arianna-creates

[arianna-creates]

Merry Kissmas, Day 22

There is a corner of the office that is easy to hide behind and sneak attack someone as they walk by that Arthur can’t believe he hasn’t taken advantage of yet. He supposes the reason is that Merlin doesn’t often walk by that particular corner. Well, he’s going to today and Arthur is going to take advantage of it.

Merlin didn’t even try to kiss Arthur that morning as they got ready at Arthur’s flat. Arthur was surprised, but then again, he didn’t try either. He wanted to see what Merlin would do. But when Merlin didn’t do anything, he decided to take the initiative. It turns out he likes being the one to kiss Merlin.

So it’s later that day when Arthur finally does try—and succeed—to kiss Merlin. He hides behind the corner when Merlin is expected there and steps out as he passes, causing an adorable, startled look to cross Merlin’s face before Arthur takes him by the front of his shirt and pulls him aside, pinning him to the wall.

The area is dimly lit and private and Arthur’s mouth is sliding against Merlin’s, open and demanding, Merlin’s mouth shockingly receptive. Arthur lets himself get lost in it, the game being the last thing on his mind. He gives Merlin’s lower lip a gentle bite, disregarding all decorum, and a tiny strangled sound escapes Merlin’s throat that drives Arthur mad and Merlin is placing his hands on Arthur’s chest, fingering at his lapels before pushing him away.

“Arthur,” Merlin breathes in a voice so inviting Arthur wants to get even closer, but as soon as he does, Merlin pushes him away. “Arthur, get away from me.” And he sounds so urgent, and it’s so sudden, Arthur has to step back in surprise.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur says immediately. “Have I done something wrong?”

Merlin just stares at him with misery in his eyes, a blush creeping up his face. “Just... get away from me.” He turns and hurries away, leaving Arthur bereft of an explanation.

[arianna-creates]

Colin Morgan as Merlin

1x11 The Labyrinth of Gedref

[arianna-creates]

Merlin 2x13 The Last Dragonlord

I love this moment so much. Balinor is begrudgingly helping these two people from Camelot and when he hears that the Great Dragon is attacking Camelot, his first thought is to correct Merlin and tell him his name is Kilgharrah. Even Merlin, who has conversations with the dragon all the time, never bothered to learn his name and here's Balinor, the last dragonlord, who had a personal relationship with this dragon. He just wants Merlin to show Kilgharrah some basic respect. How fitting that when we do finally learn his name, it's from the last dragonlord.

[arianna-creates]

Got inspired to try a new style while visiting the Van Gogh Museum. I just love when you can see the brush strokes. Procreate brush 'turpentine'

Merlin 4x10 A Herald of the New Age

[arianna-creates]

I just think this blooper is funny

Blooper from Merlin 5x03 The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

[arianna-creates]

Dickie to go along with Jason's design for "door, opening" my in-progress fic! my handwriting is also typed out in alt text 🐦

[arianna-creates]

Merlin explaining to the knights what happened to him looking all disheveled and like he came out of a fight against dragons.

Merlin: I got to the room and Arthur was sitting on the bed with a scowl on his face…

Gwaine *laughs*: Uh-oh, did you mess up?

Merlin: Well, I hadn’t at the time, but I did later. Anyway, I saw he was angry and got worried, so I asked, “Did something happen?” I thought he would answer, but he just looked at me and said, “Nothing!😡”.

Merlin imitates the prince’s accent and the knights laugh at his imitation, he was very good at mimicking Arthur’s voice.

Merlin: That “Nothing” from Arthur seems to have a direct connection to the devil! When Arthur said “NOTHING!” it was almost like Morgana knew things were going to go wrong and came out from behind the curtain to cause more trouble! I could almost hear her saying, “Go, go, go, fight, fight!”.

Lancelot *drinks his beer*: Jesus, but what happened after all? Why was he so angry?

Merlin: So, that’s what I was trying to find out! So I asked and he replied, “If you did something, then you should know 😡”. So I told the truth, right, that I had no idea what I did. He looked at me and said, “Who is Freya?”.

