#that Arthur asks for death... a destiny that he doesn't even know

[howaboutswords]

Such sorrow our splendid sovereign never knew,

Nor was his spirit ever sunk as by that single sight.

The good King gazed, gripped with horror,

Groaned gruesomely, wept gouts of tears,

Bent kneeling to the body, embraced it,

Cast up his visor, quickly kissed Gawain,

Looked at his eyelids, now locked fast shut,

His lips like lead and his complexion pallid,

And then, crowned king, cried aloud:

'Dear cousin and kinsman, in care I am left,

For now my glory is gone, and my great wars finished.

I hold here my hope of joy and armed success;

Wholly on him depended my heart and strength!

O my counsellor, my comfort, keeper of my heart,

Renowned king of all knights ever known under Christ!

Worthy to be king, though I wore the crown!

Throughout the wide world my wealth and my glory

Were won by Gawain, through his wisdom alone.

Alas!' cried the King, 'my grief grows now;

I am utterly undone in my own country.

Ah, dire and dreadful death, you delay too long!

Why spin out so slowly? You smother my heart!'

- Arthur mourns on finding Gawain and his troops dead in the alliterative Morte Arthure, lines 3947-3968, translated by Brian Stone.

[igniferrus]

God. So I've been thinking about BBC's Arthur Pendragon. I work a job heavy on the manual labour and light on the mental labour, so I have a lot of Free Brain Space.

But I started off wondering why there are so many fics about Arthur learning how much Merlin does for him, and so few of the reverse. Because there is no way that Merlin isn't in trouble 89.2% of the time, in some way or another. We see Arthur protect Merlin after his dumbass confession to Uther, and also bodily haul him out of the throne room for safety reasons. No body else could get away with stealing the Prince's food, or disappear or days and keep his job!! And Arthur doesn'teven know they're bound by destiny, he just really likes Merlin! He's just some guy Arthur found and chased around a market.

And then I remembered that so many people forget that Arthur Pendragon is fundamentally A Good Man. I know the show refused to give him permanent character development, but even his base character is a good guy! The most assholish thing we see him do is in the first episode, throwing things at the servants. And then, compared to the rest of the series, that feels very out of character!

Yes, Arthur uses Merlin as a training dummy, but I'm sure that's just to get him to quit. And it's only shown early in the first season. Arthur is consistently shown as caring for his people (refusing to enforce Catrina's tax increase, willing to die to fix his unicorn mistake), more fair about magic users despite only seeing it used for evil (saving Mordred and the woman who gave him the Horn of Cathbhadh. He even tries to give Kara an out, for Mordred!), and cares deeply for those around him! He loves Gwen. He loves Morgana. He loves Merlin. He loves his knights. He even loves Uther!

It's not his fault that the people around him refuse to allow him to make his own choices. Gauis, Uther, and Merlin all lie about his mother. Merlin and Morgana don't tell him about their magic. Morgana doesn't see him as any other than an extension of Uther, despite knowing him for years.I t's so easy to judge him as an outsider with all the facts, but we should remember that Arthur's is intentionally left out of the loop and judge him from that perspective. He does the best he can, with what he knows!

Merlin, despite being repeatedly told that he and Arthur are in this together, and need each other, does not tell Arthur anything! Arthur is not allowed to make an informed choice and he shouldn't be punished for that. Even when Merlin finally comes clean, Arthur doesn't rage! He's hurt and upset that his "only friend", the "only one [he] can trust" have been lying to his face for a decade, which, understandable, but he chooses Merlin anyway! He wants to be held by Merlin at the end, thanks him, and asks him to stay they same after Arthur's death!! Because he still cares for Merlin!

Arthur Pendragon's character development is stymied at every turn by the show and its writers, but even then they couldn't stop him from being a good man!!

This was more rambling and less coherent than I wanted, but it's been hot out lately and my brain is cooked.

Anyway, I am first and foremost an Arthur Pendragon apologist.

[harmless-variety-of-garden-snake]

I’m sorry you’re sick, but I hope you feel better soon! If it’s not an imposition, for the kiss prompt, could I please request Mether and number 47 (out of spite)?

(I clarified that this is Merthur)

It's been two days since Arthur's return. Two days since Merlin awoke to see a long forgotten face in the mirror and heard the call of magic from the lake. Two days since he dragged Arthur to the shore and pulled water from his lungs.

Two days, and Arthur hasn't said a word.

Merlin doesn't know what Arthur saw in the more than thousand years since his death. He doesn't know anything, because Arthur won't speak. He stares blankly at the things Merlin hands him: the unfamiliar food on mass-produced plates, clothes and blankets made in factories, books printed by machines and written in a language he can't read.

He worries that Arthur hasn't completely come back. Hell, he doesn't know why he's come back. The world's been going to shit at a steadily increasing rate, but Merlin doesn't know what they're expected to do about it.

"Arthur," he says, sitting on the ottoman in front of the chair Arthur is perched on, "what can I do?"

Arthur blinks at him, starts to open his mouth, shuts it. Merlin feels an old frustration rise in him that he hasn't felt in centuries, because Arthur is the only person who's ever been able to elicit the feeling to this degree and in this way.

"I've waited for more than a thousand years for you, you know," he says, probably too harsh but unable to rein in his emotions. "I've walked this world, I've come back to this place for you, because of you. And now you're here, and I can't even talk to you."

"Why?" Arthur asks, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.

"A dragon told me," Merlin says, and a furrow appears between Arthur's brows. "Destiny notwithstanding, I would've done it anyway."

"Sure," Arthur says, and the frustration floods back in Merlin's veins like an old friend.

"Yes, actually. I know it because I bloody did it, didn't I?" he says, and the unspoken question is in Arthur's eyes. "I always knew you were thick, but are you really that stupid?"

The anger that sparks in Arthur's face is the first thing that's given Merlin hope in two days.

"You think I would risk my life, wait a thousand years, and keep coming back to the same lake in all that time just because you're supposed to rule the world again or whatever? For fuck's sake, Arthur."

He lifts off the ottoman enough to grab Arthur by his borrow t-shirt and yanks him into a kiss. It's not terribly kind or tender, it's not the kiss he's imagined and dreamed about, but it fits them well enough. It's a bit biting, a little angry, and it feels more like a battle until Arthur surges up and buries his hands in Merlin's hair.

He ends up halfway in Arthur's lap, panting harshly to catch his breath, and Arthur is looking at him with pain in his eyes.

"I don't give a shit if you're going to save us all, even if we need it quite badly at the moment," Merlin says, curling his hand over Arthur's cheek and feeling something soften in his chest at the way he leans into it. "I've just wanted you back, you prat."

"Shut up," Arthur whispers, a ghost of a smile on his face. "And kiss me, you idiot."

[quotidian-oblivion]

Not-Yet-Written Fic Game

Tagged by @chemical-processes!! Thank you so much for tagging meeee. Especially in writer games, i love them <3

Post about some of the fics you plan on writing

I'm gonna do both batfam and Merlin for this one. You can put down any number of wips. I have so many, but I think I'll choose 10 😅 Feel free to ask about any of them!!! I'd love that ^^

No pressure tags: @sardonic-sprite @igotthisaccountunderduress @pericreatesstuff @foursixtwonineoh-pieces-of-lego @foineswoine-writing

@uncertainwallflower @cygnusdoesthings @blightwritesfic @wakkoroni

A Dance Across the Stream [BBC Merlin]

A slave!Arthur fic where I really pump up the angst. Arthur has been a slave for so long that people are starting to lose hope that he's even alive. His slavers decide to auction him since his past status, health and general looks will get them a pretty penny. He's collared by magic that hurts him if he doesn't listen to his masters' orders. As he stares down blankly at the faces and hands rising eagerly to buy a slaved prince, he hears a voice-

"Twelve hundred and thirty gold pieces!"

For the first time in months, Arthur dares to raise his head. Because he knows that voice. Has heard it incessantly rabbiting on, talking his ear off several times a day before his capture.

