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daisymintt · 5 months

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Merlin Fic Prompts

Arthur gets separated and injured while on patrol and is taken in by the kind forest Druid Merlin who nurses Arthur back to health. During this time Arthur sees a side of magic he’s never been exposed to before and questions everything he’s been taught.

A series of letters Merlin’s writes to his mom telling her about his adventures in Camelot

Winter Soldier AU where Morgana discovers Merlin had magic but doesn’t know he’s Emrys. Uses the Fomarrah on him and instead of killing Arthur orders him to swear undying loyalty to her, to do anything she asks. Merlin essentially becomes like her Winter Soldier and wrecks havoc on villages. When Arthur hears about a dangerous sorcerer named Myrddin attacking villages he goes to investigates, still depressed about the lose of Merlin, and is shocked to discover that it Myrddin is Merlin except Merlin doesn’t remember him or anything before the fomarrah was implanted. Arthur now has a new goal of getting his best friend back and break Morgana’s hold on him.

The Purple Tunic. Merlin’s birthday comes and goes with no celebration, Gaius being overrun with patients and Merlin stuck with an impossibly long list of chores from Arthur. When Arthur learns that Merlin’s birthday had passed he feels bad and leaves the purple tunic for him in his room as a gift.

Arthur kills a Druid women and as she lays dying she roughly grabs his arm and curses him to experience suffer any wound he deals. Arthur struggles with his self worth now that he can’t protect his people as a knight without hurting himself

Arthur and Merlin get cursed so that whenever one gets hurt the other suffers the same wound (like Barbara and Strickler from Trollhunters)

Merthur WandaVision AU

S3 E12 AU where Merlin does actually fight Gwaine and Arthur is the one that has to be physically held back

Seeing Double. Merlin has always had a lot of work what with helping Gaius, being Arthur’s manservant, and saving everyone’s lives in a near daily basis. One day he is so busy he tries a new spell that’s suppose to create a double of you that lasts for 24 hours. Arthur thinks he’s going mad because he keeps seeing double of Merlin.

Mama’s Boy. Hunith is taken prisoner by some bandits and that sets Merlin on a warpath to get her back with Arthur at his side.

Merlin gets captured by a dark sorcerer who knows he’s Emrys and has him chained up in cold iron. While he’s imprisoned the sorcerer bloodlets him, planning to sell the blood of Emrys on the black market keep Merlin alive enough not to fight back.

Arthur falls and hurts his arm. Merlin examines it and diagnoses it, “You’ve fractured your ulna.” Gwaine perks up at this, “Ulna? I think I dated an Ulna once.”

While picking herbs for Gaius Merlin finds an injured and orphaned fox kit and brings it back with him. One day it gets out of his room and chaos ensues. He nearly catches it in Arthur’s room when Arthur returns and he tries to play it cool.

AU where as Freya lay dying in Merlin’s arms they get married, using blades of grass as their rings. The knights don’t notice at first but eventually one of them asks about it and Merlin gets all sad.

Merlin wakes in the middle of the night to someone breaking into Gaius’s chambers, covered in blood

A servant of two masters AU where instead of sending Merlin in to assassinate Arthur she makes a sting bulb of Merlin and sends it in. A day after it gets sent away Merlin breaks out of Morgana’s and races to save Arthur. Stabs a sword through his clone’s stomach. When it dies it turns into a pile of humus. Arthur starts to get suspicious of Plant!Merlin when he stops eating and he swears he saw Merlin stick his finger in water and drink it. Plant!Merlin also gets weak after long period’s without sunlight and ‘wilts’. Gwiane refuses to give up on his search for Merlin and sets out on his own. Finds Merlin in Morgana’s hovel and together they escape back to Camelot.

Modern Day Merlin, Merlin starts suffering from symptoms of Mahd Wy'ry which affects and causes him to have psychotic episodes at random, due to the weight of his memories. Leon finds him during one of these episodes.

That scene from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron where Merlin holds an injured Arthur on the banks of a river when the bad guys find them and tear them apart despite their pleas. The knights find Arthur and once he’s stronger they set out to save Merlin.

Merlin and Arthur argue that the other wouldn’t last a day in the others shoes so Arthur comes up with the idea of ‘swapping places’ while they are visiting another kingdom that has never met Arthur before. The knights are in on it. They swap clothes and for a week Merlin is Arthur and Arthur is Merlin.

When kids start disappearing in the middle of the night Merlin sets out to investigate and is nearly killed

Morgana visits Gaius because she feels nauseous and while she’s there she throws up on her dress. Merlin lets her borrow some of his clothes and Arthur walks in sees her and thinks they’re courting. Arthur gets jealous.

That scene from Disneys Robin Hood where they dress as fortune tellers but it’s Merlin and Arthur and they do it in order to get into a bandits keep without arousing suspicion and getting something of importance they stole (Arthurs mothers sigil? His mothers ring?)

