#and than merlin came to live in camelot

[princess-of-morkva]

i see merlin trending, i wanna post something.

no but seriously how did that happen. not that i'm complaining

[wispeth]

(doppelganger Merlin au. Arthur is looking at two Merlin's, who both have all of Merlin's memories, except the imposter doesn't have magic. which is perfect, because the real Merlin lied so flawlessly to Arthur that imposter Merlin would have a real chance to take over Merlin's life. oh and, uh, Merlin was drugged w a truth serum. so he can't lie about the magic if it comes up. The imposter is able to pretend to be Merlin better than Merlin can bc ofc the magic comes up.)

Arthur: What's the first thing you ever said to me?

Imposter Merlin, confidently: Hey, that's enough. You've had your fun my friend.

Real Merlin, dazed, looking over at the imposter in horror as he realizes that the imposter has all of his memories, and that the imposter is actually capable of lying rn unlike himself, which means Real Merlin can't even keep up his own facade, but the imposter can: (says exactly the same thing in perfect unison with the imposter, but looks a lot more lost and shaken about it)

Arthur, narrowing his eyes at them both: What is your favorite tunic to dress me in?

Imposter Merlin: The red one. (It was a fair enough assumption. It was the one that Merlin picked out for Arthur to wear more than any of the others.)

Real Merlin, unable to believe he's about to admit this, but he has truth potion in his system: Your nightshirt, when you decide to wear it... It is--you look the happiest, in that one. (gay sweatdrop)

Arthur, kind of floored by the vulnerability: (was honestly expecting Merlin to say the red one, but now he wasn't so sure because that also sounded like something girlish that Melrin might say) Alright... How many times have you saved my life?

Imposter Merlin, gleeful on the inside because he finally has a chance to play Merlin's part while Merlin can't even maintain his own web of lies because of the truth potion: (to this imposter's credit, he is very good at pretending to be merlin. he starts mumbling to himself and counting on his fingers, just as Arthur thought Merlin might have done.) Let's see, there was the dagger, the poison, the... (proceededs to ramble off most every single one that Arthur himself is aware of) ... so that's about, a dozen? I'd say?

also Imposter Merlin: (places his hands on his hips in Merlin's sassy way) I'm starting to think you owe me a day off.

Real Merlin, voice shaky, because they are getting nearer and nearer to the topic of magic: Twice a fortnite for as long as I've lived in Camelot... That's got to be in the hundreds by now.

Arthur, suddenly remembering all the creatures of the week that suddenly disappeared before they became a problem. He knew of about one every month or two, but he started reconsidering if his guardian angel had been taking care of threats that he perhaps DIDN'T know about: Erm... (still can't tell who the real Merlin is, because one of them is giving all the answers he's looking for and is acting exactly like he would expect Merlin to, but the other Merlin is being so damn earnest right now, as Merlin was wont to do in times of crisis) What is--what's an honest truth that you've told me that I have mistaken for a lie?

Imposter Merlin, knowing that he's being quizzed on the memories of their shared history, without missing a beat: Valiant's shield. It was enchanted with those snakes. You got into a world of trouble for confronting him about it in front of the entire court. (aka exactly the answer that Arthur was expecting from the real Merlin)

Real Merlin, with a knot in his throat and tears in his eyes because he knows he's doomed: (the first instance that came to mind was that time he saved Gwen's father from sickness using magic and Gwen got thrown in the dungeons for being an alleged sorceress--and of course that was his first thought, he is very very paranoid about the magic so it's all he's thinking about--he has to say the first one for the sake thought for the sake of honesty, even though it's damning) Gwen's not the s-sorcerer... I am. (is also making exactly the same face that he was making the day that he told Arthur about Valiant's shield, the face where he is pleading for Arthur to believe him. The imposter only has access to Merlin's memories through Merlin's eyes, so the imposter wasn't able to see what Merlin's face did that day, so he wouldn't have known)

Arthur, now even more unsure, just gapes for a moment because how fucking stupid does someone have to be to confess to sorcery in Camelot? Twice?! And it was worse yet that he still couldn't tell for sure which Merlin was the real Merlin because he'd never had to combine the image of Merlin with magic before and gods damn it all he needed a moment to process: (decided to start asking Merlin questions about himself instead of quizzing him on information that Arthur already knows) Who was your first love? (fully expecting to hear Gwen's name, although, Merlin was quite flamboyant....)

Imposter Merlin: It was Will... (blushes a little, looking flustered and matter of factly at the same time, in that awkward way that mimics merlin perfectly) You met him, in Ealdor.

Real Merlin, sneering at the imposter in the way that he did Cedric when he was bitter about replaced by a possessed man in the Cornelius Sigan incident (a/n: even though the episode I mention in this line is a totally different one. I think I mix referenced a lot of episodes in this ramble actually): H-her name was Freya. You killed her.

Arthur, alarmed: Killed her? Wh--Merlin--not Merlin--Merlin? (stammers on how to address this Merlin, tosses his hands up after 0.5 seconds) I do not recall killing any village girls in Ealdor..!

Real Merlin, shaking his head: She was the bastet. It wasn't her fault, she was cursed by a sorceress to become a bastet at night. It wasn't your fault either, you did what you had to; I don't blame you for what happened.

Arthur, suddenly remembering that night, remembering how Merlin was reaching for the dangerous feline beast as if it were only a kitten, as if Merlin was going to pet it, or shield it from Arthur, or any other number of things that also seem so very Merlin. Arthur hadn't even considered it before, but now? Looking back? Merlin certainly had been remarkably upset in the passing days after that: (more confused than ever) Wh... Where did -- where were you, yesterday? (Gaius already told Arthur that Merlin was at the tavern)

Imposter Merlin: At the Rising Sun. Gwaine took me out for a round of drinks. Something about a lucky charm?

Arthur, nodding along: (it was true that Arthur has heard Lancelot and a few other knights call Merlin a lucky charm) Hm... (turns to look at the other Merlin)

Real Merlin, with a wobbling lip: (laughs weakly, rolling his teary eyes a bit) I told him to stop using that excuse... (refocuses) I was crawling out of the mirror, if you must know. I TOLD you I had a funny feeling about it. (motions to the imposter) (he has tears in his eyes and a smile on his face, and his voice sounds exactly the same as it did that one time when he said to Arthur 'you're certainly not' after Arthur told him that no man was worth his tears)

Arthur, now watching Real Merlin more closely than Imposter Merlin, searching: Who was your favorite guest to mock at the feasts and whatnot?

Imposter Merlin: (kind of stumped bc he wasn't expecting a question like this)

Real Merlin, who is actually able to answer first after some thought: ..... (snorts) Does-- (snorts again) Would the Lady Catrina count as a guest, d'you think? Or should I--no--I'll say it was the Lady Vivian. You get this, LOOK on your face every time she sits near you at the banquet table when she comes 'round.

Arthur, jaw dropped in mock offense: Because she is rather touchy! We've been over this..! (doesn't even realized that he just responded to Real Merlin as if he were for sure the real Merlin, and momentarily forgot that there were two convincing Merlins present)

Imposter Merlin: Are you mad? Arthur, the fake me said it himself that he crawled out of the mirror and practices sorcerery..! (looks so earnest, so genuine, but it's just... not quite how Merlin would say it)

Arthur: (narrows his eyes at the imposter with slight suspicion)

Imposter Merlin: (gives Arthur a flat look, exactly like the real Merlin would do when Arthur says something stupid) Arthur, I am not a sorcerer. You would know. (a/n: last episode style)

Arthur, who had never once suspected magic, but did always know that Merlin had been keeping a secret from him (he'd always assumed it was the alcoholism, but now....): You'd think so, wouldn't you.... (glances at the real Merlin, looking a little hurt)

Real Merlin, not denying the magic at all: I was born with it. I use it for you, Arthur.

