#THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE ; ( GUINEVERE // IN CHARACTER )

[agnerd-bot]

"King" Mordred Alter, False Ascendant to the Throne(Avenger)

Ascension Stages:

First Stage: Mordred Alter is noticeably older than their Proper Human History or Dream World counterparts, wearing armor similar to that of the Goddess Rhongomyniad, albeit with Mordred’s own helmet in place of the Lion Kings. Perhaps most noticeable is the fact that this Mordred wields both Excalibur and Clarent simultaneously.

Second Stage: Mordred’s armor now gains a deep red cape that goes down to their knees. Excalibur and Clarent now seem to have dulled, with small hairline fractures noticeable along their blades. The helmet has been removed, revealing a weary smile on their face and a gold and silver crown upon their brow.

Final Stage: Excalibur and Clarent are swapped out for Carnwennan, the white-hilted knife gleaming with magical energy. Mordred’s cape has been torn to shreds as a sinister aura surrounds them. Blood stains their shining armor as they bear a maddened smile on their face.

Theme:

Fatal Battle Theme: The Death Of God's Will (Full Mix + Voice Lines)

Traits:

Class: Avenger Alternate Class: Berserker, Caster, Saber, Assassin True Name: Mordred Pendragon(Alter)/King Mordred Source: Arturian Legend Region: Wales Alignment: Chaotic Evil Attribute: Earth

Known as: The King Who Was Never Meant to Be, Usurper King of Knights, Vile King of Camelot, The Bastard Who Defied Fate

Voice Actress: Sawashiro Miyuki

Deck: QAABB

Parameters: Strength: A Endurance: B+ Agility: B+ Mana: A++ Luck: E NP: A-

Passive Skills:

Magic Resistance A++:

Mordred’s already impressively high Magic Resistance has been bolstered even further due to the magecraft they have learned from Morgan Le Fay, allowing them to deconstruct enemy spells with ease. For the magic that they can’t handle on their own, Mordred has the Holy Dagger Carnwennan to nullify any magical harm taken.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own debuff resistance by 23%.

Avenger B:

The anger and bitterness of Camelot’s people drives Mordred further. Each angered sneer, each hateful glare, each venomous word that drops from their people’s lips only serve to push Mordred further and further in an attempt to prove them wrong. Mordred Alter will do whatever it takes to prove they have surpassed their father and have become an even better king.

They will bring Camelot into a new golden age, even if it means dragging their citizens into it, kicking and screaming.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own NP generation rate when taking attack by 18%. -500% Chance to reduce party's debuff resistance by 8% except self. (Including sub members) [Demerit]

Oblivion Correction C+:

No matter where Mordred runs to, or where they try to escape, it is inevitable that there will be a King Arthur there to overshadow them.

(FGO Effect:)  -Increases own critical damage by 7%.

Self-Replenishment(Magic) A+:

As this incarnation of Mordred was taught by Morgan le Fay in the arts of magecraft alongside their teachings as a knight, they have a well-versed knowledge of their own mana efficiency and how to best use it in combat, able to constantly refresh their pools of energy in a fight to keep fighting for long periods of time.

Because of these teachings, coupled with the blessings of the Holy Sword, Mordred has been able to live far past the expected lifespan Morgan had given them, allowing them to further their knowledge in both the Holy Weapons and their own Magecraft.

(FGO Effect:)  -Charges own NP gauge by 4% every turn.

Active Skills:

Defiant of the Winds of Fate A-:

It is said that the fall of Camelot was destiny. That at the Battle of Camlann, the death of King Arthur would lead to the collapse of the kingdom itself, leaving nothing but pain, misery, and loss in its wake. However, Mordred managed to defy that destiny. After slaying King Arthur with her own Excalibur, and defeating the Witch-Queen Morgan le Fay when she attempted to take the throne for herself, Mordred ushered in an era of peace and prosperity for Camelot, defying the prophecies set for them long ago.

Where fate says there is destruction, Mordred will bring prosperity. Where destiny says there is death, Mordred will bring healing. Where the future says there must be sorrow, Mordred will bring joy. So sayeth the King of Camelot.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own Buster performance for three times, three turns. -Apply Guts to self for two times, five turns. -Reduces all enemies' defense for three turns.

Revolutionary Charisma B-:

Charming, handsome, and witty. These were the traits that made Mordred able to weave their lies and tricks in the kingdom of Camelot. With but a few words, they convinced several of Arthur's finest champions that their king was unfit. With some well-placed manipulations, the Round Table came to believe that Arthur's Camelot was nothing more than a sham. Even souls like Guinevere came to ally with Mordred, believing that rule under Arthur was one of simple war and bloodshed, and only through Mordred's leadership could Camelot come to peace.

However, after the Battle of Camlann, many had lost their faith in Mordred, the horrors of the war leading many to believe the new king could only bring misery and pain. Many of Mordred's people turned against them, believing the new king to be nothing but an opportunistic usurper. As such, this skill is not a rallying cry to the side of a king, but an insidious killer to bring an entire nation to its knees. It is a skill suited to wreaking chaos and havoc, turning brother against brother, friend against friend, kingdom against kingdom, leaving Mordred standing at the end, alone.

(FGO Effect:) -Increase party's attack for three turns. -Increase party's damage for three turns. -Inflicts Confusion status for 3 turns to all enemies --(30% Chance to activate the debuff below every turn. When activated, 500% Chance to seal their skills for 1 turn.) -Inflicts Confusion status for 3 turns to all allies[Demerit]. --(30% Chance to activate the debuff below every turn. When activated, 500% Chance to seal their skills for 1 turn.)

Destroyer of the World’s End A:

The power of a child of both the King of Knights and the Witch-Queen of Albion. Rather than specializing in knightly chivalry like their father Artoria, or magecraft like their mother Morgan, Mordred has found a way to properly combine both, allowing them to even match the power of the Holy Spear Rhongomyniad in combat, which is what allowed them to defeat their father Arthur at Camlann. As surviving the war that was meant to kill them allowed Mordred to live longer than they had in Proper Human History, they've managed to hone this power to the point where they can match both Morgan and Artoria in their respective specialties.

This is the power of Mordred, the King Who Was Never Meant to Be. A king driven to madness by the cruelty of the world and the wickedness of those who tried to manipulate them for their own selfish desires. No more will Mordred be another person's puppet. No more will Mordred stand in the shadows of the ones who came before. The Usurper King will stand, facing down even the end of the world if they must.

(FGO Effect:) -Charges own NP Gauge. -Increases own critical star absorption for 3 turns. -Increases own critical damage for 3 turns. --Grants self On-Attack-Activate buff for 3 turns. --Gains critical stars when attacking with Buster Cards. -Increases damage against Savior to Humanity enemies.

Noble Phantasms:

Noble Phantasm: Excalibur & Clarent - Twin Swords of the Rightful King

Rank: A++ Maximum Targets: 1000 Range: 1-99m Classification: Anti-Fortress

In one hand, the silver blade used to knight kings and denote peace.

In the other, the golden blade forged by the gods to light the way.

While both swords were once used as symbols of heroism and goodness, now they are wielded by a cruel and petty tyrant, stolen from their rightful owners. Clarent, stolen from its rightful resting place. Excalibur, used to slay the very king who was chosen to wield it. The Pretender King of Knights, Mordred, wields both of these blades, having forced them into servitude long ago in order to exact their own mad vision of domination. These blades that once served as emblems of justice and chivalry, now turned to oppressors, slaying members of the Knights of the Round with complete impunity.

Under normal circumstances, the use of these swords by one not deemed worthy would result in these weapons dropping a rank in power. However, with Mordred’s magical skill, they managed to find a way to retain the power expected of these blades, even with a false claim to the throne. Channeling their abilities through these sacred armaments, Mordred Alter uses both swordplay and magecraft in conjunction with one another. Every strike is akin to a clap of thunder. Every slash is alight with the flash of lightning. With these weapons in hand, the King of Greed is akin to a living force of nature, carving apart any enemy in front of them with horrifying bloodlust.

But despite the raw magical energy that comes from these sacred weapons, one can sometimes see them tremble in Mordred’s grip. As if they are begging, screaming out to be released from their contract, and be returned to their rightful home.

Noble Phantasm: Carnwennan - Shadowed Blade of the Witch-Killer

Rank: A- Maximum Targets: 1 Range: 1-49m Classification: Anti-Unit

One of the three holy weapons said to have been given to King Arthur by God, alongside Caledfwlch and Rhongomiant, stolen from King Arthur’s armory After Mordred killed her. While lacking in obvious destructive power in comparison to the Holy Sword and the Holy Spear, the Holy Dagger makes up for it with its versatility. In the original Welsh tellings of King Arthur, it is said that Carnwennan’s wielder is able to cloak themselves in shadow, rendering them invisible to the world around them. The user can also summon pillars of shadow to attack enemies, as a counter to Rhongomyniad and Excalibur’s pillars of light. The blade can also extend, moving large distances and even curving around corners in order to attack an enemy at a distance.

The blade has a second property, made famous by Arthur’s use of it to slay Orddu the Witch. The White Hilted Dagger has the ability to nullify other magical abilities when wielded, able to dispel curses with a single touch, puncture magical shields as if they were paper, and grievously wound any Phantasmal Creature if it strikes true. In addition, whenever Carnwennan destroys something made of Magecraft or with innate magical ties, it absorbs this power into itself, allowing Carnwennan to grow stronger over time, eventually matching its sister weapons if it reaches a certain point.

While Mordred prefers to wield Clarent and Excalibur to prove their legitimacy as king, Carnwennan is the weapon they are most proficient in, given their talents in Magecraft and preference for underhanded combat.

Noble Phantasm: La Mort Artu - Thus the Usurper Claims Victory

Rank: A- Maximum Targets: 1 Range: 1m

Classification: Anti-Arthur

A Noble Phantasm that is emblematic of the action that defined the knight Mordred: the death of King Arthur. By combining the holy power of Arthur's armaments with the transcendent magecraft of Morgan's teachings, and reinforcing both with Mordred's own unshakeable willpower and unquenchable hatred, King Mordred gains the power of a fearsome thunderstorm capable of wiping out all of Britain in one fell swoop. This immense power is then concentrated within Mordred's blade, turning it into a weapon capable of matching and potentially surpassing the Tower at the End of the World, Rhongomyniad, at its full strength. Mordred even claims that if they were able to land a killing blow on the King of Storms, it would be enough to erase her from the Throne of Heroes entirely.

The main drawback of this technique is that it consumes incredible amounts of prana to use, meaning that Mordred is left on a very short timer when it is active, potentially risking death in the process. Furthermore, because of the single-minded obsession required to use this technique, each incarnation of Mordred Alter can only use it against an opponent that they have come to well and truly hate, to the point that their destruction is all that will satisfy them, usually in this case some form of Artoria, given their status as an Avenger.

(FGO Effect:) -Applies Target Focus to a single enemy for three turns(activates first).-Increases own damage against Round Table Knight or 'Saberface' enemies for one turn(activates first). -Applies Ignore Invincible to self for one turn(activates first). -Remove Anti-Enforcement Defense from all enemies(activates first). -Deals damage to one enemy that ignores Defense buffs. -Charges own NP gauge(effects increase with Overcharge). -Inflicts Curse for five turns to all enemies.

