#just remember that merlin in the legends is way more darker

[emrys-merlin]

Merlin's S5 character development was natural and reasonable in face of the circumstances that surrounded him. The idea of a darker Merlin who slowly becomes more isolated and crumbles under the weight of destiny is awesome and sad at the same time. His character development is great, actually. And well written.

Merlin was exhausted from years of living a double life, burnt out on hope of ever realizing his dream of living freely with his magic in the future, and terrified of possibly being at least partially responsible for Arthur’s impending death. He brooded more and smiled less.

Yet, he still took the time to help Daegal - a complete stranger - when the boy convinced him that his sister needed his help (while knowing evil Gwen is an active threat). He still shared his food with him, and offered him friendship and kindness, with no thought of reward for himself. He still mourned him when he died, even though the boy’s earlier betrayal had led to grievous injury to Merlin himself.

So, yes, Merlin became darker, but that seemed more due to desperation and depression than anything else.

And that’s why i love this scene so much

We're reminded of how pure of heart he really is, how much joy he draws from the simple beauty of magic. This is the most beautiful moment of the show ❤

[oswinsdolma]

bbc merlin is a tragedy. it's not a new take by any stretch, but a lot of analysis (mine included) often seems to gloss over what i think is one of the most interesting roles in tragedy. we have the tragic hero, and the fucked up symbiosis of merlin and arthur in that role. we have the battle of fate against free will, humanity against god, all that good shit. but we never really discuss the role of the audience, and the part we play in the story.

in ancient greece, tragedies were about learning a lesson, reflecting on the past. you could argue that it wasn't even necessarily about the story and the characters themselves, they were just vehicles to get across something to an audience in a human way, rather than in a torrent of philosophy or law. and because they are stories, we take them and transform them into metaphors that tell us what we need to know. and in a lot of plays, that's the end of it. we see the play and think about what it means, but there is catharsis at the end; the story is over, and we go about our lives, perhaps changed, but apart from the story itself. ultimately, we are helpless to the fate of the characters within story, but we can take control of our own.

but the thing is with merlin, is that we're not helpless. yes, we sit and watch as merlin makes choice after choice that leads him down a darker path. yes, we see the irony in characters' mistakes and can do nothing about it. but the key thing about the story of merlin and arthur is that it isn't over. arthur has not risen, and merlin still waits for him. we cannot bring him from the lake, nor can we ease merlin's pain, but what we can do is remember. and the more you look for it, the clearer our role becomes: "a boy who would, in time, father a legend" in 1.01 and "the story we have been a part of will live long in the minds of men" in 5.13. yet i think the point that really hammers this home isn't one of the obvious ones, but what merlin says to arthur in the disiir episode: "as if the world were so much more than itself". because yes, it's about magic but it's also about stories. about transcendence and legend and dreams, metaphysical and half fabricated and a shared collective that is so much more than the original story on its own. we, those who live after arthur died, take his name and we make it into a thousand more things: a king, a traitor, a christ figure, the best of our humanity. he, and the others in the story, become metaphors for us in the same way the ancient poets crafted their tragedy, but in merlin, we don't get catharsis: we get perpetuity. because in merlin, the story is never over. in merlin, our role is not to mourn, but to hold vigil. to remember all that was in the hope that what died will rise from the ashes anew.

the beauty of the story of merlin and arthur is not that they were doomed by the narrative, but they get to live. that tragedy can befall the greatest of men, but it is not always the end of the story, not always the absence of hope. and no small part of that is due to us, as the audience, breathing life into the legend by passing it on, by holding the torch as something important to us and learning from it, arthur both a beacon of tragedy and of hope. there are few stories where this lies hand in hand, and besides the obvious two-sided-coin stuff going on, that is because of the refusal to let the story go. i said we make stories into metaphors, and i think this is arthur's: tragedy is inevitable, but not inhuman. and when you can hold on no longer, those who love you will guard you until you are ready to rise again.

[vikingsong]

WIP Wednesday (8/10/22)

A little twist on the legends about Dinas Emrys…

Merlin leaned back against the broad tree. “Do you remember how I ended up at Uther’s court?” he asked. The question sounded casual and unrehearsed, but Arthur recognized the familiar tell: the way Merlin’s index finger worried at a hangnail on his thumb, his hand curled not quite out of Arthur’s line of sight.

Arthur matched his nonchalance with a shrug. “Nope, no flashbacks about that yet. Interesting story?”

Merlin's hand tightened into a fist. “That’s one word for it.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“Maybe.”

That small concession felt like a battlefield victory. Arthur wanted to fist-pump the air. Instead, he nodded, then tucked an arm behind his head and gazed up at the unbroken clouds overhead, giving Merlin the space to talk if—hopefully when—he was ready. Arthur was beginning to think Merlin would shut down or change the subject when his childhood friend spoke.

“I had just turned six when Uther made me his court sorcerer,” Merlin said quietly. “Before that, I was at Vortigern’s court for two years. I was…I was only four when I saw my mother for the last time.”

“Only—?” Arthur bit off his exclamation, afraid that any interruption might make Merlin clam up again.

Merlin huffed and dropped his eyes to the mossy ground. “Yeah.” The words shifted darker; the consonants grew sharp around the edges. “Vortigern needed a particular kind of child for a sacrifice—”

Arthur sucked in a sharp breath.

“—but I talked my way out of it,” Merlin added with a half-hearted smile.

*

Merlin hesitated. The memory still cut into him like a finely-sharpened knife; more than a thousand years couldn’t dull the blade. He cleared his throat and tried to hold the memory at arm’s length as he continued, “Vortigern was trying to build a tower—a fortress to keep out the invaders from the east—but the foundations kept crumbling. He consulted the Seers on the Holy Isle.” Merlin glanced at Arthur. “They told him to splatter the blood of a fatherless child on the masonry.”

Arthur’s eyes widened. “Bloody hell.”

“Yeah.” Merlin closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to quell the panic that threatened to engulf him every time—in both lifetimes—that he allowed himself to remember that day. “The Seers knew about me—um, long story��and told him where to find me. Soldiers came for me in Carmarthen and took me up to Eryri. Vortigern got as far as tying me up in front of the crooked cornerstone.”

He remembered the rough rope chafing his tiny wrists and the scrape of the fine grit beneath his fingernails when Vortigern’s men shoved him to the ground. He remembered the thrum of the magic that seeped up into his hands as he cowered in the dust—magic he’d never felt before but recognized nonetheless.

He glanced at Arthur. “Lucky for me, that was when I divined the solution to his problem—a solution that thankfully didn't involve killing me.”

Telling that part of the story was difficult for an entirely different reason. He remembered how relief had flooded through him even as Vortigern had drawn a wicked knife. Fresh tears had streamed down Merlin’s face when he’d realized he wasn’t alone in that terrifying place; his kin were there with him, deep beneath the lopsided fortress.

“I told him how to fix it, and it worked,” he said, glossing over the dragon-kin detail. “He was impressed that a child could solve a puzzle that the best of the Seers on the Isle couldn’t, so he ordered the execution of all of his Seers and gave me their combined posts in his court.”

Merlin’s fingers twitched as he remembered how he’d still had stone grit under his nails when Vortigern’s servants had bundled Merlin into too-large ceremonial robes and a too-heavy embroidered cloak before depositing him at the foot of the king’s dais in a seat of honor. He remembered how his little legs had dangled from the seat of the ornate, rune-carved chair, far too short to reach the cold stone floor. Utterly overwhelmed by emotions he couldn’t name, he’d cried himself to sleep that night—and many nights afterwards.

[jadelotusflower]

July 2021 Roundup

Discussed this month: The Once and Future King, The Good People, The Secret of Kells/Wolfwalkers/Song of the Sea (aka "Irish Folklore" Trilogy), The Matrix Trilogy, the John Wick Trilogy, Space Jam: A New Legacy

Reading

The Once and Future King (T.H. White) - I've actually read this before, but it was a long time ago and I remembered very little of it so it seemed time for a revisit. Written between 1936 and 1942, this is a surprisingly meta retelling of Arthur and Camelot, very obviously and heavily influenced by WWII, with much academic pondering on the concept of humanity and war and ongoing conflict against Might=Right - looking to the past to try and understand the present. Some familiarity with the legends is assumed, White occasionally making reference to Malory, and there is a strange anachronistic feel - Merlin lives time backwards and talks of Hitler and other 20th Century references, White frequently refers to Old England and the way things were "back then", but also calls Arthur's country Gramarye, the narrative taking place an a kind of alternate history/mythology where Uther was the Norman conqueror of 1066, and yet reference is also made to the Plantagenet kings.

Comprising five volumes (the first four published separately at the time, and the final posthumously), it struck me on this read how each of the first four are structured around the childhood of a major player -Arthur (The Sword in the Stone), Gawain and his brothers (The Witch in the Wood), Lancelot (The Ill-Made Knight), and Mordred (The Candle in the Wind), and how their upbringing played a part in the inevitable tragedy of Camelot. In the final volume, The Book of Merlyn, it comes full circle as Arthur on the eve of his death is taken to revisit the animals of his childhood for much philosophising (at one point Merlyn argues at length with a badger about Karl Marx and communism.)

The Sword in the Stone is the most engaging, with young Arthur (known as "the Wart") and his tutelage under Merlin, being turned into various animals like an ant, a goose, and a hawk to learn about each of their societies (political allegories), and meeting with Robin Wood (Hood) and Maid Marian to battle Morgan le Fay, and the climactic pulling of the sword from the stone. This was of course the source material for the Disney film, although missing the wizards duel with Madam Mim (appearing in the original publication, but removed for the revised version).

The Ill-Made Knight is the longest volume and was honestly a slog to get through, because honestly Lancelot is pretty dull/terrible, and the Lancelot/Guenever love affair less than compelling. Ultimately it's Lancelot's hubris that dooms them - he is warned that Mordred intends to catch him out in Guenever's room, but he goes anyway, and doesn't leave when he tells her to, because he is stupid.

It’s no surprise that the female characters are given the short shrift, but there’s an uncomfortable vein of misogyny running through the book. To wit:

Elaine had done the ungraceful thing as usual. Guenever, in similar circumstances, would have been sure to grow pale and interesting - but Elaine had only grown plump.

And then later:

Guenever had overdressed for the occasion. She had put on makeup which she did not need, and put it on badly. She was forty-two.

Morgause (the eponymous witch in the wood/queen of air and darkness) is a negligent mother whose sole motivation is revenge, Elaine rapes Lancelot by deception, Guenever is hypocritical and shrill (but achieves a sliver of nuance in Candle), Nimueh is a nonentity, and Morgan le Fey is a monstrous fairy. If only White had turned his academic pondering inward and in order to examine the role of women in his worldview other than as damsels or instigators.

But Arthur also gets the short shrift - after all the focus in his childhood, he becomes almost a peripheral figure in the rest of the story until the very end, and we're not actually given much to show why he is the once and future king, other than that he tries to institute a slightly less brutal system.

Ultimately, White is more interested in philosophy than character, and so Camelot's inevitable tragedy feels more clinical than visceral.

The Good People (Hannah Kent) - If the Irish Folklore Trilogy (discussed below) is the beauty and wonder of Irish myths and legends interacting with the human world, this book is the cold danger of superstition and the devastating affect of folklore used as an explanation for life's ills. Set in 1820's rural Ireland, Nora is widowed and left with the care of her young disabled grandson Michael, believed to be a changeling. The local wise woman Nance, who feels the touch of "the good people" sets about to drive out the fairy from the child, believing that the "real" Michael will return, much to the growing dread of Mary, the teenage girl Nora has hired to care for him.

Here fairies are seen as a malevolent force, "sweeping" away women and children, causing bad harvests, and bringing death to the village - to be respected and feared. And then there's Nance, bartering traditional cures for ailments and troubles - some work, some do not, and some pose great danger. On the other hand, this is a remote village where a doctor must be fetched from Killarney, and only one priest who is less than charitable. Neither provide any help or support to Nora.

SPOILERS It's an upsetting read dealing with dark subject matter - grief trauma, child abuse and accidental infanticide, a kind of slow burn horror. If it takes a village to to raise a child, it also takes one to kill a child, as mounting fear and superstition moves through the population like a contagion, heightening Nora's desperation for the "return" of her grandson, and Nance's to prove her knowledge. It's an impeccably researched novel (based in part on a true event) but very unsettling - poor Michael is never really given humanity, and I feel this book would be hugely triggering in its depiction of disability and neurodivergence.

Watching

The Secret of Kells/Song of the Sea/Wolfwalkers (dir. Tom Moore) - I've been meaning to watch these films for absolutely ages, and I finally got to them this month. I’m pleased to say that the many people who recommended them to me were absolutely correct, because they appear to have been made to specifically cater to my interests. Some mild spoilers ahead.

I watched these in internal chronological order as suggested by @ravenya003, starting with The Secret of Kells, set in 9th Century Ireland where the young monk Brendan helps illuminate the to-be famous manuscript and befriends a forest sprite Aisling, under the threat of a Viking raid. Next was Wolfwalkers, jumping forward to 1650 Kilkenny where the English girl Robyn, daughter of a hunter, is drawn into the world of the forest and Mebh, who turns into a wolf when she sleeps. And finally we go all the way to 1980's in Song of the Sea for the story of Ben, who must help his younger sister Saoirse (a selkie) find her voice and bring back the faeries who have been turned to stone by the owl witch Macha.

Although the stories are completely separate, they've been described as Moore's "Irish Folklore" trilogy, and it’s easy to read a through line from Kells to Wolfwalkers in particular - both deal with fae of the forest, and Aisling appears as a white wolf at the end of the film (having lost her ability to appear in human form). I like to think that Aisling is in some way the progenitor of the wolfwalkers - after all, Kells and Kilkenny are less than 200 kms apart.

Song of the Sea is distant from the other two in both time and subject matter, dealing with selkies, creatures of the water. In many ways, Kells and Wolfwalkers feels like a duology, with Song more its own thing. On the other hand, an argument could be made for common fae spirit/s in different forms across all three films - Aisling is a white sprite, Robyn takes the form of a white/grey wolf, and Saoirse a white seal.

The strength of these films other than the folklore is the visual style - I really love 2D animation, and while I appreciate the beauty of cg animation, I often find in the latter’s focus on hyper-realism the artistry can be left by the wayside. These films not just aesthetically beautiful, but the art is used to tell the story - from the sharp angles that represent the darker or harmful elements (Crom, Vikings, the Town), to the circles and rings that represent safety and harmony (the Abbey, the forest, Mebh and her mother/the wolves healing circle, the holy well). The exception is probably the home of Macha, the owl witch, where circles are also prominent and represent magic, and this is often the case in folklore (fairy rings, fairy forts, etc).

Kells is the most stylised, resembling tapestries or pages and triptychs from medieval manuscripts, playing with perspective. I actually saw pages from the real Book of Kells years ago in Dublin, and remember them being very beautiful. We only get glimpses of the Book and the stunning Chi Rho page at the very end of the film, but the style of art is present throughout the film and particularly in the forest where Brendan finds inspiration for his illumination, and on the flipside his encounter in the dark with Crom Cruach, represented as a chalk-drawn primordial serpent.

This style is also present in Wolfwalkers, particularly stark in the way the birds-eye grid of the town often looms over Robyn in the background and in her work at the castle. The depiction of the forest has more of a storybook quality however, as does Song, where almost every frame resembles a painting, particularly the sequences of Saoirse's selkie trip through the sea and Ben's fall through the holy well.

Rav points out in her review that there is the ebbing away of myth and magic in each successive film, contrasted with the rise of Christianity/modernity. But there's circles and rings again, because while the ultimate power of the faerie world is fading away, the interaction between our human protagonists and faerie actually increases with each film. In Kells, we have only Aisling and Crom, in Wolkwalkers, we have Mebh and her mother whose ranks grow to include Robyn and her father, and finally in Song we have Saoirse, Bronagh, Macha, the Na Daoine Sídhe, and the Great Seanachaí.

Watching in the order I did, it does give the impression of the mythological world opening up to the viewer, gaining a deeper understanding and exposure as time progressed. On the other hand, that is also because the human world is gradually encroaching on the world of Faerie, from isolated settlements like the Abbey of Kells, to growing town of Kilkenny and the logging of the surrounding forest, to a modern Ireland of motorways and power lines, and industrialised Dublin where the remaining fairies have moved underground. It makes the climax of Song, with the fairies restored but returning to the land of Tír na nÓg, rather bittersweet.

I also credit the strength of the voice acting - the adult roles are minor but with greats including the dulcet tones of Brendan Gleeson and Sean Bean, and the ethereal Maria Doyle Kennedy (who I wish had gotten to do more). But the child roles are all performed so well, particularly Honor Kneafsey as Robyn, whose growing desperation and distress is just heartbreakingly palpable.

The Matrix Trilogy (dir. The Wachowskis) - I usually don't post rewatches in the Roundup, but I really, really love these movies. I will never forget seeing The Matrix at the cinema as a young teen, knowing nothing other than the tease of the enigmatic trailers, and just being completely blown away by it, and then becoming completely obsessed a few years later in the leadup to Reloaded.

