madaboutmerlin

[madaboutmerlin]

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god

[madaboutmerlin]

Your daily dose of cat memes

[madaboutmerlin]

Saw a post like this with negative outlook so I asked for it to be fixed

[madaboutmerlin]

戯けて笑うのは　この道が暗いから 灯りを灯すのに　僕がいるでしょう 

 The reason we joke and laugh is that the road we travel is so dark, and I guess it’s our job to turn on the lights

[madaboutmerlin]

Now you know.

[madaboutmerlin]

Arthur, how do you feel about cats?

[madaboutmerlin]

There is a limit of 10 prompts per person. Other than that, please go wild! Leave your winter, holiday, or New Years prompts! Please take a moment to check our Fest Guidelines before submitting your prompts. There are many different ways to prompt! Feel free to leave any full prompts/scenarios, random words/keywords, picture prompts, song lyrics, etc in the comments! We will compile them and have the prompts available for your inspiration at the time of claiming and signups! Prompting starts NOW and will close on the morning of September 15! Have fun!

[madaboutmerlin]

Sign Ups are now OPEN!

Come along and get your kink on!  Kinkalot sign ups are now OPEN!

What is Kinkalot you ask? 

Kinkalot is an annual porn fest run by and for the BBC Merlin fandom, following in the footsteps of such fabulous forebears as Pornalot and the late, great Summer Pornathon. all ships, kinks, and creative formats welcome – for more information please check our Welcome Post - Kinkalot: The Porn Must Go On and our FAQs.

Sounds like something you would be interested in? Sign Up here!

[madaboutmerlin]

Could you please share the font used in your MerlinWriterMonth gif headers? Thanks in advance ^-^

The font for titles/week names is: Awesome Birds

The font for the subtitles/dates is: Knight’s Quest

Sometimes I stretched them a bit, or altered the spacing between characters to make them fit better.

Hope that helps :D

[madaboutmerlin]

Amnesty Week: Roundup

Hello Merlin fans!

We know that we all have things to do and that because of that, you may not be able to recommend an author’s work for the week it is intended. So because of this, we’re doing a late round up so that even if you were late in joining or recommending something we will all still be able to find it easily and categorized as with all the others. 

Also, if you recommended something late but it’s not in this post, then it means that it is already posted in one of our roundup posts so in order to avoid repetitions we didn’t put it here.

This post will be just as the main one i.e. separeted by ship with a GEN cut if necessary. 

Enjoy! 

Arthur/Merlin

1. Rainfall by pretty_pendragon Lenght: 1,287 Summary: I am going to die, Merlin thought. He did not know where Arthur was, but silently pleaded to who or whatever was listening that Arthur would not pursue him. If he’s even alive, Merlin thought. His heart dropped to his stomach. If these brutes killed Arthur, their destinies ended here, and Albion would never come to be. Please be alive, Merlin pleaded. But don’t come for me.

2. Poetry by Guessimaclotpole Lenght: 5,774 Summary: Sir Leon knows what Poetry really means, but he must keep his knowledge of King Arthur and Merlin’s relationship a secret from them. That is until he can’t keep it a secret any longer.

3. Ashes to the Wind by pinlilli Lenght: 6,579  Summary: Arthur returns to Camelot to find that Merlin has been sentenced to the pyre for his crimes of sorcery.

4. Forget Me Not by Lyss2011 Lenght: 12,518 Summary: Arthur wakes up one day and Merlin’s gone. Vanished without a trace. No one else remembers him; it’s as if he never existed outside Arthur’s mind.

5. Cups and Saucerers by camelittle​ Lenght: 36,992 Summary: It’s 2014. Merlin is disguised as a humble tea-shop owner. He despairs when he discovers that Arthur has already returned and died again. Arthur’s sister Morgan is wrongly imprisoned for his murder. Meanwhile Britain teeters on the brink of catastrophe. Can Merlin devise a time-travel spell to avert Arthur’s death and save his country without causing even more dreadful consequences?

6. The Wrong Trouser-Leg of Time by kathkin  Lenght: 12,166 Summary: For this prompt over at kinkme_merlin. Arthur thinks the space-time continuum is messing with him, but perhaps it's actually making things the way they're meant to be.

7. Needlework by zarathuse Lenght: 18,793 Summary: In which Merlin saves Arthur’s life. Uh. Mostly. Hijinx ensue. (More serious than it sounds, unfortunately.)

8. Gibraltar May Tumble by shesgone  Words: 24,601  Summary: Merlin’s life in London is a bit of a mess: his career is trapped somewhere between student and professional, his love life is trapped in a relationship gone sour, and most days he feels physically trapped in the tiny, shared flat he can’t afford to move out of—until an unexpected opportunity sends him packing for the coast. There, he meets someone who might be in a even worse fix than he is: Arthur, a Victorian-era sea captain who’s trapped, a bit literally, between life and death, and who refuses to leave the house he died in over a hundred years ago.

9. Destiny That Darkly Hides Us by Nympha_Alba  Lenght: 40,487 Summary: 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?

10. Before, After, and In Between by Bellobelle  Length: 10,802  Summary: Merlin finds himself in a strange forest, with no memories of who he is or how he got there. He meets Arthur, and together they must live in this odd, eerie world and try to get home. 

11. the side effects of sobriety by arthur_pendragon Lenght: 100 Summary: Arthur knows Merlin loves him.-- A drabble for the prompt "liquor".

12. The Dragon Rises by Footlose Length: 123,723 Summary: If Into the Badlands met The Once and Future King, this is the story that would be told:Merlin has three strikes against him: he's one of the last surviving members of the grove of Ironwood, he's renowned as the dread sorcerer Emrys, and there's a large reward hanging over his head like Damocles' sword. After decades of running, there's nowhere left to go. His dream of peace -- Ironwood's dream -- seems impossible to achieve until he meets the young son of a thane whose greatest secret is a traitorous desire for more than the tyranny that runs rampant throughout the Kingdoms of Albion.It was disaster that brought the world to this. It's war that will cleanse it of its sins. But it is prophecy that heralds the day when the guardian of the realm can wear his mantle once again, and when the King of Kings will rise to take the throne that is rightly his.

