Merlin Advent Calendar

day nine: decorations

rotrude — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:59:02 GMT

Day:# 9 – Decorations
Title: Carol of the Bells
Pairings/Characters: Arthur/Merlin,
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2489
Notes: The lovely dk323 beta'd this. A world of thanks to her!

Having put the tripod in place, Merlin shoulders the big Christmas tree and lugs it down two flights of stairs – the narrow service ones – and down along a corridor he can't seem to see the end of. Lolloping along with as brave a face as he can, he manages not to succumb to the weight of the six- foot-six arboreal imitation and to get it where it's meant to be: the big reception room downstairs.

He might have brushed a few branches against the precious damask wallpaper covering the walls as he steamed ahead, but there are no tears or signs of his passage so he calls himself content. He's also successfully lugged the tree where it ought to be.

It takes him half an hour of laborious construction, involving inching under the listing tree to correct its slant, to get the tree to stand upright. But, at long last, the tree is indeed up, not leaning either to the left or right, and all that's left for him to do is to decorate it.

There are six boxes at his disposal to choose the ornaments from. He's had a look at those boxes and he knows. Actually, there are so many odds and ends he could probably decorate two or three trees if he wanted.

He takes a moment to really be angry at the waste of money that's gone into tree decorating over the years and to think about how many kids would want this stuff for Christmas when they can't have it, before he settles down to work.

Because this isn't one of the public chambers, Merlin's been given free rein. No decorators are needed to put up a tree in here, just himself. It's a question of traffic. Nobody but staffers ever comes in here; the public, down to the press, would never see this particular room or the ones adjoining. So Merlin's enough for it. Upon tasking Merlin with this though, Gaius gave him a lecture about good taste and simplicity, together with a series of Christmas issues of home décor magazines.

Merlin reckons that years of experience doing up his own tree at home more than qualify him to replicate the task. But the nature of his job considered, most people are hostile to that idea.

Putting earphones in his ears and pressing the play button before slipping his phone in his pocket, Merlin launches his seasonal play list. That will put him in the mood for festive decorating.

Moving to the beat of the Carol of the Bells as performed by a Ukrainian orchestra, Merlin's already managed to install the fairy lights and to hang a number of baubles, antiques which instil in him a sacred fear of breaking them, when someone darts into his field of vision, snapping his fingers at him.

Recognition strikes him in a moment. How could it not? He's seen that face time and again on the covers of magazines and on the telly, as well as from afar once during his first month at the job, for him to fail to realise who the obnoxious finger snapper is.

Merlin cuts off his music, pulls out his earphones, letting them dangle around his neck, and says, “I was doing nothing wrong!”

“If you call a rainbow Christmas tree nothing wrong,” the finger snapper says. “Then I concede. By the way, aren't you forgetting something?”

The moment he's asked, Merlin gets what he's missed. Yet he isn't deferring to anyone snapping his fingers at him when he was doing a perfectly good job at decorating the bloody hulking tree he lugged around for the best part of the morning. “These are the decorations the staff gave Gaius to use. So I'm using them.”

“Have you ever been taught that garish never works?”

“It's Christmas; of course garish works!” Merlin says with more vehemence than is needed, given the subject. It's just that he doesn't approve of finger snapping.

“And you're still not addressing me properly.”

Merlin gets snippy then. “No, Your Highness, I'm not and do you know why?”

Prince Arthur smiles instead of thundering at Merlin's outburst. “Actually I've no idea why you're so set against protocol or why you sound so angry.”

“I'm angry because I carried this bloody tree--” Merlin indicates it with a sweep of his hand-- “A tree that's taller and probably heavier than you, all around the palace and if you're not aware this palace is a big one then you're missing a few screws in that head of yours,” Merlin says, catching his breath just so he can continue on his tirade. “I'm angry because you waltz in without having done anything to help anyone while people busy themselves to make your home look pretty--”

“I no longer live here,” Prince Arthur says. “Haven't since I left for uni.”

“And I'm angry,” Merlin continues as if he hadn't been interrupted, “because you're having a dig at my decorating skills while you've been sitting on your royal Pendragon arse and done nothing all morning!”

Prince Arthur smiles at that, wide and pleased, eyes sparking like tinder, to the point Merlin suspects him of being unhinged. He does suspect even more when Prince Arthur says, “We'll have to re-do the tree together, then. Because clearly you have no taste – red and orange, really – and so that you won't think me tyrannical if I object to your choices on simple grounds of good taste.”

“You want to what?” Merlin asks.

“Are you hard of hearing?” Prince Arthur asks. “All that listening to music with earphones on must have done it.”

“No, I'm not hard of hearing,” Merlin says. “It's just that... You want to decorate the tree? With me?”

