Fandom School (2nd period): Joining a Ship

Wow, it's been forever since I've posted. What can I say? I'm lazy busy. This blog isn't dead, it's just been dormant for a while. Fandom School is back from hiatus, and today we're talking about joining a ship.

There are some ships that you immediately join, but others take a little convincing. So what convinces you to ship characters you didn't think suited each other? Well, there are a few methods:

• Chemistry between the actors
• A different portrayal of one or both characters that makes them a better match
• Character development
• A really good fanfic/fanart
• The ship is canon and you get used to it

Examples

Quirrellmort (Quirrell/Voldemort). I know what you're thinking. Quirrell and Voldemort? What? Well, they do share a body, but that's not what makes me ship them. No, I shipped them when I saw them in A Very Potter Musical (which you should all watch, by the way).

Hm... *realizes I created an entire post just so I could discuss Quirrellmort*
But there is another ship I grew into:

Merthur (Merlin/Arthur)
I've discussed before why I ship them, but I'll say it again: they're really suited to each other. They're fiercely loyal to each other. Merlin's saved Arthur's life countless times, and likewise Arthur gladly risks his life to save Merlin's. They have such an intimate relationship, it's hard not to ship them. And they make each other better. I'm a sucker for character development, especially when it comes because of another character.

Okay, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll get around to posting again soon. Thanks to anyone who still reads this blog even though my posts are terribly sporadic.

Fandom School (1st period): Fixing Canon

It's time for Fandom School again! The subject is canon, and, let's be honest: a lot of times, the writers really mess things up.

So, what do you do? Just sit in silence? I think not. Instead, it's time to take matters into your own hands. A while ago I wrote about different types of canon, and I'd like to discuss the types that don't comply with canon. What do you do if you don't like canon? Take Nick Fury's advice; ignore it. Write a fix-it fic and change everything you don't like. Write an AU where the offending event never happened. The possibilities are endless.

Of course, you don't have to write a fanfic. You can also just come up with headcanons. As I said in my post about headcanons, headcanons don't have to comply with canon. It can just be a case of 

"But I'm perfectly happy with the current canon. Why would I need to change anything?" you might ask. Well first of all, you must not have watched you TV show/movie for very long. And secondly, I'm ahead of you because I've already anticipated this question. Here are a few canon problems you might want to fix.

• Character death - nobody likes it when their favorite character dies, especially if that death served little purpose.
• Ships - many fans of BBC Sherlock will argue that John married the wrong person, and so they'll write about Johnlock instead of John/Mary
• Character development - often times minor characters (sometimes even major characters) don't get much character development, which is a shame, but fanfic writers can easily fix that.
• Events that should have happened - I think Merlin should have revealed his magic to Arthur much earlier, and a quick search of AO3 shows that many people agree with me and write magic reveal fics
• Events that shouldn't have happened - for every story that involves betrayal, there will be fanfics in which that character stayed loyal
• Events that don't make sense - sometimes authors just plain don't explain things, and sometimes the explanations they give are unsatisfactory.
• Contradictions/continuity errors - these are almost as annoying as spelling and grammar errors, so naturally people want to correct them.

So, what problems in canon would you like to fix?

Fandom School (7th period): How to Find Related Fandoms

So this was supposed to be written yesterday. Sorry. Let's just say that Fandom School had a snow day because my school didn't (but we do have one today). But enough about snow, let's talk about fandoms.

As a huge fangirl, I'm always looking for a new fandom to add to my life (more like become my life), and I'm sure many of you are the same. While you may like a wide variety of things, most people like fandoms in the same genre. But how do you find fandoms similar to the ones you're already in? This post will give you advice as well as a few fandom recommendations. (Note: if you want more detailed recommendations instead of an "if you like this, you might like that" approach, you should read this post.)

Step 1: Make a list of the fandoms you are in
What do you watch/read? What are you obsessed with? You have to figure this out first before you can find what else you might like.

Step 2: Find out what genre(s) you like
Now, look at your list. What categories do these fit into? I like several different genres, but most of my fandoms are sci-fi or fantasy. I also like musicals, mystery, and Disney. There are a few fandoms I'm in that don't fit in any of those categories (those are what we call outliers).

Step 3: Pick a few of your biggest fandoms
If you're like me, you have a LOT of fandoms (just take a look at my list on the right sidebar- and that's only the beginning!), so focus on the one's you're most obsessed with.

Step 4: The Google search
Search for similar shows/movies/books. For example...

Step 5: The "Recommended for you" section

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and most places you would get books/movies/TV shows will give you recommendations based on your watching/browsing history. Check out the shows it recommends.

Step 6: See what your friends are watching/reading

Ask your friends (this includes online friends) what fandoms they are in. Chances are, they watch something you might want to start watching.

Step 7: Look for crossovers

Fanfiction.net has a section specifically for crossovers. On other fanfiction websites, you can search the works in one fandom for other fandoms. See what fandom is often put in a crossover with your fandom. You might like it! 

Step 8: Investigate spin-offs

Many popular shows (and to a lesser extent, books and movies) have spin-offs. For example, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures are both crossovers of Doctor Who. Sometimes, spin-offs keep going even when the original is done.

Step 9: Look at various adaptations

If a book is popular enough, it will often be made into a movie or TV show. Arthur Conan Doyle's books about Sherlock Holmes have had many adaptations, including Sherlock and Elementary.

Step 10: See what else your favorite actors/writers are in

How many times have you watched a movie just because your favorite actor was in it? Yeah, probably a lot. For example, Broadchurch (which just started airing Season 2 on BBC America) has several actors from Doctor Who, including David Tennant, Arthur Darvill, and several other people who were minor characters in Doctor Who. You can also look at who writes your favorite shows and what else they write. Steven Moffat writes both Doctor Who and Sherlock (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is for you to decide).

Finally, I provide you with some fandom recommendations.

If you like: Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk

You might like: The Avengers, Agent Carter

If you like: Doctor Who

You might like: Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Sherlock, Supernatural

If you like: Sherlock

You might like: Elementary, Agent Carter, Doctor Who, Supernatural

If you like: Star Wars

You might like: Star Trek, The Avengers, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who

If you like: American Idol

You might like: Sing Your Face Off, The Voice, Pitch Perfect

If you like: musicals and/or fantasy

You might like: Galavant

If you like: The Hunger Games

You might like: Divergent [note: read the books; the movies aren't that great]

If you like: Harry Potter, fantasy, Arthurian legend

You might like: Merlin

If you like: The Lord of the Rings, How to Train Your Dragon

You might like: Eragon

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 5

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

"Good morning, class!" Emrys said cheerfully. "Today will be our last day of wandless verbal spells, and then we will move on to nonverbal spells. All right?" The students nodded, and Emrys proceeded to teach them more difficult spells to do without their wands. After a good deal of experience (and a number of accidents Emrys barely prevented), the class was over.

As everyone was leaving, a student walked up to Emrys.
"Yes?"
"You said we can ask you anything, right?"
Emrys nodded. "Go ahead."
"I just need some help with my History of Magic homework."
Emrys smiled. "I should be able to help with that. What do you need to know?"
"We're learning about King Arthur," he said. Emrys smiled. "What was the name of Arthur's wife?"
"Gwen," Emrys said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Gwen?" The student looked confused.
"Oh, you'll be wanting the full name. It's Guinevere."
The student wrote the name down. "Thanks!"
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, actually. What was the name of Arthur's court sorcerer?"
Emrys stared at the student in disbelief. "Court... sorcerer? Magic was outlawed in Camelot!"
"That's not what the textbook says," the student replied.
"Tell Professor Binns I'd like to see that textbook he's using," Emrys said, disgruntled. "But if Arthur were to have had a court sorcerer, it would have been Merlin." Emrys sighed.
"Sorry if I'm wasting your time," the student said, standing up.
"No, no, I just doubt the accuracy of your curriculum. Go on."
"Where did King Arthur die?"
Emrys' face paled. His eyes sunk. He took a deep breath and with painful finality said, "Camlann." Emrys did all he could not to cry. Sensing that it was his time to leave, the student walked out of the room. Once everyone was gone, Merlin started sobbing uncontrollably.

