#emrys ascending

[1shadowhole]

Seems as good a time as any to share with you what I I got myself for Christmas this year.

Last year it was the Following the Beast poster, because OBVIOUSLY. It's Following the Beast, my favourite fic in this entire earth??? I'm still so in love.

This time, I got myself 2 the Dragon Rises-themed notebooks so I feel more motivated to rewrite all my uni notes more cohesively, (It's working so far) and 4 stickers. I just- Mushroomtale is such a great artist????

I found places for those two stickers on the left, one on my thermos and one on the back of one of the notebooks. Still need to find a worthy enough place for the other two. I want to keep the following the beast one always with me when I'm outside and maybe keep the Emrys Ascending one in my room. We'll see...

Also, I've taken the opportunity to gather all my Merlin/Merthur "fan-merch" to see the level of madness

Not mad enough, I'll have to do more.

Ah, also, here's the famous poster.

[ashen-crest]

[ID: an image of a book cover. The cover shows a golden lute in the center, surrounded by red flowers and vines, with shiny blue crystals tucked into the vines. The text on top of the lute reads "The Spirit Well," and under it reads "Lutesong Book Two, R.K. Ashwick." end ID]

The Spirit Well Cover Reveal!!

Here it is, in all its shiny glory! I want to eat the crystals so so bad. I want to put this whole cover in a blender and drink it. (It would be banana-strawberry flavored with a hint of blueberry.)

Anyhoo, if you enjoyed The Stray Spirit, check this out:

When a bard saved the day, he never expected an encore. After saving their home from a magical disaster, Emry, Cal, and forest spirit Aspen ascend to high society: Emry and Aspen to the illustrious musicians’ guild, and Cal to the cutting edge of spirit research. But their new roles send them far beyond the concerts and balls they expected…and deep into a city of dying spirits. In the neighboring city of Matlock, a strange blight has withered their gardens—and the spirits living within. The trio rushes to investigate, whirling into Matlock’s social season in search of allies and gossip. Here, Emry frantically navigates the dazzle and decorum to seek information, start his debut…and propose to Cal. But when the glittering chandeliers illuminate more enemies than friends, Emry, Cal, and Aspen must race to stop the blight before it spreads—and the spirits shrivel away for good. 

If you're going "hell yeah, lemme at it" -

a) I love you

b) I have cool stuff for you, as a sign of my love

[ID: a square image showing a vintage illustrated newspaper article titled "Peek of the Season," a Spirit Well bookmark with red flowers and blue swirls, and a sticker of a red flower against shiny blue crystals. The text above reads "The Spirit Well Pre-Order Goodies!" end ID]

If you want to be an ARC reader or pre-order and get these cool goodies above (along with a slightly unhinged handwritten note from me!) click here:

oh my god this was such a long post, thank you for sticking with me here

[futurepastme]

I'm stuck in a bit of a creative block so I decided to try and write a synopsis of my latest potential first fic ( I got a bunch of potential fics that never saw the daylight) and this is what I managed to write

After releasing Kilgharrah from underneath the castle, Merlin thought that his life would continue pretty much the same, until one day the dragon came knocking at his door to take him to a long forgotten island, and everything began to change. Uther’s hunt for magic reached a level that was only seen before at the first years of the Purge. Merlin, seeing his people’s suffering, decides to take them away from the wrath of camelot to somewhere they wouldn’t be found. Quickly, the rumours of a magic-friendly kingdom began to spread throughout the lands of Albion; and Merlin, as Emrys, sees himself ascending to the position of ruler and saviour. Now, the peasant boy has to learn how to be king of an oppressed people, protect them from Uther’s war, and somehow keep helping Arthur fulfill their destiny as Emrys and the Once and Future King.  But a kingdom is not built in a day, so it is a good thing that he’ll get some help doing it. Or, the au where Merlin helps his kind and accidentally turns into a king.

I've had the first idea for this fic over a year ago and lately I've been writing some of it for fun. I don't know If I'll ever finish it 'cause I usually don't but I sometimes post bits of what I have so far.

