#entity writes merlin | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

a-small-batch-of-dragons · 5 months ago

Text

To Build a Home

I hope its not too rude to ask this, and if it is please ignore!!! but i would absolutely adore if u could write a fic abt arthur finding out abt Merlins magic and banishing him, morgana (which at this point is already an antagonist) finds him n after a while (figuring out merlin was banished) becomes absolutely furious with Arthur and protective of Merlin, but guess what!! Arthur regrets his decision and doesn’tknow how to fix this or even find merlin!!! – laconiceuphony

Hey! Would you be willing to write some Merlin/Gwaine? I don't really mind what about, but angsty Merlin and hurt/comfort are always good. Thank you <3 – anon

Hey, idk if you’re accepting asks still but if so I’d love it if you would write some h/c with Merlin! I love your writing <3 – anon

Read on Ao3

Warnings: unhealthy coping mechanisms

Pairings: gwaine/merlin, merthur, gwaine/merlin/arthur

Word Count: 5770

"Sorcery is illegal in Camelot." Merlin bows his head, awaiting the swing of Arthur's sword. The metal stings where it kisses his bare neck. A slight breeze as the sword is raised. He closes his eyes and waits for the end. He startles at the thunk of the sword impaling the ground mere whispers from his kneeling body. "I hereby banish you," comes Arthur's voice, only it is cold and foreign and the voice of a King, "do not return to Camelot. Ever." Arthur banishes Merlin from Camelot. Gwaine goes with him and they carve out a little piece of the world, just for themselves. Is it enough?

"Sorcery is illegal in Camelot."

Merlin bows his head, awaiting the swing of Arthur's sword. The metal stings where it kisses his bare neck. A slight breeze as the sword is raised. He closes his eyes and waits for the end.

He startles at the thunk of the sword impaling the ground mere whispers from his kneeling body.

"I hereby banish you," comes Arthur's voice, only it is cold and foreign and the voice of a King, "do not return to Camelot. Ever."

***

Gwaine has never been a man to pursue the 'grand things' in life. Born into nobility that scorned those they deemed less than worthy, competing with a sister that looked at him as though he were the scum of the earth just for daring to want something other than the life of simple easy luxury, and a former knight of Camelot with little to no regard for the formality of that station, no one could ever accuse him of chasing the riches of the high life.

His wants are, and have always been, quite simple. Good food, good drink. A warm place to sleep with a roof over his head. The freedom to enjoy all that which life has to offer. The comfort of another's touch and the warmth of another's laughter.

He comes to Camelot not for riches, not for glory, not for a King or a Prince, but for a friend. A friend met in the midst of a tavern brawl—which was when all the best friends are made—who made him believe that there were things were fighting for that weren't the small comforts. He walked at the man's side, not at his back, and believed that maybe, just maybe, things wouldn't be as he remembered them.

For a time, he was right.

Certainly the other knights were not the typical ones of Camelot's station, save for Sir Leon, who was the last of the Old Knights (his words, not Gwaine's), but that man was an entity all to himself. Elyan, the son of a blacksmith, whose knowledge of armor far outstripped anyone else's that he'd ever seen. Percival, a man who was an army by himself, larger than life. Lancelot, who had come to the knights the same way as he, drawn in by a friend's charm and inspired by his drive.

And Arthur Pendragon himself.

Gwaine isn't sure that if he'd met Arthur before knowing Merlin, he would be as willing to serve him. The man is, well, he's a Prince. A King. A noble born into such that believes he's entitled to it. Is he as bad as some of the others Gwaine has known? No, but that's an impossibly low bar that certain determined individuals have taken hoe and axe to get beneath. Arthur was…a man, yes, and he certainly had the capacity to be a good one. When away from the pressures of the castle, he was one of the knights, joking and laughing with them as though they were blood brothers, not just brothers in arms. And he made rulings that upset those pricks that decreed some should die to serve the rest, caring for the people and supporting them as he should. But he could be careless, inconsiderate, capable of those small acts of cruelty known only to those wielding incredible power without the acknowledgment of what that power could do if not managed correctly.

No, if Merlin had not been the one to introduce them, he would not have been a knight.

Merlin is unique. Not just because he's the Greatest Sorcerer to Walk the Earth, or the Last Dragonlord, or whatever other titles they want to give him. No, Merlin is unique because he's never met a man so achingly of the earth. Merlin is petty and clever and kind and resentful and endlessly loyal and hopelessly bitter. Merlin is just a man standing in the path of a river and the force of the waterfall at its mouth. Gwaine's had too much to drink and Merlin is there, ephemeral and tangible all at once, and he is the best man Gwaine will ever know.

And he is desperately, terribly, irrevocably in love with Arthur.

Those who are blind will say that Merlin's greatest secret is his magic, but he flaunts that at every chance he gets. Merlin's true secret is also not much of a secret, but he will never breathe word of it the way he'll declare himself a sorcerer if he thinks it will spare the life of someone innocent (even if Arthur will never believe him until it's too late). Merlin has tied himself to Arthur in a way that would surely destroy the both of them if the tether were to be cut. Everything he does, he does for Arthur, and it would take a man of impossible strength to come anywhere close to the devotion he shows a man who has no idea who he truly is.

How could Gwaine resist such conviction?

He knows his reputation, knows the fond eye rolls and resigned smiles that he coaxes from the faces of the knights, from Arthur, from Merlin himself. But just as much as he knows that, he knows there is no use in denying himself the truth. Could he pretend not to be in love with Merlin? Certainly, he could, but what would the use be?

He has loved Merlin since he met him in that tavern, loved him since he saw that first spell cast and his eyes turn gold, loved him since he looked at Arthur as though he were the world and felt his own chest twinge with the soft oh that has devastated bards and poets alike. In some ways his reputation protects him, able to flirt so openly and yet have none of the heartache that comes from an awkward rejection when he's taken seriously. There he can hide how much he pines for the man who only has eyes for another, there he can stay by Merlin's side, just standing, watching, there if he needs to be while Merlin hustles after Arthur. Sometimes he wants to shake him, tell him can't you see how precious this is, this love of a man who has decided to give his soul to you, but he won't, he can't, for just as he will never force his love onto Merlin, no sooner will he expose Merlin's heart to Arthur than fall on his own sword.

Then Arthur discovers Merlin has magic and all hell breaks loose.

Merlin is banished and Gwaine, ever the romantic, up and goes with him. He spares not another word for Arthur, his own rage boiling so closely under the surface of his skin that he would surely burn the King alive, and hangs up the red cloak in lieu of spilling blood, riding after Merlin. Merlin, the bastard, tries to convince him not to come, to stay, and he has to choke on his words before getting something out along the lines of it's not worth it if you're not there. And Merlin, who has never once been to the tavern, who does not know what to do with something that is only and solely for him, just sets his mouth into a thin line and allows Gwaine to travel with him.

They wander for a while. They visit taverns, visit Merlin's mother—Gwaine kisses her hand and thanks her for raising such an incredible son and she blushes, pats his cheek and tells him she's happy Merlin has him—and roam the farmlands in search of work. Gwaine's years of wandering alone have given him many friends in out of the way places, so they avoid the patrolling guards and knights and make their way to a small corner of the world where an old farm sits idly, waiting for someone new to come and tend it.