13. Unstoppable Superweapons series (Evil Overlord, Inc.) by Footlose Length: 147,261 Summary:  Merlin is a recent graduate with a double doctorate in metaphysics and physics. Arthur is a low-level paper pusher with a desk in the sub-basement of MI5. They live in a world with ridiculous laws and restrictions against anyone who might be supernatural in any way, shape, or design.Merlin has huge debts looming over this head, a few quid left in his bank account, and no job prospects. Arthur is pushing thirty, in a dead-end job with no chances of promotion to fieldwork agent, and is thoroughly bored with his life.One ill-advised Craigslist advert, five pushy mates, one nosy all-knowing sister, and a hacked email account later, Merlin and Arthur take the world by storm.(Or, more precisely, they take over the world.)

14. A Summer in Delphi by rotrude Length: 85,484 Summary: 1952, after divorcing, Arthur is cut adrift, at a loss, and compelled to face very personal issues for the first time in years. As he struggles to come to terms with himself and his past, he embarks on a journey to Greece. It's a quest that for him becomes synonymous with finding himself. On his journey of acceptance and discovery, he meets Merlin Emrys, a young travel writer who appears to be as open as Arthur's can't be.

15. The Spy Who Came from the Cold by rotrude Length: 42,343 Summary: Man from U.N.C.L.E AU. It's 1962 and the cold war rages. SIS agent Arthur Pendragon is entrusted with a highly sensitive mission, extricating an asset from East Berlin. A KGB operative might just have it as his Moscow-sanctioned objective to stop him.

16. Blank Canvas by rotrude Length: 6,281 Summary: End of the nineteenth century Paris: impecunious artist Merlin meets rich Englishman Arthur Pendragon. Their love goes against family and convention. Based on a kmm prompt and my take on the Moulin Rouge theme.

17. The Change Trilogy by emmbrancsxx0 Lenght: 464,257  Summary:  Merlin has spent thousands of years preparing for Arthur to rise again. With the United Kingdom divided after a world war and mysterious killings happening in London, it seems the time has finally come. But Arthur does not rise alone.

18. Letters to Nemeth by malu_3 (Grainne) Length: 14.047 Summary: Including six transgressive, yet ordinary, love stories, from the Five Kingdoms Era to the present day, linked by Albion’s most treasured epistolary text: Letters to Nemeth, Or, An Epistolary Romance in the Time of Dragons. (Reviewer 3 would disagree with several of the terms herein, but he’ll soon have to recuse himself due to a conflict of interest.)   

19. A thimble of light for an acre of sky by celaenos  Length: 36.268 Summary: Golden, beautiful, charming, pompous Arthur, drawing everyone to him like moths to a flame. She thinks of how he is the only other person in the world who understands what it’s like to be Uther Pendragon’s child, to crave the approval of that looming shadow and want to break free of it in the same breath. She hates him. She hates him. She hates him. It’s only part of the truth, even now.

20. Practically Boyfriends by SlantedKnitting Length: 25,120 Summary: Merlin wants to knit Arthur a sweater for Christmas. Modern AU.

21. Let Us Dare by kianspo Length: 29,511 Summary: Uther dies instead of Ygraine when Arthur is born. Balinor helps Ygraine secure her position as regent, magic isn’t banned, and Merlin and Arthur grow up side by side. Camelot is different but not cloudless, destiny is still a troublesome thing, and Arthur is still charmingly oblivious when it comes to things that matter most in life.

22. Pianos are made for Falling by Fishwrites Length: 103,679 Summary: Arthur is a world class violinist, trapped in Sydney, Australia, by his fear of flying. In the wake of a mediocre concert, vicious critics and with barely a month to go before his next (hopefully reputation-saving) recital, Arthur is almost at breaking point. When his accompanist, Morgana, breaks her wrist in a car accident, Arthur is more or less doomed. And the story begins, when the Maestro at the conservatoire, Gaius Stresemann, recommends his protege Merlin Emrys to step in. Merlin, who plays by ear, as he pleases and really just wants to be a kindergarten teacher.Well. The story really starts six months previously when Arthur passes out drunk outside Merlin's shoe-box apartment.

23. Laundry’s Hard Work by supercalvin Length: 4,049 Summary: Wasn't Merlin supposed to be...tiny? When the hell had he learned to use a sword and not fall on his backside? Where the hell did those scars from? What the hell? or Arthur still thinks Merlin is the young boy he met ten years ago and he starts to notice things in his manservant that he wasn't aware had changed at all.

24. Dying to Return by StormDancer Length: 19,869 Summary: When they try to hang him, he floats.*They put him on the pyre at dawn.He doesn’t burn.

Arthur/Gwaine/Merlin

1. It’s the End of the World (As We Know It) by schweet_heart Lenght: 994 Summary: Arthur is travelling north when he meets Merlin, looking small and battered by the side of the road.

Morgana/Nimueh

1. The Line Dividing by Woldy Lenght: 1,793 Summary: Morgana dreams of a woman in the darkness.

Arthur/Mordred

1. We were only playing by Roobs_teacup Lenght: 8,408 Summary: Basically Arthur’s afraid of water and it comes out in a dramatic way when he goes on holiday with his boyfriend for the first time and meets a whole lot of people.

GEN

1. The Game of Lying by CastleScribe Lenght: 7,264 Summary: It's just Merlin's luck to get trapped in a castle with the knights and a crazy fae who wants to see how well he can lie. Fortunately, he's very good at lying. Unfortunately, the fae isn't too pleased about that.The knights are going to have a lot of questions if they live through this.

