36 posts
Fanfic is a free hobby.
It's one of the last few things we can have as a society that's free. You can engage, for free. People give you things (art, stories, etc), for free.
Don't buy into the consummerism just because it's everywhere else.
You don't have to consume everything you interact with. You don't have to use things, just because they exist.
You're allowed (still, for now), to have things that are enjoyable for free.
Do you realise how insane the world is? We don't have many places where we can just be, for free anymore, but ao3 is. Did you notice we don't have ads in ao3? We don't have pop ups? Where ELSE do we not have that?
Where else can you just go and not have to wait for a commercial to be over or for ads to be on the sidelines?
I don't think the younger people understand, but the whole of internet used to be like this. YouTubers would do Youtube for free, just because. You couldn't monetise your internet presence before.
Ao3 is like a little preserved corner of the internet where the old internet used to be, and it's being attacked by people who do not understand that free things are allowed to exist without judgment.
Please don't ruin this for us.
Some of us need it.
[large text: How to Support People with Facial Differences - the Face Equality Week 2024 Special]
Today is the 13th of May, which means that the Face Equality Week has just started. This year's theme is “My Face is a Masterpiece” which is probably my favorite sentence ever said about having a facial difference. Huge fan, should be used way more often in my opinion.
Because of this occasion, I would like to share some thoughts about Face Equality that I think are rather entry-level, i.e. you don't need to know much to execute these, but you can still support us.
Stop the stare.
I know it's fun to stare - or so I guess, at least - but maybe you shouldn't. Next time you see someone who has a scar or who's face does not move the same way as yours, just mind your business. We can tell when you're “discreetly” looking.
Don't call us deformed.
Knowing how the people you're trying to support actually call themselves should be an absolute first step, but most people still fail here. Most of us don't appreciate being called “deformed”. I certainly don't. Say “facial difference”, or “disfigurement” if you must. It's 2024. Leave “deformed” to medical reports from the 70s.
No more “What happened?!”s.
If you aren't a doctor, there's a high-to-100% chance that it's none of your business. It's cool that you're curious - keep it to yourself.
Stop insinuating that we are ugly.
“Support people who are ugly!” isn't very supportive. I would say, not in the slightest. Say “people who don't fit the current beauty standards” if that's what you mean.
Or, to go with this year's theme, “people whose faces are masterpieces” : )
Use critical thinking online.
Is the reaction photo actually funny, or is it just a person with a craniofacial condition? Is the meme actually a meme, or is it just making fun of a person with a facial disfigurement? Is body-shaming suddenly hilarious to you when the person shamed has strabismus?
If the entire punchline is “lol they have a disability xd”, it's ableism. Plain and simple.
To go with the point above - your joke is probably not funny.
We get it! You can't help telling us how "you're going to hell for laughing" (which yeah, probably) and how we remind you of the ugliest character you have ever seen. I guarantee you that we heard it, and that you are behaving like an edgy middle schooler who hasn't "found out" yet. It's boring and annoying. Also ableist, but you're aware of that already if you're saying that you're going to hell.
Stop with the goddamn trigger warnings.
We aren't “body horror”, we aren't “gore”, we aren't something that you need to advise your viewers to use their discretion over. Every “graphic footage: child with neurofibromatosis” and “#tw burn scar” is a sign of ableism and disfiguremisia. People with facial differences deserve to be seen. Ableds can survive seeing a person without a nose.
Do a basic reading on what disfiguremisia is.
New word! And an important one. It's a brand of ableism that intersects with more or less everything, and it means discrimination and hatred of people with facial differences/disfigurements. The bullying, harassment, endless name-calling, and microaggressions are all results of disfiguremisia. The ways in which everything is harder for us isn't some unchangeable rule of how the world works, it's just an extremely prevalent type of discrimination.
Understand that we are people.
I know, revolutionary - and yet impossible for so many people to get. We can be a visual representation of evil when it's necessary, we can be a feel-good inspirational story on a morning talk-show, but not much else, it seems. In reality, we are complex, we have our own lives, we can be happy and sad and have the same exact joys and worries that you have.
Hey, artists - facial differences don't make you evil.
Title stolen from a great essay by Lise Deguire (link). When's the last time you saw a positive character with a facial difference that wasn't inspiration porn? I mean a character that's not edgy, full of angst, a murderer, or a villain. Based on what you see in the media, you'd think that having a scar renders you evil on the spot, but in reality it just makes you loathe how artists apparently think you are like. It's boring, it's overdone, it's ableism. Stop doing this, and start noticing when it's being done. Point it out if your friend is writing their new villain to be an evil burn survivor. This kind of portrayal needed to stop ages ago, but tomorrow will be a great time as well.
Before you reply with “I've never seen this” - Darth Vader, Lion King’s Scar (subtle name, great thing to teach kids!), Freddy Krueger, Voldemort, we could be here forever. You're just not paying attention.
Pay attention to where we are not included.
As discussed, there are some places where you see us all the time. But where do you not see us?
Advertisements (unless it's for a scar-removal cream, of course). Fashion shows. Magazine covers. Romance movies where we are the main character.
We deserve to see ourselves in what's around us in the same way able-bodied people do. Trying to make it seem like we don't exist - that's deliberate.
Interact with our art.
We draw, write, sing, act in movies, we do everything. Support us in the most tangible way - leave us a nice comment, read our books, listen to our songs. Watch movies where actual people with facial differences star, not pseudoinspirational stories about how “being disfigured is ok” where they shove an able-bodied actor into a full face prosthetic just to not have an actor with a disfigurement on set.
Include us.