The cabin is small, drafty, lacks a proper fireplace, and the farm has been all but razed by bandits and wildlife alike. Merlin takes one look at the shoddy excuse for a bed and sighs, shouldering off his pack and going back outside to stable their horses.

Gwaine takes the floor for the first few nights and won't hear a word of protest.

Bit by bit, the farm comes back. They fight off bandits and put up fences against the deer, they trade for better seeds and wood to fix that cabin. Merlin uses his magic behind the closed door and they do not go hungry, they do not go cold. They have precious little coin taken from Camelot and they use it sparingly, stretching and stretching until they have enough from the land to take to the nearby village to trade and sell. The markets pass them by when they let them and they go only when it is safe, and little by little they carve out a place for themselves here at the edge of the world they once belonged to.

Merlin doesn't say much. He works and he listens to Gwaine's babbling and he holds his tankard of ale between too-old, too-young fingers, staring into the fire as the nights grow long. He smiles when Gwaine makes particularly bad jokes and he leans into his shoulder when he grows weary. He snaps at him to come up off the floor when the weather gets cold and they squeeze into the too-small bed, knees knocking and elbows bumping. Gwaine doesn't push and nurses his own bleeding heart in the comfort of his own chest.

Then one night, when they've managed to trade for a small barrel of wine, Merlin sets his cup down with a thud and kisses him.

He tastes like wine. He pulls and shoves Gwaine up onto his feet, only letting their lips part long enough to tug his tunic over his head and wrench Gwaine's from his chest. He shoves him down onto the horrible bed and there are hands in his hair, a tongue in his mouth, a knee between his and his chest is aching, splitting, bleeding Camelot red as Merlin gasps against his lips. One of them bites the other and deep purple bruises begin to spread like dying flowers.

When it's over, and they lie chest to chest, too hot and too cold, he looks up at the ceiling and lets his hand card gently through Merlin's hair. Merlin stiffens and rolls off of him, walking across the floor to drain the last of the wine. The firelight dances over pale skin and knotted scars and Gwaine has long ago numbed himself against the desire to kiss them, ask where they came from, wordlessly promise to protect him, but in the dying haze of pleasure, he wonders.

Perhaps in a different life.

Merlin is a selfish lover. He supposes it makes sense; the man gives every other aspect of himself over to anyone who so much as looks in need. When it comes to what he wants, then, he takes and takes and takes. Gwaine is all too happy to give him whatever he desires and tries not to look too smug when Merlin's voice cracks on a moan or his eyes roll back in his head. Merlin talks now, smiles more, and he takes it because Merlin looks happier and that's all he could ask for.

But then, oh, when he comes in to see Merlin hunched over, huddled around a scrap of cloth he knows was taken from one of Arthur's old tunics, well. He is only a man. And so he goes and sets his boots carefully by the door, picks up the blanket warmed by the fire, and drapes it over Merlin's shaking shoulders. He brackets the smaller man with his body, pressing kiss after kiss gently to his clothed shoulder, all the way to the crook of his neck where he lets his lips part just long enough to taste the skin before kissing him there too. He hears and feels the hitch of Merlin's breath and scoops him up, like a bride on their wedding night, and carries him over to the bed, lying him down as though it were the finest of fabrics. For the first time, he allows himself to be gentle, tender, even, as he coaxes Merlin's shaking hands to his own chest, soothes the hitching sobs with soft kisses to his aching throat. He slips his hands under the tunic to feel the soft curve of his hips, his ribs, to smooth along his pale stomach as he tastes salt on Merlin's lips.

"Arthur," Merlin cries, begs, moans, gasps, "Arthur, Arthur, Arthur, Arthur."

Gwaine doesn't kiss him to silence him. He pours his heart out in the gentle slide of their bodies and the touch of his mouth to the vulnerable parts of Merlin that the other man tries not to let him see, and when Merlin has finished, spend drying on his chest, he cleans him up without a word and lets him drift off to sleep. He sits by the fire alone that night, drinking from Merlin's cup, and sighs.

If he can only ever have this, then he will savor it.

***

In the end, finding Morgana feels almost anticlimactic.

He's walking in the forest, alone, while Gwaine rides to the village to fetch something for the persistent leak in the roof, when his magic tingles and he throws up his hand just in time to shield himself from the blast. Morgana launches another with a vicious screech and he deflects it just as easily.

"I'm not going to fight you, Morgana."

"You," she seethes, emerging from the shadows, "all this time, you—"

"I have magic. I was born with it. It is—was my destiny to help Arthur become the One True King of Camelot and unite the land of Albion. I was mistaken in betraying you. Every day I regret it." He sinks to his knees. "If you want revenge, you can take it."

Morgana stares at him. An unfinished spell crackles in her hand. She is the Last High Priestess of the Old Religion and they both know her magic is strong, but his is stronger. Should it become a proper fight, it would destroy them both.

After a long, long moment, her hand lowers and the spell fizzles into nothing. She walks forward, still eyeing him warily. He waits. Eventually, she sighs and offers her hand. He takes it and pulls himself to his feet.

"Why are you here?" Some of the venom leaves her voice. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Arthur?"

"He banished me."

Her eyes widen. "You. He banished you. He tore Camelot apart to save you more times than I can count and he just—what, let you go?"

"He discovered I have magic. Magic is illegal in Camelot."

"Arthur Pendragon is an arrogant, pompous arse, but he is a fool for you. He's been strangely fond of you since Uther made you his manservant," she spits, "and yet he tossed you aside."

He raises his eyebrows. "Are you angry at Arthur for me?"

"I loathe any person who would use and discard someone else so easily. You of all people should understand that."

He bows his head. "I am sorry, Morgana, really. If I…if I'd known—"

She sighs and bids him to walk with her. They weave through the trees, the forest glimmering in the late-afternoon sun around them. Birds call back and forth and rabbits scurry across their path. "I wish you had told me you had magic."

"I wish I had too."

"Why didn't you?"

Merlin sighs. "I listened to someone I shouldn't have."

"Arthur?"

"Kilgharrah. The dragon that Uther imprisoned under the castle. He said that you were sworn to be my enemy, and so I…" He scrubs a hand over his face. "I swear, not a day goes by that I don't wish I'd done it all differently."

Morgana goes quiet for a while as they walk, save for the crunching of her footsteps. "When Morgause took me from Camelot, she told me what you'd done. At first, all I could feel was anger. This…black and poisonous thing that ate me until it was all I had. I never thought to ask her why she never told me that I was the source of the magic."

"You didn't know."

"No." She swallows. "That day…when Arthur put the sword in my hand and told me to protect Uther…I didn't want to kill him."

They walk in silence for a little longer. Then Merlin slowly reaches out to grasp her hand. "Gwen told me about something her father said once."

"Oh?"

"Someone had come to the blacksmith's angry that one of the swords he'd made had been used to kill his child. Her father asked him who it was that truly deserved the brunt of the anger: the one who made the sword, the one who wielded the sword, or the sword itself."

She scoffs. "What's the use in being angry at a sword?"

Merlin squeezes her hand. "That's what I thought, and then Gwen…"

He lets out a shuddering breath and stops walking. Morgana turns, confused, until she sees the contorted expression on his face. She walks a few steps closer, warily calling his name. When he looks up again, his eyes are filled with tears.