2. Old Acquaitances by CastleScribe  Lenght: 4,391 Summary: Next time Merlin said he needed to be elsewhere, Arthur vowed to listen to him. If he had, maybe there wouldn't be a foreign king with five broken fingers and a broken wrist in the council chambers.

[madaboutmerlin]

MerlinWriterMonth2018

WEEK 4 - ALL-TIME FAVES

I’m late, as usual Sorry, @madaboutmerlin

Well, I read A LOT, so… Some of these are fandom classics, some I even printed, some I may have not included because my memory has failed me but it doesn’t mean they don’t hold a place in my heart. 

Well then, shall we?

Keep reading

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Month: Round Up

Hello Merlin fans!

Wow, we’re at the end of the line and you really delivered for this week’s theme. Thank you to all of you that participated and we hope you (once again) found something new and interesting to read. 

Also, if the fic has a “*” beside it, it means that you will need to logged in to AO3 to read it. 

And without further ado, here’s the round up for “All Time Faves”!

Arthur/Merlin

1. Frayed by Pelydryn Lenght: 152.1k Summary: After learning that Arthur plans to make Gwen his Queen, Morgana devises a scheme to poison their relationship. However, a serious miscalculation leaves Merlin—and the future of Albion—in jeopardy. An AU of 4x09 in which no shades are summoned and soulmates are real.

2. There Are No Gays In Football by Malu_3 (Grainne) Lenght: 212,919 Summary: When a deeply-closeted Arthur Pendragon finally earns a spot in Camelot’s first XI, he’s dead set on breaking records, not one of sport’s last taboos. But life, like football, is a funny old game, and sometimes the only way up is out. Especially once he realises he’s arse over tit for the new physio. A queer Arthurian tale of courage, love, and football.

3. secrets i have held in my heart by arthur_pendragon Lenght: 20,004 Summary: Merlin carves himself into Arthur’s soul while the song of summer trails behind them in the sultry air; while the trees haggle with the sun over the price of autumn — separation. Arthur will forever remember this week in which he obtained his heart’s desire and had it ripped away from him.

4. turn the white snow red by schweet_heart Lenght: 7,283 Summary: There are tears on his cheeks by the time he’s finished, but he wipes them away without acknowledgement. Pointless to cry over what must be done. Pointless to waste his tears on a sorcerer.

5. wintercearig by schweet_heart Lenght: 16,156 Summary: Rise of the Guardians fusion/AU. Arthur always wears at least three layers in the winter, and he sleeps with an electric blanket and the heating on from late autumn until the middle of spring. Of those who know him, Morgana is the only one who notices, but she knows better than to say anything. If asked, Arthur will only claim it’s because he feels the cold more than most people.It’s not even really a lie.

6. Bringing On The Great by Detochkina Lenght: 18,153 Summary:  Arthur Pendragon has been on the fast track to Olympic success since childhood, fellow teammate and rival Merlin Emrys keeping Arthur on his toes. Between dueling fathers, doting mothers, and a media frenzy—there’s no room for error in Rio, let alone a romantic relationship. But when Merlin tries to confide to Arthur a secret, one linked to their shared pasts, Arthur needs to decide if his history with Merlin is worth more than gold.

7. When I Close My Eyes by samyazaz Length: 11,032 Summary: Gwaine’s parties are the stuff of legend, if his own bragging is to be believed. He holds them every month or so, and he’s been trying since freshman year to get Merlin to come to one of them. “C'mon,” he always says, wheedling. “You don’t know what you’re missing. It’s not like you’re going to be doing anything, anyway."Gwaine thinks anything less than full-blown partying is "not doing anything”, and Merlin long ago gave up the fight to convince him that an evening spent in his room with a challenging essay or a good book is actually an enjoyable way to pass the time for him, and not grounds for pity. Merlin’s never going to win that battle, and he knows it.Usually, he shrugs Gwaine off. He’s heard rumors about what goes on at Gwaine’s parties, and mostly, it sounds like what goes on is orgies. Definitely not Merlin’s scene.

8. When Morning Comes by Starlingthefool Lenght: 9,248 Summary: If life were fair, anyone who managed to survive the apocalypse would be given a fuzzy blanket, some tea, and a nice bed to hide under and weep.Life is not fair, obviously, and there’s no actual end to the end of the world. Instead, there’s grief and pain and mud and death, there are minor miracles, and there’s the love that gets you out of bed in the morning, despite everything. Life goes on.

9. Kept Awake with Wolves Teeth by InkandOwl Lenght: 12,787 Summary:  Merlin and Arthur have one of those friendships where they’re just so comfortable with each other they see no problem in sleeping in the same bed together.

10. An Exchange of Favours (aka The One Where Arthur Gets his Dick Stuck in a Door) by SPowell Lenght: 9,030 Summary: When Merlin gets a stranger out of a jam, he asks him to pretend to be his boyfriend for the night in order to make his ex jealous.

11. Drawn To Any Good (Or, The Education of Lord Arthur Pendragon) by chibirhm Lenght: ~60,000 Summary: In which Lord Arthur Pendragon loses everything and gains a magician.

12. In Love With My Radio by lunchee Length: 27,668 Summary: Merlin listens to the radio, Arthur stalks Merlin, Morgana lives to create chaos in Arthur’s life, and then everyone goes to McDonalds! Also love happens.

13. Nine Weddings and a Funeral by giselleslash Length: 11,322 Summary: Merlin and Arthur keep meeting at a series of weddings.

14. The World I Built for You by Fulgance Length: 32,258 Summary: If I told you to execute Mordred, would you do it? Merlin wondered, losing himself in the blue of Arthur’s eyes. Can I save you like this, even if it damns me?

15. And like the cycle of the year, we begin again by katherynefromphilly Words: 209,983 Summary: For many long years Merlin waited. For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end. Until one day, suddenly, it did. ————– Set after the Merlin Series 5 Finale “Diamond of the Day”. Canon Compliant. In Character. Arthur Pendragon Returns When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must quickly learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him in this journey, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and to conquer his fear of losing him again. Story includes sass, banter, horseplay, and True Love.