Voice Lines:

Summoned: Greetings. I am King Mordred, Avenger Class Servant and child of Artoria Pendragon and Morgan le Fay. I stand as the King of Camelot, and the one who will bring it to prosperity. Truly, it is an honor to make your acquaintance… Master.

Level Up 1: Not enough. Damnit, this still isn’t enough to surpass my father…

Level Up 2: My powers grow stronger. Hahahahaha! If only Mother could see me now!

1st Ascension: Ahhhhh, that’s better. It’s nice to finally get out of that helmet for a while. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Mordred, King of Camelot. If you need me to help you save mankind, then I shall lend Clarent and Excalibur to aid you.

2nd Ascension: Nothing changed this time around, huh? That’s fine for now. In due time, I’ll be able to show you my full potential as king.

3rd Ascension: Wha…?! Why am I wielding Carnwennan now?! Damnit, I should be armed with Excalibur and Clarent! How else am I supposed to prove myself as king?! …no, no, it’s not your fault. I suppose that I am better suited to using the Holy Dagger instead of the Holy Sword. Regardless, this is a major pain in my ass… But I suppose I can make do.

4th Ascension: My father never really cared about me… My mother saw me as nothing more than a tool… The people of Camelot all hated and reviled me. And yet? Here I stand as king, in defiance of all expectations of me. Heh… Hehehehehe… Hahahahahahaha! If only they could see me now! All their heads bowed before me!

Fight Start 1: Lay down your arms and I shall show you mercy. Otherwise, I will end your life here and now.

Fight Start 2: As king, it’s only right that I take the stand at the front lines.

Fight Start 3: Hahahahaha! Finally! It was getting boring waiting for some action!

Fight Start 4 (Fatal Battle): You… You! You took everything from me! My kingdom! My love! My right to rule! If I can’t reign over Camelot… If I cannot be accepted by this country… Then I can at least watch you die by my hand!

Skill 1: Destiny has no hold on me!

Skill 2: Oppressors cannot control me!

Skill 3: Not even Mother or Father can stop me!

Command Card Select 1: I am… most unsatisfied.

Command Card Select 2: Fine, I guess I’ll step in to help.

Command Card Select 3: I’ll carve you to pieces!

Noble Phantasm Select 1: Rain down, Lightning! Roar out, Thunder!

Noble Phantasm Select 2: I will carve you apart… And leave nothing but blood and mist behind!

Noble Phantasm Select 3(Against any ‘Artoria’ enemy): I slew the King of Knights once. I’ll simply do it again! Now prepare to die, Father!

Attack 1: Drop dead!

Attack 2: Shut your damn mouth!

Attack 3: It’s useless! Just give up!

Attack 4: I’ll crush you!

Attack 5: Carve them to pieces, Carnwennan!

Extra Attack 1: Let’s see what breaks first… Your spirit! Or your body!

Extra Attack 2: Can you handle this?! No escape!

Extra Attack 3: Be it sword or sorcery… I reign as the king of all!

Noble Phantasm 1:

In my right hand, I bear the sword of kings, Clarent!

In my left hand, I bear the sword of gods, Excalibur!

As the true heir of Camelot, these two sacred weapons bend to my will!

And so too shall all kneel before me or die at my hand!

LA MORT ARTU!

Noble Phantasm 2:

My father was the King of Knights.

My mother was the Witch-Queen.

And I… have surpassed them both.

Now, I stand as the true King of Camelot.

La Mort Artu.

Noble Phantasm 3(Against any ‘Artoria’ Enemy):

No more am I going to be left behind in your shadow.

No more am I going to pick up the pieces of your legacy.

It doesn't matter if Camelot burns to the ground…

It doesn't matter if all of humanity turns against me…

When this is over and done with…

I promise you, 'Father', the world will forget you were even mourned.

The Legend of King Arthur… DIES NOW!

Damage from Noble Phantasm: BAAAAASTAAAAAAAAARD!!!

Regular Damage: Khhhh! You little-!

Defeated 1: Bullshit… THIS IS BULLSHIT!

Defeated 2: You…! This isn’t over, damnit!

Defeated 3 (Fatal Battle): Why…? Why?! What did I do to deserve this…? Do you hate me that much, Father?!

Victory 1: And that is how a true king gets it done.

Victory 2: Is that all? Barely even worth remembering…

Bond Level 1: Thank you for taking the time to be with me. I understand that you are busy as the Last Master of Humanity. I know I am a king, but still, it's humbling to know that someone like yourself is willing to spend time with someone like me. ...it's nice, having someone to talk to again.

Bond Level 2: Excalibur and Clarent... The blades that belong to the king. After the death of Arthur, I took them for myself as a sign of my right to rule over Camelot. Unfortunately, the swords of kingship don't seem to agree with me on that front. Never in my life have I seen either of these swords scratched, let alone cracked... Am I truly that unworthy of kingship...?

Bond Level 3 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): *sigh* So the truth is out, huh? Shit, this is a pain in the ass... I was hoping that I would be able to keep up this charade for a little while longer. Then again, it was so annoying having to play 'the good king' for so long. So, 'Master'. The Knight of Treachery is here, at your service. Or rather, you are at my service.

Bond Level 4 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): You… Why do you look at me with those eyes? Like I am some kind of abandoned child? Like I’m some sort of stray that needs pity?! I am a King! I am the villain who slew King Arthur! I am the monster that reigns over Camelot! And yet you still think of me ...no matter. You'll turn out like all the rest. One way or another, I will make you kneel.

Bond Level 5 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): …you really do see the good in all things, don’t you, Master? I suppose that is undoubtedly your most admirable trait. Be that as it may… Never look at me with those pitying eyes again. I have my pride, both as a knight and as a king, and if you dare insult that pride, I will not hesitate to end you. But if you will treat me with the respect I am owed? Perhaps there is a place at my side for you.

Dialogue 1: It’s nice, isn’t it? Having a bit of time to relax and have peace? Most of my life I just knew combat, so being able to sit around and do nothing is nice, isn’t it? …it’s too quiet around here, I’m bored.

Dialogue 2: I am at your service, Master. If there is an enemy before me, I will crush it at your command.

Dialogue 3: I know that contractually, you are the Master, and I am the Servant, but at the same time, I am still your king. Don’t get any bright ideas, got it?

Dialogue 4 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): So many Servants in Chaldea, so many pawns to play with… All ready and willing to be sacrificed upon your orders, ‘Master’. … Hah! That look on your face was pretty frightening. Don’t worry, I just wanted to see how you would react.

Dialogue 5 (If you have any Artoria Pendragon(Saber)): So the Once and Future King has come to Chaldea. How lovely… Hm? Oh, don’t worry, Master. I suppose I can play nice with my Father for now, if you need me to. That being said… I will crush her again when the time comes. Then, everyone will understand just who the true King of Camelot is.

Dialogue 6 (If you have Artoria Pendragon(Lancer Alter) after Clearing "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"): The King of Storms… That phantom I summoned back then to run rampant as a Berserker. …did she really mean those words she said to me back then? No, it doesn’t matter. She is King Arthur, and I am Mordred. In the end, we are to be enemies.

Dialogue 7 (If you have Mysterious Heroine X or Mysterious Heroine XX): Another one of the Fathers wandering around Chaldea, I see. Is that ballcap of yours meant to be a disguise or something? …what? “I am no Artoria, I am the spacefaring defeater of Sabers and hero of the Servantverse?” GET REAL! If you’re gonna hide your identity from me like a coward, at least give me a reasonable excuse instead of that crap!

Dialogue 8 (If you have any other ‘Artoria’ Servant): …Master. I’ve noticed we have a bit of a… multiplicity issue. I seem to be seeing several versions of my Father wandering around Chaldea. One is dressed as a showgirl, another seems to be my father as a child, and yet another seems to be a man. Not to mention the multiple evil Fathers walking around. …we have how many here?! I see. Excuse me, but I have to go step out a bit and scream my head off. I’ll return shortly. *click* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Dialogue 9 (If you have any ‘Saberface’ Servant): Hello, ‘Father’. How about we settle this once and for… …huh? Wait, you’re not- Then who are- DAAAAAAGH! DAMNIT, I’M IN THE WRONG ROOM! YOU! You didn’t see anything! *SLAM!*

Dialogue 10 (If you have any ‘Round Table’ Servants): So this is the Knights of the Round Table from Chaldea. Still as loud and obnoxious as always, no matter what universe, isn’t it? …I admit, part of me wishes I hadn’t divided the Round Table into two during my rebellion. Only a handful of us survived, and even then, none remained in Camelot. It was kind of lonely running the kingdom by myself, y’know?

Dialogue 11 (If you have any ‘Enemy of the Round Table’ Servants): Ah, I’ve heard of you! Yes, a great and powerful enemy of Camelot, one that brought even the great King Arthur to their knees! Of course, I was the one who managed to kill her for good… Hm? Oh, nothing, just talking to myself. Say… how about you and I get to talk a bit? I’ll treat you to some good booze and we can talk shop about reducing Camelot to rubble, hm?

Dialogue 12 (If you have Lancelot(Saber)): So this is the Lancelot of Proper Human History, is it? Hah… I guess, no matter the timeline, you’re still the same, huh? An idiot of a man, too chivalrous for his own good, even if it means his own misery. Hey, care for a spar? I wanna see if you fight as good as the Lancelot of my world.

Dialogue 13 (If you have Lancelot(Berserker)): Lancelot…?! …to think that someone like you would end up like this. …I’m sorry, old man. I should’ve been with you.

Dialogue 14 (If you have Mordred): I gained everything we ever wanted in life… the throne… victory over Father and Mother… even the blade Excalibur is mine! So why… Why do you continue to give me that expression?! Why do you look so much happier than I am?! HUH?! ANSWER ME!

Dialogue 15 (If you have Mordred(Rider)): …a surfboard? Really?! And are you really using Prydwen for your stupid summer games?! NO I DON’T WANT TO STEAL IT FOR MYSELF! …I have my own anyway.

Dialogue 16 (If you have Baobhan Sith): The adopted child of the Lostbelt Morgan le Fay. A spoiled brat of a girl who trails after the Witch-Queen out of some unreconciled loyalty to her. I see, so this is my Lostbelt counterpart, huh? …huh? This brat is supposed to be Tristan?!

Dialogue 17 (If you have Lostbelt Morgan): Oh. It’s you. The ‘good’ version of Morgan le Fay. As witchy as ever. Still beautiful, which of course you would be, with all your magic and sorcery. … You may have the rest of Chaldea fooled, ‘Mother’, but I don’t buy your act for one second. The very instant you dip a toe out of line, I will hunt you down and make you wish I killed you.

Dialogue 18 (If you have Merlin or Lady Avalon): Poor, poor Merlin… forever the observer. The watcher. Forced to gaze upon the mountains upon mountains of failures you’ve created from the confines of Avalon. Tell me, did you know of the truth of my birth? Did you know my fate was to slay the King of Knights? Did you know that was why my father nearly attempted a genocide? …of course you did.

Dialogue 19 (If you have Florence Nightingale): That nurse… she looks at me strangely… I feel simultaneously afraid and comforted by her presence. Ghh! She’s looking this way! Quick, hide me!

