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diner-drama · 2 years ago

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Disguise (1/1)

To save Merlin the trouble of having to maintain the costly ageing spell while he wrests Gwen from Morgana's control at the Cauldron of Arianrhod, Gaius tells Arthur that the sorcerer he has found is a woman.

He doesn't warn Arthur that the sorcerer in question is a raven-haired beauty with a pair of blue eyes that a man could drown in, nor that the spell to free Gwen requires more than just some magic words.

Merlin/Gwen/Arthur gender-swap one-shot. An alternate version of 5x09, "With All My Heart". The BBC are cowards for not making this episode incredibly sexy. Also on AO3.

"I just don't think this will do anything for my figure," said Merlin as he held the frumpy black dress against his body.

"It's not a beauty competition," laughed Gaius. "As long as the prince doesn't recognise you, you can wear what you like."

"Usually I'd get Gwen to help me with something like this," Merlin grumbled. "Why did Morgana have to ensorcel my only seamstress friend?"

"How often do you find yourself dressing up in women's clothing?"

"What I do with my weekends is nobody's business but mine, Gaius," replied Merlin with a twinkle in his eye. He disappeared up to his room in search of a belt, before popping his head back through the doorway. "You don't have any makeup, do you?"

The journey to the Cauldron of Arianrhod was horribly perilous, even with Mordred's help, and by the time they arrived at the waters, Merlin was vibrating with tension, going over the words to the spell in his head.

"We have to find her," said Arthur grimly, scanning the rocky landscape for the sorceress.

"I'll search her out," replied Merlin, hurrying to pick up his bag and accidentally dropping the dress on the dusty ground.

Arthur put his hands on his hips, looking over at Merlin expectantly.

"She... likes to be paid in clothes," explained Merlin, sprinting away.

"Why-" started Arthur, giving up when Merlin was concealed from his view behind a big rock.

With haste, Merlin stripped off his tunic, breeches, and boots, and folded his neckerchief into a neat little square on top. Shivering in the cool air, he whispered a spell that he may or may not have tried a few times before on long winter evenings when he didn't have anything better to do. In an instant, his body began to change - his skin softened, his hips and chest grew plump, and his hair lengthened, curls bouncing around his bare shoulders.

Some other things changed, too, but they weren't relevant to the disguise, so we will not discuss them here.

He slipped the black dress over his head, forgoing the petticoats and shroud. The wide shoulders of his dress slipped down his arms over his newly narrow shoulders, creating a plunge neckline that he actually quite liked. He tied the belt at his true waist, accentuating the hourglass shape of his delicate ribcage. Kneeling at the edge of the lake and watching his reflection in the still water, he carefully daubed some rouge onto his full lips.

Merlin's transformation into the Dolma complete, he took a deep, fortifying breath and emerged from behind the rock.

The woman who stepped out on bare feet from behind the craggy stone where Merlin had disappeared moments before was not at all what Arthur had expected. His eyes tracked upwards from the ground, taking in the way the black dress skated over the curves of her body, the delicate prominence of her collar bones, the captivating blue of her eyes, and the raven black of her hair, which fell in soft ringlets over her pale shoulders.

She pursed her lips - full, soft, and stained a deep red. "Who are you?" she called, stalking toward them. "What business have you in this sacred place?"

Arthur swallowed hard and tried to gather his wits. "Are you the Dolma, ancient sorceress of the Cauldron of Arianrhod?"

She smiled, and her voice dropped to a low purr. "Who else would I be?"

"I don't know," said Arthur, his mouth dropping open as he gazed at her. She continued to walk towards them, her graceful hips swinging with each step.

"Sire," said Mordred quietly. "Does she look familiar to you?"

"There is something," admitted the king. Tearing his eyes away from the beautiful woman in front of him, he looked around the valley. "Where's Merlin?"

"Your servant is resting," she told him, stepping closer and putting a hand on his chest. She smelled like that rough soap which Merlin liked to use, and it was turning his head. "You work him too hard," she breathed, sliding her hand around to rest on the back of his neck. "Won't you let him take a break until we've concluded our business?"

"You know why we're here."

"You can't hide anything from me, Arthur Pendragon," she replied, fixing him with her piercing blue gaze. Her cool, thin fingers stroked through the hair at the bottom of his skull, as though she had known the feeling of him for years.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"You've never been so lucky," she murmured. "Come, bring the queen and set her beside the pool before she awakes."

Once Arthur had done as he was told, the sorceress kneeled at Gwen's head, carefully stroking the queen's hair back from her brow.

"The magic which has ensnared her is very strong," said the Dolma gently, looking down at the queen with an expression of great tenderness. "If we fail, she may be lost to us."

"Can the enchantment be broken?"

"Yes, but it will not be easy. We may not succeed, and we may lose her. Do you understand this?"

Arthur took a deep breath and set his jaw, nodding grimly. "I understand."

The Dolma searched his face for a moment, then nodded in return. "I'm going to wake her up, and then she must walk into the waters of her own will."

"She will not do such a thing," Arthur warned her.

"You must tempt her in. You must reach the part of her that Morgana could never touch."

"Is there such a part?"

"I believe there is, and so must you," she said firmly, pinning him with her direct gaze.

"If she walks into the waters, will she be cured?"

"I must summon the White Goddess to lift the dark magic that ensnares her soul. It will take all of my powers, and..." She hesitated.

"And?" prompted Arthur.

"The goddess will require... a tribute."

Arthur looked down and nodded in resignation. "I am prepared to sacrifice my life for the soul of my queen," he said solemnly.

"You're prepared to sacrifice your life for any idiot who crosses your path," snapped the Dolma, unaccountably angry. She calmed herself with a breath and then continued. "Your life will not be forfeit. The goddess will possess my mortal form while she works her magic. For centuries, her only form has been as an ethereal spirit. She has not felt the earthly touch of another since long before you or I were born."

"So I need to... touch her?" asked Arthur slowly.

"The legends say that the goddess' power stirs the blood and quickens the heart. She must be rewarded... with a kiss."

"Oh, if that's all. Mordred can do that."

The sorceress screwed up her face, looking at Mordred with skepticism. "How old is he?"

"I don't know... twelve, maybe? Twenty?"

"I'm not kissing a child."

"Well, you're certainly not kissing my wife."

"I knew you'd be weird about this," she muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I'll kiss you, or Guinevere, or you can go and find that dragon, but I'm not kissing that kid. He's going to murder you, you know."

"Have you been talking to Merlin?"

"I'm a sorceress. I can tell when someone's going to murder you."

"If Guinevere wakes up and sees me kissing some sorceress, she'll murder me herself."

The Dolma sighed and shook her head. "We can cross that bridge when we come to it, I suppose," she muttered. "Once I wake her, we will have only a few moments to tempt her into the water. Take your chain mail off, it'll get rusty."

"Anything else?"

"Yes, you should have put on the white tunic this morning."

"You have been talking to Merlin."

"Prepare yourself. You must reach her," she said, placing one hand on Gwen's forehead. The sorceress chanted an incantation in a low, sonorous voice, and Gwen's whole body jerked as she startled awake. She scrambled away from both of them and stood.

"Where am I?" she spat, the peace on her face disappearing, replaced with a look of utter hatred and suspicion. "What have you done to me?"

"You've been asleep for a long time," said Arthur gently, holding up his hands in supplication as he approached her, trying to ignore the way his heart was breaking in his chest.

"Get away from me!" she yelled, backing away.

"Guinevere. My Guinevere," he said in a soft voice, taking her by the shoulders.

She screwed up her face, the usual kindness in her eyes replaced with sheer disgust. "Your Guinevere?" she hissed. "You stupid, foolish man. I was never yours and never will be."

"You must reach her, Arthur," the Dolma reminded him. Her words soothed and irritated him in equal measure.

"Who are you?" asked Gwen, her face softening as she looked the sorceress up and down. "I know you."

"I'm here to help you. You must hear our voices, please," she replied gently, her voice breaking a little as she pleaded with the queen.

"Do you remember when I asked you to marry me?" asked Arthur, struck with a sudden thought, ducking his head to look his wife in the eyes. "Do you remember what you said?" Gwen jerked away, refusing to look at him, and he looked towards the sorceress for reassurance.

"You said, 'with all my heart'," she supplied, walking backwards into the water until it was around her ankles.

"With all my heart," repeated Arthur, doing the same. It didn't occur to him to wonder how the sorceress knew this.

Gwen hesitated, looking between them, something between confusion and affection dawning in her eyes.

"With all my heart," he said again, reaching out a hand.

Finally, hesitantly, Gwen took a step forwards. "With all my heart," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"Walk into the water, Gwen," said the Dolma, treading slowly backwards until she was waist-deep, her dress floating around her in the still lake. "Walk towards us."

Slowly, cautiously, Gwen made her way into the water as though in a dream, guided by some unknown impulse towards their voices and outstretched hands. Finally, the three of them stood together in the cool water, submerged up to their chests.

Arthur and the Dolma offered their hands to Gwen and she took them, confusion still written all over her face.

"Yfel gaest, ga thu fram thisselichaman," intoned the sorceress, her beauty becoming sharper and brighter as the light of the goddess suffused her body. Gwen's eyes grew clearer as she watched, her breath coming in great, heaving gasps. "Bith hire mod eft freo."

The queen gulped in one more huge breath, and her body glowed with the same light as the spell began to take hold. She gazed into the Dolma's eyes as though she were witnessing a miracle and, in one movement, threw herself forwards to kiss the other woman on the lips. The sorceress closed her eyes and kissed Gwen hungrily, as though it had been an aeon since she had last felt human touch. They parted, and finally, a smile graced the queen's face. She turned to her husband, taking her hand from his to tangle in his hair and pull his head to hers, kissing him. A tear slipped down his cheek as he pressed his lips against those of the woman he loved, finally hoping that she may not be lost to him forever.

"Arthur," she said quietly, pressing a shaking thumb to his lips, familiarity dawning in her eyes.

In the background, he could hear the Dolma saying the final words of the incantation, and he felt the glowing light begin to recede. As she stepped away, Gwen grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. Drawing her close again, she guided Arthur's head to the other woman's and he met the Dolma's lips in a grateful kiss as Gwen applied herself to her neck, peppering kisses up and down. The sorceress' skin was soft against his hands, and she let out a small noise of satisfaction, cradling the back of Gwen's head to pull her closer. Their three bodies pressed together, hands smoothing over skin, the lingering energy of the spell leaving them giddy, intoxicated with relief.

Gwen kissed the Dolma again and rested their foreheads together while Arthur nosed behind the sorceress' ear, pressing little kisses and nips into her smooth, pale skin.

"I can never thank you enough," whispered the queen. "You have returned my mind to me. A thousand kisses would not be too much of a price to pay."

"I agree," said Arthur, holding the Dolma's body against his as he licked and sucked at the junction of her neck and shoulder. "We will forever be in your debt."

"To have triumphed over evil is reward enough," she breathed, nonetheless turning her head to press a kiss to the king's lips.

"Kissing you is no hardship," laughed Gwen. The sight of the dimples in her cheeks and the musical sound of her laughter took Arthur's breath away, and he kissed her, revelling in the feeling of her.

"My queen," he murmured. "It is good that we are a team again."

"A team indeed," she replied, beaming, "but I think our saviour here will find that we can be very competitive."

As one, they turned to the sorceress with predatory intent, and fell to caressing and kissing her, each trying to outdo the other in winning her favour. She responded just as enthusiastically, sliding her thigh between Gwen's and sliding a hand up the back of Arthur's tunic.

Eventually, the sorceress shivered, her slender frame no match for the cold water.

"We'll catch our deaths out here. Come with us back to Camelot," Gwen entreated her, cupping her jaw.

"We can be very welcoming," added Arthur.

"I regret that I cannot," said the sorceress reluctantly.

"It's fine," Gwen reassured her, giving her a final chaste kiss on the forehead. "The offer stands."

The sorceress gave a half-smile as she disentangled herself from their embrace, pausing only to give them both lingering kisses on the cheek.

"Perhaps one day," she said softly. She stepped lightly out of the water in bare feet, leaving damp footprints behind her, and disappeared behind the rock from whence she came.

"We should get out of these wet clothes," murmured Arthur, holding his beloved wife to his chest. "Mordred has some spares."

Gwen's head whipped around and she stared at Mordred, who was standing at the shore and looking incredibly uncomfortable, gaze fixed determinedly away from them.

"You brought Mordred?" she hissed. "He's far too young to see this kind of thing."

"I didn't know the sorceress was going to be so... beguiling."

"She certainly was that," laughed Gwen as they made their way back to the shore. Mordred held out two towels and stared firmly at the floor.

"I'm glad that you are restored to yourself, my lady," he said, bowing low and still not meeting their eyes.

"Thank you for your help, Mordred. I hope this wasn't too unsettling for you."

"As long as we never discuss this again, I think I will be perfectly fine, your highness," he replied with a closed-lipped smile.

"Agreed."

"Agreed," added Arthur, taking the towel and stripping off his sodden tunic. "Turn around, there's a good lad."

The after-effects of their intensely sensual encounter with the Dolma were still crackling between them, and every inch of golden skin revealed as Gwen dried off and changed into dry clothes was tempting him.

"I have a pressing urge to take you back home and welcome you properly," he said in an undertone.

"I will admit to feeling similarly... inspired," she said coquettishly, biting her lip as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I have to say, if we were going to invite a third person into our bed, I would have assumed it would be Merlin."