If anyone is interested in more and haven't seen it yet; here's everything I've posted about this Au so far: Prologue; Bit of Ch1; Ch1 again; Bit of Ch2A; Bit of Ch2B

I haven't posted more than this because chapter 1 ended up with 14k words and I just think this is too long for tumblr so I just posted some scenes that I felt like. Ah! I almost forgot, the official name so far is "Emrys and the council of the 7" because that's literally the first thing I thought about this universe, so that's probably staying. AH! And it'll be merthur, eventually...

Just a reminder that english is not my first language and everything I post here is basically a first draft

[thebestofoneshots]

People I wanna get to know better tag!

Thanks for the tag darling @suugarbabe, this one was pretty fun to do ᥫ᭡

Last song: "Unknown / Nith" by Hozier (I really want to learn all my lyrics before the concert).

Favourite colour: blue (Specifically Sebastian Stan's eye colour)

Last film/show: Percy Jackson and I was watching a movie called Roll Play on Prime with the fam last night.

Sweet/savoury/spicy: Depends, but mostly sweet and savoury.

Last thing I googled: Bing Image Creator

Last book:

completed: The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde and In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan currently reading: Dracula by Brahm Stoker & Emry's Ascending by tricksterity (yes I consider fanfics books)

Relationship status: Single but happy about it, though sometimes I really crave a Sirius or a Rem

Current obsession: Last question kinda answers part of this one lol Marauders, Percy Jackson, Bastille, Hozier, Doctor Who, MARVEL, and Supernatural (those last few never really go away)

Looking forward to: The CONCERT!

Npt: @blacksgarden @cometsghost @starchaser-lily @unstablereader @lampthemacarenagod @jaylienpotter @kissmeunicornbaobei @imdoingbetternow @kquil @sseleniaa @chellyrps @esolean

[myths0f01d]

Ok so few months ago I can't remember when. I went through a faze of reading every merlin cross harry potter fic I could find. Including merthur. It's a small list. A really really small list. It's amazing though. I grew up obsessing over harry potter and then merlin. So obviously I devoured the fics and then grew sad when there were no more. So I started writing my own. To be fair it was a very complex story line I chose to write so it didn't last long. I think I have the first half of the first chapter down but I have no hope even for that. But now. As the flame is rekindled. I'll be thinking it out more and writing it again. I say this in hope. But I have no idea since school is starting soon for me.

I have the summary written and maybe the title? I'm not sure.

Also fun fact about me. I have never stuck to reading a 100k fanfic until I read 'Emrys Ascending' by tricksterity on ao3. Probs one of the best merthur fics I've ever read. Go check the fic out. You won't regret it. Trust me.

Anyway here's the summary for my own one. Sort of. Or the main outline?

Many years ago, around 300 years to be exact, Merlin placed the crystal of Neahtid in vault 713, in the lowest part, at the time, in Gringotts wizarding bank. He thought it would be safe there.

What he did not expect was that approximately 200 years later would he be informed that it had been taken, then attempted to been taken again. Now chasing after a half giant, a child and a wacky Headmaster and some unforeseen lurking evil Merlin is forced to venture out into the wizarding world once more.

Though now in hindsight it was not a smart idea to attend the school as an 11 year old boy, apparently it raised a lot of questions when you appear out of nowhere.

It also does not help when a few older years resemble suspiciously to close to Arthur and the knights, so its no wonder he��s so distracted.

There's going to be loads of shenanigans by the way. I want it to mostly be funny fluff and light hearted. Obvi there has to be angst on some parts. I still have a lot to refine and go through but the base idea and what I want for it is there

Here's the old summary (first draft)

Long ago merlin put the crystal of neahtid in vault 713 in the depths of gringotts Wizarding bank.

He thought it's be safer there.

It's not his fault a half giant, a child and a slightly less marbles then there should be headmaster stole it.

And it's certainly not his fault when he thought the best plan of action was to go undercover and take it back. As an 11 year old.

Only to find out the past has come back to haunt him. In the form of of a few 3rd years scattered across houses.