As this year's Face Equality Week calls for, include us. In art, in movies, in books, in your life. Show us as positive people who are valuable, who are a part of your community - I guarantee that we are in every one that's out there. The world is hostile and unwelcoming to people with facial differences - be the change, wherever you are.
I know that it is different from the usual posts I make, but I hope it was somewhat educational. I just like to use every occasion that I can to force Face Equality into people's heads. To make this at least a bit about writing to keep the blog's theme, I will say that if you want to write about us, you need to care about us in real life as well. Otherwise, it's pointless and, as representation, genuinely worthless.
Below the readmore are some links/resources that you can click to educate yourself further. A lot of them lead to Face Equality International because they have just about everything you should know. If you want to be a better ally to people with facial differences, I heavily recommend them.
#MyFaceIsAMasterpiece
mod Sasza
https://faceequalityinternational.org/the-harmful-trope-of-facial-differences-in-film-villains/
https://faceequalityinternational.org/why-i-will-not-hide/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/disability-is-diversity/202111/hidden-community-the-movement-face-equality
https://faceequalityinternational.org/facial-differences-in-the-media/
https://faceequalityinternational.org/advertising-excludes-women-with-faces-like-mine/
https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/burn-community-bookshelf
https://faceequalityinternational.org/about-fei/international-face-equality-week/
https://faceequalityinternational.org/hidden-from-view-women-with-facial-differences-in-the-media
https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/i-dont-see-your-scars
Thanks for actually clicking the readmore
May Trope Mayhem is a multi-fandom/original creation event open to writers, artists, and creators of all kinds! Our creators have shared their favorite tropes, and we’ve put together a list of 31, one per day through the month of May. We encourage creators to join us for this month of fun tropey mayhem.
Our goal is to promote motivation and help with habit building, so we’re encouraging authors to keep their ficlets under 1,000 words, artists to stick to making just a sketch, gif makers to only do a single image, etc., as applicable to whatever you’re making.
This event is primarily held on Tumblr, but you’re welcome to participate anywhere Duck Prints Press has an account (you can see all our current platforms here) and we’ll keep our eyes on our tag everywhere!
How can you participate? It’s easy! There’s just a few simple rules:
write a ficlet or a poem, create art, make a gif, or create any other content that you want, aligned with the prompt for the day!
post your correctly tagged fills to Tumblr, and we’ll reblog them! We’ll reskeet works on Bluesky, retoot those on Mastodon, you get the idea. Note: we do not use Twitter.
you must tag warnings such as gore, MCD, sexual content, etc., so that people can make informed decisions!
please also tag fandom and ship, so people can find what interests them!
we ask that you put the tags at the top of your post, so they’re easy to find.
if you write more than 1k words and post the whole text on Tumblr or wherever, please use a read more if the platform allows.
if you create something with NSFW content or potentially triggering material, please put the entire work under a read more.
Ping us (duckprintspress) or tag your creations “#may trope mayhem” and so we can find them! We’ll reblog all fills that follow the above rules and are posted between May 1st and June 8th, 2025. Posting starts May 1st!
If you post to AO3, you can also add them to our collection there!
You don’t have to sign up for May Trope Mayhem, just post your fills. You don’t have to be a member of the Press nor do you have to be following us. You don’t have to be part of a specific fandom. We’re open to all ships, genres, formats, ratings, kinks, etc.! You can post whatever properly tagged content you want. You don’t have to post fills on the corresponding day, though we ask that if you’re creating for a day that hasn’t happened yet, please wait for that day to post.
MAY TROPE MAYHEM Prompt List Text Version:
Fairy Tale Fusion
Bachelor Auction
Stowaway
Superhero x Supervillain
Inherited Blessing or Curse
Tiny Adorable Eldritch Horror
Love Triangle to Polyamory
Wardrobe Malfunction
Body Guard Character
Fake Dating
Ghost Love Interest
Idiots to Lovers
Unresolved Sexual Tension* (*resolved)
“Who did this to you?”
Character is Conveniently Unrecognizable in Glasses
Breaking the 4th Wall
Time Loop
Wing Grooming
Accidental Summoning
Language Barrier
The House is Alive
Pet Acquisition
A+ Parenting
Mentor and Mentee
Amnesia
Body Swap
Royal x Knight
Second Chance with a Former Love
Identity Porn
Accidental Baby Acquisition
Magical Familiar
In case anyone finds it helpful because mobility aids are horrifically expensive and inaccessible…
And for those people who have access to mobility devices but might benefit from a second chair they can abuse without risking expensive damage…
Erik Kondo has made a website, Open Source Innovations, that details plans for DIY wheelchairs. These wheelchairs can be made from common materials like wood, plastic, and pvc. They are lightweight and can be custom fit to the user allowing from the same degree of movement you would get from a custom chair. And they are durable and easily repairable. (he has been stress testing his latest design by dropping it down stairs, dropping it out of a car, launching it across a driveway, and throwing it off a deck). Its 12lbs and I think he said its was in the $200 ish range for parts.
