in those twittering hours.

adventures in tv land

2012-02-07T00:26:33Z

(aka your heroine watches things that do not come straight onto her tv at 6.30 on a Saturday)
(aka your heroine has an internet that allows her to do things now, omg.)

BOMB GIRLS.

Does anyone want to tell me how this show exists? I spent my snowbound Sunday (hush, a centimetre or two in London is as exciting as it gets) catching up on this and falling straight up in love. SO MANY GIRLS. ALL SO DIFFERENT AND WITH INTERESTING STORIES. I wanna roll around in it forever. GIRLS WHO BECOME BEST FRIENDS AND DANCE. I both hate and love Kate and Betty because I think it's going to kill me and Kate's going to be quite straight and Betty's going to have to grow out of this WHOLEHEARTED LOVE she is discovering for Betty.
But but in case you thought I'm only into things for teh gay, I love all the ladies and their stories, even the more conventional ones about rich girls breaking out. Because the writing on this tiny show is brilliant so far, yes it is, and the women are real and many make mistakes but all of their stories are written with conviction and commitment. So starry eyed, and it's almost over. CRUEL.

(On a side note, if anyone is enjoying the fuck out of girls and war, they should go read a new YA novel called Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. For again, that warm girly relationship with a strong subtext that's the focus of the novel, but that has an excellent espionage plot to boot. LOVE.)

But you know what isn't almost over but is equally great? XENA. Yes, I lose a lot of gay awards for not watching this one earlier. But I have managed to dunk myself right in the middle of s2 (courtesy a terribly dubious channel that I fear might show vampire porn after respectable hours), and equally IT IS THE BEST NONE OF YOU HAVE EVER LIED. I can't take the men on the show seriously yet, and the plots are all ridiculous, but then, I can't pretend I'm watching it for anything other than how brilliant it is to watch two girls who love each other lead a fantasy show.

Frankly, all I should do now is procure some Good Wife, and then emerge sometime in March blinking and dewy-eyed at the variety of girls I've been enjoying.

things and icons (4x08)

2011-11-21T21:45:46Z

1) My fridge is broken. In my mother's infinite wisdom, she has reacted by keeping the heating off "so the food stays cool. like in a fridge."
I have no toes now and my house is a recreated refridgerator. #slicesoflife

2) DOCTORWHO MINI EPS OH GOD. The Eleven/Amy one of perfection and sweetness and love! And icecreams for trademark zanyness! THE MADCAP FISH ONE WHAT EVEN WAS THAT I DIED LAUGHING. River and Eleven sweet goodness. the two younger ones with their flirty feelings sparking off each other, and then the older ones with Eleven's TRAGIC FACE AT THE END. urgh. That mix of comedy and heartbreak in five minutes, I'm quite in awe.

(It also really sort of distresses me that River winds up having to meet Ten in prime dickish form -- no matter how great the chemistry! -- when Eleven's her Doctor and theirs is the true love story we've seen. I may have decided Eleven will be downloading her from that godawful matrix Moff saw fit to put her in and that their story is ongoing.)

anyhow apparently I'm still incoherent. I miss this show and its characters so much and it's only been gone six weeks. Genuinely never gonna last out this hiatus.

3)

[32] icons, shockingly mostly Gwen. Am weak for my girl adventuring, no surprise.

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in which es rambles about her relationship with merlin atm:

2011-10-16T10:56:40Z

So if you've been with me in fandom for any amount of time, you'll probably know I love Gwen and Morgana the hardest, solo and as a ship. That will always be true.

But with s3 I began to realise -- especially while doing a regular podcast with kepp0xy and crayford -- the show wasn't going to be the story I wanted. The things I was invested in were not what the show wanted to focus on. My favourite things were not gonna happen. All the thoughts I put into the show were only ever a footnote in canon. Ongoing characterisation and clean narratives occurred only by circumstance, and rarely together.

So I'm absolutely watching s4; it's piles of entertainment. And, y'know, Doctor Who's not in my life. But I'm mostly watching it because I think they're finally hitting their stride with what they do well: the relationship between the boys -- pretty much all the boys on set -- but particularly Merlin and Arthur. And their mix of melodrama and crack. And doing epic moments with pretty people in pretty lighting. These are storylines I trust them to see through to a satisfying end.

And if they happen to do something belatedly good with Gwen (suggestions of the peasant queen!) or Morgana (hint of feelings!), I consider it a bonus; a really pleasant surprise. But I don't hold my breath.

And I guess that's more or less what my feelings to this show are: I've long stopped holding my breath.

merlin icons: 401, 402

2011-10-09T17:29:19Z

...In other news, Merlin is a show about boys who love each other a lot, some crazy witch with half-baked plans, and this chick who rules Camelot when no one's watching.

icons
[26] merlin: 401-402

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dw fanvid: kids

2011-10-03T21:06:43Z

title. kids
fandom. doctor who {amy and river}
artist. lady danville
song. kids
summary. amy pond & river song, interwoven

notes // Omg I have quite forgotten how to vid. But I love how complex their relationships is, from the basic tragedy of a kid and her parents unable to be together, to the turnabout way they do manage it -- all combined with the frequently reversed parental roles and the fact the girls both help each other grow up into the adults we know...

FASCINATES ME A BIT OKAY.

Download link exists here.

merlin 401 spoilers

2011-09-16T00:59:40Z

lol if i don't do it now i'll forget. if i'm not making sense, it's cus i'm sleepy :P

I CAME OUT BOYSHIPPING. apparently this is the fandom full circle. go in shipping it all, otp gwen/morgana stupidly hard, enjoy a/g, REVERT TO MERLIN/ARTHUR.

reasons to ship Merlin/Arthur (4x01 supported) (spoilerific)

1) merlin writes arthur's speeches. arthur pretends not to be appreciative. this is not a shippy thing per se, but is all about how perfect they are becoming.
2) arthur calls merlin a clodpole. not in a cut and paste lazy rehashing of former banter, but more an affectionate recall of previous conversations and therefore turning it into a ~moment.
3) merlin is terrified to the bone of something. arthur diligently takes the piss for a few minutes, then -- as if there were any question of doing his doing anything else -- goes forth and resolves the issue for him.
4) wakes up and doesn't throw things at merlin, merely whines steadily. y'know. like they're a little bit married.
5) has MANY MOMENTS of emotional honesty. i'm not talking "sometimes you seem wise merls lol imagine that after all the times i've observed it." i'm talking confessions a la: "I'm scared, merlin. *terribly deep look* "
6) urgh omg. merlin saying to him, slightly sadly but smiling, in a TERRIBLY DIRE MOMENT: you never found me out.
7)
8)
.....
sorry that's me being dead.

SO I HEARD MORGANA'S YOUR LEGENDARY GIRL.

reasons to enjoy morgana. (spoilers abound)

1) well she looks good. dreadlocks and beaten skin and srsly its better than the snow white/ice cold look she had last year. she's a bit unhinged, and quite looks it. she now has a foresty hut that reflects the witchiness as opposed to the villainy of her nature.
2) girl does magic now. like, when she means to, saying funny elvish words and everything. ngl, this surprises me.
3) she's so very fond of morgause. it's obvs her only connection to humanity in this world.
4) lmao she straight up DOES NOT NOTICE when a guy is into her. i may or may not have mentioned before that she is my favourite medieval dyke.
5) still thick though. way over her head in terms of magic. and/or exposition. which is v true of her character.

reasons to enjoy the old!ot4. (mild spoilers)

1) a lot of it takes place on nimueh's isle of the blessed. i like that place. morgause is apparently at one with the place. Gaius knows a lot about it.
2) agravaine makes NO SENSE given his family tree.

reasons to never stop fangirling Lancelot. (fangirly spoilers)

1) THE MAN IS MERLIN'S BEST FRIEND.
2) like, fune exchanges, passing him in hallways with advice, following him everwhere, picking him when he falls down, trying to save him ALL THE TIME. i actually can't take it.
3) HIS LOVE FOR GWEN THE SOUL IN HIS EYES WHEN HE SEES HER. urgh.
4) his wtf looks when gwaine acts supremely... gwaine-y. never have two men been drawn more opposite. and the knights in general all work both together and in mixed-up little pairs very well.
5) JUST. he protects everyone. in Morgana's absence, he has completed the OT4.

reaons to await gwen's increased presence.

1) her looking after uther is clearly going to have pay-off. she has no love for him, and the writers are obvs aware of it.
2) a/g looks sweet. i mean, they hug. they draw comfort from each others presence. i didn't hear a violin.
3) girl's gonna wave a sword and roar in the future.

.............questions?

this is a very meaningful entry

2011-06-26T13:08:11Z

... Have I ever posted my favouritest ever short story from my favouritest ever children's book? No? Have some Sunday giggles.