“Yeah,” Prince Arthur says. “Someone's got to correct your drive to turn this poor tree into the winner of the award for best psychedelic tree of the year.”

“I hope you're not going for those all black ornaments trees that the mags Uncle Gaius gave me feature as the height of elegance?”

“All black!” Prince Arthur's mouth twists in distaste. “What no! I was thinking monochrome red, or something along those lines.”

Merlin chuckles. “Pendragon red?”

“Can't help it if it's also Christmassy,” the Prince says.

“Oh and now you're all proud that you've co-opted Christmas,” Merlin says, mouth tilting into a grin that fails at being mocking.

“Nah.” Prince Arthur makes a sign with his hand, eyeing the bauble Merlin's been holding all along. “I'm not the evil dictator of festivities present and future.”

Merlin hands over the bauble; their fingers brush. “Yet, you're asking for a do-over of my fatigues. Can't I persuade you to keep the gold baubles at least?”

Prince Arthur's mouth twitches. “We can discuss that.”

With that they start working on the tree in almost silence, Arthur only speaking up when he needs to object to Merlin's ornamentation project. The plan is simple. They do the tree lights again, removing those that gave off reddish vibes and adding transparent ones.

By mutual accord they start at the base of the trunk and work their way up, having to resort to a foldaway ladder to get the top done as well as the bottom half. Humming under their breaths, they wrap lights around every major branch, moving from the trunk to the tip and back, bumping into each other as they go, laughing when they do.

Lights dealt with, they remove some of the baubles Merlin hung, and add a layering of mono-tone garlands each, going for a variety of those so as not to make the tree all samey.

“See,” Prince Arthur says, wrapping a ribbon around the pointy end of a branch. “This is much nicer.”

“You're saying that because I capitulated about the colours,” Merlin says, hanging a pretty glass bauble he's so careful with that his hands shake.

“Nah,” Prince Arthur says. “It's because this version isn't hurting my eyes.”

Merlin spaces a few more baubles around, just so there's no crowded areas next to near empty ones. It's a thing that he's learnt with time; as a kid he used to just hang his decorations haphazardly. The result wasn't always the best but his mum let him have at it as he best pleased. Not that Merlin had the resources the Royal Family has back when he was little. His baubles came from 3x2 Marks and Spencer’s offers or straight from flea markets.

Reflecting on that, Merlin pats a crystal tear-drop that looks like it's made of Venetian glass, and most probably is, and sighs as his thoughts go back to the past. As he does, he inadvertently dislodges the tear-drop and it crashes to the floor, a tiny cascade of little glass fragments showering his feet.

“Oh, my god, I'm so sorry,” Merlin says. “That was probably an antique. Hell, I'll try and pay for a replacement if I can. If not, I can promise I'll let myself be indentured to slave labour.”

Although Merlin is mortified – picking at a prince is one thing, smashing heirlooms another – Arthur doesn't seem to want to take Merlin's guilt seriously. “Don't you think that's a bit tragic?”

“No!” Merlin says, stomping a foot to make a point and only succeeding in grounding the glass shards into fine Venetian glass dust. “I've just shattered a family heirloom. Maybe Queen Victoria held it or something. I'm so so--”

“I don't care,” Prince Arthur says, putting down the tiny flower he was going to stick through the branches.

“Why, thank you,” Merlin says. “Here I was, trying to apologise and there you go saying that you don't give a royal rat's arse about--”

Prince Arthur puts both hands on Merlin's shoulders and squeezes. “Merlin, stop.” He catches Merlin's eyes with his, though he's quick to drop them when Merlin does stop babbling. He continues though, saying, “Look, I'm not fussed about the ornaments, I can say with confidence I don't care about them. And I certainly won't ask you to repay me for their loss.”

“But--”

“No buts, Merlin,” Prince Arthur says. “It's my fault anyway. If I hadn't taken the piss, you wouldn't have broken anything and you wouldn't be feeling guilty now.”

“You had nothing to do with my clumsiness,” Merlin says, admitting a truth he can't but stare in the face. “I mean I can probably blame you for representing the idea of cosmic prattishness, but that's more of a general truth and didn't cause my general flailing awkwardness.”

Prince Arthur continues on his own tack, ignoring Merlin's rant. “I know I was making you nervous. But at least we were connecting...” Arthur rolls his eyes. “On some level.”

“I don't get it,” Merlin says, pursuing his own thought process just as Prince Arthur has been doing. “I'm abjectly apologising, so why aren't you accepting my apologies when I'm not being anti-monarchical?”

“Because,” Prince Arthur says, “I pushed and baited you. And I did because... Hell, but it's difficult getting to talk to you.”

Merlin doesn't understand how this conversation's got here. “Er, I'm sorry I'm not sure I'm on the same page as you anymore. Or that I ever was, come to think of it.”

