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 (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

Snow White Retelling

Once upon a time, a prince found a woman who was the most beautiful woman he had seen. He met her, and discovered that she was beautiful in her personality as well. He took her as his wife, and when he became a king, they tried hard to have a child, but the queen could not. One day, she became pregnant, but she could not give birth properly; both the child and the queen were lost. The king mourned the loss of such a beautiful, kind woman.

A year later the king took himself another wife. She was a beautiful woman (though still not as beautiful as his first bride), but she was proud and arrogant, and she could not stand it if anyone might surpass her in beauty. She had a magic mirror. Every morning she stood before it, looked at herself, and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

To this the mirror answered:

"You, my queen, are fairest of all."

Then she was satisfied, for she knew that the mirror spoke the truth.

This went on for many years, but it all changed with the appearance of a woman named Suana, who was called Snow White. One might think that she was called so because of her face, but she was in fact dark-skinned. It was her hair that was white as snow. She had a sort of wisdom and beauty that befitted a woman of her years. She lived happily until the day the white men came. They took her people and sold them into slavery. Fearing a fate worse than death, Snow White escaped to a new land.

One day when the queen asked her mirror:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

It answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow White is a thousand times fairer than you."

The queen ordered her servants to find this Snow White who was supposedly the most beautiful in the land. When the queen saw that Snow White was not white, the queen could not understand. The whites were the master race. How could a person of color be more beautiful than her? So the queen made Snow White her slave, thinking that with hard work, Snow White's beauty would fade. But no matter how hard Snow White worked, no matter how much she despaired, she kept that inner beauty that the queen could not fathom, and that inner beauty continued to show on Snow White's face.

Furious, the queen ordered her huntsman to get rid of this awful thing. "Take Snow White out into the woods," she said. "I never want to see her again. Kill her, and as proof that she is dead bring her lungs and her liver back to me." The huntsman nodded, having no choice but to obey his queen. He took Snow White deep into the woods, and they were alone together.

"You may take my life," she said gracefully. "I have lived many years, and my time is done. I have only one request. My people have been enslaved, tortured, and killed. I need to know that there is still someone who views me as a person. Someone who doesn't discriminate."
The huntsman looked at Snow White. "I don't think you deserve to be hurt. You are human, even though you look different from me. If I could do something, I would, but I fear for my life." He thought for a moment. "I will spare your life because you deserve to live it, no matter how few years you may have left. If I should ever have another chance to help your people, believe me that I will take it. Now, go far away from here, that the queen might not hurt you again." Snow White nodded, and ventured further into the forest. Meanwhile, the huntsman killed a wild boar, cut out its lungs and liver, and took them back to the queen as proof of Snow-White's death.

After Snow White had been walking for hours and begun to despair of ever reaching shelter, she found herself surrounded by a group of seven people, all pointing spears at her. They were dark-skinned as well, but their skin was much lighter than Snow White's. As soon as they saw Snow White's skin, they lowered their spears.
"Forgive us," the leader said. "We thought you might be one of the white people."
Snow White shook her head. "No, they have done me too much harm."
"They have hurt us as well. They drove us from our land, so that we are forced to live in these woods. But we have learned the ways of the land, and we are satisfied here," the leader said.
"What do you come to us for?" another one of the natives asked.
"I came not looking for you," said Snow White, "though I hope you might help me all the same. I seek shelter from the white people."
"That we may give you," the leader answered. "Come, we will teach you the ways of nature." And so Snow White became part of the tribe. She learned how to love mother nature, communicating with all manner of birds and beasts, using the plants and the land without taming them. In return, Snow White told the natives of her people and taught the natives her people's ways. It was a pleasant arrangement, and Snow White enjoyed being wild and free. Each day she grew more beautiful from knowledge and experience and sharing a kindred spirit with others who were fair and kind.

Now the queen, believing that Snow White was dead, could only think that she was again the first and the most beautiful woman of all. She stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

It answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow White, beyond the mountains
With the seven natives,
Is still a thousand times fairer than you."

This startled the queen, for she knew that the mirror did not lie, and she realized that the huntsman had deceived her, and that Snow White was still alive. Then she thought, and thought again, how she could kill Snow White, for as long as long as she was not the most beautiful woman in the entire land her envy would give her no rest.