Merlin has parasomnia and often wanders the castle at night, often to Arthurs room

Merlin opens a haven for magical creatures/beings/people. Arthur wanders into and is nearly drowned by a naiad but Merlin saves him

Merlin Tarzan AU with a hint of Valka from HTTYD2. Balinor refuses to help Uther trap the last dragon and instead frees it. He takes shelter in Ealdor where he falls in love and has a child with Hunith. One day Uther finds them and, finding themselves cornered with no chance of escape, Balinor calls upon Kilgarrah. Balinor is killed and Hunith is taken prisoner to be used as bait for Merlin someday. Kilgarrah takes baby Merlin to a safe haven for dragons where he is raised by dragons. Many years later Merlin heard about the legend of the dragon egg and sets out to find it. During this journey he meets Prince/King Arthur. Although rivals at first they soon realize they have the same goal, return magic and dragons to Camelot.

Dragonlord side effects. The days following the activation of his Dragonlord powers Merlin starts to experience some side effects. Each chapter is a different side effect.

After Arthur becomes king he reinstates the holiday Saturnalia. Merlin gets elected the “Mock King” giving him a free pass to cause as much mischief and mayhem as he would like

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magicomens · 1 month

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I absolutely ADORE this series and arizacrow and Merthur, man Crowley is projecting fr to arthur in the previous chapter, cmon man work out your emotions over here you're both emotionally constipated.

Also Arthur bbg please talk to merlin, man's been through so much.

Loved this chapter so very very dearly! I wonder what would happen next bcs it's about to get interesting.

My god if "emotionally constipated" doesn't describe them perfectly 😭😭 I'll def steal this one!!

Next episode has more brainstorming, but some fun stuff will come!

#asks #anon

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cbk1000 · 8 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 · 5 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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ambriel-angstwitch · 10 months

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Two sides of the same coin Merthur Edition

So we’re going to start with what seems like the most obvious way they’re two sides of the same coin. Merlin is a magical being born in a natural way and Arthur is a non-magical being born through magical means.

Another way we see this statement illustrated is that Arthur wears his heart on his sleeve, he quickly acts on his emotions and is rather easy to read whereas Merlin has to be secretive, he’s never really been able to be completely honest with someone and the only time he was they died.

Arthur is a knight in shining armor but constantly needs to be saved whereas Merlin seems weak and defenseless but is one of the strongest beings in existence.

Arthur loves hunting but Merlin hates to see creatures killed.

Things almost always seem to work out for Arthur in the end (at least at the start of the series) but this often comes at a price for Merlin.

#bbc merlin #merlin #bbc merthur #merthur #two sides of the same coin #merlin x arthur #king arthur #bbc arthur

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that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction · 3 months

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Random ask, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? Feel free if you want to write the reasons or not of why you love them...Thanks if you want to answer....

In fanfic, Merlin, Good omens, and Yuri on Ice are really the only fandoms I’ll consistently read romance for. Also marauders, but I’ve not been reading that so much recently.

I’ve read Song of Achilles three times now, I’m on my fourth, so take what you will from that.

That being said, Merthur is my all time favourite ship. Mostly out of spite because I got 2 seasons in before I realised it wasn’t canon. (In my defence, i have no defence.)

I’m also a sucker for Arwen though, and morgwen is amazing, aroace lesbian Morgana has all of my heart so morgwen works as romantic or more of a qpr.

Also gotta mention Mercelot, because Merin and Lancelot’s dynamic is so interesting to me for the same reasons as Gwencelot

Also poly ships. I’m bad at ship names but I read quite a few poly ships.

Other than that, I tend to stick to romance being in the background if mentioned at all, or qpr rep.

Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor was amazing, 10/10 I’ll be reading it again once I get through my tbr.

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thebroccolination · 3 months

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ELYAN!!!

I NEED ELYAN FIC RECS.

I NEED THEM LIKE I NEED LIFE.

I just watched "A Herald of the New Age" for the first time and my god????????? This moment between Elyan and the Shrine Boy was hands-down the sweetest I've seen in the entire series.

THAT IS THE BEST KNIGHT. THAT ONE.

After Elyan disturbs the shrine in the forest by drinking from the well because Gwaine drank all his water (I already shipped the hell out of it before this and now I ship it even harder), this ghost boy shows up before him twice and terrifies him.

And yet???

His first impulse is to hug and protect this child.

I made the most wounded animal noise when he did this??? Like, especially in an episode where he's punched unconscious by Gwaine and then Percival, Elyan's gentle and protective nature is so, so beautiful. He immediately offers to help the child, too, and I don't think the insinuation is that the child was using magic to influence him. I think it was just Elyan's empathy.

Man, what a great episode.

To recap, I watched season 1 of Merlin as it was airing, lost all interest when season 2 began, then just exclusively read fic from then on until my friend was like, "PLEASE WATCH THE OTHER SEASONS WITH ME," and I said, "Yeah, okay," so we've been gradually doing that for the past two years.

Therefore, I only knew Elyan through fic until now and, like??? I knew plenty about Gwaine and Percival and Leon and Lancelot from the fic I read (canon and AUs alike). But I only remember Elyan being mentioned in fic occasionally? And it was either just in passing or as The Older Brother of Gwen. At the time, I always figured, "Well, maybe it's because Elyan didn't get a whole lot to do in the show." And, sure, he doesn't seem to have as much screentime as Gwaine or Leon so far (I haven't seen S5 yet), but this whole episode was about Elyan! And we find out so much about who he is!

