#i love aithusa so much

[seaweed-is-cool]

i love aithusa with all my heart she's just a little baby dragon and she deserved better than what the show gave to her

[appropriatelystupid]

can you tell us the story of how you found your cats? i'm sick in bed and would love a heartwarming story :)

ooo you caught me at the right time because i just sat down with quite a bit of time to kill (also I hope you feel better soon <3)

when i say rey picked me i fucking mean it

it’s a lengthy so i’m gonna put it under the cut and kitten pics (first pics i took of the three of them)

our story begins all the way back in 2015:

over the summer i’d had to say good bye to one of my two remaining childhood cats, pongo, after ~17 years. my mom still had the last, catscan, but in september i would be leaving for a new job in a new state and she wouldn’t be able to come with me

there was a few months of training for this new job that meant i was in a situation where i couldn’t have pets yet but by mid december i was in my new apartment and DESPERATELY needed felines back in my life (legit this is the longest i’d ever lived without a cat in my home)

so finally, sorta settled between xmas and new years, i began my search for some kittens

i pretty quickly found the closest humane society to me and started scrolling their cats and there was a GORGEOUS long-haired tortie/calico kitten with a tragic backstory to boot

within a day or two i drove over to try and meet the kitten and see if any others seemed bonded to it because i knew i wanted two so they’d have company while i was at work

so i get there and do some intro stuff with the staff and run through the five cats i’d grown up with (and the bonus cats that crossed my life in various ways) clearly proving i wasn’t terrible and was absolutely qualified for adoption. the next step was meeting all the cats they had

(a brief note about the layout of this place: it’s located in an old house that’s been remodeled to serve this purpose so there are a handful of rooms set up for different groups of cats and each room has a door that’s almost fully a window so they can keep an eye out easier)

so we go into the first room that has the very little kittens and obviously they’re all adorable but they’re only just big enough to technically be ready to go to a new home so none of them jumped out at me

the second room, as it turned out, would be the game changer

in the second room only had two cats in it. lucy and leon (who i remembered had a terribly unflattering photo on the website) were nearly six months old and were very obviously related and likely part of why they were separated from the others

the room had a cat tree in one corner but also had a wall mounted about waist height on three of the walls for them to get to the window. there was a single folding chair placed to the side of the room

so we approach the second room and the employee showing me around tells me she has to take care of something and that i should just wait in the room until she’s done (majorly sus but i think she could tell rey was about to pick me). both kittens are standing in the door window watching me come over

so i scooch into the room and go to sit in the chair and before i’m even fully seated the girl cat is already jumping in my lap to curl up and start purring. the boy, clearly more skittish than his sister, gets up on the wall to sniff at me from a safer distance but eventually stretches out to get a paw on my shoulder to really get some sniffs in

i only sat there for maybe five minutes but my original plan was wobbling majorly

the staffer comes to get me eventually and we continue through the rest of the rooms. the fourth room had the gorgeous kitten and some other unrelated cats. and it was too nervous to really let me pet her. the others didn’t seem too interested in our presence either so no second cat from the room seemed like the one either

we moved on, headed downstairs to the new new kittens who weren’t ready for adoption and the seniors who i wish i could’ve considered more seriously (my pain from the summer was still a little too fresh and i knew catscan was only going to be around so much longer)

as we head upstairs to finish up some paperwork we talk through the next steps. they like my vibes but still need to call my references to do their do diligence. when we walk by, lucy and leon are back in their door window watching

i leave for the day, text my friend to warn her she’d be getting a call, and head to target to pick up some stuff. within an hour, barely into my target run, i get the call that i’m approved to adopt, and do i have any front runners for who i wanted to take home

there was no question about it: it had to be lucy and leon

rather unfortunately, the timing of it all meant i couldn’t actually pick them up until january 2nd (only four days later but a long four days of impatience) but then, just like that, i had two precious little kittens in my house just in time for their sixth month birthday on the 3rd, now named rey and legolas

~cut to april 2021~

i’m sitting at work one day and my buddy texts me that his sister came home that day, during a storm, to discover four kittens in a storm drain/gutter. she’d sat around for a bit to see if a mother came back but after an hour or so couldn’t bear to leave them out alone anymore so she brought them inside

i let him know, if she needed any help with placing them after she got them checked out i could probably help (we lived near each other and both my parents had separately talked about wanting a cat again. and i was moving out of my apartment into more space and figured i could probably handle a third if it came down to it)

two-ish months later, i’ve moved lego and rey into their new house and my buddy texts me again, am i still interested in another cat

there was one of the four yet to be claimed and i said absolutely give me the little guy

my buddy puts me in touch with his sister and we sort out a time for me to come by and, within a day or two, kieran joins the clowder

[arthurslesbian]

i need a fic where arthur hears about morgana being kept and rescues her :(

[chronicowboy]

devastated myself with thoughts of arthur, gwen and merlin raising a little girl as heir to the throne. you know gwen would be so excited when she met her, and she'd be such a good mother i literally can't think about it too much or i'll die but she'd teach her how to be kind and compassionate but never ever take anyone's shit. and arthur. well arthur's scared at first because he doesn't really get girls (or that's what he hides behind when actually he's just terrified he doesn't know how to be a father) like morgana could swordfight but she was still what he considered "girly", so what does that mean? but he loves her desperately, she's his pride and joy, so of course he gets the blacksmith to make her a little sword for her tiny hands and starts teaching her how to fight. maybe it ends in silly games half the time because she's just a kid and arthur never really got to be one but it's fun and it's perfect and it's happy. merlin watches from the sidelines fond and proud and so full of love he can barely breathe with it. when she gets a little older arthur starts letting her train with the knights so she can learn different fighting styles and they all let her win when she starts looking tired and they die very dramatic deaths just to make her giggle. and merlin. merlin would quite literally make mountains fall to make that little girl happy. he performs every trick she asks and takes her to meet aithusa at least once a week and maybe even teaches her a spell or two. and arthur watches this from the sidelines so fond and proud and full of love that he aches and he wonders how he ever thought this was evil - how he ever thought merlin wasn't this man who would conjure butterflies with the snap of his fingers just to see a little girl smile. and do you see it? how the power throuple of camelot becomes The parenting unit of all time?

