Thank You!

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of the holiday, I'm making a post about all the people and things I have to thank for this blog.

Family - thanks to my family who started me on this and has continued to support me. After I'd written several fanfics, my mom suggested that I start this blog. My sister came up with the name for the blog. My dad is the one who gets the internet set up, without which I would be unable to write my blog. And as for my brother, he hasn't really helped. Sorry. 

Real-life friends - thanks to my friends who discuss my fandoms with me and support me. 

Internet friends and blog readers - thanks to all of you who read my blog, liking, sharing, and commenting my posts. Some of you have even inspired blog posts! 

The Star Cult - thanks to the awesome Doctor Who community that has led to brilliant discussions, given me great internet friends, and provided ideas for fanfics by hosting fanfiction challenges. 

Pond's Philosophy Guild - thanks to this community that has taught me to think deeply and sparked some blog post ideas. 

Authors/screenwriters/etc. - thanks to the creative minds behind my favorite books, movies, and TV shows. Without them, I would have nothing to get excited about. 

Actors and actresses - thanks to the amazing people who act out the wonderful TV shows and movies that I discuss here. Often, it is the actor's (or actress's) performance that really makes a show great. 

Directors/producers/editors/etc. - thanks to the people who bring something from a simple idea to a finished work. 

My English teachers - thanks to the people who have helped me to improve my writing skills. 

Books - thanks to the reading materials that increased my literacy and imagination and brought me into the magical world of fandoms. 

Computers/TV/the internet - thanks to the devices that let me watch my favorite shows/movies and discuss them with others in the fandom. 

Google - thanks to the company that created Google+, where I started getting really into fandoms, and Google Blogs, which is how I created this blog. 

That's about all I can think of in terms of thanks. Thank you all again, and have a great Thanksgiving!

Fandom School (3rd period): Creating Fan Works To Deal With Feels

And now it's time for your favorite part of this blog (or so the statistics suggest), Fandom School! Today's topic is feels. To catch up on the subject, read my earlier posts, I Can't Even: The Heart of a Fangirl and How To Deal With Feels. In the second post, one of the strategies I suggested was creating something to deal with the feels, and I'd like to expand on that here.

There are many types of fan works fanwarriors may create, including fanfiction (click here to learn about different types of fanfiction and here to read my fanfiction), fanart, and fan music (click here to see my original fandom songs and fandom parodies of existing songs). One of the many reasons people create fan works is to deal with feels.

How can this help? Well, if a person is feeling sad about something that happened in their fandom (by "fandom", I mean the book/movie/TV show, not the people who like it), they may create a fanwork to unleash all that grief. Doing something with your feelings makes it much easier to deal with. A few examples of fan works I have made to deal with feels are a parody of "I Dreamed A Dream" (to deal with my sadness about Rose's separation from the Doctor), a parody of "Let It Go" (to deal with my feels about the Tenth Doctor's regeneration), and Lake of Lament (a poetry fic to deal with my feels about all the people Merlin has lost).

Also, a person may create a fan work to deviate from canon and change the outcome to what he/she wants it to be. There's a reason lots of people write Fix-It fics. In this way, the creator can pretend that the bad stuff never happened, or that it's better somehow, and this alleviates the feels.

When you create a fan work to deal with feels, it's much the same as any other fan work, except that you pour your heart and soul and the deepest depths of your anguish into it. You give it your all, hoping that it will make you feel better, and often it does.

Your fan work may give other people feels, but that's a risk you have to take. And by sharing your feels through fan work, you connect with others who understand your pain and appreciate the homage.

Don't Think "Fangirl", Think "Fanwarrior"

For the sake of convenience, I use the term "fangirl" to refer to anyone in a fandom. But that's not exactly right. 

First, think about the connotations of the word. "Fangirl" suggests a teenage girl who is infatuated with everything mainstream, giggling and screaming and generally being obnoxiously obsessed with whatever the object of their latest attention happens to be. "Fangirl" suggests a person who likes actors for their appearance and not their personality. "Fangirl" suggests a person who is wholly consumed with their fandom(s), taking but often giving nothing in return (except for maybe fan works like fanfiction and fanart). "Fangirl" denotes a very small subset of people who really are not representative of most people in fandoms.

But we are so much better than that. We hold tight to our fandoms, even if nobody else knows about them, even if everybody hates them, even if the book/movie/show is over, even if all the fan works are awful, even if the actors change, even if the writing starts becoming less amazing (I'm looking at you, Moffat)... We stick with our fandoms no matter what because it's not the actors (or the individual episodes, or the [insert relevant noun here]) we love, it's the story. Currently, the word "girl" is an insult (don't even get me started on that whole feminist rant), so "fangirl" implies that we are weak, but we are so far from that. We are not "girls". We are warriors, fighting for what we love.

And of course, wars have casualties. We fanwarriors see the end of our favorite characters, the awful movie adaptations of amazing books, the sadness of characters who are betrayed or separated or forgotten, the sacrifice of a hero or a repentant villain or a supporting character we've come to love.

And we, too, make sacrifices. We wait in line for hours to meet amazing celebrities or watch new movies, we spend countless amounts of money on fan merchandise, we dedicate all the time we have to enjoying and contributing to our fandoms, we abandon all hope of a social life outside of our fandoms.

And of course, we contribute to our fandoms. There are the usual suspects - fanart, fanfiction, fandom blogs, etc. - but there are also bigger, nobler contributions (not that there's anything wrong with fanfiction or other fan works). Harry Potter fans created the Harry Potter Alliance. The website reads, "The Harry Potter Alliance turns fans into heroes. We’re changing the world by making activism accessible through the power of story. Since 2005, we’ve engaged millions of fans through our work for equality, human rights, and literacy." Fans of John and Hank Green are called nerdfighters. Nerdfighters are proud to be intelligent, "made of awesome", and working to decrease WorldSuck.

This doesn't even scratch the surface of how amazing fans are, though. Just remember: we are not fangirls, we are fanwarriors. 

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 12

I should note that this chapter has some language in it (not a lot, so unless you're really sensitive to that kind of thing, you should be fine). I tried not writing it in, but it just didn't sound right. Anyway, enjoy!

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

They had rehearsed their parts many times and Merlin had cast a spell to ensure they remembered all their lines. It was time to go. Arthur and Merlin took a deep breath.

People walked by on a crowded street. The camera cut to a businessman carrying a briefcase and wearing an expensive suit, a determined, self-important look on his face. He looked at his wristwatch and changed from walking briskly to running, somehow continuing to look stately and dignified as he did so. Of course, he wasn't paying attention to whet he was going. He ran headlong into a man carrying a cup of coffee. The scalding coffee spilled all over the businessman and his briefcase. The businessman jumped back. 

"You idiot!" he shouted. "Why weren't you looking where you were going?"

"I could ask the same of you."

"You'll pay for that!"

"Pay for your inconvenience, yes. Pay for my response, no."

"I'll have you know, I've been trained to sue since birth."

"Oh really? And how long have you been training to be a prat?"

"You can't address me like that."

"I'm sorry." The man bowed his head in mock apology. "How long have you been training to be a prat, Sir?" he said, emphasizing the word "Sir" to make it sound like an insult. "Listen, mate, I'm really sorry about the coffee..."