I've now seen more of Elyan's personality than I have of Sir Ripped His Chainmail Sleeves Off, and I've seen lots more of Percival in fic. Even when Elyan's possessed in this episode, we find out plenty about him through the other characters reacting to it. The general consensus is, "Whoa, Elyan went after Arthur?" even though his sister was just banished and a few characters think that would be enough to turn his loyalties (I still can't believe the writers expect me to believe that nonsense was consistent for Arthur's character like the writing in BBC's Merlin was very weird sometimes).

This one episode has made Elyan my favorite knight.

HOW IS THERE NOT MORE FIC ABOUT ELYAN.

OR AT LEAST BIGGER ROLES FOR HIM IN ENSEMBLE FICS?

On the bright side, I just went looking for Elyan/Gwaine fic and there was literally one posted two days ago set after this episode and I'm going to read it ASAP and then scour the rest of the tag for more. \:D/

Like, man, I've never written Merlin fic before despite the hours of my life devoted to reading Merthur fic but I think I have to write some Elyan/Gwaine when my friend and I finish watching the series. :')

(If anyone with Elyan fic recs of any kind reads this please please please feed me.)

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #sir elyan #bbc elyan

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merlincersei · 10 months

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Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 5

Gender Dysmorphia

I find the character of Freya to be very fascinating because I view her as a Transgendered character.

Freya

There are few better symbols for someone going through the process of female-to-male transition than the human to creature transformation trope.

When you are on HRT testosterone therapy, most people become hairier and stronger and gain muscle, which is very similar to the Bastet creature transformation by Freya.

Bastet

Both shape shifting humans and the transmasculine community are, in the popular imagination, scary to heteronormative folks but not to someone who is queer divergent. Hence Merlin being the only character not to fear Freya even in her Bastet form.

The creators deliberately used the cross dressing troupe when Arthur sees Merlin carrying a black dress and assumes it is for Merlin himself, to establish a Transgendered narrative in the Freya episode

youtube

A Little Merthur Fact -

It is the object of Merlin’s homosexual desires (Arthur) who kills the object of his heterosexual desire (Freya).

I thought it was very poignant in hindsight because once Freya dies and becomes Lady of the Lake these two never share a romantic relationship again. She is literally submerged into the lake which is a metphaphor for Merlin’s conciousness. Locked away forever.

In addition, The creators literally confirmed Freya changing her gender in the TV show.

Refer this image when in the Diamond Of The Day Part 2 episode where Merlin throws Exaclibur in the Avalon lake and is caught by lady of the lake. The hand clearly belongs to a man.

Freya - Male Hands

Julian murphy confirmed that they used a male scuba diver in the final episode.

A lot of people who deny Merthur attribute this to being an error, just like they do to all cannon facts that does not fit their agenda.

But over time these “errors” pile up and present an irrefutable evidence of queer coding by the creators.

#arthur pendragon #bradley james #merlin bbc #merthur #lgbtqia shows #queer coding #gay subtext #merlincersei #colin morgan #FREYA #freylin #Youtube #merlin meta

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malinaa · 2 months

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2023 WRITING REVIEW

tagged: no one i just wanted to do this and i forgot about it soz </3 tagging : board of directors i'd tag u here but this is mostly fic-based so sorree... anyway if u have already done this my b.... i wld like to see ur post tho @evcndiaz | @brimay | @usignedupforthis | @seek--rest | @posallys | @dustorangeheartssnowman | @adhd-merlin | @queerofthedagger

number of stories posted to ao3: 34 ±1 bc i updated a fic from a while back <3

word counted posted for last year: 90k... a feat (i wrote more but it was ofic so add like maybe 10k to that)

fandoms i wrote for: alex stern series, merlin, house md, pjo, spidey, hunger games, doctor who, & the grisha trilogy

pairings: merthur / arwen / mergwenthur / mergana, darlingstern, hilson, percabeth, petermj, everlark, tenrose, malina

stories with the most KUDOS: jealousy, jealousy (house md) with 522 <3 BOOKMARKS: except my life (merlin) with 137 <3 COMMENT THREADS: rip current (pjo) with 38 <3 *technically the answer to all of these is tested with torment but that's a fic i updated so i don't reallyyyyyy count it

work i'm most proud of (and why): thread of gold (arwen, bbc merlin) because i don't exactly post 2nd person fic and tbh most people HATEEEEE 2nd person fic AND i got people to enjoy it. HA!

work i'm least proud of (and why): coffee drinker (gen fic, bbc merlin) because it was just a promptfic and i didn't even really feel like posting it but i wrote it so i might as well yk?

share or describe a favorite review you received: any review that quotes a line but this one from judas kiss (arwen, bbc merlin)...