It wasn’t my first fandom, but it was probably the first time I took fandom seriously. I was very invested in Neo/Trinity in particular as well as all the mythological/literary references that fed directly into my interests. I haven’t however gone back and read the fic I wrote, for fear that it is very, very cringe. I know where is is though, so maybe one day before the ff.net is purged.

This is Keanu Reeves at his most handsome, and while he doesn't have the greatest range (as many actors don't, although they don't get as much grief for it), when he's in the zone there's no one else who could do it better. He just has a Presence, you know? A vibe, and it compels me.

This is particularly present in Neo, a character whose conflict is almost entirely internal, burdened by the weight of his responsibility and destiny, both before and after he learns it is a false prophesy. He’s not your typical quippy macho action hero, but much like my other fave Luke Skywalker, is a character who is ultimately driven by love and self-sacrifice. I definitely have a Type of male hero I adore, and Neo fits right in there.

I also really love the sequels, flaws and all, because you know what, the Wachowskis had Ideas and they weren't going to deliver Matrix 2: Electric Boogaloo. Each film goes in an unexpected direction, and not in a subverted expectations ha ha silly rabbits way, but one that does have an internal logic and pulls together a cohesive trilogy as a whole, and how often does that happen these days?

The sequels are so…earnest, with none of the cynical cool detachment perhaps some would have preferred - at its core a trilogy exploring philosophy and the nature of prophesy vs choice, determinism vs free will, and the power of love. Maybe it can be hokey, and some of the dialogue a bit overwritten, but I don't care, there's so much I still enjoy even having seen the trilogy many times over the years.

Not to mention the great female characters - while I'm not sure any of the three strictly passes the Bechdel Test, we have Trinity and Niobe in particular who I love with all my heart. It does kind of annoy me that the Trinity Syndrome is so named, because it only applies in the most reductive reading possible, and Trinity expresses agency (and badassery) every step of the way, saving Neo just as much as he saves her. I mean..."dodge this"/"in five minutes I'll tear that whole goddamn building down"/"believe it"? Niobe piloting the Hammer through the mechanical line in Revolutions? Iconic. There are criticisms that can be made, sure, but the trilogy ultimately loves, respects, and appreciates its female characters (and important to note that the avatars of The System, the Architect and the Agents, are all white men).

Then we have the Oracle, who ultimately holds the most power and is the victor of the human/machine war. There's so much going on with the Oracle I could talk about it all day. It's that fate vs free will question again (“if you already know, how can I make a choice?”), but with the wrinkle of manipulation (“would you still have broken it if I hadn’t said anything?”). Choice is the foundation the Matrix is built on, the unconscious choice for humans to accept the system or reject it - the Architect can't control that, he can only manage it, and the Oracle can't force Neo onto the path she has set out for him, only predict the choices he will make based on her study of the human psyche ("did you always know?"/"No...but I believed"). But she plays with the concept of fate in a complicated web of prophesies for outcome she wants and trusting the nature of Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo to bring it about.

And then there's the visual storytelling - there is so much meaning in almost every frame and line of dialogue. The mirroring and ring cycles not only in the constant presence of reflective surfaces and central metaphor of the Matrix as a simulacrum, but the androgyny of Neo and Trinity, bringing each other back from the dead in successive films (and ultimately both ultimately dying in the third), Neo and Morpheus’ first and last meetings, Smith who is ultimately Neo’s dark mirror, the Oracle/the Architect, just to name a few. I just…really really love these movies? Maybe I’ll do a full post rewatch sometime.

I am however reserving judgement on the Matrix 4 - already there are a few things making me uneasy. Lana is the sole director for this one (Lilly is not involved), and Laurence Fishburne apparently wasn't even asked back, even though Morpheus actually survives the trilogy (as opposed to Neo and Trinity). But I’m interested, and don’t want to go in with any expectations, but rather ready to be surprised again like I was when I watched the first film (and hope I can stay away from spoilers).

John Wick Trilogy (dir. Chad Stahelski) - It was a trilogy kind of month! This genre is generally not my thing, as I don’t have a high tolerance for graphic violence and pure action bores me after a while, but I was in a Keanu kind of mood and I'm always hearing people go on about John Wick so I wanted to know what (if anything) I was missing. While still a bit too violent for my tastes, if nothing else I could appreciate the dance-like fight choreography, even if the worldbuulding is absolutely ridiculous - I mean, literally thousands of assassins across the world chilling in sanctuary hotels, supported by a vast network of weapon suppliers, tailors, surgeons, spy networks, etc? It’s silly, but hey, I was happy to go along with it.

What I do appreciate about Keanu Reeves, and this seems to be a common thread, is that even when in action hero mode (Matrix, Point Break, John Wick, and to a lesser extent Speed), he consistently plays a man who is completely in love with his partner/wife - like, completely, unapologetically devoted to them, and I think that is a big part of the appeal - it's that Keanu energy that is often the antithesis of toxic masculinity, even when in roles that would ordinarily rely on those tropes.

Wick is in many ways the spiritual successor to Neo - insular, taciturn, and even as he's dispatching death with clinical precision. Much like Neo, Wick is a character who is somehow Soft (tm) despite all the violence. I once listened to a podcast where they amusingly discussed the Reeves oeuvre as simulations of Neo still trapped in the Matrix, and it’s very easy to make the case here and imagine John Wick as Neo plugged back in after Revolutions, mourning Trinity and set on mission after mission to keep his mind active (and it would certainly explain why the guy hasn’t dropped dead after being stabbed, beaten up, strangled, hit by a car, shot, and falling off a building). It’s a fun little theory.

Stahelski was Reeves' stunt double and a stunt coordinator on The Matrix and there's plenty of homages in the visual style and reuniting Reeves with costars Laurence Fishburne and Randall Duk Kim (who played the Keymaker).

I did also find it amusing that Wick is also often referred to as babayaga (equated in the film to the bogeyman). Well, Wick is in many ways a witch who lives in the woods, just wanting to be left alone with his dog, and there is a supernatural energy to the character, so...I guess?

Space Jam: A New Legacy (dir. Malcolm D Lee) - I took my niece to see this at the cinema and it was…pretty much what you would expect. I thought it was fine for what it was, even if a bit slow in parts (it takes a looong time for the looneys to show up) and I wonder if they have the same cultural pull they had in the nineties (the age of Tweety Bird supremacy). But the kids seemed into it (my niece liked porky pig) and that's what counts I guess.

This time, the toon battle royale takes place on the WB servers, where evil A.I. Don Cheadle (having the time of his life chewing the cg scenery) wants to capture Lebron James for...reasons, idk. James and Bugs have to find the rest of the looneys scattered across the server-verse, a chance for WB to desperately remind people that they too, have media properties and a multiverse including DC comics world, Harry Potter world, Matrix world, Mad Max world, Casablanca world etc. Some of it feels very dated - there is I kid you not an Austin Powers reference, although it did make me smile that Trinity was on James’ list of most wanted players (skill: agility).

Unfortunately, nothing it really done with this multiverse concept except “hey, remember this movie? Now with looneys” six times, and the crowd for the game populated by WB denizens including the Iron Giant, Pennywise, the monkeys from the Wizard of Oz, Scooby Doo and the gang, etc. But still, it's fun, and hardly the tarnishing of a legacy or whatever nonsense is driving youtube clicks these days.

Writing

The Lady of the Lake - 2335 words.

Against the Dying of the Light - 2927 words, Chapter 13 posted.

Total: 5272 this month, 38,488 this year.

[brighter-side-of-the-coin]

Merlin Fic Rec - Halloween Masterlist

In the spirit of the spooky season, here is a (monstrous) list of fics that cover a range of Halloween-themed tropes!

Many of these fics explore darker themes, so please remember to read the tags/archive warnings - stay safe folks!

🎃Horror/Thriller🎃

The Devil's Table by kriadydragon (28k)

Arthur and Gwaine rescue Merlin from the clutches of slave traders only to find themselves trapped in a strange castle whose residents have up and vanished. There's something in the castle that's after them, and to make matters worse, Merlin is already injured and can't use his magic.

The Tomb by kriadydragon (17k)

There's a reason they say the Valley is cursed.

The Wild Hunt by aa_fic

Every year on Samhain, the Wild Hunt terrorises the small Welsh town of Camford. A year after his own father is killed by the Hunt, Arthur is asked to lead a party against it. Merlin Emrys, the ailing recluse who alone escaped the Hunt in the past, may hold the key to Arthur's success in defeating it—or he may be the leader of the Wild Hunt himself. Mystery/suspense, supernatural, Samhain/Halloween, dark romance.

A Dark and Storming Knight by tehfanglyfish (4.9k)

After their horses run off in a torrential downpour, Arthur and Merlin are forced to take shelter in a cold and creepy abandoned house. To make matters worse, Arthur keeps wishing that a sorcerer would show up to light the fire.

The Monster in the Mirror by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle (7.5k)

A strange mirror has made its way into Camelot. With claims of it being enchanted, Arthur is determined to lock it away as soon as possible. However, while knights and lords and servants have all seemed to be shocked and terrified by whatever visions the mirror presented…Merlin doesn’t seem to notice. 

Until he does.

In the Deep, Dark Woods by dante_s_hell  (22k)

Arthur hires a company to provide team building exercises for the employees of Camelot Industries. The urban jungle is more their speed, but they make a go of it, traveling into the woods to bond while communing with Mother Nature. Unfortunately, the trip isn't what they expect and they bond the hard way...by trying to survive.

Tales to Tell in the Dark by mushroomtale, Polomonkey (7.3k)

A Prince stumbles across a beautiful man asleep in a castle...A merman longs for the handsome noble he sees above the waves...One orphan courts another in a town where young men are going missing...Three classic fairytales, given a horror twist.

The House by silence_since_silence (1k)

Merlin is a real estate agent. Arthur buys the two bedroom, one bath, one-level house with the streetlight right out front and just across the road and with the giant rosemary bush that has grown up around the front window like ivy.

🎃Ghosts🎃

Gibraltar May Tumble by shes_gone (24k)

Merlin's life in London is a bit of a mess: his career is trapped somewhere between student and professional, his love life is trapped in a relationship gone sour, and most days he feels physically trapped in the tiny, shared flat he can't afford to move out of—until an unexpected opportunity sends him packing for the coast. There, he meets someone who might be in a even worse fix than he is: Arthur, a Victorian-era sea captain who's trapped, a bit literally, between life and death, and who refuses to leave the house he died in over a hundred years ago.

Lament for the Lost by Clea2011 (21k)

Arthur inherits a crumbling mansion and sets out to restore it to its former glory. But Merlin has been held by a far darker inheritance all his life, and its grip on him tightens when he arrives at Camelot House to work for Arthur.

Resurgam by La_Temperanza (16k)

Merlin can see dead people™, and Arthur's just indirectly invited the entire spirit world. To think, people said this party was going to be boring.

The Ghost of Le Fay House by rotrude (28k)

Lieutenant Arthur Pendragon is wounded in action during the battle of Narvik. Rescued, he's sent to recover in requisitioned manor turned military hospital Le Fay House. His doctor, Merlin Emrys, is new at the job but quite hopeful of doing well... until strange happenings start to plague them both.

The Apartment and Everything That Comes With It by Pendragons Dragonlord (PseudoAuthor) (6k)

The apartment is old. Windows still covered in cobwebs, paint peeling from the walls, the bathroom ceiling covered in mould.

It’s a dump.

It’s perfect.

Apart from the flickering lights.

Nothing Like a Good Ghost Hunt by thecheekydragon (17k)

Merlin and his team are commissioned to investigate the hauntings at the famed Camelot Castle and get more than they bargained for when they find that the paranormal investigation team led by Arthur Pendragon has been commissioned to do the same.

Welcome to Camelot Hotel by schweet_heart (3.9k)

When his Uncle Gaius' old friend needs a favour, Merlin jumps at the chance to rent a flat in the newly refurbished Camelot building at a substantial discount. So what if the previous tenant left in a hurry in the middle of the night? It's not like the place is haunted or anything…

The Washerwoman by schweet_heart (4k)

Her dark eyes held such an aching sorrow that the expression almost stole his breath, and there was something oddly familiar about her, though Merlin was certain he would have remembered if he had seen her before.

Haunted by maarzanna (<1k)

Curious visitors keep turning up at the ruins of Camelot's castle. One of the spirits who haunts the grounds is particularly disgruntled by the disturbances.

Dead And Breakfast by yourrockyspine (4.3k)

After his Mum's demise, Merlin kept her beautifully-maintained B&B up and running.

And though he mostly loves having his mother's ghost nearby, it's some of the other deceased residents that make it exceedingly hard to please his (living) clients.

Flattening by yourrockyspine (2.3k)

A small, fluffy Happy Halloween follow-up to Dead and Breakfast

Arthur takes Merlin to his flat; Morgana's there all ghost-like and obnoxious

The Afterlife by supercalvin (3.1k)

“Hey, what’s your wifi password?” “For the love of God!” Gwen yelled, “Merlin you are dead. You do not need a wifi password.”

🎃Zombies🎃

Land of Ghouls by rotrude (39k)

In a world overrun by flesh-eating ghouls, with the apocalypse as part of his everyday life, smuggler Arthur Pendragon has nothing left to fight for until Finna, the leader of a survivor camp, entrusts him with one life-endangering mission he at first doesn't want to accept: escorting Merlin Emrys, a man who has survived a ghoul bite, to the last medical facility left standing in Great Britain in the hopes he will be key to a cure. Arthur and Merlin start on a quest that could cost them their lives or save mankind.

All the Dead Are Here by Footloose (46k)

There's not much outside Arthur's purview -- eventually, all creatures fall to the Reaper's scythe. It's never personal. It's just his job.

That was true until Arthur ran into the only death he's ever regretted reaping -- Merlin, who is inexplicably alive and well.

But that's not all. There are monsters that exist outside of life and death, and they're spreading like vermin in the city of London. The balance is in jeopardy, and Merlin may be the only one who can help him restore order in the chaos.

It's a Beautiful Night; We're Looking for Something Dumb to Do by flammablehat (<1k)

What's a little political unrest and a lackluster zombie outbreak in the face of True Love, anyway?

World of the Skin Puppets by charmed_seconds (3.5k)

The world was in ruins. Zombies have overtaken Europe and everyone was striving just to live. No matter how callous you get from living in a post-apocalyptic world, one is never ready to face the undead corpse of a loved one.

fixing to die by helloearthlings (3k)

He had put in his blue contacts, covered himself nearly head to toe in cover-up mousse, and still all that Arthur could see in the mirror was decayed yellow eyes and rotting flesh.

Zombies, Run! by supercalvin (1.2k)

It’s the zombie apocalypse. Merlin and Arthur are runners for Camelot Township.

🎃Vampires🎃

Dead of Knight by jsea (43k)

Merlin Emrys, supernatural expert and consultant for the local police, knows that going to the opening night of a vampire bar isn't a good idea, not with anti-vampire sentiments running rampant. So when he draws the eye of the bar's charismatic owner, and the new Master of the City, Arthur Pendragon, he's not exactly pleased.

When a series of murders, seemingly the work of vampires, forces them to work together anyway, Merlin unwittingly finds himself falling in love. Suddenly, the lines between work and love are not as cut and dry as they seem.

Dead Men Tell No Tales by a8csock (ladysockalot) (20k)

As a necromancer Merlin had a duty to the dead, as much as he avoided it. However, Merlin wasn't sure if he was lucky or not to have met a vampire in a cemetery, especially when he was investigating murders perpetrated by a vampire.

A Double Dose of Destiny by Drag0nst0rm (1.6k)

In which Camelot has a vampire problem, and Gwen rather wishes she wasn't the one who was expected to deal with it.

A Warlock's Blood by Lullabylily (8.2k)

People are dying. A vampire is terrorizing Camelot. And this particular vampire has taken an unsavoury interest in Merlin…

Another One Bites the Dust by merlin_the_dragonlord (3.2k)

The vampires have kidnapped Merlin. It's up to Arthur to retrieve his precious watcher.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU with slayer!Arthur and watcher!Merlin

Age Ain't Nothing But a Number by Mad_Maudlin (3.7k)

It was all going so well, and then Arthur found out Merlin's secrets. Both of them.

Vârcolac by rotrude (44k)

1740, Young Queen Maria Theresa of Austria sends Hauptmann Arthur Pendrachen and Leutnant Oberarzt Merlin Emryß to Transylvania, currently belonging to the Austrian Crown, with the task of dissuading the locals from believing in legends and myths that are archaic, provincial and frankly absurd. This is the Century of Philosophers, the Age of Enlightment and the state must spread rationality and scientific thinking all around! In short Pendrachen and Emryß are to drive some sense into those credulous peasants who still believe in the undead, also known as vârcolaci, moroi -- vampires.

It all starts to plan, but their journey journey ends up being fraught with less Enlightment and more peril than they'd wagered for.

🎃Monsters (and others)🎃

Skellington by Pasteles, Succulents (3.9k)

((Skellington/Frankenstein AU)) Arthur's been reincarnated in the 18th century when magic is still something punishable by death. But something's wrong, Merlin is no where to be found upon the once and future kings return. Kilgharrah, who has been bound into a human form, takes it upon himself to bring back the powerful sorcerer. In a twist of destiny, Arthur and Merlin meet before Kilgharrah's work is finished.