His tears were interrupted by a knock at the door. Forcing himself to stop crying, Merlin used a spell to let the door swing open.
Professor Longbottom tentatively stepped in. "I heard you crying, and... I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
Merlin smiled weakly. "Yeah, fine." Longbottom looked skeptical. Merlin sighed. "It's Arthur. I was just reminded that... he died."
Longbottom nodded. "I'll leave you alone to your thoughts."

When the weekend came, Merlin left the grounds and traveled to Avalon. He could have apparated, but he wanted to walk, just to remember. Camelot was gone. The people were dead, the land developed... all that remained was Lake Avalon. Merlin stood at the bank, peering into the water. He cried and screamed and released his grief. He caused the wind to howl and the trees to shake, but he left the lake untouched, for that was where his friends rested, and he did not wish to disturb them.

Merlin stayed at Avalon so long he almost forgot he taught at Hogwarts. When the time came, Merlin said goodbye again to his friends and traveled back to the school. This time he went at a run, as if he could chase all his sorrow away. When he arrived to the classroom ten minutes late and out of breath, hints of tears in his eyes, he gave no explanation. Merlin sincerely hoped that Arthur was the real Arthur, or he didn't know how he'd be able to carry on.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 4

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

"Well, I think I've found him," Merlin announced to the group.
Will put down his book ("The Theory of Everything"), and looked up, surprised. "You sure?"
"He looks like Arthur, and he most definitely acts like Arthur. I'm sure it's him."
"Well then what do you need us for?" Gwen asked.
Merlin thought for a moment. "What about the others? I mean, they might not have memories of their past lives, but they could be here. After all, I found you lot."
Gwaine smiled. "I remember my time with Arthur as a hazy drunk dream."
Gwen shook her head in amusement. "Not surprising, considering you were drunk more than half the time. I for one remember Arthur very clearly. I can't wait to get back together with him," Gwen said, smiling.
"He's only eleven," Freya reminded her.
"I can wait."
"So who's on the hit list again?" Gwaine asked, taking a swig of firewhiskey.
"It's not a hit list," Merlin said, exasperated. "We're trying to find these people, not kill them." He sighed. "Balinor, Hunith, Gaius, Elyan, Lancelot, Leon, Percival, Mithian, and Elena."
"That's a long list," Will commented.
"I'm not going to make it any shorter because every one of those people matters. Now then, let's get to work," he said, standing up. Hannah Abbot watched him out of the corner of her eye, convinced something was going on.

***

"Good morning, Professor Emrys."

"Good to see you, Professor Longbottom."

"Might I speak with you a minute?"

Emrys nodded. "Of course!"

They walked into Longbottom's classroom.

"Herbology? Nice. I apprenticed with a physician once."

"Oh? Great, then you'll know what this is." Longbottom held up a vial.

Emrys didn't recognize it from his studies with Gaius, but he recognized it nonetheless. "Veritaserum? But surely you wouldn't..."

"No, I just wanted to make it clear that I want you to be truthful. I have a few questions for you."

Emrys blanched as if he was back in the time of Camelot and had been accused of sorcery. He swallowed his fear and put on a smile. "Ask away."

"Your teaching methods are... rather advanced."

"Thank you."

"Where did you study?"

Emrys was silent for a moment, considering whether to tell the truth. "I learned by experience."

"So you fought Voldemort?"

Emrys shook his head. "No, but I fought people like him."

Longbottom looked confused by that. "My wife, Hannah, tells me you frequent the Leaky Cauldron."

"Yes, I find it a wonderful place to think."

"About what, if I might ask?"

"You might. I..." Emrys sighed. "You said you wanted the truth, right? I'm just not sure you'll believe me."

Longbottom smiled. "Trust me, I've heard some very strange things."

Emrys laughed. "Ever heard of Merlin?"

"The most powerful wizard in all of history? Of course I know of him."

Emrys nodded. "What would you think if I said..." Emrys took a deep breath. "...that he's still alive?"

Longbottom looked at Emrys in shock. "But... he can't be!"

"I assure you, he is. And he's sitting in this room."

Longbottom stared at Emrys. "But Merlin's supposed to be older?"

Emrys laughed. "I am old. I just don't look it. I can show you how old I really am," he said. "Mind if I use some of your supplies to make a potion?"

Longbottom shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose it can't hurt."

A few minutes later, Emrys drank the completed potion. He was transformed into his old self, and Longbottom stared. "It is you!"

Emrys nodded, drinking the antidote. "And I'm looking for Arthur Pendragon. I miss him. I think he's at this school. You know Arthur Pratt?"

Longbottom nodded, still in shock. "Yeah, bright kid, really cocky, but a decent guy at heart."

"That's my Arthur," Emrys said. "Oh, and don't tell anyone about this conversation. I don't want word to get out of my identity, or I'd never have peace and quiet." Longbottom started to open his mouth. "I suppose you can tell your wife," Emrys conceded. "But no-one else. Understood?"

Longbottom nodded and walked off, marveling at what had just happened.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 3

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

The doors swung open and the professor walked in. "Hello, class. I am Professor Emrys, and I will be your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher." The class stared at him. "Well go on, say hello!" The professor surveyed the class. "Ah, too early in the morning, I see." Emrys muttered something, pointing his wand at the students. His eyes flashed gold, and they sat upright, awake and eager. "Much better. Now then, why don't you introduce yourselves? I've got to start memorizing your names right away."
"Professor?" a young girl's hand shot up.
"Yes, miss..."
"Rose Weasley."
"What was your question, Rose?" Emrys asked, deciding to be on a first-name basis with his students.
"Couldn't you just use a spell to memorize our names?"
"Now why didn't I think of that?" Emrys said, smiling. "You're Hermione Granger's daughter, aren't you?" Rose nodded. "Brilliant. Now, I know Rose's name, but I don't know the rest of you."
"I'm Arthur Pratt," a student with blond hair and blue eyes said. Emrys tried his best not to laugh. The student was the spitting image of Arthur Pendragon, whom Emrys had often called a prat. Emrys shook himself away from that thought and focused on the other students who were speaking.

After all the students had introduced themselves, the lesson began. "Now, I'll need a volunteer. Don't worry, you won't get hurt." Albus Severus raised his hand. "Excellent. Step up here in front of the class." Albus did so. "Now, we're going to act like we're going to duel. Do any of you know how to duel?" About half the class (mostly the male half) raised their hands. "Good. Shall we begin?"

They did so. Anticipation rose as the two wizards counted their paces. Albus opened his mouth to cast a spell, but Emrys beat him to it. "Expelliarmus!" Albus' wand went flying. "Now what will you do?" Emrys asked.
"Beg for mercy?" Albus suggested.
"You don't really have another option," Emrys agreed. "And I think that is unacceptable. Should any of you be attacked, I don't want you to be helpless without your wands. And that is what we shall be working on," he explained. "Allow me to demonstrate." Emrys and Albus got set up for the duel again. This time, Emrys allowed Albus to disarm him. "Stupefy!" Emrys shouted, throwing Albus backwards with considerable force. Just before Albus slammed into the wall, Emrys slowed time and let Albus reach the floor without injury. The students stared at Emrys in awe.