16. Stepping up By fitty_fifty Length: 48,272 Summary: Arthur is a closeted Olympic snowboarder who has only just started to come out to his close friends and family. To the rest of the world, he’s Arthur Pendragon, Team GB’s Golden Boy and best hope of getting a gold medal in the Olympics after coming home with the silver in Sochi (and fuck wasn’t that an experience, worrying about being outed in homophobic-central Russia. To be honest, Arthur feels guilty he even attended those games). The pressure on Arthur is immense, but as long as he can keep his head down and get on with things, he’ll be fine. Cue Merlin Emrys, a newcomer to Team GB and up-and-coming figure skater who is determined to make his mark on the scene. And he’s fucking hot.

17. Where I’m Meant To Be by mischiefxmanager​ Lenght: 41,403 Summary: The silhouette is backlit from the headlights on the Mini Cooper and he’s maybe hit his head harder than he thought because it almost looks like… “Merlin?” And Merlin feels as though his heart is exploding in his chest because that voice and his real name and as he looks up…the golden hair reflected in the light from the car. Arthur Pendragon is standing, completely starkers, in the middle of the road leading up to Lake Avalon.

18. The Sidewalks of New York by emmbrancsxx0 Lenght: 161,191 Summary:  New York City, 1925. Jazz, flappers, parties, and violence. In the midst of Prohibition, crime boss Arthur Pendragon and his gang, the Knights of the Round Table, arrive from London to open a speakeasy in Chelsea. Fearing they’ll lose their hold on Manhattan’s West Side, the Black Kings send Merlin Emrys to spy on the Knights. The two gangs quickly become rivals, and there is no place for love in war.

19. True North by Kroki_Refur * Lenght: 6,752 Summary: Arthur is given a compass that is unable to tell north from south, but always points him to where Merlin is.

20. The Reincarnation Situation by orphan_account Lenght: 16,591 Summary: My series finale gift to the Merlin fandom. Reincarnation. Merlin and Arthur only remember their past lives for one night a year - New Year’s Eve. This is a quick tour (and it’s not cracky like the title suggests, I swear). Merlin still thinks that perhaps the dragon was right and one day Arthur will return as a king destined to save the people of Albion, but that day has not yet come. Arthur has not missed a single moment of life since Merlin laid him to rest in the waters of Avalon but the lives he has lived have not been for his people or for the greater good, they have been just for Merlin.

21. Tulips Are Better; Dragons Are Best by sweetiejelly Lenght: 58,627 Summary: Arthur loses a bet with Morgana and ends up on The Bachelor. As he identifies as bisexual, the pool of candidates is quite diverse and includes one Merlin Emrys, his ex. Arthur thinks it’s fate. Merlin thinks it’s bollocks. Thus begins (again) their courtship.

22. You bring music to my silent world by Balthamos Lenght: 49,818 Summary:  Arthur and Merlin are thrown together as children when Merlin’s mother moves into the Pendragon Manor as the new housekeeper, bringing her deaf son Merlin with her. Arthur is a loud and obnoxious child, whereas Merlin is quiet but not as shy as everyone thinks. The two children become fast friends, but as they grow up together things begin to change, due to the pressure of wanting to be normal, and the growing lack of communication between the pair. Growing up is never easy and the graceful friendship they had as children gets lost as they reach their teenage years, but through their difficulties they develop a deeper, stronger relationship, one far more permanent.

23. Where the Hurt Is by undersomestairs Lenght: 12,349 Summary: For this Kink Me! Merlin prompt: They were childhood/teenage sweethearts but Arthur’s family moved away (because Uther detested Merlin but Arthur doesn’t know this) and they promise to write. After Uther’s death Arthur finds all the letters from Merlin he never received. All the time he thought Merlin had forgotten him. Arthur seeks him out.  

24. License to Thrill by lady_ragnell Lenght: 14,174 Summary:  Merlin’s employees bet him the recipe for the most addictive cocoa in the world that he can’t find out what the hot blond who comes into his chocolate shop does for a living within the month. He ends up getting far more than he bargained for.

25. Remember, Remember by winterstorrm Lenght: 16,480 Summary: Prince Arthur gives up the person he loves to do his duty, but Merlin’s impossible to forget.

26. Mr. & Mr. Smith Series by Detochkina * Lenght: 101,837 Summary: Merlin Emrys is used to living life on the go. As an agent for the Agency of Magic, Merlin’s days are consumed by travel, exotic locations, and battling a faceless rival – an officer from the competing Bureau of Corrections, who is always hot on his heels and ready to one-up him. When Merlin is sent on a mission to Las Vegas to secure a powerful artifact, he allows himself one night off. Just one, because he bloody deserves it. Drinks and foreplay lead to a bet with a hot financial advisor he just met. Merlin ends up as a newlywed. Oops.

27. So Are They All, All Honourable Men by seperis Lenght: 18,199 Summary: Considering Arthur’s future wife will be chosen less for compatibility than for her political value, Merlin may be the only marriage he’ll have that won’t end in bloodshed or a great deal of fortifying wine.

28. Oscilliate Wildly by suntipped Lenght: 11,246 Summary: Fucking Arthur, he thinks, pushing his head against the seat. It’s not so much that he’s breaking promises left and right by bringing up that thing between them in public again; it’s just his ever-irritating sense of entitlement. It’s Arthur being a prick and thinking he can go around doing anything he wants sometimes, because obviously, obviously the entire world exists only to amuse him.

29. These Feathered Breaths (a Handfasting remix) by Emjayelle Lenght: 3,580 Summary: There was at least a dozen reasons why Arthur, Prince of Wales, couldn’t marry Merlin, bird-whisperer, but it didn’t stop him from thinking it was the best idea in the world.