At last she thought of something. Coloring her face, she disguised herself as an old peddler woman, so that no one would recognize her. In this disguise she went to the dwelling of the tribe. She called out, "Beautiful wares for sale, for sale!"
Snow White peered out the window and said, "Good day, dear woman, what do you have for sale?"
"Good wares, beautiful wares," she answered. "Bodice laces in all colors." And she took out one that was braided from colorful silk. "Would you like this one?"
"I can have no need of such clothing," said Snow White. "That is white women's clothing, and I am no white woman. Take your wares to one who would desire them." Frustrated, the queen returned home.

Not long afterward, in the evening time, the natives came home, for they had been gathering food while Snow White was guarding their dwelling. Snow White told them of the peddler woman. When they heard what had happened they said, "The old peddler woman was no one else but the godless queen. Take care and let no one in when we are not with you."

When the wicked woman returned home, she thought of the woman who would not wear such beautiful clothing. Surely, the queen thought, such a woman could not be beautiful. So she went to her mirror and asked:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The mirror answered once again:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow-White, beyond the mountains
With the seven natives,
Is still a thousand times fairer than you."

When she heard that, all her blood ran to her heart because she knew that Snow White had a different kind of beauty that surpassed the queen's, and the queen was afraid because she did not understand this beauty. "This time," she said, "I shall think of something that will destroy you."
Then with the art of witchcraft, which she understood, she made a poisoned comb. Then she disguised herself, taking the form of a different old woman. Thus she went across the seven mountains to the home of the seven natives, knocked on the door, and called out, "Good wares for sale, for sale!"
Snow White looked out and said, "Go on your way. I am not allowed to let anyone in."
"You surely may take a look," said the old woman, pulling out the poisoned comb and holding it up. The child looked at the comb. "Such a comb would not manage my thick hair. The natives I live with take care of me and make sure I have all I need, and I do the same for them. Now, go and sell your wares to somebody who can make use of them." The queen became enraged, but knowing there was naught she could do, she returned home.

Surely with such unruly hair, she cannot be beautiful, the queen thought. She stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The mirror answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow-White, beyond the mountains
With the seven dwarfs,
Is still a thousand times fairer than you."

When the queen heard the mirror saying this, she shook and trembled with anger, "Snow White shall die," she shouted, "if it costs me my life!"
Then she went into her most secret room -- no one else was allowed inside -- and she made a poisoned, poisoned apple. From the outside it was beautiful, white with red cheeks, and anyone who saw it would want it. But anyone who might eat a little piece of it would die. Then, coloring her face, she disguised herself as a peasant woman, and thus went across the seven mountains to the seven natives. She called out to Snow White.
Snow White stuck her head out the window and said, "I am not allowed to let anyone in. The natives have forbidden me to do so."
"That is all right with me," answered the peasant woman. "I'll easily get rid of my apples. Here, I'll give you one of them."
"No," said Snow-White, "I cannot accept anything."
"Are you afraid of poison?" asked the old woman. "Look, I'll cut the apple in two. You eat the red half, and I shall eat the white half."
Now the apple had been so artfully made that only the red half was poisoned. Wheras the other wares had been things Snow White did not need, this time the queen had brought something Snow White could enjoy. She longed for the beautiful apple, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating part of it she could no longer resist, and she stuck her hand out and took the poisoned half. She barely had a bite in her mouth when she fell to the ground dead.
The queen looked at her with a gruesome stare, laughed loudly, and said, "Ugly black woman! This time you will no longer be the most beautiful in the land."

Back at home she asked her mirror:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

It finally answered:

"You, my queen, are fairest of all."

Then her envious heart was at rest, as well as an envious heart can be at rest.

When the natives came home that evening they found Snow-White lying on the ground. She was not breathing at all. She was dead. They lifted her up and looked for something poisonous. They washed her clean. They tried to shake any evil spirits out of her. They attempted the healing rituals as per their religion. But nothing helped. The dear woman was dead, and she remained dead. They laid her on a bier, and all seven sat next to her and mourned for her and cried for three days. They were going to bury her, but she still looked as fresh as a living person.
They said, "We cannot bury her in the earth, for her spirit is not yet ready to pass to the underworld," and they made a simple wooden coffin to symbolize that she was simple, but beautiful and strong. They laid her inside, and with golden letters wrote on it her name, and that she was a woman of wisdom and beauty. Then they put the coffin outside on a mountain, and one of them always stayed with it and watched over her. The animals too came and mourned for Snow White, first an owl, then a raven, and finally a dove.

