THE PREFACE. HOMOPHOBIC, TRANSPHOBIC, MISOGYNSTIC, RACIST, ANTISEMITIC, AND SO FORTH RHETORIC WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, NOR WILL ROLEPLAYED AND ROMANTICIZED THEMES OF RAPE, INCEST, OR PEDOPHILIA. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU BE KIND AND RESPECTFUL OUT OF CHARACTER. WE'RE ALL HERE TO WRITE, TO PLAY BARBIE'S DREAMHOUSE, AND TO HAVE FUN! FREE PALESTINE.
FORMATTING. IF MY FORMATTING ISN'T ACCESSIBLE, WHETHER IT BE UNREADABLE TO YOUR SCREEN READER OR SIMPLY A STRAIN ON YOUR EYES, I WILL ABSOLUTELY ACCOMODATE YOU BY MATCHING YOUR FORMATTING. I'M LIKELY TO MATCH YOUR FORMATTING REGARDLESS FOR COHESION.
WRITING, INTERACTIONS, ETC. THERE ARE NO "DEADLINES" FOR IN CHARACTER INTERACTIONS. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU RECIPROCATE INTEREST: IF WE'VE BEEN MUTUALS FOR TWO MONTHS AND YOU HAVEN'T INTERACTED WITH ANY OF MY POSTS, I WILL (SOFT)BLOCK, BUT KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOMED TO REFOLLOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO TRY AGAIN! I'M ALSO PRONE TO (HYPER)FIXATING ON CERTAIN THREADS. PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY IF I HAPPEN TO REPLY TO OUR THREAD A BIT SLOWER THAN OTHERS: IT'S NOT AT ALL AN IMPLICATION OF HOW MUCH I WANT TO WRTE WITH YOU. IF I FOLLOW YOU, I WANT TO WRITE WITH YOU!
WRITING ROMANCE, NSFW THEMES, ETC. I WILL SHIP WITH UP TO THREE OR SO PORTRAYALS OF A CHARACTER UNLESS SHIP EXCLUSIVITY IS DENOTED. MUN AND MUSE CHEMISTRY IS A MUST FOR SHIPPING, BUT I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO DISCUSS! NSFW WILL BE TAGGED ACCORDINGLY OR WRITTEN ON DISCORD.
MISCELLANEOUS RULES. MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. DISINTERESTED IN DRAMA, CAN AND WILL CURATE MY OWN SPACE. (SOFT)BLOCK TO UNFOLLOW. REBLOG FROM THE SOURCE IF POSSIBLE SIMPLY TO KEEP MY NOTIFICATIONS CLEAN. I WILL NOT FOLLOW BLOGS THAT FEATURE HARRY POTTER.
THE POSTFACE. I'M SOL(EIL)! I'M TWENTY FIVE, USE THEY AND SHE PRONOUNS, AND AM IN THE EASTERN TIMEZONE. MY DISCORD IS AVAILABLE TO MUTUALS FOR BOTH CHATTING AND FOR WRITING.
DOSSIER, HISTORY, STATISTICS.
NAME AT BIRTH. Enora.
CHOSEN NAME. Lancelot du Lac / Lancelot y Llyn.
TITLE. Knight / The Lord(ling) of the lake / The Prince of Benoic.
GENDER. Knight. [ trans masculine. ]
DATE OF BIRTH. Twenty first day of April.
AGE. Portrayed primarily in early twenties — early thirties.
HEIGHT. Six feet tall.
PHYSIQUE. Muscled and fine.
HAIR. Auburn brunet, lighter in the summer and darker in the winter, and curled.
EYES. A silver gray that reflects colors of cloth and environment, almond shaped and beset with long eyelashes.
MOTHER. Queen (H)elaine of Benoic.
FOSTER MOTHER. The Lady of the Lake.
FATHER. King Ban of Benoic.
CHILDREN. Galahad, others verse dependent.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION. Bisexual.
SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Verse dependent: Often Arthur and Guinevere or Galehaut.
THE BIRTH CHILD OF KING BAN AND QUEEN (H)ELAINE OF BENOIC AND THE CHOSEN CHILD OF THE LADY OF THE LAKE, LANCELOT WAS REARED FROM SIX MONTHS ON IN THE FAIRY REALM THE ISLE OF MAIDENS BY THE LADY OF THE LAKE AND A HOST OF WOMEN — AND A MAN TUTOR FOR A TIME, ONCE HE EXPRESSED TO HIS LADY MOTHER HIS DESIRE FOR AND TENDENCY TOWARD MASCULINITY — FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, ONLY DEPARTING FROM THE REALM AT THE END OF HIS EIGHTEENTH YEAR TO BECOME A KNIGHT OF KING ARTHUR, WHO HE ADMIRED SO. EAGER TO PLEASE HIS MOTHER AND THE KING AND THE QUEEN AS WELL AS FOOLISH AND EAGER TO PROVE HIMSELF, LACENLOT WELCOMES CHALLENGES OFTEN DIFFICULT AND OUT OF HIS DEPTHS THOUGH MANAGES THROUGH A FOOL'S LUCK AND A BORN KNIGHT'S PROWESS.