Imposter Merlin: You can't honestly--

Arthur, looking deep into Real Merlin's eyes: Swear to me, right now, that you are telling me the truth. Prove it to me.

Real Merlin: (grabs the hidden dagger out of the imposters hands, who had apparently been gearing up to attack Arthur, which is confusing enough all on its own because it made it difficult to tell which one of them was truly intent on attacking Arthur with it, and then charges Arthur)

Arthur, who normally has keen warrior reflexes but not when his enemies wear Merlin's face: (freezes up, and then watches in shock as the dagger clashes against the thin air about an inch in front of Arthur's chest, cast aside by some glowing shield that fades after a second)

Real Merlin: Why do you think it takes me three hours to polish your armor? Do you have any idea how long it takes to enchant the space between every link of chainmail? (drops the dagger at Arthur's feet so he knows it was just a demonstration and not a genuine attack, similar to the way that Arthur always aims just to the left of Merlin when he's throwing blunt objects such as goblets because he never wishes any actual harm on Merlin)

Arthur, blinking dazedly: (can't help but think of that one time that Merlin spontaneously became talented at juggling. it's such a strange thing to remember, and completely unrelated to the current happenings, but Merlin's smile was small and smug just like it had been that day, and it just--clicked)

also Arthur, looking slightly more sure of himself now: (needs one final test to make absolutely certain, but he thinks he knows just what to ask) What would you have me do, if I cannot tell you apart?

Real Merlin, without missing a beat: Arrest us both. (shrugs casually) I am a sorcerer after all. Better safe than sorry.

(And that's just it, isn't it. It was just like Merlin, to sacrifice himself like that. It was just so, unmistakenly Merlin.)

Arthur, smirking in mock offense: Better safe than--excuse you, I could take you apart with one blow!

Merlin *cough*hearteyes*cough* "Emrys" Hunithson™, the one and only: I could take you apart with less than that

(In the end, Merlin walks himself to the dungeons as the imposter is arrested, just to give Arthur peace of mind so there's no pressure to second guess his decision since even if Arthur chose wrong, there is no assassin Merlin imposter on the loose. Merlin and the imposter both spend 3 days in their respective cells before the imposter finally does some decidedly out of character shit and Arthur can have him executed with full confidence that it's not Merlin... since the guy really was very good at mimicking Merlin. Arthur didn't even realize that he'd needed it at the time, but looking back, he probably would have had a panic attack as the imposter was marched to be hanged. He probably would have doubted himself at the last second and wondered if he really did believe the right Merlin those few days ago. But thankfully, Merlin thinks ahead sometimes and is actually quite thoughtful and wise on these such rare occasions.)

[theroundbartable]

Arthur is stuck in a time loop.

At first, he doesn't really notice it, since every day feels the same anyway. It's Merlin's good morning that irks him, however, because Merlin tends to switch up the routine a lot. When then the topic of the court meeting is the same, Arthur knows what's up.

In loop three, he asks Gaius for help and the man explains that only a powerful sorcerer could do such a thing and that he'd need strong magic to break it.

The next morning, everything is forgotten. And Arthur researches on his own what's happening. He spends days at the library until one day, he's just really tired.

And so, he stays in bed for a couple days, and lets Merlin complain for hours. It's soozing in an odd way. As days go by, Arthur gets bolder. He approaches Merlin in broad sunlight, hands him food or flowers in front of people and receiving odd stares.

Arthur waits for Merlin's reactions and they seem rather hesitant if also positive. Yet, when Arthur finally gathers up the courage to confess, Merlin rejects him.

Arthur spends another few loops in bed, while Merlin no longer carries any memories of the incident. Arthur then asks Gaius dejectedly who the most powerful sorcerer is he knows.

And Gaius says Emrys and tells him the man lives in the woods, a two day march from Camelot. Arthur loses hope. One loop equals a day. He'd never make it. That is IF the man is even there.

On loop xy, Arthur asks Gaius again, during a different time of day, where Emrys lives. And Gaius answers: about half a day ride north, Sire.

Arthur is confused. That doesn't make sense. Why would Gaius say something different than last time? Gaius was clearly part of the loop! Unless he's lying. And each time he lied he just said the first thing that came to mind.

Arthur stops avoiding Merlin at one point and accepts that Merlin won't respond to his feelings. So, he approaches him and tries to discuss magic issues with him. While Merlin warns him of magic like read from a script, Arthur argues positive aspects. Because he's trying to talk himself into turning to magic to maybe manage to save himself if he trained himself in the arts. Even if it takes years of the timeloop.

Unprompted, Merlin hugs him tight and looks at him with so much affection that Arthur is sure Merlin likes him.

Needless to day, Arthur is more than confused. And Arthur notices another thing. Both Merlin and Gaius react differently to him, depending on how he talks. If he's positive about magic, they are eager to help. Merlin looks most carefree then. And almost like he wants to ... Well, what exactly?

One loop, Arthur tests the theorie: Merlin, I'm going to lift the magic ban.

Merlin stops in his tracks and stares at Arthur. Arthur repeats himself, nervous of the response. Almost more nervous than he was when he got rejected.

Arthur: merlin?

Merlin: why

Arthur: because magic isn't as evil as my father had me believe.

Merlin: is this a trick?

Arthur: a trick? No. I just understand now that sometimes magic is needed. And I need magic right now. *Explains situation*

Merlin: ... arthur, i don't know how many timeloops you've been through

Arthur: you believe me? Uhhhh... 200, probably

Merlin: ... I can help you

Arthur: how?

Merlin: because I'm emrys

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

During the happy time between season 4 and 5:

Lancelot: What the hell is wrong with you?

Gwaine: I have this weird self-esteem issue where I hate myself but still think I’m better than everyone else. You?

Lancelot: …

Lancelot: The opposite, actually. I don’t hate myself but I constantly feel inadequate that I can’t live up to an unsustainable standard I set for myself.

Gwaine: Did Merlin find and fix you?

Lancelot: Yes. I woke up in his bed, healed from an injury I sustained while helping him out of a dangerous situation. Then we committed crimes together before I was banished from Camelot.

Gwaine: Me too!

Lancelot: Did he later find you while on a quest with Arthur while you were still banished?

Gwaine: Yeah, we went to the perilous lands. What was your quest?

Lancelot: We escaped slavers.

Gwaine: Cool. Then you came when he asked for help?

Lancelot: I’ll always be there whenever Merlin needs me.

Gwaine: Lancelot, I think we’re going to get along great.

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

I wasn't planning on posting this today, but this idea came to me today and I must share it! (I'm still working on my special au to celebrate two big tumblr milestones! Hopefully it'll be done by the end of the week!)

With all of the dehumanizing propaganda labelling magic users as "inhuman monsters" that Uther spread during the purge, people who are attracted to magic users are probably labelled as deviants. In Camelot, saying "yeah I'd bang a wizard" is considered completely taboo. But that doesn't stop people from fantasying about what they can't have.

This, of course, spawns a whole genre of steamy romance manuscripts featuring evil sorcerers kidnapping fair maidens and falling in love with them, powerful wizards seducing innocent princess with their dark magics, dark and broody warlocks tricking naive ladies into becoming their lovers through a devil's bargain, etc. These cheesy romance manuscripts are quite popular with the ladies of Camelot, as they have a forbidden aspect to them in both the owning of such stories and the material of the stories themselves. Plus, when you're a noblewoman trapped in a loveless political marriage, the fantasy of a dark and powerful magic user becoming enamored with them and stealing them away is quite the appealing fantasy.

To many people in Camelot, magic users become the ultimate forbidden romance fantasy, being (in their imaginations) secretive and powerful creatures who can use their magic to exert their will and their dark desires on their innocent victims.

The few people in Camelot who have actually slept with magic users don't help these rumors either, as they only add fuel to the fire. Gwaine certainly has plenty of stories to share about how much fun sorcerers and witches can be in bed with their magic, and the people in the tavern listen with rapt attention and furious blushing when he tells those stories.