"Do I know you?"

"Sorry, what?"

"Do I know you?" the man asked again, sounding even more irritated. 

"No..."

"Yet you called me 'mate'."

"My mistake."

"It certainly was."

"I would never have a friend who could be such an ass."

"Nor I one who could be so stupid."

"I'm really sorry, though. I can pay for the dry cleaning, buy you a new briefcase, whatever you need..."

"No, you'd only mess it up more, you incompetent git."

"I may be many things, but incompetent is not one of them."

"I could take you apart with one blow."

"I could take you apart with less than that."

"I. Don't. Care. I have much more important things to do than converse with lower class imbeciles who can't even carry a cup of coffee without spilling it all over someone!"

"Oh, so you think because I'm poor, I'm stupid?" the man yelled, his temper rising. 

"I don't have time for your nonsense. You are a waste of space! You're completely useless! Worse, you ruin the lives of everyone around you! You..." the businessman halted his tirade to look at the other man. "Are you... crying?"

"It has nothing to do with you; don't flatter yourself. I've had enough arrogant bullshit for one day. Enough for a lifetime! Leave me alone!"

"Oh, you're telling me to leave? What makes you think you're in charge?"

"Oh I don't know, how about the fact that I get to decide who I don't want to be with? I'm done!"

"I hope to never have the pleasure of seeing you again," the businessman said bitterly, turning on his heels. The two men stalked away in angry silence. 

The door of an apartment slammed open and the man who had spilt the coffee walked in. 

"What is it, Merlin?" asked a woman in the room. 

"Nothing."

"Come on, I know you better than that."

"I don't want to talk about it." Merlin crossed his arms and sat on the couch, facing away from her. 

"Is it about Cenred?"

"Sort of," Merlin replied, lowering his eyes to the floor. 

"Tell me all about it." She sat down next to him.
"Oh, I don't know where to start, Gwen. I..." he sighed. "I ran into this guy..." Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Not like that!  I literally ran into him. Spilled my coffee on him and everything. And he was such a prat about it! It... it reminded me of Cenred."
"He can't have been that bad!"
"No, he wasn't. But he was bad enough. I just couldn't take it. The painful memories keep coming back. I've had a miserable day." Gwen nodded sympathetically.
"So, how about we drown out the memories with ice cream and chick flicks?"
"Gwen!" Merlin then launched into a lengthy argument about how chick flicks were sexist and why does the girl 'get' the guy (or vice versa) anyways, why can't they get each other, and why do girls have to be called 'chicks', it's so degrading.
"I was kidding, Merlin; I know how much you hate them."
"You're really not making my day any better."
"Sorry." She laid a hand on his shoulder. She thought for a moment. "You know what you need?"
"I'm afraid to ask."
"You need a night out."
"What?"
"You heard me. You need a night out. You haven't had any fun since you broke up with Cenred. He ruined your life enough when you were with him. You can't let him keep ruining it now that he's gone." Merlin sighed.
"I suppose you're right. What did you have in mind?"
"How about Avalon?"
"The gay bar?"
"Why not?"
"You're only saying that because you want to see me get drunk. You know how much of a lightweight I am."
"I still think you'd like it."
"Oh, fine."

The businessman angrily stalked into his flat.
"What's wrong, Princess?" his flatmate asked.
"Nothing, Gwaine. And don't call me Princess!"
"I'll stop calling you Princess if you tell me what's wrong."
"There is nothing wrong."
"Come off it, Princess; I can smell the sexual frustration from miles away."
"That's only because you'll have sex with anything that moves."
"Who says it has to move? And yes, it does make me more adept at noticing these things. But you still haven't told me, what is it?" The businessman sighed.
"I met a guy..."
"Oh?" Gwaine's eyes lit up in vicarious attraction. "What's he like?"
"Really hot. He's got messy jet black hair, an amazing... well actually I didn't see him smile, so I don't know, but I assume he has a nice smile. He's lean, but not too skinny. His lips are gorgeous..."
"Does he have a nice arse?"
"Gwaine!" the businessman blushed. "Yes, he does have a nice arse."
"Well then, go for it!"
"That's just the thing. He hates me."
"Oh, Arthur."
"Why do I always have to fall in love with the wrong people?"
"Maybe you don't."
"What are you saying, Gwaine?"
"What you need, mate, is a good shag. That'll release some of your frustration. And who knows, maybe you'll find someone else to fall in love with!"
"Father would have my head."
"He doesn't have to know."
"And besides, where would I go to find someone? All the guys I know are straight."
"You forgot me!" Gwaine protested.
"Right, sorry, but I'm not dating you. You're my obnoxious friend, nothing more."
"Fine."
"So, where would I go?"
"Have you ever been to a gay bar?"
"What? No!"
"I'm telling you, it's the best place to pick up a guy. And I know a real nice one 'round here."
"But... but..."
"Come on, Arthur. We're going to Avalon."

Gwen was driving Merlin to the bar. "So other than the annoying guy, how was your day?"
"He kind of ruined my entire day. Other than that, fine!" Merlin said with a false smile on his face.
"What did he do?"
"Oh, not much, just said that I was stupid and stuff like that. I hadn't been having a great day to begin with, so that was enough to tip me over the edge."
"Ah."
"Oh, and he said he'd been trained to sue since birth. Like, seriously?"
"Funny, that sounds like something Arthur would say. Wait a minute - this man, what did he look like?"
"Blonde, blue eyes, muscular... stereotypical jerk. He was carrying a briefcase that said 'Pendragon Attorneys'..."
"That's got to be Arthur."
"You dated that jerk?"
"He's actually not that bad once you get to know him. He just has a hot temper."
"Is that why you broke up with him?"
"No, no, I broke up with him because I found Lance, and Arthur broke up with me because he found out he was gay. We were both like 'I have something to tell you', and then we laughed for a few minutes at the convenience of it and parted, no hard feelings."
"But wait, if he's gay, does that mean..."
"No, he doesn't drink."
"Thank goodness for that."

They pulled up to the bar and walked in. Merlin sat down next to Gwen and began to drown his sorrows. A few minutes later, Arthur walked in. Neither of them saw each other, and Arthur got on the dance floor. After changing partners several times, Arthur began dancing with a man who looked a bit like Merlin.
"Hello," the man said.
"Hi."
"You here for the dancing, or are you actually gay?"
"I'm actually gay. It's funny, my friend dragged me in here because he said I needed to pick up a guy."
"Oh?" The man raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah. I'm Arthur, by the way."
"Mordred."
"Hm."
"What?"
"In the legends, Mordred was Arthur's bane. Mordred kills him, in the end."
"Well, I certainly hope that doesn't happen."
"Agreed. You're too handsome to be a murderer." Arthur's face fell.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just... my friend brought me here because I fell in love with someone I can't have."
"Oh? Why not? Is he straight?"
"No... well, I don't know; I didn't get to asking about his sexuality. The problem is, he hates me."
"I'm sure a charmer like you is skilled at persuasion."
"Maybe, but I doubt I'd see him again. It was just a chance meeting."
"Well, if it's meant to be, I'm sure you'll find him again." Arthur shook his head.
"I don't believe in destiny. I'll never..." Arthur stopped mid-sentence.
"What?"
"That's him." Arthur gestured to Merlin. Merlin turned around, saw him, and instantly blanched.