THIS. IS. WONDERFUL ❤️❤️❤️ *creates bookmark with gusto* I LOVE that you dug into what it might have been like for Gwen while she was under that enchantment! It was so creative to have her past memories blurring with glimpses of the present during the enchantment. I *felt* her disorientation, and it *hurt*. I felt so bad for Gwen all over again! 😭😭😭 That aspect of this story could have been a fantastic standalone one-shot in its own right, but noooo, you raised the bar and KEPT GOING and made it even better!!! I love that you showed Gwen and Merlin staying friends after Gwen becomes queen, and I love how she confides in him and how he immediately drops everything to go look for the offending piece of jewelry. The bit about Arthur’s incredulity at Merlin’s method of testing the enchantment was a great dash of humor, and I love that you fleshed out the concept of the enchantment to be something the others could experience so that they could truly *know* that Gwen had been innocent. And don’t even get me started on how much I love Arthur’s “Forgive me.” I love how he doesn’t think twice about humbling himself in front of everyone because his focus is solely on Gwen, consumed by the urgency of doing the right, honorable, and loving thing in that moment. You write Arthur and Gwen’s relationship so beautifully. 💕 Well done; I hate you (/affectionate) for all these feels. 🥰🫂👏

a time when writing was really, really hard: august through october... idek why i was literally in agony not writing

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: writing jj in spider-man: homewrecker because i've NEVER written him before (in my memory) and i was like. Hello .

a favorite excerpt of your writing: cannae lie i have a few favs so... killing is a love language (mergana, bbc merlin) Heartbreak snakes up his throat, constricting him at the sight of her. Morgana’s beauty is incontestable even like this, but her hatred wore her down to her bones. Gone were the full cheeks and rosy lips, the perfectly combed hair, the wardrobe that would put princesses to shame. Now, her face is sunken in, her hair a curled storm, her dress is merely black rags at this point. thread of gold (arwen, bbc merlin) Your father’s presence is larger than life. Larger than love. It looms. It casts shadows long enough to hide every hope and dream you’ve ever had for yourself. the boy and the girl (malina, the grisha trilogy) Memory fractures into shards. Real or not real? There’s Mal in the meadow. Mal buried beneath the hanging tree. Mal cold in her palms. There’s a sky darker than night. Her hands bloodied. A knife lodged in his heart. Her knife. His blood. Her fault. She killed him. She loves him. Her fault. Rest her head on his still chest. Her fault. No heartbeat. Her fault. No warmth. Cold light spilling from her palms. She killed him. The Saint’s only true worshipper martyred.

how did you grow as a writer last year: my hopes from last year was that i finally finish a multichap fic.... 😭 does a short 3-shot count. besides that i wrote more consistently and i'm finally Used to my writing style. i think.

how do you hope to grow this year: hell if i know if i could write something longer than 20k that'd be great 😭😭😭😭

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.): the board.... @rosesau / @bipercabeth / @stellwood fnh...... i'd tag katie but she absconded from tumblr smh. anyway hi freaks n geeks

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year: oh i don't even know. nothing ig

any new wisdom you can share with other writers: bro idek the more i write the more writing becomes fundamentally so hard to talk about ... sorreeee

any projects you're looking to starting (or finishing) this year: IF I DON'T FUCKING MAKE PROGRESS ON MY PLAY I WILL BASH MY HEAD INTO A WALL. THIS CAN'T KEEP HAPPENING. ATLAS AND VIVIAN YOU WILL BE WRITTEN ON THE PAGE INSHALLAH

#tag games #2023 #writing #text #tais toi lys #not the numbering getting fucked. whatever

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aaand-read-all-over · 6 months

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Merthur and Arwen: Love and Coexistence

There is no shortage of evidence that I interpret Merlin and Arthur as sharing a connection beyond the platonic relationship explicitly portrayed on screen. They have spoken to my heart in new depths with each rewatch of the series, of which there have been... many.

However, I do not believe that an established romantic relationship between the two men would have been a productive or believable choice within the canon events of the show. In fact, due to the availability of characters and the qualities they possess, Arthur and Gwen sharing a romantic connection was the only effective choice for Arthur in his canon journey.

To suggest that Arthur would overcome the emotional barriers of breaking down his father’s prejudice toward those with Magic, his learned classism and misogyny toward his knights and servants, and the historical prejudices against LGBTQIA+ individuals over the course of just a few years would be unreasonable. Within the constraints of the show, Arthur does make great strides in his character, but he is not given enough time to overcome every emotional obstacle he is raised to have. Arthur is able to, in part, overcome his classism toward the non-nobles in his kingdom. Through his interactions with Guinevere and Merlin, Arthur can see the value and wisdom of their counsel. The insight that an individual who has one foot in the world of the average citizen and one foot in the world of the nobles has is incomparable. Gwen and Merlin have their eyes on many components of noble life and can pinpoint the disparities between what the nobles believe and what the average individuals in Camelot know to be true about their kingdom.

Gwen, Arthur, and Merlin, especially toward the middle seasons of the show, have a similar dynamic to Jem, Tessa, and Will in The Infernal Devices (sort of, kind of, bear with me). Each member of the group loves the other two equally, albeit in different ways. For Arthur, Merlin is absolutely the only constant in his life. At no point over their time together does Merlin betray him, leave him for long periods, or otherwise push him to the side. Merlin considers Arthur to be his destiny – his reason for existence – and regularly refers to him as such during their lifetime together. Gwen loves Merlin dearly; the two of them had an instant connection (and potential attraction) upon his arrival in Camelot. Their friendship runs deep and transcends their vastly different paths in helping Arthur achieve his destiny. Gwen is the logic to Arthur’s and Merlin’s rash decision-making skills. More than just a steady presence and a kind word, Gwen is strong and capable, and she does not allow others to silence her when she knows what is right.

