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cbk1000 · 9 months

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Fandom Creator's Self-Rec Game!

Choose five favourites from your own creations (and tell me why, if you like!), then pass on to at least five other people. I'd love to hear what you're proudest of.

Tagged by @the-pen-pot and actually I think @anonymintea also tagged me a while back? I vaguely remember seeing that in my activity and kind of recoiling at the idea of trying to rec my own stuff. lmfao But I have time to sit down and do it now and I am being so brave. I am just going to rec Merlin fics for this post, since that's what I've been working on and thinking about for the last four years or so, and those fics are the ones that are fresh in my mind. (Honourable mention goes to my Originals series, though, because I spent so much time on that sumabitch.)

All right, five favourites...know that this is excruciating for me and feels very cringe, because I am not normal. lmao

And Down the River's Dim Expanse (Merthur, 13k)

In which Arthur is a water spirit who tries to drown Merlin. Merlin is not impressed.

(This one feels like it kind of just disappeared into the morass of words I've vomited up on the topic of BBC Merlin. I don't think it's got nearly as much attention as any of my other fics, but I'm fond of it because I love fairytales and folklore and specifically anything to do with any kind of creature that lives in the water and especially if said creature tries to drown people. I'd love to do something like this again and have several ideas for fairytales to adopt (i.e. twist completely out of shape).

The Book of Merthur (Merthur, 600k+)

'It was awkward business to ignore a man sitting the length of one knee from you, especially when he had such voluminous ears, and though Arthur made a valiant attempt at it, he had soon to abandon this in favour of grousing at Merlin for a myriad of grievous transgressions, the most pressing of which was his manner of sitting far too close, as if they were mates. This shortcoming was to become a theme when they laid down after passing round a hard cheese and some bread, Merlin in Arthur’s cloak, and Arthur in nothing at all, because his was the greater constitution; and whilst Arthur was working himself into the choicest bit of ground, with the least stones, Merlin suddenly rolled over, mummified within the cloak Arthur’s thoughtfulness had provided, and put his nose into Arthur’s neck.'

The 'yes homo' we all deserved, righting the heterosexual wrongs of canon.

(My thus far 646,363-word essay on the issues I have with canon. I'm eight chapters from the end and already feeling that post-huge-project depression even though I have several ideas for what I want to do next. I really love writing historical fiction and have incorporated that into fics before, but this fic has shown me that I really really love writing fantasy heavily inspired by history: it's the same amount of research, with the added bonus that I can do whatever the hell I want. Also, as mentioned in my first rec, I really love fairytales and folklore, and this gives me the chance to incorporate them in a way that straight up historical fiction doesn't allow. Basically, this fic has allowed me to shove my boner for Arthurian legend and medieval history down people's throats at the same time. Ain't free gay fanfiction where I can do what I like great?)

Fools by Heavenly Compulsion (Merthur, ?k)

In which Arthur is gay and besotted, Merlin is bisexual and oblivious, and they have to get their shit together through WhatsApp.

(I have no idea how many words this technically is, because it's comprised entirely of screenshots of fake social media posts. I've read a few social media fics and enjoyed them and got a whole bug up my ass wanting to try it. I thought it would be an interesting challenge because it would take away so many things that a writer can usually rely on to tell a story, and for me specifically it would completely cut me off from any kind of descriptive writing. So basically I cut off all my limbs except like one arm and decided to see how I got on with that. And it HAS been really interesting to try and shape a narrative through texts and Instagram and twitter posts and still try and convey emotions and distinct personalities with such limitations on what I can actually show. It's also a lot of fun putting the posts together, although you can definitely fall down a deep rabbit hole of trying to pick just the right photo.)

Whereat the Two Sword on the Field of Death a Deathless Love (Merthur, 131k)

In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. But not quite in the way you think. 'The Once and Future King'/Merlin mashup; now with 50% more gay.

(This was the first Merlin fic I ever wrote, and an homage to one of my favourite books. It was also me trying to get the show rewrite monkey off my back and distinctly failing at that, since I went on to write one that is over 600,000 words and still not complete. It's also proof that I am 100% capable of rewriting the show in under 150k, I just chose to inflict over 600,000 words on anyone insane enough to sit down and read a 600k gay porn version of BBC Merlin.)

And Time and the World Are Ever in Flight (Merthur, 39k)

In which Arthur returns to the 21st century, learns about Google, and finally realises his dream of running away to a farm with Merlin.

(Listen, the finale damaged me, I'm still damaged, and I tried to undo it with nearly 40k of tea and baby sheep. A.K.A. the one where Arthur returns and they run a sheep farm in Ireland together and finally figure out they're gay for each other and neither of them is alone ever again.)

Tagging @aemelia (you will have to rec all of yours lmao) @kirythestitchwitch @thetourguidebarbie and anyone else who wants to do this and has multiple fics.

#fic #writing #the-pen-pot #anonymintea #thetourguidebarbie #kirythestitchwitch #aemelia

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quotidian-oblivion · 28 days

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Also. Favorite Merlin fic you've written and fics you wish you could find more of? 👐

XDDDD

I know you're either gonna be crying or laughing at this one joan, bc my favorite Merlin fic that I've written is Let Me Die, Let Me Drown, Lay My Bones In The Ground.

It's unpublished rn, but I'm hoping to post it soon! I worked so so hard on it. Not kidding. I worked harder on it than I did with my Let Them Be Brothers series. I had three people go through this fic and beta certain parts of it. So I had three people beta this fic. I wanted to test my limits and I really did go and test my angst and torture limits with this fic and, now, I've found that those aren't my limits and I can actually write worse and now I'm excited to see just how worse I can go in breaking characters. I read the fic over and over and over again so many times that I've become desensitized to the angst and pain. I've searched through Pinterest writing tips, reddit writing tips, tumble writing tips and tips from my own notes to write this. I mean, I still feel like I can improve the last scene a little more but I'm taking a break from writing rn so we'll see.

Anyway, that's my favorite fic. It's nearly 40k and its a oneshot bc I found that splitting it into chapters messed with the narrative flow. Also, thanks again joan for continuing to beta it <333 ^^

Now... fics i wish I can find more of... hmm...

Well, generally, I wish I can find more gen Merlin fics 😅. The fandom is mostly merthur or other ships and I can't and won't read ships (except the ones that I've found to be safe). So yeah, I just wish I can find more gen Merlin fics. Or no slash ones.

