#Uther bashing

[gaiussleechtank]

When Morgana first came to Camelot, she refused to eat or talk to anyone, no one could break her cold personality. She refuses any bribe from the King or pity from a servant, she locks the door to her new Chambers and screams and cries because no one understands. Her father is dead, the man who is meant to love her forever no matter what, and he's gone. She already doesn't have a mother, but her dad, her hero?

She spits at Uther when he tries to comfort her.

She hates everything about the man because he is nothing like her father, he is the opposite in every dastardly way. And when he tries so hard to replace him, her young venom towards him sparks in screaming and tantrums and meltdowns. The court avoids her.

She spends her days locked in her room, watching the pure be lit and listening to the screams. At night she wanders the castle alone to avoid nightmares of a ragged witch, no matter how sunken her eyes become, no matter how many times the old physician tries to prescribe her tonics and potions.

The hallways and corridors become her most trusted friends, until she encounters a young boy crying in an alcove.

"Why do you cry?" she asks him.

The boy with blond hair looks up at her with red rimmed eyes. "Father made me watch the execution."

Morgana sits down next to him, he was so small and innocent. "They're horrible. Why did he make you watch it?"

"'Cause it's my duty, or whatever."

"Duty?"

"Being Prince and stuff."

That made Morgana want to flee, recoil from the child. From Arthur.

She wanted to hate him, but all she felt was pity. She should hate him, hate everything about him because he was Uther's son. Except all she saw was a scared child. Afraid.

They said nothing after that, Morgana stood up and held out her hand, Arthur took it. She lead him through the halls and into a lit corridor with guards.

"Goodnight, Arthur." Morgana watched from a dark doorway as Arthur sleepily rubbed his eyes and mumbled a reply, dosily stumbling to his door, to the guards surprise.

She went back through her friends pathways, and when she found herself in her bedroom, at her bedside table, she took the vial of sleeping tonic and drank it all in one.

Begging that this was a way to end her grief for a while, that she could rest, forgot for a while, that she would wake up less afraid and less alone.

The potion did work.

Because years later as she tore down the very kingdom she hated so much as a young child, she didn't once think about her father. Her true father, Gorlois. He was nothing but a blurry echo in the back of her mind, silent in the torrent of anger and rage and fear.

The potion worked and she forgot, becoming the very witch that haunted her nightmares.

[the-cactus-taco]

Is it bad that I want the Star Warriors to be in Forgotten Land and see the similarities between Kirby, Elfilin, Popopo, and Fecto Forgo?

Like, Kirby and Elfilin are a pretty obvious comparison, that of nice kind being that was seperated from a more powerful one that happened to be crueler, however unlike Kirby due to being hunted for who knows how long Elfilin has anxiety and probably doesn't trust those that aren't Waddle Dees, Kirby, and Kirby approved easily. Which I doubt any of them are. So finding out Elfilin is the compassionate half of Fecto Elfilis is bound to make them, uncomfortable.

Meanwhile with Popopo and Fecto Forgo, well, Fecto Forgo shows how they should really be glad that Popopo is a nice baby who couldn't fully process the pain they were going through. Because Fecto Forgo was put through what Popopo experienced and probably worse with those experiments, all the while being unable to leave because without Elfilin they would be unable to survive out of their Stasis Chamber.

And when they do reunite with Elfilin all the pain it went through, all the trauma, it can't let go. Unlike the hypothetical Void Knight, the positive part didn't get positive experiences until recently, and definitely not long enough Elfilin would be able to convince his other half to not kill everyone out of rage and pain. That, and since Fecto Forgo never got to befriend anyone, never got to see that not everyone was out to get them and hurt them without brainwashing to be completely and utterly safe, Fecto Elfilis lashed out and tried to commit genocide.

BASICALLY THE STAR WARRIORS BETTER FEEL LUCKY THAT KIRBY AND POPOPK FOUND A HAPPY PLACE IN CAPPY TOWN TO RECOVER FROM TRAUMA IN-

I think they get the idea (been sitting on this one for a while sorry)

[rhaemaya-valwynn]

Alternate Timelines- To blue, or not to blue

So I've been writing Warcraft fics lately, mostly drabbles and such. Today, when going into old Shadowlands raids for transmog, I came across THIS when entering the sepulcher of the first ones and IMMEDIATELY was like: I need to write this- hold my keyboard.

So (as a heads up) I'm working on an AU fic of Arthas Menethil with an ancient OC of mine named Scillea Dawnseeker (Rightworn originally but after 10+ years I wanted to spruce up some things) So a lot of things won't make sense, but this ones supposed to be a funny haha snippet.

There is supposed to be a scene of the canon universe meeting the AU, and seeing blue uther again made me lose my mind and spew this up:

Uther stood there trying to maintain composure as his other half talked. Arthas could see that he was struggling, given how the corners of his eyes were creased in that 'just smile and wave' kinda way. It was a familiar look Arthas knew well.

It was usually pointed at him right before a deep conversation was about to happen about morals and 'being just.'

The Lich King shifted slightly, leaning over a bit to the shorter 'mortal' and whispered: "You okay?"

Uther side-eyed him with exasperation but not out of anger for the question. He leaned toward Arthas and said, "Why am I blue?"

Oof. Arthas grimaced and gave his teacher an apologetic look. "I have no idea. This other timeline is..." he rolled his hand to gesture vaguely before an idea struck him. "Do you remember that drug that was being carteleded in the undercity when I was 18?" Uther raised an eyebrow at him but nodded. "Yeah, this whole place reminds me of that. Just-"

"Sheer hallucinations of grandeur while self mutilating yourself on a high that could kill a horse?"

"Yeah," Arthas nodded, "That."

