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drconstellation · 6 months

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Once and Future Royalty

Just, stay with me on this one. I know its going to look crazy at the start, but trust me, I know where I'm going.

It all started with the 537AD scene in Wessex in the opening montage of "Hard Times," S1E3. Yeah, the one where Aziraphale is supposed to be a knight of the Round Table and Crowley is role-playing the Black Knight, and they are both so super-squeaky shiny clean - not a speck of dirt or mud on them. wtf! It looks out of place, unrealistic, and was bugging the crap out of me, like a stone in your shoe. It just didn't fit. I mean, why put a myth, a legend, into that sequence? Oh, OK, yeah, the preceding stories from the Bible, like the Garden of Eden and the Flood, aren't "myths" as well, you say? Hmm. In the context of the Good Omens AU, being a biblical based story, they belong there far more than the legend of King Arthur.

King Arthur, who supposedly united Britain under his rule during the late 5th century and early 6th century, was shown to have the divine right to rule by wielding the mighty sword Excalibur. Some stories tell of Arthur pulling Excalibur from a stone. Some tell of him receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. Either way, it was bestowed upon him by divine grace. Despite his triumph in battle, he left no heirs, as his queen, the fair Guinevere, was barren. She had a long-running love affair with the greatest knight of the court, Sir Lancelot, but despite this being an open secret in court Arthur would not put her aside. The knights of the Round Table in the court of Camelot were near-paragons of Christian virtue, and there are many tales of their search for the Holy Grail, the cup from the Last Supper of Jesus Christ.

In the end, mortally wounded in battle, Arthur was taken away for healing, and never seen again. It was said he would return when Britain was at it most direst hour to save the day once more. A "messianic" return.

The Once and Future King.

Now, I'm no Arthurian novice; I drank up all of T. H. White as a teenager, read the Dark is Rising multiple times, Marion Zimmer Bradley's interpretation and what ever else I could lay my hands on for a good couple of decades. And there is LOTS of King Arthur stuff around. You are not left wanting for anything new to read or consume. And I'll bet there are a fair few of you also out there who know a quite bit about the legend as well. Oh, and I can't tell you how many times I have watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I still walk around quoting it day-to-day, like the good little Gen-Xer I am, having grown up on that stuff. So I really should have listened to my intuition when bits of Monty Python kept popping up in my brain in response to other parts of GO I was thinking about. (Staaay, I said, stay with me here....)

I kept chewing away furiously on the Wessex problem, growling in feral frustration at it, but also kept reading and sorting out some other ideas and metas at the same time. Eventually I found the key in a tiny little post, about a small detail in the 1941 Blitz episode S2E4, of all places. I wanted to slap myself with how much was staring me in the face so obviously once the door opened. And the damn beauty of it is, that I already written about some it, out of context, without knowing the why.

OK. Where to start this journey...hmmm, back to Monty Python, because, guess what - the Wessex scene is actually riffing off one the more famous skits out the the Holy Grail. The scene is a masterpiece of political satire, from start to finish, but the relevant part here is this sequence:

In case you missed the salient points: Arthur claims he is king by divine providence, because he was given Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake. Dennis the peasant protests this waterlogged method of determination, mentioning ponds, watery tarts and a moistened... well, I hope you get the idea about where this is going.

Meanwhile, in 537AD, Wessex, as the mist swirls around them:

"It is a bit damp," complains a shiny silver Aziraphale.

Yes, Excalibur would be a bit damp after it emerged from the Lake. (vidavalor! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm trying to have a serious discussion here! Please! And I wasn't even going to go anywhere near what the sword in the stone is really meant to be referring to...it's not even relevant to the discussion at hand, I swear! Well, there is going to be sexual relations mentioned but - oh, never mind...)

Right. Where were we. Lets leave those super-clean elite pretendy knights to swim off through the swirling mist back to their dry homes to write and file reports to head office, along with Patsy and the hired Igors, and Dennis can keep playing in his lovely muddy filth after he finishes protesting being repressed by the divinely-deluded Arthur. I've got a bit more to say about what Aziraphale and Crowley might represent here later but you need some more context first, so lets move on. I just needed to show you the first bit so you can see the Arthurian theme stretches across both S1 and S2, and will likely appear in S3 as well. More about that towards the end.

Ah, before I forget...another ref from the Holy Grail we need to cover:

This GIF, unfortunately, doesn't have the full exchange between the peasants, which is this:

P1: "Who's that then?" P2: "I don't know. Must be a king." P1: "How can you tell?" P2: "Because he doesn't have any shit on him."

Ah. Er. OH!

Have you made the connection?

Who have I been emphasizing as being unusually clean in their Arthurian setting? That's right, Aziraphale and Crowley.

What's this implying? That they are royalty. Celestial royalty. Maybe not kings, but how about princes? You know how we've been discussing whether Crowley was a once at least an Archangel, and there is even a hint that he was a fallen prince of Heaven given during the replay of Gabriel's trial? (Not the prince, but a prince - a seraphim) And that Aziraphale may have once been Raphael, and may be again in the future? Once and future royalty. To me it adds weight to the past discussion, and helps to explain the assumed authority expressed in these two scenes here: On the left, Aziraphale takes control inside the book shop as the angels and demons argue who is going to punish Gabriel and Beelzebub (finally found it after several months!) and on the right, Crowley is shouting at the assembling demons in the street that they are "out of order."

Onward, Patsy. (I hope you're still with me.)

1941, the Blitz part 2, minisode.

We've found Excalibur! On to Camelot!