But when tales of Emrys, the last dragonlord and the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, travel from the druids to Camelot? The wizard-fuckers in Camelot went wild.

Within a couple weeks, there were dozens of steamy (and VERY imaginative) romance novels and manuscripts written and passed around Camelot, all revolving around the mysterious and brooding warlock Emrys.

As people's dirty imaginations ran wild with what Emrys might be like, the general perception of Emrys became more and more ridiculous. According to some of these stories, Emrys was a seven foot tall brooding warlock whose magic made him irresistible, forcing people to succumb to his will.

Pretty much everyone in Camelot gets their hands on one of these manuscripts or hears about them. Gwaine has his own collection of them, which isn't too shocking to anyone, but, to everyone's surprise, Merlin starts collecting some of those stories too (to make sure that no one else gets their hands of such embarrassing material, but people just assume that he has some sort of kink). He even blushes whenever someone mentions them (out of mortification).

Eventually, Arthur finds out about his kingdom's dirty fascination with this Emrys guy because people kept teasing Merlin for his crush on Emrys. Arthur demands to know who Merlin has fallen for (for security reasons, of course, not because he's jealous). It's at that point that Gwen and the knights have to tell Arthur that his entire kingdom (including Merlin apparently) has been thirsting over a hot mysterious sorcerer that no one actually knows anything about.

Arthur almost blows up when he hears this, furious that his entire kingdom has been having dirty fantasies about a dangerous man who's most likely their enemy! And don't even get him started on how Merlin, his Merlin, has the audacity to be more attracted to this Emrys than Arthur himself! This is outrageous!

However, no matter how much Arthur tries to point out to Merlin that being attracted to Emrys is a bad idea and nothing will ever come of it anyways, he still keeps on catching Merlin with those dirty manuscripts about Emrys! (Because Merlin is still trying to secretly get rid of them all).

Eventually, Arthur gets frustrated enough that he'll try anything to get Merlin's attention away from Emrys. He thinks over how he could do that for a while, until one day he overheard two ladies of the court talking about how much they enjoyed it when their partners in bed roleplayed as a powerful magic user like Emrys, and Arthur begrudging came to a solution.

The next day, when Arthur catches Merlin reading a story about Emrys and blushing wildly again, Arthur clears his throat, looks a mortified Merlin dead in the eyes, and asks, "if I took you to bed and pretended to be Emrys while doing so, would that finally get you over your ridiculous attraction to this criminal of a sorcerer?"

Arthur was perhaps a bit too blunt in his delivery, as Merlin promptly started choking on air after Arthur's question in lieu of an answer, much to Arthur's annoyance. You see, as much as it would irritate Arthur to have to pretend to be another man, let alone an enemy sorcerer, in bed, Arthur had a plan.

Arthur obviously needed to rein in Merlin's lust before his servant did anything stupid (like fall into bed with an actual dangerous sorcerer), and what better way to do that than slake Merlin's lust himself? Truly, Arthur was the most generous king there ever was (ignoring his own rampant attraction towards Merlin). And once they were in bed, Arthur would prove to Merlin how great and how proficient a lover he is, and any thoughts of Emrys (or any man who wasn't Arthur for that matter), would be forgotten immediately in the face of how superior Arthur is!

Arthur mentally pats himself on the back for coming up with this genius plan as Merlin's coughing fit finally ends.

"Arthur, why on earth would you even ask that?!"

"Because you're clearly enamored with this sorcerer, so perhaps this will finally get that stupidity out of your system!"

They go back and forth like this for a while, until finally Merlin, to his own shock, agrees to Arthur's proposal. Arthur feels alight with victory for a few minutes, until he realizes that he'll have to learn how to act convincingly like a powerful sorcerer for one night. At that point, Arthur goes out to buy some dark robes for himself to hopefully get more into character, and even "studies" some of those spicy manuscripts to get an idea of what Merlin would be expecting.

Arthur barely managed to finish one of them from how scandalized he was at their contents. Why were these so popular with his subjects?! Still, Arthur soldiered on, reading more and more of the embarrassing romance manuscripts until he finally felt confident in what Merlin was looking for.

Of course, when the time came, Arthur was terrible at roleplaying as a sorcerer, but Merlin didn't mind one bit (most because Merlin was torn between laughing hysterically or being embarrassed beyond belief at at Arthur's poor impersonation of a poor interpretation of Merlin himself, so he decided to instead just enjoy being with Arthur).

And that's all for now! I'm thinking about doing a continuation of this later on, where Camelot (who's been thirsting over Emrys) learns that Merlin had been Emrys all along. Please let me know if you'd like to see that one day!

And, as always, thank you for reading through my ramblings! :D

[onceandfuturelesbian]

COOL MERLIN FIC PROMPT THAT I NEED TO READ RIGHT THE FUCK NOW

okok so merlin’s arthur’s servant blah blah blah and his magic is revealed to arthur and arthur banishes him cause uther would kill him

when arthur becomes king, he sends search parties to find his servant friend love and bring him back home but they never find him

when merlin was banished, he wandered aimlessly until he came across the perilous lands. he decides to settle there to test the limits of his power and finds none. he heals the land, the flora blossoming beneath his touch and fauna returning to the once poisoned land. he revitalizes the castle to call his new home. builds the city back up so it doesn’t feel so empty. the wyverns come to accept him because he made the kingdom feel like home.

once the perilous lands, the kingdom of elmet is now known as a safe haven for magic users and king emrys, the greatest protector of magic and life.

arthur, heartbroken all over again because he can’t find merlin, begins to form alliances with kingdoms that previously wouldn’t consider camelot an ally. kingdoms where magic thrived. arthur had lifted the ban on magic the same day as his coronation, proving he was serious about peace for all. the first kingdom he contacts is elmet.

i think mordred probably lives in the castle with merlin, maybe morgana fled there too when she started realizing she had magic. arthur and morgana are united as brother and sister for the first time, uther had revealed on his death-bed. obviously merthur reunion and merthur endgame cause DUH!!! probably also morgwen or maybe morgwencelot (morgana was gone for a long time and lance was there for gwen)

they unite their two kingdoms, then the rest of albion, under the rule of the two high kings

ok this was longer than i intended but i would love love love to read this please i’m begging

[bluheaven-adw]

Thank you tumblr for absolutely destroying image quality. Freaking wtf?

Some more Dark Excalibur AU

The Knighting of Steve Palchuk

We all agree that Steve needed a better arc than what RotT gave him. He deserved a chance to be a hero, a path that he started in Wizards before it fizzled out into being the comedic relief. Wizards set everyone up as the better generational mirrors to Camelot. Jim to Arthur, Claire to Morgana, Douxie to Merlin, Toby probably to Galahad, and Steve very obviously to Lancelot. I've said at the start that no one comes out of this AU unscathed, so while Steve gets the heroic redemption, it comes at a cost, one that pulls on that parallel.

RotT in the Dk-E still happens, I'm not letting everyone get their happily ever after at the end of Wizards. But I'll be damned if I end it with Toby and so many others dead, and Jim pushed into a timeline reset. You can thank Steve for that. It's because of Steve that Toby lives. Steve goes with Toby in the Taco truck, and it is Steve that yanks Toby out of the way of the collapsing debris. But Steve becomes pinned himself, resulting in the loss of his arm. An act of selflessness and bravery, valor and sacrifice, that earns him the title of First Knight of the Roundtable of New Camelot. An equal advisor, responsible for not only the protection of Camelot, and those Jim has claimed as his (which is everyone, human, troll, changeling, down to the last gnome), but also finding and training new knights, those who value all life and are willing to fight to protect it, and want to see the worlds of man and magic together in harmony instead of hate and fear.