FOREVER FILED UNDER "STUFF THAT MAKES ME LAUGH WAY TOO HARD." ALSO EXPLAINS MY LIFE PHILOSOPHY OF GOING FORTH AND DOING MY STUFF AND BEING RIDICULOUS NO MATTER WHAT.

lmao I feel like I should update properly on like, new bookish jobs of perfection, and unexpected romantic adventures and stuff, but I have to go be a good girl and make lunch for la famille. Have a good one <3

doctor whooo

2011-06-04T20:44:15Z

Bear with me, I can't do this again till september now. :P

+ WELL YES THAT WAS A BIT OBVIOUS AND THEIR NAMES HAVE BEEN AN ALERT BACK FROM S5. But I am blissfully happy because River becoming the fierce lady she is makes perfect sense what with her amazing parents. And the fact that this mystery still isn't over because I have so many questions omg. How she winds up in the 60s orphanage in America. How she winds up in 2011 killing the Doctor -- and how the Doctor's going to solve that thing. When and why the Doctor decides to put young!River in a 51st century forest instead of with her parents. At what point "looking after Melody" becomes "SEXYTIMES WITH RIVER LMAO". But it is also deeply satisfying: River and Rory bonding in the two parter, the bizarre reversal where River has always been quite mummyish to Amy. RIVER BEING A LITTLE BIT TIME LORDY.

+ River was conceived on bunk beds. I am terribly impressed. Speaking of, the Ponds were perfect and lovely together. And I have such a thing for Rory in a cloak.

+ cold!Doctor will always be scary. And bizarre in contrast to his fluffy fez!loving self.

+ LORNA THY MIDDLE NAME IS RED HERRING. Fortunately you were also super cute and fun to watch.

+ And I generally enjoyed the episode muchly, what with all the alienness and the nurse!Sontaran and just alien people chilling doing their jobs and fights. I think I went ooooooh and got throat-tighty at all the right places, so I am content. And the cliff-hanger worked for me because clearly the baby grows up okay and the Ponds are safe and the immediate danger is gone , but the plot needs resolving. I can deal. Though TROLOLOL on the next episode title. lmao Moff, never change.

+ right, brb writing fic about lesbian silurians and their girlfriends. Moffat aint as smooth as RTD with teh gay -- the two chaps was definitely a bit belaboured -- but those two ladies distracted me an awful lot in very good ways.

la_esmeralda_ @ 2011-05-29T00:09:00

2011-05-28T23:09:46Z

+ So Doctor Who happened, which had me terribly excited start to finish. I think I'm possibly in a minority this season for having loved every piece of it (pirate travesty excepted), and this one proved no different.

Two Doctors are better than one, yis. And I adore how happy Eleventy was about having another one of himself while everyone else freaked out. Tying into many of the reasons he is my favourite, his kindness just brings the best out of everyone. Just as he turned the difficulties of last year's silurian two parter into REASONS EARTH WILL BE GOOD, he turned this year's events into something good into our future.
Amy being as judgementy as I feel and hurting ganger!Eleven's feelings mades my dormant shipper heart happy
Matt Smith acting. THE MAN HE ACTS AND IT DOES THINGS TO ME. Particularly when he shoves around Rory and terrifies me (see aforementioned kindness).
It is true that the Jennifer story went nowhere conclusive, which seems silly given she and Rory were at the forefront last week, and his whole heroism motives fell a bit flat. All I ask is if we are asked to invest in a character's arc, it is seen through.
But Miranda was much better, and I shall ignore all that exploding gunk at the end and assume that she and ganger!Eleven went off to have many an adventure.

So, this pregnancy malarky, eh? I have not been saying much about it because pregnancy storylines in any show tend to put me right off, and I'm pretty sure sci-fi has a worse track record than most. But I am cautiously interested to see where this goes. This is clearly not just Amy's story -- which is the narrative bit of the series that annoys me -- River in relation to the Doctor, what he'll wind up doing for his Pond. On the flip side, both those things are also very relevant to my interests, and I'm still holding out hope Amy will be excellent in it, not be outshadowed by Rory in his cloak, and that I will be surprised in good ways.

Also, River. River. You know how irrational I get when she comes around.

+ IN OTHER NEWS, FLIST Y'ALL ARE WEAK FOR GIRLS I KNOW IT. So have any of you seen it and talked about Adele Blanc-Sec? PLS BECAUSE I AM DYING WITH HOW AWESOME IT WAS. YOU KNOW THE ONE I MEAN, YIS?

I mean, whimsical to a deliberate point and sure, some fairly silly characters. BUT THERE WERE PTERADACTYLS. WOT SHE FLEW. And mummies with a delicate sense of humour! She raided tombstones, had emotional backstory, donned several disguises, broke into a prison four times, was rubbish at noticing potential boyfriends, had epic archenemies, SNUGGLESOME CATCHPHRASES, perfect eyebrows and fabulous frocks! A girlfriend is all she lacked, and imagining one up is not challenging at all.

So much in love, I can't even. Complete crack, but the absolutely perfect kind where I am given nothing but girls and the source material doesn't feel anything is lacking without having to make a point of it (sup Sucker Punch) and the heroine is delightfully unapologetic but also ridiculous and mostly just awesome. She needs many many more films. And a fandom. And an everything.

+ Oh, and insta! vid rec. Antebellum (Gwen/Morgana) by such_heights. Perfect look at the ladies and how they become different, particularly the last minute which is QUITE HEARTBREAKING ACTUALLY. Oh, my doomed OTP.

icons (Camelot, Merlin, DW)

2011-05-23T01:38:38Z

Icons! Been a while, but I have actual photoshop with sexy things like curves now, so I'm playing with random stuff. And whoever is doing hair at the DW department deserves a medal or sthg, because the magic things they do with Karen and Matt and everyone who hops in, omg.

[8] Camelot
[5] Merlin/crossover
[33] Doctor Who (series 6)

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GUESS WHAT RETURNED TO ME TODAY.

2011-04-23T23:57:59Z

IT WAS MY SHOW AND IT WAS QUITE PERFECT.

+ THOSE ALIENS WERE REALLY QUITE TERRIFYING. IT IS MIDNIGHT AND I'M NOT SLEEPING. THIS IS PARTLY BECAUSE THERE'S A SISTER ON MY BED THROWING RUSSIAN NAMES AT ME IN AN ATTEMPT TO LEARN THE COLD WAR. BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE THE ALIENS LOOKED LIKE THIS, AND THAT IS MUCH SCARIER THAN SOME GREAT FANGED ROCKS OR WHATEVER.

+ Amy Amyyyy. While I sincerely hope she has misinterpreted her epic alien-related period pains, SHE WAS SO BOUNCY. AND HEARTBROKEN OVER ELEVEN. AND A LITTLE MORE GROWN UP AND SWEETER OF SPIRIT. But still the same old Pond who takes mobile pictures of aforementioned creepy aliens, and is just so good at this.

+ lol 'sup Rory. OKAY I'M NOT GOING TO BE UNKIND. I am genuinely happy he's a proper part of the team and not left out awkwardly while the other three be their fly awesome selves. I loved his bonding with River -- they're complete opposites, but drawn together in the bizarre circumstances -- and I'm so glad they're exploring it.

+ Eleven's dorkiness is my favourite thing in the universe, even when he is emerging from beneath ladies skirts. Also, Matt Smith's face keeps getting more and mroe attractive on me, and idk how to deal.

+ HEY GUESS WHO I'VE NOT MENTIONED. GUESS WHAT RELATIONSHIP HAS PROPERLY STARTED BUILDING ON THE DELICIOUS POTENTIAL FROM LAST YEAR. GUESS WHAT'S GOT ME BOUNCING ALL EVENING. I have a thing, and it is a thing that involves watching people fall in love even if it happens in the wrong order. But are y'all seeing how Eleven is actually falling for her and getting addicted to her and tapping her nose and getting pleased when she gets a bit cute for him. ALSO OLDER!DOCTOR? HAS A DIARY FULL OF RIVER SONG. I THINK HE'S PRETENDING HE'S GOT SOME DATES SCRIBBLED IN THERE, BUT LET'S BE REALISTIC, IT IS PROBABLY MOSTLY ABOUT HOW GREAT SHE IS. And more seriously, look at how invested he is in their relationship! He's got a little notebook! I've seen (an admittedly lowering portion of) fandom talking about he's being forced unwilling into this. HE IS TAKING IT PRETTY CHEERFULLY, MUST SAY.
And she's Mrs Robinson. Of course she is. /random glee over S&G.

