How to make it through the week, Arthur/Merlin Style (Issue IV)
For some reason, there's something amazingly satisfying about watching someone else discover the all-too-evident bond between the prince and his manservant. So I've decided to base this week's recs on fics that have captured that bond through other people's eyes. [I will have to do another one of these in the future as there were too many to put into one post omg YAY.]
Master List: Index
Last Week's Recs: Issue III
Dedicated, as always, to Mielle ♥ This is also for all the people who became lazy after series one ended and didn't bother to check their fanfic updates list (er...I'm included here) as well as for those who became fans right before series two arrived. The recs are from all over the timeline of fandom, so enjoy what you haven't read (and what you have).
How to make it through the week, Arthur/Merlin style
(Issue IV)
THIS WEEK'S RECS ARE BASED ON OUTSIDE POINTS OF VIEW. THAT'S RIGHT, VOYEURS, REJOICE.
what happened on MONDAY was something that should never be repeated again, especially if unicorns - "I told you we should have killed them, merlin" - were called charlie and coloured outrageously [crack fix]
(...he decided he would say something about the way the Moon could not shine without the Sun.)
Action Figures! by solarcat05 [R]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: This isn’t the place for it; he won’t take Merlin-won’t let himself be taken-in a damn cave.
AHAHA! The first time I read this, I found it insanely out-of-the-ordinary and extremely amusing. It still reads that way every time I re-read it not that I, ahem, have read it more than 10 times through and it comes in small segments, so you can enjoy this while on-the-go (though you may not want to, seeing as you'll be giggling ridiculously while on the Tube or in the library or wherever people on-the-go these days).
solarcat05 pairs what we found hilarious in series one with what is hilarious in crack-world and makes this series an enjoyable and cracktastic enterprise. Read the sequels - the link I've provided takes you to the master page, so use that to your advantage!
on TUESDAY, the day uther finally passed his last breath, his eyes had rested on merlin with a terrible, accusing anger [angst fix]
(She does indeed know Arthur, well enough. She also knows her son.)
Visiting Hunith by rurounihime [PG-13]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Warnings: Character death (not Arthur or Merlin)
Author's summary: Five times Ealdor had visitors.
This fic is so delicately beautiful that I had such trouble deciding where to pin it. rurounihime carefully creates an entire world for Hunith that provides as a wonderful storyline that is parallel to (sometimes completely away from, sometimes intersecting with) that of Merlin & Arthur. Rather than serving solely as a pair of eyes, Hunith is a character we interact with, we grieve for, we grow to love & admire.
So many different themes are examined here, including what fanon carelessly often turns to in light of the original Arthurian legends. What is the price of something many of us just throw into our stories, taking for granted without considering how it could destroy lives & change our characters? And thankfully, it's Hunith we see this through, rather than Merlin or Arthur - it makes it at the same time more palatable and more heartbreaking.
WEDNESDAY was definitely the worst, as tenured professor pendragon ran into under-effing-graduate emrys and immediately had the most inappropriate reaction, ever [kink fix]
(His grin is perfect. It makes his entire face light up.)
He Was Steeping by miakun [PG]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: Morgana can't quite figure out why her brother is becoming a normal human being. Deleted scene: Here.
WHY OH WHY HAVE I NOT RECCED ANY R+ FICS IN THIS SECTION FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS? DEAR AUTHORS, STOP BEING SO PHENOMENAL WITH THESE KINKS IN SUCH G-RATED WAYS OR I'LL HAVE TO RENAME THIS THE "BLEEDING TAME BUT THOROUGHLY FASCINATING" FIX.
So I was not expecting what, exactly, the kink in this fic turned out to be. Completely not expecting it, but it was handled so well and so heart-warmingly that I was blown away by the whole premise and storyline. I also especially love the fact that it was written by miakun, who constantly surprises me with brilliant & interesting fics as well as beautiful graphics (omfg, envy, when you kill me, make it swift). This fic is paced perfectly, with things being revealed to both Morgana & us in just the right way and timing. Nothing's too overdone, and there is even an interesting relationship between Morgana & Gwen that doesn't get fully explored and is too subtle to really grasp, but made me very interested anyway.