"Now Albus has had his turn," Emrys said, breaking the silence, "who'd like to be the first to learn how to do a spell without a wand?" Arthur stepped forward. "Great! Set your wand down, and I'll show you how it's done. What spell should we start with?"
"Expelliarmus!" Arthur said enthusiastically.
"Good choice. Being able to disarm your enemy without a wand is a significant advantage." Arthur nodded, looking incredibly smug. "Now, think about what expelliarmus does." Rose raised her hand. "Rose, while I'm sure it would be exceptional, your explanation is not required." Rose sighed, lowering her hand. Emrys turned to Arthur. "Have you been thinking about the spell? Picture what will happen when you cast it. Think about the wand leaving my hand. Think about me flying backwards. Think about how you will cast the spell. Think about how to pronounce it. Focus." Arthur nodded. "Now, when you're ready, cast the spell."
A few moments later, Arthur yelled "Expelliarmus!" Emrys' wand dropped to the floor, and he was knocked back a negligible amount. Arthur's face fell.
"Don't worry, Arthur, wandless magic is difficult. It's not surprising that the spell wasn't that powerful. Wands help channel your magic, but so do minds. The spell is only as strong as your concentration. Now focus, really focus, and try again," Emrys said, picking up his wand.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Arthur bellowed, full of confidence and authority. This time, the wand flew out of Emrys' hand and Emrys was knocked back a few feet.
"Much better. I should note, yelling your spell is not necessary. It was just Arthur's way of focusing. Whispered spells can be equally potent," Emrys informed the class. To prove his point, he whispered "Incendio," and the candles in the room lit up. "Thank you, Arthur. Who's next? I want you to all be able to cast this spell without a wand by the end of the class."

"By the way," Emrys said as the class was drawing to the close, "I'm told nobody has managed to hold this position for more than a year and thus some consider it to be 'cursed'. I would like to inform you that should I leave this school at the end of the year, it will because of my own choice and not because I was forced to do so by unfortunate circumstances." The students seemed somewhat skeptical, but none of them said anything. "And if you need any help for your other classes, or even for something not school-related, feel free to ask me. I'm a wealth of information." The students nodded. "And that concludes this class. Oh, I almost forgot: your homework is to practice wandless magic with your friends, enemies, or anyone else you want to use magic on. Stick to expelliarmus for now. I look forward to seeing you all again next class."

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 2

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

Merlin sat at a table, eagerly awaiting the boy's approach. After what felt like forever, he saw Albus Severus walking over.
"Find anything?" Merlin asked.
"Maybe," Albus said. "There's this kid. I think his name's Arthur, but I'm not sure. He's really arrogant, but he seems like a nice guy at heart. He also enjoys ordering people around. He says he wants to become a prefect."
"Hm. That might be him. Can you find out more about this kid?"
"Yeah, but I think there's a better way."
"Oh?" Merlin asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"You see, Hogwarts is a little short staffed at the moment. Snape's gone, and the school's had difficulty finding a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher."
"Who do they have now?"
"Nobody," Albus said simply.
"You mean to tell me students aren't being taught Defense Against The Dark Arts?" Merlin asked incredulously.
"Well, there's not as much need for it now, seeing as Voldemort's dead," Albus pointed out.
"Still, this is something I will not permit." Merlin frowned. "I'll apply for the position. In fact, I'm going to Hogwarts at once. Would you like to come with me?"
Albus shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I was planning on going there soon anyway."

As they walked onto the grounds, countless students greeted Albus.
"You're very popular here, I see," Merlin commented.
"That's what happens when your dad is the one who defeated Voldemort."
Merlin chuckled. "True. So, where do I go to apply?"
"Well, maybe you should try speaking to the headmaster," Albus suggested.

Albus left Merlin at the door. "Good luck," he said.
"Thanks!"
"I know you'll be a great teacher."
Merlin smiled. "Oh, and if I do end up teaching here, don't tell anyone about our secret, okay? I'll go by another name." Albus nodded solemnly.
"Come in," a woman's voice said.

Merlin did, and shook hands with the headmaster.
"Greetings," the headmaster said, "I'm Professor McGonagall. I mean, headmaster McGonagall. I'm still not used to the new title."
"Of course," Merlin said, nodding politely.
"And who might you be?" she asked.
Merlin thought for a moment. "You may call me Emrys."
"Emrys! Quite a name," McGonagall commented.
"It is my name," Merlin said simply. "Take it or leave it."
"And what brings you here, Mr. Emrys?"
"I'm told you're looking for a Defense Against The Dark Arts professor?"
"We are," McGonagall replied. "The darkest times may be over, but we still need our students to know how to defend themselves."
"I couldn't agree more," Merlin said. "Which is why I'd like to apply for the position."
McGonagall looked hopeful for a moment, then her face regained its stern mask. "Have you any teaching experience, Mr. Emrys?"
"No," Merlin admitted, "but I do have a good deal of experience with the dark arts, and as for the teaching, I'm sure I can manage that well enough. I'm incredibly patient and kind, and I'm good at working with others."
McGonagall nodded, as if taking it all in. "You are aware, of course, of the danger of this position?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Merlin said.
"Nobody has managed to hold the position for more than a year, Mr. Emrys."
"Well then, I'll have to make it a great year, won't I?" Merlin said, smiling.
"So you still want the position?" McGonagall asked, somewhat surprised.
"If you'll have me," Merlin replied.
"Well, I'll need to administer a diagnostic test to make sure you are fit for the position, but if that goes well, I see no reason why you can't teach at Hogwarts."
"Fantastic!"

The test was so simple, Merlin was concerned about the caliber of the wizards and witches who had held the position before him. The only part that he found difficult was the dementor, but somehow Merlin instinctively knew how to produce a patronus, and so a german shepherd came out of his wand.

"I notice you use a lot of nonverbal spells," McGonagall commented.
"It's what I'm used to," Merlin replied simply. "I'm familiar with the spells you teach at Hogwarts."
"Very well then. Your performance was satisfactory. Welcome to the staff."
***
"I've got a job at Hogwarts now," Merlin informed the group. "I'll be sure to keep you updated."
Will looked up from his book ("The Universe In A Nutshell"). "Sounds good. Want us to keep looking, or do you think you've got the guy?"
"Keep looking, just to be safe." Everyone nodded. "Right, see you all next week. And wish me luck!" They did, and then left (at different times, just to avoid arousing suspicion).

Hannah Abbot, the landlady turned to one of the employees. "Those people seem suspicious to you?" she asked, gesturing at the dispersing group.
"No," the employee said. "Why?"
"Well, it's just that there's always a group of people visiting that customer," she pointed to Merlin, "and they look different, but it's the same number of people each time. Same time, same table. If I didn't know better, I'd say it were some sort of meeting."
"But it's different people every time!"
Hannah nodded. "They could be disguising themselves, though."
"Why would they need to disguise themselves?"
"Why indeed. I think they're up to something." The employee looked skeptical. "Just... keep an eye on them, okay?"
"Whatever you say, boss."

Fandom School (5th period): Cancellation

Everybody dreads hiatus. It's hard enough to wait a week; waiting months (or even years!) is almost impossible. But that's not the worst that can happen to a fandom.

You know how it goes. You get really into a show, watching every episode, until suddenly there are no more. And there will be no more. The show has been cancelled. It's devastating.

So why does it happen? Here are a few possible causes:

• The storyline is finished
• The show's ratings aren't high enough
• Something happened to one of the actors/creators of the show
• It's not making enough money (i.e., it costs more to produce the show than is being earned by people viewing the show)
• It's being removed to make room for another show

There are lots more, of course, but those are the main ones.

What do you do when your favorite show gets cancelled?

• Get together with other fans and petition for it to be renewed
• Write lots of fanfiction (and create other fanworks) to tie up the loose ends
• Try to find a new fandom to join
• Speculate with other fans about what happens (would have happened?) post-canon
• Rewatch every single episode, looking for all the things you missed the first time
• Hope that a spin-off will be created

This, by the way, is why I write so many Merlin fanfics. The show was cancelled after 5 seasons (well, cancelled isn't really the right word because they were always planning to have it last for only 5 seasons), and I'm still upset about it. The most important thing to remember about cancellation is that even though the show may be done, the fandom still lives. And who knows, maybe the cancelled show will come back in one way or another. You never know.