Through this Wonderland by inktomi (3.5k)

"No," says Merlin. "No. We are not going to Scotland so you can slay a mythical beast that does not exist."

Bumps in the Night by schweet_heart (<1k)

Arthur's back. Merlin's a vampire. The whole destiny thing is a bit anti-climactic, really.

Monster Mash by supercalvin (2.4k)

The ballroom was filled to the brim. On the ground there were the normal crowd of creatures and then flying around the ceiling were the winged clique. Everyone had a drink in their hand as they socialized (Wine, punch, blood, witch’s brew, and brains were all available at the open bar). 

A Modern Pygmalion by supercalvin (1.9k)

Doctor Arthur Pendragon has been working on his theory of reanimation for seven years and now he is ready to try his theory on human flesh.

Monster by supercalvin (1.4k)

Merlin and Arthur are the best pair of hunters on this side of the Atlantic.

Lake Monster Matchmaking by FandomOlde (<1k)

Kilgharrah, mistaken for a mythical lake monster, plays matchmaker for a reincarnated Merlin and Arthur.

With Smoke and Shadow by staymagical (1.2k)

Ever since he can remember, Arthur has had The Sight, a gift that shows him the aura of the supernatural. It's a pain, mainly.

The Wallfahrt Witch by rotrude (14k)

1630s, Counterreformation AU. A solitary traveller coming to a small Upper Austrian village finds shelter with the organ player of the local pilgrimage church. While religious strife is on the rise, the supernatural victims of its violence watch on as a star-crossed love story blooms.

🎃Halloween Fluff🎃

Of Halloween Socks and Poor Timing by orphan_account (1.6k)

No one knew he was wearing silly Halloween socks under his patent leather shoes.

Halloween Knights by bunnysworld (<1k)

Percy might have misunderstood as what they were going to the party this year. 

Stars directing our fates by Camelittle (4.9k)

In which Merlin finds that his destiny is quite literally written in the stars.

Pumpkin Carving by qvicksilvers (<1k)

The first ever Pumpkin Carving Contest has arrived in Camelot, all thanks to Merlin. Will it become an annual event? Judging by the results, probably not.

Pumpkin patch Mayhem by ForTheLoveOfFangirling (<1k)

Merlin drags Arthur to the pumpkin patch. 

To Light the Fires of Winter by Elizabeth (5.6k)

The Druids' mysterious leader, Emrys, has invited King Arthur to their encampment for Samhain.

Eager to solidify their people's alliance, Arthur agrees.

Halloween night by bunnysworld (<1k)

This wasn't their best idea

Suicidal Glasses and the Halloween Goose by giselleslash (3.3k)

Elena has to work Halloween night and Gwaine is smitten by the fact that she’s the worst bartender ever.

for me it's always you by helloearthlings (2k)

“My mum and I watched horror movies together every October when I was a kid,” Merlin said, unfazed by the look on Arthur’s face. “I like them.”

“I get to choose the movies,” Arthur said, not able to just agree without a fight. Merlin, damn him, looked as cheerful as ever as he leaned down to kiss Arthur again before moving away. Arthur missed him the second he was gone, even though he was just going to the kitchen, and it was somehow the most amazing and annoying thing all at once.

Modern Dracula by TsingaDark (3k)

Arthur didn’t believe in supernatural creatures. Nevertheless, he was about eighty-five percent sure that his neighbour was a vampire.

Halloween Story by every1isgay (3.4k)

Arthur always sees Merlin at Gwaine's parties, and he really likes him, though he hasn't asked him out yet. This Halloween, he hopes he can impress Merlin, but does not expect his reaction to Arthur's gory costume.

Away We'll Go by maarzanna (<1k)

The Halloween party at Pendragon's Co. has gotten a bit out of hand, and Arthur is mortified, that is, until Merlin shows up in a tantalizing costume.

Caldron Bubble by maarzanna (<1k)

Arthur does a terrible job at being a supportive boyfriend, and Merlin’s potion gets ruined. It's all Arthur’s fault.

Toward the Darkness by maarzanna (<1k)

A mischievous demon disturbs the Pendragon household.

Don't Kill Me, Kiss Me by safarialuna (2.3k)

Merlin just wants to have a peaceful Halloween. The last thing he expects is to be face-to-face with a towering man who is about to bash his head in with a shovel at a cemetery.

Haunted House by schweet_heart (<1k)

"Dare you to go inside," Arthur said.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice by supercalvin (2.2k)

Arthur goes to Gaius Cafe before work and sees a fit runner who stops by every morning.

[myupostsheadcanons]

Books “Read” in 2020

Previous entries: 2019, 2018, 2017

I don’t rank these based on actual literary quality, but by how much i enjoyed reading/listening to them. Hopefully with Audible’s new “Premium Included” feature it would cut down on so many Average/Below Average books next year, it’ll give me more of a choice on what kind of books/podcasts i want to listen to rather than given a handful to pick from a month.

The “Top 10″

Forging Hephaestus / Bones of the Past: Villains' Code Series - Drew Hayes has became one of my fav authors over the past couple years, from his Vampire Accountant series, 5-min Sherlock, and his Spells, Swords, and Stealth books. FH is one of the few times he wrote Adult Fiction. This is the second time Drew created a world of super heroes (the YA Superpowereds), thus previous experience in dealing with the nuisances and meta of super meta dynamics. I love the main character, Tori, and especially love many of the side characters (like Ivan) and the comedy is the right tone of dark and not-in-your-face (not quite as well -written as something like The Venture Bros or The Tick, but being adult fiction you can get away with having characters named Johnny Three-Dicks and Captain Bullshit)

Dreadnought / Sovereign - the second super hero series I’ve placed on my top list this year, this one is Young Adult. This one is far more serious and deals heavily in issues like trans and women’s rights, mental abuse, and social acceptance. The main character is full of angst, but that should be a given for a 15 yo with lots of mental baggage and new social pressures. The main character is the main draw, most of the side characters are a bit more one-dimensional.

The Trouble with Peace: Age of Madness, Book 2. It isn’t a “First Law” book if you don’t want to strangle half of the main characters. Many are stepping outside of the shadow of the previous generation and finding themselves falling flat on their faces. If they aren’t at each other’s throats, they would soon have to deal with rebellion in the streets and the constant looming presence of Bayaz, who waits to sweep the board clear and rearrange the pieces the way he sees fit.

Michael J. Sullivan’s: The Riyria and Legend of the First Empire Books.

Riyria Revelations: Theft of Swords / Rise of Empire / Heir of Novron

Riyria Chronicles: The Crown Tower / The Rose and Thorn / The Death of Dulgath

Age of Death / Age of Empyre, Pile of Bones

After finishing the Legend of the First Empire books that came out earlier this year, I went ahead and read the prior series that takes place in the same world. I would suggest reading the entire series by Publish order, but they can be read Chronologically. I read the Legends books first, and it helped me see where Sullivan was heading and when he started to plan out the Legends books in more detail. (The early cameo of the Main characters from Legends in a mural in Heir of Novron, and knowing who is behind the events in Dulgath)

The Dresden Files: Peace Talks / Battle Grounds - They really should be read as one book, because that was how they were written. It is a Feast of Crows / Dances with Dragons situation, where the book got too long and got split up. The fans are pretty divided by the book(s) ending and how some of the main characters are handled, but these are Jim Butcher’s characters not theirs and he can drop bridges on whom ever he wants.

What Lies Beyond: Cycle of Galand, Book 6 - This is a “mythology” book (like Sullivan’s Age of Death was) where it introduces most of the Pantheon of their religion and corrects much of the mythology that had been lost over the decades. They seek a weapon to vanquish the Litch and save their world and the afterlife from oblivion, but not all of their Gods are happy about it.

Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash - Yahtzee (Zero Punctuation!) has to be one of my favorite internet personalities for the past 10+ years, and I eat up every book he puts out and because he wrote the books, and is an actor himself, he could deliver the lines as they are intended to be. The sequel to Will Save the Galaxy for Food does not disappoint and even ups the stakes from the previous book.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon - This has to be one of the most charming books I’ve read. It is magic and wonder at it’s finest, no need for long explanations on how the world works. If you like Ghibli movies, you’ll be interested in this book. It has its dark moments but isn’t outside of what you’ll find in something like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Nausicca.

The Goblin Emperor - the youngest son of the Elf King finds himself emperor after the death of his father and brothers in an assassination. The only problem is, that he is only half-elf... his late mother was a Goblin, and he had been in exile as an embarrassment to the family for most of his life. He knows nothing of how the courts work and what’s left of his own family work against him just for being who he is.

Lost Gods: Brom - I liked this book more than I did American Gods (which I read a few years ago). It is darker and bleaker by the bucket loads. One of the few books with a downer ending that I actually liked. I would compare this book to books like All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men-- but it is a Fantasy!

Above Average.

Siege Tactics (Spells, Swords, & Stealth. Book 4)  - What happens to adventurers after they retire? A fun concept that is explored with our party of NPCs running across a town full of epic-level characters that no longer have a player.

The Arthurian Saga - The Crystal Cave / The Hollow Hills  / The Last Enchantment / The Wicked Day - A more realistic version of the Arthurian tales, taking the POV of Merlin, bastard son of a princess, as he earns notoriety as a scholar and wizard.  The Wicked Day takes the POV of Mordred, making him far more sympathetic than other iterations of his character.

Arc of a Scythe - Scythe / Thunderhead / The Toll - Science and Technology eliminates death and in order to prevent over population and complacency an order of grim reapers are chosen to randomly deal out quotas of permanent deaths. An example of what happens when every need and want is satisfied by a higher force and the apathy that causes rot in human society and the superiority complex of those in charge of life and death.

The Diviners / Lair of Dreams / Before the Devil Breaks You / The King of Crows - Horror during the Roaring 20′s. Tackles issues as Racism, Poverty, Government Secrecy, Christian-Evangelical Cults, Nationalism Cult Mentality, Communism, Labor Unions, Eugenics, Post-WW1 trauma... It could almost pass as an adult fiction book. I wouldn’t recommend giving it to someone under High school age.

Ancillary Justice / Ancillary Sword / Ancillary Mercy - Artificial Intelligence takes over human bodies as a form of capital punishment, controlling ships and space stations. The dominate human empire outgrew the need to label any gender, using “she” to refer to everyone rather than the vaguer “them/they” pronouns, and only outlying colonies stick to the binary ideals. Think of “The Left Hand of Darkness” but on a more broader scale and as the default majority/ruling empire. Toss in a solid military action novel on top and it isn’t nearly as boring as Left Hand.

Children of Time / Children of Ruin - War destroys the human population of Earth and those that remain are the ones that headed out to the stars on tera-forming missions. A virus created to advance life forms to prepare a world for human habitation runs amuck with out its overseers, creating intelligent arachnids, crustaceans, and squid.

The Licanius Trilogy - The Shadow of What Was Lost / An Echo of Things to Come / The Light of all that Falls -  It is very heavy on info overload, there is a lot to keep track of, so much so there is a summary of book one and two at the start of the third. I like the twist at the end of the first book and that the villain is actually trying to help save the world, and you spend most of the second stuck between who thinks they are doing the right thing and who is actually doing the right thing - a lot to talk about doing the lesser of two evils.

Mythos - Steven Fry - A humorous retelling of Greek mythology. I read Mythology - by Edith Hamilton prior to this book, which is a more scholarly take on the myths, and helps if you are unfamiliar with classical mythology prior to reading Fry’s take on it.

Iron, Fire and Ice: The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones - a nice history book about Iron Age royalty. It is actually refreshing to read after going through so much faux fiction that is in Philippa Gregory’s books.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? - Children ask questions to a Mortician about death and what happens to bodies after people die. I listened to her autobiography last year/year before and it is worth picking up this one along with it.

Average, but still good.

Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet Universe: Triumphant (Genesis Fleet, Book 3) / Tarnished Knight: Lost Stars, book 1 - The realistic space battles just drag me back in each and every time.

The Case of the Damaged Detective: 5-Minute Sherlock - Drew Hayes can’t write a boring book. It isn’t quite on point as his other series, but still fun to read. Hayes is really good at making YA books with Adult Protagonists. It is a road-trip book, the main character is a washed-out operative that is getting his second chance playing bodyguard and future assistant to the 5-minute Sherlock.

Locked In / Head On - Do you remember “Surrogates”? that Bruce Willis movie where people walk around in robotic avatars, well... it’s almost the same thing. A virus kills millions, save for a select few that experience “lock in” syndrome and are able to connect to robots via their brains and the internet.  The main character is gender neutral and you get a choice to listen to the book with a male or female reader.

Murder by Other Means: The Dispatcher Book 2 - more John Scalzi! The first book was in my top list a few years ago, and i enjoyed the sequel just as much. Between Scalzi’s The Dispatcher and Locked In series, i like the Dispatcher more.

The Shattered Sea Trilogy: Half a King / Half the World / Half a War - Joe Abercrombie’s attempt to make Young Adult books. It keeps all the grim dark, but lacks all the swearing and humor that made The First Law books more enjoyable. Many of Joe’s favorite character tropes are still present and is one of the better “Fall to Darkness” stories I’ve read. It also has different POV characters each book and is one of those “faux fantasy” settings.

Mage Errant: Books 1, 2 & A Traitor in Skyhold: Book 3 - If you are wanting to get away from Harry Potter, pick up this book series. It takes place in magic school, but it is its own world and setting and not just a hidden world within our own. The main group of kids are misfits among the school, unable to master their powers, that get taken up by the badass librarian to be trained in more unconventional ways.

Dawn of Wonder: The Wakening Book 1 - the main character has ptsd from growing up in an abusive household, and i thought it was handled rather well. He would be rather competent and cleaver most of the time until he gets triggered into an episode, he fights really hard to overcome this short-falling of his. Standard classic affair else wise, family leaves home because the local authority figure doesn’t want them around anymore, goes to big city, kid wants to do good and avenge the deaths he was accused of, joins the badass school of hard knocks...  big powerful evil thing trying to consume the world.

The Rage of Dragons - It shares a lot of tropes and story points with Red Rising... just in a fantasy setting, not in space. If you are wanting fantasy with POC main characters and a non-European-centric culture, that doesn’t pull any punches, give it a shot.

Earthsea - Tehanu and Tales from Earthsea - I had read the first three books several years back, and i did re-read them in order to refresh myself prior to reading the final two.

The Secret Garden - I absolutely loved the movie from the 90′s as a kid, and finally got around to listening to the book.

Six of Crows - A heist book in fantasy world with the magic users being heavily “Jewish / Slavic” coded by how they are treated and persecuted. I might have thought more favorably about the book if i hadn’t read other books with “street rat slum” main characters. (Seriously, after spending six books with Royce in Riyria someone like Kas is just second bananas)

Unconventional Heroes / Two Necromancers - Comedic Fantasy, the humor’s not on par with say MogWorld, and has more jokes than Fred The Vampire Accountant. It is still a parody of villains and heroes in fantasy worlds. I would find it safe for a 12/13yo to read, cursing and all, though they might not be aware of many of the tropes that are being deconstructed. The reader of the book did better in this one then he did with Six of Crows and Beezer, still the audio needed some editing because it repeats itself a few times.

Once More Upon A Time (Free Audio Book)  - I don’t always care to read romance stories. I like the idea behind it however, to trade their love for each other in order to save their partner’s life, then learn to re-love one another again.

Monster Hunter International - If you think Dresden is too liberal, this takes a hard turn to the right.. replace the magic with GUNS, lots and lots of GUNS. An organization that hates the government but hunts monsters for government bounties. The main cast is multi-ethnic and they do make fun of that at one point. There isn’t a lot of thought into the plot, because action is #1, but it is fun enough to ignore the politicking.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Collection - i bitched about there not being an omnibus last year, and then Audible uploaded one. The ending is still one big clusterfuck.

Stephen King’s Insomnia - this book is the bridge between Steven King’s two universes. It is a sequel to IT and brings up the Darktower often. IT dealt mainly with childhood fears, Insomnia deals with Elderly and feminine fears.

D’Arc / Culdesac: War with No Name - I liked D’Arc more than i did Mort-e, and Culdesac is more on track with Mort-e. The virus that mutated the ants and animals reminded me of the virus from Children of Time/Ruin, even though i read Mort-e first, reading D’Arc after CoT let me notice it.

Michael McDowell’s:  The Amulet / The Elementals / Gilded Needles / Blackwater - From the guy that wrote the screenplay of Beetlejuice, and the pioneer of the Southern Gothic Horror. Gilded Needles is a bit out of place, taking place in 1890′s, and is more of a social horror rather than a super natural horror the other books are.

Gardens of the Moon: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1 - high fantasy dark fiction. if you really want some CHONKY door stoppers, there’s over 10 of them in this series. Could’ve done less with the manipulative bastard mage that speaks in 3rd person. I had read The Willful Child, an attempted comedy science fiction novel by the same author, and it showed that the author was unfamiliar with that kind of genera and should stick to grim fantasy.

The Knife’s Edge / Citadel of Fire: The Ronin Saga - This is one of those series that I’m always going “oh, that reminds me of [insert another better series]”  At times it reminded me of The Licanius Trilogy, Shades of Magic, Arc of Scythe, Riyria, Korra... It is just shy of being as good as them, and is rather firmly in that Sci-Fi Fantasy Ghetto and has a bit of “anime” feel to it with their magic users having ‘power levels’ and the power creep. 

