aeroport_art | weekly round-up 13

First, a poll:

Should the Weekly Round-Up be numbered into editions/issues?
a) Yes, it'd be nice or helpful
b) No, it's good the way it is
c) no opinion

Apparently I'm retarded when it comes to making a real poll, so a reply in the comments would be greatly appreciated :P I'm mainly asking because I need better subject lines than just "arthur/merlin recs".

As for this week's round-up, sorry to inundate you guys so thoroughly! I was playing catch-up (which also explains why last week's round-up was as paltry as it was). God this took me all day to write up and code, but BRING IT ON. I will never complain about having too much quality Arthur/Merlin.

This week features a lot of fairytales and novellas. Dig in!!

Weekly Round-Up
Titles in bold are extra-recommended ♥

art by

steam_pilot (art)
Summary: Illustrations. Rated G.
Notes: These are all great, full of personality, but don't miss the last one of Merlin carrying pie. PIE. So cute it hurts.

A Very Serious Business Story by

syllic (PG-13, 9k)
Summary: Arthur/Merlin and subtle Morgana/Gwen. Crossover with The Babysitters Club (AND NO YOU DID NOT MISREAD THAT). Kristy gets one more request to babysit in Hawaii and she brings along an entourage (including the Merlin cast).
Notes: Cracky--though not as much as you'd think--but OH GOD, THE NOSTALGIA. If you've read the BSC books, the easter eggs will totally delight you. There's great throwbacks to Merlin, too, like:

Mrs. Kanan had come into their hallway at 7am before her morning run and shouted, “PENDRAGON!” in the hallway.

HA HA. You'll get little gems like that throughout, and as for the Arthur/Merlin (which is what we're all really here for), the author doesn't skimp. This comes with a healthy dose of angsty!boys from the fresh perspective of an objective narrator, Kristy. Basically, if you're familiar with the BSC then YOU MUST READ THIS. Otherwise, it's still a warm, fun story that's worth checking out.

The Little Things by

smokey2307 (R, 5k)
Summary: Bradley/Colin RPS. The boys are fucking but Colin is elusive and distant. Bradley does not like.
Notes: Angst party!!! I'll get the popcorn. No seriously--as a fan of angst, I was positively rolling around with glee, reading this. Jealousy, miscommunications, the whole nine yards. And if the characterization is a little more brash and emo than strictly believable, it's a negligible complaint because you'll be torn to pieces seeing the boys struggle with their relationship (and don't worry, you'll be duly patched up by the end).

A Smile is its Sword by

nahara (PG-13, 4k)
Summary: Merlin attempts to flirt with various girls, but for some inexplicable reason they've all turned tail and fled. Hint: Arthur was not happy about it.
Notes: There are no words for how much I adored this. It's chock-full of my favorite characterizations--angsty!Arthur, and clueless!Merlin. The dialogue is easy and believable, and god, Arthur slays me in this. As for why the bolded title? I dunno, it's just a really flawless piece. It's got its plot under control, the boys are so lovable, and the squishy feelings are inescapable.

nahara is fast becoming one of my favorite new Merlin authors.

Safeguard and Protector by

solar_cat (PG-13, 2k apiece)
Summary: "Where's that pretty servant of yours, eh?" "I don't like to share." Vague dub-con.
Notes: This has EVERYTHING a fic could want! A jealous, angsty protagonist (Arthur) with his sights set on a pretty young thing (Merlin). Protagonist throwing his weight around to secure said pretty thing. This was so fun to read, full of romance and tension, and Arthur's characterization is ON FIRE. Hotness.

Destiny, Dragons, and Distractions by

toestastegood (PG-13, 8k)
Summary: After one night spent together, Merlin leaves Camelot and Arthur behind. When he returns years later, Arthur struggles to set things right.
Notes: This story is gorgeous. The author has a lovely, well-rounded writing style; the action and plot progression is impressive in how easily it unfolds, and the dialogue is witty and similarly effortless. I love the first part, the interaction between Arthur and Merlin--Arthur's so uncharacteristically vulnerable, and it's so sweet.

What You Carry With You by

ras_elased (PG, ~2k)
Summary: Arthur has his suspicions about Merlin's abilities. An Arthur-finds-out fic.
Notes: ANGST. This whole story is brimming with emotion. I love the hurty-goodness, and it's well-written too. I ate this story up like candy, and even if it's borderline sadface!angst there's definitely room for a happy interpretation (WHICH I CHOOSE TO HAVE).