"I forged the sword," he says hoarsely, "Morgause wielded it, and you…Morgana, I'm so sorry."

Morgana's eyes widen. Her hand twitches in his. Some vile and terrible fury rises behind her eyes but just as quickly, something else douses it and she looks so young, so old, so tired. With the selfishness of a cold child, she takes two quick steps and wraps her arms around him. He hugs her back and the forest parts just for a moment to allow the two to grieve the versions of themselves killed thoughtlessly.

"Come back with me," Merlin whispers into her shoulder, "come—just come for the night."

"Where?"

"It's not far. We have a farm. And a cabin."

"'We?'"

"Gwaine came with me."

A huff that warms his shoulder. "Of course he did."

Gwaine tries to draw his sword when he sees them, only for Merlin to rush between them, holding up his hands, saying she's not here to fight, she's not our enemy, it's alright. He looks at her, his eyes far more knowing than anyone has ever given him credit for, and shrugs, smiling and welcoming her inside. Merlin spends the rest of the evening in something of a daze, watching the two of them make small talk by the fire. No small part of him wishes that this could've happened in Camelot's halls, where Morgana looked as lovely and radiant and at peace as she did, where Gwaine's hands weren't so torn and scraped and his smile less tired, but they are both here and for the moment, his chest doesn't feel quite so empty.

It's a fleeting sensation.

Two sides of the same coin. The words that have ruled him since he first heard them spoken. The words that still rip his chest apart with every breath, the words that have his magic straining, aching, reaching back towards Camelot with every waking moment. It buzzes relentlessly in his fingers, strains his chest and lungs. It loves Arthur more than it loves him and he can't even blame it, for he left his heart there under the blade of Arthur's sword the day he was banished. Every day he wakes up, hoping to see the inside of Gaius's chambers, that this was all some horrible dream, and he can go with tears in his eyes up to Arthur's rooms and have Arthur tease him about being soft, weak, all with the quiet concern in his eyes that something might really be wrong.

But this is real. This cabin, this farm, this is the reality. He is no longer welcome in Camelot and he nurses that wound constantly. He closes his eyes and wishes away the worst of the pain so that he might breathe a little easier. He closes his fist over his heart and cries when Gwaine is asleep that it might come back to him, that he won't have to mourn its loss the same way he mourns Freya, Will, Balinor.

What is worse is that he knows he's being horrible to Gwaine.

Gwaine, who came with him without asking, without hesitating. Gwaine, who complained not once at how hard it was and how much work they have to do. Gwaine, who loves him, truly loves him, and loves him enough not to leave when Merlin is so clearly and helplessly still in love with Arthur.

He tries to ask him one night, when the tears won't stop coming and he's laid out on his back with Gwaine's mouth gently working over the vulnerable skin of his throat, his hands clasped tightly in rougher, callused ones, why he's here, why he lets this happen, why he's being so kind. It's not fair, he knows it's not fair, and he can't fathom why Gwaine is allowing it.

Because Gwaine is wonderful. He's kind and sweet and attentive and everything that Merlin isn't. He holds Merlin and the amount of love tucked into the embrace is enough to make his head spin. He kisses him like he's grateful Merlin's letting him get close enough to touch him. He loves him like he loves him, and Merlin can't understand why.

"Oh, Merlin," Gwaine breathes and the warmth makes him shudder, "it's alright. Shh, shh, it is. Don't you worry, not right now, just let me care for you."

"Why can't I just love you?" he sobs, hiding in Gwaine's shoulder. "It would be so much easier."

"Shh, shh, shh…that's enough, now." He's caught in a tender kiss that still manages to steal his breath away. Gwaine doesn't move away, murmuring against his mouth. "Just relax, lie back, shh, shh…"

Gwaine never leaves him wanting. If he were someone else, Merlin thinks he could hate him for that.

***

Arthur receives a scroll with the words the edge of the caves at the full moon, come alone, and knows that for the first time in a long, long time, he will truly be going alone.

He rides out under the noses of the patrols and gallops to the forest, making his way to the caves on foot when the terrain grows too steep. He keeps a hand on his sword as he goes, wary of the ambush he's almost certainly walking into.

When he reaches the top, there's a figure in black waiting for him. His hand falls away from his sword as Morgana turns to face him.

"You actually did come alone, I'm impressed."

"You requested it."

"There was a time where you'd never go alone anywhere."

"Yes, well, those days are behind me."

Her eyes flash with anger. "At your own doing."

"What do you want, Morgana?"

"Do you feel no remorse for what you've done?" She steps closer, the wind whipping about her skirts. "For any of it?"

"If you mean stopping you, then no, Morgana, I will not apologize for saving the innocent lives you sought to end." He takes a step too. "Do I regret what happened to you? Yes—I don't know what it was that sent you over the edge, but I wish—"

She laughs, high and loud and merciless, sounding like a murder of crows. "You wish? You wish what, that I hadn't?"

"Yes!' He steps closer still. "I wish that you'd told me you had magic, I wish that we'd been able to work something out together, I wish—"

"That you could've banished me," she snarls, spittle flying from her lips, "is that it? Instead of the wretched sorceress who swore vengeance, you wanted to send me off, pretty as anything, to save your own skin?"

"No!"

"What, then killed me yourself? While I was still Uther's beloved ward?"

"Morgana—"

"Or would you have burnt me at the stake?"

Arthur throws caution to the wind and strides up to her, grasping her shoulders and pulling her close. "I wish I could've stopped this! I wish I'd have known so I could help! I never wanted any of this, I don't want this now, I—don't you think I'd rather have you both with me?"

Morgana's teeth gleam in a cruel smile. "'Both?'"

His hands shudder. His knees quake. A lump appears in his throat and chokes him. "Do you know where he is?"

"What, don't tell me you care now—"

"I have always cared!"

"Liar!" She shoves him away. "You sent the most loyal man in the world off like a disobedient mutt the moment it was convenient—"

"They would've killed him!" He runs a hand through his hair, panting. "There were so many of them, Morgana, I couldn't—what else was I supposed to do? There was no way to stop the knights, not all of them—"

"You are the King," she sneers, "what good are you if you can't control your own knights?"

"I'm not a good King!"

Several birds take off from the forest below. The wind whips up into a frenzy to carry the words high into the sky and scatter them like broken shards of glass. Arthur pants as though blood would come to his lips any moment. Morgana, ever the steadfast, falters.

"I'm not a good King," Arthur says again, his voice thick and his head heavy, "I'm not. I carry on pointless cycles of violence because I lack the courage to break them. I put my trust in people who betray me and don't listen to the voices of my people. I—the only good I have ever done has come of the people who I surrounded myself with and I've managed to ruin that too."

He raises his chin, looking up to the heavens. He looks too young for his armor.

"I am King because my father was King. Nothing more."

Morgana swallows. She walks closer to him and puts her hand on his shoulder. He flinches, not for fear of her, but for shame of himself. For a moment, the two of them stand there, the broken children of Uther Pendragon, and that is all they are.

"Make it safe," she says finally, "then maybe we can come home."

"How," he croaks, "how do I make it safe?"

"Legalize magic. Root out the rot. Be the King Camelot deserves. That we deserve."

He looks at her, still in the half-dark, and carefully covers her hand with his. "Will you help me, as much as you can?"