[pippin-katz]

With Merlin trending, allow me to share my genius idea.

I don't really want a revival or season 6, but maybe they could do an epilogue/post-show special?

I think the funniest and most potential idea is obviously a special where Arthur rises and Merlin has to introduce him to the modern world, but that pretty much cuts all the other characters out of the equation for what is supposed to be a reunion/anniversary/comeback special.

So maybe it could be a series of moments in time, like episode 3 of Good Omens?

Here's some things I thought of that would have good potential to be in a special:

Parts of Guinevere's rule: Did she get remarried and have kids? Did she repeal the magic ban?

Did Merlin ever go back to Camelot? If he did, a scene of him and Guinevere actually discussing his magic would be awesome, since her "reveal" was an indirect confirmation from Gaius.

Where did Aithusa go? We know she was alive after the battle, but it never shows her again after Emrys sends her away. Did Merlin finally get to be her mentor/guardian? Did she recover from the crippling that she experienced, and learn to speak?

How did Camelot fall/disperse into a modern country? Camelot is obviously in modern day England. How did it stop being Camelot? Was it destroyed or absorbed by an enemy? Did it gradually turn into England?

Magic: What is magic like? Does it die out except for Merlin? Does it still exist, but the general population stopped believing it to be real because of how rare sorcerers become? What about magic creatures like the griffin and the fomorroh?

Merlin waiting for Arthur: Episode 3 of Good Omens includes a compilation of scenes of Aziraphale and Crowley across the centuries and in different eras. It would be cool to see Merlin moving through time similarly.

Arthur rising from the lake: This is a given, it has to happen. We have been very patient, and Merlin has been even more patient. We deserve to see the Once and Future King rise again.

Arthur in the modern world: Obviously, this would be really fun and silly, as well as somber. Seeing Arthur learn about modern things would be funny, but obviously, he would have to come to terms with the passage of so much time.

The only issue I find with this lineup of events/scenes is finding a way to bring Katie McGrath back, since Morgana died during the events of the canon show, not in the future like Gwen, Gaius, Percival, or Leon.

I guess it would be most effective to have some flashback scenes mixed into the flashforward scenes. Flashbacks would also allow other important, deceased characters to come back for the special, like the knights, (Lancelot, Elyan, Gwaine) and Uther, since Anthony Head was a major actor in the show.

Regardless, THIS is what I would want if BBC Merlin "came back". THIS would be amazing. It would satisfy the desire to see into the future of the characters without needing a full season, which the cast/crew have all said they don't want to do.

Share this around if you like this idea! I would love to see other people's additions.

[merthurogies]

I love your merthur baby au so much ❤️❤️❤️ do you have any headcanons about them that you haven't drawn yet?

AW thank you so much!!! 😭🫶 here’s a couple of my fav headcanons for them :D

- arthur likes trying to do her hair, but he’s really bad at it (he’s been getting gwen to teach him in secret)

- merlin’s sees a lot of himself in her and he’s cried to arthur more than once about how glad he is that she’ll never have to learn to hide or live in fear like he did

- she loves playing with aithusa, but merlin and arthur always worry that aithusa will accidentally burn her and never leave them together unsupervised because of it

- when she was an infant arthur would often bring her to unimportant and boring council meetings and she always slept in his arms like a little angel during them

- because she’s always running around and getting into trouble around the castle all the knights and guards know to keep an eye out for her and get regularly updated on her ever growing list of favorite places/things to get into

[camelots-daffodil]

My Fic Masterlist ✨

🌻 Diplomatic Immunity & Other Benefits

(Merthur, T) Marriage of convenience to save Merlin from execution but discover ✨feelings✨

🌻 Love in a Time of Dragons

(Gen, T) After Arthur’s death, Merlin has to find something else to live for, at least until Arthur comes back (Dragons)

In Progress, updates tagged #liatod

🌻 Until Forever

(Merthur, T) Hurt/comfort when Merlin gets injured by one of Morgana’s curses, Arthur cares for him

🌻 The Way Things Work

(Merthur, T) 4+1, The knights love Merlin and protect him by enforcing the ‘rules’

🌻 How Many Are There!?

(Leon & Merlin / Merthur, G) Leon is shocked as he slowly learns about all the secrets Merlin’s been keeping

🌻 Knights of Camelot: Just Add Water

(Gen, G) Merlin expected Arthur to rise up out of the lake. What he wasn’t expecting were the knights rising up out of random water sources where ever he went

🌻 I Hate You Because I Love Him

(Merthur, G) Recently promoted to Court Sorcerer, Merlin is jealous of Arthur’s new manservant, and the knights place bets

🌻 5 Times Merlin Didn’t Say It + 1 Time Arthur Did

(Merthur, T) Ft. Arthur being SO WHIPPED and Merlin being a little shit. Established relationship.

🌻 I Slithered Here from Eden

(Morgwen, T) Whilst imprisoned with Aithusa by the Sarrum of Amarta, Morgana dreams only of Gwen

🌻 The Kissing Fever

(Merthur, T) Love is in the air! Only Merlin thinks that there’s a little too much of it given that everyone seems unable to stop kissing each other

🌻 At Least Out Loud, I Won’t Say I’m In Love

(Merthur, T) Arthur and Merlin are having a fight over something stupid and it’s driving the knights absolutely insane.

🌻 Lucky I Love You

(Merthur, T) Merlin keeps using his Dragoon disguise to meddle in court - when Arthur finds out, it's only so long before he confronts him

🌻 That Which Binds Us

(Merthur, T) On the battlefield, Merlin takes an arrow for Arthur and pays the ultimate price. Arthur has to use magic to get him back.

🌻 Sometimes, All You Need is a Push

(Morgwen / Merthur, G) Morgana is hopelessly in love with Gwen, and Gwen doesn’t realise. Exactly like Merlin and Arthur. Maybe all it takes for a happy ending is an outsider’s point of view.

🌻 Little Do You Know (Just How Much I Love You)

(Merthur, T) 5+1 Arthur gradually sleeps closer to Merlin while out on quests, until they sleep better with each other than without.