"You never told me that," said Arthur. He took her by the shoulders and pressed a warm, loving kiss into her forehead. "I suppose it is logical. Where is Merlin, anyway?"

As if on cue, Merlin came stumbling out from behind the rocks. His clothes were askew, as though he'd put them on in a hurry, and there were deep red smears across his lips. He waved when he saw them and gave them a double thumbs up, looking slightly out of breath.

"Merlin, you've got lipstick on," laughed Gwen.

"Did the Dolma kiss you?" asked Arthur, putting his hands on his hips.

"Why would you ask that?" said Merlin evasively, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It seems as though she kissed all of us," said the queen, looping her arm through Arthur's as they set off back down the path.

"Except for Mordred," the king pointed out.

"I'm happy for that to be the case, sire," said Mordred, looking at Merlin with wide eyes.

"Yes," agreed Merlin, clapping the young knight on the shoulder. "That's probably for the best."

#merlin #merthur #mergwenthur #my fics #disguise

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weakforarwen · 2 years ago

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I love Gwen's outfits, makeup, and hair so much in season 4. She looks so pretty. And I love her outfits in The Sword in the Stone Part 2, especially the pants and fur vest, but also her last servant dress. I don't really care for the big, fancy dresses she wears as Queen.

Gwen was pretty badass in this episode. She didn't hesitate to knock someone out with a sword. That may not seem like much, but unlike Arthur, Merlin, Tristan, and Isolde, she was not used to combat and had little fighting experience. She was almost completely unprepared to fight Helios and his men but she still did it, just like she had in The Moment of Truth. She also bravely faced Morgana. And remember what Morgana told her?

G: What did I do to make you hate me so much? M: It's not what you did, it's what you're destined to do!

Know who else was destined for something in this episode? Arthur.

Angel is such a good actress! "Yes. With all my heart.", she said. She was so cute! Her smile just lights up the room. The coronation scene almost made me cry. I was so happy to see Gwen be made Queen. Gwen placing her tiny hands on Arthur's bigger ones, "I crown you... Guinevere... Queen of Camelot.", the kiss!, Long live the Queen!

Gwen tried so hard to reach out to Arthur throughout the episode. She'd been hopeful after he hugged her and told her he missed her in Ealdor, but Arthur was still, understandably, too hurt to welcome her back with open arms. Isolde told Gwen that love was stronger than anything, and, fortunately, that was true. Love was stronger than Morgana, at least.

Still, Arthur was touched when Gwen told him she'd never stopped loving him. He was so willing to see only enemies, to believe he only had Merlin, but that wasn't true. There was a reason Arthur didn't lump Gwen in with the people who had betrayed him: "I was a fool. I misjudged everyone: my uncle, Morgana." He knew Gwen loved him and had not wanted to hurt him.

I was so happy when Arthur and Gwen got back together I almost cried. Gwen loved Arthur so much she was cleaning up his room first even though the entire palace was a mess. I hate that Arthur allowed Gwen to stay in Camelot. She was a citizen of Camelot, it should've been her right to live there. Did she kill anybody or something?

So, their reunion scene could've been better. Arthur was too relaxed and unbothered, too willing to dismiss Gwen's guilt and her previous actions, and Gwen felt so guilty she wasn't even allowed to begrudge Arthur for banishing her. But I think Arthur had agonized over his decision long enough. He didn't want to lose her, so he wasn't going to push her away anymore. He had broken off his engagement with Mithian for Gwen, but when he had within reach it had hurt too much and he had pushed her away. Not anymore.

I've said this before, but I love Arthur and Gwen's reactions to Isolde's death. I loved how Arthur looked at Gwen and how she met his gaze. He looked so heartbroken and scared, so vulnerable and young, like it was Gwen who was dying in his arms. And, at first, Gwen had wanted to look away from his gaze, worried that he didn't want her comfort, that she didn't deserve to comfort her, but as he continued to look at her, she understood what he was feeling and trying to tell her: that he missed her and was scared of losing her. After that, Gwen held his gaze, and tried to convey with her wonderful facial expressions that she understood, that she felt the same, that it'd be okay. It wasn't a happy moment, but Gwen had looked so relieved and grateful that Arthur needed her again, that he wasn't shutting her out, that he was reaching out to her for comfort, that he loved her so much he was moved to tears by another man losing his lover. I really, really love that scene.

Too bad we had to watch Tristan kiss Isolde. I have one word: eww. He looked like her actual father, I was so grossed out. Tristan was the weakest part of the episode. The way he kept insulting and bringing Arthur down was ridiculous. How did that even help Arthur prove his worth as a King? Tristan complained that Kings didn't care for their people and waged wars to get richer, but we already knew Arthur wasn't like that. What were the writers trying to show us? That Arthur was different from other Kings? We already knew that. We've known that since season 1. Those scenes of Gwen telling Tristan that Arthur was different and cared even for servants were pathetic. Also, been there, done that already, with Gwaine, back in season 3.

I know Arthur's biggest obstacle in season 4 had been lack of faith in himself. Agravaine's betrayal, losing Camelot to Morgana, and losing Gwen too, had torn whatever self-confidence he'd had left to shreds. He had needed to learn to trust himself again, but the key word was learn, not get tricked into it by Merlin.

How hilarious was it that Arthur felt foolish for trusting the wrong people, for not being discerning enough, yet easily believed he had pulled a sword out of a rock? He didn't even ask how. Surely, he knew it to be the work of magic... Right? Was he not anti-magic...?

As moving as that scene was, it was also very ridiculous. Merlin pretty much did everything in this episode. He killed Agravaine so Arthur avoided a confrontation with his uncle and having to kill him himself; miraculously remembered to think ahead and strip Morgana of her powers (paralleling that time Morgana used a similar tactic on Uther in The Tears of Uther Pendragon); took out Helios's men with Kilgharrah's help, and then had the dragon find where the people of Camelot were hiding; for some reason, managed to lead the people of Camelot to Arthur (did Kilgharrah convince them or something? lmao) all in a night's work; took out Morgana before she killed Gwen (Gwen didn't even ask why Morgana had suddenly flown backwards); and, most importantly, made Arthur believe in himself. It was already bad enough that he took Arthur's will from him to lead him away from Camelot, but he also tricked Arthur into thinking he was "destined to be Albion's greatest king". In Merlin's defense, that's what Merlin believed, and he had needed little to no proof to believe it, so why would Arthur need more than a fake story based on "true facts"?

I couldn't even appreciate Merlin's efforts. He was running around the whole episode time, putting out fires like it was no big deal, to the point where nothing he did even seemed impressive. We weren't given any time to actually appreciate his cunning, or his bravery, or his power. He managed to infiltrate the palace, spell some sort of voodoo doll, and get it to Morgana's chambers and place it under her bed, all without being detected, all in a night's work! In that same night, he also found Excalibur, which had been conveniently placed within their reach, and where the people of Camelot were hidden. Even his big confrontation with Morgana took only a second.

Essentially, everything he did was secondary to Arthur's story. It was all to convince Arthur and us that he was The Once and Future King, Camelot's true King. But what a lot of good that did when Albion's greatest King couldn't even fight for it without a divine intervention. Arthur had merit for leading the fight for Camelot, for inspiring even Tristan to fight at his side, for his compassion and last ditch attempt at making peace with Morgana, for fighting so bravely despite his injury, but he couldn't take the credit for everything else. He'd been willing to give up on Camelot, had pretty much decided he no longer wanted to be King. I doubt he would've abandoned his people, and I doubt he would've sat around doing nothing forever, but the writers robbed Arthur of the chance to pull himself together.

Of course, Arthur would've fought to take back Camelot, especially once he'd found his people, who needed and believed in him. Arthur never failed his people where it mattered. Gwen wouldn't have let Arthur do nothing either, as wouldn't have Merlin and Tristan. They would've all talked to him, made him see reason. Arthur didn't need to believe in himself to fight. He just had to believe in Camelot and in its people. That would've shown his strength and bravery. Fighting even though he thought it hopeless, just because it was the right thing to do, because he believed in something bigger than himself, would've shown true strength. Arthur could've gone into battle not believing he was worth his Kingship, but would've left it knowing he had won and his people wanted him as King. What else did he need apart from the support of his people, who he lived to serve? Winning the battle wouldn't have erased his doubts, but it would've been a start. Time, and Gwen, would've done the rest. It's not like pulling Excalibur out of stone had magically fixed everything. He'd still had doubts, yet Merlin's parlor trick had been a good self-esteem boost.

Now, Morgana... She'd looked so scared of Emrys I thought for sure Helios would betray her once he realized she was weaker and more vulnerable than he knew. Why would he want to die for her? And how did Morgana evaporate into thin air again?

I really liked the scene of Arthur and Morgana facing off though. She was genuinely moved by Arthur. "What happened to you Morgana? I thought we were friends." were powerful words. They clearly struck a chord with her. I doubt she ever dreamed of being alone and hated by the people she'd once loved. I admired Arthur greatly in that moment for still trying to show mercy and compassion toward Morgana. He put away his sword because he had hoped they could solve things peacefully still, and that he could understand her:

A: You can't blame me for my father's sins. M: It's a little late for that. You’ve made it perfectly clear how you feel about me and my kind. You're not as different from Uther as you'd like to think. A: Nor are you.

Arthur had looked touched by her words, by the knowledge that he was hurting Morgana's kind. Why was this not Arthur's great moment of revelation? Why did he forget her words so easily? Why didn't he reconsider, once and for all, Uther's magic ban? He saw what became of Morgana because of Uther. After a season of Arthur emulating his father's behavior and nearly bringing ruin upon Camelot, that was the writers' chance to show us that Arthur was truly different from Uther and destined to unite Albion.

The season could've ended with a promise from Arthur to rethink the magic ban. I don't care if that messed up their plans with Morgana and Mordred; it's not like Morgana would've given up her crown. But there would've been real resolution to the inner conflict that plagued Arthur the entire season, and we would've seen Arthur become the King we were promised. Merlin could've, at last, revealed his secret before the fucking finale, where he couldn't face any repercussions for his deceit because Arthur died. So many missed opportunities...

One of the best moments of the episode was when Merlin revealed he had magic to Agravaine and killed. It was a big moment for Merlin, because he'd never watched someone he knew die at his hands. It was a turning point for Merlin. He wasn't happy to kill Agravaine, but he had no choice and he didn't feel particularly guilty either. I liked that he stood up for himself and showed who he really was for once. Colin's acting was great too. He had looked confident and calm, like killing Agravaine was too easy for him, even gleeful to have someone acknowledge his power and to be able to take his revenge.

Something I forgot to mention about the last episode was Agravaine and Morgana. She knew he liked her, and used that to her advantage, but hadn't even tried to seduce him. She'd shown him no respect yet he still followed her. Morgause had at least seduced Cenred. Helios was the same as Agravaine, showing true loyalty for no reason.

Agravaine was such a weird character. He was actually interesting and well played, but so aggravating. When Elyan was being tortured to give away Arthur's location, Agravaine had been bothered by his screams... why? Shouldn't he have been used to it? It's like, in the last episode, they tried to redeem his character somehow, and show he wasn't really a monster.

Also, did Morgana want to fuck Gwaine or something? Why would she keep Gwaine, Elyan and Gaius alive? Was it that entertaining watching a man fight for his life?

Anyway, this episode is pretty decent, and I love Arwen a lot, and Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana, but the whole premise of it was wrong.

#bbc merlin #bbc arwen #gwen pendragon #merlin #arwen #arthur pendragon #morgana #the sword in the stone commentary #the sword in the stone

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herpronuonsarefemslash · 3 years ago

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Hermione Granger and the No. 2 Pencil - Teaser

A nasty little yarn where Hermione grabbed a few pages of a very particular book for scratch paper, had a realization and made the most of it. Now, with a blackmailed Tom Riddle as her consultant on magic and upsetting governments, she will do what it takes to see changes made to the Wizarding World.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/64009511

=====

Hermione dips under the water, her hair fanning across the surface like a slick of oil. Surfacing with a huff and a grimace as a curl gets caught in her mouth, she lets her fingers tiptoe along the phials of perfume that Lavender leaves along the shelf by the bathtub. It’s curious how varied they are, given that Lavender herself seems to have one setting: Being angry because she hasn’t got breasts yet. There’s a creamy, golden syrup in hand-labeled bottle (Blues Banishing Buttermilk) and here’s a Shivers Scratching Spearmint probably left by the older girls, (none of them have their monthlies yet and she doubts the single drop of blood is ordinary blood) and a Cheering Cherry (store-bought, in this case).

Usually, she only soaks in a bath when she’s depressed. Only she’s not depressed, or sexually frustrated or lacking in confidence. She’s bored to tears. As it is, she’s not exactly popular—or perhaps that’s more the nasty luck that follows Harry—and she can’t exactly tell him or Ron that her summer reading after getting her letter covered every charm and transfiguration principle in the first year, and the ones she’s seen so far in second year. After getting her owl, her mum and dad agreed to send Muggle textbooks and see if they can provide a tutor who’ll work by correspondence. But getting the books alone will be weeks, between buying them and the strangely slow and obtuse Royal Mail to owl post pipeline. It’s probably deliberate. Wouldn’t do to have Muggleborns feeling happy or worse, welcomed.

