My name is Darcy.

I'm a university student majoring in History. I can ride a bike, play a cello, and crack ice super loud with my teeth. I can also whistle the Star Spangled Banner but that's neither here nor there.

I love writing, although I am unreliable when it comes to updating and/or sticking with one particular fandom. Right now (and for a while), my fandom has been "Axis Powers Hetalia" and I've been on a Prussia/Canada streak. Yes, I know, I'm one of those people!

My favourite colour is orange, my favourite flowers are tulips. I want to learn Dutch, Arabic, Portuguese, Danish, and Swahili if I'm feeling frisky. I want to travel, I want to meet wonderful people, I want to have a little apartment in a busy city where I can write and read books and name a couple dogs after great imperial leaders. I want to be as happy as possible, and I want others to be as happy as possible, too. I think that's all that matters.

You can also find my stories (there are several I do not post on this site) at my livejournal account - http://

As well, you can ask me anything (anything!) on my formspring - http:///artsydarcy

18/11/09 - Recently deleted a fewer of my older stories because, frankly, they're embarrassing D:

*Update (31/05/2011) - So I'm not as active in this fandom anymore but I've noticed a couple of discussions about this in various corners of the Internet so I thought I'd share what I think - if anyone cares that is!

"Only Light and Momentary", along with "On the Bound", was written before Himaruya had drawn a design for the Netherlands. The Netherlands was an OC, for the time being, and various people had written several, beautiful versions of his potential character. "On the Bound" was written before "Only Light...", and at the time I had a desire to write the Netherlands into the story as a secondary character. I needed a name. I didn't think much of the name, because at the time he was a cameo, barely encompassing a chapter. I had originally planned to flesh out a character for him in a later work. I went on the Internet (always a big mistake) and looked up the most popular boy names in the Netherlands in the last couple of years. "Lars" was on the list. I liked the name "Lars". So I used it.

I never imagined, nearly two years after starting "Only Light...", that the name "Lars" would still be used as one of many fan names for the Netherlands.

(I've gotta be honest, that makes me a little happy inside, hahaha. Is that bad?)

I realize it is not a Dutch name. I realize it is a Scandinavian name. I have seen a Hetalia story use the name "Lars" for Denmark. And that makes sense, too. Gupta, the official, given-by-Himaruya name for Egypt, is a common Indian surname. So it's not as scandalous and terrible to use another name of cultural origin, as some people have made it out to be.

I find it hilarious and sort of cool that people still use the name. I find it amazing that fandom moves so fast, and that the origin of that pesky Scandinavian name for the Netherlands is relatively unknown. And that's okay! It's a name. You like it? Use it. You don't like it? Don't use it.

I came across an artist on DeviantArt who complained about the "sheep" who follow popular fandom names. She referenced "Only Light...", implied that the name Lars was obsolete because I used it on a character who had yet to have a canon design, and that I probably would have "chosen a different one" if I had known about the Netherlands' personality and design. She said she gets annoyed at everyone who uses Lars without knowing the "meaning" behind it, and said she would probably get mad at the original author if she knew who that was.

Here's my advice to you kids. You want to use a name? You use a name. I like the name "Lars". It's grown on me, from "On the Bound" to "Only Light..", to the other stories I've used it in since. I have really good memories from this fandom - the friends I met here, the stories I followed, that I wrote, and that I wanted to write and have left sitting, unfinished, on my laptop. Lars has been with me from the beginning and for me, that's the best part about a "fandom": finding a niche for yourself, finding something that makes this universe more personal to you. That, and my love of history, was what drew me to the Hetalia fandom. The fact that I created a "personality" for a character who was yet to be revealed also helped personalize the experience for me.

I love the name "Willem" or "Abel" or "Tim" for the Netherlands. But I use "Lars", for continuity and for nostalgic reasons. If that makes me a sheep or an idiot or unable to tell a true "Dutch" name from a "Scandinavian" name? Fine. That's super cool. So be it.

Write, draw, create primarily for yourself; don't let others make you think that you are in any way wrong for thinking and exploring different possibilities that don't fit with what they want; and enjoy yourself. I wish I could follow my own advice. Maybe it would have saved me from the cynicism with which I regard everything now :)