In Arthur’s desire for a romantic connection, Gwen is a spectacular choice, and their love for each other is genuine to every extent. Each of her qualities is a supplement or complement to his own, and they form a beautifully well-rounded pair.

Gwen and Arthur have the ability and opportunity to open themselves to each other, and to Merlin, completely. A successful romantic relationship requires all parties to participate equitably, providing comparable levels of support and vulnerability to each other to the greatest extent possible. Because of this, Merlin and Arthur could not be romantically involved within the events that take place in the show. A romantic relationship requires both parties to open themselves to each other.

Arthur is open to Merlin, completely. There is no component of Arthur that Merlin has not seen, and Arthur has surrendered to his vulnerability consistently in Merlin’s presence. Arthur’s trust in and honesty with Merlin is a cornerstone to Arthur’s development, and he relies on Merlin’s constant presence and counsel to be an effective leader. Conversely, Merlin can never be completely open and truthful with Arthur. A primary component of Merlin’s identity is a component that he could not safely reveal to Arthur. Arthur references that Merlin is a mystery to him on many instances, and Merlin cannot fill those gaps for him without placing himself in an unsafe position. There is no possibility for a relationship without the capacity for complete openness and honesty, which are not qualities Merlin can provide to Arthur without revealing his Magic.

If Merlin was to place himself in that unsafe position, he would, without a doubt, completely surrender to whatever sentence Arthur laid upon him. If the sentence were to result in Merlin’s death or banishment from Camelot, he would not be in a position to protect Arthur and support him on his path to fulfilling his destiny. To Merlin, the potential of not being in a position to help Arthur is absolutely unacceptable and would invalidate his entire reason for existence. For that reason, he would never tell Arthur of his Magic if he had any other choice.

Ultimately, Merlin could never have a romantic relationship with anyone while Arthur was alive because he would have to put Arthur above that other person every single time. His destiny is Arthur, and while Arthur is a living presence in his life, he could never provide his romantic partner the attention and prioritization that they would deserve.

In fact, it does not seem that Merlin and Arthur are entirely aware of their apparent romantic feelings for each other at all. In their time together, Merlin is aware of the destiny he and Arthur share, and he dedicates every moment to bettering and supplementing Arthur’s life. Merlin’s catering to Arthur is quite extreme, almost ridiculous, but Arthur does not believe it to be so. Arthur grows reliant on Merlin’s care and assistance in every step of his day. The man who once maintained that he did not need or want a manservant became so reliant on Merlin’s presence that he lost much of his independence in functional skills. By the end of their time together, Merlin dresses Arthur, washes Arthur, and combs Arthur’s hair, not to mention orchestrates many of the events and gestures Arthur makes toward Gwen. The bond shared by Arthur and Merlin is constantly questioned, then accepted, by friend and foe alike.

Nevertheless, Merlin and Arthur do not view this as unusual. Merlin’s identity is half-hidden, kept away so as to be in the best position to serve and protect his most precious relationship; the side of himself that he can reveal to others is also completely devoted to Arthur, publicly and privately. He was born to serve Arthur, from combing his hair to holding him in his last breaths. Because he can explain away their love and connection as friendship and destiny, Merlin never notices that he does not form romantic bonds with other people. Merlin will occasionally notice a person’s aesthetic appeal or respond to flirting from a stranger, but he does not reciprocate or initiate romantic connections with anyone (save Freya, which was a different situation entirely). This is not to necessarily say that he does not have romantic tendencies, because his behaviors with Arthur compare to any romantic gesture depicted elsewhere in the show. Merlin’s lack of canon romance is a direct result of his complete devotion to Arthur.

Arthur knows that he and Merlin share a bond beyond the line of duty. Save Gwen, Arthur affords no other person in his life the care and devotion he does for Merlin. Without Merlin, Arthur feels lost, ungrounded, and frantic until they can be reunited. Arthur was not provided with the emotional tools to break down and process his feelings as a child; this stunts his ability to express the feelings he has for others as an adult. Arthur makes a marked improvement in his emotional expression as he learns and grows, but he makes an effort from the beginning to, at a minimum, express the inherent trust he has in Merlin. In Arthur’s view, Merlin is above suspicion, even more so than Gwen is. No matter how many times Merlin is caught red-handed, confesses to crimes, or absolutely obliterates the line of professionalism (bordering on treason), Arthur explains away Merlin’s behaviors, trusts in his pleas of innocence, and breaks the law to help Merlin escape from Camelot alive. Arthur knows and expresses that Merlin does not open himself up to the same extent that he opens up to Merlin, and regularly feels that he has to press Merlin for his feelings and troubles. Despite the secrets Arthur knows Merlin keeps, in Arthur’s mind, there is no wrong Merlin could be capable of committing that would separate them forever, and there is no circumstance that would cause Merlin to abandon him in his time of need.