If only one of these vials was what she needed…or if the dorms had a goddamned shower in them…or if the water pressure wasn’t terrible and filling a tub took less than twenty minutes.

=====

Hermione launches herself out of the bath, flings the door open to the dorm room, and dashes towards the table in the center.

Scratch paper, scratch paper, scratch paper…

“Fuck. Accio swap meet!”

A hard-used cardboard box sails over from on top of Ginny’s trunk. A wooden Christmas ornament of a knight slaps his armored hand across his helmet.

“Milady, that is hardly decent!” he squeals.

“Oh, cover your eyes, then. They say Morgana got all her best ideas in the bath.”

Well, technically Gwen’s diaries say ‘her mind was most often clad in glory when her body was bare’ and if that’s not some straight-washing by a translator, I’ll eat a dragon.

“Well,” he huffs. “Mind you don’t turn out like her. You know the rules, something for your friends in exchange for something for you.”

She ransacks the items Ginny, Parvati, Lavender and Lily put in until she finds an unlabeled, leather-bound notebook sized for a purse or pocket.

Perfect.

Her own offerings–Muggle makeup, hair ties and the like–are long gone. Snapped up by Parvati, no doubt. She spent half of spring term pestering Hermione about how lipstick worked and how mascara was brewed, likely dreaming of making her mark in the Patil’s potions empire innovations in cosmetics.

By the time she’s slid her still-dripping bum into her seat at her desk, she realizes she’s already forgotten the half-visualized charm she wanted to invent. She groans and shuts the notebook.

“You’re so pretty,” she mutters at the black, buttery-soft leather of the cover. “One of the other girls probably wants you for a diary…but just in case inspiration strikes.”

She flips through the book to get a sense of its length–it’s quite long for a diary, thick as three fingers–counts out the last fifty pages, and uses a slicing charm to sever them before putting the book back in the box.

=====

He hadn’t expected it to feel like this. Cutting something in two; how hard could it be? And what was a soul, anyway? Just a bit of the mind, wasn’t it? Nothing special. Memory and reason and all the other parts were equal–if not better–they just lacked the romantic melodrama people associated with souls.

He takes another swig of the Firewhisky.

Heels strike out on the flagstones, click-click-click. The chilly wind from the broken window near the stairs carries a snowflake from outside and whips up the scent of oranges and cinnamon. A glance confirms his suspicions: Lucretia Black. A cloak of blood-red velvet hangs from her shoulders. The hood is turned back and her curls spill out of it. Wild. Silken. Endless. Her hair might well be the greatest thing that ever happened to him. It suits her beauty and her station: The perfect accent to call a man’s eyes down her marble-white throat to the proud arch of her collarbone, to spill across her breasts like a waterfall, or to hang like chains across her back as if to bind the fallen angel to the earth.

Hours of brushing are needed to maintain those locks, and she can’t stand the handmaiden her family sent–a thief and a gossip, but too-well bred to hex–and the pureblood boys seem altogether uninterested in tending to it, so Tom offered to. Playing hairdresser in third year was the first thing that gave him access to any of the Slytherin girls, and insights into the alliances, rivalries, and dirty secrets only a daughter of the Blacks can spot.

=====

Tom wakes to empty sheets that smell like the sweat, perfume and juices of a woman he can never have. There’s a charred spot on the bedside table where his diary had been. All that’s left are some torn-out pages on the floor and the wreck of the book itself, gutted of the back half and both covers speared through by Merlin knows what. Almost like a beast’s fang had pierced it.

His head is pounding, and it isn’t as if he had that much last night. Half of what was left in a bottle, split with a woman with her own thirsts. Meaning this pain isn’t from the alcohol.

Cursing his luck, he collects the remaining pages–perhaps a partial Horcrux is still a Horcrux–when he spots ink blooming on one.

Line by line and rune by rune, a spell engineer’s diagram is writing itself.

=====

Hermione flips her lucky notebook open, smooths the sturdy parchment down on either side of the ring binding and lays the stencil over it. She’s confident on the left half of the diagram–the spell’s ingestion–but she knows the expulsion is unstable and with this spell, expulsion is everything.

As she scrapes her pencil through the grooves in the brass, swooping script appears in the margins. No sooner has she lifted the stencil and blown the pencil shaving off than one spoke erases itself and a zig-zagged line of acid-green ink replaces it.

Fascinating work, but I think you might benefit from a vibrato stanza here, rather than a tremolo or a steady.

Of course. She snorts at her own mistake. Fluctuating energy is typical for hexes.

I’m impressed. What is it?

It’s ridiculous, the idea that this is somehow self-correcting parchment, but, as she often has to remind herself around the insane…she is a witch. Besides, there are those abacuses in the Diagon Alley shops that put a bead back if the shopkeeper loses his place.There are probably corrective charms for this sort of thing, too.

She doesn’t have time to look a gift horse in the mouth because someone still thinks that a broom is a better way to deal with a dragon than the traditional blinding charm to the eyes and she loses her mind for the whole day whenever Fleur comes into the library. Harry needs all the help she can get to survive, so she picks up her pencil, turns a few pages and writes back.

Trying to redo the Conjunctivitis charm so that the spell seeks water. Say you’ve got a duelist who’s got plenty of power but not-so-great aim. They can still hit a dragon’s head. Eyes are full of water, aren’t they? Moreso than the scales, at least. I need the spell to slide off hard, dry surfaces to conserve energy.

Clever girl. Do you have diagrams for Impervius and Aguamenti handy?

She rolls her eyes.

What sort of witch do you take me for?

Oh, I’m dying to find out.

2 notes · View notes

iwannaseeyainakia · 3 years ago

Text

The Moonlight Circus

This was a story I was commissioned to write by an anonymous tumblr user. Thought it would be good to show my writing and see how it changes over time!

trigger warning: gore, smoking, religious and supernatural themes, death, minor profanity

The heel of Morgan’s boots clicked against the checkered flooring of the circus. She made her way to the center of the stage, her stride casual. She readjusted her gray beanie as she climbed up the steps. The plastic name tag below her collarbone wobbled with each step. The words “Moonlight Circus” in Courier New font rested above her first name. The floor of the stage was filthy; ash and soot smeared into the once pristine black and white pattern. Her pale green eyes followed a line of ash leading to a rusted cast-iron cannon. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air.

She exhaled softly, reached into the pocket of her ‘Metallica’ pullover, and pulled out a lavender lighter and a worn pack of Newport cigarettes. She yanked one out of the box and shoved it in her hoodie again. Her black bitten nails struggled to start a flame before she victoriously held it to her cigarette, finally lighting it. A pewter gray smog released from the very tip, emitting a bitter comforting scent. She lifted her hand to her face, the cig clenched between her middle and pointer finger. As the paper touched her pale lips, the once vermillion embers shifted to a startling violet and the musty gray smoke suddenly turned a mauve tone. Morgan took a long drag of the strange purple cigarette while taking in her surroundings.

The massive tent surrounding her was a striped pattern of burgundy and eggshell white. The fabric was contrastingly cleaner than the stage of the ‘Moonlight Circus.’ The seating for guests was discolored bleachers; the aluminum being stained and scratched away by years of usage and lack of cleanliness. Many hot dogs drenched in mustard and bags of popcorn must have been dropped on it. There were multiple stacked on either side of the tent. The elevated stage had an outer ring surrounded by dark crimson foam. A round indoor pool was 15 feet away from her, the bottom of the pool a dirty yellow tint. Scales and confetti floated at the surface of the tainted water.

Large LED stage lights were set up at the ceiling of the canvass. Each was about the size of a child and contained a lens of different hues. They dimly lit the stage white. The tent was held up by dozens of rods with a singular large black pole at the center. The fabric bunched together and pulled up; it looked almost as if the very top of the tent was a tunnel that led nowhere, the stripes creating a dizzying optical illusion.

The circus itself was located in a cheap amusement park; the locals treasured this place. It was affordable and held plenty of memories dear to their hearts. The Moonlight Circus was the main event, the park's pièce de résistance if you will.

They had crowds of people flood the show every day. Bright smiles beamed on the faces of children and content parents awaited a trip down memory lane, nostalgia a pleasant high. After all, who wouldn’t be entranced by real-life monsters?

Morgan released a puff of amethyst smoke, gently laying the cigarette between her lips again and keeping it there. She proceeded to stuff her hands in her pockets before an elegant voice called out to her, disrupting her daze.

“Are you ready for the next show Morgana?” The feminine voice was gentle and motherly. She spoke each word with a grace that held centuries of wisdom. Her thick French accent was gorgeous; her voice matched exactly how she appeared. Morgan casually turned around and sent the woman a closed smile. Guinevere was a being of beauty, a true spectacle to behold. She was a small woman, approximately 5’2, petite but with a stance that conveyed raw strength. Her billowing pitch-black gown strewn behind her as she sashayed her direction. Her arms gently swung at her hips, an opera-length cigarette holder between the dainty fingers of her left hand. The skin of said hand was a pale blue-gray. The center of the long pipe was a silver fading into an intense black; a cigarette burning blood red at the end of it. Morgan glanced at her long dark hair. It was bone straight and swung behind her waist. The fringe of her locks covered her right eye, but Morgan could still make out a piercing iris a startling shade of red.

“Hey, Gwen. Yeah, pretty much. Is everyone in the dressing room right now?” She inquired as the monster woman stood in front of her. Gwen gripped the edge of her large ebony sunhat, cigarette holder still between her fingers. The brim of the apparel was big enough to cover most of her hauntingly beautiful face. Lace hung half an inch off the seams and thin royal purple sticks of dynamite adorned the outer ring. While the entire hat was an eye-catcher; a nod to her part in the circus, the true emphasis of the hat was the large skull littered with cracks and yellow stains from tobacco.

“Yes, and they’re taking damn long if I do say so myself.” The skull quipped judgmentally. Morgan chuckled. Gwen was not so amused by her husband’s comment.

“Hush Pierre. No need to be snippy.” Guinevere jutted her hip out and placed her right hand on it to convey her sass. The skull instead, haughtily laughed at his wife. She rolled her eyes but could not contain the fond smile that grew on her lips, exposing her sharp fangs. Despite all the time that’s passed, she still couldn’t fight how easily Pierre made her grin ear to ear. “Don’t mind him, Morgana, we’d best be on our way to prepare.” Gwen gripped Morgan’s wrist and tugged her along in the direction of the dressing room.

Guinevere was the owner of the Moonlight Circus. A wonderful boss indeed, she felt more like a friend she’d known all her life than her superior. She also was a woman with a dream: to unite humans and monsters through entertainment. Humans used to fear the supernatural, loath it with their very being, but in this day and age, they take great pleasure in the abnormalities of the differing species. Harmony is built in this circus; humans come for entertainment and to admire the beautiful, violent specters, and the monster women give it to them. Gwen, a vampire, found joy in making others happy with her performance and her performers.

She often sat with Morgan under the night sky, gazing at the stars with a fond expression, spilling her life story to her.

As a young girl, Guinevere was dazzled by monster kind. Born human, she felt there was so much to be discovered in magic and mythology. She felt it a shame that humanity was so quick to turn a blind eye to something so beautiful due to its differences in appearance. Her inclination in performing arts made her dream of a world where she could use performance to change a deep-seeded ideal within the societal structure. She’d sit next to her window sill, eyes twinkling with delight, wishing upon stars that someday her dream would become reality.

For a woman such as herself, an objective of that nature was unheard of; impossible even. Nonetheless, she persevered. She wanted to tell the world that as a woman she would create art like no other and she would make a change for the supernatural of all origins. With a cigar between her lips, she rolled up the sleeves of her dress and got to work. She specifically sought out other women of mythological backgrounds for her acts. By 1890, she’d created the “Moonlight Circus” with the help of supernatural people she’d met along the way. In a small corner of Paris, France, it stayed. Given that monsters were still looked down upon by mankind, they’d been spit on, leered at, and dismissed by the public. As decades passed without much luck, her hope slowly began to dwindle.

Gwen spent many restless nights wandering the streets of Paris, desperately trying to spread word of the big top containing wonderous spectacles to no avail. Just as she was close to giving up an aspiration she’d clutched tight since childhood, an American traveling carnival approached her. The owner, a large man who was only ever seen adorning a velvet suit, believed there was promise in her bazaar. He saw something no one else but Guinevere considered possible: an opportunity for change. In a society where her family within the tent were nothing but social rejects, outcasts; they along with everyone like them could be so much more. The man, kinder than Gwen could have ever hoped, opened up about his beliefs and desire to have her circus as an attraction in his fair. And she accepted with insurmountable glee.

So, a new chapter for the big top began. With this foreign carnival, she traveled and built up her crew from nothing but sheer will. She continued her exploration and found many monstrous beings with the same ideology to join as performers. Word soon got out of the fantastical bazaar that made its way around the world. As opinions of the inhuman began to evolve with new generations, so too did their desire to know more. And eventually, they had a crowd; an adoring audience astounded by the display of otherworldly figures. Now, the carnival has made its permanent home in New Mexico, USA, and the circus by extension.

“Think it’ll be packed tonight, Gwen?” Morgan already knew the answer, but figured it would be polite to make small talk.

