Yet Another Sideblog

I realised I suck at bookmarking apparently. but still here's a few:

The "Arthur knows about Merlin's magic" series by onceandfuturewarlock (37k words)

A series of ficlets focusing on Arthur and Merlin's (platonic) relationship in an unspecified post-magic reveal AU in which Arthur didn't die. I'm probably fond of this series because it's one of the very first fics I read in this fandom, but it's funny and cute. Background Merlin/Freya – it is in fact the fic that injected "he's married to a lake!" into my vocabulary, for which I will always be grateful. Technically not complete but each part can be read as a standalone ficlet.

Quiet, still by onceandfuturewarlock (~400 words)

Really short Gaius-centric ficlet but I'm sneaking this in because Gaius and Merlin's relationship is literally my favourite in the show.

Something Blue by alittleacatalepsy (10.5k words)

In which Gwen is getting married, but as far as I remember the focus is more on Gwen and Merlin than Arwen? It's marked as gen, anyway. The closest thing to "Merlin goes full wedding planner mode" I could ever find (we were robbed by the time skip!). Don't remember much else but I liked it enough to bookmark it.

Unfit by s0mmerspr0ssen (106k words)

An AU fic in which Arthur is disabled (leg amputation) and suffering from "fits of madness", and thus in danger of losing his claim to the throne. It deals with themes of disability and depression, but less gloomy than it might sound (again, from what I remember). Some budding romance between Arthur and Gwen but that isn't the focus (though I found it sweet!) – the central relationship is Arthur and Merlin's friendship.

Bloodbind rabies by agapantoblu (3.4k words)

In the author's own words: Arthur has "rescued" Morgana from the Sarrum's wells, so now it's like having a rabid raccoon under house arrest in Camelot. Forced "rehabilitation" by awkward family dinner? Or, Arthur won't give up on his sister no matter what. (I'm sure @agapantoblu has written more gen fics so check her other AO3 fics – I trust my friend Agap, she write extremely well <3)

And if self recs are okay... [looks around nervously]

An Act of Balance (6.5k words)

Daemons!AU, because... I love creatures! Background Arthur/Gwen, but really only a dash. The main relationship is Arthur & Merlin.

The Game of Kings (4k words)

Same as above – minus the daemons. A post-magic reveal AU, follows the evolution of Arthur and Merlin's relationship through a series of (chess-themed) vignettes.

+ a short one, but it fits the theme:

season of mists and mellow fruitfulness (~1k words)

⭐️ Wheel of the Year by panharmonium (100k words)

Brilliant pre-canon fic about Merlin & Will. Super immersive & well researched. A textured, compelling version of Will. Beautiful, ambling, pastoral prose, and vivid, tactile description of setting.

Knights of the Round Table by panharmonium (~6k words)

A series of charming portraits that examine Merlin’s relationships with each of the knights. Really sweet, fun & heartwarming. Panharmonium’s approach to describing Merlin’s magic is unmatched!

Words Are Dead by LeMightyWorrier (500 words)

Devastating shortfic about returned!Arthur, immortal!Merlin, and a language barrier. Merlin can't remember how to speak Arthur's language, and Arthur does not know Merlin's. The dialogue in this fic is painful, desperate, and masterfully concise. Reading it is having violence done to you.

A Moment of Reprieve by adhd-merlin (544 words)

To Be A King (127k words)

When Merlin discovers that his father was an estranged prince and he himself is now the only heir to the throne of a magical kingdom, he is forced to leave Camelot for the perils of a royal court. Will Merlin be able to win Arthur's favor again before Morgana launches an attack on a defenseless Camelot? Will he be able to defend his own kingdom at the same time or will all be lost?

^ contains canonically established Arthur/Gwen, but the primary focus is on the platonic relationships

Onsægness (5.6 words)

Onsægness (f. noun): a sacrifice. As Arthur lies dying, Merlin summons up the spirit of Nimueh so that he may learn to use the Cup of Life to trade his life for Arthur's, but will the revelations Nimueh brings with her be enough to break Merlin for good?

To The Death and companion piece Nothing to Prove (7.9k, 10.2k)

An unknown knight arrives at Camelot to challenge Merlin to single combat, a fight to the death. He accepts it willingly, but will he be able to survive the duel without using his magic?

the biodome team watching grace get up in the middle of the night and easily navigate his hut without turning any lights on:

Day ONE of filling this with aro and/or ace characters

Frodo: confused awe

Sam: confused awe

But yes, when they call Pippin Ernil i Perrianath - Prince of the Halflings - they are actually completely spot on.