But other than that, I would love to have fics where Merlin is in a defenseless position (like a slave, or captured by bandits, or restrained in some way physically or mentally), and not completely passive but not completely defiant and aggressive too. Just the bolder and more defiant bits being small or a touch above noticeable, but he's still very much restrained physically or mentally. And Arthur (either he knows Merlin or this is his first meeting) sees him and notices how compliant he is but also notices how he isn't completely compliant and is impressed by him, but also anguished for him and angry and protective too :))

OH! I also like fics where Merlin is in a position of power or authority (whether he likes it or not) and Arthur is gaping at him in surprise or pity or awe (and a sometimes, just sometimes, a touch of jealousy).

i would also LOVE to see more freya or freylin fics

#quotidian asks #bbcm #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #merlin fics #merlin fic #merlin fic recs please i would love them #joan <3 #freya bbc #bbc freya #bbc arthur pendragon #merlin ask game

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idkeither223 · 9 months

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Maybe this is selfish but I’m glad Merlin was made over a decade ago and not now. We are starting to see a renaissance in queer tv (mostly mlm admittedly- shoutout to the wlws, aros, aces, trans, intersex, enby & gnc folks) that previously was never dared touched upon explicitly beyond flirty banter and group fandom headcannons. I am absolutely delighted by this. I am one of those people that rewatched Heartstopper season one, fifty thousand times as if my physical life depended on it. However this also means that the more explicit a queer relationship in media is, the less room there is for alternative interpretations. For me, merthur is a queer platonic relationship and Merlin is my little aromantic comfort bean. And until we get to a stage where we have a variety of aromantic characters and qprs portrayed, which is a long time coming let’s face it when Issac Henderson (Heartstopper) is the first human (ie not animated) aromantic character we’ve had canonically in tv (for just over a week also), and yet people still fail to mention his aro identity because everyone’s uneducated and clumps asexuality as a one fits all type of scenario (I digress), arospec and aro alined experiences will be pulled away from any potential comfort to baby aros. The level of comfort Merlin gave me when I first got into it of him just causing chaos, doing magic, laughing at Gaius, being rude to Arthur, eating bread, being besties with Gwen, and just living life fairly relationship free, was and still is massive. I just hope there is more content that can provide that for people. ~~~

(I’m not really sure where I went with this but the point is kinda there in essence. I saw someone wrote a Good Omens post of a similar nature and I wanted to add my thoughts.)

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*There may be a niche kdrama that has non animated aro rep but I’ve not seen it.

**Equally when I mention animated aro rep I’ve not seen most of it either but there are references to some on the aro wiki page. How explicitly aro vs headcannons they are idk and thus can’t confirm.

#aromantic #arospec #qpr #queer platonic relationship #merlin #good omens #queer representation #lgbtqia+#heartstopper

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theroundbartable · 10 days

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Can I ask from this ask game : https://www.tumblr.com/toomanyfandomsthings/749729499738996736/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-ill-tell-you?source=share

No. 2, 10, 11, 12, 15 for Merthur, Klance and Drarry....Thanks 🌻

I don't mind being asked :). @comingfromastatechampionasshole, I hope this is alright with you, since it's your post. ^^ 2. What their love letters look like

Merthur: I imagine that Arthur would be the one writing love letters. Merely because Gwen told him he was unromantic and that Merlin WOULD do it. Merlin doesn't do it, however, because Arthur keeps calling him a girl. Besides, giving him flowers does the job just fine. So Arthur writes and writes and doesn't ever dare to give them to Merlin because of how much he himself cringes. Merlin finds the attempts between tax reports and the drawings Arthur sometimes makes of him. Merlin never mentions it either but they both know he's seen them.

Klance: Lance writes a DOZEN letters all the time for Keith. He makes a full show of it. But he also gives friendship love letters to Hunk and Allura and Pidge and everyone who appreciates it. Once in a while, Keith would give him one back and every single time, Lance starts to cry when no one is looking.

Drarry: Draco. But it's not love letters, it's HATE letters. It's little pictures of Harry getting electrocuted or sending goblins with insult poems at Harry. Once, he accidentally mixed a drawing of them holding hands up with one where he slapped him and when he noticed, he nearly obliviated Harry.

10. What TV shows they watch together, and which ones they hide from the other

Merthur: They watch Disney movies and specifically King Arthur movies together. Arthur hides that he's watching BBC Merlin though because he loves seeing Merlin use magic and wants to know what he's done the entire time. Merlin keeps that very show from Arthur, unsure how Arthur would react. Unbeknownst to him, Arthur keeps gushing about him every single episode.

Klance: They watch - I would say anything together. From documentaries to soap operas, they watch everything together. Keith hides that he's watching Mamma Mia though because he knows Lance will be insufferable when he finds out.

Drarry: When I say they watch everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Draco doesn't like to admit it but he's really fascinated with muggle technology and especially the effects, so he watches it all and then talks about how "shitty" those effects are, even though he's secretely amazed. Harry knows and teases him about it all the time.

11. What their first impression was of each other Merthur: instant attraction. Have you seen the episode? They were flirting. Merlin =brave idiot, Arthur = kind pratt Klance: Lance was amazed at first, completely focused on him which then turned into jealousy and an awkward crush. Keith didn't notice Lance at first, then slowly got to know him as Lance wiggled his annoying habits into Keith's life and Keith never wanted to let him go again.

Drarry: Draco had always wanted to meet THE Harry Potter and be friends with him, from the very day he learned they were the same age. When they met, he was shocked to find Harry to randomly antagonize him for reasons Draco couldn't fathom. Harry just saw a blond guy who reminded him all too much of his bullying cousin and instantly disliked him.

12. What they do for their anniversary Merthur: Arthur would absolutely forget about it until Merlin reminds him. Then Arthur would make Merlin plan a picnic, which Merlin has long planned anyway. And then they ride out and end up in trouble. It happens every year, the bandits are basically family by now.

Klance: Stargazing. But like, in the black or blue lion on a different planet. Lance really likes water planets and Keith likes deserts, so they switch it up every year.

Drarry: Draco would be OBSESSED with anniversaries. He makes monthly anniversaries and he keeps annoying Harry with it all the time. Like, "It's our 34th monthly anniversary, I GOTTO call at the Ritz to get a table!" Meanwhile, Harry is like: "He just loves going out and I like when he's happy." Anyways, Draco sometimes REALLY blows it out of proportion and arranges a meeting with the queen or something.

15. What they would change about each other

Merthur: ... "I don't want you to change. I want you to always be you."

Klance: At first it was the Mullet, but when Keith came back from the abyss, Lance is furious that Keith is now taller than him. So it's that, the height. Keith however, he's the jealous type, he's make Lance flirt with him more often. And yeah. MORE. Just so Lance doesn't flirt so much with everyone else anymore.

Drarry: Draco has a list. A very long, very detailed, very annoying list. He means absolutely none of it. Harry wishes Draco would stop writing that list. This was very fun to do haha XD I hope it was fun to read, too ^^

#bbc merlin #merthur #vld #klance #Harry Potter #Drarry #ask #answer #concepts #ask game

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moondal514 · 5 months

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Just Leave a Comment Fest 2023 Holiday Edition

Final overall comment total for @justleaveacommentfest: 76

Here’s a very multi-fandom fic rec list of a few of the fics I read (reread in some cases), loved, and commented on that were on theme for each day of the fest:

Day 1: first fandom

(BBC Merlin is not technically the 1st fandom I was ever a part of, or even the 1st fandom I ever read fic for, but I do consider it my 1st real fandom because it’s the 1st fandom I interacted with as intensely as I interact with my fandoms now and it’s also the 1st fandom I ever wrote and posted fic for)

Fandom: BBC Merlin

Prick Love for Pricking by horsecrazy/ @cbk1000

In which Arthur and Merlin hook up at a sex party.