And so we come to the Knighting of Steve Palchuk. This isn't just pomp and meaningless ceremony, this has true weight and meaning to both Jim and Steve. Jim pulls on Excalibur's magic, his voice resonating with ethereal power, creating a bond of trust and loyalty that goes both ways, only formed if given willingly. Knight to his King, King to Knight, both to the protection of all worlds and their peoples. Jim's eyes light up in tandem with the blade as the power of Excalibur and Nimue courses through him, flames licking along the blade's edge and into Steve. Steve's armor reflecting this bond as the magic burns through him.

And like Lancelot, Steve will get a fully functional prosthetic arm. There will be hardship, adapting to this new reality. But Steve has become a hero. A man of courage... far from his highscool self. A survivor, who will fight with everything he has.

Rise now, Sir Steve, First Knight of the Roundtable and New Camelot.

Closeups below

Notes: some of the descriptive wording around the ceremony itself came from a discussion about Jim using Excalibur for the knighting, and are used with permission of Sakon76, who is a much better writer than I.

Expect more if Steve's story at a later time.

[amidnightjen]

The man who slid from his horse was not his son. Not as he’d known him. Uther was still seeking answers for what had befallen Camelot, for what had become of his son, but he wasn’t certain the man before him could give him those answers.

He was changed. The man Uther had sent out to settle unrest along the northern border had been young, eager to please, there’d been a confidence in him that came from the arrogance of youth rather than confidence in his own abilities, something Uther had frequently taken advantage of.

This man bore none of that youthful arrogance. He stood tall, shoulders firm, sure in his own power and strength. The clean youthful lines of his face had given way to rougher lines of hard living, of a neatly trimmed beard.

He did not bow at Uther’s feet, rather he greeted him as an equal.

No, not an equal, Uther saw that in the way this grown version of his son eyed him.

“Father,” he greeted.

“My son,” Uther returned, longing to reach forward and bridge the gap between them and yet knowing it would not be welcomed. For once it was he who felt wrong-footed by their exchange. Something made all the worse when the ranks of knights behind Arthur, some familiar, most not, parted and another man strode up the stand beside Arthur.

Stand beside him as an equal. That at least had not changed, then. Merlin had always been an atrocious servant.

His son’s manservant had changed too, perhaps as much, if not more than Arthur. He stood tall and confident beside his master, clothes better made than he’d ever worn before, at least in Uther’s presence, a thick beard covered his jaw.

“You have returned with answers, I hope.”

“I have,” Arthur replied, his words were unexpectedly made of steel.

“We’ll speak inside.”

“Yes.”

Arthur turned to his head knight, a man Uther did not recognise and issued orders to deal with the horses and the men and then, with words that struck Uther deep he said, “And someone find Ygraine before we lose her to the sights of the Lower Town.��

“Ygraine?” Uther choked out.

“Our daughter,” Arthur replied curtly.

“A grandchild?” He uttered in wonder.

“We’ve much to discuss.”

Uther certainly thought so, no more than when one of the knights stepped forward and said, “King Arthur, the princess is with her grandmother.”

King Arthur.

Much to discuss indeed.

[escespace]

Merthur prompt

Or rather, a long concept that has been going around in my head since I saw a tiktok but that I don't have the energy or time to write:

BUT LISTEN TO ME, I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYTHING LIKE THAT:

The king who seeks his warlock, the warlock who seeks his king. Two halves trying to become a whole again through two parallel growth journeys and a convergence between duty and hope.

So...

Merlin pretends to be heading for Camelot but he definitely isn't going there. I mean, IT'S THE KINGDOM KNOWN FOR ROAST BUNNY ON FIRE SEASONED WITH SORCERERS (he loved his mother but is that woman out of her mind?!)... However, he understands why she came up with the idea and agrees that his magical outbursts are becoming harder to conceal, so he wants to seek help (other than that of an ex-sorcerer who remains under the command of the chief butcher of his kind). He wants to find druids but he knows it will be a difficult journey, druids never stay in one place long enough and they distrust outsiders. Either way, he's already made up his mind and he never backs down when he does that.

Meanwhile Arthur's taking Morris to Gaius because the idiot moved at the last minute while he was practicing throwing knives.And it's totally his fault and not Arthur's. How dare him doubt the ability of his prince? Ha! As if Arthur could fail.

He knows he's going to be late for the banquet and his father will look at him in that way he does and well, it better not be that late, right? So he takes other routes and somehow ends up near where that magnificent entertainment is staying, that Morgana kept talking about but that he didn't listen to at all...

He hears the commotion in one of the rooms and ends up stopping a crime and finds evidence of a possible assassination attempt on the royal family. More or less, Arthur stops the whole fiasco with Lady Helen before it happens.

While they take her to the dungeons to burn her the next morning, she growls, attacks and curses the Pendragon ancestors... Above all, that night Arthur does not stop listening to her again and again claiming for the life of her son, burned that same morning :

«It wasn't Him, it was my magic, it wasn't Him »

And for the first time in his life Arthur asked himself a question related to magic...

Weeks go by and for Merlin things may not be going the way he thought they would. He has been living on just one meal a day and sometimes manages to pick up work in passing villages in exchange for lodging for a couple of nights; but mostly he tries to stay in the woods. It's not that he know much about living off the wild, but He has been through tough times before, not big deal, and for some reason there's something very comforting about being constantly surrounded by nature too.

Almost any discomfort would be acceptable if it weren't for the freaking unicorn that never stops following him. And aren't they supposed to be a sign of good fortune or something? Then why has it been the cause of all his calamities so far? First the overestimated horse tore one of his shirts while dragging him across the grass, and it's not like he's in a position to lack of anything without having money and with the cold nights he usually faces. Then the animal he fought with him until push him into a river whose watercourse rolled him around like a lady's garment during the wash. The last encounter ended when I lead Merlin towards some bandits Merlin did what he could. He knocked most of them down, causing branches to fall on them and their feet to get caught in roots. But one managed to get close enough to knock him until leaving him confounded, then the others who were not so bruised joined in the beating and Merlin could do nothing.

Intense emotions, deep reflections on his identity and self-worth until he is finally saved by an blonde woman. The lady said at most three words and all the bandits fell asleep.

An exchange of words that I can't come up with but ends with the woman telling him that she didn't do it for free, that he should pay with her neckerchief. Merlin doesn't understand but he's hurt and tired so he no protest

(Pause to say that in defense of the unicorn, he was just looking to steer Merlin in the direction of his destiny coughcoughArthurcoughcough, and Merlin didn't make it easy for him)

Days later the thing with Valiant and nobody suspects anything, nobody is there to save the ass of our favorite brat. But a Old lady follows him around like a duck all morning treating him like a adorable and helpful young man (much as a grandma style) until he bends to accept a ☆favor☆, yes that one... You and I know where she got it, Arthur doesn't and he doesn't know how unique and special that little piece of cloth can be.

No one sees anything strange in this favor because the old woman gave it to him in a very public place and everyone assumes that the prince is just being chivalrous

But the scarf ends up being what protects Arthur from Valiant's shield just because I say so and the magic of fiction stories and Merlin and his neckerchiefs have a special connection so its essence or whatever is still there

The story would extend to the first encounters between Merlin and the druids, Merlin and his father (a meeting before time to give them their due quality time and badass moments). He having the opportunity to forge his own identity and an independent path. On the other hand, Arthur discovering aspects of magic on his own to create his own criteria and value system. HE COULD EVEN BE THE FIRST TO TALK TO THE GREAT DEAGON!!!!

Forget that, Arthur is definitely the first to talk to the great dragon and learn of the prophecy. And listening to how it sounds, without many details and as critical as only Kilgharrah can be, plus the fact that he is only told about a certain Emrys and not about if is a wizard or witch or sorcerer or him or her...he comes to the same conclusion as us: That Emrys is his other half, "SHE" IS HIS SOULMATE... Oh man when they meet...

[gdn019283]

Gaius is a bad character (and he is useless)

Woah, woah.