Leon and Elyan took a deep breath understanding where the story was going, Gwaine and Percival choked on their beer and Lancelot bit his lip to keep from laughing at his friend’s misfortune.

Merlin: Yes, I know, it sounds funny, and it could have turned into a funny situation, but I got so nervous talking about my ex that the best answer I could come up with at the moment was “Which Freya?”

All the knights lost their smiles and were now just looking at Merlin in disbelief.

Elyan: That was so stupid to say, even for you!

Merlin: I know!

Leon: Merlin, if you knew Arthur was jealous, why did you say something so dumb!?

Merlin: I got nervous! But the worst part wasn’t even that, the worst part was that after I said that, I saw Morgana go “Ihhhh 😰” and run away! She left! She left me alone with angry Arthur! That coward! 😡

Gwaine fell to the floor laughing, Leon seemed to suffer from headaches due to the couple’s antics, Elyan just got up and left to laugh and maybe tell Gwen what Merlin said, Percival was just laughing shamelessly while drinking, and Lancelot was on the verge of a stroke while holding back his laughter. Merlin sometimes hated his friends, those idiots.

[arianna-creates]

Lately I’ve been thinking about older merthur and court sorcerer Merlin who looks like Colin Morgan in The Living and the Dead. Oh I pray that that Arthur got his shit together and already started courting Merlin or was married to him bc if that Arthur STILL wasn’t in a relationship with that Merlin??? Oh he’s cooked. He’d fall to his knees every time Merlin so much as entered the room or, god forbid, breathed in his direction.

The same goes the other way btw. Older Arthur looking like Bradley James from Vikings: Valhalla??? It’s so over for Merlin unless he’s already in a relationship with him. His magic makes things explode every time Arthur walks past. The sexual tension only gets worse with age. I pray not just for them but for the rest of Camelot that someone locked them in a closet so they got their shit worked out before all this.

Pics I found for wtf I’m talking about lmao

[arianna-creates]

[arianna-creates]

Have some winged TIM!

Pic at the top is Tim dealing with early stages Tzeentch's corruption from the Warhammer AU

Bottom one is Tim finding out that shielding himself from a spell with his feathered cloak is not the best idea, especially considering how the spell made the wings real and VERY much attached to him.

[arianna-creates]

“The Driver” by Jordan Bolton

My first book ‘Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car’ is out now! Order it here - https://smarturl.it/BlueSky

[arianna-creates]

I will NEVER not fuck with women using a traditionally masculine title. Tell me more about that girl that's also a prince.

[arianna-creates]

imagine if Camelot had unions and Merlin accidentally ended up leading the servants' union:

Arthur, looking out the balcony from his room: what is the meaning of this?

Merlin, at the front of the castle with a group of servants holding banners: ah i see, this is what you call a protest, sire

Arthur: *rolls his eyes* i can see that, Merlin, but why are you protesting? are you not well fed and safe?

Gwen, stood next to Arthur: i believe George was trying to teach him about polishing again

Arthur: MERLIN!!!

[arianna-creates]

Tim: has the obsessive need to study all of his romantic partners as if they are specimens in a lab. He wants to know everything about these fuckers. Good things bad things, everything. He wants to tie them to a table, take blood tests, check family heritage and medical histories.

Kon and Bernard: have never had someone actually want to find out things about them and entirely believe that Tim’s stalker ish tendencies are really romantic. Are both entirely desensitised to being strapped down and stabbed.

I was gonna write Kon and Berns getting like, ptsd from all the sciency/experimentation stuff. But I thought them just not giving a fuck would be funnier

[arianna-creates]

Definitely Not Adorable Behavior

based on a reel i saw on instagram lol. changed the narrative a bit to fit the characters.