I haven’t felt the urge to read Merlin fic in years, but then I stumbled across this fic, which is honestly one of the funniest things I’ve read in a hot minute, and now my love for Merthur has reawakened within me with vengeance

And Down the River's Dim Expanse by horsecrazy

In which Arthur is a water spirit who tries to drown Merlin. Merlin is not impressed.

Literally obsessed with this fic from the second I read the 1st paragraph

Day 2: bookmark day

Fandom: All For the Game

never said that i didn't need you by incogneat_oh/ @incogneat-oh

"Aaron, are you ready to go? The emergency room queue isn’t getting any shorter.”

Aaron feels a thrill of nervousness pull unpleasantly in his belly. He doesn’t want to spend the night in a brightly-lit, overcrowded emergency room and have strangers prodding at him. He glances back at Andrew, who looks as disinterested as ever. He’s slouched over, hands in his lap and unmoving, face expressionless. He’s facing forward, but his eyes are on Aaron.

And Aaron’s halfway out the door when he swivels. Blurts, “You’ll come with me?"

Aaron and Andrew spend an evening hanging out in the emergency department.

One of my personal fave twinyard-centric fics

Fandom: The Historian

among some talk of you and me by Hokuto

Reader, I pray that you will have the strength to walk with me a little longer.

I remember when I 1st found this fic I was so shocked cuz I had no idea anyone had even written fic for this book, but this is literally a perfect little epilogue because it has everything I loved from the book (scholarly nerdiness, libraries, and Dracula)

Day 3: old favorites

Fandom: BBC Sherlock

The World on His Wrist by bendingsignpost/ @bendingsignpost

First, he is shot in Afghanistan. Second, he wakes to a phone call in Chelmsford, Essex. Third is pain, fourth is normalcy, fifth is agony and sixth is confusion. By the eighth, he's lost track. (John-centric AU)

An exceedingly old favorite of mine, like literally one of the 1st fics I ever read on ao3, but I just learned today that I had apparently never commented on it previously, which made it perfectly on theme for this day of the fest

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears by umisabaku/ @umisabaku

"It’s hard to understand the hierarchy when a school like Nekoma exists, putting them all together like they belong, but by the time Kenma enters high school he understands the difference. Kuroo is a black panther, rare and precious; a large predator stronger than most any other foe.

Kenma is a calico housecat. His coloring is uncommon, but he is not special."

Shapeshifter!AU. Kenma struggles with a culture and the rules of courtship.

When I was in high school and at the peak of my sports anime phase, this was one of my fave fics, and so I loved revisiting it all these years later

Day 4: fandom curiosities

Fandom: Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Three Autumns by rageprufrock/ @rageprufrock

If Li Lianhua had known this mess would be waiting for him, he wouldn't have bothered to crawl out of his own grave.

The most I know of this show is what I’ve seen through a few gifs on my tumblr dashboard, but this fic made me fall so hard for the characters it’s not even funny

Fandom: Interview With the Vampire

hell and you by quensty/ @keithal

With respect to Daniel’s life, pain in the ass is spelled A-R-M-A-N-D.

I have read one (1) book and watched one (1) episode of the show, so I barely have any idea who these characters are, but holy shit this dynamic compels me

Day 5: rec a fic

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi

a made thing by animediac/ @jaywalkers

Because at the end of it all, Wei Wuxian walks away with his happy ending and the rest of them are left with nothing.

(or, what comes after everything has gone)

Fantastic post-canon fic by one of the few writers that can make Chengsang convincing to me

Fandom: Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Life is (not) a Hallmark Movie by mellicindi/ @mellicindi

Shen Yuan isn't lonely. He's just overseas in a new city, trying to muddle his way through a business degree, and dealing with the side effects of his stupid intestines trying to kill him. So, maybe he sometimes watches ASMR to cope with his too-quiet apartment. Maybe he has a little bit of a parasocial-relationship-thing going on with one particular cooking ASMR channel. It's 2016, who doesn't? The point is, he's content with his quiet life.

And then Shang Qinghua strong-arms him into watching one Hallmark Christmas movie, and it all goes to hell.

Or: Shen Yuan is a Hallmark movie protagonist, Luo Binghe is a Lifetime movie protagonist, and somehow they make it work.

I sadly missed the read-along this year, but this fic has been on my tbr since pretty much as soon as I started reading fic for this fandom, so I got to finally read it and it’s really fantastic

As always, I’ll continue to comment on fics and show all you writers appreciation for your craft <3

#just leave a comment fest #fic rec #fic rec list #bbc merlin #aftg #the historian #bbc sherlock #hq #iwtv #mdzs #svsss #mlc

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howdaretrashships · 3 months

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9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

Tagged by @bbcphile and @thesilversun. Thanks!

3 Ships You Like: lol, only three? (You're kidding right? Right? *sigh* Fine...) I'll go with the three most current I guess. Feihua from Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Wangxian from MDZS/CQL, and Merthur from BBC Merlin.

First Ship Ever: Technically, an argument could be made for Jack/Rose from Titanic (I was, like, 8 at the time). But if you mean the ship that actually got me into fandom spaces, and reading and writing fic then Janto from Torchwood. (CoE broke my heart and is the main reason fix-its are always at the top of my list.)

Last Song You Heard: Phantom by Rina Sawayama

Favorite Childhood Book: I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane L. Wilson. I unfortunately have a hazy memory of most of the book, but I remember the last scene very clearly. Also the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce.

Currently Reading: Not currently reading many books, but I'm planning to start Guardian by Priest in the near future. I've seen the series so I'm interested to see the differences from book to screen. I just finished And Time is But a Paper Moon by sami for the fifth time, and am about to start Bad Bet by luckydragon.

Currently Watching: I'm between shows at the moment. I just finished Tale of the Nine Tailed, and enjoyed it. I'm mainly waiting for Man Suang to drop on the 28th, and will be watching as soon as feasibly possible. (They said it was an international movie to come out last August, and then only released it in Asia. I have been waiting, and trying to avoid spoilers while also surviving on crumbs of information.)

Currently Consuming: Coffee

Currently Craving: Inspiration to write. I have a fic that is nearly ready to post, and I would like to to be able to finish the last scene.

Tagging: @seventh-fantasy, @wildelydawn, @foxymrfox, @wuxia-vanlifer, @koaly-ty, @mwfangirl, @difeisheng, @thebeingofeverything, and @mileapo. (No pressure, and feel free to ignore if you've already done it! Also if you weren't tagged and want to do it, take this as your invitation.)

#tag game #about me

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the-pen-pot · 2 months

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Tier Spotlight: Artificer - $5/month (7 day free trial available!)

