Fun gen(-ish) fic recs and a Merlin AU scenario

[sophinisba]

I don't often read in Buffy fandom but these two short fics caught my eye when I was doing some mod stuff at remixthedrabble yesterday and I wanted to spread the word:
-The Next Generation by kindkit (640w, rated teen), and
-To Boldly Go (The ff.net Remix) by velvetmouse (508w, PG)
about Buffy, Dawn, and Joyce as Star Trek fans. Both really clever and fun and also touching, and a great example of remix adding something new to the original. Recommended for anyone who's a fan of fandom and of mothers and daughters. (Spoilers for Buffy and vague ones for Star Trek Reboot.)

Also here are two Merlin fics that have recently delighted me:
-A Cautionary Tale About Tomatoes (and zombies) by netgirl_y2k (3,381w, gen with light shippiness), in which the OT4 fight zombies, Morgana in her nightie and Merlin armed only with cookware.
-For the Love of Arthur’s Armour by slightlytookish (479w, rated G), in which Arthur gets jealous of how much attention Merlin pays to Arthur's chainmail.

Since my yoga class Monday night I've been entertaining myself dreaming about a Gwen-centric health club AU. I'm too lazy to actually write it but I still wanted to share the set-up.

Gwen's moving up in the world and has a new professional job (I was thinking maybe in publishing or advertizing) that comes with either a free membership or a really good discount at a snazzy health club. Gwen has always thought of herself as a smart girl and part of that identity is not being good at sports or interested in them, plus she likes the way she looks and isn't interested in losing weight. However she still decides she wants to get in shape, so she won't get winded climbing up stairs, so she won't be dependent on other people to lift heavy things for her and so on, and maybe also because she's realizing how much business and social contact goes on at this health club.

The story would all be Gwen POV and would be more like her characterization early in the first season, maybe mixed with a little bit of Bridget Jones and a little bit of, well, me. She's surrounded by all these really gorgeous and confident people while she's sweating a lot and falling down and just generally not in her element.

Arthur is the gung-ho personal trainer who doesn't realize he's pushing people harder than he really should. He is insecure and arrogant but also basically a good person and good at what he does.

Merlin is the dorky front desk receptionist who doesn't have any interest in anything athletic, is just there for the job, but enjoys it because he likes talking to people. Arthur likes to say that Merlin makes them look bad because he's so skinny and weak, and this doesn't faze Merlin at all (because he knows Arthur is secretly in love with him).

Morgana is the yoga instructor, or maybe Pilates or both. The point is she gives instructions for really difficult things in this really serene voice, as if it's all easy. If she does Pilates she talks about Kegel muscles a lot. And Gwen thinks she's sometimes a little bit flaky (especially when she gets into chanting and loud breathing) but also really hot and amazing to watch. Morgana is one of those instructors who's always going around to adjust people's positions, so she'll put her hands on Gwen's back and have Gwen breathe into it, or she'll lift up Gwen's ankles while Gwen's lying on her back with her legs spread apart trying to pretend that she's also very serene and concentrating on her breathing and not intensely aroused.

AT SOME POINT GWEN FAINTS IN MORGANA'S ARMS. (This was the main thing I was thinking about the other night because I was feeling really light-headed in class!)

Nimueh is the scarily intense aerobics (or maybe Spin) instructor who's always either smiling and cheering or else yelling at you to work harder and never gives you a chance to stop for a drink. Gwen goes to her class once and never goes back.

Sophia is a lifeguard or does something else at the pool. Water aerobics, maybe. (I never go to the pool so I haven't been thinking about this.)

Lancelot is another member, possibly one of Gwen's coworkers. He has always been really athletic and is good at everything. He is often the only guy in a class with twenty other women. Whenever Gwen starts to roll her eyes or complain about how hard something is she turns to him and he's just grinning because he enjoys exercising so much, and also because he likes her and is a really nice guy. He is also really friendly with Merlin and Arthur and everybody and Gwen can't figure out if he's gay.

That's all I've got! No Uther, no Gaius, and no plot. I don't even know who I want Gwen to end up with, just that there should be a lot of pretty people and awkwardness and touching and sweat. Hooray!

Comments

[such_heights]

Morgana is one of those instructors who's always going around to adjust people's positions, so she'll put her hands on Gwen's back and have Gwen breathe into it, or she'll lift up Gwen's ankles while Gwen's lying on her back with her legs spread apart trying to pretend that she's also very serene and concentrating on her breathing and not intensely aroused.

a;sldkja;slja Well, I'm going to be distracted next time I go to yoga!

This scenario is DELIGHTFUL and shall cheer me no end every time I go to the gym now. :D

[sophinisba]

Hee! Cheering myself up while exercising is pretty much what this is for. I feel guilty whenever the yoga instructor tells us to bring our awareness back to the body and back to the breath, but if I didn't have my fanfic fantasies that class would be pretty boring. (I used to think about Frodo when I was doing yoga but it makes *so* much more sense with Gwen and Morgana. I love having a fandom with these great female characters in it. I love it really a lot.)