“I was trying to talk to you,” Prince Arthur says at an unprincely pitch. “Because I've seen you around. How do you think I know your name? And I like you. But you don't look my way. Ever. So when I saw you carrying this tree around, I thought, duh, his hands are metaphorically tied. He's stuck with the tree for the next few hours so maybe...” Prince Arthur goes the colour of ripe plums. His colouring now goes well with the tree. “So maybe I can use the time ask him out. The magic of Christmas and all that. I thought you' be more....” Arthur paused then he said, “Inclined towards general good will while you were at the tree.”

Merlin smacks a hand to his forehead and starts laughing, shoulders heaving.

Prince Arthur's face falls, visibly, comically, his expression morphing right under Merlin's eyes as a character in a cartoon would. He puffs out little jets of air like a whale and then straightens and goes very upright and still. Merlin can see he's going for circumspect now but he's not quite succeeding. Despite his attempt at pulling himself together, Merlin can read Arthur's disappointment in his face. He's pouting. Here Merlin is faced with a pouting prince. That sobers him though he's not quite sure what to make of Arthur. “You're not pulling my leg.”

“Do you think I'd humiliate myself in order to do that?” Prince Arthur asks, looking in Merlin's general direction but not at him.

Merlin's eyebrows climb upwards. “Is the thought of going out with me humiliating?”

“No,” Prince Arthur says, his tone rich and formal as he explains. “That would be... an honour. Being rejected, though, is humiliating.”

“I haven't actually rejected you.”

“You were laughing.”

“Well, you surprised me,” Merlin says. “And it's odd thinking that you would want to go out with me.”

“So you haven't rejected me?” Prince Arthur asks, a frown on his forehead now.

“You sound like a BBC drama reject,” Merlin says. “Mr Pratdarcy.”

“You're nit-picking word choice now,” Prince Arthur says, pout back in full-fledged form. Merlin can't tell whether he's annoyed and the pout is for real or whether he's amused and the pout's self-caricature.

“No,” Merlin says, throwing his shoulders out. “I'm making a point.”

“And that would be?” Prince Arthur asks.

Merlin throws a spare strand of tinsel around Prince Arthur's neck and says, “That you're awfully formal sounding but yeah, we can go out together. If you were a normal person I'd invite you to the closest Starbucks so we could have one of their newest seasonal concoctions but I see that can't happen so... ball in your court.”

Arthur, Merlin feels he can call him Arthur if they're meeting informally, smiles a high wattage smile, not the kind he reserves for the press, but a real unrestrained smile that's got nothing poised about it. “I have a wonderful idea,” he says but when Merlin presses to know what it is, Arthur goes all secretive and says, “I'll tell you in good time. Santa's elves are working on it. Now pass the tip.”

The End

Merlin Advent #2

ghost_girl07 — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:46:05 GMT

Title: A life of its' own...
Prompt: Snow
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I am borrowing them to play with.

#1 Mulled Wine

ghost_girl07 — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:55:38 GMT

Here's day one:
Prompt - Mulled Wine/Please Tell Me That's Not Merlin Under There...
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I have just borrowed them to play with.

Hope you enjoy!

Click here to read

Prompts!

wickednotevil — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:29:29 GMT

Here's the prompt list for this year's advent of 2012. As ever they're just guidelines and if you can't find something that inspires you then you can ignore it entirely.
If you do choose a prompt for a particular day please post it on or after that date just to make tagging your wonderful work easier. Thanks, sweeties!

Day One; Chestnuts!

Can you smell the chestnuts roasting? Who wants some, does Arthur order Merlin to bring him some? Or do the kitchen staff roast them when all their work is done?

[Prompts; Christmas party/ball. Mulled wine. ‘Please tell me that’s not Merlin under there.’]

Day Two; Snow!

Today it is Snowing! Well, possibly not outside, but in our advent today is all about Snow.
Be it making snowmen, snowball fights, the odd way it seems to be snowing inside the castle lately, everything today revolves around the joy of pretty snowflakes.

[Prompts; snowball fight, scarves, ice-skating, snow angels]

Day Three; Fairy Lights!

Be they magic fireworks, fairy lights with actual fairies (oh, boys), or a particularly playful magical battle, today there is some illumination to guide our ways.

[Prompts; ‘You’re beautiful. I wish I-’. Left sunpsoken. Shenanigans.]

Day Four; Advent Calendars

Today we’re getting slightly meta as we introduce advent calendars to Camelot! Whether Mordred marks the days to Yule with small gifts, or Gwen likes getting a tiny piece of chocolate every morning the joy of marking the advent falls upon Albion today!

[Prompts; Kissing. ‘Maybe if we don’t look, he’ll grow a brain.’ Laundry.]