🌻 Your Eyes, They Shine So Bright (I Want To Save That Light)

(Merthur, T) What if instead of millenia, Merlin only had to wait 200 years for Arthur to return? (+knights return)

🌻 For You, For Me

(Merthur, T) Merlin and Arthur are taken captive and Arthur claims that Merlin is his consort to save his life

🌻 No One Hurts Merlin

(Gen, T) Merlin, Arthur, and Leon are captured while on a quest, by a sorceress claiming to have a way to identify Emrys. The way? Poison.

🌻 Kiss Me Once

(Merthur-ish, T) Everybody wants to Kiss Merlin, and the only way to fix the issue is to improvise.

🌻 Happy For You

(Arwen, Merlin&Gwen, G) It's Gwen and Arthur's wedding day, Gwen misses her family, and Merlin comes through for her.

🌻 Holding Onto You

(Gen / Merthur, G) There was only one bed, and Arthur’s Daddy Issues

🌻 As My World Caves In

(Merthur, T) Last episode Fix-It Fic where Arthur doesn’t die. No one dies

🌻 Body Swap

(Merthur, T) Merlin & Arthur are cursed to swap bodies, with some scarred Merlin content for fun

🌻 Kiss, Kill… Same Thing

(Merthur, T) ‘Servant of Two Masters’ rewrite where instead of trying to murder Arthur, Merlin’s trying to kiss him

🌻 It Never Had To End Like This

(Merthur, T) A rewrite of episode 5x13 that follows their journey, but with a different destination

🌻 Beasts of Blame

(Merlin & Arthur, T) 700 word angsty magic reveal drabble for the anniversary

🌼 Family Line

Not a Fic but I made a gif set of Morgana and Uther to Conan Gray Lyrics for the bingo prompt hatred :)

🌼 Custom Gwen Funko Pop

Not a Fic but I made a custom funko pop of Gwen! I love her a lot

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

I loved your Morgana in National City headcannons from forever ago...but could you do Lena in Camelot for the prompt thing? More specifically, Lena doing her darndest to build the crudest of computers so she can at least try to get home on her own terms instead of waiting around for a wormhole to open up or whatever & building water pumps, inventing electricity, etc. in her spare time to help the people--and finding a friend in Gwen. Maybe they bond enough that when she can go home, she doesn't.

When Lena wakes up after the explosion in her lab, she quickly falls into survival mode. Water, shelter, food. In that order. Being dumped in a forest seemingly in the middle of nowhere actually helps in this sense. She finds water in a nearby stream, and it’s a simple thing to erect a small lean to out of various pine boughs that cover the forest floor. 

Food is a little more difficult. 

She finds a few plants she recognizes as edible, but that only means something if she’s on earth, and something tells her something is off. Whether it’s a matter of planet, reality, or time, she doesn’t feel like she’s home. In the end, she decides to trust her knowledge and hope that the recognizable plants are similar enough to what she knows that they won’t kill her. And if they do make her sick, better to know now while her system is strong and healthy.

Lena sticks close to her makeshift camp– she hypothesizes that any hope of rescue will come through the same portal she did, which she anticipates is keyed to this exit point. Her reasoning is sound, but later that night, after the sun goes down and a heavy downpour decides to dump on her lean to, she can’t help but wonder if she made the right decision to not seek out a nearby settlement. 

If there even is one. 

As she sits there, huddled and miserable with her breath puffing visibly from her lips, she tries to get her numb fingers to cooperate long enough to light her meager fire. Attempt after attempt ends in failure, until her skin is rubbed raw and bloody.

“Mother fucker!” 

Lena throws her sticks aside with a shout of anger. The curse doesn’t cut the chill or dull her misery, but it doesn’t hurt, either.

????

An inquisitive chirp pierces the carpet of rainfall around her, sending Lena scrambling for the makeshift spear she’d fashioned out of a longer branch. But when she squints into the darkness, it’s not a person that’s joined her, but a creature. Lena looks down and sees a large… lizard? Lizard. She sees a large lizard step tentatively under her lean to, dripping rainwater from its scales. 

“Oh.” She regards it for a long moment, but when it doesn’t do anything more than sit on her bed of dry pine needles, she relaxes. “Okay then.”

Lena settles back in, but keeps her spear close. She wipes the rain from her face, and wrings out her hair as she gazes at her houseguest. “So. Who are you, huh?”

The lizard blinks at her. It chirps.

Aithusa.

She feels the answer more than she hears it. In fact, the lizard doesn’t so much as twitch as the name seems to flood Lena’s mind. Panic immediately fills Lena, gripping her stomach tight and twisting.

“Can… can you understand me?”

A wash of reassurance steals over Lena, easing her panic. It doesn’t feel natural, doesn’t feel like an emotion of her own, but something else’s. Aithusa’s, she imagines. She also feels a sense of affirmation, an answer to her question.

Taking a shaking breath, Lena fights the urge to scream and bolt. “Okay. That’s okay. Totally, totally okaaaaaa— woah!”

She snaps her mouth shut when the lizard– Aithusa– crawls closer, then slithers into her lap. There it settles in, curling up into a loose ball in the nest of Lena’s crossed legs. Before she has a chance to fully freak out, Lena feels the heat emanating from the creature, vibrating like croon of a purr. 

“Ohhhhhh,” Lena sighs, immediately relaxing into the warmth. “Okay. Yeah, I can be okay with this.”

Tentatively, she places her hand on the creature’s dorsal ridge, and lets her thumb brush lightly against its scales. In response, the creature nuzzles a little deeper. “Hey there.”

Aithusa huffs, releasing a small puff of smoke.

Welcome.

//prompts are closed

[kosmikowboj]

oh my god I did it

meant to post this last night but it was Late by the time I finished editing, so I just went straight off to bed; here it is, in all its glory—my fic for @merlin-fic-server’s tournament of champions! basic premise is you have to write a 10k fic in 24 hours, and somehow I ended up with 13k. something about the indomitable human spirit, something something. HUGE shoutout to my group, group 4, because those 13k would definitely not exist without their encouragement <3

my prompts:

setting - western au genre - hurt/comfort trope - marriage prompt - talking and communication issues

there’s some “Old West”-typical gun violence and drinking, the specifics of which are posted in the end notes on ao3. but, by and large, it’s a dumb, fun fic about our two favorite idiots falling in love that let me play into my affinity for horses and the kitschy, overly-romanticized western aesthetic, lol. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it!

tennessee whiskey

[read on ao3; word count: 13.4k]

Goldbluff had to be, by far, one of the busiest towns Merlin had ever traveled to. 