Let me start this by saying that I believe the very and only true enemy of the tv show is Uther, a tyrant, genocidal man, who for petty reasons, indiscriminately decimated an entire group of people merely because he didn’t get what he wanted, and therefore manipulated all those around him into thinking the same as he.

But, and here comes my point, if Uther is a bad parental figure for Arthur, and a bad king, then Gaius is an equally bad parental figure for Merlin, and a bad physician.

And overall, the character doesn’t make much sense to me.

Gaius sides with the oppressor, constantly:

Let’s start this point by also saying that, since the first episode, Gaius treats Merlin like an idiot. (yes, he is young. Yes, he is inexperienced under many aspects, and yes, he is clumsy) But if Merlin comes all happy and naïve in a new city, with so many hopes for himself and his kind, to live a new life that was promised to him, and the first thing he sees it’s a head chopped off because of a magic death sentence, I think he knows what’s up. This only means that Gaius has on his side the belief that he is better only because of his age, and experiences, and makes Merlin believe that he has to listen to him if he wants to make a change. And Merlin does. Gaius never, never, explicitly says to Merlin that Uther is a bad person, and therefore a bad king. He is the usual old guy with more privilege than the other people in his own community, (because he had practised magic) who believes that if he stays in his lane and doesn’t react, then Uther (the oppressor) will grant him his life, which is not even true, because if Uther did found out about Merlin, and that Gaius had been protecting him during his reign, he wouldn’t have even blinked and bye, bye, Gaius. (oh, wait, it happened, and yet, Gaius still painted Uther as a good man). This, of course, only makes everything worse for Merlin. Yes, he is a man of his own and yes, Merlin decided to side with the oppressor too, enchanted by the idea that he could start a revolution without harming anyone and by staying quiet. (not true, and although Morgana does bad things, and does kill innocent people once she is crowned queen, two times, too blinded by power, she does exactly what Merlin had never had the intention to do) But I firmly believe that Gaius, with Merlin, did the same thing Uther did with Arthur. Gaius took a very young, susceptible man with the will to learn new things and manipulated him into thinking that his magic was wrong and that he couldn’t have helped people with it, because it was his fault that everyone always got in trouble. No, Merlin simply reacted outside of the system, and Gaius was pissy about it, and couldn’t accept that, since he had always lived differently (and up until Merlin came into his life, the way he lived even suited him and didn’t bother him at all, because: “As long as it’s not me.”). For fuck’s sake, this old man actively participated in a purge, refused to run away with the woman he loved and was supposed to marry, two times, only because he thought he could do good things from the inside, once Uther started the purge. Did it really had to be this way for Gaius to have a background story for the TV show and stay in Camelot? No, because this man could have used his magic to either change Uther’s ideology, to help innocent people, or literally leave his job as a manservant for the king and refuse to participate in the genocide Uther had and still made during the later years. But no, if Merlin thought that Uther dying by Morgana’s hands was good, Gaius was there to tell him the opposite, using the same excuse of: “Arthur will be a better king.” (and even when he was crowned king, he made so many mistakes, but this will take another post completely).

Gaius didn’t help Merlin multiple times:

By the same course of him siding with the oppressor and basically pushing Merlin to do the same (not an excuse for his later choices, but you see what I mean), he never once actually helped Merlin. He just had more books than the Camelot library. Surprise, I can too read a book and slay an Avanc, thank you very much. Gaius was always ready to lift the curses that hit Arthur, Uther, and once Merlin, but did he do it when it came to Merlin and to help his friends? He refused to help Merlin help Lancelot, or Gwaine, or Freya, or Morgana, or Gwen, or Tom, or Arthur, or— (I could go on and on). So you’re ready to lift curses when they are an advantage to you, old man, but when it’s about a girl that Merlin loves, suddenly it’s a no, no? Oh, but God forbid Merlin tells you that Alice is possessed and tried to kill the king, and you’ll fret. “No, YoU’Re WrOnG, MeRlIn.” It seems to be his favourite phrase.

Young Merlin believes he is a monster, and Gaius just shrugs and goes on about his day:

“You could never understand.” is what Merlin tells Gaius, who nods thoughtfully and then treats Merlin like a… A what? Exactly, a monster. We’ve been enchanted with the whole: “He is the only father figure Merlin has, he is an old innocent man, he’s got jokes—“ and bla, bla, bla. How many times did Gaius convince Merlin that it was his job and no one else’s to be by Arthur’s side and at the same time tell him that every single choice he wanted to make was wrong? It was wrong to help Morgana, it was wrong to use magic to heal Tom, it was wrong to kill Uther, who killed Tom, it was wrong to help Gwen, it was wrong to help Freya, it was wrong to do everything, and you know why? Because Merlin did it in a way that today we would call a radical way, such as bursting through the council hall looking all pretty and powerful to scream that you’re the sorcerer, not your bestie, and Gaius said: “Nope. Just wait ten years of solitude and depression and things will magically (pun intended) be better.” Whatever.

Gaius is a bad physician:

This seems an important point to make. Gaius has a good knowledge about healing, and everything that involves medicine, but he is the worst teacher. I’m sorry, but it reminds me of my fascist teachers who were only able to open a book and let people read from it, and called it a day. Gaius, just like Merlin did multiple times, could have used magical healing arts to prevent so many things, and learn so much more in case he had to tell Merlin, so that maybe Merlin didn’t feel the need to go out in the middle of the night and meet his other bestie, the giant lizard with wings, or follow a stranger that had died 300 years prior in a cave with so many cristals and thinking that he had to kill Morgana to achieve his destiny, since he would have been able to heal Arthur himself and pop back in Camelot. (ta da) But he had the audacity to always reproach Merlin because he was a bad student. Oh, yeah, Merlin, who has to help everyone’s ass, even those he hates, and has to serve the prince/king and goes round doing chores for you is the bad student. Logical.

Moral of the story, Gaius is useless:

Not that Merlin needed to see someone he loved die, or that he needed another trauma to add to the list to have a better character arc, but why did they keep Gaius and killed half the characters that could have helped Merlin build a better character arc? It’s not even the being old part the problem. The problem are the old ways in which Gaius thinks that had harmed Merlin throughout all the show. He lied to him about Balinor for a mother who never even visited Merlin once in Camelot, after she told him he needed to go there. Gaius could have told him earlier? No? Just me? Okay. Gaius made Merlin lie about what Morgause had said to Arthur. Only during the last episodes, where Merlin is tired, very, very exhausted, Gaius tells him that this destiny bollocks is too heavy just for his shoulders. Oh. Couldn’t you have said that to him, I don’t know, maybe ten years before everything turned to shite? “Merlin had Gaius, Morgana didn’t.” Thank God, and in the end, they’re both bad in their own ways, because they were left alone, since it’s always the elderly fault if a young person is moulded to be in a certain way and ends up being either like their predecessors, or a version of them, and still make bad decisions.

Gaius needed to go, sorry not sorry. Just reunite yourself with your lovely bro Uther and disappear.