Overall, this fic shows us the best sides of everyone involved, giving us before-and-after sort of revelations. I found myself not even focusing on the kink and reading it for the characters, omg. The accompanying "deleted scene" (link provided in my summary) is not an outside POV, but read it anyway, it's brilliant as well.
the mice decided to take action THURSDAY when they realised their provider didn't have time for them because of the increase in chores given him by poncey prat [fluff fix]
(Uther glares in their direction but neither seems to notice.)
Different Perceptions by gonrie [PG]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: Uther frowns because his son is hiding a smile behind his hand, his eyes mischievously meeting his manservant’s; they seem to have forgotten both their place as well as their status.
WOOH. Guess who stumbled across the different-POV treasure chest! I always love it when I find awesome sauce in merlinxarthur, since most of the time it's updated with such a deluge of fic that one sometimes feels hopeless finding anything while staring at the huge list of updates. But anyway, this fic probably revealed to readers the brilliance of the outside POV within this fandom, and particularly with this pairing. After reading it, I wanted to go out and write my own (but, of course, this fic pretty much touches on everything and I have nothing left to write, anyway). gonrie moves effortlessly between scenes & perceptions, giving us different looks into one of the greatest friendships to ever grace our screens, and it's even done in a way that makes us torn between wanting more and thinking it's perfect the way it is.
FRIDAY was always the best of days, as that one fellow would sit at the bar, not-quite-staring at him, and merlin would feel a rush the entire night as he prepared drinks and sometimes managed to draw him out with cheeky banter [AU fix]
(Merlin would take his little flag to people's backyards and tell our neighbors that their gardens had been conquered in the name of King Arthur.)
Coffeeshop Muffins by skellerbvvt [NC-17]
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Morgana/Gwen
Author's summary: Wherein Arthur And Merlin Are Dating, Save For the Part Where They Aren't
Right, so, I realise this links to the kink-meme, but I couldn't stick it in the kink fix - it's too perfect of an AU. In fact, this is quite the epitome of the modern-day-bromance we all want to write but didn't get there fast enough to do (I'm sobbing, yes) or couldn't manage the brilliance of (still sobbing). There are some imperfections in terms of spelling/proofreading, but that's more than acceptable given the SPANKTASTIC FUN THIS IS and the fact that it's a response to the anonymous meme. If I had this gold and was responding to that kink, I'd belt it out too, forget the betas (I wouldn't want them to steal it before I could post it, HA). GOOD NEWS FOR ALL YOU PRUDES - SHE'S DECIDED TO PUT SOME PANTS ON AND SPANK HER FIC INTO SHAPE! HERE is where the other, former version is if you, like me, like the nakey. The link far above leads to her polished version.
It was pure luck that I found this in time for this week's issue, as I only just stumbled across it (accidentally) two days ago. skellerbvvt responds to quite a few kink memes, so I'm excited to read the rest of them soon. The way she makes this so entertaining, using each character to the absolute max of her or his potential, keeps you engrossed throughout. And it's even better that this is in a modern AU - everything's wonderfully perfect and it truly is the bromance we all want and believe they'd have if they lived in the here and now. Guh I love this fic. (Also, Gwen is beyond adorable in her reactions to the epic bromance. Actually, the entire Gwen/Morgana side-story is unbelievably cute.)
*There are two different possible endings, so everyone and their mother is satisfied. (If you've never read a fic that was a response to these kind of memes, keep scrolling down after you've finished the first comment-fic-part - the rest of the parts are there, they're the titled ones.) [This advice is only valid if you go to the former link.]
king ulfric was stunned when his sorcerers were propelled backwards, exploding light surrounding them as they failed in their attack on camelot's prince SATURDAY because of a mere boy [epic fix]
("Think boy, you want to get close to the Prince, well who is the Prince closest to?")
The Route to Advancement by magog_83 [PG]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: In which Sir Percival is the Invisible Knight of Camelot and Merlin comes to his rescue.