But it can't be him. It can't be Merlin. Because the bid for him was only open to sorcerers. And Merlin can't be a sorcerer.

2. Let Me Die, Let Me Drown, Lay My Bones In the Ground [BBC Merlin]

(I'm cheating a little bit cuz this is actually written but) My first fic where I really unleash my angst weapons. I wanted to test my limits. And I did.

The storm that had passed through Albion didn't only bring devestation, it brought a party belonging to the king, queen and princess of a distant land on the edge of Albion's maps. As per propriety and courtesy, Camelot was required to hold a feast and provide accommodation for them. The feast started off smoothly, the royals of Camelot getting along quite well with the royals from Harden.

But a single questioned changed everything. Including the destiny of Arthur and Merlin.

"What are your stances on magic?" Uther asked.

3. Doesn't have a name yet, but the wip doc is named 'My Limits Tested Through Merlin' [BBC Merlin]

While writing LMDLMD (the above fic), I discovered that the angst I put in there was not actually my full limit. I could push further. I could write worse. So I started this multichap wip. And it's going splendidly. Honestly, this fic is such a good jar to add my inner demons to. And I decided to work in some foreshadowing, juxtaposition, symbolism and all that lovely fun literary devices stuff because I found that I actually enjoy that process. So this might just be my best mutlichap fic yet!

Summary: That the kingdom they traveled to was peaceful was a lie. That the king was a good and fair man was also a lie. That Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table would be safe was the biggest lie of all. 

As Merlin scrubs the floor beneath the king's feet, despite the pains and bruises on his body, he wonders if escape will also be a lie. 

4. Empire For Two [BBC Merlin]

Part two of a two-part series. I've finished writing the outline and currently it's standing at 50 chapters, but as it gets written it might increase. Since it's MASSIVE and too much for me to take on alone, my lovely fwens Joan (@tireddruid) and Tristi are helping me with it! Joan's alpha and beta-ing while Tristi's gonna be a co-writer. For once, I'm not gonna start posting after it's written, but post as we write each chapter.

A Golden Age AU where I fix the fucking show.

5. Tim gets de-ages to a toddler fic [DC]

I've finished the outline for this too and it's currently standing at 21 chapters and I've already written 2. @mispeltnostalgia is beta-ing it ^^ And it's angsty. And fluffy! Majority of it is fluffy! But the angst at the end and major character death tag kind of overshadows the 19 chapters of fluff 😅 I also do a character study of Jason here. It's very enlightening.

Inspired by the very first fanfic I ever read (by choice) and Tim gets de-aged to a toddler because of a mistake Jason made. Jason's bonds with the family is already fragile and this mistake might just drive a further wedge between him and them. So he keeps the mistake a secret.

But the fact Tim is a toddler isn't. The batfam try their hardest to look after Tim while trying to find a way to age him back. Tim's an adorable kid but... there are warning signs. Too many warning signs. It makes everyone question just how well they had known Tim and his personal life.

For some reason, the toddler seems attached to Jason. And surprisingly, Jason seems to go actually well when dealing with him.

But after an explosive fight between Jason and the rest of the family, when Alfred opens the doors to the bedrooms, he finds both the toddler and the crime lord gone.

6. I Quit (not the actual fic name, just a wip name) [DC]

It started with a crack-genre scene where Tim accidentally resigns being Robin over the phone.

It quickly escalated to Tim running from the Bats, trying to cure Jason of his Pit Madness, and raising a 10-year-old assassin Damian when Talia mistakenly dumped the kid on him. Fully outlined, 19 chapters, I'm probably gonna start writing this soon.

7. Found Him [DC]

Not a multichap fic but a series with oneshots and twoshots and threeshots! Why? Because I was lazy and didn't bother with filling chapters. Why? Cuz I wanted to get to the action bits. Why?

Because this, my friends, is an evil!Tim Drake AU >:)

Tim wakes up in Titans Tower before Bruce and Dick can show up. He wakes up and all he sees is blood.

His blood.

He is in excruciating pain, but for some cruel reason, he can still think and feel clearly. His mind is not a haze, he has all his memories and he is very well aware of the carnage that has been made out of his body. Very well aware of the person who created the carnage out of his body.

In a Red Robin #4-esque style, Tim crawls out and sloppily secures the wounds that bleed the most, then grabs a bike and collapses in the middle of the road. The emergency services think he's a normal civilian boy since Tim had torn his Robin uniform and had ridden out in the blacks underneath. They manage to save his life but the damage was done.

Tim had snapped. He thought he was alone. And nothing was going to convince him otherwise.

8. All 'Board Mind Games [DC]

Inspired by Zugzwang written by sardonic-sprite. Ra's keeps kidnapping Tim and forcing him to play different board games from different cultures (cuz I like representation) and each member of the batfam is kidnapped along with him and with every time Tim loses, he gets to choose between forms of torture or being Ra's heir. Ra's gets what he wants either way because he wants Tim as his heir, but he also wants to see Tim suffer because he blew up his League's operations.

This fic I am so so so incredibly excited for because I am adding brain factors in it. Here is a plan for one of my chapters:

Damian — Barjees — Fear gas — "Be the person you needed when you were younger" (or Ideasthesia)

9. Talons (not the actual title) [DC]

What if Bruce didn't arrive in time to adopt his sons? What if the Talons did?

And what if, years later, Batman comes across four child assassins in Gotham whose eyes are screaming help?

10. Danny meets Tim (not the actual title, obvi) [DC x Danny Phantom]

Not very outlined, but the idea has been written down. During Tim's Red Robin arc where he's traversing the whole globe to find Bruce, one of the places he stops at is Amity Park. He heard about how ghosts are a regular here so maybe he can find something? Proof whether or not Bruce is alive?

Who he finds instead changes the whole trajectory of Tim's life.

~

And those are some of my wips! I am 100% planning on writing and posting all of them. They've all been outlined (except the last one) and are very much ready to be written or posted. I keep getting ideas after ideas for fics though so don't know when I'll be writing them 😂 Rest assured, I'm too excited to delay some of these wips.

[a-funeral-pyre]

May Day Parade 2024 - Prompt One: May King Mordred

I did an attempt at re-editing and finally posting an old fic of mine for @queer-ragnelle 's May Day Parade! Although I have to admit I am not fully satisfied by the translation, but there is not much that can be done for that. Here we go:

“Yit that traytour […] Turns hym furthe tite, and talks no more Went wepand awaye, and weries the storndys That ever his werdes ware wroght, siche wandrethe to wyrke” (Allitterative Morthe Arthure)

The sky should not have been so dark today. It is barely midday, and this should have been a peaceful day. But the sun is gone, along with any hope of changing things.

It doesn't cause you any pain. Darkness is your most ancestral memory.

You were born in darkness. You were always destined to live there. Generous hands have rescued you from the abyss only to lead you onto a path devoid of light.

Deep down, you have known it from the beginning.

Before you even knew who you really were there was a voice that came from the night and whispered to your soul. You knew you were fated to be more than just a fisherman's son.

You thought your destiny was to become the heir of a king. You realized too late that you had to be an avenger.

Your father must pay for what he did.

It seems everyone has forgotten the massacre he chose to carry out. Everyone except you. And now you will bring justice and take your rightful place.

You could have repressed your hatred if it weren't for the blood that unites you. You did not ask to be born. You are just the result of his actions, but he's always been too busy looking at you suspiciously to realize that. He never wanted you and he tried to destroy you as soon as you came into this world. The time has come to punish him.

And you don't care how many will be burned by your revenge. Not anymore.

You could have spared Guinevere. But she didn't deserve to have Gareth pay for her. You wished it was her beautiful, cruel face to be frozen in death, her head to be severed. She could have loved you. If not as a wife, then at least as a friend.

But you are the symbol of her husband's guilt, and this is enough to make you enemies.

Now it doesn't matter anymore. You stopped desiring her. When you return, seeing her become aware that in the end you won - the bastard, the traitor, the sick fruit of the king's sin - will be enough.

This time you are certain to win. The darkness around you is witness to this. You will have what is yours, you will avenge the victims of your father, your mother...