He also is working on cheap, open source, accessible designs for beach chairs, off road chairs, motorized attachments (think smart drive), and so on. Plus he skateboards in his wheelchair. Cool dude, helpful info, pass it on.
rare vent art from a few months ago
I’m so excited for this!! Maybe I’ll actually finish some of my Mercelot fics this time 😅
✨starting MAY 25th to MAY 31st✨
FOR FANFIC WRITERS - prompts and/or themes:
Day 1: “it took you almost 4 years to fully trust me, and it took you all of one minute to stop.” + Lancelot Du Lac episode AU
Day 2: “do you not get it? we don't ever get a happy ending, we don't ever go home!” + hurt/comfort
Day 3: “whether you like it or not, i’m not giving up on you” + pre-season 4 AU
Day 4: “i will be the greatest loss of your life” + humor
Day 5: “what about me?” + the darkest hour AU
Day 6: bamf!lancelot + angst
Day 7: free day + au of your choice
there is an ao3 collection under the name which can be found here “mercelot week 2025” - if you wish to add your fics
please put the day and prompt in your summary if posting to ao3.
reminder: merlin/lancelot do not need to be the one to say the line or be the things exactly! and the + means and/or. these are mostly for inspiration alone. if you would like to just write the quote for day one, for example, and not use the au, then that's perfectly fine.
FOR GIFS/ VIDEO/ ART CREATORS - quotes and/or themes:
Day 1: “somewhere between the night we met and the day you left, there was love, so much love.” + red
Day 2: parallels + orange
Day 3: au + yellow
Day 4: “it’s strange. i felt less lonely when i didn’t know you.” + green
Day 5: song lyrics + blue
Day 6: favorite poem + purple
Day 7: free day + rainbow
rules:
must be posted on tumblr so i can reblog!
please tag your posts as #mercelotweek2025 and/or tag this account directly.
NSFW is allowed, just please tag appropriately.
have fun and enjoy yourself! this week is all about supporting each other and sharing your work!
questions, concerns, or just wanna talk? you can dm or send asks at this account or my main @bellamyblakru
In regards of the Trump government scraping all trans inclusion in its queer information portion of its websites I have made this thing. Spread the word. Don't let them pretend we never existed.
P.S: Don't like! Reblog! <3
In regards of the Trump government scraping all trans inclusion in its queer information portion of its websites I have made this thing. Spread the word. Don't let them pretend we never existed.
P.S: Don't like! Reblog! <3
EDIT: Well this got a lot of attention! I got a few users asking to print or repost my art and I am unimaginably grateful to everyone's interest, especially since it's a really simple drawing I made on a whim haha! Anyone who is looking to print these out to hang or hand out or repost on another platform is free to do so, although I ask you to credit me and let people know it's from my Tumblr profile! If anyone wishes to do anything else with my art or post and wants to clarify what I consent to then they can message me privately and I'll explain! <333 all my love to my queer siblings
Literally sobbing. A judge, a US judge defended us. A judge brought up intersex people, uaing the term intersex, to *defend* us by not allowing our erasure. I'm having a lot of feelings right now
tweet
Something like this would be so colossally helpful. I'm sick and tired of trying to research specific clothing from any given culture and being met with either racist stereotypical costumes worn by yt people or ai generated garbage nonsense, and trying to be hyper specific with searches yields fuck all. Like I generally just cannot trust the legitimacy of most search results at this point. It's extremely frustrating. If there are good resources for this then they're buried deep under all the other bullshit, and idk where to start looking.
I absolutely LOVE this idea of other races not quite understanding exactly how much of these things it takes to effect a human and thus taking their precautions to an extreme.
The part about the dwarves got me thinking. Have you ever been to one of the Colorado skiing towns? The ones that are at a much higher elevation than most of their visitors are used to? Last year, when I went skiing, I remember seeing several “oxygen bars” where you could go and (from what I understand) just breathe a high content of oxygen to help combat altitude sickness. So, in relation to this post, what if the dwarves started developing little “sun cafes” where visiting humans could go to get their fill of sunlight, generously provided by local clerics/wizards? They could even have plants from the surface, because some humans don’t do well when they haven’t been around any type of greenery for an extended period of time.
I just feel like Sun cafes would be a really adorable addition to a fantasy world :)
Reading fantasy again, I've started thinking about how odd it is how in books like that, the non-human races invariably scoff at human frailty and vulnerability, even those that they'll call friends. Like that's mean?? Why would you be a dick to your friend who you know is not capable of as much as you are, and it's not their fault they were born like that. That's mean.
Like consider the opposite: Characters of non-human races treating their human companions like frail little old dogs. Worrying about small wounds being fatal - humans die of small injuries all the time - or being surprised that humans can actually eat salt, even if they can't stomach other spicy rocks. Being amazed that a human friend they haven't seen in 10 years still looks so young, they've hardly aged at all! And when the human tries to explain that they weren't going to just unexpectedly shrivel into a raisin in 10 years, the longer-lifespan friend dismisses this like no, he's seen it happen, you don't see a human for 10 or 20 years and they've shriveled in a blink.
Elves arguing with each other like "you can't take her out there, she will die!" and when the human gets there to ask what they're talking about, they explain to her that the journey will take them through a passage where it's going to be sunny out there. Humans burn in the sun. And she will have to clarify that no, actually, she'll be fine. They fight her about it, until she manages to convince them that it's not like vampires - humans only burn a little bit in the sun, not all the way through. She'll be fine if she just wears a hat.
Meanwhile dwarves are reluctant to allow humans in their mines and cities, not just out of being secretive, but because they know that you cannot bring humans underground, they will go insane if they go too long without seeing the sun. Nobody is entirely sure how long that is, but the general consensus is three days. One time a human tries to explain their dwarf companion that this is not true, there are humans that endure much longer darkness than that. As a matter of fact, in the furthest habited corners of the lands of the Northmen, the winter sun barely rises at all. Humans can survive three weeks of darkness, and not just once, but every single year.
"Then how do they sane?" Asks the dwarf, and just as he does, the conversation gets interrupted by the northland human, who had been eavesdropping, and turns to look at them with an unnerving glint in her colourless grey eyes, grinning while saying
"That's the neat part, we don't."