[Edit note: I've added a few GIFs and screen shots into the sequence of parallels above because I was thinking over a few things since I posted and felt this actually sat better. To try and explain, as they don't exactly match as I would like, in the Holy Grail movie, King Arthur and the knights he has gathered rock up at the foot of Camelot and gaze up in awe at it. "Camelot!" Arthur declares to the party. "Camelot!" Galahad echoes in excitement. And a third "Camelot!" comes from Lancelot. What do we get in GO? Aziraphale leaps out of the Bentley (Crowley's black horse) and declares "The theater! Sophocles! Shakespeare!" I swear, if you put the two side by side, they would match. It's not just a reminder of how much time Aziraphale has seen pass by, or that we are seeing a tragedy play out. But damn it, I could so just see Aziraphale attending a Sophocles performance in Athens back in the day...]

Camelot was King Arthur's castle and home of his court. In S2 of GO the Windmill Theater is established as our court of Camelot where our 1941 Blitz-era Arthurian drama is to play out, involving Furfur and the zombies.

Yes, poor old Furfur. Two's company, three's a crowd, as they say. Now we know we're in Camelot, we need to be reminded of the central tragedy of the Arthurian story, that ultimately led to the golden kingdom's fall. Lady Guinevere, Arthur's queen, famously loved Sir Lancelot, and the two were passionate lovers. It was essentially a love-triangle at the top, with Arthur being jilted, but he wouldn't/couldn't discard his queen. Where do we see this playing out in 1941?

Furfur, pleased with himself for catching an angel and a demon in the act of consorting together (with the help of the zombies,) barges into the backstage dressing room, and confronts the lovers with their crime. But who is playing who in the Arthurian love triangle? I would say Furfur is clearly caught in the role of Arthur here. Consider the following exchange:

FURFUR: Hmm, well, well, well… What have we here? AZIRAPHALE: Sorry, have we met? FURFUR: Oh, no, you never had the pleasure, but… we have, haven't we? CROWLEY: Have we? FURFUR: What do you mean "have we?" You know we have. We were in the same legion. Just before the Fall. Doing dubious battle on the plains of Heaven. Remember? CROWLEY: I remember going into battle, I don't remember being there with you. Sorry. FURFUR: I was right next to you. We did loads together. You use to jump on me back, little monkey in the waistcoat. Anyway, whether you do or whether you don't, it doesn't matter. I'm here to inform you, as a representative of the Higher Powers of Hell, that you, Crowley, are in breach of the Infernal Code. Consulting and collaborating with an angel, Fell the Marvelous, aka… [opens book] Azirapalala. Azirapapap. Aziphapalala. AZIRAPHALE: [annoyed] Aziraphale

Furfur claims a past intimate relationship with Crowley, which Crowley spurns offhandedly. Crowley is playing Guinevere here, jilting Furfur/Arthur, which leaves the demon-smiting Aziraphale standing in for the handsome hero Lancelot (with his French connections, no less), and doesn't he make us weak at the knees when he drops his voice an octave in dominating disgust. (Is it suddenly getting hot in here...? Phew!)

Interestingly, looking back in S1 at 537AD Wessex, though, I would say that Crowley was Lancelot as the Black Knight, a role that Lancelot sometimes played in the legends, and Aziraphale would then be the fair maiden Guinevere. It certainly plays into Crowley's long term role of playing the knight who comes to the rescue of Aziraphale's princess in distress. Excalibur was no where in sight, perhaps still beneath the waters of the lake. Nor Arthur. Perhaps it was still too early in the story then...

I had originally suggested in my very first post that Furfur was given a stag as his demon avatar because he was wearing horns for being cuckolded by Crowley. But I wasn't quite thinking about it in context with the Arthurian legend! The stag is also often associated with royalty, plus while wandering around the medieval bestiary website that someone linked to, it interestingly notes that the enemy of the snake is the stag and the stork (Shax's avatar.) Ah ha!

So how can we extrapolate this knowledge into a possible appearance of the Arthurian theme in S3?

Will we see the love triangle of Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot come back into play and cause more chaos? I'm wondering if it might have something to do with the Fall.

Or will our lovers bring down a divinely-appointed ruler via their committed behind-the-back defiance of expected propriety?

Will Excalibur appear from beneath the waters, perhaps in another form, to declare a new king?

Could it even be a combination Jesus/Arthur, King of the World, returned? And they turn out to be a very naughty boy, disappearing into the night clubs of Times Square, New York, and that's how they lose him? (Social media viral sensation, anyone?)

I wouldn't be half-surprised if Greasy Johnson's name turns out to be Arthur, actually.

And no, I haven't forgotten that Adam's dad was named Arthur as well.

Bring on S3!

**Bonus**

If you've made it this far and you're thinking:

Let me leave you with this last connection.

In the back stage change room, remember Furfur delivers these lines:

FURFUR: What do you mean "have we?" You know we have. We were in the same legion. Just before the Fall. Doing dubious battle on the plains of Heaven. Remember?

On the first level, he is referring the Great War in the Good Omens AU.

On the second level, Furfur is paraphrasing Milton's Paradise Lost.

On a third level, I can (and will in a future meta) connect this back to the training initiative paintball fight at Tadfield Manor in S1.