What's included: Access to drafts of many of my current WiP longer stories are available in this tier, including the next five chapters of Hiraeth (Merlin) before they go up on AO3.

There are also drafts of several other in-progress Merthur WiPs that haven't been posted elsewhere yet, as well as Sherlock and the Hobbit.

Additionally, you get to vote in polls to help me choose what to focus on writing in a particular month!

Note: All the first chapters of these drafts are available to read for non-patrons as well.

🌟See below the "keep reading" for WiP info and summaries!🌟

Merlin

King & Court (22 draft chapters available)

Summary: Loneliness is an insidious thing. When Merlin looks at Arthur, he sees not just a prince waiting for his time to rule, but a young man struggling to find his place in the world, with little help from anyone else.

The truth is, Arthur needs more than the friendship Merlin can offer. He needs people he can trust: men and women who will become his court and his confidants, and if he is going to survive to take the throne and lead Camelot into its golden age, he needs them sooner rather than later.

Finding loopholes in Uther’s laws is no easy feat. Court life is a dangerous game, but it’s one Merlin has every intention of winning so that Arthur can have knights of his choosing by his side.

And then there is the matter of his magic…

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Love Is Never Lost (12 draft chapters available

Summary: Uther Pendragon has never approved of Arthur’s friendship with Merlin. There had been disappointed sighs and whispered warnings, but Arthur had never thought it would come to this: scars on Merlin’s back and a manservant made hollow and thin by cruelty.

Yet Uther’s efforts to drive a wedge between them instead bring Merlin’s greatest secret to light, and once the wound of secrecy has been purged, their healing brings them closer together than ever before.

Much to Uther Pendragon’s horror.

When Merlin disappears, Arthur is left questioning the true honour of the crown and the value of a kingdom forever stained by his father’s tyranny. Will he answer the call of duty, or will he sacrifice everything to chase the cries of his heart?

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Sigh No More (5 draft chapters available)

Summary: Prince Arthur Pendragon, Captain of the Llamrei, would far rather spend his days patrolling Camelot's Waters than assume his place on the throne. Yet when he finds the wreckage of a vast ship and one lone survivor on board, nothing can prepare him for the path his life will lead.

Nor the demands his heart will make.

(Feral world-building Camelot with sailing ships AU)

The Hobbit

Quarantine (11 draft chapters available)

Erebor is saved from the dragon and beginning to rebuild, but Thorin, newly healed from the injuries of the battle, suddenly takes ill.

The sickness is a dwarf's worst fear: highly contagious and always fatal. Thorin locks himself away to die a slow death, alone. Of he would, if not for the persistence of a certain hobbit. Bilbo breaks into the royal chambers, effectively locking himself away with Thorin.

Except as the disease progresses, he begins to think it looks rather familiar. In fact, it's a common childhood illness, one hobbits have been able to cure for years.

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Where The Heart Is (11 draft chapters available)

'There was an attack. Raiders. There was no warning of their coming.' Gandalf sighed: the broken sound of someone who has failed in their duty of care. 'They took everything they could carry, and burned everything they could not. Many of the fallen were impossible to recognise.' Gandalf leant on his staff, and the wizard looked more tired than Thorin had ever seen him. He swallowed, and Thorin wanted to put his hands over his ears, because he knew, sick and certain, why there had been no more letters from Bag End.

'Bilbo is not among those who live.'

(Bilbo's presumed dead, but has actually been taken by raiders. Thorin must rebuild his kingdom with a broken heart, while Bilbo fights his way across the wild north, broken and bleeding, to make his way back to the mountain that has become his home. With bonus hobbits re-homing in Erebor.)

Sherlock

Guard of Diocletian (14 drafts chapters available)

'What's his Shift?' John asked, frowning to himself. Sherlock had not mentioned anything about another form. That in itself was not unusual. A lot of people were rather private about their alternative shapes. It was frowned upon to ask someone outright what creature they were when changed, but Mike was like him, baseline, and if he was going to live with this man then he needed to know what he could wake up to find one morning. Shedding on the furniture was one thing, but he had no real desire to find a strange, threatening animal in the living room one day.

'He isn’t one, is he?' Mike's eyebrows were up, his honest face truly puzzled. 'I've never seen him change, and he's been coming here for years. I mean, I suppose he could be, but...' Mike trailed off with a shrug. 'I think he's like us.'

John pursed his lips, tapping his cane on the floor as he shook his head. 'No, Mike, he is nothing like us.'

L'Appel Du Vide (Six Draft Chapters Available)

Hunters were a rarity. In fact, there was really only one family that knew what they were doing and became a name to fear, but the last Van Helsing had died in 1886. Well, the last male Van Helsing, anyway. Still, that did not mean their unique genetic gifts had not been passed down the female line, holding steady and sure even as the name faded into memory. 'If I confirm your suspicion, what will you do?' 'You don't need to confirm it. I saw!' 'And yet you did nothing to stop me.'

Sherlock is a vampire, John is a Van Helsing. What could possibly go wrong?

#PlacesToSupportMe #Merlin #Sherlock #The Hobbit

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queerofthedagger · 1 year

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Got any Merlin fic recs? Any pairing will do!

Yesss absolutely do I have recs!! Imma list you a couple of my all-time favourite fics, but you can also check my fic rec tag, or my ao3 bookmark recs for merlin for more (or send me another ask, I should do more recs anyway tbqh!)

For all listed authors I can say with certainty that all their fics are absolute bangers so that's also a good place to look for more. I tried to keep the recs on the shorter side, but if you (or anyone really) wants more recs, feel free to hit me up with more specifics too!! (It might just take me a while sometimes…) Hope there's something in here for you <3

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World Enough and Time by alicephantomwise [Merthur | 18k | E | ccntuaw]

Summary:

Arthur had had it all figured out. And then Merlin shot him in Beijing.

Notes: This is my all-time favourite Merlin fic, which is saying something because I'm usually more of a canon-era girlie. It rewired my entire brain chemistry though and I don't think there is any piece of literature that I've re-read as many times as this goddamn fic. Just. jesus fucking christ

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The King and His Sorcerer by alicephantomwise [Merthur | 1,5k | G/A | MCD]

Tags: Canon Era | Angst | Prose | Epistolary | Ambigous/Hopeful Ending

Summary:

But lest you forget, this is not a fairytale.

Notes: Same author. I would pay all my money, my first born, and probably half my family for them to return to fandom, I'm not joking. Just something about their writing that completely eviscerates me.

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Onfidan by astolat [Merthur | 15k | M | no warnings]

Tags: Canon Era | Magic Revealed | Battle Couple | Monsters and Mythical Beings | Merlin's magic loves Arthur

Summary:

Arthur didn't speak to him for a week after he found out.

Notes: Look, if anyone ever was a classic for a reason, it's astolat, no contest. All her fics are absolute bangers, obviously, but I have just such a soft spot for Merlin & Arthur hunting monsters and fighting side by side, and this one simply delivers on all fronts no matter how often you read it.