Day Five; Exchanging Gifts

PRESENTS! The best part of Christmas in Arthur’s opinion, even if he did draw Merlin in the Camelot Secret Santa. Everyone has a gift to give and everyone has something to receive.

[Prompts; Secrets. ‘This is all for your own good, you know.’ Distance.]

Day Six; Raise a toast!

Cheers! Today we’re all raising a glass of something alcoholic. Whether eggnog, wine or beer, we’re all a nice evening where the cups never run dry, and all is merry and bright.

[Prompts; too much wine. ‘I say we get naked and sacrifice some goats.’ Gaius & eggnog. ‘If I count to three and you’re still here, I’ll possibly cry.’]

Day Seven; hungover

Urgh *stumbles in* As we all partook of the ale yesterday, today we are most definitely hungover. And so is the rest of the castle. Today, people, is Arthur Has A Hangover Day. Let us all fic (quietly) and make the most of the peace and tranquillity until Merlin drops a bucket.

[Prompts; sickness. ‘I hate you. Now go die.’ ‘I have socks?!’ Wishes.]

Day Eight; Traditions!

Does Arthur carry on the Pendragon Christmas Traditions, or has Gwen introduced him to the games her and Elyan played as children? Do the nobles play Pick on the Random Servant, King for the Day, or just all retire early to bed? Let’s see!

[prompts; dragon. Cynicism. Revealing. ‘Destiny can bugger off. I’m not in this afternoon.’]

Day Nine; Decorating!

Decorating! The time of Yuletide creeps ever closer, and Camelot is in serious need of some festive redecorating; Merlin doing so in a less than traditional manner, armies of servants covering the castle in holly and mistletoe, or just Arthur being a prat and making Merlin move the decorations just a little bit more to the left.

[Prompts; mistletoe. Christmas tree. Holly. “You look ridiculous. But I forgive you.’]

Day Ten; Cold!

Cold! Today is freezing; a nice quiet morning snuggled up to your court member of choice seems like just the thing, or perhaps indulging in some well-meant subterfuge to make sure you’ve got someone keeping you warm. After all, it only counts as lying if they catch you out.

[Prompts; Gloves, Snuggling. ‘If that’s what I think it is, then I may find myself kissing you.’ Tea and Chocolate.]

Day Eleven; Dragons!

To make up for the lamentable lack of dragons today is all about the majestic little buggers that live to drive Merlin crazy. Have more dragon eggs appeared in Camelot, just in time to get gifted to the king? Or does Morgana spend her days playing dragon hide-and-seek and forgetting her vendetta *g*

[Prompts; ‘I’m sorry. I never meant to betray you.’ Woods. Servants and Masters.]

Day Twelve; Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas. Well, the song had to come from somewhere, why not the court of Camelot. An over-enthusiastic knight new from foreign lands, an attempt by Sir Gwaine to subtly court the object of his affections, or Merlin taking the song far too literally, we expect a partridge in a pear tree somewhere.

[Prompts; the twelve days of Christmas. ‘Oh god, if this still exists in the morning, you’re going to die a horrible death.’]

Day Thirteen; Hunting

Hunting! A clear day dawns over the streets of Camelot, perfect for a spot of hunting. Arthur going out for a bit of fun, a hunting party, or looking for something more…unusual…to stalk.

[Prompts; Christmas dinner. ‘Uh, I saw it go that way?’ Lost.]

Day Fourteen; Ghosts of Christmas Past

A Camelot twist on the Dicken’s tale. Uther, we’re looking at you here. Once again the veil between worlds is thin and all manner of dead personages are back and wreaking havoc on the palace, whatever shall we do?

[Prompts; awful relatives. Mother’s cooking. Bedsheets. ‘You have nothing to prove.’]

Day Fifteen; Untimely Invasions!

Oops! Whilst Camelot is no stranger to invasions, this really isn’t the time. There’s still so much to do, gifts to buy, feasts to cook. Someone has got to do something about the army trying to get in the door, and that someone is probably Merlin…

[Prompts; ‘How many more times do I have to say get down off of that Christmas tree?’ caught with pants down. Kid!fic. Dangers of wishing away princes. ‘If I don’t do this, how can I live with myself?’]

Day Sixteen; Full Moon

The moon is round and full tonight, bringing out both the crazies and the Druids. Is it a blue moon, or just a nice clear night where the moonlight shines so brightly the guards don’t need torches for once?

[Prompts; What everyone gets in their Christmas pudding. Excalibur. ‘What’s with the cheese and the stick?’]

Day Seventeen; Carols!