Likes: Have you ever gone sailing, Master? I’ve only done it a few times when I was young, but I always feel like the water’s surface is soothing. As if even in the harshest storms, I would be fine. Hmph. Perhaps it is the one blessing my Mother ever gave me… Or perhaps it’s just dumb luck.

Dislikes: Those other mes… those damn idiots. With their smug faces… their arrogant smiles… Everything about their existence is a pestilence that doesn’t deserve to exist!

About the Holy Grail: The Holy Grail… So many of the Round Table sought it out in some form or another. Even my Father sought to attain it for herself, only to fail. In that case, I think I’d like to take it for myself… Perhaps then I can… Hm? Oh, nothing, just talking to myself.

During an Event: Oh, an event is going on? I suppose I should escort you there to see what is going on.

Birthday: Yes, yes, happy birthday and all that. Enjoy your cake and your festivities, and all that stuff. Some of us actually have important things to do. 'What are they?' …shut up.

Profile:

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Deceitful. Cruel. Evil. Greedy. Treacherous. These words have long followed the name ‘Mordred’ for centuries. Since the betrayal of King Arthur, Mordred Pendragon has gone down in history as one of the most infamous traitors to ever live. This Servant is the living embodiment of that very same reputation, being a vile and wicked schemer with an unending lust for power.

A Mordred from an alternate timeline, raised in earnest by their mother, as opposed to their Proper Human History counterpart being abused and ashamed of their heritage of being the child of the Witch-Queen of Orkney. A master of combat, and a genius in Magecraft, this Mordred succeeded in their rebellion against King Arthur, slaying the King of Knights and taking the throne of Camelot as the last of the Round Table.

Bond Level 1:

Height/Weight: 171cm • 65kg Source: Arthurian Mythology Region: Wales Alignment: Chaotic • Evil Gender: Nonbinary

While normally Excalibur's pseudo-immortality would leave Mordred at the same age physically as the time they wielded it, because the Holy Sword is actively rejecting them, they lack the blessing of Excalibur. Instead, this version of Mordred has matured as if they had chosen the Holy Lance, though noticeably lacking the incredible defense Excalibur would normally grant.

"While it is a pain in the ass to lose the immortality of Excalibur... Who needs it when I can just smash any enemy in front of me to pieces?! Besides, look at me! I rule!"

Despite the seemingly higher intellect and maturity, this Mordred is just as childish and petty as the other Mordreds, Holy Sword or no Holy Sword.

Bond Level 2:

"Mother... What the hell is going on here?!"

"Oh, dear... It seems I taught you well, my daughter. Too well."

"Don't change the subject on me! You... Did you seriously try to kill me?! Why?!"

"Isn't it obvious? You were the only thing standing between me and the throne I was owed. That was stolen from me by Uther and given to Artoria! I was the rightful heir to Camelot, and I was denied it!"

"I know that! That was why you wanted me to kill the king, wasn't it?! So a child of Orkney could take back the kingdom?!

"Still so slow on the uptake, Mordred? A pity, I thought I raised you better than that. I didn't want you on the throne. Honestly, I was hoping you and Arthur would end up killing each other. Unfortunately, you survived..."

"So everything you told me... All the care you put into raising me?! All your teachings?! All of it was just so you could get me to kill Father?!"

"Sadly, yes... You were just meant to be a weapon, Mordred. And what a weapon you were. I'm so proud of you..."

SHING!

"GAH, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

"You... Mother... No. Morgan! You have committed treason against your king. Stand down now, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise I will kill you!"

"'King...?' What a joke. You aren't even half the king Uther was, much less anything like Arthur. You are just a pathetic weapon meant to sit tight and obey! Do you hear me?! You're nothing more than a filthy homun-!"

SCHLICK!

Bond Level 3 (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"):

Despite the era of peace Mordred's rule brought to Camelot, it was never enough. Their citizens feared them, seeing Mordred as a bloodthirsty tyrant. Their knights despised them, seeing Mordred as a terrible machine. Nothing Mordred did would ever be enough to repent for the terrible bloodshed and misery the War at Camlann caused, with many crying out for the return of King Arthur to the throne.

The sole allies Mordred had, Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere, had left long ago in shame and disgrace, hating themselves for their participation in the Fall of Camelot. Mordred had gained everything they had ever wanted. The throne, the Holy Sword, the crown. And yet, nothing was ever enough to escape the shadow of Arthur.

Desperate and embittered, Mordred eventually decided that the only way to improve their own reputation was to destroy Arthur's own. Using their skill in Magecraft, they summoned an alternate version of Artoria Pendragon, the Altered King of Ghosts, to ravage Camelot, trapping her under Madness Enhancement.

The people would all see the image of the beloved king destroying Camelot, and Mordred as the savior defending Camelot. Then... Then they would love Mordred.

Bond Level 4:

Why...?

Why do they still cheer for you over me? Why do they still claim you to be the Once and Future King? Why do they still hate me?! I'm supposed to be the hero here! I'm saving them! I'm protecting them! From you! And still, they sing your praises, and drag my name through the mud?! Where's the justice in that?!

I've given everything to help Camelot thrive! I've killed so many people... My friends... My brothers... My mother and father... And for what?! For a kingdom that won't accept me?! For a throne that constantly rejects me?! For people that constantly put me in your shadow?! Even in death, you still look down on me! Even after all I've done, everyone only remembers me as the one who killed King Arthur!

Arthur...

Arthur...!

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

...I understand now. Mother was right. You really are nothing but a thief. You stole my glory. You stole my kingdom. You stole my future from me! Everything I do is tainted with your influence. No matter what I do, I will always be compared to you, seen as inferior to you, seen as the evil that will oppose you. Fine then. If the world will only know me as the one who slew King Arthur... Then I might as well live up to this. This time... I will end the Legend of King Arthur permanently.

Bond Level 5(Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"):

Deceitful. Cruel. Evil. Greedy. Treacherous. These are the labels that humanity has given to Mordred. These are all humanity will ever know the knight Mordred to be. After realizing this, Mordred has chosen to cast off all attempts at being a just king, and has fully embraced the idea of being the wicked Knight of Treachery that opposes their father. A cruel and wicked tyrant that seeks to end the very idea of 'King Arthur', no matter the cost and no matter the hatred they get in return.

To that same end, they battled with their father, the Altered King of Storms, in a recreation of their fated duel at Camlann. Father and Son, King and Usurper, once again dueling to decide the future of Britain. The King of Storms took no joy in this battle, once again being forced to face their failures as a king and a father. The Knight of Treachery, on the other hand, threw themselves at Artoria without remorse, not caring for a moment how their body broke or how much blood was spilled. All that mattered was killing the person that stood before them once and for all.

"See Father?! I told you I was better than you! I told you that I would be the better king! Now... Say it! Say that I am your better! Say that I am your rightful heir! Say that I am worthy to be your son! SAY IT ALREADY!"

Extra (Clear "The Altered Realm of Swords and Sorcery: Britannia"):

At first glance, Mordred Alter couldn’t be more different than their Proper Human History counterpart. One is blunt, rude, and callous, the other is clever, polite, and seemingly friendly. One is all too happy to settle a conflict with fist and blade, the other will at least attempt a diplomatic approach before battle inevitably comes. One was a simple weapon, built only to kill and die. The other attempted to become more than that, a ruler that would bring Camelot into an era of peace and prosperity.

At their core, however, they are the same person.

Despite being the one to kill their father, they admire them, desiring nothing more than to follow in their footsteps. One to try and help relieve their burden of being a king, the other to try and help carve a path towards peace and prosperity. Both follow a path of chivalry, despising those who trod upon the innocent and weak, even if their own demeanor makes them seem as though they are the same. They are arrogant, proud, and boastful, not believing that there is any potential for failure on the road they walk, carrying themselves with the dignity and pride expected of a true king.

They want to be respected, to be acknowledged, and to be loved.

But one does not gain such things through force or power. One cannot make it happen by their own will. It is as impossible a task as counting every single star in the sky across the endless universe.

But that’s what Mordred does best, isn’t it? Seek the impossible to make it their own.

[chammtea]

@wrensfeatheredpen​​ said: “you really don’t have to do that, not for me.” [ Merlin, to Guinevere ! ]

“Don’t be silly,” Gwen clicks her tongue at Merlin even as she carefully cuts her thick slice of soft white bread clean in half with the short silver knife, and divides all of the fruits and berries in her (alarmingly large) bowl evenly between them — really, the sheer size of the royal portions in the palace is a positively ridiculous thing, and she can’t even imagine who (aside, perhaps, from Arthur) could put away such rich and heavy fare all at once, first thing in the morning and everything. “I can’t possibly eat all of this myself, anyway, and you’re not going to work a full day for Arthur on an empty stomach.”

Gwen slides the other plate across the table until it rests smack in front of her friend. “Please eat, Merlin. For me. I hate to think of you going hungry.”

[moonlight-prose]

pretty please may i request ❛i once imagined you loved me a little bit, if you’ll excuse the presumption.❜ from the &. 𝐟. 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. prompt list with loki? clawing at the walls tysm 🌷

LOVE IS A SMOKE MADE WITH A FUME OF SIGHS

a/n: i haven't written anything this angsty is so long and it felt good to finally churn out that type of fic. i miss breaking these character's hearts. so babes i hope you know that i went so fucking pretentious with this one it actually made me pick up shakespeare just to title it. (yes it's from romeo and juliet which is ironic cause it's a love between a god and a human). but anyways i hope you enjoy! and of course the gif is crimson peak. it matched the vibe.

summary: you were never meant to be apart of their world, of his home. you were a mortal amongst gods and the time for your parting had finally come.

OR the heartbreak of losing someone who is half your soul.

word count: 2k

pairing: loki x reader

warnings: not explicit, angst, heartbreak, overly pretentious prose about love and pain, mention of death, waxing poetically about losing love, not edited because we live and die by the fucking pen.

The tragedy of love has always been steeped in irony to you. After all, there was something of hilarity bound between the emotions that connected two people so deeply they’d go to war for it. Or perhaps die for it. Maybe this belief came from never understanding it—never experiencing it for yourself. But how were you supposed to know what it looked like? What it felt like, when you had no notion of it even existing in the first place.

Maybe it was a well thought out joke that pulled people in, capturing them in the depths of something so mysterious. You understood heartbreak. Knew the depravity that came from having something ripped from you without a notion of consequence. But love…that remained as mythical to you as Lancelot and Guinevere.

You could feel his eyes on you the longer you stood there, fiddling with the drink in your hand. It wasn’t often that an Asgardian invited a human to visit their land and it was a rarity when it happened with a prince. But that’s where you wound up. Standing amidst legends and myths wanting to flee at a moment's notice. And he watched in earnest, with the hope that you would turn to catch his gaze.

“Excuse me,” you said with a smile to the man beside you who had been talking about the nonsense of science for thirty minutes.

Whether or not he actually believed the words he said became an afterthought. You couldn’t stand there and pretend any longer. You didn’t want to.

Music filled the surrounding space, drowning you in the joyous leisure of having nothing to worry about. What could possibly trouble such powerful beings? Where you were nothing but a small speck in the grand scheme of things. Something trivial that would one day pass and be extinguished just as fast as you were ignited.

