Manip + Graphic - Merlin the merlin
Title: National Treasure instagram - Merlin the merlin
Artist: Hakka ( prue84 )
Fandom: BBC's Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU
AU: National Treasure
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin (implied)
Characters: Merlin, Arthur Pendragon.
Rating: G
Tagline: Arthur Pendragon gives the final answer to the centuries-old dilemma "which came first: Merlin or the merlin?".
Series: National Treasure instagram
About the graphic: There are times when Merlin has enough of his prat clotepole king, and turns into his animal form. Which happens to be the more predictable form one could expect someone named Merlin could pick.
Arthur elected himself to reveal the world Merlin's secret, and answer a very ancient question Merlin never bothered to answer.
Well, Arthur did reveal the secret. After recovering his phone. Which happened to reach new heights when Merlin struck him with magic and sent Arthur on his ass. Merlin should've warned him that he could make magic even in his bird form. Arthur wasn't supposed to know!
About the AU: Under the graphic.
Notes: I remember I was searching for pics of merlins, for fanfic reference, and stumbled upon this one... and went immediately "this is Merlin about to use magic in his hawk form". The pic clearly asked to be used. This in 2017, the idea of the manip came in 2019.
Notes 2: Meh. This one has been held back since ages because I wasn't satisfied. Additionally, I couldn't figure out the text - like, blank head.
Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip): The manip was made in January 2019 in one go (the harder part was actually to find a Pierrefond pic where to place the hawk). In May 2021 I retouched it because I noticed than I had been wrong with the bird's size compared to the lion statue (the bird was looking too bigger that it should), but other than that, the manip was the easier part.
In July 2023 I played I bit further with effects to give the pic an "Instagram look", wrote the text and then went and published before I could change mind again.
Instagram graphic made all by-hand, with much moving/copy/pasting and, especially, a wearying research to find out which font the website used. No template site. Since I created my own template, it won't reflect any future changes the platform might make (I have no intention of modify my template).
Disclaimer: Don't own anything on this. Full credits under the graphic.
Crossposted: Dreamwidth, Deviantart (instagram post, photo #1, photo #2), Tumblr.
Click to see fullsize (935 x 726)
And the photos in full size:
Click to see fullsize (1080 x 1620)
Click to see fullsize (1080 x 1055)
Credits
Merlin. Photo taken by Ronald Zigler. I couldn't find the site where I took this specific pic. Some of his pics may be found at different bird watching sites.
Pierrefonds, 26 04 2011. Photo taken by Petachow.
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.
Artist: Hakka ( prue84 )
Fandom: BBC's Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU
AU: National Treasure
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin (implied)
Characters: Merlin, Arthur Pendragon.
Rating: G
Tagline: Arthur Pendragon gives the final answer to the centuries-old dilemma "which came first: Merlin or the merlin?".
Series: National Treasure instagram
About the graphic: There are times when Merlin has enough of his prat clotepole king, and turns into his animal form. Which happens to be the more predictable form one could expect someone named Merlin could pick.
Arthur elected himself to reveal the world Merlin's secret, and answer a very ancient question Merlin never bothered to answer.
Well, Arthur did reveal the secret. After recovering his phone. Which happened to reach new heights when Merlin struck him with magic and sent Arthur on his ass. Merlin should've warned him that he could make magic even in his bird form. Arthur wasn't supposed to know!
About the AU: Under the graphic.
Notes: I remember I was searching for pics of merlins, for fanfic reference, and stumbled upon this one... and went immediately "this is Merlin about to use magic in his hawk form". The pic clearly asked to be used. This in 2017, the idea of the manip came in 2019.
Notes 2: Meh. This one has been held back since ages because I wasn't satisfied. Additionally, I couldn't figure out the text - like, blank head.
Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip): The manip was made in January 2019 in one go (the harder part was actually to find a Pierrefond pic where to place the hawk). In May 2021 I retouched it because I noticed than I had been wrong with the bird's size compared to the lion statue (the bird was looking too bigger that it should), but other than that, the manip was the easier part.
In July 2023 I played I bit further with effects to give the pic an "Instagram look", wrote the text and then went and published before I could change mind again.
Instagram graphic made all by-hand, with much moving/copy/pasting and, especially, a wearying research to find out which font the website used. No template site. Since I created my own template, it won't reflect any future changes the platform might make (I have no intention of modify my template).
Disclaimer: Don't own anything on this. Full credits under the graphic.
Crossposted: Dreamwidth, Deviantart (instagram post, photo #1, photo #2), Tumblr.
Click to see fullsize (935 x 726)
And the photos in full size:
Click to see fullsize (1080 x 1620)
Click to see fullsize (1080 x 1055)
Credits
Merlin. Photo taken by Ronald Zigler. I couldn't find the site where I took this specific pic. Some of his pics may be found at different bird watching sites.
Pierrefonds, 26 04 2011. Photo taken by Petachow.
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.