San

20

[hylianane]

functionally suicidal character saying “I would die for you” to their significant other and its like. I get the sentiment, honey, but if a hot dog vendor told me he’d sell hot dogs for me, I wouldn’t feel very moved now would I

[thecryptkeeper]

the substance sisters

[bearsockz]

home cooked meal

[kirschechergrimm]

PRIVATE FILE.

Subject: Group known as Ateez

Classification: Maximum danger level — Black Code

Access: Restricted to senior-level personnel only. Disclosure strictly prohibited.

The group known as Ateez does not represent a collection of independent criminals, but rather a collective organism, capable of acting with abnormal, almost unnatural coordination.

Each of its members possesses specific abilities, apparently incompatible with one another, yet in the field these abilities merge into a perfectly synchronized unit.

Already dangerous as individuals, together they become a lethal and virtually indestructible force. Their capacity to anticipate the movements of others, adapt to any circumstance, and transform even one member’s weakness into another’s strength makes them comparable to a living chessboard.

Preliminary observation note: The internal dynamic of the group suggests that the subjects do not merely cooperate: they compensate for one another, complete one another, and amplify one another. Eliminating only one of them does not reduce the risk; on the contrary, it increases the danger posed by the others.

It is therefore imperative to consider Ateez as a single entity: a plural mind moving through eight bodies.

Prolonged close contact is strongly discouraged. The subjects do not merely observe; they tend to study and replicate the behaviors of those around them, creating a dangerous reversal of roles between observer and observed.

CLINICAL FILES

Hongjoong, The King

Name: Kim Hongjoong

Age: 25

Psychological profile: Extremely intelligent, with pronounced leadership abilities. Tends to manipulate the environment to his advantage. Calm, reflective, rarely impulsive. Shows no remorse for his actions.

Primary offense/s: Planned murders, executed with meticulous precision. Always at the center of the organization of the crimes, never on the front line without a strategy.

Risk: Maximum level. The entire group appears to orbit around him.

Clinical note: Defined as “King” because of his role as the central axis: vulnerable only if isolated.

Seonghwa, The Queen.

Name: Park Seonghwa

Age: 26

Psychological profile: Elegant, cold, controlled. Pronounced planning abilities and strong emotional influence over the others. Considered the most dangerous in terms of unpredictability.

Primary offense/s: Multiple murders carried out through varying methods; extremely adaptable.

Risk: Maximum level. He can strike from any position.

Clinical note: Nicknamed “Queen” for his ability to move in every direction: lethal and versatile.

Yeosang, The Bishop.

Name: Kang Yeosang

Age: 24

Psychological profile: Introverted, a silent observer. Gathers information and tends to study everyone around him. Often considered “invisible” until he strikes.

Primary offense/s: Targeted eliminations, carried out at a distance or with surgical precision.

Risk: Medium-high. Dangerous because he leaves neither traces nor obvious warning signs.

Clinical note: “Bishop” because he advances diagonally: he always acts from an unexpected angle.

Wooyoung, The Promoted Pawn.

Name: Jung Wooyoung

Age: 24

Psychological profile: Sarcastic, extroverted, apparently superficial. Uses irony and charm to destabilize. Beneath the jovial façade, he hides fierce determination.

Primary offense/s: Social and psychological manipulations culminating in targeted murders.

Risk: Medium, with extreme peaks. His ability to transform makes him unpredictable.

Clinical note: “Promoted Pawn” because, from an apparently weak element, he proves capable of overturning the entire game.

San, The White Rook.

Name: Choi San

Age: 25

Psychological profile: Charismatic, intensely emotional, unstable. Capable of forming strong bonds and manipulating them for his own purposes. Violent and sudden reactions.

Primary offense/s: Crimes of passion and bloody acts of revenge.

Risk: Very high. His impulsiveness makes him potentially explosive.

Clinical note: “Rook” because of his linear and devastating advance: once he decides to act, nothing stops him.