There were just as many people on foot as there were on horseback, with seemingly no order as to who was going where. People clumped in the street and outside of storefronts, haggling for lower prices on tack while their kids played catch perilously close to the horses and buggies. In any given patch of shade there were a half a dozen people playing some kind of card game, and someone was chasing a dog up one of the walkways. Merlin ultimately had to dismount just to avoid inadvertently trampling somebody. 

His horse Aithusa didn’t seem to mind the commotion, too busy nosing at strangers’ pockets in an attempt to find a snack. Merlin, though, couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed; his bounty-hunting work typically took him to the outskirts of any given place, and he generally liked to keep to himself otherwise. This was definitely a change of pace.

It certainly didn’t help in finding an inn, that was for damn sure. By the time Merlin found a place not already chock-full of people the sun was hanging low in the sky, blanketing the town with warm rays made hazy by the dust. The sign outside proclaimed the place as “Golden Horizons Inn”, which Merlin might have found a little funny if he wasn’t bone-tired and sweatier than a city-slicker. As he might have expected, the bustling scene from earlier was largely due to cityfolk who had come to town hoping to find the gold for which it was named. That, Merlin had no interest in—he was here for a much different purpose. 

But first, he needed a drink. 

The Rising Sun was the closest saloon to Golden Horizons, and he tied Aithusa up outside with dinner and a promise that he’d be quick. Hanging out in bars wasn’t really his standard fare, but it was a good way to get the lay of the land, so to speak. Plus, he was exhausted, having been traveling for days on end between towns with a drying waterskin—and that was before he had had to fight the crowds to find a place to sleep for the night. There was nothing wrong with a little pick-me-up after all that. 

Tacked up just outside the bar was a wanted poster, yellowed with age and torn at the corners. It boasted a handsome five-hundred-dollar reward for the capture of the infamous bandit Emrys, though the attached image was an insultingly poor recreation of said “ne'er-do-well”. Merlin scoffed, pondering it for a moment, and then went inside.

“You’re not from around here,” the barkeep said as Merlin took his seat. He was handsome in a roguish sort of way, with scruffy facial hair and dark brown half-curls that fell to his shoulders. It was the kind of face that made Merlin smile a little involuntarily, and he leaned into it.

“What gave it away?”

“You look like someone I would have made a point to know if you were,” the barkeep replied, winking. 

“Flatterer.” 

“That’s what my husband says.” The barkeep sighed dramatically before holding out his hand. “Name’s Gwaine.” 

“Merlin.” 

Gwaine’s eyes went wide with surprise as they shook hands. “The bounty hunter!”

Merlin sighed, propping his elbows up on the bar. “For better or for worse.”

“What brings you here? What juicy gossip have I missed?”

“None, I’m afraid,” Merlin replied. “Just looking for work.” Which was not, to his credit, a total lie. 

“Well, I’m sure you’ll have better luck of it than all these people diggin’ for gold. Don’t get me wrong—I love when all these idiots come to town. Business is booming. Obviously. But, little town secret for you: pretty sure they’re gonna be shit outta luck.” 

Merlin chuckled.  

“Well, anyway. What can I do you for? It’ll be on the house, whatever it is.” 

“That’s not necessary.” 

“You’re the prettiest boy to walk in here since my husband. And you can hold a conversation. It’s on the house.” 

Merlin wasn’t one to refuse free food and drink a second time. “You make Mule Skinners?” 

Gwaine made a small, unexpected sound, grinning. “You keep surprising me, Merlin. Figured a man like you would shoot his whiskey straight.” 

“I’m not a masochist.” 

Gwaine laughed. “You’re better than the legends say. How do you feel about fish?” 

“For free? Great.” 

“Perfect.” 

While Gwaine set to prepping his drink, Merlin took the opportunity to properly take in the saloon around him. There weren’t many people sitting at the bar with him; most of the patrons were scattered among the tables, chatting and laughing with a rowdy sort of loudness that always made Merlin annoyed. The decor consisted largely of mounted deer heads and kitschy posters about cowboys and finding gold—Gwaine was a master in marketing, he could give him that—along with a couple of plants behind the bar. That latter part was surprising, especially considering that they actually seemed to be alive and well. Merlin made a note to ask him about them when he got back. 

Before Gwaine could return, though, Merlin caught sight of a couple of men crowded around a table nestled in one of the saloon’s corners. They were being particularly loud, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but upon closer inspection he saw that they were all crowded around someone sitting at the table. He frowned, getting up from his seat. 

As he neared the small crowd, his suspicions were confirmed, now able to make out what they were actually saying over the general din of the saloon. “Come on, now,” one of the men goaded, a big burly blond bloke with a cruel smile set in his face. He shoved the sitting man’s shoulder with an unkind force. “Do you really think you’re going to make anything of yourself out here?”

“Alright, come off it,” Merlin said loudly. The blond man turned to look at him, raising an amused eyebrow. He was dressed in a red button-down with white threading, tucked loosely into a pair of too-clean pants that were held up by a garish belt buckle. He also had on a nice leather vest, and a cowboy hat that clearly hadn’t seen a whole lot of actual work. It all pointed towards him being another idiot from the city who had come out to Goldbluff looking for gold and a quick buck. 

“What’s that now?” the man asked, clearly expecting Merlin to back off.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was speaking to a simpleton. Let me rephrase.” Merlin stepped between the group and the table. “Leave him alone. He’s just having dinner.” 

The man barked out a shocked laugh. “And just who do you think you are?”

“A halfway-decent person. You oughta try it.” 

The man was twirling a pistol around in his hand, over and over like an anxious habit. Merlin figured it was supposed to look threatening, but he couldn’t be less bothered. 

“You have some nerve coming into my town and telling me how to act,” the man seethed. 

“Your town?” Merlin laughed, resting his hands on his hips. “Who the hell are you? The president?” 

“Arthur,” the man replied hotly. “The sheriff’s son.”

finish on ao3

[zaharya]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

Thank you so much for the tag @spiritofcamelot! 🥰 let's get into it then!