“Yes, absolutely my dear.” Guinevere continued to drag her to a slit in the circus tent. She placed her cigarette holder between her lips and used her palm to gently spread the opening, revealing a backstage area. It was renovated to be a dressing room; gothic aesthetic to match the theme, for all the performers pre-show. It was a much smaller canopy structure installed into the side of the main show tent. Despite the ground being grassy terrain, the room itself was well done. Dark oak vanities covered the walls, steampunk and alternative costumes littered any free space, and makeup laid atop every flat surface. The spherical bulbs lining the mirror of the vanities were all lit a dim white light, illuminating the room enough so it was not pitch black.

Light chatter and giggles filled the room as everyone who performed in the circus continued to get ready.

The first person to notice Morgan’s sudden appearance was Gwen’s daughter, Victoria. Her eyes instantly brightened and a large Cheshire grin grew to meet her eyes. Vicky’s poofy raven black dress bounced as she sprinted towards her. The ivory petticoat underneath made the lace skirt fuller and frilly. The undead theme seemed to run in the family; Vicky being the zombie to her mother's bloodsucker and her father's skeletal remains. Her skin and teeth were rotten and oozing. Her hair was almost floor-length, and unbelievably matted. The knots at the base of her skull were so large you could have mistaken them for golf balls wrapped inside her tresses. A pair of filthy copper goggles rested on her forehead, the lenses murky and caked in blood. Between her toothy smile was a large cigar. There was no way to pinpoint the brand, as it was only labeled with a strange rune Morgan had never seen before. Apparently, she had been taking a drag from the cigar, because smoke began to leak out of the holes in her skin.

Vicky launched her small form into Morgan’s arms. Morgan struggled to grip her as the foul stench her rotten flesh emanated was near unbearable. Swallowing down an audible gag, she smiled at the little girl before placing her gently back onto the grass.

“Morgan! You’re going to love my act tonight.” Victoria loudly claimed, holding her fists to her chest with a grin still plastered upon her lips. Morgan couldn’t help but return the expression. Vicky was a sweet girl. A demented undead one, but sweet nonetheless. “I’m sure I will, Vicky. You’ll kill it tonight.” She seemed to have chosen the right words, because Vicky’s grin only got wider as she bounced up and down, skirt floating with her movement. She made gestures referencing explosions and tried to explain how her act tonight would go, but her words were so jumbled they were not understandable in the slightest. Her enthusiasm continued to increase alongside her violent movements before her mother placed a hand on her small shoulder.

“Now, now Victoria, you’re talking so fast no one can understand you, dear. She’ll get to see your performance soon anyway, so let's keep it a surprise.” Gwen chided her daughter sweetly. “Ok, mommy.” Vicky heeded her mother's words and scurried to the side to search for her favorite lighter, cigar bouncing between her decayed teeth. Cigar smoke trailed behind her figure. Gwen shook her head at her daughter’s antics, gripping the cig holder between her lips to take in a puff of nicotine.

Victoria was the product of forbidden love between Guinevere and Pierre, a formerly vampiric man she’d encountered while searching for spectacles to join her circus. The traveling carnival had traversed Europe and decided to take camp for a while in the French countryside. Gwen had been overjoyed to be in her mother country again. She languished in the smell of the air and the sounds of nature like music to her ears. On a particularly stormy night, a vampire man with hair as light as wheat and skin as pale as snow knocked at the door of her bedroom within a quaint little inn. She opened the door to see him drenched in rain. The revenant, Pierre, gave her a goofy smile and asked for a part in her monstrous sideshow.

While puzzled, she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. Pierre and Guinevere grew close the more they worked at the fair together. They both had a passion for performing and magic. Romance blossomed; eventually, they eloped and she became pregnant. It was uncommon for vampires to conceive children, let alone with one of mankind. Guinevere was a woman of adventure and risk, so she took this new development in stride. In the excitement of her family growing larger, she decided to have Pierre turn her. Neither realized the possible problems that would arise from changing her into a vampire while bearing a child.

And so, when Victoria was born, she was sickly and frail in every sense. Her genetics were corrupted by the change her mother took on while carrying her. Her personality, though, could be described as nothing but robust. Vicky as a toddler would often act as if she were not terminally ill; watching the acts in her mother’s circus with enraptured eyes, even participating in the choreography herself from time to time.

Guinevere often spoke of a time in which Vicky had climbed into the cannon without anyone noticing and failed in trying to light it with one of her old cigars. She had rushed over in a panic, tearing her from the barrel before the flame grew closer. She checked over her body and, once assured she was not injured, inquired what she had been thinking. Victoria, the overzealous little girl she was, could only laugh with a large smile plastered on her face. “I wanted to fly mommy!”

As she grew older, her body deteriorated. By age five she could barely walk. By six she couldn’t at all. At seven, she no longer had the energy to speak. At the young age of eight, she could only watch the performing women with a blank smile before she passed. For days they grieved over her. They left her cadaver laying on her satin bed sheets as she was before her death, in anguished hopes they could find a way to bring her back to them. After tirelessly searching for any form of necromancy that could revive her, Guinevere entered Victoria’s bedroom to adjust her as she did every day. Only to be startled by her daughter sitting upright and speaking to her.

“Mommy, can I go play at the circus now?” Victoria bounced off the bed with newfound strength in her rotten limbs. Gwen could only rush to hug her baby who was with her once more. Undead, but with her despite everything. From that day on she allowed Victoria to become a full-time member of the bazaar. The human (zombie) cannonball. With a body that could be put back together, no working pain receptors, and a passion for explosives and theatrics, she fits the part flawlessly.

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

The smaller tent was filled with a variety of supernatural women, the circus only having female staff. While most continued with their activities, some turned her direction and welcomed her. The parts in the circus were relatively small compared to most other acts, but the integration of monsters and mankind made up for it.

Every single person handpicked by Guinevere herself, the cosmetologists, background musicians, and stage crew were all fairies. They each had varying sizes and shades of iridescent butterfly wings, and tight thigh-length dresses made from leaves and spider silk. While not as small as fae are typically depicted in human literature, they reached only about 3 feet and hovered above ground with a light flap of their appendages; they had the grace of hummingbirds. Faes are known for their artistic and musical capabilities. There were twenty-three pixies on set, all of them being gentle girls with a heart of gold. Their love of all life made them a wonderful asset to this circus promoting coexistence. Currently, they fluttered around tidying the room and freshening up the faces of the main performers.

The ‘clowns’ of the act were all young shapeshifters. All fifteen of the women were from different cultures, shapeshifters being in a large majority of mythology; making them unique despite the similarities in capacities. Their abilities were used to shift them from playful clowns to dangerous animals to be used in other’s acts. While their personalities were all very different, each of them loved performing at the Moonlight Circus. Some spoke amongst themselves, shimmying into tight leotards and fixing their updos. A few of them, though, struggled to keep Victoria from swallowing handfuls of gunpowder. Especially with a lit cigar in her mouth.

“VICKY NO-” A wet splat hit the wall and a giggling head rolled at their feet. The shifters looked in disgust at their blood-stained clothes and scolded the decapitated head of the little girl. The others just laughed at the normally terrifying sight.

Morgana turned her eyes away, cringing internally, but knowing full well she’d be back on her feet in a few minutes.

The main acts were very typical of a circus; the women enacting them were anything but. The designated tight rope walker was an Arachne woman named Magnolia. Her form was that of a tall human, her body could only be described as pear-shaped. Despite her form being humanoid, she had skin that was a smooth charcoal black and a spider abdomen attached to her lower back. The abdomen was a sunshine yellow covered in symmetrical white spots on either side. The pedicel connecting it to her body was the same tone as her skin. She also had eight spindly appendages protruding from the middle of her spine, each striped black and yellow. Magnolia had shoulder-length wavy hair a banana color with frayed strands of spider webs tangled within. Despite the frightening six extra eyes lining her temples, she was a kind eccentric woman. As the aerialist, the tightrope she walked during each performance was a magnificent braided rope made of her webbing. Magnolia was sitting on a cushioned stool, twisting her thread into a complicated bracelet, only glancing up to grace Morgan with a polite smile and greeting.

Delane and Clio, however, wasted no time in rushing to make conversation with her.

“Yo, Morgan! We’ve been looking for ya. Can you help me into this wetsuit?” Clio loudly proclaimed, simultaneously carrying her lover, Delane, in her arms bridal style. The duo is the aquatic performers of the show. Clio is a water nymph with connections to the Greek god Poseidon. She willingly took on a human female’s appearance, but that could not hide the divine aura that radiated off her very being. She had a lean build but still held all the strength a creature with holy connections such as herself should have. Her head was bare of hair and her ears pointed in an elf-like fashion. She stumbled around in a limp bedazzled wetsuit pulled up her hips halfway, the skin of her upper half an olive tan.

“Seriously dude, I’m struggling here.”

Delane was a mermaid, a perfect match to Clio’s Nereid. Her Prussian blue scaled tail hung limply over her girlfriend’s arm. The trawl half of her body closely resembled a koi fish. The caudal fin was long and thin, like fine silk flowing with the movements of Clio’s jerks. A dorsal fin ran down the back of it, getting smaller as it reached the end of her tail. She also had multiple pelvic fins running down the sides; the fins at the top were much larger than the ones at the end. They were all light cyan. The scales from her tail ran up her stomach, becoming much more scattered as they reached the dark skin of her breasts. Her hair was a short black pixie cut with a shaggy top, ending at the gills just below her chin.

“Yeah, uh, maybe hurry before she drops me, please.” Delane nervously spoke. She wore a necklace composed of seashells and stones from the shore of her home, matching Clio’s own as a symbol of devotion between them. Together, they enacted a beautiful water-based act that captivated every audience we had.

Morgan laughed at Clio’s predicament before moving to help her into the suit. Just as she got a grip on the neoprene material a strong voice halted them.

“You could’ve just asked me, Clio. Here I got you.” Large calloused hands assisted her in her efforts. Morgan turned her head to Anastalia. Anastalia was the strong woman act of the circus. Like many of those hired here, a part of her resembled that of mankind, but she was very obviously not human. Her upper half was the build of a shredded woman: pulsing muscles, large bulging breasts, defined abs, intimidating biceps. She looked as if she was carved by the gods themselves. Her bottom half, while just as muscular, was that of a black stallion. Her four large hooves clapped against the ground in a deafening display and her dark tail broke the sound barrier like a whip. The hair atop her head was a dark brown with a sheen that made it glint in the light. Her long straight locks cascaded down the flesh of her shoulders a similar shade, reaching the small of her back.

Anastalia peers up from the suit to bicker teasingly with Clio. She galloped gracefully in circles around them, admiring her handy work. “Eh, to be honest, I think it needs to be a bit bluer at the hips.” She quipped thoughtfully. Clio and Delane exchanged a glance and giggled in unison. Clio responded, “You’re one for detail, but let me tell ya, you don’t look it.” She lets out a boisterous laugh, keeling over slightly, causing Delane to screech in fear of being dropped and grip her shoulders tighter. Anastalia only rolled her eyes.

“Har har, laugh it up, I’m not just a brute. I’m also an artist.” She struck a pose that had Clio cackling harder and Delane protesting louder. Morgan shared a laugh with them, her sides aching. Loud footsteps behind her turned her attention away for a moment. “C’mon Lanira, hurry!” Vicky, seemingly back to normal after spontaneously combusting, ran and jumped in a very abstract dance with her friend. Lanira, an incorporeal little girl resembling that of a cartoon witch floated around her at a much slower pace. “I’m going as fast as I can Vicky.” Lanira’s tone was much less enthusiastic. She had a slight cockney accent.

Her dark flowing gown had no shape to it, more like a sack made of cotton. Her sleeves puffed out and tightened below her palms that gripped onto a translucent 19th-century broomstick underneath her. She twirled around with Victoria, who was still jumping around and flailing in her interpretative art form. Her wide-brimmed hat had a large peak at the top that dipped down at the very point. It was navy blue and held a wide variety of jewelry and trinkets that dangled down. Bits of cloth hung off the edge with pearls woven into it.

Lanira had become a ghost after a ‘mishap’ with one of her spells backfiring. As the magician of the big top, she experimented with plenty of dangerous enchantments. One moment she was but a mangled corpse of a girl with crippling insomnia, and the next she was a spirit with large eyebags, continuing with her act as if death had not just occurred before everyone’s eyes. As the specter of a young talented sorceress, she must have expected this possible outcome and kept a few “tricks” up her sleeve. She kept with her act even after her untimely demise, even increasing the intensity now that death was no longer a possibility.

Morgan took a long drag of her cigarette and continued to gaze in amusement. Lanira half-heartedly attempted to keep up with Victoria, the zombie child still lost in her own little world.

“Alright, everyone! It’s time to get this show on the road once more, as they say.” Gwen chuckled at herself lightly. The room erupted in conversation and scrambling to get in costume in time. The pale woman approached her once more. “Will you please start allowing entry, dear?” She nodded at her, cig between her lips bobbing. “Of course.” She smiled and made her way out of the dressing room.

The flap quietly closed behind her form as she made her way to her ticket booth. She could still hear the loud conversations and shuffling from inside the room. Her steps echoed throughout the stage. The entrance to the inside of the show floor was a large rectangular cut-out with a flap hanging to the side that could be zipped up. The outside of the tent was the same striped colors as the inside, illuminated by the setting sun. The tent performed almost all day, but their largest and most spectacular show was always right after the sunset. It was also the most packed of all their performances.

