#where Arthur is Mr. Darcy

[dhr-ao3]

A Man of Good Fortune

A Man of Good Fortune https://ift.tt/nYeTkq7 by magdoll24 Draco Malfoy is everything Hermione Granger despises—wealthy, privileged, and entirely too proud. To her, he’s just another pureblood with a cold heart. But the more their lives intertwine, the harder it becomes for Hermione to ignore the pull between them. Beneath Draco’s icy exterior lies a man torn between duty and desire, and no matter how hard she tries, Hermione can’t resist the fire he sparks in her. For Draco, falling for Hermione is as inevitable as it is dangerous. She challenges everything he’s been raised to believe, yet she’s the only one who sees the man behind the Malfoy name. In a world where pride and prejudice threaten to keep them apart, Draco must prove that love is the greatest fortune of all—if only Hermione will let herself believe it. Words: 1971, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Blaise Zabini, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Cho Chang, Seamus Finnigan, Bellatrix Lestrange, Pansy Parkinson, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Theodore Knott Relationships: Draco Malfoy/ Hermione Granger, Ginny/ Harry Potter, Lavender Brown/ Ron Weasley Additional Tags: All the Weasleys are Grangers except Ron, Draco Malfoy as Mr. Darcy, pride and prejudice retelling, Enemies to Lovers, graphic smut, Regency Harry Potter, harry as Mr. Bingley, Ron Bashing, Ron as Mr. Wickham, Ginny as Jane Bennet, Hermione as Elizabeth Bennet, Parvati as Kitty Bennet, Luna as Mary Bennet, Lavender as Lydia Bennet, Blaise as a gender bent Georgiana Darcy, Arthur Weasley as Mr. Bennet/Mr. Granger, Molly Weasley as Mrs. Bennet/ Mrs. Granger, Cho Chang as Charlotte Lucas, Seamus Finnigan as Mr. Collins, Bellatrix Lestrange as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Fleur Delacour as Mrs. Gardiner, Bill Weasley as Mr. Gardiner, Theodore Knott as Colonel Fitzwilliam, Scene: Fitzwilliam Darcy Hand Flex (Pride and Prejudice 2005), Library Sex via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/hadQovg September 15, 2024 at 08:02AM

[burningvelvet]

my thoughts on the tenant of wildfell hall so far (currently halfway through it)

1 Fergus is the prototypical teenage boy - they’ve never changed through time

2 I initially thought that Helen’s big secret was that she was a sex addict or serial adulterer tbh based on her speeches of indulgences, the focus on her being single, her constant guilt and religiosity, her flirtation with the narrator, the rumours surrounding her and Lawrence, etc.

3 (To compare to Pride and Prejudice which I just finished) Helen’s aunt = Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Boarham = Mr. Collins, Arthur = Mr. Wickham, Gilbert = Darcy, Annabella = Lydia

4 Gilbert striking Lawrence and then spending multiple pages contemplating it and trying to rationalize it afterwards LOL

5 The early meetings with Helen and Huntington and the drawings are so passionate — Arthur taking Helen’s hand, addressing her freely, generally swaggering around, “saving” her from the awful dudes, etc. — you can see why she likes him, you can see why he’s attractive, and all of this makes the story so much more appealing rather than if he had just been a total ass from the very beginning. It’s realistic. However, you can see the red flags early on, such as the non-consensual kiss, among other things. I already know what happens due to spoiling it for myself. Still, I absolutely see Huntington’s appeal as well as how Helen has been led toward him by her unhappy prospects (having to reject Mr. Boarham, her aunt’s harshness, her parents not being in the picture, etc.)

6 Arthur is SO Byronic. He’s so fucking entertaining and I know he’s supposed to be a jokester but he’s also hilarious when he’s not even trying. And I’m not laughing at Helen’s expense — of course domestic unhappiness and abuse is no joking matter IRL — but Arthur’s flippance, bitchiness, flamboyance, etc. is just so true to life and brings to mind the meme about men “having the audacity.”

7 I also think that not only is Arthur’s rumoured affair with the married woman probably true, but his sly hint about Annabella the “great flirt” also means they probably had an affair, and I’m sure he’ll have many other affairs exposed later on (I’m pretty sure I read that cheating becomes a major plot point later on). He was definitely cheating on her in London — her being pregnant, his poor excuses, his sad “you don’t love me anymore” mindset, etc.

8 I’m at the point where Arthur he’s just come home from London and he’s sick — I feel like this is not only a reference to his substance abuse but also probably a reference to STDs (if there’s anything I’ve learned from studying old lit, it’s that old lit is full of non-explicitly mentioned STD tropes).

9 I really cannot put enough emphasis on how much I love the use of paintings and drawings in this book! I feel like this would make a great play or film tbh — the physicality of her trying to snatch the drawing from Arthur, and the hidden pictures on the backs, such as the painting earlier on. I want to watch the adaptation series now.

10 Simultaneously wanting to cry and laugh at Helen confessing to her aunt that Huntington has no morals but she still thinks she can fix him. Every single time!!! “His wife shall undo what his mother did!” Ummmm!!!

11 It’s sad to see Milicent’s marital fate. She’s basically what Charlotte was to Elizabeth. The narrator’s adorable best friend who gets into a loveless marriage with the narrator unable to help, subsequently straining their relationship. I left off around Milicent’s engagement letter so I hope the wedding is called off but it probably won’t be. Milicent and Helen’s mutual naivety is really sad to read.

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

Colin Firth

My first unhinged project involved watching all of Colin Firth's IMDB acting credits, to see how often he got wet.

Figured I'd make a master list of the posts I made. I didn't make a post on everything, so if there's one without a link you can always request to hear my thoughts hahaha

I also made a post about his hair choices, because he does a lot of period pieces and oh boy do I often have Thoughts

And here's a post about how his trend of getting wet changed our perception of Darcy forever

1917 (2019)

1919 (1984)

The Accidental Husband (2008)

The Advocate/Hour of the Pig (1993)

And When Did You Last See Your Father (2007)

Another Country (1984)

Apartment Zero (1988)

Arthur Newman (2012)

Before I Go To Sleep (2014)

Blackadder Back and Forth (1999)

Born Equal (2006)

Bridget Jones Diary (2001)

Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason (2004)

Bridget Jones' Baby (2016)

Camille (1984)

Celebration (2007)

A Christmas Carol (2009) Intro, Movie

Circle of Friends (1995)

Command (2018)

Conspiracy (2001)

Crown Court episode (1984)

Deep Blue Sea (1994)

Devil's Knot (2013)

Donovan Quick (2000)

Dorian Gray (2009)

Dutch Girls (1985)

Easy Virtue (2008)

Empire of Light (2022)

The English Patient (1996)

Femme Fatale (1991)

Fever Pitch (1997)

Fourplay/Londinium (2001)

Gambit (2012)

Genius (2016)

Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003)

The Happy Prince (2018)

Hope Springs (2003)

Hostages (1992)

Hour of the Pig/The Advocate (1993)

The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

The King's Speech (2010)

Kingsman: Secret Service (2014)

Kingsman: Golden Circle (2017)

Last Legion (2007)

Londinium/Fourplay (2001)

Lost Empires (1986) Intro, Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5, Pt 6, Pt 7

Love Actually (2003)