[okay-j-hannah]

They Meet You And Your Powers

Preference

Characters: Merlin, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Theseus Scamander

Warnings:

Request: “My magic boys! Please, Merlin, Ron, Harry and Theseus reacting to meeting a girl with "Wanda's powers" and falling in love with her!” Anon

~~~

Merlin

She held the glass bottle full of the healing brew. It had taken days to collect all the herbs and stew the petals to create the antidote. It was going to be the saving grace for the infectious disease plaguing the town.

Merlin was sitting on the staircase to his bedroom, watching (Y/N) as she bustled about preparing the precious brew.

“Do you think it’s going to work?” he asked.

“It better,” she replied, “Gaius is no fool.”

“Which is why he asked you to make the brew instead of me.”

(Y/N) laughed aloud and knocked into a table, the bottle of medicine flying from her hands. As it fell in slow motion, she considered for a second whether to use her magic to save the bottle. But that would reveal herself to Merlin and risk her chances of all of Camelot knowing.

But in that instant a pillow came levitating off Gaius’ cot and cushioned the fall of the bottle.

(Y/N) looked up, astonished to see Merlin with an outstretched hand and golden eyes.

“Merlin, you have magic!”

“Yes,” he said quickly, “I can explain.”

She had her hands over her mouth, “I don’t believe it.”

“It was something I was born with,” he said, a clear panic in his voice, “Nothing evil about it.”

She laughed, “I’m not going to turn you in, Merlin.”

He stared at her, his look of fear turning into one of confusion. “I never picked you to be a supporter of magic, (Y/N).”

“You can’t help what you’re born with,” she shrugged, feeling her own power grow in her fingertips. “You’re not the only one.”

Merlin paused, “What do you mean?”

(Y/N) smiled, her eyes beginning to glow scarlet as ribbons of red mist flew from her fingers. It wrapped around the glass bottle and floated it to her hands.

It was incredible the shift of emotion on Merlin’s face. “(Y/N)!” he cried, “You have magic!?”

“I guess Gaius prefers apprentices with powers.”

They shared a laugh, Merlin shaking his head in wonder. His voice became soft and fond as he said, “You’re incredible, (Y/N).”

Ron

She walked down the halls of Hogwarts with hunched shoulders, trying to keep herself as small as possible. Being an extraordinary student came with an upheaval of consequences.

Students saw her magical abilities as an unfair advantage and full of the potential to be evil. Professors revered her and often requested demonstrations of her talents.

Regardless, (Y/N) sought the solitude of her common room more often than not. There were few that regarded her as a friend and not as a magical abnormality, meaning she avoided social interactions as much as possible.

Another instance was now as a group of Ravenclaws passed her in the hall.

“Oh, look out,” they said, “Here comes the freak.”

She ignored their snickers, escaping down the next corridor, only to be stopped by a flying menace.

“Ah, the wee red witch is upset,” came the grading voice of Peeves the poltergeist. “People should run for their lives!”

“Shut it, Peeves,” a new voice appeared, “Go destroy the trophy room and leave her alone.”

(Y/N) turned around to see Ron Weasley defending her. He was one of those fair few that treated her more kindly than the others.

Peeves blew some raspberries in their direction, floating off to cause more mayhem.

“You alright?” he asked, approaching her.

She sighed, “I’m fine.”

“I bet you could’ve sent him off with that magic of yours,” he said, smiling.

“You think,” she said, a surge of power descending her arms and to her hands. It was involuntary how red mist began to spark between her fingers. “You’re not intimated by it?”

Ron looked at her in awe, “That’s the appeal.” He watched as the red tendrils of magic grew and danced in the air, “I think your magic is amazing.”

She grinned at him, that was until the sound of blowing raspberries returned above them.

“The red witch is at it again!” yelled Peeves, “Harming students, she is!”

(Y/N) grumbled, flicking her wrist and sending ribbons of magic towards the poltergeist. His hands and mouth were immediately bound in red. Another crack of her fingers and the ghost was sent flying through the wall.

Ron laughed aloud, “That was incredible,” he stared at her with clear astonishment. So much so that (Y/N) started to believe she really was something special.

“Thanks,” she said quietly, sending a few threads of magic to play with his robes and hair.

He continued to laugh, “I love you!”

He said it so causally and she knew it was because of the way she took down Peeves, but despite that…

… his words made her blush.

Harry

The library was overly quiet that evening, books lazily floating to their respective shelves. The lamps were beginning to dim, and (Y/N) was peering over into the next cubicle, packing her schoolbag.

Harry Potter was slumped over the table surface, head bent at an uncomfortable angle. He was fast asleep, his glasses digging into his nose.

He was twitching in his sleep, his face beginning to contort as if he were in pain.

He was dreaming, she thought, perhaps having a nightmare. She slung her schoolbag across her shoulder, finding herself drawn to him.

Making sure no one was watching, (Y/N) let tendrils of her magic empower her arms. Her eyes began to glow, and ribbons of red came from her fingers, searching for the open mind of her classmate.

He was starting to mumble, sweat dotting his temples as the red magic went for his dream.

She tried not to watch, keeping his thoughts private as she envisioned a peaceful scene for him to wake up to:

Sun on the Black Lake. A warm breeze across the cheek. Back resting against a mighty tree. Green grass tickling toes. Laughter filling ears. Friends gathered for a summer day outside, free from homework and exams.

(Y/N) knew of his friends and made sure they were there to calmly pull him from the previous nightmare.

His face was now serene as he awoke. He sat up, hands going for the crick in his neck. He caught the last remnants of the red glow in her eyes.

“Hello,” she said awkwardly, “You were mumbling in your sleep.”

Harry shook his head, as if to expel the fleeting tendrils of her magic. “Was that you?”

(Y/N) looked down sheepishly, “I know nightmares aren’t fun.”

He knew of (Y/N) and her extraordinary magic but normally she kept to herself. “How did you do that?”

“Change your dream?” she asked, wringing her hands around her schoolbag strap. “I can change realities and give visions to others. I just put a different picture in your head to cover up the nightmare.”

Harry seemed torn as he considered her, his fingers fidgeting with his own bag. It was long enough that (Y/N) started to back away, embarrassed by what she did.

“I’ll see you around, Harry.”

“Thank you,” he choked out. She turned around as he continued, “That was the first time, in a long time, where I woke up from a good dream.”

She smiled, “You’re welcome – anytime.”

“I might take you up on that,” he said more warmly.

Theseus

“What are you doing here?” she asked, resting against the countertop in the lounge room.

Theseus Scamander, head auror for the offices, was looking at her with an interrogative stare. “I’ve heard a few things floating around.”

“Such as?” she asked, stirring her coffee.

He smirked, “That you have some pretty extraordinary abilities. Things that the wizarding world has never seen before.” He tugged on his vest, “I’m impressed that MACUSA was able to recruit you.”

“Why?” she asked, “Surprised that I’m not one of those villains you need to take down.”

“I’ve had my suspicions,” he said all smug. “Can you show me?”

She scoffed, “I’m not a dancing monkey.”

His smile had a bit of mischief and (Y/N) had the impression that he might’ve been flirting.

“Then I’ll duel you for it.”

She raised her brows, “You don’t want to take me on.”

“I like a challenge.”

“I can tell,” she said, enjoying the banter more than she should. “I could obliterate you.”

He nodded, “You’re not instilling confidence in how you’re not a villain.”

She felt a flicker of power surge to her fingers. The heat was building behind her eyes. This auror was really trying to rouse something out of her and she was embarrassed to say that it was working.

“Oh no,” Theseus said, spotting the light dusting of red appearing between her fingers. “Losing some control there, are you?”

“Are you always this infuriating?” she said lowly.

He kept smiling, “I’m a perfectly pleasant person.” His eyes widened as her power grew, “What are you able to do?”

She sighed deep in her chest, raising her hand and bending her fingers. Rivers of red floated around her palm, matching the color of her eyes.

“Telekinesis and manipulation.” Her coffee mug began to stir itself, red mist levitating the mug between them, “I can invade your mind,” she said darkly, “I could make you see things – believe things.”

Theseus swallowed hard, trying to watch her demonstration of power without much of a reaction. “Fascinating.”

Her blood was boiling, “Had enough? Could you leave me alone now?”

The smirk returned to his face, “If you’re interested in auror work…” he tossed a business card towards her and watched as her magic caught it in midair. “… give me a call.”

He winked at her, and (Y/N) knew it was just the beginning of their relationship. The flirtatious, overconfident wizard was going to be the death of her. But she might as well have some fun with it.