Merlin turned back to Gwen. "Gwen, we need to get out of here."
"Why? What's wrong? Are you in danger?" Gwen asked, worried.
"No. It's him."
"Cenred?"
"No. Arthur." Merlin turned to Gwen suspiciously. "I thought you said he doesn't drink."
"He doesn't!" Gwen replied, as surprised as Merlin.

"Go for it!" Mordred encouraged Arthur.
"What if he rejects me?"
"I'll be right here waiting for you. Or if you prefer, you could go to the friend who got you into this in the first place. I assume he came with you." Arthur nodded. "Now go!"

Arthur walked over to Merlin, who became increasingly worried.
"If this is about the coffee, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"It's not about the coffee." Merlin looked confused. "We got off to a rough start earlier today. Let's try again. I'm Arthur." Arthur extended his hand and Merlin shook it reluctantly, looking even more confused.
"I'm Merlin."
"You're kidding me!"
"I know Merlin isn't the most common name, but my mum really likes the birds, and..."
"Merlin. Arthur and Merlin."
"It's like destiny," Gwen said, turning around.
"Oh, Gwen. I uh... didn't see you there."
"It's alright Arthur. This is Merlin, my flatmate. We're very close friends, so if you do anything to hurt him, I will rip you to shreds."
"I would never..."
"That's what they all say. Not all guys are kind to the people they date."
"Date? What? I'm not..."
"Sure..." Gwen said sarcastically. "I'll just leave you two then," Gwen said, walking away.
"Wait!" Merlin called, but Gwen had already gone. "Now listen," Merlin said, turning to Arthur. "I know you talked about starting over, but I can't forget the way you treated me. And don't try to say the coffee I spilled on you makes it even."
"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up?"
"You can stay away from me."
"Oh." Arthur walked away, heartbroken.

"So it didn't work out?" Mordred asked. Arthur shook his head sadly.
"Listen, you're really nice and all, and I would totally go for you if I wasn't in love with Merlin, but as it is, I can't stay here."
"I understand. Good luck!"

Arthur walked over to Gwaine. "I found Merlin. He said no. I can't think about anyone else. Let's go home."
"Come on, Arthur! You haven't even had any fun yet! We need to get you drunk."
"I told you, Gwaine, I don't drink."
"Well at least dance or something. Hey wait, they're about to announce an activity!" It was blindfolded kissing.
"No way I am doing that."
"Oh come on, you know you love kissing guys."
"Yes, but not now. Not strangers."
"I'll come with you, so you won't be the only one."
"No."
"If you're the first one to kiss a guy when the music stops, you get twenty pounds!" Gwaine reminded Arthur of the rules.
"Oh, fine. But if I don't win, you owe me ten."

They got on to the dance floor, and the music began to play. Arthur danced with random couples until the music stopped, and then he grabbed the nearest man and kissed him. The man recoiled at first, then reciprocated. The blindfolds were removed, and Arthur saw Merlin. They both stared in shock for a moment, then Merlin frowned and Arthur blushed. Not knowing what else to do, Arthur ran away. Merlin walked over to Gwen. "What the fuck just happened?"

You Are Not Alone: The Search For The Other Time Lords (Doctor Who fanfiction) - Chapter 1

"No!" The Doctor slammed the console in frustration. Missy had lied. Of course she had. And now she was gone. And so was Gallifrey. He had nothing. He was alone. He hit the console again, then slid down to the floor, crying.

"Looking for something?" The Doctor turned around to face a familiar blond girl who he hadn't seen in a long time. "Hello, Dad." The Doctor stared at her in shock, his eyebrows going higher than they had ever gone before. "Regeneration kicked in a little late. Sorry about that. I've had a hell of a time finding you."

"How did you? Find me, I mean."

"I stole a spaceship and traveled the universe for a while, but then I realized I'd need to travel in time, too. So, I convinced a handsome time agent - Jack, I think his name was - to give me his vortex manipulator."

"So what, you traveled around to random locations, hoping to find me?"
"Initially. I kept missing you, though. I saw you traveling by yourself, so lonely. And I tried to get to you, I did. But every time, you would go into your TARDIS before I got a chance to talk to you. And then later, I saw your TARDIS crash-land. But you didn't see me. You went off in a different direction. I was afraid to follow you. You'd regenerated, and I wasn't sure how you would take it. I heard you saying you'd just pop off for a few minutes, but then you didn't come back. I did talk the little girl, though. Amelia Pond. She was lovely. But I couldn't stay. I met her again in Manhattan with a man named Rory. She told me the story. I'm sorry about all that; I wish I could have helped. I've saved you from the Weeping Angels a few times, staring at them when you forgot to look. I've fought off Daleks that you never even saw! I am rather handy with a gun, after all." The Doctor flinched. Jenny continued. "I saw your grave. At Trenzalore. I feared the worst. But you survived. I whispered into that crack with Clara Oswald. I told the Gallifreyans I was one of them, and that they needed him. I kept seeing you. But every time, I just couldn't quite get to you. I knew I needed a new plan of action."
"So what did you do then?"

"I traveled far into the future and went to Luna University. Met a woman there, her name was River Song. She talked of a man called the Doctor, and I got hopeful. I didn't get a chance to meet you, though. That being said, she was kind enough to give me a DNA sample. Well, two actually: one from her, and one from you. By combining these, I managed to make accurate enough artificial Time Lord DNA. The three samples helped me ensure I covered people who were only part Time Lord, as well, so all relevant DNA types were represented. Then it was just a matter of making a machine to find it. This," she held up a small wristwatch, "helps me to locate anyone with Time Lord DNA. I fused it with the vortex manipulator technology, so it can also take me to them."

"And that's how you found me."

"Yes."

"But that's... that's brilliant! You must have inherited my intelligence, too!" The Doctor ran up and hugged his brilliant daughter. Jenny chuckled. 

"Don't let it get to your head. But, there's another thing."

"What?"

"You know how I said it locates people with Time Lord DNA?"

"Yes..."

"You're not the only one."

Fandom School (2nd period): Ship Names

It's time for Fandom School again! Today's topic: shipping. Specifically, ship names. I've already defined shipping and listed my ships and listed a few types of ships, so now I'm going to delve into different names of ships and why they are chosen. There are a few different types of ship names:

1. Portmanteau - the most common type of ship name by far, this takes the names of the characters and mashes them up.
Examples: Merthur (Merlin/Arthur), Johnlock (John/Sherlock), Elever (Eleven/River)

2. CamelCase - simply putting the names (or part of each name) together and capitalizing the first name of each letter.
Examples: ArMor (Arthur/Morgana), TenRose (Ten/Rose)

3. Idiosyncratic Ship Name - these are rare because they are hard to think of, but they are always fun. Instead of putting the characters' names together, these names put the characters' characteristics together.
Examples: Toast (Katniss aka the Girl on Fire/Peeta aka the boy with the bread), Angry Birds (Clint Barton aka Hawkeye/Bruce Banner aka Hulk), Whouffle (The Doctor, usually Eleven, and Clara aka "Souffle girl"), StarkSpangledBanner (Tony Stark/Steve Rogers/Bruce Banner), The Cold War (Steve/Natasha), Birds of a Feather (Clint Barton/Sam Wilson), ThunderShield (Thor/Steve Rogers), FreeBird (Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson), Wincest (Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester)

What are your favorite ship names? (You don't have to like a ship to like the name.) Are there any ships you would create just for the sake of the name?