In Calabria - My only problem with the book is the massive age-gap between the Main character and his love interest. Outside of that, the whole Unicorns in the modern world concept is done very well.

Pout Neuf (Audible Free Book)  - Journalism and romance during WW2. A quick read and the book really shows that research had been done about the setting and time period.

Nut Jobs: Cracking California's Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist: An Audible Original - Not only does it talk about the heist, it actually touches on the subject of migrant farmers and slave labor, as well as the desertification of the California Valley.

The Science of Sci-Fi: From Warp Speed to Interstellar Travel (Free Audio Book) - a neat little informative podcast if you are looking for an introduction to some of the harder science fiction.

Mythology - by Edith Hamilton - Text book about Greek Mythology. Like “used in schools” text book. It is a good read if you don’t want to go through Ovid, Virgil, Homer, and all the other classical writers on your own.

The Space Race: An Audible Original - America didn’t win the Space Race. Russia did just about everything first. The only thing we did first was put people on the moon. It also goes into detail about how the inventor of the Nazi’s V2 rockets became employed with the US Space program. As well as the government’s announcement to let space travel become privatized.

Pale Blue Dot / Cosmos: A Personal Voyage - It’s Carl Sagan. Come on! Everyone should be reading them. Pale Blue Dot was being turned into an Audiobook in the 90′s but with Sagan’s death, only the first few chapters were read by him and his partner reads the rest of it (she does a decent job, and i understand why they wanted her to read it, it should’ve been done similarly to Cosmos, with guest readers doing each chapter)

Thicker Than Water (Free Audio Book)  - start up pharmaceutical company scams people out of millions with promises of a miracle machine that was ahead of its time. Story told from the whistleblower himself as he recounts what his job was within the company and how he knew the owner/founder of the company and how coming out about what was going on ruined his relationship with his family and friends.

Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - biography on Douglas Adams and the history behind the creative process behind the Hitchhiker’s Guide series.

The Genius of Birds - It reminded me a lot of “The Soul of an Octopus” in quality. It is rather informative about birds, how they behave, and how we judge intelligence in non-human animals.

It’s “ok.”

Les Miserabes - I can see why people favor movies and theater versions because of how dense the book is, getting the cliff notes version of the book instead of reading several chapters about the Battle of Waterloo. 

Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons (Audible Free Book) - It’s cute, and I spent the next several weeks humming that freaking song.

Challenger Deep - A book about mental illness by the same person that brought us The Arc of a Scythe series. It isn’t a bad read, but if you are prone to get panic attacks and have mental illness yourself, you might get too into it and make you uneasy. It can help with neurotypical people with understanding how some illnesses work.

Into the Wilds (Warriors, Book 1)  - Ah, the cat book. It is prob because there are soooo many books in this series that it over-saturates the kids impressionable minds.

House of Teeth (Audible Free Book)  - I read this book prior to Monster Hunter International, and thinking back on this one, i am reminded about the other. Save for this one is PG. So... the kid friendly version.

The Martian Chronicles - Space Horror, on Mars. If you like old science fiction, like Classic Trek, Wells, or Forbidden Planet stuff. There is a lot of zerust.

Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection - The third superhero series I’ve read this past year. It is not as ground breaking nor subversive as Villain’s Code or Dreadnought. The humor is a bit too forced and parts of it falls into “we can be more offensive because it is an adult book” category.

Interview with the Robot - Don’t really care for books or programs that are set up in the “interview” format where it is two people talking to one another. (I have no fucking idea how this book got top Kids book of the year on Audible, it is more of a YA book... it must been because it was Free and lots of people picked it because the rest of the choices that month were complete garbage)

Micromegas - perhaps one of the oldest examples of Speculative Science Fiction. Written by Voltaire, it is about a giant from another solar system that is so big that humans and life on Earth are microscopic. “what value are the lives of ants to a man?”

The Three Musketeers - i had forgotten how much espionage there was in this book. I would say this is a good companion book to Don Quixote, as it takes its fair share of inspiration from and even name-drops the character a couple times. 

Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist / David Copperfield / A Tale of Two Cities - DC is the standout IMO among the three, it is Dickens’ Magnum Opus. Les Mis did a far better job with the Revolution than Tale did as well. I felt rather obligated to reading these books because of the subplot in the Age of Madness books being about Poverty during the Industrial Revolution and Workers Revolts against the Ruling Class.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - the version i listened too made most of the Americans sound like GWB... which is funny because one of them is Canadian, and the Comic Relief character about how boorish Americans are.

Stuck (Free Audio Book) -  it is a neat idea, getting jarred free of time but everybody else isn’t and doesn’t remember. It gets a little heavy for a kids book near the end, edging into YA territory as the character gets older mentally and the people around him age physically.

Phreaks (Free Audio Book) - i knew a lot about Captain Crunch and other phone hackers of the 60′s. There is a subplot of the big radioactive corporation covering up causing cancer to their workers, and the father (voiced by Christian Slater) being in the closet but still homophobic about it.

Silverswift (Free Audio Book) - If you like fairy tales set in modern times, it is worth a look. It is similar to In Calabira in that way. The mom being the nonbeliever and thinking grandma is off her rocker, but the granddaughter knows it in her bones that grandma is telling the truth.

Sleeping Giants - alien mechs from the distant past, once mistaken as the titans and gods form mythology, now being studied and experimented on by the government. This is another “interview style” story telling.

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes - there is a lot of names and stories, it is worth prob getting a physical copy of the book to keep things straight and to use as a reference.

How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps - A love letter to The Legend of Zelda’s Ocarina of Time and other RPG games.

Casino Royal: James Bond - the movie was rather faithful, including the part of being tied to a chair. I do wish they kept more of the book’s ending where Bond was ready to retire prior to his secret-spy love interest gets killed.

Aliens: Bug Hunt - a compilation of Alien stores about people landing on various planets and encountering aliens, not always the Xenomorphs we know, but the term “Bug” came synonymous to any dangerous alien lifeforms encountered.

Macbeth: A Novel - retelling the story of Macbeth but in a novel form. If you can’t get past the language of the original play, this would help. It sets it more firmly in historical fiction.

Hannibal: A Novel -  I went ahead and re watched the tv show after finishing the book. I’ve seen the movie a dozen times, and i understand why they changed the ending to the movie. The book is the main one that characterizes Hannibal and the show uses a lot of the plot. Hannibal Rising wasn’t really needed because Hannibal (in this book) does think/talk about what happened to his sister and home, and i can see why Harris didn’t want to write that book either. The audiobook is rather poor quality, they talked too fast in places and i don’t really care for their acting...

The Power of Six - I read I am Number 4 several years back and this one popped up on sale so i nabbed it. I like Neil Kaplan, and i think this one is better than the first one and actually gets into the meat of the story.

Cut and Run: A Light-Hearted Dark Comedy - body parts harvesting.... mmmm.

Calypso - non-Fiction, biography of the author. Talks about his family, his life with his partner, and what he does. Much of it is charming and it is read by the author. this was prior to him loosing his marbles about retail workers and becoming a karen.

Our Harlem: Seven Days of Cooking, Music and Soul at the Red Rooster - the history of Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance. I didn’t mind this podcast so much because i was reading The Diviners during the same time.

Malcolm and Me - another biographical book. one of the free books i got during Feb’ Black History Month.

History of Bourbon (Free Audio Book) - Informative about the liqueur industry in America.

Junkyard Cats: Shining Smith Book 1 - post apocalyptic action science fiction novel. the moment that guy showed up i was “that’s your bf.” and it was so... the plot wasn’t hard to figure out, it’s all about the action and setting.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - One of the better Heinlein books. The man can’t write romance and he is rather big on casual polygamy and open marriages. An anarchist-revolution book written by someone that is more on the Libertarian side of the aisle. Mycroft (the computer) comes off as rather antiquated, an AI that runs on a closed server, communicating through the telephone lines and printed paper, makes me wonder what Heinlein would’ve done if he was told about the internet and Deep Fake tech. (the book takes place in like 2075, but written in 1966)

Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World - the production of coffee and it’s prevalence around the world.

The Life and Times of Prince Albert - Exactly what it says on the can. *rimshot*

The Real Sherlock: An Audible Original - a biography of Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Design of Everyday Things - using psychology to improve the design of systems, products, and the modern business model.  It gives proper terminology for several common design features and how to improve on existing structures.

Bottom of the Barrel.

The Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity. I was hoping there would have been something in there about European Religions, there isn’t, and the book was mostly Greek and Roman life styles and how gods are worshiped. It let me know where the word “auger” came from and why it was used in the Licanius Trilogy.

Life Ever After - disjointed at best. a couple that aren’t good for each other spend the next several hundred years in a crappy relationship.

Beyond Strange Lands: An Audible Original - The audio was complete crap on half of the voices. Which is bad because this could’ve been better. It is a Pod Cast Show and the director couldn’t make sure everybody had decent recording equipment and the sound effects often drown out the actors.

Henrietta & Eleanor: A Retelling of Jekyll and Hyde: An Audible Original Drama - They were going for a modern telling, but the language used is archaic. They speak like Dickens characters even though they talk about cellphones and computers.

A Crazy Inheritance: The Ghostsitter book 1 - The concept is there, but it is too nerfed. It was made for the 8-12yo crowd in mind by people that don’t know how to write for children.

Tell Me Lies (Free Audio Book) - It really wants to be smart. Who’s playing who and who is the actual villain of this story? If you want a quick “who done it?” maybe look into it.

Evil Eye (Free on Audible Plus) - told through phone calls between a mother and daughter. The whole genera of evil boyfriends/husbands isn’t really my cup of tea, and the boyfriend’s actor was too fake and the set up to the meat of the story was annoying.

The Half-life of Marie Curie - I didn’t mind learning stuff about Marie Curie... falls squarely in “made for TV lifetime movie” quality though. You should not carry around a vile of uranium where ever you go.

Alone with the Stars - A girl in Florida hears the call for help from Amelia Earhart, but nobody listens to her. Part fiction, part biographical. It would’ve been better as a biography and talking about various conspiracy theories about what happened to her and finding the pieces of the airplane.

Beezer - The son of the Devil learning to become a good person with a found family... however, most of the characters are annoying.

The Year of Magical Thinking (Free Audio Book) - very heavy on the subjects about loss and death.

Complete Garbage.

The Getaway (Free Audio Book) - A man being a POS by stalking and abducting women. It broadcasts just about everything that is going to happen.

Agent 355 (Free Audio Book)  - Do you like “American Mythology?” Like the whole “the founders are the greatest people in the world” kind of vibe? I don’t. I also hate the main character for being one of those “i’m smart, because i read books that women aren’t supposed to” girls when she doesn’t really think for herself at all.

[lucius-a-malfoy]

Full Audition

TW: Death & Abuse

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME | Leah

AGE | 28

PRONOUNS | She/Her

TIMEZONE |  EST

ACTIVITY LEVEL | 6-7 I work full time but I can be around evenings and weekends plus answer messages during the day

TRIGGERS | Suicide

PREVIOUS RP ACCOUNTS | Prior Lucius Account (I do see him a little darker and different in this group though)

ANYTHING ELSE| Trigger warnings for Abuse and Death in the audition, particularly freeform portion

IN CHARACTER

CHARACTER DETAILS | Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, he/him, Pureblood. I would like to use Cody Fern as his FC please

WHAT DREW YOU IN | So the story goes like this: A friend and I were talking about Marauders era RPs and I commented “I just don’t think I could play Lucius.” I then promptly stayed up all night thinking about how I would play him and he just got really under my skin and I realized I in fact could play him. He’s so self righteous and confident, even though he often has no true reason to be other than his family name, and even that confidence is conditional with his father’s voice always chiming in his ear he’s not enough. He’s cool and detached and calculated--he’s the mind behind the madness to me, the expert chess player who isn’t afraid to lose a few pawns to secure the win. 

I think there’s something really interesting to Lucius in your plot though--he’s just lost his father and being thrust into a spot of power and likely leadership. In many ways, I see this leaving Lucius at a bit of a loss. He and his father’s relationship has neer been good, Merlin knows he doesn’t know the first thing about what fatherly love could possibly look like. But he’s always done as his father told him. Always followed Abraxas’s guidance. His father’s alway been the one to point him in the right direction and tell him what to do. Except now he’s not here. And there’s more weight on his shoulders than ever. On top of that, the Mundus Novus is expecting him to step up, to fill his father’s place, to be a leader. It has all the potential for power he’s always wanted. With one twenty tiny little catch. Being a leader in a fledgling rebellion that is ready to step out against not one but two great powers means thinking about other people and, well, that never has been Lucius’s strong suit. 

He’s at a point where he could have everything he’s ever wanted--leadership, power, adoration, glory, the Wizarding World bowing to his feet. But...suddenly...he’s realizing just how much goes into all of that. It’s not that he’s not ready (no...no...of course not, he was totally anticipating his father to just suddenly keel over of Dragon Pox) but it’s a bit overwhelming. Not that he could ever, ever dare let that show to anyone. And the idea of being on the opposite end of Tom Riddle’s wand...well it certainly sounded better when it was just an idea coming out of his father’s mouth. We’re really seeing Lucius at a turning point, seeing just what he has in him and if he had the true ability to lead or if it’s all been a facade all this time.

OCCUPATION AND SOCIAL STATUS | 

Occupation: Improper Use of Magic Department of the Ministry of Magic -- There were only two options for Lucius upon graduation--either become a socialite doing nothing or begin work at the Ministry. And his father would never approve of him being a socialite. So really there was only one option for him upon graduation. The Improper Use of Magic Department was, like most things in his life, a strategic choice. First of course was the practical. Learning how the Ministry pins people for Improper Use means knowing all of the loopholes. It opens up possibilities of knowledge not only for himself, but for the Death Eaters (and now the Mundus Novus). Additionally, when you’re a key figure in organizations like the DE and MN, sometimes you want to find the rule breakers. He’s certainly used his position to scout new recruits for Voldemort’s army and his father was all set to use his new role for just that as well. The second purpose is a bit more on the selfish side--but then aren’t most things with Lucius? He has always been deeply fascinated with dark objects. Hexed daggers, charmed necklaces, portkeys with too much strength to strictly pass Ministry regulations. And what better way to grow his collection than to take them while on the job? A little change of charges here and little switch in evidence found there and look at that, he’s the new owner of a priceless vanishing cabinet. The job serves his purposes just fine--and it’s not like he really needs the money, so what other need is there for a job?

Social Status & Family Name: Everyone in the Wizarding World knows the Malfoy name. Even those outside the UK’s Wizarding World. Calling them a pillar of strength and synonymous with wealth almost does them a disservice. Lucius has always gotten by on his family’s name and reputation and he would have it no other way. They’re not known to be nice, but nice doesn’t get anything done. They’re known for power. They’re known for wealth. They’re known for intelligence. And Lucius will be damned if that ends with him. He can practically hear his father clawing his way out of his coffin at the mere suggestion. In public, the Malfoy name earns you respect and fear or at the very least that people know who you are the second you walk in the room. It’s nothing but wonderful. Behind closed doors? Well...it isn’t just in public that Malfoys are cold and abusive, even to their own. And if it weren’t for the house elves’ extensive healing spells, a young Lucius would have had the bruises to prove that one. Being a Malfoy mean expectation and consequence when you fail to meet those expectations. Yes, Lucius has more on his shoulders now than ever, but even before he walked into the halls of Hogwarts he carried a millenniums long family history he was meant to live up to.

AFFILIATION AND POSITION | 

Death Eaters: Being a Death Eater was never really a choice--sure, he would have chosen it if given the chance, it was after all, everything he had been raised to believe in. But joining the ranks was simply and expectation. His father has known Voldemort long enough that Lucius knows the name Tom Riddle and was among his first disciples. Lucius was raised on all the same ideas of blood purity and blood superiority, raised believing that to be a Death Eater was true glory, that Voldemort was to be a leader to their people that would leave people wondering who Gellert Grindelwald was anyway. Lucius was raised with the ideals early and gained his dark mark at only seventeen, something he bore with pride for years and to an extent still does. But his father spent the last few years whispering in his ear that this wasn’t enough. That this man (because remember, this is just Tom Riddle, a man, a boy, not some monstrous figure too good for a real name) wasn’t one of them, was a half-blood for Merlin’s sake. What would he know about blood purity? 

Mundus Novus: And it was that though that really brought Lucius around to his father’s new idea. There was already a structure in place that said who the best of the best were. There were already twenty-eight families set out to rule over the rest of them. The Malfoys are among them. So why are they serving as soldiers in a war where they ought to be generals? Much the way he was pulled into the Death Eaters early in life, he was an early member of the Mundus, one of the first outside the founding five to enter its ranks, a founding member and bringing his wife with him. He simply doesn’t see why he would settle for being just another wizard in the Death Eater ranks when he could go into legend in the Mundus ranks. He’s already a member of the Twenty Eight. He’s already better than the very mass majority of the Wizarding World. And finally there’s an organization that can see that. 

