#source: bbc merlin (<3)< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[skullmakesmelaugh]

Holly to Lucy, pointing at a pair of DEPRAC officers: Distract them! I'll be right back!

Holly: *returns and sees the officers unconscious on the ground*

Holly: What did you do? I said distract them, not knock them out!

Lucy: There's just no pleasing you sometimes

[lesbicosmos]

[near the start of s1]

crystal: sometimes two heads are better than one!

edwin: yes, but not when one of them's yours

[hee-blee-art]

dark out at five pm....... favourite winter tea discontinued............ hell world 🥺 please send sketch requests to help lift me spirits my friends (especially x-men or merlin <3)

[llamagirl28]

Hi! I've been playing The Bastard of Camelot for a while now, and I'd like to know: have you ever watched BBC Merlin? That's what lead me to your work and I'm sooooo glad it did. Moreover, what was your source/s of inspiration for TBoC? <3

I've only ever watched a few episodes of BBC Merlin, not for lack of enjoyment, just got busy with other stuff and never picked it up again. What got me into Arthurian stuff in the first place is the game Guenevere , which is currently not completed, created by @/newarcana., and then I just fell in love with the myths around Morgana and Mordred.

[merlincersei]

Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 13

The Meaning Of Pendragon In The TV Show

The 3 prominent characters in the TV show who bear the Pendragon last name are Uther, Arthur and Morgana.

The name has its origin in the Old Welsh language

The Arthurian legends were mainly written in the medieval age.

However Arthur's literary origins lie in the Dark ages.

The TV creators have already stated it was their intention to reinterpret Arthurian legends using a modern Smallville format which is modern American in its narrative.

Source:

Even though the TV show does not specify the time period it is set in, it uses a lot of medieval imagery such as plated armor, chain mail, carriages etc.. which were all medieval inventions.

So this dark age last name used within a medieval world but portrayed through a modern 21st century American narrative takes a whole new meaning.

The show also gives us a literal meaning to Pendragon as Uther even sent a dragon to the pen ( Kilgaragh is imprisoned underneath the cavern of Camelot )

Here the name takes the overtures of being a TYRANT.

______________________________________________________________

Uther:

He fits the classic definition of a tyrant.

I don't even have to list all of Uther's crimes because Merlin as Dragoon literally calls him a tyrant to his face listing all his misdeeds in the following clip:

It is Uther who lends his last name to Morgana and Arthur and all the baggage that comes with it.

______________________________________________________________

Morgana:

It is very telling that the moment Morgana realizes that Uther is her father, she rejects Uther as she does not want to associate with what Uther Pendragon represents.

However the Pendragon traits soon manifests within her as she undergoes the tragic transformation from being a brave and loyal friend who helped a lowly servant by going to his village and helping him defend it to being this embittered villainess who shows dictatorial traits.

Her struggle for self acceptance as a magical being and protesting against the persecution of magic users soon manifests as a crusade against the non magical users based on revenge.

The Pendragon legacy here acts as a genetic pathological mental illness that is triggered through grief and betrayal. Morgana being poisoned by Merlin being the trigger for Morgana as Ygraine's death was for Uther.

______________________________________________________________

Arthur:

Uther is the typical distant and repressive fatherly figure who has channeled all his hopes and emotions on his sole male heir i.e. Arthur.

Arthur had a strict military training who is only allowed to show his masculine, aggressive side

Unlike Morgana, Arthur constantly feels the pressure to live up to Pendragon name. The Sword in the Stone: Part 1 and 2 episodes perfectly highlights Arthur's insecurities.

Merlin who is privy to Arthur's psyche more than anyone in the series, has seen the Pendragon rage manifest in Arthur such as:

Arthur willing to kill Uther (Refer Episode: The Sins of the Father)

Arthur banishing Gwen under the punishment of death (Refer Episode: Lancelot Du Lac)

Arthur vowing vengeance against Agravaine (Refer Episode: The Sword in the Stone Part 1)

Arthur vows to punish Dragoon after Uther dies (Refer Episode: The Wicked Day)

In all the above situations, it is Merlin who provides counsel and/or emotional support to Arthur to exercise prudence and not give in to his rage.

IT IS ONE OF THE KEY REASON WHY MERLIN DOES NOT REVEAL HIS MAGIC TO ARTHUR UNTILL THE VERY END !!!

The dialogue in the scene above is very revealing.

ARTHUR: Why did you never tell me?

MERLIN: I wanted to but...

ARTHUR: What?

MERLIN: You would have chopped my head off.

ARTHUR: I am not sure what I would have done

MERLIN: I did not want to put you in that position

ARTHUR: That's what worried you

Merlin knows the trigger for Pendragon rage is betrayal and grief.

Merlin knows it was his betrayal of Morgana that lead her down a dark path.

Had Merlin revealed his magic to Arthur earlier he would never have earned Arthur's trust to be in a position to counsel him during his darkest moments.

Merlin being the other half of Arthur as stated by Kilgaragh acts a superego for Arthur trying to counterbalance his aggressive Pendragon tendencies .

Kilgaragh had told Merlin it was his mission to mold Arthur into being a great king. (Refer Episode: Dragons' Call)

Merlin's influence on Arthur is really exemplified in the episode "Death Song Of Uther Pendragon" , where Arthur confronts Uther:

Merlin then confronts Uther's ghost, reiterating that Arthur is indeed very unlike Uther.

This episode ends with Arthur rejecting Uther and what Uther stands for, by blowing the Horn of Cathbhadh and sending Uther back to the spirit realm.