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 11

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

After a long, hard week of work, Arthur asked for a week of leave. Uther was incredibly reluctant, but ultimately he relented. Arthur didn't dare ask for permission to be in Merlin's show, though. He knew that would be pushing it.

You have a new IM

From: Modern_physician

To: Fortheloveofcamelot

Subject: Channel 5

Content: Are you ready?

From: Fortheloveofcamelot 

To: Modern_physician

Subject: Re: Channel 5

Content: Beam me up, scottie!

A few seconds later, Arthur ended up in the blank room - and on top of Merlin. For one long, awkward moment they lay on top of each other, until Arthur got up. "Erm, sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. It's not your fault. I'll yell at Gaius later." Arthur looked around at the white walls. 

"So this is where you've been the whole time?"

"Yeah. I've only just been moved to channel 5, but it's the same for me. Same blank room and all that."

"How do you not die of boredom?"

"Magic," Merlin replied, and Arthur laughed - until he realized that Merlin was actually being serious. 

"Show me."

"You already saw it on the telly."

"It's not the same as in person. Show me."

"Are you sure? Most people are a little - startled." Arthur just fixed his gaze on Merlin. "Fine," he relented. Merlin muttered some unintelligible words, his eyes flashed gold, and the walls turned the same color. Merlin made a few candles float in the air, lit with blue-green flame. "How about that?"

"Not bad. Got anything else?" 

Merlin smiled, and a slow ballad began to play. The lights changed to match that of a ballroom or dance hall. Merlin pulled Arthur in, and they began to dance. At the end, the music faded, and a calm silence spread over them.  

"So, you can dance," Arthur said, when he got up the courage to speak.

"So can you."

"Got anything else?"

"Are you always so hard to please?" Arthur laughed. With a cheeky smile, Merlin said a few words in a language Arthur didn't understand, and mistletoe began growing right above their heads. Arthur looked up and blushed. 

"But... but... it's not even Christmas!"

"Come on, Arthur. We're about to star in a romantic comedy. We're bound to kiss at some point, and there's no better time to practice."

"I've kissed plenty of people! I don't need practice."

"I think you'll find that kissing me is entirely different."

It was, of course. It was like nothing Arthur had ever felt before. It was as if... no, surely not... but he knew it was. He was in love. And if the mistletoe was any indication, Merlin loved him back. That thought, combined with the feeling of Merlin's lips pressing against his, filled Arthur with a warmth that left him feeling better than he had in a long time. It was a warmth that he knew would last. 

"Come on, now," Merlin said, pulling away after what felt like an eternity. "We wouldn't want everyone else to come in and see us like this, would we?" Arthur just smiled. 

Imthegreatestwarlock has entered the room, Albion Chat

Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room

Lady_of_the_Lake: Is he there?

Imthegreatestwarlock: Yeah, he just made it. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: Gaius says the others will be coming soon. 

Lady_of_the_Lake has sent a file: Episode 1 Script

Merlin clicked on the file and showed it to Arthur. "You ready?"

"You bet."

What Makes A Good Companion

So, as you may have figured out, I've hit a bit of writer's block in the fanfic I'm currently writing. (If you'd like to help me, just comment on this post, tag me in a google+ post to talk about it, or send me an ask on tumblr at vortexofdeduction.tumblr.com In the meantime, I bring you another blog post.

Today I'd like to talk about Doctor Who companions and what makes for a good companion (are you listening, Moffat?)

Not falling in love with the Doctor - one of the things that frustrates me (and many other viewers, I'm sure) is that it seems like almost every female character falls in love with the Doctor. Of the six female companions in New Who (well technically, River is more than a companion), Donna is the only one who does not love the Doctor. Rose and the Doctor both love eachother, which is sweet and all, but sometimes I feel like the romance gets in the way of Rose's character development. Martha is a great companion, but she's so busy being a lovesick puppy that she can't realize her full potential until she leaves the Doctor. Donna hates the Doctor at first, and then they become friends (and they are definitely not a couple, as the running gag goes). Amy flirts with the Doctor shamelessly in Season 5, and then the Doctor reminds her that she has a fiancé and brings him back, so that romance is short lived. Clara sort of kind of flirts with the Doctor, and they have a sort of ambiguous love-hate relationship, which I really hate. Even when Danny comes in, she still spends large amounts of time with the Doctor.

Having a life outside of the Doctor - as much as I dislike Clara, I do like that she has a life outside of the Doctor. She doesn't spend all of her time with him. She has a job teaching and, later, a boyfriend. Of course, she isn't the only one to have another life. Jack works at Torchwood, running it in the Doctor's honor. Martha's life sort of goes on hold when she travels with the Doctor, but after she leaves, she goes on to do many things, first working for Torchwood and UNIT, then later going freelance (click here to see her full profile on the TARDIS wiki). Similar to Martha, Donna has a life before and after the Doctor, but not so much during her travels with him. Rory has a life outside of the Doctor, but Amy doesn't.

Not being defined by a story arc - several companions have a main "story arc" to explain why they are with the Doctor or how they interact with him. Far too many times, a story arc becomes the defining point of a character, and the character is two-dimensional as a result. Rose was just a regular person, no story arc or anything. Martha, too, traveled with the Doctor only because she wanted to. Donna had a story arc (the most important woman in the universe, the Doctor-Donna), but it was written such that we didn't really notice it until the Season 4 finale, and then we were just like "Oh! So that's what was up with all those little coincidences!" Then Moffat took over, decided he liked the companion story-arc idea, and WRECKED it. Amy is a great character, but the whole "girl who waited, can bring people back from non-existence, crack-in-her-bedroom-wall" thing is a bit excessive. It makes her less real in my opinion. And Rory? There are so many great things to be said about Rory, but the first thing that comes to mind is "the guy who died way too many times". He's much more than that, obviously, but he will forever be remembered as the guy who kept dying and coming back. And don't even get me started on Clara as the Impossible Girl.

Skills and talents - apart from unrealistic powers (e.g., coming back from the dead), I really like it when companions are able to help the Doctor out. Rose doesn't start out with much (except for her strength of body and will, as we see in the first episode), but she quickly learns from the Doctor and is able to help him. Martha has extensive medical knowledge, and she too learns from the Doctor. Donna has super-temp skills as well as a good amount of intelligence and great reasoning skills. Amy starts out with the same skill-set as Rose, essentially. Rory has nurse skills. Clara has bossiness, if you want to call that a skill.