Per the Vulgate Cycle, Lancelot was raised by the Lady of the Lake in the fairy realm the Isle of Maidens, wherein there were no men upon Lancelot's arrival in infancy. Even the Knights described were, in fact, women. Thus, Lancelot was raised almost exclusively by women. Much of Lancelot's bravado, then, is both in an attempt to prove himself, for he is truly at times arrogant and foolhardy, and to please those he loves as well as simple posturing of masculinity that Lancelot, for the years before Lionel, Bors, Pharian and Pharian's sons, and Lambegue were welcomed into the realm, knew little of.
Although both beautiful and handsome, Lancelot harbors insecurity as per The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Lancelot also harbors love for both King Arthur and Queen Guinevere as per the aforementioned collection.
CONCERNING LANCELOT'S CAPTIVITY AND GALAHAD'S CONCEPTION.
Lancelot is held captive, once again, not only by Morgan le Fay but by the Queen of Sorestan and Queen Sedile as well. Perhaps Queen Sorestan and Queen Sedile are interested in Lancelot romantically, but Morgan is decidedly not: She's interested in holding Lancelot hostage merely to once again provoke Arthur, and perhaps Guinevere as well, by holding captive one of Arthur's closest confidantes and greatest Knights. Morgan does, in fact, recognize Lancelot, then. Lancelot is, initially, treated well in Cart Castle at the behest of Queen Sorestan and Queen Sedile. Once Lancelot refuses both Queen Sorestan and Queen Sedile, however, Morgan le Fay is allowed to do with Lancelot what she wishes, and what she wishes is to torment him. For forty days and forty nights, then, Lancelot is tormented by Hells conjured by the Enchantress until the late Duke of Rocedon's daughter, also a captive of Queen Sorestan, rescues him, under the condition that he participate in a tournament to annul the arranged engagement she's been forced into by Queen Sorestan. Lancelot participates in the tournament, and it's after the tournament that Lancelot is lodged by a Lady and a Lord and promised, by the Lady, to be taken to Corbenic Castle where there resides "the most beautiful creature."
"Then Lancelot turned around and saw an armed knight approaching with a beautiful lady. They greeted him as they came near. But Lancelot was very afraid of being recognized, so he replied in a low voice, "May God be with you."
"Good sir," asked the lady, "who are you?"
"I’m a knight, as you can see."
"So help me God," she said, "you appear to me to be a knight such as has no equal in this world: I’ve heard it said and seen it too, so I beg you by whatever you most cherish in this world to come today and take lodging with me in a nearby castle of mine, on the promise that tomorrow I’ll show you the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen.""
"The most beautiful creature" is confirmed, in a later passage, to be Elaine of Corbenic. It's whilst riding to Corbenic that Lancelot and the Lady encounter a Maiden, who states that, upon being told that the Lady is escorting Lancelot to Corbenic, "Then truly, my Lady, you have no love for him, for in God's name you're taking him to a place he cannot leave without shame and injury." The Maiden, too, is likely speaking of Elaine of Corbenic and Elaine's father King Pelles. Although Lancelot takes care not to be recognized, it's possible that the Lady had, in fact, recognized Lancelot, as had the Maiden. Once in Corbenic, and after rescuing Elaine of Corbenic from a boiling bath and lifting the tombstone etched with, "This tombstone will not be lifted until the LEOPARD, FROM WHOM IS TO DESCEND THE GREAT LION, PUTS AHAND TO IT, AND HE WILL LIFT IT EASILY, AND AFTERWARDS THE GREAT LION WILL BE BEGOTTEN IN THE BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER OF the King of the Land Beyond," Lancelot is taken to an audience with King Pelles, who tells Lancelot that he, or a child begotten by him, "will deliver this land from the strange adventures that occur here day and night."
As mentioned, it's likely that the Lady who had escorted Lancelot to Corbenic and the Maiden who they encountered enroute recognized Lancelot as the Knight the King of Corbenic likely spoke often of to Corbenic's subjects. The Lady leads Lancelot to fulfill the prophecy, while the Maiden frets for him, appearing to know of the treachery that lies ahead and will befall Lancelot.
From henceforth, please proceed with caution, as themes of rape, sexual assault, and pregnancy, particularly one that is unwanted, will be mentioned, not in explicit detail but not minimized nor defanged.