______________________________________________________________

In Conclusion:

It was a masterful stroke by the series creators to have Morgana and Arthur introduced to the audience in contrasting light. (Refer Episode: Dragons' Call)

Morgana is shown distressed as a man is executed by Uther for being a sorcerer whereas Arthur is seen bullying one of his squires.

The audience is only privy to the information that Arthur is Uther's son and Morgana is unrelated to Uther resulting in the viewer sympathizing with Morgana and rooting against Arthur.

However as the series progresses and as Morgana's identity is revealed. We see her succumb to the Pendragon traits despite her abject hatred of Uther . Whereas Arthur ultimately rejects Uther and Uther's ideology despite constantly seeking his validation throughout the series.

Morgana ( Hero to Villan ) and Arthur's ( Villan To Hero) character arc ends up in complete opposite directions from where they began.

Both characters are scarred by trauma, loss and betrayals they have experienced compounded by the less than stellar parenting of Uther Pendragon.

It is very poignant that the series ends with Gwen on the throne and not a Pendragon signifying a new future for Camelot.

[salty-we-never-got-mergana]

You know I don't want to be one of those people that are fanfics are better than the source material (granted Arthurian legend is basically fanfiction at this point because where is the source material here? The Once and Future King? Le Mort'd Arthur? Geoffery Monmouth's Historia Brittanica? The Welsh Triads? Mabinogion? Did I spell or pronounced any of this right?) , but sometimes I feel like the Merlin fanfictions are better than the show itself because the show doesn't have a linear storyline every season. The closest it came to that would probably be Season 3 because of how it's clear the main villains are Morgause, Morgana and Cenred and it's all about stopping them. Granted Season 1 had Nimue, but there were other filler episodes within, and same with Season 2. Season 4 may have had the cast against Morgana and Morgause, mostly Morgana but idk… honestly, I'm hesitant to say S3 was best because of Morgana's entire personality change…anyway I digress. What I mean is there really isn't any linear storyline, and yet a long fic can be practically an entire season with a whole over-arching plot that goes episode to episode.

You also get background information about the world that's pertinent to the plot. Then again BBC Merlin is a children's show in a way right? Or it's family-friendly, so it doesn't need to be…complicated. Though I was pretty disappointed with the Vivian episode where we didn't really get much information about the 5 kingdoms that came for a peace treaty, and why did they came for a peace treaty? What was it for? How come people talk about war, but we never see it? Right, BBC Merlin isn't trying to be complicated. Just a fun story about a jouster putting a love potion on a prince and princess in order to disrupt peace treaty proceedings to start a war.

[juniperss]

Band of brothers medieval au ,that's just a thought...

anon, your mind….lets take this a step further if you don’t mind me doing so:

knights of the round table au. Now I’ll be honest and admit that my knowledge on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is entirely sourced from BBC’s Merlin so you’ll have to bear with me BUTTTTTTTTTT

“We would fight a thousand armies with our bare hands for you. We are never alone. We stand together." -Elyan to Arthur

In this AU I clearly picture Richard as Arthur. Just as in Band of Brothers, we see how quickly Easy Company (led by Lipton and so on) admit they would rather be transferred (or even killed) than to have to serve under Sobel. It’s clear from the beginning who the loyalty of the Company belongs to and that is Winters.

Now there aren't enough Knights of the Round Table to have each member of Easy Company, so I'm going to divide Easy into the Archetypes of each Knight that they most reflect in either all or most aspects (in my opinion!) -Sir Gwaine Archetype: "I think we have no chance. But I wouldn't miss it for the world." Bold, seeing the best in others, flirtatious, confident, fiercely loyal, humorous, throw hands first and ask questions later, and believed that people should be defined by what they did rather than who they were [Guarnere, Toye, Speirs, Talbert] - Sir Lancelot Archetype: "It is not just his deeds that we'll never forget. It is his courage. It is his compassion. His unselfish heart." Kindhearted, compassionate, courageous, humble, loyal and self sacrificing. [Lipton, Roe, Malarkey] -The Sir Elyan Archetype: "He's [Elyan] just one of those types of people, never settles down, never thinks about the future. Just follows his heart wherever it takes him." Affectionate, adventurous, loyal, brave, kind to others, cunning and quick on their feet, giving. [Muck, Skip, Nixon, Liebgott, Luz] -The Sir Leon (THATS MY MAN!) Archetype: "I have fought alongside you [Arthur] so many times, there is no one else I would rather die for." Steadfast, loyal, sensible, knew the difference between courage and foolishness, outspoken, humorous, good natured, self sacrificing for the greater good [Martin, Buck, also Lipton] -The Sir Percival Archetype: "Your enemies are my enemies" Quiet, man of few words, skilled, brave, gentle and softhearted, decisive, mischievous in the right company. [Shifty, Bull, Babe, Skinny]

Prince Richard presents his plan to stop an evil that has grown so powerful and destructive that he isn't sure he can actually succeed but he vows that he will try anyway. He doesn't ask his friends for help, but one by one they pledge their aid to him.

The Knights that Richard chooses aren’t all nobility nor are they approved by the King. They are simply men who have shown unwavering loyalty and love to him, they are men he trusts. And they are there when he has no one else, and they commit themselves to his cause knowing full well that they might not survive. Their numbers aren't many (only 5 Knights with any skill in battle and 3 honorary members) but they are steadfast and skilled.

After Richard establishes the Knights of the Round table, he would later abolish The First Code of Camelot that states that only men of noble blood can be Knights. After all, blood does not make the man. It's his actions and loyalty that do.

I do absolutely adore the idea of the Knights (Easy) wearing red cloaks and armor like the Knights do in Merlin. It's so dramatic and I think it should be allowed *bangs gavel*

Something something the Knights were so deeply loyal to one another that it bordered on something more than platonic something something the dedication to one another that after the death of their leader there was too much grief to continue on something something.....