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Tintagel by seperis [Merthur, Ygraine/Nimueh | 20k | E | ccntuaw]

Tags: mental coercion | magic reveal

Summary:

They would pay any price that was asked, Nimueh whispered at the end, trembling with exhaustion, desperate, pleading, anything, anything at all. Just give her this child. Give her the son he stole from her.

Notes: This fic is single-handedly responsible for all of my absolute unwellness over Ygraine, and if you've been here for a while you know that that's a lot. Seperis is generally an absolute gem of an author though, and I can't rec all of their stuff enough!!

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Winning the Battle by @prattery [Merthur | 5,5k | T+ | no warnings]

Tags: Canon Era | Arthur Pendragon Lives | Post-Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day | Arthur knows about merlin's magic | angst with a happy ending

Summary:

This husk of a man wears Merlin’s face and has Merlin’s magic, but he’s not Merlin. Merlin’s gone. Albion has claimed him as the price for Arthur’s victory at the battlefield.

Notes: This fic fundamentally changed me as a person, like, woah. I don't know what to say about this except, I love angst, from the bottom of my heart, but I've had the sequel on my tbr for over a year and I am, hands-down, terrified of it. It has a happy ending!! But christ, the angst. Her writing in general is an absolute gift which is not at all why I jumped at the first chance to bother her about it lmao, so like, recs for all of her stuff - 100/10 would recommend, just bring some tissues.

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this graveyard of forgotten love by @atlantablack [Morgwen | M | 11,8k | ccntuaw]

Summary:

Gwen has never fully managed to shake her love for the lady who had once sworn to keep her safe. Now locked in a tower by that same lady, she must face a truth she's long kept buried (even from herself). An exploration of grief, anger, and the inability to let go of someone you once loved (even when you should).

Notes: If you want some stellar morgwen angst, atlanta's fics are the way to go; she single-handedly dragged me into the pairing, and I've been stuck here ever since, much to her joy and regret, so !! Also morgwen aside, if you like your Gwen with some goddamn agency, she got you <3

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Deluge by Suaine [Merthur | 50k | M | no warnings]

Summary:

In the aftermath of Merlin's battle against Nimueh, the rain seems a minor complication, perhaps even a cleansing influence. When the rain doesn't stop, Camelot is pushed to the brink once more. This time, Arthur may be in over his head. Contains: a lot of wet boys in emotional scenes, Arthur knowing more than he lets on, Merlin being an idiot, both of them being a bit stupidly heroic, telepathic chess, rain (lots of), war, making out against a tree, coincidental druids, co-opted history, co-opted myths, magic, coming of age (metaphorically), and more magically annoying yet surprisingly un-floody water than you can shake a stick at.

Notes: This is such an insanely good, insanely underrated fic! The vibe of it is just really specific in a way I can't really explain, the plot is super unique and intriguing, and the writing is an absolute gem. Also I'm just a sucker for a good characterization of Arthur and ohhh boy does this one deliver.

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Tiercel by waldorph [Merthur | 6k | Mature | ccntuaw]

Tags: Canon Era | Magic Revealed | First Time | Myth & Legends

Summary:

Arthur is constantly at war.

Notes: This is one of the most stunning pieces of writing I've come across in A While honestly, and I love love love how it kind of makes the show feel like a legend - I don't know if that makes sense tbh, but like, I think it does once you read it. Just, absolutely insane story-telling tbh.

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Right Back Where I Began by giselleslash [Merthur | 4k | M | Underage (both characters)]

Summary:

Arthur and Merlin are friends, and each others go to for the in between times, but maybe they were together all along.

Notes: The only other modern au on this list, but SO deserved - I love tropes that get flipped a bit, so oblivious!Merlin is already a win in my book, but then there's just... I don't want to give away too much, but there is something so damn special about the resolution of this fic, it makes me want to cry every single time. Like. god. the love, it's all about the unconditional love, at the end of the day! mwah!!!

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Good to Eat a Thousand Years by ghosttopiary [Merthur | 2,5k | M | ccntuaw]

Tags: Canon Era | Tenderness | Getting Together | Vignette

Summary:

He kisses his lover on the nape of his neck and thinks this is why men go to war. A shameful thought.

Notes: This is also pretty short, but on god this fic does something to me every time I read it, the vibe of it is just so specific and absolutely breath-taking.

#answered asks #anonymous #mona rambles #fic rec #also I knowwww i have another ask for stranger things recs i'm so sorry nonnie #I'll get to it soon i promise :joysob:#this is almost exclusively merthur too sorry lmao #long post #ALSO!!! if you wanna scream about any of these fics pls hit me up i love to be the witness of emotional breakdowns <3

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clotpolesonly · 7 months

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20 questions for fic writers!

tagged my @thotpuppy!! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

209

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,195,283

3. What fandoms do you write for?

on AO3, i have posted for: Teen Wolf Merlin Raven Cycle Captive Prince Dark Rise Supernatural (crossover w/TW) once upon a time, back in FFN days, i also wrote and posted for Harry Potter (primarily) and then one each for Newsies, Little Mermaid II, and Twilight. none of these fics ever got finished lmao.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Metamorphose (Merlin, Merthur, 7750 kudos) Happiness is Effortless (TW, Sterek, 7746 kudos) Much Ado About You Two (TW, Sterek, 7046 kudos) I'll Dissolve When The Rain Pours In... (TW, Stackson, 6172 kudos) We Duel At Dawn (Merlin, Merthur, 4949 kudos)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i respond to all my comments!! (except for comments on old suspended WIPs that ask if i'm writing more, which i let sit in my inbox to haunt me like a beating heart under my floorboards slowly driving me insane until i figure out if i am writing more or if i can definitively tell them it's abandoned alkfdgh) i've been stuck recently though and have let my inbox get backed up for a month, so i really need to go on a reply spree soon 😭 it's just a point of pride, i guess? i made the decision that i would Respond To All Comments/Reviews I Ever Get when i first started posting back on FFN in ye olden days (like 2008 lol), and i've been pretty darn good at keeping that promise to myself. and i just think it's nice!! FFN had private messaging, and a lot of those responses turned into whole conversations and friendships that lasted for months. community engagement is a good thing and i like reaching back to the people who reach out to me.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

proooobably These Gordian Knots We Tie (Sterek)😅 though An Empty Glass Is An Ugly Mirror (Dydia) is also pretty bleak.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uuhhh most of them??? i write a lot of fluff, LOL, i wouldn't know how to pick out just one that stands above the rest when the vast majority of my posted oneshots are sappy as fuck 😂

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i really don't, tbh. which i count myself lucky for, cuz i hear a lot of horror stories. but i've only gotten a small handful of negative comments, most of which were bitching about disagreeing with the characters' choices. i don't think i've ever fielded personal attacks or what ye olden FFNers would've called flames, lol. proportionally, they're negligible.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

on occasion. out of my 209 fics, only 13 of them are explicit, which is roughly 6% lol. including my 7 mature fics (not all of which are rated so for smut, i don't think) ups that to 9.5% 😂 i'm just not very interested in writing smut, not to mention it's both difficult and kind of boring and repetitive when you think about it. i feel like i'm notorious for romances that use one kiss as the climactic ending, if even that, haha. when i do (rarely) write smut, it's usually in dedicated pwp format, rather than integrated into a larger story, cuz i just feel like most larger stories (mine, at least) don't need it 🤷🏻‍♀️

