#arthur just keeps asking merlin if he's ok

[weaponizedducks]

shoutout to s2 ep13 the last dragonlord for being the gayest ep of merlin actually

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

Ok, I don't really post here, but there's a Merlin AU idea that's been rattling around in my skull like it's a pinball machine and I need to get it out, so here we go:

Imagine an AU where Balinor doesn't die and banishes Kilgarrah before sneaking away so Uther doesn't catch him and can't put his newfound son in danger. Of course, both he and Merlin are heartbroken about having to be separated again after just finding each other, but they work out a way to keep in touch and occasionally meet in secret.

And this is all well and good, and everything in the show just kinda proceeds as normal up until about season 4, where we have the knights of the round table well-established in Camelot.

It'd make sense that after a few years of travelling around with Kilgarrah, Balinor would be pretty well-known and well-feared throughout all the five kingdoms as "that dragonlord who escaped the purge and now travels around on the back of a giant dragon", and people all over Albion are kinda terrified of the guy.

Rumors say that he never smiles, that he can kill a man in a split second without even utterring a spell, and can decimate kingdoms with the dragon under his total command. That makes for a formidable figure!

And then one day, Balinor is trying to sneak into Camelot to visit his son (he heard Merlin got hit by a dorocha and wants to make sure he's ok!), and the knights see him and freak out because holy shit that's one of the deadliest guys in Albion!

They're in a tense standoff, with Balinor threatening to call down the dragon on them if they don't let him through. The knights are all ready to give their lives to at least buy the people in the castle time to evacuate, when suddenly Merlin and Arthur make it to the standoff. Arthur immediately starts strategizing with his knights on how they're going to negociate with the sorcerer in an attempt to make sure that they aren't all slaughtered.

Meanwhile, Merlin just laughs and pushes through the rows of knights blocking Balinor's path to the castle. The knights, being very fond of Merlin and not wanting to see their kind little friend be brutally murdered by one of the most terrifying men in exsistence, are trying to grab Merlin and pull him back to safety or shouting at him to get back, but Merlin manages to avoid them as he walks up to Balinor.

For a horrifying moment, the knights and Arthur think that Merlin is about to sacrifice himself for them, but Merlin breaks into a huge grin, yells "Dad!", and runs right into Balinor's arms.

(Merlin and Balinor reason that now that Arthur's king, they might as well start easing him into some of Merlin's less shocking secrets)

And even more shockingly to the knights, Balinor hugs him back, asking Merlin all about how he's been doing, how are his studies under Gaius, etc etc.

And all of the knights just bluescreen. Because the math isn't mathing on this one. Hunith + Balinor = MERLIN?! Does not compute.

They're all pondering how could someone as joyful, friendly, and kind as Merlin be the spawn of a terrifying man like Balinor?? They just cannot comprehend it. The manservant who they all know and love came from this sorcerer who's name is synonymous with the threat of death and destruction??

They're all jolted back to reality however when Balinor asks Merlin if he wants to come back to Balinor's newly-renovated stronghold in the mountains (that's only accessable by riding a dragon) to learn more about one day becoming a dragonlord. And suddenly, the knight understand why Balinor's here. He wants to kidnap Merlin from them and twist him into a terrifying sorcerer to carry on Balinor's legacy!

It all basically dissolves into a long game of high-stakes tug-of-war between Balinor and the knights + Arthur, and Merlin's just enjoying spending time with his father and his friends.

Balinor will just casually crash one of their quests while riding Kilgarrah and "kidnap" Merlin while the knights fight to keep Merlin with them.

Balinor eventually gives Merlin Aithusa so he can get practice raising dragons, and the knights see it as some evil scheme to make Merlin betray Camelot and attack it from within, but damn it Merlin's already adopted the damn thing so now they're stuck with a baby dragon.

IDK if I'd ever write a fic about it since I'm pretty busy writing another fic rn, but I thought that it was a funny idea to throw out there!

PS: if anyone wants to read my current project, where I'm giving Sir Leon more anxiety with each chapter after a kinda-botched magic reveal on Merlin's part (and Merlin may or may not be an eldritch god), feel free to check it out here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54027337/chapters/136771564

Thank you all for sticking with my incoherent rambling! :D I hope you have a great day/night!

Also, please let me know if you guys wants to hear more of the ideas that pinball around in my head!

[zalrb]

If you have already talked about this, I apologize, but what do you think about this scene ?

I don't remember the context, but it's quite heartbreaking that Merlin makes it into a joke, knowing fully well there's the possibility of Arthur dying.