Because really, Guise isn't around anymore to tell him it's his fault. So he'll believe it's not.

That is until he hears a familiar laugh in the forbidden forest.

Ok so maybe it is his fault.

Destiny can go shove it honestly, merlins not amused.

Tell me witch one you like better

[arisenreborn]

Okay here's my outline for the gist of how Olivia and Emrys's different cycles go, without getting too into the nitty gritty details. Mostly just how they end. Spoilers for sure and big gratuitous headcanons of course. <3

CYCLE 1: 

The Bad Ending. Emrys goes ‘purgener mode’ in the Unmoored World, mostly kills Olivia*, and then proceeds to wander through other worlds until killed. Time restarts and loops back for them. 

(*I think she was kept very slightly alive, the tiny thread of her remaining life 'elongated' by being fused into a dragons heart, but obv in a not very pleasant way or sense, and for a blessing she wouldn't have been very aware of it.)

CYCLE 2: 

‘Dream’, or False Cycle. This is a really warped, distorted cycle. It happens, but even more outside the typical parameters of the world than usual. It's a result of being the ‘bridge’ dragon!Emrys created, connecting the failure of the first cycle to a true, renewed attempt in the third cycle after a fashion. 

(Basically, he's creating the parameters for the time loop, using his connection to the Brine/greater powers via dragonsplague. The implications here are pretty big but we won't see more of that until the True Ending.)

Emrys is the Arisen, Olivia (fittingly after her death, an ‘empty vessel’) is his pawn.. It ends with the bittersweet victory of Pawn!Olivia sacrificing her newly realized will, prompting Emrys to realize this isn't 'how things should be', and the world loops back again.

CYCLE 3:

The Unmoored World goes very differently. Emrys seemingly overcomes the dragonsplague to help her defeat the Pathfinder Dragon, Olivia disappears for several months after the final battle. When they find her she has none of her memories, and it takes over a year for them to finally start to return - whereupon she is officially made Sovran. 

It’s a good, happy ending - until many years later their son, Idris, is made the new Arisen. They realize that while they may have gotten rid of the Pathfinder and Brine, the Dragon’s Dogma itself remains. When their son tragically perishes, time loops back once more.

CYCLE 4: 

The Final Cycle, The True Ending (Until I start getting more bright ideas.) I like to think the Pathfinder would be slightly more of a threat here -when- they realize they were overcome before, and were only returned to their ‘rightful place’ by… means unknown even to them. 

Ultimately a new order is created. Emrys ascends up the dragon ladder, overcoming dragonsplague and subsuming the Pathfinder/Brine. He essentially becomes a new class of dragon, holding that role in perpetuity, with Olivia as Sovran and Seneschal. 

Basically they become living gods and re-define the Dragon’s Dogma. 😌 (And they have their kids later and Idris never has to become Arisen.)

Notes!

Cycle 2:

It's almost dream-like/nightmarish in the way I imagine it is, yes, close enough to the basic DD2 story experience, but Emrys's actual perception of things is often skewed. His personal memories don't always add up, essentially, because they were cobbled together 'on the spot'. Basically he didn't actually 'exist in the world as a human' in the history leading up to him awakening at the excavation site when time looped back - he’d been a pawn up until that point. The chaotic result of Cycle 1’s ending and him trying to patch things back together, trying to ‘fix Olivia’, but ‘Olivia’ being ‘gone’ resulted in him getting slotted into the role of Arisen and a haphazard backstory shifting into place between the fell curse of amnesia.  It doesn’t all exactly make ‘sense’ because I just want to be able to slap an Arisen!Emrys cycle in there and it’s just inherently not right on any level.

Cycle 3 has the most alternative endings that are genuine, AU endings, that don't really fit in the scheme of continuity... but they're out there. 😂

The Neutral Ending. After several bad turns with Dragonsplague, Godsway, and dealing with Olivia’s brother, he begs her to give up her charge and simply leave with him. Though reluctant, she eventually agrees. They live out their days, sometimes avoiding and other times assisting new Arisen. The Happy Ending. Despite their son becoming Arisen, he later manages to truly break and end the cycle, and all is well. Some of it has overlapping plot points with the True Ending, but with Idris playing a more central role. It’s likely in this one Olivia and Emrys would eventually grow old together.