Snow White lay there in the coffin a long, long time, and she did not decay, but looked like she was asleep, for she was still as beautiful as the day she died.
Now it came to pass that a prince entered these woods and happened onto the natives' home, where he sought shelter for the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain with beautiful Snow White in it, and he read what was written on it with golden letters.
Then he said to the natives, "Let me have the coffin. I will give you anything you want for it."
But the natives answered, "We will not sell it for all the gold in the world. She was too dear to us."
Then he said, "Then give it to me, for I cannot live without being able to see Snow White. I will honor her and respect her as my most cherished one."
As he thus spoke, the good natives felt pity for him and gave him the coffin. The prince had his servants carry it away on their shoulders. But then it happened that one of them stumbled on some brush, and this dislodged from Snow White's throat the piece of poisoned apple that she had bitten off. Not long afterward she opened her eyes, lifted the lid from her coffin, sat up, and was alive again.
"Good heavens, where am I?" she cried out.
The prince said joyfully, "You are with me." He told her what had happened, and then said, "I love you more than anything else in the world. Come with me to my father's castle. You shall become my wife." Snow White looked up at him. He was a dark-skinned man just like her, and he was a prince. Knowing that in his land people like her must be respected, she went with him. Their wedding was planned with great splendor and majesty.

Many neighboring royals were invited to the feast, including the queen. After putting on her beautiful clothes she stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The mirror answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But the young queen is a thousand times fairer than you."

The wicked woman uttered a curse, and she became frightened, so frightened that she did not know what to do. At first she did not want to go to the wedding, but she found no peace. She had to go and see the young queen. When she arrived she recognized Snow White, and terrorized, she could only stand there without moving.

When Snow White saw the queen, she recognized her as the evil woman who had tried to kill her, and the evil queen was banished from the land. Snow White lived her new life with a man who loved and respected her, and in time she learned that she loved him too.

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!"

Fandom School (Supper): How I Entered The Fandom World

Normally, I do lunch after 2nd period in Fandom School, but I forgot, so here it is. Today, I'd like to discuss how I became a fangirl (or fanwarrior, whatever you want to call it).

As it was for many other people, Harry Potter was my gateway fandom (i.e., the fandom that introduced me to the world of fandoms). My Mom read the books to me (and my younger brother and older sister) when I was a little kid. I have since reread the books many times and seen all the movies. I still love Harry Potter, not only for its own merits, but also for the fact that it introduced me to the world of fandoms. 

My first fandom that I really got into was Doctor Who. Ironically enough, it wasn't until after I moved from England (I was there when Doctor Who was just starting up again) that I came to watch it. I fell in love instantly. I watched every episode and soon wanted to find a way to communicate with other fans. 

My Google+ account (which had mostly been dormant) became a place to share my thoughts about fandoms. I also started reading fanfiction. 

The next step in my journey through the fan verse was when I began writing fanfiction. By this point, I was in a number of fandoms, mainly Doctor Who and Sherlock. At first, I shared my fanfiction on Google+. Then, I got an account on fanfiction.net. (I also have an AO3 account.)

Then, my Mom suggested I make a blog to share my fanfiction. And thus, The Vortex of Deduction was born. Now, my thoughts about fandoms are shown in an organized way for everyone to see. 

Another notable event was when I got a tumblr (vortexofdeduction.tumblr.com). As any of you who are on tumblr (or have seen screenshots of legendary posts) know, tumblr is full of fandoms. It's also a little bit crazy. But, it's a whole lot of fun. 

Shoutouts to fandoms:

Harry Potter, for being my first fandom

Doctor Who, for being my first major fandom

Sherlock, for being my favorite fandom

Supernatural, for the awesome gifs

SuperWhoLock, for the ridiculous posts that show up on my dash

Disney, for coming up with great movies

The Giver, for making a movie that's actually faithful to the book

Nerdfighters, for decreasing WorldSuck and being awesome

The Fault In Our Stars, for showing me that sad stuff happens and it's not always okay

The Princess Bride, for giving me a satisfying happy ending (spoliers!)