She swallows. "When you prove to me that it's safe for me to do so."

***

The day word reaches them that magic is legal in Camelot, the candle in the back of Gwaine's mind begins to burn down to the base.

He knows it's a matter of time now. Arthur Pendragon is many things, but determined is perhaps one of his greatest qualities. If magic is legal in Camelot, then their days at this farm, in this cabin, are numbered and those numbers are not quite as high as he once thought.

He doesn't begrudge Merlin's hope. He never has, he never will. He responds enthusiastically to Merlin's renewed vigor, in and out of their bed—the bed, he should start thinking of it as the bed again—and tries to let his smiles slip only at night when no one else can see. Truly, he is happy; the lifting of the ban will ease the suffering of so many people and it's high time Arthur actually used the power he has to do something like this. Innocent people can practice their religion, no one group has to be exiled for an unjust reason, the druids can live in peace without persecution or fear any longer.

Merlin can go home.

He wonders if he'll return with him. He's grown quite fond of this little farm and cabin. Really, though, he knows it's because once he gets back, he'll have to watch the slow dance between the two of them and…and he's not as strong of a man as he pretends to be. But Merlin keeps looking at him with these hopeful little smiles and saying when we go back and when we're there and I hope they're happy to see us and he's weak, he always has been for Merlin, so he smiles and nods and says when we're home.

He comes back from the forest one day and sees a familiar horse standing in the grass outside their door—the door. Arthur Pendragon looks at him with that Camelot red cape flowing over his shoulders and he's every bard's dream of the knight in shining armor, come to claim his lost love. Gwaine walks up to him slowly, face of stone, and when Arthur confesses softly to him about how much he regrets it, how much he's done, and how scared he is now, he reaches out and clasps the man's hand.

"Take care of him," he says, and Arthur vows he will.

He doesn't watch their reunion. He winks flirtatiously until they shoo him off and he's glad of it, tending to the horses with a solemn finality that they pick up on, nudging his face with their noses until he pets them. He dons his own armor—the kind he wears to the tavern and to long feasts—and talks the whole ride back, laughing and joking and teasing the both of them.

Morgana joins them for the last leg of the journey and she looks at him with knowing eyes. He shrugs and she reaches over in the shadows where they won't see and squeezes his hand.

They are friends, then, and that is all they will ever be, and they will kill for each other without hesitation.

His brothers welcome him back. Leon looks at him for a moment too long and he turns away, not willing to have his heart split from his chest so soon after returning. There are things to celebrate, after all, and he is well adept at losing himself in fine spirits and food. The celebrations last long into the night, the next morning, and the next night as well. He doesn't look up to the high table, doesn't entertain the looks and winks he gets from the other guests, and doesn't touch the wine.

Leon catches him in a corner briefly and pulls him into a hug so tender he almost shatters right then and there.

"My door is open," he offers in words only meant for the two of them, "you've been away so long, little brother. I missed you."

The unspoken offer is there and Gwaine has never been more grateful for him. But he can't, not now, not while it is still so fresh, and so he dives back into the fray and laughs and jokes and makes merry.

When the party finally, finally comes to an end, he goes to sneak off to his own little room with a cup of wine when a long-fingered hand catches his shoulder. He knows who it is without having to turn around and knows in the same breath that he will go wherever the hand tugs. He leaves the wine on a table and goes, following Merlin up to the King's chambers. Arthur is already there, his crown laid on the side, pouring more wine. Merlin doesn't let him go as the doors close behind him, which is a surprise, but not as much as the one where Arthur holds out a goblet to him.

"I'm not a very good King," Arthur says, with his voice pitched low as Merlin's hands dance over his shoulders, "and I'm not a very good man."

"You're not that bad," he manages as Merlin's hands slip beneath his shirt.

"You're better than you give yourself credit for."

"I'm not," he gasps as fingers explore his chest, "I'm—I'm really not."

Arthur's hands are warm, callused in the way that his are, but gentle in a way that would make Uther Pendragon roll in his grave. Merlin's mouth finds his pulse.

"You are," he says, and he would never dare argue with Merlin, "you really are, Gwaine."

"You've lived as both a noble and a commoner," Arthur says, even as his hands card through his hair, "and seen the world from both sides. I need help from advisors I can trust. I imagine you have quite the breadth of experience."

The low slide of his words sends heat pooling into his stomach. "I've—I've lived a life, yes."

"Would you consider it? You could be a knight and an advisor." He doesn't have enough blood in his head for his. "I would be grateful for your guidance."

He chokes as Merlin's fingers dip lower and lower. "Is this how you recruit all your advisors?"

"No," Merlin chuckles, "just you."

"I—"

He doesn't have time to say another word before Arthur's mouth closes over his. The King tastes of wine and spice and one hand settles on his hip like a brand. His head is spinning and he feels Merlin coaxing the goblet from his hand.

"I've a lot to learn," Arthur says against his mouth, "so teach me."

"Teach you?"

He feels more than sees Arthur grin. "Unless you think you're not suited for it?"

He slides a hand into Arthur's golden hair and holds his head still, slanting their mouths together until the King is panting, shaking against him, and Merlin is laughing over their shoulders. Another mouth kisses his neck as arms wind around his waist and he smiles into the kiss.

"Shall we begin now, then?"

They've a home to rebuild, after all.

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #gwaine #arthur pendragon #merthur #dragonbabbles #fic

23 notes · View notes

wolfspurr · 2 years ago

Note

Hey! Your writing is amazing!! Do you have any Sterek fic recs?

Thank you so much 💖! I have absolutely loads of recs - way more than I could possibly fit in one post - but here's a little selection of things that I've read or re-read recently for you. It's a mixture of genres, some are classics, others are newer, but I loved them all. In no particular order, here you go:

No Superman by WhoNatural - E, ~48k words

Scrubs AU. I've never seen Scrubs, but if this fic is anything to go by I probably should. This is one of those fics that I'll re-read every time I see it linked somewhere. If you're into medical dramas, this is a great one. A+

A Functioning Adult’s Field Guide to Enemies With Benefits by BisexualGoblin - E, ~31k words

A delicious case of enemies to lovers, with a boatload of misunderstandings and a hefty case of pining idiots. Love it.

The Importance of Turning Around Three Times Before Lying Down by Otter - M, ~31k words

I'm a sucker for fics where Stiles unwittingly ends up looking after a dog that is very much not a dog, but a Derek. This one is excellent.

Lock All The Doors Behind You by Entanglednow - M, ~25k words

There's just something about a fic where Derek is feral and Stiles is the only one he trusts to get near him. I think this is one of the very first Sterek fics I ever read, and it still hits just right.

A (Sort of) Fairytale by Briecheesie - M, ~25k words

Fox Stiles. It's a classic, and it's so good.

Introduction to Zero-Sum Anthropology by Apocryphal - T, ~19k words

Derek Hale deserves nice things. But he cannot simply accept them, so a war of gift-giving must be in order. So so cute.

this dance of days by Imprintofadream - M, ~28k words

We've got Firefighter Derek, we've got Deputy Stiles, we've got wildfires and a delicious bit of slow burn. These are all good things, and they add up to something pretty excellent. 10/10.

