it just like in canon. It would make no difference to Kija or Shin-ah. Jae-ha (at least my Jae-ha muse) wouldn’t say anything disparaging because that would be unchivalrous. And I imagine Zeno having a big-smiley line about “The Miss is soft and cuddly!” Yona/Lili, still shippable. The Senjusou test might have to change somehow since it involved the ability to physically fit into a tight space. On the other hand, I can’t find it right now, but I’m sure I saw something in recent years about an overweight women’s archery champion IRL, so there’s no barrier there.

Or, for even more canon compliance, one could imagine her taking more after her dad as she gets older — and the people who love her would still totally love her.

So yeah, maybe there’s a way to do this (if I decide to put in the time and money).

Or maybe fanart.