Christmas is that time of year that everyone likes to break out into song. Can Percival charm the ladies with his unexpected signing voice? Can Gwaine carry a tune in a bucket without a yard of ale to soothe the way? Does Merlin have the voice of an angel? Or maybe Morgana sounds like a cat in a bag. It’s all in the lyrics ;)

[Prompts; Christmas songs. Jingle bells. Lost voice. ‘Have you seen my sword? I think Merlin left it here by accident...’]

Day Eighteen; Food, Glorious Food!

Feast and be merry. Christmas is the time of turkeys, Christmas pudding and CHOCOLATE. Camelot can’t be any different. Everyone loves food and what better opportunity than one of Camelot’s famous feasts.

[Prompts; food fight. Bells. Christmas pudding. Meat. Leftovers. ‘Lift your leg, or I’ll lift if for you!’]

Day Nineteen; Ailments

Nobody can escape sickness, not even at Christmas. Be it spending the day in bed with the flu, or finding yourself lost out in the cold, someone’s bound to get sick in December. It’s what the nurse maid does that’s the interesting part!

[Prompts; amnesia. Catching a cold. Trapped in the snow. Snowstorm. ‘I promise.’]

Day Twenty; Dress the Part!

Looking the part is always essential in the Court of Camelot; as is knowing the right words to say. Have they ever put their foot in it? Maybe Arthur just wants to get naked. Maybe Morgana has to go to her creepy dressmakers in the middle of the woods to get something a little more seasonal. Go wild!

[Prompts; ‘Perhaps if you got dressed, now?’ festive robes. Lying. The lost shoe. ‘This, can only end badly.’]

Day Twenty-One Menagerie!

We know there are animals in Camelot; tell us their story! From the sheep who (maybe) ate Arthur’s socks, to the Mouse (who might be) in the Queen’s wardrobe. They may even be a gift for someone special; remember, not just for Christmas!

[Prompts; Christmas kittens. A dog is for life. ‘What do you mean the horse ran away.]

Day Twenty-Two; Queens of Camelot

Queen Guinevere? Queen Morgana or Morgause? The radiant Queen Merlin, or the belated Ygraine? Camelot has had its fair share of female monarchs and today is just for them.

[Prompts; ‘You look…beautiful.’ Sleeping. Dancing, cranberries]

Day Twenty-Three; The Witching Hour

Exactly what it says on the tin; Camelot is all about the magic in one way or another. Evil witches, good witches, or a bunch of warlocks objecting to being called women, today there is magic in the air. Maybe Mordred and Merlin can work a little magic together.

[‘Are you sure it’s meant to do that?’ Dangers of wishing away princes. ‘I declare war on you!’]

Day Twenty-Four Christmas Eve

The night before Christmas. From spending it with those you love, to watching the sunset alone, there’s something special about Christmas Eve. Who spends it with whom? Maybe there’s a party, or maybe its a chance for a couple to be, well, couple-y. Nothing’s too far-fetched on this night. ♥

[Prompts; Loneliness. Stupid laugh. Kissing. Eyes. ‘What do you mean ‘you don’t know’?’]

Welcome to Merlin Advent 2012!

wickednotevil — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 12:29:51 GMT

Oh, hello there, my fellow Merlin lovers! Once again merlinadvent is on this year, slightly belated but still up and running *g*

So here we are with our triumphant return for yet another year of Christmas festivities-
Welcome, one and all, to the Merlin Advent Calendar!

merlinadvent is a community for fanworks based around BBC's Merlin that are posted during December on the lead up to Christmas.
(Like the chocolate advent calendars you've all had at some point. Only for Merlin :D)

There are prompts (that will be going up later today) for every day of the advent, and people can either choose to be inspired by them...or to ignore them completely and write whatever they like.
For example the prompt could be Day twelve; Sun sparkling off snow, Yule, snowflakes, 'Don't set it on fire!' and you could use any of those prompts or you could go off and draw a picture of Morgana and Gwen choosing fashionable cloaks together. I suppose you could also use all the prompts but they can get a bit diverse sometimes...

And then you post stuff during anywhere between December 1st when posting starts and Christmas Day when it ends. Fic, art, vids, icons, whatever. You can link it to tumblr or your lj or dreamwidth, anything goes!
The whole point of the advent is so everyone has something Merlin to enjoy every day leading up to Christmas.

- The challenge starts on 1^st December and continues throughout the advent until Christmas (25^th December for those who’ve forgotten)
- Everything posted must be Merlin-related
- Posting opens at the start of December. Any time after midnight on 1^st December is fine by us
- If you are writing something for a particular day’s prompt (eg. Day 14- snowflakes) please post it on that day or any time afterwards. This makes tagging easier for us so people can find all your lovely work
- All sorts of fanworks are welcomed joyfully! You like fic? So do we! You make fanvids? We never tire of them! (We also hardly get any and there are so many seasonal songs that would be so good Merlin-i-fied. Morgana’s Nightmare Before Christmas, anyone?) Art, podfic, photos of seasonal cupcakes you made that spell out MERLIN in festive colours, we want it all!