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

the only crossover that i've written and posted was Teen Wolf/Supernatural, cuz i just could not resist the urge to have Allison call the Winchesters and tell them that her father had gone on a hunting trip and he hadn't been home in a while. i just needed that in my life, and i was offended that no one else had written it. also i thought that Dean "Easily Flustered By Flirtatious Men" Winchester should really meet Stiles "Doe Eyes, Witty Banter Someone Needs To Sex Me Right Now" Stilinski. for reasons.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i have! the reason that i teeechnically have a wattpad account is because someone yoinked To Be A King wholesale and posted it over there themselves, and i needed an account to be able to message them to take it tf down. weirdly, they changed some of the names, but not the distinctive names? the identifying names?? like Mordred or the names of my OCs. it was an odd choice. anyway, they took it down immediately with no other response. i think that's been the only time, as far as i'm aware.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

i've got 15 translations listed in my related works 😍 8 of them by the same industrious person, bless them.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

not since that one disaster of an attempt with a friend in early high school, lmao. that's when i realized that i am a control freak with high and unforgiving standards. she was writing her parts 1) badly and 2) WRONG and it drove me up the wall. i can't handle not having complete control of the narrative 😅 i write alone.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

that's not faaaiiiiiir, patently impossible to answer, next question

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

if i don't finish For Shell And Safety someday, it'll be a fucking tragedy, cuz i'm really proud of that one and i was so so invested in it when i started it and i've still got Thoughts on how it's supposed to end, i just got stalled out in the middle of it and never found my momentum again. but.....it's been 6.5 fucking years. however, i feel like, because i do still have those thoughts and plans, that one might have a better chance than REM-DAC, because THAT one stalled out right before it was supposed to be over due to the sudden realization that i actually wanted there to be a sequel and i couldn't tie up the loose ends in the first fic without knowing how to set up for the second one. but. i never figured out concretely what i wanted to happen in the second one. and it's been 5.5 years there too. still no concrete plans. so, despite that one also being a GREAT FIC that i'm VERY PROUD OF and deeply invested in, i will have to at some point accept the reality of how low the odds are that i will ever actually get back into the swing of it and finish what i fucking started. they haunt me.

16. What are your writing strengths?

i'm really not quite sure 🤔 strengths and weaknesses are easier to tell from an outside perspective, lol. i feel like i write good natural-feeling dialogue. at least, the professor in the one short story technique workshop i took in college told me as much 😂 said i had the best dialogue in the class. been riding that high for a decade aldkfjghf

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

idkkkkkk 😅😅😅 pacing maybe?? like, long form pacing in lengthier narratives??

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i have avoided it so far, lkajdfgh. objectively, i think it can be done well and it can be done badly, and different methods serve different purposes so it depends on the story which is most appropriate. the online medium provides more avenues for it than print, like the hover text translations that used to be more popular before phones/touchscreens without cursors became the most prominent way to read things, or superscript links to footnotes with translations. some people put the translation directly into the narrative like an echo, but that gets really tedious really fast, and it would be simpler and more streamlined to just cut out the other language entirely and say "XYZ" he said, in french instead. overall, my preferred method is to filter it through the understanding of the POV character and their potentially limited/imperfect grasp of that other language. if they don't know what's being said, we don't know what's being said. if they pick out some words and get the gist, we see their thought process of figuring it out. it informs our understanding of the character, as well as providing an obstacle and creating tension. if you want to include a full translation of the foreign text, you can in endnotes or a postscript, but i don't really think it's necessary. if people wanna find out what it says, google translate is free 🤷🏻‍♀️ probably best not to use google translate to write the thing, though. if it's not a language you speak, preferably find someone who does speak it to translate, to make sure it's accurate and not butchered. hence me avoiding writing anything that requires other languages 😂 cuz i'm a monolingual usamerican loser who doesn't want to go to as much trouble as it would require to branch out like this. i am a "so-and-so said something unintelligibly french" bitch.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

cut my teeth on Harry Potter back in the day

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

another patently impossible question, i have no answer for this, i love all my fics equally (or at least in tiers uwu)

i am tagginggg: @adamprrishcycle @flightspathfic @nooowestayandgetcaught @adrianfridge @nyxelestia and anybody else who wants to do it!!

20 questions for fic writers!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

#fics by me

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watery-melon-baller · 8 months

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so I was bored and reading through older Merlin fanfics when I got curious and wondered what exactly the oldest Merlin fanfic was, so I decided to do some digging! join me on this journey I made at 4am on my phone knowing full well I had to get up at 9am the next day

the shows first episode aired on Sept 20, 2008 so we are keeping that in mind when we search. also all fics I found here are linked at the bottom if u wanna go check them out :-)

First I decided to check ao3 since it's easy enough. there's 53k fics but this was the very first one in the Merlin tag

the author's note says that this was written immediately after the second episode which makes sense since this was 8 days after the 1st ep.

also love the my first work in this fandom tag. my guy. you're one of the the first people to write fic for this fandom, and THE first to post it on ao3.

next was fanfiction.net. Now I used to hang around on here quite a bit in my youth so I do know how to navigate it somewhat

merlin is the 12th most popular TV show on fanfic.net! With a whole 27.3k fics. I'm very interested by the fact that there's only 27k on fanfic.net while ao3 has around 50k fics (as of Oct 2023). I was expecting fanfic.net to have more fics, I wonder why it's the other way around this time. Maybe it's because by then ao3 was already in existence and established as a reliable place to post fic? I know lots of older fic writers only posted on ao3 as a way to have a backup of their fics? If anyone has any theories feel free to contribute!

and here's the first fics posted on fanfic.net! All by the same person on the same day. I'm assuming faults is the first one posted since it's at the bottom, but alk of them were posted oct 12, 3 weeks after the first episode aired. Pretty old, but not as old as the ao3 fic.

Finally I checked livejournal (shudders). I've used it a few times before but I was very unsure how to get around, and wound up just searching the oldest results for "Merlin BBC" (and here's the link to that if you wanna bounce arohnd and see old fandom stuff from the first episode)

The first (and oldest) post I found was someone reacting to the trailer which. fair. Just because the cgi is shit doesn't mean the show is (yes it does </3)

besides a few posts speculating about the show I also found the origin of the Merlin tag/community on livejournal, created just a day before the first episode aired. it also includes some lovely icons (and people made many many more after the 1st episode aired)

most of the posts after this were people's reactions to the 1st episode. a lot of them were positive, a lot were already shipping merthur, and a few were negative

this is my favorite review actually. understandable reaction.

and finally we get to our first fic on livejournal!! this one was posted Sept 23, just 3 days after the show and 5 days before the one on ao3 was first posted. it looks like we have our winner and this is the very first BBC Merlin fanfic ever written/posted!!