And even deeper on a fourth level, if you do know the Holy Grail movie well, you'll remember there is an odd little subplot in it, that infers that the whole King Arthur and his knights thing is merely a full-on violent cosplay that is murderously rampaging across the countryside in the present day with the police in hot pursuit. It's a strange juxtaposition between reality and dream, and you aren't quite sure what it is real or not. The ending is bizarrely and abruptly surreal as the two story lines collide in the heat of battle, as the police turn up and arrest the combatants. A bit like this:

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qloof · 7 months

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hi guys so ive decided to commit to the mfb witch hat atelier AU that's been in my brain since i read it :3 will draw more soon bcus i have . many thoughts

copy-pasted thoughts that me and my irl discussed in class about this AU under cut !! feel free to add/give thoughts about them because thinking about this au is fun :3

little guys are the apprentices

most characters are out of apprenticeship or finishing it up

some characters are adults in this AU to fill roles

Knights Moralis - Excalibur and Wang Hu Zhong

Brimhat List - Doji, Pluto, Johannes, Rago, Ryuga, Yu, Ziggurat, Damian, Jack (most dark nebula/hades guys) - Maybe: Aguma, Bao - Those who become a Brimhat: Zeo, Toby (<- forced) (teehee) - Those who were tempted/considering it: Tsubasa, Chris

Watchful Eyes: Hyoma, Tsubasa, Nile (maybe Benkei)

Tower Librarian - Yuki

Garcias: Unknowings, kingdom (Enzo might learn magic and not tell anyone..maybe...still brewing thoughts !!)

Lovushka: Unknowings, doctors

Wises/Sages: Ryo, BLADER DJ !!!!!, Coach Steel(?) - thinking thoughts: Doji was previously a Wise but became a Brimhat(?)

Mentors: Dynamis (apprentice: Tithi) Daxiang (apprentice: Chi-yun) -> thinking this is before they become part of the Knights Moralis Benkei OR Gingka (apprentice: Kenta)

King's mentor was Dynamis

Masamune + Zeo + Toby's mentor was Coach Steel

Gingka + Hikaru + Tsubasa's mentor was Ryo

#apologies to anyone whos seen me type this thing out like 3 times on other socials already LMAOO #metal fight beyblade #mfb #witch hat atelier au #MFB WHA AU #dynamis beyblade #tithi beyblade #daxiang wang #dashan wang #julian konzern #qloofdoodle

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charmsandtealeaves · 3 months

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I had a big reading week this week trying to clear some of my email inbox because the sheer volume was stressing me the fuck out every time I opened it 😅 Posting this a day early as I'm honestly a little worried Tumblr is gonna be funny about all the links.

Read this week:

Reset by @ncoincidences

WIP, Jily micro-oops, Temporary amnesia, Rated G

A mishap with a drunken dark wizard leaves Lily an amnesiac. The last ten months of her life has been completely wiped, which includes her breakup with James eight months before. To aid in her speedy recovery, James has to keep Lily under the pretence that her life has been the same as it was.

When It Counted by @cascader

Complete (6.9k), Order!jily, Rated T

She didn’t tell him when it counted. She’s daydreaming of a redo.

Something Foolish by @merlinsbudgiesmugglers

Complete (1.9k), Tedromeda, canon compliant, Rated E

Struggling against the expectations of her family, and her forced separation from Ted. Andromeda is pleased to discover a note left in her room.

Sunrise, Sunset by @practicecourts

Complete (2.9k) Blackevans BFF Week, Rated G

One time Sirius Black finds Lily Evans, just as she’s about to do something she might regret. One time Lily Potter finds Sirius Black after he’s received some upsetting news.

A Different Kind of Love Story by @mppmaraudergirl

Complete (5.8k), Blackevans BFF Week, Rated G

The best of friendships sometimes grow in the most unlikely of places.

The Vow by @missgryffin

Complete (9.6k), Hogwarts! Jily , Rated E

When he was thirteen-going-on-fourteen, James Potter did something truly, unbelievably stupid. Now that he’s seventeen-going-on-eighteen, he has to deal with the consequences.

Quest for Camelot by @petalsinwoodvale (Ch. 1-2)

WIP, jily Quest For Camelot AU, Rated T

All Lily has ever wanted is to be a knight, like her father, Sir Lionel. After Camelot is attacked and the magical sword Excalibur is stolen, she finds herself teaming up with James, a young blind hermit, as they embark on a quest to find the lost sword. Together, they face the threat of the evil Ruber, navigate challenges with a two-headed dragon and an ogre, and discover that they're more alike than they initially thought. Will they manage to return the sword to Arthur in time, or will they lose not only each other but also their dreams and the precious Excalibur?

Grounded by @frustratedpoetwrites

WIP, Jily Modern (Magic) AU, Winter Olympics, Not Rated

When James Potter's successful Quidditch career comes to an abrupt end he struggles to find a new direction. Coaching seems to be an answer and a pair of green eyes.

Vindicated by missgryffin

Complete (20k), Order!Jily AU, Rated E

Five years ago, Lily Evans did the hardest thing she’d ever done, and broke up with James Potter so she could stay alive by secretly going undercover in America. Now, she’s been tasked with something even harder: doing a transatlantic mission with him.

Captivated by missgryffin

Complete (6.7k), Hogwarts!Jily, Rated E

"I think we should sweep the library. Make sure it's empty." "And why's that?" "Because I need to be alone with you."

Silent Night by practicecourts (ch.1-4)

WIP, Hope Lupin, Remus Lupin, Rated T

Moments in the life of Hope Lupin.

10 Things I Hate About You by @wearingaberetinparis (Ch1.)

WIP, Jily Romcom, Rated M

Petunia Evans cannot start dating the man she considers to have true love potential – a certain Vernon Dursley – until her anti-social younger sister, Lily, finds herself a partner too, which leads Petunia to take drastic measures. For surely, Head Boy James Potter – suffering from a knee injury he does not want anyone but himself and his physiotherapist to know about – should be able to charm her younger sibling, shouldn’t he? If the only thing standing between her perfect love match is blackmail, who is she not to resort to it? Are not, after all, all means justified when the end she has in mind is so very sweet?