That’s it for the rules. Wow, we’re an easy bunch to please, aren’t we? *g*

Merlin Advent Day 24: Fic: Fulfillment

jelazakazone — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:15:18 GMT

Title: Fulfillment
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 6
Warnings:
Summary: Destiny
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to awesome betas twilighthdfan , lewisian_gneiss , and kleinefee92 . Written for day 24 of merlinadvent.

Merlin roared. Arthur relinquished control. Ecstasy.

Merlin Advent Day 23: Drabble: All I want

jelazakazone — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:33:15 GMT

Title: All I Want
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100
Warnings:
Summary: Arthur asks for something.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to betas lewisian_gneiss , twilighthdfan , and kleinefee92 . Written for day 23 of Merlinadvent.

Kilgharrah landed gently next to the castle walls and the men untangled themselves to slide down his flank. Boots met solid ground, jolting their knees. Merlin and Arthur craned their necks to look up at Kilgharrah. Together they said, “Thank you.” He replied simply, “You are welcome.”

Arthur took his right glove off and tugged on Merlin’s left glove so he could lace their fingers together despite the cold. On their walk back to the castle Arthur was practically vibrating, he was so full of energy. Entering the warm sleeping chambers, Arthur whispered in Merlin’s ear, “All I want is...”

(Feel free to comment here or on my LJ:))

Merlin Advent Day 22: Fic: Night Time Activities

jelazakazone — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:49:05 GMT

Title: Night time activities
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters:Arthur/Merlin, Kilgharrah
Rating:PG13
Word Count: about 500
Warnings:
Summary: Merlin and Arthur go out at night.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to beta help from lewisian_gneiss and twilighthdfan and kleinefee92 ! Written for day 22 of merlinadvent.

( Merlin rustled the bed clothes. Again. )

Merlin Advent Day 21: Fic: Yuletide Speech

jelazakazone — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:15:16 GMT

Title: Yuletide Speech
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Arthur
Rating: G
Word Count:100
Warnings:
Summary: Arthur gives his Yuletide speech.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to lewisian_gneiss and kleinefee92 for beta help!

As the bells chimed, the voices dimmed. Arthur stood. People stopped talking and eating and looked up at their king expectantly. “Today is my first Yule as King of Camelot. At Yuletide we honor our mothers and celebrate the prosperity of the earth. My gift to you, my people, is to let you know that while I rule, all can live without fear in this land. Druids, dragons, peasants, farmers, sorcerers; all can expect to find aid in Camelot as long as they intend no harm. Now, please, eat, drink and be merry.” The bells rang merrily, melting remaining disharmonies.

Merlin Advent Day 20: Fic: Herald of a New Age

jelazakazone — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:46:12 GMT

Title: Herald of a New Age
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters:Merlin/Arthur (if you squint), Aithusa
Rating: G
Word Count:about 600
Warnings:
Summary: Merlin cheers up Arthur before the Christmas feast.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to cheerleading from jillbertini , quixotic_crush , and lewisian_gneiss . Unbeta’d. Let me know if there is something terribly wrong. Written for day 20 of merlinadvent. This references ep 4.10 (The Herald of a New Age) but is not a spoiler for it at all.

( Arthur moped. )

Merlin Advent Day 19: Microfic: Wishes

jelazakazone — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:17:18 GMT

Title:Wishes
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters:Aithusa, OC
Rating: G
Word Count: 6
Warnings:
Summary: A dream fulfilled
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: I wanted to try my hand at microfic after I saw someone do one with six words. This is my attempt. Direct followup to day 18. Thanks, as always, to betas kleinefee92 , twilighthdfan , and lewisian_gneiss . Written for day 19 of merlinadvent.

Leaping. Soaring. Fulfilling dreams and promises.

Comment here or on my LJ. Would love to hear what people think:D

Merlin Advent Day 18: Fic: Falling in Love

jelazakazone — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:57:04 GMT

Title: Falling in Love
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Merlin, Aithusa, OC
Rating: G
Word Count: about 350
Warnings:
Summary: Merlin’s grandson meets Aithusa
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Direct continuation from day 17. Thanks to betas kleinefee92 , twilighthdfan , and lewisian_gneiss ! Written for day 18 of merlinadvent.

( Rounding the corner of the small house, Merlin and the child found Aithusa. )

Merlin Advent Day 17: Waking Up

jelazakazone — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:50:17 GMT

Title: Waking Up
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Merlin, Aithusa, oc
Rating:G
Word Count: about 200
Warnings:
Summary: OC wakes up to a surprise
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: continuation of the story started in day 14 of merlinadvent. This is for day 17. Thanks for awesome beta help from kleinefee92 and twilighthdfan .