Fall Off the Earth by

torakowalski (NC-17, 3k)
Summary: Blizzard! Cave! Let's get warm (and naked)!
Notes: Absolutely adorable. Unabashed hurt/comfort wrapped in the tried-and-true blizzard scheme, with a garnish of great Arthur-finds-out. This is guilty-pleasure reading, and it'll make your insides melt.

The Difference Between Us by

nahara (PG-13, 8k)
Summary: Arthur has been invited on an important embassy to a part of Wales that has not outlawed magic. Uther fears for his son's safety. His answer: Merlin must act as a body double. Now Arthur has to learn to be a manservant, and Merlin a prince. But when they reach their destination both learn more than how to pretend.
Notes: Another entry this week by

nahara! I guess I wasn't joking when I said she's one to watch out for. In this story, the plot really stands out--I was drawn in from the very beginning and excited to see how everything would unfold. The idea of Arthur and Merlin switching roles is irresistable, and luckily it was executed beautifully. Their characters are so believable, the dialogue effortless and just plain FUN to read.

The Studio clips compiled by

gealach_ros (short film featuring Colin Morgan)
Summary: Colin plays web creator Chris Preston working for the ad agency whitenoise.
Notes: He smokes (with all the finesse of a middle-schooler), he talks DPI, he sprints. His cheekbones are kicking right off the screen the whole way through, and GOD. COLIN MORGAN IS SUBLIME.

Marwnat by

ignipes (PG-13, 8k)
Summary: Merlin's been gone for awhile. Uther dies. Arthur is king, Morgana's been married off, and Gwen is still around. Arthur hasn't forgotten Merlin.
Notes: This fic is of the utmost quality. The writing is truly outstanding--lyrical and beautiful without falling into any linguistic cliches (ie too much repetition or overused words). The story is always one step ahead of the reader, and it feels like playing catch-up to some larger, intricate mystery just waiting to be unraveled. Haunting and dreamy and beautiful, with memorable lines. While several fics include goodbyes from Arthur to a passed-on Uther, but I can easily say this version is the best one I've come across. It's short and powerful and knocks the wind outta ya.

The Prince and the Captured Moon by

oxoniensis (R, 5k)
Summary: A fairytale. In which goblins capture the moon, and a brave prince rides out on a quest.
Notes: Along the same lines of the above story, this has a dreamlike quality to it...albeit channeling more Aesop's Fables than the former.

oxoniensis knocks out fic one after another, and every single one is worth your time. As for this? It's Simply ethereal. The Merlin fandom lends itself so well to fairytales (for obvious reasons) and she really harnesses that in her favor here. Colloquial and engaging, and painfully romantic.

The Common Touch by

lamardeuse (NC-17, 8k)
Summary: To Merlin's urging, Arthur dresses up like a pauper for a day and they set out to an outlying village to check out their infamour market. Arthur learns stuff.
Notes: The premise should be hook enough (Arthur incognito as a pauper!!), and the fic lives up to the promised fun. This story is absolutely adorablecakes, and it hits every button a first-time ought to. Great dialogue, fun characterization, and just plain lovely to read.

What Dreams May Come by

hils (PG, 4k)
Summary: Taking place years ago, a young Arthur keeps having nightmares about monsters...until he meets a boy in his dreams who helps chase them away.
Notes: FLUFF, with an edge of that dreaminess that's so heavily featured this week. This fits in with the best of those tales; the Arthur/Merlin in here has a slight bite of epicness, but the bottom line is this fic will rot your teeth from all the the sugary goodness <3

Mine by

justthismorning (G, ~600 words)
Summary: “Mine!” probably wasn’t Arthur’s first word, but it was his most used. Wee!Merlin and wee!Arthur.
Notes: And speaking of sugary goodness, THIS WILL GIVE YOU DIABETES. And Gwen is spot-on in this. THAT IS ALL.

Looking for previous recs? Check the tag. For FAQ and list of all bolded titles, check the primer.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

rainchild.livejournal.com

I think there might be something funky with the poll... I tried to vote, and then it told me "Sorry, you're not permitted to see this poll" even though it said "detailed results viewable to: All." No idea if it counted my vote or not.

From:

aeroport_art.livejournal.com

Ugh I'm so ghetto, I couldn't figure out how to get the code to work for a real lj-poll. You can just reply here if you want to indulge me ;_; Yes numbered editions? No?

♥

weekly round-up 13

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags