#merlin project context

[merlinproject-sideblog]

Some Context about the Tionscadal Merlin

(English)

Prefatory note: The Merlin Project is a learner-driven creative writing and translation project in Irish at the A2-B1 level completed by me, (main: @polysprachig) and checked, in part, by my Irish teachers during the pandemic. Objective: Watch an episode of the last show you watched on repeat, write what you see, add new vocabulary/structures, correct on your own or with a teacher and repeat. Links: The project and all its 2020-2022-made elements can be read here on my project website (no ads, should export to PDF but sometimes the story itself may get slightly cropped if you try to print/export, which I'm still trying to fix from a tech pov; if you're on chrome you should be able to view the full story text easily in reader mode and copy/paste it to a word doc; also, it's formatted for both mobile and desktop)

The last time I was in the Gaeltacht, Mí Lúnasa 2023 (i.e. August), I rounded off an Irish-English presentation on the project and how to complete it for yourself with the following slide and asked the students, teachers, administrators and other Irish-speakers in attendance to take 3-5 minutes to discuss their answers.

As you can imagine, some groups joked that it had to be the first one, and on that point, my presentation was slides ahead of them:

Because to be honest, it was. To some extent—Not that I need to sell Merlin to anyone on Tumblr dot com, but I watched the whole thing for the first time during the pandemic and was just so 🥰🥹😭 at its heartfelt tragicomic whimsy, charming (if not often cheeky) characters, interesting storylines, use of Old English (I'm a Germanist by degree), wacky & wise *sin-seanMerlin* crack (as we called Merlin when he aged himself up) and all the rest, and I really think it brought my household joy to watch together at the height of COVID.

In reality though, all, but one, of my project objectives are reflected here, the missing one being that I was trying to go from A2-B1 level in Irish—my 2020 language learning goals related to make strategic progress across my main five languages, which includes Irish—although this was made clear earlier on in the presentation.

Part of the difficulty in figuring out how best to share the project and its elements has always come back to managing the student-teacher-polyglot perspective that I used to approach it, but I've been brainstorming on how to relay that for a while now and plan to approach it with range/flexibility in mind.

That said, I'll be heavily relying on using effective tags in this Tumblr archive of the project, since the scope is rather extensive. <3

[theonceandfuture]

the stoneforged are my non-ableist replacement for "dwarves" (see here and here, i think bbc merlin has its own issue of ableism regarding characters with dwarfism) as a species in mythology. they are technically a type of elf (think lightforged = high elves, shadowforged = dark elves, minus the racism associated with the drow's writing)

hopefully, soon i'll have found the time to draw out my designs for some of the species prominent in albion, and i can reblog this post and add my personal designs for these species. keep in mind that i'll still have characters with dwarfism in this story! i don't think the solution to ableism is to erase the characters with dwarfism entirely (cough cough, disney's snow white), instead i've just been Normaler about it.

[chaos-has-theories]

Hunith leaned on her rake and watched as the car swerved into the driveway. It had barely come to a halt when the passenger door opened and Gwen climbed out. She looked tense. She was also drenched from head to toe. The hem of her jeans sagged, the rest of it looked damp and clammy. Her shirt must have dried during the drive home, but it had bits of seaweed stuck to it. Her hair was eighty percent frizz. When she saw Hunith at the fence, Gwen smiled unconvincingly, and sped towards her house just slow enough that it couldn’t be called a run. The driver’s door slammed loudly and Arthur came stomping around the car. He looked no better than Gwen: If anything, he was wetter than she had been. He didn’t even grab anything from the trunk, much less wait until he could lock the car. He just marched into the house and slammed that door behind him, too. Just as Hunith thought that scene couldn’t get any stranger, the back door opened and her son climbed out. The greeting died on her lips before it could escape. Merlin looked like a storm warning. Hunched shoulders, pursed lips, flashing eyes - oh, and he was wearing a dress. Not even a good dress. It was an oversized grey monstrosity and looked like it came from the garbage bin of a secondhand store. It was definitely not one of Hunith’s. Merlin had bunched it up at the hips in at attempt not to stumble over the long skirts, and he stomped past her and into the house with no sign that he had seen his mother at all. She could hear him all the way up the stairs, and then the slam of his bedroom door. Alright then. All the noise must have roused Gaius from his afternoon nap. He stuck his head out the door, looking exactly as bewildered as Hunith felt. „Was that Merlin?“, he asked. Hunith nodded. “And... a wig?” Another nod. „Hm.“ With a final puzzled look up the stairs, Gaius retreated to his study. Hunith turned back just in time to see Mordred clambering out like the smallest clown in the clown car. He was dry and dressed normally, but he was wearing an expression of utter defeat. With his towel held in front of him like a terrycloth shield he walked towards Hunith as if he’d much rather write a difficult math test. He dithered at the gate for a moment, and then met Hunith’s gaze only to sigh the world-weariest sigh she had ever heard. (Which was saying something. Hunith had lived with Gaius for most of her life, and would have previously named him world champion of sighing. Somehow this was still the most normal thing that had happened in the past ten minutes.) „My dads will pick me up in a few minutes“, Mordred told her morosely. „Can I wait here?“ „Of course“ Hunith hurried to say. „Do you want something to drink? Bal made cookies, if you want any. They’re in the kitchen.“ Mordred gave the door Merlin had stormed through a long, dubious look. „I think I’d rather wait out here.“ „Alright.“ Hunith watched as he settled himself on the doorstep, towel in his lap. With a deliberately casual air she picked up the shovel and continued weeding. „I probably don’t even want to know“ she said conversationally, „but what exactly happened at the lake?“ The child behind her made a noise like an upset mouse. „I don’t know“, he whined. „Merlin doesn’t tell me anything.“ Hunith looked over her shoulder to see Mordred scuff at the earth with his shoes, a frustrated expression on his face. „But I had to help Merlin put on a costume and Gwen and Arthur fell into the water and they both cried and everyone shouted and I think they broke up.“ „I see“, Hunith said faintly. That would fit with what she’d seen, but - she’d thought Gwen had broken up with Arthur a week ago? And anyway, none of this explained the costume, or really anything, but she’d decided to ignore that for now. „I’m sorry that happened. It sounds uncomfortable.“ „I’m sorry it happened too.“

[artytaeh]

hey babe! how are you doing? hope you are doing fine :) I know you are probably full with requests or projects, so please don't feel pressure to answer this :( But I was wondering, how do you think Mattheo would be once he realizes he is in love/developing feelings? Do you think he would try to push them away at first?

. 𖥔 ࣪˖ hello bae, i'm doing fine, tysm for asking! i am a little overwhelmed, however !! i hate the idea of discarding/ignoring the asks i receive <3 everyone is so lovely here. it ended up being a full-on lengthy thought... thank you for interacting!