Any other thoughts about fandoms? What was your gateway fandom?

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

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 14

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

Arthur opened his eyes and looked at Merlin, who was still sleeping. The gentle rise and fall of Merlin's chest and the peaceful smile on his face made him look like an angel who was resting in Heaven. Arthur watched for a little while, then kissed Merlin on the forehead. Merlin smiled, his eyes still closed. Arthur kissed Merlin's neck, slowly making his way up to Merlin's lips, which he also kissed. Merlin opened his eyes and lazily sat up, wrapping his arms around Arthur.
"I could get used to waking up like this."
"I bet you could." They shared a look of contentment and adoration.

The moment was broken by Gwaine's shouts. "Arthur, what did you do?!"
"Hey, I helped!" Merlin insisted. Gwaine stormed in. His grey hair looked rather sticky. The smell of maple syrup was overpowered by the stench of rotten eggs. His lips looked chapped and nasty, with flecks of white on them, and they were pressed tight in anger - or maybe they were stuck together; it was hard to tell. His face looked oily and slightly orange, and the faint scent of pumpkin could be detected. Said face was scrunched up in frustration as Gwaine glared at the both of them.

Arthur laughed. "That's what happens when you mess with me."
Merlin smiled. "Just because we got together doesn't mean we're happy about being set up. Have you talked to Gwen yet?"
"No, why?" Gwaine asked, his features shifting to show apprehension and concern.
"You'll see," Merlin replied mysteriously, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Now then, if you don't mind, Merlin and I have places to be," Arthur said, pulling Merlin close to him.
Merlin looked into Arthur's clear blue eyes, mesmerized but also confused. "We do?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, you idiot."
"Prat." Merlin punched Arthur lightly.
"Buffoon." Arthur punched him harder.
"Clotpole." Merlin pushed him into the bed.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Let's get going, Merlin." He got up and brushed off his clothes, as if Merlin had left dirt on him with his words.
"Ha! You've run out of insults, you turnip head!"
"And you haven't." Arthur smiled.
Merlin smiled back. "I don't think I ever will."
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "I'll have to test you on that some time. For now, let's go." Finally, they did, with Gwaine yelling and swearing that he would have revenge.

"Where are we going?" Merlin asked, looking at his surroundings as if that would give him a clue.
"It's a secret," Arthr replied conspiratorially.
"But I must know!" Merlin was practically jumping in his seat.
"You will, but not just yet. Have patience, Merlin." Merlin sighed.

They drove increasingly farther away from the city, and Merlin gave Arthur increasingly confused looks. Merlin remained silent, knowing that further questioning would be futile. He watched as buildings disappeared, to be replaced by... trees? They finally stopped at an entrance to a forest.
"Really, Arthur?" Merlin crossed his arms as if to say 'I expected better than this from you, of all people'.
"This isn't our final destination," Arthur replied with a smile. "I don't know how to drive a car in a forest without destroying at least one of the two, so we'll have to take the rest of our journey on foot."

Merlin laughed and nodded. "Alright then. Take me to this wonderful place." Arthur nodded, pulling a basket out of the car. "Are we having a picnic?" Arthur nodded. "Now I know it's going to be good," Merlin said with a smile.

After hours (it had only been minutes) of trekking through the forest, they reached a small clearing with a waterfall that fed into a lake. Merlin's eyes widened. "This is beautiful."

"It's my secret hideaway," he whispered with a smile. 

"You mean no-one else has been here?"

"Not that I know of. Just you and me." They smiled. Merlin saw a rock just underneath the waterfall. He gave Arthur a questioning look, as if asking for permission. Arthur nodded encouragingly. Merlin waded into the water and sat on the rock, letting the water wash over him.

Arthur stared at Merlin with a mixture of desire and adoration. 

"What?"

"You look absolutely gorgeous when you're wet, Merlin."

"And I don't usually?" Merlin asked with a cheeky smile, water dripping down from his face as he spoke. 