[justaz]

i don't like putting homophobia in my fictional worlds so like when i think of bbc merlin i like to imagine uther as a classist anti-magic bigot but a hashtag ally. anyways i thought of a way to make homophobia make sense in canon without it being like. serious?

we know that true love is a force powerful enough to overpower any love spell so i think it's safe to say that love is the most powerful force in albion, above even magic. and this is smth i maybe made up but sex is a sacred thing in magic and to the druids. sex rituals happen all the time and the power from sex fuels spells to make them more powerful.

how would uther weaken the magical community? outlaw wlw and mlm relationships to that love and sex can't be used in magic. he couldn't outlaw love and sex entirely as men and women needed to have children to continue on the population. he uses the new religion to push that it's immoral to engage in mlm/wlw relationships and that's what arthur grew up hearing but he's known since he was a kid that he's gay so he has his own super deadly secret he can't let anyone know.

the druids never bend to uther's laws and continue their free love and that's why arthur is always sympathetic to their plight and hates when his father sends him to raid their camps because part of him feels like he's hurting his own people. it's also why uther is able to get away with attacking peaceful people without anybody bashing him for it - they have magic and they're immoral.

so uther has his anti-magic laws but also his anti-love laws

[galactic-ambitions-jester]

Talks in Twilight

Toxic Chaintober 2024 Day 25-29: Dog, Monkey, Pheasant, Revival, and Twilight

(Video starts up)

Hey, hey, hey everyone! Tis’ I Marx! @kirbyoctournament voters, listen up, cuz I’m going to tell you who to vote in the finals in both the Second Chance and the Mainline tournament! Doku’s joinin’ me here on the spot! - Marx

(Camera switches focus to another direction, this time showing Dokutaro)

Reasons on why you should vote Valfrey: she’s filled with swag, she’s a cool girl and they will not hesitate to put Uther in his place in hell. And they’re my friend, so if you vote for them, I’ll give you a special mochi, not poisonous mind you. - Dokutaro

(Offscreen, Uther can be heard yelling and Marx comments on the last statement from Doku with the camera going back to him)

Oh wow… a threat… anywho, wowee, the twilight’s amazing eh? Speaking of twilight, which is the transition between the day and the night, vote for Noir Fontaine, a sad and traumatized boy. Reason? He has my full respect. Plus, I am looking forward to the Director’s Cut of his world. This one’s to you Cosmo, this kid better get to college, I swear to Titan! It would also help him and his confidence if he wins! I know right? Holy Ti- issat the Loyal 3?! - Marx

(Camera moves to see the Loyal 3, Okidogi, Munkidori and Fezandipiti, all revived and alive)

Sup, Boss? - Okidogi

Hey, Boss. - Munkidori

You better haven’t forgotten us. - Fezandipiti

(Camera moves to Dokutaro, who had opened his shell, crying)

… you’re.. you’re aliveandIdon’t.. I’m sorry - Dokutaro

(All three move to the camera’s view to comfort Dokutaro, then they see that Doku was filming something with Marx, and notices the next line that he was supposed to say, and Okidogi picks it up then looks at the camera saying the line and adding something of his own)

You better live up to Noir’s threat and send these kids to college or I’ll bash your skulls! Buy those signs and get Noir to win! - Okidogi

Well, this stream isn’t stopping anytime soon folks! Speaking of revivals and death, vote Valfrey, and get Uther down to hell! - Marx

Any Uther is wicked, as that is how the tales go - Munkidori

(The camera moves to Fezandipiti, who is seen on Cosmo’s stand, luring people to him [Cosmo], and even bought a sign that said “Vote For Noir!” with a drawing of the boy)

Buy now everyone! Not only will this help Noir’s votes to rise but also assist him and his siblings in going to college~~! For only 20 star coins each! - Fezandipiti

Our surprise guests have shown why you should vote Noir and Valfrey! So see you all soon! - Marx

(Video ends)

//credits under the cut

Ocs featured or mentioned

@gethoce - Valfrey

@quanblovk - Uther (only briefly mentioned) drag him to hell!

@poppybros-jr - Cosmo and gang

@desultory-novice - Noir Fontaine

//Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti are available for asks!

Prompts by @tealmaskmybeloved

//An unexpected thing happened while writing this and bam! Days 25-29 finished in here! Originally it was just the usual Marx and Dokutaro banter on who to vote for, but then it turned into a stream and eventually ended up with this final video like fic. Vote for Valfrey and Noir guys!~

[artzzyb00-27]

Tavern Tales{Elyan x OC}

Robin Hood and his Merrymen meet the Knights of the Round Table. Along with King Arthur and Merlin. What could go wrong? Not much actually, but Elyan deserves more love so here you go.

Arriving at Camelot came a minstrel, one came from a land near Mercia. Who sang tales of Robin Hood and his legion of Merrymen. The people gathered round to hear the tale. The rhythm of the tale became engraved in everyone's head.

Robin Hood and Little John, walking through the forest

Laughing back and forth at what the other'n has to say

Reminiscing this and that and having such a good time

Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day

Never ever thinking there was danger in the water

They were drinking, they just guzzled it down

Never dreaming that a scheming sheriff and his posse

Was a-watching them and gathering around

Robin Hood and Little John, running through the forest

Jumping fences, dodging trees and trying to get away

Contemplating nothing but escape and finally making it

Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day

Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day

Eventually, the word made its way to King Uther. He wasn't pleased with the thought of rogues attempting to steal from nobles. So he sent his knights to disband the group. Out of the twelve that left, only five returned. When Arthur became king, he wondered what happened to the group of Merrymen, he had only heard stories in passing at the tavern whilst spending time with his knights and manservant.

Till one faithful day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Merlin! Feed the horses, they're no use to us dead!" The knights could only watch amused at the banter between King and servant. Wondering if they would ever become a normal pair of serving and be served.

"Unlike you right?" Dodging a blow to the head, Merlin ran off to feed their trusty steeds. Turning back to his knights Arthur addressed Leon.

"Where to next?" Looking at the map in front of the curly-haired man, he looked up to his majesty awaiting an answer. The long trip from Mercia taking its toll on the man.

"If we head through the Plains of Othanden, we'll cut travel time by a day. As long as there's no trouble with that my lord?"

"None at all, Sir Leon."

"Speak for yourselves, I'm famished." Gwaine, the lazy oaf he is, dragged out as he leaned on Percival who shook his head fondly. Once the horses were ready, they made haste to cut through the plains as best they could. 

With Lancelot keeping Merlin from going insane and Gwaine sharing stories with Elyan and Percival, it made the trip bearable. Arthur and Leon would only chip in their two silvers when necessary(when they wanted to). Once near the edge of Camelot, they spotted a village nearby.

"It's getting dark, we should rest in the village. Have some time to gather our energy." Merlin suggested. Thinking it over, Arthur agreed and led his friends to the village. Once there, people around whispered. Some are in awe of the king and his knights. Others appeared worried.

At this Merlin became paranoid. So he listened in more carefully at the villagers.