Would you run away with me? By @ncoincidences

Complete (1.3k), jily, Rated G

In which Lily barges in on a white veil occasion.

Happy Place by Wearingaberetinparis (Ch.1-6)

WIP, jily modern AU, Rated M

James and Lily have always been the perfect couple that everyone aspires to be: from Head Boy and Girl at Hogwarts School to university students in a loving long distance relationship to – eventually – a happily engaged duo, destined to go the distance. They go together like cream and tea, pride and prejudice, fish and chips. That is, until – for reasons they refuse to discuss for fear of making everything so much worse – they really, truly don’t. For one week, however, they have to act as if all is well for they have yet to tell their friends that what had always seemed perfect, is now very much broken.

You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that by @jamesunderwater

Complete (1k), prongsfoot in a nightclub, Rated E

prongsfoot + a locked door public bathroom on my knees trying to make you scream vibe

Truth is I’m so damn in love with you I don’t know what to do with myself by jamesunderwater

Complete (800), Prongsfoot, Rated T

prongsfoot + near death experiences + trapped with only one bed + gay pining

Over Spilt Coffee by @annabtg

Complete (1k), Tonks first person POV, Rated T

Tonks's musings on the night she picked up smoking... the night Remus Lupin broke her heart.

Breaking by annabtg

Complete (1.4k), Remus Lupin, Missing Moments, Rated T

Remus has his reasons for staying away from Tonks. Even if it breaks his heart as much as it breaks hers.

From the very first day by @kay-elle-cee

Complete (500), Muggle AU Jily, Rated T

An unexpected night leaves two coworkers trying to sort out their feelings.

Loved you three summers by Kay-Elle-Cee

Complete (600), Pregnant Jily, Rated G

A pregnant Lily has a not-so-sudden realization.

Don’t say yes by Kay-Elle-Cee

Complete (800), no Voldemort AU Jily, Rated G

Two old flames reconnect, wondering if the other is happy.

This is me swallowing my pride by Kay-Elle-Cece

Complete (466), Harry’s God parents, Rated G

The appointment of Harry's Godfather was never up for discussion, but his Godmother? That took some convincing.

Keeping secrets just to keep you by Kay-Elle-Cee

Complete (453), Secret Relationship Jily, Rated T

James and Lily's friends have a bet, and the two of them are determined to win.

Silence and patience, pining in anticipation by Kay-Elle-Cee

Complete (1.2k), Post-Hogwarts Jily, Rated T

Lily’s been hung up on James for years; a tipsy conversation might be the push she needs to do something about it.

You kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever by Kay-Elle-Cee

Complete (1k), Pregnant Order!Jily, Rated T

When Lily and James got pregnant, they made a plan for how they'd participate in the Order going forward. Plans change.

Back to the Pavilion by @abihastastybeans

Complete (1.3k), Minerva McGonagall, Rated G

A day in the life of Minerva McGonagall. Written for the Ladies of HP Fest's Monthly Minis: 1st December 2023 - Minerva McGonagall!

The Naughty List by abihastastybeans

Complete (690), jily secret Santa, Rated T

Written for the December Jily Advent Calendar 2023!Prompt: A & B are colleagues and for the secret santa one of them gives the other something inappropriate as a gag gift

Added to the ever expanding TBR:

The Next Step by merlinsbudgiesmugglers

Complete (1.5k), post-canon Andromeda Tonks, Rated G

After the war Andromeda has been wholly focused on raising her grandson. But when he goes to Hogwarts, she finds she might need something more. Kingsley and Harry have an idea for what that could be.

Speak Now by @firefeufuego Complete (1.4k), Jily love declarations, Rated T

The fuse has been lit. Lily can almost hear the crackling hiss of it, feel the building burn of it in the air as Sirius takes the reins of the conversation, as drinks are bought and poured down newly dry throats, and eventually as last orders are called and the four of them are standing outside and saying farewell with kisses on cheeks. Sam and Sirius apparate away. Lily and James do not. They stand, eyes fixed firmly on each other, ready to ignite. ‘Not forever, you said?’ James asks, his voice deep and quiet in a way that’s never been hers to hear before now. Follow-up to the lovely kay-elle-cee's 'silence and patience, pining in anticipation'.

#charms read round up #week 4 #fic rec

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avaritia-apotheosis · 8 months

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Juno's Fic Masterlist of DP and DP crossover fics

[ AO3 ] -- [ FFN ]

DPxDC

Phantom Children: Redux | multichapter, on-going

There is no Clockwork there to rewind time after the Nasty Burger explosion. Danny Fenton, having witnessed his friends and family die a fiery death, struggles to cope with his loss and the looming future that awaits him. So when an unlikely source offers a hand to help, he takes it. Three years later, Batman is called upon to help solve a string of impossible murders in Gotham that end up entangling him to the mysteries of Amity Park. [AO3] [FFN]

Hey Brother AU | series, one to multi-shot installments, on-going

Where Danny Fenton dies and is reincarnated as Damian Wayne's older brother and things seem to cascade from there. [AO3 Series] Main story: Hey Brother / It's A Small World ( 1, 2 ) / Shannon Number / Bid a Strong Ghost Stand at the Head ( 1, 2, 3, 4) / Nomen Nescio (1)

They Might Be Giants | oneshot

Alfred Pennyworth receives a phone call and is given custody over his recently orphaned nephew Danny Fenton.

Speed Dial | oneshot

"Please don't tell me you have the fucking King of Ghosts on speed dial."

Monsters at your doorstep | oneshot (with possible continuation)

Bruce falls into a cave of bats and meets the darkness-- or whatever it is that lives inside it.

