Title: fly like great birds
Rating: R
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Medium: Photomanipulation/Digital
Content Notes/Warnings: Canon AU, Animal Transformation, Curse, Magic Made Them Do It/Sex Ritual
Summary:“...You know, Merlin,” Arthur said with a smirk, “I didn’t think it was possible, but it seems you are even more useless as a bird than you are a manservant.”
Merlin let out an indignant squawk and puffed out his feathers until he nearly doubled in size. And Arthur could only imagine the barrage of creative insults he would have been subjected to if Merlin currently had the ability to speak.
(Or the one where Merlin is cursed to be a bird by day, human by night, and Arthur tries not to be too concerned.
But he fails. Horribly.)
Artist's Notes: Hoo boy, so many people to thank for this.
blood_songs90 for being an awesome art beta, going above and beyond in order to help me.
crimsonswirls for helping with some of the details.
deminos001 for the hand-holding and being an excellent sound board. And
shadowofrazia for betaing the written part and helping me pick out a title, which is from the story "The Wild Swans" by Hans Christian Anderson:
“Go out into the world and get your own living,” said the queen. “Fly like great birds, who have no voice.”

AO3Now I have to go answer all those lovely comments OH MY GOD YOU GUISE <3