(I have no clue what other forums/websites were active at the time since I wasn't part of the fandom then. I checked these 3 websites because tbats what I know of but it appears that out of of these three livejournal has the oldest fic. If anyone knows where else Merlin fic was posted and can find an older one then this then feel free to share it but for now it's safe to say this one is the oldest fic in the fandom)

that concludes our journey folks! I've linked all 3 fics at the bottom if you're interested in reading them and now you can brag and say you've read the oldest fic in the Merlin fandom. congrats. i hope you had fun reading this

ao3 fanfic.net livejournal

#lilac post #merlin #bbc merlin #fanfic #ao3 #fanfiction #livejournal #fanfiction.net #fanfic rec #fandom

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lazuliquetzal · 2 months

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thanks @bobafett for the tag i love tag games SO much

How many works do you have on AO3? 38! Huh! I don't know what I expected? (If you wanna be exact, it's actually 41 because I have 3 joke fics posted anonymously.)

What’s your total AO3 word count? 653,468

What fandoms do you write for? Whatever I'm into at the moment? Right now it's God of War. Earlier it was Linked Universe. Before that it was Daiya no Ace. But I'm not particularly loyal, it's literally just whatever idea that manages to stick.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Reflection -- a classic AA Batteries -- my beloved Dawn of the Fourth -- *evil cackling* ain't no rest for the wicked -- oh my god do people still click on this Denial and Deterioration -- I SWEAR I'M STILL WORKING ON IT I ACTUALLY ADDED TO THE DOC LIKE 3 DAYS AGO

Do you respond to comments? I try to! I try to catch every comment, but if a fic is on the older side and the comment isn't super long, I sometimes don't reply. Not because I don't like the comment (i love all comments i love you all) but because if a fic is not fresh in my brain I don't have much to say

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? DO NOT READ IT, but it's the shadows we cast. I was fifteen. I'm not linking it on here. It's still on my AO3 because I'm not a coward, but I'm also not very brave, so like, don't read my high school fic, you've been warned.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably Candid? That one is SUPER fluffy, which is not normally my style, but you know, sometimes you just gotta flex your fluff muscles,

Do you get hate on fics? Eh, not really. I've gotten a few negative comments, but mostly from FFN, and I honestly don't even count those lol.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? No. I genuinely wouldn't even know where to begin.

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Nah, crossovers aren't my thing.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? I have seen a fic that was very blatantly referencing one of mine, but I don't really consider that stealing.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Does the absolutely insane crack fic written on the tail end of a 29-hour voice call count?

What’s your all time favorite ship? Hmm. I read a lot of Merthur, but that's mostly because the Merlin fandom tends to be really good, and therefore there's a lot of good Merthur (although I do like Merthur a lot, super Shakespearean, only valid soulmate pairing I've ever seen).

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? If I abandon a fic, I'm going to make an announcement. If I haven't officially abandoned it, it's still fair game. That said, Replication is like, on the lowest of low priorities.

What are your writing strengths? It comes with absorbing plot structure into your personality, but yeah, I'm a kick ass plotter. Also comedy. That also comes with the plot structure.

What are your writing weaknesses? Atmosphere/description. Worldbuilding. Also to a lesser extent, character voice -- I feel like I eventually default to everyone just sounding like me

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Depends on context, but it's always through the lens of "how does this effect the experience for the reader?"

First fandom you wrote for? I wrote a Star Wars fanfic when I was like, 9. First fanfiction on PURPOSE was for PJO.

Favorite fic you’ve written? I think the best thing I've written so far is DotF, but my favorite is probably The Disappearance of Narumiya Mei. WHICH I'M ALSO STILL WORKING ON, life just got REALLY WEIRD and I had to take a step back from it RIP

Tagging @tavina-writes, @ellie-tarts, @lieutenantbiscute, @aoryuucchi, @bytebun, @mimbotomy (no pressure if you don't want to!) and of course anyone who feels like doing this

#lazuli talks #i started writing disappearance for the Fun and then suddenly i had a bit of an irl love life which terrified me into putting it down #i have so many feelings about aroace narumiya mei it's so insane actually #this is definitely a case of 'lazuli in her echo chamber' but the fact that the widespread fanon of narumiya mei is NOT aroace offends me #do you see my vision #re: candid -- it's a very excellent textbook example of sports anime fluff #it is the middle slider of sports anime fluff. you can tell i edited it to be the middle slider of sports anime fluff bc it is exactly 10K #re: the insane 29 hour voice call crack fic #you can ask me about it. i won't be able to say anything though.#re: the anonymous joke fics. one was for april fools and the other was the greatest prank i've ever pulled off #solar if you're ever reading this i love you

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crowned-clown-rising · 2 years

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Today, as I am 23 years old in 2022, I will be watching for the first time the show Merlin. I was there watching your fandom from the skirts when I was a teenager, and I promised myself that I wouldn't fall to this. Superwholock had enough power over me as it was.

But the BBC queerbait, Katie McGrath and my irrevocable random hyperfixation habits have gotten the best of me, so I will be sharing my thoughts on this show as I watch.

Part 2 | Part 3

• First of all, why does the script look like a fanfic. Guys you can literally just write what it's happening onscreen and publish it on ao3, it would fit.

• Wow okay Morgana and Gwen very nice very caring very loving pair of lesbians

• It's episode FOUR and Merlin and Arthur have already risked their lives for each other multiple times. Episode four and we have Arthur going against his father, the king, the one authority that rules over his existance, to adventure into a suicide mission for his disastrous servant.

• Don't worry, Gwen. I'm sure Merlin constantly calling out to Arthur in his sleep is completely platonic. Oops and that's not him doing magic while unconscious to save him, either.

• Morgana. You, me, a wedding. Think about it.

• Lancelot just pulled the entirety of the court, didn't he? Arthur specially, that man was left 3 times more devastated than anyone else

I am gonna say this now: I know how the show ends. You all better do your job as veterans and share your fanfic recs with alternative endings with me because it hurts already.

• "I am your friend" "No, Merlin, you are my servant" I gasped. And omg is he breaking through the spell like that??

• I know Morgana's future, but if she is done dirty I will kill everyone in this room and then myself.

• Merlin looks so proud during Arthur's prince coronation this is so cute. Gwen bless your heart for noticing.

• "How does it feel being the crowned prince servant?" Girl just wait for it you have a big surprise in your way.

• Uther is not being antagonised enough. His motives are still too reasonable and I don't have time for morals I want a plain bad guy to hate in peace.

• The Camelot team free will following Merlin to his hometown in a suicide mission makes me soft. This episode is serving. There is so much to unpack here. Merlin's mother talking about Arthur I'm sobbing. Arthur asking about Merlin's life in the night conversation 🥺

• OmG Arthur shared his armour and HE JUST TIGHTENED THE FOREARM ARMOUR PIECE FROM MERLIN THIS IS TOO MUCH PRIDE AND PREJUDICE'S HAND FLEX COULD NEVER

• Not to sound like a broken record but Yess Morgana go queen slayy!!