BAMF - pretty much all the companions have at least one BAMF moment, but some are BAMFs more than others. Rose is pretty tough; you don't want to mess with her. Martha is normally gentle and helpful, but she knows when to step it up and go into BAMF mode and save the world. Donna is pretty much always on BAMF mode. Amy doesn't really go into full BAMF mode much, but she's tough and bossy. Rory, like Martha, stays calm until the right moment, then he unleashes his fury: "Demons run when a good man goes to war." Clara knows when to be a bossy-pants and take over the situation.

Anything you think I missed? Let me know what you think.

Fandom School (1st period): Types of Canon

Happy Wednesday, everyone, and welcome to Fandom School! I've already given a brief definition of canon and explained headcanon, so now it's time to talk about the many different types of canon. A quick search on AO3 reveals many different canon-related tags, which will serve well for organization purposes in this post.

Canon Compliant - follows with all parts of canon.

• Canon Related - specifically related to an event in canon.
• Canon Universe - takes place in the universe created by the canon.
• Canon Timeline  - takes place over a range of events during canon. Follows the canon timeline.
• Pre-Canon - takes place before canon. Think of it as a prequel.
• Canon Era - takes place during canon (during the span of the book, movie, or TV show)
• Post-Canon - takes place after canon (after the end of the book/movie; after the series finale)
• Canon Continuation - same thing as post-canon, but with special care taken to make sure that it fits with canon
• Canon Dialogue - includes direct quotes from the show/book/movie
• Could Be Canon - compliant with canon, but not part of it. Think of it as behind the scenes.
• Canon Crossover - a crossover that attempts to, apart from being a crossover, preserve canon for all fandoms involved

Not Canon Compliant - changes or ignores one or more canon events/characters.

• Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence - accepts canon up to a certain point, then changes an event and goes from there.
• Fix-It - corrects something in canon that the author disagrees with.
• Post-Canon Fix-It - wraps up the loose ends. May be canon-compliant, or may be different enough that it doesn't comply with canon.

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 10

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

Arthur was, indeed, late to work. He ran in, fearing his coworkers' wrath (he slacked off enough as it was), but they acted as if nothing had happened.
"Are you ready to start filming?" Morgana asked. He wasn't, not really, but he didn't have a choice.
"Yes."

Of course it had to be the reunion scene. Arthur held Vivian's (or rather, Sophia's - he needed to stay in character) hand up and kissed it. "Milady."
"My lord." They weren't, of course, not even in the movie, but Sophia and John - that was Arthur's character - believed in chivalry and all that old-fashioned nonsense. Arthur honestly didn't know why he had agreed to do this. He needed to focus. He had a line to deliver.
"I've missed you so much." He hadn't, really. He couldn't stand Vivian; it was only his superb acting skills that stopped him from looking like he wanted to strangle her. "I thought I'd never see you again." Wouldn't that be wonderful, he thought. But he couldn't quit. Father would have his head. "I'll watch over you, I promise. I can't bear to lose you again." Arthur's thoughts drifted further, as he remembered a certain man who was lost. A man who was rather good-looking...

Vivian was staring at him. Oh, shit. This was when he was supposed to be kissing her. He couldn't, not when the thoughts of another person kept drifting into his mind. He looked at Leon, the cameraman, and shook his head.
"Cut! Let's try that again."
"No... I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'm sorry." Arthur walked out of the room. He was in no state to work today, but it wasn't as if he could actually walk out. Morgana approached him a few minutes later.
"Arthur, you're the star in this film. They need you there to shoot it."
"Yeah, sorry."
"What happened anyway?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Mercifully, Morgana didn't push him.
"Do you think you can film another scene?" Arthur nodded, hoping it was true, and they walked back in. "What do you think you can handle?" Morgana asked.
"How about the soliloquy? After I find she's gone?" Morgana nodded, and they got all set up. Leon nodded to show that the camera was rolling, and Arthur began.

"Sophia... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't realize what was happening, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I didn't know how to help you, and I'm sorry I didn't help you. But I'm not just sorry; I want to help you. I still don't know exactly what's happened or where you've gone, but I swear I will find you. Whatever it takes. I don't care how much it hurts or how hard it is, I will find you. I will search the whole earth if that's what it takes. I will beg my worst enemies if that's what it takes. I will die for you if that's what it takes. I will do anything to get you back. I love you, Sophia, and I can't live without you."

"Cut! That was brilliant, Arthur!" But Arthur wasn't listening. He was running out of the room, tears streaming down his face. He reached the sanctuary of his office and slid down in his chair, unsure of what to do next. A few minutes later, he heard a knock at the door.
"Arthur?" It was Gwen, his PA. "Can I come in?" Arthur sighed and unlocked the door.

Arthur had finally stopped crying, though his face was still red. "What's wrong, Arthur?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." Gwen gave a look that clearly said she didn't believe him, but she decided not to pry and instead walked back out with a concerned, sympathetic expression.

A few minutes later, Gwaine walked in. "What seems to be the matter, Princess? Gwen may leave you alone, but I won't." Arthur said nothing. "Come on, I'm not leaving until you answer me. What's up?" Arthur sighed. 

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Arthur logged on to his computer and entered the chat room he'd used earlier. "Are you ignoring me?"

"No, I'm answering."

Fortheloveofcamelot has entered the room, Albion Chat

Fortheloveofcamelot: Anyone here?

"'Fortheloveofcamelot'? What kind of a name is that?"

"Shut up, Gwaine."

Imthegreatestwarlock: I'm here

Lady_of_the_Lake: Me too

Druid_boy42: What's up?

Fortheloveofcamelot: I'm talking to a friend and he asked about you. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Really?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Well not directly, but to answer his question I have to mention you. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Who is he?

Sexiestmanalive has joined the chat

Sexiestmanalive: Hi there. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Oh gosh, that's him. Gwaine, don't harass these people.

Druid_boy42: Especially not Freya.

Lady_of_the_Lake: He's right. Don't mess with me or my friends.  

Sexiestmanalive: If you insist. So, what's all this? Apparently, you all are the reason my friend here is incapable of work and looks like he's been up all night?

Imthegreatestwarlock: Only since 3AM. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: And I did get a couple hours of sleep. 

Sexiestmanalive: Just get to the point. What's going on here?

Imthegreatestwarlock: I... well...

Fortheloveofcamelot: Just tell him. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: I was um...

cursed by an evil witch to be stuck on a TV channel. He... I don't actually know your name!

Fortheloveofcamelot: Arthur. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: And your last name?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Pendragon. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: You're kidding. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Nope. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Arthur Pendragon. That's insane. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: You're one to talk, Merlin. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Prat. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Idiot. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Dollophead. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Clotpole. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: That's my word!

Fortheloveofcamelot: It suits you perfectly. 

Sexiestmanalive: Um, guys? I'm still here. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Sorry, where was I?

Lady_of_the_Lake: You were mentioning where Arthur comes in. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Ah yes, the insufferable prat. How could I forget? Anyway, despite his shortcomings, he took pity on me and contacted my friends who managed to put a message on the channel, and now we're all trying to rescue him. 

Sexiestmanalive: And how will you do that?

Druid_boy42: We need a million people to be watching Merlin's show at the same time. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: I don't suppose you'd be able to help?

Sexiestmanalive: Well, I do work in advertising...