Oh yay! A Merthur question! I've referred to it in the past but I haven't spoken it about it specifically. From a previous post:

but this moment:

I love this moment so much because Arthur is doing his best to be stoic, to show as little concern as possible because as he said in season 2:

but for one second when he clenches his jaw and sort of inhales, he’s about to break, his emotion is about to overwhelm him and he’s trying to hold it together but Merlin keeps asking to stay by his side, to just be with him and it’s making it hard for him to concentrate on being emotionless so he just ends up bickering with Merlin because he’s worried and upset and scared and can’t Merlin just do what he’s told and get better??

Um, the context is actually pretty loaded because this is the episode Merlin finds Balinor, and obviously Arthur doesn't know that Balinor is Merlin's father just that he's the [apparent] last dragonlord that will help them but Balinor dies so Merlin's going through the emotional rollercoaster of having met his dad for the first time and then losing him pretty immediately afterwards

with Arthur being there for the whole thing but without knowing what's actually happening. He's focused on the fate of Camelot and so he thinks his only chance of saving his kingdom is gone

so when we get to the scene, Arthur thinks he's going on kind of a fool's errand riding out to meet Kilgharrah

and he's actually trying to prepare Merlin for the event of his death

like you see him think about how Merlin would react to him dying

and he's asking him not to be sad, don't grieve for me, don't cry for me because he doesn't like the thought of Merlin in pain especially in pain over him and it's this very patient, protective, he's-a-gentle-soul kind of conclusion and reasoning

and it's not that he wants him to be hardened, he wants him to understand that these things happen and he just wants him to be OK and he communicates that by saying that he tells young knights to move on

and when Merlin makes that crack, it's sweet because it really just speaks to the intimacy of the moment

that he tries to deflect by cracking a joke like 'haha, you don't even mean that much to me, bro!'

"Anyway, let's go fight a dragon together because I'm never leaving your side!"

which actually begets another vulnerable moment

that Arthur kind of backs away from because WHOA that's some direct intimacy there, bro

[after quietly reveling in awe of how brave he finds Merlin just seconds before]

so, another joke because HAHA WE'RE JUST TWO BROS WHO ARE INTENSELY DEVOTED TO EACH OTHER

PLAYFUL-THANKS-BRO PUNCH

These fucking dorks.

[stressed-and-queer]

Reasons why Merlins s1 ep4 "The Poisoned Chalice" is one of my favorite episodes (spoilers)

Gaius giving Merlin a fake proverb and Merlin calling him out on it

Merlin: "Someone has to keep the place running"

Gaius: 🤨

Merlin gets so excited he gets to go to the ball and it's adorable

The iconic outfit Arthur picks out for him

Gwen teasing him about the hat

Arthur looking back at Merlin clearly amused

The moment "Clara" confirms that Arthur's cup is poisoned he immediately leaves to save Arthur

Arthur keeps on trying to take a sip of the cup thinking the speech is over only to be interrupted again 🤣

Merlin: *Takes Arthur's cup*

Arthur: #annoyed

Uther asks Merlin for proof about his claims about the cup being poisoned and Arthur immediately goes into protective boyfriend mode

Arthur got so worried when Uther decided he would drink the wine

To the point that he tried to drink it himself knowing there was a possibility it was poisoned.

He was literally willing to do that for a servant he met 4 EP ago

Continuing with the point that they met 4 EP ago, they've known each other for like what, a month at the most and Merlin was already willing to die for Arthur

"but if it's poisoned, he'll die :('

Arthur was so fucking worried when Merlin drank the wine, you could tell just by the way he stood

*Dramatic music playing after Merlin drank the wine for a dramatic pause* Merlin: ...It's fine

The fact that the poison took a few moments to kick in. Idk it made it seem more realistic

You cannot convince me Arthur wasn't planning on somehow getting Merlin back from Bayard

When Merlin starts to choke, Arthur's face immediately drops. There's just a look of pure worry and dread

When Merlin falls to the ground unconscious, Arthur is there by his side in a matter of seconds

Arthur didn't even think twice when he picked Merlin up to carry him to Gaius's physician chambers

Arthur asking if Merlin was going to be ok

Gaius explains how to save Merlin, and how dangerous a journey it would be and Arthur is still willing to go to save Merlin

Gaius: A single drip of venom from the Cockatrice would mean certain death

Arthur: Sounds like fun!

Morgana has so much faith that Arthur would save Merlin she wasn't even worried

She relieved Gwen from her duties for the rest of the night so she could take care of Merlin!!!