Danny Phantom

The Man With The Red Right Hand | oneshot

Two weeks after the portal accident, Danny gains the mentorship of a mysterious halfa. [Written for Reality Trip zine ]

Ground Zero | oneshot, 2nd POV

"All you know is that you were screaming." Where the tragedy began. A missing scene from The Ultimate Enemy

The Future is Carved with a No. 2 Pencil | oneshot, 2nd POV

"Question 1. (1 Point) True or False: Your Name is Danny Fenton" A Retelling of TUE in an unconventional format.

Sound the Trumpets (Death Comes a Calling) | oneshot

TUE AU where Clockwork never meddles with the timeline and a lot of character death.

A Kinder World | oneshot

In a kinder world, Danny’s obsession develops into something noble. In a kinder world, Danny knows that ghosts aren’t the personification of evil. This is not that world

Welcome To My Table (Bring Your Hunger) | oneshot, 2nd POV

Speculations on Clockwork's origins. AU where Clockwork is a title and not a name

Take Me Up, Cast Me Away | oneshot

Putting aside the knowledge that he apparently visited King Arthur’s grave in his dreams, what Danny was hearing is that the legendary sword Excalibur did not, in fact, come with a return policy. Written for Ectoimplosion 2023

Other DP Crossovers

The Draugr | oneshot, dpxmarvel (thor: ragnarok)

Legends say that the draugr king served the goddess of death. Loki did not expect Hela's general to be a child.

Politics (Derogatory) | oneshot, dpxatla

Rumors of a wayward spirit reach Aang’s ears. Desperate for a break in his duties as an intermediary between nations, Aang answers the call.

#danny phantom #dpxdc #danny phantom crossovers

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bluheaven-adw · 5 months

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Thank you tumblr for absolutely destroying image quality. Freaking wtf?

Some more Dark Excalibur AU

The Knighting of Steve Palchuk

We all agree that Steve needed a better arc than what RotT gave him. He deserved a chance to be a hero, a path that he started in Wizards before it fizzled out into being the comedic relief. Wizards set everyone up as the better generational mirrors to Camelot. Jim to Arthur, Claire to Morgana, Douxie to Merlin, Toby probably to Galahad, and Steve very obviously to Lancelot. I've said at the start that no one comes out of this AU unscathed, so while Steve gets the heroic redemption, it comes at a cost, one that pulls on that parallel.

RotT in the Dk-E still happens, I'm not letting everyone get their happily ever after at the end of Wizards. But I'll be damned if I end it with Toby and so many others dead, and Jim pushed into a timeline reset. You can thank Steve for that. It's because of Steve that Toby lives. Steve goes with Toby in the Taco truck, and it is Steve that yanks Toby out of the way of the collapsing debris. But Steve becomes pinned himself, resulting in the loss of his arm. An act of selflessness and bravery, valor and sacrifice, that earns him the title of First Knight of the Roundtable of New Camelot. An equal advisor, responsible for not only the protection of Camelot, and those Jim has claimed as his (which is everyone, human, troll, changeling, down to the last gnome), but also finding and training new knights, those who value all life and are willing to fight to protect it, and want to see the worlds of man and magic together in harmony instead of hate and fear.

And so we come to the Knighting of Steve Palchuk. This isn't just pomp and meaningless ceremony, this has true weight and meaning to both Jim and Steve. Jim pulls on Excalibur's magic, his voice resonating with ethereal power, creating a bond of trust and loyalty that goes both ways, only formed if given willingly. Knight to his King, King to Knight, both to the protection of all worlds and their peoples. Jim's eyes light up in tandem with the blade as the power of Excalibur and Nimue courses through him, flames licking along the blade's edge and into Steve. Steve's armor reflecting this bond as the magic burns through him.

And like Lancelot, Steve will get a fully functional prosthetic arm. There will be hardship, adapting to this new reality. But Steve has become a hero. A man of courage... far from his highscool self. A survivor, who will fight with everything he has.

Rise now, Sir Steve, First Knight of the Roundtable and New Camelot.

Closeups below

Notes: some of the descriptive wording around the ceremony itself came from a discussion about Jim using Excalibur for the knighting, and are used with permission of Sakon76, who is a much better writer than I.

Expect more if Steve's story at a later time.

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escape-from-arcadia · 11 months

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This is my submission to the Dark Excalibur DTIYS hosted by the lovely @bluheaven-adw!

Needless to say, this took me a while XD. I actually originally was going to draw Jim, but then I started drawing a lil' Claire that I loved. I ended up scrapping the first version I made to use a more interesting pose for the two of them. (Also Blu is the Queen of Jlaire content, so it is fitting for Jim be with Claire here lol).

Thank you to Blu for 1) creating such an awesome AU, 2) hosting such a fun DTIYS + extending the deadline, and 3) providing all of those clean references. (They were a freakin' live saver.)

Original

Some WIP screenshots from wildly different times under the cut, plus aforementioned Claire in a style that is far from my usual one:

Told you this style is nothing like my usual one.

#DarkExcaliburDTIYS #tales of arcadia #tales of arcadia fanart #trollhunters #jim lake jr #james lake jr #claire nuñez #dark excalibur #tempest draws

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knightly-bastard · 11 months

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Hello!! I've been meaning to ask for a while. In Nexo Swap what are Clay's motives to become evil? Are they like Jestro's from the show or is there anything more to that? I'm sorry if that's a dumb question , I'm just really interested in this AU.

Nah, it's not a dumb question at all! Glad you asked actually, as this was a main concept idea I was working on during my mini absence from Nexoswap fkjekjfe. While it’s not necessarily finalized and most likely would change in the foreseeable future, it's much more than I had before when I first brought this au to life.