+ Speaking of older!Doctor, whatttt. What was that? I shall assume that he brought them all there picnicking so that they will save him. It is a very him thing to do.

+ SHOW PLS DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN. I SOMETIMES FORGET HOW YOU ARE MY ONE TRUE LOVE.

omg it is a slowww day

2011-03-04T15:18:03Z

PROMPT ME FLIST? I have sod all to do for three hours.

I can write Whoniverse and Merlin, so throw me characters and/or prompts!

Or if you feel like really stretching my creativity, give me random prompts and I will return something probably very silly.

♥

a Camelot post (spoilers for the first ep)

2011-02-27T22:33:05Z

You GUYS. As much as I really want to love a show with Eva Green playing Morgan Le Fay (VERILY, MY HEART), and Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere (verily, MY GAY SELF), Starz kinda left me... wanting. Which is fine, it's a pilot, and I suspect if I'd ever started a show with its pilot, I would not love as many things as I do.

There were totally positives!

+ You know who as everyone's favourite legendary witch. Seriously, some women were born to play her, and from the anger to the rationale to the sexy to the manipulation and ruthless political ambition, this is absolutely the Morgan you can recognise. So far, so good, which is a relief. She has always been my legendary heroine, after all.

+ SIR KAY HI HI. As one of my pet faves who I've always been crushed has never been in the BBC show (though Merlin kinda fills the role), Starz casting a terribly pretty fellow who's loyal to Arthur, kinda amusing, and fancies Morgan something crazy is definitely a good move. Well played there Starz.

+ James Purefoy. He's James Purefoy.
+ ...And his relationship with Morgan is fun! Kinda equal, kinda rough on the edges, and what's starting out as politically advantageous I suspect will wind up with his having her back, which will be nice. I sometimes worry not enough people love Morgan for just being herself.

There were also many loltastic negatives.

+ HAVE SOME PACING, DO.
+ ....because it's not so good if it's only interesting in the last five minutes.

+ I wasn't supposed to like Arthur, right? I mean, not even in a silly lovable scamp way, right? Cus he was just... bland.

+ Kinda snap for Merlin, whose shady characteristics are less intriguing and more exasperating.

+ Also lol at his shit magic. HIS POLYJUICE ON UTHER FAILED AT A KINDA CRUCIAL MOMENT.

+ btw, I WOULD RATHER BE INTRODUCED TO GUINEVERE'S NAME/VOICE THAN HER BODY, THANK YOU. SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO'S VERY INTERESTED IN HER BODY.

+ Bit of banter in this script? Bit of fun? ...Nyet? I suppose this is a bit too grown up for that. Oh well, have some more wiggling ladies and sex.

I suppose so far, my main issue is that it was very... predictable. Paint by numbers for the story and casting choices/character directions. I just kinda feel if you're gonna do Arthurian legend, you've got to bring something different to the plate/shake things up, and I'm not anticipating anything too radical from this production so far. So while I'm sure it'll be less morally ridiculous, and no one will even pretend Morgan is an evil character, I don't think it'll be perfection, and I'm certain there are aspects from other, possibly-similar shows I'll always enjoy more*. ;)

*On that note, I should clarify. NOT INTERESTED IN MERLIN/CAMELOT COMPARISONS, NOT REALLY. Definitely not the negative ones. 50p BUDGET, FIRST TIME ACTORS, AND CRACK DESIGNED FOR KIDDIES DO NOT COMPARE. Might as well compare, idk. Horrible Histories and The Tudors. You may get more satisfaction from one or the other, depending on your specific desires. But one of them will definitely value characterisation more, I promise. Let's not even.
Also, I trust my flist too much to do this to me, but if you start talking about how Angel was never really your Guinevere and Tamsin just looks/feels right and seems more a traditional Guinevere which is all you ask for really and now you really like this one... I will actually post gifs and/or essays in your face. Might as well get that out of the way.

..not that I watch Being Human with particular dedication

2011-01-24T08:48:12Z

But if Annie and Mitchell are going to be that shippily lovely together, and if Nina is going to be that adorable, and if Mitchell is not going to be allowed to get away with his usual boring vampire shit, and George bonds with the new cute werewolf and lets his voice go squeaky at least once an episode, and Rhys becomes a regular with his hilarious legally grey club...

I might actually watch this season :P

Still think it'd work best if they didn't actually have any plots, and just focused on the lot of them being flatmatey and cute. With every story being about Annie.

In news that isn't news, I MISS TORCHWOOD. AND JACK. AND GWEN COOPER'S AMAZING FACES. WILL IT EVER RETURN. I'll even take it being set in America and flashier than usual.

Oh -- for those who are vaguely new to this journal: *waves* I'm sorry! I'm not around much :P But I play on my tumblr a lot, mostly because it just involves hitting reblog :)

la_esmeralda_ @ 2010-12-09T09:25:00

2010-12-09T09:25:35Z

Yo, flisties. Today will be a good day :)

3x10 icons

2010-11-26T08:10:03Z

random experimentation with notable biases. :P

Icons:
[64] Queens of Hearts

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queen of hearts, THINKY THOUGHTS

2010-11-18T12:17:53Z

right then, Queen of Hearts. DID FANDOM HATE IT? ON A SCALE OF 1-10, DO I CARE?

No, but seriously guys. It gave me femslash -- proper threeway femslash I could see without trying too hard -- as well MAJOR LULZ. AND ROMANTIC PENDRAGONS BEING ROMANTIC AND BEAUTIFUL. AND Y'KNOW, SO MUCH OF MY GWENFACE.

SO BASICALLY, YOU GET TUMBLR RESPAMS WHILE I EXPLAIN WHY I STILL LOVE THIS SHOW AND MANY OF ITS RELATIONSHIPS. Even when I don't.

GIRLS. Y'all maybe familiar with the fact I haven't even been able to fanwank Gwen and Morgana has been distressing. Cus usually they smile and snipe and lie and basically tell each other to fuck off but in medieval AND IT'S SO SUPERFICIAL AND UNADDRESSED AND UNEMOTIONAL I WANT TO CRY. But lookit now! Morgana dreams of Gwen, and as you do when your subconscious a) exists b)used to love someone c)is a bitch, GUINEVERE IS BEAUTIFUL. AND STRAIGHT. And in general it's an OT3 that's happily existing without Morgana. I MEAN I WOULD WAKE UP DISTRESSED, AND I'M NOT EVEN AS CO-DEPENDENT AS SHE IS. And look at Morgana's face, she is proper upset -- and not necessarily because lol, Gwen beat her to the throne, but because Morgana -- bless her heart -- is a wee bit thick. And while she's been cheerfully manipulating the A/G relationship on a day by day, practical manner, she kinda forgot the bigger implications of the relationship: that Arthur and Gwen will maybe get married. And have babies. And be a different world away from what Morgana's ever pictured. In the immediate aftermath of the dream, she doesn't hate Gwen for being queen. She's left distraught by a concept something she's never even entertained.
Also, I'M PRETTY SURE MORGANA'S ONLY EVER IMAGINED BEING QUEEN WITH MORGAUSE ON ONE SIDE AND GWENFACE ON THE OTHER. Not even necessarily out of current devotion for Gwen, but just, her brain's conditioned to think of the situation like that. And now her dreams are rudely informing this isn't actually going to happen.

So she runs straight into Morgause's arms. MORGAUSE WHO APPARENTLY HAS SOD ALL TO DO THESE DAYS BUT LIGHT PATHWAYS WITH CANDLES. What did she do before having a baby sister to run around after? How does Camelot still stand when magicians infiltrate it so regularly? Has Morgana noticed the baby bump?

Answers on a postcard.

I ship these two on a pretty superficial level, I've realised. I love that they cling and whatnot, and I find Morgana's uncontrollable fangirling lulzy to the extreme, but y'know, they're related. And sometimes Morgause remembers to behave like it. And I'm less invested, because I'm so sure this relationship will end in a) death or b) divorce, cus Morgana's just smooth like that.
Having said that, INCESTY FEMSLASH TO THE EXTREME IN THIS EPISODE. Because Morgause pretends she can't remember Gwen's name as if they haven't constructed plots around her and as if Morgana didn't spend the first few months of the gap year saying "that's not how Gwen does it". And she manipulates Morgana down the pathway of GWEN MUSN'T BE QUEEN OMG CAN YOU STOP HAVING FEELINGS ABOUT YOUR FORMER STRAIGHT CRUSH. Whereas before Morgana was just in need of a hot chocolate and cuddle, as anyone who had a bad dream would be. Anyway, the secret rendezvous was terribly romantic, and teased the subtext in a way I haven't felt for a while.