Horizons Over Battlegrounds — BBC Merlin, 14.5k Honestly, if someone only ever reads one thing of mine, I hope it's this one. It's a canon era fic, specifically based on that scene in s4 where the knights prank Merlin by pretending they didn't leave any food for him. I always hated this scene, it felt so utterly wrong that they would treat Merlin so terribly — this fic is my fix-it for that atrocity. It's also just some of the best writing I ever produced, and I never felt like I reached that standard again since. So yeah, this one is my pride and joy.

I wish I'd known then — BBC Merlin, 7.5k (WIP) Merthur watches Heartstopper, my beloved. Yes, this is a WIP, but it’s one of my favourite things I ever started. It was supposed to be a quick, fluffy Drabble for Dopamine, but has grown far far beyond that; it’s probably the most detailed character study I’ve ever done of Arthur — and also Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper 😅 Writing it is definitely a challenge, especially the pacing, but it’s very rewarding too when I figure out how to do a certain part. (Spoiler warnings for HS season 1!)

Get Him Back — BBC Merlin; Loaded March (by Footloose) spin-off, 14.6k If you know me at all, you know I love fight scenes, but because most my fics are short, I rarely get to write them properly. This one finally gave me the opportunity, and these scenes are among my favourite fights I’ve written, ever, and it makes me sad that only so few people will ever see them. I mean i get it, it's a spin-off but I’m sad anyway (maybe a bit less now that I have another fic with fight scenes; A Faire Fight).

Blackout Beaming Gold — BBC Merlin, 18.7k Steampunk AU my beloved! Originally written for Whumptober 2021, this one got a bit out of hand as well. I keep thinking that I wanna write a sequel, but I never find the energy to work it out in my head. My dear friend Sunfall also made amazing art for this, and it was such a joy to do this together. Featuring MurderFeline!Aithusa, low-key soulmates Merthur, pretty magic, and some quick fight scenes even.

My Breath In Your Lungs — BBC Merlin, 6.5k Another Whumptober fic, my Merman!Merlin AU; featuring a trapped Merlin, Arthur coming to rescue him, and one of my favourite not-quite-kiss scenes. I even commissioned art for it, and the lovely Miralya did an absolutely stellar job of it!

I know it says five favourite fics, but I have to give Mine To Protect an honourable mention, otherwise this just feels wrong. This is the first fic I ever published, and the older parts are honestly not up to my improved writing standards — hence why it didn't make the top 5 — but i’m still proud of having written something as big as this (213k WIP).

Tagging (without pressure of course) @tyalangand, @merlinlikethebird, @ask-geralt, @fabledfrog, @multishipperpirateking, @excited-insomniac and anyone else who feels like participating!

[ificouldwrite]

My Fic List!

this post has a link of the bbc merlin fics that i’ve written on ao3,  if you’d like to give them a read, that would be lovely! thank you so much :) i’ll also take requests if you want to send one in! 

i don’t write reader inserts, sorry! 

💚 = completed

💛 = in progress

here’s the list in no particular order: 

- To the Brows Laid in Thorn and Weapons Made of Words 💚: arthur finds out about merlin's magic prior to the events of season 5 and post-season 4. he goes into sullen silence to punish merlin for lying to him, leaving merlin in the interim of "does he want me dead or does he just need time?" Major TW: su!cide attempt, su!cidal thoughts, struggling with mental health, graphic depictions of violence, injuries, and death. (there will be a happy ending!)

- Arthur Pendragon Loves Flowers 💚: ~3,000 words, inspired by that one scene in one of the earlier episodes where Arthur asked Merlin where his flowers were, and Merlin proceeds to get Arthur bouquets of flowers from there on out. Very angsty fic, but there is a happy ending! (Love confessions, language of flowers, fluff and then heavy angst, Merlin/Arthur, TW: temporary character death, descriptions of violence, eventual happy ending).

- The Way Things Fall 💚: ~25,000 words (my longest fic!) Modern Crime AU where Merlin and Arthur are detectives trying to solve a serial killer case, but Arthur is emotionally repressed and the mystery may be closer to the heart than they think. TW: graphic descriptions of violence, death, and injuries. (Eventually happy ending, relationships: Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot, Percival/Gwaine, Morgana/Leon). 

- Love Me Not 💚: ~3,000 words, post-magic reveal. Merlin/Arthur, past Gwen/Arthur. Arthur is repressed as always. He treats Merlin very differently than he had treated Gwen, and Merlin begins to wonder whether or not he's worth being loved in the same way. Whether Arthur even loves him at all. (Emotional hurt/comfort 4+1 with a happy ending!)

- The Cost of Magic and What a King Values 💚: ~9,000 words, Merlin’s magic revealed. Arthur reacts badly and ignores Merlin’s injuries, and they have a massive falling out. Set just after "The Sword in the Stone" (part 1 and 2). Aithusa doesn't go to Morgana because Aithusa being emaciated breaks my heart, and Gwen doesn't marry Arthur. (Eventual Merlin/Arthur love confession; hurt Merlin, TW: graphic descriptions of violence + temporary character death; guilty Arthur; eventual happy ending!)

- Tell Me You Love Me 💚: ~5,000 words, Arthur Returns fic in modern era, Merlin/Arthur relationship where Arthur is emotionally repressed (as always) and can’t bring himself to say the words “I love you” to Merlin. Angst with a happy ending, character injury. 

- I’m Forever Missing Him 💚: ~8,000 words, upon the magic reveal, Arthur has Merlin hanged. (Major TW: graphic descriptions of violence, implied/referenced suicide, major character death, HEAVY angst, happy ending in chapter 2, guilty Arthur, hurt Merlin). 

- breathing memories 💚: ~6,000 words, Arthur breaks up with Merlin for having magic and relives some of his old memories through a watch. (Modern era, angst with a happy ending, emotional hurt/comfort, breaking up/making up.)