"Why are,..... think they'll,..... hope they,... what of,...?" Fortunately, one question was clear as day. "Do ya' wonder what Robin Hood will think?"

Merlin wanted to freeze in his tracks but his horse kept him along the others. Robin Hood was here. The man from tales at the tavern who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Honorable, but bad news if he tried stealing from Arthur.

No gold or valuables were on them, but Arthur wouldn't hesitate to kill if attacked. Merlin prayed Robin Hood was smarter than that.

Once at a decent-looking Inn, they left their horses to the stable boy and left to a nearby tavern for a light dinner. Or drink in Gwaine's case. A table maid sat them at a window booth and took their orders. Gwaine had attempted to woo her.

It gave the others amusement especially when she was particularly interested in Lancelot. She was making the man bashful and he tried to give attention to Gwaine again.

After she walked away, music began playing louder and cheers were heard. Turning their heads to see the commotion, they saw a bright red-haired woman dancing on the bar along to the beat of the song.

Her hair was in a braid and she wore boots with baggy wool socks. Black pants that sagged at her lower legs and a white blouse that brought out her purple bodice. It seemed she was there alone. 

When the violin played a certain chord, she jumped in the air towards the chandelier and swung in circles everyone around her. Including the visitors from Camelot.

Landing on a table nearby causing the men sitting there to fall over from shock, she continued to dance. Spinning around and swaying her hips along with the music. Getting wolf whistles from men and cheers of praise from women.

Entranced by her dancing, Elyan didn't hear the praise coming from his friends.

"She's good," Arthur said. Leon nodded while taking sips from his drink. Leon nodded his head in agreement.

"Elyan agrees, right mate?" Gwaine said laughing at his friend. Looking besotted at the bold red-head across from them. As the song ended she jumped off the table landing gracefully, giving a bow to the patrons around her. The knights and everyone else raised their glasses to her.

As she went to sit at an empty seat at the bar, Elyan debated on speaking with her.

"If you stare, she'll only think badly of you." Merlin's voice brought him back to reality as his friends sniggered at him. Turning towards the blue-eyed man, Elyan couldn't help but roll his eyes.

A woman as beautiful as her wouldn't be interested in him dressed like a peasant. When they headed into their rooms Leon implied it wise to change into something less formal for their trip to the tavern.

While the others agreed, Elyan couldn't deny he felt stripped. Despite Arthur's reassurance, being from no noble blood made him feel small. Even worse when some common folk looked at him in contempt. Which wasn't always because of his position or origin.

"I'd rather not. Besides she must feel tired, why keep beating a dead horse?" At his words the knights became rigid. Apart from Merlin and Gwaine who held in laughs.

"Because maybe it'll come back to life?" A different voice spoke behind him. An angelic voice. Turning around with a confused expression, Elyan met eyes with the redhead. Her green eyes glimmer despite facing away from the light. He tried to envision what they would look like in the afternoon sun.

"Perhaps that's true." He said after much debate internally, which was hilarious to his friends. Although, it did bring a smile out of her so maybe it worked.

"Glad to know someone thought my performance was exceptional."

"Very, love the bit where you jumped and almost hit the ceiling." Closing her eyes and laughing she headed off to another table shaking her head. She sat down at a table a good feet away chatting with some men sitting and drinking.

"Were you complimenting her or insulting her?" Lancelot may be honorable to anyone else, but his companions were at their wits end with him.

After getting their orders they headed off to the inn to get rest for tomorrow's journey home. Still while lying down on the bed next to Percival's he kept thinking back to the girl. He never got her name.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning they awoke and had a small breakfast. Just something to keep them awake for the start of the path. That is til someone broke into the inn screaming their head off.

"Robin Hood's attacked! Lord John isn't happy!" The people near the door piled out, including the knights. They had heard the tales but had never seen it in person. Now was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Robin Hood?" Arthur asked a patron who just shrugged their shoulders with a smile. Outside the village, people gathered around the middle fountain and grabbed bags of money from the Merrymen.

"Should we do something?" Leon whispered in Arthur's ear and he was debating himself. While they were meant to arrest outlaws, Robin wasn't an outlaw of Camelot. Uther had just been threatened by an outside power that most likely didn't even know of his existence.

"No, they're not a problem as long as they don't attack us. We should go."

And like that, they left. Leaving the village and heading into the forest was browsing but the mood and energy picked up when Gwaine began picking on Elyan again.

"So, did you end up getting her name or what Elyan?" Rolling his eyes he gave his friend a gentle glare.

"No, and for good reason. I'll never see her again. What's the point?"

"Don't speak like that Elyan, there are plenty of women who would love a courtship with Camelot's finest knights," Arthur said trying to console his friend which prompted Merlin to have his usual go at him.

"Makes you wonder why Gwen ever chose you." The knights 'Ooo'ed at this and the king simply threw a fake glare at his manservant. Looking past Merlin, he saw a group of horses running up to them.

Realizing it was the Merrymen, Arthur became tense. Noticing, the Knights drew their swords and turned to the charging quarry behind them. When they got close they slowed down and stopped a few feet away from them.

The figure in front of a white horse spoke from under the hood and mask.

"Relax boys, we know you don't have anything, we're just trying to get through. We're making a stop at Camelot. A friend of ours needs help."

"Who's this friend of yours? Perhaps we could assist you, after all, I would like to be more involved with my people."

The statement ran through the Merrymen. Except for the two in front.

"Her name is Marian and she needs money. Please let us through, she doesn't trust any type of nobility." Frowning Arthur went to retort but Merlin stopped him.

"Arthur no, let them come with us."

"He's right, it could give us a chance to keep an eye on them." Leon reasoned out Merlin's input.

"I for one would love to hear the real story of the mighty Robin Hood." A small chuckle from the opposite group could be heard. Guess they weren't as quiet as they'd hoped.

Elyan however, was more focused on the main hooded figure. Their laughter sounded familiar. Angelic almost.

"What do ya' think Robin?" The man next to the leader asked. The leader whispered and agreement and let the man next to him go up to Arthur.

The knights could tell he wasn't being threatening so they sheethed their swords back in their holsters.

"Very well, we'll accompany you. My name is John."

"Little John?" Percival asked gesturing at the man's size. Like Percival he was big and bulky, the only difference being a darker tone of skin and a subtle belly on him.

Laughter from John and the group startled birds out of the trees. They were called Merrymen for a reason.