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Main Street (2010)

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Master of the Moor (1994) Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 3 Finale

The Mercy (2017)

A Month in the Country (1987)

Mothering Sunday (2021)

My Life So Far (1999)

Nanny McPhee (2005)

Nostromo (1996)

Operation Mincemeat (2021)

Out of the Blue (1991)

Pat Hobby Teamed With Genius (1987)

Playmaker (1994)

Pride and Prejudice (1995) (I didn't make a single post, it got a bit away from me so you can find the collection of links on my Pride and Prejudice masterlist)

The Railway Man (2013)

Relative Values (2000)

The Secret Garden (1987)

The Secret Garden (2020)

The Secret Laughter of Women (1999)

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

A Single Man (2009)

St Trinians (2007)

St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009)

The Staircase (2022)

Stars in Shorts (2012)

A Summer in Genoa (2008)

Supernova (2020)

Then She Found Me (2007)

A Thousand Acres (1997)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Trauma (2004)

Tumbledown (1988)

Turn of the Screw (1999)

Valmont (1989)

What A Girl Wants (2003)

Where the Truth Lies (2005)

The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd (1995)

Wings of Fame (1990)

[madamebaggio]

For the Hogwarts Requests: May I ask for a snippet with Darcy Lewis (MCU) and Arthur Curry (Aquaman) where they're hanging out at the lake, where Arthur is in the lake swimming and Darcy is talking, maybe flirting or snarking, with a potential twist where Arthur pulls her into the water, please? I would like them to be students, please?

Notes: Hope you like it ;)

***

“First, I’d like to thank God for creating such a beautiful thing. Secondly, my optometrist for giving me good glasses…”

Arthur looked over his shoulder and -sure enough- Darcy Lewis was by the lake, looking at him.

“And then I’d like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Curry for making such a lovely son…”

“Lewis, are you thanking people for my existence right now?” He demanded, turning around.

“For the existence of your chest, more precisely.”

Arthur tsked. “I can’t believe you’re objectifying me like this.”

“That would sound better if you weren’t staring at me tits.”

Arthur grinned at her. “Can I help, Lewis?”

“Why are you in the water? Don’t you know there’s a giant squid in there?” She wanted to know.

“Among other things.”

Darcy’s eyes got round in shock. “Wait, there’s more in there? How do they survive? Is there enough food?”

“Come in here and I’ll show you.” Arthur grinned at her.

Darcy crossed her arms. “No way. That’s how girls like me get into trouble with boys like you.”

Arthur copied her pose. “Boys like me? Explain it further, please.”

“No.” She scoffed. “That’s not my point.”

“I’d love to hear your point. If you have one.”

“I was walking around…”

“The lake? You? You don’t even like to walk down to the quidditch pitch.”

“Don’t interrupt me, it’s rude. As I was saying, I was walking around, when I heard a splashing sound…”

“Curious, since I wasn’t splashing anything when you came around…”

“And I decided to see if the giant squid was escaping…”

“It’s a squid, Lewis, it enjoys water and surviving in it, so…”

“And I came to investigate. So I found you here, shirtless…”

“It’s hard swimming with clothes on.”

“Wait.” She arched an eyebrow and eyed him. “Does that mean you’re skinny dipping?”

Arthur was standing inside the lake, water to his waist. Darcy couldn’t see he was in fact wearing trunks, but why would he just tell her that?

“Come closer and find out.”

[theyourstruly]

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and things have been going really well between her and Alexander, so well that he's asked to spend Valentine's Day together

"So El do you have anything planned for Valentine's Day?" Emma questions

"No, not really"

"Maybe we could just spend it together with Rhea. Stella will go out with her boyfriend obviously."

"Uhm actually my mom and dad want to spend it together with Viola and Rosie sooo...."

"Sure, no worries. Anything special planned"

"Uhm no mom will probably make dinner and we all kind of have a chat or something like that"

Leaving their last class of the day they take a walk to their common room.

"Shall we just start working on that project straightaway? So we can get it out of the way" Emma starts

"Yeah sure we ca-"

Bumping into someone Eleanor looks up apologizing. Seeing Arthur, Emma decides to leaves them to it as they clearly have some things to discuss.

"Hey El"

"Hi"

A awkward pause follows.

"How are you doing" he starts

"Good. You?"

"I was actually wondering if maybe we could talk?"

"Talk about what?"

"Us"

Sighing she begins

"listen Arthur, you've been absolutely incredible, and you're off to a great career. I just think that it's for the better that we just go our separate ways."

"I was thinking about going to London instead"

Surprised by this Eleanor answers

"You always talked about New York"

"I did, but if it means a shot with you I'll gladly take it"

"Listen, I don't want you to change your mind, not for me at least." She reasons.

"You were always excited to make a name for yourself in the US so that's where your going to go"

Continuing "I'm sure you'll find a lovely girl there who will make you feel completely fulfilled in your new life"

A wave of sadness hits her this seems to be truly it for them, but she has to be honest with him and not give him some false hope.

Eyes casted downwards Arthur responds

"Well now i know for sure at least, there was no saving it"

"I'm sorry. I just want to be honest with you"

Looking into El's eyes he mumbles

"Did you find someone that makes you feel complete?"

Not being sure on how to respond another silence falls over them.

"I understand. I guess i'll just have to move on then" He whispered understanding her silence.

———————————————————————

Valentines Day

Hey, i'm outside

On my way

Catching sight of Alex in his car with a disguise. She can't help but smile.

Greeting him in his car she says

"You know that cap and sunglasses make you look even more suspicious"

With a smile Alex replies

"Does it really?"

"Of course it's February and here you are wearing sunglasses"

Taking off. Eleanor wonders where they are going. Already having tried to get it out of him she knows that it won't be of any use now either.

Coming across a gate they are let in to this large estate, leaving the car parked behind they take a walk, and come across a very familiar place.

Looking back at him she states

"This where Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth isn't it."

Having told him that Pride and Prejudice is one of her favorite books and being obsessed with the 2005 remake. He decided to surprise her in one of the best ways.

"It is. Do you like it?"

"I do. You know I wasn't sure you would remember"

"Remember what?"

"My love for Pride and Prejudice. I thought you were just nodding along trying to keep the conversation going"

"Of course I would've remembered. I do pay attention to what you do and say, but there's another reason why I brought you here."

Looking a bit nervous now Alex adds

"These past couple of weeks have been amazing and i would love for it to continue to be so.

"Are you proposing to me" she teases him.

Chuckling he responds

"It's not a proposal, no.

"Thankfully, because i'm afraid i would've had to reject you to keep the plot going."

Laughing he continues.

"I will say that the last few weeks being able to get to know you, have been one of my favorite moments. Something i'll never forget." Now looking more nervous he stammered on.

"And i know obviously i know that it hasn't been that long, but it would be lovely if you decided to accept my offer to make things official between us."

Eleanor can't believe her ears. He's really asking her to be his girlfriend. This man in front of her who will one day be king. A wave of uncertainty hits her. But looking up into his eyes all the worries she has flow away.

Walking up to him and taking his hand.

She shyly responds

"As long as you promise to stay by my side when the other people find out"

The other people being the press. Eleanor has seen on the news how his younger brother's girlfriends have been treated, and who could forget what Princess Diana went through.