You saw the way they viewed you the second you crossed the threshold of the hall. How they seemed to pity you. They would go on. They would continue to carve their names in the history of the universe and you would be but a fleeting memory in their minds. The most you could hope for was to place a smile on their face for a moment before you were gone entirely.

People danced wherever you went, others laughed and boasted about their triumphs. And you could feel the air begin to press out of your lungs. As if they were slowly stripping you of everything that made your body work. You gasped, pushing open a door that led to the courtyard in the hopes that you’d make it to a secluded area before you broke down entirely.

Flames were lit to preserve the warmth. They casted a glow along the architecture of the stone walls—trees placed perfectly along the outskirts. The temptation to hide away here lingered in your chest, but you could practically feel the seconds tick by. You only had a limited amount of time before people made their way outside to view the night sky.

Any other night this would be the most romantic setting to find yourself in. Tonight however you were plagued by a pain that refused to fade.

You wiped roughly at the tears that began to fall as footsteps echoed behind you. It seemed that your time was running out faster than you expected and you’d be caught in the open with no explanation to why you were crying. Maybe if you ran you wouldn't have to deal with the questions. But then the warm glow of the fire flickered an emerald green, sparks flying into the air and you felt the energy around you shift.

“I caught you leaving.”

The smile was prominent in his tone—light enough to presume he didn’t know why you were here. Yet no matter how much he tried to conceal his emotions…you could always read him like an open book. A fact he loathed about you.

“I needed air,” you replied, clasping your hands together.

“You will find plenty out here.” Another step echoed like a shot ringing through the air and suddenly he was pressing a hand to your shoulder. The cold sensation of his touch rippled through you. It flooded your senses with more than you could process at this time.

With a sharp gasp, you pulled away. “Don’t.”

“I’m not sure I understand—”

“Loki,” you sighed, finally giving in. With another breath, you turned to face him—the glimmer of tears now unmistakable in your eyes. “What am I doing here?”

You could see the mistake the second the words left your mouth to hang in the air between you. As if this was the final reckoning of something so delicate. The question had been building for days since he brought you with him. Something to explain that maybe…this wasn’t just a frivolous one time fling that he’d forget about soon after you returned home. But nothing ever came. It seemed he was more interested in showing you off to everyone else, rather than letting you in.

“You’re here for dinner of course.” He smiled, offered you his hand, and faltered when you didn’t take it. When you stood where you were with a somber look in your eyes.

The green color flared to life beside you again, reflecting his emotions and finally giving you an insight into his mind. But it wasn’t enough.

You wanted to know how he felt. What was he too scared to tell anyone? Perhaps he might let you in on it. But Loki had always been closed off even to those he cared about and you didn’t want to be simply another person he tried to love. You needed more than empty words and flowery promises. As you watched him come up with something to say you could see it. He knew that this wasn’t enough; that you wouldn’t be wooed by parties you had no place in with people you held no interest for.

“I think it’s time for me to go home.” You bit down on the inside of your cheek to stop the tears from starting up again.

“My darling—”

“I don’t belong here Loki,” you admitted. “Everyone in there can see that I am not one of you.”

His gaze turned sharp. “One of us?”

“You know what I mean. I’m not a god.” You stood a bit straighter as if facing the oncoming battle.

“So you think because you aren’t Asgardian that we will think less of you? That I would…” He snapped his mouth shut, eyes darker than you were used to seeing them.

“No!”

“Don’t believe for a second that I brought you here under false pretenses—”

“Then why did you bring me?” you exclaimed. “Because it certainly doesn’t feel like you actually want me here. You left me alone in there! As if I was meant to be shown off for some Asgardian amusement.”

He stepped forward, crowding into your space and like the stubborn human you were…you stood your ground. His lips quirked up slightly, admiration flaring in his eyes before that too was stolen away.

“You forget. I am not Asgardian.”

You scoffed, rising up to meet him—your nose brushing so close to his that you could feel his breath against your face. “That is not who I saw in there.”

His eyes dropped to your lips. The darkness from before returning with a vigor that stole your breath away. No matter how much you wanted to remain upset, you couldn’t deny the pull that existed between you. The longing you felt in your heart. Loki released a shuddered breath as his eyes dragged back to yours and something raw clicked into place.

Cupping your cheek, he dragged you forward until his lips met yours. Loki always kissed you as if this was his last time, as if he would never know the sweet taste of oxygen without you. You were the soothing balm against his wounds that refused to close. A piece of serenity in a place that bred nothing but chaos. He dragged you closer, no longer hesitant to lick into your mouth and drag out a moan, because what else did he have to lose?

You knew the malice that existed in him—had seen it first hand. Yet even that wasn’t enough to turn you away from this.

To make you flee from the man who viewed himself as a monster.

“Loki,” you sighed, fingers digging into the leather beneath his armor. It was as soft as his touch, the scent intoxicating you the longer you stood there.

“Don’t…” He could feel the hesitation in your kiss. The uncertainty in your touch.

You still remained unsure of what he wanted from you; what this actually meant to him. And even though he wanted to proclaim it loud enough for you to hear, he knew that you’d never truly understand the depths of his emotions. Loki had always believed he would remain alone in his life. A lost soul doomed to wander the universe for all eternity, but when he met you he hoped that for a moment…he would finally feel the warmth of the sun against his skin once more.

He hoped he would feel alive again.

“You are…” Warm tears fell against your cheeks and he wiped them away gently. “You’re the one I want to be with. The one I choose.” You cupped his hand in yours, desperate to keep his touch against your skin. “But I am not immortal.”

“We gods die too.”

You smiled. “Not in the way humans do.”

Silence washed over the both of you. A solemn understanding that began to infiltrate even his mind. And thus was the irony of love. Two souls so tragically different that even death would keep you apart until the very end of time. You almost laughed, but knew that the situation would only be ruined by it.

“I need to go home where I belong.”

“You belong—”

“I don’t belong with gods Loki. I never have. And no matter how much you want that to change it can’t.”

Within seconds you watched his walls begin to close up again, pulling back any sense of emotion he once showed. Until you were right back where you started. Alone in the middle of a world that didn’t deem you worthy to stand on it. You were the outsider looking in. A mortal who got a chance to dine with the gods of old and briefly pretend you were one of them.

“So you choose them.”

An ache sprouted in your chest, spreading down to the very tips of your fingers. Until you swore you couldn’t breathe. A necessary evil to stave off the heartbreak of what would eventually come down the road.

“My love…”

He pulled away, standing stiff and face void of any emotion. “That word doesn’t belong to me. Not anymore.” Turning slightly, he roughly wiped at his cheek to hide the tears. Meanwhile you allowed them to fall freely. “I once imagined you loved me a little bit, if you’ll excuse the presumption.”

With a final look—eyes filled with a plea to say something—he relented. He nodded his head, took in a large breath, and turned back towards the steps. Once again leaving you behind as he returned to a world you’d never fully understand. You watched him go, a sob wracking your body as he took with him a love that only came around once in a lifetime. As he took part of your soul.

The flames returned to their natural orange glow, once again emitting a warmth that should have flooded your body. But all you felt was the cold touch of a lover lost to you for good.

[gdn7-dollopole]

I know we already said this, but the sexual tension in this scene is insane (“A Servant of Two Masters, 04x06”)

Honestly, every scene in BBC Merlin that involves Merthur has sexual tension in it, but gay people can’t simply kiss.

No, they have to pine, despair, stare at each other lovingly and with longing for years, and then share a firm pat on the shoulder (or a ‘thank you’).

When there has to be sexual tension between two homosexuals, one of them is always about to die.

It’s almost a rule (without the almost).

I love how well played the characters here were. You can literally see Arthur was thinking about it (oh, you know what I mean), but he is too insecure, and Merlin cares about Arthur’s insecurity. And it’s the fact that their desire always showed when they actually realised they cared about each other that makes the sexual tension even better (it’s the hurt/comfort all over again).

Another example of being desperate over one another, happens when they’re in the same caves as Agravaine, and Arthur tells Merlin not to go, and they have the audacity to eye fuck with an audience (and the future queen of Camelot behind them).

But the tension always happens when Merlin and Arthur are scared for the other.

Merlin and Arthur realise that if now is the moment one of them is going to die, none of them has ever had the courage, or rather, the good sense, to kiss the other, or caress the other, or just confess their feelings to each other, and instead of acting upon it, they regret what could have come of it.

I believe that’s why not even Merlin, the boldest of the two, too preoccupied at keeping the king alive, and therefore keeping Camelot secure, never tried anything with Arthur, who instead was too worried about the future of his kingdom to understand that what he felt towards Merlin was not brotherhood, but an urgent need to shag him.

I mean, the sudden silence, the brush of the back of Arthur’s hand on his own lips, the prolonged gaze, them holding their breaths?

I’m bloody insane over this scene, because Merlin could have stared at the hand surveying the wound, but Arthur’s fingers were just gripping his tunic, and Merlin started holding his breath in that moment, watching Arthur’s hand, because it had never been that close to his skin. Merlin stared at the fingers, grabbing the tunic, and they both knew.

Ugh, that’s literally what makes this scene so much better.

The fact that they both know they want each other, they just can’t do anything about it. (directors’ fault. I would have let them kiss on the first episode). Merlin, since he was about to die, or at least thought he was, was waiting, hoping to see if Arthur, at least then, would do something else beside checking his wound. *wink, wink*

Try to argue with me that the tension simply happened because Merlin thought Arthur realised the wound was worse than what it seemed, and to me, this is exactly the reason behind the tension between them.

These two were forbid their freedom, in their own ways.

The freedom to have a go at one another.

For God’s sake, Arthur stared at Merlin when he was putting the crown over Guinevere’s head (“If he’d been you under this crown…”). There were so many moments between Arthur and Merlin where we recognise they wanted each other in that way (biblically for Arthur, because this man has never been touched, I swear) because it was forbidden.

I’ll never get tired of examining this scene. It was made on purpose, I know it was.

Imagine if we had to make a list of these moments… Ha, Ha, Ha. *starts sweating because there are so many*

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Thank you to our creators who have submitted their Top 5 fics of 2023! I know this is a terribly difficult task. After all, I did it myself! But I've always felt this list was the more important of the two - it's not about the numbers; it's about the works that nourished their creator's souls and brought them joy. So, thanks to each of you for sharing with us! Links to all stories can be found below the break!