While the Knights are meant to be a symbol of the realm and its power, I also see them as representative of the common people, especially in the BBC Merlin version after the Round Table is established. These are men who have come from varied backgrounds and experiences and there's not a way that they wouldn't be seen as what could be for the future.

watch this video and tell me i'm wrong (pls don't tell me i'm wrong)

[trashland-llamas]

Niki Nihachu webweave

made as part of niki-nihachu-summer + wk 3's prompt set; Hurt/Forgiveness/Apathy in mind.

Sources;

Golden Touch (2024) by Clayshaper // William Wordsworth posted by tumblr user @/poetryforall // Morgana's dagger (BBC Merlin) // Niki's underground city // The Rapture (but it's Pink) - Scene Queen ft. Mothica // Tarot of the Divine deck // twitter user @/petfurniture // How to Grow and Care for Anemone (Windflower) // Glass Onion // Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake - Bring Me The Horizon

[toomanythoughtsandstuff]

Hellooooo!! Introduction post!!

I made a fresh tumblr account, because I was a lurker for years (I know, I know, arrest me, criminal) and began to grow uncomfortable with that.

Anyway, tumblr ettiquette, whats that? But actually I don't know everything, so remind me kindly if I do things wrong. I've been in fandom spaces since I was a tiny little teenager, but tumblr always seemed a bit intimidating (I don't know HTML), but now I am here for more than just sims custom content.

So let's get started with the main part of this post, me! I am a talker when I'm comfortable, which you might be able to guess, so I am putting the main part under a cut off.

So: Name: Arlo Age: 19 (it feels like I've been 19 for ages, while 18 was about two months long) Pronouns: he/him or they/them Hobbies: too many, a selection of them here: Crochet, Knitting, Fiber Arts Any crafts I can get my hands on Reading, when I'm not currently chronically online I play marimbaphone, took a break, but now I am at it again, althought I am not very good Picking up new hobbies and discarding them after a week Coaching (I volunteer in childrens sports classes, with children 3 y/o and up, and I lead rhythmic gymnastics courses for kids and teens in secondary education at the school I used to be at) Love to practice some RG myself, but I sadly don't really have the space or functioning body for that Interests: equally too many, most of them fandoms, again a selection: BBC Merlin Percy Jackson Video Games Minecraft Hermitcraft and when I manage to find time: the life series, as well as some Solo Projects of some of the Hermits I watch Good Omens technically, but I have not interacted much with it, since the stuff about the author came out, still kind of on the fence if I will watch "season" 3, because so many people worked on that and it's not just his, but at the same time he was a co-creator In a similar vein: Dead Boy Detectives I'm a fan of fans and fandom as I like to say, meaning I am fascinated about not a singular fandom, although that would also be true, but instead I am fascinated how fandom evolves, fandom etiquette, fandom terms, everything in that vein. Fanlore is basically my favourite website. Somehow I am in the 9-1-1 fandom without ever having watched the show. I don't have any way to access it currently, and buying the whole show is a bit too expensive imo. But TikTok somehow managed to rope me into the show and considering I only ever saw clips, I know too much from fan edits and fanfiction. I have no idea if people think you should watch the source material to be in a fandom, so I say I am fandom-adjacent with 9-1-1. Other than that, I am a queer + trans man-adjacent person so queer rights are obviously important for me. I'm disabled, so once again disability rights are also important to me, generally I try my best to respect and support minorities and their rights. In terms of disabilities: my collction includes being autistic, ADHD, and most likely some physical undiagnosed disability, we suspect POTS, but go try and get my GP to listen to my symptoms, good luck. I have a long history with mental illness, starting at about 12 years old, but for probaly the first time in years I believe I might at some point be able to handle it and I am approaching 1.5 years hospital free.

I live in my beautiful little apartment, one house away from my parents, who help me financially, which I am very grateful for and want to repay them for one day. I would love to work in the film industry one day, most likely as an editor, which I imagine would be the most forgiving in terms of disabilities, but it will be hard due to said disabilities. For now I am still a student in general education from home.

I am german, so my english is not perfect, but I have a lot of english speaking friends. While we are at it, if Germans see this post AND have read this far: Go Vote, this is an important election, and please consider minorities and their safety when you use your vote! What will I post here: no idea, I just know that I like the way tumblr is structured, although intimidating, it seems like a relieve from other social media plattforms. I will try to learn a bit of HTML so I can make my blog look good, and there will be me being a nerd on here. Maybe I'll just update on my current hyperfixations and impulsive project starts.

This was a long one, I am a talker as mentioned in the beginning. If you want to be friends or silently repost post that you think are good/funny, I welcome every potential new friend. Also tell my anything you think is interesting!!

Goodbye for now

[sentienceisoverrated]

Things I miss about old tv shows:

1. Set Designs

One thing I miss most is actual tangible set designs. There used to be a handful of sets that would get used time and time again, and the characters actually interacted with them. Sets now look so damn clinical and clean, characters barely interact with them (mostly because half of all sets are almost entirely CGI) and they barely change over the course of a season or episode. Reflect your characters’ mental states by their rooms. Make them messy, dirty, have characters comment on the state of certain sets. Come on make them UNIQUE. And not in the way of just the objects either, make them unkempt or overflowed and mix up the lighting a bit.