Jongho, The Black Rook.

Name: Choi Jongho

Age: 23

Psychological profile: Physically imposing, yet surprisingly lucid and rational. Disinclined to dialogue, but deeply reflective. Tends to react only when provoked.

Primary offense/s: Brutal executions, often linked to physical strength.

Risk: High. The combination of calm and strength makes him a formidable enemy.

Clinical note: “Rook II” because of his solidity and his ability to withstand impact without falling.

Yunho, The Black Knight

Name: Jeong Yunho

Age: 25

Psychological profile: Apparently kind, sociable, with an almost reassuring manner. However, his actions reveal an unpredictable and surprisingly calculating character.

Primary offense/s: Assaults and murders committed through non-linear methods, difficult to predict.

Risk: High. His unpredictability makes him particularly difficult to contain.

Clinical note: “Knight” because of his unexpected movements, never frontal, which confuse and destabilize.

Mingi, The White Knight

Name: Song Mingi

Age: 24

Psychological profile: Impulsive, apparently chaotic. Does not follow common logical patterns, yet is surprisingly gifted with intuition and unexpected cunning.

Primary offense/s: Brutal acts of violence, often sudden and without warning.

Risk: Very high. His unstable energy is difficult to contain.

Clinical note: “Knight II” because, like Yunho, he escapes the rules. His irregularity makes him even more dangerous.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE — “White and Black” Classification

For subjects belonging to the category of Doubles — Rooks and Knights — it was deemed necessary to introduce a chromatic distinction, intended to define not only the type of behavior, but also their level of danger and the way in which they manifest their impulses.

* Black Knight — Yunho: deceptive movement, insidious danger. Strikes from the shadows, exploiting trust and apparent empathy.

* White Knight — Mingi: irrational movement, but less calculated. His unpredictability is dictated by pure impulse, more chaotic than malicious.

* Black Rook — San: devastating, frontal, and uncontrollable advance. Maximum danger level, no mediation.

* White Rook — Jongho: stable and measured advance. He does not act without apparent cause, but once he decides to move, he becomes unstoppable.

Concluding note:

The color “Black” indicates targeted and conscious destructiveness, often aimed at dominance or manipulation.

The color “White” indicates instinctive and primitive force, no less dangerous, but at times less corrupted by intentionality.

GENERAL WARNINGS — Access to the ATEEZ Group

Recipients: Medical and psychological interns, prison guards and surveillance personnel, authorized members of the upper levels.

1. Never treat the subjects as isolated individuals.

Every action carried out by one member of the group must be interpreted as part of a broader strategy. The interconnection between the subjects is constant and invisible.

2. Avoid unauthorized physical contact.

Even an apparently harmless gesture — a handshake, accidental contact — may be exploited as psychological leverage or as an act of dominance.

3. Continuous surveillance.

Individual sessions must always be monitored from multiple observation points. Never trust what the camera does not show: the group is skilled at using blind spots.

4. Do not respond to verbal provocations.

The subjects constantly test the psychological resistance of those around them. Never engage in personal dialogue: even the smallest response can become a weapon against the operator.

5. Never reveal personal information.

Any private detail provided — age, family, studies, opinions — will be used against the operator. Do not underestimate their memory or their capacity to connect information.

6. Isolation is impossible.

Although they are detained separately, the group continues to maintain cohesion and mutual influence. Unknown methods of internal communication are suspected, but have not yet been explained.

7. Order from the upper levels:

In the event of anomalous behavior from the subjects, no low-level staff member is authorized to intervene on their own initiative. Every corrective action is reserved for the upper levels.

8. Ateez are not to be “corrected,” but contained.

PLOT

Aurora Brown is a fifth-year psychiatry student, brilliant to the point of being almost irritating to anyone observing her. She is not merely good: she is lucid, precise, capable of reading people far too quickly and using that reading to survive. She is beautiful in a composed, delicate way, almost fragile in appearance, but inside her there is something hard, contracted, a ferocious discipline that never allows her weakness.