I leave you with this video about cancellation.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 1

A certain friend of mine (you know who you are) has been bugging me to write this for ages, so here it is at last.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

The man looked up from his book ("A Brief History of Time") to see the boy. He sighed and resumed wandlessly stirring his tea. That was the signal. Another man walked over to the table.
"So, the famous young wizard?"
The first man nodded. "Think he's the one?"
The second man shook his head. "He looks too different. And he acts nothing like him, either. He's not nearly prattish enough."
"The way you talk, I'm not even sure you want to find your friend," the first man joked.
"Don't talk nonsense." The second man looked around. "The others have noticed. I think your tea is adequately stirred by now, Will." Will shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of tea.

"Now that we're all here, let's discuss theories," the second man, who seemed to be in charge, said.
"Harry Potter," Will suggested.
"No, we've been over this already."
"What about Ron?" another man suggested.
The leader laughed. "Definitely not!"
"Do you think it's anyone at Hogwarts?" a woman asked, exasperated.
"I'm not sure," the leader admitted. "I mean, he's bound to end up at Hogwarts eventually."
"Maybe he hasn't been born yet," another woman offered.
"I've been waiting for a long time," the leader said. "I suppose I can wait a while longer. Same time next week?" The group nodded, then dispersed.

Merlin thought back to that day. The boy, Harry Potter, had turned out to be quite promising- but he certainly wasn't the boy they were looking for. Merlin was beginning to think it was all in vain. He'd been searching for ages, how could these people help? Maybe it was time to move on.

Merlin had formed the group in the hopes of locating the Once and Future King, know to Merlin as Arthur. Arthur had been his dearest friend, and the loss had devastated Merlin. Kilgharrah had insisted that Arthur would rise in the time of Camelot's greatest need. But wasn't Voldemort's reign enough? Now Voldemort was dead, and there was still no sign of Arthur. But maybe this group would find him after all. They were exceptional at blending in- Will was a master of disguise, Gwaine made himself so drunk everyone looked away in disgust, Freya was an animagus, and Gwen was a metamorphmagus. To the typical patron of the Leaky Cauldron, they were just random strangers going to meet the man with the neckerchief (nobody outside of the group knew Merlin's real name, for Merlin considered anonymity better suited to his needs). As such, they were called the Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (or the Irregulars, for short).

The Irregulars were Merlin's eyes and ears, but so far they had been unsuccessful. They had brought a number of interesting individuals to his attention, but Merlin cared for none but Arthur. Not to say that Merlin was callous (though the years had hardened his heart somewhat), just that he would be satisfied with nothing less than his friend.

And so it was that when Merlin saw eleven year old Albus Severus in the Leaky Cauldron, he decided to take a chance.
"Albus!" The boy didn't turn around. "Albus Severus! That is your name, isn't it?" The boy turned slowly around, fixing a wary eye on Merlin.
"My father told me not to talk to strangers."
"Your father was a notorious rulebreaker, as was your grandfather. Indulge an old gentleman and talk a little while, won't you?"
"You barely look thirty, mister."
"So I do," Merlin said amusedly. "I forget sometimes. But the question still stands: will you talk with me? Technically, I suppose you already have, but I mean a proper conversation."
The boy sighed. Merlin laid his wand on the table, a gesture of peace. "I suppose I could talk," Albus grudgingly admitted.
"Good! I knew you'd come round!" Merlin said cheerily, pouring a cup of tea for Albus.

"You're getting all set to go to Hogwarts, right?"
Albus nodded. "I'm really excited!"
"As you should be. I was wondering if you'd be able to do a little job for me."
"A job? I thought this was just a conversation." Albus looked unimpressed.
"Think of it as a quest. Something exciting to do. Like what your dad did. Well, probably not as dangerous, but just as fun."
Albus considered this. "So what do you want?"
"I want you to people-watch. Pay attention to the students in Hogwarts. I'm looking for someone, and I'd like you to tell me if you think you've found him."
"Who are you looking for?" Albus asked, his curiosity piqued.
"His name is Arthur, but that might not be his name now."
"Is he your long-lost son?"
Merlin laughed. "Not really, but he's very close to me, and it would mean a lot to me if you could find him."
"So tell me about this 'Arthur'."

"Oh, he's wonderful. He's a bit of a prat, though. He thinks he's king of everything, and sometimes he can be a bit mean, but he's a good man at heart. He always tries to be fair, but sometimes he has trouble not having the same prejudices as his father taught him. He's pretty smart, but he can be so stupid sometimes. And he doesn't have one ounce of self-preservation." Merlin's face darkened. "Not one."
Hoping to lighten the mood, Albus asked Merlin "What does he look like?"
"Golden brown hair that's absolutely perfect, beautiful green eyes, broad shoulders..."
"Are you in love with him?"
Merlin was surprised at that question, and he had to take a moment to consider it. "No... but I do care about him very much. Can you help me find him?"
"Alright, mister... hey, you never told me your name!"
"Merlin." The boy's eyes widened. Merlin nodded, then put a shushing finger on his lips. "It'll be our little secret," he whispered.

Fandom School (4th period): Crossover Fanfiction

Hello and welcome again to Fandom School! We're back to fanfiction again, and now I'd like to talk about crossover fanfics.

First of all, what is a crossover? A crossover is a mash-up of two or more fandoms. You can combine just a few fandoms (Wholock, Superwholock, etc.), or you can go all out (for example, this fanfic). A crossover is not the same thing as an AU. For example, my fic The Once And Future Time Lord is a multi-fandom AU because while there are elements of Doctor Who, they are assumed to have always been there. A crossover takes the characters of one world and inserts them into another, while still retaining the memory of their original story (unless there's a memory loss trope or something). A multi-fandom AU takes one fandom and changes it so that it's part of another fandom. Fanfics where characters from one fandom are students at Hogwarts (like this fanfic) are a good example of this type of AU.

So now that you know what a crossover is, let's get to crossover fanfics. What should you keep in mind when writing them? Well besides the usual fanfiction tips, it's important to think about how your fandoms mesh. Wholock is a common crossover because the two fandoms are similar: eccentric genius outsmarts bad guys with the help of his friends. (They're also both set in the modern world.) However, if you wanted to combine the Avengers and My Little Pony, that would be a bit harder. (A quick google search reveals that fanfiction for this crossover does exist, and here's an example.)

There are a few other things to consider when writing crossover fanfics:

• How many fandoms are you including? Try to keep it to just a few fandoms, else you'll risk complicating your fanfic and seriously limiting your number of readers.
• How many characters are you including? Like fandoms, if you include too many your story will get cluttered.
• How do your characters meet? Are they old friends? Do they randomly happen to run into each other? Is there some sort of crisis that brings them together?
• How do the worlds connect? Have both universes co-exist, do the characters live in the same universe, or does something cause the universes to come together/the characters to be transported to each other?
• Are your characters interacting reasonably? Is any character monopolizing the story, or is any character just sort of... there (invisibility level: Mickey Smith)?
• How is canon affected? Is it canon divergence, or is canon altered to explain how the fandoms are connected?
• Make sure your characters stay in character. OOC characters are a common problem with crossovers. It is justifiable to change a character somewhat to make them fit in with the other fandom(s), but you need to make sure that the essence of his/her personality remains the same. You could intentionally make characters be OOC, but I wouldn't recommend it.