I'm Not Asking Questions, I'm Taking My Chances by Keldjinfae - E, ~80k words

Let's get a bit of fantasy going here! Stiles is the prince of a kingdom where supernatural entities are banished, Derek is a werewolf with a mission to complete. It's not a Merlin AU, but if you're into Merlin I'm pretty sure you'll love this (and I am very much into Merlin, so obviously I loved it too). The plot had me hooked, and once I started reading I could not stop. 100% recommend.

DILF by Twentysomething - E, ~30k words

I'm not always the biggest one for kid fic, but this one is excellent. Stiles is a kindergarten teacher, Derek is a single parent to his two nephews. There's slow burn and a wolf sanctuary, and some impromptu howling. And Derek is, indeed, a DILF.

The Lawn Ranger by Snowjob - M, ~47k words

High school AU. It's summer, Stiles is a jock with a broken arm and a crush, Derek is the werewolf who gets roped into mowing his lawn. All. Good. Things.

Where the Real Beasts Are by Kaistrex - E, ~109k words

Do I love Stiles as a prince? Yes. Yes I do. Long and plotty and excellent. There are evil Argents, there are direwolves, there's some wonderful slow burn. All things that we love.

Bogarted by HalfFizzbin - M, ~3k words

Hilarious. Just A+. Derek is hit by a film noir curse, and it's just as perfect as you would imagine.

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll - E, ~77k words

It's a classic, and I can't not rec it. Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they're held captive together. Read it. If you've already read it, heck, why not read it again?! I certainly will.

Wild Horses by ThePsychicClam - E, ~79k words

Ranch AU. Derek is a drifter that ends up at the Stilinski's failing ranch. I love this one. It has all the wonderful slow-burn UST goodness that I love, plus horses! 10/10 would recommend.

Can I rec my own fic? It feels kind of self-aggrandising, but I'm proud of it and I'm not above giving myself a little promo. I'll call it a bonus item and just leave it at the bottom here:

Way Down We Go by Wolfspurr - E, ~50k words

I wrote it! If you like stuff set around S3B, post-Nogitsune healing, and slow burn roadtrip fic, I hope you'll give this one a chance 💖

#sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #teen wolf #fic rec #sterek fic rec #sterek fic #fanfic #fic #asks #recs #my recs

325 notes · View notes

writingquestionsanswered · 1 year ago

Note

Could you help me with the difference between plagiarism, reference and inspiration, please?

Plagiarism vs Reference vs Inspiration

Plagiarism is when you knowingly copy another person's work and pass it off as your own. This includes passages of text and specific ideas. (See below for the difference between general and specific ideas...)

Reference is when you use something that isn't copyrighted as a template for your own creation. For example, Arthurian legend isn't copyrighted, so if you wanted to use King Arthur and Camelot as a reference for a modern day love story, that's fine. In other words, you can take elements of Arthurian legend and translate them into a new context, changing them as little or as much as you want to. You just can't use any ideas that are specific to a particular entity. So, you couldn't use a plot element that is unique to the TV show Merlin because that's specific to that TV show, not a part of general Arthurian Legend. Another example of a reference is if you want to create a fictional city that's a lot like New York. You can take elements of New York City and put them directly into your story. You would obviously want to change them to fit your specific setting, but you can get very similar without it being an issue. You could have a big park at the center of the city called "Midtown Park" and that would be okay.

Inspiration is when you take elements from something else and change them into something unique to you. For example, let's say you love Twilight and are inspired to write a similar story. What is it you love about the story? Let's say you love the idea of a human falling in love with this otherworldly person. Okay... well, vampire has been done, so what else can you do? Let's say you find an old mythology book and learn about the kelpies of Scottish legend and that really inspires you. But let's say you've also just gone to see the new Little Mermaid movie, and you're really inspired by the idea of someone from another world wanting to experience life as a human. So, you've now been inspired by Twilight and The Little Mermaid to write a love story about a shape-shifting water spirit who falls in love with another guy after deciding to masquerade as a human to learn about the human world. Your story bears very few similarities to either Twilight or The Little Mermaid, but you were definitely inspired by them.

Specific ideas are ideas that are unique to a particular entity. So: Handsome 17-year old vampire from the early 1900s living in the Pacific Northwest with his large adoptive family attends a local high school where he falls in love with a new student who is a clumsy Plain Jane. That is unapologetically Twilight.

General ideas are ideas that are common enough not to be unique to one particular entity. Handsome teen vampires are a general idea. Living in the Pacific Northwest is a general idea. Being from another time is a general idea. Vampire love stories are a general idea. Moving to a new town is a general idea. Clumsy Plain Janes are a general idea. It's combining all of those things that make them specific to Twilight. But you can have a handsome teen vampire in your story, or have it take place in the Pacific Northwest. Or you could have your character fall in love with a vampire. Or you could have your character be a clumsy Plain Jane.

Other posts if you need more clarification:

Similarities vs Plagiarism Beta Reader Sees Similarity with Existing Character Does My Book/Story Already Exist Taking Inspiration from Another Story’s Premise Afraid of Ideas Being Stolen or Copied Once Shared Afraid of Plagiarism Accusation

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

Learn more about WQA

Visit my Master List of Top Posts

Go to ko-fi.com/wqa to buy me coffee or see my commissions

#writing tips #writing help #writing advice #wqaadvice

124 notes · View notes

askmagisterzeldaandadherents · 21 days ago

Note

ㅡTo: Magister Zeldaㅡ

I have been reading your other asks and how you've been answering each one of them with sincere care, as well as your interactions with your mutual Merlins with great interest.

That said, is there a potion or spell you would recommend to keep you awake forever? Since mother- Well, the Celestial Talene, what else would I hide anymore?- completely lost all memories of her and myself. I have been delving into my work for the last three days, hardly having eaten or slept.. To the point that even coffee wouldn't work anymore, and I couldn't type this message with my own. [Currently, Bryon is typing what I speak.]

To be frank, I am curious to know about them too, given I acknowledge your mastery in all sorts of magic.

ㅡFrom: Turtledove premier lawfirm partner,

Jinㅡ

Magister Zelda :

' Hello, Jin.

I'm glad to receive a letter from you.

Hammie is currently writing this message with me, mostly because her ears caught the winds of the small words ' magic potions and spells '.

On the topic of potions and spells that could possibly keep you awake forever - I don't recommend doing this.

Trust me on that.

Even if my memories are lacking in a lot of places, I do remember that taking these kinds of potions or casting spells like these could lead to... unpleasant side effects.

And the list is long for this.

Even if I'm a fallen angel and I could go months without sleep, eventually, the consequences will get me as well.

I recall one time I tried to be a smartass and stay awake for over a year to research a specific rare biome on Earth by using the ' Eternal Watch ' spell. ( Pardon my language in this paragraph, please. )

The results were me hallucinating things that weren't there to begin with. Going into mood swings and paranoia. General feelings of fatigue. Memory problems. Delayed reactions and my body and mind becoming sluggish, to say the least. I experienced nausea and mental breakdowns. And so on and so on.

Another thing that occurred was that... I became an easier target for eldritch entities, which pray on weakening mindsets.

One in particular, even though I can't remember its name or other things about it, loves to stalk living beings, which are becoming weaker. Or, in short, things that are easier to manipulate.