"I promise"

"Then i'll gladly accept your offer"

"Can I kiss you?"

Leaning in the two share their first kiss with many still to come. Slowly separating from each other foreheads still pressed together.

"I actually have a gift for you" he starts "i hope you like it"

Handing her the gift she gently unwraps it.

It's a title page from Pride and Prejudice. He decided to surprise her with a 1813 edition which must of been very, very expensive.

With a shocked look on her face.

"You can't be serious. This is too much." Eleanor stated quickly giving it back.

"I can't take it back now. Take it, it's yours" He insists smile on his face.

"This must have cost a fortune"

"Yes, and i want you to have it" he confessed.

Hesitating she takes the book back.

"Okay. I actually uhm also have a gift for you. I hope you really like it. It's just something small."

Handing the gift box over she watches with anticipation as Alex opens it.

"It's a watch that's accordingly loved by other Royal airforce officers.

I'm not even sure if you're allowed to wear it. Maybe it wasn't a good idea." She rambles on.

"El. El, this is absolutely lovely. Thank you"

Giving her a hug, he tells her

"Here let me put it on straight away"

Helping him, she takes a good look at him. The watch looks amazing on him.

"I have one more surprise for you."

"There's more?" She asks

"Just a little something. But it requires a ride"

And just then she can hear hooves nearing closer. Turning around she notices a carriage arriving.

"You did not Alex"

Stopping right in front of them Alex helps her climb on.

"Do you recognize it?"

Looking a head she notices the house.

"Is it Pemberly?"

"It is, but we tend to call it Chatsworth House. You'll be receiving a tour from your favorite tour guide and later we'll enjoy some lunch"

The carriage now arriving at Chatsworth House they are warmly greeted inside.

Amazed El looks around.

"It's just like in the movie. Everything seems to be in place still"

"Yes my grandmother-"

"Your grandmother owns Pemberly?"

"She does"

"Right... of course she does" she responds still amazed looking around.

"It's absolutely magnificent isn't it"

Coming across a piano that Mr Darcy's little sister played on.

Eleanor Asks.

"Do you know how to play"

Taking a seat at the piano

"What does my lady inquire?"

"I don't know. Something romantic i guess"

Playing a stunning piece Eleanor looks on. Finishing she claps for him.

"Did that fulfill your request"

"It did"

Just then the butler Eleanor guesses, enters to lead them towards the room where they will be served lunch.

Joking around and enjoying each other's company. Eleanor is not sure when they will get to see each other again.

"Actually I don't know if you've heard, but my brothers and I are giving a concert in honor of my mother and I would actually love it if you were to come as well"

"Oh yes of course"

"Now this will be an unofficial outing. There may be speculations about us from the press"

"Right. They can't possibly know if we aren't seated together "

"Yes, but i would love it if you were to sit next to me"

"I feel like maybe we should keep the relationship between us for as long as we can"

"No of course, I completely understand where you're coming from."

Finishing their lunch it's time for them to go. Taking the carriage back the way they came from, and return back towards the parked car.

"When will i get to see you again?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I just completed my training with the royal navy and it's expected that i'll be send out."

Eleanor was already aware that he also went and did a navy training in fleet air, and obviously being together with someone in the forces wasn't going to be easy, but she's not going to let that get to her. She fully supports him.

"once i know i'll tell you straightaway" he adds.

Arriving back to her uni.

"I'm gonna miss you"

Smiling at her he responds "i'll miss you too."

Sharing a long kiss they say their goodbyes once again.

Author's Note:

Chatsworth House is privately owned by Queen Elizabeth in this Fanfic plus the Diana concert will be held in 2010 instead of 2007

[letthewhumpbegin]

Who / what fandoms I write for

Here's a list of the fandoms and the characters within said fandom I write about.

The characters listed will be the whumpees in the imagines I write. The caretaker does not specifically have to be on this list, but can be anyone from the same fandom (if you have a preference, please specify with your request).

Want to send in your request? I am currently only taking requests from my prompts list, which you can find here and you can also send in your request through there.

A

A-Team (movie): Face, Murdock

Aladdin (live action movie): Aladdin

American Assassin: Mitch Rapp

Avengers / Marvel: Ant-Man/Scott Lang, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Loki, Thor

B

The Batman (2022): Bruce Wayne

The Blacklist: Donald Ressler

Bullet Train: Tangerine

C

Criminal Minds: Spencer Reid

CSI: Greg Sanders, Nick Stokes

CSI NY: Danny Messer, Don Flack, Adam Ross

D

Dune: Paul Atreides

F

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Newt Scamander, Theseus Scamander

G

Game of Thrones: Jon Snow, Robb Stark

Guardians of the Galaxy: Peter Quill

H

Hannibal (tv series): Will Graham

The Hobbit: Fili, Kili, Thorin, Thranduil

I

Inception: Arthur

J

James Bond (Daniel Craig era): James Bond, Q

Jurassic World: Owen Grady

Justified: Raylan Givens, Tim Gutterson

K

Kingsman: Eggsy Unwin

L

The Last of Us: Joel Miller

Lie to Me: Cal Lightman, Eli Loker

Lord of the Rings: Aragorn, Faramir, Legolas

M

MacGyver: Angus MacGyver

Maze Runner: Newt, Thomas

N

Now You See Me: Daniel Atlas

O

Olympus Has Fallen / London Has Fallen: Mike Banning

Our Flag Means Death: Ed Teach/Blackbeard

P

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies: Mr. Darcy

Prodigal Son: Malcolm Bright

The Purge (movies): Leo Barnes

S

Shadow & Bone / Six of Crow: Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Wylan van Eck

Sherlock (BBC): Sherlock Holmes

Star Trek (2009): Jim Kirk, Spock

Spiderman (Tom Holland era): Peter Parker

Star Wars: Poe Dameron

Supernatural: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

T

Top Gun Maverick: Rooster/Bradley Bradshaw, Hangman/Jake Seresin

U

Uncharted (movie): Nathan Drake

W

Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes

Wonka: Willy Wonka

X

X-Men: Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy

[tink-wondering]

TITLE FOR THE THING FOR MERTHUR: I yearn for thee

So, I hope you will forgive me because here is the second proposal and it is mostly fluff... with a sprinkle of Gaius (sounds weird, but you'll see when you get to that part, wherein Gaius is also fluffy).

Same ask game as usual.

Here's a follow-up to yesterday's post (Pride & Prejudice AU, kinda)

Rated: Gen/T

Words: 999

I yearn for thee

“Lord Pendragon!” Merlin asks, surprised.

“What are you doing out here at this time?”

“I could not sleep.”

Merlin stares and stares and stares. How the new dawn has changed his perception of the man! He is glowing in the morning sun, his hair in disarray giving him a rambunctious look, opposite of his reputation, though he still seems unsure on how to act in Merlin’s presence.

“I could not either,” Lord Pendragon says slowly. “My night has been restless to say the least.”

Merlin doesn’t know how to respond to that, so he looks down. His outlook of Lord Pendragon may have changed, but the man will surely remember Merlin’s last words to him; he has kept his promise and minimized their interactions since then. Now, Merlin feels lost. How do you say to a man you have abhorred—and revealed outwardly such animosity—that your feelings have changed.

A gentle finger under his chin slowly tilts his head back up. “Am I so loathsome still that you can’t even look at me?”

