Comments | heygirlfriends: Real Men Don't Wear Girdles, Part 1/2

minor_fifth in heygirlfriends

Real Men Don't Wear Girdles, Part 1/2

Feb 22, 2011 22:26

Title: Real Men Don't Wear Girdles, Fitts 1 and 2
Pairings: Merlin/Gwaine, Arthur/Gwen (with Lancelot joining in, maybe)
Disclaimers: This is a sort of retelling of "Gawain and the Green Knight," and also a (late, I'm sorry!) present for my dearest BFF fledmusic. There is attempted bob-and-wheel verse style, poor attempts at Old English, and unapologetic ( Read more... )

arthur/gwen/lancelot, the best present ever, merlin/gwaine, special guest poster, merlin

Comments 11

fledmusic February 23 2011, 05:54:26 UTC

OKAY I'M DEAD ALREADY AND IT'S JUST THE END OF THE FIRST PART

OH MY GOD

I LOVE YOU

EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL

GWAINE'S DIRTY SONGS AND

HE'S SO IN LOOOOOOOOOVE AND OMG I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT PART, OKAY GOING TO READ THAT NOW

minor_fifth February 23 2011, 05:55:04 UTC

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION!

fledmusic February 23 2011, 07:31:28 UTC

YOU AAAAARE

MY FIIIIIIIRE

THE ONE

DESIIIIIIIIIRE

(The comment has been removed)

minor_fifth March 7 2011, 05:47:52 UTC

eeeee, you mentioned all my favorite things! I'm so glad you like it!

Seriously, I never realized alliterative verse was so hard. You'd think it would be easier than rhyming, since you have more sounds to work with, but it's actually harder. I am considerably more impressed with the Gawain poet than I used to be :)

matchsticks_p March 7 2011, 19:47:25 UTC

I don't have time to read the second part yet, but I just wanted to drop a place-marker comment to remind myself to return to this! I'm loving this so far. The opening feast scene is perfect--I love that they sound like drunken frat boys, because if anyone were the frat boys of the 12th century it would be the knights. And the hints of a burgeoning Arthur/Gwen/Lancelot OT3 (which, as far as I'm concerned, is the original OT3)! This is hilarious and endearing and fun and yaaaaay, I'm so excited for Gwaine and Merlin to get with the program and realise they're MFEO.

Re: minor_fifth March 7 2011, 21:07:56 UTC

Heeee, thank you! Knighthood is DEFINITELY the original fraternity. Too bad that whole chivalry thing had to go out of style :(

I picture Lancelot being pretty scandalized when he wakes up the next morning and realizes that he drunkenly crashed his king and queen's wedding night, but then Gwen will be like OMG GET BACK IN BED, HONESTLY, YOU ARE SO OLD-FASHIONED and Arthur will be simultaneously horrified and smug.

two_of_tree March 14 2011, 01:26:51 UTC

Oh my gooooood, I haven't read this yet but I love Sir Gawain and the Green Knight like burning (fun fact: Simon Armitage, who did one of the most recent translations, and my favourite, is Professor of Poetry at my university). Will leave coherent feedback after I've finished but this?

On New Year’s Night, the new king feasted
after the wedding, his wife a wonder-
sweet Guinevere, glorious beauty,
from lowly maid to lovely queen,
whom noble Arthur ardently adored.

Already has me captivated <3

minor_fifth March 14 2011, 02:32:27 UTC

OMG that is so cool about Armitage! I love his translation, but I'm personally obsessed with the Norton-standard Marie Borroff, mostly because of the way she does the whole 'seasons changing' passage before Gawain leaves:

And then the season of summer with the soft winds,

When Zephyr sighs low over seeds and shoots;

Glad is the green plant growing abroad,

When the dew at dawn drops from the leaves,

To get a gracious glance from the golden sun.

UUUUGH brilliant. Anyway I'm beyond flattered that you like the opening bit; I don't consider myself a poet by any means but I definitely put a lot of effort into it :) WHY IS ALLITERATION SO HARD.

two_of_tree March 14 2011, 03:19:09 UTC

Oh wow. That's just stunning; definitely adding it to the wishlist!

I love what you did with the poetry. I was skimming it thinking it was part of a translation of SGatGK when I got to the word 'Gwen' and went 'Wait! WHAT?'

WHY IS ALLITERATION SO HARD.

Year-Nine-me empathises, seriously. YOU SHOULD FEEL GOOD, YOU ALLITERATED WELL.

matchsticks_p January 14 2013, 23:33:35 UTC

Just wanted to let you know that I suddenly remembered this exists and absolutely HAD to re-read it as a new year's treat for myself. Gaius would understand, once he woke up and found the carefully-worded note Merlin had left for him (“Went after Gwaine. Sorry. Happy new year!”)
STILL FUNNY, STILL IMPOSSIBLY ENDEARING. Ugh, I love courtly romance with a quest and a bit of A/G/L on the side.

minor_fifth January 15 2013, 00:54:27 UTC

Eeeeeep thank you darling!! I still have a lot of affection for this one ;___;