And then THEN THEN. Morgana embarks upon her mission and gets her ust on with Gwen. SHE CREEPS. GWEN IS WEIRDED OUT AND MISTRUSTFUL AND TURNED ON. lmao, shut up. They hold hands and NEITHER ARE TAKEN IN. Personal space is deliciously invaded. Gwen's new bodice is beautiful, and she maintains as firm a distance as she can. Morgana purrs and is seductive as possible. I CAN TAKE THEM BREAKING UP WHEN THEY BREAK UP LIKE THIS. Because it's about them. Thinking about each other, not just as accidental meetings between smirking or chilling with the lads.

So, yes. DEEP JOY FOR THE GIRLY RELATIONSHIPS ATM. Especially given what we know is going to come in the season finale. HAVE I USED THE WORD DICHOTOMY YET TODAY? HAVE IT. Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

Haha, okay, I think this episode was also about Arthur/Gwen.

via takethewords

CAN I MOP MY BROW AND CONFESS I FOUND THEM FREQUENTLY FRUSTRATING LAST YEAR? I mean, most of the time I was squeeing down at CL, it was because whatever, I was excited they were having scenes together, and anything that involved Gwen + screentime was an improvement in my eyes. BUT THEIR SCENES WERE ALL SO SUBPAR AND HEAVY HANDED. I was more excited for their potential. And finally, finally, the writers have learnt how to depict a love story with a lighter touch. Because all that man you are inside and one day you will find your real princess and let's spend an episode pouting at one another despite the fact we've just had our first kiss is all very well, but you know what's better? ACCIDENTAL HAND BRUSHING AT DINNER. BARELY CONCEALED SMILES.

PICNICS IN FIELDS FROM WONDERLAND AS FAR AS I CAN SEE.

via happybeinginsane

It's just, it makes moments like the beautiful coronation scene all the more epic. Because that's glorious and golden, and has all the weight of 'zomg this is Romance' but without all the silly repeated phrases. And it therefore means I have that much more patience for when it does come up, because it's actually got context for once. See: later.

via fuckyeaharwen

But anyway, I just love how comfortable they finally are together. From 303-onwards, Arthur/Gwen has been one of the best relationships to watch unfold, because they move forward, but even if they're just going about their daily lives and the story is about some hot ass knights or something, they're doing it cheerfully. And it's such a relief. So basically, yeah, it's lovely seeing Gwen take the iniative and go for the first kiss. Arthur unwinding is lovely. The fact that Merlin is an integral part the whole time, whether bringing them together or popping up frequently in conversation warms my OT3 heart. And that they're both so in love with each other, it's ridiculous. And beautiful. Because it makes them confess their feelings in public and kiss in slow mo. Did you see that bit btw? It was unexpected kissing. With passionate declarations and music. And kissing.

via emptylighters

lmao, shut up.

MOVING ON, UTHER PENDRAGON IS A BASTARD. I mean, honest to god, Morgana and I have been a bit cold with each other recently because, y'know, trying to kill Arthur's not nice, BUT UTHER WILL ALWAYS BE THE BIGGEST GIT. Hated him waaaay more than Morgana this week. HE SLAPPED GWEN. HE ASSUMED (as we all knew he would, but he did it in the cheapest and sleaziest way) THAT ARTHUR WAS ONLY IN IT FOR THE FUN TIEMES. He was played so easily by Morgana; he was brutal to Gaius; cold hearted and irrational. I MEAN YEAH YOU CAN SEE WHERE MORGANA GETS IT FROM NOW, but at least she's pretty, and used to be nice once upon a time. Uther, straight up, sinks lower every time I think he can't. And Gwen talking back to him and defending herself was the thing of my dreams.

(It is possibly another matter I want verywrong Gwen/Uther fic. But I blame that on the camera man.)

So, you say, HOW DID YOUR HEALING FEMSLASH HEART DEAL WITH MORGANA'S REACTION TO GWEN'S INCARCERATION? Well, firstly, my laughing my arse off at Morgana's theatrics. Slapping Gwen? MORGANA IS SLIGHTLY UPSET ABOUT THIS, SHE WILL HAVE YOU KNOW. SHE WILL EXTEND AN ARM AND SPEAK A WORD OR TWO OF DISAGREEMENT.

And as for the rest, well. My understanding of Morgana's approach atm is basically 'think later, if you can be bothered'. And Morgana, right now, cannot be bothered. She's had a long day.

Besides, Gwen seeing Morgana smirk? GAME. IT IS ON.

via withflowers

Also, I take it people are distressed about Arthur's declarations. lol, am I really alone in not giving about this debate? 1) IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE FOR THREE YEARS. 2) Daddy splits you up. 3) OBVIOUS REACTION IS A SELFISH ONE OKAY. I don't blame him at all, and Gwen is a better person than me for reminding him that they kinda have to be unselfish about this. It's what makes them not-Morgana.

But it's not even that selfish because he said he would come back. Sounds like a pretty good plan B to me.

And finally, he would also quit Camelot if Uther planned to execute Morgana or Merlin. Really, he's kinda equal opportunities about his love.

So what's the beef?

Anyway, other things: Arthur and Morgana!

via slippingintodarkness

This could have been actual fic. I swear to god, those ones where Arthur's like a total kid to siblingy!Morgana and being all "TELL ME THINGS ABOUT GUINEVERE" and Morgana pets him and does. They were total brother and sister here -- a vibe I frequently don't get off them -- and all the touching and teasing was lovely. Pity Morgana was faking it all. But the echoing of Merlin's words from a season ago were a bit weird. YOU WERE THAT BLIND (WO)MAN, MORGANA. MOSTLY CUS YOU SPENT THE SEASON HUNGOVER.
Anyway, Katie looked beautiful. I mean, she was generally pretty banging this episode, but particularly this scene. Her side parting: I approve.

And then, old!Merlin. OMG I THINK I HURT MYSELF LAUGHING AT THIS. Every now and then I am reminded of how excellent Colin's comedic timing is. And this -- Merlin mimicking every villain ever, using it to rant a little, ARTHUR RECOGNISING MERLIN'S EYES AND BEING VAGUELY NONPLUSSED, the oldman hunch and voice -- was once again, like many a crack!fic. An excellent crack!fic.

Also, lol forever at Morgana's wtf!face. You know she's gonna be up all night, trying to fgure out went wrong, and how.

Which brings me nicely onto that final scene between the girls. It was beautiful for many reasons, not counting the one where Morgana looks like a rockstar with that hair. It was a fabulous hearkening back to the times they used to hug because they meant it and Morgana had been sobbing her eyes out all night. Both of them were so deliciously false with each other, because there was a time when she would have raged at Uther until something definite happened, and Gwen knows the difference. And they hugged, and it was green and slinky and wrong and the last touch either wanted AND SO IT WAS A BIT AND RIGHT.

via fuckyeahteamevil

And then Morgana symbolically closed the screen between them, and Katie played it so well, all that confusion and frustration at being back to square one and maybe -- just maybe a hint? -- of self-doubt. I STILL HAVE HOPE OKAY.

AND BASICALLY, THE GIRLS ARE PROPER ENEMIES NOW AND IT'S ALL EXCELLENT.

INSIGHT INTO MORGANA'S CHARACTER, VERY INSIGHTFUL.

2010-11-17T14:03:28Z

So, kepp0xy and I have discovered that Morgana's life story can basically be explained by Rihanna songs. shut up, it's everything you ever wanted to see.

STEP ONE. BE A NICE GIRL. SHARE YOUR UMBRELLA.

STEP TWO. ENGAGE IN SLIGHTLY IMMATURE SNARKY-BANTER-UST THING WITH ~~NOT-QUITE-BROTHER~~ BROTHER. MAKE JOKES ABOUT MEN FILLING ARMOUR. SET SAIL TO A SHIP CALLED A/MOR, WHICH IS ALL QUITE NEAT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

STEP THREE. HAVE BAD DREAMS. WATCH BAD DREAMS COME TRUE. GO A BIT NUTS AT LIFE.

STEP FOUR. FALL IN ACTUAL LOVE. WITH YOUR LOVELY BEST FRIEND. WHO'S STRAIGHT. LOL YEAH, YOUR LIFE.
fandom needs to get on at this shit and vid this, btw.

STEP FIVE. GET A BIT DEPRESSED. FADE. DRINK.

STEP SIX. GET PISSY AT DICTATORIAL ~~FATHER-FIGURE~~ FATHER. KILL.

STEP SIX. MAKE FRIENDS WITH A BADASS SISTER. BECOME BADASS.

MAKE AN OFFICIAL ENEMY, YAY. BURN EACH OTHER LOTS. BE A TORNADO TO HIS VOLCANO ETC ETC.