THE (CATASTROPHIC) ART OF FALLING IN LOVE ; mattheo t. riddle.

mattheo doesn't know how to react to being in love with someone. one thing is physical attraction — mattheo is acquainted with the feeling of desiring someone, perhaps lusting over some physical contact here and there.

but that's something that eventually disappears, like a wave that comes at full force and fades into a gentle touch at the shore, drawing back to the large ocean. mattheo can be so attracted to someone today, then perceive them as someone who mingles with the crowd like, less than a month later. the problem here is that when feelings develop, they linger — and stay, for longer than one can control.

and why would that be a problem? well.

mattheo isn't used to attachments.

for someone who's been passed from hand to hand, born from two people who wanted to conceive power rather than someone to love, mattheo taught himself to rationalize that everything is temporary. that death eater lady who took care of him during his toddler years? yeah, somewhere along the way he was sent to another couple, then to someone else, and that formed a sequence of bad, worse and less bad historic of mattheo riddle's caretakers.

things are temporary. dangerous feelings like attraction — mattheo knows that lust can easily be mistaken with love — are meant to be short lived. desire, conquer, fulfill, abandon. and that's that.

but developing feelings for someone — merlin forbid, falling in love — is a much longer process. like falling asleep, one falls in love, sometimes for reasons that not even merlin himself could properly explain. mattheo doesn't like the vulnerability; one thing is wanting to fuck someone, another totally different thing is wanting to hold hands just because, spend time together for the hell of it without expecting some sort of carnal reward in return.

mattheo riddle fucking hates it.

because in a selfish world where the strongest suffer the least, mattheo can't afford weaknesses. he's already alone, very much prejudiced because of his recent and ancient bloodline, not a wizard with many people who would defend him.

so to want to protect someone, when he should focus on protecting himself, is dangerous. it's foolishness. it's another weight to his already heavy shoulders.

and this, anon, so i can give you the right context to why mattheo's first instinct is to be fucking angry about this stupid person that stole his well guarded heart. because mattheo doesn't have an history of exemplary adults to look up to, he can be, hm... childish. even in his anger, the way he seeks solutions for his problems can either be violent (mhm, to assert dominance) or some stupid shit that apparently, makes sense to him.

said stupid shit is sending an anonymous letter that goes straight to the point.

get the fuck out of my school, you freak.

very mature. definitely meant to provoke the desired outcome.

for a good while, probably during the time span of mattheo slowly — veeeery slowly — coming in terms with his feelings, mattheo goes through the five stages of grief.

DENIAL, even though the handful of slytherin outcasts he can count as friends will use any. given. chance. to absolutely wreck mattheo's patience with jokes regarding how much he's in love — which he isn't, thank you fucking much. mattheo will deny to his very grave that he couldn't care less about her; at most, sure, she's kinda cute and even stunning on days that he's more distracted and less guarded, but that's it! lust, everyone! hormonal boys being boys, alright?! nothing romantic about that.

even though he can't help but follow her with his eyes, mentally distant from whatever conversation to see her walking by. the sight of her existing totally unaware of him, probably hurts so good that it sends mattheo into another wave of denial. even if he was in love, it wouldn't work — so there's no feelings involved.

are doomed children even able to get such good things? no, mattheo assumes not.

ANGER, because these little things start to accumulate a heavy burden to his fragile patience. like a mad dog waiting for the chance to bite, mattheo starts warning draco and pansy to shut up about the puppy-in-love jokes, and even gives a warning glare to theodore and blaise, hoping that there's some peace from their side, too. mattheo feels like exploding whenever he's given lame advices for corny situations.

it's anger, because sometimes, mattheo thinks that he can't feel anything else.

BARGAINING, whenever the evidence becomes too obvious to ignore. at this point, mattheo has to, begrudgingly, admit that his excuses are so stupid that it gives him secondhand embarrassment for himself. for fuck's sake, voldemort's son excusing his lovesick actions for must-have-been-the-wind kind of excuse.

the gradual path to acceptance, although through baby steps, forces mattheo to reinforce the idea that he's in control of this whole situation.

if-only's are followed by what-if's, like a push and pull sort of situation, where mattheo sways between a stage of anger and denial, while unknowingly crawling his way to depression and acceptance.

DEPRESSION, because how can he convince someone to put up with his shit for longer than what, one night stand? despite his terrible reputation, there are girls more than willing to make out in a corner of some dorm party, or even more than that for the hell of it. but more than that? nah, no one is crazy enough to do that — remember? lust and love can be mistaken, but in mattheo riddle's case, it's easy for people to distinguish it with him. so yeah, just his luck.

as much as his friends might try to help him, mattheo is hardly convinced. it seems some stupid karmic trial sent his way, because he is, supposedly, not struggling enough. sure, throw some heartbreak and highschool failed romance on his way.

the whole 'depression' stage is filled with overthinking. either silly daydreaming of what will never happen, to following the sight of her everywhere she happens to exist where he does, too. then, it happens to be unintentionally noticing very little things about the person he likes — and convince himself that it only serves as more incompatibility, because you'd have to be crazy to be with someone whose surname happens to be riddle.

yeah, some things just aren't meant for him, are they?

ACCEPTANCE, however, is the stage that finally offers some peace of mind to him. mattheo accepts that bargaining and getting angry at his feelings won't do shit — by now, he's used to the whole butterfly-stomach-bs that some fourth-years were chanting about in the great hall, and the natural anxiety he feels whenever she's near. the tingling in his fingers, because he wants to touch, to protect, to be equally loved too, but ends up being another fistful on his pockets' fabric in the end.

unfortunately, this acceptance might only be fully achieved upon some major event. mattheo has to act subconsciously to accept that there's no way around it anymore — he's in love, he wants this person in the least selfish way possible, and he's fucked because of this.

if you want my opinion, the easiest trigger to this stage would be anything that sparks mattheo's protectiveness. the moment that he feels good about having helped her, it's over. mattheo isn't his own priority anymore — she is.

after trying to push her away, even if that means to distance himself from every little thing that reminds mattheo of her and, consequentially, his weak feelings for this girl, mattheo will surrender to it. this time, he carefully reapproaches her — tiptoeing his way back, ambitioning for a possible connection, or the slightest friendship that allows him the peace of being in her presence.

it could take a good amount of time for mattheo to convince himself that he can, and should, take a chance. it's not the same as flirting with someone into getting something carnal out of it — it's the attempt to open a potential door for a relationship, which he really, really wants to, even though mattheo has no good examples of it. at fucking all.

but for her?

he'll try.

and merlin help him if he won't even read some stupid book to properly understand it. give him a chance — and he'll be a good boyfriend.

as good of a boyfriend as bellatrix lestrange and the dark lord's lovechild can be.

[potteraep]

Hii, if you're looking for requests, maybe academic rivals to lovers with regulus?

Pick a side

“How are you so smart but such. an idiot?”

“ I don’t know, but I guess now your stuck with me

-the way you can tell I gave up half way and lost all my ideas this is so bad I’m sorry 😭

-regulus black x gn!reader

God you hated that boy. That’s stupid pureblood who couldn’t get enough of himself that idiot regulus black

That stupid smirk on his face everytime he beat you on any subject and the fact he knew he could always outdo you in some way.

you didn’t exactly know how it started, the hatred you both seemed to have for each-other for as long as you can remember you both just needing the validation at being the top of your classes and he was always in the way of that

regulus was like a thorn on a rose, sure he was handsome and charming, you weren’t going to lie on that. But he was just such a pain to deal with atleast to you. He didn’t seem to exactly want the spotlight but he was always in it and he wasn’t totally against it

every Student knew that having the two of you in the same room would be a disaster always at neck and neck to be on the top. Merlin even the professors seemed to be sweating when you two were put in their same class

So maybe slughorn was done with your stupid rivalry, or maybe just maybe he wanted to make a fool of you when he decided having you be partners in the same potions assignment was a good idea

When slughorn both pulled your names out of his cauldron selecting you to be partners he laughed. Laughed? There was nothing funny about this you had to deal with that regulus for a month. A month! On some project you didn’t even care to know the context of you were more frustrated at this situation

you groaned as everyone began going to your partner. You were not going up to regulus first not in a million years would you want to be without 2 feet of that boy.