Every year, her academy selects its best students and sends them to elite institutions for their final internship. Aurora is assigned to the most prestigious one of all: the Saint Orpheus Institute.

Publicly, it is known as an advanced clinical academy, but in reality, within its walls, it contains a maximum-security prison for extremely dangerous criminal and psychiatric subjects.

One doesn’t go there merely to learn. One goes there to be observed.

Those who endure, those who are promoted, those who earn the favor of their superiors, secure their careers. Publications, appointments, professorships, fame. But the price is entering a system where care, punishment, and experimentation resemble one another far too closely.

[ceruleanheaven]

brought nothing to the gun fight. whatever man

[hijkio]

Zuko

[cattoonxd]

Never give up without a fight

[vanyamire]

some quick morgana x gwen studies i did while experimenting with new brushes :]

[sabage101]

Guys go follow me on TikTok @sketchsoda nd insta @sketchs0da

I found the inspi for this art on Pinterest so I don’t know who the editor is, but if you do please let me know and I’ll tag them

[sabage101]

Guys go follow me on TikTok @sketchsoda nd insta @sketchs0da

I found the inspi for this art on Pinterest so I don’t know who the editor is, but if you do please let me know and I’ll tag them

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

[importantcatpics]

[drtanner]

The whole photo is gold but I especially like that the automated feeder is taped to the fucking floor.

[unfortunatelymerlin]

Here are five (+2...) Merthur fics that might be missed — especially by some newer fans — because they are not in the usual tags on A03. All are canon era.

~~~

Onfindan | Rated: M | 15,827 words

Arthur didn't speak to him for a week after he found out.

A fandom classic. It's unlikely you haven't read this yet, but just in case. A must read fic from a must-read author. Starts as an Arthur Finds Out fic, slides into a monster hunt, and ends with a hint at the start of the Golden Age. Tiny little E-rated epilogue here.

~~~

The Very Important Quest | Rated: E | 24,506 words

On a Very Important Quest, Arthur and Merlin share clothes, beds, bathwater and secrets.

Set in an alternative post s3. The perfect fic for me honestly. The dialogue is especially excellent.

~~~

You're a Mile Away and You Have Their Shoes | No rating | 22,103 words

Arthur sometimes wished he understood what was going on in Merlin's head. He just hadn't meant literally.

A spell causes Arthur and Merlin to switch lives — Merlin is the Prince, Arthur is the servant — and Arthur ends up with Merlin's magic. The magic helps Arthur to remember, but the world starts crumbling apart around them.

~~~

Little Thief | Rated: E | 30,984 words

When Leon's still suffering from the dragon's attack several months later, Merlin is anxious to help. Meanwhile Arthur goes hunting, Merlin dabbles in things that he shouldn't, and they find themselves on a quest with an unusual companion....