“No, on the contrary!” Merlin breathes out, as lost as before but in a sea of blue this time. Lord Pendragon’s eyes look at him with so much kindness and fondness still, he can barely believe it. “It should be you who refuses to look at me for I have been nothing but an insolent child towards you.”

“You have not,” Lord Pendragon counters. “You have done nothing but bring the best out of me, even calling me out on my haughty behaviour. And I must sincerely apologize for my proposal”—he chuckles, depreciating—“I have talked to Leon and Morgana about it, and my words were ill-conceived. I am not surprised they were received so poorly, but if there is any chance your feelings have changed since then, know that my affection and admiration towards you are still as strong and deep.” Merlin remains silent, unbelieving. “I know you have spoken to Lord du Bois last night, and it has lead me to hope. Your continued presence gives me faith, but one word from you will silence me forever.”

“Then, before your lips are sealed, you must know that not only my sentiments have changed, but my heart now beats only for you. You have brought my friend, my family and I so much joy. I must thank you!” Merlin says, almost in an afterthought amidst his confession. “I know of the kindness you have bestowed upon sweet Gwen and Lancelot by funding her dot. That is not mentioning the hand, I suspect, you have played into saving poor Gwaine and ensuring his reputation remains intact.”

“Mr. Emrys, please,” Lord Pendragon interrupts, sheepish. “I have done those things only with your happiness in mind. I am alarmed that you know of those happenings considering I tried to keep them silent, but once again, you are always the one I think of when I act. So, if your… inclination towards me is merely a product of my actions, then I thank you. However, none of my deeds where accomplished with the thought to trap you.”

“Trap me?” Merlin exclaims. “Lord Pendragon, I am indeed trapped. Though these bars have been construed out of my own folly. My heart beats for you because I have seen your kindness, your compassion, your—dare I say—love?”

“Say it all you want, Merlin,” he says hesitantly, but at Merlin’s nod, a smile overtakes his features. “Because you have bewitched me, and I love and love and love you. If I may be so bold, one more time, I do not wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

Merlin’s eyes fill with tears. He has never believed it Lord—Arthur, his mind says; Arthur, his soul screams; Arthur, his heart rejoices—would still feel the same.

Arthur very slowly, very gently—as though Merlin is a frightened bird—takes his face in his hands and leans down to press a tender kiss to his lips. Merlin catches his hands around his face and closes his eyes, and the kiss becomes passionate, emotions finally unraveled.

***

“Is this truly your heart’s desire?” Gaius asks him with a raised eyebrow.

“It is,” Merlin answers fervently. “It most ardently is!”

“I thought the man didn’t strike your fancy,” Gaius says with a fond smile.

“He did not at first, but I have misjudged him… so wrongly.” Merlin laughs at his own idiocy and prejudice. “He is nothing but a kind, gentle soul. A man whose heart is—and has always been—in the right place, despite is countenance saying otherwise. It is I who was too foolish to see past my enmity.”

“I am so glad you have finally found love, Merlin.” Gaius stands up, bones cracking, to hug him tightly. After a few seconds, he lets go to look at him, hands still bracketing his shoulders warmly, eyes a little misty. “I was starting to despair you would ever find happiness with another and be settled with an old man like me for the rest of your life.”

“It would have been my pleasure to stay by your side as long as needed.”

“I have raised four of you, and my wish has always been your happiness.” Gaius wipes the tears at the corner of his eyes, and with a laugh, he adds, “Now, let your gentleman in so I can speak with him. See if he is really worthy of you.”

“He is! More than anything else, and it is I who is not worthy.”

Merlin looks outside the window where Arthur is pacing back and forth amidst the chicken. He is a picture of nervousness, a side Merlin has never seen before. Or rather, a side he has never let himself see, knowing the moment he would find an ounce of humanity in the man, he would fall desperately, expeditiously and irrevocably in love.

And he did.

He still does.

A little more with every passing moment.

[shrimpscrawling]

Born too late to be the busty serving girl, who fucks the nearest pathetic forlorn medieval prince into understanding the woes of his people and uniting all kingdoms as one,

Born too early to do the exact same thing, in space,

Born just in time to be repeatedly queerbaited by various low budget period dramas.

[wisteria-lodge]

Archetypes: Sorting Hat Chats

I’ve been asked about my rationale for naming different primary/ secondary combinations. I did this originally as a tool to help me sort characters - I wanted to see how these types tend to be used, so I could more easily see what subversions looked like. I'll run through my thoughts, but know there’s a lot of variation within each category. But even WITH that variation, I do think that each one has its own specific energy that makes it interesting to talk about. An explanation of the terms I'm using.

DOUBLE LION “THE REVOLUTIONARY”

Pretty straightforward. The Lion primary knows something is wrong, they know it in their bones even if they can’t articulate it, and they’ve got to go out and do something about it. Probably charging at whatever power structure is directly in front of them. It’s unlikely you find a character leading a revolution who isn’t a Double Lion. These guys are intense, inspirational, single minded.

The villain version of the Lion primary tends to be the person who “went too far" or "became the monster they were trying to fight.'' But I think that the much more interesting Lion primary villain trope is the Traitor. Since Lions work from their feelings, and their philosophies can’t necessarily be articulated or linked to individuals outside of them - they can definitely have their head turned while still feeling moral about it.

One of my favorite examples of this Revolutionary archtype is actually Christian Bale‘s character from Newsies. He’s the spark that starts the unionizing revolution, but 100% needs his Badger and Bird lieutenants to keep him focused and keep him from defecting

LION SNAKE “THE ROBIN HOOD”

These guys are similar to the Double Lion - they will recognize a cause or injustice revolutionary style - but Robin Hood doesn’t go up and bang on wicked Prince John’s door. His move is the snake secondary one: confront the problem indirectly. Undermine the regime by stealing tax money and re-distributing it to the poor. Be simultaneously Robin Hood the outlaw and Robin of Locksley the noble, infiltrating and getting information. The Lion Snake is more likely to work within society (or deliberately separate from society) versus just breaking everything down.

LION BIRD “THE LAWMAN / THE VIGILANTE”

The fact that the Lion Bird can either be the Lawman or the Vigilante shows off the very clear hero/villain split you get with Bird secondaries. We also see this with the Snake Bird (simultaneously the Mastermind and the traditional Villain) and the Double Bird (either the Scientist or the Mad Scientist.) This is why I think I had such trouble naming the Badger Bird. I wasn’t leaning into the duality of the Bird secondary enough. The Badger Bird can be the King Arthur, or he can be the Mob Boss, and he’ll look kind of similar either way.

The Lion Bird also has that Lion primary conviction and drive, but they want to follow up on it with investigation, evidence, and plans. I actually think there need to be more stories about Lawmen turning into Vigilantes and vice versa. Because Lion Birds are their Cause no matter what external alignment gets attached to it.

LION BADGER “THE LINCHPIN”

This is my own sorting - although when I came up with this name I still thought I was a Double Bird. The linchpin is the pin-axle thing at the center of a wheel that prevents the whole thing from falling apart, and I think it's a good way of talking about the energy of this combination. The Badger secondary means they’re a lot less single minded than the other Lion primaries: their power comes from being part of a group. They become the emotional “heart” a lot, and have a way of quietly keeping things together just by existing. They can be leaders, but a Double Lion will lead from up front while a Lion Badger will lead from in the middle (if that makes sense.)