It is no secret that he’s a member of the Death Eaters and, frankly, it never really has been. Now Mundus has kept a little more tight lipped about their existence at all, but frankly as news of the group’s possible existence, the odds he’ll be tied to it likely won’t take long. He’s not worried about how the Order will react to the news. The so called Dark Lord though...well he is a bit more of a threat.

Within the Death Eaters, Lucius is a Keyholder and a Soldier. Among the Mundus Novus, I see Lucius serving as a Captain and with his father’s passing, all eyes are on him to see just how far he takes the role and how far up the food chain he’ll fight. 

FUTURE PLOTS | What are some plots or connections that you’d like to see played out for your character? Please elaborate on 2-3 plot/connection ideas.

Plots:

Lucius no longer believes Voldemort is the right one to be leading the blood purity charge. He’s not even pureblood himself. But Lucius is still very aware of how strong he is. Truth be told, Lucius is actually scared of him finding out he’s a member of Mundus. He tried to hide his fear, he’s beaten it down for years--the fear of his parents, the fear of failure, fear of people seeing below the carefully crafted facade. I think it will be interesting to play on his fear of Voldemort coinciding with his growing role and responsibility within Mundus Novus. 

I have this little headcanon that the reason he has the cane-wand in Harry Potter times is actually because he needs it. He got injured in the war somehow that couldn’t ever be fully magically healed and actually needs a cane so, well, he we with the most obnoxious design he could find for it. So I am absolutely here for him getting injured at some point.

Connections (of course pending player agreement):

Lucius was surprised that his father actually wanted his input on who should and should not make the ranks of Mundus Novus. And even more surprised when he listened. Lucius made one think very clear to his father--Bellatrix Lestrange was not to be a member.She’s wild and unhinged and while that makes her strong, it also makes her a liability. Her unerring faith to Voldemort only makes things worse. She would be anything but an asset to the cause, no matter how pure her or her husband’s blood line are. He knows Narcissa isn’t pleased with it and god knows Bellatrix won’t be, but it’s for the best. If they’re looking for a good bloodline and one that will be faithful? Well Bellatrix doesn’t make the cut. 

Narcissa Black was always the best of the Black girls by a long stretch. He was glad that of the girls, she was the one his parents chose for him. That’s what it was really, their parents setting them up, practically an arranged marriage really. Not that Lucius had  any qualms about it, he had his eye on her so soon after her arrival at Hogwarts. She was beautiful and smart and looks enough like him that their children would be sure to still bear a resemblance to him. She’s a perfect match for him really. But he doesn’t love her. He doesn’t even really know what love is truthfully. But whatever it is, he doesn’t have it for Narcissa. He’s said all the right things, made all the right moves, feigned it just enough that maybe, just maybe she believes he does. Because even if he doesn’t love her, he needs her. She’s a good match, good blood, good looks, a good partner, and the right person to bring the next Malfoy heir into the world. Narcissa is another in a long line of strategic choices in his life and he won’t let this one be the one that falls apart.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep everyone out. He didn’t even think it needed to be said that Sirius Black didn’t deserve a spot in the new world order. And yet, for some reason, here he is anyway. He turned his back on the cause once and Lucius has heard all the tails about how he’s far too close with Fleamont Potter’s boy. Lucius can’t stand the fact that he’s been let into the sacred circle and he doesn’t trust him for a second. Maybe what his father overlooked, Lucius can correct. Though that means getting through Orion first.

Severus Snape has always been an intrigue to Lucius. If he were a pureblood, he would probably be more than that. He’s a skilled wizard--those rumors flew quickly enough and Lucius has seen the man’s potion abilities during their time in the Death Eaters for himself. There isn’t a place for him at the table Lucius is creating...but that doesn’t mean the table can’t be built on him. He has potential. He has use. He has connections to that pesky little group that calls themselves “The Marauders” as though it makes them someone important. Of the Death Eaters, Lucuis will be a bit disappointed when Serverus’s time comes to a close. If only his mother had chosen a better match, maybe he could have been something. Instead, Lucius plans to use him at every available moment until its the to clear the bloodstream once and for all.

If Lucius were really going to speak his tongue, he would have to demand from Orion why in the bloody hell he chose his older boy for Mundus when it’s so painfully clear Regulus is the only young Black (other than his own wife of course) who stands a chance of being worth anything. He’s young, yes, and unremarkable thus far. But that’s the fun thing about him. He’s not much of anything yet. Lucius has made it his goal to whisper all the things into Regulus’s ear that his father whispered into his. The Black boy is still malleable, still could be worth something, there’s potential there if only he can be broken away from his leach of a brother. And that’s just what Lucius intends to do. If he is the one to bring Orion Black’s son to the light? What a feat that would be.

Also Lucius’s mother is a pureblood Ravenclaw in my head so I’m always up for pureblood cousins who just don’t have the Malfoy name

CHARACTER STUDY

FREEFORM | This can be anything ranging from an in-character paragraph sample, a biography, headcanons, Q&A style, or any type of character study that inspires your muse and gives a good interpretation of who your character is. If you’re looking for a prompt, I’ve listed a couple general prompts on the FAQ PAGE to get you started. 

Bio (TW child abuse)

Lucius Malfoy’s childhood was everything you would imagine from the youth of a Malfoy. Born to one of the wizarding world’s most wealthy families, with a silver spoon in his mouth, he wanted for nothing he didn’t get. He had two parents, a library containing all the best wizarding lore and spellbooks, more toys than any one child could ever manage to play with. He had everything any child could ever ask for. Except perhaps for those two parents of his to be loving. Salinda Malfoy was too busy being anything but a mother, which was preferable to Abraxas, who believed very much fists spoke better than words. As a Malfoy, perfection was the expectation, not the exception, and Abraxas would go to any measure to ensure his son achieved it.

His mother was absentee at best and his father simply didn’t make time for his son--working for the Ministry was job enough. The pair had also followed Malfoy tradition of only procreating until the birth of the first son (it helped keep the bloodline clean and the money growing rather than being divvied among squabeling children), meaning Lucius had no siblings either. He was often left alone on the sprawling Malfoy Estate--other than the countless house elves of course, but they certainly don’t count--but never left to his own devices. Spellbooks were shoved into his hand from the time he could read and his father enforced the expectation of learning all he could while alone in the house, even if not allowed to practice as a child. There was no time for play if Lucius were to be good enough to carry on the Malfoy legacy. If he were to fail, his father stepped in to discipline and Lucius learned young that was not something he wanted to happen.

Hogwarts, then, should have been a safe haven. Away from the parents that had made his early years so difficult, and starting miles ahead of the others in knowledge. The wizarding school should have been an ideal place for the likes of Lucius Malfoy. Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite how it worked out. So many things were wrong with Hogwarts. First of all there were far too many mixed bloods and mudbloods. Both his parents had taught him the importance of blood purity and he hadn’t often been exposed to those who weren’t pureblood. Second, school was boring--he knew the basics of most everything they taught, even if he hadn’t used them in practice.  And third, and most egregious of all, it seemed there was a rather large portion of the population there that did not care he was Lucius Malfoy, son of Abraxas Malfoy and had more money than so many of them could ever dream of having. He simply didn’t know what to make of it. He had expected everyone at school to love him, and while he was well liked by his Slytherin peers, the other houses left something to be desired. And his father’s involvement with the ousting of Minister Leach only further divided the peers he wanted to be devoted to him.

One thing became abundantly clear about Lucius Malfor while in school. He was smart, naturally so, but he would far rather lie and cheat and manipulate than put in the full effort. Using banned charms for tests and his family name and money to convince professors to give him better grades than he deserved, it was all better than actually just doing the work. He was particularly gifted with unspoken spell work and potions brewing, all natural and not the result of anything from Hogwarts (now see, this is what happens when you keep a blood line clear), enough so to justify his boasting and appointment to Prefect. His grades were good, and his OWLs and NEWTs middling (something that proved he would never be too old for his father to quite literally beat proper behavior into his son). Sure, he wanted to be the best, but finding alternate ways to get there was always best. Besides, he cared more about being the most powerful than he did being the highest performing. 

By the time of graduation, Lucius Malfoy had mastered several skills, though none from the institution's teaching. From his father’s, shall we say, forceful teachings, he had learned a calm, cool surface worked best. Stay even, at all times, don’t let emotions show unless they are superiority or anger. He had also become incredibly talented at persuasion and manipulation and frankly often preferred them over spellcasting. Together, they had shown him the importance of appearances. Say what you need to say, do what you need to do, craft whatever lies needed to keep people eating out of the palm of your hand, and everything will always come up roses for you.

Between his reputation and his lineage, Lucius easily obtained a role in the Ministry not long after his time at Hogwarts. He didn’t need a job, no, but with it would come more power and paise and money. Not to mention, his father made it quite clear that the life of a socialite wouldn’t be tolerated. He found his position with the Improper use of Magic department rather well suited. He’s used the position to create ties with other powerful witches and wizards and groom ties with the Minister and any potential future Ministers as well as expanding his collection of dark artifacts.

 It has also been rather useful to serve the Dark Lord--and now the Mundus. Being a member of Voldemort’s chosen flock was a birthright of being a Malfoy as much as anything else in his life. His father had known the Dark Lord for years and as he rose to power, Lucius was an early member of the Death Eaters, taking his Dark Mark the day after his graduation. His message is one Lucius has been bred to believe his whole life. Lucius has been using his position at the Ministry to keep an extra eye on magical use--being overly harsh with any reports involving those believed to have ties to the Order, conveniently losing data on pureblood children and Death Eaters with illegal magic use, turning in false reports showing misuse of magic from those against the cause--not that this is well known outside the highest Death Eater and Mundus ranks. 

When Mundus Novus was created, there was no more natural fit for Lucius. He likely would have joined their cause even without his father being a founder, but Abraxas’s always firm hand was just another reason to tilt his head high, knowing he’s better than everyone else. It felt right, natural, comfortable. Until suddenly it was oppressing. No one saw his father’s death coming, least of all Lucius. He was just starting to get the feel of the ground beneath him at Mundus and knowing he would have his father and the Black brother to hide behind when Voldemort caught on. But now his father is dead. He didn’t even have time to decide if he’s sad about it or not. Because there’s a war and the pillars of Mundus Novus have an empty chair that’s meant to be his. But it’s so much pressure for a boy who’s only ever been told he’s not good enough by his parents. And it means doing what he’s most afraid of--taking a defiant move against the Dark Lord he’d been bred to respect and fear in equal measure. He’ll step up. He has to. There’s no other option. He just wishes he had had more time to prepare.

EXTRAS | This is not required but if you’d like to submit anything extra (Pinterest boards, mock blog, playlist, character tags, etc), feel free to share!

Enjoy this tag of Lucius related content on my old blog

A few headcanons:

Lineage -- The Malfoy family only procreates until they have their first male offspring, so as to keep the bloodline clean and the money growing rather than being divvied among squabbling children

Sexuality -- I always picture Lucius on the aromantic and asexual spectrum. He’s not a completely sex-negative ace individual, he can and does have sex, it’s just not something he’s particularly interested in--he has more important things to worry about. And he’s certainly aro because, really, Lucius Malfoy loving anyone but himself is practically laughable 

House Elves -- Lucius’s parents couldn’t be bothered to raise him. They both had more important things to do. So his raising feel to the House Elves. There was one elderly house elf, Maisel, who cared for him as a baby, would sneak him treats while he was a child, and showed him little bits of house elf magic to entertain him. She died turing his fifth year at Hogwarts, without so much as an owl from his parents. He simply returned at the end of term to find her no longer there and a young male houself (a Dob...something, Lucius didn’t bother learning the new elf’s name) tearfully telling him she had passed.

[willofhounds]

Half and half each shall share half ch5

A/N thanks for your reviews and support.

DarkRavie: thanks for your review my friend.

WhiteElfElder: thanks for your review my friend. Sometimes to get answers you have to be little Gryffindor.

Tom's POV

Just as he closed up the journal he heard movement from the separate rooms. The magical aura was still softer than normal telling Tom that Harrison wasn't completely awake. He moved away from the desk so not to appear to be snooping.

Harrison stumbled through the doorway. His black hair was more askew than normal. Green eyes had dark circles around them.

Harrison queried leaning against the wall, "Riddle? Why are you here?"

Tom replied as he moved closer to the other, "I was asked to check on you by the Headmaster since you didn't come to breakfast or to teach. What are you doing, Potter?"

Potter swayed dangerously as he slurred, "Tired. It's the full moon. Have to sleep."

Then the green eyes rolled into the back of Potter's head. He barely caught the man before he hit the ground as he collapsed.

Tom laid him down upon the ground. Checking Harrison's pulse he found it erratic and skin hot to the touch.

Making a quick decision he picked the man up. It wasn't that startling to find that Harrison was still light as ever. Then went to the man's floo.

After taking a handful of the powder he called out, "Hospital wing."

A second later he was tossed out into the Hospital Wing. Madame Pompfrey order recognizing who he was holding, "Place him on the bed. Potter what have you done to yourself now?"

Tom answered carefully, "Professor Dumbledore asked me to check on him. When I was in his office he collapsed. The only thing he told me was that he was tired."

Pompfrey nodded but didn't say anything. She drew her wand and began casting spells on Potter. Tom recognized the diagnostic spells. They went from vital checks to checking magic levels and health.

His seeker center appeared with the next spell. It was darker than he remembered. The last time he saw it being when Harrison almost died in a mission just before graduation.

Tom had been in Hogsmede when the boy apparated directly onto his table. Blood had gone everywhere. None of his spells could stop them. Despite their estrangement he didnt want to see his first friend die.

He remembered clearly the fragmented center. It was still it's normal color but that was the only thing normal about it. The silver lines unconnected and pieces where they didn't belong. Harrison explained to him once about what center should look like under magic. That was definitely not in.

Madame Pompfrey had made an emergency floo call to the Huntik Foundation. The last thing he saw before he was ushered out of the Hospital Wing was three top Huntik Foundation members flooing in.

Harrison wasn't the same when he was released. The happy go lucky look was replaced by a haunted one. With NEWTs approaching he had been unable to focus on it.

Now his center was as dark as Tom's magical core. It no longer looked like a smashed plate. He could still see the silver lines of where it had been broken.

It pulsed in a way that it hadn't before. As if it had a living heartbeat. Given what he had found out that wouldn't surprise him.

Pompfrey sighed as she stowed her wand away, "He's fine. Besides physical exhaustion there is nothing wrong with him. My guess is that not sleeping finally caught up to him. Its good to see his center fixed again. I didnt think we would ever see him again after graduation."

Tom queried having the feeling that he would not like the answer, "What do you mean?"

"Seeker centers do not fix themselves once they are broken," came the mournful answer. Tom felt as if he had been run over by a hippogryff, "Seekers do not die in a bed or hospital. They go off on a journey or a mission and simply do not return. Given the state of his center now versus three years ago. He must have made a deal with something. Whatever the price was I hope it's worth it. There is nothing more I can do here."

Tom had a feeling he knew what saved Harrison's life. Why someone would make such a deal he didn't know. There was always a price and more often than not wasn't worth the price.

What was your price Harrison?

Harrison's POV

When he awoke he knew immediately that he was not in his rooms. The air was too clean smelling. His room smelled of fire and old books.

Opening his eyes he was surprised to find himself in the hospital wing. It wasn't where he expected to be at all. What he found next to his bed was even more surprising. Tom Riddle was sitting there.

How did he get in the Hospital Wing? Why in the name of Merlin was Riddle doing at his bedside?

Pompfrey said startling him, "He brought you here after you collapsed in your office."

When did he collapse in his office? He always spent the day of the new moon in bed. Ever since making the deal with Murasame he felt week on the new moon. There was no explanation for it. Given how easy it was he knew it was too easy to be his price.

When he looked up into Pompfrey's hazel eyes he found disapproval in them. She hissed angrily, "Dont think I dont know why your once broken center is now fixed and pulsing with a heart beat. What were you thinking?"

Harrison held his right arm up into the light. That was a good question. What had he been thinking when he made the deal?

His main focus during his time away was to survive. Find a way to live but the reason wasn't selfish. Deep in his heart he knew the real reason was because of Metz.

Alec Metz had been both his and Dante's mentors. When Dante was on a mission that he wasn't ready for Alec looked after him.

Then in his sixth year Alec left on a mission. When he returned he was at death's door. Both he and Dante had been devastated. They swore to find a way to cure him. Magic was keeping Metz alive but it wouldn't last forever.

That search was what sent him on the mission that almost killed. Just like now it had been Tom who got him to the Hospital Wing.

The hunt for something to fix his center wasn't just for his benefit. He had to find a way to save Alec too. So far he still hadn't found that.

Finally Harrison laughed depreciatingly, "All I wanted was to live long enough to save my mentor. I never intended for it to become like this. I cared less for own survival than that of my friend."

Harrison's hands clenched even as he sat up. Murasame had more abilities than just healing the holder's. He just didn't know what they were yet. The legend wasn't specific.

A familiar growl almost made him jump, "You aren't worried about your own survival? Aren't you worried the demon will slowly destroy your soul?"

Welp Riddle was awake. How much had he heard? Then the words clicked.

Destroy his soul? What soul? His soul left him when Alec got sick. Alec was the soul of the Foundation. Everyone felt the loss with him unable to help.