King Pelles orders that Lancelot must lie with Elaine to beget the child who "will deliver this land from the strange adventures that occur here day and night," and that what must be done will be done in order for it to happen. I do believe that Galahad's birth was truly prophesized by King Pelles, but I do also believe that the inscription on the tombstone was fabricated. Why, after all, would it be noted that the Maiden Lancelot and the Lady encounter enroute considers Corbenic "a place that [Lancelot] cannot leave without shame and injury" if the prophesy etched into the tombstone were the truth? Perhaps the Maiden was referring to the Dragon that laid beneath the tomb that would surely have slain a lesser Knight, but, again, were the inscription the truth, only "Leopard" would be able to lift the stone. Perhaps the Maiden was referring to Lancelot's potential inability to lift the stone, then, but why would that inability bring "shame and injury?"
Regardless, considering what Elaine, as well as King Pelles and Dame Brisane, subject Lancelot to, I don't believe that Elaine was required to fulfill the prophecy but only Lancelot was required to beget the child. And it's likely that Elaine a willing participant in the scheme: "[...] he came to the bed and lay down in it with the maiden, thinking she was the queen. And she, who wanted nothing so much as to possess the man who was the light of earthly chivalry, welcomed him happily and joyfully." Interestingly, a line later in the passage seems to contradict the aforementioned line: "she did it not so much for his beauty or from lust or bodily desire, but so as to receive the fruit that would restore that entire land to its original beauty." Perhaps Elaine was persuaded by her father and her tutor into partaking, but with what the source material provides us with, which includes Elaine assaulting Lancelot for a second time in a separate instance, my sympathies lie entirely with Lancelot.
Here is where the situation differs from canon, however; Lancelot, in my portrayal, in unable to impregnant Elaine naturally. King Pelles, Elaine, nor Dame Brisane would be aware of that initially but would, unfortunately, adjust accordingly. Therefore, one of two situations could occur:
The first alternative is that Galahad was conceived through magical means: a potion of Lancelot's essence, be it hair or saliva, consumed by Elaine, thus impregnating her, however she acts as a surrogate and Galahad is of Lancelot's biology and Lancelot's only, or of Lancelot's and Guinevere's. I cannot stress enough that such an act is still an assault on and a rape of Lancelot and Lancelot's person. I also cannot stress enough that Elaine still assaults Lancelot under the guise of Guinevere for the second time, as I will not sanitize and remove that from Lancelot's character. Women can be perpetrators, too, and Elaine is plainly presented as such in canon.
The second alternative is that Elaine does not take the form of Guinevere but Elaine, or perhaps King Pelles or a Knight of the court, takes the form of Galehaut or Arthur. I'll address Galehaut first: Galehaut is dead by the time Lancelot arrives in Corbenic, but note the conditions Lancelot was subjected to before coming to Corbenic in my portrayal, and note the potion Lancelot is poisoned by: "He took the cup and emptied it and found the potion sweet and good; [...] Then he became more animated and talkative than usual; [...] She looked at him and saw that he was completely transformed: he did not know where he was or how he had come there; he truly thought he was in the city of Camelot." Lancelot is not at all lucid and is still grieving Galehaut, who died needlessly and believing a lie. If Lancelot were told that Galehaut is alive and "two leagues away," Lancelot would go. If Lancelot saw who he believed to be Galehaut, Lancelot would lie with him and, being poisoned, would not question how Galehaut was alive. Galahad's name, then, could instead be an homage to Galehaut, who are often already, and mistakenly, conflated in modern times. And, like Galehaut, Galahad, too, is exonerated as exemplary of greatness.
With Arthur, I believe Lancelot was involved romantically with both Guinevere and Arthur, and therefore Lancelot would react similarly — joyfully — upon hearing the news that the King is two leagues away as he does to news that the Queen is two leagues away and would, therefore, also lie with the King, whether bespelled or not. Galahad's birth and success were prophesized as well by Merlin, Arthur's mentor, to Uther, Arthur's biological father. Galahad's birth also resembles Arthur's: Arthur, too, was conceived by the deception of Uther disguised, and disguised by Merlin, as Igraine's husband, Gorlois. And finally, Galahad unfortunately follows in the footsteps of Arthur's sons: dying young and childless.