So, I've been binging Doctor Who, starting with Series 3 (okay, a bit of a weird place to start, but this is a judgment-free zone, so shh). And I have absolutely fallen in love with the Ten/Martha/Jack trio and I just have so many feelings about these three. And there are a criminal lack of fics with the three of them in a romantic/sexual relationship. So, like you do when you don't find enough of what you want to read, I'm writing it! I have like three DW fics underway at the moment and if anyone wants to talk to me about it in the comments, or just generally chat about this trio, feel free to hit me up in the comments or direct messages! I crave interactions with other fanfic writers/Doctor Who fans!
Hey everyone! I write for a variety of fandoms, and thought I'd make a masterlist to help promote some of my work! If you like any of my stuff, let me know! I love reading comments, even though I'm bad at responding to them.
THE QUARRY:
If I Seem Dangerous, Would You Be Scared? (Dylan/Ryan) INCOMPLETE WIP
X-MEN:
We Fear That Which We Cannot Understand (Charles Xavier & Darwin)
Dialed Up To Eleven (Charles Xavier/Eric Lehnsherr)
Silk and Lace (In Black and Red) Can Drive a Man Right Off His Head (Charles Xavier/Eric Lehnsherr) INCOMPLETE WIP
DOCTOR WHO:
Would You Like To Stay For Dinner? (Would You Like To Stay Forever?) (Tenth Doctor/Martha Jones/Jack Harkness) INCOMPLETE WIP
BALDUR'S GATE 3:
Their First Night of Many (Astarion/Gale, Bloodweave)
A Quiet Evening (Astarion/Gale, Bloodweave)
You Need Not Face The Darkness Alone (Astarion & Gale, pre-slash)
DUMBGEONS AND DRAGONS (PODCAST):
Together, We Can Weather The Storm (Thia Amastacia/Flint Firebeard/Nulara Moonbrook)
The End of the End, and the Beginning of a Beginning (Thia Amastacia/Flint Firebeard/Nulara Moonbrook)
BBC MERLIN:
Just Another Monday (Merlin/Lancelot, Mercelot)
Secret Keeper (Merlin/Lancelot, Mercelot)
Guilt and Ghosts (Merlin/Lancelot, Mercelot) INCOMPLETE
Nightmares (Merlin/Lancelot/Gwaine, Merwaincelot)
Death of an Immortal (Merlin/Lancelot, Mercelot) Temporary Character Death
Camping (Gwaine & Everyone (except Arthur), Platonic, pre-slash)
LORD OF THE RINGS:
The King's Bathhouse (Éomer/Faramir, Éomer/Faramir/Aragorn)
Comfort In The Dark (Éomer/Faramir)
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON:
To Dance Beneath The Stars (Bruno Madrigal/Hiccup Haddock, slash or platonic, crossover)
ENCANTO:
To Dance Beneath The Stars (Bruno Madrigal/Hiccup Haddock, slash or platonic, crossover)
If The Sky Comes Falling Down (Bruno Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal, platonic) INCOMPLETE
FANTASTIC BEASTS:
Pure of Heart (Newt Scamander & his creatures)
CRIMINAL MINDS:
Career Day (Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid) INCOMPLETE
Would You Be My Safe Space? (Spencer Reid & Jason Gideon, Spencer Reid & Penelope Garcia, platonic, wingfic) COMPLETE, but the first in an INCOMPLETE series
MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE:
Injured...Yet Again (Peter Parker & Tony Stark & Pepper Potts)
Studying The (Actual) Civil War Sucks (Peter Parker & Tony Stark)
Under Open Skies (Perhaps We Can Heal) (Clint Barton/James "Bucky" Barnes) INCOMPLETE
ORIGINAL WORKS:
Mirror Image (poetry)
My entry for June 27, prompt: kidnapping
This is my entry for the June 26 prompt: secret keeper!
Chapters: 1/? Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Éomer Éadig/Faramir (Son of Denethor II), Aragorn | Estel/Éomer Éadig/Faramir (Son of Denethor II) Characters: Faramir (Son of Denethor II), Éomer Éadig, Aragorn | Estel Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Post-War of the Ring, Aragorn is King of Gondor, Éomer and Faramir are married, Éomer and Faramir are the Kings of Rohan, Minas Tirith, Burns, Chronic Pain, Because his father tried to burn him alive, Caring Éomer, Bold Éomer Éadig, Flirting, Embarrassment, Soft Éomer Éadig, Men Crying, LOTR men are the best, Bathing/Washing, Scars, Faramir has Chronic Pain, no toxic masculinity here!, Magic, The hands of a King are the hands of a healer, Kissing, Anal Sex, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, POV Faramir Summary:
Faramir has chronic pain after being burnt alive by his father. When Aragorn finds out, the King insists on trying to help heal him. This leads to Faramir and Éomer telling Aragorn their feelings for him, and the three of them end up in bed together.
Because I certainly do, and I love every single one of them and their work.
Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Boromir (Son of Denethor II) & Faramir (Son of Denethor II), Éomer Éadig/Faramir (Son of Denethor II) Characters: Éomer Éadig, Faramir (Son of Denethor II), Boromir (Son of Denethor II)(mentioned), Aragorn | Estel (mentioned), Denethor II (mentioned) Additional Tags: Canonical Character Death, not on screen though, It's just being discussed, Faramir misses his brother, Established Relationship, Denethor's A+ Parenting, Has convinced Faramir that he's not worth anything, Éomer hates Denathor for how he treated Faramir, So do I, Men Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Loving and supportive Éomer, Rohan (Tolkien), Post-Canon, Post-War of the Ring
Summary:
Faramir struggles with guilt over Boromir's death, as well as missing his older brother. Luckily, his husband Éomer is there to comfort him.