“ you seem excited.” Said a voice you knew all to well as they pulled up the chair beside you to seat themselves a hand on their book and the other on their cheek

you didn’t even want to look at him you thought you’d punch him if you saw that idiotic smirk on his face you would bet he had.

“ very excited,black.” You said sarcastically rollling your eyes and not meeting his own not wanting to give him the time of day to see just how much you hated this

“ ah the last name very friendly,”

“ atleast now you don’t have to worry about failing at all” he said proudly

“ I was never going to fail black Dont get your wand in a nott” you muttered clenching your jaw

“ oh I’m sure but you wouldn’t have been the top student now would you? Chére” he said proud of his own words that didn’t seem bitter but he wanted to get a reaction out of you

you gripped your potions book at his words they didn’t hurt you no but they did frustrate you. Especially that stupid nickname

“ Dont get ahead of yourself black I’m sure I would’ve been the top student you don’t even know” you said not wanting to continue this conversation

“ maybe but we’ll never know will we cuz now your stuck with me” he said as if it was funny before the bells wrung signaling the end of the class

“ hmm well we’ll talk later im sure” he said with a small wink as he walked away and out of the class

“Dear Merlin I hope not.” You whispered to yourself as you got up and left to your own time

“I hate him so much!” You said standing in the gryfindor common room pausing around the room while your friends say their laughing at your antics

“ look he can’t be that bad” Remus said a book in his hand as he sat on the sofa a small smile on his lips at your antics

“ exactly he might be a pure blood and all but he’s always quite and doesn’t do nothing he can’t really be as bad as you say love” lily evans says taking her seat on the floor infront of the sofa

“ he is that bad tho! He’s always trying to get under my skin and do Better than me and it’s just so aggravating!” You said taking a seat next to Remus with your hands in your hair

Remus and lily both looked at eachother with a small smile “ look love you could atleast try to get along with him? Try not to worry about how much you hate him and act like you definitely never hated him please just try to ok?” They smiled encouragingly at you hoping you would try to get along with him

“…alright” you said stubbornly as they both smiled back at you with a small nod

“ now I think you should sleep big day ahead of you hm?” Remus said as lily laughed and pushed his leg to stop teasing you

“ I guess your right… goodnight then moony, lily” you said rubbing your eyes and yawning

“ goodnight y/n” they both said

the next day you walked Into potions I little less with the impression that you’d hate your day you sat next to regulus as he looked at you with a small smirk and you smiled back st him

I mean the smile was fake of course but it still seemed real to him he smiled back normally not a smile full of bitterness and venom but one of welcoming

Wierd. You thought

“morning, you said sitting down and not looking at him but straight at your potions book

“…morning” he said softly as if he was suprised by you not coming into the class and punching him” you wake up on the right side of the bed today?”

you shrugged “ I just don’t wanna argue every day with someone I have to deal with for a month”

he paused “ that’s fair” he shrugged and smiled at you “ but I’ll still bother you. Just a little atleast” he whispered with a small smile as he looked at you

and finally you looked him in the eyes with a smile “ I guess that’s alright.”

and this had continued for a month.

But you weren’t complaining. Over that month that you thought you’d hate you really enjoyed regulus’s company he had snucken up on you and became all you thought about and as much as you hated to admit it.

You might have just fallen in love with regulus black.

”cmon guys I don’t like regulus!” You said to your friends at the gryfindor table they snickered at your words

“ y/n you started calling him Reggie when your with him” Remus pointed out as he stuck a peice of toast in his mouth

“ you went to his dorm to study and he walked you back.” Lily added “ good that he walked you back and all but you can’t possibly be like this with him and say you don’t have feelings at all” she said matter-of-factly.

you groaned and looked back at the slytherian table and saw regulus with Barty crouch jr and Evan rosier.

he caught your eyes and gave you a toothy smile and a wave as you smiled back at him and turned back to your friends

“….maybe” you mumbled taking a sip of your drink

“ definitely!” Remus and Lily with a small laugh before everyone going to their classes distracted you

“ tell ya what you go into that potions class and talk to regulus and yk see what happens?” Remus said “ if he doesn’t like you I’ll make sure I don’t take my potion this month” he whispered as lily nudged his arm with a laugh

You scoffed and picked up your potions boom “ alright.. I’ll tell you guys later but I gotta go bye!” You said while walking away

“ bye! Make us proud!” They yelled back their laughs fading as you left the hall

When you reached the class you were beyond nervous your last day. This might be the last time you Talk to Regulus without it having a reason behind it

“hello chére” regulus said coming up next to you and taking his seat giving you a warm smile

“Morning Reggie” you smiled at him as his pale cheeks turned a soft pink

“last day”he reminded you with a soft glint in his eye you didn’t recognize

“yeah” you said with a sad smile “let’s be make the most of it then” you said trying to make it less awkward

he smiled softly back at you “yea.. we should”

“ I’ll miss our time together chére”

“ I will to reg”

and then it had ended. That bell rang and it was over. And it was gone for a week a week since you saw regulus black

That stupid week had passed and you hated it sure you saw him in class but he didn’t even look at you and when he did it lasted a second before he turned away like you never existed and you didn’t know why

to get your mind off it you went to the astronomy tower late at night when no one would be there

sure it was stupid and you might get caught but you couldn’t bare to sit and your dorm and think about regulus for another moment

why did it hurt so much? Losing him? You hated him. Atleast you were supposed to be was a pure blood who thought about nothing but himself

But he wasn’t. he was sweet and kind and cared about his friends like they were the only thing on the planet he just couldn’t show that. Not when he was apart of the black family and it’s not like he could ever look a halfblood like you

but why is it that it had hurt to think like that? You hated him he was just regulus black

“Y/n?” A voice said catching you away from your own thoughts a voice you didn’t expect to hear

“ regg.. regulus?” You said catching yourself before you said something wrong

“Why are you here?” He asked a eyebrow raised his messy brown curls shining in the moon and his eyes fixed on you with a little worry

“ just getting air but I should leave now.” You said standing up and walking towards the door to pass him before he grabbed your hand

“Dont leave.. please” he said gripping your hand softly looking into your eyes with a soft look

“ regulus. We haven’t talked in a week I thought you hated me still that it was just for a project you even talked to me like a normal person” you said looking to the side not wanting to meet his eyes scared to what you’d see

“ that’s not what it is… I don’t hate you I never have..”he admitted “ it’s the opposite”

“what?” You said

“Look, this month of time we’ve spent together was so fun and.. I don’t know what is it but something’s changed” he admitted looking into your eyes deeply a small frown on his lips

“ what? Regulus what are you trying to say?”you said softly titling your head to the side

“ y/n I don’t hate you I never have your lovely and now? It’s worse. It’s the opposite of hating you your all I can think about and I thought that maybe if I ignored you I wouldn’t feel like this and-“

but you cut him off before he could continue with a kiss to his lips

yea that’ll shut him up. You thought

you pressed your lips against his softly and pressing your hand to his cheek before pulling away

“ love? Is that what your feeling”

“…yes” he said looking in your eyes

“ well I feel that to for you Regulus”you smiled at him as he smiled back

and then he was the one to kiss you with his hands on your waist and yours around his neck

“ so now I can do this as much as I want?” He smiled

“ as much as you want.” You laughed

And he kissed you again as if it were the first time and you hoped it wouldn’t be the last

[mordredpendragon]

Post Vulgate: Merlin Continuations / more at Arthurian Preservation Project

Was skimming Post Vulgate for another thing I'm writing and this caught my attention! Merlin speaks to Arthur about Mordred and Percival, knights who aren't born yet and their respective fates.