~~~

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[himbo-aficionado]

I just think its interesting how at the very end of the story, we see Merlin walking past Avalon, the place where he sent off Arthur all those centuries ago. There are many different ways the scene could've went on to display his everlasting loyalty. It easily could've been a scene where maybe Merlin was with his wife and a kid who was named after Arthur, or he became a historian/scholar who kept the Arthurian legends alive after everything he went through or maybe even a physicist trying to build a time machine, find a loop in time to go back and fix the past.

But no.

We see him all alone, old and unequivocally miserable. No longer meddling with fate nor trying anything at all. Lost in a world beyond time that no man should live past or would even be able to comprehend. We see that he never moved on from Arthur, having somewhat a glimmer of hope deep within him. Nobody speaks about how insanely difficult it must have been to have hope especially when you have no end to your own life. As mortals, we can't even bear grief for a short period of time. Yet, Merlin lived the cursed life of an immortal, a life where he will only keep losing everyone he's ever loved. A life full of grief.

In the modern world shown, nobody even believes in magic or practises it and yet he...still believes that someday Arthur will return to him. In the past, he reiterates that he just wants Arthur to see that everything he does is for him. He tells Hunith that Arthur only likes him because he doesn't know him. We see he acknowledges that Arthur is doing acts of service because he likes him yet Merlin couldn't be satiated because he still wasn't his true self to Arthur. To be seen and known for who you truly are is to be loved, that is all he ever wanted from Arthur, even from the very beginning of their relationship.

"You never once sought any credit"

"Its not why I do it"

During the magic reveal, he said "I use it for you, Arthur. Only for you.", still desperately wanting it to be known that his entire life was devoted to Arthur. There was no talk about legalising magic and whatnot between them either after that. He only kept repeating that he was born to serve Arthur. We see in real time just how much he meant when he said "There will never be another like you, Arthur." Evidently, he meant that Arthur is the Once and Future King but it also plays out for Merlin, because there never was anyone like Arthur in his life after that. To the point where he could find no purpose upon losing Arthur.

And yes he keeps saying that its his destiny to be Arthur's servant, that he grew up and learned the meaning of duty but is that really all it is? Towards the end, it was apparent that Merlin's objective was no longer for magic to be accepted in Camelot (as much as he wanted it). Ever since he found out about Arthur's Bane, it was all about keeping him alive. Even when the great dragon told him that there is nothing he could do anymore, Merlin could not accept to lose Arthur. "I can't lose him, he's my friend." It didn't matter that magic isn't legal yet in Camelot. He could not give two fucks about it anymore or else we would've seen magic in the future scene. One can assume that he completely stopped trying to find a solution. Or even lost the will to live.

What I'm trying to say is that, the final scene really is more than just an epilogue to show his loyalty, immortality and despair. If you think about it for a moment, it shows that somewhere along all the fights, snide remarks, banter, and what he and Arthur think isn't exactly a friendship, - they're stupid, don't mind that - he was in love with Arthur. And Arthur loved him in return even in the face of death as the truth came crumbling down. Its not as simple as 'falling in love' because, I don't think Merlin woke up one day and realised that he was inconveniently in love with the idiot arrogant prince who was tied to him by fate.

Their love was inevitable but it definitely stopped becoming destiny and duty a long time ago, it became a choice. "I'm happy to be your servant till the day I die". Merlin was, and I quote "putting up" with Arthur not because it was his life sentence to do so; it was because he wanted to. The worst thing of all is: Merlin chose to do it for the rest of his life.

[rainyobservationperson]

I had a merthur fic idea that it's keeping me awake at night and I just had to write it down (METHUR PROMPT)

OK, so hear me out. What if merlin after having lived 1500+ years has forgot Camelot?

Like not the idea of Camelot, he knows what happened and knows it's true, but like the specifics are blurry. He suddenly can't remember how did the castle looked, or what was the name of the cook, things that, to him made all of the experience, personal. But it gets worse, he can't remember the face of his mother, or Gaius's voice, he can't remember Arthur, so he panics.

He has had SO MUCH TIME, and so he has studied a lot about his magic, most of it through trial and error and personal experimentation, because most of the magics in the world have already vanished, so he tries to create a new spell, to make himself remember, fearing that he won't recognize Arthur when he came back.

This new spell is meant to help him remember, relive if you will, the memories that he lost. He pours every bit of knowledge into this project, practicing with very advance Alzheimer patients (because of course Merlin is a doctor, and a chemist, and a profesor... he has had time alright) and he makes a lot of progress. He spends years into this, but the progress is too little, he can make an Alzheimer patient remember up to 10 years in the best of the cases, but he has lived thousands, 10 years was virtually nothing.

Frustrated, and honestly more than a little drunk, and sad, he decides to wing it, he shouts the spell sobbing and uses all of the magic that he can, begs the gods to listen and he also threatens them for good mesure and then he passes out.

Basically he time travels, but he DOES NOT KNOW THAT. He thinks the spells work so fantastically he is having a really fucking amazing lucid dream of sorts, he doesn't remember the specifics so he can't know that he is not exactly following his original steps.

So we have a homesick Merlin running around Camelot, way to happy just to be there and maybe a bit high on magic (because of course in the past there's so much more magic than he's grown used to with the years).

Obviously shenanigans ensue, a 21 century mind in a medieval setting, a wizard that is used to using his powers regularly because nobody believed in magic anyways, a doctor with modern techniques, a slightly shortsighted profesor who is use to wearing reading glasses, a lovesick idiot who forgot the face of his first and most true love... He does something (I am yet to figure that part out) and make a big change in the course of the events and finally finds out that he timetraveled and that he is probably fucking up history for good, and tries to fix it maybe.

That's basically the basis of the idea, I think there a lot of possibilities this could go and I really love it. I wanted to write it here so if anybody wanted to write something with this idea or expand on it it could be fun

English is not my first language so im sorry if I made a mistake. Pls let me know what you think about it. I might expand this with more head canons later.

[theroundbartable]

I still can't help but imagine Future Merlin inventing time travel like...

He's been to space, explored universes, established whole civilisations, has his own space ship and one day he invents time travel in between lunch and afternoon snack.

He completely forgets that he could go back to Camelot because he's 5000 years old and that story was ages ago. But then, randomly, he encounters a planet that IS still spreading the story of Arthur and Merlin decides:

"it's time to meet an old friend".

And he just DROPS into the right timeline with his giant space ship, in his space outfit and everything, walks into Arthur's Camelot and just waves: "heya, did you miss me?"

And no one understands a word because language has evolved so much and Merlin forgot most of it, but he eventually gets it.

Yet, Arthur, sitting on his throne, is just absolutely overwhelmed: "MERLIN? what the FUCK?"

Merlin: "yeah, okay, funny thing. I'm not going to stay for too long, I have a dinner reservation with Queen Graaanta of planet Xvaccen. I just wanted to drop by, see how it's going, meet an old friend."

Arthur: "you... Huh?"

Young Merlin: what on earth happened?"

Old Merlin: "didn't exactly happen on earth, tbf. But eh... Good news, Magic hasn't been illegal in over 5000 years. Great, huh? 😀"

Young Merlin: *ashens*

Arthur: "that's a GOOD thing to you?!?!?!"

Old Merlin: "bro, I'm the reason why."

Young Merlin: "what the HELL are you doing!!!! You shouldn't... "

Arthur: "you have magic?!"

Old Merlin: "no, I've lived 5000 years on a well balanced diet. Of course I have magic. I AM magic! Jesus Christ, I forgot how stuck up ya'all are about this."

Arthur: "you lied to me!"

Old Merlin: "hey, not fair. I came here and immediately told you. That's the opposite of lying."

Arthur: "I meant HIM"

Old Merlin: "Not fair either. He came here, TOLD you he could defeat you with less than a blow and also confessed to having magic at your father's court. That's not lying, that's you being demented. Now, can we skip your freaking out? I actually came here to see Gwen and Gwaine and oh jolly , Lancelot is still alive? Heck yeah, awesome!"

Arthur: ... "What about me?"

