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For those who go to sleep listening to Sturridge's voice from "The Sandman: Dreamcast": here is your downloadable 1-hour version.

Someone, ask him to narrate an audiobook.

Any book. A refrigerator user manual will do too.

UPD: Apparently, Desire is needed too

Sweet dreams, everyone;)

#sandman #the sandman #the sandman netflix #netflix sandman #tom sturridge #morpheus #desire #mason alexander park

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So I watched 'Stranger things' S4 and now I want to write down some plot bunnies to get them out of my mind.

Plot bunny number 1.

Billy’s consciousness had been preserved within Vecna and in the final battle of The Party and Vecna Billy overcomes Vecna and saves everyone. Using Vecna’s power over the Upside Down, Billy manages to revive everyone who has died there. However, for some reasons, there is still no way to bring them back to our world.

While El and Hopper are traveling in our dimension on the quest of finding the power source (or something) grand enough to bring everyone back, the kids remain in Hawkings and regularly visit the Upside Down. Max visits Billy, Lucas goes with her. Nancy visits Barbara, Jonathan goes with her. Mike goes there because El can enter Upside Down from everywhere and this way they can have dates no matter how far away they are from each other in our world. Will goes with Mike, however, he mostly hangs out with Robin, who's just curious – and then she develops a crush on Barbara and starts going to the Upside Down even more often. (She, Barbara and Nancy become the coolest ranger team of the Upside Hawkings, while Will and Jonathan cautiously trail behind them). Eddie hides in the Upside Down from the basketball team, who still blame him for Chrissy’s death… Besides, Chrissy is in the Upside Down, so Eddie actually starts liking this crazy place...

And Dustin visits demogorgons, still remembering his pet, and Steve, obviously, goes with him – or, rather, with everyone, because he's a mother hen. Not like it’s necessary. It appears that the Upside Down is a pretty safe place, now when Vecna is defeated and no one’s evil mind pushed the demogorgons and the bats and all other strange Upside Lifeforms to hunt human beings.

And so Steve ends up hanging out with Billy, who, after ‘inheriting’ Vecna’s knowledge about the Upside Down, becomes sort of the leader of The Dead, the mayor of this Upside Hawkings. A deeply troubled, alcohol-deprived, tortured by guilt and nightmares mayor, craving parties, basketball matches and high-speed driving…

Chaos ensues. Some good time too.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #steve harrington #harringrove #plot bunny #mine

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Okay, when did this happen?.. Is it photoshopped? Is it behind-the-scenes?

#merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon

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#merlin #george the servant #wow #just wow

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Sam and Frodo

Will and Hannibal

Jim and Spock

Eric and Charles

Loki and Thor

Aziraphale and Crowley

Why is it always a blond(ish) and a brunet?

John and Sherlock

Arthur and Merlin

Dean and Castiel

Lupin and Sirius

The blonde one is always the repressed bisexual, and the dark haired one is so gay. Like, how is this a coincidence?

#it is a well-known fact #that the absolute majority of epic ships #are dark-haired brains #and blond-haired muscles #fandom #we have a type

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How come that 'Black Widow' isn't released yet and I already want two sequels?

Damn you, Marvel.

#black widow #natasha romanoff #marvel #mcu

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For all it’s greatness and wealth, most of Camelot is just this: endless dreary swamps.

They’ve been riding since sunrise, though said sunrise this time of year is nothing more than a murky greyness. The scarce lunch they ate without leaving their saddles didn’t elevate his mood either. Merlin is sleepy, hungry, and his ass is about to fall off.

“Merlin,” Arthur calls wearily. “Stop dozing off. You’re lulling me to sleep.”

“Oh really? And here I thought that it’s this spectacular view of swamps, quags, and puddles of dirt,” he retorts halfheartedly, but straightens his spine. One of the knights, hard so say which one, snorts behind their backs.

“Why people live here anyway?” he grumbles. “It doesn’t look like you can grow much on these bogs.”

Arthur rolls his shoulders. He might never admit it, being a stubborn oaf that he is, but he is tired as well.