- Oh, the Scars I’ve Left  💚: ~3,000 words. Merlin makes one too many excuses to Uther on Arthur’s orders, and has to pay the price. (hurt Merlin, angst, guilty Arthur, hurt/comfort, eventual Merlin/Arthur, first kiss, TW: graphic descriptions of injuries, happy ending). 

thank you so much for reading if you choose to! this list will be updated whenever i post a new fic. have a lovely day, lovely people :D

[mslaevateinn]

My Promptober Masterlist! For whomever might like a thing I've done and would like to read more... Here it is! This year is not complete (neither was last year, although I did twice as much), but I created every day and created for all my fandoms, so it is a success for me! I posted for 23 days, with 19 fanfics or drabbles, and 4 moodboards, over 10 fandoms!

Day #1 Prompt: Hand holding (Kinktober) | I've got you (Flufftober) | How many fingers am I holding up? (Whumptober) Work: Star Trek TNG promptober drabbles Chapter 1: Just in case (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) William Riker & Deanna Troi, (pre) Troi/Riker Summary: Word count 200

Day #2 Prompt: Family, friends and loved ones (Flufftober) Work: Party Hard Chapter 1: Arrival (Tumblr) Rating: M Pairing(s) Arthur Pendragon/Merlin, Gwaine/Percival, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana Pendragon/Mithian Summary: A group of friends reunited for a play party ~ A mix of prompts from flufftober and kinktober. Word count 867

Day #3 Prompt: Lap pillow (Kinktober) Work: A lucky guy (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Nick Nelson/Charlie Spring; Nick Nelson & Imogen Heaney Summary: Imogen falls asleep using Nick as a pillow Word count 100

Day #4 Prompt: Shock (Whumptober) Work: Star Trek TNG promptober drabbles Chapter 2: A familiar stranger (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) William Riker & Deanna Troi, (pre) Troi/Riker Summary: A coda for 2x14, where Will is offered command of the Aries and sees his father for the first time in 15 years. Word count 200

Day #5 Prompt: Collaring (Kinktober) Work: Party Hard Chapter 2: Negotiation & Collaring (Tumblr) Rating: M Pairing(s) Gwaine/Percival Summary: A group of friends reunited for a play party Word count 1098

Day #6 Prompt: First kiss (Kinktober) | Corn maze (Flufftober) Work: Who knew you could pack a punch, Merlin? (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) Arthur Pendragon/Merlin Summary: Arthur heard a low growl on the right, behind him, and froze. The sound continued, slowly closing on him, and his body moved of its own accord. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him but not so fast as to crash through the corn. Word count 648

Day #7 Prompt: Wax play (Kinktober) Work: Party Hard Chapter 3: Trickling love (Tumblr) Rating: M Pairing(s) Gwen/Lancelot Summary: One couple is always a delight to observe: Gwen and Lancelot, who have decided to use wax that night. Word count 128

Day #8 Prompt: Napping together (Kinktober) | Rainy day (Flufftober) Work: The perfect nap (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Morgana & Aithusa Summary: A rainy day is the best set-up for a nice nap Word count 430

Day #10 Prompt: Love of my life (Flufftober) | 'You said you'd never leave' (Whumptober) Work: Love of my life and assorted drabbles Chapter 1: Love of my Life (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Bucky/Steve Summary: Bucky gently let his fingers glide over the keys. Love of my life. When he discovered the song, he cried. The lyrics pierced his heart and haunted him for days. Word count 584

Day #12 Prompt: Chaste kiss (Kinktober) | Fire & Ice (Flufftober) Work: A Cosy fire (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago Summary: Jake and Amy escape for the weekend and land in the middle of a snowstorm... thankfully there is a fireplace to keep them warm and cosy! Word count 100

Day #13 Prompt: Heartbeat, Playing with one's hair (Kinktober) | I don't feel so good (Whumptober) Work: Love of my life and assorted drabbles Chapter 2: Nightmare (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) Bucky/Steve Summary: Some hurt/comfort after a nightmare Word count 100

Day #15 Prompt: Massaging (Kinktober) | Supressed suffering/I'm fine (Whumptober) Work: Love of my life and assorted drabbles Chapter 3: Shoulder pain (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Bucky/Steve Summary: Bucky's shoulder is hurting him and Steve is here to help. Word count 100

Day #16 Prompt: Singing one another to sleep (Flufftober) Work: Sleep my friend, tomorrow will be better (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) Gwen & Morgana Summary: Gwen hated seeing Morgana sad. Anytime her friend seemed to be feeling down in any way, Gwen would immediately try to do something about it. But really, what Gwen hated the most was seeing Morgana cry. Word count 1472

Day #17 Prompt: Cooking/Sharing food (Kinktober) Work: A good broth to cure a bad mood (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Darcy Lewis/Natasha Romanov Summary: With autumnal weather and temperatures, people tend to feel a bit blue. Thankfully, when Darcy feels down, Natasha is here to comfort her. Word count 23

Day #18 Prompt: Spanking (Kinktober) Work: Party Hard Chapter 4: Back to the stocks (Tumblr) Rating: M Pairing(s) Arthur Pendragon/Merlin Summary: Word count 215

Day #19 Prompt: Floral bouquet (Whumptober) Work: Goddamn flowers (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) Jim Kirk/Leonard McCoy Summary: For God’s sake. Why couldn’t they go one week without any incident? Jim had once more managed to do something resulting in him needing medical attention. While he was planetside visiting a potential shore leave destination, of all times and places! How did one do that? ~~ Or, Jim sees flowers that remind him of Earth and, as it turns out, is allergic to them. To no one's surprise. Word count 669

Day #21 Prompt: Panties & Lingerie, Bathing (Kinktober) Work: Goddamn flowers Chapter 2: Down time (Tumblr) Rating: M Pairing(s) Jim Kirk/Leonard McCoy Summary: After the Flower scare, the planet is declared fit for shoreleave, and the captain and his chief medical officer enjoy some free time. Word count 812

Day #23 Prompt: Trinket (Flufftober) Work: A trinket to remember their rocky start and get him through the rocky days (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets Summary: Hugh touched the chain around his neck. He had picked up the habit a few years into his relationship with Paul, whenever his partner did something reckless. Word count 100

Day #24 Prompt: Sex Toys (Kinktober) Work: Plug in baby (Tumblr) Rating: E Pairing(s) Gwaine/Percival Summary: When Gwaine had first mentioned it, Percival had been very surprised. They had been playing a lot lately, exploring new things in bed together, but this was another level. It wasn’t just a little spice during sex, that they could end quickly if needed, in the safety of whoever’s place they were staying the night at. Word count 780