"I can't stand by and watch him die!"

" Then don't watch"

The ways those lines are delivered are sooooo good omg

The way Arthur leans against the fireplace

Morgana is the one that convinced Arthur to defy his father and save Merlin

Merlin saying a spell in his sleep

And Gaius having to cover for him because Gwen was literally right there

Gaius immediately knows it's Nimue that poisoned the cup when he finds out the poison has been magically enhanced

"He's just a boy"

"Have you seen your son recently?"

Merlin literally moans Arthur's name in his sleep

"Art-Arthur, Arthur...ngh" -Merlin s1 ep4

Even when Merlin is literally dying and unconscious he's still trying to save Arthur

The whole act that Nimue puts on that Arthur falls for instantly

When Arthur flights the Cockatrice with his sword. I love all the fancy movements Bradley had to learn for the role of Arthur

Merlin moaning Arthur's name pt2

Merlin tries to warn Arthur that it's a trap in his sleep

"Who are you!"

"The last face you'll ever see"

Merlin moans Arthurs name pt3

THE BALL OF LIGHT MERLIN CREATES TO HELP ARTHUR

"Do not let Merlin die because of something I did"

Arthur is willing to be put into the stocks for a month if it means Merlin gets the antidote

Arthur reaching for the flower through the bars of his cell

The way they snuck the flower out of the cell

"That's disgusting, you would be ashamed of yourself you're old enough to be her grandfather"

"I'm proud of you Arthur, never forget that"

Arthur went to check in on Merlin to make sure he was doing ok

"Arthur....thank you"

"You too, get some rest"

[thenerdyindividual]

Ok I’m back with an actually serious ship ask: Arthur/Merlin/Gwaine 👀🌿

MY FAVORITE POLYSHIP OF THIS FANDOM!! Courage/Strength/Magic, Soldier/Poet/King, Merlin and his himbos, knights and their sorcerer. Two men who have built their lives around being tough and talented violence, having to steady themselves for someone more delicate. The irony of Merlin being tougher than they think. There's something so playful about this ship. I love the banter they all have with each other. That moment in the Fisher King when Gwaine and Merlin exchange that look to make fun of Arthur? Merlin calling them both stupid jocks when their plan to escape the slave trader in The Coming of Arthur only works because Merlin used his magic? I just know these three are always making fun of each other.

There is also such good potential for angst there! The way Gwaine and Merlin are so easy with each other, totally has the potential to play on Arthur's insecurities. Merlin having to keep his magic from both men he loves? Ouch!! Gwaine coming in late, and seeing how established Merlin and Arthur already are with each other, and feeling like an intruder? Augh!

But there is also so much trust there. Merlin asks Gwaine for help protecting Arthur again and again, and Gwaine always agrees. When Merlin can't keep an eye on Arthur, Gwaine does. When Arthur can't keep an eye on Merlin, Gwaine does. All three have each other's backs.

Plus in my ranking of Arwaine, I said Gwaine would commit to a bit during sex and Arthur would be so annoyed by it, especially because he would still be turned on. I think this aspect would double down, because Merlin never passes up a chance to take the piss when it comes to Arthur. So, he would 100% commit to Gwaine's bit just to watch Arthur squirm.

I rank this ship:

A-Tier

Send me a Merlin Ship and I’ll rank it on a tier list. Note: This is a subjective ranking and a low ranking in no way means that I am shaming you for your taste in ships.

[artstelle]

Not Mine To Keep

The first time Arthur came to Merlin's shop, he looked so out of place, unsure of what to do. Merlin guessed he was either too "manly" to be seen buying flowers, or a rich prat who never had to buy his gifts himself. Neither were exactly wrong guesses. He felt bad for the woman the man was buying the flowers for.

They had a rather unpleasant encounter that day and Merlin was sure the man would never, ever come anywhere near the shop again, and would probably tell everyone he knew not to buy from there either. So it was a surprise when he saw the other man again. He said that while the employees were rude, the place unfortunately had the best flowers around. Of course, that would be a better excuse if the man actually bought any flowers that time.

After that, it became a regular thing, Arthur visiting once a week. At first, he asked questions about flowers, then it turned into them chatting, insulting each other sometimes and joking, laughing.

Merlin knew he shouldn't, but he was sad and depressed when the man – Arthur, he learnt – stopped coming. He was worried when Arthur didn't show up for two weeks in a row, but weeks turned into months and he accepted that the other man had probably just grown bored of their little conversations.