DUDES. You have probably have all already read this, but I absolutely must rec it here anyway. Whenever someone in this fandom mentions Percy, people automatically know what fic, person, etc., is being talked about. This fic takes the different perception to the ABSOLUTE MAX and creates an entirely unknown but lovable character that we can experience Merlin/Arthur through. Percy has so many different facets to his personality that it's really a joy to read this particular epic, and it's so wonderful to have everything about the pairing feel fresh because of the perspective we're given. All the characters are wonderful if a little different, and everything (setting, premise, etc.) works together to make this fic more than enjoyable and engrossing.
It's all quite pre-slash but not completely, which makes this even more of a jewel. I love magog_83's style of writing here, as the story takes itself not too seriously in a way that is completely endearing. There are sequels, too, that you should look for (I believe they're linked in the fic so they're not linked here).
SUNDAY came suddenly but it was enough, and the people stood in the ruined courtyard, gazing up at the two figures silhouetted by the dawning sun, and they felt the beginnings of something wonderful, something legendary stirring around them [one-shot fix]
(...he can see something peculiar about Pendragon and Merlin's relationship.)
Carving Dragons by rotrude [PG]
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: Spoilers for 2.13
Author's summary: While carving a Dragon, Balinor muses about Merlin.
FIRST, NOTE THE WARNING. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST EPISODE OF SERIES TWO. (and then drag your lazy/in-denial/rebellious self to the telly or computer so you have, then come back and read this fic.)
I love, love, love it when people on my f-list churn out beyond amazing fic, as I rarely initially friend any of them for such stuff but they turn out to be BRILLIANT ANYWAY. And this fic came out in time to be recced in this post (given the theme of this week), and so here it is. rotrude takes a character we know so little of and creates an amazing, wondrously detailed life for him, providing us explanations for so much that was said but so little explained in the episode. Seeing Merlin & Arthur through his eyes is really just perfect (I felt so happy reading it) and it makes us see Balinor's progression of thoughts as he explores this tentative new understanding in the presence of both characters. Every character is so real and vulnerable, and it matches the tone of that section of the episode with as much grace as it needs and as much gritty realism as it deserves.
And - really - we were all waiting for just this type of fic to be written after the episode ended, and she does it so perfectly that I've had my wish for the finale completely fulfilled.
Master List: Index
Last Week's Recs: Issue III
Dedicated, as always, to Mielle ♥ This is also for all the people who became lazy after series one ended and didn't bother to check their fanfic updates list (er...I'm included here) as well as for those who became fans right before series two arrived. The recs are from all over the timeline of fandom, so enjoy what you haven't read (and what you have).
How to make it through the week, Arthur/Merlin style
(Issue IV)
THIS WEEK'S RECS ARE BASED ON OUTSIDE POINTS OF VIEW. THAT'S RIGHT, VOYEURS, REJOICE.
what happened on MONDAY was something that should never be repeated again, especially if unicorns - "I told you we should have killed them, merlin" - were called charlie and coloured outrageously [crack fix]
(...he decided he would say something about the way the Moon could not shine without the Sun.)
Action Figures! by solarcat05 [R]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: This isn’t the place for it; he won’t take Merlin-won’t let himself be taken-in a damn cave.
AHAHA! The first time I read this, I found it insanely out-of-the-ordinary and extremely amusing. It still reads that way every time I re-read it not that I, ahem, have read it more than 10 times through and it comes in small segments, so you can enjoy this while on-the-go (though you may not want to, seeing as you'll be giggling ridiculously while on the Tube or in the library or wherever people on-the-go these days).
solarcat05 pairs what we found hilarious in series one with what is hilarious in crack-world and makes this series an enjoyable and cracktastic enterprise. Read the sequels - the link I've provided takes you to the master page, so use that to your advantage!
on TUESDAY, the day uther finally passed his last breath, his eyes had rested on merlin with a terrible, accusing anger [angst fix]
(She does indeed know Arthur, well enough. She also knows her son.)
Visiting Hunith by rurounihime [PG-13]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Warnings: Character death (not Arthur or Merlin)
Author's summary: Five times Ealdor had visitors.