• Merlin: I can't stand by and not save Uther, that's murder!

also Merlin: *runs away and kills several people*

• No you don't understand. Morgana and Gwen are not girlfriends, they are married. I was there, I officiated the wedding. They are in love your honor.

• Can we please as a society stop killing hot evil women? she wasn't even that evil Merlin you didn't have to ka-chau her like that.

• The merthur in the second season has been turned down so much I do not agree with this narrative. This is rude.

• Gwen and Arthur are a little cute, it starts to feel a little rushed right now, but okay. My concern is that it kinda feels like a "oh, look here a shiny m/f pairing! what do you mean m/m? I've never heard of that."

Okay this post is getting too long so I am going to make one for each season and link them... as soon as I learn how to.

#merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #guinevere pendragon #pendragon #morgana #morgana pendragon #arthur

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juliansswimmingpool · 1 year

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Merthur Fic Masterlist (Updating)

These are some of my favourite Merlin fics so far. A lot of these will contain spoilers for the show. They are listed in no particular order. I have also cropped some of the summaries to save people the scrolling time.

Updates since first posted: 1

Under 10k:

The Tulip Thief by Polomonkey | Complete | 3.2k, 1 chapter | General Audiences | Modern setting, fluff, pre-slash, misunderstandings, hand-holding | 'Sometimes I steal flowers from your garden on my way to the cemetery, but today you’ve caught me and have demanded to come with me to make sure the “girl is pretty enough to warrant flower theft” and I’m trying to figure out how to break it to you that we’re on our way to a graveyard'

10-20k:

to go with grace by andiwriteordie | Complete | 17k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | Post-canon, character redemption, Morgana POV, angst, introspective, forgiveness | Morgana Pendragon is dead, at Emrys’s hand. Just as the prophecies had foretold. But before she can enter Avalon and find peace, she must first pay penance for all the sins she committed in her life. Her penance is quite simple: look after and heal Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King, until the time comes for his return to the land of the living.

The Sorcerer and the Lionheart by just_a_wavefunction | Complete | 16k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | Post-canon, historical references, friendship, Immortal Leon | Merlin spends fifteen hundred years waiting for Arthur's return. Luckily, he doesn't have to wait alone.

Hear Your Heart Sing (Love, Love, Love) by schweet_heart | Complete | 15k, 8 chapters | Mature | Soulmates AU, fluff, humor, angst, office romance | Merlin used to like the idea of finding The One – until he fell in love with Arthur Pendragon. Now he has a boss he can't date (but can't stop thinking about), a soulmate he can't find (who has terrible taste in music), and a best friend who can't believe he still hasn't got his act together (even though it's seriously not his fault).

From This Day On by lady_ragnell | Complete | 19k, 1 chapter | Teen & Up | modern setting, canon era (it'll make sense), mystery-solving? (idk how to describe it) | While on a hike, Merlin and Gwaine stumble upon the Lost City of Camelot, cursed to wake up every morning a century in the future, and Merlin decides it's his duty to break the spell--with help from a prince, an imprisoned seer, and quite a few others. A Brigadoon AU.

21-50k:

and with my opened mouth i join the singing light by intothefirewego | Complete | 33k, 6 chapters | Mature | Graphic descriptions of blood | Heavy angst, major character injury, emotional hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, magic reveal | Merlin frowned, and tried to inhale, but choked on a cough. He opened his mouth, trying to speak but his mouth was sticky and full and he felt warm, warm, warm, warm spilling down down down down… The world tilted on its axis a little bit, and Merlin leant into Arthur’s body. Why was the world tilting? Arthur’s face shifted from annoyance to horror.

Destiny That Darkly Hides Us by Nympha_Alba | Complete | 40k, 7 chapters | Explicit | Angst, WWI, Edwardian era, college AU | It's 1913, the practice of homosexuality is unlawful, so is the practice of magic. When Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys meet as Cambridge undergrads, they're both hungry for a real and true connection without secrets. For a short time they believe they may have found it. But war breaks out and separates them, and it seems unlikely that they will meet again. After all, what are the odds?

A.S.S. (Agents of Secret Stuff) series by supercalvin | 39k, 8 parts | Mostly Teen & Up | Mostly none, one fic is marked with Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Spy AU, modern setting, humor, crack treated seriously, BAMF characters | Merlin & Arthur are an unstoppable spy duo. Basically merthur + the knights and other characters do whacky spy shit

51-100k:

Tributes by TheAvalonian | Complete | 88k, 10 Chapters | Mature | Graphic Depictions of Violence | Hunger Games AU, angst, enemies to friends to lovers, emotional hurt/comfort | It is the 57th annual Hunger Games, and Merlin Emrys stands at the Reaping ceremony with his best friend Guinevere Smith at his side. In a twisted game where death seems the only certainty, Merlin will find himself tested in ways no one could have ever predicted - and may even find himself fighting for more than just his own life as he enters into an unlikely alliance with Arthur Pendragon, the Career tribute poised to win it all.

Over 100k:

To Bare Our Teeth and Our Hearts by queerofthedagger | Complete | 124k, 14 chapters | Mature | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | An execution was not exactly on Merlin's bucket list, wasn't even what destiny had intended for him. Arthur, for his part, really wants to catch a break, and to stop thinking about his late manservant. Or sometimes, things have to go downhill first before they get better, and if Uther had known about the eventual outcome, he might've changed his mind for once in his life.

What I'd Have Done by Flight_of_Fantasy | Complete | 119k, 14 chapters | General Audiences | Canon era, magic reveal, heavy angst, gen or pre-slash, Arthur-centric, character study | For better or for worse, Arthur knows Merlin's secret. The problem? Merlin doesn't know Arthur knows. This leaves Arthur with a predicament… and an opportunity. A test. Three trials and three opportunities for Merlin to prove he doesn't deserve death. Arthur hopes he will pass them. Maybe then the image of Merlin's golden eyes will stop haunting him.

The Heart's Search by rotrude | Complete | 115k, 2 chapters | Explicit | Some violence | Romance, AU - dystopia, modern setting | For thirty-five girls/boys, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Arthur. But for Merlin Emrys, being Selected is a nightmare. Leaving his home to enter a fierce competition for a crown he doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Some bonus non-merthur Merlin fics:

Everyday Destiny (ffn, ao3) by Searchingforangels (ffn) or DancingInTheStorm (ao3) | Complete (only on ffn) | 53k, 200 chapters | General Audiences | Drabble collection, golden age AU, exploration of themes, non-linear narrative | Great destinies swing of small hinges; a collection of small moments that shape Albion. A pre- and post-reveal drabble collection.

#merthur #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin fic rec #merthur fic rec #merlin x arthur #merlin emrys #fic masterlist #fic masterpost #fic rec list

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