What I found fascinating as that these two characters are mentioned in the same breath in a conversation Merlin and Arthur are having. For context, this is just after Arthur sleeps with Morgause and begets Mordred, he has the dream about a dragon (symbolizing Mordred) destroying the kingdom of Logres, prophesizing the fate of what's to come. Right after that, he witnesses the Questing Beast (pursued by Pellinore).

There's a lot to unpack here. One, it's no coincidence that Arthur sees the QB after dreaming of Mordred, that links the two of them together. Secondly, that Percival is the supposed prophesized knight (though technically in Post-Vulgate he just helps, lol. It's Palamedes who ends up killing QB) who kills QB, it's meant to be someone of Pellinore's line who does. Mordred is denoted as the sinner who will bring upon the desctruction of Logres, while Percival is the Jesus-like knight loved by God who also goes on to seek the Holy Grail.

This is also the only time the QB is (albeit loosely) correlated to Mordred and by extension, Grail Quest, since the killing of the Beast is needed in order to proceed with Grail Quest in Post Vulgate. Mordred being likened to the QB is largely due to the fact that QB is also borne of incest.

This gives me the impression that what Post Vulgate intended to set up is that Mordred and Percival as characters, are not only foils, but are linked and directly in reference and opposition to each other. Perhaps their fates could have intertwined with one another in some way? Are they a reflection of each other? Though, the only time Mordred and Percival interact with one another is this part, which is pretty much the same as it is in Vulgate (and in Malory). I talk about this interaction at length here.

So there's a lot of loose threads, but what we do have is fascinating! What do you guys think?

[magicomens]

Hello, how are you :)?

Mh, I just wanted to let you know that I loved your comic, and that it gave me a sense of inner peace and tranquility that I haven’t felt in a while.

Do you know when your life is constantly stressful, and then your days go bad on top of it all, but strangely, you make some time for yourself to sit alone for a moment on whenever soft surface you find, and exhale a long sigh? I released a sigh each time I read your comic, and when I finished reading it, I had a huge smile on my face. To give some context, there has to be something really impactful for me to change the expressions on my face, and when I read the finale a second time, I still had my smile on. It calmed me down, and Merthur being lesbians, cottage girls and marrying each other was the sweetest, yet more fitting finale you could have given them, after everything they have endured, alongside Aziracrow being the supporting couple on the side, full of sweetness too. I liked this comic from start to end, and I still remember being gobsmacked that someone literally had had my idea of Arthur coming back in a new and unexplored way, and also adding another tv show that I really loved with it, mixing everything together to make an interesting comic out of it. I’ll forever be grateful that people like you exist and do this purely out of love, and because you like what you do. I hope my message will be enough to let you know that what you do is incredible.

It’s people like you who keep fandoms alive, and I’m so happy for it.

Thank you for writing an idea, for writing entertaining and deep dialogues and for drawing my dream of a silly and forever heroic Arthur coming back in this day and age, with his faithful servant and friend and the powerful warlock Merlin by his side, helping him and loving him as much as he had loved him when he first got to know him (and for fixing the tremendous finale they gave us, for which I still mourn😔 *shakes fist towards the sky* Damn you, BBC!).

A beautiful and majestic dream became reality.

I hope you had a great time working on this comic, and that you’ll be able to do more projects in the future, enjoy them as much as you enjoyed this one, and as much as I enjoyed it����!

I truly admired it.

Have a great day and a fulfilling life :)!

P.S.

You inspired me into drawing my ideas☺️. One day, I hope I’ll be able to write my own comic.

So thank you so much again!

Oh now you're just trying to make me cry :'D and saying I inspired you was the nail to the coffin!

I'm really glad you found some happiness while reading it, this is what makes the work worth it <3

[punkpandapatrixk]

❤️‍🩹Finding Love ☆ Timeless Tarot Guidance

Elements/Signs in this reading are calibrated to all aenergetic placements. Feel free to read as many Elements/Signs as you feel called to at this point in your spiritual evolution♡

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

You want to see how a nation falls? First, make sure every family unit is fucked. The foundation of the beginning of a ruined society is a dysfunctional family unit. A household that is lacking warmth and affection is a breeding house for psychopaths…or sure-victims of them. How is this not obvious to everybody? Well, in our case, I guess the Boomerangs just didn’t care…enough?

An entire generation of selfish psychopaths preoccupied with order and rules, obsessed with the idea of a ‘perfect image’ even at the cost of the authenticity of their children’s Souls. Tell me if they ain’t breeding new generations of psychopaths? But…who fucked the Boomerangs in the first place? And who had fucked the generation that fucked the Boomerangs? 考えきれない。There’s no end to thinking about it. But!

Not all hope is lost. For we have us—OURSELVES! You, who are reading this, who are blessed with this peculiarly RARE thing in the world: self-awareness. That you’re curious about the roots of your sorrow; that you’re trying to be better; that you’re willing to face your own demons so you grow in character, all because you care enough not to perpetuate the cycle.

There is Hope is us. In people like you and I. For this spiritual work alone, you are going to be blessed with the utmost beautiful Love, first, by finding it inside of yourself~

☆♪°・. aenergetic companion PAC ☆♪°・.

[PAG Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings]

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Finding Love for 🐞Fire Signs - Silver Alchemist (Ramon Llull)

5 of Cups, Queen of Wands, XIX The Sun

You know, Fire Signs are passionate. So passionate they often get way too invested in whatever matters to them. That’s why when betrayal or any other kind of a fallout happens, they find it so difficult to calm down, let alone move on from. I want you to know this isn’t a failure of your character or anything like it, not necessarily, no. You care. And that’s a wonderful thing. And it genuinely, usually, takes A LOT to finally get a Fire Sign to stop caring.

That’s the one thing about you: PASSION. Within the context of this reading, could it be that you’ve been putting your passion on the wrong things, the wrong people? Because you’re not a quitter, right? Maybe you’ve had this tendency of wanting to make sure things work out; after all, you’ve invested so much into this thing, project, people, whatever. Not quitting on the wrong things will only drain you of high-vibrational, positive spiritual aenergy left in you, babe. Then…frustrations and sadness are just going to drain you of more physical energy.