30. We Pull These Jobs To Make A Little Money (No One Gets Hurt If They Don’t Act Funny) by leashy_babes Lenght: 48,918 Summary: Arthur and his friends have been making their money this way for years. It’s all they know and they’re good enough to get away with it. Merlin grudgingly works in a bank, wishing his days away. Their worlds collide and everything changes.AKA: Bank robbers of the round table.

31. We Are All Diamonds By Footloose Lenght: 134,304 Summary: As the precocious heir of a diamond magnate and a famous designer, Arthur lived his entire life sheltered, protected, nurtured and spoiled.  He always knew that he would have to step out from behind the scenes and into the limelight to run the family business some day, but he never expected that it would happen so soon or that he would encounter resistance from a board of directors who believe that his disability makes him unfit to lead. Merlin has stood on every stage in every city in the world, performing to critical acclaim, but after years of globetrotting, he’s well and truly burnt out.  He didn’t quit – he ran away from stardom, dropping to obscurity in the blink of an eye, forgotten, just another face in the crowd.  He’s aimless and without purpose until a friend asks him to fill in on a job. Neither Arthur nor Merlin are looking for salvation.  They don’t think there’s any for them, that things are just too rotten, too far gone.  But in the end, Arthur’s quiet strength will be a balm to Merlin’s broken soul, and it will be in Merlin’s steadfast faith that Arthur finds courage.

32. London Skyline By Caledonia Length: 159,924  Summary:Young wizard Merlin must move from Scotland to London after the death of his mother. He gets a job with family friend Gaius working at Buckingham Palace where he begins to discover secrets about his family and his destiny. Oh, he also meets Prince Arthur which sort of complicates things. Prince Arthur is fine. He enjoys reading and football and spending time with friends. He runs a lot. He’ll be King one day but whatever. He’s fine. Well, apart from his father trying to set him up with every magic user in the world, but he’s fine, really. Just fine… Until that skinny, dark-haired, stupidly attractive Scottish boy shows up and throws a whole bucket load of spanners in the works. Set in an alternate present where magic is common but still illegal in many countries.

33. Something Unpredictable by alby_mangroves Length: 38,957  Summary: Arthur’s treehouse was the same as Merlin remembered it, all of it was. Maybe a little smaller, but then everything was, now. And then there was Arthur himself; and it wasn’t so much that a lot had changed about him, not really, it was only that everything had lengthened and broadened and become more.

34. Twitch Your Whisker And Pull My Tail by BlueSimplicity Lenght: 61,558  Summary: This is the story of Arthur, a vet who has recently moved to Ealdor to get a new lease on life, and Merlin, the local animal lover who becomes Arthur’s favourite client. Warning - This story includes a drunk bunny, sad little guinea pig, ninja kitties and an evil chicken. Symptoms may include blushes, fluffy tails and twitching eyebrows. This is also the story of Arthur and his love for his mother, as he tries to find his place in the world and someone to love him as he is. But mostly, it’s about the eyebrow twitching. Just ask Arthur.

35. Master and... By Shadowglove88 Lenght: 463,591 Summary: This is a collection of ten works, which focus on an AU where Merlin is Court Sorcerer of Mercia, who are in battle with Camelot. Merlin is rewarded with a slave to have his way with, that slave being none other than Arthur.

35. Kingdom Under Siege by furloughday  Length: 5400 words As we know, Ealdor is under King Cendred's rule. Because of this, Merlin must take a grueling test to become a citizen of Albion. In which Merlin is an illegal alien, Uther is a xenophobe, Gaius is peripherally avuncular, and Sir Leon is asked for his opinion and finally allowed to give it.

Arthur/Gwen

1. Assembly Required by nobleanchor Length: 2,912 Summary: While awaiting an important call, Arthur and Gwen put their relationship to the test in the land of Swedish meatballs and tiny pencils. Written (late, per usual) for the Round Table Minutes June “Celebration” prompt.

2. Some Battles We Win by faeriefantasy​ Length: 8,360 Summary:  Summary: Merlin finds a way to heal a mortally wounded Arthur with extra added benefits. Written for Merlin Anniversary Fest 2018

3. The Queen by sneetchstar​ Length: 102,847 Summary: Canon divergence/speculation fic picking up where season 4 ends.

4. Unforeseen Circumstances by rubberglue​ Length: 25,557 Summary: The kingdoms of Albion are threatened by war and Acirith seeks out the strongest kingdom, Camelot for aid. Unfortunately, aid doesn’t come free and both Guinevere, the princess of Acirith and Arthur, the crown prince of Camelot pay the price. With war and betrayal in the background, they find themselves on an unplanned and unwanted journey in search of love and happiness.

5. you carried the sun in your hand for me by rubberglue​ Length: 43,091 Summary: In the aftermath of Camlann, Guinevere, ruling alone for the first time, finds herself having to deal with a council who mistrusts her and neighbouring kingdoms who think that she’s a pushover without Arthur. When Arthur turns up alive in a small village, Gwen’s hopes are raised and she dreams of things going back to the way they were, but nothing is easy. There’s conflict brewing, higher powers angry and the growing awareness that without his memories, Arthur may not be the Arthur she married.

6. Pirate & Prejudice by rubberglue​ Lenght: 104,422 Summary: Captain Guinevere pirates the Albion seas with her crew, magic user Merlin, gunner Elena and first officer Percy. Life is good until they board a royal Camelot ship captained by the Crown Prince of Camelot, a recently disgraced Arthur Pendragon. Seeking revenge, Guinevere kidnaps the prince. Desire flares between almost immediately even as they stand on different sides but soon it isn’t just their attraction that they have to battle. A mysterious enemy is bent on reinstating the Old Religion to Albion by any means necessary and Guinevere is forced to decide which side to take in this looming war and what this would mean for her, for Merlin and for Arthur.

7. Little Girl Lost by scarlettpeony​ Lenght: 19,398 Summary:  At the christening of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere’s daughter, Morgana blissfully declares that the child will be dead by the end of the week. Merlin must seek help from an unlikely source in order to prevent this from coming true. But is every ‘death’ final, or merely the passage to a new life?