This is exciting! Thanks for the tag @snapshotmaestro!
1. Favorite Color: bright blue 💙 (looks like blue’s kind of a theme over the last few people)
2. Currently Reading: I’m listening to the audiobook of The Martian (I’m 4 hours in, and it’s amazing so far. Even better than the movie was). I’m also reading The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, and it’s good too.
3. Last song: I’m listening to music as I’m typing this 😄 “Your Turn To Role (Critical Role Theme)”
4. Last movie: Black Widow! One of my friends and I went to see it in theatres together, and I loved it <3
5. Last series: probably Merlin? I haven’t watched much of anything recently and I’m procrastinating on watching Merlin S5 because I’m scared of it
6. Sweet, savory, or spicy: ooh, that’s a hard one... I’d have to say both spicy and sweet (not at the same time though)
7. Craving: none right now, unless you count wishing for writing inspiration to strike
8. Tea or coffee: peppermint tea, if I had any 😅
9. Currently working on: my fic Guilt and Ghosts... sorta. I’m kind of stuck on it even though I know where I want to go next. I’m also working on a Merwaincelot story with a friend (who I would tag, but I don’t know their Tumblr handle). And I’m working on a Merwaincelot wingfic that I’m super excited about too!
I don’t really know who to tag, so there will only be a couple. As usual, no pressure!
@lit-beyond-measure @rainbowvamp @bitsandbobsofwriting
ty for the tag @mintboiii :-) rules: tag people u want to get to know better
favorite color: right now my fav is a nice earth tone of green !
currently reading: im in between books rn, i just finished reading martin crimp’s adaptation of cyrano de bergerac and im planning on rereading the his dark materials series next :)
last song: ribs by lorde
last movie: i think it was luca, i rewatched it w my parents and they loved it :) also this time i watched the whole credits with all the illustrations and they made me absurdly happy
last series: his dark materials
sweet, savory, or spicy: savory. i only like sweet to an extent (i cant stand like. that cloying frosting they put on cakes) and im a picky eater so i dont really do spicy lmao
craving: a kiss on the lips watermelon<3
tea or coffee: in theory tea except i suck at making tea and always steep it either too much or too little
currently working on: uhh i wrote a lil song on my ukelele last night and im finishing up the lyrics !! i think its cute :)
tagging no pressure<3 @wirtspointyhat @parmak @melodramatic-ass @vortahoney @lavender-lysander @a-star-that-fell
Knights of the Round Table Found Family Head
Canon
(Does this fit with historical context? No. Does this fit with the show? Maybe but unlikely. Did I have fun thinking about it? Absolutely.)
One of the first knightly shenanigans the round table boys did together when they got back to Camelot was to basically just set up in whichever rooms were closest to eachother (besides Leon, who would later regret not joining these shenanigans) and just not moving. There was so much uproar that it didn't even register as an issue, especially because Lancelot and Percival were sharing one because neither wanted to be the one to shuffle someone out of the rooms next door.
But also, none of these men were overly used to having rooms of their own, so it just turned into a common room type place? Like two rooms eventually got all the beds and thats where sleeping happens but the other room just kinda... became their own version of a home?
Because if you think about it, the commoner knights were commoners, who had a very different version of living to nobility. And I can see these guys trying to be proper nobility but hating how... isolating it is. And while they can go to the tavern every night for company, it's really far and people look at them like they're different now. So it starts out with them all congregating together after meals in one of the rooms so that they could be themselves for a little while(and Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, or Leon would join them because honestly, it was nice to just exist around eachother as equals) And thats obviously not very efficient because it was never the same room and sometimes one of them would be trying to sleep because they had an early patrol, so it was really just a matter of logic to move the beds into two rooms and have one common room, so Elyan moves his bed into Gwaine's room but eventually musical beds happens until everyone is happy with the arrangement (I always like to put Gwaine with Percival even if I'm not shipping them because their dynamic makes me happy but like, it's up to you who goes where).
Then eventually things have calmed down and the Steward is like "what... the fuck?" But in polite speak. And goes to Merlin, who everyone goes to for things regarding the Round Table people because he's the only one who understands the dynamic fully, and he goes on about how this isn't how it's supposed to be and they're going to make scandals and everything is terrible and he has to fix it. And Merlin listens to his grievances and eventually just says, real politely, "listen, I know they're unconventional, but they're knights and it's been approved by Prince Regent Arthur, but I will make sure that your worries are addressed to him." Because he's at the point where he's #TiredOfEverything. And he does bring it up to Arthur, who mulls it over for roughly 2.45 minutes and basically just says "ehhh, it isn't hurting anything and it makes them happy" and there's A Look that translates to "and I enjoy it too" so they end up just letting them and it becomes one of those things that happens in Camelot that everyone knows but now it's just a thing.
And the absolutely chaotic energy of the boys living together lends itself to some pretty baller shenanigans, but also some pretty fucking good bonding.
*Please wait to post your entries until the fest begins! It makes running the fest much easier for our guild keepers.
Welcome to The Guild's Next Quest!
[Before we continue, big thank you to @camelotsheart for this beautiful gif!!]
This week long mini fest is a Prompt Quest! There will be an overall, general theme to stick to, and then 7 Prompts (one for each day) will be provided centering around the theme, for you to use in your fanworks if you so choose!