This fic is so delicately beautiful that I had such trouble deciding where to pin it. rurounihime carefully creates an entire world for Hunith that provides as a wonderful storyline that is parallel to (sometimes completely away from, sometimes intersecting with) that of Merlin & Arthur. Rather than serving solely as a pair of eyes, Hunith is a character we interact with, we grieve for, we grow to love & admire.
So many different themes are examined here, including what fanon carelessly often turns to in light of the original Arthurian legends. What is the price of something many of us just throw into our stories, taking for granted without considering how it could destroy lives & change our characters? And thankfully, it's Hunith we see this through, rather than Merlin or Arthur - it makes it at the same time more palatable and more heartbreaking.
WEDNESDAY was definitely the worst, as tenured professor pendragon ran into under-effing-graduate emrys and immediately had the most inappropriate reaction, ever [kink fix]
(His grin is perfect. It makes his entire face light up.)
He Was Steeping by miakun [PG]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: Morgana can't quite figure out why her brother is becoming a normal human being. Deleted scene: Here.
WHY OH WHY HAVE I NOT RECCED ANY R+ FICS IN THIS SECTION FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS? DEAR AUTHORS, STOP BEING SO PHENOMENAL WITH THESE KINKS IN SUCH G-RATED WAYS OR I'LL HAVE TO RENAME THIS THE "BLEEDING TAME BUT THOROUGHLY FASCINATING" FIX.
So I was not expecting what, exactly, the kink in this fic turned out to be. Completely not expecting it, but it was handled so well and so heart-warmingly that I was blown away by the whole premise and storyline. I also especially love the fact that it was written by miakun, who constantly surprises me with brilliant & interesting fics as well as beautiful graphics (omfg, envy, when you kill me, make it swift). This fic is paced perfectly, with things being revealed to both Morgana & us in just the right way and timing. Nothing's too overdone, and there is even an interesting relationship between Morgana & Gwen that doesn't get fully explored and is too subtle to really grasp, but made me very interested anyway.
Overall, this fic shows us the best sides of everyone involved, giving us before-and-after sort of revelations. I found myself not even focusing on the kink and reading it for the characters, omg. The accompanying "deleted scene" (link provided in my summary) is not an outside POV, but read it anyway, it's brilliant as well.
the mice decided to take action THURSDAY when they realised their provider didn't have time for them because of the increase in chores given him by poncey prat [fluff fix]
(Uther glares in their direction but neither seems to notice.)
Different Perceptions by gonrie [PG]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: Uther frowns because his son is hiding a smile behind his hand, his eyes mischievously meeting his manservant’s; they seem to have forgotten both their place as well as their status.
WOOH. Guess who stumbled across the different-POV treasure chest! I always love it when I find awesome sauce in merlinxarthur, since most of the time it's updated with such a deluge of fic that one sometimes feels hopeless finding anything while staring at the huge list of updates. But anyway, this fic probably revealed to readers the brilliance of the outside POV within this fandom, and particularly with this pairing. After reading it, I wanted to go out and write my own (but, of course, this fic pretty much touches on everything and I have nothing left to write, anyway). gonrie moves effortlessly between scenes & perceptions, giving us different looks into one of the greatest friendships to ever grace our screens, and it's even done in a way that makes us torn between wanting more and thinking it's perfect the way it is.
FRIDAY was always the best of days, as that one fellow would sit at the bar, not-quite-staring at him, and merlin would feel a rush the entire night as he prepared drinks and sometimes managed to draw him out with cheeky banter [AU fix]
(Merlin would take his little flag to people's backyards and tell our neighbors that their gardens had been conquered in the name of King Arthur.)