That night, tucked up in his warm bed, the child fell asleep with visions of a young Merlin all tied up, terrified, and facing serkets alone. Although when he dreamed, it was of flying on the back of Kilgharrah, the wind ruffling his hair and chilling his exposed flesh, and he slept deeply.

In the morning, he awoke to rime-frosted windows. Padding over to the fire, he looked out the window and saw more white. He thought to himself, “Oh, more snow,” until the white shifted and he realized that it was a big animal. He sucked in a deep breath and yelled, “Is that a dragon? It’s a miracle!” Running over to Merlin, he shook his grandpa and said excitedly, “Grandpa, Grandpa, there’s a dragon outside.”

Merlin jerked awake and looked out the window. “By my beard, that is a dragon!” he exclaimed. “Quickly, get your boots and furs and let’s go out and talk with him”

All bundled up, the old man and the young boy stepped outside and went around the corner of the house to meet Aithusa.

Merlin Advent Day16: Fic: Old Memories

jelazakazone — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:25:08 GMT

Title: Old Memories
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Merlin, Kilgharrah, oc
Rating:G
Word Count: about 300
Warnings:
Summary: Merlin remembers riding Kilgharrah
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to lovely betas:lewisian_gneiss and kleinefee92 . Written for day 16 of merlinadvent.

( ... Arthur went on the Great Dragon's back for his Christmas present. )

Merlin Advent Day 15: Fic: Family Truths

jelazakazone — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:07:37 GMT

Title: Family Truths
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Merlin, OC
Rating: G
Word Count: about 150
Warnings:
Summary: A child is regarded.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Heaps of praise for my awesome betas who have been sticking with me: lewisian_gneiss , kleinefee92 , and twilighthdfan. I ♥ you all something fierce. This is a direct continuation from yesterday and will be followed up later. Written for day 15 of merlinadvent.

“Oh, you are wanting to hear dragon tales again, youngling. Well, I have many tales to tell, but I think it’s better if we go inside to gain some respite from the chill. My old bones do not tolerate the cold like they did when I was your age. I’ll bet you hardly notice whether it’s hot or cold.”

“Yes, Grandpa, I do want to hear your dragon tales,” and then he muttered, “and not about your creaky old bones.”

“Quite right. You don’t want to hear me complain. Well, we’ve achieved the door. Let’s see if your mother can be pressed into service for a pot of tea.”

Holding on to Merlin’s hand to guide the old man through the dim room, the child said, tugging the hand excitedly, “Oh please tell me about the time that you and …” This entry was originally posted at http://jelazakazone.dreamwidth.org/494261.html. Feel free to comment here or there.

Merlin Advent day 14: Fic: Silver Screen

jelazakazone — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:58:01 GMT

Title: Silver screen
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Merlin and OC
Rating: G
Word Count: about 50
Warnings:
Summary: a question is asked
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: microfics rule. Thanks to betas kleinefee92 , lewisian_gneiss , and twilighthdfan ! Written for day 14 of merlinadvent.

Eyes once blue, now silvered from the film that age brought, squinted in the bright sunlight. A small hand reached up, grasping the rough knobby hand. The two walked companionably down the cobbled street. Although the eyes were impaired, the trumpet-like ears were not and they heard the whispered question, “Grandpa, what was Kilgharrah like?”

Merlin Advent Day 13: Fic: A Christmas Errand

jelazakazone — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:20:29 GMT

Title: A Christmas Errand
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Aithusa, Kilgharrah
Rating: G
Word Count: about 70
Summary: This is what Merlin needed Aithusa to do from day 6.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks again to betas lewisian_gneiss , twilighthdfan , and kleinefee92. This was written for day 13 of merlinadvent.

Aithusa understands that Merlin makes him happy and safe. So, when Merlin asks him to run a special errand on a snowy night, the baby dragon is happy to receive a task of great import; he considers it his first Christmas present to Merlin. When he meets Kilgharrah under a moon-bright sky with a shiny harness in his small talons, Kilgharrah understands that soon he will be giving the young king the ride of his life.

Merlin Advent Day 12: Fic: Five Golden Rings

jelazakazone — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:50:33 GMT

Title: Five Golden Rings
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters:Arthur, Merlin
Rating:G
Word Count: about 40
Summary: The ties that bind
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks to betas twilighthdfan , kleinefee92 , and lewisian_gneiss. And thanks to princealia for reassurance.

There are only five golden rings in Camelot and they are divided between the two most powerful men. Arthur wears gold on each hand and a circlet on his head. Merlin wears gold only when he wields his power.