2. Actual Episodic Structure

Most TV shows I’ve watched that came out in the last few years have had a continuous plot. Which is great. It makes me invested in the story, makes me excited for the next episode. But unless done correctly, it can feel like nothing was actually achieved in those episodes. Often it comes that a character spends the entire episode trying to do something, only for their plan to unravel right at the end of the episode and the next episode to be set up. It makes me feel like nothing was actually completed. Every episode is designed to set up for the next one and in some cases this works, but in others it doesn’t. An episodic structure is where each episode has its own individual storyline that may or may not add to the overall plot. Avatar: The Last Airbender used this structure, as did the Star Trek series (excluding season 2~ of Discovery) and BBC Merlin. A structure like this adds considerably more to character development and subsequent relationships between characters before moving on to more plot-driven antics, which in turn raises the stakes.

3. Fantasy Lighting

This, I believe, is self-describing. TV shows are too dark. I can’t see. Even if you want to establish how dark a setting is, there is still usually a source of light that a character is holding. It’s enough to make us actually see what’s going on, so let us. Please. And, anyway, it’s fiction. Doesn’t have to always be 100% realistic.

4. Filler Episodes

This comes in tandem with episode numbers. I do understand that in production the creators don’t have much time to film and edit before release. But. Where did the 20 episode seasons go? A lot of series are being released half-and-half, but even if it’s weekly, most people I know would be fine with it as long as each episode is produced to the best of the ability of the creators. I also miss fillers. Give me those character shenanigans. No plot, just pure antics. Those episodes keep me alive.

4. CGI Consistency

I will always maintain the opinion that good CGI relies on how consistent its quality is throughout a film, season or episode. Personally, I don’t care how good the CGI is so long as it remains relatively the same level throughout what I’m watching. I see this a lot in recent tv shows *cough* marvel *cough* where one scene will have the most spectacular CGI ever seen and another looks more like a low-budget animated kids show. It breaks immersion. I’m not into it. Just give me bad CGI all the way through. Or, on contrast, no CGI whatsoever. Construct scenes using actual corporeal sets and makeup. I miss funky little puppets.

(Note: this is opinion based. Feel free to agree or disagree, add or remove. I won’t contend)

[inkforhumanhands]

fandom asks: 1 2 8 11 12 17 23 24 25

list 3 positive things about your current fandom(s)

a) I love that the Daredevil fandom has been kept healthy with several events over the years: shout out to @daredevilexchange for all the work they've done! b) My mattfoggy buddies are all so sweet and supportive; I know I can always count on someone to leave a comment on my fics even if they're occasionally a bit niche! c) I'm currently loving the surge in podficcing! We've not only got longtime veterans doing podfics for other people's work, but several of us have dipped our toes into the waters and have begun to podfic our own work. Not only a neat part of fandom but a step toward some more enjoyable reading for our friends who primarily use screen readers.

2. a headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

I think at first I wasn't super big on the whole "Mike is in love with Foggy and obnoxious about it" thing, but as anyone familiar with my fics knows I've since come to embrace it.

8. you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

Honestly I'd just like people to write more fics and draw more art directly inspired by comics storylines, especially some of the older stuff! That's what I'm hoping to get people to do with my upcoming DD comics bingo event. :D

11. if you're a writer or artist, what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?

At the moment I'm really proud of Hearsay, which is a comics volume 1 wip. I just think it's very tightly written.

12. compliment someone else in your fandom

@mutuallyprime is as lovely and supportive as it gets! You can count on her to boost you up if you need it 🥺 and she's written some truly great fics! The DD 2003!Matt/Milla fic is never leaving my brain.

17. the thing in canon that everyone loves and that you also love

Already answered this one with Matt and Foggy's friendship, but I suppose I also love their frequent divorces. 😌 Great source of drama, I think we can all agree about that.

23. the fandom you're curious about because of a mutual

lol sorry this is a boring answer but at the moment... none! I have in the past however been influenced to watch things, including Hannibal (loved it), Interview with the Vampire (loved it), and BBC Merlin (hated it lmao).

24. how has fandom positively impacted your life?

I've made so many friends!! It's lovely to wake up in the morning and be able to go and say hi and chat about this thing we're all obsessed with. Far less lonely. :D

25. a piece of advice for taking care of yourself in fandom spaces

literally don't listen to anybody telling you you're doing fandom wrong because you do/don't do x, y, or z. it's your life and anybody espousing these opinions has a very narrow and limited view of other people's interiority. get the hell out of there if you see a post like this. you deserve better.

[super-who-locked-me-in-here]

Dot why do you have irls on here 😭

Fun fact I have irl mutuals on Tumblr because I was friends or became friends with each of them irl before we became Tumblr mutuals. I've never met someone who I was friends with on Tumblr first.

One of my best friends had a tumblr when we met as teens but they soon left Tumblr behind, only to rejoin when they started watching Hannibal about a year ago. They're not very active though and when they are they mostly post about Baldur's Gate 3 and Critical Role stuff which both have fandoms I'm not part of.

The second irl mutual I'm worried about every time I post because I never know what they'll say about my stuff for the bit. You may sometimes, if you ever look through the notes on posts of mine that are more personal than blorbo-posting, see posts from a particular blog that say things along the lines of "father why are you being horny on main". That is one of my best friends/discord children and their main source of entertainment is ruining my life (affectionate). The only reason they even have Tumblr is because I made them make an account so I could publicly call them out for saying Lancelot from BBC Merlin looked like Lord Farquaad.

My third and fourth irl mutuals are both besties from college, both of whom were on Tumblr before I met them, but once we all became friends at college and realized we were all on here we just decided to follow each other, especially since we're all fannibals.