STEP SEVEN. PWN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

merlin 307 icons

2010-10-27T09:40:00Z

hahaha, oh dear, a crapload of icons from 307. I LIKED IT OKAY.

Icons
[105] 307 Castle of Fyrien

123
456
789
10.11.12
13.14.15
16.17.18
19.20.21
22.23.24
25.26.27
28.29.30
31..32.32
34.35.36
37.38.39
40.41.42
43.44.45
46.47.48
49.50.51
52.53.54
55.56.57
58.59.60
661.62.63
64.65.66
67.68.69
70.71.72
73.74.75
76.77.78
79.80.81
82.83.84
85.85.87
88.89.90
91.92+textless.93
94.95.96
97.98.99
100.101.102
103.104.105

Commenting and crediting much appreciated, thanks :)

breaking news:

2010-10-20T09:11:31Z

MATT SMITH AND EVA GREEN ARE HOT PEOPLE.

Also: cloning your dead boyfriend to raise him as a son and have increasingly dodgy vibes with him? NOT A GOOD IDEA.

But because of the aforementioned hotness? IT IS HOT NO MATTER HOW WRONG.

lmao, experimental films. never change.

Merlin 306: icons

2010-10-19T13:31:06Z

I loved this episode like sunshine. And someone needs to write the adventures of Queen Elena, because I suspect they would be fabulous.

Icons:
[49] 306 The Changeling

123
456
789
10.11.12
13.14.15
16.17.18
19.20.21
22.23.24
25.26.27
28.29.30
31.32 + textless.33
34.35.36
37.38.39
40.41.42
43.44.45
46.47.48
49

Comments and credit are much appreciated :)

la_esmeralda_ @ 2010-10-17T08:48:00

2010-10-17T07:48:11Z

Things i have been doing:

+ Writing shit! The A/G kink meme was unexpectedly and gloriously successful, with so many different people playing, and after a week of amazingly hot prompts and fics, we've decided to close it to prompts. You have till Sunday night (your time, my time, whatever) to get in your final prompts, and then it's done. And then we're free to simply write -- all new fics will be most welcome and noted as they get written, so as not to escape their deserved public eye :)

-- PLAY! --

+ Um, watching shit! That is to say, watching the deeply enjoyable Elena episode. I completely squeed my heart out, adored the future Pendragons, and may or may not be writing epic Elena/Vivian fic, since as far as I'm concerned they are Meant To Be. However, I haven't quite finished last week's fic that was a Viviane/Gorlois/Uther/Ygraine thing, and my WIP list is getting loooooong. SO LONG OMG.
If anyone wants to talk to me about Gwen/Morgana, please do btw. Because I am in distress. Trying not to dwell on it, but my heart is breaking with each episode. If I thought last week's hanky scene was weird and the most false I've ever seen either of them, Morgana this week was someone I straight up did not recognise, re: Gwen. THIS STORY WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EASY TO TELL, JESUS.

+ SJAs. OH GOD, I LOVE THIS SHOW. I squeed my heart out over the two parter. I mean, I am kinda distraught because Luke is leaving for a while, and even if I assume he will pop back in for the finale, my trio is breaking up, and I am so attached to them. I love how strong they are together, and Clyde getting upset over his bf leaving, while maintaing a delightful awkwardness with Rani. BRB WRITING FIC. I knowww.

+ it's also festival time! Both London Film Festival -- whee, Womb, with Eva Green and Matt Smith! French artsy indie things! Documentaries about the pink saris affair! RICHARD AYOADE DIRECTING SOMETHING! -- and Indian madness. I can't remember if I have any Bengali flisties, but happy pujo, if so! lol, I am the shittiest atheist ever: my srs bns grounding is tragically neutralised by my love of parties, dressing up, and Indian food.

+ lol, also, been employed this week. Yeah seriously. No, I wasn't hip enough for the hip music gig, but I went for an interview at a spectactle place wearing spectacles and saying I like spectacles, and now I am learning about eyes and spectacles and science. I like life when it surprises me :D

fandom linkspam

2010-10-11T10:57:37Z

+ lol, so, the fabulous kepp0xy and I spent an hour despairing to one another about the lack of hot Arthur/Gwen fic in Merlin fandom; boy!fandom is consistently scorching, there are femslash stunners that crop up, Merlin/Morgana is so hot rn and even Arthur/Morgana pull out sexy vids when canon fights them. But the actual canon ship has been dry as dust, lmao.

So we decided to quit crying and change that, and this happened, and it's proving awesome.

+ Other things I am eagerly watching and will try and scribble for, the Bedchel-Test CommentFic-athon. GIRLS BEING GIRLS AND TALKING ABOUT GIRLS. AND THERE'S A ROME BANNER THERE AMONGST OTHER THINGS.

+ also, spare a minute and vote for the final merlingirlstill LIMS round? And then come and join us for the weekly challenges, because we've been steadily improving in participation and quality, and it's brilliant :)

+ Right, brb, tending to merlin_multis a bit. I get so excited with its coda!fests and whatnot, I think I've probably been neglecting my other duties there a bit ;) KEEPING AN EYE ON THINGS I LOVE IS HARD, GUIZ. AND YEAH I KNOW HALF MY FLIST HAS LOOKED AFTER BIGGER THINGS FOR MUCH LONGER, BUT SHUT UP I'M A BABY AT THIS.

fic: The Third Way (Arthur/Gwen, AU)

2010-09-29T13:13:07Z

Sometimes I write things omg ...although not often enough that my femfest thing is done :/

title: The Third Way
chars/pairings: Arthur/Gwen, Morgana (background multitude of ships)
genre: AU
rating: PG13
summary: The election battle is well-underway, and to the distress of both current-PM Morgana Le Fay and lead-opposition Arthur Pendragon, Guinevere has popped up from nowhere and started seducing Britain.

A/N: fic wot I scribbled a few months back for the kink meme. Unadulterated foolishness, pretty much, which is why I was hesitant to own up to it :P And any similarities to recent domestic affairs are surely all in your head. Surely.

The Third Way

~ PART ONE ~

"I agree with Gwen," says Morgana, and that's when the trouble starts.

*

It's not that Arthur wants to think of Gwen like that. Merlin's busy berating him for not bringing up the bloke in Lancashire they met who'd happened to be a shopworker in complete favour of his economic policy, most of his shadow cabinet are sitting around outside the office mourning an unspectacular performance, and all Arthur can think of is that fatally flawed moment when he turned in frustration to see what, exactly, could be so agreeable about Gwen. One moment, she'd just been a fairly trivial leader of a long-forgotten party, working her way tooth and claw up to a position of debate on national television, the next, she was Guinevere in a sharp yellow dress taking Morgana Le Fucking Fay down about how exactly they differed on various policies.

Not that Arthur's preferences were biased in favour of people who disagreed with Morgana. Not much, anyway.

"Arthur!" Arthur turns his attention to Merlin, who's watching him watch Gwen with an exasperated expression. "This is serious. She's beating you. Your worm's been flagging all night."

"My -- what?"

"Your -- " Merlin indicates a blue wiggly line drooping along the screen, as a red and yellow battle it out above. "Worm."

"What on earth is that?" asks Arthur, distracted.

Merlin opens his mouth and looks like he's about to go off on one again about wooing the public and disassociating oneself from posh upbringings whilst keeping a firm line on the immigrants, all of which is dependant on some squiggle on the TV. Then he drops his arms.

"I have no idea," he confesses.

Arthur turns back to the screen, where Guinevere is currently blasting them both on their combattive international policies.

"So she's my contender now?" he asks.

"Are you telling me that you think the best way to open diplomacy is by unloading an extortionate amount of money -- money that could go to reworking some of the most undeveloped schools and hospitals in this country -- into combatting hypothetical global threats? It brings us right back to Jack's concerns, and Anna's, and Shivali's. This is not the way the serve the British public."

She's got a fantastic style; he can feel the audience warming to her from across the screen. And he's absolutely not looking at the way her curls fall just short of collarbone, and the way her eyes fizz like she actually means this stuff.

"She's good," he tells Merlin. "Barmy policies, and also dead by neccessity over this coming week, but you know. Good."

*

Gwen realises quite quickly that of all the things she had anticipated -- job security, perhaps a profile in The Independent, some polite backthumping from her ministers and finally a mention in the admittedly wafer-thin chronicle her foreign sec was writing entitled The Inevitable Rise of the Liberal Democrats -- public recognition was not one of them.

She stares at her inbox in some shock. "Lancelot," she calls. "Lancelot, where are you?"

Lancelot, unruffled as ever, appears at her side.

"You called?" he asks, and hands her a cup of fragrant tea.

"You genius," she murmurs, and takes a long sip. She's long used to early mornings, but there are few days she's ready to take on without being armed with a strong cup of scented blossom.