Great fun read, feels very like an (explicit) episode, with a Big Bad to defeat, quippy dialogue, and general shenanigans. There's also an equally good sequel that is well worth a read here.

~~~

These Castle Walls Bleed Lies | Rated: M | 12,132 words

With his father unfit to rule and Camelot decimated, Arthur must assume the role of King. But the truths he discovers shake the foundation of all he holds dear.

So much story packed into very few words. Best just to read this one, summaries don't do it justice.

[according2thelore]

20 fanfic author questions

i love things like this! thank you sm @seanwinchester for the tag!

1. How many works on AO3?

32! so since i started in january 2023 i've averaged about 1.23 fics a month, which is fun, because that's the month and year i started! (1 & 23)

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

386,336 😳

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

1. love potion no. 9 (811) 2. there's no such thing as a clean break, when your heart starts bleeding out (726) 3. and it's you that i want (671) 4. keep me in a daydream (662) 5. with hearts that are guilty, not remorseful (655)

4. What fandoms do you write for?

on here? just supernatural. but in the past, i've written for merlin, star trek, teen wolf, haikyuu, doctor who, MCU, free!, the witcher, mystic messenger (lmao), percy jackson, and i could continue forever.

5. Do you respond to comments?

i want to!!! so badly!!!! due to my current workload, i'm feeling so burnt out and busy that i've barely mustered up the energy to write anything legible (including fics). so the goal is soon!!!! i love comments, and reread them often. so i want to respond!

6. Angstiest Ending?

i fantasize to feel you like a bullet; it's the only explicitly unhappy ending that i have written, as i'm a sucker for an angst with a happy ending. although my habit of breaking hearts as soon as i have them is an ambiguous ending, it could be read as angsty.

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

uhhhhhh...a lot of them do... love potion no. 9? it's you i hold onto? keep me in a daydream? and it's you that i want? we didn't get it right, but love we did our best? house song? wait for tomorrow? i still need you, but what's that gonna do?

8. Do you get hate?

not really! i've been really lucky! early on, charlotte and i got a few messages from destiel-centric accounts that were being mean (my favourite was someone calling us "hags," very bog-coded). recently i think someone was subtweeting us (sub-blogging us?) and being exceptionally rude, but they didn't mention names, so 🤷 oh well!

9. Do you write smut?

hell yeah; 11 of 32 are rated Explicit; 33.4% so basically a third of all of my fics! big smut fan, me.

10. Do you write crossovers?

i'm open to it, but i never have!

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

gosh i wish 😔 what a compliment!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

i have not! and i honestly don't know if i'd be a very good co-writer. my way of writing is a little peculiar, and i like things a certain way. but i'm absolutely open to the experience! i love the community co-writing of things like the ES/LS verse that we've done, same with ageswap & adam verses! so i think it would be fun & pray i don't drive my co-writer crazy.

14. All time favourite ship?

ALL TIME?!?! ...merthur, but these incest brothers come CLOSE

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i wrote a 7.2k truth spell fic that i wasn't happy with, so i don't think i'll ever finish it. if you all ever want an excerpt or something, let me know! i have a million others, but off the top of my dome, i wrote a few paragraphs of soulless!sam deciding to kill cas because he's in love with dean, and it would "distract" dean from the task at hand. but it's really hard to write from soulless POV, because i'm such a feelings-forward writer that for someone to have nothing to feel kinda stumped me.

16. Writing strengths?

hmm i think i'm good at a Yearn. i love a dramatic confrontation, but i think i'm best at those quiet moments of introspection/yearning.

17. Writing Weaknesses?

action/fight scenes. it always ends up "he punches...he moves...he jumps..."

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

sure! although it does drive me a little nuts when there's not a translation at the bottom in the notes, or easily highlightable, so i can move the mixed lines into a translate window. i read a fic recently where one of the two main characters/all of his group could only speak a central european language (vague for anonymity), and all of the c. european bits were underlined like a hyperlink which sent you right back to the top of the fic, so trying to highlight the passages and figure out dialogue was very difficult.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