“These lands used to be the richest of the Five Kingdoms, back in the old days. Generous soil, best crops. Villages every few miles. Nemeth’s wellness goes back to those times.”

“Hard to believe,” mutters Merlin. “What happened?”

Arthur gives him a one-shoulder shrug. “Ground waters started to rise. Fields turned into this,” he nods to the depressive landscape. “Most of the people left. Those few who stayed live on the patch between the Feorre mountains and these swamps, on the Samgein hill. Well, lived...”

“Until now,” Merlin finishes for him.

Arthur nods grimly.

They were on an ordinary patrol ride when a messenger from the south border intercepted their party. People from Nemeth started to come to the one of the outlying hamlets; they were coming in families, bringing their cattle and houseware with them. It turned out that they were seeking refuge from Saxon attacks. The tiny village could not house them for long, and the weather was still too cold for the kids and elders to live in camps in the woods or to travel far. Sure thing, Arthur decided to make a detour to the border and figure out what’s going on without even returning to Camelot to replenish their supplies.

It’s not a pleasant trip so far. Sometimes Merlin wishes that Arthur was a bit less diligent and delegated some of his duties to others. Like riding on patrols in the middle of the winter, for example. He is a king now, after all. But that wouldn’t be Arthur anymore. Arthur, being Arthur, has to go on patrols, and to ride to defend tiny villages, even if they lie in the farthest corner of the kingdom…

Come to think of it, outside of the Camelot borders as well.

Underneath his irritation, Merlin cannot help feeling proud of him.

It’s been only a few months, but it’s already clear that Arthur will make a good king, both loved and respected by his people. It’s not a surprise. Before Uther’s death, Arthur had been a regent for more than a year, and he managed just fine. But however many of the king’s duties he took upon himself back then, there was still some kind of self-restraint in him. Arthur behaved as if he was a keeper of Camelot, not it’s owner; as if Uther was on a long trip, but soon would be back. His death made the weight on Arthur’s shoulders much heavier.

The kingdom belongs to him now, but Merlin sees that it’s not how Arthur feels. It’s more the other way around: like Camelot owns Arthur, completely and indisputably. Probably this is exactly what makes him a good ruler, what will make him a great one someday soon. But Merlin is sorry to see the boyish prince to go. Who would have thought that he’ll be missing that prat; and yet he finds himself inventing mean names for Arthur and intentionally forgetting to clean the dinner table, only to drag out the childish, petulant and insufferable side of Arthur, the one that does not belong to the kingdom, but only to Arthur himself.

And, since Merlin is the only one privy to this side, maybe to Merlin as well. Just a little bit.

It works less and less often though. Most times Arthur just jibes him back, sometimes absentmindedly, when he is too busy thinking about the matters of the state, and sometimes with that indulgent smile, like he sees right through Merlin’s ploy. It’s good not to be roughly manhandled and hit by throwed boots every other day… Except maybe it’s not so good after all, not when it comes with a constant frown on Arthur’s brow. So Merlin sets himself on doing what he can to lift some of the burden from Arthur’s shoulders, as best as he can without attracting too much attention.

With Arthur’s stubborn refusal to share his concerns and with the Council’s constant warnings against diverging from Uther’s style of rule, and especially with Agravaine’s not so subtle attempts to make himself the king’s right hand, it’s not an easy task at all. But it hasn’t been easy to keep Arthur alive all these years either. Merlin is good at being stealthy.

When Arthur rises in his stirrups, trying to see what lies ahead, Merlin tilts his head to the side to hide his eyes, exhales and pushes his mind outside of his body.

It expands and envelops everything that is around, spreading further and further away. It probes and touches here and there, until it finds a raven, tearing up a rapidly cooling rabbit corpse.