Low energy also makes people irritable, unmotivated and non-optimistic, right? Let not the harshness of your connections with people dim your natural brightness. What’s really important to figure out now is how you can shift your focus on being passionate about things, places, work, and people that truly, truly, bring joy and sunshine into your Life~

'Daughter. Spend your life Loving. Not seeking Love. Ocean need not seek water.' – Dr Jaiya John

Oracle Guidance for Fire Signs🔻❤️

🐏Aries – Priestess of Fortune

🦁Leo – Priestess of Integrity

🎠Sagittarius – Priestess of Opulence

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Finding Love for 🐍Earth Signs - Silver Magus (Merlin)

XV The Devil Rx, 7 of Cups Rx, VI The Lovers Rx

I tend to think that Earth and Water Signs are the TRUE psychopaths of the zodiac LMAO Underdeveloped Taurus, Virgo and Caps are so incredibly selfish and self-centred that they make human interactions such a misery business. And due to the nature of their Earthy-ness—meaning they can be quite hard to shake—Earth Signs can be quite bigoted about certain viewpoints they hold. Within the context of this reading, Earth Signs literally make a hell out of their very own existence through their inability to connect human-to-human with other…humans.

Or is it really an inability? Is it not simply a refusal? An Earth Sign must ponder this upon itself. Maybe you’ve been in refusal to be more empathetic because it is paramount to be empirical in any situation? Perhaps you’re the type of person that values objectivity above all forms of subjectivity? But the Human experience is subjective. Approaching all types of human connection with an eye of business or with the mind of an objective researcher will only hinder your capacity for real empathy.

The Human experience is an empathetic experience. People feel things and sometimes those feelings are heavy and burdensome and they get the better of us—that’s just the reality of being alive XD If you could give yourself the grace of a more subjective point of view when viewing yourself and the many experiences you go through, then maybe it will be that much easier to notice how other people also base their decisions for forming connections through a very subjective lens—and you will see that being this way creates a more true bond between people.

Does all this sound too subversive for logical Earth Signs? XD

The Problem With Being Too Logical in Love by The School of Life

Oracle Guidance for Earth Signs🔻💚

🐂Taurus – Priestess of Luck

🧘🏻‍♀️Virgo – Priestess of Magick

🐐Capricorn – Priestess of Clarity

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Finding Love for ⛲Air Signs - Red Alchemist (John Dee)

XVII The Star, Ace of Cups, 3 of Cups Rx

The Star is associated with Aquarius, right? Whoa, the epitome of Human intelligence :D Air Signs are intelligent and very interested in people—in human relations and understanding what makes people tick. That’s why Air Signs make the best friends and confidants…as long as they don’t run their mouths hahah Now that is a matter of character. What kind of person are you in your friend group(s)? Do you play different characters in different groups? Sounds like a lot of fun XD

Air Signs do tend to have (or belong to) different groups of people depending on function. It’s very interesting. Air Signs can be the glue that connects different groups of people who, without Air Sign, would never have come into contact with one another. Gemini is the fun-loving funny member of a group. Libra is a charming diplomat who’s considerate towards everybody. Aquarius is the pioneering CEO who gets everybody working towards a goal. Ideally, well-developed Air Signs would be these things :D

You should really value this unique intelligence of yours that has the power to eradicate all crazy unreasonable differences in the world, you know. You of all people, I’m very certain, have this keen ability to get to the roots of everybody’s mental problems. After all, you are mental. Air Signs usually don’t get a lot of credits for being empathetic or whatever and that’s true for the most part. But what you do have is this INTEREST in people, and that’s good enough for starters XD It makes you a good person, you know.

Literally, you’re the type that can make friends with just about anybody. You are polite and charming—and those with Venus here are often very beautiful, too!

Oracle Guidance for Air Signs🔻💙

👯Gemini – Priestess of Healing

⚖️Libra – Priestess of Ritual

🏺Aquarius – Priestess of Abundance

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Finding Love for 🐝Water Signs - Green Astronomer (Nicolaus Copernicus)

VII The Chariot, 3 of Swords, Queen of Cups Rx

Hey, what is your Truth? What experiences and emotions have shaped the being that you are today? Do you know for sure? Have you analysed all the feelings you’ve ever struggled with, as well as those that make you realise, Life truly is worthwhile? It’s those moments you’re reminded of what’s good about your Life that you feel gratitude, isn’t it so? Alongside nostalgia and the desire to return to a much simpler time. Time when feelings were a lot easier to process, perhaps. But Life, and this world, needs to keep going on as per Universal Mandate.

What’s left in the past can still be regenerated in the future and it can get even better, too—now that you’ve grown up. Now that you’ve healed a little, or a lot. Heartbreaks with Water Signs always heal when we return to the pool of our authenticity, located deep in the core of our being. Therein lies the tears and the beauty that make you such a deeply compelling character to converse with. If Humans aren’t ready to listen to your truths, write about them; turn emotions into songs or poetry or painting; what have you. Water needs to flow somewhere. Nourishing a lot of life from there.

Water Signs, are Love. Nurturer of Life and nourisher of Human emotions. You should really appreciate the poetry of your sheer existence. So, don’t let this world convince you that there’s something wrong with you because you’re sensitive enough to care about a lot. That’s your strength. It just needs to be directed and redirected to the right things/occasions/people and places. Be generous with your Love and compassion, but take no shit from those who can’t learn to be grateful for a Love as rare and precious as yours~ Know your worth, babe. You’re worth a gazillion dimes.

Oracle Guidance for Water Signs🔻💛

🦀Cancer – Priestess of Enchantment

🦂Scorpio – Priestess of Patience

🎏Pisces – Priestess of Prosperity

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

[PAG Masterlist] [Patreon] [Paid Readings]

[bitkahuna]

Remus sat up straighter, seeing the boy’s distress and embarrassment. "While it’s good to … have normal teenage experiences, perhaps we do need to have a talk about safety."

Harry's eyes widened in horror. “No no no no no! I-I, it’s I- I know what condoms are!” He was frantic. This was probably the most thrown-off they’d ever seen Harry in his life. Hell, this was the most normal they’d ever seen him. He’d never been more of a normal teenager until now. “Please don’t do this to me.”

But Remus only laughed at the sight. “Who taught you about condoms?!”

“Seamus.”

“Seamus Finnigan?!” Sirius asked with wide eyes.

“N-No, this was when we were fucking thirteen! I- it was when I was figuring out I liked guys, and he said … he said the talk is different when it’s two guys, and this was before I had anyone taking care of me, so he was just trying to help.”

Remus leaned forward, his amber eyes warm with concern and amusement. "You shouldn't have had to rely on a peer for this. That's our job now. "

“What if I just pinky promise to be celibate?” Harry sank fully in his seat, hiding under the table.

Sirius barked out a laugh. "Nice try, pup. I'm afraid you're not getting out of this that easily."

“I’m going to drop out of school, and I’m going to sell drugs and do tattoos for a living if you make me have this conversation.” For the first time in his life, Harry Potter sounded like a normal whiny teenager with a normal family.

Harry's threat only made Sirius laugh harder. "Merlin's beard, you sound just like James when Euphemia tried to have this talk with him!"