My last irl mutual is not even actually a friend of mine lol. She's my sister's childhood best friend/my godmother's daughter. But she actually is a big reason I write fanfic bc she has written over a million words of popular fanfiction for a particular show and actually has a dedicated fanbase for her universe using the show characters and I was like "oh that's cool I could do that!" and so we follow each other with our mains but she does not follow this account.

Uh yeah so I have quite a few IRL friends who I just happen to also connect with on Tumblr. There are some people who I'd never follow on Tumblr in a million years, like I know my brother is on here somewhere and I have no desire to find his profile, but this is the only social media that me and my friends are all on outside of discord so we follow each other.

[theroundbartable]

I just found this post of yours and it's so interesting.....

https://www.tumblr.com/theroundbartable/740670829898170368/what-do-you-think-are-merlin-and-arthurs-greatest?source=share

Can I ask the same questions but for drarry and klance?

So, I'm new for these 3 ships (like < 2 years). I finished hp books and merlin BBC just last year and finished voltron 2 years ago. Like I thought, it's hard for me to find a blog with these 3 ships so I'm so excited when I found your blog. Thanks so much for your blog, I love it.

Also, do you mind if I ask your top fav fics for these ships?

Thanks if you want to answer....

Hello, Anon :) Thank you for the question and welcome to the fandom(s) XD ^^

Original Question: "(What are xy's) personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic?"

Drarry:

Draco: Draco is a leader and he knows his place. His strengths lay in his self confidence, observation skills and the fact that he knows his friends (and enemies) well, although he chose neither of them. Those are, by the way, marks of a true Slytherin, which is something Draco is the epitome of. He's sly, smart (although not as smart as Hermione) and focusses on tradition and his appearance. At this point I want to say that his upbringing plays a huge part in his character development as a child.

Draco's weakness is what I believe is the reason for Slytherins being known for harboring dark mages: He's easy to manipulate. People who have such a strong foundation in their self estimation, in their tradition with focus on family, friends, and blood bonds can easily be driven to do really bad things. While Draco is a leader, he doesn't know how to stand in for himself or for people he doesn't have complete control over when he suddenly isn't in charge anymore. He obsesses easily. The ties that made him strong in the past, tie him to Voldemort's schemes.

BUT, and that is the reason why the Malfoys are pardoned in the end, Draco has a sense for justice. He is self aware enough, and empathetic enough to know that the side he's on is the wrong one. He just doesn't have the ability to break free.

(One weakness for fun: Draco is bed at insulting people. Mudblood was not his creation, it was a common term. Draco's best insults were "Potter stinks" and "Weasley is our King." He's pathetic, I love him. Ginny's poem to Harry was more insulting, like seriously.)

Harry: Harry's strength is openness, empathy, courage, luck and a certain amount of wit. Harry has his own mind and he stands by what he believes in. He is a good judge of character and knows his own limits. He also has a strong sense for justice, although he's not as rebellious as his father had been. Harry sticks more to rules than James Potter ever did. (Harry is also a pretty good Quidditch player)

Harry is quick to agitate. He has a strong competitive side and tends to be a bit oblivious to his surroundings, and often even himself. He's emotion driven and that's what makes him sort of easy to manipulate as well. However, he is quick to accept deaths and work through traumatic events without having complete melt downs.

Their dynamic:

What I love about Drarry is that if the final HP scene had been cut off, it would have made the most sense (imo). Heck, even WITH the scene, the Drarry moments are still superior to most other ships.

They begin with a rejected friendship, a friendship that probably would have been the only friendship Draco would have actively chosen for himself, that leans into rivalry, then enemies and then a mutual understanding so deep and almost intimate that leaves their adult selfs capable of being everything at once.

After everything that has happened, they couldn't possibly be together. Not with Draco still following tradition and being forced into marriage (I swear, Draco could come out and it wouldn't change a thing, except that it makes far more sense than Dumbledore's coming out, again, imo.) And not with Potter becoming an auror afterwards who made sure that Draco's family was safe. The power difference makes it all very difficult. Draco knows his place and his duties and right then, they are beneath Potter, yet, Draco understands Potter's struggles better than anyone else, just like Harry understands Draco's suffering better than other Death Eaters or Ron and Hermione ever could.

What I love about them is that despite their differences, they are somewhat equal and symbolically so. Draco is a villain who was saved by Harry, and who saved Harry (at the manor). AND, what I really love, is that Harry could only win because of Draco's wand. The wizarding world owes Harry, of course, but Harry owes Draco for the wand, for the power over the elderwand. Harry stole three wands at the manor, but it was Draco's that suited him best. I love that Draco has silver hair and grey eyes, while Harry's are pitch black and his eyes green. I love that, even when Harry himself and his friends doubted Harry's heritage to being Salazar's heir, Draco knew it wasn't Harry. I love that Draco was more aware of Ginny's feelings for Harry than Harry himself had been. I love their rivalry on the Quidditch field, I love that Harry immediately knew that Draco had the mark because Draco STOPPED obsessing over Harry. I love that Harry knew the only reason for that to happen could be Voldemort. I love that Harry misjudged him and from the moment at the tower when Dumbledore died that Draco was a pawn and never wanted any of this to happen. That Draco was doing his best under the circumstances. I'm trying to explore these moments in "Second chances", but I suppose since you follow me for Drarry content, you knew that already.

I tend to stay away from the Harry Potter fandom, and I honestly haven't read many fanfictions there. I prefer to write - well, I delayed the fanfiction mentioned above because of fandom/author toxicity. Originally, I wasn't even sure whether to upload it at all. But after 2 years of contemplation, I've come to a conclusion. I just... tend to feel bad when I dive too deep into this fandom and see people on instagram spead hate to artists and in comments on ao3, or even on tumblr and I feel bad for working on the fic in general and yeah... that's why I can't name any fics, I'm very sorry. It's emotional and complicated.