8. Denial by scarlettpeony​ Length: 3,749 Summary: Gwen discovers she is pregnant and is forced to explore methods of dealing with the situation.

9. Reliving Days Gone by scarlettpeony​ Lenght: 28,874 Summary:  Merlin from thirteen years into the future must stop a dreaded witch. Under the guise of ‘Emrys’ the older Merlin must work with Arthur, Gwen and his younger self to stop the murderous witch and protect the future.

10. The Moment I Saw You by sneetchstar​ Length: 62,777 Summary:  “Hi, I’m Arthur. Will you marry me?”

11.  Books & Their Covers by sneetchstar​ Length: 180,251 Summary: A 1970s Merlin AU. Arthur and the knights are punks, but they’re still knights.

12.  Fire by sneetchstar Length: 158,962 Summary:  Firefighter Arthur meets librarian Guinevere and there are more than sparks between them.

13. Dreams of a Queen by sneetchstar Length: 41,800 Summary: Post-season 5 Arwen fic, following Queen Guinevere as she rules Camelot after Arthur’s death.

14.  Flight by sneetchstar Length: 78,145 Summary:  AU 3x10, where Arthur and Gwen really do leave Camelot, bringing Merlin with them. Originally a mini-fic chapter in “Songs to Dance.”

15.  The Difference Between Poetry & Rhetoric by eurydice72 Length: 64,863 Summary: Written for the kinkme_merlin prompt: Arthur/Gwen, Modern AU. Geeky Gwen with glasses is attracted to the very cute popular boy Arthur, but knows that nothing could happen between them. When Gwen’s Dad is dying Arthur helps her and romance (and friendship) blooms even during her grief. Bonus points if Arthur is secretly geeky in his own way.

16.  The Pursuit of Happiness by sneetchstar Length: 151,709 Summary: 1960s AU, Arthur and Gwen slowly find their way to each other in the middle of the Civil Rights movement.

17. Bedevil Me So by eurydice72 Length: 6,614 Summary: Set immediately after 2x04, “Lancelot and Guinevere.” Seeing Gwen with another man rouses Arthur’s possessive inclinations.

18. Keeping it Casual by perhapsagirl Length: ~ Summary:  Gwen is Arthur’s 18th birthday present.

19. What Arthur Saw by cupcaked Length: 7,350 Summary: “Arthur should have known this by now. He couldn’t put himself in a situation where he was alone with Gwen. Not anymore. It didn’t work anymore.”

Gwaine/Merlin

1. A Fistful of Infinity and Starlight by junkshopdisco Words: 63,191 Summary:  Uther’s insane, Morgana’s plotting a new assault on Camelot, and Arthur and his knights are clueless but supposedly in charge. In the midst of it, Gwaine finds himself harbouring feelings for a man who apparently has a destiny, and learns something new about magic: it doesn’t play fair, and serving it shakes everything you hold dear – whether you’re a sorcerer or not.

2. Five Slices of Life by Wildcard Words: 1,541 Summary: Or 5 chocolates from a chocolate box sampler! All set within the same reincarnated modern AU as my other fic for enviropony - basically 5 drabbles that belong within that verse and fill prompts that were listed in the letter.

3. Have You Ever Seen The Rain by AkakoDukes Words: 1,052 Summary: "Of course he would have been here, hidden amongst the grass…“ Merlin goes looking for Gwaine. Shameless fluff.

4. Real Men Don’t Wear Girdles by HalfFizzbin Words: 12,730 Summary: If Gawain and the Green Knight took place in the Merlin universe, it might have been a tiny bit different—because there’s no way Merlin would let Gwaine traipse off on his own to get his head chopped off. Includes attempted alliterative verse, bawdy songs, evil deer, made-up spells, clichés, and a truly insane amount of fluffiness.

5. Along a Wandering Wind by Hope Words: 63,401 Summary: Just when Gwaine finds a reason to end his roaming, he must leave Camelot again, this time on royal orders. Whether and how he returns may depend on the secrets Merlin—and others—are keeping from him. (A romance of letters, intrigue and knightly apprenticeship, set post-S3.)

6. Hello, Sweetheart by ViridianJane Words: 44,182 Summary: Gwaine and Merlin have been dancing around their feelings for years; Merlin too focused on trying to thwart destiny, and Gwaine holding back in fear of losing what they already have. But the battle at Camlann comes too close to taking everything from them. It’s a second chance for all of them, and Gwaine confronts Merlin about magic, love, loyalty, and (surprisingly) dragons. But the fight for peace is not over yet: Arthur has yet to change the laws on magic, and his ignorance and hypocrisy provokes a group of rogue druids into taking action. They’ve placed a curse on the land, and Merlin is the one suffering the consequences. Thus ensues a quest: Arthur, Gwaine, Merlin and Aithusa travel to four locations with close ties to magic in order to break the curse, and on the way, Arthur begins to right his wrongs and finally takes the time to listen to what Merlin has to say.

GEN

1. The Water Witch and the Black Dogs by Tippe Words: 65,320 Summary: A little tale of evil hags, black dogs, missing princes and estranged siblings, not necessarily in that order. When Gwaine accompanies Arthur, Merlin and the knights on a diplomatic mission to Mercia, he becomes an unwitting participant in a power struggle for Bayard’s throne.