"So what's the problem?" He gives her an affectionate smile.

"It's -- it's not a problem, per se. It's -- well, The Guardian mailed to say they're thinking of backing me in the race."

Lancelot's mouth falls open. "You're joking."

"No." Gwen's voice has dropped to a whisper; she doesn't know why. "I'm not," she says, louder.

"The Guardian. The actual fucking -- that's a newspaper, Gwen. A real newspaper, with you."

"I know." Gwen can't stop the smile stretching across her face. "I know."

Lancelot starts laughing, and - in a completely inappropriate gesture for a party adviser and ex-boyfriend - swings her into a great twirly hug. "You're completely brilliant."

Gwen says delightedly, when he puts her down, "We could actually do this. We have a say with this country."

*

Okay, yes, she could. But that involves seeing off the competition. One of whom is calling up and dropping hints for what either sounds like an invite for drinks or a party-shack up, and she doesn't want to get this mixed up.

"We're so alike, you and I," purrs Morgana, sweet as ever on the phone. "You remember those heady days in Cambridge? We used to plait each others hair before class, and cook pasta in the evening to the songs of Radio One."

"We weren't even roommates," points out Gwen. "And you called me 'scholarship-swot' for the first semester."

"Youthful transgressions," says Morgana smoothly. "You always struck me as special."

Date, scrawls Lancelot, who's listening in on the extension. Definitely, he adds, and underlines it a few times.

Gwen frowns. See the thing is, she's genuinely fond of Morgana, and they had formed a bit of a bond at uni in the single year they shared before Morgana graduated - both scribbling for the newspaper on the things that made them cross. There'd been a few moments she'd thought they might have even had something going.

But that was before Morgana turned into a raving power-hungry politician who took up with people like Nimueh -- whose idea of achieving world peace involved picking up grenades and hurling them at whichever country cheeked her.

"...Sides of the same coin," Morgana's saying on the other end.

So while she's realised that politically they can never be friends any more, she does get a bit lonely sometimes at night, and there's no harm in trying.

"Morgana," she interrupts, lips twitching. "Look, I'm a bit busy at the moment trying to become prime minister. But maybe after all the madness, when you're almost certainly out of a job and everything... maybe you can give me a call then?"

Morgana gets a bit girlish and breathless on the phone, and Lancelot sticks her a thumbs up.

*

The next morning, as she's driving to an impoverished town to try and inspire its inhabitants to have an opinion, her phone rings.

"Guinevere," comes a bright, cocky, male voice. "Feeling the pressure?"

Gwen groans. "You're not supposed to have this number," she says, and the chuckle on the other end doesn't encourage her about this conversation's direction.

"Blame your fellow Lancelot... we used to play for the same club."

She's never going to get used the old boy's club everyone in politics seems to be a member of. "What do you want, Arthur? Some of us are actually working in this election."

"I just wanted to know if you were free for coffee some time."

Gwen stares at her phone in bewilderment. "What? Me?"

"I didn't call you by mistake, Guinevere." She wonders why he insists on using her full name; it makes her feel things she's pretty sure she's not meant to be feeling even while shuddering at his Tory self. "What do you think? I'm a pretty good conversationalist."

"I think," says Gwen, trying to collate her thoughts, "that you're an smug twat I'm trying to beat and you're planning on pumping me for my strategies. And that a coffee would be neither appropriate nor sensible."

"Spoilsport: you've seen through my cunning plan," says Arthur cheerfully. "Fine. See you at the next debate. Have fun being polite to mad farmers."

*

"Don't hand out my number," says Gwen, later, after the rally and the speeches and the endless commiserations for the concerns raised by mad farmers.

"They really liked you," says Lancelot, clapping her on the back and beaming. "We did a quick poll, and apparently 60 percent of that crowd said they'd vote for you. And this is Norfolk; they don't generally take to things on two legs."

"No, but seriously, it's disconcerting knowing your enemies can prank call you at odd hours."

"Keep this up and you could bag this."

"Lancelot."

Lancelot sighs, and it's sigh filled with such stomach-dropping gravitas that she stops to look at him. He rubs his stubble and confesses, "You might need him, Gwen. Even if you fill the Norfolkians with hitherto unrealised hope, between his father's legacy and how insane people think Morgana is, he might win by a hair. You have to keep your options open. An alliance may be the only way to government."

Gwen isn't sure how to swear creatively, explain she'd rather chop off her right hand, and express a fervent sentiment of optimism for her party's merits, all without alienating her closest friend. Given the sympathy with which he looks at her, she thinks maybe he gets it anyway.

Especially because the next day sees the arrival of posters and flyers all over the billboards, an unflattering picture of Gwen pasted on and various details of her political and personal history bullet-pointed. It has Arthur's obnoxious fingerprints all over it, and Gwen just to grit her teeth and continue rallying with a smile, and explain she was a member of the SDP for about six days and no, she's not planning on weaving Trotskyist ideals into her policies.

*

The next debate rolls around just in time for Morgana to lose her cool completely and start swearing at some old bag who starts insulting her heritage and sexual inclinations.

Arthur howls with laughter at the replays on his phone all the way to their Gloucester factories, until Merlin says, acidly, "You realise Gwen has come out in her defence and everyone's saying she's going to pick Morgana if the elections are hung?"

Arthur spends most of the debate glaring at Gwen and Morgana. Morgana seems to have the endorsement to heart and bats her eyelashes at Gwen a lot. Gwen ignores them both and manages to discuss both both philosophy and fiscal policy, so that in the morning even the tabloids have to concede she once again came out on top. This is ridiculous; she's common and kind and focused and beating them blind and it's driving Arthur insane.

(She's got ankles too, slender ankles with well shaped bones, which is something that shouldn't surprise him but does. He knows this because the Dail Mail decided to do an insightful piece analysing their politics through their outfits and he stopped at the snapshot of her shoes and Jesus, this election needs to finish before he actually cracks up.)

*

"The weekend features are out!" announces Morgause, and Morgana sits up dismally as her trusted adviser joins her on the sofa. She's gracing the photoshopped cover with Arthur and Gwen, smiling stiffly beneath a line that suggests many scandalous secrets. "You three are definitely the hottest party leaders we've had in a while. Pity we can't all work it out, really."

"Unethical lusting for opposition aside --" Morgana reaches for magazine, and Morgause snorts and swings it out of her reach.

"Like you want Gwen to form the coalition for any other reasons," she says, grinning.

Morgana rolls her eyes. "My interests in Gwen," she says loftily, "are purely professional, and I believe this is reciprocated with perfect balance. She told me so on the phone the other week, I told you."

Morgause pulls a face and starts flipping through the feature. After a few minutes, she raises her eyebrows.

"Christ, she's got around a bit." She scans the next page, then winces and glances at Morgana. "Dear me, this is going to get complicated."

*
Gwen stares at the magazine in horror. "Oh, god," she says.

Lancelot's doing that thing, where he looks very precisely at a certain spot and gets a bit blank-faced. It's a way of prolonging the moment before he gives her the well-deserved bollocking.

"Morgana says two," reads William brightly. "And Arthur - wow - Arthur says he still hasn't found the right person. That's sweet." He flips the page, and winces.

"Nice answer," he says, and glancing at Lancelot, leaves the room with undue haste.

"No fewer than fifteen?" asks Lancelot, looking pained. "No fewer than fifteen?"

"They asked me how many people I'd loved! I mean, I was including a lot of people, like -- friends, and family -- and obviously all of you people I've gone out with at some point! How was I supposed to know they just meant -- you know. Actual love!!"

Lancelot stares at her long and hard, then presses his hand to his temples. "Next time," he says, "we do interviews together."

*

"We are an insanely good looking trio," says Arthur, admiring the cover, and Merlin sighs and plucks the magazine from Arthur's hands.

"Does Morgana invent anything exciting about her love life? Hey, what does Gwen say about hers? Is she seeing anyone?"

"Don't be so obvious, Arthur," says Merlin distantly, and then chokes.

Arthur's down like a depressed puppy. "Christ, she's not engaged, is she? I knew there was something dodgy between her and Lance-"

"No, you giant --- nimrod. Important stuff. She says she'd never considering joining forces with Labour."

Arthur stares at his friend, nonplussed. "But -- what?"

He's never really thought he had a chance with Gwen politically; having it suddenly thrust at him - by elimination, sure, but still a definite possibility - is a startling and potentially dangerous concept. She unsettles him; there are things about him she has the power to unlock, and he isn't sure how to keep her from getting under his skin. He isn't even sure if this is what he wants.

He thinks, golly, it was much easier when he thought he was fighting this alone.