Fortheloveofcamelot: Gwaine, you're an actor. 

Sexiestmanalive: I help out in advertising, too. Honestly, don't you pay any attention to what goes on in this building? Anyway, what time does the programme air?

Imthegreatestwarlock: 3AM. 

Sexiestmanalive: That does complicate matters somewhat. Not many people get up at 3AM to watch TV. Except for Arthur, apparently. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: I couldn't sleep!

Sexiestmanalive: Yeah, right. What I'm saying is, it's going to be hard to find viewers. 

Druid_boy42: Not to mention how hard it is to find the channel. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Wait, what?

Druid_boy42: Most people have their favorite channels and just punch in the number for that channel. We call it channel 5 for the sake of convenience, but Merlin's channel is technically 5.5, which is impossible to type on the typical remote. To make matters worse, the channel disappears when there's nothing airing. Currently, it shows Merlin's programme from 3:00 to 4:00, then Will and Freya's message from 4:00 to 4:30, and finally Kilgharrah's message from 4:30 to 5:00. At all other times, it ceases to exist, at least as far as the public is concerned. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Any chance you can put other programmes in?

Sexiestmanalive: Maybe, but if this channel is as strange as you say it is, it might be rather complicated. What is Merlin's show about?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Freya?

Lady_of_the_Lake: Will and I have been brainstorming. Let me check in with him. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor has entered the room

Sexiestmanalive: You must be Will. I could provide you with some "entertainment" ;)

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Who let this pervert in?

Fortheloveofcamelot: I did. Sorry. Gwaine, you promised not to harass these people!

Sexiestmanalive: I didn't promise for this guy! Fine, I won't bother him. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Will, Freya, what did you come up with?

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: We were thinking of showcasing Merlin's magical talents. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: I have a feeling I'd get in trouble for that. Magic can be very dangerous, and many believe it is unequivocally evil. 

Sexiestmanalive: Besides, most people would just think it was good special effects. You'd need a plot to supplement it. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: Scratch that. Did we have anything else, Will?

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: No, that was it. 

Druid_boy42: I've got an idea, but I don't know if it will work. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Now's not the time to be picky. What's your idea?

Druid_boy42: I was looking up spells with Gaius, and I might be able to move your programme to a different channel. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Great! What's the catch?

Druid_boy42: Your programme will need to have similar subject material to the programmes on the channel I move it to. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: And what do the channels that you might move it to show?

Druid_boy42: Only channels 5 and 6 are available. That is, if we pay lots of money. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Money isn't a problem. What's on channel 6?

Druid_boy42: News. Not actual news, just gossip and the like. You know, the kind of stuff you find in magazines. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: I'm not doing that. What about channel 5?

Druid_boy42: Soap operas. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Kind of hard to do that with one person. 

Druid_boy42: Let me see if there's anything I can do about that. 

Modern_physician has entered the chat

Modern_physician: I think I may have a solution. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: What is it, Gaius?

Modern_physician: I can send more people into your programme. That way, you can produce a more entertaining show. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Soap opera... okay, I can do this. Send Freya in. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: If you send her in, she can't help me write the scripts. And you know how rubbish I am at putting my ideas on paper. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Fine. But then who'll be my romantic interest?

Sexiestmanalive: Arthur is a very good actor. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: I don't think I could survive alone with that prat. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: You're running out of insults. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: No I'm not, coxcomb. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Gwaine's right though, I am a good actor. 

And I wouldn't have to act, Arthur thought, though of course he didn't say that. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Fine. But don't we need a supporting cast?

Sexiestmanalive: I'll take care of that. Percival and Elyan are free at the moment. George never has anything interesting to do, so he'll jump at the opportunity. Gwen is Arthur's PA, so she may as well join him. Elena and Mithian are just wrapping up a programme, so they'll be available, too, and this is exactly the sort of thing they go for. I think that's enough for now. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Alright. 

Sexiestmanalive: How are you filming the programme?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Currently, Merlin's programme is just a blank room with a camera facing him. No pans, cuts, or anything like that. 

Druid_boy42: I might be able to control the camera through magic.

Sexiestmanalive: Okay, you can be the cameraman then. Are you familiar with the techniques for taking videos and all that?

Druid_boy42: Yeah. 

Sexiestmanalive: Then it's settled. Mordred, you record the film of Merlin. I'll take some clips of Arthur's and merge them together with video editing to make some ads. After the ads are created, I'll send them out to various companies, channels, etc. We'll advertise for a week, then Mordred will change Merlin's programme to channel 5, and Arthur and company will join Merlin. By then, Will and Freya will have some scripts written (which they can send via this chat room). When the programme isn't airing, the actors and actresses will be rehearsing and memorizing lines. The programme will air, it will become popular, and Merlin and everyone else will become free. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Sounds like a good plan. 

Sexiestmanalive: Anything I should know about the show? For the purpose of making the ads. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: The show will about two lovers, Merlin and Arthur. Keep the actors' names because then we can call their meeting "destiny". The synopsis will go something like this. "Merlin and Arthur. With those names, it seems as though they are destined for each other. They disagree. After a particularly painful breakup, Merlin is disinclined to trust anyone. It certainly doesn't help that Arthur is a self-righteous prat. Arthur has yet to come out of the closet, as he knows his father wouldn't approve. The appearance of a man he wants but can't have is antagonizing him to no end. It seems the two would be better off ignoring each other entirely. Or would they? With a little help from some over eager matchmakers, Merlin and Arthur come to realize that maybe they should be together after all."

Sexiestmanalive: Sounds good. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: I can do that, no problem. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: We have a deal. Will, Freya, get started on that script. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Roger that. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor has left the room

Lady_of_the_Lake has left the room

Sexiestmanalive has left the room

Imthegreatestwarlock: Arthur?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Yes, Merlin?

Imthegreatestwarlock: Thank you. 

Fortheloveofcamelot has left the room

"Come on, now," Gwaine said. "You've got to film as much as you can before you leave." Arthur nodded, smiling. He was ready. Anything to get him to Merlin. 