The ticket booth was a wooden structure painted red and white. A gigantic sign in the shape of a ticket was placed on the roof displaying the name of the circus. It sat in front of a zig-zagging gate that led to the entrance. She opened the door and stepped inside, admiring the long line that had already formed. The crowd was a diverse amount of people. Some were singular people showing up alone for the show. Some were human couples on a date or parents with their ecstatic children bouncing with joy. There were even some couples that were interspecies; a human and a not-so-human person lovingly interlocked their hands.

She opened the window of the booth and started accepting tickets from each person. One by one they approached the stall, handing in their crisp voucher, and making their way through the gates to pick up snack food and be seated. The sound of kids giggling and adults speaking with a grin in their voice was heartwarming. Memories were being made here time and time again; the atmosphere never changed. She never got tired of seeing happy faces coming to experience the wonders of the Moonlight Circus. A small crescent moon adorned each ticket that she received and stashed away in a box beside her.

It took a good long while before each person who had previously bought a ticket was granted entry. She let out a sigh and sucked in some more smoke. She released a lilac cloud into the evening air. The sky was a dusty orange making way for the black of night. She continued to smoke while idly wondering if a storm was brewing. It seemed as if their best shows were when it was pouring rain and thunder broke through the cheers. The sound of Guinevere’s muffled voice over a speaker broke through the silence she’d been basking in.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I thank you for coming to see our fantastical performers tonight! We hope to amaze you just as every crowd before.” Her words were a cue for Morgana. She laid the cigarette between her lips once more and strode her way into the tent. The tips of her fingers graced over the edge of the tent fabric for a split second. The control panels for the lighting were tucked into another miniature tent attached to the side of the main structure. She could see the sprites flying above and moving the large spotlight from the cameras beside the panels to follow Gwen’s moving figure. The stark white luminescence made her look more ethereal than before. She continued on, cigarette holder still wedged between her thin lips.

“We have an awe-inspiring act for you all!”

“This beautiful lady here did most of the work.”

Her husband quickly added to her dialogue. “Hush my love.” The crowd quietly chuckled.

“It’s true.”

“Pierre!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

The audience roared with more laughter.

Under the dim lighting of the rest of the stage, she could make out the two fluffy skirts of the little girls waiting for their first part in the choreography. One was fidgeting and prancing around in the dark, not only disguised by the lack of light but the cloud from her cigar. The other floated just above the ground, flying around the other body in circles. Morgan placed her fingertips on the switches and pushed them up very slightly. The area brightened enough for the stage to be somewhat visible but kept the two hidden from their awaiting audience.

“Each of our performers is a woman with grace, power, and most of all, a love for their part here.”

Recovering from her husband's unethical interruption, she made her way up to the round platform on the stage. The spotlight followed in sync. She turned suddenly to face the stands, her skirt twirling above her feet.

“We give you our best and only our best!” Gwen spoke into the microphone with glee, her visible scarlet eye piercing the crowd. “The Moonlight Circus has been our pride and joy for many decades. Tonight, we strive to show you exactly why!” She gave them a beautiful motherly smile.

“Now please.”

“Stay seated and enjoy the show!” She and the skull of her husband atop her head spoke in unison. She extended one arm behind her, bent the other in front of her middle and bowed.

“Hey, hey! Careful please!” Pierre screamed as he slipped down slightly. The audience responded with laughter as before. The spotlight shut off and the stage was dim once again, other than the shine of Guinevere’s red cigarette. The crowd went silent. Her footsteps echoed on a different part of the stage. She could very faintly make out dainty shoes running up the steps and hopping into the cannon. One of the two figures was missing from their spot to the side.

Morgan’s fingers danced on the panel, letting excitement coarse through her. She couldn’t fight the adrenaline rush before each performance commenced. She hadn’t been working there for more than two years, but this circus had become her family. Her home. Each person here has proven to her that the impossible is only so if you believe it is. And each show was a testament to how far they’d come. This circus act alone has been a large part of the progression that’s been made between the supernatural world and human society. They’re more than just a tent of sideshow freaks; they’re artists embracing their bodies and talents to better their lives, and many others.

She grips the lever with resolve. She knows that to an outsider they may be passing entertainment. But that was progress by itself. This place is a part of her now. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Morgana pushed the handle forward. It clicked in place. The stage lights flicked on in a magnificent spectrum of colors. Gwen’s right hand is extended to the wick of the cannon, holder lighting the end. Her daughter’s tangled mane of hair is just barely visible from the lip. A deafening boom shatters the atmosphere and the show begins.

#original fiction #commisionwork #oc commission #oc #commission #short story #short stories #writing #fiction #gothic #circus #supernatural #monsters #gore

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ao3feed-merlin · 3 years ago

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Don't Say You Love Me

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3lAhjHB

by TheMagicArts

Excerpt: "“Don’t be ridiculous. I could’ve killed you. It’s the least I can do. Please,” he added as an afterthought, his eyes begging Merlin. A small crowd had gathered and people were starting to murmur. The last thing Arthur needed was the press declaring that Uther Pendragon’s son had tried to kill a sorcerer with his car. But most important of all, Arthur couldn’t let him go. Even after all those years, he still couldn’t let him go."

Summary: It's been almost ten years since Arthur shattered Merlin's heart. He's regretted it everyday since. But with Merlin's career as Nimueh's future successor and Arthur's marriage to Elena, he'd given up hope that there could ever be anything between them again. By chance, he hits Merlin with his car. Is this the second chance he'd given up on? Or is this going to end up in flames? (Spolier: it does get a little flame-y towards the end, but you'll see. Heh heh.)

Note: I have written the entire story which is currently at 8 chapters and a little over 25,000 words. I would never trust myself to post something unfinished lol.

Words: 4185, Chapters: 1/8, Language: English

Fandoms: Merlin (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Merlin (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Morgana (Merlin), Gwen (Merlin), Leon (Merlin), Gaius (Merlin), Uther Pendragon (Merlin), Kilgharrah (Merlin), Nimueh (Merlin), Morgause (Merlin), Aredian (Merlin), Elena (Merlin)

Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Magic, Modern Era, Angst, Break Up, Makeup, Happy Ending, Smut, Eventual Smut, Pining, Mutual Pining, Bottom Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Top Merlin (Merlin), Sassy Merlin (Merlin), Merlin is So Done (Merlin), Merlin is Emrys (Merlin), Magic, Uther goes to jail, Evil Uther Pendragon (Merlin), Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin), Emotional Constipation, Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Pining Merlin (Merlin), Idiots in Love, they're dumb, Like Jesus really dumb, just talk about your feelings, Damn, Not Beta Read, Not Britpicked, Jealous Arthur, POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), No cheating, Romance, Slow Burn

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3lAhjHB

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #merlin #bbc merlin

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coinofstone · 4 years ago

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4x06 A Servant of Two Masters

Yaaaaaaas

If it weren't for the commentary, I never would've known that the reason this series never shows anyone get really wounded is because it was originally aimed at kids.

"Arthur is strangely fond of the boy" yeah I'll say

The intensity in this part

Honestly something about that gives me angry 11th doctor vibes. I can't even name a specific moment or episode, but something in Colin's performance has a very distinct Matt Smith feel to it when he's talking to Morgana here. I think it's to do with his voice and the lighting.

Katie and Colin have always been great together but this scene is special. She's evil, he's dying. There's this open animosity between them. It's great.

Also these two really need to just be cast as siblings in some spooky drama already

I think it's kinda funny how Colin's just kinda slightly too tall to be hanging from where they've got him tied up. Like the ceiling just isn't quite tall enough

**Why the fuck did tumblr just randomly decide to post this when I'm literally only 8 minutes into the episode. I HATE YOU TUMBLR**

Luckily I haven't added the tags yet so nobody will notice 😂

"Why are you so loyal to Arthur"

(vintage--lilacs)

"I already have a manservant. Alright he's shabby looking, he has appalling manners, he's extremely forgetful, he seems to spend most of his time in the tavern... but he is... .... my manservant. To be honest, I quite like it that way."

You will never ever convince me that Arthur wasn't about to say 'mine' there. Bradley played that intentionally and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

Am I crazy or did they only give Gwen one dress for s4? I'm not a huge fan of her new look. I do like the dress but the hair and makeup I think is less flattering than the more natural look she had in previous seasons. I mean she's still gorgeous, but I think the intent was to make her look more mature or possibly higher in status? I don't think it quite hit whatever mark it was aiming for though.

Arthur finally gives Merlin a hug and Merlin is covered in mud. They did that shit on purpose 😂

Awww Gwaine's feelings were so hurt when Merlin wouldn't let him steal from Arthur's plate 😢

Mean Merlin is the funniest thing they've ever done

Leon's got a bright future in weapons dealing. Less so in detective-ing

Love a bit of nudity humor. And Gwen smacking Merlin upside the head with a metal pitcher 😂

The big magic fight between Morgana and old Merlin is actually kinda weak imo.

"Merlin, meet George" 😂

Gah Agravaine is so creepy

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin spoilers #merlin #merlin spoilers #merthur #onceandfuturerewatch #4x06 #bbc merlin 4x06 #merlin 4x06 #4x06 a servant of two masters #a servant of two masters

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askyourfavouriteotp · 6 years ago

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“Arthur spend’s at least half an hour doing his hair in the morning and checks it every time there’s a mirror around. Not to mention the other half hour is spent picking out what outfit he’s gonna wear. I understand he’s a king but come on.”

“Yes, I am a king, so I have to present myself better than the average person. Also those are not hobbies Merlin, those are just more feminine stereotypes you think I do. My most feminine hobby would probably be riding horses and taking strolls, but everyone does that in Camelot...But come on, Morgana and Gwen must take longer than me right?”

“On hair maybe, but I've seen both of them pick out a dress to wear to a feast in under a minute. You on the other hand take an hour. That’s how long it takes both of them to pick out a dress and get their hair and makeup done.”

“I still get my hair done faster so I’ll take that as a win. Besides, you’re obviously the more girly one out of the two of us. You sew.”

“Whatever you say, love.”

#merlin #arthur #merthur

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tlcyellow · 6 years ago

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merlin s2 ep13 the last dragonlord

- season 2 finale lets gooooooo

- things have not kicked off on a positive note lmao. camelot is on fire, people are crying and dying and some are doing both at the same time

- the cause of this is of course the Unhelpful Dragon who has reached a whole new level and has decidedly crossed the line from unhelpful into full on malicious

- camelot is out of water and gwen bravely runs into the chaos to fetch some while gaius is like “GWEN DON’T” but doesn’t move at all and it’s vaguely reminiscent of that scene in willy wonka and the chocolate factory where gene wilder is like “stop. no. come back”

- arthur saves gwen from the dragon which is very romantic and chivalrous and merlin does magic in the middle of the goddamn square where anyone could see him but what else is new

- shirtless bradley james yyyyyyyyYYYYYYEEEEEESSSSS (i swear im a grown woman and not a twelve year old girl)

- uther tells arthur he cant go off in search of someone to tame the dragon and arthur’s like “cool cool i hear what youre saying and im gonna respecfully ignore it. PEACE” which, like, mad respect

- ooh also leon’s there and that is so far he only positive thing that has happened in the episode next to bradley james taking his shirt off

- OHMYGOD IS THIS THE EPISODE WITH MERLINS DAD

- IT IS HOLY SHIT

- no merlin dont cry!!!! hes too emotional about his father!!!! also gaius said he always treated merlin like a son which is beautiful so i might cry too

- i think i’ve mentioned this in the past but I LOVE how whenever arthurs like “i must take this journey *pause for dramatic effect* ALONE” and then five seconds later is like “alright merlin saddle up we’re off on an adventure”

- bradley james taking his shirt off again YESSSS (i hate myself im so sorry. i have a college degree)

- aw arthur notices that merlin is emo. we stan an emotionally sensitive boyfriend

- arthur is like “i know we’re a prince and we can’t be friends. but if i wasn’t a prince.... i think we’d get on” DIRECT QUOTE. more like “get IT on” amiright ladies?? talking about sex

- some random thief man tried to steal arthurs armor and arthur grabbed his arm and it was SUCH a jumpscare i actually yelled out loud

- balinor (merlins dad and also the dragonlord) quote “hates everyone and everything” and lives in a cave. mood.

- what if merlin’s dad was played by colin morgan just with some age makeup and hair extensions? that would be fucking hilarious

- okay so arthur is totally unconscious because of his previous dragon related injury so merlin and balinor have time to #bond

- the dragons name is kilgharrah which is a super ugly name to match the super ugly cgi

- so balinor is very reluctant to help because he hates uther and wants him dead which DONT WE ALL but i dont want anyone else in camelot to die so i sure hope he helps out

- arthur is MUMBLING MERLIN’S NAME IN HIS SLEEP WHAT IS THIS

- we are flashing back to camelot in ruins and everyone is like running in slow motion and its really dramatic and i would expect nothing else from this show

- balinor refuses to help and merlin is like “gaius talked of the nobility of dragonlords. clearly he was wrong” SICK BURN MERLIN

- romantic bro chats by the fire!!!!!!! they’re teasing each other and its adorable. this episode is really making me return to the good old days where i innocently shipped merlin without understanding that it was total queer baiting and the problematic implications that go along with that

- merlin HAS DROPPED THE BOMB that he’s balinors son and theyre both like crying and then arthur just wanders in and ruins the moment

- ohshit merlin gets to become a dragonlord!!! and balinor said “goodnight son” and merlin smiled SO WIDE and was like “sleep well father”. shit i know balinor dies dude this is gonna suck ass

- holy fucking shit balinor is dying right the fuck now. the very next scene. i did not realize this was going to happen so soon. ohmygod this is depressing.