It's a blurry memory, but it had no facial structures. Too tall to be a human. Or a Mauler. Or a Hypogean. Or a Wilder. Or a Celestial. It towered over most living beings back on Earth even.

Despite that creature's lack of eyes, you could feel it staring through your skull from far away and making you feel anxious and afraid. Invoking even more paranoia in your nerve system. Enough to drive you over the edge to insanity. Making you wish you were dead instead.

Another thing that this entity loved doing was filling a person's ears with static noise. That annoying and loud sound, which made me want to claw my own eardrums out of my head.

But that's beside the point.

I need to get back on track with the main topic of this letter.

While spells and potions for ' staying awake forever ' do exist. I do not recommend this to anyone. Not even my enemies.

The consequences are too dire to experience unless you want to willingly put yourself through hell.

There's a reason why those potions and spells are blacklisted in most regions throughout Esperia.

They are just very unstable to use.

A few pieces of advice from me :

Try to sleep more. It's way better for your mental health and memory. I can recommend spells and potions for this to help you fall asleep faster than usual and without any problems.

' Lullaby of the Forest ' is a spell that eases your mind and makes your stress levels go down by a lot. It helps a lot when you have insomnia, for example.

I used that on Lorsan back in the Dark Forest, when he had trouble sleeping. It worked like a miracle for him.

- To cast the spell, you have to draw three circles. The two smaller ones being inside of the bigger circle.

- Then draw all moon cycles around the biggest circle on its outer side.

- Wilder alphabetical runes are required for this. Written vertically on each side of the sigil. It's supposed to translate to : " Lullaby of mine, please, take me to a dreamland one of a kind. "

- Good thing about this spell is that you don't need a big surface to write upon.

- You could use normal ink and draw it on your arm, if you'd like.

- Chant the Wilder saying on it 3 times in a row.

- The spell should start to work within 5 minutes after being used.

Another solution is an elixir, that Hammie created apparently behind my back.

Still, it works marvelously well.

It's called ' Elixir of the Peaceful Mind '.

To make this elixir you'll need 5 ingredients :

- Lavender. About 3 in amount.

- Snake Plant. I managed to spot some around Rustport, surprisingly. It needs to be cut into small pieces. ( Don't give this to cats and dogs! It's mildly toxic to them and can cause gastrointestinal upset if consumed by them! Familiars aren't immune to its toxicity too! )

- Blood of a Damedangler. ( Yes, I'm not kidding. Hammie shocked me too with this revelation. )

- Foxtail Grass.

- And a small leaf from a Blazing Orchid.

Next you'll have to :

- Put first in the cauldron the Foxtail Grass and grind it to a greenish mush beforehand.

- Then cut the Snake Plant into small pieces and add it to the Foxtail Grass.

- Mix it all for 5 minutes.

- Add next the blood of the Damedangler to the mix. ( And try to keep all of your fingers intact, while extracting it from the creature. You'll need around 300-500 ml of it. )

( Now I'm wondering how Hammie managed to achieve this- )

- Remove the stems of the 3 lavender flowers and add only the colorful leaves into the cauldron.

- Add the leaf of the Blazing Orchid into the mix.

- Start steering it around for 15-20 minutes until you catch the smell of something sweet like honey.

- The temperature for this recipe needs to be around 200°C.

- When you feel that honey-like scent, put out the fire.

- Wait for the potion to cool down a bit and pour it into a small bottle for elixirs.

And that's all for it.

The potion can also help you with organizing your mind and get focused on your tasks. But it'll knock you out into the dreamland before all of it can possibly happen. It works immediately.

I hope this helps you with your problems. And don't overwork yourself. It's never a good thing.

Say hi to Bryon from me as well, if it's comfortable for you.

I wish you a pleasant day/night! '

From : Magister Zelda

#afk journey #afk journey asks #afk journey ask blog #afk journey oc #afk merlin #into the merlinverse #oc ask blog #ask blog #Magister Zelda answers

4 notes · View notes

theroundbartable · 11 months ago

Note

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Thank you so much for the question ^^ I don't get that many asks, so this one is new.

I suppose my favorites always depend on what show I'm currently watching, but I'll just include the characters I've most written/read about and how I'm currently feeling :)

1. Arthur Pendragon (BBC Merlin)

This is mostly because I think he's easy to write about. I relate to him a lot ^^

2. Merlin (BBC Merlin)

My Murder child, Merlin. God, entity, little boi. He just got it all XD

3. Sir Leon (Fandom BBC Merlin)

Immortal, aro/ace headcanon and the suffering

4. Morgana (BBC Merlin)

Best villain arc I've seen in a long time. So good, I like her better evil than good.

5. Lance McClain (Voltron)

My very first little blorbo with so much angst he got his own tag for it. #langst

6. Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter-Book series)

As much as JKR sucks, Draco Malfoy just hits deep for me. I think you can see a theme by now in which I name a ton of characters who are just angst, but like, goddamn it. I grew up with the series and he just .... He's just Draco

7. Levy McGarden (Fairy Tail)

Smart, adorable, brave and so, soooo forgiving!!! Also, coolest power ever!!!

8. Gajeel (Fairy Tail)

I love how he basically has his own life in the show, separate from the main plot.

9. The blue lion (Voltron)

I dunno. She's just the water element. I loved the mermaid episode and it helps that she chose Lance before anyone else ever did.

10. I think I'm in love with too many characters. I usually enjoy all of them a lot. It's hard for me to really Pick favorites, but I think I'll pick Venom (movie) for this one.

Bonus nominee: David Tennant

Just anything he's playing.

This was fun. I hope it answered your question op ^^

#faq #question #answer #ask

9 notes · View notes

an-entity-i-think · 2 years ago

Text

Magic reveal in a terrible situation except whenever it's over and Merlin saved Arthur and the knights hes so tired and upset and angry and overwhelmed and he just sort of turns to denial and

"No." Merlin shakes his head slowly and then more sure.

Everyone looks at him appalled but before Arthur can even open his mouth, he's interrupted by tiny nervous giggles from Merlin rocking back and forth in front of them before stopping abruptly and looking up determinedly.

"No. You all-" he points at the knights (who only flinch a little thank you), "-are you going to pretend you never saw that and then- then!" Merlin says a little hysterically pointing at Arthur now who can't help but take a step back and the look in his eyes.

"You! Are going to wait and then when the time is RIGHT just like I PLANNED I will tell you I have magic! And it will be the perfect moment! And it'll be when I'm ready and I'll tell you everything and it'll be SAFE and and- and you'll be upset but you'll understand and this is just-" Merlin screams a little to himself making everyone's eyes widen.

Merlin looks down with his eyes closed and takes a long breath.

He looks up at them looking like he's about to cry before saying desperately in a small voice, "You guys didn't see anything, right?"

Silence greets him before Gwaine cuts in, in a much less boisterous voice than usual, "I didn't see anything." Looking at the knights beside him, he elbows Elyan in the ribs causing a grunt.

Wincing at the pain, "I don't know what you're talking about." Elyan looks at the others with a very obvious look of 'your turn'.

Percival shrugs solemnly, "I was blinded by the sun."

Leon looks hesitantly over to Arthur before straightening his shoulders, "It must have been a trick of the light."

Merlin's shoulders relax a little as he nods to himself before everyone looks to Arthur.