Klance:

Keith: Keith is independend, he grows emotionally stable through the years, even though he starts off rather unhinged. But he's a skilled fighter and a compassionate leader who values his teammates and their input. He's a quick thinker and ambidextrous ;) And he puts the people he loves first.

Keith's weakness is that he's unhinged and and likes to head face first into trouble. Yet, he hates responsibility and he hates putting other people in the same positions he readily puts himself in. He also struggles with his identity in the beginning before he learns to accept it. He grows a lot, which is why it's difficult to make out individual strengths and weaknesses.

Lance: (Oh boy) Lance has good instincts, is a great shot and knows people. Not as well as Hunk does, but Lance knows how to deal with them. He's a decent strategist and grows into his responsibilities. He's also flexible (I don't mean physically, I mean mentally. He goes from ice paladin to fire paladin! But I guess physically as well, lmao ;) )

Weaknesses ... Lance has so many issues! He struggles with self worth, his place on the team/in the world. He has imposter syndrom, doesn't have faith in his own abilities, considers himself the dumb one (thank you bob, you useless god), he has depression and loses his friends one by one to each other, or a time warp that holds Keith for 2 years, only to learn that he was 'too dumb' to notice that Shiro was dead (thank you, Voltron writers, wtf).

Lance is observant (he was the only one to recognize Keith's change), he is selfless and heroic right from the very beginning (the bomb) and connects well to the mice. He's sensitive and compassionate and matures into a semi confident right hand man.

I like his take on masculinity and I find his flirting endearing... but I don't like that he's reduced to being a love interest in the end. A REBOUND no less. Lance is someone who, I believe, should be loved with confidence, not with a guilty conscience and the 'realisation' that he was better than Lotor. Fuck that. (Sorry, I was really mad at that point in the show R.I.P.). I also think that SOMEONE should have said something about the Voltron show being toxic but I suspect that I'm the only one who got angry at that...

I find the marks Lance now has a weakness, because they make it impossible for him to move on from Allura. I find that a bit unfair, tbh. And I think it's sort of sad that he became a farmer. He's the first one to go into retirement and I think that marks him as the only person who couldn't fully move on and who is drowning in depression. Not that being a farmer is a bad thing, it just isn't Lance. It feels wrong.

(Btw, no offense to Allura shippers! I absolutely get where that ship os coming from, (I'm a multishipper, lol,) I just think that THIS form of them becoming canon is a disservice to the ship itself. I believe I even read that the showwriters made Allura appear younger so the ship could become canon. I have no idea, I just think they had more to build that ship on and didn't give it the chance to fully embrace it's potential)

Anyways. Klance dynamic:

Who doesn't love rivals to lovers? In this case it's officially rivals to best friends, but seriously? The bonding moment? Them supporting EACH OTHER through their emotional difficulties? Keith helping Lance with his lack of confidence while Lance helps Keith carry the unwanted responsibilities ? *Chef's kiss*

Them knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses to a T! Mutual understanding, baby! Them encouraging each other and accepting their flaws, to the point where they can tease each other without mercy. Fire and ice, samurai and sharpshooter!, team leader and co leader, both growing as people as they adopt each other's fighting styles. It's just so good. I love them.

I also love that while Lance was always told to be more like Keith, Keith NEVER expected Lance to do that. He wasn't even aware of it. Keith stepped back to give Lance what he wanted, Keith listens to Lance more than others, Keith values what Lance has to offer more than anyone else, and Lance learns that Keith sees him eye to eye and not from a pedestral.

At the game show, they chose EACH OTHER! I believe in post canon Klance, and I'll stand by it.

Keith is pining and in denial, while Lance is mostly in denial. And I love that too. They are very fun for me.

Fic recs: 1. Dirty Laundry. I HAVE to name this one! Sorry, it has an emotional choke hold on me. There are multiple one of these because the original author has been bullied into deleting the story. It's still my favorite within the fandom. Anyway: The premise is that Lance bribes Keith into being his fake boyfriend for a week, in exchange for doing his laundry. I keep envisioning Lance's home as my godmother's home and yeah... It's very well written too.

2. Read all about it Summary: Keith is Altea High’s star athlete. And Lance, a wily reporter for the school newspaper, is crushing hard. The only problem? They’ve never actually met before. So when Lance decides to broadcast his long-hidden feelings in an explicitly romantic exposé, he ends up accidentally sparking a school-wide epidemic. Suddenly the entire student body is in on the drama, but are words truly enough to win over the school’s enigmatic heartthrob?

3. Shut up and dance with me Summary: Lance and his friends have been regulars at the Altea Dance Studio for years. Not just for classes, but to hang out, practice, and spend time with good people who love dancing. Every year, they audition to be one of the few representing Altea at the regional dance competition. Lance always auditions solo, but this year he misses out on auditions and blows his chance to participate. And so does his self-proclaimed rival, Keith.

Luckily, Shiro comes up with a brilliant plan: convince Lance and Keith to audition as a duo.

With a little convincing, and a lot of effort, these two might just be able to pull it off and go to regionals... or they might crash and burn. Comment: This one MADE me try out dancing in my room and I just - gods, I love this fic.

This is all I have for now :) Thank you so much for the question, anon. I hope these things made sense to you :)

[merlincersei]

Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 7

Season 5 Episode 3 - “ Death Song Of Uther Pendragon”

One of the most interesting episode in the series is the “ Death Song Of Uther Pendragon”.