*

Morgana's vaguely contemplating calling it a night and opening the cabinet wine for what may be one of the last times, when her phone rings. It's with a certain amount of apprehension that she rises (well, Morgause eventually shoves her), to take the call.

"Le Fay. If this is about some party fuck-up, I'm busying killing myself till 5.30am, at which point I'll happy to take your concerns on board." Morgause throws a cushion at her.

"Arthur Pendragon here, and please don't kill yourself and deprive me the pleasure of this slow execution I have planned."

Morgana groans. "What do you want?"

"Just thought I'd make sure you're up to date, re: your impending homelessness."

"Tory policies in implentation? Didn't join the Cambridge Toff Soc and gay, kick her to the curb."

"You know I represent a changed party." He sounds unbearably smug. "We don't prop up the same values as our forefathers."

"You mean your father. Also a milk-nicking Etonian."

She can hear the exaggerated sigh on the other end. "Morgana. You're being unreasonably bitter about this all."

"You're stealing my -- natural ally. I'm hardly going to bear you good will."

"I've always been prettier than you Morgana, face it. Also, I've got better manners."

"Come down here and say that to my face. You know where I live."

"No, I'd rather not piss off Morgause. I heard she lost it right and proper at that bloke on TV the other day defending your honour."

"It was a really twatty news channel, and she wasn't defending my honour, she was challenging his moral fluidity."

"Have you actually shagged her yet?"

"Sexism live and well in the workplace. You wouldn't talk like to this to a male opposition."

"Oh I get it: you're still upset Guinevere rejected you."

"I'm not, and look, have you called me just to wind me up?"

Morgana thinks on her own question for a few seconds, realises it's three in the morning and all sensible politicians are either scribbling clauses into their speeches or snatching a moment of sleep, and hangs up on his smirking voice.

"Arthur Pendragon is a complete knob, and Guinevere is a lying hussy," she informs Morgause, who's sitting on the sofa watching ITV repeats with a singularly fascinated expression.

"That's why it'll never work out between the three of you," says Morgause, and frowns at the toothless man who's decided to whistle Penny Lane backwards for the entertainment of the British public. "Doesn't make a difference, your electorate's mad."

*

The Green Room in the BBC studios has a terribly uncomfortable atmosphere. Lancelot has already buggered off, claiming the tension is making him want to start smoking. Merlin has sat around for ten minutes watching the three party leader glare at each other, and now straightens Arthur's tie and leaves. Morgause has said one word precisely, which is traitor, right at Gwen, and is now standing like a soldier at the back of the room.

"Look," says Gwen desperately, breaking the silence. "I haven't said anything either way, mostly because I really don't like Arthur. And Morgana -- I'm sorry, that yes was a bit of miscommunication earlier on."

"What did you think you were agreeing to?" asks Arthur sulkily; Morgause shoots him a dirty look and he settles down.

"I'm not interested in you, Guinevere," says Morgana, refusing to look up from her notes and brow haughty. "Not in any way. You can go and form whatever deals you like when you like. I, on the other hand, intend on flying solo and winning a clean majority."

Arthur snorts, then glances at Morgause and subsides again.

"Good," says Gwen, "then we're all the same page. I have exactly the same ambitions. All media and recent data suggests a huge swing in my favour, and we're looking at a historic win for my party. "

"Media," says Arthur darkly. "They always raise the wrong statue. Anyway, I think you'll find that before Guinevere started seducing Britain, I'm the one who consistently come out on top. I expect a landslide victory."

Gwen glances at Arthur in frustration. His experience in the political ground is weighty, and she hopes desperately this is one occasion he's wrong. She finds him staring back at her; their eyes lock, and the moment gets even more awkward. Morgause coughs, and a runner opens the door and brings her back to ground.

"Final debate," he announces, staring at all three in a sort of starry-eyed way. "Live in fifteen minutes, if you'd like to come to the stage."

They rise together; Gwen feels her stomach twist unpleasantly -- so much may depend on this final outing -- and Morgana and Arthur take deep identical breaths.

"Well, here we go," says Arthur. "See you on the other side. If you're lucky. Gwen, I'll leave you my number just in case you feel like hooking up after all."

"I'd rather eat my arm," replies Gwen, and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I will take you all down," says Morgana firmly, and leaves the room.

~ PART TWO ~

The voting results come out through the early hours. The British electorate, divided and pained and many deeply inebriated, sit watching the coverage; spin doctors and shadow ministers battle it out in TV studios, and Guinevere, Arthur, and Morgana sit in their private homes and chew their nails over improbable polled predictions.

"Buggeration," says Arthur, as the Tory bar inches up the screen.

"Arsing hell in skin-flaying flames," says Morgana, as the Labour bar hovers uncertainly.

"Oh, fuck it," says Gwen, as the final bar drops below the x-axis.

*

"So," says Arthur, waggling his eyebrows. "Here we are then. You. Me. Only this long negotiating table between us. Anything could happen."

Gwen turns to Lancelot. "Do you have the itenary for this meeting? I think we should get started as soon as possible."

Lancelot hands her a sheaf of papers, and Arthur pulls a face and takes a seat at the head of the table. The ministers straighten up, and the work begins.

*

"Europe."

"No."

"Helping out the immigrants."

"No."

"Schools?"

"Oh, very well, if you must."

"Not, wait, you're only saying that because we happened to agree on it before the election!"

"And it's a compromise I'm prepared to make, Guinevere, I hope you'll come to see that."

The first meeting ends with Gwen throwing a boxfile at Arthur as he yells out every reason her family and philosophy is inferior to hers. Since Gwen's father had worked in the Yorkshire mines before Uther's government had laid him off and she lost him to depression and deterioration and ongoing unemployment, this doesn't go well.

"Gwen," moans Lancelot. "We're so close to leadership. Please, you've got to try, we'll never get another chance."

"He's unbearable," says Gwen, still furious. "So, no. If we form the coalition, he'll just use us for numbers and keep going with his backwards policies and I'm not interested in that."

*

"She's a nightmare," Arthur mourns to Merlin. "She won't bend on any of her principles. I don't know why we're holding these dialogues."

Merlin does his best to look sympathetic. "Not enough people voted for you," he says. "And people clearly still want someone who isn't a fox-hunting fascist."

"I'm not -- I grew up in Greenwich, the only foxes I saw were trawling through my dustbins."

"And it's a testament to your willpower you didn't turn them into coats."

"Didn't you grow up on some Irish farm?"

"Yeah."

"What are you even doing on my side? When this is all done, Merlin, I'm firing you. You can go join the Greens and start preaching about whales and herbal tea."

Merlin drains his glass, and gets up. "You need Gwen," he says. "You could make a good partnership, and it's obvious you like her. You just need to figure out how to say it. It's for the good of the country: the public need a leader."

He pats Arthur on the back, then leaves him alone with his phone.

*

Blackberries are the world's worst invention. It takes three clicks to see all the jokes about him on twitter.

It takes six clicks to find what Gwen's said.

*

"Going badly?" asks Morgana, not even bothering to disguise the hope in her voice.

Gwen hesitates. "Swimmingly," she says. "I expect negotiations will be settled any time soon."

"Is there anything I can do persuade you to join me?"

"Morgana..."

"Yeah yeah, I know. You're still sore about Nimueh."

"It's not... it's just, she was a bit pyschotic."

"You know she's living on the Isle of Man now. Westminster doesn't care about her anymore."

"You've still got Morgause."

"I like Morgause."

"But she's another nutter. You seem addicted to them."

"So join me. Balance the nuttiness."

Gwen sighs. "I can't help you with your personality defects, Morgana."

*

"I do not live my life like upstairs-downstairs," Arthur barks down the phone.

Gwen grins and puts down her wine glass. "Read that, did you?"

"Gwen, you've got me all wrong. I'm not the conniving Conservative creep everyone paints me as."

Gwen reclines on her sofa and pictures Arthur bounding around his room, raking hands through that absurdly floppy hair and pouting. "I spent twelve hours locked in a room with you today," she says. "You were quite unbearable."

There's a pause on the line, then, in quite a different tone of voice: "Look, we need to talk properly, without all our ministers yelling at each other across the table. Why don't you come over?"

"So we can yell in private?"

"Guinevere. Come on, don't be difficult. I'll cook and everything."

Arthur Pendragon cooking is not a lure. But she thinks of the eternal amusement she'll get of seeing him do domestics, and finds herself pulling on a coat and driving down.

*

He's managed to make a brilliant Chinese dinner.

He hasn't; she can see the silver cartons in the bin, but he's being charming and hasn't mentioned slashing the BBC funds yet, so she's willing to cut him some slack.

"I am sorry about your dad," says Arthur awkwardly, as they sit side by side on his sofa with another bottle of wine. "If I'd been in power, I wouldn't have let that happen."