Old Merlin: "we can talk when you're less murdery towards me."

Arthur: ...

Young Merlin: ...

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

WIP Wednesday:

Merlin doesn't stay in Camelot, after he finds out about his destiny he brings life back to The Perilous Lands and makes it his kingdom to keep magic users safe. - Arthur becomes king and seeks a peace treaty with King Emrys.

Just a snippet from something else I’ve been working on :)

—

Arthur watched Merlin’s back, the glow of a sunset outlining him and making him look almost ethereal. The ornate silver circlet in his hand, hung carelessly at his side, shining golden in the light against the blue cloak hanging from one shoulder. His soft curls dented where they’d been pressed flat wearing his circlet most of the day in court with the high priestesses, and the slight view of his cheekbones when he turned his head.

His breaths were shallow as he stood on the cliff edge. It all made him seem so painfully human, not so untouchable as he had when Arthur and his knights first arrived in his kingdom and yet still impossibly far from Arthur’s grasp.

His time away from Camelot had made him a sap. These feelings he didn’t know what to do with left him aching to reach out and simultaneously terrified to do so.

He tried to imagine it, life as a peasant as Emrys had described it. The dawn to dusk work each and every day, having responsibility for the animals and fearing what his next meal would be if the harvest failed or came up short. It was eerily similar to kingship in some ways, or perhaps that was too ignorant. Others, Arthur couldn’t even begin to comprehend. The torment of the village when he didn’t fit in, the constant fear of what could happen if he let his guard down.

That scar on his forearm took on an entirely new meaning now he knew where Merlin had gotten it.

There was a beat, silent and still whilst the sun fell down the sky as though it was chasing Icarus. Arthur stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the man who had gone to great lengths these past weeks to keep Arthur at a distance.

“It must’ve been hard,” he said, keeping his eyes forward. The warmth radiating from Merlin’s body was magnetic, and he wanted nothing more than to reach out, but this… it was something they couldn’t carelessly rush into.

“It was.” Merlin replied almost bitterly, sadness undermining the anger in his grief. He sighed, running a hand through his curls, searching for words he’d most likely thought a thousand times but never truly articulated. Perhaps that was arrogant to think, but not even Sir Lancelot could get this close to the king. Arthur gave him the same chance to collect his thoughts that Merlin had given him. “The same way most kids talk about monsters under the bed, you fear knights and pyres, and-” He cut himself off and heaved a breath that seemed to take everything he had before swallowing, Arthur watching the tense muscles in his neck work.

He continued more tentatively, sounding so raw and utterly exhausted, “And when most kids believe the knights you’re so afraid of hunt monsters, you start wondering if maybe that's why they hunt people like you.” The smooth velveteen voice Arthur had grown used to over the past few days was replaced with something more tear-soaked and cold. Merlin kept his eyes focused on the horizon, as though keeping an adequate distance between them.

He couldn’t respond, couldn’t find the words that would truly describe everything he wanted to say. He stayed silent, instead offering silent company if Merlin wanted it.

He didn’t cry. It wasn't for any sign of strength, Arthur thought Merlin displayed his strengths and tenacity in living rather well, simply by how he carried himself. His whole existence was a testament to his relentless bravery and capabilities. He must’ve spent too many nights crying his grief, and it wasn't too difficult to see that weight on his chest that had eased with time clearly hadn’t gone away entirely.

Arthur wondered if the other wounds Merlin carried festered like this one. If he’d offered his condolences and private yet sincere advice that grief wasn’t something that would go away so quickly, thinking about the child in a village fearing for his life or something else.

“I just didn’t want to feel like a monster anymore.” Merlin said finally, breaking through the silence. His voice was set in stone and he seemed, once again, the immovable, untouchable, magical king that he was.

In one sentence, he was a little less of Merlin and all the more of the omnipotent god of magic, king of his people, Emrys.

Arthur wished he was brave enough to reach out to him again, but he didn’t dare.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and Merlin declared that they should return, mounting his horse and waving Arthur to do the same, he followed silently and took the coward's way out that Merlin was providing him. They wouldn’t speak of that evening again, and that was going to have to be agreeable with him because there was nothing he could do any differently.

———

Recently I’ve had a really hard time liking anything I’ve written enough to post it, that includes chapters of Leon’s knowing and unknowing treason which I really want to bring to an end at some point, but I’m trying to build my confidence enough to post the last few chapters of that currently sat in my drafts so I can move onto my next project. I know it’s been months, I'm sorry. I’ve got most of it finished but I hate everything about it at the moment and the urge to scrap the whole thing and turn it into two or three separate fics is way too strong so I thought it would be better to put it down for a bit then come back.

I’m honestly just trying to prove to myself that I can write something bad and still won’t be completely ridiculed off the internet for it. I really don't like this and it's never gonna see the light of day outside of a doom folder (or fic graveyard if I get enough dopamine to finish it) but I'm trying to be brave so please let me know what you think :)

And if I can convince myself it's not completely crap, I’ll have Leon’s knowing and unknowing treason edited and posted soon.

[raphaellight]

A misconception about Adventures of Merlin (specifically, about Uther)

I had a epifany lately regarding Adventures of Merlin. Everyone is giving Uther a hard time for his treatment of magic, yet it struck me:

He isn't that BAD as it seems.

NO, NO, HEAR ME OUT

He is ruthless, cruel and hatefull classist, also hypocritical for seeking magics help when it was about someone from his family. What I get at, that's not what made him unique inside the world builded in the show. Let's call up some trivia facts.

Merlin knows better than to admit he has magic, even tho he lived all his live outside of Camelot's kingdom (he doesn't do a great job at it, but you get my point, he knew he can't show his magic). And it wasn't because of the execution he witnessed at his arrival. It shocked him, but didn't suprise him. He never question it later.

With-hunter doesn't live in Camelot. He came when Uther called for him. He must have doing his business elsewhere.

Headhunter that brought Freya to Camelot never specified where he caught her. He brought her to Camelot, because Uther payed.

No other kingdom used magic in the open. And it wasn't exacly because of Uther, he was respected, but Camelot wasn't an empire dicating rules for everyone else. It was one of many states present.

Uther was hella respected among other kings, one of the reasons being, he conquered Camelot which was ruled by magic before his rulership.

That shows us, when we look, Uther wasn't a source of hate towards magic. Camelot was known for it's ruthless laws against it, but we never hear about a kingdom, where sorcerors and sorceres are free to practice. Best we've seen were individuals allowed to practice magic as long as it served the kings business. Uther was just a representative of the believe, a leader of a nation that didn't want magic. There was a backstory to it, magic brought Arthur to life, but took Uther's wife. Except, that only made him hate magic more. If it had started the hate itself, Camelot would have to rule over everyone else in order to enforce no magic laws outside it's borders as other Kings wouldn't be so kean to stop magicians from healing people and bringing better harvests every year. Also kings would definitelly treat him very differently thruout the show, kissing his ring and bowing before him, not sit down with him to negotiate the fates of kingdoms.

Uther was bad, but the misconception is that, he is the unique villain inside Merlin's world, while he was just the best at doing what everyone else did as well. Opressing people with gift of magic.

I wrote it partly because it strucked me, but partly because I saw a post hating Uther. Don't get me wrong, he was usually despicable tyrant. But he wasn't always a villain. There were at least phew instances, when he showed he cared for other people, he was very generous for his people, he was a great and smart leader and for last, correct me if I'm wrong, a lot of magical trouble Merlin had to overcome was not tied to any revenge on Uther, just evil people using magic for their own benefit. And that's why he is one of my favourite characters to ever grace the screen. He was a really complex character that just so happened to be in the wrong more than in the right and had his flaws dominate his virtues.

I'm planning to pull a series of posts about hated characters, presenting new perspectives and examples of characters that aren't beloved by everyone, stick with me if you want to see more. Definitelly gonna touch on more magical characters.