Authors:

1. astolat 2. derryere 3. janne_d 4. thehoyden 5. cherrybina 6. riventhorn 7. wangler 8. glim 9. waldorph 10. rageprufrock 11. alby_mangroves 12. Capriccio 13. ladililn 14. versaphile 15. Footloose 16. Mizufae 17. psmithery 18. daroh (yesimafan) 19. Nympha_Alba 20. lunchee 21. pinlilli 22. claudine 23. flammablehat 24. triste 25. pushdragon 26. itachitachi 27. rane_ab 28. teprometo 29. thalialunacy 30. vensre 31. scribblemoose 32. venivincere 33. julie 34. PlaneJane 35. giselleslash 36. writeonclara 37. themadlurker 38. ingberry 39. nu_breed 40. lyonet 41. Grainne (penaltykeks) 42. furloughday 43. winterhill 44. tourdefierce 45. longleggedgit 46. Moorishflower 47. Amber 48. RurouniHime 49. novemberlite 50. kickflaw 51. schweet-writes 52. takadainmate 53. s_k 54. i_claudia 55. Tierfal 56. ras_elased 57. lynnmonster 58. oxoniensis 59. Lisztful 60. Shinybug 61. tetsubinatu 62. aeroport_art 63. seperis 64. syllic (singingkingoftheroad) 65. magog83 66. adelagia (mmmpointy) 67. new_kate 68. lady_ragnell (theladyragnell) 69. greymantledlady (greymantledlady) 70. ella_bane 71. bloodsongs 72. unpossible 73. veronamay 74. marguerite_26 75. derryday 76. Mellacita 77. myashke 78. dsudis 79. StormDancer (hurricanedancer) 80. Thursday_Next 81. Destina 82. corilannam 83. mpoetess 84. Hisa_Ai (hisa-ai) 85. alicephantomwise 86. cassisluna 87. suntipped 88. Clea2011 89. iamcaledonia 90. platonic_boner (vegan-hermione) 91. shes_gone 92. SPowell 93. sassafrasx 94. kianspo 95. Loz 96. brbsoulnomming 97. verdantmoth 98. enjambament 99. theyneeddrying 100. deanpendragon 101. Magnolia822 102. halfhardtorock 103. FayJay 104. samyazaz 105. SlantedKnitting 106. fuzzytomato (asocialfauxpas) 107. Brief_and_Dreamy 108. Starlingthefool 109.  tymedfire 110.  linaerys

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Month - All Time Faves.

Okay, so I’ll do my final post of the week for four more of my favourite fics.

London Skyline by Caledonia

Mature | 159,924 | Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Summary: 

Young wizard Merlin must move from Scotland to London after the death of his mother. He gets a job with family friend Gaius working at Buckingham Palace where he begins to discover secrets about his family and his destiny. Oh, he also meets Prince Arthur which sort of complicates things.

Prince Arthur is fine. He enjoys reading and football and spending time with friends. He runs a lot. He’ll be King one day but whatever. He’s fine. Well, apart from his father trying to set him up with every magic user in the world, but he’s fine, really. Just fine… Until that skinny, dark-haired, stupidly attractive Scottish boy shows up and throws a whole bucket load of spanners in the works.

Set in an alternate present where magic is common but still illegal in many countries. 

Comments: This fic right here quite literally ruined me. In my early fic reading days, this was the first long slow burn that I read, and by slow burn I mean fucking pining everywhere and my head actually smashing against my laptop screen with pure longing. 

@iamcaledonia is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to writing and I will always aspire to write as well as her. I may have never said it before, but Caledonia was my first ever Tumblr friend to invite me into the fandom with open arms, and she never once mentioned this fic to me. I had to find it of my own accord. She is also the inspiration behind my own longfic, and so it is only right to devote an entry for Merlin Writer Month to her. 

Something Unpredictable by alby_mangroves

Explicit | 38,957 | Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Summary: 

Arthur’s treehouse was the same as Merlin remembered it, all of it was. Maybe a little smaller, but then everything was, now.

And then there was Arthur himself; and it wasn’t so much that a lot had changed about him, not really, it was only that everything had lengthened and broadened and become more.

Comments: I’m not sure where to start regarding describing this fic here, other than that it is absolute perfection. Yes, it’s porn; but it is written in such a beautiful manner and the plot itself is lovely. There’s a touch of angst and a fluffy ending, and what isn’t to love? The description in this is unbelievable and the attention to detail in the writing is incomparable to anything else I’ve ever read.

This fic is well worth everyone’s time, and the art is also fantastic.

Twitch Your Whiskers and Pull My Tail by BlueSimplicity

Explicit | 61,558 | Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Summary: 

This is the story of Arthur, a vet who has recently moved to Ealdor to get a new lease on life, and Merlin, the local animal lover who becomes Arthur’s favourite client.

Warning - This story includes a drunk bunny, sad little guinea pig, ninja kitties and an evil chicken. Symptoms may include blushes, fluffy tails and twitching eyebrows.

This is also the story of Arthur and his love for his mother, as he tries to find his place in the world and someone to love him as he is.

But mostly, it’s about the eyebrow twitching. Just ask Arthur.

Comments: Okay I only just recently read this in like the past week but it has made it’s way to the top of my all time faves list no questions asked.

This story has everything. Humour, Pining, Fluff, Sex, Angst, Heartbreak, the lot. It’s a beautiful story and the characters are very true to the show (even though it’s modern era). Arthur is a vet and Merlin is an animal lover and this story should be turned into a damn film. 

Also worth mentioning that this is the only story to ever make me cry to the point of actual hysteria. Proper deep, harrowing, emotional crying.

Master And … Series by shadowglove88

Explicit | 463,591 | Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

This is a collection of ten works, which focus on an AU where Merlin is Court Sorcerer of Mercia, who are in battle with Camelot. Merlin is rewarded with a slave to have his way with, that slave being none other than Arthur. 

Comments: I am literally one chapter away from finishing this entire series and I have been following it since it started being re-published on AO3. This story is so incredibly complex that I can’t even figure out how shadowglove88 managed to even create it. This is an entirely new AU and the story is incredibly original. There is lots of backstory and emotion, as well as sex and passion, and there’s a lot of angst too. It’s a perfect series and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Month: Week 4

All Time Faves Week!