And yourself.

Maybe your father thought this time would never come. Maybe he believed that welcoming you into his court was enough to erase the fact that he tried to kill you.

He was naive enough to think you were harmless and he thought that, like everyone else, you couldn't see through his mask of justice and virtue.

All you had to do was look him in his eyes to know what he thought of you. A youthful mistake, a child that should never have been born, dangerous just for existing. He could never have been a father to you. He could never see you as anything other than an enemy.

Now he doesn't hide it anymore.

All your life you have done what he taught you. You have lied. You will rise to power by cheating and killing, as your grandfather did, and you will prove yourself to be your father's worthy son. Then the throne can only be yours.

You are not alone. You have an army with you. Men who saw you worthy of being king, men who long to see you in your father's place. And it doesn't matter that they only follow you for the benefits you promised them. They chose to help you. They chose to raise you to the place you should not have conquered by force. They are more loyal to you than your family ever was.

You have them, and more. You have the blood of kings on your side. You are about to kill a murderer If there really is a just God, He can only be on your side.

You can finally take off the mask you've kept on for years and breathe. For the first time, you are truly alive.

This unnatural night that has fallen on the world will be the dawn of victory for you.

The lie you have woven all these years has come to an end. Just a few hours and you will be king. You will get what you want. You will be respected, you will be loved.

You have to keep telling yourself this until it's all over. Just one last trick on yourself. Just enough to keep going.

Then you will be satisfied with having repaired the wrong you have suffered. You will be able to go on living alone. It won't be too difficult – it's just what you've done so far.

You were born for this moment, to follow the path that fate had written for you. You will have to be able to survive what comes next.

You will have to delude yourself that you can achieve victory. That you can be the master of your destiny.

You have believed in your hatred for so long that you no longer perceive its meaning, but you have gone too far to stop now. You've been alone too long to find a way to bridge the gap between you and your father. From the beginning you had to take on this role. Thus said the prophecy that shaped you.

Deep down you are aware that only emptiness will come afterwards. You've been waiting for this moment your whole life. And you are afraid, because without the desire that has sustained you so far you will no longer be anything.

This will be your last moment. If you survived, you could try to be reborn. You could truly live, finally, once you are free from your father's shadow.

But you are not made for the light of life. Only for this darkness. Only in this moment, now that you are so close to your goal, you really exist.

And nothing has changed compared to before. You are still completely alone.

You had no one to accompany you this far. If Agravain lent you his help, it wasn't because he believed in you. There is no seer who can advise you along the way. As if the fate that put you on this path had abandoned you from the beginning.

You are not naive enough to delude yourself that things will change when all this is over. You have to believe that it is a valid price to pay for what you are about to do, because now you can no longer go back.

You will undo everything you were, everything you are. You're not sure if you'll still be anything after that.

But you can't care about what you might have been if there had been another way. Not anymore. It didn't matter to your father, a bastard born of deception too virtuous to let you become king like he did. You should follow his example, at least this time, and bury all visions of a brighter future.

Even if you had the chance to rebel in the past, you can't do it now. You are just the shadow that must suffocate the light.

You see him, your father, in front of you. Proud and terrible. White and shining. The sun that disappeared from the sky was incarnated in him.

It will burn you, and you know it. You are already defeated. You're better off accepting it and giving up. He will never forgive you, you would die anyway, but at least you would have consciously chosen something, even just once in your entire life.

There's no more time.

As much as it is a crime, as much as it is useless and does not fulfill your hopes, you will do what is right. What you want, what you have to.

All you will do is fulfill desires that were never entirely yours. You have to accept your nature. You are just an instrument of fate.

And when your father dies, you will bring no new dawn. Only darkness and silence, again.

You could have had a normal life. Arthur might have made you his heir. Or he would simply smile at you, every now and then. He would have spoken to you with the same love with which he spoke to your brothers. If he hadn't believed in the prophecy. If I hadn't hated you. If you had not hated him, fulfilling your fate.

You never had a choice.

You had to get here no matter what. You have shed too much blood and tears. Gawain, who, however loyal he was to the wrong person, was still your brother, was only the last of the sacrifices, of the bodies you had to pile up to climb to this moment.

You can't stop anymore. There is nothing left that can save your soul, or at least deprive you of the painful awareness of having lived in vain.

Your father was a glorious and ephemeral flame. You were born just to turn the page.

Nothing more than this.

You existed for him, and together with him you will die. There is nothing you can do to change things now.

Just a moment and you will be free from everything. Whatever awaits you in hell will be no worse than the years you spent on this Earth.

And as his spear slides into you, as his light pierces you, you just wish you had another chance, to go back, change fate, and be happy.

But it's too late. Your name will always be a whisper in the darkness, a black stain in this shining legend, and in your torn body there is no longer enough breath to cry out your pain.

Camlann stands silently over your ruin.

[igniferrus]

I think part of what gets me is the imbalance. Merlin is allowed to have his secrets. They keep him safe and alive. Except then this starts to extend to secrets that he really doesn't need to keep, or aren't his business to keep.

Does he really need to keep it a secret that Balinor is his father? Maybe! It's a personal choice, and he's allowed to, but then he cannot expect a high level of sympathy from Arthur. (Not that "no man is worth your tears" is Arthur being nasty or insensitive, it's actually the opposite. He's warning Merlin not to grieve him; he's a knight, dying for his kingdom is what he's meant to do. That's why Arthur tells Merlin this in the context of advice from Uther. ANYWAY).

When Gaius confirms that it was magic that brought about Arthur's birth and Ygraine's death - in whatever fashion it truly happened - Merlin should not have covered for Uther. I don't agree that Arthur should have killed his father then, for political and characterisation reasons, but that his mother. Uther, Gaius, Merlin, everyone is wrong for refusing to give this boy the truth about her. I know Uther would never, because it would affect how much Arthur would believe in his crusade, but others... don't hate magic; they gain nothing by continuing the lie.

ALSO Merlin should have told Morgana about her magic. Again, not his secret to keep, and she was clearly beyond the point where suppressing it was enough. She was lighting fires in her sleep. Her lack of education was now a danger to herself and others; she deserved to know why.

And, in the other direction, Merlin Master Of Secrets refuses Arthur the same courtesy. Where are you sneaking off to, Arthur? You have to talk to me about Gwen's betrayal, even if you're not ready or willing. Why didn't you tell me about Mithian's visit, even if you wanted to keep it confidential? What have you got under the fruit bowl, the Horn of Cathbhadh? Why? Can I come too?

I understand that Merlin is the main character. I understand that his destiny is by Arthur's side. But I stand by the idea that if Merlin had trusted Arthur a little more (not even with his magic, though that would be ideal!) then they could have operated as equals, as true sides of the same coin, and it would have been easier and required less "protecting" and more advising on Merlin's part.

And, for the record. I am completely with Arthur on the reveal - it's not so much the magic, which he accepts fairly quickly despite all he's been through - asking to see it and telling Merlin not to change - but the lies that get him. Imagine your first and only true friend (something Arthur SAYS), who you couldn't bear to lose, who you only met when you were a full-blown adult, who dissected you, peeled you open and dug out every little bit of your soft and vulnerable insides, who you love more than anything, has been lying to your face the entire time. About so much. You don't even know how much. Betrayal, after betrayal, you father, sister, uncle, comrades. And finally, Merlin, who you thought you could trust completely. Brutal.

You know what, Arthur shouldn't be mad at Merlin for not telling him about his magic BECAUSE PEOPLE COME OUT THEN THEY READY, and in the show he was forced to come out at the end

You can't be mad at the person who didn't come out sooner, they had their reasons

[clotpolemerlin]

You know, I don't think Merlin ever meant to "reveal" his magic. It was a secret, but unlike most secrets, it was never about trust or even the truth in general. Magic is feared and hated at BEST. In Camelot, people treat sorcerers like they aren't even human. Like you don't even have to do anything at all with your magic, just the act of having magic is worth a death sentence.

