such_heights: amy and rory looking at a pile of post (merlin: your destiny's calling)
Amy ([personal profile] such_heights) wrote2009-01-06 01:32 pm

Fic & Vid Recs - Merlin

There was fic yesterday:

Remember Me As A Time Of Day
Merlin ; Morgana/Gwen ; PG-13 ; 1400 words ; amnesia!fic
In an open field, under a morning sky, two women sleep.

I am not writing what I expected to be writing in this fandom, hmm. I am sure something silly and ridiculous is on its way! Anyway, I'm pleased with how the above turned out in the end.

Onto the main point of this post - here, have a collection of links to things I've read and watched and loved in this fandom so far, in a range of genres and pairings. Beneath the cut, as there's rather a lot, yay. Read and enjoyed something? Let your writer or vidder know! (Putting this together made me realise I've been really remiss on comments for vids I've loved recently, poor show.)

Fic:

First, two Yuletide stories I didn't get around to reccing pre-reveal:

That Shall Achieve The Sword by [livejournal.com profile] astolat
Merlin/Arthur, PG-13
Arthur had just started to get really irritated, as opposed to the low-grade and permanent Merlin-is-late-again irritation that somehow managed to be endearing -- and how exactly Merlin had managed that, Arthur would really have liked to know, mostly so he could work out how to use it on Uther.
-- this really does feel epic, a quality I will always seek out in this fandom. This packs in more than some stories three times its length do, and it plunges right into the heart of things. It gripped me tight and didn't let go - given the writer, I'm not surprised.

Buggre All This by [livejournal.com profile] oxoniensis
Merlin/Arthur, PG-13 with added NC-17 coda, bodyswap fic!
-- aaah, yes. This is long and perfectly satisfying, with a glorious Arthur voice. Also, bodyswap is a fic trope that always causes me unholy glee.

And now some other marvellous tales:

Beltane by [livejournal.com profile] astolat
Gen, PG
There is a story that is not told in Ealdor anymore, not for many years now, a story about Beltane Eve.
-- folklore and legend and myth and general win! \o/ This must be canon, surely.

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown by [livejournal.com profile] hackthis
Merlin/Arthur, PG, in which Arthur is turned into a baby dragon
-- this is so adorable (and hilariously in character) I can hardly stand it. Eeee!

Crooked Heart by [livejournal.com profile] shantirosa
Morgana/Merlin, R
Fate makes for difficult choices, and difficult goodbyes. Set in the not-so-distant future.
-- oh, Morgana. This is lovely, and a really nice take on an interesting pairing.

Quarter View by [livejournal.com profile] black_eyedgirl
Merlin/Arthur/Morgana/Gwen, R
It is different, now that there are four of them, and not only two.
-- the best extrapolation of this delightful OT4 I've read to date. Subtle, well-characterised and great.

You held the world by [livejournal.com profile] netgirl_y2k
Merlin/Arthur/Morgana/Gwen, PG
"Merlin, I order you to throw food at Morgana!"
-- *HEARTS* Ridiculously fun and bantery and adorable. :D

Destiny Revisited by [livejournal.com profile] lavvyan
Merlin/Arthur, John/Rodney, PG-13, fusion with SGA
They're both less innocent than they were a thousand years ago; less trusting, more broken. This time, Merlin is the one who gets called on his behaviour – and it's true, he thinks ruefully, he'd stopped bothering to learn the names of those around him long ago – and Arthur is the one who refuses to leave anyone behind. This time, Merlin is the one saying words like "idiot" and "moron," and Arthur has the stupid ears.
-- this should not work as fantastically well as it does. Perfect and fascinating and really, really cool.

August by [livejournal.com profile] rageprufrock
Merlin/Arthur, NC-17
Merlin looked uncertainly to Arthur. “Have you ever made bread?” he asked. / “How hard could it be?” Arthur said.
-- charming, engrossing, insightful, this is just a really satisfying story. Also, tree!

Vids:

It's Not Over Yet by [livejournal.com profile] charmax [Morgana/Nimueh]
-- good god this is magnificent - a really plausible, beautiful constructed reality about Nimueh's connection to and potential influence over Morgana that says a lot about their characters and the legend itself. Gorgeous.

If I Was Your Girl by [livejournal.com profile] danegen [Merlin/Arthur]
-- do not watch this in polite company, is all I'm saying. It only uses footage from the show, but well. Well. *grin*

Non Lievi Alchun by [livejournal.com profile] halcyon_shift [Morgana/Gwen]
-- stunning - the music and rhythm is wonderful and so suited to the show. Or, rather, the potential of the show, which [livejournal.com profile] halcyon_shift brings out with great style.

Every Fear You've Ever Faced by [livejournal.com profile] the_orange_nin [Merlin/Arthur]
-- so so pretty, with great parallels, editing, and a lovely song choice.

Ghost Of Myself by [livejournal.com profile] lee_fragilidad [Merlin/Arthur]
-- I actually see this as more gen or pre-slash, myself, given the way [livejournal.com profile] lee_fragilidad has lined up the clips with the lyrics. It perfectly sums up their dynamic on the show whilst also allowing lots of room for the additional reading so much of fandom is giving them. The movement in this is at times hypnotic and always a lot of fun.

eta: I almost forgot! To end, two videos that make my heart do this: ♥

The Dance by [livejournal.com profile] mamoru22 [Merlin/Arthur], and How Deep Is Your Love by [livejournal.com profile] la_esmeralda_ [Morgana/Gwen]
woldy: (Rita)

[personal profile] woldy 2009-01-06 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh hurrah, thanks for the recs! I was just thinking to myself yesterday that I needed some Merlin recs & here are some to cheer me up amidst the LJ panic.