To answer, Clay’s motivations to become evil are somewhat different than Jestors on account all the personalities in this au the same as in canon. This results in several events changing to fit on how the characters would act in certain situations, but still allow the story to progress the same.

In the beginning, the graduation events are still similar, if not almost identical, to what happens. The most change is with the rest of the knights as their intros have to change with what role they are presenting, Jestro and Clay however, are the most indifferent. Clay is still top knight with honor by his side, and Jestro is still the clumsy court jester.

But after the knights get handed their shields...an incident happens

I'm still struggling to come up with the events that lead up to the incident, but it still has the kingdom going into complete darkness. In short, a civilian in the audience ends up severely injured/dying when Clay was trying to save them during the incident. This...REALLY shook the kingdom, especially Clay due to witnessing the tragedy first-hand. Tying into his fear of failure, this really messed him up severely. Not even 10 minutes into his shielding, he fails to do the one thing he was sworn to do as a knight. Regret, same, and pure guilt consumed him into a full-blown panic, till eventually, he ran off just like Canon Jestro. He dropped his shield and sword in the process, mainly thinking he doesn't deserve them anymore after what he did. Jestro, who came out to see what the hell was going on, only managed to catch a glimpse of Clay as he ran off into the castle.

After all that, Clay ends up in that familiar situation of confronting this au's "Book of Monsters" (which is a sword known as 'The Tainted Excalibur'). There, he gets gaslit into feeling he had no other option than to be a villain. He felt like he already failed as a knight, he feels like the kingdom already turned its back on him, he feels like his friends wouldn’t forgive him, his mind was in an awful place at this moment...So he ends up agreeing

Keep in mind, he isn't 100% willing, deep inside he didn't really wanna do this, but as soon as he grabbed the sword, it kinda did something to him. It's sorta like mind control/brainwashing in a way, just not as powerful, but it pushed him to dive deeper into the path of villainy that deep down he really didn't want. Unlike canon, the two were a bit more thorough with searching for specific books, resulting in the first evil book Clay technically touched/got was the book of Betrayal...and you know what that technically does.

Clay though, wasn't able to give a part of the sword's magic back to him as he was quickly interrupted by Jestro, who just wanted to give Clay's stuff back and to comfort him.

Things happen as normal, Clay summons Monsters using the sword as a staff (the Monsters got controlled in the process), Jestro gets beat up, Monstrox finds this happening and kills himself, etc. Thus begins the story of Nexo Swap

As I said, still revising this idea so that it feels like it fits within the Au/makes sense. It may change in the future, but at least provides a basis for everything. :)

#I apologize for traumatizing the boy #nexo knights #nexo knights au #nexoswap #nexo swap #clay moorington #jestro #knightly-bastard art #concepts #nexoswap concepts

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adrianasunderworld · 8 months

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Twst Magical Girl au: The Knights

Long ago there lived a king named Arthur, who wielded a magic sword Excalibur. With the help of his trusted mentor, the wizard Merlin, he led a force of brave and skilled knights to protect his kingdom. When darkness fell over the land, Arthur allied himself with the Maiden of Loves kingdom, inviting her husband to join his ranks against the great evil. When all was done, Arthur had formed a deep friendship with the two and swore he and his men would answer the call should their kingdom need it. Prince Phillip furthered this and vowed he would always find a way to protect Aroura and all she held dear with his fellow knights aid. The vow held strong for centuries, bound by the magic of the sword. With every Maiden, came her champion. An ally that embodied the spirit of the heroes that aided them in times of turmoil. With each new generation of maidens, new allies swore loyalty to them and joined the rank of knights over the centuries.

Though King Arthur and his round table were long gone, Excalibur remained, and Merlin and his descendants kept it safe. Just as the sword chose it's king, it also chose it's knights. Whenever new maidens are chosen, Excalibur will glow, ready for its next set of champions. Only a descendent of Merlin, the king, or a chosen knight is able to pick up the sword as proof they had been chosen. Currently, Excalibur is under the care of Ambrose the 63rd and his Grandson, Ambrose the 64th, who goes by his middle name, Arthur, after the king of old. He is currently searching for the other knights to aid the current Maidens.

Knights:

The Champion of King Arthur- Ambrose "Arthur"

The Champion of Prince Phillip-

The Champion of Prince Florian-

The Champion of Prince Kit-

The Champion of Prince Eric-

The Champion of the Beast- Seith Zigvolt

The Champion of Aladdin-

The Champion of Li Shang-

The Champion of Hercules- Juno Aureum

The Champion of Flynn Ryder-

The Champion of Maui-

The Champion of Robin Hood-

The Champion of Tarzan-

If you guys have any oc or canon suggestions for knights, feel free to add on and I'll edit once decided.

@mangacupcake @marrondrawsalot @writing-heiress @the-weirdos-mind

#twisted wonderland #twst oc #twst magical girl au #twst magical girl lore

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merlinbingo · 2 months

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So I blinked, and suddenly we are a month down! Anyone want to explain how that happened?

In February, 28 amazing participants created 50 glorious fills, 47 of which are listed for your delight below (as part of our new-and-improved fill submission form, we're now allowing people to opt out of us linking their work on tumblr, hence there being some not included here).

Of those 47 fills, 41 are fics, three are artworks, and then there's a single gif, a podfic, and an overachieving fic/moodboard combo!

How about ships? Well, we're starting out unusual this year, with more shipless works than Merlin/Arthur ones. Sure, with 19 gen works and 18 merthur ones, it's not a big difference, but it feels noteworthy anyway. In terms of the rarer pairings, we've got a few that show up pretty often on the bingo round ups (Gwen/Morgana and Merlin/Lancelot with two, Merlin/Gwaine, Gwen/Lancelot, Arthur/Gwen and Uther/Ygraine all with one), and then two that are far less common than they deserve to be (Elyan/Gwaine and Elyan/Leon, both with a single fill).