You don't tell people about that. It's not an option. There are really only two ways that can go. The first and most expected way is they will turn on you, despise you, and then likely kill you. Or the "better" option is by some miracle they turn away all their prejudices just for you, now they are walking around with a death sentence too. Its canon that Uther killed, or at least jailed, citizens just for UNKNOWINGLY sheltering a sorcerer for the night.

So again, not something you tell someone. Doesn't matter if you feel safe. Doesn't matter if the person is constantly hinting they are pro magic even. You can never ever tell them.

I don't understand why so many people, even in the show, asked Merlin when he would tell Arthur? As if there would ever be a safe time let alone a right time. I mean to be fair, it seems obvious right? Arthur is Merlin's friend and has proved multiple times that he is willing to compromise his beliefs and go against his father for his friends sake. So if Merlin took the risk, Arthur could just free magic and there is a happy ending for all, right?

Except how could that ever be? Arthur has also proved time and time again that he hates magic. He thinks it corrupts and kills and that there could never be any good in it. The best evidence to the contrary is one deleted scene where he is talking to Guinevere like one time about maybe it's not all bad. That's not a chance I'd take. Not when my life, and the huge weight of destiny is on my shoulders. Absolutely not.

So basically, to sum up this odd little rant: Merlin stopped ever considering telling anyone, let alone Arthur, he had magic years ago. It was a fool's notion to begin with. And he was probably right to

[onceandfuturemoron]

Maybe it's destiny

A little modern merthur:

Merlin is out on a blind date Morgues set for him. He's pretty sure it's her idea of a joke because his "date" is a far cry from his type. After his crazy week, he absolutely has no problem telling the guy this and leave the table.

On his way out his eyes catch a blond hottie that IS exactly his type. God he really has a thing for blonds. The blondie doesn't seem like he's enjoying himself. He looks bored to death with the chattering and also blond girl in front of him. The girl casually puts her hand on the hot blondie and Merlin watches as he tenses and sets his jaw, clearly uncomfortable.

Merlin smiles mischievously as a plan formes in his head. He walks to their table and stands by the Blondie's side. "Excuse me sir?"

The hot blondie (god Merlin really needs to know his name) looks up at him and Merlin swallows. He's even more beautiful close up. Merlin thinks he's gonna drown in those gorgeous blues. 'focus Merlin.' He clears his throat. "There's a phone call for you sir."

The blondie looks confused and Merlin is absolutely smitten. He's sooo cute. How is it fair?

"Phone call? For me?" The blondie asks uncertainty and Merlin tries really hard not to shiver at the sound of his voice.

"yes sir. If you would come with me..." Merlin looks pointedly at him and the blondie's eyes go wide. He nods and smiles at his date. "I'll be right back." He gets up before the girl can say anything. And the two of them walk towards the reception desk.

"there's no phone call, right?" The blonde beauty asks and Merlin grins.

"nope"

"Hmm"

"I saved you. A thank you would be nice."

The blondie turns to Merlin and looks him up and down. Then smiles. "You're right . How on earth can I repay you?"

Merlin takes his coat and smirks. "Hmm. Buy me a nice dinner and then we'll see."

The blondie beams at him "of course. It's the least I can do."

They stare at each other with equally stupid smiles on their faces.

"Merlin" Merlin offers his hand. The blondie takes it. "Arthur. Pleasure to meet you Merlin."

P.S: I don't know what to do with this XD

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

we will put the lonesome on the shelf (Merthur)

Merthur. Fix-it. Crossposted on ao3.

Merlin falls in love with Arthur. That's clear from even a cursory watch of this show.

So let's talk about this story, about how Merlin falls in love with Arthur and his duty and he calls it destiny but that's not why he stays, because he's terrified by Uther but that doesn't matter.

Merlin falls in love with Arthur because he's kind, and he's brave, and he's honorable, and he may not be Good with a capital 'G' but then again, who is? Merlin falls in love with Arthur because Arthur isn't a saint but he's not a monster, because Arthur is flawed and beautiful in his mistakes.

Merlin falls in love with Camelot because Arthur loves his country and he shows Merlin how to love it too, because a boy with magic sure isn't going to fall in love with the nation that demands he repress what he is or else face death.

Merlin falls in love with the people of this city, cowering and standing and kind and brave and broken. He falls in love with the peasants who trade in the marketplace, the knights who will lay down their lives for Arthur, even the cook who bops him on the head every time he passes.

Merlin falls in love. Let's call it what it is. He falls in love and he can feel his magic protecting a kingdom, a citadel, a King, all in the name of a silly boy who doesn't know just how precious he is to his manservant.

-

But see here's the thing: Arthur's not some oblivious idiot. If he was that much of an idiot, I don't think Merlin would have fallen in love with him.

So Arthur finds out about Merlin’s magic, because of course he does, because Arthur may be a bit thick and stuck up and yes, a clotpole, but he's not an idiot. When he finds out doesn't matter- if he knows from the beginning, if he figures it out when Merlin sends the light after him when he's searching for an antidote, if he witnesses Merlin scrubbing his armor with a levitating rag. That's not important, not to the story of Merlin and Arthur.

Because here's the key part of the story: Arthur doesn't mention it. At least, not at first. Merlin could be executed, after all, and Arthur already cares far too much about the servant who is the only person to disrespect him. He's not going to rat out Merlin to his father.

This is a fairytale, a bedtime story, of a prince falling in love with a servant and that servant falling in love right back. Merlin never gives up on Arthur and Arthur never gives up on Merlin.

But a happy ending is not waiting a thousand years for your lover to return from a watery grave. Arthur doesn't deserve that. Merlin doesn't deserve that.

So Arthur knows about Merlin's magic and his father dies and Arthur turns to Merlin and says, not even attempting any kind of tact because this is Merlin and manners have never mattered, “I know you have magic, and I want your help."

And Merlin will gape at him, because he'd thought he'd kept his magic a secret, and Arthur will sigh.

(Except Merlin's magic is, by this point, the worst kept secret in Camelot. Lancelot and Gaius know. Ealdor knows. Gwaine and Gwen suspect. Mordred and Morgana know. The whole world is aware of how easy it is to have magic and be the King's left-hand man.)

"Alright, then, Arthur," Merlin eventually says. "Tell me how I can help."

And Arthur smiles. -

Merlin is not soft. In no version of this story is he soft. He has killed dozens in the name of Arthur- he knows what it is to hold the power of life in your hands and choose without remorse.

But oh, Arthur is not soft either. No king is. He has led armies into battle, watched soldiers die by his sword.

(Once, years ago, his father told him to attack civilians, and him, in his youth, did just that. And it haunts him.)

“Do you think we're good people?” Arthur will ask Merlin one night, and Merlin will look up from the armor he's shining and be unsure how to answer. What is good? Can killers be good, if they’re working to a good goal?

"I don't know," Merlin will say, and that's the honest answer. "All I know is that I'm trying to be, and I think you are too. And that's good enough."

Arthur will nod. "Thank you."

Merlin will smile that crooked smile that had Arthur falling in love with him, all those years ago. "No problem, you clotpole."

-

So they're both in love and Arthur legalizes magic- because why would he ever keep Merlin's head on the chopping block when he has the power to save him. Merlin becomes Court Sorcerer and the two of them begin the long process of making the kingdom as close to good as they can make it.

And one night, a year since Arthur's father died, Arthur leans in and kisses Merlin, and Merlin kisses him back. Because this is a love story, you know, and these boys don't deserve to pine after each other forever. Let them have their love confession, their dramatic reveal, their kiss.

In the months that follow, Mordred becomes a knight and swears loyalty to his King with a smile on his face; Morgana learns magic without fear of persecution. A sword lies unclaimed in a stone and a girl sleeps at the bottom of a lake. Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, and Elyan all become knights, and Gwen marries Lancelot in a ceremony attended by her King.

In the end, Merlin and Arthur unite Albion, legalize magic, bring peace to the kingdoms, and it's not because it's their destiny, but because they are too stubborn for their own good. And the world prospers for it.