I do think it’s really funny that this is a common sleeper villain trope. Peter Pettigrew, Prince Hans, and Randall Boggs of Monsters Inc. all became integral to a group, and then exploit their position within it. They’re kind of the evil bureaucrat. Maybe that's a good trope for children’s media

DOUBLE SNAKE “THE TRICKSTER”

This is another straightforward one. Double Snakes are in it for themselves (and maybe like three other people.) They're going to be clever and tricksy about how they get what they want, and will not mind doing things backward and unofficially. And they won't mind if you know that's what they're doing. There’s something very unapologetic about the Double Snake which makes for very attractive characters. They are consistently voted the sexiest... and when they’re villains they’re fun villains. You know what they want, and what they want is not that complicated. I think that’s a big reason for the appeal of Snake primaries in general. They’re the easiest primary to understand and explain.

SNAKE LION “THE LANCELOT”

I used to call these guys “The Rebel,” which... is too generic, doesn’t really mean anything. So I started thinking about the Lion secondary as the Knight secondary, and I liked that. Double Lions are the Crusader Knight, riding for their Cause. Bird Lions are Grail Knights, riding for their own personal truth. Badger Lions are Champion Knights, here to help the helpless and defend the innocent.

And if that's that case… Snake Lions have to be the Knight Errant, the knight who rides for his lady. It is that simple. Lancelot might be a Knight of the Round Table, but he’s riding for Arthur the person, not Arthur the King. And for his lady, Queen Guinevere. I feel like his dilemma is one that’s common to a lot of Snake Lions: what happens when they’re forced to split their loyalty? It’s tragic, but Lancelot can’t have Arthur and Guinevere simultaneously.

(At least not until my awesome Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot OT3 which I will totally write at some point :)

SNAKE BIRD “THE MASTERMIND / THE VILLAIN”

The classic. We see a little more of the Bird Secondary split, and well… this is your stereotypical villain. They want power. They’re going to use an elaborate plan to get it. There’s a lot you can do with this sorting, but I actually do think it’s fun that whatever you do, this slight undercurrent of villain and/or mastermind… never quite goes away.

SNAKE BADGER “THE LOVER”

The Love Interest sorting. Chances are very good that if there is a love interest (who does not serve some other role in the story...) they're going to be a Snake Badger. Devoted to one person, solving problems by caretaking. This is the Badger secondary who is likely to have the smallest group, which is just going to make them look excessively devoted to their friends. This type is pretty gender neutral, which is fun. A lot of female love interests, but also your Mr. Darcys and Peeta Mellarks.

One of my favorite things about this trope (mostly just because I think it’s funny...) is that if you write a character who is not supposed to be a love interest, but who is a Snake Badger... subconsciously I think people are going to read them as a love interest anyway. Looking at you Jaskier, Horatio, and even Captain Barbossa.

DOUBLE BIRD “THE [MAD] SCIENTIST”

I think that (especially if you aren’t a Bird Primary yourself) your response to hearing a fictional Bird Primary’s motivation is kind of …huh. That seems random. Or oddly specific. You get your Hannibal Lecters, whose entire motivation is... wanting to eat people while drinking nice wine.

Double birds seem especially unusual, just in terms of society. They are Bird secondaries and they interact with the world through gathering data, but their Bird primaries mean that data can literally lead them to any conclusion, no matter how potentially wacky. These guys consciously build themselves from the ground up, and that can make them kind of detached - either in a logical way, or an unmoored way. They're written as either really stable, the rational mentor figure. Or really... not. And that’s how you spot a Bird villain. They’re not after money/power/safety, they’re after something weird.

BIRD LION “THE GRAIL KNIGHT”

This is the trope of Perceval or Galahad, questing after the Holy Grail chalice... which is really just meaning, and truth. It’s a personal quest. Grail Knights tend to ride alone, and a lot of the things that concern them are metaphysical, to do with identity, purpose, things like that. You can have extremely different Bird Lions, but I do think there is a sort of spiritual core there. Doctor Harleen Quinzel sees freedom and truth in whatever the Joker is doing, and then once she recognizes his hypocrisy, has to go build her own meaning.

I actually think these guys are pretty easy to spot because of that Lion secondary. When they change direction, they change direction, and there’s probably a period of despair between the direction changes. I’ve talked about how Bird Lions having a habit of falling apart pretty dramatically, and that’s where this idea comes from.

BIRD BADGER “THE SURVIVOR”

A rare sorting, but an interesting one. I call this one “the Survivor” or “the Last Man Standing” because, well, they seem to be. They seem remarkably stable. This is the Bird primary least likely to be a villain, and maybe the sorting least likely to be a villain. I think what’s going on is that they are grounded and integrated in whatever community they happen to be in (because of that Badger secondary), but they can define themselves and rebuild themselves in the Bird primary way. This makes them uniquely suited to building a new version of themselves for whatever situation they happen to find themselves in.

Maybe a better name for these guys would be “The Adapter.”

BIRD SNAKE “THE ARTIST”

Like all Bird primaries, these guys are inspired by their own projects and their own worldview, but because of that Snake secondary, Bird Snakes have a more easy-going ‘take the world as it comes' kind of energy. They are “the Artist” because everything they do is art: they want to use themselves and the world around them, put all of that towards whatever their Bird primary happens to be interested in.

You can have villains like the Nolan Joker, or the Talented Mr. Ripley, who kind of turn the world into their own personal philosophical social experiment. Or Scotty from Star Trek whose meaning is solely the well-being of the Enterprise. Maybe they just like traveling, and that's all they need. (It's a way for the Bird primary and the Snake secondary exist very happily together, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was pretty common.)

DOUBLE BADGER “THE PEACEMAKER”

Badgers are interesting, because while I think they’re generally regarded as “correct,” they’re also seen as kind of boring. That’s the case with both Badger primaries and Badger secondaries, which means it is doubly reflected in the Double Badger. They often get written as simplistic, the sweet Jane Bennet type who loves everybody and caretakes everybody and just wants everybody to get along.

They are often the targets of what TV Tropes used to call “Break the Cutie.” What could be more interesting than making this character, who wants to be happily part of a community, be forced to build protective models, be all tortured and angsty? I actually think we’re seeing a return of the Double Badger as an interesting character in their own right, with people like Aziaphale, and I'm here for it.

BADGER LION “THE PROTAGONIST”

What can I say? There are a lot of protagonists that are Badger Lions. They want to help the group - so we know they're the good guys - and then they charge and make stuff happen. Lion secondaries are very useful in fiction - you drop them into a situation and stuff just happens. I also think of this as the Starfleet officer sorting - because if you’re a Starfleet officer, either you are the sorting, or can model it really well.

I will say that this is kind of the stock Protagonist sorting, the way that the Snake Badger is the stock love interest and the Snake Bird is the stock villain. There’s just something sort of generic good guy about this one, which is why I want to see it used as a villain sorting more. Badger villains - mostly people who define ‘human’ very narrowly - are insanely terrifying.