Gwen's not thick; she knows an honest reconciliation when she sees one. She pats him on the hand, and thinks of her father. "It's all right," she says, breathing out the pent-up bitterness. "I suppose you can't help that when you were beating up your friends with lego pieces, your father was drafting carcinogenic legislation."

Arthur hangs onto her hand for a second too long. "Thanks for understanding," he says.

*

"I know you're not actually as classist as you pretend to be," offers Gwen later, when they're both quite drunk and she feels she should apologise for being so consistently mean about him in public.

"Mmmph?" Arthur raises his head.

"Well, Lancelot told me back when you used to play footie together, you kept insisting you got in people from the teams that trained on about fifty pence. That's quite open of you."

"Lancelot always did get effusive," says Arthur, but looks quite mollified. Then he says, rather unexpectedly, "Look, I've never said it, but you're all pretty."

Gwen jumps up, and starts yelping about the early morning ahead of them. Arthur gets all pink-faced and posh and stammmery, which Gwen would find amusing if she wasn't so disturbed by the fact that he had managed to say exactly what she'd been thinking.

*

The next day is a bit awkward.

Easier than the first the day, because Arthur agrees with her a bit more, and she finds sometimes he says things from her policies that she hadn't even intended to push. The Tory ministers -- many of whom had been raised by Uther -- look a little bemused, but as a result, her party gets a lot more receptive with their suggestions.

But Arthur tries not to look at her directly, and she winds up doing the same, and Lancelot kicks her under the table and tells her to try, and she doesn't know how to explain that things are getting a bit weird.

*

That night, she goes round again.

"Today was definitely better than yesterday," says Arthur, by way of greeting, "also, I'm quite glad to see that despite the fifty people you shagged at uni or whatever, you don't actually have that active a night-life."

"Shut up," says Gwen. "I'm just concerned about joining forces with someone who can't even contemplate dinner without calling the Chinese for help." She stuffs a bag of vegetables in his hand and comes in.

It's a bit worrying how easy it is for them both to work side by side, chopping beans and chatting about the day and their colleagues.

"It's your Leon I don't get," confesses Gwen, pouring oil into the pan. "He's -- why on earth is he so popular?"

Arthur laughs. "Give the man a bit of airing and people start fawning after him. He started out under my dad but has survived to become his own man; he's kind of a symbol for us, these days. Anyway, he's not done a bad job looking after London."

"Only because Geraint did a brilliant job before him. 'Sides, I know this doesn't affect people with chauffeur-driven cars, but the trains don't work these days."

Arthur tosses some water chestnuts in before she can stop him. "Tell you what," he says. "Let me keep Leon in charge here, and I'll give your Geraint a position in the cabinet. And I'll have a word with Leon about the trains."

Gwen thinks for a few moments, then breaks the noodles and says, "Yeah, that sounds fair."

"Look at us, eh?" says Arthur, nudging her. "It's not so hard, all this working together stuff."

"Let's wait to see if the dinner's actually edible," says Gwen, laughing. She hunts for a spatula, and tries not to reflect that life would be a lot easier if Arthur didn't behave so differently in private, with her, and give her the hope that he was more than the man he pretended to be in public.

*

Arthur, swirling an excellent stir fry about his plate, looks at Gwen. She's on his sofa again, sitting against the cushions like she belongs there, and he thinks, golly, he doesn't want to be Prime Minister all by himself, not ever. She takes a bite, and quirks an eyebrow at him.

"Not bad," she says. "We managed it, even armed with knives and saucepans and stuff. I thought it was going to go all, you know, Jets and Sharks."

"Jets and sharks?" Arthur stares at her, bemused. "What in glory are you on about?"

"You know." She pulls a face: squeezes her eyes shut and scrunches up her nose, and Arthur suddenly stops thinking, because a great wave of involuntary fondness threatens to bowl him over. She opens her eyes and grins. "Jets."

She bops her head and does a dramatic click, and Arthur moves forward to kiss her.

*

"This really isn't going to help our negotiations," observes Gwen. Her blouse is on the coffee table, one of her legs is balancing up on Arthur's shoulder, and he's currently got his nose lodged in her neck. He surfaces, hair messed where she's run her hands through it and cheeks flushed.

"Do you mind very much?" he asks.

"Not particularly," says Gwen, and pulls him down again.

*

"So," says Arthur, on the floor, his back against the sofa and sporting what seems to be a desperately casual tone of voice. "There's a new restaurant opening in Holborn. Feel like checking it out some time?"

From her seat above him, Gwen wills her cheeks not to go hot as she replies, as casually as possible, "Sure."

"Cool." The spots of colour in Arthur's neck are all that betrays him, and Gwen bites her lip to stop herself from kissing him there, right then. "My uncle Gaius is behind it, I'll let him know we're coming."

And like old water in new, the good feeling goes. Gwen says, sick, "Gaius?"

Arthur turns about to look at her, and his face falls instantly. "Don't -- look, I can't help it. He's family."

"He's --"

"I know."

"Then how can you --"

"Look, Gwen, just because we're hooking up -- I mean, the parties -- doesn't mean I can cut all the old lot dry."

"But -- Gaius --"

"Look, I love my father!" bursts Arthur, apropos of nothing.

There's a moment of silence, then Gwen pats his shoulder. "You're a Freudian disaster," she tells him, and smiles ruefully. Sometimes she thinks she's got a speciality for attracting nutters of all shapes, sizes, and gender.

*

So the problem seems to be that Arthur's suffering from a successful-father-guilt syndrome. Gwen's not sure what the name for that is, but it's enough of a problem that they've abandoned kissing and awkward date-suggestions for the night.

"I want to believe he was right," Arthur laments into Gwen's sympathetic shoulder. "But -- but -- "

"The weekly ultimatums?" suggests Gwen. "The populus revolting?"

"I just don't want to let him down. But I actually like it when people around the world come in and make friends with us. I even quite like the arts! But he had this thing, where he'd hit the weakest in the country. And it's hard enough trying to resist these thoughts with Merlin chewing my ear everyday, but now you're dislodging it, and it's like -- I'm betraying my father."

"Arthur," says Gwen, processing all this lightening-pace information with some difficulty, "No one should ignore the man they are inside. Despotic as your dad was, he wouldn't want that. Just... be kind."

Arthur's eyes are all blue and wibbly and he stares at her like he's learning a new kind of hope.

"Don't worry," says Gwen. "The secret of your vaguely progressive inclinations is safe with me."

He flings his arms about Gwen with acute relief.

*

The next day's negotiations go well.

Sort of, joyously, amazingly well. At the end of the day, Lancelot gets very emotional and pulls Arthur into a hug, Merlin thumps Arthur on the back and swings Gwen into an embrace, and the two boys go off to get drunk and draft a press release together. It's the start of a beautiful union.

Morgana goes to bitch about life to the queen, then texts Gwen informing her that she's off to the Scottish Highlands for a while with Morgause and while she wishes Gwen all the best, she will absolutely return being fabulous. Gwen hides a grin, and thinks she'll quite look forward to it.

And then Arthur catches Gwen's eye across the room, and between the crowds of cautiously conversing MPs and soon-to-be cabinet ministers and sheafs of papers being scurried back and forth, they share a smile.

*

"Tories and Lib Dems to wed," announces the political reporter, his glasses askew in excitement, hands trembling as he seeks further suggestive metaphors. "The word on the street is that they've been holding secret rendezvous all week, and they've finally moved past their differences and are ready to make that commitment."

Arthur grins at the TV, and nudges Gwen awake. "They're getting it right, for once," he tells her, and she pokes her head over the covers, squinting in the sunlight. "Your toes are freezing," he adds.

"Any idea," interrupts the anchor, before their reporter can get too carried away, "on how long-term this arrangement is going to be? We are all aware the party leaders have had many public disagreements; are we to expect another round in ten months' time?"

There's a moment's silence, as the reporter struggles with framing his response. Arthur waggles his eyebrows at Gwen, who elbows him in the side.

"The pre-nup seems to confirm a lifelong agreement," bursts the reporter, and Gwen starts laughing. Her legs are entwined with Arthur's and he bends down to kiss her and whisper something in her ear.

"Ready to start ruling the country?"

"I don't believe in the monarchy," replies Guinevere, smiling and voice sleep-warm. "But yeah, okay. That sounds good. Really, unbelievably good."

3x03 icons

2010-09-27T17:58:45Z

Something I have long suspected: my enjoyment of a Merlin episode is increased exponentially when I am treated to girly cleavage and Merlin not endeavouring to kill Morgana.

[41] 3.03 Goblin's Gold



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Pls to be crediting if taking :)