-

So this is a fairytale, with a King and his Warlock, with a knight and his kingdom. And sure, there is no princess, but there is a Consort and a grand wedding, and Merlin only wears his crown when other monarchs visit, but they are living happily-ever-after.

Arthur and Merlin live, and it may not always be happy, but they're in love and every fight ends up resolved with a kiss and an apology.

One day, the names of Arthur and Merlin will be remembered as Great, and it's not because of a failed battle or a too-late confession. It'll be because these two men may not be Good, but they are trying their best.

And as Merlin says, that's good enough.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673542

[theroundbartable]

That's a hindrance but not a problem.

This is something that Dragoon could mention to hint at Morgana's betrayal. He could explain to Arthur why that made it impossible for anyone to point out Morgana in front of Uther. Arthur would probably not believe him, but he doesn't have to. Dragoon is already being executed, so he might as well say whatever it is Merlin truly feels.

I mean, Dragoon is already leaving questions left and right, so why not this one? He appeared out of nowhere, enchants prince and servant to create 'chaos'? Calls Uther a tyrant and Arthur a toad and then tells Arthur he has 'other crimes to confess' when he's about to be executed. I think Dragoon telling Arthur the truth makes as much sense as him claiming to be an enemy. Dragoon was the most sincere magic user we see in the series and the humor does ruin some of the Chances he would have had to truly connect with Arthur about magic. These open questions are good for character and story development. Not for immediate change but gradual change.

When Morgana betrays them then, the open questions Dragoon left behind would give Arthur reason to reconsider Dragoon's words and magic as a whole. He'd see the truth of Dragoon's words AFTER the failed execution and maybe ask Gaius where to find him to fight against Morgana in times of need.

Dragoon's claim that he enchanted Arthur and Gwen was a good reason for Arthur to trust him, since he is so certain that he's not enchanted. If Dragoon's alleged spell only didn't have an effect because Arthur was already in love (which is what I believe Arthur believed), then Dragoon would, in Arthur's eyes, not know that Arthur wasn't affected. So, if Dragoon IS aware the spell didn't have any effect, then Arthur may be more doubtful about Dragoon lying. (Does any of that make sense?)

I don't mean this as a solution to their problems, or for it to lead to magic being freed, or anything of the sort, but as Arthur having more access and faith in magic. To build it up in a way that will make Uther's death even worse because we can truly see Arthur working TOWARDS accepting magic through Dragoon. They could have included Dragoon as Emrys more often. (I just want more Dragoon episodes lol.) And then, when Dragoon 'betrays' that trust, it will ruin so much more than that one offer of trust Arthur hands out to Dragoon. Weeks- months of work could be ruined. Arthur's self worth would be shattered. It wouldn't have been one single mistake, it would have been a continuous mistake. And Merlin's hopes would have had time to grow before they break.

In canon, Arthur has never heard of Emrys. This would have been a good way to introduce him to his destiny. And then, when Uther dies, and Dragoon 'betrays' him, it finally hardens Arthur's heart against magic.

That's what I'm imagining at least.

I just would have liked to see that. Also a longer battle between Morgana and Dragoon behind Arthur's back, or even in front of him. Merlin getting a glimpse of what it's like if Arthur trusts magic. Merlin needing more ridiculous excuses to keep his secret hidden. (More Dragoon episodes.)

That's what I mean. I would have liked that.

I spent my wifiless week rewatching some Merlin Episodes and cataloguing my DVD collection (because the thing is separated into Volumes and Discs and those do NOT align with the seasons/episodes.)

Anyways, two things:

A) Merlin should have told Arthur as Dragoon, when he first impersonated the old man, that he stepped in to defend Gwen because he didn't want Gwen to die. (That's the episode when Uther believes that Gwen enchanted Arthur to be in love with her.) And argue that because he's old and he knows she's innocent, he'd rather die for her, since he IS a sorcerer. And then Arthur would help him escape and change his perspective of magic forever.

Merlin HAD the chance to talk to Arthur when he made the whole 'I have other crimes I wish to confess'. What a tool.

B) The German DVD collection has a Fangalerie along with the deleted scenes and blooper reel.

And it's literally just pictures of people in semi good cosplay from 2010 or smth with the most sinister music cut underneath... Like...

I love this but what the hell?

(I know it's German because there are postcards in there that are written in German and the names SOUND German, so that's a thing.)

[potato-frenzy]

I have a really unhinged crossover that I need to talk about and I don't care if I haven't actually seen beyond season one of Merlin.

Premise: Destiny of the Endless decides to take a pot shot at humanity and let's his siblings stand in collectively while he steps into a human life. Mans ends up being born into the life of one Merlin and his great destiny. Cue the events of the show.

This idea came from the unbidden phrase "Merlin doesn't HAVE a great destiny, he IS Destiny."

It makes no sense and honestly the plot of Merlin feels like the entire family messing with their brother. And Merlin as a character, his attitude and utter devotion to Arthur, a being made of destiny and magic, somehow makes sense. And yes this is Merthur because the men of the Endless are all romantic softies fight me.

I hurt myself with the mental image of Merlin laying Arthur to rest before Death places his cloak on his shoulders and his book in his hand, the chain locking into place as his eyes go blind. The destinies of all his friends playing before him in his book as his heart breaks over and over and over. The path that led them here laid out before him and he sees all the ways he could've fixed it, all the ways he could've saved the man he loves.

The Absolute Crisis he has over how much he wishes he could rewrite the book in his own hand. He considers bargaining for Arthur's soul from his sister's hands for one terrible moment. He quietly considers asking Dream for Arthur's book so that he could hold onto one last piece of him, he doesn't make it past the gallery. The destruction of Camelot comes and he stands over his brother's shoulder while it happens and he wars with his emotions over it. The looks of pity from the twins are abhorrent for so long it hurts, they know how it felt all those years by Arthur's side. It's ultimately Delirium who drags him back to the Garden so that he can center himself in his function.

She reminds him that Arthur will come back one day and it feels like he's sixteen on the road to Camelot once more. He feels hope and terror even though it's a day that won't come for a very long time.

Merlin and Destiny are two very different people. Destiny is speaks only when needed, Merlin can never seem to stop talking. Destiny is a creature of deliberation and thought, Merlin is all instinct and action. Destiny can separate the act of physical intimacy from love, Merlin craved affection and wrote his love into every touch. Destiny feels sick when he can't pull himself the scorching heat of Merlin's love for those he loved and he fears that he'll lose himself to the warlock.

[groundbreakingdot872]

The Choice

One of Gwen’s most iconic lines is advice she gives to Gaius in “Remedy for All Ills”

When she sees him running from the situation at court, after Edwin gave him an opening to leave, she reprimands him for not doing his due diligence for the people of Camelot as physician and friend, he is usually the only buffer between Uther and the people.

These lines attributed to Gwen, are highly significant because of their impact on other characters throughout the series. Through Gwen’s influence, they look over the choices they make with a keen eye, and give advice to each other of the same intent.

A great example of this would be Gwen’s advice to Merlin, which would be a pivotal turning point for the young sorcerer and how he approaches the weekly Arthur-hungry problems that plague Camelot.

This is also the first piece of advice in a domino effect of ethical choices, Merlin makes in regards to his destiny; the first one pertaining to Uther’s life.

Her choice to choose good in the face of evil, to choose a life saved in that moment even in her fresh grief, rather than a cycle of future pain is the exact decision that prompts Merlin to save Uther’s life. He safekeeps the lesson to ‘see the good’ in others, which Kilgarrah cites as a fatal flaw, until he is corrupted by fear and regret in seasons 4 and 5.

When he chooses to make attempts on Mordred’s and Morgana’s life, when they had been innocent to him, he makes exactly the wrong decision that begins the cycle of grief all over again.

However, he does carry forward this advice on the ‘morality of choice’ to Arthur in ‘The Changeling’ in the moments before Arthur’s wedding, and advises him on the King he can become, rather than the King he would be resigned as, if he makes the choice of being a bystander.

Arthur carries these words with him, and as he spends more time with Gwen!, her saying becomes more of a moral he measures his life against, than an empty phrase.