BADGER SNAKE “THE ADVISOR”

Possibly “the Power Behind the Throne.” This is another one I had difficulty pinning down. I called it “the Politician” for a while, which unfortunately came off as a little bit more negative than I meant it to, since I think this sorting has a lot in common with Lion Badger, the linchpin of a heroic team. The difference is that Lion Badger takes on that role kind of unconsciously, while the Badger Snake does it very consciously.

Their loyalty is to the group, but their skill set is all about subversion and different ways of going around the group, which is why there’s an interesting contradiction at the heart of Badger Snake. A lot of real life Badger Snakes struggle with feeling like “bad people" and it's too bad. These guys are ridiculously powerful and competent when they are sure of themselves, and I love seeing them in action

BADGER BIRD “THE KING / THE MOB BOSS”

Another difficult one, despite (or because) I really like them. I was calling them “the Architect” because “The City Planner” sounded too boring… but that’s what they do. They’re all about the community but they problem-solve the way all Bird secondaries do, by prepping, and gathering knowledge. I talked more about this in the Lion Bird entry, but Bird secondary seems to have this villain split going on, and that’s what I see here too. This is a controversial love-them-or-hate-them sorting, and I think that’s why. There’s a lot of room in whether or not you see this sorting as villainous.

[actualbird]

I got distracted reading 4-04 and 4-05 i totally forgot the actual thing i was supposed to ask you today, what are your thoughts on the kinds of shows the nxx team wouldve watched as kids growing up. MC and Luke have apparently watched animes and even dressed up as characters but i have this need to know the finer details. LIKE. WHAT DID YOU WATCH SPECIFICALLY?? And i remembered you said luke was the one who probably understood most of the terms zangr was saying so like?? Luke do you like these kinds of things?? -Marsh

MARSH, thank you so much for this ask and for the SPECIFIC WORDING "watched as kids growing up." because that makes me have to go back in time and thusly uncovering by far my favorite yet most under-utilized and never-brought-up detail of tears of themis:

the story of this game takes place in the year 2030

DO U HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FUNNIER THIS MAKES SHIT???? AND ALSO HOW MUCH MORE SENSE STUFF MAKES??? let me explain myself by going thru all the boys one by one

luke pearce

YEAH HE SAID HE AND MC WERE RLLY INTO ANIME AS KIDS. luke pearce who is 24 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2018-2021. this period of time, anime started getting more and more accessible, most notably getting on netflix and stuff like this. so like all the anime on netflix rn? yeah luke's watched them.

though because i kin luke, imma say that his fave is fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood. ive got no characterization proof for this, i just want to give him this honor

additionally, luke is a HUUUUGE fan of the original Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle novels (ACD Sherlock) and i think this would have pushed him to watch like, just every popular sherlock media adaptation there is. he personally liked Elementary better than BBC Sherlock. he generally just gravitates to the adaptations that dont forget about the heart of all of the characters.

also also also, luke likes action movies ranging from "hey this is "good" to critics" to "this is a shit movie but MY GOD IS IT FUN!!!"

artem wing

artem wing who is 29 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2013-2016. but also artem is a MOVIE SNOB LMAOOO, hes That Guy with the Opinions On Film and you bet that his analytical ass was into just the most extra shit to watch those days because no teenager is chill, every teenager has some kind of ego, i dont know what movies he would have watched at that point to be the Smartest Teenager About Movies, but he sure did watch them

though artem also is very into sci-fi literature and 2013-2016 had a BUUUNCH of huge sci-fi movies. Pacific Rim, Gravity, Interstellar, Arrival. Arrival is deffo artem's fave, dont fight me on this, i can explain further but not in this answer bc it will get LOOONG LOL

artem also is into "classics" which uh. wait artem what do you Mean by that, what is a "classic" for somebody born in 2001??? i dont really know exactly what he means by "classics" so i just take it to mean he's a slut for period dramas which leads me to my closing point

"Once upon a time, when [Artem] was younger, around 17 years old, he pondered identifying as asexual or as one of the subsets under that term, but he put that aside after he first watched Pride and Prejudice (2005). He had then acquired a recurring fantasy in which he would be sensually accosted by Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in a secluded study after months of furtive, charged glances, lingering, split second touches, double entendres classily and subtly masked but still implying a repressed yet voracious—Moving on." -an excerpt from my comedy smut fic where artem goes thru a crisis. yeah. yeah. Pride and Prejudice dir. Joe Wright was his bisexual awakening.

MOVING ON!!

vyn richter

vyn richter who is 27 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2015-2018 but honestly that doesnt help me AT ALL LOL BECAUSE VYN IS A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.....

like honest to god i cant even imagine vyn as anything other than an adult KJBSJKFS (which is depressing, if i think about it more... but also what vyn would want, i assume he would hate for people to have known him as a child, imperfect and shunned.....which is ALSO DEPRESSING. VYN, U GOOD???)

okay yknow what im not studied enough in Vyn Richter Studies so i will come back to this once ive gotten more of his story and know more of his (what im theorizing to be a SHITASS TERRIBLE) childhood history. so vyn, i guess ur safe from me....ur safe FOR NOW, THAT IS....

marius von hagen

marius von hagen who is 21 years old in 2030 means that from the Important Media Ages (12-15) it was 2021-2024. good fucking lord, marius was born in 2009 and that makes him so young that his Important Media Ages arent even DONE HAPPENING IN OUR CURRENT TIMELINE, JESUS....

2021 is an interesting era of entertainment because it is getting steadily more and more apparent that corporate greed is trying to swallow up good storytelling; movies and shows are made as fast food products to be consumed immediately and thrown away just as fast. there are smarter posts and articles talking about this, but my point here is that marius "believes SO MUCH in art and art's capability to make a difference" von hagen would HATE THIS SO MUCH and, through spite, get into a lot of indie medias that dont necessarily sell. smaller movies, tv shows that got cancelled way before they should have.

oh, hey, MARIUS WAS 12 YEARS OLD IN 2021, yeah he could have watched The Owl House and threw a fucking FIT when disne/y nerfed the show's third season. he has not forgiven and he has not forgotten.

regardless of his age, marius, at some point in his teens watches Vincent and the Doctor (s5 e10 from Doctor Who). for those who dont know this episode, it involves Vincent Van Gogh and a bunch of sci-fi stuff but, at the end, a scene where Van Gogh is taken to the future and shown the impact his art has made on people. please watch it, if you havent it, it's very good and no words can do the experience justice.

anyway yeah marius watches it and it makes him FUCKING SOB

yeah so these are my takes kdjbfdsjfs

[alifeasvivid]

Student/teacher au where Alfred is one of the best and brightest students but purposely acts up in Arthur's class (class may vary) for hot and angry British accent. Arthur is literally pulling his hair out because this brat is making his life Hell but every one of his coworkers all praise Alfred constantly.

You get the gold star, anon.

Okay so here's kinda how I see it going down: Arthur's around 22 y/o finishing up his teaching degree, so he spends his last semester teaching high school English under the supervision of the current English teacher. Alfred's a sophomore, so he's like 15, still rather bright eyed and bushy tailed, and he actually likes his English class well enough because he likes the current teacher a lot. Then second semester, Arthur shows up and Alfred is like... pretty immediately smitten but then so are all of the girls in the class so it's like... whatever. Kid thinks his teacher is hot. Big news. Someone alert the media.