The bird croaks, sensing the intrusion, but Merlin is already in. He is the bird, the salty taste of meat is on his tongue, the low wind cards through his feathers. He flaps his wings and lifts off, feeling weary and tired. The raven is old, and this winter has not been kind on him. He doesn’t have the curiosity of younger birds, he doesn’t want to feel this stranger inside his mind, he doesn’t want to obey him. He wants to finish his meal and to find some quiet spot where the wind won’t be this harsh, to hide there, to raise his feathers and sleep. It wasn’t easy to catch that rabbit…

Their minds grind against each other, like two rough stones which edges do not fit. But Merlin’s mind is made of granite, while the bird’s is as soft as limestone. The bird’s mind cedes without putting up much fight.

Merlin feels guilty. This rabbit could have been the difference between survival and death for the bird. But it’s too late now, they’re too far away already. To make up for the lost food, he sends a jolt of magic to the bird’s body, healing his bones and giving him some strength. It’s not much, but the bird doesn’t have much longer to live in any case. With this bit of magic, though, it might see the spring, feel the warmth of the returning sun once again, and hear the coos of the hatching fledglings.

One thing he knows from looking into the minds of other creatures is that all living beings want to see one more sunrise and one more spring.

They – the raven and Merlin in his mind – circle around, surveying the gloomy landscape. Some people on the horses ride below. Perhaps they’ll make a camp, perhaps they’ll leave some wasted food behind… The raven’s mind is confused by the knight’s talks leaking in from that part of Merlin’s mind that is still in his own head, by the low and steady voice, speaking of something strange, of routes and patrols. The raven feels warmth stirring in his-but-not-his chest, in the heart of the mind-intruder, and a peculiar dull yearning, like a long-standing pain, so usual by now that it’s hard to remember what it was without it; but then all these confusing feelings disappear, as Merlin cuts it off from the raven’s thoughts. The raven, following Merlin’s order, careens to the left and flies along the road, towards where the patrol is heading. Not much to see there: the same destitute lands, ice crust on the water holes, scraggy trees sticking out like gnawed ribs of a deceased animal.

And then he sees them. The long line of the people and cattle, several heavily loaded carts, children and old men and women have perched themselves between the bales and baskets. They move towards the horsemen. They will meet soon, maybe when the daylight will start to give in to the darkness.

The raven, pushed by Merlin’s will, raises higher and flies further. Finally, far ahead of him, he sees the smoking ruins of a village, and an army.

***

If you read it till here: I'm not sure what's the right way of asking this, so I'll just ask directly: is there any gentle soul willing to beta-read ~10K of this? *puppy eyes*

#merlin #merlin the road builder #mine #fic bits

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Here's the thing. She

is not just a pretty princess of a wealthy land. She's also a sole heir of a coastal kingdom.

Now, here's the headcanon: when princess Mithian was a child, her father was doting on her, bringing her all the pretty dresses and gemstones the kingdom's traders could buy and hoping to find a good strong husband for her so that she never had to gruel herself with the burdens of rule. Being a nice and sweet girl, princess Mithian obeyed her father's course. Until one day they are on a trip to another kingdom, and assassins attack them. The princess manages to escape, and after two days of wandering in the forest she stumbles upon a tiny village by the sea.

One of the local girls finds her. The assassins are still trying to find the princess, and she begs the local girl for help. So the girl brings her home, to her mother, who's been raising her four children - all fishers and sailors, boys and girls alike - alone. The woman realizes how dangerous it is to harbor Mithian when enemy's soldiers are after her, but decides to do it nonetheless. So she tells Mithian that she's to pretend to be her daughter until the enemy's patrols retract.

Mithian lives with them for several weeks, eating peasant's food, gutting fish, and going to sea every day. The girl that found her becomes her first real friend. She tells the princess that she dreams of becoming a captain of a merchant ship one day, but she's a girl, and from a poor family, so there is no chance for this dream to come true.

When it's safe, the woman brings Mithian back to the capital city of Nemeth. The king is crying with joy, as he thought that his precious daughter was killed by enemy's soldiers or died in the forest. He greatly rewards the woman that saved her, and throws the biggest feast the city has ever seen.

But on the next day, the princess politely knocks at the door of his study, and firmly informs him that she wishes to learn all the things that a ruler of a coastal kingdom has to know. Including sailing.