"You always look great, but you look especially adorable when you're covered in water." Merlin smiled, and then he got a wonderful twinkle in his eyes. "Uh-oh. I'm pretty sure that's a 'I'm about to do something bad to Arthur and I'm relishing the thought' look."

"Of course!" Merlin said with a smile before pushing Arthur into the water. 

"You'll pay for that!" Arthur yelled with a mock anger that his broad smile belied.  Arthur dumped Merlin into the water, even though Merlin was already wet. They splashed around in the water for a while, until they got tired and sat on the grassy banks of the lake. 

"My shirt is soaked," Arthur complained. 

"Take it off, then," Merlin suggested nonchalantly. Arthur raised his eyebrows, but did as Merlin suggested. He then reached towards Merlin. "What are you doing?" Merlin reflectively moved back a little. 

"Come on, it wouldn't be fair to have me be the only shirtless one." Arthur succeeded in pulling off Merlin's shirt, and Merlin just rolled his eyes. They proceeded to eat the picnic Arthur had prepared. 

"Where did you get all this?"

"Nicked it from the kitchens at my father's house."

"Kitchens? Plural?" Merlin stared at Arthur in a mixture of amazement and awe. 

"It's a big house. Father is so rich, we're practically royalty."

"Why don't you live with him then? I mean, your flat's nice and all, but it's no mansion." Merlin got a faraway look, imagining what it would be like to live in a mansion. 

"I needed my space. Being in Uther's shadow was bad enough; I didn't need to be in his house, too. It was also about proving that I could make it on my own, that I could provide for my own housing and food and all that." Arthur sounded a little like he was trying to prove himself to Merlin as well. 

"But you still work at his company," Merlin pointed out, confused. 

"Currently. But I'd like to start my own company," Arthur answered, a hint of pride in his tone. 

"I can just picture it: 'Royal Prat Lawyers'," Merlin joked, spreading his arms. 

"Shut up!" Arthur punched Merlin's arm playfully. Merlin punched him back, an infectious smile creeping across his face. They continued to eat, exchanging jokes and insults. 

"So you said this was your secret hideaway. When do you come here?"

"Any time I need to get away from responsibilities. Or my father. The two are usually related. I've been known to take a day off to go here for some alone time." Arthur got nostalgic about all the great times he'd had in this secret hideaway. 

"And you've never brought anyone else with you?"

Arthur shook his head. "This is very special and private. It's like my heart and soul."

"I'm honored," Merlin said, awed. They lay next to each other on the grass, eyes gazing up at the clear, sunny sky. 

It was Merlin who broke the silence first. "When are you going to tell him?" Arthur pretended not to hear. "He'll find out eventually. It'll be better if he finds out from us."

That got Arthur's attention. "Us?" He sat up and looked at Merlin. 

Merlin sat up, too. "Uther doesn't sound like the sort of man I'd want to leave you alone with to deliver news like that," he said, sounding more than a little scared of the man who could intimidate Arthur. 

"And he's not the sort of man whose wrath I'd want you to be on the receiving end of," Arthur replied firmly. 

"Aw, you're so sweet." Merlin kissed Arthur on the nose. Arthur smiled, then chuckled. "What?"

"We sure do kiss a lot."

"That's because you're so good at it," Merlin smiled, moving in for another kiss. 

"You, too."

"You're my king," Merlin said affectionately. 

"If we're going by names, that would make you my... wizard? manservant?" 

"How about your consort?"

"Hm... Maybe." Arthur was silent for a moment. "No, I've got it! You're my queen!"

"But I'm not a girl!"

"Man or woman, you're still my queen." Merlin sighed and shook his head in defeat. 

"I wish we could stay here forever," Merlin sighed. 

"Me, too." Arthur smiled. "Say, didn't you tell me you were an artist?" Merlin nodded. "Can you draw me something?"

"For you, sire, anything." Merlin thought for a moment. "Do you have any paper?" Arthur rummaged through the picnic basket to find a sketchbook and a pencil. "You planned for this, didn't you?"

"Maybe..." Arthur said sheepishly. Merlin took the drawing materials and began his sketch. His movements were fluid. Arthur could see how Merlin poured his emotions into his work, and it fascinated him. It was a marriage of pencil and paper, facilitated by the artist. 