@aallotarenunelma ✒️

Moonlit Hearts (IL/ID Crossover/AU) - Original Characters

Childhood Memories (ILW) - Lincoln McQuoid x NB!MC

Close to the Flame (ILW) - Lincoln McQuoid x NB!MC

Another Sun Will Rise (ILITW) - Dan Pierce x MC

Indigo Blood (ID) - Cas Harlow x MC

@angelasscribbles ✒️

The DeFacto Queen (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake x MC, Liam x MC

A Fervid Fixation (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake Walker x MC

The Dark Kingdom (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake x MC, Liam x MC

In Your Room Masterlist (TRR) Ⓜ️ - Drake Walker x Leo Rys

Laws End (TRR) Ⓜ️- Drake Walker x MC, Liam Rys x MC

@baldwinboy5ive 🎨and ✒️

Aerin Prison Visit (BOLAS) 🎨- Aerin Valleros x F!MC

The Right Path (BOLAS) ✒️- Aerin Valleros x F!MC

Name on the Wall (BOLAS) ✒️- Aerin Valleros x F!MC

Bye-Bye Baldur (BOLAS) 🎨- Aerin Valleros

Aerin x Raine Fanart (BOLAS) 🎨- Aerin Valeros x MC

@cariantha ✒️

All He Wanted (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Hey Stranger (OH) Ⓜ️ - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

For You, I Will (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

War & Peace (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

A Solid Strategy (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@coffeeheartaddict2 ✒️

Everybody Hurts Sometimes, Ch. 7 Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey, MC

Love in all Forms (OH) - Ethan Ramsey, F!OC, Tobias Carrick

Power to Overcome (OH) - F!MC, Aurora Emery

Everybody Hurts Sometimes, Ch. 15 Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey, etc.

Desire Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@inlocusmads ✒️

Past Lives (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Music for the Lost (and Found) (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

The Feverish Itch (Guinevere) - Guinevere, Queen Artura, F!Lancelot

Cross Your Heart and Set it Ablaze (COP) Trystan Thorne x F~!MC

The Bow That Burned Bright (BOLAS) - F!Elf!MC, Kade

@jerzwriter ✒️

A Mother's Journal Ⓜ️(WTD) - Eli Sipes

What's Forever For Ⓜ️(OH/AU) - Tobias Carrick, F!MC

Breathe Again (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

A Bit Dark (OH) - F!MC x F!OC

I Do, Me Too (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@ladylamrian ✒️

Welcome to the World of Night (NB) - NB Side Characters

A Meeting in Wyoming (NB) - Nik Ryder x F!MC

Towards the Future (NB) - Nik Ryder x F!MC

Duty & Pleasure (NB) - Nik Ryder x F!MC

Sweet & Tender Hearts (NB) - Original Characters

@liaromancewriter ✒️

La Vie Avec Toi (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC, Sienna Trinh x M!OC

Late Shift (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

The Reluctant Valentine (OH) - Sienna Trinh x M!OC

When the Clock Strikes Twelve (OH/AU) - Sienna Trinh x M!OC

Breaking News (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

@moominofthevalley ✒️

The Haunting, Part 1 (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Turpentine (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

The Girl With the Glass (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

I Will (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Future Days (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

@peonierose ✒️

Wildflower (OH) - Keiki Lahela x M!OC

Kintsugi (OH) - Original Characters

Summer's Kiss (OH) - Bryce Lahela x F!OC

I'm a Sucker for You (OH) - Bryce Lahela x F!OC

Rose All Day (OH) - Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela, OCs

@stars-are-within-me ✒️

The Rain (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

Reflections (BOLAS) - Aerin Valleros

A Day Off (COP) - Trystan Thorne x MC

In the Gray (COP) - Eveline Goncharov, Maksim Thorne, etc.

The Lonely Prince (BOLAS) - Aerin Valleros x MC

@storyofmychoices ✒️

Shadows & Deceptions: A Royal Murder Mystery (Crossover/AU)

Can I Have This Dance? (OH) - Bryce Lahela x F!OC

Shadows of Hope (BOLAS) - Mal Volari x F!MC

The Quest for Daenarya (BOLAS) - Mal Volari x F!MC

Dealing with a Narcissist (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

@tessa-liam ✒️

Smoke & Mirrors, Ch. 11 Ⓜ️(TRR) - Liam Rys x MC

Cappadocia Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x MC

Marabelle, Ch. 2 Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x F!OC

Turning the Page, Ch. 5 Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x F!OC

Ti Amo Molto Ⓜ️ (TRR) - Liam Rys x MC

@trappedinfanfiction ✒️

Fast Break, Epilogue (OH/AU) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

What's in a Name? (COP) - Trystan Thorne

Crossroads Ⓜ️(OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

By Your Side (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

A New Neighbor (COP) - Trystan Thorne x F!MC

@zealouscanonindeer ✒️

Dangerous Games Ⓜ️ (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Naughty & Nice (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Like Whom? (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Roots (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Drunken Nights (OH) - Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

[camlannpod]

Character Playlist: Peredur Green

Happy off-week! We'll all pretend this one was on time. If you're new, hi! Since Camlann releases every two weeks, on the off weeks I'm posting these breakdowns of the character playlists. You can find Morgan's here and Dai's here.

This week it's time for our favourite knight, Peredur!

Brother by The Brilliance

When I look into the face Of my enemy I see my brother I see my brother

Perry's big problem is that they're a knight. And they love the other knights. They feel a siblinghood with them which is incredibly hard for them to ignore. The knights are their family, their home, their story - the place they're meant to be. But it's a family that won't accept them as they are. Perry so badly wants the knights to change their mind.

2. Battle Cry by The Family Crest

Oh, my love, my heart don't cry We were born to die But for this moment, for all time Oh, I will fight for you I will die for you

Perry's a knight! They very much see it as their duty to fight and die to protect the people they love. Right now, that especially means Morgan and Dai, who they've been travelling with since their escape from the Knights. Perry will risk life and limb to keep them safe. (This song is also about Dai. A lot of these songs are about how Perry feels about Dai)

3. Cypress Queen by The Last Bison

On and over the northwest river We go trusting in the Cypress Queen She'll keep us afloat We retreat into our fortress gold To a sanctuary in the trees That i call home

I'm 90% sure this song is about a boat? But I took it literally - this is Perry's feelings about Guinevere, or Shújūn - a woman who they certainly do not trust for us, but to whom they are drawn by their story and with whom they, deep down, have a lot of sympathy. Perry knows exactly what it's like to have a major role in someone else's narrative.

4. See You Through My Eyes by The Head and The Heart

Until you learn to love yourself The door is locked to someone else I'm just as damaged as you are

Perry is just as traumatised by the apocalypse as everyone else, they're just better at hiding it. In general their approach toward their emotions is to pack them up tightly in a box and pretend they're not happening, which is obviously wildly unhealthy. Perry spends so much of their time inspired by and loving their friends, especially Morgan and Dai, but they never open up when they need to and trust them with the more 'difficult' parts of themself.

5. Carry by Branches

I'm feeling like Moses and my arms are getting heavy Brother, would you come and lift them up for me?

Perry has been single handedly carrying Morgan and Dai through the apocalypse. They would never admit it, but this is exhausting, and they desperately need a break. Unfortunately for them, they live in a riddle-twisted landscape full of magic and monsters, so they can never truly relax. They need to stop and they can't, and sometimes they think hey, if they lost the next battle at least they wouldn't have to get up and fight another one.

6. House a Habit by We Are The Guests

Let's make this house a habit Let's make the sun shine

Partly because Perry is Permanently Exhausted, they very badly want to turn the cottage into a real, meaningful home base that feels safe. Perry has always been the kind of person to put down roots, and the last six months of trekking back and forth across Britain has really worn them down. They desperately want this place to be a real home.

7. Selkie-Boy by Spell Songs, Julie Fowlis

Go now, Selkie-Boy, swim from the shore Rinse your ears clean of human chatter And empty your bones of heather and moor And your mind of human matter

Honestly, Dai fascinates Perry. He is completely unlike them in almost every way and they find that beautiful and addictive. They've always felt that there was something ethereal about him and his ability to find hope and love in even the darkest places. Perry would follow Dai anywhere.

8. Church Key by Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Have you gone farther looking in the dark For a fire that can keep you warm Wander off the trail, lose track of all the details Till we make it to our door, where we can sleep

Oh Perry wants answers. The Cataclysm is an apocalypse of contradictions and mysteries and Perry so very badly wants to untangle the cat's cradle of stories in which they are caught. They are also exactly the kind of obsessive academic who will wear themself thin looking for the information they seek. Eventually, they just need to rest.

9. We Will All Be Changed by Seryn

We can write with ink and pen But we will sew with seeds instead Starting with words we've said And we will all be changed

The song on every main character playlist! For Perry, the apocalypse is a lesson in moving from theory to applied learning - from writing about flowers to planting seeds in the soil. It's fieldwork! In more ways than one, and in more ways than one, it's good for them, despite everything.

[someguyinc]

Guinevere "There is always a choice" Pendragon is unironically the strongest character in bbc merlin.

why?? because she knows how to say no!! not only to those around her but to herself as well. gwen's strength as a character comes not from her eventual status as queen, but to understand and utilize the information given to her and then choose accordingly regardless of fear mongering. in a story where the villain is the narrative/cycles of abuse gwen wins against the underlying adversary every. single. time. where every other character with major plot points literally fails at this so hard it either results in their own moral demise or their literal death, gwen tanks through the challenge and even gives others hope where there seems to be none

every other character is controlled by some sort of fate,, arthur is told by the disir that "he has always been known" and that the fate of camelot is doomed unless he embraces the old religion, he's also born a prince and knows his entire life is laid out for him, merlin is told that he must help to bring magic back to the lands if arthur is to live and camelot of be successful, and morgana is first plagued by visions of the future (which as we learn in merlin that knowing the future does nobody any good) and then is told that emrys will be her doom.

gwen,, is just gwen :), yes other people know of her fate and purposefully try to mold it but she herself isn't fully and because she is free of the narrative cage, instead of being pulled to and fro by the other characters whims, she fortifies her own beliefs and through trial and anguish learns that nobody is coming to save her from cycles of fear except herself

(very obviously there are time when gwen is put in the damsel in distress situation, but to me it's the type that megara from hercules is in: "i'm a damsel, i'm in distress, have a nice day :)" )

let's look at lancelot and guinevere's relationship specifically and how their character thesis parallel each other and how it plays into her being better than everyone else

when lancelot arrives he and gwen immediately hit it off,, they're infatuated with the other and think of the other often having romantic moments and lingering touches before he eventually leaves without saying goodbye in the first season. lancelot is in my opinion the antithesis to gwen's character, not because he is guided by some bigger fate (because so are merlin and arthur) but precisely because he is also someone technically "free" of that narrative cage.

lancelot came to camelot because he wanted to be a knight, when he found out he couldn't be, after shenanigans and committing identity theft, he left and eventually became a sell sword as he had "no other choice",, when they eventually break out he leaves gwen again after learning arthur has feelings for her instead of fighting for her telling merlin: "she has changed him forever but some things are just not meant to be"

taking away her choice, but also confining himself to the gilded cage of fate for what he thinks is for her but really was for him

lancelot is not the only character who does this, in fact almost all of the bbc merlin character do:

merlin has times where he repeatedly goes to gwen and tells her about his dilemmas where he talks about how dismayed he is that he doesn't have a choice where gwen then repeatedly reminds him that he actually does have a choice,, these interactions flow on through merlin to arthur where the closer merlin is to gwen he remembers that he always has a choice to do the right thing and only reverts back to "i have no choice" as the seasons go on and they distance themselves

is sort of a reverse of merlin, arthur the closer he gets to gwen, is further introduced to the idea of free will,, specifically in his love life when he knows that he will have to marry one day and goes from telling gwen that they could never actually happen, to outright marrying her in front of king and country not because gwen pushed him to, but because she gave him the confidence to be the king he could be and realize he didn't want to spend a life bound to destiny (not that he had much of a choice tbh)

morgana and gwen are so interesting to me because she was a character who tried to fight against destiny,, but also clung to it like the future was a solid thing and let her hatred consume her because of fate, like when fighting gwen in s4ep13,, gwen asks why she despises her so much and morgana replies "it's not you it's what you will become",, like even in fighting against fate morgana doesn't even question of what she is seeing is set in stone she just assumes it is and acts according like (does that make sense??)

gwen has her own prejudices and anger, by the time s5 rolls around she is wary of magic and has seen it destroy so many of her loved ones and those she's supposed to protect as queen. but like,, her constant determination not just to do the right thing because so many of these characters believe they are, but to reminder others and herself that "you always have a choice" saved not just her life but all the other characters lives multiple times

in fact camelot was often in its most critial danger when gwen wasn't there, either physically or mentally,, the only thing that could be done to stop the positive effect she had was to literally brainwash her and even that took so much effort because even under extremely psychological abuse gwen refused to give in to morgana's torture and only broke when her brother literally died in front of her

(i also could make an entire post on the SCRAPS. that the bbc gave us on gwen and elyan's relationship and their reaction to choice)

anyways gwen solos hope this makes sense <3

[like-sands-of-time]

All right heres the thing that's been bugging me since I watched season four.