This week we are doing things a little differently! We will have Double Prompts.
By this we mean, writers will have a daily couple prompt. There will be alternate prompts offered, though, if a particular couple does not resonate with you but you still wish to participate everyday.
This weeks Theme: Polyamory Appreciation Week!
Your Quest this week is to use the prompts below in your Poly love-filled fanworks!
You do not have to participate everyday, if a particular prompt does not resonate with you! If you wish to make a fanwork for each day, that is spectacular and we cannot wait to see what you do! If you only want to do a few days, or even just one, that is still great and we can't wait to see what you do!
Minimum Requirements
We aren't very picky here at the guild, but we do ask that your fanworks meet these minimums before you turn them in, and post them to the collection if you use Ao3!
***For Polyam Appreciation Week (lovingly acronym-ed PAW), we do require any works created contain a theme of polyamory! Gifmakers, editors and those who take from Merlin Footage, obviously have some leeway with this, but the implication at least should be there! This is Polyamory Appreciation Week, let's see some love for Poly love!!***
Fanfiction: 500 words minimum (no maxiumum!) Artwork: 1 completed work minimum (when it comes to completed, we trust that whatever you create you believe is complete. That means that works do not have to have color or anything special. Whatever you believe is complete is good for us!) Gifsets: 1 gifset containing 3 gifs minimum Edits: 15 second minimum Podfics: 5 minute minimum (with permission from writer, or clarification if you wrote the fic & recorded the podfic!)
For Writers - Daily Trope Prompts:
Day 1 – Merlin/Gwen/Arthur AND/OR Friends to Lovers Day 2 – Merlin/Gwaine/Arthur AND/OR Bed Sharing Day 3 - Elyan/Gwaine/Percival AND/OR Soulmates Day 4 - Mithian/Vivian/Morgana AND/OR Hallmark Au Day 5 - Merlin/Gwaine/Lancelot AND/OR Hurt/Comfort Day 6 - Morgana/Gwen/Mithian/Elena AND/OR Modern Era Day 7 - Merlin/Knights/Arthur AND/OR Fake Relationship/Marriage
For Editors/Gif-Makers - Daily Suggestions:
Day 1 - Favourite Ship Scene Day 2 - Most Chaotic Scene Day 3 - Your Ship + Symbolism Day 4 - Favourite Polyam Crackship Day 5 - Favourite Polyam Rarepair Day 6 - Quote Day Day 7 - Free Day
We look forward to seeing all of your entries! Don't forget to Turn In Your Quests & Add Them To Quest 3's Collection (which opens on the first day of Questing Week!) if you use Ao3 when you finish!
*Please remember to tag your works with your entry week (i.e. #entry: PAW) and #the sorcerers guild so we can find your entries and they are easily searchable! Especially if you do not submit your entries to the blog--if you don't submit them or use the tags, we won't be able to find your posts!
P.S. The Merlin Pride Celebration will be running the week of this fest, and we 100% allow and encourage crossposting to MPC!!
I don't think I'm physically capable of writing a magic reveal fic that involves Leon finding out about Merlin’s magic and him NOT being supportive. The very idea of writing Leon reacting poorly is unthinkable to me. I may write Merlin thinking Leon will react poorly, but him actually reacting negatively? I can not do it.
for the love of god, write all the self-indulgent scenes you want. be utterly shameless about including every last fantasy. i know everyone likes to share quotes and quips about how miserably hard writing is, but please please try thinking of it as a joyful act where you get to be a messy human who makes art rather than some pain filled quest for icy perfection.
hold on a fucking second. delaware is a state?? i thought it was a river? or is the river more important than the state? why don't i know this? (i should mention i don't like in america, i'm just confused)
there is delaware (state) and delaware (river)
both are equally strange
the state is a tiny little cryptid thing
the rive is a monster that spans new york, pennsylvania, new jersey and delaware. also washington crossed it once and that was like kinda a big deal i guess. like crossing the rubicon in rome.
the state tries to me more important with its “im the first state!!!” bs (seriously its even on the fucking license plates) but we all know. its the river.
oh my god i love the percival doing a ritual to emrys. we gotta have a continuation where they find out MERLIN is emrys !
@letscatchyoulater Here is the sequel to this drabble here! Also, you guys might have already read this one, but a similar fic I have on ao3 is Have You Heard where basically the knights go around hearing dramatic rumors about Emrys while Merlin just tries and fails to correct them. Enjoy!
“...wait. What did you just call him?”
Merlin felt that ever since entering Camelot he had embraced quite a few experiences that included everything from downright terror to shuddering frustration. This though... The combination of panic and fear causing his very soul to zip out of his body so he was left with only cold acceptance... Well... That one was new.
“Emrys?” The boy repeated and blinked. “That... That’s his name.” He said, studying each of the knights carefully before turning to Merlin. “Magic is legalized.” He said as a sort of baffled explanation as to why he had practically kicked Merlin’s identity out into the open.
“Yeah,” Merlin sighed, running a hand over his face. “Yeah, it is.” He agreed and risked a glance at where the others had all turned to stare at him.
“Emrys? Like the deity Percival prays to?” Leon asked and Merlin felt himself flush slightly as he tripped over his words trying to respond to that.
“Why does he think you’re Emrys?” Elyan asked slowly. Merlin didn’t answer. After a couple beats of silence he spoke again. “...No.” He said. The druid boy nodded. “I... But... Does Gwen know?” He tried. Merlin snorted.
“Uh... No. Please don’t tell her-”
“Of course, I’m going to tell her! How can I not tell her? Merlin! You’re bloody man of myth!” He said loudly and put his hands on top of his head. “This whole time? How -?”