[sandumilfshou]

tag game because i want to get to know you better!

i was tagged by @errantnight in this post but it got so long i thought i'd start a new one 🥰

> do you have a pet?

yes! a cat named luna who has extreme anxiety and who is chunky and soft because she never leaves the house. my other cat gizzy passed away a few months back

> comfort food?

atm its the lemongrass & chili tofu on rice from my local vietnamese restaurant, and before that it was dal makhani

> how many languages do you speak?

only english fluently. i was conversational in spanish when i lived in spain a few years back but have lost most of it. i did 3 years of japanese in high school, speak a bit of te reo māori, and started learning mandarin chinese but gave up since there aren't many speakers in my new city compared to my hometown

> random fact about yourself

i have a tattoo of xue yang's sword jiangzai (cql version) down the back of my calf. its probably 30cm long lmao

> something you're proud of

hmm either my magnum opus fic emrys ascending or my master of creative writing (1st hons) hehe

✨✨✨

i am tagging the ol' crew @iamwestiec @jadefyre @edgebug as well as @bilights even though we've known each other for...? 10+ years? yikes time is weird

[ellorypurebloodculture]

For the ficlet ask: Merlin/Morgan because I love this pairing when you do it.

Aww. Thank you! 💜

Morgan le Fay strokes her hands through her prince-husband's ivory hair as he nuzzles against her silk-clad thigh, the moonlight bathing them in a pool of iridescence. When she leans forward, her loose ebony locks of hair spill forward like the branches of a willow tree, sheltering them from the outside world, rippling with magic.

"How long will you be away?" Morgan queries, already dreading the answer, for she despises any distance between them, even though she knows watching over the Beloved House of Pendragon is one of his duties, for it will eventually ascend to Royal status not long before she and Merlin depart for the Divine Realm.

"Three days," Myrddin Emrys answers, his magic caressing across her skin possessively and protectively, his voice whispering down their bond in her soul, An eternity to be parted from you, my princess.

She kisses him, fierce with want, and states, "You will return to me whole and hale or I shall unmake every living thing on this planet."

[makmakgoose]

Emrys Ascending

In the depths of the Crystal of Neahtid, Merlin sees the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, an event that will tip the balance of the world so far out that only he has the power to intervene and set it right, or stop it from ever happening. For that, he'll have to pose as a student and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The only problem is, he's been chosen instead of Cedric Diggory as a Triwizard Champion, and there's a recently reborn Arthur Pendragon in Gryffindor House.

LINK

[ettawritesnstudies]

ARC Review: The Spirit Well by R. K. Ashwick

Synopsis: When a bard saved the day, he never expected an encore.After saving their home from a magical disaster, Emry, Cal, and forest spirit Aspen ascend to high society: Emry and Aspen to the illustrious musicians’ guild, and Cal to the cutting edge of spirit research. But their new roles send them far beyond the concerts and balls they expected…and deep into a city of dying spirits.In the…

[exaltatuss]

Silent Scream Emrys

Send me “Silent Scream” for my muse to vent anything they’ve been keeping hidden inside.

"... I'm... pretty sure some of the Ascendance Team know what's up with me right now. Or rather, what's truly behind me being 'Emrys'. I'm pretty sure Blair knows too. I'm... glad she's just the same as I remember, mostly."

"..."

"... I wished I have had put more faith into her. Maybe I wouldn't have had done something like this, out of the strong emotions I've felt back then when Blair decided to turn on everyone. Had I... Had I known she was simply doing that to get everyone banded together again, then I would have had..."

"Ah. There's no use wallowing in 'If only I'd had' or 'what could have been'. Things already happened anyway, and I have nothing or no one to blame but my own impulsiveness. I ended up even briefly abandoning Bianca too. I have been so... selfish. So... So shortsighted. I've tricked everyone too. Lied to everyone by becoming Emrys. Granted, these memories only resurfaced recently but... God I'm pathetic."