I love morgana in season one. I find her introduction absolutely fascinating. She feels like a very important character, but we don't know how yet. I love that we see her picking fights with Uther from the first, for it to all culminate in her attempting to kill him by the first season finale, all in a way that is so believable and sympathetic to me (and Merlin) that I was honestly hoping Merlin would just, slip on one of those hills and watch her kill him, because we now know three characters who wouldnt mourn the loss of the king. Who are angry at him for the unforgivable things he's done even recently. At that point arthur is most willing to work with magic and common men, and morgana (with Merlin) have had a clear impact on his growth as a man. I love that.

I... Don't see the rest of the shows arc (s3 and on) as believable for who she was then. I'm sorry but either she was caring about the citizens of Camelot and their suffering, or it was all a lie, that doesn't go away just because you're angry at one guy. I'll leave that alone, it's for another time. BUT. even if they wanted to show that dragons have free will and could befriend who they wished, regardless of dragon blood, I still don't think the entirety of that season makes any sense.

Why would Merlin have hatched the egg right then if he wasn't willing or able to raise the hatchling? They said multiple times the egg would last. And if Kilgharrah wasn't willing to raise the egg why did he convince Merlin to do it. It what world would the characters of Kilgharrah and Merlin as we know them at this point just leave an infant dragon to do it's own thing anyway? Let alone go work with a sorceress they believe to be evil consumed. That.... Doesn't make sense. Not even in a tragic but realistic way, it just simply doesn't make sense to me. Merlin could have safely put the egg where Kilgharrah used to be imprisoned if no one visits there, or Kilgharrah could have found another cave or safe place to keep it. Those make sense. Hatching it only to both leave and forget about the child doesn't really make sense for either of them?

The writers wanted morgana to have a dragon ally, be an equal to Merlin visually in their ultimate fight, and I get it....... but make Aithusa choosing morgana make sense. Develop their relationship in any way..? And while we're at it make morgana trying repeatedly to kill Arthur make any sense because it the show I watched I never saw any reason for her to want anything other than 1) uther dead and 2) magic free in Camelot once more. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. You can't have characters just Do Things because you want them to happen lmao that's not how people work.

This show loves to tell me instead of showing me. I know what they want me to think because they make it glaringly freaking obvious but I'm sorry .. you have to actually develop character arcs or relationships (whether it's between a dragon and the main villain, or Arthur and Guinevere, because sunbursts and cute music isn't doing anything for me lol. They didn't even develop lance either. She had two love interests shown to us and we just have to use our imagination I guess.

Idk, write morgana to be the darkest, cruellest, most insane bitch you want that's fine with me. It's all medieval fanfiction but ... It has to be plausible. Give me any reason at all why bbc morgana hated Arthur or Camelot or Gwen or anything. Do tragic, do.. "she was always meant to be against him" if you must, but also? It's all fanfiction so have morgana being Arthurs sorceress .. powerful just like Merlin but in her own way and they're both loyal to Arthur.

[fromtheboundlesssea]

HotD Season 2 Episode 2 Live Watch Thoughts

Seriously, I absolutely adore this new opening style. I really hope that they continue with this for the coming seasons (and in the other shows). The tapestry stuff is so pretty! Like I’m actually willing to watch through it. I usually just skip intros after watching them the first time.

Ugh. The bloody sheet. 😭

And now there are a ton of people 🫥 where were they before?

And Cole got dressed fast.

AND DESTROY THAT STUPID LEGO SET AEGON!

DECLARE WAR

ooooooo is Aemond going to find out that he was the one targeted? Are we not even going to get a proper reaction to him being told that his nephew is dead?

Man Otto looks shaken.

Take all of Alicent’s pain and give it to Daemon.

CALL HIM BY HIS NAME!

“But what they’ve done to my girl” 😭😭😭😭😭

I hate that Alicent is always made to feel as though she is at fault for everything but NONE of the other characters seem to feel the same sort of guilt, worthily had or otherwise?

Oooooooof yelling at Criston!

“The sanctity of my family!” 😭

“The Bitch Queen of Bastards” is a killer title though.

“You wished her life to be spared!” I’M—

THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE HIM TALE JAEHAERYS’ HEAD!!!??? 😭

Who else would it be random dude I have yet to know the name of (Jasper)? Who else? Sure someone who wants to start conflict.

Why are Rhaenys’ actions not viewed negatively? She killed hundreds of people.

“I will not have my little son’s body dragged through the street like a dead dog” WHERE ARE THE EMMYS?!?!

TOM MY LOVE YOU DESERVE THE WORLD FOR YOUR ACTING

AEGON LOOKING TO HIS MOM!

“My darling” 😭😭😭😭😭😭🤣🤣

HELAENA!!!!!

“I don’t want them closer. I don’t know them.” MY BABY

“This is for my boy” 😭

Why would you still use the goldcloaks? Especially since we don’t have Alicent’s brother leading them yet?

THE HEAD SHAKING MORE THAN THE BODY!!!!!!!

YOU CHILD MURDERER DO NOT GET TO ACT SO SORRY AND LIP TREMBLING!!!!!

THE SEWN HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOSH THIS IS LIKE ROBB ALL OVER AGAIN!

“Are you going to hurt me?” YOU MURDERED A CHILD!

The petals like ashes 😭

My poor child who does not want to be touched 😭

GIVE THE CHILD SOME DIGNITY IN HIS FUNERAL!

GIRL YOU PUBLICLY ASKED FOR YOUR RECENTLY WOUNDED BROTHER TO BE SHARPLY QUESTIONED!

DAEMON YOU ARE A MONSTER!

Girl, you have shown no interest in your sister until it now suits you.

Rhaenys is catching on.

You are not even talking about how that CHILD is your nephew.

Whichever twin do you wonder if things would have been different had you stayed?

Good Rhaenyra seems to have caught on too.

Good. Don’t believe him Rhaenyra. He destroys so much of your good PR. People think he killed his first wife and murdered your first husband! People are going to assume bad things!

GIRL.

Good call him out. But why did you not notice all these things when PEOPLE POINTED THIS OUT TO YOU.

Do not like Rhaenyra, but get the HECK AWAY FROM HER DAEMON

OOOOOO still calling it his brother’s throne instead of Rhaenyra’s!!!!

Emma out here with their acting!

Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra mention your brother! Mention Baelon!

Ooooo Daemon calling out why part of Viserys named her heir.

Emma is so gorgeous. I am distracted.

“It was a mistake” this entire war is based on mistakes and misunderstandings apparently.

Yay! Baela talked!

Ooooo! Baela and Rhaenyra will actually have a conversation!

So Baela is going to watch King’s Landing?

Is it just me or does Baela’s dress sort of remind you guys of the ribbing of Sansa’s coronation dress? That ribbing embroidery thing? At first I thought it might be meant to mirror Rhaenyra’s dress, but it looks more like Sansa’s coronation dress.

Oh good. Helaena has ladies.

AEGON AND HELAENA! My babies are hurt!

Do you think this is the same nursery Criston watched the Green kids grow up in?

Rhaenyra sort of staring at her kids.

I wish we saw them interacting more with the babies.

My guilt ridden babies. They are Guinevere and Lancelot coded and it hurts.

But honestly, I wish this episode had been their first sex scene and the implied first time they have ever had sex. But you know. Game of Thrones. HBO. They have to make one woman be the sex-ed character. Who cares about writing?

all the guys getting up and leaving is SOOOOO funny. It’s giving “calling my significant other’s full name in front of his family”

Acting is giving this episode. I will give them that.

I like that while the Green twin does not like being question, you can tell he is not fully angry because he knows that everyone is angry about this.

Is Criston the one to send the Green twin to kill Rhaenyra in the book? I know the twins fight, but is this how it is initiated?

I wish we actually saw more of the twins before episode 9 so we could care a little more that the twins die. Both of them die don’t they?

Ooo Baela and Jace are going to talk?

“Too many empty seats” maybe because a child was murdered?

You hate your dad Baela? Would have loved some characterization last season.

You definitely have Dad issues Jace.

Wish we saw Laenor be a dad. Like actual parenting. Time skips really robbed us of growing to like characters.

You’re asking about Harwin?

Are you flirting while talking somewhat casually about Jace’s bastardry?

They really did find an actress that kind of looks like Phia for whatever this prostitute is going to be used for.

Also, if this is in King’s Landing, that prostitute might have been one of the women Daemon would have went after.

Good lord. No. Really. Aemond deserves more.

Ewan is also skinny. I can see that boy’s ribs!

“When prince’s lose their temper it is others that suffer” is a great line wasted on a character who seemingly preyed on a child.

Oh, Hugh has a kid? Is that canon to the books? OH! That was one of the women at the funeral crying over Jaehaerys.

“Did he say when?” Probably better to ask if he promised before HIS SON WAS MURDERED!

Addam! I wish he had white hair so I could use him as a faceclaim. But I get it. Who wants an ugly wig distracting from the beautiful face?

Interesting. Are Alyn and Addam going to serve as an older version of Jace and Luke?

Post sex Corlys and Rhaenys?

“Let us take him at his word.” Why? What has he done to inspire so much confidence when he already is the reason for the murder of a CHILD

Why is Mysaria granted the title of Lady?

“I had nothing to do with it” you are connected.

Does Rhaenyra not remember Mysaria? They met in episode 2 last season? I think she was even named in his letter as his “wife” and future mother of a bastard?

Oh good. Now she remembers.

Is that the actress’ actual accent?

“I have no interest…” Mysaria, again, why would she trust you?

Mysaria’s character is so confusing. I think it’s partially because she doesn’t have any sort of characterization.

Mysaria, are you not still a whore? You are just a madam now?

How did you get that scar?

Again, the spaces inbetween episodes are so important. And I don’t watch the after the episode stuff because if it’s not in the episode then I won’t use it to cloud my judgement of what is going on.