- merlin is actively sobbing and arthur shows up and he has to pretend like he hasn’t been crying at all. this is so rough.

- arthur is announcing to his knights like “we’re gonna fight the shit out of this dragon and we’re almost definitely gonna die. who’s with me????” and my precious baby son sir leon steps forward like the brave little soldier he is WOW I LOVE HIM

- merlin is very stressed and upset which are my two main emotions and he’s like “gaius do you think i’m strong enough to face the dragon?” and gaius pauses for WAY TOO LONG and says “only time will tell”. damn way to be encouraging

- merlin and arthur are very casually joking about the fact that arthur is ready to die today

- WHY DO THEY NOT GIVE MERLIN ARMOR WHEN HE GOES OUT WITH THE KNIGHTS?? like that really just seems unfair that they all get to be like suited up and merlins just in his neckerchief

- okay the dragon immediately knocks everyone off their horses and sets the knights on fire and merlin is like “PLEASE STOP” which as im sure you can imagine is not the most effective way to go about things

- holy shit arthur is ready to face the dragon all on his own which is both incredibly brave and unfathomably stupid. classic gryffindor. he immediately is knocked tf out and its up to merlin to deal with this on his own

- merlin is screaming in dragon language which is kind of cool but as an actor idk how colin morgan did this without laughing

- damn the dragon really has the fucking nerve to be like “please don’t hold me accountable for my actions” even after he torched an entire kingdom

- because he’s the last living dragon merlin spares him with the promise that if he returns to camelot again he will be killed. the dragon flies off which is lucky because i was getting real sick of his bullshit

- arthur comes to and merlin lies to him and says that arthur killed the dragon before he was knocked unconscious and arthurs like “yep that sounds like me. i will not question you further”

- this was a solid season finale except for the fact that morgana wasn’t in it at all :(

next episode: the tears of uther pendragon part 1

#tylers merlin rewatch #merlin #colin morgan #bradley james #angel coulby #katie mcgrath

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merlin-emrys-wyllt · 2 years ago

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Merlin allowed himself to be lead to his seat, giving a smile to those he knew as he passed. Gwaine grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up. Merlin smiled at Arthur's words, having a feeling that some of them were certainly said for his benefit. He was gladened that Arthur was accepting. It felt good to at least be himself in this way, even if he couldn't fully be himself and had to hide his magic. Those who had been giving Merlin dirty looks stopped doing so at the kings words. They were still judging the man, but they would be a lot less open about it now.

Gwen prepared herself with her pitcher of wine in case her lady would need any. She made her way over to ask if she needed anything before her food came. Before asking her, though, she gave Merlin a smile as he was sitting down. His chair was in between Arthur and Morgana's. "I love your attire, Merlin, especially the makeup. It suits you so well!" She knew people could be very judging, so she wanted to try and help the man to feel a little more comfortable. "Where did you learn to do it?" Merlin smiled up at her, a slight blush still dusting his cheeks and tinting his ears pink. "Thank you, Gwen!" He glances at the table with a shy look. "My mother taught me. I always lived bright colours and stuff, and for years, I would steal her stuff to try on myself when I was a child. Eventually, she gave in and taught me how to properly do it." Iseldir, who was close by and heard them talking, added. "It's a custom for some of our druid festivals to wear such makeup as well."

Merlin followed the servant through the hallways. He didn't bother telling the girl that she could refer to him as Merlin if she wanted. Their interactions would likely be brief anyway. As they neared the baquet hall, Merlin could feel his excitement and anxiety growing. He was excited to see Arthur again, even if their parting had only been brief, but he was also anxious. He wanted everyone to like him.

When they made it to the hall, the gaurds maning the doors opened them for him. He turned and gave the young servant a smile, "Thank you for your help. Sorry for taking you away from your post." Then he turned to face the hall, his eyes immediately searching for Arthur. Once he found him, his face broke out into a smile, his cheeks dimpling slightly. The courtiers from before turned to look at him and give him judging looks for his attire. Those from Ealdor gave him smiles, and Gwaine grinned at him. He'd always thought that makeup made the man look stunning, more ethereal.

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lilyemrys · 7 years ago

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Merlin 1x13 Le Morte d’Arthur

Gotta make a choice between shoving my face with popcorn or liveblogging hmmm

[2 mins later] have stuffed my face, let the blogging begin:

- Knights are creeping through the forest. stepstepstepstep

- Lmao merlin dropping the spear and arthur’s face. I’m laughing, his face.

- “Do you have any natural gifts Merlin?”

“No, let me think”

- lmao their mutual dragging of each other

- Arthur: mocking merlin for getting scared of the beast

Beast pops out

Arthur: DROPS HIS FUCKING SPEAR AND RUNS AWAY

- I love how every single one of the knights just flees but also #same

- The questing beast looks like a cobra on steroids

- What a dramatic fall Merlin. Can’t even trip properly, needs to slowmo fall dramatically. Never fear merlin, your prince will save you

- Why are they all just standing there hearing Bedivere die. like. either run or help. boi.

- [theme music]

- Gaius just knows everything man

- Every episode:

Gaius: magical beast is here bc camelot did bad things

Uther: Oh NO!!!11!! Can’t be magic!11!!

- oh my god LOL that montage of bad things ending with the questing beast snarling but they overlaid morgana’s screaming on it and it looks like the questing beast just has a very high pitched feminine scream.

- More! Morgana! And! Gwen! Hugs!

- FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELOT

- Poor morgana everyone think she crazy

- Dayum that a big footprint

- Okay also, why the heck is Merlin there. Like,,,,there’s no other servant there. I get Merlin wanting to follow Arthur, but don’t the knights always be like “why tf he here”

- Questing beast pops up, Arthur: GOTTA PROTECT MY SMOL KITTEN MERLIN

- Arthur’s jabs looks like he’s playing Just Dance

- Merlin: “it didn’t bite you, it didn’t” that poor boy just wants his boyfriend to be safe protect him

- Merlin magically reads a book in 0.2 seconds. Give me yo power pls, need it for school

- Ofc merlin runs to Emo Dragon and Emo Dragon speaking in riddles.

- Gaius just gave Merlin the Eyebrow™

- Aww Gwen is taking care of Arthur.

Okay also I think Gwen’s love for Arthur is more for King Arthur while Merlin’s is for both King Arthur and just arthur. Because even while caring for him, Gwen’s talking about how Arthur must live bc he gonna be a great King and that’s who she sees in him.

- Merlin’s at the boat. how’d he know the spell to make it move tho

- The Cheekbones™

- Bb merlin ready to give his life for his boyfriend

“My life is worth 1000 of his” BB NO. YOU PRECIOUS DORK YoU ARE. LOVED. Also don’t think arthur wouldn’t smack you if he heard you say that

- Merlin looks like even more of a kitten when he’s wet

- Why does Merlin glare at Morgana when she tells him its just the beginning. Is he still pissed that she tried to kill Uther??? Like???’

- OMG Merlin’s look of pure joy and relief when Gaius tells him Arthur lives

- Arthur: I think there’s a guardian angel watching over.

Heck yeah that b your bf merlin

- Lmao Arthur teasing Gwen for what she said when caring for him. I used to think the Gwen/Arthur was completely undeveloped but I lied. obs Merthur is still better but arwen is not that bad

- Proof that the camelot soldiers are useless: they just let a completely random person, obviously trying to hide themselves in a cloak, just walk in in the middle of the night. At least check who it is dammit. This is why its so easy to take over camelot. Useless.

- How tf did Hunith travel all the way to Camelot.

a) She’s literally dying.

b) She?? didn’t have a horse?????

c) It look the Squad™ 2 days in the Ealdor episode to get there and it took her like a day. KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ARE YOUNG, HAVE HORSES, and ARE HEALTHY

- Merlin: “You’ll never be released”

Dragon: eXcUSE ME WHaT

- Emo Dragon just tried to roast merlin alive??? bih what about that destiny you keep talking about

- Merlin just told Emo Dragon he’ll never see him again. Good. Don’t. He made you bad.

- Merlin’s goodbye aww. My heart. But also Arthur must be so confused. Preciousness. How pure. HIS GOODBYE IS SO SAD AND CUTE. He talks about how he’ll be a great king but also a great person when he’s not a prat and

- Gwen is such a sweetheart. She takes care of everyone. Love her.

- The makeup dept. did a rlly good job with Hunith’s illness.

- HuniTH AND MERLIN’S GOODBYE IS SO SAD BC BOTH ARE SAYING GOODBYE TO EACH OTHER THINKING THEY’RE THE ONE DYING

- Gaius just left to sacrifice himself my heart

- All of Morgana’s clips in this episode show her completely terrified, usually dramatically staring out a window

- Lmao Nimueh walks like she’s on a catwalk.

- Nimueh’s eyes are sososo pretty

- Wait so??? Nimueh can choose who dies? I thought she couldn’t??????

- TBH Nimueh wasn’t even wrong? She did basically what everyone asked of her and she gets labelled cruel and selfish. Like?? She warned them that to get a life you need a death. It’s their fault for not listening

- DAYUM ANGRY MERLIN “YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE KILLED MY FRIEND” He just struck her with lightening until she combusted dang.

- Gaius: “you just mastered life and death”

But he just? Killed her? The balance was restored? Wouldn’t anyone who killed anyone thus master life and death? Idk man

- Emo Dragon just hella dramatically yells “NOOOO” like bih what’s wrong now

Times Merlin’s Saved Arthur since 1x13: 1

Times Merlin’s Saved Uther since 1x13: 0

#lily watches merlin again #merlin #merlin liveblogging #lily speaks

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merlinficreview · 8 years ago

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The Student Prince Chapters 16-20 Review!

The Student Prince by FayJay

Word Count: 145222

Chapter 16

This chapter opens with Merlin waking up with a massive hangover. Arthur helps orient us, and Merlin, since he’s currently not sure of anything. “It's Raisin Monday. We've got to go to Morgana's place.” Thanks, Exposition Arthur!

Arthur then quickly returns to asshole mode and pulls the covers off of Merlin. “Arthur didn't say anything for a long moment, and Merlin cracked his eyes open just a little. Arthur was staring at his throat, and he'd gone rather white. Merlin lifted his fingers stiffly and rubbed the spot Arthur was looking at, which felt sore, and Arthur flinched, and looked quickly up at Merlin's face, and then away.” Ahh yes, a hickey. How embarrassing. Though if some dude is biting and sucking your neck so hard that it hurts the next day, that’s way too excessive. Arthur can fuck off with his jealousy though.

Merlin suddenly remembers the previous night and things get awkward. Arthur walks away to take a shower.

You know, I’m sitting here thinking about this whole Raisin Weekend thing, and I’m not sure why they would make the final thing on a Monday when people have classes. Wouldn’t it make sense to have the tea party and get together with Academic Dads on Saturday and then this shaving cream fight thingy on Sunday? Monday isn’t even part of the weekend. So it’s not really a weekend thing because they didn’t even do anything on Saturday.

As they walk to Morgana’s, Merlin brings up Arthur making out with Gwen, “’Look, it was just a snog,’ said Arthur, defensively. ‘We were a bit pissed. Don't start matchmaking.’ And then he reddened, and looked away, and a heartbeat later Merlin remembered the Matchmaker game and Arthur's tongue sliding over the seam of his lips, licking away the powdered sugar from the doughnut that he'd chased there.” Once again, Arthur can fuck off with his nonsense.

Once they get to Morgana’s, they find Gwen, who is dressed as a knight. “They trooped dutifully after her, passing Kay standing in the kitchen in nothing but a pair of skin-tight white leggings, grumbling under his breath as Helen busily painted him Smurf-blue. Gawain, in matching red leggings complete with white beard, red smurf hat and blue skin, was munching on a bacon roll and reading The Times a few yards away.” I’m honestly just including this because I don’t know what a bacon roll is, but I now really want a bacon and cheese sandwich. Also, good, Kay deserves to freeze his ass off in just a pair of tights.

Anyways, Arthur will be dressed as Merlin and Merlin will be dressed as Queen Guinevere. I tried not to say, “yikes at putting the gay man in a dress and making him the woman,” because I thought I might be overreacting but, “’Come on, Merlin – what are you waiting for? I thought you liked being a queen,’ said Arthur, maliciously. Merlin glared at him.” Soooo yeah. Merlin LIKES this dude? Really? I do have to say, I feel like Morgana switching the outfits around is seriously only an excuse to put Merlin, the gay dude, in a dress. It’s gross.

Then Merlin starts to get undressed to put on his outfit and Morgana notices his hickey, “’Oh – er, well, yeah,’ Merlin said, meeting Morgana's amused gaze with a rueful one. ‘Um. Edwin, if you must know. He's a PostGrad? He, er, plays World of Warcraft.’ ‘Oh! Edwin!’ Her grin broadened. ‘Yes, he's rather good at World of Warcraft.’ Her mouth twitched. ‘As a matter of fact, I heard he was pretty good at macramé too.’” Haha Good one, Morgana.

Exit Gwen and Morgana while the boys start getting undressed, “’So – that was Edwin, last night,’ said Arthur, a few minutes later. ‘Your friend. From GaySoc.’” Is now really the time to talk about this, Arthur? How awkward discussing the guy you’re fucking with the dude you wish you were fucking who sent you out MAJOR signals right before making out with your best friend, who then caught you almost fucking said guy, before running away in a fit of jealousy, all the while this discussion is taking place, the two of you are getting naked.