In their final days together, Merlin and Arthur must face the consequences of their secrets and unaired emotions. Only when all cards are on the table can the two of them recognize the depth of their feelings for each other. Prior to this honesty, recognition of their romantic feelings would be unlikely, and acting on those feelings would be unbelievable (not to mention out of character). Arthur and Merlin do not take liberties with each other’s bodies. They use physical contact to express themselves to and connect with each other, but they are attuned to and respect each other’s boundaries. If the two men are not in a place to express themselves emotionally and they are not willing to overstep boundaries by acting on physical chemistry and cues, they would also not initiate a romantic relationship.

In the event of Arthur’s return as the Once and Future King, in a world where relationships of all structures are accepted and celebrated by the LGBTQIA+ community, there may be an avenue for Merlin and Arthur to explore their romantic chemistry. Arthur and Merlin would never abandon or betray Guinevere, but in the event of her future absence, or a future where the three could romantically love each other together, the two might find themselves in a position to explore their love and vulnerability in new ways.

Undoubtedly, Merlin and Arthur share feelings for each other that are more significant than platonic. Within the context of the show, Arthur’s romance with Gwen was the most believable and productive decision for their time together, while also maintaining Merlin’s significance in both of their lives <3

(Ideally, in my view, Gwen and Arthur would find themselves resurrected, and all three of them would love each other romantically and passionately for a lifetime and beyond. That's besides the point lol.)

#merthur #arwen #argwen #merlin #bbc merlin #sorry this is so long #merthur is my otp #but i love arwen so much #merlin emrys #emrys #merlin x arthur #arthur x gwen #arthur x guinevere #arthur pendragon #merlin bbc #arthur x merlin #merlin x gwen #mergwenthur #mergwen

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earlgreyinpajamas · 6 months

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Hi there. Got any merthur lovers to enemies fics? (No, I did not type that in wrong.)

Preferably long fics, but I’ll take whatever.

Love your blog, thank you!

there isn't much in this genre but here are some i found:

1. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Salamandair, Stelle_loves_reading

Seven years ago, Merlin and Arthur were engaged to be married. They were happy, in love and had plans to create a better future

Seven years ago, Arthur’s world was turned upside down and the lovers broke off their engagement.

Seven years later, Arthur Pendragon is now Albion’s youngest Prime Minister in history and hates anything to do with magic.

Seven Years later, Merlin Wyvern is now the leader of a rights group fighting for equal rights for magic users.

Now, their separate worlds collide as a decades-long fight finally comes to a head to change Albion forever.

~~~

they do end up together again by the end of the fic, but the premise kind of fits your ask

2. tame the dragons within your heart by myrddinthewizard (@myrddinthewizard)

Arthur stood up, abruptly. “Get out.”

Merlin followed. “Excuse me? You asked for an explanation but if you won’t let me talk then–”

“That’s enough, Merlin.” Arthur glared, the look shaking Merlin to the core. “If you don’t get out right now, I will run you through.”

(aka the dragonlord reveal)

~~~

this is part of a much longer series, which i think fits the bill best for your ask

#merthur fic recs #merthur fanfic #merlin #merthur fanfiction #merthur #merthur fic rec #merthur fic #bbc merlin #merlin x arthur #merlin fic #lovers to enemies #merlin's magic revealed #magic reveal fic #magic revealed #magic reveal

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theroundbartable · 4 months

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You said to ask you about your takes about Merlin, and I always find it interesting to find out which angle people approach an ot3 of, so which edge of the triangle arthur/merlin/gwen was the first you shipped? Or was it the full ot3 right away? 👀

Ah, yes. When I started watching Merlin back in 2019, the very first thing I shipped was Merthur.

I usually don't start shipping right away, I start looking at the different dynamics and wait where it may take me. And the very first episode left all dynamics open. So, I wasn't an instant Merthur fan but I could tell that this was where I was heading.

Even though I wanted to ship Merlin x Gwen first because Gwen had a crush on Merlin and Merlin was oblivious and Arthur was an arse in season 1. I still knew I would end up a Merthur main.

Back in 2019 I was still working through a lot of stuff when it comes to relationships, sexuality, identity, trauma, etc, It sounds weird but what I needed at the time, was characters that I couldn't "be" and that also couldn't be attracted to me. The reason for that is too personal to post here but that's why I distanced myself from female characters in ships at the time. That's why I knew Mergwen wouldn't be where I'd end up. I didn't hate them, I just couldn't deal with certain things.

And then came the Elena episode in which Merlin tells Arthur that he will be a better king with a woman by his side whom he loves. I was already lowkey shipping Merthur by then, but THAT scene burned itself into my DNA and changed me forever. I LOVE that scene! If I ever had any doubts until then, they were gone the moment Merlin hands Arthur the sword and says: " I think you're mad."

I knew from the beginning that Merthur wouldn't end up canon, and that without looking at spoilers. The show is from 2012, I just knew. In fact, I was delighted with how FAR they took it despite that!