"Then again... I guess I am better off as Emrys, than the identity I have effectively left behind... right?"

[ashen-crest]

[ID: a banner with a drawing of a lutenist on the left and the text “The Spirit Well” on the right. The drawing shows the lutenist from the neck down, wearing a white, long-sleeved dress shirt and holding a lute with flowers and vines sprouting from the sound hole. end ID]

Seeking Sept Beta Readers for The Spirit Well!

Hey folks! I figured I’d get the call out now and reblog this through the month for visibility.

I’m seeking September beta readers for draft 2 of The Spirit Well, the sequel to The Stray Spirit. Here are the blurb and facts:

🌿 Blurb

When a bard saved the day, he never expected an encore.

After saving their home from a magical disaster, Emry, Cal, and Aspen ascend to high society: Emry and Aspen to the musical Auric Guild, and Cal to the forefront of Council spirit research. But their new roles send them far beyond the concerts and balls they expected…and deep into a city of dying spirits.

In the allied city of Matlock, a strange blight has overtaken their spirit gardens. The trio rushes to investigate, diving headfirst into Matlock’s concert-filled social season. Between performances, Emry works to gather information from gossip, seek out a scientific friend for help…and officially propose to Cal.

But when their friend proves to be the root of their troubles and the blight begins to spread, Emry, Cal, and Aspen must race to stop his deadly research before the spirits- and their own citizens- shrivel away for good.

🌿 Book Facts

Genre: cozy fantasy romance, on the higher-stakes side of cozy

Vibes: marble floors, chandeliers, embroidered waistcoats, outdoor concerts, lush gardens behind wrought-iron fences

Comps: A River Enchanted and A Midnight Bargain

Tropes: Regency-esque courting & social season, forest spirit magic, grumpy/sunshine rivals to friends, also rivals to Kicking Rival’s Ass

TWs/CWs: pain, kissing (very low spice), casual alcohol use, caves, flooding, possession, fire, guns (no shots or injuries)

🌿 Beta Reading Facts

Beta Reading Timeline: 9/1-9/30 (1 month)

Book Length: about 60-70k words (draft IP, final count TBD)

Format: I can provide a Word doc or PDF.

What sort of feedback I’m looking for: your general thoughts and reactions as a reader. This is an early draft, so I need to make sure the plot, character arcs, and pacing work. 

Do I need to have read The Stray Spirit first? Nope! Its helpful if you have, but fine if you haven’t.

🌿 If you are interested, please DM me! 🌿 If slots fill up, I’ll let you know.

Please boost if you can! Thanks so much!!

[wildcxrds]

Thor wasn't sure how to respond at first - his nephew, still so young in his eyes, chasing a temporary, incredibly damaging addiction...

The God wasn't innocent in his own ways - but that wasn't a focus right now.

"Because if I don't, then it would consume me."

The words utter surprisingly gently past Odinson's lips, like a whispered secret he hadn't anticipated divulging. But the weight of the truth was bore out for Emrys to take in - that yes, even someone as mighty and regarded as Thor Odinson, God of Thunder and an Avenger, fought an ongoing war against the crushing weight of grief.

"Losing family - loved ones - is never easy, and the most terrifying part of it all is facing the loss. It's simple to turn one's back and there is no judgment if that's what you or anyone, even I, would want to do. But the longer it remains ignored, the more it gnaws at you." Thor leaned against the cabinet under the sink, looking at Emrys. Once again, no pity, just an uncle deeply sympathizing with his nephew in the loss of Loki.

"I had very little time to process losing my mother before I was forced to take action. Even as we watched her ascend to the stars, and take her rightful place in Valhalla, there was always a lump in my throat. I'm sure you know it. You feel it now. As do I, Emrys. No amount of temporary pleasures or running away will ever make it go away. The only thing that will is time. And relying on others." With that, he extended his hand slowly.