"You're her! That girl from the tavern last night!" The Merrymen froze and exchanged looks. Some of them looked at their leader questioningly. Huffing out a small laugh only confirmed Elyan's belief and made him flustered.

The girl pulled off her hood and revealed wavy bright red hair that glowed in the morning sun.

"You got me!" She said and made her horse walk closer to Elyan. "Glad to see my biggest fan again." Smiling at her comment, Elyan went to speak but was interrupted.

"You were flirting with Robin Hood!" Gwaine was going to get beat when they got back to Camelot.

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"So how did people think you were a man? Don't think anything different, but your physique isn't very masculine." Arthur asked as they sat in the knight's quarters back in the castle. The trip had let Elyan and the others learn about the Merrymen's travels and adventures.

Their recent heists. Any gone wrong attempts that required daring rescues. Including any potential romances whilst on the road.

"I needed people to respect what I was doing, not patronize me for it. So when the minestrel we saved asked to write a song about us I told him to make me male."

"Certainly fooled me, I thought you were a prat like Arthur." That comment earned Merlin a good wallop to the head creating laughter throughout the room.

"Tell us more." Elyan urged Robin leaning back on the bench next to her.

"Well, there was the time we invaded Cendred's castle unnoticed."

[vals-sims-world]

So this took longer than expected. Due to some IRL shit I've barely been home for more than a few hours at a time for the last 3 weeks and therefore did not have access to my notes and screenshots needed to tell my sims stories. Apologies for the delay. Anyway on to the Smith family!

We've got Guinevere, Elyan and their father Tom who started out collecting metals and gems to sell for money and worked their way up to running their blacksmith business! Why didn't I just make them blacksmiths from the start since that's Tom's job in the show? Because I wanted more peasant families and blacksmith is a merchant job so I decided to make them work their way up.

Anyway here's their starting house:

Again not much to it since it's a peasant family but there's plenty of room for them. Also enough room for someone to camp out in the main room if need be which one Arthur Pendragon found out not long into playing this world.

Yes as it turns out Prince Arthur's relationship with his father became so strained at one point that Uther kicked him out of the castle and he sought refuge with his good friends Gwen and Elyan (the game actually did this on its own while I was playing a different household, I had no part in making this happen but I loved it and decided to roll with it. We'll get into the repercussions of this when I cover the Pendragons)

While Arthur stayed with them he helped them forage and collect things to sell, gaining a new understanding of how the lower classes live and their struggles. He also had a bit of a flirtatious relationship with, surprisingly, Elyan but that fizzled and faded out when he met Merlin and Elyan met Percy. Arthur and Merlin fell hard and fast and before long Arthur moved in with Merlin and his family.

Elyan and Percy moved at a slower pace, taking a bit more time to get to know each other but it didn't take much longer for Percy to propose and for Elyan to move in with him. We'll cover the family they started next

Around the time Elyan moved out Lancelot proposed to Gwen

They'd been having their own romance going since about halfway through Arthur's stay with the Smiths and now that the other dramas in their households were settled it was time for them to tie the knot.

Lancelot moved in with Gwen and Tom bringing enough money to allow them to expand their home, giving Tom his own room and the new couple some privacy. It also allowed them to rank up from the peasant class to yeomen, bringing them closer to Tom's dream of starting up a blacksmith shop. The added income that Lancelot brought was also much needed as it wasn't long before Gwen was pregnant with their first child, a daughter named Anna.

Everything seemed to be going well for the family, which as we all know means tragedy is just around the corner. Tom got sick and sadly died. Shortly after Gwen found out she was pregnant again, this time with triples! 2 girls Elise and Claudia, and a boy Andrey. While Gwen and Lancelot were thrilled about their expanding family they struggled to take care of 4 young children and maintain a steady income. They needed a helping hand and one arrived just in time.

Lancelot's long-lost brother Leith tracked him down. They both had believed the other had died in the attack that destroyed their village and led to Lancelot moving to Camelot. That is until Leith heard word of a Lancelot matching his brother's description marrying into the family that housed the disinherited Prince Arthur. He traveled to Camelot to see if his suspicion was true and found his brother and his beautiful family. Lancelot and Leith were overjoyed to see each other alive and well again. Leith moved in so he could reconnect with his brother and help out his growing family.

Within a week of his stay Leith found another reason to stick around in Camelot. A knight by the name of Sebastian De Poitiers (based off of Bash from Reign btw. Leith is also based on the Reign character)

The two have an ongoing courtship and are adorable together.

With Leith's help, the family has been able to increase their income, expand their home to accommodate their growing number, build a smithy attached to the house, and fulfill Tom's dream of starting a blacksmith business with a rank up to the merchant class! We catch up with our story with the family welcoming its latest member, baby Gabriel.

And here is the family now

And their new merchant home complete with a forge, separate rooms for Leith and Anna, and a nursery

Tagging those who asked: @tansyuduri @building-camelot

[emrys-merlin]

I still love how Old Merlin unapologetically bashed on Uther the moment he laid eyes on him.

[igniferrus]

I can't believe the BBC's The Adventures of Merlin peaked at S01E04 "The Poisoned Chalice."

OBVIOUSLY I love the absolute absurdity of Merlin and Arthur trying to die for each other after knowing each other for like a week. Just for the vibes and for the Merthur implications, however; this episode is the one that does the characters and their interpersonal relationships the most justice, in my opinion.

Now with a read more, because this got out of hand, fast.

We start with the Gauis and Merlin father-son relationship, with them bantering in the hallways about work. Gwen and Merlin get to giggle together at the feast, and then we see their bond as Gwen worries over Merlin (and her blaming herself when he 'dies').

Merlin is also a wonderful sunshine boy in this episode. The weight of his destiny hasn't worn him down yet, he's still riding the high of finally understanding the reason he was born as he was. He perks up when Arthur tells him he's going to the feast, he treats the guests as guests (no immediate suspicion, trying to impress Kara/Nimueh), and we get to see some of his best cheeky moments - like calling Gaius out for making up a proverb, telling Kara he runs the castle, pestering Arthur about his smelly clothes and the food fights, and, of course, when he wakes up mock scolding Gaius for hugging Gwen, and then claiming not to be alive but his own ghost. He's still a silly boy, especially when he wakes up and says he doesn't remember what happened after drinking the wine.

But what I think this episode does particularly well is the Pendragons, especially Arthur.