Is Alyn going to claim Seasmoke? So is Laenor just going to be dead? Or are they going to make it so dragons can claim more than one person? Or is Laenor alive and to keep up the facade is just going to pretend to be Alyn?

“What did they do?” At least inform the people why the boys are hung.

Poor dog lost his child murdering master.

“Oh~ I had them hanged.” I’m sorry that choice is 🤣

No, but why would you not state that the rat catchers are some how connected to the murder of a prince?

That gaze shift from Criston was a “don’t drag me into this” look

If people get annoyed with Criston calling Rhaenyra a bitch then they need to go after Daemon with the same amount of energy. He has said it WAY more.

“You never think of your father” HE BARELY KNEW HIS FATHER BECAUSE HIS FATHER DID NOT CARE TO KNOW HIM

Viserys is the reason the realm has gotten to this point Otto.

“He was right about you.” Viserys had no thought about his son at all to have an opinion.

Would have loved to see more of a relationship between Otto and his grandchildren so all of this could feel more weighted.

And Criston does not want this. 😬

“You will regret this” Otto you need to figure out how to talk to people. You are smarter than this.

Why would you trust someone Daemon trusted?

Oh? Mysaria is going to be sent away? Okay. The point then?

Oh, is she going to notice the Green twin? Is that her only purpose then? Girl? You are about to be free! Why do you care? (Jk. I know it’s for plot)

Again. I wish I knew these brothers and Mysaria more so I can feel the weight of their actions. Mysaria’s need for freedom being thrown away or make it obvious that she is trying to curry favor. Something.

And Emma’s color is blue.

The man also doesn’t know his way around Dragonstone. It’s a stupid plan.

Why is this scene building more tension than Blood and Cheese by flipping between the Green twin and Rhaenyra? Like???? This is how B&C should have been set up?

Also, if you knew someone had a twin on the other side, why would you not do something to distinguish them?

WHY IS THIS SCENE GETTING MORE TENSION?!?!?!?

Jk, again, I know why, it’s for the sake of making the Blacks ALWAYS looking better and deserving more sympathy.

Again, I would care more about these twins if I knew them

Once more. This tension would have been better served for B&C.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CANNOT STAY THERE OTTO?!?!?!?

DAERON MENTION!?!?!?!? He exists?

“The young are peacocks” does that not also describe Viserys too?

“I have sinned.” “I do not wish to hear of it.” The only actual father-daughter relationship that has any sort of solid development.

Loved the close up on Aegon’s short finger nails and Viserys’ ring.

AND ALICENT TALK TO YOUR SON. Ugh. But no. Let’s just have Alicent be used for the necessary sex scenes needed in a GoT/HBO show instead of having more character plot with her children.

I do think this would have been a better introduction to them having sex.

This was a meh episode.

Thoughts on the promo for Episode 3:

So Jace won’t be the one to suggest the dragonseed?

Also, where was Rhaena? I thought she was in the promo for episode 2?

[mosswolf]

reading summary - march

vespertine, by margaret rogerson: i really enjoyed this one, YA but no romance, about a horrible fucked up little death nun who gets possessed by a bitchy ghost and becomes a joan of arc figure in a fantasy french setting. whats not to like really

river of teeth, by sarah gailey: this one's like alternate history lousiana, usa, with hippo cowboys. the concept fucks, but i was definitely hoping for more mystery than this novella had, possibly due to it being a novella? but if you like fantasy cowboys u gotta check this one out

sword, stone, table: old legends, new voices, edited by jenn northington and swapna krishna: LOVED this anthology, lots of really interesting retellings of arthuriana. my favourite was flat white by jessica plummer which is about elaine who works at a coffeeshop and gets tangled up with regular customers lancelot/arthur/guinevere in a messy codependant poly situation and i genuinely think about it such a lot. really really well written,,,

lorehaven bound by joy demorra: love ursula cant wait to see more ursula!!

the starfang trilogy by joy chng: hugely let down by these. theyre about werewolf clans in space which sounds great but they were super nothingy when it came to the main plot, had a really random cousin incest thing and a really weird attitude towards drug addiction? finished the trilogy because theyre all really short and feel super incomplete alone, but man. what a disappointment

clockwork boys & the wonder engine by t kingfisher: these were really fun, you can definitely tell that theyre earlier books than the saint of steel series but still lots to enjoy. the end of wonder engine had me screeching

swordheart by t kingfisher: wasnt as immediately engaged with this one because theres no paladins..... but i listened to this audiobook on a long coach ride basically all in one go and it was extremely solid in a very familiar and comforting way.

guides for dating vampires 0.5, 1, 1.1, 1.2, by d.n bryn: predictable in a very soothing way, loved vincent as a character

the dawnhounds, sascha stronach: very discworldy, but if discworld was biopunk and way more specifically about autonomy. i was also hoping for more of a mystery or central plot from this one, it felt quite scattered, but the concepts were super cool.

atomic awakening by james mahaffey: read this for uni, and it SUCKED. i always forget that people think that nuclear weapons are cool and that the usa is good. why.

gathering moss: a natural and cultural history of mosses by robin wall kimmerer: this was really interesting, and robin wall kimmerer reads her own audiobooks and her reading is super relaxing to listen to as well

consort of fire by kit rocha: this was about dragons and magic and poly romance and stuff but i dont know, i didnt really like it. just didnt really ever grab me despite the subject theoretically being exactly my thing

dirty strays 1 & 2 by riley nash: okay i picked these up because the description starts like this "We’re lost boys, wild and forgotten. Born into a world of poverty and crime, my two best friends and I have nothing to rely on except each other. But I have a plan: if I can film viral BDSM porn" and it carries on but THAT WAS SO HILARIOUS TO MEEEE LIKE BRO REALLY WENT THERE INSTANTLY. DIDNT CONSIDER ANYTHING ELSE FIRST. but yes theyre EXTREMELY horny and also i really liked them especially the first one. a fucked up family of fucked up people, semi verbal mc, they get a dog. really endearing in a strange kind of way

how to do nothing by jenny odell: this was okay, nothing lifechanging and i'd read a lot of the books that are quoted already, so i kind of felt i already got the gist

[athamad]

Why do you like Uther Pendragon? Not hating, just curious, he is one of the most hated Arthurian characters because of the rape of Ygerne (Elaine of Carboneck does something similar to Lancelot years later in the legend, and she doesn't recibe so much hate tbh), what is the thing you like about him? I must say one of the first depictions of Uther I watched was "The Mists of Avalon" miniseries, one of the few (probable the only one of the "famous" Arthurian TV shows/movies) that doesn't portray him as a moron/tyrant/insane, so I think my headcanon of him is kinder because of this. (Oh, and the hottest Uther will always be Gabriel Byrne in Excalibur, I said It)

To be honest, it was all just for shits and giggles then it got serious. Uther Pendragon is just another king who is judged by modern standards, like guys, HE IS A KING!!! What do you expect him to think while he was transforming into Ygerne's husband??? "Oh, l hope l don't get consequences for my actions 🥺"???? And he DOES get consequences, hello??? Arthur getting taken away and leaving him with no heir???? I SWEAR, the internet sees one guy do a thing that's considered bad in our time but it wasn't in their time and everyone shits on him. We don't even know if some of the affairs Arthur had were consensual! Lancelot (like you said) does a familiar thing to another woman! ALSO, Mordred forces Guinevere to marry him and is always brutal and assaults people! Yet, l don't see anyone hate him or Lancelot that much??? I don't hate them, just saying, that if you hate one character because of something they did, then hate all the characters who do the same. OH! AND I JUST REMEMBERED WHAT MORGANA DID TO LANCELOT, YET SHE IS DESCRIBED AS A GIRLBOSS???? Uther is a fine character, considering his time's morals and the story's morals, he has a backstory that fits him, his reasoning is fine, and he admits to being lustful and says that he needs to fix it before he's considered sinful. He's my favorite because 1) Go to hell internet, 2) he's a well-written character and just a king who happened to be lustful that one time (I'm trying to read more Arthurian books but my attention span is non-existent so l may have made mistakes)

[thegirlwhowrites642]

Hi , I hope you are doing well. I just want to ask, you have mentioned in one of your post Ginny's name symbolic for hinny being soulmates. please elaborate on that bit.

Thank u

Let's clarify something, I've never said this. I want it to be put on record.

[Also, thank you, I hope you are well, too]

What I did say is that soulmates dynamics usually rely heavily on symbolism. Because soulmates are not a proven real thing, unless they exist explicitly in the worldbuilding of the story, the author uses symbolism to communicate with the reader that yes, they are very conscious of what they are writing, it's written on purpose, those characters are meant for each other. Symbolism is also the literary translation of fate and destiny, obviously essential elements when talking about soulmates. Clearly, the whole symbolic level of narration means nothing in terms of the soulmates storyline if the dynamic of the couple doesn't support it (Harry and Ginny's one does).

Now, one of the many symbolic elements in Harry and Ginny's story is Ginny's name.

Let's see why.

Ginny's full name is Ginevra, an Italian name that comes from the ancient Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. Ginevra means bright spirit, or even bright elf (if someone is in the mood to write a LotR hinny AU).

Ginny throughout the series is often associated with light and warmth, both on a direct level and on a more metaphorical one, and in the last book, she is even directly described as a brilliant light. She Harry's light, she is life itself.

Therefore Ginny's name fits perfectly into the whole symbolic system around her character, a character who is actually one of the main columns of the symbolic system of the entire saga.

It doesn't end here, though.

Ginevra is the Italian version of the name Guinevere.

Guinevere happens to be the wife of King Arthur. The Arthur hero of the legend, like our Harry.

But here is when it gets interesting.

Guinevere is also pretty famous for having cheated on Arthur, this is the complete opposite of Ginny who has been devoted to Harry since before they even met in a way. Ginny has always loved Harry, even when she really didn't want to, and will always love him.

Does this mean that calling Harry's future wife Ginevra was a poor choice?

No.

Referencing a famous story, using it as a trope if you will, but then changing the ending is something that Rowling does on more than one occasion and various times specifically with Harry and Ginny.

Ginny running after the train and Harry looking at her in PS is reminiscing of many love stories, but instead of being a painful goodbye with a promise of a reunion, it's a hello. It's the first time they meet.

Harry saving Ginny from the Chamber is a situation built in a way that strongly references Orpheus and Eurydice but Harry, unlike Orpheus, manages to actually save Ginny.

In the break-up scene between Harry and Ginny, you can see the usual pattern of the hero breaking up with the love of their life because they consider themselves too dangerous, but usually what happens is that the hero lies about their own feelings in order to make sure the love interest stays away, a White Fang situation if you will. A type of scene that is reminiscent of the ending of the highly successful first Spider-Man movie (that came out only three years before HBP and might have easily influenced JKR) where Peter refuses MJ, and at a funeral of all moments. But with Harry and Ginny, Rowling once again adds her own twist. Harry doesn't lie to Ginny, he is extremely honest about his reasons and emotions, and even the things he can't tell her are things that Ginny already knows even if not in detail (that he's going after Voldemort).

In conclusion, Ginevra is definitely a name chosen very carefully. You can like it or not, but Harry and Ginny's story is one of the most clearly meticulously crafted dynamics of the series.