Day #25 Prompt: Nook (Flufftober) |Domesticity (Trektober) Work: Goddamn flowers Chapter 3: Finish in a flourish (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Jim Kirk/Leonard McCoy Summary: Shore leaves comes at an end Word count 27

Day #27 Prompt: Outdoor event (Flufftober) Work: Pining under the stars (Tumblr) Rating: G Pairing(s) Aziraphale/Crowley Summary: Aziraphale pines, from under the starry sky. Word count 100

Day #29 Prompt: Bonus : create a Xover (Flufftober) Work: A visit from an old family friend (Tumblr) Rating: T Pairing(s) Akhmenrah & Morpheus Summary: It was a typical night at the British Museum. Akhmenrah had been walking around the exhibits for some time, when he felt the smallest of disruptions. Word count 200

Day #31 Prompt: Free (Kinktober) Work: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the prettiest player of them all? (Tumblr) Rating: M Pairing(s) Gwaine/Percival Summary: A hotel room, a huge mirror, and two very horny hockey players. What more do you need? Word count 1000

[like-sands-of-time]

What the hell?? When/why/how would Kilgharrah let aithusa far from his sight ??? Let alone be anywhere near Morgana to heal her ?

Surely the writers weren't forgetting they said Morgana can't be killed by a mortal weapon? The sword wouldn't have been enough to kill her, just make it so she has to magically heal herself right?

And Are they not going against their own dragon lore by saying aithusa would go to anyone but Merlin or Kilgharrah? I thought the reveal was gonna be Mordred finding her but this doesn't even make sense . At least that explains why they just forgot about the dragon for the entire rest of the season bc that really seemed out of character for Merlin. That's a connection to his father right there, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to experience something his father had, watching a dragon grow up, teaching him how to speak, bonding

(also I can't believe the whole of Camelot was in the forest and nobody saw the great dragon flying overhead several times and LANDING NEARBY)

I keep hoping for this great battle between Merlin and Morgana, an actual show of powers like they keep giving us glimpses but then it'll fizzle out. Even in emrys/dragoon form he still only temporarily takes her magic at the end. This is Morganas second attempt at the throne, there were so many times Arthur could have died.

I know it's about not wanting to kill her, wishing she would return to who she was etc. But She's done so much and to so many, far more than Nimueh ever did and he killed her. I love her but it's almost insulting to her own powers to keep dragging it out isn't it? This isn't Harry Potter... Back again once a year for a murder attempt.

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Been contemplating the implications of Phoenix!Merlin, in which yes Merlin is immortal, but he can't come back until his body burns. I think Lancelot knows Merlin is immortal but not that he needs to be burned. Maybe they wait hours, days, weeks, until eventually they're forced to believe they were wrong and he's not coming back, so they finally put him to rest and only then does he return

(Headcanon Masterlist) (Full Masterlist)

I hope it's ok that I turned this into a shorter Headcanon post than a full fic!! It's pretty similar to my Merlin Dies fic (the first one I ever posted😌)

SO

I love this Phoenix!Merlin idea!! BUT!! What if, in this world, Phoenixes don't exist, but all the legends and stories and lore around them came from people who had witnessed Dragon things?? And misunderstood/mis-seen it?? If we ignore Aithusa's egg scene (which we can do, because it's an AU, and the power of imagination is very strong) and replace it with Merlin having to use fire to burn the egg to ash, from which Aithusa rises, and this situation, decades/centuries prior, is what starts the rumours.

Maybe some travellers see a Dragon hatching in flame, and from the bushes they're hiding in, the creature looks like a bird rather than a dragon, and the story is spread and mis-told and warped and changed for the sake of the story/because of bad story telling. Things just go from there. Sightings of Phoenixes are common both because people lie, and because baby dragons used to be far more common than they are now. And once a rumour/legendary creature like that is invented, it's basically impossible to destroy, so even when dragon scholars and Dragon Lords come out and are like "actually... uh..." it's just... not common knowledge that it's a Dragon thing and not a Phoenix thing.

And as we know, anything that is a Dragon thing, is probably a Dragon Lord thing as well. Merlin is immortal because he's Emrys or whatever, but that just means he doesn't age and heals very quickly. If he actually DIES it's the Dragon Blood that brings him back to life.

So yeah, either pre or post magic reveal, Merlin dies. It's very horrible, everyone is heartbroken, but they either know already, or are told, that he's immortal, and it's only a matter of time before he wakes up again. HOWEVER Balinor isn't around and Kilgharrah is still feeling petty, so they have no one to tell them how it actually works. They keep Merlin's body clean and presentable to the best of their abilities, which is HORRIBLE, because even if you know your friend will be waking up any second, you still have to handle their corpse.

But then... he doesn't wake up. The body goes stiff, and then it stops being stiff, and then it starts doing all the normal corpse stuff of smelling and leaking and just generally being gross. He gets paler and paler and the blood pools at the bottom of his body and his eyes and cheeks and abdomen sinks in and they have real trouble keeping flies and bugs away and it just gets to the point where... this isn't sustainable. They have to accept that Merlin is dead and, if he IS coming back, it surely can't be to this?? Arthur, after much persuasion from Gaius and maybe some Druids (who have no real idea how his immortality works, and are half grieving that they were wrong and half trying to convince themselves that everything will work out in the end), finally decides that Merlin deserves a proper funeral. He originally intends to bury him like normal, but the Druids, various other sorcerers, and probably Lancelot (though this is eating him up inside, he thought he'd have Merlin forever and sort of took that for granted) convince him that considering how magical and powerful he is... was, it's too dangerous to leave his body intact. There are some creepy, dark strands of necromancer's magic out there which could cause severe amounts of damage if Merlin's body was desecrated and broken down into components, so he's burned instead.