if we're talking FIRST-first, then high school musical when i was seven years old. if we're talking first knowledge that what i was doing was fanfiction, then percy jackson and the olympians.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

favourite EVER? i've gotta go "house song," just because how proud i am of it. i worked really hard, and i think it comes across. i really love a lot of my fics, though, and am really proud of them!

tagging: @majordemonblockpartyy @sixtysevenautomatic @incesthemes @fictionallemons

no pressure to do this, as always! thanks again for the tag--i always think these are so fun, and i had a good time filling it out! <3

-lizzy

[closetsof-backlogged-dreams]

merthur fic recs: sof's masterlist

(inspired and encouraged by the ever-lovely @dreamingthroughtokyoskies <33 ilysm babes)

hello, there! these are fifteen fics that i've collected over the years as my favorite merthur fics of all time. they come in all sorts of genres and lengths and vibes, so buckle up!!

Sorcerers & Knights, and their long-lost Prince by DracoWillHearAboutThis [30k, 9/9]

"Can't you watch where you're going?!" Arthur snapped. 

"You ran into me!" the other man exclaimed, incredulous, and Arthur stilled because he knew that voice. And that accent.

He looked up and found himself face to face with a flushed, indignant Merlin Emrys, tour shirt drenched with coffee. Bloody hell.

"That shirt is Dior," was all that came out of Arthur's mouth, without his permission, and the singer's face hardened.

"Well, bugger for you," Merlin snapped. "Might have to wear off the rack, for a change, like the rest of us. Maybe the money you saved with that could go to your precious charity."

Arthur blinked, the blow of the other man's words not even hitting him before he heard Gwen Smith shriek from down the corridor.

"Merlin! You can't say that to the Prince of Wales, oh my God!"

Merlin is the lead singer of the popular British band called Sorcerers & Knights. Arthur is the Prince of Wales. Their paths cross and destiny unfolds.

fellow merthur/rwrb fans rejoice, this is practically a rwrb AU! except Merlin is the lead singer of a rock band, Sorcerers & Knights, and Arthur is the prince of Wales. the romance between the two of them is so insanely sweet, and i love all the outside commentary from the rest of the cast:)) i also recommend literally anything else by DracoWillHearAboutThis !!

Caesura by StormDancer [52k, 1/1]

Merlin is a writing prodigy with the world's most angsty case of writer's block; Arthur is an overachieving Econ major struggling to escape his father's shadow. Together, they fight crime!

Well, no, they don't. But they do fall in love.

College AU where Merlin is an undiagnosed unmedicated ADHD anonymous prodigy author who takes a course on his own work, meets Arthur, a fan, and they fall in love?? omg. on another note, Merlin's characterization in this fic is INSANE! he's giving deranged thought daughter and im obsessed

all ye faithful by schweet_heart [26k, 1/1]

After an eight and a half year absence, Arthur returns to his father’s house for Christmas, determined to find some closure and finally let go of the past. Merlin, as ever, gives him a reason to hold on.

wow. this fic. there's just so many good things to say about it, but i'll start with the beautiful depiction of parental abuse. Uther isn't physical, and he never does anything too obviously harmful, but it's the little things he says and the overall toxicity of his presence. and then the way he acts with Mordred, Morgana's son, while Arthur watches and wonders why his father never treated him like that?? it's brilliant. absolutely brilliant. the whole fic is a small town AU where Merlin and Arthur were together in secret and broke up as teenagers, and meet again when Arthur comes home. everything about this fic, from the breaking-up-and-making-up to the beautiful depiction of abuse, is so amazing.

Of Lemon Drops and Lizard-Cats by supercalvin [26k, 2/2]

When Inspector Arthur Pendragon went into work that morning he didn’t expect to get on the bad side of an attractive paramedic whose dessert-related insults were surprisingly scathing. Then the same man turned up at the police station, with a clever glint in his eye and his daughter in his arms.

When Merlin Emrys became a single father he made one simple rule: he wouldn’t date until Aithusa was old enough to understand. Merlin had always had his hands full with his daughter and never had a problem with this rule until Arthur stepped into his life. Then everyone he knew started conspiring against him.