A while later, Merlin took the pencil off the paper. "All done!" he said with a smile. Arthur took the paper to see a beautiful sketch of himself lying on the ground, eyes closed, a serene smile on his face. "Have you ever considered becoming a model?"

Arthur smiled. "That's what I'll do if the lawyer business falls through." They laughed at that. Arthur noticed Merlin had picked up the pencil again. "What are you drawing now?"

Merlin gestured to the scenery. "I wouldn't want to forget this moment." Arthur nodded in understanding. "Of course, whatever I draw still won't quite do it justice."

"True. But you have your memories. And you have me." Merlin smiled. 

"Have a nice honeymoon?" Gwaine asked when they arrived at Arthur's flat, hand in hand. Arthur rolled his eyes. 

"We're not even married yet!" Merlin protested. 

"Yet?" Gwaine noted, a smirk creeping across his face. "This one's a keeper," he said to Arthur. 

"Pay no attention to Gwaine; he doesn't know what he's talking about," Arthur insisted in an exasperated tone. 

"Oh? So you don't think I'm a keeper?" Merlin asked in mock disappointment, stepping back from Athur and letting go of his hand.  

"Okay, so maybe he's right about that," Arthur admitted, pulling Merlin back towards him. 

"Good, because I certainly think you're a keeper," Merlin said with pride. 

"If only my father were that easy to persuade," Arthur sighed, his expression becoming somber. 

"We'll convince him, don't worry," Merlin said, looking into Arthur's eyes with determination. 

Arthur gave a weak smile. "Tell you what, if we're still together after a week - which I certainly hope we'll be - we'll tell Father. Together."

"Deal."

"Seal it with a kiss?" Arthur asked. Merlin nodded and kissed Arthur. 

"Get a room, you two," Gwaine said, rolling his eyes. They sighed and went to Arthur's bedroom. 

"Sounds like you've got yourself quite the man," Gwen replied, sitting on the couch in her newly restored room. Merlin nodded. "Fancy a double date with me and Lance tomorrow?" 

Merlin smiled. "Of course. It seems I can't go a day without seeing Arthur."

"Ah yes, I remember that stage."

"Wait, you mean it doesn't last forever?"

"No, but then it blossoms into a beautiful, loyal, patient love. It's still love, just stronger."

"I don't know that my love could get any stronger; my heart is already bursting."

"You'd be surprised," Gwen noted sagely.

Arthur was on the phone. "Hi, Elena... Yeah, I know it's been a while, sorry about that... Yes I did, you were right all along... Of course he's an amazing guy! I wouldn't settle for anything less... Messy black hair, beautiful smile, just all-around gorgeous... Yes, he's got a personality, too. He's smart, cheeky, kind - he's got it all... Thank you. So have you found anyone? You came out ages ago, but last time we talked, you were still single... Oh, you did? What's her name?... Well, send Mithian my love... Yes, of course I'll send Merlin your love... You want a double-date? When?... Tommorrow sounds fine... See you then. Bye!" As soon as he hung up, his phone rang again. Arthur looked at the picture of Merlin with his adorable smile, and Arthur's felt his heart surge as he formed a smile of his own. 

"Hello, my queen?"

"I thought we'd gone over this, sire."

"Oh fine, Merlin. Way to be a killjoy."

"Apologies, my lord. I did not mean to interrupt your fun. My goal is to serve you." Arthur rolled his eyes, then remembered that Merlin couldn't see him, so he sighed. 

"What did you call for, Merlin?"

"I was thinking maybe we could go out for a date tomorrow? Well, a double date. Gwen and Lance invited us." Arthur laughed uproariously. "What? What's so funny?"

"Elena and Mithian invited us to a double date tomorrow. It'll be a double double date!"

"Wouldn't that be a quadriple date?"

"No, that would be four couples at once. Come on, Merlin!"

"Hm, I guess it could work. Elena and Mithian for lunch, Gwen and Lance for dinner?"

"Sounds good to me."

"See you then."

"You can count on it, Merlin." Arthur hung up and looked at the ceiling with an idiotic smile on his face. He was in love, and it was wonderful. At the same time, Merlin looked up at the ceiling with a similar smile on his face. It seems the two were, indeed, destined for each other.