The king, of course, tries to argue. Of course, he loses.

Ten years later, princess Mithian knows how to sail, fish, and navigate by stars, and can outargue any of the king's advisor in the matters of trade, diplomacy and naval tactics. The people love her; it isn't public knowledge how familiar she is with the commoners' life but they can feel it, that she knows their ways and sorrows like she's one of them.

She's also really deft at mending fishing nets. She picked it up over embroidery, since it calms her better.

And the girl that saved her all those years ago? Well, she's the most badass captain in the whole Nemeth merchant fleet.

#merlin #mithian #merlin the road builder #mine #merlin hc

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There are so many recs on what to do to fight years-old depression/anxiety/self esteem issues/writer's blocks, on how to find your dream job after being stuck, how to learn stuff you've been afraid to approach since you're child, etc. But no way to know if they actually work for people who had these problems for a long time. Can you share your wins? Getting better after years of feeling down, starting writing/drawing/whats-your-thing after a long period of dullness, finding your calling well past your youth years? I could use some inspiration

#writing #self esteem #self care #mental health #writer's block

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I have a feeling we won't have a main-characters male gay couple in a mainstream show for a few decades longer. That's an impression I'm getting from how the representation is usually done (e.g. like it's an incredibly annoying homework)

If BBC Merlin was filmed today, would they have made Merlin and Arthur gay? Discuss.

#merlin #fandom

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Not-Blank-Page Anxiety

Have you ever wrote like 50 pages of a story that is so amazing in your head, then got distracted by work/study/life, and then stared at it hopelessly not knowing how to start writing again?

#writing #fanfiction #fandom #merlin #merthur #merlin the road builder

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Morning: “Today I’ll start reading one of those wonderful, important, ingenious books from 20 GB “Books” folder on my tablet”.

Evening: “Honey, my brain is fried, gimme my sweet dumb-fluff-angst-enemies-to-lovers porn. AO3, here you are!”.

Every goddamn day, the same story.

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No, and that’s when I knew I would keep loving him even in death.

Merlin Bingo Freya/Merlin (with a side of Merthur)

#merlin #freya #arthur #gif editing done right

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AU where Merlin has died during the fight with the griffin, and these two inevitably gravitated towards each other, bounded by common grief and everlasting love and making it into history as a legendary king and his loyal knight, the defenders of magic.

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

for Day 3 of the Merlin gif challenge: Favorite Ship, Arlance

#merlin #arthur pendragon #lancelot #arlance

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Commentary for the Diamond of the Day: Part 2

This is the writer of the actual show, guys.

Source (x)

#merlin #merthur #gif set #merlin commentary

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ok but a Gwen Knows AU

"you have magic."

"wha-at?? i—don't know what you're talking about gwen, quite frankly. magic is outlawed, and i'm just a servant—"

"you need to stop seeing that bloody dragon, too. he's awful, merlin."

"..."

gwen covering for merlin when he's off on his magical adventures

"he's... on a date, my lord."

"a date??????? merlin??? with who?"

gwen, panicking: "gwaine."

gwen going off on kilgharrah

"i don't know what it is that you're playing at, you bitter, wrinkly old fart, but you've made merlin act... not like merlin! so...... there. leave him alone."

merlin playing pranks on insufferable visiting nobles and gwen pretending to disapprove but covering for him and trying painfully hard not to laugh anyway

gwen helping merlin research when yet another thing is trying to kill arthur or whatever

merlin teaching gwen magic. imagine her eyes gold.................

gwen finding merlin injured and unconscious in the woods and carrying/dragging him all the way to a river or something and waking him up. whatever it was that did that to him comes back for seconds and they just obliterate it w a combination of sword work and magic.

gwen, taking merlin's sword from him: "you look stupid."

the duo researching:

"why are there so many love spells?"

"precisely, gwen... precisely."

gwen, rotating her book with a wrinkled nose and narrowed eyes: "this... there's no way this is correct."

#merlin #gwen #guinevere

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I fucking love this

x 

#dirk gently #dghda #samuel barnett #aesthetic