single dad paramedic Merlin?? smitten detective Arthur?? mutual pining but self-forbidden romance?? it's amazing. and the domesticity of this fic... let's just say i finished it and couldn't stop thinking about families for the next week. the outside commentary from the rest of the cast in the department is top tier, and Aithusa as Merlin's daughter is the absolute cutest thing

wanna be your end game (my youth is yours) by ladililn [63k, series]

Merlin grows up in Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately, so does Arthur.

this fic is actually a series, and it's genuinely so adorable i have no words. them?? growing up together?? badgering and arguing and teasing?? but truly being there for one another, always, when it came down to it?? elite. the absolute greatest. and their completely oblivious mutual pining never fails to make me giggle <3

after the storm (are you leaving) by Imagined, Scarlet_Ribbons [60k, 6/6]

“Gorwin is my King,” Merlin says, golden eyes fixed flatly on Arthur. “And I work for him. That’s what it says.”

“That’s what what says?” Arthur all but roars, wishing he had a sword just so that he could swing it at something. He needs to let all of this anger at something, anything, he’s just not sure at what and he doesn’t really care anymore.

“The treaty you signed."

Or:

Arthur lends Merlin's aid as a sorcerer to an allied kingdom. He doesn't expect to find Merlin, two years later, in shackles, and only a mere echo of the person he used to be.

this fic is beyond devastating. a warning that it is extremely dark, with a lot of addiction and (non-sexual) slavery. overall, though, it's so beautiful. the way that Arthur forces himself to allow Merlin to leave, and then finds him absolutely destroyed?? then stands by his side through all of it and never gives up on him?? such a beautiful fic, as well as everything else written by these two authors

secrets i have held in my heart by arthur_pendragon [20k, 8/8]

Merlin carves himself into Arthur’s soul while the song of summer trails behind them in the sultry air; while the trees haggle with the sun over the price of autumn — separation. Arthur will forever remember this week in which he obtained his heart’s desire and had it ripped away from him.

wow ok so i'm really not exaggerating when i say this is the best fic i've ever read in my life—it's so heart-stoppingly beautiful and painful and the writing is gorgeous and genuinely i don't even know how to communicate how good this fic is. it's friends-with-benefits but also secret-mutual-pining and angsty and hurtful and ahhhh. so so so good.

Next to You (It's the Rule) by LunaMyLove [62k, 8/8]

Arthur and Merlin have a special relationship. They always have, even when they were prince and servant. While many question it when first noticing, eventually it becomes an understanding in Camelot—and even among some other countries—that where there is Arthur, there is Merlin. And, where there is Merlin, there is Arthur.

Or

Arthur and Merlin's relationship as witnessed and explained by others.

Also, or

Five times someone realizes that Merlin is the Queen, one time Merlin realizes it himself, and one time he owns it.

this is one of the funniest fics i've ever read! if you're familiar, it's very reminiscent of CaffeinatedFlumadiddle's writing. Merlin and Arthur's relationship is hilarious, very mischievous-cat and cat-owner. i also adore Mordred in this fic—he's so squishy and adorable idkidk

since we're alone, you can show me your heart by isolationqueen [7k, 1/1]

Going on a month long road trip though Europe with Arthur is probably a terrible idea. Only, Merlin has never been able to say no to Arthur.

modern road trip AU my beloved!! ughh i love the bitchy pining in this fic, and how protective and jealous Arthur gets. just them going from club to club in all these different places.... so good!! always recommend <3

More than I bargained for by follow_your_fire [27k, 3/3]

Arthur's had enough of hearing about Merlin's unsurpassed bedroom skills from his friends.

There's no way Merlin is better than him, is there?

Well, only one way to find out.

this one is for my porn-with-plot girlies!! Arthur being gay for Merlin is the funniest thing ever, and watching him be so bewildered and confused the entire fic but covering it up so that Merlin doesn't suspect a thing is top tier. and then Merlin being soft?? and loving?? and fluffy?? and then Arthur just doesn't know what to do..... SO GOOD!!

A Collapsing Star With Tunnel Vision by objectlesson [8k, 1/1]