“Well maybe he had a point!” He called back from under the table. “Look, I-I know consent and condoms, and I know to keep it in my pants and not be a dick, and anything is possible with enough lube and determination, can’t we say that’s enough?”

Harry was a teenager. He was a stupid. dumb, teenager, and this was the first dirty joke either had ever heard Harry make. Despite the context, it was delightful to see him acting like a normal, embarrassed teenager.

“Harry James Potter!” Remus choked on his wine, coughing as he tried to regain his composure.

Sirius, on the other hand, was howling with laughter. "He's definitely James' son!" He wheezed, wiping tears from his eyes.

The lycanthrope tried to put on a serious expression, but a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I think we've created a monster, Padfoot."

-----

chapter 36 is gonna go fucking hard, too bad I'm only posting chapter 18 tomorrow lmao

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Deep dives into folklore: stone henge

Stonehenge, the iconic prehistoric monument standing on the Salisbury Plain in England, has captivated the human imagination for centuries. This deep dive essay embarks on an exploration of the folklore surrounding Stonehenge and the myriad theories proposed to unravel the enigmatic origins of this ancient structure.

I. Folklore and Mythic Narratives:

Stonehenge's folklore is rich with mythic narratives that span centuries and cultures. In Arthurian legend, Merlin is said to have transported the stones from Ireland and arranged them as a monument of healing. The Welsh tale of the Giant's Dance attributes the creation of Stonehenge to giants who brought the massive stones from Africa. These folklore elements intertwine with the cultural fabric of the British Isles, weaving a tapestry of fantastical tales around the monument.

II. Astronomical Alignments: A Cosmic Connection

One prevailing theory suggests that Stonehenge served as an astronomical observatory, aligning with celestial events such as the solstices and equinoxes. The configuration of the stones appears to have been deliberately positioned to mark the movements of the sun and moon. This theory posits that Stonehenge was a sophisticated calendar or ceremonial site, reflecting the profound importance of celestial cycles in the spiritual and cultural practices of its builders.

III. Rituals and Ceremonial Functions:

Another theory proposes that Stonehenge functioned as a sacred space for rituals and ceremonies. The alignment of the stones with celestial events may have served a dual purpose, allowing the ancient builders to not only mark time but also create a sacred arena for religious observances. The presence of burial mounds in the vicinity suggests that Stonehenge may have been a site for funerary rituals, honoring ancestors and aligning with the cycles of life and death.

IV. Social and Cultural Hub:

Some scholars propose that Stonehenge served as a social and cultural hub, drawing people from distant regions for communal activities and trade. The sheer effort required to transport the massive stones over long distances suggests a collaborative and organized effort. Stonehenge may have functioned as a meeting place where diverse communities gathered for seasonal festivals, trade exchanges, or important cultural events.

V. Symbolic and Metaphysical Interpretations:

Stonehenge's enduring mystery has also fueled more esoteric and metaphysical interpretations. Some believe that the monument possesses mystical energies, acting as a portal or conduit for spiritual experiences. New Age enthusiasts and modern pagans often visit Stonehenge during significant celestial events, seeking a connection with ancient wisdom or a transcendent experience.

VI. Architectural Ingenuity:

The technological prowess of the ancient builders of Stonehenge remains a subject of fascination. The precision with which the massive stones were quarried, transported, and erected suggests advanced engineering skills. Recent archaeological discoveries, such as the Stonehenge Riverside Project, have shed light on the complexity of the surrounding landscape, indicating a network of features that complemented the monument's function.

Stonehenge, with its colossal stones standing in silent testimony to the mysteries of the past, continues to inspire wonder, speculation, and exploration. The folklore surrounding this ancient monument, intertwined with Arthurian legends and tales of giants, adds a layer of enchantment to its narrative. Meanwhile, the diverse theories about its origins—from astronomical observatory to cultural hub—reflect the enduring quest to unravel the multifaceted significance of Stonehenge in the lives of its builders and in the broader context of human history. As ongoing research and discoveries unfold, Stonehenge remains an archaeological and cultural treasure, inviting us to contemplate the enduring enigma of this iconic site.

[arwenkenobi48]

Been thinking about how I would rewrite Wish and here’s my thoughts so far:

King Magnifico is not a villain, period. Instead I decided to make him more akin to Merlin from The Sword In The Stone. He’s just a quirky old man with protective grandpa vibes.

Asha is already Magnifico’s apprentice at the start of the film and he fills in the role of a father figure in her life. They still disagree about the wish-granting ethics, but it’s way more amiable. Also Asha’s basically like “I’m not a little girl anymore” and Magnifico’s like “you’ll understand when you’re older”, etc. I can kinda see them having a similar vibe to how Twisted portrays Jasmine and Jafar tbh.

I decided to make the queen the main villain instead and very similar to the queen from Snow White. She manages to keep this facade of being a kind and generous ruler, but as Asha grows older, the queen finds it harder and harder to contain her jealously. She’s also subtly manipulative towards Magnifico as well.

I loved the concept of Star being a shapeshifter from the original draft of the project, so I decided to keep that element intact and make him Asha’s love interest. He’s somewhat like a gender switched Ariel, curious and excited to explore the human world and wanting to be a part of it.

I decided to change the context of the dark magic book corrupting Magnifico. As the queen becomes more and more unhinged, she starts trying to coerce her husband into doing her dirty work, but he staunchly refuses, so she uses the book to change him from a benevolent wizard to an archetypal evil sorcerer. She also does this to spite Asha because she knows how close their bond is.

In the end, it’s the queen who ends up trapped forever in the mirror and Magnifico is saved from her dark influence.

Asha’s character arc and Magnifico’s character arc are very similar as they both learn to admit when they’re wrong. Asha accepts that she still has a lot to learn and Magnifico learns to trust his apprentice with more responsibilities as she grows up.

Star’s one wish was to be human. He knows that that means giving up his immortality, but he’s ok with that because he would rather spend a finite life with Asha than be alone and live forever. His wish is granted and we get a closing narration from Magnifico (who also does an opening narration at the start) saying “…and we all lived happily ever after.” before closing the book that opened the movie.

I’m pretty sure there’s going to be other bits and parts but these are the ideas I have so far. Lmk what you all think! 👍

[vandalyssm]

Theory: Merlin's Recent Publicity and its Correlation to a Possible Sequel/Revival/Reboot (+Eoin Macken's Pseudo Merlin Project)

'Ello. Fancied sharing my thoughts on recent developments regarding BBC's Merlin.

Fair, firm warning: I'm only sharing speculations and my personal opinions on the matter, and I do not advertise them as fact whatsoever. Consider them musings (or delusions, your choice). You can use this to further fuel your hope of the slim chance that this beloved show will see the light of day once again or maybe make theories of your own. Dispelling it is also an option, as I cannot assure my arguments would be free from flaws.

Right. Without further ado...

Revival of the Official Merlin Twitter Account

Let's put this into scenario.

Imagine a dated piece of media, previously well-known worldwide and had its own golden age for a time. This media launched the last of its contents over a decade ago, yet it gained a loyal, devoted following that persisted to grow and continued the legacy of the franchise over the years. Though there were highs and lows, the community remained alive for an impressive amount of time, steadily producing art, fiction, and creations dedicated to the media, despite not having anything new to work with. This devotion is acknowledged by those from an outsider's perspective, including the creators of this media (cast, staff, and distributors alike).