As you know, the February/March bonus badge theme is crossovers and fandom fusions - so far we've had five people claim the badge, and hopefully plenty more will in the next month!

Now, stats listed, it's time for the main event - the fills themselves! As always, these are below the cut, sorted by ship and then by rating. Please remember to heed the warnings, and to shower the creators all the love they deserve!

No ships/gen

Camelot at dawn by LikeAPaperPlane Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Queen Guinevere + Arthurian Legends by thebookluvrr1816 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Battle Merlin by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Digital art, Canon AU Summary:

Side Effects by MyFairKatie Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Magic Reveal, Eavesdropping, Truth Serum Summary: After the effects of a truth potion wear off on Arthur, he finds that as a side effect, he can now easily detect lies. As it turns out, Merlin is a WAY better liar than he thought.

Before Excalibur by Madlady2 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Father-Daughter Relationship; Excalibur; Short and Sweet; Fluff; One Shot Summary: Gwen visits her dad at the forge while he is making Excalibur.

Opposing Protections by MyFairKatie Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Magical Artifacts, Hurt/Comfort, Arthur Finds Out, Protective Gwaine, Protective Arthur Summary: A gift passed down in Leon’s family is now in Arthur’s hands, a gift from a loyal knight. Its purpose: to protect for sorcerers. Naturally, Arthur accepts the gift. On an unrelated note, Arthur and Gwaine are FIERCELY protective when Merlin suddenly begins to collapse and faint sporadically, with almost no pattern. They won’t let this go on. (Wait, does he only collapse when Arthur is in the room? …that’s probably irrelevant.)

In the Darkness by demitimelord42 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Angst, Stream of Consciousness Summary: Morgana's thoughts in the pit Sarrum imprisoned her and Aithusa in between S4 and S5.

Here I Wait by twinaquapisces Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Drabble, Grettir pov, mentioned arthur, mentioned merlin, mentioned gwaine Summary: Grettir waits for Courage, Magic, and Strength.

Be Careful What You Wish For by VikingSong Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply, Fake Character Death Major tags: Friendship, Fake character death, Invisibility, Post-magic reveal, Angst with a happy ending Summary: A story told in a pair of triple drabbles. Part 1: In which Merlin learns to "be careful what you wish for." Part 2: In which Arthur makes a wish, too.

Not again woodworms by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Sassy Merlin (Merlin), Sassy Lancelot (Merlin), Gwaine being Gwaine (Merlin), POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Summary: Arthur didn't know that Lancelot and Gwaine would have been dangerous. Actually, it was Merlin's fault. Like always

You deserve to be loved by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Gaius (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin) Summary: Being a servant meant being beaten and mistreated. But was that really what they were meant to be?

In the Shadow of Death by demitimelord42 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Angst, Implied/reference character death, Temporary Character Death, Immortal Leon Summary: Leon is not having a good time. At all

You see? Stupid wounds by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), King Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Smart Merlin (Merlin) Summary: Arthur needs to be healed. Merlin turns out to be an extremely competent physician. Arthur is impressed. And he has an idea.

Switched Around by MyFairKatie Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Magic Reveal, Gwaine Finds Out, Body Swap Summary: A sorceress. A flash of light. All the knights of the round table waking up in anyone’s body but their own. Merlin gets a taste of being taller and stronger, taking Percival’s body. Arthur is relieved to see that it is Leon who is now controlling his body and not anyone who would be ridiculous or mischevious about it. Gwaine got Merlin. Those are some pretty enhanced senses he’s got there. Good for Merlin. And then Gwaine panics, because….did he just use magic? He thinks he may have just used magic. He’s never used magic BEFORE. Wait.

Desperate attempt by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Angst, King Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Worried Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Kidnapped Merlin (Merlin), Agravaine Being an Asshole (Merlin) Summary: Arthur finds his servant missing. Agravaine reflects on his actions.

Discovering new sides of ourselves. by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Kidnapped Merlin (Merlin), Tired Merlin (Merlin), Agravaine Being an Asshole (Merlin), Amnesia, BAMF Merlin (Merlin) Summary: Merlin's Magic has its own mind.

To Kill a Prince by prettylittlecandid31 Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply, Background Minor Character Death Major tags: Character Study- Odin, Canon Typical Violence, Arthur Facing His Mistake, Canon Compliant, Merlin Saves the Day Summary: A character study of Odin and his failed assassination attempts on Arthur through the years.

[Podfic] In a Heartbeat by cynthia1314 Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: magic revealed Summary: A choice made in a desperate moment leaves Merlin and Arthur having to deal with repercussions neither wanted or expected.

For Merlin by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: Teen Warnings: Major character death Major tags: Angst, POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Inspired by The Departed (2006) Summary: Arthur Pendragon avenges his best friend.

Gwen/Morgana

to the absence, from the essence by 50quid Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Reincarnation Summary: Arthur enjoys an afternoon with his family.

Friends Forever by SlantedKnitting Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Soulbonds, Magic, Modern AU Summary: At the age of 10, Morgana casts a spell over her and Gwen, ensuring they’ll be friends forever. 15 years later, she realises the spell was about so much more than friendship.

Arthur/Gwen

Bowties, Best Men, and Bad Poetry by salt-popcorn Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Arthur & Gwen's Wedding day, Merlin is the best-man, Epic Bromance, Bad Poetry, Best Man's Speech Summary: Arthur Pendragon was running late to his own wedding. His bowtie wasn't done, his hair was a bird's nest, and despite what Merlin said, he was not nervous. Or, How Not to be Late to Your Own Wedding. Ps: Let your Bestman handle the details.