We Are All Diamonds by Footloose

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon | Explicit | 134,304

As the precocious heir of a diamond magnate and a famous designer, Arthur lived his entire life sheltered, protected, nurtured and spoiled.  He always knew that he would have to step out from behind the scenes and into the limelight to run the family business some day, but he never expected that it would happen so soon or that he would encounter resistance from a board of directors who believe that his disability makes him unfit to lead.

Merlin has stood on every stage in every city in the world, performing to critical acclaim, but after years of globetrotting, he’s well and truly burnt out.  He didn’t quit – he ran away from stardom, dropping to obscurity in the blink of an eye, forgotten, just another face in the crowd.  He’s aimless and without purpose until a friend asks him to fill in on a job.

Neither Arthur nor Merlin are looking for salvation.  They don’t think there’s any for them, that things are just too rotten, too far gone.  But in the end, Arthur’s quiet strength will be a balm to Merlin’s broken soul, and it will be in Merlin’s steadfast faith that Arthur finds courage.

Comments:

Okay, so this fic really warmed my little stone heart. I have a weakspot for Arthur in this particular fic and the entire plot is incredible. The detail and the research that must have went into this absolutely astounds me and this is, quite frankly, absolutely incredible.

You bring the music to my silent world by balthamos

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon | Mature | 49,818

Arthur and Merlin are thrown together as children when Merlin’s mother moves into the Pendragon Manor as the new housekeeper, bringing her deaf son Merlin with her. Arthur is a loud and obnoxious child, whereas Merlin is quiet but not as shy as everyone thinks. The two children become fast friends, but as they grow up together things begin to change, due to the pressure of wanting to be normal, and the growing lack of communication between the pair. Growing up is never easy and the graceful friendship they had as children gets lost as they reach their teenage years, but through their difficulties they develop a deeper, stronger relationship, one far more permanent.

Comments:

Okay, what got me about this was initially was kid!Arthur and kid!Merlin. Arthur and Merlin’s relationship is absolutely beautiful and watching them grow together in this fic is incredibly moving.

These two fics are my favourite deaf character fics ever and they are absolutely fantastic.

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Month: Faves Week

So, I’ve been really looking forward to this week and I have a ton of recommendations. Hope I provide you with something new and that you enjoy it! This are in no particular order, they are just works that I love in equal measure for different reasons and that I feel everyone should read because they are amazing. Also, this is going to be long, so sorry (but not really) about that, so you’ll find everything after the cut.

Also, if the fic has a “*” beside it, it means it is a restricted work on AO3, so you’ll need to be logged in to read it.

Keep reading

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Appreciation Month 2018: All Time Faves

Where I’m Meant To Be by @mischiefxmanager​

Relationship: Merlin/Arthur

Rating: E

Summary:

The silhouette is backlit from the headlights on the Mini Cooper and he’s maybe hit his head harder than he thought because it almost looks like…

“Merlin?”

And Merlin feels as though his heart is exploding in his chest because that voice and his real name and as he looks up…the golden hair reflected in the light from the car.

Arthur Pendragon is standing, completely starkers, in the middle of the road leading up to Lake Avalon.

Words: 41403

Comment: Every single word in this beautiful fic is heartwarming and fills you with love for those two. I mean – there is NO angst in this. None. ZERO. And there is ALLLLLL the fluff and humour and Arthur getting used to modern things and getting addicted to Harry Potter and Merlin just loving Arthur so fucking muchhhhhh and also being a Harry Potter addict himself and ugh this fic. Thisssss fic. You have to read it. You do. You know you do.

[madaboutmerlin]

Merlin Writer Month: Week 4

ALL TIME FAVES WEEK

My second post for this weeks theme will be dedicated to the two completed fics which welcomed me to the world of Merlin fan fiction. I had watched bits of the show years ago and knew what it was about etc, but when I rewatched it in June, I fell hard in love with it.

Off I strolled onto AO3 where I decided to explore the Merlin TV fics and these two fics made me fall in love with the Fandom, and in turn they are the reason I made an AO3 account at all.

And like the cycle of the year, we begin again by katherynefromphilly

Words: 209,983 | Rating: Mature | Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Summary:

For many long years Merlin waited.

For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end.

Until one day, suddenly, it did.

————–

Set after the Merlin Series 5 Finale “Diamond of the Day”.

Canon Compliant. In Character. Arthur Pendragon Returns

When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must quickly learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him in this journey, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and to conquer his fear of losing him again.

Story includes sass, banter, horseplay, and True Love.

Comments: The best fix-it fic you could ever ask for. As well as being totally Canon Compliant, the addition of original characters really makes this fic what it is. Merlin and Arthur are not the only main characters, and this fic is so realistic and well planned and it contains so much detail that it blew me away.

If it isn’t something you have read, you should do. I have a top 10 fave fics list and this is up there.

Stepping Up by fifty_fifty

Words: 48,272 | Rating: Explicit | Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Summary:

Arthur is a closeted Olympic snowboarder who has only just started to come out to his close friends and family. To the rest of the world, he’s Arthur Pendragon, Team GB’s Golden Boy and best hope of getting a gold medal in the Olympics after coming home with the silver in Sochi (and fuck wasn’t that an experience, worrying about being outed in homophobic-central Russia. To be honest, Arthur feels guilty he even attended those games).

The pressure on Arthur is immense, but as long as he can keep his head down and get on with things, he’ll be fine. Cue Merlin Emrys, a newcomer to Team GB and up-and-coming figure skater who is determined to make his mark on the scene. And he’s fucking hot.

Comments: As well as being the most perfect Olympic AU to ever grace my life, Stepping Up has the best amount of everything. There is a great deal of pining and the fucking roommates trope is right there reminding me that I am trash for tropes and for Merthur and this is the best combination of those things.

The detail is unbelievable, and the knowledge of the actual Olympics seems to also be very good. It’s easy to picture everything in this fic and it’s so realistic and true to the characters that it hurts (but in a good way).

Arthur is a Snowboarder, Merlin is a figure skater with Gwen.. Lancelot has a beautiful accent… What more could you want??