Harrison replied, "I do not fear losing my soul to Murasame. Just as I do not fear death. I knew what I was getting myself into when I started my search."

Tom snarled, "Gryffindors! None of your house has an ounce of self preservation. No doubt the Huntik Foundation is full of Gryffindors. Their leader the worst of the lot. What could be worth your life Potter?"

"How about the one who saved it?!" Roared Harrison in return.

[rhysie-cakes314]

Day 25- Hell

Tony Stark had foiled Morgan le Fay for the last time. First it had been back with Merlin and Doctor Doom and the whole Excalibur nonsense (Iron Man: Doomquest, Iron Man: Legacy of Doom). The man wasn’t even a sorcerer for Gaea’s sake! How the hell he had escaped Mephisto from that Hell was beyond her entirely. Mephisto was nearly powerless within his own realm. Now he had been instrumental in disrupting her plans with Nightmare to take down Stephen Strange. (Chap. 22- Dreams) She was finished with this thorn in her side and would show no more mercy.

The Avengers were having an average breakfast when she appeared. Tony was staring ahead, not really awake, while he sipped his coffee, with Thor across from him. A woman with long dark hair and green eyes appeared silently behind the god, a faint purple aura around her. Clint noticed her first, but she only had eyes for Tony.

Clint clamoured out of his seat, aiming the nearest of Natasha’s guns at the intruder. “Who the fuck-”

“Silence,” the woman said with a small flick of her hand. Clint went flying through the air, crashing into a wall behind him and slumping to the floor, unconscious. Everyone was definitely aware of her presence now. The team had moved into wary battle stances, except for Thor and Tony. Thor was just in front of her, so he turned to eye her cautiously, but did not dare move. Tony was staring with wide-eyed recognition.

“Morgana!? What are you doing here?” he squeaked. She smiled at his obvious fear. With a single upward sweep of an arm, both her and Tony disappeared, leaving behind a stunned silence.

Natasha ran over to check on Clint. “He should be okay,” she said over her shoulder. “Small concussion for him.”

“Did Tony know that woman?” Steve asked. He glanced around the room. Phil wasn’t home, and Bruce was in his lab already. It was probably for the best, because Hulk would not help the already confusing situation.

“Odin’s beard,” Thor breathed, breaking his uncharacteristic silence. “That was Morgan le Fay.” He looked troubled, and deep in thought.

Natasha had walked back towards them, and pushed Steve back into a seat before the man passed out. He had locked his knees and was clearly a little in shock. That alone seemed to break Steve out of it, and his Captain demeanor took over. “Do you mean Morgana like from Arthurian legend?” she asked Thor.

Thor considered her. “Aye, if by Arthurian you mean to speak of Arthur Pendragon. His court and royal sorcerer Merlin are no fiction, though.”

“JARVIS, gather the others. Thor, update all of us on what you know of this Morgan and why Tony would know her.” Steve commanded.

With the others gathered around, and Clint now awake and nursing a headache, they waited for Thor. “I know little of what modern Midgard considers to be fact or fiction of King Arthur, but Asgard knew of him. He was one of the great Midgardian kings, and Merlin was the Sorcerer Supreme of his time. Morgan le Fay, back then known as Morgana, was a natural sorceress with raw power beyond her own control. It ate at her, and she sought help from darker forces to learn how to tame it. She became a major foe for the kingdom of Camelot, and nearly destroyed it with the help of Mephisto and an undead army, led by Victor von Doom. She was only defeated and weakened for a time due to Arthur’s knight and the mysterious aid of a man in magic red armor, who went by Iron Man.” Thor paused for the gasps he knew would come before continuing. He knew the day this secret was revealed would come, but had no idea when, nor how much it would sting to let his teammates know he had already known. He had sort of hoped Tony would tell first, though he suspected the man’s memories may have been wiped. “There was also a magical sword, Excalibur, that in more modern times resurfaced. Morgan helped Doom recreate it from a fragment, but Iron Man got the last piece, and the two needed it whole to defeat a giant inter-dimensional eyeball monster. So Iron Man agreed to let Doom stab him through the heart with the rest of Excalibur, and his death destroyed the monster. Then Merlin’s spirit brought Iron Man back, though I can only presume by the looks on your faces, without memory of the events. That or Anthony has been keeping a lot of secrets.”

Thor’s spiel was met with silence. Bruce’s shaking hand set down his tea, and the soft clink on the counter sounded far too loud. “Maybe I do need to see a doctor, because Thor is making no sense,” Clint broke the silence.

Steve was reeling. How many things had Tony kept from them? Had he been time travelling and fighting legends this whole time when no one was looking? Had this been before they all met and Tony never felt the need to say? Did Tony truly just not remember it? But he had clearly recognized the sorceress in their kitchen. “Maybe it was a different Iron Man. How would we know it was Tony?”

“Unless someone else had identical armor, it was Stark,” Thor responded confidently. “I was not on Midgard at the time, but I spent many hours watching the adventures of Camelot through Heimdall’s windows. I recognized it when we first met.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Steve snapped. How was the team supposed to operate of they were keeping things like this from each other?

“Steve, think of how the timeline could’ve been irreparably altered if he had told us. What if Tony hadn’t done it yet and the knowledge changed his reactions to everything?” Natasha reasoned before Thor had to. She understood Steve’s emotional response, but Thor’s decision had certainly been for the best.

Thor nodded sagely. “Aye, I was forbidden for that very reason. Time travel is tricky, and being around as long as I have means I often meet people I have already met or seen who don’t yet know me. It is a difficulty I have grown familiar with while living here.”

“Well that’s cryptic,” Phil replied drily.

“So what do we do?” Steve asked finally. He had no idea how to take on a sorceress this powerful. Strange and Thor had both recognized her voice back in the Nightmare Realm, and had been clearly unhappy about it. “Should I call Strange?”

“I think that may be helpful. Unfortunately,” Thor looked pained to say it, “I think my brother would be most suited for this, however.”

He was loathe to admit it, but Steve thought Thor was probably right. “You call Loki, see if he’ll help. For now, let’s try to leave Strange out of it, since he’s already so busy this time of year.”

…

All it took was a blink, and Tony’s kitchen was gone, replaced by the firescape of Mephisto’s Hell. “What do you want Morgana?” Tony spat angrily. “I have no business with you, I leave you alone, you leave me alone. That was our deal.” Tony hadn’t been back here since the last time when he had to fight off a demonic faux Howard in order to escape. Morgana had her own hideouts, he knew, so why were they here? He really did not have the tools or energy to deal with Mephisto himself, if he could even pray to lay a scratch on Morgana.

“Oh, I remember our deal, Stark. That was before you interfered in the Nightmare Realm last year.” Tony rolled his eyes, holding in the frustrated growl that tried to escape him. It’s not like he had known Morgana was part of that whole disaster until it was too late. “You broke the deal first, and I’m getting revenge.”

“I didn’t know you were working with Nightmare. All I knew was that Strange asked for our help, and I went. That should hardly count against me.”

Morgana waved a hand, and Tony was now being forced into an upright starfish position, each limb chained to some invisible force and being pulled taut. It was not a comfortable way to be held up against gravity, and his shoulders already ached. “I care not for your reasons. You’ve irritated me long enough, and Mephisto was willing to let me use his realm after you embarrassed him the last time.” She walked around him in a slow circle, examining her handiwork. “I figure I’ll just torture you for awhile, until I’m bored. Then he can keep you.”

“What do you gain from that?” Tony tried to keep his voice calm. Morgana enjoyed fear, especially from men. She was more likely to release him if he could appeal to logic. “All you’re doing is making enemies out of the Avengers.”

The slow grin was wicked, and Morgana’s eyes were already glowing purple with hungry power. “I’m okay with that.” Tony didn’t have the chance to prepare himself before all he heard were his own screams. The pain was everywhere, no apparent source or focal point because fucking magic. It felt like being burned alive, but with no end in sight or deadening of the nerves. Instead, Tony tried to writhe in agony, but that only pulled harshly at his joints. Through his now blurry vision, he could tell Morgana was laughing, but the sound was lost to him. She didn’t seem to have any motivation to let up and give him a breather, so Tony had to take the small gasps his body forced him to take when his lungs grew too thirsty. With the way the magic was consuming him, he had no control over his bodily mechanics anymore. A far away part of his mind wondered if he had pissed himself. This was truly hell.

…

“I think this is a bad idea,” Clint said, throwing another paper airplane at Loki’s head. Loki let it phase through him, not even sparing the archer a glance.

“You’ve made that very clear, Barton, now drop it.” Steve grit out. That got Clint to hesitate before throwing another. Steve hadn’t called him Barton in a long time. “So will you help us or not?”

“I have no ill will towards Morgan le Fay, but my brother dearest has made it difficult to refuse you,” Loki drawled. A brief look of disgust passed over his face before it returned to its usual smugness. Thor was standing behind him looking equally smug. Steve thought they looked more like brothers than enemies then, even if Loki had been adopted.

“I really don’t want to know,” Steve decided. “The point is, you’ll help. What do you need from us?”

Loki chuckled and Steve clenched his fists to keep from punching the cheeky bastard. “I need no help from you.”

“Well you’re certainly not going alone,” Phil inserted himself smoothly. “So at least let us in on your brilliant plan,” he said sarcastically.

Loki looked like he might argue, but Thor moved behind him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. “Brother! Fine, you can accompany me. Morgana took him to Mephisto’s realm. If you want your Iron Man back alive, we will need Mephisto’s permission to take him. I cannot defeat that demon in his own realm.” The Asgardian looked like it physically pained him to admit there were people more powerful than him. Natasha thought it was funny, because he always seemed to conveniently forget that the Avengers had taken him down.

Steve huffed. “Well, lead the way, Loki. We’re kind of in a hurry.”

Loki smiled, amused. “Aye-aye, Captain.”

The portal Loki opened beneath them, with no warning, dropped them from above ground. The god of mischief looked very pleased with himself as everyone picked themselves off the ground, grumbling. “Never gets old,” he murmured, chuckling to himself. “Ow!” Thor punched Loki in the arm. “It was just a bit of fun!”

In front of them stood a being Steve could only assume was Mephisto. The man was crimson, and wore a cloak not dissimilar to Strange’s Cloak of Levitation. His boots were a slightly darker red than his own skin, along with pants that had some sort of long loin cloth attached to them. The pointed ears and deep widows peak reminded Clint of one of the elves from Lord of the Rings. “May I ask why you are trespassing in my home?” His arms were crossed.

Loki bowed, “Apologies. I have been asked by the Avengers here to retrieve a stolen teammate.” They all stared at Loki, shocked. They had never seen him sound so…  respectful.

Mephisto, in contrast, was looking at the god thoughtfully. “Stand, Asgardian.” Loki obliged, glancing around at the others before resting wary eyes back on their host. His obnoxiously entitled brother and their friends were an embarrassment to stand next to. “While I would love to help, Anthony Stark was rightfully mine before he was an Avenger. He left my realm without my leave. When Morgan le Fay offered to retrieve my property, I was pleased.”

Loki’s frown deepened. Steve looked like he was about to retort, but Loki caught him with a glare first, giving a subtle shake of his head. “Respectfully, that isn’t quite accurate.” Before the demon could interrupt, he continued quickly. “The deal you made with Victor von Doom was under false pretenses. He did not own Iron Man to be able to trade him for the sword. Anthony was tricked into your realm and betrayed.”

The silence was tense while they waited for the demon to consider Loki’s words. Bruce watched the interaction carefully, keeping the Hulk away for now. If Loki was being submissive, it meant he probably hadn’t been lying about how powerful this demon was here. A fight was not what they wanted, but he was growing more worried for Tony. And angry at his friend for never mentioning any of it.

A throne appeared beneath Mephisto as he sat, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I see. And I should believe you because?”

“Ask Doom yourself.”

Mephisto smiled. “I can make a deal with you Avengers. I will fetch the man in question if when I ask Doom about this accusation, I am convinced of Loki Laufeyson’s version of events instead of Victor’s, then I will keep him instead. Iron Man’s fate will be in my hands. If I do not release him, however, there will be no fighting from you lot. How’s that sound?” He stood, hands on his hips.

Steve couldn’t see that he really had a choice here. He shared a look with the rest of the team, but was only met with regretful shrugs. “I guess we have a deal.” Mephisto grinned maliciously, shaking the Captain’s hand. He was going to get either Doom or Stark out of this, and best case scenario, he’d get Captain America too, for betraying an official deal. It was truly a win-win for him.

“Good, we have a deal. Now leave my home. You will have either have your teammate back or not in twenty four hours, there’s nothing you can do.” He snapped his fingers, and the team was back in the kitchen.

“Goddamnit!” The crash of the chair against the wall startled everyone. Steve stood over the pieces, his chest heaving. “How can I be so powerless?”

Natasha stepped towards him, a hand placed gently on his shoulder. “We’re out of our depth with demons.” She murmured. Behind her, Bruce was already sprinting for the stairs. It was pretty safe to assume he was headed to the ‘Hulk-proof’ training bunk Tony had designed.

“That you most certainly are,” Loki replied snidely. She shot him a scathing look, but softened her expression when she saw his own. He actually looked vaguely apologetic. “I am too.” He spoke quieter this time. “I can try and create a viewing window for now, so you can at least see Stark.” Steve turned, looking hopeful.

“I don’t know if that’s actually a good idea,” Clint tried, slumping into the kitchen chair in front of him. “Is it going to help any of us to helplessly watch whatever the bitch is doing to him?” It sounded more tired than harsh.

Steve pushed off the wall, heading towards his room. “I don’t know Clint, but I need to do something.” His voice broke. Standing in the entryway but not turning back, he spoke quietly, “If you could, Loki, I’d be grateful.” Then he was gone.

“This has been a strange experience for me,” Loki said. No one responded, and he knew when he was even less welcome than usual. “Brother, let us speak with Heimdall.”

…

The only respite was when Morgana would get bored of one spell and move onto another. At some point burning turned into crushing pain, which would eventually morph into the stabbing pain of invisible knives through him in all directions. Tony had no idea the woman hated him so much. Or perhaps she just needed someone to torture, and he was a convenient pastime for her. It was weird to think about how this much pain could come out of just one angry enemy, one bored sorceress looking for an outlet. “Please,” he breathed.

That only seemed to encourage her, and suddenly everything grew worse. Tony screamed, or tried to, but his voice was barely there anymore. “I must admit, I’m curious to see how long your body can put up with this level of stress. Magical torture is so understudied.” She spoke conversationally, as though they were friends. Tony watched her with wide eyes, gasping when he could. He had stopped being able to produce tears a while ago. How long he had been here was impossible to determine, because for him it felt like a week. “Did you know I used to abhor the very idea of harming someone?” She laughed ruefully. “I tried to be good, but when so many tell you you’re evil for so long, it sinks in. Eventually I thought, why not embrace it? It is easier.”

“Oh my god,” Steve whispered, watching the enchanted mirror Loki had given him. It felt unreal, watching Tony suffer like that for no reason at all. It was impossible to even tell what she was doing to the man, only that he was in agony. There were five hours left of the 24 hours Mephisto had given himself. That meant Tony had only been in Hell for a little over 20 hours, but he looked like he had been there for a week. Loki hadn’t been able to explain how the magic or Hell itself would affect Tony, so they could only pray there was no permanent damage.

“Oh, look at that!”  Morgana breathed excitedly. Tony obviously couldn’t see what excited the madwoman, but the sudden pins and needles in his chest and the increasing difficulty in breathing gave him a pretty good clue. “The light in your chest flickers ominously, Iron Man. Perhaps your precious technology doesn’t like this.”

Tony let his head fall, resting his chin on his chest. It probably made breathing even harder, but he didn’t have the energy anymore to keep his head upright. At this angle, he could see the arc reactor flickering. It was not a comforting sight. With great effort, he leaned his head back so at least he wouldn’t have to watch himself die.

“Enough,” a male voice shouted, and suddenly Tony was crumpled on the ground, coughing and sore. The magic was no longer extending his pain though. Tony rolled around, to see the newcomer, and recognized Mephisto immediately. Next to him was a very unhappy looking Victor von Doom.

Morgan whirled around in surprise. “What is this? We had a deal.”

“Sorry Morgan, but Anthony wasn’t mine to offer, apparently. I actually own Doom if you’d like him.” The demon pushed Doom forward where he stumbled, but caught himself before falling.

She scoffed. “I have no interest in him. Keep him for yourself.” Without any further conversation, she disappeared in a swirl of purple and black .

Mephisto turned to look at Tony on the ground. He shrugged with a very not apologetic at all expression. “Misunderstanding, sorry.” Tony glared at him, but he still felt too out of breath to say anything. “Until next time,” he sing-songed.   

Tony felt no change, but was slowly aware that he was back home. He groaned, looking down at the reactor. It was no longer flickering, and he was slowly catching his breath. “Tony! Oh thank god,” Steve ran full tilt into the kitchen, sliding slightly on his knees as he dropped to the ground to grasp Tony.

“Hey Steve,” he rasped, looking up at the worried blond. “Long time no see.” Tony promptly threw up onto the ground beside him. “I don’t feel great.”

“Tony, babe, let me help you up. We can go to medical,” Steve started, but Tony shook his head.