In this episode we are exposed to the some less flattering aspects of Arthur’s character:

1) HYPOCRISY:

Arthur knowingly uses witchcraft by blowing the Horn of Cathbhadh to communicate with his deceased father.

It seems Arthur is okay with using magic when it benefits him despite maintaining the overall ban on magic in Camelot.

2) LYING:

Arthur hides the fact he is going to use the Horn of Cathbhadh, even from GWEN…..(Let that sink in). But of course not Merlin….because of reasons……….

3) INSECURITY:

Arthur tells Uther that he is his own man ………but at the same time desperately seeks Uther’s approval.

But the most interesting moments in the episode involve Uther Pendragon.

1) HE IS A TERRIBLE FATHER:

Uther is back and he is hopping mad. He spends all his time criticizing and berating Arthur.

Their interaction helps emphasize the contradiction between Uther and Balinor.

When Uther comes back from the dead he spends his time criticizing Arthur.

When Balinor’s spirit communicates with Merlin in Season 5 Episode 12, he uplifts and encourages his son.

2) ATTEMPTED FILICIDE:

Uther actually tries to kill Arthur. The reason which Uther states is his disapproval on how Arthur has governed his kingdom.

This story point does not make sense because Arthur was Uther’s sole heir and if he had killed Arthur, Camelot would have been without a King and the Pendragon dynasty could have ended right there.

While Uther was one of the main antagonist of the series his one redeeming feature was his repressed affection for his son.

However the writers have given us a vital clue to help us decipher why.

3) USING MAGIC:

Uther in spirit form uses magic to harm Perceval, Gwen, Arthur and Merlin.

Uther using magic betrays one of his own cherished belief of a Camelot being free from Magic.

Uther using magic in spirit form could be dismissed as ghosts possess magical powers and hence is not an outlier. However when Balinor came in Spirit form to help Merlin he did not use magic. When Igraine came in ghost form to speak to Arthur she did not use magic.

By using magic, Uther has confirmed the subtext of what magic represents in the show.

4) WHAT MAGIC REALLY MEANS:

That Magic is a methaphor for queerness.

When Arthur confronts Uther and says Uther has been driven by hate and fear. It refers to Uther own self hate for indulging in “magic” and fear of it being found out.

That repressed side of Uther which he has indulged in and has been the source of his guilt. Igraine died because she was impregnated using magic.

It has been Uther’s justification for the persecution of “magic users”

Same as self hating closeted people always spout the most anti-LGBTQIA stuff.

Uther’s motivation for killing Arthur and reclaiming Camelot stems from his religious devotion to the idea of Camelot. Just like Abraham was willing to kill his son to please God. Uther is ready to sacrifice Arthur because he believes Camelot will be undone with Arthur’s more liberal nature. With Arthur marrying a commoner and elevating commoners to knight hood, legalizing magic could be something Arthur could consider (AND DID CONSIDER IN THE DISIR EPISODE). Arthur after all was not above using magic to get what he wanted as highlighted above

Merlin even has some very revealing words when it comes to magic:

“I was born with it”. LADY GAGA would be proud.

Uther even tries to out Merlin to Arthur before Arthur blows the horn to send him back to the spirit world.

5) MERTHUR FACTS:

Merlin tells Leon he is teaching Arthur poetry.

Gaya scienza (‘joyful, cheerful, or gay science’) was a term used by the troubadours in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries to refer to the art of poetry. In Ecce Homo Nietzsche writes that he has used the term gaya scienza here to designate the specific unity of ‘singer, knight, and free spirit’ which was characteristic of early Provencal culture…………………………….DO I NEED TO SAY MORE.

When Uther admits to trying to kill Gwen, Arthur tries to convince his father why Gwen is a worthy consort. When Uther tries to kill Merlin, Arthur straight up blows the horn without even letting Uther complete his sentence.

And I won’t even touch this one:

[akaashism]

Hello, can I ask from this ask game :

https://www.tumblr.com/threecheersforinking/677824836625694720/anime-ask-game?source=share

For fandom : Haikyuu, Merlin BBC, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Thanks 🌻

Sure! Thank you for this, it looks fun! 💗

Haikyuu:

1. Favorite Character: KAGEYAMA!!!!!!!

2. Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: My favourite arc is definitely timeskip, it got me irrevocably hooked to haikyuu 😭

3. Character I Think is Underrated: I think all the characters in Haikyuu get a lot of love, but maybe Sugawara, Ukai, and Takeda? I don't think people acknowledge enough the huge roles they played in Hinata/Kageyama's development.

4. Character I Think is Overrated: Practically every single irrelevant side character people in this fandom stan is overrated, but the undeserved hype (imo) that baffles me the most is for Iwaizumi. Sorry 😬

5. Favorite Ship/Pairing: KAGEHINA 🔛🔝

6. Something I Love About the Show/Movie: Everything. Just every single thing. Haikyuu is perfect in my eyes.

Merlin:

1. Favorite Character: Arthur 🩷🩷🩷

2. Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: The series finale, Diamond of the Day: Part 2, will always be my favourite episode of Merlin. Bradley and Colin's acting in it is stunning, watching it always makes me spiral in the best way.

3. Character I Think is Underrated: Elyan!!

4. Character I Think is Overrated: Lancelot.

5. Favorite Ship/Pairing: Merthur 😁 as if there could be any other answer.

6. Something I Love About the Show/Movie: Like I mentioned, the acting and the brilliant chemistry between the characters! BBC Merlin may have inconsistent writing, ridiculous plots, and bad CGI at times, but the actors always made the show something that you can't help but fall for.

Jujutsu Kaisen:

1. Favorite Character: Megumi, my prince 🫶🏼

2. Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: Shibuya arc!! It is soooo excellent.