We get Morgana ready to cut a bitch immediately when things go wrong at the feast, but also see her compassionate side when she allows Gwen to go tend to Merlin. Her relationships with Uther and Arthur are phenomenally well done. Uther scolds her (off-screen) for wanting to bash people about the head with ladles at the feast. But she also gets to stand up to him and show her displeasure at his choices.

When Uther rants at her after Arthur leaves, she agrees with his every point, sarcastically. His ordering Arthur to stay "worked like a charm" and "[her] lips are sealed" when he tells her to knock it off. She calls him out for oppressing Arthur and not letting him make his own choice, telling Uther "[He] can't chain [Arthur] up every time he disagrees with [Uther]" and "Arthur's old enough to make decisions for himself"

But Uther wins this argument (or is at least conceded to), because he asks Morgana if he should allow Arthur to make his own choices, if that means Arthur will die. And Morgana has no answer for him. Which is especially interesting as Morgana was the one to push for Arthur to go.

There is a lot to be said for Morgana and Arthur's relationship in the show as a whole, and this episode too. I could probably write a whole post about them just using The Poisoned Chalice. But I'll keep it to two main points here.

The first, and most important one, which I think is overlooked in a lot of people's take on their relationship, comes from a short line in a transition scene. There is a total of six pieces of dialogues, split between Morgana and Gwen, as Gwen fills Morgana in on the Merlin situation, which includes this bit:

MORGANA: Don't worry, I'm alright. How's Merlin? GUINEVERE: If Arthur comes back with the antidote in time, he'll be fine. MORGANA: Then he'll be fine.

Just like that. If Merlin's health relies on Arthur succeeding it is a forgone conclusion for Morgana. Arthur will not fail. She has enough faith in him that she is no longer worried about Merlin's fate. I don't think enough people consider this angle of their relationship. She knows who Arthur is. He is a good, capable man of honour. He will do what needs to be done. She never says this to his face, and actually implies the opposite when she thinks he won't go and rescue Gwen in a later episode, but that's sibling banter and desperation, baby! She's his older sister, she can't be seen hyping him up. Even when she gives him the chance to talk about his success at the end of the episode, she frames it as "bragging." C'mon. He just traveled to a place where few people come back from, defied his king, and still managed to save a man whose life was already deemed "worth less" that the cost of saving him. It's not bragging, it's a true achievement.

There has also been plenty said for Morgana being a guiding figure at first. When Arthur is stuck with indecision about going, when Uther has gotten into his head about this quest being an abandonment of his people, it is Morgana who encourages him to go, saying his people want and deserve a king who will do what is right. Which is all Arthur ever wants to do, despite the way Uther raised him.

Which brings us to the Uther and Arthur relationship. Uther prohibits Arthur from doing what is right. Calls into question his judgement ("jeopardise the future of this kingdom"? Realty, Uther?). Arrests his son. Locks him in the dungeon. Does his best to throw away all that Arthur sacrificed for to teach him a lesson about not doing things the "right" (Uther's) way. Continued to lie about Arthur's birth and magic, when given the perfect opportunity to come clean.

And yet.

Uther loves his boy. He wants to kill Bayard with his own hands, if it was true that he was going to harm Uther's son. Rants and raves to Morgana and Arthur leaving (and disobeying), putting himself in danger (could never say he's worried to his son's face, though). And in that moment, uses the exact justification he told Gaius wasn't good enough. When Merlin accuses Bayard of poison, Gaius claims "he's just a boy" and should be given leniency, which Uther refutes, saying Gaius should have taught him better. But when it's Uther's own (older) son, "he's just a boy" Morgana, not old enough to make his own decisions.

And at the end? When Uther does tell Arthur he's proud of him, despite it all? Arthur pulls this face, almost a kind of grimace. Like he doesn't know what to do with this information. How often does Uther say this? Not enough, obviously. Uther is a tyrant, a hypocrite, a terrible parent, and a father who cares so very deeply about his child(ren). The love is there, but it is not enough to redeem him. This, along with Beauty and the Beast (especially part two) are some of my top Uther episodes. Because they show how much he loves his boy, and it doesn't change anything. It cannot help either of them now.

Finally. Arthur Pendragon. My main man, in all forms, across all media.

He is at his best in this episode. In every conceivable way.

Aside from the excellent insight into his relationships with his family, in a way with more depth and nuance than most episodes, we get to see the Best Arthur, both physically and mentally.

As a man, he excels. He shows up for the diplomatic aspects of the position as Prince. His teases and needles Merlin, but it is less mean spirited than some episodes portray him. The silly hat is hilarious, but I also think putting Merlin in Pendragon red, with the family's crest emblazoned on his chest was a smart move. This is a new, incredibly untrained servant, with no idea of the decorum of the court. It wasn't Merlin's fault, but he really put himself in a bad light during the tournament by accusing Valiant and not being able to back up his claims, and he did recently confess to sorcery to the entire court...... Arthur all but putting his name on Merlin definitely would have afforded some protection if Merlin's trouble had been a little less dire. Calling Merlin an alcoholic may have been a bit harsh, but impugning Merlin's intelligence had already worked once in getting Uther to let him go, so I see why Arthur would stick with what works. Especially if defying Uther regularly gets him clapped in irons himself.

People routinely call Arthur honourable, and he really shows it in this episode. He tries to drink the poison himself to protect Merlin, after all his other attempts fail. He refuses to allow Merlin's sacrifice to go unrepaid. Even when he hears about how dangerous the quest will be, and that few who try it make it back alive, he says "Sounds like fun." There's no reality where Arthur doesn't want to go. Not even Uther pressing on Arthur's sore spots makes him want to abandon the quest, it just makes him wonder if he should. Also. On a time-sensitive quest that is more likely to kill him than not, he still stops to offer help to an apparently battered servant. It was the wrong choice, but the honourable one none the less.

He's so incredibly clever, too. I talked about my interpretation of his choice of Merlin's outfit already, but the scene with Gwen in the dungeon is so well-written. He's already in trouble. Uther has all but sentenced Merlin to die, twice. Once by forbidding Arthur from leaving the castle, and again when he crushes the flower to teach Arthur a lesson. The guards have to know this, along with the fact that the prince is out of favour enough to be in the dungeon for a week. And yet Arthur uses their perception of him, as a spoiled arrogant prince, to help Gwen smuggle the flower out. It is an exceptionally well-laid and executed plan. He has been studying to be a king (and kill) from birth. By necessity, Arthur is a skilled tactician. He wouldn't lead the army if he wasn't - Uther punishes failure harshly.