And now that I've given you advice, I'll share my own crossover fanfics:

Wholock (Doctor Who and Sherlock crossover)

• An Interesting Case
• This is my first Wholock story (and my first fanfiction). In this one, Sherlock is asked to interrogate a mysterious witness who proves to be just as interesting as the case itself, and they go on an adventure together.
• The Search For Father
• This is a story for all of you who were frustrated when we saw that Jenny (from "The Doctor's Daughter") was alive, only to never see her again. I mean seriously. She never even gets a spin-off show! So, I wrote a story in which she goes off looking for her dad and enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes.
• Call In The Expert
• "When the police are out of their depth, they consult me," Sherlock had said. But what about when Sherlock was out of his depth? What then? That's when it's time to ask an even greater genius for help. Sherlock must call in the expert.
• When Justice Is Treason
• The Master and Moriarty. A deadly duo. With the help of the Archangel network, they control all of England. So when the few people who know the truth try to stop them, it is treason. Will they succeed? Or will Prime Minister Harold Saxon and King Moriarty continue their reign of terror?
• You Matter
• Sometimes characters have things going pretty rough for them. And sometimes their friends and family can't console them. But what about if somebody totally different were to come in? This is how characters would take care of each other in a Wholock universe.
• On this blog: chapters 1 2 3

Other Crossovers

• Use The Force (or the Mind Palace)
• Remember the first time Luke used the Force? What did he actually see? What if he visited Sherlock's mind palace? Strange concept, I know, but the idea came into my head and wouldn't go away. (It's more of a series than a cohesive story.) Feel free to tell me what character you'd like to see next.
• On this blog: chapters 2 3
• You Are Not Alone: The Search For The Other Time Lords
• The Twelfth Doctor feels as though he is all alone, until his daughter Jenny comes to him, telling him that she has found a way to locate other Time Lords. She tells him that he is not the only one. Together, they go out to find the rest.
• Rating: G
• On this blog: chapters 1 2 3

And a few great crossover fanvids:

Fandom Texts: Merlin Edition

So, I'm bringing back something I haven't done in a while, the Fandom Texts. These ones are from Merlin. Assume it to be Reincarnation era (i.e., Arthur has come back to the modern world as the Once and Future King). Arthur is clueless about the modern world, whereas Merlin has been living in it for ages.

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 18

This is the last chapter! If you're starting here, go back to chapter 1.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot has entered the room
Fortheloveofcamelot has entered the room
Imthegreatestwarlock has entered the room
Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room
Entertainment_at_Ealdor has entered the room
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Good news guys!
Imthegreatestwarlock: What is it?
Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Can I say it?
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: No.
Lady_of_the_Lake: Go on then, don't leave them hanging!
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: We've reached 1 million views!
Fortheloveofcamelot: YES!!!!!!!!!!!
Imthegreatestwarlock: Wait, does that mean...
Imthegreatestwarlock has left the room
Fortheloveofcamelot has left the room

Merlin, Arthur, and the rest of the cast were suddenly teleported into Morgana's office. It was rather small, so they were all squished together. Arthur and Merlin didn't seem to mind, though.
"We did it!" Arthur exclaimed, raising a fist into the air, accidentally punching Gwaine (who glared at Arthur and punched him back). Impulsively, Arthur grabbed Merlin and swooped him up into a kiss.
"So it wasn't an act, then," Gwen said, as if she had known all along (which she probably had).
"Oh, um... Arthur?"
"Yes, Morgana?"
"You should probably talk to Uther. He seems pretty angry. Oh, and bring Merlin."

"He's not a homophobe, is he?" Merlin asked as they walked to Uther's office.
"He used to be, but not anymore. I don't know what this could be about," Arthur said, confused. They held hands as they walked, and when they passed Vivian, she glared at him. "Good thing we finished filming that movie," Arthur said to Merlin.

Finally, they arrived at Uther's office. Arthur knocked on the door, and it swung open instantly.
"Sit down, both of you," Uther said. He looked a lot like the Uther in the TV programme. Arthur wondered if that was what this was about. Uther turned to Merlin. "Now then, your name is Merlin Emrys, correct?" Merlin nodded, trying not to show how terrified he was. "Why the hell are you not working for us?!"
"Well, um..."
"How much are they paying you?" Uther demanded.
"Actually, sir, with all due respect, that was just a special circumstance. I'm not actually an actor."
"You aren't?!" Uther asked incredulously.
"No, sir, I'm a computer programmer."
"Hm... I'm not sure if this is in your line of work, but do you know how to do special effects?"
"Sure."
"And you can do IT stuff?"
"That is kind of my job..."
"How would you like to work for me?"
"Um... I'm not sure..." Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"As a technician. If you come work for me, I'll pay you whatever your previous employer did, plus extra for any acting job you'd like to do. You're a fine actor, and we could use more like you. Of course, if you still want to do your regular computer stuff, you can work here part time."
Merlin's eyes widened. "Wow. I'll um... need some time to consider your offer, but I think I'll accept. It would be an honor to work here."
"Good. Now then, Arthur, may I speak with you alone?" Arthur nodded as Merlin walked out the door.

"You work very well with Merlin," Uther said. Arthur nodded. "And you do much better acting gay than acting straight."
"Well, that's because I am gay," Arthur pointed out.
"I know," Uther replied. "I'd like to put you in more gay films and programmes."
"I could also play a bisexual person."
"I'll take that into consideration. Now, about Merlin..."
"Yes?"
"Do you have... feelings for him?" Arthur nodded. "As I thought. I've noticed your chemistry with him on screen. You're good, but not that good." Arthur nodded again, wondering where this was going. "I've been thinking about putting you two in more programmes or films together, that is, if he accepts."
"I'd love that!"
"Arthur and Merlin. Yes, it certainly does have a nice ring to it. And by the way, to what 'special circumstance' do I owe this success? Your programme was exceptional."
Arthur thought for a moment. "Call it channel 5," he said at last.
Uther raised his coffee cup. "To channel 5."
Arthur nodded, raising his mug of tea. "To channel 5."

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 17

So, I kind of left you guys hanging with this one, since I posted the most recent chapter on December 19 and I still haven't finished it yet. Well, here's the penultimate chapter, and the last part of the story-within-a-story. If you're just reading this now, I recommend you go back to chapter 1 so you understand what's going on.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Arthur was in his flat, talking on the phone. "Hello, Father... yes, I know I don't call often, sorry... fine, fine, but can you let me get to what I called you about?... thank you. I'll take you up on your offer of lunch... yes, I know it's about time, now let me continue... and I'd like to bring someone with me... no, not a colleague... no, not a friend... yes, a date... right, I'm sure "she" will be glad to meet you... see you then." Arthur put down the phone and sighed in frustration. After a moment's thought, he picked it up again.

"Hi, Merlin!... yes, it's great to talk to you, too... yep, I know, that's what I'm calling about... he said yes... oh, and there's one thing... no, of course you don't like where this is going because he, well, he thinks you're a girl... no, of course I didn't tell him that! He just assumed, and I didn't dare correct him... yeah, so just be prepared for him to be a bit shocked... okay, more than a bit... if it gets too nasty, we can always just leave... yeah, I would, it's about time I stood up to him... okay, great. Love you, bye!"

Some time later, Merlin and Arthur appeared at Uther's doorstep. Merlin rang the doorbell, then ran to hide behind Arthur.
"It's not going to be that bad," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.
"Better safe than sorry," Merlin replied. Just then, Uther opened the door.
"Hello, Arthur, good to see you again. It's been so long since the last time," Uther said with a frosty demeanor thinly veiled by a false smile.
"Yes, the last time, when you all but disowned me for coming out as gay," Arthur muttered under his breath.
"So, where is she? Or did you invent a girlfriend again?" Uther asked in a disapproving tone, the smile disappearing.
"Oh no, my date's just a little shy." Arthur gently nudged Merlin, and when Merlin didn't respond, all but pushed him out into the open.
"Hi," Merlin said with a nervousness Arthur had never seen before. But then again, Uther was a rather formidable person.
"Arthur," Uther said, looking back and forth between the two of them, "unless I am very much mistaken, this is not a girl."
"No, father. I was going to correct you on the phone, but I didn't think you would listen."
"And what makes you think I'll listen now?" Uther asked, glaring. Merlin tried to hide again, but Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand and gave him a pleading look. "I have told you before that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated."
"What, being myself? I'm an adult, Uther, I'm allowed to do what I want. And I will always choose to be myself rather than fit the perfect cookie-cutter mold you've set out for me. Got it?"
"I'm a very reasonable person," Uther said, tension rising in his voice, "but this is one thing I will not accept. If you want to remain in my good graces, get rid of him." Uther pointed at Merlin in disgust.