Merlin agrees with me, “Merlin didn't particularly appreciate being questioned about his love life by Hottie McHotterson when he was in the act of dropping trou, but apparently the universe was not being run with his happiness in mind.”

Merlin of course can’t get his wig on and gives up after one try. Then Arthur of course has to help him. Which of course ends up with Arthur all up in Merlin’s space, which his hands all over Merlin’s neck. Of course. Sure. Makes total sense.

Arthur continues to interrogate Merlin about Edwin, asking if Edwin is Merlin’s boyfriend. Merlin says that they are just fuckbuddies. Which shocks and embarrasses Arthur. That’s what you get for being an asshole.

Then Arthur keeps on going but, he makes a good point, “’Oh,’ he said, in a strangled voice, fiddling with his beard. ‘Well, that's – cool. I suppose.’ He frowned. ‘He looked quite old,’ he said. Merlin shrugged. ‘He's thirty. Which means he's pretty sorted, and very experienced. Also, he does a lot of yoga. Tantric yoga. There is no bad to this.’ He watched Arthur's face colouring up. ‘Is that enough? Or do we need to go into exhaustive detail here?’” Now, Merlin is in the right with his, “is that enough?” comment because Arthur is being a nosey little jerk. However, I think it’s hella sketch that a “sorted” and “experienced” THIRTY YEAR OLD MAN is fucking around with an 18 year old. That shit is suspicious and super gross. We knew that Edwin was in graduate school so I expected him to be around 23-25, which is still a little weird when hooking up with an 18 year old but fucking yikes at him being 30. What the fuck are you doing, Edwin? Merlin is basically a child. Yikes to the max.

So Morgana comes in and says it’s time for Merlin’s makeover. I don’t get why only Merlin is the one wearing makeup here. She could totally paint some stars and moons all over Arthur’s face or something too. Oh wait, yes I do know why Merlin is getting makeup, because he’s the GIRL. Silly me.

Chapter 17

“’I dunno – I think he actually makes quite a shaggable bird,’ said Owain, looking Merlin up and down in some surprise. ‘Nice tits.’ ‘They're built into the dress,’ said Merlin, irritably. ‘I didn't grow them specially, you know.’” This made me laugh. Good job, Merlin.

So then Blanche and Morgana start talking about Merlin’s padding and feeling him up. Let’s talk about that for a minute, shall we? It’s gross. Don’t fucking do that. Merlin is clearly uncomfortable while Blanche and Morgana are touching the padding in his dress and they are just ignoring him and going about their business. I don’t care that it’s just padding that they are touching and not actually a part of Merlin. They are currently on his body. You would NEVER do that to a woman, whether she was wearing padding or not, unless she gave you permission. Because boys and girls, touching someone in a way they don’t want to be touched is sexual assault. This is portrayed as a funny scene though, with Kay even taking a photo. We are supposed to just laugh at Morgana and Blanche feeling up Merlin’s breast padding though because he’s a man, so it’s fine. Yeah, it’s not fucking fine. Don’t touch people without their permission. Period.

Now let’s talk about this: “’Hello? Standing right here, thank you very much!’ snapped Merlin, as Kay took a photograph. ‘Oh, Christ. Tell me that isn't going on Facebook,’ said Merlin, without much hope. ‘Of course it's going on Facebook, Emrys,’ said Kay, pityingly. ‘Wonderful.’ ‘Oh, shut up. You actually look almost fuckable, for the first time in your pathetic life.’ Merlin felt his jaw drop, and was conscious that several other heads had turned to stare at both of them. But mostly at Kay.” Ok. So not only is this sexual assault occurring with SEVERAL people watching and finding it hilarious, Kay is taking a photo of it with the purpose of it going on the internet. This is not cute. It’s not funny. It’s not a lighthearted “LOL Merlin, the gay man, is dressed as a WOMAN!!! Let’s fondle his padded bra while he is clearly upset about it and just continue doing whatever we want because it’s funny!!” moment. Stop. Just stop. Now, let’s talk about Kay’s comment about Merlin being fuckable. I am honestly unclear on what the author was trying to achieve with that. Considering how homophobic Kay is towards gay men, Merlin in particular, I find it incredibly out of character and unbelievable that Kay would say that. Is this supposed to be the beginnings of a redemption arc for him because it’s the worst redemption arc ever in the history of redemption arcs.

Anyways, someone, it’s not assigned as being said by a particular person, gives us the skinny as to what’s going to happen, “So – it's off to visit your Academic Fathers to collect your Raisin Receipts, and then on to Foamageddon in Sallies Quad. But before we do that – group photo!”

They make it to Lance’s and Gwen gives us some surprising information, “’Er – thanks for, you know. Seeing me home last night,’ said Gwen, looking distinctly flustered.” She says this to Lance by the way. So not only did Arthur use her to make Merlin jealous/reject him/what the fuckever his dumbass nonsesnsical reasoning was, he left poor drunk Gwen alone and didn’t even help her home. PRINCE FUCKING CHARMING, YA’LL.

The “receipts” that Lance provides them with are all on recycling bins and they all have some sort of Latin phrase on them. Google is about to edumacate me on what these receipts are supposed to be because we have no Exposition Character to fill us in.

So this is the website I found and it might have been the site I used earlier when I looked up Academic Moms and Dads my bad for not including it in that post:

https://owlcation.com/academia/St-Andrews-University-traditions

So according to this, traditionally, seniors could ask freshmen for a pound of raisins on Raisin Monday. Once the freshmen gave out their Raisins, they would get their “receipt” from the seniors and could no longer be asked for raisins anymore. It’s not really stated on that site, but it seems that the tradition has just transformed so now the Academic Dad’s give them embarrassing receipts to carry around and there’s not an exchange of raisins at all anymore. Sure.

We get some more information that isn’t really mentioned on the website, “’I'm afraid that if anyone feels like being a git, they can still demand you show them the receipt and then dunk you in the fountain for the mistake,’ Lance apologised.” So I guess if your receipt has incorrect Latin or incorrect information, the seniors can throw the freshmen in a fountain. Which seems mean since the freshmen aren’t the ones who write the receipts so it wouldn’t be their faults. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s November. Cold.

As they walk around, Merlin bitches about how stupid Raisin Monday is and how just because something is a tradition, it doesn’t mean it should be followed. Which I 100% agree with. Some traditions are rooted in some pretty gross and unacceptable practices. On the less depressing side, a lot of traditions aren’t even followed correctly. They are like bastardized versions of the tradition itself. I had this conversation when one of my friends got married. She insisted on wearing a white dress because it was “tradition.” I had to tell her, “you know white isn’t even technically that old of a tradition when it comes to wedding dresses. You know what else is ‘tradition’ and the entire reason of wearing white on the wedding day? Virginity. Just saying.”

Well that went way off the point I was trying to make. So, even though I agree with Merlin, he needs to take a look at his current audience, which includes the Prince of Wales, who is part of a traditional and (and pretty useless in these modern times, if we are being honest) monarchy.

Merlin soon spots an Academic Family composed of Arthurs. Which I think is pretty funny and so does Merlin. Arthur is less than impressed. “’What do you mean, it's me?’ demanded Arthur, crossly. ‘It looks nothing like me!’ ‘He's wearing a blond wig, and aviator shades, and a jacket just like the one you were wearing yesterday, and a crown with a load of Latin on it for a Raisin Receipt and – oh, God, no, look! Look what they've done! It's not just him! The whole family are all you! Only different varieties, see? Look, he's Football-playing-Arthur, and he's Jogging-on-the-beach-Arthur, and she's Pilot-Arthur, and that poor bastard over there must be Water-polo-Arthur. And that one in the suit of armour is – er – do you ever wear armour?’ ‘That's King Arthur. Like me,’ said Gwen. ‘The other one.’” I think that’s pretty cute.

“Right! Ha! That is genius! Oh my God – you should go over there and out yourself! Say 'I'm Arthur' and we could have a whole "No, I'm Arthur! No, I am, no I am, no, I am' thing! Like Spartacus!" I agree with Merlin. That would be hilarious and all in good fun. Arthur has to be a stupid party pooper about it though, of course.

They arrive at the Quad where the big shaving cream fight is going to take place. Merlin says he is going to get Arthur covered in shaving cream for “vengeance.” Arthur asks what the vengeance is related to, “’Vengeance for – for the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley to make a bloody reservoir for you English!’ said Merlin, because he couldn't exactly say ‘Vengeance for flirting with me and then getting off with one of my best mates, you git’.” Too bad Merlin didn’t have the guts to actually say that second one because he would be 100% in the right there.

The clock strikes and Merlin runs away. Arthur chases him, obviously, and Merlin turns around to stand his ground, “Arthur took this in, and didn't slow down a jot. Merlin hadn't quite realised his intention until the idiot barreled right into him and the two of them went sprawling in a tangle of flailing, overdressed limbs. And then in an embarrassingly short time Merlin found himself pinned to the grass with Arthur straddling his waist, both wrists clasped in one slippery grip above his head, and Arthur grinning down at him. The beard dangled in Merlin's face and he twisted away and blew ineffectually at it.” NORMAL PLATONIC BRO STUFF. MOVE ALONG. Arthur sprays Merlin’s entire face and chest with the shaving cream. Then Arthur takes off Merlin’s wig and starts massaging the shaving cream into Merlin’s hair. As bro friends do.

“’Oi, Arthur, stop trying to fuck the chav,’ yelled Kay, and Merlin watched all the laughter and gentleness fall right off Arthur's face to be replaced by a shocked, half-frightened expression. He let go of Merlin's wrists and pushed himself away as if Merlin had suddenly become contagious, and Merlin felt all the sunlight vanish from the day with that jerky, horrified rejection.”

Fuck you, Kay. But double fuck you to Arthur. Poor Merlin. He deserves so much better. Arthur runs away and Merlin has to spend the rest of the fight pretending to be ok. Poor dude.

Chapter 18

“It struck Merlin as massively unfair that people were still expected to attend their lectures and tutorials that afternoon, once they'd all stumbled and squelched back to their respective Halls of Residence and had showers.” That’s what I said earlier! So Merlin is feeling very sad because Arthur is pretty much ignoring Merlin after the shaving cream incident. I don’t blame Merlin. Merlin needs to find someone else, and by that, I don’t mean Almost Twice his Age Edwin.

“Merlin registered, almost absently, that Gawain really was, objectively speaking, a very attractive bloke indeed. He'd known this, obviously, but hadn't given it much thought one way or the other; his current state of undress, however, even with all the paint and foam and ridiculous beard, revealed a six pack of truly exceptional dimensions; he was beginning to get an inkling of why Morgause had developed a bit of a soft spot for Gawain.” Merlin can run off with Gawain. Problem solved. I feel like in about 90% of the fics I read, I want Merlin to leave Arthur, who is usually a great big asshole to Merlin, and run off with Gawain. Also, just want to point out that Gawain is described as being “half a foot taller than Arthur”. Which kills me because Eoin Macken is like the shortest of the Knights.

Again, this was written before Gwaine’s character was introduced on the show but still.

Merlin asks Gawain (which is really hard to type by the way since I’m so used to Gwaine, so sorry if there’s any typos) how his time with his Academic Dad went the previous night, “’There were more drinking games,’ Gawain said, in a tone that spoke volumes. Merlin winced. ‘And then Kay got into a fight with one of Tristan's flatmates, and fell down the stairs.’” Good.

Gawain looks at Merlin’s hickey and gives him kind of subtle warning to be careful with his feelings; I think he thinks Arthur gave Merlin the hickey. When Merlin gets back to his room, Arthur is there and he basically just ignores Merlin. Asshole.

Later, Merlin is hanging out with Gwen asking her about Arthur. Gwen tells Merlin she made out with Arthur because he was there, “’I know," she said. ‘But – but Lance never flirts with me. I don't think he even realises I'm a girl. And Arthur was there, being all hot and flirty, and, you know Prince Arthur, for Christ's sake. Who wouldn't flirt right back for all she was worth?’ She bit her lip. ‘Is this weird? Are you pissed off with me? I mean – I know you think he's hot, but you're not...’ She gave an embarrassed half-laugh. ‘You're not in love with him, or anything, right? And, you know, he's straight, so...’” so this kind of solidifies my annoyance with Gwen. She clearly knows Merlin has a thing for Arthur and just kind of brushes it off with, “well he’s straight so it’s not like it’ll ever happen for you…” Not cool Gwen. Don’t be such a shitty friend.

I don’t know why Merlin doesn’t straight up say to both Lance and Gwen, “I know for a fact that they are into you because they have explicitly told me.” I would be so over their annoying, “but they don’t like me!!!!” at this point I would probably stop being friends with both of them.

Gwen tells Merlin that the makeout session with Arthur sucked. “’Well – sorry, no, that sounds a bit awful, doesn't it? I'm not saying that he's a bad snog, just that – er, do you want the sordid details?’ ‘Apparently I have a previously unsuspected streak of masochism a mile wide, so – yeah. Hit me,’ said Merlin.” I mean, that is Merlin almost literally admitting he has a thing for Arthur. Gwen said the kissing was bad because there was no spark.

Merlin asks Gwen if she and Arthur slept together and she says they didn’t. Then she asks if the guy Merlin left with was Edwin. “Gwen stole another chip. ‘He's hot,’ she said. ‘Tantric yoga, you said?’” He’s also 30, sis.