Arthur also gets to show off his physical skills in this episode. My man is STRONG and SKILLED. He carries Merlin from the hall to the physician's chambers. I don't know how long of a walk that it, but we've seen there are plenty of stairs up to Gaius' tower, and Arthur gets there without being out of breath. Incredible. Plus, in the cave, Arthur supports his entire body weight with one hand while hanging off a ledge AND waving a sword around to fight off a big spider. In chainmail. This man is Strong As Fuck. I don't think I could hang for very long, even using both hands, much less fight a monster.

We also get to see Arthur's skills with a sword. I've mentioned somewhere before that I understand Merlin was the protagonist and therefore got to be the hero most of the time, at the expense of Arthur. But damn. The cockatrice is the main reason why people don't return from this quest, a single drop of its venom is deadly. And Arthur takes care of it without a single thought. It lunges, he rolls under it, and then he THROWS HIS SWORD and spears it. How much did he have to practice to be able to throw a sword with accuracy, and enough power to be lethal? Absolute unit of a man. He fights off the spider mentioned above, and then climbs the cave wall to freedom. His arms must be so jacked. The only thing he can't carry is the weight of his father's disapproval.

This is also the only episode where we get to see Merlin and Arthur working perfectly together as they were meant to. In other episodes, Arthur is unconscious or unaware of Merlin's magic; or at the end, he is simply an audience to Merlin as the reveal at Camlann doesn't give them enough time to have a healthy Arthur and Merlin team up. Arthur only watches Merlin-as-Dragoon at the battle proper, or is too weak to do anything after.

But in this episode, Merlin, fever-ridden, dying, miles away in Camelot, is still able to provide Arthur magical aid in the cave. He lights the way, showing Arthur the spiders and the route to the exit. It is one of the few times Arthur is exposed to "good" magic. Could you imagine a world where the best swordsman in Albion and the most powerful warlock to walk the earth get to fight side-by-side? With Merlin providing magical support and Arthur the physical aspect? it would have been amazing, but this is the closest we come to it.

It also adds an interesting dimension to the idea of Merlin and Arthur being two sides of the same coin. Merlin's connection to Arthur despite the distance, knowing what Arthur is facing, should have been explored more. We only see it again when they are separated at Camlann, and Arthur wakes, seemingly knowing something isn't right with Merlin. Absolutely underused concept.

This has ended up criminally long, and didn't even cover everything I thought about during my rewatch of the episode. Thank you if you took the time to read all this.

[seventybridgesby70]

Bridge 70, Tintagel, Cornwall

The village of Tintagel is on the north coast of Cornwall, and it has a castle where the ancient kings of Cornwall lived, at least some of the time.  The castle was built on a narrow, high, steep-sided promontory poking into the Atlantic Ocean, so was very defensible, though I find it hard to believe anyone could get to it at all, it’s pretty difficult now, and we had a car.  Worth it, though,  for the fabulous views.

The Atlantic at sunset, from the bridge

Also for the story, which is part of one of the great stories of the made-up history of Britain.  In the twelfth century, Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote chronicles of the Kings of Britain, and as he did not have access to Google Scholar, invented quite a bit of it.  He included King Arthur, the once and future king, from scraps of Welsh legends, which he proceeded to stitch imaginatively into some heroic and magical progaganda, which has since been re-imagined, re-told, and elaborated many times, because the stories are so dramatic and captivating.  If anyone is not familiar, or would like a re-telling from the point of view of the women involved, I recommend The Mists of Avalon by Marion Bradley.  Anyway, Geoffrey’s tale is that Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur, lusted after the beautiful Igraine, wife of Gorlois, Duke, or possibly King, of Cornwall, who had a castle at Tintagel.  Uther was so selfish and arrogant that got his mate Merlin to use magic so that he could impersonate Igraine’s husband and get what he wanted, by means of criminal conspiracy, deception and assault (maybe it wasn’t criminal then, but it was pretty nasty).  Arthur was the result of this horror, and so was conceived and born at Tintagel.  Merlin compounded the trauma to the young Arthur by abducting him from his mother and taking him to Sir Ector to be brought up, and continued to interfere in Arhtur’s life, usually catastrophically.

The castle that is there now dates from the thirteenth century, a bit later than Geoffrey was writing, so it is definitely not the castle where Gorlois and Igraine lived, but it is a pretty magnificent ruin anyway.  The narrow bit of the headland it’s on has since been bashed away by the Atlantic, leaving a steep-sided gorge between the castle and the mainland for about the last 500 years, so getting to the castle was even more difficult, down one side to cross a bridge a quite a low level, then up the other, and it really is very steep.  English Heritage now own the castle, and as visitors are more benign, reasonably thought it would be good to improve access to the impressive ruin, so held a competition to design a bridge, won by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates.  The new bridge was opened in 2019 by the current Duke of Cornwall, now King Charles.  It is an astounding piece of design.  The bridge is at the same height – around 60 metres – and the same width – about 1 metre – as the original land bridge, but is arguably even more vertiginous because there is a gap in the middle, so you can look straight down to the beach below. Though it does have quite high sides, which I suppose original didn’t.   The bridge is two cantilevered decks that don’t touch in the middle.  This is partly to create a physical break between the land and the castle promontory, and partly to allow for a bit of expansion if it gets hot.  It’s about 4 cm.  Sadly, the beautiful Cornish slate deck is very narrow, and was crowded when I visited, so taking pictures on the bridge was tricky, but here are a few, mostly from other vantage points.

Tintagel was the final bridge, just six months later than planned, and a very spectacular and beautiful one to end.  I said when I started out that the best bridges are among the peaks of human achievement, and I’d say this one is among the best. 

I have greatly enjoyed visiting 70 bridges, and if you have been, thanks for joining me on the journey.

[mr-and-mr-pendragon]

I have thoughts about the first code of Camelot (only noblemen can be knights). It is said that after the purge Uther needed loyal knights so he basically handpicked soldiers from among his richest friends (because people in your class are always gonna be loyal and not at all backstabbing to take your throne right?) Anyway of course this initial motive to get loyal people on his side was quickly forgotten and Lancelot, who is loyal to a fault, couldn't get in because he wasn't rich enough. Which is insane.