"Fuck I wanna get high..."

Emrys rested his forehead on his arm, still shaking slightly from the physical response to...well everything.

"How do you do this? How are you just sitting there when he... You were right there!" Emrys cursed in old Norse as his eyes watered, angrily wiping away the dampness. He would not cry. "And you were there for grandmother and... How do you handle this weight? I feel like I'm drowning in it."

He turned to look at his uncle. When he was a child, Thor had seemed like an impossible figure. As he grew, he saw the faults, realized he was just a man, the same as anyone else. But still... to be able to continue on in the face of this grief....

[thebestofoneshots]

it’s so funny to me that your gave a better explanation on how wizards have magic in the first few paragraphs of this chapter then jkr did in 7 books

I mean, I think JKR did it to maintain the soft magic system she had created and so she could add new things without risking plotholes (she had many either way), but I always wanted a bit more of an explanation.

A lot of these explanations were heavily inspired by the idea of "Ancient Magic" in HL and Emrys Ascending (a BBC Merlin Wizarding world AU), since I feel like the writers actually explored the magical systems a bit further than Rowling ever did.

And I've added this bit for a few reasons, first of all, Muggle-borns being muggle-borns with no explanation whatsoever always bothered me. Was there a receive gene? Does the magic of the world just randomly decide to land on some muggles to broaden the population?

At least this way, we know it's because of the capacity to store and then use magic, it also kind of explains why wizards faint (Like Harry did when casting his first patronus) after using a large quantity of magic, it could be because they used up all of their reserves of it.

And also, blood magic is a pretty interesting thing I find. Not to mention I've thought about ancient runes and old, darker, witchcraft that I find extremely interesting. With things like sacrifices and other rituals.

Of course, GC is not going to be enough to explore all of it, and I don't want to veer off cannon too much, but I do enjoy adding a fair share of lore to this world.

Read Gilded Constellations

[arisenreborn]

∞ Arisen & Pawn Character Introductions

Part 2 (of 3)!!! The long Q&A stuff for Olivia. I get way too long-winded so I'm divvying them up. 😂 (Part 1 || Part 3) [template]

1. What was their life like before becoming Arisen?

Olivia was born to the Tramont family, a noble family who have historically sworn themselves to the knighthood and service of Vermund. While women becoming knights isn't exactly unheard of, Olivia, however, was expected to marry to further secure their households status, and bear sons-who-would-become-knights. Olivia, however, thought this was bullshit. She trained in relative secret from a young age, spying on her older brother or the knights training grounds and mimicking their actions, or reading extensively on technique and strategy. Nevertheless, her defiant inclinations manifested plenty enough elsewhere to make her relationship with most of her family strained. She was vocal against the increasingly useless nature of the nobility, or how they turned a blind eye to the suffering of people beyond the noble quarters. Meanwhile her parents wanted her to dress up and appeal to those very self-serving nobles to better secure their families position; while they'd historically ascended to nobility through valiant deeds, the other part of this had been strategic marriages. Unfortunately for her, she did enjoy dressing up and going to parties, frivolous and hedonistic as any teenage girl might be. When there came to be talks of an arrangement between her and the Regentkin, however, she secretly enlisted with the knights. To avoid scandal, talks of marriage were dropped, and her father could do naught but quietly allow her to continue, but she was all but effectively disowned. On the surface they continued to support her (financially, most crucially), but otherwise all familial ties have been cut.

2. How do they handle being Arisen, and the responsibilities that come with it?

Before she regains her memories it's immensely confusing, though she does get through that (relatively small) period of time well enough on a sort of muscle memory. Despite their estrangement, her family was hard-pressed not to give their full support of a daughter who had become Arisen - though playing their pieces just right against Disa's scheme is crucial. They spared no expense seeking out a means of undoing the curse that stole Olivia's memories, and though it wasn't entirely flawless, it was enough to restore her. Since then, she's taken the title with pride and enthusiasm, seeing it as a sort of 'proof of her worthiness', that she's right to eschew the schemers and self-serving nobility, that the pursuit of her path to help and protect was all but ordained. Alas it is more complicated than she could have ever dreamed, but she's very stubbornly against complaining about the burdens of her duty. Least of all one that 'freed' her from so many of her past shackles. Never mind the shiny new ones.