“I don’t know what I was expecting.” Merlin said under his breath. He tried to get a better look at Arthur but it was hard to see his face with Percival practically hyperventilating as Gwaine worriedly patted his shoulder.
“Em... You?” He managed in a voice ridiculously high for someone so large. “I’ve been... Next to... The whole time?!” He shrieked. The druid gave a firm nod which really only added to Merlin’s growing dislike of him. “I... Was this a test? Did I pass?” He gaped and Merlin pointed a finger at him in warning. “My lord-”
"Don’t you dare!” He said loudly. Percival froze. Merlin froze. He waited, eyes narrowing slightly as he read the brief war of emotions crossing the knight’s face. “Percival...” He began and shook his head when the knight slowly reached to his side. “Don’t do it-”
“Please accept these blueberries-”
“Damnit, Percival!”
“Hey, Emmy!” Gwaine interrupted, throwing up his hands “What the Hell? We did this nice prayer and gave you some blueberries and you didn’t even keep us from getting attacked half the time? What gives?” He asked. Merlin winced a bit at the real annoyance laced in his tone before scowling himself.
“I tried my best to protect you! And I didn’t even get to eat those blueberries-“
“Well that’s your fault for not telling us that you were a nature deity or whatever the fuck you are!” Elyan snapped at him. Merlin looked at the sky. “How long were you planning on keeping this to yourself?” He asked. Merlin shrugged helplessly.
“I don’t know... Forever?”
“Forever?!” Gwaine and Elyan shouted at the same time as the druid boy’s eyes widened with the first bit of regret since this debacle started. Percival hit them both on the back of the head.
“Do not yell at him!” He hissed and then froze. “Wait... Arthur hasn’t offended you has he? He didn’t mean any of what he said-”
Oh... Oh dear God no...
“Listen,” Merlin tried to say before everyone started panicking “You said yourself that I’m human. This doesn’t change-”
“Were you testing Arthur?”
“Oh, he definitely failed.”
“Of course, he failed.”
“He failed the moment he chased him around town with a mace.” Leon added casually. He seemed to be surprisingly the most accepting of the fact Merlin was a figure among pagan theology. That was a nice change of pace... Maybe Merlin should hang out with him more -
Percival threw up his hands in pure distress.
“You chased down Emrys with a mace?!” He shouted and it was then that Merlin was able to get a good look at the king. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem... Angry. If anything he was looking Merlin over with a thoughtful eyes, ignoring the panicked yells of his knights.
“The blue light.” He finally said and Merlin’s mind flashed to years prior. “The one that led me out of the cave.” He said. Oh. Right. Merlin nodded. Arthur crossed his arms over his chest. “The questing beast.” Merlin nodded again. “The griffin. Bastet.” He continued and waited. Not knowing what else to do. Merlin nodded again. “The dragon?”
“Emrys is also said to be a dragonlord.” Percival informed them knowledgeably. Merlin gave a slight gesture to him. Arthur nodded.
“My father?”
Merlin looked down.
“I did try to save him.” He said and swallowed. Everything around him seemed to still. Looking up, he half expected to find Arthur’s sword out, but the prince was only shaking his head.
“Why?” He finally asked. Merlin wasn’t sure if he meant his father specifically or all of it. Merlin was mulling over how detailed of an explanation he wanted to give when Leon cleared his throat.
“Are you the one who also keeps saving me?” He asked and at that... Well, at least Merlin’s reaction was completely genuine.
“I legitimately don’t know how you keep surviving this stuff.” He told him. “I’ve been trying to figure it out for years. I think you might have accidentally made yourself immortal.” He told him. Leon tilted his head. Percival, on the other hand, seemed to be ready with an explanation for that one.
“A blessing from Emrys-” He whispered. Merlin glared.
“No.”
“Did you like my prayers?” He asked and Merlin felt Lancelot’s voice from the grave whispering very vocal threats if he didn’t answer this correctly. Shifting, he tried his best to give a bright smile.
“...yes.” Merlin lied through his teeth. “Though, you know, you don’t have to-”
“He hated them.” Elyan said and Merlin felt his eyes widened. “You should have given him more blueberries, Perce-”
“No!” Merlin yelled and jumped in front of Percival as his face fell. “No, Percival. They were lovely, really. I’m just not used to-”
“Did you like Darren’s better?” Percival asked sounding absolutely defeated. Merlin felt his previous alarm falter slightly to make way for the confusion.
“Darren?” He asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. “Who’s Darren?” He asked and took the opportunity to hit Elyan’s arm in retaliation for being a jackass. Percival paused.
“...you don’t know Darren?”
“Should I?” Merlin asked. From where he had gone silent, the druid boy made a choking sound. “What? Who is Darren?” He repeated to the druid. Percival gave a slight ‘aha!’ under his breath which only served to confuse him more as he looked between the druid and knight in confusion.
“You didn’t hear my prayers?” The druid asked sounding scandalized.
Oh come on.
“Are you Darren?” Merlin asked and took a long breath. “I can’t actually hear you when you pray to me. Well, I can hear Percival’s because I’m physically there, but...” He trailed off and winced a little at Darren’s spluttering. “Darren, I’m sure your prayers were lovely.” He said weakly.
“But mine must have been better,” Percival cut in “Because he heard mine.”
“Does nobody care I have magic?” Merlin asked loudly. Everyone paused. Elyan and Gwaine looked at Leon who just bit his lip and looked at Arthur. Percival began shaking his head quickly.