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 9

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

Merlin thought of the other person who had asked for his help, Mordred.
Druid_boy42 has been invited to the room
Druid_boy42: How can I help?
Imthegreatestwarlock: You said you wanted to help me get out of here. Got any ideas?
Druid_boy42: Well, I've been doing some research with Gaius...
Lady_of_the_Lake: Gaius? What does he know?
Imthegreatestwarlock: He has magic, too. And an extensive library. What did you find?
Druid_boy42: I found a way to break the spell, but it will be a little difficult to accomplish.
Entertainment_at_Ealdor: I'm sure we'll find a way.
Druid_boy42: We need to get a million viewers for Merlin's show.
Entertainment_at_Ealdor: And how are we going to do that?!
Druid_boy42: Now you get it.
Fortheloveofcamelot: I work in the entertainment industry. I might be able to set you up with ads and the like, and I can certainly use word of mouth. But...
Imthegreatestwarlock: But what?
Fortheloveofcamelot: You need something people might actually watch.
Imthegreatestwarlock: What, you mean people won't just stare at me for an hour?
Fortheloveofcamelot: Not all of us...
Imthegreatestwarlock: ...
Lady_of_the_Lake: Come on, boys, there'll be time for flirting later.
Fortheloveofcamelot: I am NOT flirting!
Lady_of_the_Lake: Sure...
Druid_boy42: Um, guys? Don't we have a more pressing issue?
Fortheloveofcamelot: Right. So, I'll get word out to my friends and coworkers, get them to watch the show and try to put some ads in. Will, Freya, you come up with scripts and whatnot for Merlin's show; we need something people will come back to. Mordred, you convince people that the show's worthwhile. And Merlin, you work on entertaining the masses of viewers that will (ideally) come streaming in.
Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Who put you in charge?
Fortheloveofcamelot: Well I'm certainly not letting the idiot run things, as he hasn't made any progress so far.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Prat.
Fortheloveofcamelot: Incompetent git.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Insufferable jerk.
Fortheloveofcamelot: Useless hairbrain.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Arrogant clotpole.
Fortheloveofcamelot: That's not even a word!
Imthegreatestwarlock: Arrogant is too a word!
Fortheloveofcamelot: I mean clotpole.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Yes, you're a mean clotpole. And a pompous arse, too.
Fortheloveofcamelot: Shut up, cabbagehead!
Imthegreatestwarlock: Now who's making up words?
Fortheloveofcamelot: I said, shut up!
Imthegreatestwarlock: As you wish, sire.
Lady_of_the_Lake: Are you two quite done yet? No, don't answer that. There'll be time for insults later, as well. In the meantime, we have work to do.
Fortheloveofcamelot: Work... shit, I'm gonna be late for work!
Fortheloveofcamelot has left the room
Lady_of_the_Lake: Honestly, I'll be amazed if you two manage to get any work done.
Lady_of_the_Lake has left the room
Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Gotta be careful, mate, you don't want to lose the one person who might help you.
Imthegreatestwarlock: If that's what he's like, I don't want his help!
Entertainment_at_Ealdor has left the room
Imthegreatestwarlock: Thanks for the help, Mordred.
Druid_boy42: Any time. Good luck dealing with that jerk. You'll need it.
Druid_boy42 has left the room
The_Great_Dragon: You must not be too harsh with the man, young warlock. It is his destiny to help you. A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole.
Imthegreatestwarlock: That doesn't make him any less awful.
The_Great_Dragon: None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin, and none can escape it.
Imthegreatestwarlock: There must be someone else because this guy's an idiot.
The_Great_Dragon: Perhaps it's your destiny to change that.
Imthegreatestwarlock: Yeah, right. More like you just enjoy being cryptic and babbling about destiny.
The_Great_Dragon: There will come a day, young warlock, when you will understand my teachings. You will not regret the knowledge I have given you.
Imthegreatestwarlock: If that ever happens, I'll get down on my knees and marry that man.
The_Great_Dragon: I shall hold you to it.
Imthegreatestwarlock has left the room

Merlin just knew Kilgharrah would keep his word. What had he gotten himself into?

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 8

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

Arthur logged on to the chat room Will and Freya had mentioned. He considered choosing the username "Once_and_Future_King", but he decided that was too pompous and too closely linked to his name, so he settled on "Fortheloveofcamelot" instead.

Fortheloveofcamelot has entered the room, Albion chat

Citizenofcamelot200 has entered the room

Wizards_Witches_and_Warlocks has entered the room

Druid_boy42 has entered the room

Truekingofcamelot has entered the room

Citizenofcamelot200: I think I might have magic. 

Wizards_Witches_and_Warlocks: Are you sure? Did your eyes flash gold and everything?

Citizenofcamelot200: Yeah. What do I do?

Wizards_Witches_and_Warlocks: Be careful. 

Truekingofcamelot: You do know magic is illegal, right? I could have you killed for this. 

Citizenofcamelot200: You haven't seen me use magic or confess to using it. And I'll probably move out of here anyway, and then you can't enforce your laws on me. 

Druid_boy42: I think I know how to help. Let's talk in a private chat, away from all these nosy people. 

Wizards_Witches_and_Warlocks has left the room

Citizenofcamelot200 has left the room

Druid_boy42 has left the room

Truekingofcamelot: Who's coming here next to try to defy my rule? I must visit more often; this seems to be a hole of illegal activity. 

Truekingofcamelot has been permanently removed from the room

The_Great_Dragon: Apologies, everyone. Albion Chat is supposed to be a place free of persecution. Now the offender has been removed and will bother you no longer. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Where did you come from? I didn't see you enter the chat!

The_Great_Dragon: I am the administrator, young king. I am always here. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Why am I a young king?

The_Great_Dragon: It is your destiny, young king. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Don't mind him; he's always babbling on about on destiny. It doesn't mean anything. 

The_Great_Dragon: You know not of what you speak, young warlock. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: :P

Arthurisreal has entered the room

History_of_magic has entered the room

Legends_and_legacies has entered the room

Arthurisreal: Anyone wanna discuss Arthurian legend with me?

Legends_and_legacies: Count me in. 

History_of_magic: I'll join, as usual. 

Legends_and_legacies: We better make a private chat. Last time everyone complained about us monopolizing the chat. 

Legends_and_legacies has left the room

History_of_magic has left the room

Arthurisreal has left the room

Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room

Lady_of_the_Lake: Thank goodness. They were so annoying last time. I thought they'd never stop. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: So, you come here often?

Lady_of_the_Lake: Oh gosh, are you one of those pervs?

Lady_of_the_Lake has left the room

Imthegreatestwarlock: Better watch yourself, mate, she's really sensitive about that kind thing. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Now you tell me. 

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot has entered the room

Sisterofevil has entered the room

Lustandpower has entered the room

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Who wants to help me take over Camelot?

Imthegreatestwarlock: You do realize Camelot is gone, right?

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Who wants to help me rebuild and then take over Camelot?

Sisterofevil: You know I will help you in anything, sister. 

Lustandpower: Where Morgause goes, I go. Therefore, I will help you both. 

DestinedtoBqueenofcamelot: Great! Let's have a private chat, and then I can take my rightful place as queen. 

The_Great_Dragon: You have no part in the destiny of Camelot, witch! Your only destiny is to fail to conquer it!

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Shut up. I will have my way. 

Sisterofevil: Never fear, sister. Camelot will be ours!

Fortheloveofcamelot: You have got to be kidding me. 

Lustandpower: Nope. We're dead serious.

Sisterofevil: Come, let us talk away from unwelcome ears. 

Sisterofevil has left the room

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot has left the room

Lustandpower has left the room

Entertainment_at_Ealdor has entered the room

Fortheloveofcamelot: Hi. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: You're the pervert who tried to hit on my friend! Ugh!

Imthegreatestwarlock: In fairness, he didn't really say anything offensive. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Whatever. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: Wait, I have something to tell you!

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Fine. Make it quick. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: The warlock has left Camelot. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Oh! Great! Sorry, we must have misjudged you earlier. You were probably just glad to see us, right?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Exactly. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Okay, I'll tell her to come back. Do you have anything from Kilgharrah?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Two sides of the same coin

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Kilgharrah?

The_Great_Dragon: The young king has answered correctly. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: I am not a king!