"I have a name, you know!" Merlin said, finally speaking up. "My name is Merlin, and I am not some sort of "phase" or "toy" Arthur has, I'm a human being. But honestly, I don't care how you treat me. You're just some old-fashioned man who insists on being hostile to those around you. What I care about is how you treat Arthur. This is your own son! You raised him, and now you're telling him he doesn't have the right to make his own choices, that your desires matter more than his. You're talking to him like he's nothing, and nobody deserves that, especially someone who is your job to love and take care of. But guess what? He's an adult now. He doesn't need you. And I don't need you, either. We'll make it just fine on our own. It really doesn't matter what you think of us because we have each other, and that's what matters. But if you ever want your son to love and respect you, and if you ever want me to think of you as a decent human being, you will accept our choices. And in the meantime, we will spend our time with those who accept us as we are." Still holding Arthur's hand, Merlin turned and started walking away, leaving Uther speechless.

"I didn't know you had that in you," Arthur said, surprised.
"I didn't, either, I just got so angry!" Suddenly, Merlin was fighting to hold back tears.
"Sh, it's okay, like you said, he doesn't matter." Merlin nodded, but his eyes were still watering. "Just let it out. You'll feel better."
Merlin shook his head. "We're going to my mum's, right? If she sees me like this, she'll think you made me cry, and trust me, you don't want to see her get angry. Uther was bad enough."
"I thought you said she's nice?"
"Oh, she is," Merlin nodded, "but she can be very menacing when she gets all protective. Especially after... well, I guess I may as well tell you." Arthur nodded encouragingly. "My last boyfriend, Cenred... was very abusive. It was nasty."
"Oh," Arthur replied, not sure what to say.
"Anyway," Merlin said, quickly changing the subject, "I should call Mum so she knows we're coming."

Merlin pulled out his phone. "Hi, Mum!... yes, I am coming over, you know how I love your cooking... yes, yes, and your company, too - I thought that was a given... haha okay. Oh, and I have some exciting news for you... I have a new boyfriend... what? Oh, I nearly forgot about that... yeah, we'll do that first, and then we'll come over... don't be silly, Mum, of course he'll pass... yes, I'll call you back. Love you, bye!"
"Test?" Arthur asked. Now it was his turn to be nervous.
"Oh, um... after Cenred, my mate Will said that anybody I dated would have to pass his test. He just wants to make sure I won't get hurt again. You should be fine."
"Oh, okay," Arthur said, relaxing.

After lots of missed turns and confusing directions ("I knew I should have been the one to drive!" Merlin complained. "Well, we wouldn't have a problem if it weren't for your rubbish direction-giving skills!" Arthur insisted.), they finally arrived at Will's house. Will invited them in, eyeing Arthur warily. He was short (well, shorter than Merlin and Arthur, anyway), but he was still intimidating. Will looked at Arthur a while longer, sizing him up, then began with the questions.

"Name?"
"Arthur Pendragon."
"Pendragon? As in the huge law firm?"
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Watch your tongue, Pendragon, or I'll fail you right now," Will warned Arthur. Arthur sighed. "If you're a Pendragon, that means you must be very rich."
"Yes."
"What are you doing with Merlin? Is he your boy toy?"
"Absolutely not!" Arthur was incredulous.
"Calm down, I'm just trying to look out for my friend." Merlin gave Arthur a sympathetic glance. "As you are in the public eye, I happen to know your previous dating experience. Arthur is your first boyfriend, correct?"
"Yes," Arthur said, now bored.
"Are you experimenting?" Arthur glared at Will and shook his head. "Very defensive... interesting..."
"You would be, too, if people kept assuming you of the worst possible motives!"
"I suppose. I'll just get straight to the point, then: have you ever hurt Merlin in any way?"
"No."
"Do you ever intend to hurt him?"
"Of course not!"
"Calm down, we're almost done. You really do need to watch your temper if you ever want to have a chance with Merlin. Last question: do you love Merlin?"
"Yes," Arthur said, full of conviction.
"And Merlin, do you love Arthur?" Merlin nodded and smiled. "Then I wish you both luck. And Arthur, if you ever hurt Merlin, you will have to answer to me. Understand?"
"Of course. Come on, Merlin, let's go to your mum's."

Having learned from their last fiasco, Merlin drove Arthur to his mother's house. They arrived in good time, and she opened the door and gave them a big smile.
"Hello, Merlin, good to see you as always. And you've brought your new boyfriend, I see. He passed the test?" Merlin nodded. "Lovely. Now then, why don't you two come in? I'm sure Merlin's told you of my legendary cooking skills."
Arthur laughed. "Yes, but we have yet to see if they hold up to his high praise."
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself! I'm Merlin's mum, but you can call me Hunith."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hunith. My name is Arthur," he said, firmly shaking her hand. Merlin and Arthur went over to the table and Hunith started towards the kitchen. "So, is that it?" Arthur asked.
"Sorry, what?" Hunith replied, confused and slightly insulted.
"No criticism of my sexuality, no lengthy interrogation?"
"Oh, no," Hunith said, smiling. "If Merlin's happy with you, that's good enough for me. Well, and you passed Will's test. If he hadn't interrogated you, I likely would have, but there's no need to interrogate you twice." Arthur nodded, relaxing.
"See? I told you you'd like her!" Merlin said.
Arthur sighed. "I'm going to have to do a lot of admitting you're right, aren't I?"
"Of course!" Merlin answered smugly.
"Speaking of telling people they were right..."
"Oh my God, Gwaine and Gwen are going to gloat about this for ages!"
Arthur sighed. "Yeah, well anytime they talk too much, I'll just drown it out with thoughts about you."
"Or we could be sickeningly sweet."
"Or both," Arthur said, kissing Merlin.
"Both is good," Merlin agreed.

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 16

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Arthur and Merlin walked into the bar, holding hands.

"Ah, the happy couple," the bartender exclaimed, noticing their approach. "What can I do for you?" he asked with a smile. 

"Something special," Merlin said. 

"Oh?" The bartender raised an eyebrow. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, it's been a week now since we met, so we figured it was time to commemorate the event," Arthur said with a smile. Merlin nodded, beaming. 

"A week ago... Say, were you in that kissing contest last Friday?" They nodded. The bartender looked at them for a moment. He turned to Arthur. "You're the one what ran away!" Arthur nodded sheepishly. "And you still got the guy?"

"'The guy' is standing right here," Merlin pointed out, a little frustrated. "And if anyone was doing the 'getting', it's me." Arthur nodded. 

"So, what will you have?" the bartender asked. 

"I actually don't drink," Arthur said. The bartender looked at him incredulously. "My friends dragged me in here because they thought I needed a bit of fun."

"Well, this is a good place to have fun," the bartender conceded. "So, Merlin, what'll it be?"

Arthur looked at the bartender, then at Merlin, then back at the bartender. "You come here often?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you used the most clichéd pick up line in all of history." Arthur smiled. "But to answer your question, yes, I am something of a regular here. My mates think it's funny to get me drunk."

"Is it?" Arthur asked, curious. 

"Maybe a little," Merlin admitted sheepishly. 