(yeah so, this is gonna be that kind of student/teacher where the student is a minor, so... that's your warning).

Alfred (along with most of the girls in the class) does everything he can to try and impress Arthur. He pays attention even more, works harder on his essay assignments, actually reads the books, instead of just coasting on his natual intellect. He also asks for Arthur's help editing etc.

But Arthur will leave at the end of the semester once he's passed being a TA and got his degree and Alfred's a little busted up about it, but he's 15, he'll live.

Then the current teacher gets an offer to teach at a university and well, since Arthur's already there and he would now be fully able to teach on his own..... the school offers him the position (this actually happened with my freshman English teachers, except we all hated the TA).

So when Alfred, now 16, more confident and cool, walks into his AP class junior year, he's like... fucking elated to see Arthur there. He thought he'd never see Arthur again, so this is his chance. He's gone through a growth spurt, he's got his driver's license. Arthur's not even ten years older than him and he's incredibly smart so he's, like, super mature for his age. He's not. He's a typical dumbass teenager in a hurry to grow up. So he's gotta at least have a chance, right?

Arthur's not an idiot. He's observant and also knows that teachers, particularly younger need to be super wary about students and their crushes--for the sake of their careers, but more importantly for the safety of the students. He knows his accent and general attractiveness only add to the risk. He's picked up on all of girls who basically just kinda see him as their own Mr. Darcy and it's honestly kind of cute, but childish and probably harmless. But Alfred is different. Alfred's crush might not be so harmless.

Partly because Alfred has figured out that being the star student is not going to get him noticed in the way he wants. So he starts acting out. He slacks off. Turns assignments in late if at all. Pretends not to know the answers when called upon. Uses his general popularity to get the attention of the class off of the lesson and onto some joke or other discussion. Uses his not inconsiderable charm on Arthur and when that yields few results, he becomes a bit more... aggressive in his flirting: making suggestive remarks when no one else will hear, invading Arthur's personal space, wearing clothes that show off the physique he's gained from swim team...

Arthur tries to chalk it up to Alfred's teenage idiocy and tries to ignore it, but Alfred gets under his skin somehow and he ends up keeping Alfred after class a lot to lecture him about being a disruption.

Alfred is completely convinced that Arthur just wants to spend more time with him. He's only mostly wrong.

Meanwhile, yeah, while Alfred is driving Arthur crazy and he's terrified to mention anything given that he is brand new as a teacher and this could ruin him. It could also hurt Alfred who Arthur knows is a good kid deep down and he knows because he has to listen to all the other teachers gush about just how brilliant Alfred is, how well he pays attention, how he helps other students, how he has such a bright future ahead of him.

Alfred uses his Perfect Student status with the administrative office to make sure he's in Arthur's AP class senior year as well.

And when Alfred walks into that class the first day, Arthur only just manages not to shout at him to get out, that no, no absolutely not, you are not going to be in this class, Alfred Jones... because he has to confess to himself that... he doesn't not find Alfred attractive on some level despite knowing it is very, very wrong.

He knew to watch out for students having crushes on him. He hadn't thought he needed to be so fastidious about himself because obvioiusly he would never be attracted to a teenager, right?

But he was wrong. He doesn't want to put up with another year of Alfred's antics. And he isn't sure if he can continue resisting Alfred's advances.

spoiler he can't and he doesn't.

[arrthurpendragon]

sending it right back to you bb: pls share 10 facts about an OC and their significant other!

Nerissa & Arthur

They take evening walks together.

Once they're together, Nerissa is fiercely supportive of Arthur and tries her best to challenge him in private, rather than in public.

Arthur is always surprising Nerissa with gifts (although before they're together, he doesn't let her know they're from him)

In Gaeafel, there is a celebration of Nerissa - and dancing. Arthur gets the most dances out of any of the men there.

They kinda have a Mr. Darcy & Elizabeth scene - where Arthur is about to marry someone else and he's like if your feelings have changed, you need to tell me.

Arthur is the first to recognize his feelings for Nerissa. For Nerissa everything changes so gradually, she's in too deep before she realizes what's happened.

They aren't afraid of public displays of affection. But they also do their share of sneaking around the castle of stolen kisses.

While Nerissa tries her best to be able to travel with Arthur and the knights (someone might get hurt and are you sure you want Merlin???) but when she's left behind in Camelot and Arthur returns, she always runs out to greet him and practically flings herself at him so he has to catch her.

Arthur comes to depend on Nerissa's counsel. He often thinks of her as his conscience, especially when he's unsure of a situation.

Nerissa isn't always sure of etiquette for being a lady and royalty, so she will look to Arthur for guidance and he helps guide her discreetly, whether through head nods / shakes - or sometimes it looks like he's going in to kiss her cheek and he whispers in her ear.

[theburialofstrawberries]

Do you have any fic recs... you seem like a good connoisseur of like, that particular brand of thought-provoking gorgeous writing style holy crap I can’t believe someone wrote this intricate, delicate piece of fiction for free stuff. I don’t even care if it’s like about Pixar Cars I trust your taste fully on this. Asking for a friend.

Boy do I totally have exactly what you asked for. Below are recs largely from fandoms where I have had either zero or minimal engagement with the source material but whose authors I’d trust with my life. In no particular order: 

1. In the spirit of your Pixar Cars joke, this Transformers fic by the peerless astolat that will leave you stunned the robot cars didn’t bone when they are so clearly in love. If you like that one you should read the Victory Condition, same fandom and author; someone correctly commented that its the next Great American Novel and only we on this site will ever know

2. One of my absolute favourite written works ever which I will never stop recommending is The Book of Secrets by Are; Downton Abbey, prickly gay evil butler with a heart of gold, vain handsome footman undergoing a deep crisis of identity. Are introduces psychological complexity and richness to the fairly bland Jimmy character, and as tumblr user maiden once remarked, making good fanfiction for bad tv shows IS the noblest of women’s works, this generation’s Bayeux tapestry. If you like that you should definitely read Hauntsverse (the Enchanted Life of Thomas Barrow has the kind of pacing & action & thematically + narratively satisfying conclusion in its last third that Christopher Nolan dreams of)

3. Also still really like this Rave footballer RPF fic of Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka where Ronaldo is a half-demon and Kaka is a priest. Love a good crisis of faith story. I do not follow football and have no dog in the RPF discourse war but Rave is just a lush brilliant humorous writer 

4. User Fahye literally held the real estate deeds to my ass for the longest time, they’re prolific and have done some excellent work in the Untamed and Yuri on Ice fandoms in particular, but two niche works that deserve to be mentioned: Single Use Weapon, a fealty fic set in a tiny modern day kingdom. Monarch is in love with the childhood friend turned mercenary who must protect his king. And then this enjolras / grantaire fic that I’ve probably outgrown since I don’t have the tolerance for prolonged angst anymore, but when I did, this was the one I kept returning to   

5. Syllic sent me down an entire Merlin/Arthur phase with Three Tasks (if you like this you should check out the rest of their works + astolat’s entire Merlin body of work, Crown of the Summer Court is widely regarded as one of the best fanworks ever ever ever)