3. What are their thoughts on Pawns in general?

Admittedly simple and straightforward (hah). She mislikes the mistreatment they often receive, but this isn't significantly different from her dislike of anyone's mistreatment. Initially she sees them akin to the ideal form of uncorrupted soldiers and knights: noble warriors pledged to a grand cause, more or less. So at first she regards them the same way she would knights under her command, in an official capacity, with a sense of authority and responsibility any commanding officer might have. But see: Olivia isn't really that serious. She has an ideal of knighthood and also an understanding of the reality of it, and she falls somewhere outside of both. She aspires to the ideal, is affronted at the oft times corrupt or otherwise unpleasant reality, but is a little too capricious to actually embody an example of the former. So, as she travels with them (and especially deals with Emrys) her true colors balance out; she likes having fun and laughing with them, getting drinks and delighting in their stories. Less a band of knights and more a simple group of friends. Through these interactions her understanding of them and their plight grows, though she isn't really sure what she can do to change things for them...

4. What’s their relationship like with their main Pawn?

Whew, boy. Complicated. Starting out she trusted him implicitly, finding his relaxed and friendly nature comfortable and easy to get along with. This was true for a time, until shortly after her memories were restored. Then she gradually started to notice that some of his remarks seemed less humorous than they seemed at first glance, or that he often shirked responsibilities to other pawns where he could. Which was fine, to an extent, except she couldn't shake a discomforting feeling at times. Among the nobility, being able to tell who regarded you with distaste was a very useful skill in navigating political webs, and her alarms were going off, though she couldn't tell just why. Eventually discovering that most all of it was a lie and that he hated her for almost no other reason than the fact she was Arisen was more hurtful than she would have anticipated. She's dealt with a lot of people disliking or disapproving of her over the years, but she'd really come to rely on and trust him by this point, and it didn't seem like the sort of thing (initially) that they could just 'talk it out'. She loathes that she feels 'weak' and 'helpless' about it. It's not something she can solve with her usual methods, and while often she'd have moved on and not cared what others thought of her, she found herself caring very much about this strange, belligerent pawns opinion and feelings towards her. It took quite some time, and a lot of bumps along the way, but she did come to recognize and understand his feelings for her were far more complicated and not actually about her. She loves and cherishes him dearly, and wishes to stay by his side and help him finally move forward past the long-lingering scars of his past.

5. Do they have any interest in being Sovran? What are their opinions on the politics of the world in general?

Oh, absolutely. Becoming Sovran would mean she could change and fix so many things! Though she knows that's a little naive, she does have a strong belief she could change things for the better with that kind of influence. As she travels she begins to have doubts, or maybe 'cold feet', about just how much work she'd actually have to do, but ultimately it only further strengthens her resolve.

6. Who are their love interest(s) and/or closest friends?

Olivia is polyamorous and very open and honest about her romantic and intimate relationships (because they do vary in terms of how romantic/intimate they are at times). Her and Emrys are partners in every sense of the word -he shares similar inclinations after all- but by the end have come to a basic understanding that 'at the end of the day, they go home together'. Though sometimes they're both in bed with Wilhelmina, when she's in town. She has a... frankly long list of close friends, friends with benefits, lovers, and everything in between, spanning to before her time as the Arisen and into the over-year-long journey as Arisen. But she never pursues anything without everyone being on the same page. This would get way too long if I got into the specifics of every single relationship, because there are a lot of different nuances for each one, but maybe I'll do another write-up on that alone some time. Needless to say she's very friendly and outgoing and people are drawn to her, so she has lots of both. Though one note is that she's on good terms with Sven, they had a ??? bumpy history (mostly from her perspective he was clueless), but outside of their families arrangements she sees him as a dear friend and ally.