"He's absolutely adorable when he's drunk," the bartender cut in. Arthur looked at Merlin curiously. Merlin nodded. "So, what do you want this time, Merlin?"
"Surprise me," Merlin responded with a smile.
"And you?" The bartender looked at Arthur.
"I'll have whatever he's having, minus the alcohol." The bartender nodded and left to make their drinks.

"You know what this means?" Merlin asked.
"We're in for some very strange drinks?" Arthur suggested.
"Well, that too," Merlin said with a chuckle, "but I meant your father. We'll have to talk to him."
Arthur cringed. "Yes, we did agree to that, didn't we?"
"Don't look so wounded, Arthur, I'll be there with you. He can't be that bad."
"You'd be surprised."
"Tell you what, though," Merlin said, rubbing circles into Arthur's hand, "I'll take you to see my mum after that. You'll love her!"
Arthur brightened up a bit. "But will she love me?"
"She can be a bit protective, but after that, she's really sweet."
"What, like you?" Merlin gave Arthur a quick kiss before he could go on. "Just as long as she doesn't kiss me. That might be a little too sweet." They laughed, and the bartender arrived with their drinks.

"I'll leave you boys to it then," he said with a knowing wink, walking away.
Merlin looked at the strange concoction. "I'm almost afraid to try it."
"Hey, it was your idea!"
"You didn't have to get the same thing as me!"
"What, am I not allowed to copy you?" Merlin rolled his eyes and began tickling Arthur. Arthur tickled back, until somehow they ended in an embrace. After a passionate kiss, they turned back to look at their beverages of dubious content. "How about we drink them at the same time?" Merlin nodded. "3-2-1!" They downed their drinks, then each looked to see the other's reaction. Merlin had a look of surprised confusion on his face, while Arthur was trying not to gag.
"Maybe it's the lack of alcohol," Merlin suggested.
"Or maybe you just have a horrible taste."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "So, now that we've had a drink, wanna dance?"
"If you want, but I'm getting you drunk before we leave this bar. Got it?"
"As you wish," Merlin said with a smile. They walked onto the dance floor, holding hands, and saw Mordred. Arthur smiled a little. "You know him?"
"Sort of. I met him here on the same day we met. I danced with him a while before I saw you." Merlin shrugged his shoulders, satisfied.
Mordred walked over. "So I take it you succeeded, then?" They both nodded. "Well, I'm happy for you. Now, I've gotta go. I just met this girl called Kara, and we've really hit it off. Bye!"
"I thought you said..." Arthur was confused.
Merlin shrugged. "I guess he swings both ways. Now then, let's dance!"

And dance they did, until late into the night. Arthur continued with his mission to get Merlin drunk, which turned out to be surprisingly easy. Arthur then understood what the bartender had meant. Drunk!Merlin was like a little puppy, snuggling close to Arthur. They had a good night, and when the time came to part, they did so with the sad smiles of people who love being together and can't wait to see each other again. And they vowed that tomorrow, they would face the terrifying Mr. Pendragon.

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 15

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Fortheloveofcamelot has entered the room
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot has entered the room
Imthegreatestwarlock has entered the room
Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room
Fortheloveofcamelot: How are the ratings?
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Great! And your views are climbing. I suspect in a few episodes, we'll reach our goal.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Does that mean the show will end :(
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Not necessarily. If you both have the time, you could keep going.
Imthegreatestwarlock: :)
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: By the way, Vivian is really upset. She's seen the show, and she didn't know until now that you're homosexual.
Fortheloveofcamelot: I literally told her that up front. Guess she didn't believe me. Oh well.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Have you got the next episode's script ready?
Lady_of_the_Lake has sent you a file: "Episode 4 script"
Fortheloveofcamelot: Great! Let's get started.
Fortheloveofcamelot has left the room
Imthegreatestwarlock has left the room
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot has left the room
Lady_of_the_Lake has left the room
***
Arthur and Merlin sat at a table across Elena and Mithian. "Hi, I'm Arthur and this is Merlin."
"What, I don't get to introduce myself?" Merlin asked with mock indignation, punching Arthur lightly on the arm. Arthur punched back.
"Next time, you can introduce the both of us."
"Fine," Merlin said, sighing.
"I'm Elena."
"Hi, I'm Mithian," Mithian said a little nervously. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but um... when did you find out? That you were... you know... gay?"
"I've known practically all my life," Merlin said with confidence. "When I was a little kid, the boys would do cute things for the girls, and I would do cute things for the guys. When I got to be a teenager, my friends talked about being attracted girls, and I realized I didn't feel that way about girls, but I felt that way about boys. I asked my best mate Will about it, and he told me it meant I was gay. He explained what that meant and told me I was still his friend. Then he kept trying to set me up with his friends."
"Did you hook up with any of them?" Elena asked, curious.
"Well, I tried once, but... it didn't work out," Merlin answered, his expression souring.
"But what about you, Arthur? When did you know?" Mithian asked, quickly changing the subject.
"I'd been through a lot of failed relationships with girls, and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I asked Elena about it,"
"And I told him he was doing everything right."
"But then she asked me how I felt about the girls I'd dated, and I realized that I hadn't actually loved any of them. She asked me how I felt about guys, and I described what I thought was friendship, but she said that was what love was. She confessed that she was a lesbian and explained what it meant to be homosexual. So she's the one we owe this meeting to."

The waiter came by to take their order. "Hi, my name is John and I'll be your server for this afternoon."
"I'm Elena, and I'll have the steak."
"I'm Mithian, and I'll have... Oh, I can't decide. Surprise me."
"You won't be disappointed," the waiter said with a smile. "Now then, what's for you, young man?"
"I'm Merlin, and I'll have the pizza margherita."
"I'm Arthur..."
"Merlin and Arthur? That's like destiny!"
Merlin chuckled. "Like we haven't heard that one before," he said with a smile.
"What will you have, sire?" John asked jokingly.
"I'll have the chicken," Arthur said, not looking at the menu.
"Destiny and chicken, hm. I'll be back in a little while."
"Destiny and chicken?" Arthur asked when he had left. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
Merlin shrugged. "Could be worse."
"That can be your ship name!" Mithian suggested enthusiastically.
"What? No?!" Merlin and Arthur yelled simultaneously.
"Come on, it's great!" Elena insisted.
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Destiny and chicken. I'll be destiny, you be chicken."
"Why am I chicken?"
"Because you're afraid of your father."
Arthur sighed. "There's got to be a better ship name."
"I'll ask Gwen."

Several hours later, Merlin and Arthur were sitting with Lancelot and Gwen at Camelot Diner.
"Remind me again why we picked this place?" Arthur asked.
"Because my brother works here," Gwen reminded him. As if on cue, their water appeared. "Hi, Elyan! We were just talking about you." Elyan looked worried. "Don't worry, all good things."
"Right. So what will you have?" The rest of the table ordered, and then it was Merlin and Arthur's turn.
"We'll have the chicken," Arthur said.
"With a side order of destiny," Merlin added, smiling. Elyan raised his eyes.
"I don't think destiny is on the menu, but I'll see what I can do. Destiny and chicken, hm? Will that be all?" They nodded, and Elyan left.
"What was that about?" Lancelot asked. "Did I miss something?" He looked at Gwen. "You promised to give me all the details!"
"I didn't know about this!" Gwen insisted, just as confused as Lancelot.
"Do you have a good idea for a ship name?" Merlin asked.
Gwen shook her head. "It's not like you two need one, anyway."
"What about Merthur?" Lancelot asked.
"Merthur. I like it," Arthur said approvingly.