Coffeeshop Muffins by skellerbvvt [NC-17]
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Morgana/Gwen
Author's summary: Wherein Arthur And Merlin Are Dating, Save For the Part Where They Aren't
Right, so, I realise this links to the kink-meme, but I couldn't stick it in the kink fix - it's too perfect of an AU. In fact, this is quite the epitome of the modern-day-bromance we all want to write but didn't get there fast enough to do (I'm sobbing, yes) or couldn't manage the brilliance of (still sobbing). There are some imperfections in terms of spelling/proofreading, but that's more than acceptable given the SPANKTASTIC FUN THIS IS and the fact that it's a response to the anonymous meme. If I had this gold and was responding to that kink, I'd belt it out too, forget the betas (I wouldn't want them to steal it before I could post it, HA). GOOD NEWS FOR ALL YOU PRUDES - SHE'S DECIDED TO PUT SOME PANTS ON AND SPANK HER FIC INTO SHAPE! HERE is where the other, former version is if you, like me, like the nakey. The link far above leads to her polished version.
It was pure luck that I found this in time for this week's issue, as I only just stumbled across it (accidentally) two days ago. skellerbvvt responds to quite a few kink memes, so I'm excited to read the rest of them soon. The way she makes this so entertaining, using each character to the absolute max of her or his potential, keeps you engrossed throughout. And it's even better that this is in a modern AU - everything's wonderfully perfect and it truly is the bromance we all want and believe they'd have if they lived in the here and now. Guh I love this fic. (Also, Gwen is beyond adorable in her reactions to the epic bromance. Actually, the entire Gwen/Morgana side-story is unbelievably cute.)
*There are two different possible endings, so everyone and their mother is satisfied. (If you've never read a fic that was a response to these kind of memes, keep scrolling down after you've finished the first comment-fic-part - the rest of the parts are there, they're the titled ones.) [This advice is only valid if you go to the former link.]
king ulfric was stunned when his sorcerers were propelled backwards, exploding light surrounding them as they failed in their attack on camelot's prince SATURDAY because of a mere boy [epic fix]
("Think boy, you want to get close to the Prince, well who is the Prince closest to?")
The Route to Advancement by magog_83 [PG]
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Author's summary: In which Sir Percival is the Invisible Knight of Camelot and Merlin comes to his rescue.
DUDES. You have probably have all already read this, but I absolutely must rec it here anyway. Whenever someone in this fandom mentions Percy, people automatically know what fic, person, etc., is being talked about. This fic takes the different perception to the ABSOLUTE MAX and creates an entirely unknown but lovable character that we can experience Merlin/Arthur through. Percy has so many different facets to his personality that it's really a joy to read this particular epic, and it's so wonderful to have everything about the pairing feel fresh because of the perspective we're given. All the characters are wonderful if a little different, and everything (setting, premise, etc.) works together to make this fic more than enjoyable and engrossing.
It's all quite pre-slash but not completely, which makes this even more of a jewel. I love magog_83's style of writing here, as the story takes itself not too seriously in a way that is completely endearing. There are sequels, too, that you should look for (I believe they're linked in the fic so they're not linked here).
SUNDAY came suddenly but it was enough, and the people stood in the ruined courtyard, gazing up at the two figures silhouetted by the dawning sun, and they felt the beginnings of something wonderful, something legendary stirring around them [one-shot fix]
(...he can see something peculiar about Pendragon and Merlin's relationship.)
Carving Dragons by rotrude [PG]
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: Spoilers for 2.13
Author's summary: While carving a Dragon, Balinor muses about Merlin.
FIRST, NOTE THE WARNING. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST EPISODE OF SERIES TWO. (and then drag your lazy/in-denial/rebellious self to the telly or computer so you have, then come back and read this fic.)
I love, love, love it when people on my f-list churn out beyond amazing fic, as I rarely initially friend any of them for such stuff but they turn out to be BRILLIANT ANYWAY. And this fic came out in time to be recced in this post (given the theme of this week), and so here it is. rotrude takes a character we know so little of and creates an amazing, wondrously detailed life for him, providing us explanations for so much that was said but so little explained in the episode. Seeing Merlin & Arthur through his eyes is really just perfect (I felt so happy reading it) and it makes us see Balinor's progression of thoughts as he explores this tentative new understanding in the presence of both characters. Every character is so real and vulnerable, and it matches the tone of that section of the episode with as much grace as it needs and as much gritty realism as it deserves.
And - really - we were all waiting for just this type of fic to be written after the episode ended, and she does it so perfectly that I've had my wish for the finale completely fulfilled.