3 .Character I Think is Underrated: Yuji himself, which is sad because he's the main character.

4. Character I Think is Overrated: Geto.

5. Favorite Ship/Pairing: Itafushi forever 😌

6. Something I Love About the Show/Movie: My absolute favourite thing in JJK is the familial relationship between Megumi and Gojo. It makes me genuinely tear up, both with joy and sorrow, and I wish it had been explored a bit more in canon :(

[bbcmerlinvault]

[Article] "King of the castle"

by Michelle Griffin for The Sydney Morning Herald website on 21st May 2011 at 3:00 am. The majority of the article covers travel to Pierrefonds while the filming wasn't about, but there is a decent mention of the show so I've decided to pop it in the vault. It's also worth noting that due to this article now being over a decade old, the pricing listed at the end is out of date (at time of posting this, the Chateau de Pierrefonds website lists entry now at €9 rather than €7 and a concessions price doesn't appear to exist any more).

[Original source] (paywalled)

King of the castle

5–7 minutes

The towers of Chateau de Pierrefonds.Credit: AFP

Michelle Griffin joins a legion of Camelot fans beneath the fairytale towers of Chateau de Pierrefonds.

Many castles lay claim to being the original Camelot. The latest home of King Arthur's magical kingdom lies about 90 minutes north-east of Paris, in a glorious stone folly called Chateau de Pierrefonds.

For three months of the year, this imposing grey-stone pile is the location of the BBC series Merlin, which revamps the Arthurian legends as an awkward friendship between arrogant Prince Arthur and his teenage manservant, Merlin, who must keep his magical talents a secret. If, like the program, this castle is not exactly faithful to its mediaeval origins, it hardly matters to the fans who watch the camera crews re-enact battles, jousts and feasts for the fourth series.

They're not filming when my family and I decide to make a pilgrimage to the site of one of our favourite shows. But even without the catering vans blocking the archways and production teams roping off the staterooms, this mad 19th-century vision of the ideal mediaeval castle turns out to be a terrific day trip from the French capital.

"It truly is like the seventh or eighth character on the cast list," actor Anthony Head, who plays cruel King Uther, told website Monsters and Critics. "The stones still look new even though it's a few hundred years old ... It's not like a castle that's got bits missing and chunks taken out of it."

Looming above a tiny village in the Oise district, this restored mediaeval stronghold was one of France's favourite romantic ruins long before Napoleon III started rebuilding it in 1857. Cardinal Richelieu ordered its demolition in 1617, after the nobles within backed the wrong duke.

It's the remaining 14th-century twin towers that take our breath away as we walk up the steep hill to the entrance - especially "Charlemagne's tower", a round donjon with a peaked roof that local wisdom says is the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

There has been a castle on this site since the 12th century. It's a strategic location, because invading armies have always marched down the Oise Valley. Julius Caesar fought the Gauls in this region. Joan of Arc fought the English in the surrounding forests and prayed unsuccessfully for victory in the church at nearby Compiegne. On the outskirts of Compiegne, a memorial stands on the abandoned rail line where the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. In 1940, Hitler made the French sign on his terms in the same rail carriage, which was then destroyed in Berlin.

Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, the architect appointed by Napoleon III in 1857 to restore Pierrefonds, did far more than rebuild the ruined towers and the outer walls. Like the cathedral of Notre Dame, this castle was re-created as a 19th-century dream of the Middle Ages - a riot of gargoyles and arches and long, airy galleries with camera-ready sight lines. Steel girders prop soaring roofs, and walls are painted in intertwined stencils. Viollet-le-Duc died before the job was done and the money ran out when Napoleon III was deposed in 1870 but Pierrefonds still feels ready for its next royal.

A few huts - remnants of Merlin's lower village locations - line the walkway to the moat. The jousts are filmed on a green sward overlooking the valley. Through the enormous arched gateway, with its satisfyingly fierce portcullis, we discover a central courtyard that reminds us not only of the TV series but every Arthurian book illustration. A wide, sun-bleached staircase is fronted by a bronze knight and guarded by snarling griffins. Downspouts have been carved into lizards. A long walkway is decorated with earnest stone knights and demented gargoyles - screaming monkeys, vomiting dragons and a loony five-breasted monster, its jaw unhinged to poke out its curling tongue. This is where Uther and Arthur walk and talk about how best to repel the series' latest invasions. The draughty stateroom on the first floor of the main building hosts art exhibitions but is also the TV location for countless courtly confrontations before the throne.

Climbing the stairs to half-decorated chambers and echoing arched corridors is tremendous fun for anyone who ever read childhood novels about being transported back in time - it speaks as much of Rapunzel or Narnia as Camelot. Every time we lean out a window, flocks of pigeons take off in loops above the castle roofs. Our one regret is that we cannot climb to the very top and peer out between the Lego blocks of the battlements.

FAST FACTS

Getting there

Emirates has a fare to Paris for about $2070 low-season return from Melbourne and Sydney, including tax. You fly to Dubai (14hr), then Paris (7hr 30min).

To get to Chateau de Pierrefonds from Paris by car take the A1 motorway, or go by train to Compiegne, followed by a 20-minute, €20 ($26.60) taxi ride to Pierrefonds; voyages-sncf.com. A bus runs to Pierrefonds from Compiegne twice a day; oise-mobilite.fr.

Visiting there

Chateau de Pierrefonds is open daily from 9.30am to 6pm until September 4 and from 10am-1pm and 2-5.30pm Tuesday to Sunday from September 5 to April 30. Entry is €7, concession €4.50, under 18 free; pierrefonds.monuments-nationaux.fr/en.