This is clear in ‘Queen of Hearts’

When Gwen is mercilessly banished by Uther, Morgana comes to fake comfort Arthur on the unfairness of the punishment but doesn't expect his brave words.

Morgana believes there is no other choice for Arthur in this way forward, other than to give up Gwen's hand, but he reminds her that there is always a choice, heartfelt words that he could have only gained from Gwen. He would rather give up his throne, his future, his life in Camelot than live another where Gwen is not near, his choice is made.

Hearing those words from the best friend she had cruelly scorned, was whiplash to Morgana, and it reminded her of the many decisions she must have made; always believing there was no other way except to hate. Falling into Uther's stride, something Gwen had likely cautioned her to beware in the past, is unthinkable, and so she makes the next choice to kill the messenger rather than atone for her sins and turn back.

Morgana's choice had always been clear: either kill Uther or die by his hand.

In the same fashion, she never affords other character's the choice to take charage of their own lives, she manhandles theirs under the guise of a virtous deed or a false choice.

This is thinking that originated from season 1, in 'To Kill The King' when she gives Gwen's father the key to escape his cell. You might be thinking that this was the right choice, she gave him an alley to escape! I think this was the wrong one, and Morgana of all people closest to Gwen, would know better. Gwen later emphasizes, after her father had been killed for an attempted escape that this was the wrong one, shame had come down on their family, on top of the grief of losing Tom.

Morgana had already known Uther would not stop to execute Tom in the morning, she knew that any trial at escape would lead to death. She knew that Gwen yearned for her father to get another fair trial, besides this, she had the power to ask Uther for a trial, to delay the execution again. She also had access to both of them, to give father and daughter the full pros and cons of either plan. Yet she chose to give him the key.

Morgana at this point, was naive and untried. She relied on her usual rebelliousness and hasty decisions to land herself out of trouble with the King and believed the same could be said for Tom. Her risky decisions to give a desperate man a key to escape, without warning him of the punishment was a mistake, but not a deliberate on. I believe this is cause for break in the friendship, as Morgana could never be truthful about why Tom tried to escape, her distance with Gwen begins there.

Besides these decisions, while knowing Gwen's thoughts on revenge, Morgana makes the decisions to kill Uther on a planned trip, exactly the thing Gwen would be against. She knew Gwen would never support this plan, which had originated in Tom's death, but she went forward anyway (eventually failing) but found some misplaced compassion at the end.

By the time 'The Coming of Arthur: Part 1' rolls around, Morgana's decisions on Gwen and all of Camelot have been made. She might not want to take ownership of the destruction in the citadel, as then she would be responsible for the pain and suffering of all her former friends. But she does attempt to win Gwen over, one last time, in a tragic perversion of Gwen's old saying.

The fear and shock are clear on Gwen's face; she had become aware of Morgana's magic and betrayals before this, but this is the first time they both put their actions to light. Morgana is the traitor, and now she's giving Gwen as much choice as a captive has to walk the plank; either she allies herself to Morgana's cause or she dies.

It's interesting to note the morbid satisfaction in Morgana's words here, she believes she has finally won in the game of choice, and in an almost mocking tone, she reminds Gwen to make the right decision.

Gwen recognizes the words but cannot recognize who says them. She had made her choice already, the minute she had fallen in love with Arthur, and abandoned Morgana to her own treachery.

She can only hope that Morgana makes the hardest choice one day, to turn her back on ruin and revenge and rejoin the land of the self-willed, the only choice she could make to ensure her own happy ending.

[lit-in-thy-heart]

i'd just like a to take a moment to talk about this gif

more specifically, the dynamic between merlin and gwaine.

warning: s5 finale spoilers

this is the episode where merlin has lost his magic and every time i see it i just want to cry. you can see that, to begin with, merlin is just standing back and assessing the situation -- like he always does -- to see where he can discreetly help. then the bandit comes towards him and he completely flips out (understandably).

initially he obviously backs away, but he doesn't cover his head until the very last second, and his scream is honestly chilling because i don't think merlin has ever been this vulnerable before and it's terrifying him. but he also doesn't call for gwaine until the very last moment. he sees that the bandit is getting up and pushing him back but it's not until the blow is about to be dealt that he screams for his love friend. there is still a part of him that hasn't processed he no longer has magic and cannot defend himself. (it also begs the question why the knights haven't given merlin some sort of weapon in the last ten years, unless they think he repels death or something, but anyway.) and does he hesitate because he doesn't want gwaine to be hurt in saving him? or is it that, in that moment, the belief that gwaine can protect him slips and that's why he cries out?

and merlin is definitely shaken by this encounter. it's excellent acting on colin's part to convey the sheer terror at merlin being unable to defend himself and potentially put gwaine at risk by being unable to do so. afterwards, you can see just how deeply he's breathing and just how stunned he actually is. it's the first time that he has had to entirely rely on someone else.

gwaine, though. maybe it's my merwaine brain going into overdrive, but he is making merlin a priority. you can see that he's clocked the bandit going for merlin and is actually moving to stop him before merlin shouts. he doesn't even properly dispose of the bandit he's dealing with in his desperation to get to merlin in time.

and when they first attack, he angles his body so it acts as a shield for merlin. of course, that doesn't really work out because he gets too drawn into combat with one which allows the the other to attack merlin, but he tries.

i don't know why but it's the last bit that really gets me. the whole i'll-stab-you-without-looking thing is just urgh perfection, but it's his consistent eye contact with merlin. gwaine's expression isn't the softest because he's killing someone, but you can see that he's keeping his eyes on merlin to check that he's alright. and almost like he's saying 'this is for them attacking you'. we will never know what his expression was when the camera flicks back to merlin, but it is highly likely that he's silently asking merlin if he's alright, given their Interaction in the next bit:

(please ignore the juddering text, it's the first time i've giffed dialogue and I'm still figuring out text and frames)

so there's quite a bit that i want to say about this moment.

first of all, merlin is avoiding eye contact when gwaine helps him up. is this because he's embarrassed at being so dependent on gwaine or is it because watching gwaine fight made him feel things that are not helpful to feel on the eve of battle? probably. gwaine has obviously fought and protected merlin before, but (as far as i recall) never has had to save him from a death blow. this is the first time in a long while (again, i might be wrong, feel free to correct me) that merlin owes his life to anyone but arthur, who is part of his destiny. lancelot saved him when they first met, but that was years ago. merlin isn't used to be indebted to someone who he isn't duty-bound to protect, and if he wanted to repay the debt then, currently, he'd have to wrangle it without magic.

(merlin's eyes also go to gwaine's left hand which makes me question what on earth that knight is doing out of shot.)

and gwaine isn't smiling for a start: you can tell that he is genuinely concerned about merlin. and it must be pretty unnerving for gwaine, as well. despite all arthur's comments about merlin being a coward, gwaine probably sees merlin as incredibly scrappy when it comes to survival. he's always thrown himself into dangerous situations without a moment's hesitation and never shown fear. so for merlin to scream for him so desperately (i wish gifs could convey tone because my heart honestly breaks) must be incredibly unsettling and gwaine instantly jumps to merlin being injured. and when he does smile, it's not in the (seemingly) self-assured manner that we're all used to, it's in a very tender manner, as if he's trying to reassure merlin.