“Perhaps we are doing her a favor then,” he says, pausing to chew the inside of his cheek before adding in a measured, careful voice. “I wouldn’t want to live without my love, either.”

Arthur whips around in the saddle to stare at him, eyes hard and dark, like the storm clouds building on the distant horizon. “What love? You haven’t got a love,” he snaps, like he’s the sole keeper of all Merlin’s secrets.

'Arthur acting different with Merlin alone than he does with the knights' my beloved!! this fic is so poetic and beautiful, with Arthur being ugly and mean but so in love and Merlin is equally so ahhhhh. so insanely good. lots of monster hunting and metaphorical discussions. im obsessed with this fic you don't even understand

Nicest Thing by idlestories [19k, 1/1]

Arthur has been best friends with Merlin since they were eleven, and in love with him since they were sixteen and he realised what that was. Too afraid to risk the friendship, he's resigned himself to never telling him how he feels.

Now, high school has just ended, it's their last summer together before university, and Arthur? Arthur is just trying not to think about it.

Featuring: loneliness, pining, drunk Merlin, driving lessons, and more than a few poorly-executed teen movie clichés. Covers June-December the year they start university.

this fic is so criminally underrated it makes me homicidal. one of my top three favorite fics of all time, do you understand me? it's so. it's so good. the pining?? the yearning?? the split as they go to different unis?? the summery poeticism of the writing?? i'll never get over this fic. i think about it every day. amazing.

time, mystical time by andiwriteordie [17k, 1/1]

Finally, the man tears his gaze away and meets Arthur’s eyes once more. “I seek the aid of your Camelot,” he says, but his voice sounds more hesitant now, as if he’s had to change his response for some strange reason.

Merlin can’t help but believe that reason is him.

“As for who I am,” the man says with a bit of a chuckle, and he glances around the room again at familiar faces, at his friends. “I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot.”

Or:

When a mysterious stranger shows up to Camelot claiming to be Arthur from the future and seeking help for his sick consort, Merlin learns some things about himself, about Arthur, and about a future he never dreamed was possible.

Arthur from the future time travels back in time to find Merlin, the only person powerful enough to save his cursed consort, an older Merlin?? i physically cannot. this fic is so good. shows two sides of the same coin (ha): Merlin and Arthur, established with Merlin's magic out and proud, and then Merlin and Arthur, unestablished and Merlin's magic still a careful secret. and Morgana in this fic is elite!! she's absolutely hilarious and completely done with merthur's bullshit

For Want of a Nail by 0hHeyThereBigBadWolf [235k, 44/44]

Fleeing from Essetir in the bloody beginnings of the Purge, Hunith finds herself on the doorstep of old friends. That's all it takes to untangle the skeins of destiny and weave a new tapestry.

long fic alert!! but oh my god i love this fic. Leon being Merlin's older brother?? elite. Arthur and Merlin going through angsty mutual pining?? top tier. and then later on, this fic features probably my favorite OC of all time: Bellegere, Arthur's cousin and Agravaine's daughter. i love her so much and you can pry her out of my cold dead fingers. just such a good fic!!

what is this feeling by redkay [13k, 1/1]

“Get out of my sight, and don’t come back until you can prove to me why I should allow you to remain in my service.”

Merlin stares at Arthur, confused. His tone was ominous, and it certainly sounded like a threat, but Merlin can’t quite work out what part is supposed to have him shaking in his boots. He’s halfway back to Gauis’ chambers when it dawns on him: Arthur actually thinks this stupid, degrading job is something he would be willing to fight for - as though Merlin’s life wouldn’t be complete without the honor of scrubbing the sheets Arthur manages to soil on a disturbingly regular basis.

In which it takes Merlin a bit longer to warm up to Arthur than it does in canon, but he gets there in the end.

we deserve more of Merlin being genuinely bitchy and pissy at Arthur!! the show really did make him Arthur's #1 fangirl wayyy too quickly, but this fic fixes that right up. it's so funny, but so heart-touching at the same time. a classic <3

wow, this list is so long overdue it's insane, but i think this was the right time to finally put it out there. i hope you like these fics!!

[godmerlin]

Merlin 4x13 The Sword in the Stone: Part 2

[dinah-lance]

Barbara Gordon in Shadow War Zone #001 (2022) art by Otto Schmidt