Arthur looks at his knights and then back to his trembling manservant before looking to the ground and then to the sky.

"We were simply lucky as we always are."

Merlin breaths and everyone ignores the tears falling down his cheek as he turns around.

#entity writes merlin #entity writes #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin emrys #magic reveal #arthur pendragon #once and future king #gwaine #elyan #percival #leon #merthur

4K notes · View notes

larluce · 9 months ago

Text

Things you have asked me to write in my "Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU" and I'm planning on doing (I'm getting there, I swear!):

Tagging @aceauthorcatqueen , @fallenxjas , @smileytrinity ,@lucifertookmyshoe , @an-entity-i-think , @thecornerofbelu , @griffonskies , @odinjm , @cinnabon-sweetroll-tiramisu , @thelady-mary , @bennedict , @nightninjaboy , @st8-of-grace , @star-rie , @error-username-not-available , @dogberryrowan , @jamieweasley13 , @tansyuduri , @tercais , @robynnemrys , @evadne01 , @serasvictoria02 , @hopeaha , @hairdryerducks

Scene where arthur is listing the 'events that are about to unfold' on a piece a patchment ✅️

Uther finding out about arthur's weird obsession with merlin ✅️

Arthur has to protect Merlin from his father ☑️

After Uther has passed.

Morgause and Nimueh alliance

Mordred and Aithusa.

Episodes where arthur got enchanted ☑️

Balinor

Gwaine and percival

Gwen and Elyan

Gwaine x merlin jealousy.

Any other petition you would like to add? I'll be reading you ;)

#merlin bbc #bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #merlin fanfic #merlin prompt #merlin fic #merthur fic #arthur and merlin #merlin and arthur #merthur prompt #Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

110 notes · View notes

twistedshipper · 6 months ago

Note

So, for the tag game, I'm very interested in Morgana's Tale, could you please share a couple of words about it?

"Arthur doesn't know how it begins" isn't it a story of Arthur who knows about the siblings thing but Morgana doesn't? I recall we were talking about this plot some months ago, but I may be wrong 😗

Of course. I'm excited you asked about this one. From the title it probably sounds like BBC Merlin but from Morgana's perspective, but I'm afraid it's actually a Handmaid's Tale au for Merlin. I was inspired when Margaret Atwood released The Testaments to write the au for Merlin that no one asked for, but I felt I very much needed (though only wrote a few pages of, since I want to finish SL first).

I'm not going to get into the whole story behind the books here but, essentially, it's a dystopia in which women have seen their rights removed. From the wiki about the show based on the book:

The plot features a dystopia following a Second American Civil War wherein a theonomic, totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids", to child-bearing slavery.

In the fic now, Morgana is a handmaid for Commander Arthur Pendragon and his wife Gwen. She is referred to Ofarthur, as each handmaid can no longer be called by her given name in the time before the war, emphasizing how she now belongs as the property of her Commander.

In the fic, Morgana, or Ofarthur, is the vessel by which Arthur and his wife Gwen hope to conceive a child due to Gwen's barrenness (which also works as an Arthurian nod, since I believe in many of the stories Gwen couldn't conceive).

I'll leave a snippet below:

“Did Mrs. Pendragon tell you?” she asked, speaking softly. Her hand unconsciously moved over her stomach as if to safeguard the child that grew within her. A mother’s instinct that overshadowed even Morgana’s reluctant acceptance to her pregnancy.

The Commander watched her gesture, eyes lingering on her stomach as if in disbelief at the entity that grew there. Then his eyes rose up to his handmaid’s pale face. “Guinevere did say something of the matter,” he admitted, Morgana thought, rather sheepishly. “That you told her you have not bled, that you think you are with child.”

“Yes,” she affirmed, as she clutched the hand still at her side into a fist. She had watched his face carefully when she asked him, making sure to study his face for his reaction. “I thought you would have been pleased,” she stated matter of fact.

“I am pleased for my wife,” he allowed.

She frowned. “But not for yourself?” she ventured.

He looked away, shook his head, before turning back to face her. “Not if it brings you displeasure.”

Her frown deepened. “Why would it?” she asked. “I am filled with God’s miracle.”

He snorted. “You don’t believe that righteous hogwash. Not you, of all people.”

She tilted her head up, inquisitively. “And how would you know, with all due respect, Sir, just what I do or don’t believe?”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I also answered a previous ask about the second fic you asked about. Kinda. It was definitely based on that conversation, except in the fic they both know they are related.

Thanks for giving me the chance to discuss both of these.

#replies #armor #arthur x morgana #morgana's tale #handmaid's tale au #tw dubious consent #tw pregnancy

6 notes · View notes

hogwarts-legacy-confessions · 5 months ago

Note

I no longer see the appeal on roleplaying so it's kinda awkward when I'm talking to people about the characters (MCs and NPCs alike) and they start roleplaying. I thank you for inviting me to a roleplay that you're clearly passionate about but damn son Idk how to respond because I literally could not put myself in the characters' shoes. Even in writing I always use the 3rd POV; reading any first POV works (or Merlin forbade the Y/N works 💀) kill my interest entirely; and while playing I don't see myself as my MC at all. The characters are different entities entirely from me that I could not roleplay as them in the slightest. The casual slip to roleplays during conversation has slowly becoming a thing I dread while interacting with the fandom. At least at this point of my age, roleplaying feels a tad bit cringe and not something I could do and enjoy. I used to enjoy it like 10-15 years ago, but now it's just...nope.

Usually I don't say this out loud because those people I'm talking to seems really enjoy it and I don't want to kill their buzz so I indulge them a bit before redirecting the conversation away from roleplaying. However, it's getting kinda exhausting now ngl 🫠🫠

👀

#hogwarts legacy confessions #hogwarts legacy fandom #polls

4 notes · View notes

valorxdrive · 4 months ago

Text

There's a peaceful calm that sweeps over the voyager of stars. Even when reality itself finds itself coughing him up, somehow he persists, a damnable thorn to any higher power out there.

For a Heart like his refuses to be thrust into oblivion so easily.

His lips found themselves scrunched mere moments before ushering forth a yawn, gestures that reflects an entity clearly tied to time and all of its wonders. Even if the place that once reflected an eternal horizon has changed, giving away to form as the listless realm found itself stirred. It was similar to each and every ripple across the waters his step made, colors, imagery, form would be issued as the alien and familiar held hands once more.

A beach. A paradise that would always sing of home for the Keybearer. The sight in itself drew a loving ache from the depths of his chest. Familiar as it is, deep down, the wizened heart of the Hero knew better. This was far, far from home, a perilous destiny against a silver haired opponent proved as such. Right now, what was beheld could be considered change.

Outside of being stagnant, change with no foundation was all that existed here.

"..Huh. Am I the one convincing you," He begins, speaking to no conscious being in particular. It was a notion directed to the world itself. "Or are you the one trying to convince me? Being all tall clouds, unreachable skies and an endless ocean moments before." A soft harrumph would be driven in for good measure! That said, Sora didn't push himself into any position of complaining. Similar to finding himself upon a new tale woven into a book, he'd traverse across the rapidly created shoreline.

The sensation only added to that nostalgic stir within his heart. Shores often represented new beginnings from the loving isle of his home, and often times proved to be true whenever embarking upon a new journey. It rouses a gallant sense of determination, emotion that will always be grasped with certainty. It heightened the clarity that prevented the core of his being from being swept away like the bygone soul here. Forbidden acts aside, determination led to him being very much alive.