“Noooo, just take me to bed,” he whined.

“Tony,” Steve replied worriedly, already scooping the man off the vomit covered floor and into his lap.

“If I may, Captain, his reactor is fully functional and he shows no signs of damage that a hospital is needed for,” JARVIS interjected.

Steve ran a hand through Tony’s sweat soaked locks. “I watched you, but I couldn’t do anything,” he said softly.

Tony leaned into the touch. Every muscle in his body ached, and he was starving and exhausted. “Bed,” he moaned. He knew Steve needed to talk and the others would want to see him. Plus, Tony wanted to know how Steve had apparently watched him in hell and knew he was going to have some explaining to do about Morgana, but he couldn’t do any of that right now. “Please.”

The room felt like it was spinning as Steve stood up with him. “Right, sorry,” Steve said quickly. Tony squeezed his eyes shut against the dizziness and wave of nausea. He focused solely on his breathing until it passed. The coolness of the sheets felt amazing. Steve started to tuck him under the blanket, but Tony kicked it all off. “Okay, no blankets. Just sleep Tony.” He didn’t need to be told twice. Not that he could stay awake if he tried.

Tony slept through a whole day. He didn’t even flinch when they inserted the IV to rehydrate him, and Steve gave him a simple wash with a cool washcloth. He desperately needed to eat, too, but they decided to let him sleep the initial soreness off. Literally going through Hell, Tony had still been through worse than this. Sleep was the best thing for him now, even if it was killing the team not to be able to talk to him. They could wait.  

[dungeonsndrag]

The Day Superman Died  Chapter 2: Inner-Demons

Inner-Demons

When I was a child, my mother would tell me stories before I went to sleep. Cautionary tales about the demons that hid under my bed, waiting for me to sin so they could swipe at my feet and drag me down to hell.

I hated my mother. She demanded perfection, civility. She was a bland, cruel woman.

And yet, I fell right into her trap, I was the proper dutiful son, I focused, I studied, I trained. I became the dutiful squire, and finally a dutiful knight. I was the first Blood to be given a seat at Arthur's round-table.

If only I had appreciated it. If only I had been simple. I could have lived a happy little life, married a good woman and been given a small castle of my own, then I could have died peacefully in the middle of the night from a heart attack.

No, too mundane. Jason Blood was worthy of a far more exciting death than that. 

What a young fool I was.

I fought on the front lines for years against the forces of Morgaine Le Fay, Merlin's’ former apprentice who now swore a vendetta upon the throne.

She would throw her endless armies of demons at us like waves crashing against the cliff sides, neither side could gain ground, but she was wearing us down, and she knew it.

I first met her son, Klarion, on the battlefield, I was helping a town retreat from an invasion when our eyes caught across the bloody chaos. He was helping an elderly woman gather her belongings, ushering her to join the other escapees. I had heard the Witch-Boy was a kinder soul than his mother, I had not believed it till this day.  

Klarion was a misunderstood boy, born from a beast far more vile than himself.

I could relate.

We didn't meet again until a year later, where our battle was far more...intimate.

After this Klarion and I would meet often, in secrecy, until one day, he came to Camelot, beaten and bloodied, running from his mother.

He pleaded to Merlin, telling him that Le Fay was planning an all-out assault on Camelot, something she had not deigned to do before now. She would be here in days and we'd be wiped out, once and for all.

Merlin would not listen.

They shackled the Witch-Boy and paid his warnings no mind.

I tried to plead Klarion’s case to Merlin and Arthur, but when they wouldn't budge I took matters into my own hands.

I broke Klarion out of the dungeon myself, and as we made our escape, his mother’s assault began. The ground was stained with the blood of many demons and men that day.

We almost made it out of Camelot unscathed but as we reached the gates, Merlin caught up to us.

He claimed me a traitor to the crown, and a terrorist deserving of execution.

I didn’t care.

He did.

“Yarva Demonicus Etrigan.”

He began to chant, an old foul magic, something LeFay would prefer.

“Change, change form of man.”

The curse took hold fast as flames of hellfire engulfed my form. I remember the searing pain, the stink of burning flesh.

“Free the Prince, forever damned.”

To spite me, Merlin undid himself, using his magic to summon a force he had sworn to combat.

“Free the might from fleshy mire.”

As my flesh melted away, shimmering orange scales took its place.

“Boil the blood in the heart of fire.”

Thick sharp horns grew from my skull and reptilian fins from my face.

"Gone, gone the form of man"

I gazed down at my hands, the world now cloaked in red, my fist now adorned with massive claws.

“Rise the Demon, Etrigan!”

I stared at my lover, tears streaming down my cheeks, sure that my new monstrous form would give him pause.

Klarion found it within himself to love a beast such as me.

He conjured us a teleportation spell and chanted to set us free.

In the days to come he helped me master this new hellish hate.

And discovered with meditation, I could temporarily reverse my fate.

I could walk as a man for an amount of time.

But The Demon would always return with a rhyme.

As the years went on, our love was tested, and as all good things, our time together ended. I learned that my bond to this demon meant my life was now eternal. Every time I saw injustice I would recant the rhyme infernal.

As Jason Blood I continued to live, finding a place in the world as it shifted and changed around me. I watched empires rise and fall, I watched civilizations end and begin. I took up collecting, keeping trinkets from my adventures, tomes, and weapons, items of great magic power. I found a home in Metropolis, alone with my things, relics of a bygone era. For a time I found myself working as a detective of sorts, using my experience with magic as a way to help those being targeted by the darker forces of the mystic realms...but alas as the years dragged on I began to realize I too was just another relic of my collection, watching the world roll past me as I sank into isolation.

Now. I find myself staring out into the world I no longer feel connected to. The skies burn and winged monsters descend from the heavens.

Wings of metal and mouths that spew fire….twisted visions of angels….demons.

I grab my sword, I have plenty of swords, but only of them is MY sword.

Forged for me by Sir Justin, The Shining Knight himself, the only round table knight younger than I, his armor was pure Nth Metal, when the light hit it he shined like a god, demons ran from his presence alone. The sword he made me, he named Light-Bringer, told me in my darkest moments, it would help me find my way. I've had this sword longer than any other belonging...and I've spent years building its legend.

Legends are delicate things, a fragile magic that relies on the memories and the devotion of others, they only take form when enough people believe them to be true. The legend of Light-Bringer is that when the sword is drawn, it can summon Sir Justin's steed, a brilliant white stallion with wings made of pure light. A Pegasus. As I said, legends take a long time to curate. The one advantage to my...longevity? I've had plenty of time.

I draw the brilliant glistening blade and as It leaves its sheath, threads of light branch off of it, swirling to the center of the room, tethering together, forming an angelic mare.

I grab the mane of my steed and hoist myself up, I look at my face in the reflection of the blade, stern, a scar draping from the corner of my lip, over my nose to my left eye. My hair still a dark red but a streak of white has been growing for the last 3 decades. I barely recognize the face looking back at me, for it’s not my true face….it is the face of Jason Blood...but I am not just Jason Blood.

"Gone, gone, the form of Man…"

Next:

Chapter 3: Bugs and Beasts

Masterpost

[ask-readyplayergaymers]

((So on top of this blog you've got like, 2 other AU askblogs too (and they're both amazing), so I was wondering, how many AUs do you have? For like. All of your fandoms? I'm very curious uwu))

((UHHHMMM LMAOOO

Honestly probably way too many to count but uh. Let’s see if I can remember them all

Be More ChillThis AU, of course!

My Life Tickets AU where Michael hands in a ticket in exchange for living for another day,

Cyber AU where Michael is Jeremy’s squip and manifests in any technology near him (mostly his cellphone),

Timeloop AU where Jeremy relives the night of the fire over and over as he attempts to help his friends escape the house without dying,

Pirate AU (I HONESTLY DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW THIS CAME ABOUT BUT APPARENTLY IT’S MINE NOW?? IDK) where Michael is the captain of an awesome crew of pirates who kidnaps Jeremy, a young noble, and the two fall in love as they sail the seas and look for treasure and all that stuff lol,

Peculiar Steampunk AU based off of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children where all the kids live together under the squip’s protection with their own unique set of abilities, also set during a Steampunk sort of era. So Michael has powers over plants, Jeremy’s wicked awesome with electricity (and also has a prosthetic leg after an accident with some people hunting them), etc.

I put the rest under the cut to save space because there really is a lot whoops

Also if you want to know more about any of these AUs? Just send an ask and I can give you links to more thorough descriptions for each of them!))

Mother 3/EarthboundAsktwinheroesoftazmily: My first ever blog on tumblr, it’s a post-game AU where Lucas and Claus are living together in peace :’)

Reform/Hero AU: Lucas is part of the Pigmask Reform group which repairs damage done by the Pigmask Army, he’s assigned to Tazmily and meets Claus there, who has a personal vendetta against anything Pigmask and a huge secret revolving around the downfall of the army

Friends AU: Lucas befriends the commander and the two of them run away from the army together and attempt to pull the remainder of the Needles before the army can recapture Commander

2p AU: Lucas and Claus’ personalities take a complete 180! Lucas becomes an asshole and Claus is just insane lol (also they’re colored differently of course, Luke’s got red hair and Claus is blonde)

Sorcerer AU: Claus is a sorcerer living secluded in the woods, one day he finds Lucas covered in blood and having no memory of who he once was.

I actually have a LOT more AUs for Mother 3 but these are the only ones I’ve formally introduced so far haha, but yeah there’s also the Crazy Town AU, the Kingdom AU, and the Hospital AU to name a few

Big Hero 6Inari: Hiro is a superhero known as Inari, he runs into Tadashi one day after a skirmish with Yama and eventually Tadashi comes to discover his identity so they split the name and become crime fighting heroes together! Hiro’s 19 in this AU and attending SFIT, he’s not related to Tadashi and therefore his only friend is human!Baymax (who is a healthcare major, go figure), and then he befriends Dashi and the rest of the crew!

PokemonPokemon Legends: My very special very amazing and wonderful hack!! It’s about a girl named Aqua, her next door neighbor Magma and her caretaker Drake, as they all come to discover the secrets of their past and their connections to each other involving some of the legendary Pokemon.

Later on we get the counterparts of Green (Jade), Red (Crimson), Blue (Turquoise), Silver (Cobalt) and Gold (Aurum) that remain with them for the rest of the arcs!

Arc two is about the relationship between Jade and Crimson and how their rivalry nearly tore it apart. But then they make up and it’s very gay. Also we get the legendary birds involved and Mewtwo behind the scenes, pulling some strings.

Arc three is about Aurum, who’s been taken by Lugia to the depths of the sea, and Cobalt’s valiant rescue attempt along with the rest of the crew! He makes bonds with Ho-Oh in order to save Aurum and tells Aqua about his history with Team Rocket and how Aurum saved him.

Arc four is about the Distortion World (also a bizarre version of the land of the dead), and Aqua and some of the others are trapped there. While there they encounter other “them’s” from other timelines where they died, so they run into a blind Cobalt who was killed by Lugia, a burned Aurum who was overwhelmed by Ho-Oh, Jade, whose arm was cut off and killed by Crimson due to him being possessed psychically by Mewtwo, and Drake who was killed by Groudon in an attempt to make peace in one of the timelines. Yeah, it’s pretty dark compared to the other three arcs lol

SenyuuShadows Are Darker in the Light: Ahh yes my infamous Senyuu fic, it’s a high school AU that’s very dark and sad, the ending is bittersweet. Basically it’s a unrequited love sort of thing where Ros moves away without a word and Alba’s left to deal with the aftermath.

FNAF AU: YEAH I MADE AN FNAF AU it’s loosely based off of the plot but. Seven years ago Alba was murdered at a restaurant/arcade place, his body was never found and neither was the murderer. Years later Ros, who was present at the time of the murder, is still looking into what happened to the person he loved the most, and decides to start working at the restaurant in order to get access to files he wouldn’t be able to see otherwise. But his first day on the job he runs into the ghost of Alba, who has been trapped there for years and cannot move on unless he is brought to justice. It’s really sad but really heartfelt and fun at times, too :’)

Letters into Paper Airplanes: I can’t give too much away about this one, but basically Alba receives letters from Ros every week, having never met him in person before. He falls in love with Ros over the course of a year of getting the letters, but there’s a huge secret behind them that he finds out later which is absolutely devastating. It has a happy ending though, I swear!!

SonicRoomies AU: In which Shadow is a human and crashes with Chris after Sonic returns to his world and the two of them grow up and get into tons of shenanigans together :’) Shadow basically has to deal with Chris’ teenage rebellious phase, it’s pretty hilariousIn the end though they get together after the whole mess with the Metarex, and they return to Chris’ world since Shadow belonged there from the start

Mystic Messengerask-saeran-and-saeyoung: My Mystic Messenger ask blog, hey-o! It’s not too much different from the canon plot after Seven’s route ends, except that Seven isn’t dating MC. He lives with Saeran and the two of them have all sorts of fun together while Saeran adapts to being out of Mint Eye at last

VoltronSimulator AU: I sure do love this one…so basically it’s set in the future as a canon divergence to season 2, Keith was horribly injured during the final fight with Zarkon and was sent out into space in an escape pod and trapped inside a simulator that Pidge and Lance created. Inside the sim Keith is tricked into believing that he’s back on earth with an AI Lance watching over him. Of course he does end up discovering the truth eventually but he learns to forgive and falls in love with AI!Lance and they start a relationship together once Lance is granted with a physical body outside of the sim ;D

Kingdom HeartsEclipse Kingdom AU: Sora is the prince of light, Riku the prince of darkness—they’re forbidden from interacting with each other but lol Riku ends up falling in love with Sora, who does in return, and then they start having rendezvous on the border of their kingdoms. Eventually Riku discovers he’s engaged to Namine, so he and Sora decide to run away together to Destiny Islands to escape the marriage. Namine, Axel and Kairi go off in search of them and encounter Roxas, and they all team up to find the princes and bring them home. A lot of other stuff happens but that’s the gist of it!!

Swapped AU: Sora and Riku get swapped with their younger selves, so Riku’s stuck with a younger Sora going on about Kairi and Sora’s stuck with a younger Riku being all edgy and moody and shit lol;; the older counterparts make the younger ones realize they’re hella gay for each other and it’s a fun time

Hanahaki Disease AU: Riku has Hanahaki Disease and is faced with either getting it surgically removed, therefore erasing his feelings for Sora and completely destroying their current relationship, or admitting his feelings to Sora with the chance of them being not returned and the disease killing him as a result. Yeah. Yikes.

KingsmanFamily Coping AU (hell idk I just came up with that title just now lol): An AU ending to the second movie so SPOILERS AHEAD okay?! If you haven’t seen it yet please stop reading. Anyway. In this AU Roxy and Merlin live, but Princess Tilde dies. Eggsy has a hard time dealing with her death and the guilt he feels for not saving her in time, but Harry, Merlin and Roxy help a lot with that. They all move in together in a big house and get up to tons of shenanigans both at work and at home, and Harry and Eggsy especially help each other through their issues (guilt, butterfly visions, all that).

Adopted AU: HARRY ADOPTS A YOUNG EGGSY AND IT’S THE BEST GODDAMN THING EVER. Harry has to balance being a super spy and taking care of a seven-year old kid at the same time with Merlin constantly poking fun at him and Eggsy getting into mountains of trouble at Kingsman HQ whenever he brings them there. Then we get into fun things like kidnapping for ransom, Harry having panic attacks over said kidnapping and then him and Merlin charging in like fucking badasses to save his (their, Merlin totally gets attached too) son.

My Babysitter’s A VampireGrim Reaper AU: After finding out that Ethan’s fated to die, Benny makes a deal with a Grim Reaper to trade his life for Ethan’s, becoming a Grim Reaper in the process. Between his new job in the underworld and sneaking back to White Chapel to see Ethan, all sorts of crazy things happen!

AND PHEWWW I THINK THAT’S IT!! At least those are the ones that I’ve actually talked about and introduced before, I’m sure I have a lot more I’ve either forgotten about or haven’t had the chance to show yet, so yeah :’) I have way too many AUs lol but they’re all so dear to me and so much fun to talk about so!! Hmu with that good content we can chat about all of these any day, I’m down //high fives you

[imsfire2]

WIP meme

Do This: List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or as little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on: writing, art, gifsets, whatever.

I was tagged by @thenewleeland - thank you very much!

And, ahem, you asked for it...

(I will add a read-more after a bit, since there is rather a lot of this.  Don’t panic...).

Fan fic – all Rogue One at the present time

In a dark time, the eye begins to see

AU in which Cassian is an artist and Jyn is sent by Saw Gerrera to model for him as a cover to get into the Imperial Archives on Corellia.  Angst, feels, smut, action and drama.  WIP – currently writing chapter 38 in draft, with the published text on AO3 now up to chapter 35.  

Keeping faith

AU in which Cassian and Jyn survived Scarif and are still with the Alliance, but are separated during the battle of Hoth.  Jyn is taken prisoner and then discovers she is pregnant, and angst and many feels ensue. WIP – currently on just over 9,000 words in draft with the published text on AO3 standing at just over 6,000.

Hot and wet

Rebelcaptain one-shot that won’t behave; primarily feels, not as smutty as the title suggests!