The_Great_Dragon: As you wish, sire. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: Don't let it get on your nerves. He called me "young warlock" long before I knew I was one. 

The_Great_Dragon: The young warlock speaks the truth, young king. 

Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room

Lady_of_the_Lake: You better be right about this, Will. 

Entertainment_at_Ealdor: I am. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: Okay then, what's my name?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Freya. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: And what's the name of the person who needs help?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Merlin Emrys. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: And why does he need help?

Fortheloveofcamelot: He's stuck on TV. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: Which channel?

Fortheloveofcamelot: Five. Well technically, five point five. Are you done quizzing me now?

Lady_of_the_Lake: Yes. Now just to be safe, let's take this to a private chat. 

Lady_of_the_Lake has invited you and two others to a private chat. 

Arthur hit "accept". 

Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room, Escape From Channel 5

Entertainment_at_Ealdor has entered the room

Fortheloveofcamelot has entered the room

Imthegreatestwarlock has entered the room

Lady_of_the_Lake: First things first. Merlin, how did you get wifi?

Imthegreatestwarlock: Kilgharrah helped me out. Apparently, wifi forged in a dragon's breath can get through anything. 

Fortheloveofcamelot: You're Merlin? I should have realized. How are you?

Imthegreatestwarlock: About as good as anyone trapped on TV in a blank room forever can be. 

Lady_of_the_Lake: Don't worry, we'll get you out. That's what we're all here for. 

Imthegreatestwarlock: I've got a friend who might have some ideas also. 

Druid_boy42 has been invited to the room

Druid_boy42: How can I help?

Fandom School (8th period): The Fandom Way To Say "I Love You"

So earlier I wrote a post about various terms fangirls/fanboys use, and now I'd like to show the various fandom ways to say I love you. I know I'm missing a lot (I seem to recall a tumblr post listing all of them, but I can't find it now), so feel free to add to this list in the comments.

Doctor Who: [insert name here], I...

Hello, sweetie

You've stopped both my hearts

The Fault In Our Stars: Okay

Frozen: Some people are worth melting for

Harry Potter: Always

Merlin: With all my heart

Idiot/prat/ass/dollophead/cabbagehead/[insert insult here]

My Fair Lady: I've grown accustomed to your face

The Princess Bride: As you wish

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 7

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

"Emrys", Merlin heard a voice calling. It had been a while since he had communicated by telepathy, and he hadn't realized the signal could get through to the channel.
"Yes?"
"It's Mordred. You've helped me before, and now I want to help you."
"That's great! What do you have in mind?"
"Well, I've tried using my magic, but it doesn't work."
"I know. I've tried, too. You should talk to Will and Freya. I bet they have some ideas."
"Okay. I'll talk to you again as soon as I find out anything. How are you doing, by the way?"
"All right, I guess. I'm kind of bored. I really want to get out of here."
"We miss you."
"I miss you, too. And..."
"What?"
"Be careful. We don't need anyone else to get bewitched."
"You know me."
"That's why I'm worried."
"Oh, come on!"
"You and I both know how reckless you are. Just... tone it down a bit, okay?"
"Fine. Talk to you again soon, Emrys."

It was funny, normally Merlin was on a first name basis with everyone, but Mordred always called him "Emrys". Between them, it was actually a friendly gesture, though neither of them understood why. Merlin was about to go to sleep, when he heard Kilgharrah calling.
"Greetings, young warlock."
"What now? Are you going to babble on about destiny again?"
"Actually, yes."
"Can't you just leave me in peace?"
"Do you want to be free or not?"
"Oh, alright then. But make it quick."
"One cannot rush destiny."
"Yeah, whatever. Just get on with it."
"It will take some more time to know for sure, but I believe the other side of your coin has arrived."
"What coin?"
"Your other half."
"My soulmate? Please tell me you're not going to spout some romantic nonsense."
"No, romance isn't part of this. It could be, I suppose, but it's not important at any rate. What is important is that this person is destined to save you. I've been looking at the stats and I saw that for the first time, someone watched through all three programmes."
"All three?"
"Yes, yours, Will and Freya's, and mine."
"Well that's promising."
"Indeed."
"So do you think they'll take action?"
"I do not know yet. Give it a few hours. I'll let you know if anything happens."
"So is this the person you keep telling me I'll unite with and we'll do great things together?"
"That would be the one. If he is indeed the person of your destiny, you will be glad to meet him."
"Wait, why does it have to be a guy?"
"My apologies, young warlock, I didn't mean to be sexist. I do not know the gender of this person, but I know they will be great."
"Well they better hurry up. I'm dying of boredom here."
"Patience, young warlock."

Merlin sighed and decided it was finally time to rest. He used his magic to make a comfortable bed, then crawled in and fell asleep.

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 6

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

Arthur fixed his eyes on the screen, waiting for Kilgharrah's arrival. Finally, the dragon flew down into the view of the camera. He looked just like the picture Merlin had shown. The dragon looked right at the camera, and it felt as if he were staring into Arthur's soul.

"Greetings, young viewer," it said. Arthur jumped back, startled. He hadn't expected the dragon to speak. Or to have a voice like that. The dragon sounded less like a fierce, powerful creature and more like an old professor. "Or old viewer. But then again, most everyone is young compared to me. But enough with that. My name is Kilgharrah, and I am here on behalf of Merlin Emrys." Kilgharrah nodded in respect to Merlin. "I worked for the original Merlin, and I helped him to reach his destiny. Throughout the years, I've helped his descendants. I have to help Merlin Emrys because he is the last dragonlord, but even if I didn't have to, I would all the same. He is a worthy man, and he needs your help. He has been trapped in a programme on this channel by an evil witch. I have tried to free him, but it's not as simple as one might think, and I need more people to help me.

"You and he are two sides of the same coin. He is destined to receive your help, and you are destined to give it to him. Now, that doesn't apply to all of you, as some of you may disregard this message, but at least one of you will help him. He is destined for great things, and if you help him, you are destined for great things also. You will become close friends, and together, you will achieve things that others could only dream of. You will have your differences, but they will unite instead of divide and make the pair of you stronger. You may think helping Emrys will damage your reputation, but it will make people think much more highly of you. You may not trust me, and you may not trust this stranger I ask you to help, but if you go through with us, we will not be strangers by the end of it. Whatever you think, listen to this: if you help Merlin Emrys, you will not regret it." Kilgharrah said all of this with a serious tone, and Arthur could tell that he truly meant it. Now Arthur knew that Merlin wasn't lying when he complained about how Kilgharrah kept talking of destiny. Arthur didn't really understand the whole destiny rant, but he kept listening.

"Merlin's friends have asked me to provide a code so that they will know you have heard my speech. My code is 'two sides of the same coin'. I highly suggest you talk to them, but of course I cannot force you. I will say this, though: if you choose not to help Merlin, you will seriously regret it."

Arthur thought through all of this. It was so much information to process. And he was so tired. Arthur remembered that he really should in bed by now. He sighed and decided to sleep on it. Maybe a solution would present itself in the morning. At any rate, a few hours wasn't going to hurt anything. Arthur crawled into bed and closed his eyes, drifting into strange dreams of warlocks and dragons.