I don’t know why Freddie Prinze Jr. is at the end of the gif but it still makes my point.

Gwen leaves to do her nightline thing with Lance. Merlin texts her and is all, “trust me. He’s into you! Ask him out!” and Gwen ignores him. Well, he tried.

Merlin is asleep later that night when Arthur stumbles in, drunk, with Kay and Leon. “’Didn't ask your opinion, Emrys,’ said Kay, without looking at him. ‘Arthur, you can come back to ours, you know, mate. Could bunk with me, if you don't want to stay in here. Not good being drunk around the chav.’” Yup. Because since Merlin is gay, he is a rapist! Better lock up all the menfolk! God I fucking hate Kay so much. And I hate that no one ever puts him in his place and the fact that Arthur and Co continue to hang out with him makes me super suspicious that they secretly agree with Kay’s homophobic views and they feel the same way about Merlin. They can all die in a fire with Merlin cackling gleefully over their burning corpses for all I care.

Kay leaves, praise Jesus, and Merlin starts lecturing Arthur about getting drunk on a Monday night. “’What on earth were you thinking?’ he added, as he fiddled with the tap. ‘It's really not like you to get pissed on a Monday night. You should have been out flying at Leuchars, for God's sakes, not getting hammered! Didn't your liver get enough punishment last night, you lunatic? I mean, God, I don't think I'll be touching alcohol for at least a month, after yesterday – and you're already off on a bender! You're mental, Arthur Pendragon. Must be all that inbreeding.’”

That’s all.

Arthur asks Merlin if he was off sleeping with Edwin that night and Merlin continues on this amazing Brutal Honesty Hour roll: “’Sorry?’ ‘Edwin. I don't like him.’ ‘You've not even met him,’ said Merlin, feeling exasperated and knackered and faintly unhappy. ‘Don't need to.’ ‘What's that supposed to mean?’ Arthur said nothing. Merlin punched his pillow in frustration. ‘Well, luckily you're not my dad, or my boyfriend, or the boss of me, so it doesn't matter whether or not Edwin has your Royal Seal of Approval. Maybe I don't like the redhead you spent the night snogging. So what? Go to sleep, you ass.’” Arthur tells Merlin the night would have been better with Merlin there, “Then bloody well invite me along next time, you git! Honestly, you have no social skills whatsoever, do you? It's not my fault if Kay's crap company. Apparently Kay was who you wanted to hang out with, so you can just suck it up if he's who you ended up stuck with.” Damn fucking straight. YES, MERLIN!!!!

The next day, Merlin has a heartfelt discussion with Gawain that really does sort of tug on the old heartstrings. Merlin tells Gawain that he thinks Gawain was talking about Arthur with the whole, “be careful,” thing. “’Because I think you know something I don't.’ Merlin's eyes narrowed. ‘You've known him since you were little kids, haven't you? You know him better than just about anyone. Don't you want to hear my theory?’ ‘Not particularly.’ ‘I think he likes blokes. I think he likes me.’” Gawain is all, “well duh he likes you! You’re his bestie!” “Oh come on, Gawain! Please, just throw me a sodding bone here! I don't want to hurt him, or mess things up for him – I'm just trying to make sense of all this, because it's killing me, and I think I've understood it now. He does like me back, doesn't he? It's not just me?” That’s pretty damn sad. Gawain pretty much admits it and tells Merlin tough luck because Arthur is going to be king someday so he doesn’t have a choice but to marry a woman and meet certain expectations. Then for some reason Merlin acts like this is brand new information. Merlin says he feels dumb for needing Gawain to explain that and I agree.

“Merlin blinked. ‘I'm sort of seeing someone anyway,’ he said, after a moment. ‘Sort of.’ ‘Well then.’ ‘He's a PostGrad. A medic. He's researching HIV virus particle production. And he's very bendy.’” HE IS ALSO THIRTY. I’m never going to stop bringing that up.

Pictured: Merlin caring for his ancient boyfriend.

Chapter 19

The boys are hanging out when they spot Lady Viva, who is probably a play on Lady Gaga. Kay makes some gross remarks, Merlin tells him so, and for once someone else, Gawain, agrees. Progress!

Later, Lady Viva shows up at Merlin’s dorm. Which is super weird to me because famous people don’t tend to randomly show up at universities to hang out and meet new people. Also, why is she easily able to find out where Arthur lives? What kind of crap security? Anyways, this makes Merlin uncomfortable and he asks if Arthur is expecting her. Which is the right fucking thing to say, “Lady Viva cocked her head to one side, making the feathers jiggle, and the look she gave Merlin made him feel about two inches tall. ‘I'm here to see Arthur,’ she said again, her voice rising dangerously. ‘Not his monkey.’” Damn, what a bitch. I would have closed the door in her face.

Arthur, for once, decides that Merlin doesn’t deserve to be treated like shit, and goes to the door, pretending he has no idea who Lady Viva is. Lady Viva continues to be rude and entitled. Arthur is having none of it and shuts the door in her face. Good job, Arthur.

Sometime later, Arthur comes home, clearly under a spell because he’s all the sudden got the hots for Lady Viva. Merlin knocks Arthur out and calls Morgana, who starts freaking out because they really need to narrow down what Lady Viva did to Arthur. Morgana wonders how Merlin let this happen, “Oh, I don't know – maybe that he already has a host of paid bodyguards, and the protection of the dragon, and somehow he's managed to reach the age of eighteen without me holding his hand 24/7?” You mean the MacUseless the Dragon because, you’re barking up the wrong tree if you expect him to do anything, Merlin.

Merlin calls Edwin and Gaius in for help and while Edwin and Merlin makeout, presumably over Arthur’s unconscious body, Gaius gets help to figure out how to break the spell. “’It would be, but for the fact that it doesn't actually address our main problem. Because this particular working can only be undone one way.’ There was an embarrassed pause. ‘True love's kiss.’” Get ready for a whole lot of awkward and yikes, headed our way, gang.

There’s some subtle slut shaming from Gaius, “Please tell me that despite reports to the contrary he has acquired a secret girlfriend over the past few months? Not just a casual fling, but something heartfelt and enduring? Something with the power to undo this spell? Tell me that there is some young lady somewhere up there who can help us fix this? Because however ineligible she might be, I very much doubt that it can hold a candle to posing for Playboy wearing nothing but a hat made of telephones and a tiny rectangle of crime scene tape stuck to her nether regions, which I understand is the image for which this Lady Viva is best known.”

Mmmm that gif of Colin.

Where were we? Oh yea.

Merlin hangs up with Gaius and fills Edwin in. Edwin picks up on Merlin’s crush in like two seconds.

Merlin runs over to Gwen’s and freaks out, causing her to freak, out and asks her to come with him. She does because she’s understandably worried about Merlin. They get back to the dorm and Gwen sees Arthur, “’Oh my God – did he take some kind of drugs? Because if you're scared, you need to forget about getting in trouble and we need to get him to a doctor now, and worry about trouble later,’ she said, looking suddenly frightened. ‘Is he – oh, God, is he dead?’” Now it might be because it’s 3 in the morning but, “is he- oh, God is he dead?” is making me laugh really hard.

Merlin asks Gwen to kiss Arthur, “’I thought it was Lance you were trying to fix me up with,’ she said, witheringly, planting her hands on her hips. ‘What on earth are you doing? This is creepy. You are both creeping me out, and I do not have to stand for this kind of nonsense.’” I don’t blame her. This situation is really fucking weird from her perspective. She kisses Arthur and then decides to leave because who wouldn’t after that? “’And you're a freak,’ she said, stiffly. ‘I'm going home.’ She marched over to the door and opened it, looking back over her shoulder at Merlin with an expression of baffled frustration. ‘I don't think I even want to know what the hell this was supposed to prove, other than that you are strange and tactless.’” Lol, good one, Gwen.

After Gwen leaves, Merlin realizes that the kiss didn’t work. Oh no! Edwin tells Merlin to kiss Arthur. Merlin does and it’s all very hot and heavy when Arthur starts kissing him back. “’Oh, God, I do love you,’ he said, helplessly, looking at Arthur's tousled hair and his flushed cheeks. ‘I really really do.’” Poor Merlin; this is all going to come crashing down on him soon, but hey, he’s Arthur’s true love. So, there’s that.

The kiss obviously works and then Merlin does about the saddest and meanest thing ever, “’That's good,’ Merlin said, feeling his throat closing up. ‘Just checking.’ And then his eyes went suddenly molten, and he whispered a word against Arthur's skin, and Arthur's face went slack with sleep, and he slumped bonelessly into Merlin's arms. Merlin let himself have a moment just to hold Arthur tightly, squeezing him as if just by doing that he could make everything else stop mattering, and make this much-vaunted 'true love' actually count for something in the real world. He whispered another word, and with that he sponged the memory of the past five minutes out of Arthur's mind.” Taking Arthur’s memory like that was a really bad idea, though I can understand why he did it.

True story: I typed “true love” in the Tumblr gif finder thingy and that above gif popped up. I was looking for the Rumple from OuaT gif of him saying “True love” but I’m going with this one instead.

Edwin is surprisingly nice about the whole thing. EVEN THOUGH HE IS THIRTY.

Chapter 20

This chapter opens with Merlin running into Gwen. Oh man, I hope he comes up with a good explanation. Gwen turns around and goes the other way. Merlin starts chasing her. Like she is literally running away from him and he is chasing her. She lets him catch up to her, “’I don't think I even want to know,’ she said, after a moment. ‘I just – I don't know what games they've got you playing, Merlin, but I thought you were better than that. I mean, nothing would surprise me from Kay, but you? I don't appreciate being used for a joke, or a bet, or whatever that was supposed to be.’ She looked away, her mouth tight. ‘You made me feel – cheap. And stupid. And left out. Don't do it again.’” Poor Gwen. I don’t blame her for feeling that way at all. Being compared to Kay though? Yikes, worst insult ever.

Merlin decides to go for the truth, “’Okay, well – you mustn't tell anyone this, okay? Because it's sort of, well, huge, and I realise it's going to sound a bit weird at first, but it's true. Um. I'm sort of, well, I'm a wizard, basically.’ He swallowed. ‘And what you did yesterday was helping me to break a spell that someone had cast on Arthur. It was really important.’” She doesn’t believe him and I probably wouldn’t either.

Merlin proves it to her by time travelling them to the 1500s which is pretty cool. Merlin then tells Gwen that Morgana is a wizard too, which is a terrible idea but he realizes that as soon as he says it and tells her not to ask him about anyone else. Gwen tells Merlin that his secret is safe with her and thanks him for trusting her, which is really sweet. Aw.

Later, “’I can't believe you turned her down!’ said Kay, staring at Arthur like he had two heads. ‘I mean, for God's sake – are you a man or a mouse?’” Neither, Kay. Just gay. Kay continues on his gross misogynistic rants and I’m getting so tired of them. It’s gotten old. Like 19 chapters ago, so I’m just kind of skimming this section for my sanity.

We learn that Arthur was tricked into the spell by accepting candy from Lady Viva’s manager.

That’s it for this post. I’m still not clear as to why this whole thing is called Raisin Weekend when it takes place on half of Sunday and Monday morning. Dressing Merlin up as a woman still makes me roll my eyes. I’m never going to get over Edwin being thirty because that shit is so fucking gross; Merlin is 18. He’s practically a child and Edwin is a grown ass man.

I pretty much said all I needed to say about the scene with Morgana and Blanche feeling up Merlin but I think it bears repeating that that shit was not ok. It’s especially frustrating that the scene is portrayed as a comical scene even though Merlin is clearly upset. That’s one of my major issues with the characterization of Kay as well. He says all these gross things; I think that literally almost everything that has come out of his mouth has been disgusting and yet no one ever really says anything to him. Merlin stood up to him a couple of times in chapter 20 and I think Arthur told him to stop like once. It gives off the feeling that what Kay says is acceptable. It’s not. Nothing he says has been ok. You can have a douchebag character in your writing, I’m not necessarily criticizing the inclusion of Kay’s characterization; however, you can portray these things without making them viewed as acceptable or normal behavior. It’s frustrating to read him say these horrible things over and over and over and over and over and over without anything happening. That’s why I pretty much skimmed the majority of chapter 20. Something important to the plot might have happened that I totally missed but I don’t care. You can only beat us over the head with this horrible person and give us the exact same scene with them spouting nonsense so many times before the reader loses interest. Kay is a piece of shit. We get it.

I liked how Gawain was such a good friend to Merlin during this group of chapters. I hope their friendship continues to develop. I also felt bad for Gwen during the whole kissing fiasco and I’m glad Merlin came clean instead of just making up an obvious lie and losing Gwen as his friend forever. Also, how sad was it that Merlin got to finally be honest with Arthur about his feelings and Arthur was honest about his and Merlin made the decision to erase Arthur’s memory? I’m not condoning that decision, which ultimately backfires, because you should never erase someone’s memory without their permission. It’s gross.

Until next time:

#merlin #bbc merlin #merlin fic #review #The Student Prince #Raisin Weekend #But it's really Raisin Half of the Weekend #Group of fake Arthurs #Kay is Trash #Arthur is Trash #Almost everyone is Trash #Yay Gawain and Merlin developing besties #EDWIN IS THIRTY???#Fuck No #Sexy Colin Morgan Gif #sorry not sorry

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