It's a hugely sombre affair. Basically everyone is crying, because they'd put this off for so long, and lighting the wood feels like a final acceptance that he's not coming back, that they've given up. And then like... a while later, when there’s literally nothing left but dust and charcoal black scraps, some sooty, dirty, butt naked body just... sits up?? Coughing up ash and shards of bone?? Everyone is shocked into silence until Gaius or some random Druid or Mordred or someone, just goes "Holy Fuck... he's a Dragon Lord" and then Merlin like... covers his junk up and shivers in the wind and is all "You... you didn't have to make this such a public affair, could someone grab me some clothes please?" and they all jump into action. Arthur covers himself in... the ash of his best friend's gross mouldy body jumping up onto the pyre to pull Merlin down. He's hugged, he's wrapped in about twenty knights’ cloaks, everyone cries some more. He makes some annoyed comment about having to wash all this shit out of all their clothes, and the crying gets, somehow, significantly worse, until he sighs and hugs them back and allows himself to be smothered with love.

Arthur pulls back, punches him, and goes "What the shit was that?? What took you so long??" and Merlin has to explain that like... his Emrys immortality is just not aging and healing quick... his coming-back-from-the-dead immortality is a Dragon thing and requires being burned before it like... kicks in. Everyone is mildly embarrassed, especially the people who knew about the Dragon Lord thing, and ESPECIALLY when someone says "Oh! Like a Phoenix, right?" and Merlin gets all grumpy and is like "No. Like a Dragon.".

Anyway, it's a big lesson, and if he ever dies again they take a LOT less time before burning him, do it privately, and have clothes and a bath ready for when he rises. They take to calling him Phoenix as a cute little nickname, but only because they know it annoys him because apparently Phoenixes don't actually exist and it's just been a huge, centuries-long miscommunication, which Merlin is now desperately trying to fix within the public education system or whatever.

~

Thank you Heart and I hope you liked this!!!

Let me know your thoughts, Gang!!

[merlinfic]

group ask for lost fics #43

Hi y’all! Below are a few lost fics that us mods just can’t seem to find. That being said, we’re hoping that you lovely followers are able to help! If anyone knows any of the fics below please reply below or send in an ask with which anon/user and group ask that the fic corresponds with when the ask is back open!

Note: previous group asks and all lost fics!

Anon 1 asked:

I read this fic a while back, and I’m like 90% sure it had background Merthur, but all I really recall is that it had Morgana/Gwen, there’s was a line about them fucking all night when Morgana took over Camelot the first time and how Gwen really was genuine about how she felt, and Gwen sided with Arthur instead because of the two siblings, Arthur wasn’t the one firing into the crowd of civilians (I can’t remember exactly how she worded that, but she does state that that’s why she chooses to side with Arthur)

Anon 2 asked:

hi!! i was wondering if y'all could help me find a fic? it was on ao3, and it was set in a camelot that hadn't banned magic, but had basically banned clothes instead. merlin was the only one to basically wear clothes, and at the end arthur said something about letting him only keep his neck scarf iirc. thanks!

Anon 3 asked:

Thanks for everything you do!

The fic I’m looking for is canon era. Arthur and Merlin are out with some Knights (not the round table nights like Gwaine or Leon). They find an old house to set up in. The knights treat Merlin like crap while Arthur’s away doing something and they make him sleep outside in the cold with The horses and Merlin gets sick.

I remember Merlin and Arthur having a conversation while he was recovering (they’re still in the house and haven’t made it back to Camelot). He tell Arthur about the knightsand says if Arthur didn’t do something about their behavior he was leaving. I think Arthur was only Prince and he knew about the magic (don’t hold me to that though). Any help you can provide in finding this lost fic is much appreciated!!

Anon 4 asked:

Hello there! I am using this feature for the first time so I apologize for any mistakes. I am looking for a merlin fiction that included dragons which I can't find. The dragons were living in a cave and Merlin would sneak to visit them. There were all kinds of dragon who were fascinated with Aithusa. The Knights are aware and help Merlin with taking care of Dragons (feeding, bathing etc). There was also a caretaker which everyone found 'strange'. Merlin was also able to understand dragon speech.

Anon 5 asked:

hi! there’s a fic i’ve been trying to find forever. it’s on ao3 and merlin is like a fairy. he’s small and arthur finds him in the woods and takes him back or merlin comes back on his own volition, and merlin lies and says that there’s like a deal or something to stay i think. it is smutty but i don’t think that it’s like plotless yk? i’ve been looking forever so if you could help that’d be amazing thanj you 

Anon 6 asked:

Hi! I thank you for your work. I've had so much fun with your masterlist. I was wondering if you knew of a fic modern AU where Arthur goes missing and Merlin ends with depression until when visiting his mother he runs into Arthur in a bookstore and finds out that the reason he never came back was because he got in an accident and lost his memory and it goes about how they reconnect and Merlin refusing to tell him about their previous relationship thinking he would leave until the end. Thanks! It was in AO3 if I remember.

Anon 7 asked:

Hello! I have lost fic I have been looking for awhile now. It is on AO3 and it is where Merlin and Arthur are soulmates but Arthur refuses to acknowledge it because he know’s Uther would kill Merlin. Any help is much appreciated!

@tamilhobbit asked:

Hi! I read a bit of this fic many years ago &have been trying to find it since. It was one of those Great Marriage fics. Somehow Merlin got turned into a girl (still looked like himself, new body easily hidden) & was put in the role of High Priestess and had to sleep with/symbolically marry the King of Camelot. Of course he assumes it's Uther and is horrified, esp as he now senses their auras; U feels horrible & dark and he's drawn to Arthur, who feels golden & right. Help? Thank you!

As always, this post will be updated if/when any fics are found!

[the-king-and-the-druidess]

I feel that Morgana is such a type of person who....she is easily influenced by others and besides, it is difficult for her to be alone; she needs someone besides her. Show her a gesture of acceptance and love and she becomes attached and faithful to this person; she really needed a close person in her life.

Let's remember how Morgana became attached to Morgause, because she appeared at the right moment when Morgana was left alone amid a suppressed storm of awakening magic. Morgana followed Morgause's goals in everything, she changed so much of herself for her.

We see how in the second season she needed the help and trust of Merlin and Gaius so much. Her wish to stay with the druids because they are the people of her kind. Later, her love for Aithusa for coming to her while Morgana was dying. Morgana's desire to have Gwen by her side(a twisted desire, but still), the way she forgave Mordred.

I think that if there was such a person with good will who would be truly devoted to her to the end then, no matter how banal it may sound, this person/s could save her just by loving her.