I love how Merlin keeps dissing this rule though, look:

go off commie king

[iamtheunholyspirit]

Aha, ow

I know I’m a day late, but here’s the follow up to my previous post about KRBAY lore, and happy birthday Kirby! May the next decade bring new amazing adventures! (And more meta dad-)

[dhampirslays]

@fateseeker​​ 

"You're speaking about Uther Pendragon. The grouch king. Everything about him is creepy and abnormal." Kahlan boldly said as she cracked a smirk. She was getting fairly bold but the noble was in her chambers to be honest. "Don't tell Arthur I said that. He'd be so cross."

                              She  still  has  trouble  calling  Giles,  Uther,  let  alone  his  majesty.  She  knows  it  isn’t  him;  Giles  was  the  closest  thing  she  has  to  a  direct  family  save  from  Buffy  and  Spike  ―  on  contrast,  Uther,  she  was  pretty  sure  that  if  word  got  out  that  she  was  a  slayer  with  strange  prophetic  dreams,  wouldn’t  hesitate  to  get  his  hands  dirty  and  put  her  head  in  a  spike  himself.  ❛  Where  I  come  from,  the  man  who  practically  raised  my  mom  wears  the  same  face  as  him.  I  mean,  grouching  is  a  trait  they  share,  apparently,  but  I  never  thought  I’d  see  him  bearing  seething  hatred.  ❜  He  hates  anything  magical  and  yet,  his  future  self  spent  an  entire  decade  of  his  life  doing  magic  ―  that  must  be  written  as  cosmic  karma  somewhere,  she  bet.  ❛  And  I  thought  that  people  killed  the  royalty  left  and  center  in  the  middle  ages.  If  he’s  so  hated,  why  is  he  still  .  .  .  well,  alive  ?  ❜

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Hello! I love your Merlin fics (and your fic recs too!) and I read this post and instantly thought "Merthur AU"—thought you might like to see it if you haven't yet :}

nitewrighter.tumblr.com/post/674784234488135680/the-prince-just-fell-in-love-with-cinderella

(Referencing This Post by @nitewrighter)

(This is #51 on This List)

Ok so...first of all this is one of the coolest Cinderella analyses I've ever read and I LOVE it!! And second of all... you are absolutely right. Merthur AU here we come!

~

SO!! Merlin is way better at magic in this stage of his life than he is in canon (to fix the plot holes lol) and Will dares him (I'll say they're both like... seventeen?) to magic himself into Prince Arthur's Eighteenth Birthday Bash. Merlin is never one to back down from a challenge so.... there he goes!

Arthur is HATING it because the whole thing is just Uther tryna set him up; no one there, bar maybe Sir Leon and one or two of the other older knights, actually care that it's his birthday. He's just getting paraded about like a piece of meat (a piece of meat that happens to be inheriting a Kingdom one day) and fawned over by people who don't know the first thing about him. AND THEN!!! THROUGH THE CROWD!!! SOME GUY!!! He's dressed all fancy, but his hair is a mess and there's a smudge of dirt on his cheek and he hasn't looked at Arthur once, he's too busy stuffing his face with snack food. Arthur watches him for a little bit, and at the point Merlin openly rolls his eyes at some stuffy Noble Conversation he's obviously eavesdropping on, Arthur HAS to know more.

They hide out in some room, helped by the servants and Leon, but Merlin has no clue who he is, trash talks EVERYTHING about the party except the food, says banning/punishing Magic is stupid and inhumane and Magic is incredible, Arthur is agreeing with everything, even when he starts complaining about the King and his dick of a son, and how he's only here, 1) on a dare, and 2) to see if he could throw food at the prick without being noticed. Arthur is all "you managed it yet?" Merlin is embarrassed and like "I... uh... I actually don't know what he looks like lol. And I wasn't paying attention enough to know what his name is." "I'll take that as a no then?" "yeah... no I haven't managed it yet." Arthur like... stands up with his hands arms out like "I'll give you a free shot, come on, my dad, The King, picked out this top for me and I hate it." and Merlin is very 😳.

Anyway, Merlin has to run, without telling Arthur where he's from or if they'll ever see each other again. And then like... two months of moping later, Merlin moves to Camelot to live with Gaius and become a Physician and Arthur goes "!!😀!!"

And they live happily ever after!!! Yay!!!

~

The more I think about this the more I LOVE it!! And considering I normally hate Different First Meeting AUs, that's really saying something😅

[merlinfic]

How to kill a king

Author: Naelyn

Rating: G

Setting: Canon AU

Word Count: 38,102

Summary: 

"That is how you deal with your problems! By politely stating your aim and waiting for your turn to come, instead of coming here with your weapons and no word of warning! D’you reckon it’s easy for me? Not only do I have to deal with the mess he,“ Merlin pointed at Arthur with his chin, “leaves behind him, but now I also have to deal with unplanned assassinations? This world has become a crazy place, isn’t that right, Gwaine?”

or:

Arthur's assassins seriously lack style, and Merlin tells them as much. The knights are stunned. So are the assassins. Also, Merlin's mad at Arthur, and so he is determined to ruin his day as much as possible. In the meanwhile, Gwaine's just living his best life (isn't he always?).

Reader’s Comments: In which Merlin is sick and tired of defending Arthur from a hundred enemies every day so he develops a System(TM).

Sassy, a bit crack-y, and with a generous dose of casual Uther-bashing. Merlin is basically advising/critiquing Arthur's enemies at this point, he's so Done.

Ft. Merlin being a little shit, Sir Leon the Long Suffering, Supportive Lancelot and Gwaine, and Arthur being very exasperated with his warlock. Mark the Shy Bandit deserves an honorable mention.

Thanks to @friendly-callistoctopus for sending in this rec!

[akampana]

1.You are burning up Gil/Art

@yolanda0211 @fate-inspiration I hope you don't mind I combined your asks since you sent the same request in at around the same time. :)

Anyway, here's Gilart!

____

There are plenty of things to love about Arturia Pendragon. Enough that even Ninsun, his strict, cutthroat mother, had no qualms about Gilgamesh courting a foreigner from much younger money rooted overseas. Arturia was headstrong, unintimidated by the men in power that dominated her field. She was intelligent, quick-witted, had a temper that flared easily and zero tolerance for bull, which Ninsun could respect, since she had Gilgamesh for a son.