'there's no need to thank me, merlin. it's the least i could do.'

merlin makes eye contact here. i appreciate that it's not wonderfully giffed to align, but when gwaine says the first part merlin looks up. he definitely looks surprised at the fact that gwaine says he doesn't need gratitude, almost as if he's shocked by the implication that gwaine would do something like that and not want recognition, if that makes sense? merlin has never once received a word of thanks for saving arthur, and to have gwaine say that he doesn't want it possibly strikes a chord in merlin. because merlin doesn't save arthur for the gratitude; he saves arthur because (in whichever context you perceive it) he loves him (yeah, it started off as destiny for a start, but he does obviously grow to love arthur). so. if gwaine doesn't want thanks...then that means he loves merlin (again, platonically or romantically, it works both ways). and, just like the 'not arthur' s3 moment, merlin is caught off guard by the concept that someone cares for him enough to risk their life for him without a moment's hesitation.

and then -- 'it's the least i could do'. what more would gwaine do for merlin? or is it, perhaps, that he has some inkling that merlin has also saved his life many times over, and just wants to do the same for him? does he perhaps suspect that merlin does have magic? this line hits me so hard because you can see how much he cares for merlin, and just how blind merlin is to it.

and then the touch. the touch on the arm that is very similar to the one arthur gives to merlin. the touch that serves as reassurance and affection and i actually can't talk about this further because i will explode.

to summarise this stream of consciousness, then:

when it comes to himself, merlin doesn't know when to ask for help, mainly because he has taught himself that his needs are secondary and he shouldn't require it. but gwaine knows exactly when to give it because merlin deserves it, and would give him the world on a plate if he could.

[tennessoui]

This is bit vague but i wish that you would write a fantasy fic with magic powers (not The force)

the need for a merlin au intensifies

look all im saying is anakin as a little bit less but still out of touch prince arthur and obi-wan as a merlin who has been actively avoiding camelot for years even though every single magical folk he comes across insist he go there because it's his destiny

finally when he's in his thirties he sighs and packs up his things to make his way to camelot because he knows for sure now that this prince anakin will need him.

featuring ahsoka as his younger half sister and her handmaiden barriss

featuring shenanigans as obi-wan tries to conceal that he has magic and he's there to protect anakin from certain death, while anakin tries to figure out who keeps saving him and if magic really is as evil as his father the king (palpatine) says it is

palpatine keeps hiring assassins to scare anakin into believing in the evil of magic because its actually very profitable for the kingdom as a whole and he knows he's getting very old now so he's afraid he'll die and the kingdom will fall to ruin should anakin welcome magic back

if only he knew there was magic's greatest spokesperson already in anakin's chambers, whispering into anakin's ears about the camelot he knew when he was a boy, about how amazing it was to grow up in a world with magic and laughter and joy...........

and obi-wan doesn't mean to make anakin fall in love with him, it's just that he does and then we all know anakin would do anything for the people he loves.........

send me an ask that completes the sentence 'i wish you'd write a fic where.......'!

[elusive---ivory]

The Woman In Velvet pt. 5

Aaaaa, this is a lot one. This one is just all fluffy and fun.

WARNINGS: None, just fluff

PAIRING: Arthur x Oc.

Masterlist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Three little girls were in the dining room, setting the table for their dinner.

"Ha, Seriously Sandy? You still don't have a date for Friday?" The girl with dimples giggled.

The girl with black hair shook her head and shrugged. "Looks like I won't be joining you for your triple date."

The girl without dimples gave her a shocked look and gasped. "Sandy! Don't be such a debbie downer. I'll set you up with someone."

The girl with dimples scoffed. "Really? Because, the last time you played matchmaker, you set up Dollar Dave with his sister."

The two sisters bickered until a large man appeared in the entrance of the dining room.

"Girls." The man spoke. His voice was raspy. He had a thick, black, cigar hanging out of his mouth. He looked over at the girl with black hair. The man took a seat at the newly set table.

"Deliah, Destiny, if your cousin doesn't wish to attend your ridiculous triple date, then don't force her."

The girl with black hair turned away from the man and muttered a small "Thank you" under her breath. She sat next to him, but scooted away a few inches. The two other girls rolled their eyes and sat down with them.

"Besides, I think Sandy and I would have lots of fun without the two of you, ain't that right, doll?" His eyes were glued on the girl next to him. She gulped hard. She stared hard at her cousins.

They both stared back with menacing looks. Neither of them bothered to help.

Sandy woke up to a dreaded alarm clock going off.

'Funny,' she thought. Her alarm didn't work at all. She had planned on getting a new one, but it was her same alarm clock. As she opened her eyes a little bit, she took in her surroundings. She was in her bed, and in her usual nightie. What was different about today?

"Oh fuck." She said, aloud. Sandy looked around. She threw the bed sheets off her body and quickly ran into her living room.

Arthur was standing there in the kitchen, shirtless. Sandy approached him carefully, still not fully understanding what was going on. The early morning sun was slowly creeping outside the window. The small apartment was dark, beside the light of in the kitchen.

"Hey." Sandy said, quietly.

Arthur looked around him, slightly startled. He didn't expect her to be up yet.

Arthur smiled at her gently. "Good morning."

Sandy looked down, bashfully. "Yeah, what are you doing up?" She stepped into the florescent lighting of the kitchen.

Arthur shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

"Really? Did you fix my clock?" Sandy smiled, giggling slightly.

"Yeah, you talk in your sleep. You kept mumbling about the alarm, so I fixed it." Arthur answered, sheepishly.

"Also, we were on the couch when," Sandy cleared her throat, "we, ya know."

Arthur smiled. "You also sleepwalk."

Sandy giggled and gently punched his shoulder. "You got all of that from just spending the night with me. Color me impressed, Detective."

Arthur flinched at her sudden roughhousing, but chuckled at her joke. "Yeah, you know. I do stand up comedy."

Sandy raised her eyebrow. "Really?" She said, brewing her coffee.

Arthur nodded, shyly. "Yeah. Tomorrow night will be my very first gig."

"Huh." Sandy stirred her coffee. "Save me a seat in the front." She winked, booping his nose.

Sandy walked out of the kitchen. Arthur's eyes followed her dreamily.

Sandy finally got into her routine according, putting on a seemingly different work uniform. Instead of matted and ripped purple violet blouse, it was a red and black velvet with a black satin skirt. It wasn't at all comfortable, but she had to make do. She put on black heels matching the overall theme of the outfit. When she was done, she found her cheap frame glasses, and gently placed them on her face.

Sandy walked back into the kitchen to give Arthur a small peck on his cheek.

"I'm heading out. Here's the spare key, just incase you want to lounge around here for today." Sandy placed a small key in his hand. "Try not to burn down the apartment." She giggled stepping out of the door.

Arthur's eyes never left her figure once. She looked so elegant when she walked. His hand gently touched the cheek where she kissed him. It left him breathless.

The gloomy office building seemed to be even more dull and dreary than usual. Sandy sighed sitting there in her small cubicle.

"Hey, did you hear about those subway killings?"

Sandy overheard two coworkers talking. Often times when she eavesdropped she would mostly hear some stupid gossip like she fucked or he fucked her etc, but this seemed serious.

"Yeah, I did. I hear they were employees of ours."

This caught Sandy's attention. 'Employees?' She thought. She continued listening intently.

"Wayne Enterprises?"

"Yeah, I hear one of them was Dennis Cullen."

Sandy's eyes widened. 'Dennis is dead?' Half of her celebrated the death of that bastard, but it just seemed wrong. She snapped out of her thoughts when a coworker knocked on Sandy's cubicle.

"Sandy, the boss wants you."

She took a long sigh. She got out of her chair and walked down to the boss's office.

"Needed me, Mr. Don?" Sandy asked, being as polite as she could be.

A large man looked up at Sandy from his paperwork.

"Yes, please take a seat." Mr. Don gestured to the two chairs in front of him.

"Why were you not here yesterday?" His voice sounded frustrated.

"Well, sir, I was really sick, yesterday and-"

Mr. Don cut her off with a glare.

"Look, I'm too bent on excuses. Now, as you may know, Dennis, your associate, has recently passed away. It's a shame, I know, but he had lots of clients. Since he's gone, you have to take after his clients." Mr. Don looked back down at his paperwork.

Sandy stood there dumbfounded.

"Wait. Shouldn't the person getting his position get his clients?" Sandy crossed her arms.

Mr. Don looked at her begrudgingly. "Well, yes, but there's still so many clients he had. Most are pretty upset by the current circumstances. Could you please do these few clients?" Mr. Don held a sudden desperation in his gruff voice.

Sandy gave a defeated sigh. "Alright. I'll see what I can do about the clients."

