Manip + Graphic - Dragon photobombing

Sep 10, 2023 20:33

Title: National Treasure instagram - Dragon photobombing
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: Have you thought your children were the most stressful creatures on Earth? You never tried to be dad to a dragon.
Series: National Treasure instagram
About the graphic: It didn't take Aithusa, the albino dragonling good omen for Albion's future, much time outside of her egg before deciding that Arthur is just a different race of dragons - no scales, no wings, no fire, and ignorant in dragon language, but definitely still a dragon. After all, he's named Pendragon, so it means he is a dragon, right? And, since Arthur named himself "Chief of dragons" and she is the "Light of the Sun" that will bring forth a new age for dragons, it comes without saying that he's her father. Right right? The Aithusa-logic is flawless.
So this knee-high to a grasshopper dragonling has the power to impose her own vision on the mighty Once and Future King, forcing him to accept that he's meant to be the dragon daddy of an annoying creature that is a ferret software running on dragon hardware (well, Arthur isn't that much well versed in technology, but he saw a similar use of computer terms to describe foxes and thought it applied for Aithusa as well). The legendary warking has begrudgingly submitted himself to the responsibility of raising the dragonling as his own, but the task at times feels more draining that leading a war against the Saxons: the dragonling has too much energy for her own good!
Merlin had some errands to take care to, and left (dragon)dad and dragon daughter alone at the castle. This is what he found when he returned home.
About the AU: Under the graphic.
Notes: Manip started in 2020. For some reason it was held back. I don't remember why.
Also, I was stuck with the text for the post. Which might be the reason of the whole holding back thing. The most challenging part of this was to fit my signature.
Notes 2: Originally, the post was meant to feature only one picture. The decision of making three was made in late August, when I wrapped up the Instagram portion of the project and decided that I didn't like how the full picture (now #2) looked.
Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip): 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.
Crossposted: Dreamwidth, Deviantart (instagram post, photo #1, photo #2, photo #3), Tumblr.







Click to see fullsize (935 x 600)

And the photos in full size:


Click to see fullsize (813 x 1080)



Click to see fullsize (1504 x 1080)



Click to see fullsize (1504 x 1080)

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

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