Gwen/Lancelot

I remember when you first came home by 50quid Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: AU - Different First Meeting, Canon Divergence, Found Family (of sorts), Misunderstandings Summary:

Ygraine/Uther

Return to Oz by Sage_Owl Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Crossover, canon divergence, body horror, danger, friendship Summary: Arthur Fitzgerald Pendragon-DuBois is not insane.

Elyan/Gwaine

threads of silver and gold by queerofthedagger Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Canon Divergence, Masquerade Balls, Pre-Slash Summary: A single night to melt into the crowd, to not be known or unknown to anyone. Anonymity but without the suspicion, revelation without the vulnerability—Elyan hadn’t been able to resist.

Merlin/Gwaine

recklessness and water by eachpeachpearplum Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Fluff, heatwave, skinny dipping, established relationship, Gwaine knows about Merlin's magic Summary: “Come with me,” Merlin says, holding out his hand, and Gwaine loves him, he does, would usually be more than happy engaging in whatever kind of physical contact Merlin wants from him, but today it’s just too damn hot.

Elyan/Leon

I’ll never tell by Salamandair Rating: Mature Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Alternative Universe- canon divergence, pre-slash, pining, unrequited love, not actually unrequited love Summary:

Merlin/Lancelot

Awake by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: God Merlin, Druid Lancelot Summary: Gods rarely answered prayers, even those of their most loyal worshippers.

The Letters I Never Saw by Fightingforcreativity Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Basically my go at Love that transcends death, post episode: the darkest hour, Lancelot lives, temporary character death, Happy ending Summary: Lancelot might have died, but that did not mean he left the world for good. Merlin tries to cope, writing letter after letter. Starting over again and again only to burn them all in the end. Maybe once they are all gone, he gets his own happily ever after.

Merlin/Arthur

she was good by sleepygecko Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Magic Reveal, Canon Era, Observant Arthur, Hugs Summary: After seeing the magic orb of light in the caves of Balor, Arthur remembers a nursemaid who made the same orbs for him when he was scared of the dark. He questions Gaius about her, and finds out enough to make him rethink his father’s position on magic.

King and king by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Fluff, Love Confessions, , King Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Court Sorcerer Merlin (Merlin Summary: Arthur has his latest idea. This time Merlin has nothing against it.

good omens au by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: digital art, angels and demons Summary:

That other guy sucked eh? by Brechtjeeatscheese -my ao3 name, if you want to tag me in the tumblr post my ao3 is Marlenemckinnonsupremacy Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Chance meeting, they're so fricking cute, oneshot Summary: Merlin and Arthur both get forced to go on a blind date for a television program, they both hate their dates. They bond together about how afwul they were. There is a fade to black scene at the end.

Just to Feel with You by thesongistheriver Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: roommates, asexual character, demisexual character, queer themes, love confessions Summary: Arthur doesn't want to be single at his sister's wedding, and Merlin wonders why it's suddenly such a big deal. Then, a lot of truths come to light.

“ Do you remember…?” by cynthia1314 Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: reincarnation, fluff, kissing, implied half-sibling incest (but only in Arthur's head) Summary: 5 people Arthur kissed in his past life. +1 in his present life.

The screams of the innocents by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: Teen Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Silence of the Lambs References, FBI Agent Merlin (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon is a Cannibal, Smart Merlin (Merlin), Smart Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Summary: Merlino, an FBI recruit, is tasked by his boss with drawing up the profile of a dangerous criminal. But it's never that simple.

knife wounds and their incalculable damage by tumblr: insane-ohwhyfandoms Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: modern au, doctor merlin, blood & injuries, smut, open ending Summary: When the bell above his clinic door jingles and Arthur Pendragon walks through, Merlin knows he's in for a long night.

More Melodies Than Can Ever Be Heard by thesongistheriver Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: established relationship, musician Merlin, actor Arthur, banter, romance Summary: Merlin and Arthur visit Pendragon Manor and Arthur sees Ygraine's rooms at last. (This is a chapter in a multi-fic series; chapter itself isn't explicit but the fics overall are.)

Mise En Place by s0mmerspr0ssen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Chefs, Parent Arthur Pendragon, Childhood Trauma, Minor Character Death Summary: Chef de Cuisine Arthur Pendragon lives for his craft. With obsessive care, he presides over his star-rated kitchen, controlling even the most minute detail. But when a fateful accident leaves his nine-year-old nephew Mordred in his care, Arthur’s life begins to come undone. Forced to bring in help at the restaurant, Arthur soon has to accept a new sous chef in his kitchen: the cocky Merlin Emrys, who has big ideas and little respect for Arthur’s vision… (Based on the 2001 film Bella Martha)

Spoils by s0mmerspr0ssen Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/non-con Major tags: Dark, Morally Ambiguous Arthur Pendragon, Slave Merlin, Trauma, Abuse Summary: The Golden King, they called him. The Just. The Merciful. Merlin doubted he would be granted mercy by Arthur Pendragon.

One Day, We Will Be Free by TrebleMaker07 Rating: Explicit Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Alternate Universe - Mob, Hand Jobs, Crime Boss Arthur Pendragon, Crime Boss Merlin, Established Relationships Summary: Arthur and Merlin have one mission- to love each other openly. There’s just one problem- Valiant.

The Indelicacies of Experience by sir_miel Rating: Not rated Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Jealous Arthur Pendragon, Experienced Merlin, Relationship Discussions Summary: Arthur learns that Merlin had a threesome a long time ago and, obviously, he reacts in a normal, measured way.

#bbc merlin #merlin bingo #round four #round up #look at all these wonderful fills

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