To put into context, the community was left unsatisfied with how the media ended, and many wished for the media to return. Articles were written, petitions were signed, comments left on the cast' social media accounts, and even questions were asked directly to them. Although different in wording, the inquired notion remained the same: Will there be a possibility of a sequel/revival/return/reboot? The answers range from a neutral, vague reply to a more resounding no.

This cycle persisted, but the people were immovable; they were visionaries and their dream lived on in their hearts. And this did not go unnoticed.

So it continued... until one of the media's social accounts made a sudden return. Out of nowhere, without a warning. They're back for good, the account announced. It sent the community into a frenzy. But if you took a step back from the excitement, you'd notice that it's strange. Why would a media ended over a decade ago suddenly be promoted again?

Now, I'm going to explore two possibilities; pragmatic and idealistic. The previous hypothetical scenario lays the general principal of Merlin's relevance (duh).

I'll make the pragmatic perspective brief. FremantleMedia saw the opportunity to make some bucks from Merlin because of the loyal fanbase, using a no-cost yet effective method to keep us tuned in; hoping. OMG, what does this mean? Does this mean they're going make a sequel?! Holy shit, they're teasing us, aren't they? I can't believe this is happening, it's a dream come true! And so on and so forth. Evidently, it works and numbers are growing. The official Merlin twitter account is racking up more followers and likes with each post. In this possibility, there's no such thing as a sequel/whatever it is the fanbase hopes for; just a reanimated corpse doing the same silly tap dance while we holler at it, dumbly hoping that they bust out new moves.

Now, the fun part. The idealistic version!

I'm going to use a real life example for my theory: the upcoming release of Dragon's Dogma 2. With a quick Google search, you can learn that Dragon's Dogma 2 is the highly awaited sequel for its well-liked predecessor, Dragon's Dogma.

For some time, Dragon's Dogma was on sale on Steam (with a decent cut too). This was done to gain the attention of...

1. those who haven't previously dived into the franchise. It's to make them think 'Wow! This game's so good. Oh, there's a sequel of it that's gonna be released soon? With even better graphics and gameplay? Sign me the fuck up!'. You liked Blueberry Cheesecake, so it'd make sense that you'd be more open to buying Double Blueberry Cheesecake, Premium Ingredients Addition, with 2 additional paid toppings.

2. Veterans and nostalgic fans. 'They're promoting the game I liked years ago... Oh, well, it won't hurt to play it again, just for the nostalgia. It never really left my mind anyway."

In other words: hype! hype! hype!

If using this principle, then the possibility of a sequel/revival/reboot/new content exists. It's either being processed (wishful thinking, not as likely) or being considered (more likely). If it's the latter, then they're testing the waters to see how much people still care/how much money they'll make. The more attention and hype it gets, the higher the likelihood.

Simplified:

P (old media pushed for publicity) -> Q (hype built)

Q (hype built) -> R (new content)

Eoin Macken's Pseudo Merlin Project

If I recall correctly, Eoin Macken first announced a pseudo Merlin project in late 2020. It's first teased to be released in 2021, but nothing came out of it so far (at the time of writing this) except if you count the small handful of times Macken hinted it over the ongoing four year period.

Now, I understand his position. First and foremost, he needs the legal rights to actually produce anything and it's no easy feat when you're dealing with a massive company. Then there's the issue of costumes, props, sets, and equipment. A lot to consider. To put it simply, he must offer the company something worth more than the show itself or contribute in their favor in some way. Macken seems like a charming and capable guy, so he can make it work. Probably.

I lean towards the spin-off theory because a cast reunion would not take four years. As far as I know, Macken is close with the knights and they could get together at any convenient time. If the project was a zoom call or a recorded get-together, it would've been released already. To compare, by using the average of 385,000 babies born each day during the last three years, we have 421,575,000 newborns before the Pseudo Merlin Project.

I want to tie this in with the previous theory, but eh. It can connect, but not really. I don't have any further explanation or evidence since Macken hasn't given any news.

---

Anyways. That's enough of this. I hope it made sense, at least it did to me. I'm entering my third year in the fandom, so I'm relatively new and still hopeful. (Though I try hard to keep my feet on the ground while I stare up at the clouds.)

To end this post, I'd like to say: keep hoping. Hope is such a stupidly beautiful thing, and it should be nurtured. Turn that feeling into art, into efforts.

There are franchises revived 2-3 decades after, and Merlin is no exception.

[queerofthedagger]

2024 Fic Round-Up / AO3 Wrapped

Tagged by @softest-punk and @hobbitwrangler in two slightly different versions of this, so I'm going to combine them. Thank you both so much! <3

Works Published:

Total Words Published at end of year: 205k! Slightly skewed because I actually wrote the Steddie Bang last year, but only finished posting it in January. As far as writing goes, I wrote 215k words in '24.

Fandoms: Mainly Tolkien, especially for the Silmarillion. Merlin tried to stay afloat at the start of the year, but well. RIP

Top 3 Ships:

Fingon/Maedhros (9)

Maedhros/Maglor (5)

and a three-way-tie between Arthur/Merlin, Curufin/Finrod, and Aragron/Legolas with three fics each!

Top 5 Tags:

AU - Canon Divergence

Angst with a Happy Ending

Hurt/Comfort

Complicated Relationship

Established Relationship

Top 3 Fics by Wordcount:

Renegades (Leave a Light On) (66k)

Between Ruinous Dusk and Restless Dawn (34k)

to feel you like a knife (23k)

Highest Everything (raw kudos, hits, comments):

Hits & Kudos: like there's hope in this story (8k/1k respectively)

Comments: Renegades (230)

New Things I Tried:

First of all, obviously plunging head-first into the Silm fandom, which was both exciting and also a little intimidating. It is such an incredibly welcoming space though, I did not regret it for a second.

I've also written considerably more explicit/kink/pwp stuff than I used to, which has been about the same experience lmao <3

Last but not least, I've done a lot of collabs this year with the most beloved @magicinavalon. While I've done that kind of thing before in the context of fests, it's been really great to brainstorm and work together from scratch with a friend outside of the course of events! <3

Fic I Spent the Least Time On:

Probably like thread through needle; it's only 500 words long and spilt onto the page in a deluge of Finrod feels that wouldn't be contained <3

Favourite Thing(s) I Read:

I've read a truly obscene amount of fics this year thanks to landing in the Silm fandom, and there are so, so, SO many absolute treasures there that I could not list them all here without completely derailing this post. I've been thinking of making an end of year rec list (which is somewhat belated at this point but we can pretend the passage of time isn't passage-ing), so I shall relegate the answer of this there. Suffice to say, this fandom is filled to the brim with fantastically talented people and just about everything I've read has been amazing show-stopping incredible! <3

Writing Goals for 2025:

I really want to get back to writing long fic. Renegades was, as I said, written in 2023 and that aside, the longest thing I wrote was my TRSB at roughly 30k. Which isn't short by any means, but I miss the intricate involvement of a complex novel-length kind of project.