Dennis would always brag about his clients and how high maintenance they were. How he was so lucky to always have meetings with the one and only, Thomas Wayne. His position was completely up for grabs.

Sandy didn't want Dennis's stupid position. Not like she could ever get get it. She was a woman working 45 hours a week, yet being paid so little.

'Why the fuck did people get so angry over some dudes getting killed on a subway?' Sandy growled in her thoughts, as she walked out of the office building.

All day clients were yelling and screaming about how they furious they were for not getting their fucking products. It gave her such a headache.

Her heels tapped the wet pavement. The lights of bars and restaurants colored the numerous puddles on the ground.

As she was walking down the street, she felt a pair of eyes on her.

Crack.

She turned around. Her eyes monitored the alleyway next to her. She strutted ahead, continuing her path, while being on high alert.

Crack.

She heard it again. She started walking fast. As she did so, Sandy glanced behind her. It was a silhouette of a man walking fast. Her heart stopped. She kept walking faster, until she was gently jogging in her heels. She was almost to the subway.

The man had finally caught up to her, and gently tapped her shoulder.

Sandy froze. She turned around to face her stalker.

Arthur smiled gently, taking off the yellow hood of his hoodie.

She sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god. Arthur, it's just you." Sandy smiled at her supposed stalker. "I thought you were the subway killer."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah, so I've heard."

"How could you not? It's everywhere. Who cares about some assholes dying?" Sandy tapped around her coat. "Damn it." She hissed under her breath.

"Hey, Art." Sandy said, getting his attention.

Arthur tilted his head. "Hmm?"

"Do you think I can bum a cig?" Sandy asked, desperately.

"Uh, yeah sure." Arthur handed her a fresh cigarette.

Sandy lit the cancer stick, inhaling the dangerous smoke, then exhaling it out of her lungs.

"Thanks, Artie." Sandy smiled. "Say, you never told me why you were out here following me anyway?" She said, with the cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

Arthur looked down, almost like a guilty puppy.

"I, uh, was worried." Arthur said, twiddling his thumbs.

Sandy smirked. "Worried? Aww, Artie. You don't need to worry about me, sweets." Sandy pressed a small kiss on his cheek.

Arthur started fidgeting with the bottom of his hoodie. "Uhh, well, of course, I do, Sandy. It's dangerous."

Sandy giggled. "Ok, I guess you can walk me back to my apartment." She put out the cigarette, and linked arms with Arthur.

The subway was deserted. The florescent lights flickered on and off as the loud railings of the subway train moved by.

Sandy was seated by Arthur's side, leaning on him a bit. For Sandy, Arthur was like a breath of fresh air. He was so comforting and sweet. He listened to Sandy's problems, no matter how stupid they were to her.

"So, you're a party clown?" Sandy said, holding Arthur's hand in hers.

"Yeah, at least I was. I'm focusing more on my comedy career. I've got lots of jokes." Arthur put emphasis on the word lots.

"You said that this morning. Let me hear some of your jokes." Sandy said, interested.

Arthur eyes lit up.

"Oh? Let me get my joke book." Arthur reached into his back pocket and pulled out a worn down journal. Arthur gently handed the journal to Sandy.

Sandy flipped through a few pages of the journal.

"Well, what do you think?" Arthur asked, impatient. He looked pretty anxious.

Sandy laughed a little.

"How come poor people are so confused? They don't make sense." Sandy read, still laughing. "That's a stupid joke."

Arthur frowned. "Oh."

Sandy immediately corrected herself. "No, no, no. It's great, Arthur. You're gonna be great. I know it."

Arthur's frowned disappeared, and turned into a smirk. "You think so?"

"I know so, babe." Sandy kissed his nose.

"Could I look through your book more?"

Arthur nodded.

Sandy looked through each page, but there's one page that caught her eye. It had a polaroid picture of her with twisted writings all over the page.

Mrz. Sandy Fleck

Mrz. Sandera Fleck

MY dEaR, Sandy

Sandy's eyes read the page over and over again. Arthur began to look anxious.

The subway came to a stop.

"This is our stop." Sandy handed his journal back to him. "And, by the way, it's spelled S-A-N-D-R-A." She said, stepping out of the subway doors. Arthur followed behind her.

[onceandfuturewarlqck]

arthur and the way he knows merlin analysis

because at this point why not

tags via @courtwarlocks

THIS IS GIVING ME LIFE so here i am rambling about knowing=loving equation.

in the original post i was talking about merlin knowing arthur the best but here it is.

arthur knowing merlin the best.

which is a more subtle and complex line of thoughts than one could think because it is easy to believe that since arthur doesnt know about everything merlin does, since arthur doesnt know about merlin's magic, then he can't possible be the person that knows him the most.

but the reality is slightly different.

because even if arthur doesnt know that merlin uses magic, he still knows, even unconsciously, about his magic.

since their first meeting, arthur has been constantly telling merlin that he can't figure him out.

in the first episode he straight out says:

"There is something about you Merlin I can't quite lay my fingers on."

and then, in 4x01, the darkest hour, there's a whole conversation about it:

"Sometimes you puzzle me."

"You never fathomed me out?"

"No."

and im sure there is much more about arthur puzzling about merlin, and it all then comes together in 5x13, the diamond of the day, when arthur says one of the most heartbreaking line ever:

"I thought i knew you"

but this is the thing.

arthur knows him.

magic is merlin and merlin is magic.

arthur knows merlin the same way merlin knows him, because arthur knows the real essence of merlin.

arthur sees when merlin is upset, always, and there are so many instances in which he tries to cheer him up (when he is heartbroken about freya, when he is grieving for his father, when merlin is terrified because of the prophecy about arthur's death).

any time something is wrong with merlin, arthur is there.

arthur knows what merlin says and what merlin doesnt say. arthur knows merlin is proud of him, that merlin respects him, that merlin, for all his treasonous talks and all his quips about how arthur is an ass or a prat, believes in him and will follow him everywhere.

arthur sees merlin growing further and further away and tries to shorten the distance.

arthur knows merlin like a part of himself.

he knows the man behind the heavy weight of magic, the magic without the "emrys". and that is the part of merlin that truly matters. because merlin is magic, and magic doesnt need titles or prophecies or destinies.

when arthur says he thought he knew merlin, the truth is that he did.

he knew the heart of merlin.

it's not that arthur doesnt know merlin.

arthur knows, can feel, that there is something about merlin, and he has always accepted it, always acknowledged it.

he just doesnt know how to name it.

but not having a name for something it's not the same as not knowing.

arthur knows merlin the best, more than anyone else could, because he knows how he works and how he feels and the way is smile is offtilt or his eyes dont brighten like before.

he knows merlin is kind, and brave, and soft hearted.

he knows merlin would always give a helping hand, he knows merlin would never leave his side, he knows merlin.

but whats most important, it's that he wants to know.

when he doesn't know, arthur asks.

and there is something even more beautiful, even more fragile and pure, in wanting to know.

and he wants. he wants to know everything about merlin. and thats why he constantly asks merlin what is wrong, or his opinions. and it's breathtaking and worldbreaking and gentle and soft.

and this is what truly gives love a home.

arthur knows merlin the most and arthur wants to knows merlin the most.

so arthur loves merlin the most.

(more about arthur, merlin and magic HERE)

i was talking with someone earlier and i told her, "I love you and so I know you, I know you and so I love you" and i started to think about how merlin knows arthur the best.

he knows arthur's moods and arthur's smiles. he knows what arthur doesn't say, all the hidden words, all the misplaced phrases. he knows the "i want to see your smile, i dont want you to suffer, im worried" behind his "thats better". he knows his trust and where is given, he knows the truth behind the lies, he knows the person under the crown. he knows what makes arthur brave and what makes arthur courage, because they may be similar but are also different. he knows arthur's threats and arthur's flaws and arthur's failures, he knows arthur's abilities and arthur's potential and arthur's kindness. he knows arthur and he notices arthur and he sees arthur.

merlin knows arthur the most.

and he loves arthur the most.

merlin knows arthur and so he loves him. merlin loves arthur and so he knows him.