Fun fact: the Italian version of the name is also associated with the juniper (ginepro in Italian). The juniper in many cultures - from the ancient Greek to the Celtic one - is linked to magic and protection (Ginny is a powerful witch, and one of her arcs is her being a protector of others). Particularly in Mesopotamian mythology, it was the plant of the goddess Ištar, goddess of sex and war, who could bring death and destruction but also love and fertility (Ginny's character is basically a delicate balancing act between harshness and sweetness). To add to this, her animal was the lion (Ginny is a leo).

[sashketter]

The Captain and the Senator Chapter 1 Footnotes

I don’t want to make an already long post longer, so I’ll separate these notes after each chapter. They’re not necessary reading, just some clarifying points about my thought process.

I had the bright dumb idea of each chapter beginning with Rex and ending with Riyo, to mirror the title, but I can tell y’all already I break the trend in Chapter 3 lolol I mean, it’s still a clone captain, just not Rex. Either way, I love starting in medias res, so most, if not all, of the chapters start mid-conversation.

Yes, “you stand out in your armor” is a cheeky allusion to our collective reaction to Rex in TBB season 1, but I like to think he always knew what he was doing. He’s kitted in the field where he needs the protection and in civvies when he needs to blend in. Makes sense.

If Echiyo peeks out here and there, I promise you that was not my intention lolol Rex, Echo, and Riyo are arguably three of the most morally upright characters in Star Wars, so of course, they overlap. Hell, they could easily have been a throuple! (🤔 Food for thought for other fics 😉) I’m not opposed to Echiyo at all, but I just want to be clear that my focus is on Rex and Riyo because they’re the leaders. In my mind, Echo sort of functions like the Lancelot to Rex and Riyo’s King Arthur and Lady Guinevere, which tbh lends more credence to Echiyo but I’ll let better inclined writers take that from here 😘

I’m sure Riyo has more than two guards with her on Coruscant, but since we only ever see two tops and the two that died never comm’d for backup, I’m gonna use that loophole as an excuse to fill it in with clones 😇

I deliberately didn’t name the Pantoran guards. They’ll be named in subsequent chapters to highlight how closely they’re working with the clones.

I’m not saying the Pantoran guards aren’t capable of protecting Riyo. RIP to the one who got her into the warehouse, he was a real one 🫡 I’m saying they’re not enough to face what they’re up against. Riyo seems to play at least an equal role to Rex and Echo in terms of their plans and activities, judging by how easily Echo left the garage and the troopers to her in “Tipping Point.” She’s important to them, so ofc they’re gonna take good fucking care of her (Rex especially 😉🤭 and I mean good fucking care 😉🤭).

I’ve been sitting on this chapter for so long that I’m not sure how necessary it is to the series anymore lol There’s no action, it’s all talk - must come off as boring 😭 But some of my favorite tv episodes are when the characters are stuck in one place and they start to argue and bounce off each other and reveal things they normally wouldn’t when they’re preoccupied with their normal activities. I hope this comes across similarly like a character study. It sets up how the personalities will interact with each other.

[sofya-fanfics]

Hello Merlin

Fandom : Merlin

Relationship : Merlin x Arthur

My Fluffy February 2023 contribution for the prompt : Hello.

I’m sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Summary : Arthur parked in front of the hospital. It was a small hospital in a small village on the English coast. He took a deep breath and entered. He had been waiting for this moment for two years. In comparison to all those centuries Merlin had waited for him, two years was a short time.

Disclaimer : Merlin belongs to Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy.

@fluffyfebruary​​​​​

AO3 / FF.NET

Arthur parked in front of the hospital. It was a small hospital in a small village on the English coast. Only a few hundred inhabitants lived here, there were only a few shops, a school and this hospital. But Arthur saw that this was the kind of village that was good to live in.

He took a deep breath and entered. He had been waiting for this moment for two years. In comparison to all those centuries Merlin had waited for him, two years was a short time. He perfectly remembered that day when he saw Merlin again.

In this world, Arthur was called Dean and he had become a police officer. It had been a year since he went to criminal. By becoming a police officer, he wanted to change things. He wanted a fairer world and to protect those who needed it. That day, he was about to solve a case, but things had gone wrong. The suspect had tried to escape and had shot him. He could feel death approaching and he was terrified. He did not want to die, not now, not like this. He felt a presence near him. Hands resting on his wound trying to stop the bleeding and a voice saying to him :

“It'll be OK. You'll be fine Arthur.”

Why did this person call him Arthur ? He opened his eyes with difficulty and everything he saw was blurry. He could make out a figure above him. He guessed it was a man, but he could not see the features of his face. He heard him mutter something he did not understand. It was as if he spoke a foreign language. Strangely, Dean knew that everything was going to be fine. He closed his eyes and everything went black. He woke up in a hospital bed two days later. It had been explained to him that his bleeding had been contained thanks to a stranger. Without this man, he would not be alive.

That was when he started having strange dreams. His dreams took place in a medieval fantasy world where magic was common. He always dreamed about the same people. Uther, Guinevere, Morgana, Gaius and especially Merlin. These were familiar names that he had studied their stories years ago when he was in high school. But his dreams seemed far too real to be mere dreams.

He had come to understand that these were memories of a past life where he had been Arthur Pendragon. He had not told anyone about it. They would take him for a madman if he claimed to be King Arthur. As the centuries went by, magic was no longer visible to the eyes of people, most did not believe in it. Himself, before recovering his memories, found it ridiculous. His real name, as well as those of his family and friends, had become characters in legends in which many writers have written about it. But in the end, neither of them knew what really happened. No one really knew him or knew Merlin.

Deep down, Arthur knew that the man who had saved him was none other than Merlin. So he had investigated for two years. He had finally found him in this small village. He was a nurse and he called himself John Smith. In this place, with such an ordinary name, he was sure to go unnoticed.

Arthur went to the reception. He asked to see John Smith and he headed for the waiting room. He could not sit up, he was way too nervous. He was pacing. He almost wanted to laugh. It was the first time he had been so nervous about seeing Merlin. But centuries had passed and after saving his life, Merlin had done everything for not to be found. Arthur was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps behind him.

“I was told you wanted to see me ?”

Arthur turned round. Merlin opened his eyes wide before pulling himself together. It had barely lasted a second, but Arthur had seen the surprise in his eyes.

“Hello Merlin.”

Arthur almost laughed but caught himself, seeing Merlin's look on his face.

“What...I...Excuse me ?”

“I remember everything. My memories came back when I was in the hospital two years ago. You were there. It was you who saved me.”

Arthur smiled.

“As always.”

Merlin grinned from ear to ear. He had never been so happy.

“I've been waiting for this moment for so long.”

Merlin walked over to Arthur and hugged him. Arthur wrapped his arms around him and hold him tight. They pulled away slightly and kissed. It was as if nothing existed around them. As if time had stopped and the centuries that had separated them had never existed. They were no longer John and Dean. They were Merlin and Arthur again. They knew that now nothing could separate them.

Centuries ago, Arthur had died in Merlin's arms and it was in his arms that he was coming back to life.

The end

[griffinkid]

tips for naming a plushie friend? i recently modded a dog plush to make them more sparkle dog like by adding patches and piercings n stuff and have just been calling them patch puppy but want to give them an official name because they’re going to become my fursona.

(also love your acc sm, so glad to see adults posting their plushies and normalising adults still having them) thanks sm!!

Hello! ❤️

This turned into a long answer so I've put it under a cut for you:

My main advice for naming plushies is the same as my main advice for life in general, which is "never do what everyone else is doing". No 'Patch' or 'Buttons' here (unless you want to, obviously). Let's come up with something a bit more unique.

I like to look at name meanings, and find a name that has a relevant meaning or a meaning that is personally significant to me. BehindTheName is my favourite site for name meanings, but there are plenty of others you can use to find something significant.

If you want something totally unique, you could even pick a few names you like the meanings of, and mash them up to create something totally new, which would fit your plushie's sewn-together aesthetic!

Another nice option is to look at names from mythologies that speak to you (I've always enjoyed Arthurian legend myself, and of course Irish mythology, and some Welsh tellings of the King Arthur stories… my grandmother used to say we were part Welsh, but she made up a lot of things so who knows about that) Anyway, side rant aside, you can pick names from mythology, but if the stories are very old you could always look at more archaic names for the figures, such as 'Gwenhwyfar' instead of 'Guinevere'. In a similar vein, literary names are always a good choice. You could scope out some old novels with the kind of vibes you want and see if any names of characters or authors stick out. The older the books, the more delightfully old-timey the names tend to be.

I hope that helps even a little, good luck!

Thanks so much for the kind words too, means a lot! 💖

[streettealee]

Not to out myself as PB Choices: Stories You Play trash because I've been in a love/hate relationship with that app since I was like 13 and began with The Crown & The Flame (I feel like we should count online visual novels as able to shape the stories we write because somehow Choices has), buuut the way Prince Aerin in Blades of Light and Shadow reminds me of James Herondale fucks me up. My guy is literally a major antagonist of the first book and, admittedly, I did not spend the diamonds to track him down and bring him to Whitetower prison, so now I'm hoping he turns up later in the game (alive), AND IF HE HAS A REDEMPTION ARC AND THE ROMANCE THAT WAS AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST BOOK COULD PICK UP AGAIN, I WILL NOT COMPLAIN. Except maybe about how I committed myself to romancing Tyril and so then I'd feel awful about pursuing Aerin, but then if Aerin is available... IDK what I'll do. It's like he was designed to be the guy that worms into my heart. He has honey golden brown eyes, the most lovely dark mess of curls, godforsaken pale vampire skin, and he's a nerd and I truly believe he was once a good man with good intentions before the Shadow Court got to him.

Anyway, I hate the direction PB has gone with most of their books and it's why I wasn't on the app for ages again (always a dry spell). Someone's probably already said it but they really went from having diverse genres coming out all the time to leaning heavily into the NSFW category (as a genre rather than simply an element of another genre if you paid diamonds for those extra choices in romantic moments). I think they're just following the trend though of smutbooks in general and which of their books have been most popular (if I have to see any more The Royal Romance promotion, I'm going to kick a man) but even that wasn't NSFW in genre, just cheesy romance. But it's no secret booktok trends favour the spicy books traditionally published and so it makes sense why PB writes their own. I mean, they literally have a spicy fae one now (I played The Cursed Heart, yes, but for diamonds so I wasn't spending on the actual NSFW scenes that the book intends readers to indulge in).

I replayed Endless Summer and I will forever be mad that Kele was only a romance option for Quinn and not MC. Jake is my love and I adore Estela (but honestly female!Lancelot in Guinevere (a book I became obsessed with) made me well and truly fall in love with the muscly-woman-with-long-dark-hair-and-stoicism character type that I think they both share) BUT KELE. HE IS SO CUTE. WE WERE ROBBED.

Anyway, Endless Summer demonstrates I have a history of falling for the character that shows up halfway through books/series, and it does not help that Aerin's appearance reminds me of James Herondale, my greatest fictional crush. I don't know what to do. Hell, I'm tempted to replay Book 1 so that I can get that scene with Aerin in Book 2 Chapter 2 that I saw someone else had. For now, my fingers are crossed and I'm hoping to see him again later on in the updates.