Manip + Graphic - Knitting

Feb 12, 2023 20:43

Title: National Treasure instagram - Knitting
Artist: Hakka ( prue84 )
Fandom: BBC's Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU
AU: National Treasure
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin (implied)
Characters: Arthur Pendragon, Aithusa, Merlin.
Rating: G
Tagline: Even the Once and Future Kings can be talked into knitting.
Series: National Treasure instagram
About the graphic: With winter looming on England, the Pendragonling needs warm clothes to survive the cold, or so dragonlord Merlin decrees. Through his social, then, he searches for some knitter to travel to New Camelot and knit little Aithusa some wool coats. The challenge is picked up and the willing hero also manages to convince Arthur to give knitting a try.
Aithusa is definitely excited to see her dragon papa personally work to make her something.
About the AU: Under the graphic.
Notes: This manip was prompted by the picture released by Synnov Karlsen on her Instagram Story when they were in Italy to shoot I Medici back in 2018. A couple of days later, the manip was done.
There was some text on the fake Instagram post that wasn't completed but the reason I was stuck was because I couldn't decide which version I liked the best between two backgrounds and few different effects/filters applied.
Notes 2: Released as per my goal to clear out my "held back" shit.
I wanted to hold this back further but figured I should post it while it's still winter, given the winter subject.
Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip): I recall not being completely satisfied with Aithusa but 1) there's literally two Aithusa pics, so a Merlin manipper must do with what little they've been given and 2) I still haven't learned to apply shadows.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything on this. Full credits under the graphic.
Crossposted: Dreamwidth, Deviantart (instagram post, photo), Tumblr.







Click to see fullsize (935 x 600)

And the photo in full size:


Click to see fullsize (1080 x 1920)

Credits
Bradley James in italy from Synnov Karlsen's Instagram Story, 30 October 2018.
Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, Stanza del Mappamondo. Picture available at different sites.

About the AU
It's the 21th century and the existence of magic has been widely known since Guinevere, the last queen of Camelot, lifted the ban and had made Merlin her own advisor. With the centuries the myth of the Once and Future King has grown unchecked: Arthur Pendragon belongs to the category of the great people of history who the most have influenced the world, with the only difference that he will one day return.
Magic, for a number of circumstances never verified (possibly a mix of abuse and industrialization), seems like having been drained, leaving only the passive one: charms applied to old houses or objects still works, but new charms cannot be cast and are ineffective. Immortality is a rare gift unavailable to most, but few people belonging to the world Before The Drain still live, the oldest of them born in the Late Renaissance age.
Merlin, former wizard and oldest man of the world as the only one alive since the Middle Ages, is considered the world's grumpy uncle, that one parent who is a font of knowledge and tells funny stories about an otherwise serious topic like History but isn't willing to sit down and socialize with the youngsters (which means basically anyone, to him). Told to be always traveling, he imparts his knowledge almost exclusively through his blog, "Merlin's Cave". Unknown to all, though, Merlin has also a second identity under which he lives an almost ordinary life: Gaius de Bois, young professor of Medieval History at the University of Avalon, down-to-heart person, a professor much loved by his students, and, especially "nephew" of the Great Merlin.
Arthur Pendragon emerges from the secluded Lake of Avalon and his return is made official by Merlin with a post on his Instagram, a photo about the two halves of a broken coin (with Merlin's and Arthur's profile) reunited. Arthur leads a quiet life, residing in Merlin's cottage on the shores of the lake, with his grumpy (not-so) former servant to protect him from meddlers and fanatics. To preserve and allocate the necessary resources to restore a conducive environment for him and his needs of Middle Ages man, he is given the title of National Treasure that grants him a monthly revenue, total coverage of expenditures and funds to restore the castle of Camelot - castle that Merlin has preserved by magically miniaturizing it and placing it in a snow-less globe.
Merlin, through his social media and website, shares with the world the chronicles of how his king is adjusting to the modern times.
Arthur is initially followed by paps and generally by the curiosity of the people: it's just Merlin's angry presence (and an endless stream of ordinances) that shelters Arthur from the frenzy although soon it becomes an ordinary sight to see the king going around wearing his armor and sunglasses. When Camelot is restored, it gets the status of Principality within the United Kingdom, a kind of enclave named New Camelot on which Arthur is granted absolute power: initially a city-state enclosed within the strong walls of the citadel, it grows when further lands and pastures are assigned to the principality to assure Camelot's self-sufficiency. Life in New Camelot, per Arthur's choice, doesn't reflect the innovations happened after the king's death, and the citadel will become a haven for people who wish to live a simpler life or simply unplug a bit from the modern times.
With time Arthur will fully embrace the perks of modernity, thanks to Merlin (and his money) who spoils him, and he'll even get a driving license (against Merlin's will). But that's another story for another time.

char merlin: merlin, char merlin: aithusa, + graphics, au: national treasure, ++ fandom: bbc's merlin, series: national treasure instagram, + manips, char merlin: arthur pendragon, relat merlin: arthur/merlin

Previous post Next post
Up