Stiles' eyes track Merlin's, towards the corner of the massive ballroom, where two men are standing with their hands crossed against their chest. Their side-profile are almost identical: crisp, tailored black suits, accentuating their biceps, broad shoulders, and tantalizingly shaped body figures. Even their heights seem to be the same; the only notable difference from this angle is the color of their hair: a dark, deep, raven onyx versus a golden halo.

"They're arguing about something."

"Yes," Merlin sips his drink, the one he's claimed several times into the evening to be a disgusting piece of beverage, and winces. "I don't know why I keep drinking it."

"That's because Arthur brought it for you," Stiles tells him with a knowing smile. "And you won't deny him the pleasure of serving you, no matter how awful the taste might be."

Merlin looks at the gaudy, unneeded, and entirely unnecessary piece of diamond ring that Derek gifted him for this evening. It's almost the same size as his engagement ring, and it sits prettily enough on his left hand's pointer finger. Merlin catches his eye with a gentle smile on his own face.

"Arthur and I share something special," he begins, voice lilting into the foreign accent Stiles hasn't been able to place yet. It sounds like Welsh, but different than the one he knows. Older. "For a long time I thought my devotion to him wouldn't be reciprocated, and it was fine. I was fine with it. But as always, the clotpole had other ideas." Clotpole. What the hell does that even mean? Merlin's chuckle brings him back to what he is saying, "—told him, and so, now Arthur thinks he must make it up to me."

"Or he just loves you very, very much, but has awful taste."

"That, too."

They'd turned towards each other for the conversation, the din of the hall loud enough to keep it private from prying ears, but now they turn. Someone just gasped, and they're both most definitely into drama from the sidelines.

"Oh my god."

"Are they— ARTHUR!"

"DEREK SEBASTIAN HALE!"

Both men freeze. The old lady who gasped turns to look at them, as does the rest of the room, but Stiles isn't paying them any heed, and neither is Merlin. No. Their focus is entirely on their idiots.

Arthur's left hand is fisted at Derek's tie, and his right hand is frozen near his waist, crooked fingers looking for purchase. Weirdly, Stiles likens this action with looking for a sword in its scabbard, tightened securely near hips.

On the flip side, Derek's got his right hand centimeters from Arthur's nose, while his left one must be aiming to intercept Arthur's sword-hand or whatever.

And their faces. Oh Jesus Christ, their faces.

Red with anger. Mouths open in a feral cry of war. And eyes? Stuck on Stiles and Merlin, fear melting their rage.

Both him and Merlin stride towards them, Merlin's glass of questionably purple drink handed to one of the catering staff, and it's as if their movement reminds Arthur and Derek that they're caught. They jump apart, though they do share a look of commiserating grief over being caught.

Bastards. United against spousal anger.

Merlin and him don't say anything in this hall with interested ears and human eyes and multitudes of equipment ready to immortalize this scene; they simply take their respective husband's hands in their own and drag them out towards the parking lot, which happens to be mostly empty. Still, they go in deeper towards a secluded corner.

Once there, Stiles stares their Derek down, hands back at his sides. Merlin does the same.

"So? Care to elaborate what the fuck that was about?" His question is met nervous breathing and another commiserating look. "Oh, so now you're both buddy-buddy, but inside the hall you two were — what, enemies?" He snorts. He can't help it; Derek and him have faced literal monsters, and yet Derek was about to fight a posh, young man for... some reason?

Before either of them can speak, Merlin narrows his eyes. "Wait. Was this a ruse?"

"A ruse? What do you mean, Merlin?"

"Your royal pratness, by that I mean a very elaborate scheme to leave that dull place with questionable drinks and—"

Arthur's face goes from confused to dull. "Did you not like the Favor?"

"Favor?" Merlin question's, and Stiles shoots Derek a look to shush. Why the hell is he finding this so funny?

"That's what the drink was called. And it was purple. It wasn't nice? So I..." Arthur's gaze turns wide. "And you still drank it all! I even brought you a second glass of it, why didn't you tell me you didn't like it?"

Merlin rubs the back of his neck, a sheepish gesture. When no answers seem forthcoming from him, Stiles steps in.