6. Some anon very long ago recommended An Ever Fixed Mark, which is a soulmates AU of Pride and Prejudice. The author AMarguerite does some beautiful well-researched world-building here and completely transports you to the regency era, I learned all about the Ton. But importantly this series is juicy and funny and full of heart. It’s also choose your own adventure -- what if Lizzie had ended up with Colonel Fitzwilliam? Or the literal actual Duke of Wellington? Staunch supporters of Mr. Darcy may rest easy seeing as there is a 100K+ story dedicated to Darcy/Lizzie but there’s also two separate what-ifs; the one where Lizzie shacks up with the Duke of Wellington is, for my money, the best 

7. Passion & Profession starring Marcus Aquila of The Eagle (2011) and YES Jamie Bell EXCEPT as St John Rivers from Jane Eyre. Follows St John’s adventures after he sets for Calcutta -- and lives, because he has his big gay awakening with a buff handsome crippled soldier. Beautiful story, St John is a drama queen, really liked the portrayal of British Raj era West Bengal here. As I said, I love a good crisis of faith fic, and the conversation St John has with a cheerful gay reverend near the climax of the fic is one of the favourite back and forths on religion and gay love ever 

8. This fix-it Snowpiercer fic where Yona and Timmy survive and find an underground society....sci-fi levels of intricate and bold world-building  

9. Another fix-it because I’ve recently been obsessed with Avatar where Neytiri is the one chosen by the elder tree to become Toruk Makto and save her people; same author has written a 34K slow burn between Trudy and Grace that I’m dying to read 

10. Some original works that have recently been on my mind: 

For King & Country, I’m following Part 2 of this masterful series with bated breath; insecure mage hates his handsomer more charismatic more talented rival, unaware said rival has been in love with him for aaages. 

This weird short lovely thing where a thief rides across a desert nearly dies and is saved by the mute solar deity whose temple he is about to rob. Love an unexpected story that makes me re-read looking for clues and subtext and details I may have missed 

This horror fic about how a group of people on an online forum for analyzing a Tolkein-like children’s series meet up IRL to discuss the author’s alleged descent into madness and unlock the mystery behind his last seemingly nonsensical book. As you say I cannot believe people write this stuff for free

Hollycomb is a legend and my heart pangs with every re-read of this paranormal coming of age fic....wistful & lovely 

And my bookmarks for further reference. If you end up reading anything from this list let me know!!!!!

[vampirkaninchen]

7 comfort films

tagged by the awesome @interluxetumbra <3

1. Sherlock Holmes - Game of Shadows (2011) this film has everything; Victorian settings galore, Jude Law in tweed, badassery, mystery, shenanigans, fun & tension, horse humour, bromance... I’ve watched it a hundred times. 2. Charade (1963) Audrey Hepburn as a classy & clever amateur spy in Givenchy, telling Cary Grant what’s what in 1960s Paris; this films has treasure, flirting & banter, charm, and twists at every turn. 3. Down with Love (2003) a little niche treasure, DWL features Reese Witherspoon & Ewan McGregor in an incredibly witty romantic cat-and-mouse game & comes with all the trimmings of a 1960s comedy; +feminism & fashion!

4. Pride & Prejudice (2005) dreamy, casual Austen, where every corner feels lived in & the light is so golden. understated but immersive, gentle & funny, featuring the perfectest Mr Darcy (a socially awkward mope with dreamy eyes). oh the yearning. 5. Mission Impossible 4-6 (2011, 2015, 2018) cheating a little bit because Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, & Fallout are just incredibly fun action bangers; exciting set pieces, stunts, comedy, espionage, & my queen Ilsa Faust. I’m watching one of these every two weeks. 6. The Mummy (1999) an absolute classic that I watch on the regular; desert adventures, exploration, badass female heroes, 90s Brendan Fraser, campy special effects, explosions, curses, gumption, & the perfect love story. 7. King Arthur - Legend of the Sword (2017) Guy Ritchie’s fantasy action adventure; a killer soundtrack, clever narration, Charlie Hunnam being 300% done, hipster details, cool action, Jude Law again, fun dialoges, that gritty cockney vibe. 8. Bonus: Stardust (2007) cheating slightly because it has the perfect balance of Victorian fantasy & black humour, it has Ben Barnes, Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, & Henry Cavill, sky pirates, magic, funny dead guys, & an epic wink. 9. Honourable Mention goes to; Stardust, Crimson Peak, Emma (2020), The Brothers Bloom, Marie Antoinette, What We Do in the Shadows, The Man from UNCLE, Atomic Blonde, To Steal a Million, To Have & Have Not. double-tagging @bebemoon & @ayzrules! ;)

[mistikfir]

A new take on the classics

January 20, 2008 The Sunday Telegraph

He’s not Mr Darcy but Hugh Dancy agrees he is the testosterone in the new Jane Austen movie. By Ariel Cohen and Brett Debritz. While comparisons with Mr Darcy in Pride And Prejudice may not be valid. the 32-year-old British hunk agrees that he’s “the testosterone” in this story of six modern-day Californians who find their lives are reflected in the novels of 18th-century author Jane Austen.

Dancy, who is dating Stardust star Claire Danes, rejects the suggestion that it’s ‘‘the ultimate chick flick”. “Sure, it follows the form of an Austen story to the extent that you know you're basically trickling on towards a happy ending, but along the way there's a bit more of a bumpy ride than you might get.” he says. “It's certainly not boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back.” The movie teams Dancy with a multi-generational cast. including Kathy Baker. Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Maggie Grace and Jimmy Smits. Dancy says it was a challenge to get under the skin of his character, Grigg, who is brought into a group of female friends who form the book club as a way of supporting a woman through a relationship break-up. “I thought the enigmatic thing about him. is that he appears to be harmless, bordering on a bit of I don’t know what. Is he kind of pathetic or soft? Why is he so happy to sit with these women and read Austen and kind of be the brunt of various attacks? “Ultimately. what you realize is he's just very. very comfortable in his own skin. He’s happy with who he is — a little clumsy. a little nerdy and not conventionally cool, but he’s OK with that. ''He likes himself and that’s certainly a rare quality. Ultimately. in the movie it’s revealed as a strength. That was the line that I had to follow. Dancy says the experience of working with a mostly female cast and a female writer-director. Robin Swicord, was extremely enjoyable. “I loved it — and not in some lewd way. It seemed very normal to me at the time and I guess I'm not bothered by that. How great to get to work with these incredible actresses and, frankly, to see them all have an opportunity that’s maybe not so common.” Dancy admits that he did little first hand research for the role but in the film, reads Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries Of Udolpho, which is referenced in the Austen book. “I could've taken that as my cue. but I preferred to think about him in terms of general motivations.'' Dancy says. Dancy has won a Tony on Broadway and made his mark in the TV miniseries Elizabeth I, in which he played Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. opposite Helen Mirren while his on-screen credits include Black Hawk  Down, King Arthur and Savage Grace, a film about the real life murder of Barbara Daly Baekeland, where his character maintains relationships with a mother (Julianne Moore) and her son at the same time. He defends his participation in the controversial film, which is yet to have a release in the United States or Australia. ‘Julianne Moore is in it and, if she can throw herself into that then so can I.” he says. ‘Secondly, I'd rather kind of give it a shot and fail gloriously — and anyone whose nose is going to be put out of joint by that, then I'm really kind of happy to upset them. So yeah, it was an unusual part and I decided. what the hell. It's brave. I'll give it a shot.”