( Though Arthur is considered the child of Uther despite having been conceived whilst Uther was disguised as Gorlois, I would consider Galahad to be the child of either Arthur or Galehaut, despite Arthur nor Galehaut having truly begotten Galahad, as well as Lancelot. Both Arthur and Galehaut, coupled with Lancelot, would provide "fine parentage" to Galahad, after all, therefore their biology would be taken into account. Or, again, Galahad is simply Lancelot's biological child and Lancelot's biological child only. )
If we were to say that Galahad was sired by a magical duplicate of Galehaut or Arthur, then, Lancelot would be the one to carry and birth Galahad. It isn't after Lancelot is assaulted by Elaine, possibly for the second time, that Lancelot flees Camelot, then, but it's once he realizes he's with child that he flees Camelot. ( And it should be noted that Guinevere does not banish Lancelot from Camelot, but Lancelot, ashamed, banished himself. ) Similarly to how he cannot bring himself to kill Elaine once he's informed she may be with child, he cannot bring himself to terminate the pregnancy. He returns to the Isle of Maidens, then, and to his Lady Mother, but stays only long enough for Galahad to be born, leaving the child in Nimue's care.
Regardless, Lancelot flees Camelot, entirely mad, after learning of Galahad's conception, whether carried by himself or Elaine. He is not cured of his madness by Elaine, nor does he ever live with, become romantically involved with, or marry Elaine.
After Galahad's conception, Lancelot is a changed man, and perhaps that contributes to Modred's machinations and the fall of Camelot.
Lancelot doesn't become a knight at fifteen, but Lancelot is separated from the Lady of the Lake at fifteen. Whilst out riding, Lancelot is captured by an ally and magician of King Claudas, who casts a spell upon Lancelot that prevents him from returning to the Isle of the Maidens and will cause grievous injury, and eventual death if not separated, to whom is sought and seen by the other. If Lancelot seeks and sees the Lady of the Lake, then, the Lady will deteriorate in health until she perishes or Lancelot leaves. If the Lady seeks and sees Lancelot, Lancelot will deteriorate in health until he perishes or the Lady leaves, meaning that the Lady, as powerful as she may be, could not dispel the magic cast upon Lancelot. Lancelot is told so by the Magician and therefore doesn't seek out his Lady Mother. Lancelot slays the Magician and, upon realizing that the Magician's death wasn't also the death of the spell, wanders the lands of Gaul, and then crosses into Logres to become a Knight of King Arthur's Court at the end of his eighteen year, both believing that Knighthood will further enable him to find a cure and also simply wanting to become a Knight, interested and infatuated with Knighthood and perhaps the King as well. However Lancelot fails miserably at jousting, duelling, hunting, and so forth, Lancelot captures the King's attention and thus becomes Arthur's squire who is later knighted by Guinevere or is knighted upon entry into the Court by Arthur.
Once in Logres, Lancelot is contacted by the Lady of the Lake by messengers and thus is able to correspond with his Lady Mother via word of mouth and messages. Shortly into Knighthood, much like how Lancelot ends the spell upon the Dolorous Gard, Lancelot, too, dispels the curse placed 'pon him, and it's likely through King Claudas's death that the curse is lifted.
THE "ARGUMENT" FOR TRANS LANCELOT: PART ONE OF TWO.
"[ ... ] And his chest was such that one so broad and full and well developed could not be found in any other body. No one could have found fault with any part of him, but people who saw him did agree that, if his chest had been a bit less fully developed, he would have been that much more attractive and appealing. The worthy Queen Guinevere [ ... ] said that God had not given him a chest in any way too big or deep or expansive, for it suited his great heart, which would have burst had it not been lodged in a large enough enclosure." — The Vulgate Cycle, page nineteen.
The key word is developed, suggesting to me not the broadness of one's chest and pectorals but the development of one's breasts, which, as such, would "detract" from and be "at odds" with Lancelot's masculinity and handsomeness per the time period.
Lancelot is also deeply upset and concerned by the thought of his identity at birth being disclosed to others, as is detailed on page eighty of The Vulgate Cycle:
"He looked up at the damsel whom his Lady had sent, who had just seen the name as clearly as he had.
"What did you see?" she said.
"Nothing,” he said.
"No, it was something," she said. "Tell me what it was."
"Don’t, please!" he said.
"Do, please!" she answered. "I saw just what you saw."
And she whispered it in his ear, which upset him and made him beg her to say nothing about it to anyone.
"I won’t," she said. "Have no fear.""
THE "ARGUMENT" FOR TRANS LANCELOT: PART TWO OF TWO.
Because I said so.
None of the above "arguments" truly mean anything — physical characteristics especially mean and determine nothing — nor are they truly "arguments" because an explanation for my choice isn't necessary: They're simply tidbits I thought interesting enough to draw upon and establish a personal interpretation of the character from, and others agree.
Whether man, woman, both, neither, an identity in between or an identity entirely different, it matters not to Lancelot. Refer to him however you'd like — most would say he is a man due to knighthood being associated with masculinity and he would agree that he is more man than he is woman, not for the fact that he's a knight but simply because he typically identifies slightly more with masculinity than he does with femininity — but Lancelot is a knight above all else and that is how he would describe himself. Take care not to undermine his status as a knight, whether you call him Sir Knight or Lady Knight, and all will be well.