"It was thoughtful, I guess, since I'm gonna assume purple and that name means something to you both?" They nod in assent. "Right. See, thoughtful gifts are nice... but not always. Like, maybe you like it, but Merlin wouldn't. And it's not a bad thing at all, you just need to communicate."

Merlin rolls his eyes. "Says the man who hates the diamond ring gifted to him."

Stiles hisses, "Hey!" at the same time Derek asks, voice small, "Stiles?"

He turns towards his husband, moves closer. "Hey, it's nice. It's a very good gift."

Arthur says, weirdly with glee, "Which you don't like!"

"I love the thought behind it though!"

"But you don't like it," Derek repeats, eyes on Stiles', daring him to lie again.

Stiles cups his face, rubs his thumb against his stubble. "No," he admits. "I don't."

"I think we have gone a bit off-track here," Merlin says, after a while. Stiles turns to see the other couple in a similar position: in an almost-embrace, an intimate moment shared. "Why were you two at each other's throats?"

A third look is shared between Derek and Arthur. Then, Derek says, "It was about what that lady asked us."

"Yeah."

Merlin and Stiles wait for further elaboration, one which doesn't come. Now they share a look, and take a step to move away from their respective embraces. That, apparently, does the trick, and Arthur continues from his monosyllable answer, neither of the men letting Merlin or Stiles leave their personal space in the process.

"She asked us, 'What's the most expensive thing you've ever eaten?' and we told her. We disagreed at each other's answer, though."

"This was done over a trivial question? Derek. What the hell."

"I wonder how bigger your head can grow, Arthur. Really?"

Derek leans in close to him and tells him, in almost his Alpha voice, "My answer was you."

Stiles blinks. Huh? "Huh?" And then, "Oh my god—"

"And I said you," Arthur adds. "Of course, my Merlin is more expensive than your husband."

"I said this, and I'll say this again: Stiles is literally wearing the most expensive set of clothes right now on this side of the coast, he's wearing two diaomond rings, and that's just today's outfit."

Both Derek and Arthur push him and Merlin behind them, and move closer to each other, gearing up for a fight. Again.

"Unappreciated gifts don't count, and my husband is wearing a neckerchief made of the most pure gold, and that's just one of them!"

Stiles and Merlin look at each other.

"I had no idea this suit was that fucking expensive," he tells the man, who is eyeing up his own neckerchief in betrayal.

"You said this was just the color gold!"

"Merlin, we're leaving. Let's go."

"Yes. They can duke it out between themselves, while we enjoy this evening with people who tell us the truth."

They turn around, and start walking back towards the ballroom. Behind them, the fight never occurs. Instead, pounding footsteps follow them, and really, this evening did not go how Stiles had envisioned it to be.

(Lydia tells them a week later that "Derek Hale and Arthur Emrys begging their partners for forgiveness in the charity gala" is still a solid opening hit for a conversation, and Merlin rolls his eyes before his eyes glow gold and his favorite chips appear in his hand.

Because apparently, they're the Merlin and Arthur: Magic itself, and the Once and Future King.

Stiles' own eyes glow a deep purple, and both him and Lydia now have their favorite drinks in their hands.

Meanwhile, Derek's authority and Arthur's ego clash over something else equally trivial in the kitchen. Hopefully their bickering won't get in the way of dinner.

If it does... oh well. A Spark and The Sorcerer can cook something, can't they?

And no, both him and Merlin have decided that in no way, shape, or form, are they telling their husbands that the fact that their arguments occur mostly over being the 'better husband' is adorable. Nope, never, ever.)

[arianna-creates]

nimble, a border collie-papillon mix, wins the 12” class in the 2024 masters agility championship. the first time a mixed breed has won at westminster ever.

[arianna-creates]

“To protect their copyright, streaming sites do not allow for screenshotting of any kind.”

Hey remember VHS where you bought a box to plug into your tv and you could legally record whatever was playing and then own it for free forever