Comment here or on my lj: http://jelazakazone.livejournal.com/510253.html

Merlin Advent Day 11: Merlin's on the Winning Team

jelazakazone — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:28:11 GMT

Title:Merlin’s on the Winning Team
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters:Arthur/Merlin, Aithusa, Kilhgarrah, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Gaius
Rating: G
Word Count:about 420
Summary: Cabin fever leads to snowy shenanigans.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Thanks again to my merlinadvent beta fairies lewisian_gneiss , kleinefee92 , and twilighthdfan !

( The wintry landscape had looked beautiful from Kilgharrah's back. )

Merlin Advent Day 10: Fic: Sleigh Ride

jelazakazone — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:34:46 GMT

Title:Sleigh Ride
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters:Arthur/Merlin, Aithusa, Kilgharrah
Rating:PG
Word Count:about 600
Warnings:
Summary:Merlin wants to share his cup of tea.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: Many thanks to lewisian_gneiss, kleinefee92, and twilighthdfan for the awesome beta help.

( Before dawn's rosy fingertips had a chance to tickle the sky, Merlin awoke. )

Merlin Advent Day 9: There Are No Drinking Laws for Dragons

jelazakazone — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:48:41 GMT

Title: There are No Drinking Laws for Dragons
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Arthur/Merlin, Aithusa, George, Gwaine, OC
Rating:PG13
Word Count: about 1K
Warnings:so cracky, you might not want to read it
Summary: Everyone wins, even The Nutcracker
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author's notes: kleinefee92 suggested
The Green Dragon Song and had George dragonsitting for Aithusa in her
fic and I’ve borrowed that clever idea. The title is princealia ’s
idea, as are the body shots and the dancing girls who morphed into
maidens. And Gwaine, although that probably would have happened
naturally. And if someone wants to write a sexy prequel or coda to this
story, I would LOVE it. Mega thanks to betas kleinefee92 who suggested The Green Dragon song and lewisian_gneiss . Written for Day 9 of merlinadvent

( Sated, Merlin rolled onto his side and slid his hand across Arthur’s chest to rest his arm across the other man’s torso. )

Merlin Advent Day 8: Fic: Stuff My Stocking

jelazakazone — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:31:39 GMT

Title:Stuff My Stocking
Author:jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Arthur/Merlin, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Aithusa
Rating:PG13
Word Count: around 500
Warnings: There are no drinking laws for dragons.
Summary: The way to a man’s heart
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Author’s notes: I’m trying to stick as close to canon as possible, although clearly Arthur being so blase about Aithusa is not canon at all. This was written for day 8 of merlinadvent. Thanks to my lovely betas: lewisian_gneiss , kleinefee92 , and twilighthdfan !

Merlin looked at his friend affectionately and said...

(Mods, can you add a character: Elyan and Percival tag? Also wondering about genre:crack tag. Maybe the last is not necessary. Thanks)

Merlin Advent Day 7: Fic: Writing speeches

jelazakazone — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:44:07 GMT

Title: Writing Speeches
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Merlin, Arthur, George, Kilgharrah, Aithusa
Rating: G
Word Count: about 450
Warnings:
Summary:Politics get ugly
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Authors’ notes: written for day 7 of merlinadvent. Thanks to beta help from kleinefee92 and lewisian_gneiss . Again, a direct follow on to the previous day.

The young dragonlord waved goodbye to Kilgharrah as he took off into the brightening pink sky, not a cloud on the horizon.

Merlinadvent Day 5 and 6: Fic: drabbles Magic and Gifts

jelazakazone — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:41:21 GMT

Title:Magic and Gifts
Author: jelazakazone
Fandom: Merlin
Pairings/characters: Arthur/Merlin, Kilgharrah, Aithusa
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 100 + 100
Warnings: Avert your eyes now if you fluffy fic offends
Summary: Merlin resists temptation and has a meeting
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and am not intending to profit from them
Authors’ notes: These are two related drabbles written for day 5 and 6 of merlinadvent. Prompts I’m responding to are magic, presents, and shooting stars. Thanks to kleinefee92 for the encouragement and beta services:D

Merlin licked his lips, dreaming about the orange cake they’d made late in the night.

(Mods, please let me know if it's not ok to combine prompts into one post.)

Merlin Fanfic: The Neckerchief of Destiny, Merlin/Arthur, (1/1), R

happyevraftr — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:47:00 GMT

Title: The Neckerchief of Destiny
Author: happyevraftr
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: R
Word Count: 3,141
Prompt: Day 6: Presents
Disclaimer: Not mine or they would have kissed already =D

Summary: For the first time ever, Arthur gives Merlin a present at Yule. Through the years and hardships, the neckerchief becomes a symbol of their friendship, love and destiny. Magic reveal. Lots of angsty feelings and fluff ahead.

READ IT HERE