7. What drew them to their preferred vocation? Do they have history with it?

Growing up in a family of knights and having an idealized dream vision of knighthood will make you pick up a sword and shield. Later she would dabble in other arts, but above all being in melee is where she thrives.

8. Do they have any hobbies? Any way of relaxing between all that monster-slaying and traveling?

Monster-slaying and traveling IS her way of relaxing. Actually, before becoming Arisen she hadn't traveled a whole lot, and while it was kind of there in the back of her head, it wasn't a super prevalent thing in her aspirations (it would likely be a necessity as part of knighthood, but beyond that, not much consideration). So actually traveling and getting to see the wider world (getting to see it from the back of a griffin) really opened her eyes to how wondrous and amazing an experience it is. Having a super competent traveler like Emrys around certainly helps a lot, too, she might not have enjoyed it so much if not for that. 😅 Otherwise she loves dressing up and indulging in finer things from time-to-time, collecting pretty trinkets and beautiful dresses - and of course going to events requiring such things. Though she's just at home in a dingy tavern drinking men twice her size under the table. (Though she likely won't be walking home in a straight line.) Overall she enjoys socializing and being around other people. Also, ever since she was a child she loved playing in the fields outside of Vernworth, climbing trees or "playing" with the oxen (mostly just watching them, but once or twice she definitely climbed on them resulting in... antics). Nowadays she doesn't pester the livestock so much, but she does enjoy running through the fields and feeling like a kid again.

[lovingalexlots]

Fictional Rec Friday (v.2): Emrys Ascending

Our second FRF! This week’s chosen recommendation is a beautiful Merlin and Harry Potter cross over fic that I’ve read at least 3 times despite it large word count XD

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Title: Emrys Ascending

Author: tricksterity ( @tricksterity )

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags: BAMF!Merlin, Reunion fic (kinda), Merlin goes to Hogwarts, Future Fic, Trans Characters, lgbt diversity, Magic Revealed

Ships: Merthur and FemOC/FemOC

Words: 110,864

Chapters: 26

Published: 2013-2016

Summary: 

In the depths of the Crystal of Neahtid, Merlin sees the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, an event that will tip the balance of the world so far out that only he has the power to intervene and set it right, or stop it from ever happening. For that, he'll have to pose as a student and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The only problem is, he's been chosen instead of Cedric Diggory as a Triwizard Champion, and there's a recently reborn Arthur Pendragon in Gryffindor House.

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If you’ve never heard of a Merlin/Harry Potter crossover, you are soooooo missing out!! 

When I first found this, I thought I would give it a chance. I was never a big Harry Potter fan. Kinda was avoiding that fandom for a while. This fic though... this damn masterpiece proved me wrong with a large beautiful smack to the face. I thank it and will gladly get slapped again if it wanted to so.

Not only did this get me into the HP universe, but it also introduced me to the AMAZING BREATHTAKING ARTIST @mushroomtale-fanart 

I have the title picture for this story on a freaking pillow.

No seriously.

Look

I don’t regret a single penny thanks.

Tricksterity might only have Emrys Ascending, but there will be quite a few other Mushroomtale appearances for FRFs in the future.

BUT ANYWAYS, I DIGRESS

The way the author seamlessly interconnects the two worlds makes me want to bow down to them. The attention to details, the way they describe each scene, ugh, it makes me all giddy just thinking back to it! The narration is a wonderful mix of both HP book’s and Merlin’s, giving it a well balanced and natural feeling for the tone and pacing. 

The humor is great, the OC’s are so lovable you can’t help but think they deserve to be canon, the actual canon characters are spot on, the interactions between everyone clicks perfectly, and the emotions hit you to the core.

If you don’t want to read it in English, that’s fine too! They have a Русский translation and in Español! 

It may seem long word wise, but trust me, once you get to the end, you’ll be screeching for more.

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I wish I was better at encompassing the outstanding perfection of Emrys Ascending, but I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it and go check it out!!

Next FRF will be posted on Oct. 11th and will be about Leverage (a TV Show)

Ao3 Link