And I absolutely loved how the canon ship actually made sense. And Ioved how it was a learning curve for me too, to see them grow to make sense. In the beginning it felt a bit sudden but when I watched the show again, I realized just how many moments they actually had.

Plus, Gwen wasn't a mere love interest, she was a real character. Basically, she passed the bechdel test, lmao. I love that she's a blacksmith, that she had her own story arc, her own tragedies and losses, a full family that we SEE in the show, etc. And I loved her dynamic with Arthur growing from awkward to genuine. I always thought that relationshipwise, they were one of the best portrayals of lovebirds I've seen in a series in a long time. And BBC merlin is PG so that was a bonus. And they always had space for Arthur's friendship with Merlin. (This is very important to me, as an ace person who used to think they would lose their friends due to their relationships)

And well... years have passed and I slowly got over my trauma through writing fanfiction and some mild confrontation therapy. There was one fic especially, that paved the way for Mergwenthur. I think that one was Wired... (2021) in which time is a circle and Merlin lives long enough to see Arthur be born again. In that one I tried to be as close to canon as I could, while also writing a Merthur story. Originally, Arthur was meant to choose Merlin, but during the darkest hour, in which the story begins, he's already head over heels for Gwen. And the more I tried to grasp Arthur's feelings after the magic reveal, the less possible it was for me to not see Mergwenthur.

As Arthur starts realizing his fellings for Merlin, his feelings for Gwen don't change, because why would they? The feelings were different but they were both of love. And when I tried to characterize Gwen, I ended up thinking of their three person date in season 4(?) in which Arthur says:" Isn't it nice to be here? Just the two of us?" And it's GWEN who says: "you mean, the THREE of us. " When I thought of that, I just couldn't imagine that Gwen didn't already know and accept Arthur's feelings. And I couldn't imagine Merlin wanting Arthur to choose him over Gwen. While at the time, Mergwen wasn't really on my mind, I thought this was where the story was naturally progressing, so I let it.

I've always been a multishipper. But this dynamic is important to me. I've analized their relationship a couple of times and come to the conclusion that Gwen is the better Queen (some people like to call Merlin Arthur's queen). Because her relationship with Arthur is build on mutual goals and their future vision of Camelot. Their relationship is reasonable and healthy. I think their love is very soft but strong. While Merthur is just unhinged soul bond, ready to sacrifice everything for each other, including Camelot. Merlin would be a terrible Queen, like, seriously. Camelot would be destroyed the moment Arthur gets abducted once. Their love is intense and fickle in the sense that they can't live without the other. And Mergwen should have had more moments. Gwen was always the one person picking up that some things about Merlin were a bit odd, like the Lamia episode, or servant of two masters, etc.. I feel like Mergwen is a ship that's friendship first and can be both wholesome and completely mad, depending on which of the two indicates the action.

So, it was a bit of a curve for me. I ship them individually, I ship them together, apart, with other characters, everything. But the more I look into the show, the more sense Mergwenthur makes to me. Regardless of whether they are platonic or not, I can't unsee them. And why would I? they are fun.

Haha, this answer was very long, but I hope it answers your question :D

#bbc merlin #faq #answer #mergwenthur #shipping #ask

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mobycotton · 9 months

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writing an adoption oneshot for my Patchwork Prince series, set post-merthur marriage.

An unknown woman dies in childbirth in Camelot and with no family left, Merlin hastily adopts her as his own ward. Arthur is still unsure about what he would be like as a father, caught up in the memories of his father’s failings, his absence, and his impossible standards.

The first time he wakes up to her crying, all of his fear and insecurity melts away as he feels an intense protection and love for this little child, now his child.

When she’s old enough to walk she runs all around the castle. There’s a chase in her feet that no lack of shoes can stop, and whenever the sound of juvenile laughter can be heard approaching Arthur and Merlin drop all of their courtly duties and chase her down. They never let her go without a kiss on each cheek, and soon everyone comes to see her as the Princess by her own right.

She’s four years old when they first take her to Ealdor.

She’s five when she first sneaks out at night, and there’s a search party through the night, but just before dawn, and before the whole troupe of Knights can be sent out to search for her, she finally shows up in the Castle kitchens, discovered by a very startled kitchen maid. Though they are relieved she was found, Arthur fears the wrath of the cook, who is now missing half a dozen fruit tarts. But she is merely sent the other half dozen for her lunch the next day.

She’s ten when she decides she wants to learn magic. Merlin is a terrible teacher, and Arthur can vouch for that. There is nobody in the Kingdom more fitting to teach her than someone who was a beginner herself. But Camelot can’t be missing two kings at once, and so Arthur agrees to go with her, and as long as he’s there he might as well learn the basics, right?

There’s a spell they’re both stuck on, and they keep each-other awake trying to figure it out. It remains a challenge until they finally try it together. They finally manage to make the flower bloom, and perform the same trick at the feast when they return. Soon, almost every noble in Camelot is looking for a tutor.

#merthur fic #merlin fanfic #merthur #merlin fic #ao3 fanfic #merthur fanfic #merthur wip #merthur fluff #merlin emrys #merlin oc #adoption fic #adoption #writeblr #merthur established #mobyswips

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mothmage · 12 days

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20 Qs for fic writers

Tagged by @monstersinthecosmos , thank you!!!

