In today’s episode, MissSnowFox, momo and their two guests talk about post-canon fics in which Arthur returns from Avalon, or is reincarnated. We try to draw lines between the two tropes, and of course a lot of stories get mentioned!
The episode runs just a couple of minutes under 2h long, and features Rox’ admission that she never got into any of these genres and therefore doesn’t know how to classify them. Not that that has ever stopped her from trying anyway :).
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News
Remix A Pod
Game Of Cards
Welcome to Camelot RPG
Resources
Isaac on tumblr
Markie on tumblr
Archaeologist_D’s comment on Episode 29
Eirene’s comment on Episode 4
Mentioned Fanworks
The Student Prince by FayJay
Defenders of the Realm by lamardeuse
Two Weeks Notice by ras_elased
Now I Will Unsettle the Ground Beneath You by nu_breed
journey into the interior by Amber
A Heap of Broken Images (the digital life remix) by glim
Breaking the Circle by riventhorn
Pockets Full of Stones (Lay Me Down) by kianspo
Distant Echoes by sara_bocchan
like the cycle of the year we begin again by katherynfromphilly
Recommendations
The Change Trilogy by emmbrancsxx0
History is Doomed by helloearthlings
only sun in the summer lasts by arthur_pendragon
Starting the End by Uniasus [WIP]
lights go out, here I go again by HalfFizzbin, Podfic by jelazakazone
Accidental Memory in the Case of Death by derryere
Now I Will Unsettle the Ground Beneath You by nu_breed
The Heart You Call Home by alby_mangroves
see you in the sunlight by helloearthlings
I Keep Going Over the World We Knew (Over and Over) by Mellacita
And You Will Be My Life by Magnolia822
We’ll Be a Dream by Sarageek16
The Chakra of Merlin by SweetAndSharp
One Day at a Time by sara_bocchan
Steam by new_kate, Podfic by pennyplainknits
Achelseabee’s art
Lao’s art
fan comic by maryluis
Gif set by katiemcgrath
Brolinskeep’s “da king is back in town” tag on tumblr
Markie’s remaining fic recs that we didn’t have time for
Waiting for the Eastern Glow by Nympha_Alba
Where I’m Meant To Be by mischiefmanager
by emmbrancsxx0
time’s arrow by schweet_heart
The odd uneven time by pixiepuff
Another Dawn by helloearthlings
ever on and ever back by SomeTorist
Awake by Cori Lannam
I Will Wait For You by HazelSage
And No Birds Sing by Omi_Ohmy
Credits
Merlisten theme music composed by side_steppings
News music by Mansardian on freesound.org
Intermission music: “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin McLeod
Manip for the cover by brolinskeep, Cover by momo
momotastic on AO3 | tumblr | Podfic
misssnowfox on AO3 | tumblr | YouTube | Cosplay
No need to comment: Headcanon on whether Arthur or Merlin are gay – while I write them that they are almost always in love with each other, I think of both of them as bi (although I think of Merlin further on the gay scale than Arthur).
You can but don’t have to talk back to these.
***
About the sexuality headcanons:
I always viewed Arthur as bi, so that one’s easy. ๐
As for Merlin, I agree that the show implies that he had interest in women, so he could be bi too. But my headcanon is that he was still finding himself in the first two seasons of the show, so he could have thought that finding women aesthetically pleasing equaled sexual attraction. I even think that what he felt for Freya was more of a strong feeling of kinship rather than love and it got all jumbled in his still teenage head (he was supposed to be 19 at the time if I’m correct). And maybe I’m wrong and didn’t notice it, but I don’t remember him showing clear interest in women after season 2.
So I view Merlin as either completely gay or bi with strong preference for men.
As for writing them, I wrote them both as gay and bi but lately I’ve been leaning more towards bi for both of them.
***
We can’t really say that some past historical event must have been bad enough to warrant Arthur’s return because shit can always get worse. I’m thinking apocalypse that would threaten existence of all people of Albion (or Earth) might be the way to get him back (so maybe some 30 years of global warming and he’ll be back).
There’s more reincarnation fics featuring rock band knights I’m sure because I wrote one as well and I’m not all that original. ๐ (Shameless self-rec follows.)
“Swooning Fanboy” (Merlin/Arthur, R, 4k) – https://archiveofourown.org/works/534057
***
I don’t read all that many reincarnation fics, or at least I don’t search specifically for them, and you already mentioned a lot of the ones that I liked, but there’s one rec I’d like to add:
“Destiny Do-Over (With Breaks for Coffee and Croissants)” by Kestrel_Sparhawk (Merlin/Arthur, R, 40k) –
https://archiveofourown.org/works/12912051/chapters/29499912
In regard to sexuality in AU/ modern, Iโve always thought Arthur definitely seemed to work best as gay or bisexual, but typically they begin with him dating Gwen and realizing itโs more of a friendship. Merlin in modern times I see as bisexual or even pansexual in a modern AU.
One of my favorite reincarnated/ Arthur returns AUs: Eternity in an Hour https://archiveofourown.org/works/908930?view_full_work=true
Itโs great because itโs more than just merlin and Arthur coming back, and they do so several times over the years. ๐ Very enjoyable!