In your eyes

Rebelcaptain one-shot, a follow-up to A little more information (which was itself a follow-up to one of the Paths of hurt and darkness stories, On attachment elsewhere).  Cassian is hospitalised following a suicide attempt, post-battle of Endor.  Serious angst and feels.

The Hope of Lyonesse

Only just got started on this, basically it’s still at the planning stage, and it may be a monster as there’s a lot of material to work with.  Rogue One/Arthurian legend/other Celtic legends mash-up AU.  Cassian is Tristan, Jyn is Isolde, Draven is Mark of Cornwall, Chirrut and Baze are the last two acolytes of the Order of Merlin, Bodhi Rook is a character who fuses the roles of Bedwyr and Brangäne.  Mon Mothma is King Arthur, and is a rather more active figure than usual.  The Rebel Alliance is the seven Celtic nations, Albion, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Lyonesse and Galicia; they have a system of loose alliances and treaties cemented by dynastic marriages, and are trying to work together to fight off invasion on two fronts.  The Empire is an unholy alliance between the Saxon invaders coming from the east and the magic-wielding Formorians of Hy-Braseal invading by sea from the west.  Tarkin and Krennic are Saxons, Vader is the Lord of the Isle of the Torrent.  Other SW characters being slotted in gradually. Warning: Do not expect a happy ending.

Captain Andor lives for a day

Only just got started on this, too!  Total contrast to the above.  A Rogue One/Miss Pettigrew AU.  Late 1930’s setting, with jazz music, cocktails and romance for all.  Expect fluff and feels with just an undertone of angst (because some of the protagonists are not stupid and are aware of politics).  

Original fiction

The Bargain of Liberty (working title)

Just got started on this, so don’t look for it anytime soon!  Especially as, being original fic, it won’t be going on AO3.

Historical fantasy set in a sixteenth century AU in which the Spanish did not succeed in conquering the native kingdoms of Central and South America.  Consequently the balance of power across the world is totally different. In London, Dr John Dee has worked a great act of magic, the eponymous Bargain of Liberty, to ensure the freedom of his beloved sovereign, Elizabeth of England, and her people, and to enable her to marry her true love, her cousin Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots.  A work of magic which has had unexpected ramifications.  As our story begins, two British spies, Emilia Tanqueray and Kit Marlowe, and a mestizo Aztec sleeper agent, Javián Cuauhtémoc Sanchez, set out together to thwart the plans of the Inquisition.  The Inquisition’s goals are to overthrow the Emperor Axayacatl the second of Mexico, and to send an Armada to invade the island of Britain…

Also sitting in my Dropbox, Pt 1: Uncompleted original fiction

The taker of daughters

This is a rewrite and expansion of an earlier Hansel and Gretel: Witch-hunters fan-fic.  Significant character changes and hefty filling-in of background.  A steampunk historical fantasy using characters from various ballet versions of folk tales, set in the aftermath of a great war between the High and Low Kingdoms of Faerie and the Middle World of Humankind.  Main character is now Klara Stahlbaum (from The Nutcracker), other characters are her brother, who I’ve named Anton because I don’t like the name Fritz, a Firebird, an OFC who is a human/Firebird mongrel, the Lilac Fairy, and a pregnant giantess.  The main antagonist, the Taker of Daughters, is Kostschei the Terrible.  Currently at just over 77.000 words.  I’m not sure if this is working, though.  I’m having what I can only call tonal problems and struggling to find a balance between the darker and the less-dark elements of the story. So it may end up being abandoned altogether.

The Smiling Assassin

This was a NaNoWriMo project from 2014; a thriller about a retired MI6 agent working for a small London charity, who gets pulled back into his old world when a friend from the past asks him for a favour.  It backfired at around 36,000 words when I realised the plot was not only derivative as all hell but also really sucked!  

Fortitude

A Sci-Fi story about first contact with a telepathic alien species; needs re-writing a lot, but the basic storyline is still good.

A dream of death

My “no-zombies zombie apocalypse” story.  Yeah, that.

Midnight in the Café Tana

An urban fantasy about a local government employee who is a practising witch, and her attempts to help her ex who has fallen victim to a psychic vampire.

Nohomer

A Sci-Fi piece mixing a love story inspired by Pelleas et Melisande with a background of social conflict between rich and poor in a far-off future of Rampant Intergalactic Capitalism.

The war is over

A Sci-Fi story inspired by the core ideas from my very first ever fan-fic, which was a sequel to Return of the Jedi written when I was a teenager. Key plot points are A) the Emperor is dead and the beleaguered Evil Empire is on the verge of losing the galactic civil war, looking for ways to fight back and sabotage their enemies, and B) any Emperor worth his salt is bound to have a son-and-heir tucked away somewhere.

Also sitting in my Dropbox, Pt 2: Completed original fiction

The Healers

A magic realist historical fantasy Western; a faith healer who really can heal rescues a member of the Jesse James gang from certain death and hires him to ride shotgun with her. They travel through 1880’s Missouri having assorted adventures, healing various people and one another and trying not to get killed by various other people who want to bring him to justice, while falling in love.  Features lots of gritty local colour, dirt, violence, whores, blood, sex, angst and feels.  I had a ball writing this and it’s probably my best piece of full-length original fic so far.

The Secret Country

Urban fantasy with people who have real magical powers/superpowers trying desperately not to get found out and caught by a government agency determined to make use of them as weapons.  Flawed as a piece of writing, but quite an exciting read if you can get past a few sticky patches.

The eternal love of Gabriel Yeats

A slightly bonkers magic realist historical fantasy, featuring time travel, reincarnation, doomed romance and a lot of major character death.  Very fond of this one too though it has its issues as a piece of novel writing – it’s much too episodic and has a big structural flaw which I never managed to solve successfully.

Ramundi’s sisters

A historical romance about an artist and his three sisters in early C20th rural Sicily.  Very angsty and feels-y, with thwarted love and lots of unhappiness for everyone.  This was my first full-length novel and although I think I’ve improved a lot since as a writer then I’m still fond of it because I remember the thrill of writing it and having it flow.

[aion-rsa]

INTERVIEW: Dark Horse Crowns The Once and Future Queen of Camelot

With their now-concluded ongoing Monkeybrain Comics series “Amelia Cole,” the team of D.J. Kirkbride, Adam P. Knave and Nick Brokenshire literally took a wrench to the concept of magic and mysticism, in the process creating one of the publisher’s most beloved and acclaimed comics. This year, however, the team have reformed for a new series – and this time they’re swinging from the hilt, sword in hand.

“The Once and Future Queen” is a re-imagining of the legend of King Arthur, but sees the sword in the stone pulled by Rani Arturus, a teenage girl living in the modern day who travels to England to participate in a chess tournament. Having somehow ended up pulling out a mythical sword which entitles her to reign as Queen, Rani has to deal not only with all that brings – but also the arrival of Merlin, magic, and a whole mess of trouble coming directly for her.

As pencilled by Brokenshire, this looks to be a classically madcap take on the legend of Arthur. CBR spoke with the creative team about everything they have planned for their new series at Dark Horse. Also, we spoke about “Silverhawks” for some reason.

Cover art for “The Once and Future Queen” #1

CBR: How important was it for you all to be involved in this one – to have Frank, Nick, Adam and D.J. all working together again?

Nick Brokenshire: I feel that we communicate very easily. And after having played in the all ages sandbox, I wanted to see what we as a team could do with something a bit meatier. Also, I was ready to try some different things with the art and figured the lads would trust me enough to do it… I hoped they would, and they did.

D.J. Kirkbride: Nick, Adam, and I learned so much over the course of 30 issues of “Amelia Cole,” not only in terms of working together, but of making comics in general. Adam and I have also done several books with Frank, together and separately, and we knew he’d work well with Nick, too. This is our dream team here.

Adam P. Knave: We all work with other people, and other teams and we enjoy that too, but you get a certain creative matrix going and you can just lean in. It’s like, remember that old cartoon “Silverhawks?” You had all those dudes who were fighting crime in space and what-not, all silvery and decked out with fancy wings that somehow worked in space and all. And sure, they could fight crime apart, but when they’re together, well then you really get a sense of “Man you guys need to stop coordinating your outfits quite so much and why does that one guy have a bandana and cowboy hat anyway?” it’s like that with us. Except in all the ways it’s different.

Kirkbride: The bandana and cowboy hat is applicable to our team, too, though. It’s about style, Adam.

Knave: Oh, right, good point.

How does the collaborative process work between you after your long run on “Amelia Cole”? Do you find that you can almost work shorthand with one another now?

Brokenshire: It feels very similar but with wondrous added sparkle of our editor, Shantel LaRocque, keeping us straight and giving course correction. It’s very pleasant, from my perspective. I like working with the chaps and they pity me enough to give me stories to draw.

Kirkbride: It’s great to have her editorial perspective. She’s very involved in an encouraging way. In terms of the writing, Adam and I always want to impress Nick first, so if he’s excited to draw, we know we’ve got something potentially good on our hands. We live to impress that guy. Maybe it’s his cool Scottish accent…and the fact that he can write, too…and draw…and, c’mon, he’s an awesome musician, too! All that talent in one person is unfair, frankly. Oh, speaking of, Frank also chimes in with his take on some of the story elements, which has been invaluable. He saved our butts recently.

Knave: Look at these guys giving you smart simple answers. This is why they keep making me answer last, Steve. This. Is. Why. Because I’ll give you the truth they fear! They fear as if Mon*Star and his mob were after them. No, wait, never mind. But yeah, we admit, there is a level of shorthand that creeps in on any group working together for long enough. We all built these characters together so D.J. and I can type “Rani’s mad” and Nick knows what that means from a body language perspective and how it shapes a panel in ways we might have to use twenty words with for someone else.

We also just have a huge amount of trust in each other at this point. So there can be notes telling Nick to go a bit nuts, and we’ll leave him alone for certain scenes and when we get ultra-specific he trusts we’re not doing it to annoy him and he can see the reasons behind our choices. Also knowing Nick’s approach so well lets us craft pages specifically to him in even deeper ways.

If “Amelia Cole” was for all-ages, then “The Once and Future Queen” aims at telling a YA story. What is it that you find so interesting about writing into that demographic, and changing up your approach and audience?

Knave: One of my biggest personal challenges on “Amelia Cole” was the language use. I curse. A lot. Like, too much, probably. It’s an issue. Frankly, I wasn’t raised right. So I had to rein all that in super tight for years. Now we can use some good ol’ light PG-13 cussin’ and it makes me happy. But also thematically, pushing this up to YA from all-ages allows us to explore more mature themes, in the real sense, not just “Adam like to curse” sense. It’s not that the story is darker (though it can be at times, a lot of them) but there is a different perspective at play here, a more adult one. You’ll see it in relationships, in actions, and choices made.

Kirkbride: When we were starting “Amelia Cole”, our goal was to make a truly “all-ages” comic. Not a “kid’s” book. They’re often awesome, but kids seem to always want to read up. We wanted it to be like a kid watching Star Wars with her folks, for example. Everyone’s enjoying it, not just the youngster. For “The Once and Future Queen”, one of our goals was to age up in part so that Nick could stretch his artistic style while Adam and I challenged ourselves to dig into some deeper themes, but also in the hopes that if a reader grew up a little reading “Amelia Cole” over its four year run, they’d be ready to follow us onto something that skewed a little older.

And now Adam gets to use type the “s-word” and whatnot in scripts. It makes him happy, and that’s all any of us really want. That, and pizza.

What was it that first interested you all in taking Arthurian mythology and redefining it within the series?

Knave: I have always wanted to work on an Arthurian story. I had outlines of novels dealing with it, I read a bunch of it, it’s a capital-T Thing for me. And yet, until D.J. mentioned going there for the story I hadn’t thought of doing it with this approach. Which thrills my cold, dead, heart.

Brokenshire: For me, Arthurian Legend is in my creative DNA. Also The Brokenshire’s have a deep connection to Cornwall (among other places) so it’s very groovy for me to tell this tale. I read “Le Morte D’Arthur” when I was 16 and Boorman’s “Excalibur” is in my top 10 movies.

Kirkbride: Everyone knows of the legend, even if it’s in a tangential sense. Even if you’ve never read the stories or T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King”, there’s Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone” and the fact that “Star Trek” has a very round table feel to it. It’s in our collective consciousness.

How do you keep that connection to old-time myth but take a story like this into a contemporary, modern-day setting?

Brokenshire: I grew up in a very magical place in Scotland called The Hill Of Fare in Aberdeenshire, where fairies and goblins and all manner of creatures dwell. I would walk through the forest with my dog in he middle of the night singing and inventing nonsense. I draw upon that part of my life. As for the contemporary, I personally have a few people in mind when I draw these characters and I try to infuse as much of their personality into what I’m doing. Hopefully that gives them some contemporary realism… I hope it does!

Knave: Myths are about people. We’re still people. The point of the myths, a lot of what they dealt with, are still relevant just in new and strange ways. So the trick was always to find the threads and pull them forward, and then snap them off, twist and tangle them and get something new out of them. Something that wasn’t “Silverhawks,” because this could have been a “Silverhawks” book if we did everything totally differently and… good lord why can’t I stop thinking about that dumb old TV show today? I apologize, on behalf of myself and my ancestors. And Lt. Colonel Bluegrass.

“Silverhawks” aside for the moment, who is Rani, your lead character? What kind of a person is she, and what are her goals, ambitions, motivations?

Kirkbride: Rani’s a pretty serious and very intelligent person. She has an analytical mind and goes with her gut less than, say, Amelia Cole. Amelia was super “leap before looking,” especially at the start of the series. Rani likes to plan. We join her at a crossroads in her life as she pursues her passion for chess without a clear goal of what to do for her future. She’s taking a break before college, though that’s presumably the next step. Then we throw a spanner in the works with all this crazy Excalibur stuff, and while it’s terrifying and totally unexpected, it might help her reach her true potential.

Knave: And it might not, to be honest. Life is never a straight line and it’s always messy, and Rani always loved structure and held it close. Shifting isn’t easy for any of us, and with the pressure she’s under, well, it doesn’t always end well.

Kirkbride: So, to recap, we’re probably ruining Rani’s fictional life.

Knave: Which is, in fact, our job. Right? Not to say she doesn’t get big happy bits, too. She does.

There’s a chess motif running through the series, with Rani herself a chess prodigy. Is this story all about the Queen, then, or can we expect a full ensemble piece here?

Knave: This is a big ensemble piece with a central character to pin it in place. Like the original Star Trek, really. Sure Kirk was the main character and the story often revolved around him, but Spock and McCoy, and the whole bridge crew really, were fully formed characters and had important things to do and say, pushing story in different directions that if it had been The Captain Kirk show. The Queen might call the shots, for the most part, but any good leader knows you listen to the people around you and make them count. Even a pawn can be crucial, after all.

Kirkbride: I’m more of a checkers guy, so whatever Adam said is probably right. King me.

How did you approach the design of the characters? Nick, were you working from any particular inspiration or theme, here?

Brokenshire: I made it my aim to make these characters visually far more realistic than the Amelia Cole characters. Like I said, I do have certain people in mind as basic character templates for everyone. No-one famous, just people I know. Rani is something of an amalgam. The other major thing that I’ve done is create very specific wardrobes for the characters and I will literally don their clothes (or the closest thing I can find) and take reference pictures for almost every panel. I’ve paid attention to inventing body movements and postures that are particular to each character. I have folders full of me posing as the characters trying to find their style.

Clothes-wise, we decided early on that Rani would be something of a punk-rock girl so that’s quite a specific style. Gwen is a funny mixture, she’s totally badass but likes to wear powder blue and pink. Lance is a maker of things so he’s practical in his attire. The Fae, they are a mix of traditional Fairy, Uruk Hai and something more contemporary. I think about this stuff non-stop. I could go on!

Kirkbride: Nick’s attention to detail here really shows. Sometimes it’s tough in comics to tell characters apart if they don’t have fancy costumes (Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent used to be visually pretty interchangeable, for instance.), but Nick’s given them all unique faces and body types and poses. It makes the visual storytelling more sophisticated, and it gives Adam and me the ability to get into some more subtleties in the writing.

The creative team previously worked on “Amelia Cole”

Of course, though…. the story of Arthur is a tragedy, filled with villainy, betrayal, and torment. What sort of surprises can we expect from your story as it develops across the coming months?

Brokenshire: Jousting, Magic Rocks, Monsters, Bloodshed and a dash of “Dawson’s Creek”. Is that fair to say, boys?

Kirkbride: That sounds about right. While we’re using Arthurian Legend as a starting point, this is very much its own story. Some of the surprises and excitement will come in little twists to the familiar tropes, but it’s really its own thing. Our goal was to surprise each other when creating it. Part of the fun of doing an indie book with a publisher as encouraging as Dark Horse and an editor as open as Shantel is that no idea is too “out there”–at least not yet. She hasn’t read the script for issue 5 yet.

Knave: All I can really say is, to people who are familiar with our work on “Amelia Cole” – we planted stuff in issue one that didn’t pay off until the last arc. We build deep, and leave a ton of space to shift around our own plans and still land where we mean to. So there’s a lot going on under the surface here.

Issue #1 of “The Once and Future Queen” arrives March 1, 2017.

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