Of course, his mother did have doubts about the young woman’s age and whether her tiny body would be suitable at all for bearing an heir to the Uruk Conglomerate, but that never bothered Gilgamesh. After the man had spent the better part of three years trying to win over the young Pendragon in his own...unique way, he learned Arturia had a certain quality that he both loved and loathed. A quality that kept her climbing the corporate ladder despite her father's hindrances, that eventually landed her the job she had, and that currently made him feel like he was repeatedly bashing his head against an iron wall.

Stubbornness.

“I am warning you that this is not the optimal move to make, Arturia,” Gilgamesh repeated for what felt like the seventeenth time. Maybe the eighteenth. He’d lost the count somewhere between the truckloads of anger and disappointment she was tossing onto his plate.

He admired that she still found the strength to believe that wolves of wall street wouldn’t bite her fingers at every opportunity, but there were limits to their “goodwill”. There were more than a couple mongrels that wouldn’t hesitate to swindle all they could out of the short businesswoman’s wallet. Arturia wasn’t naive, but she was young, and she wasn’t all too familiar with the tricks of the trade. But he’d grown up surrounded by sly snakes, and he’d be damned if all those fools thought he’d let her fall prey to their schemes.

If only Arturia were a little less obdurate. A little more pliable. Maybe then, the creases between his brows wouldn’t be so deep and this hour-long debate could have settled in a few minutes.

To be fair, she wasn’t as argumentative today as she usually was, but perhaps she was realizing his point. Good.

“If this venture goes sour, the fault will lie with you and solely you,” Gilgamesh continued, sliding his own business proposal across the table. “Your prick of a father will find some way to twist the narrative to your disadvantage, you are aware of that, are you not?”

Gilgamesh suspected Uther had been trying to rid the Pendragon name of his “extra” heirs since they were born. Arturia refused to heed him, but when Gilgamesh had literally watched her struggle through every single business proposal she made to the C-listers in this damn international tea company, it was difficult to believe otherwise.

If that mad old mongrel hadn’t skewed his will in favor of Arthur while damning Morgana and Arturia to nothing, Gil may have considered scheduling an “accident”. But alas, he had, and so Uther still contaminated the earth with his every breath while Arturia fought to prove her worth in her own company. Uther’s daughter was a little too merciful to the man that paid for her adoptive parents to raise her, Gil believed.

Arturia glanced at the papers he placed in front of her and placed her hand at the corner. It was already signed, Gilgamesh’s large, elaborate signature inked on a line just below where hers would be. No doubt he had a notary ready to accept this as soon as she penned down her name. He was quite provident that way.

To Gil’s surprise, her immediate reaction wasn’t to shove it back across the table. Instead, she folded her arms, glared at him, then pinched the bridge of her nose. Her face flushed red. He knew he was being generous with the contract, but had he discounted his prices that much?

“That is a risk I am more than willing to take,” she rasped, clearing her throat. The usual bite was decidedly absent from her tone. “Gil, I have been negotiating this deal for weeks—”

“Lift that blindfold from your eyes, woman,” the Mesopotamian huffed, answering her closed off posture by crossing his arms. “Your father’s favor has never been with you. If he allows this project to go through at all, he will set you up to fail.”

His queen rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily, her shoulders drooping. Odd. That had been a direct gibe in her direction. She should be fuming. Not that he was purposely getting on her nerves, but he often found his word to be gasoline to her fire. Why should today be an exception?

“I implore you to take my contract instead,” Gilgamesh said. “It may be the conservative choice in this situation, but with the current state of the industry…Arturia?”

Arturia folded over her desk, no longer able to keep herself upright. Gilgamesh finally noticed she was panting, her weak breaths just barely moving her shoulders. Immediately, he reached over her desk, brushing her bangs out of her rapidly reddening face. Her gaze was hazy as he collected her cheeks into his palms, the woman swaying like her head weighed thirty pounds more than it usually did.

“Remind me how long you have spent on developing this proposal?” he ordered, finally seeing the signs of overwork he most often associated with himself. A high temperature, dark lines below her eyes cleverly hidden behind concealer, a stiff back, and an elevated heart rate he hoped wasn’t linked to her blood pressure. Gilgamesh glared at the four coffee cups in the corner of the room, realizing she probably didn’t have any guests in her office today.

“Not...long enough...to convince you of its worth, apparently,” she shot back, her voice less vicious, but her words as snarky as ever.

Gilgamesh scoffed, letting go of her for just a moment so he could cross to the other side of her desk. He slung her arms over his shoulders, picking her up with ease despite her protests.

All her kicking and thrashing hardly fazed the kingly executive, for in her state she was about as strong as a tiny puppy in a tantrum, and he was the caretaker waiting for the spell to pass. She may have permanently rumpled his shirt collar in the elevator, but at least that meant he could coax her into getting him a new one the next time they go out.

“If you do not put me down this instant, Gil—”

The man sighed, nonchalantly pulling his keys out of his pocket while he continued to hold her to his body with a single arm. He really ought to feed her more if she was going to bear their children in the future.

“If I permit you to return to work, I will make you quite the hypocrite,” he explained, gently placing her into the passenger’s seat. “You’re burning up, Arturia. How can you have the gall to neglect your health in front of me, when just the other month you manipulated Siduri into moving all my meetings back a week to give me ‘proper rest’? You can be quite unreasonable when you want to be, I see.”

The woman’s eye twitched. If she wasn’t so obviously running a fever, she might have already shuffled out of the Porsche and stomped into her office. Alas, all she could do was huff and cross her arms as Gilgamesh slinked into place by the steering wheel.

“For the record, I asked Siduri. I am not the one who subscribes to an unhealthy work ethic, have you thought of checking the mirror recently?” she retorted, flicking the reflective glass with her index finger.

This time, Gilgamesh snorted, unable to keep the smile from his lips. She really couldn’t stand to be beaten, even if he was clearly in the right in this situation.

Stubborn woman.

He looked over before carefully backing up the car, finding a slight curve to her lip as she curled up to the window. He was getting her some warm chicken soup tonight and several blankets. And he was making sure Arturia would stay in bed. For the next week. That text he just sent to Gawain should do it.

----

thank you for the ask! :)

Remember to take breaks, especially when work is a bit hectic. <-a gentle reminder to myself as well HAHAHAA.