A few minutes later, Elyan returned with a chicken and a small cake shaped and decorated like Excalibur. "Does this count?" he asked. Merlin beamed.
"It's brilliant. I'll thank you with my tip."
"As will I, sir Elyan," Arthur said with a mock bow.
"Thank you, sire." Elyan delivered the rest of the food and drinks.
Gwen smiled and looked at Merlin and Arthur. "So, how goes it? I want all the details."
"Gwen!" Lancelot admonished.
Merlin rolled his eyes. "It's all right, Gwen's a friend, I have no problem sharing. As long as you're okay with it, Arthur?" he asked, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend.
Arthur shrugged. "Why not?"

Countless stories and details later, it was time to go home. Arthur pouted. "Do I get a goodbye kiss?"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Yes, you clotpole," Merlin answered, kissing Arthur.
"Merlin?"
"Yes, Arthur?"
"What is a clotpole?"
"An idiotic, annoying person. Like you!"
"Better be careful, I could put you in the stocks for that!" Arthur teased.
"This isn't Medieval England, you dollophead!"
"What is a dollophead?"
"In two words? Arthur Pendragon."
"You really do come up with the most ridiculous words. Like 'clotpole'. Really, Merlin?"
"Oh, I didn't invent that one. Shakespeare did."
"Ah, then I have the wonderful Bard to thank for your ridiculous nicknames for me."
Merlin nodded. "I hate to go, but we can't keep talking here forever."
Arthur sighed. "Until next time, dollophead."
"Hey! That's my word!"

How To Choose Your Fandom

If you're reading this blog, you're probably in at least one fandom, but maybe you want more. If that's the case, read on to figure out which fandom may be best for you. First of all, consider the genre. Here are my fandoms, organized by genre, with a brief summary of each.

Fantasy
Merlin
Media form: TV
Key features: Arthurian legend, magic, destiny, sarcasm and cheek
Synopsis: (based off of Arthurian legend) Merlin, a young warlock (i.e., born with magic), travels to Camelot, where king Uther Pendragon has banned magic. Merlin becomes prince Arthur's manservant and discovers that it is his destiny to protect Arthur. He saves Arthur's life countless times, all the while hiding his magic.

Harry Potter
Media form: books, movies
Key features: magic, evil wizards and witches, good wizards and witches, fun and shenanigans but also serious stuff
Synopsis: Harry Potter, called "The Boy Who Lived" because the dark lord Voldemort was unable to kill him, finds out that he is a wizard and goes to Hogwarts, a school for wizards and witches. Voldemort keeps trying to regain power, and Harry, together with his friends Ron and Hermione, tries to stop him.

The Lord of the Rings
Media form: books, movies
Key features: adventure, battle, rings, dark lord, magic, danger, seriously lots of danger
Synopsis: Frodo Baggins takes the one ring of power (which is really evil) and goes on a quest to throw it into Mordor, so that it will be destroyed and the dark lord Sauron will be destroyed as well. Frodo travels with 3 other hobbits, 2 men, 1 dwarf, and 1 elf. They get into lots of trouble on the way, and it's quite the adventure.

Sci-Fi
Star Wars
Media form: movies
Key features: evil guy, not so evil guys, adventure, danger, battle, lightsabers, rebellion
Synopsis: Darth Vader is really evil and he's basically trying to take over the universe. He controls the empire (well technically, the emperor controls the empire, but we don't see much of the emperor), but there is a group of rebels who are determined to defeat him. Luke Skywalker is a major part of this rebellion.

Star Trek
Media form: TV, movies
Key features: lots of technology, exploration, adventure, warp speed, aliens
Synopsis: Captain Kirk is in charge of the Enterprise, a spaceship that can go warp speed (i.e., really fast). He and his crew travel around the universe and explore. They get into trouble and have adventures. It's fun.

Doctor Who
Media form: TV
Key features: wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, time travel, technology, aliens, exploration, adventure, danger, genius, saving the universe
Synopsis: The Doctor, a Time Lord, travels through time and space in his TARDIS. He typically travels with a companion (usually female), and together they have adventures. Except, it's not all fun and games; evil aliens inevitably show up, and then the Doctor has to do awesome genius stuff and save the universe.

The Avengers/Marvel/DC
Media form: comic books, movies
Key features: danger, fighting, superheroes, justice
Synopsis: (sorry for lumping them all in together, btw) superheroes (or awesome people with a technological advantage) fight against evil.

Dystopia
The Hunger Games
Media type: books, movies
Key features: revolution, fighting, oppression, social/political inequality, poverty, hunger
Synopsis: Every year, the Capitol shows its dominance over the 12 Districts by hosting the Hunger Games, where a boy and a girl are taken from each district to fight to the death, with only one survivor. Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take the place of her sister Prim in the Games, is intent on changing things and starts a rebellion.

Divergent
Media type: books, movies
Key features: revolution, fighting, oppression, division based on aptitude, being different, fear, hiding
Synopsis: (similar to The Hunger Games) Tris Prior takes the test to find out which faction (district, social class, group of people) she belongs in (Amity, for friendliness; Candor, for truthfulness; Dauntless, for bravery; Abnegation, for selflessness; or Erudite, for knowledge), and finds out that she belongs in both Dauntless and Abnegation, meaning that she is Divergent. Divergents are hunted and killed because they are unknown and therefore feared. Tris decides to start a revolution.

Modern (i.e., set in the modern-day world)
Sherlock
Media type: books, movies, TV
Key features: mysteries, solving crimes, genius, murder, "not our division"
Synopsis: (there are books and movies, but this focuses on BBC Sherlock) Sherlock Holmes is the world's only consulting detective. "When the police are out of their depth, they consult me." He solves crimes with the help of his trusty blogger, Doctor John Watson. In John's words, "We solve crimes. I blog about it. He forgets his pants."

The Big Bang Theory
Media type: TV
Key features: science, annoying characters, awkward social situations
Synopsis: Four young scientists - Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh - are friends and get into shenanigans. Penny, Leonard and Sheldon's next-door neighbor, doesn't know anything about science, but still interacts with the group in an amusing, clueless sort of way.

The Fault In Our Stars
Media type: book, movie
Key features: sadness, romance, cancer, enjoy life while you can
Synopsis: Two teenagers, Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster, fall in love with each other. However, they both have cancer, so they know they won't live much longer. They determine to make the most of their lives while they can.

Other
Les Misérables
Media type: book, musical, movie
Key features: France, revolution, historical fiction, sadness, lots of sadness
Synopsis: Short version - the French government is terrible, and bad things happen to people because of it, so a revolution is started. Long version - *insert several pages of synopsis* (sorry, it's really long what can I say)

The Princess Bride
Media type: book, movie
Key features: true love, high adventure, kidnapping, swordfighting
Synopsis: Buttercup works on a farm and falls in love with the farm-boy, Westley. Westley goes to America to seek his fortune and is murdered by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Buttercup is devastated vows never to love again. Prince Humperdinck thinks differently and orders her to marry him. Before this can happen, however, she is kidnapped by a criminal band consisting of Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo. They are defeated by a man in black, and then the story takes an interesting turn (sorry, not giving any more because I don't want to share any spoilers).

Disney
Media type: movies
Key features: fairy tales, old-fashioned, happily ever after
Synopsis: Disney makes lots of different movies. They are generally fairy tales with happy endings (usually the original fairy tales have rather gruesome endings).

Next, consider that you may want to choose a fandom by what the fandom is like.

Fandoms that are very active: Doctor Who, Sherlock, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms that are not continuing (the book/movie/series/show is over): Merlin, The Fault In Our Stars, The Princess Bride

Fandoms that have long hiatuses: Sherlock, Doctor Who (sort of)

Fandoms that are popular on this blog: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms that are British: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Harry Potter

Fandoms in which Steven Moffat writes the episodes: Sherlock, Doctor Who

And finally, consider fan names. Would you be happy calling yourself any of these terms?
Merlin - Merlinian (not commonly used)
Harry Potter - Potterhead
Star Trek - Trekkie
Doctor Who - Whovian
Sherlock - Sherlockian