“I’m sure I will be upset,” Arthur told him “But right now I’m trying to figure out why pagans worship you.” He said and furrowed his brows. “You look like you’re about to cry.”
...well. At least Arthur wasn’t phased by any of this.
“I don’t have a lot of experience in this, you arrogant-”
“I need you not to argue,” Percival interrupted calmly and then put a hand over his face as he looked between the two. “I can’t have Emrys and my king disrespecting one another-”
“You have your work cut out for you there, mate.” Gwaine snorted and reached into his pack to pull out a handful of berries. “Hey, if I give you these would you turn Elyan into a cow?” He asked. Merlin rolled his eyes.
“I’m not a bloody genie-”
“Yeah, you have to do a prayer with the offering.” Percival scoffed “Otherwise he won’t do it.”
“I’m not going to do it because Elyan is my friend.” Merlin said and Darren sighed.
“Ethereal beings often work in mysterious ways... Some just aren’t pleased with our sacrifices and prayers.” He said a bit dryly as his sniffed at the air. Merlin tried his best not to look annoyed for Percival’s sake.
“Darren, it isn’t mysterious. I just don’t want to turn Elyan into a cow-”
“I’ll convert if you want,” Gwaine cut in. “Percival, how do you convert to paganism?” He asked. At this, Arthur seemed to have a flicker of annoyance as he pursed his lips, eyes narrowing at Merlin.
“So you’re here to convert us all?” He asked and Merlin looked up again at the sky. “Who are you talking to up there?”
“I’m not - okay,” Merlin shouted, waving his hands. “We need to clarify some things. I’m not that big of a deal.” He said, raising his hands. “No prayers are needed. No offerings are needed. No sacrifices are needed. I’m flattered but I think there might have been something lost in translation because I’m not-”
“Lord Emrys!” Someone gasped and Merlin spun around to find a small crowd of people Merlin definitely didn’t know inching closer. No. No, no, no, no... “Look! Darren was right! It’s Lord Emrys!” They said and Merlin felt his eyes widen. Please. No. Don’t do this.
“Our prayers have been answered!”
“Lord Emrys!”
“Darren led us to Emrys!”
Merlin bit his lip. Slowly, he turned to where the druid was shuffling towards Arthur. He gave a weak smile when Merlin’s eyes landed on him.
“I, uh, got excited when I realized you were here...”
“Darren, what the Hell?”
I read your headcanon about Percival being a pagan without magic and I just couldn’t stop thinking about the crew going on a quest, or what not, and Percival doing some sort of ritual/prayer to honour Emrys and Merlin just standing their dying of embarrassment.
CF: omg, omg, omg. I had to write it. It’s glorious. Admittedly, I had to write it twice bc the first attempt got wayyyyy too long but still. Here you go:
Keep reading
Some additional kisses from the notes; Perwaine 'kiss to distract from pain' and Lancelot/Merlin/Gwaine 'kisses on scars'
Kisses on scars for now. I have an idea for the other one too, so I'll probably reblog this post some time this weekend to add it
Merlin's room was all of their favorite, given how it had been where both Gwaine and Lancelot had really gotten to know the servant, but unfortunately the bed was a bit too small for all three of them. They'd relocated to Lancelot's chambers, since his bed was as big as Gwaine's but his room was significantly neater. Or at least it was until they'd hastily undressed each other and strewn clothes and armor all across the floor.
The three men lay naked in the bed, sprawled across it and each other. Gwaine, who was sitting up slightly with his back against the headboard, looked out over his two lovers, mentally cataloguing everything he loved about their bodies. Merlin lay on his stomach with his head on Lancelot's chest, with the knight's own head in Gwaine's lap facing upwards.
From there, he could run a calloused thumb over the two distinct scars on his face. The one on his forehead, a barely-there line that started between his eyebrows and stretched up and to the side an inch and a half, was apparently from his childhood, though he couldn't remember where exactly. The scar on his cheek was much more recent, from his time as a cage fighter, and more raised. Gwaine loved to feel it against his own face when they kissed or under his thumb when he took Lancelot's head in his hands. Like all of them, he had scars on the rest of his body too, but most of his notable ones, such as the talon mark from the griffin on his side and the sword cut on his shoulder from when he helped retake the castle from Morgana and her immortal army, were either on his back or otherwise hidden from view by Merlin lying on top of him. He gazed up lovingly at Gwaine as the knight stroked a thumb over the scar on his forehead. His own hand was tangled in Merlin's hair where his head lay on his chest as he dozed off.
Many of the servant's own scars were on his back and visible. There was the mace blow from when he had first met Arthur, and the serket sting right beside it. That one was fairly new, and it had taken his lovers months to bully the story about it out of him. And right by the two of them was the scar from the fomorrah at the base of his neck. The whole cluster was still painful sometimes, so Gwaine avoided touching it. Instead, he leaned over his sleeping friend to press a kiss between the scars. The servant stirred, but didn't wake. Normally he was an incredibly light sleeper and would be out of bed at the slightest indication of danger or trouble, so it was a sign of how much he trusted Lancelot and Gwaine that he could let his guard down enough that even his unconsciousness knew not to be afraid.
"Where's this one from?" Lancelot asked, reaching up with his free hand to a scar on Gwaine's stomach. He must've noticed the knight paying attention to the marks of injury on his and Merlin's skin.
"I honestly don't remember," he admitted. "I have so many; it's hard to keep track."
"Merlin and I will help," Lance said. Keeping his chest as still as possible so as not to disturb Merlin, he turned his head to the side to press a kiss to the scar before following their other boyfriend to sleep.