As such, I raised my wordcount goal back up from 200k to 300k, and am planning to write more consistently again. '24 has been a very 'random bursts of writing' kind of year with single days with high output, and long stretches with nothing in between. Which has been fine, considering the new job and all! But if I can get myself to sit down more often even for lower kind of daily wordcounts, I'd overall probably still get more done, at the end of the year.

--

I'm not sure who has done this already, but tagging: @emryses @thefollow-spot @melestasflight @polutrope @crackinthecup @luthnethril @welcomingdisaster @aredhels and anyone else who'd like to -- just say I tagged you! <3

[iamamythologicalcreature]

Six Sentence Sunday in a Pitch Pinch

(I have a headache. It's my excuse for that title.) But I am in a bit of a pinch, because of said headache. So quick thanks to @aroace-genderfluid-sheep and @youarenevertooold for the tags today, and on to my snippet from my @carryon-reverse-bang project. Unedited, not canon compliance checked, and without context. Basically, this is my "I'm not gonna miss another Sunday, dammit" contribution. Ahem.

Simon's POV. Behold:

“Mr. Snow,” he said, and I swear he managed to make “Mr. Snow” sound like some sort of veiled insult. “Just tell me the number. We’ll pay it. I’d like to get off the phone.” “O-Okay,” I said, because what else could I say to something like that? “I’ll email you an estimate.” (I copied that line from my boss. He says it’s a good stalling tactic.) I’m glad I stalled, because after I told Penny, she told her mum, and Professor Bunce called me next. Turns out she’s a bit of a shark. I think she’s still off about the fact that I didn’t want any of the Mage’s money. And, apparently, she has no problem taking that out on the Pitch family coffers. Which is how I got here. Getting paid an obscenely large amount of money to do a job I’m not even sure I’m qualified for, inside a haunted mansion, within a dead spot, in Hampshire. Merlin.

Tags under the cut!

Happy Wipsday/friendly how do's to @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @cutestkilla, @shrekgogurt, @artsyunderstudy, @alleycat0306, @whatevertheweather, @prettygoododds, @rimeswithpurple, @nightimedreamersworld, @ileadacharmedlife, @imagineacoolusername, @aristocratic-otter, @angelsfalling16, @fatalfangirl, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, @alexalexinii, @ic3-que3n, @erzbethluna, @hushed-chorus, @tender-ministrations, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @katmiscellanious, @anxious-m3ss, @raenestee, @supercutedinosaurs, @thewholelemon, @ebbpettier, @facewithoutheart, @leithillustration, @scribble-tier, @theimpossibledemon, @katatsumuli, @bubble-gumhead, @theearlgreymage

[loverofwhump216]

Merlin And A Fairy Named Bob

Series: Merlin, Cafae Latte (tiktok series)

Characters: Merlin (he/him), Bob (she/her), Jennifer Charles (they/them)

Summary: Merlin is vacationing in a small town in America for a few months when he comes across a cafe owned by fairies. He decides to go in making sure nothing sinister is happening only to end up befriending the owner. This one-shot crosses over into the Tiktok series Cafae Latte. You don't really have to watch it to read it, but knowing about it does help with some of the context.

[coqueliccott]

Genshin and hsr characters as pinned messages (out of context) from discord servers with my friends: a shitpost

(uhhh cw some nsfw jokes and cuss words)

wriothesley: "i do not want an alpha transformation happening rn "

march to danheng: "my coquette lungs are better than your emo lungs"

hu tao: *ghostly voice* "oooooogly boogly why'd you skadoodly me?"

xiao, learning how to spell: "i lvove elmo music"

childe: "he is in my feet"

klee: "yeah my grandma's actually kim kardashian"

bronya to cocolia when she got sick as a kid: "Mother please carry me outside before to see the sky one last time before the consumption takes hold of my body and soul"

hu tao: " "weenis", said eerily"

bennett: "THE SANDWHICH TOOK ME OUT"

blade: "that link is longer than my plans for the future"

serval: "i pledge allegiance to the american bra"

itto: "i am in heat growls the summer has come and i am in heat growls"

zhongli: "*old man voice* when i was your age i fought kids"

stelle/caelus: "when i was my age i eated drywall"

fu xuan: "JING YUAN ILL SNIPPERS YOU UP IF YOU DONT STOP WITH THIS GOOBEROUS SHIT"

diluc, about venti: "i like to prentend he was a fever dream i came with at 4am"

fréminet, trying to speak french: "they said Lyney tu dumbass"

sampo: "I think Luka would beat up Luka while Luka watches. and then Luka would join in and beat the living daylight out of Luka"

silver wolf, about blade: "ppl with lactose intolerance boutta have their 2nd period ongomg"

kayea and rosaria: "we're a match made in the deep dark depths of the abyssal caves in fuck knows where"

jingliu: "am i.........one of those queers........."

yanquing: "shout-out to my home dawg Charles aka history teacher for dropping this wisdom on me"

shinobu: "itto if you say anything penis related you are banned"

ayaka as a kid: ""please take me to the garden so that way i can see the shining sun for the last time before my frail body decomposes with the disease known as ligma""

lyney: "imagine Neuvillette seeing a bunch of orphans blow up infront of him"

yoimiya: "are you really friends if you dont have matching vagina bracelets ??"

wriothesley: "My name is actually marlinus maximilianus Merlin guys"

caelus/stelle: " *bites your toes playfully* "

Pompom: "i eat gender for dinner"

xiao: "is life without endless pain and suffering only for it all to end leaving nothing but emptiness and all your suffering being just for the entertainment of the entity that we call god. an entity who is the real reason as to why we humans end up hurting others, for pain and suffereing is nothing but an endless spiral no matter how hard you try."

kafka, messing with blade: "do you like the gay foot"

yanfei: "YOU CANT LET IT GO LET IT GO YOUR WAY OUT OF A RESTRAINING ORDER"

kokomi: "DEMENTED DOLPHIN"

Furina: "they oui oui'd me"

shenhe: "the cld never bothered me anywa......."

kiara: "agressive meow"

ganyu: "are you a tree cause i wanna eat you"

dainsleif: "while youre kissing you bf or whatever ill be watching in the walls"

venti: "I FART ON PLANES"

scaramouche: "childe I will shave you bald"

itto: "perry plaptypussy"

seele, in response to hook's drawing: "10/10 Einstein could never"

razor, to bennett: "I WILL LICK YOU TO SLEEP"

sucrose, about to collect more bones: "*deranged loud breathing*"

kequing, to half of liyue: "SHUT UP COLOR WHEEL"

cyno: "genderfluid people's favorite song is liquid smooth"

kequing: "the feminine urge to beat up your coworkers with a stick"

dehya: "i piss on biphobes" kaveh: "but what if they have a piss kink..."

albedo: "he looks like a failed science project"

baizhu: "blowjob? nah, blownose"

silver wolf: "story time, honkai star rail made me leave my brother at a gas station and i do not regret SHIT"

blade: "if i end this year without killing myself its a miracle"

columbina: "btw dead bodies take less space if you bury them like theyre standing up"

zhongli: " *cracks back and walks away leaving a trail of dust behind"

@muachiro @geetkk @veimwah @etherific @zohakutenstan