However, the books also clearly make Merry the Responsible One, even though he’s only been a full adult for four years. (Think early 20s in human terms.) Merry buys and prepares the house at Crickhollow. Merry figures out the secret of the ring before Bilbo even gives it to Frodo, but Merry keeps Bilbo’s secret. Merry convinces Sam to spy on Frodo. Merry explains that they’re all joining Frodo on the Quest, whether Frodo wants them to or not. Merry cautions about the Old Forest and doesn’t go down to drink in the taproom at the Prancing Pony.

So in the books, Merry isn’t Pippin’s partner in pranks - instead, Merry and Pippin spend all their time together on the Quest because Merry’s looking after his younger cousin. Can you imagine what his mother would say if he came home without Pippin? Merry can, and that’s why he takes some pretty absurd personal risks during the books to make sure that doesn’t happen. Like, he literally rides into battle on the back of someone else’s horse, in disguise, because Pippin is probably somewhere in that battle.

Merry is 99%* common sense unless Pippin is involved, and then he is 100% save/rescue/protect/support Pippin. The character growth and maturation we see in Merry in the movies isn’t in the books; instead he has almost the exact opposite arc of becoming an extreme risk-taker, driven by his protective instincts.

when pippin finds merry stumbling half-blind and sick through the streets of Minas Tirith after killing the Ringwraith, he tells Merry “Poor old fellow! I’ll look after you,” half-carries him to the healing halls, and is worried sick about him until he can finally get Aragorn in to give him medicine.

It’s the first time in the story that Pippin  has looked after Merry, instead of the other way around.

While the clothing is of a general style - shirt, waistcoat for gentlefolk, breeches and coat, it’s the details on all of them that show how much thought was put into the costumes.

Compared to the average hobbit, Bilbo and Frodo both have well cut shirts made of fine fabrics and velvet or brocade waistcoats, showing their respectable and comfortably wealthy status.

Compare Frodo’s clothing with Sam and the other hobbits in the bar - similar in style, but Frodo’s is clearly well-to-do compared to the coarser fabrics Sam and the others wear, which makes sense when Sam is a gardener and doing manual labour.

Then we have Merry and Pippin in the same scene:

Like Frodo, Merry does have a nicer cut of shirt and waistcoat in a bold colour, but not quite as fancy. Meanwhile Pip, who is a kid at this point, doesn’t wear one yet.

And this shot of the boys in Rivendell really brings home the difference in the quality and expense of their clothes.

Pippin has a fine white shirt with a lace patterned collar and his braces are intricately woven, both things that would be markers of high-quality, labour intensive fibrework, not to mention the fancy white buttons.

Sam’s collar, by comparison has clear hand-stitching and the fabric of both the shirt and waistcoat are much coarser and more natural colours with buttons probably made from horn or wood.

Merry’s shirt is definitely a step or two up from Sam, but definitely not near the fanciness and quality of Pippin’s or Frodo’s. Likewise, his waistcoat is more elaborate than Sam’s with quilted patterning, but it’s also not the same quality as Frodo’s velvets and brocades.

Joins the fellowship on a mission almost guaranteed to take all their lives in sacrifice without blinking. Never uses his title of prince and, in fact, doesn’t mention it at all. Takes part in the battle despite it having little effect on him, with his people sailing west and leaving the war-torn shores.

He rebuilds the rubbles of cities destroyed, makes the world better and filled with life, both flora and fauna. He stays beyond the calling of the sea, resisting the desperate urge engraved in his bones calling him to sail. He, with a gentle hand and a brave heart, handbuilds a ship and takes the risk of bringing Gimli along with him.

Heres some more Project Hail Mary comics, just for fun!

Its a long way to Erid so like they got alot of time to do whatever, i think theyd have to talk about pokemon at SOME point at least! XD

and so Grace ends up implementing an “Opposite Day” routine with his first classes of young Eridian students, where he periodically assigns a group of his kids to create and deliver to him an in-class presentation, human-style, on any topic of “Eridian common knowledge” of their choosing

Gimmie Eridians who are absolutely heartbroken to hear that humans where so desperate and so scared that they where willing to part with not just one Grace, there were three of them! Gimmie Eridians touched to find that the humans planned a way for their sacrifices to be as comfortable as possible. Gimmie Eridians who send earth a message saying “We know it must have hurt to send your heroes to die, but one made it and he’s safe here. We lost 22 good Eridians on the journey we would have lost 23 if not for your Grace.”