1. How many works do you have on A03? 31 (and a few anon, i think 2 or 3. idk, when i post a fic on anon i forget about it forever)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 446,135

3. What fandoms do you write for? currently/primarily vc, iwtv (amc), star wars, and merlin (bbc)!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? A Lovely Little Normal Life (which, honestly, kind of annoys me lol. i know it's just bc it's a huge fandom, but really? the stupid little 12k harry potter fic i wrote in two days is my most kudos? please...); Arthur Pendragon, Long May She Reign (forever pushing my lesbian genderswap agenda); The Face of God (les mis slightly canon divergent javert character study); The Odyssey of Recollection (amc iwtv s1 pov armand); Away From Stranger Tides (potc philip/syrena fic i started ages ago and never finished, lol)

5. Do you respond to comments? yes i love talking to people in comments!!!! i've made a lot of friends through comments!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? omg. umm. merthur fans don't know this yet bc i havent finished posting but it's arthur pendragon long may she reign (BUT it's part of a series, so it's literally fine). idk, i dont tend to write long fics that end angsty. but my angstiest fic in general is probably Hollow-Boned Boy (armand contemplating his human life in the early CoD era) or Vision of the Damned (daniel's turning from armand's pov)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i love a happy ending!! my series Odysseus in White Silk is probably the happiest ending, and in such an undeserved way hahaha it's so very AU because i was sad after s1 of the show and just wanted them all (and armandaniel) to live happily ever after

8. Do you get hate on fics? i dont think i ever have, but i tend to read comments in good faith too, so maybe someone out there is annoyed that i interpreted their vague dislike comment as a genuine comment or something, idk. in general though, i'll say no

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? yes but i dont post that often, idk if there's a particular kind, but generally it tends to be a little rougher than is probably appropriate without discussion in real-life situations, but also very...idk my friend described it as very tender, like theyre very clearly in love. which is so funny considering that that kind of tenderness irl gives me fucking hives lmfao

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? oh wow, not in a long time. i do have a wip sitting around rn that's a crossover between london spy and cloud atlas, which is really crazy until you remember that ben whishaw is in both london spy and the cloud atlas movie lol. and cloud atlas is already about weird reincarnations and parallel worlds and stuff, so it isnt too out-there.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? i dont think so!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? yes!! The Face of God was translated into Korean by ao3 user Crescent919 !! i've had a few comments on other fics asking to translate for personal use (always yes, of course), but no one else has asked to share a translation publicly

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? no!! i've been thinking about it lately though

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? all-time? probably merlin/arthur from merlin (bbc). it's the whole fate-destiny-choice thing, it just compels me like nothing else

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? hmmm, i would like to finish Roswell -- well, kinda (agent carter farm girl / alien crash landing au) because i still have all the original notes and outlines and stuff. i also made a shitty conlang when i was first writing it, which is crazy lol. but it would need some pretty serious revisions, and i would definitely rewrite the first few chapters that i posted years ago. i just kind of lost the agent carter bug, but i might return to that fic if i ever get in the mood for it again.

16. What are your writing strengths? ooh, i'm not really sure! i get a lot of comments mentioning characters' voices and/or personalities, so i would say maybe that!!! i also feel that i'm fairly good at mimicking an author's writing style when i want to (notably, i do not mimic anne rice when writing vc fic, lol)

17. What are your writing weaknesses? editing for sure. i have at least a hundred fics sitting on my hard drive fully or almost-fully written that i just need to edit. but i would simply rather die than do all of that. it's also why my whole merlin fic got put on pause while i went down the vc rabbithole, because i just can't bring myself to go edit the next chapters lol

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? hmm, i think it's usually unnecessary and comes off as a bit silly. that said, i did do it once (maybe excessively) in Daniel Molloy, Time Bandit (1984 daniel ends up in 1794 theatre des vampires, it's more of a character study than a time travel fic) BUT, let me defend myself -- i did it because daniel doesnt understand french, it's his pov, and he's incredibly confused and distraught for most of the fic. i felt like the dialogue being in french conveyed this sort of "daniel does not belong in this time/place" vibes. but, also, my french is...a little rough. so i'm sure it's an annoying fic for french readers lmao

19. First fandom you wrote for? warriors cats, a million years ago hahahah

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? ok, i have three different answers for this. the fic i think is the best, objectively, in terms of writing and content: The Story of Dani [...] (r63 devil's minion from armand's pov, starting with lestat's house). the fic i am the proudest of, mostly because it was my first "big" fic (it's funny now, bc it's only 41k) and i feel like i grew a lot as a writer while working on it, and i'm still happy with it: The Face of God (les mis pov javert, character study from childhood). the fic i have the most fun with and think about almost 24/7: Arthur Pendragon, Long May She Reign (r63 merthur, canon divergence, this is like a 4-part series that's currently over 300k lmao)

no-pressure tagging: @aunteat @leslutdepointedulac @butchybats @graygiantess and anyone else who wants to!!

#THANK YOU THIS WAS SO FUN #ask game #kind of lol

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