That could never be forgotten.

So why not embrace being that metaphorical sailor lost at the ocean of reality? If the world itself decided to actively 'amuse' his thoughts, then it feels as if another hidden change had to be made.

Power of Waking aside, just how else could he begin to make a map of sorts? The endless no how of how to approach this?

"Xehanort said it himself. Besides some other hidden person, I'm literally one of the few who ever wound up in this situation. ..And for all we know, it'd be kinda mean to assume the first case just left all the answers waitin'." How would that adventurous call be answered in that fashion anyways?! A little initiative would be the spark and kindle to let a new flame of possibility bare its glimmering presence.

That way, if there's ever another who winds up having to go above and beyond, that way they'd have a more dependable means to count on.

Reaching forth would allow the instinctive call of his Heart to nudge that familiar power. The very sort that served as both a faithful companion and the mark of his tale. Light would soar like wings unfettered, coalescing with his helpful grip into its shimmering form of the Kingdom Key. It'd bask proudly with arches of golden and silver, countless years of experience tucked into it's making while it practically leaned in full faith against the Heart that carried it for so long.

"Looks like we got our work cut out for us here pal." Sora begins, giving a testing lash of the Keyblade, savoring the way it hummed seamlessly across the air before him.

"This is basically a whole new place to write a new tale at, so let's start from the stop!"

As easy as Merlin made it look like, it was time to get a map formulated!

...

How hard could it be anyways?

#| IC Musings #| Drabble #The more the Final World is perceived on my end #The more it feels reflective of a canvas #A shapeless. Beautiful field to give form

5 notes · View notes

thegeminisage · 9 months ago

Text

sigh ok star trek update time. wednesday we watched tng's "force of nature" and last night we watched ds9's "second sight" and tng's "inheritance."

force of nature (tng):

this one is so infamous i knew about it way before we watched it...as predicted, it made me mad

i've heard something about a lower decks episode retconning this? which just goes to show how little human beings want to like. work on a problem

like, the episode is about fossil fuels and climate change. we rely on fossil fuels but theyre damaging our environment to the point these people are willing to completely isolate themselves in space bc they have no other choice

and like, the point of the episode is that this lady has to essentially self-immolate to get any attention and everyone gets the runaround from the people in charge because no one wants to believe it will get that bad and no one wants to change...

...and then they just. didn't change. like nobody stopped using warp. nobody brought this up ever again. in fact, it got RETCONNED? so why write it at all in a series where you KNOW everything has to go back to the status quo...tng is even worse than merlin in this regard, why would they do this!!!

aside from that, i feel like they gave us a b plot or multiple b plots in the first half of the ep (training data's cat, geordi's rivalry with that other engineer) and then completely dropped and forgot about them?? the whole ting feels just so poorly thought out...

second sight (ds9):

MIXED FEELINGS. under one hand i've been absolutely DYING for more sisko content under the other girl what the fucj was that

the lady was sooo mysterious i was CERTAIN she was either evil or a ghost...what she actually was turned out to be closer to ghost ig but it was so out of the left field the ending didn't leave me feeling very satisfied. also, what a shit deal for fenna to be dying either way when all she wants to do is hang out and make out with sisko

sisko and jake scenes <3

i did like the bits with dax being like oh i get it you cant tell me about girls anymore because i AM one. does the time we fucked twins together mean nothing to you

the ending was really good also. i mean, i think the plot of this episode was kind of ???, but the guy playing sisko is a GREAT actor and his struggle over this ridiculous situation was so palpable you felt for him in spite of it.

the guy she was actually married to was SO ANNOYING but i thought him killing himself was stupid and i was also a little more annoyed everyone seemed so chill about letting him do it - like, there was quite literally no way they could have stopped him, but sisko seeing him off with a sad smile instead of getting angry wasn't really what i expected

THAT SAID, reigniting a star and going out with the words "let there be light!" is pretty fucking metal. like i don't even like him, but you HAVE to hand it to him. that was really REALLY good, especially considering it came from a character i would have happily murdered myself right up until the instant he said it

inheritance (tng):

mixed feelings...2!

first off, i can't help but feel mister terraformer who reignites stars from that ds9 ep would have been able to help here. he killed himself out of fucking vanity and now he's totally useless to people who need him. jesus.

secondly, what the FUCK

i love data episodes, but the last few data episodes have been rough ones. i like him being skeptical of his "mom" and them eventually getting to know one another better, and i DEFINITELY like the subplot of her secretly being a little racist towards androids

like, there's so much complexity in that. what if you were data and you were alone in the universe but you found out you had a mom but she fucking sucked? like, lore traumatized her so bad she wanted a metaphorical abortion and when her husband refused she wanted to leave that baby outside the fire station, if the fire station had a big crystalline entity trying to eat all the firefighters.

i think that would have been a FINE episode on its own. like, her learning about data's loneliness, his failed attempt at having children, his success as not only a starfleet officer but a person, in SPITE of her fears and his rough beginning, his difficulties in not knowing who he was and his accidental reactivation of lore born from that loneliness and separation from his parents which is HER FAULT...all of this is fine drama

why did they have to make her also secretly an android, is my problem. it's a STUPID plot twist, and one tos did to MUCH better effect. like, is that android chapel's long-dead fiance just because he thinks he is? does having a person's memories and personality make you them, or is the copy always going to be different no matter what? tos seemed to decide the answer was that you can't implant a human consciousness into an android and be left with no changes whatsoever. you can't ever truly cheat death - even spock didn't get out of it entirely.

and what REALLY grinds my gears is that now they know this woman is an android WITH A KILL TIMER SET IN HER BRAIN so she can "die of old age" instead of like, working on changing the timer and letting her be friends with data or even telling her and asking HER if she wants the knowledge of what she is wiped from her brain, they're like, well she would be happier being human! WHICH IS STILL RACIST AGAINST ANDROIDS. and data's like yeah damn i guess she would be it would be selfish of me not to let her keep believing she is one. guess we'll lie then. it's not like there's any danger of her finding out from a stranger someday or anything

absolutely nuts by the way that deanna voted lie and picard voted truth. normally picard is the one with the rancid takes but this time it really was deanna :/

there's also logistic concerns. why doesn't she glow like data in geordi's visor? how does she digest food? if she was that advanced why did dr soong not make more androids or at least go retrieve data? why did he let her divorce him without telling her what she really was? like, let's make an android but a WOMAN, which means she gets no agency whatsoever. nevermind her HUSBAND - like, if they fuck, i do feel like he has the right to know he's fucking an android? it sounds bad when i say it like that bc if she wanted to keep it a secret then its none of his business but it just feels so weird that he's married to a copy of a person and neither of them know it and he's only gonna find out after she dies and someone tries to do an autopsy on hr. like what the HELL

also lmao the aside about data aging. threw that in there just for fun did we

anyway, that was an episode with huge potential that missed the mark so fucking completely because they prioritized a dumb shitty plot twist over actual interpersonal shit and character development. SIGH.

TONIGHT: ds9's "sanctuary" and tng's "parallels."

#personal #star trek blogging #tng lb #ds9 lb

5 notes · View notes