And then, he just showed up. Merlin welcomed him as he would any other customer, tried not to stare or ask demand an explanation as to why he just vanished. But he knew he had no right to, they were two strangers having casual conversation, that was all. If Merlin had feelings for that gorgeus blond man who turned out to be actually funny and charming, then it was his problem alone.

Arthur stayed silent for some time, and he seemed nervous, god knows why. He looked at his hands, the flowers, the walls and anywhere other than at Merlin. Just as the silence started to be too much and Merlin thought maybe he should say something, Arthur opened his mouth.

"I had things to deal with. Things to arrange. Both personal and business issues." Merlin wanted to say there was no need for explanation, but was too shocked by Arthur's next words to say anything. "I am sorry."

Arthur Pendragon did not apologize. He would show that he was sorry, but never put it into words.

But Merlin had to talk, because the man was looking at him, obviously waiting for an answer. "Oh, um... O-ok." What he wanted to say was: why do you look like a kicked puppy? "It's fine, life gets busy sometimes." That seemed to ease Arthur's mind, if the smile that formed on his lips was any proof. His beautiful lips, how nice it would be to kiss them. Oh for god's sake! Merlin had to get rid of those thoughts.

"Well, is there anything you want? If you aren't going to buy anything, I can get you a chair, but you're blocking the way. Though I don't think I can talk much, there's a big order I need to prepare." He didn't mean to sound harsh, didn't want Arthur to leave, but it was hard to go back to how they used to be. Maybe in a week, he would stop wondering what the personal matters he had to arrange were.

"Actually... I want to. I'm here for a bouquet."

Oh... Ok then. That was unexpected. Merlin remined himself that there was nothing for him to be sad about.

"Ok, which one?" He showed the bouquets that were prepared for customers to choose from. It helped them to see how the thing would look before purchasing, it and was faster to have some made up already when it was busy. And if they didn't sell, Merlin took them to the local hospital to give someone a little smile. "Or do you want a custom made one?"

"A custom one. But I was hoping you could help me choose the flowers." Arthur twisted the end of the ribbon on the counter around his finger.

"Sure, it is my job." Stop being so nervous, Merlin told himself firmly. "What kind of bouquet do you want?" He didn't want to know but he had to ask.

"To show... Something that says 'You are important to me' and 'I think of you all the time.'"

Merlin's heart hurt so much he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hide it. It was no surprise the bouquet was for Arthur's lover, but he would never have expected Arthur could say such things. He must really love her. "And 'I wish to spend more time with you.'" Arthur looked at Merlin for the first time since he had entered the shop that day. Merlin wished he wouldn't. "And..." Please, enough, go tell those things to her yourself. I don't want to hear them! "'I love you.'"

Merlin turned his back, knowing he should be happy that Arthur had found someone he loved. Arthur often talked about the girls his father threw his way and how he never had any feelings at all, at least most of the time. Whenever that happened, Merlin thought about Arthur's first visit to his shop, the bouquet he'd bought, but he couldn't bring himself to ask who it had been for.

"I'll make something." He bit his lip while choosing the flowers. Merlin stared at the bright lamp to prevent the tears from falling down his cheeks. He didn't want to make a fast and simple bouquet just to get away from the situation. It was important to Arthur, and if Merlin couldn't be happy for him, at least he could do his job right.

After who knew how long, he had the flowers ready. "Here, I hope she likes them."

But Arthur did not reach out to take them.

"I hope he does," he said instead. "Keep them, please. They're for you."

_____________________________________________________________

Look… I drew that in November. Then when I was posting, I realized I forget to add the bouquet and since then it is waiting to be posted in my wip folder. Not even wip! I put that in completed folder cause like, it was mostly done. I wanted to pick flowers with correct meanings. I gave up and just drew a pretty bouqute cause it is better than never finishing it. Please pretend they have suitable meanings to what Arthur wanted to say.

I wasn't planning to write something that long! Wow.

Edit: I posted it to ao3 too. Here is the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48305071

Flowershop AU for @merlinbingo

art by @artstelle

[sparklygraves]

imagine Arthur & Merlin were dating but keeping it on the down low. everything’s going ok & they’re having fun UNTIL Uther is like kk time to get married, Arthur. we need a good alliance with so-&-so kingdom. Arthur chokes on his wine. Merlin freezes behind him.

Arthur agrees to meet with the princess Uther wants him to shack up with because what choice does he have, really?

“What shall I say?” he huffs at a stony-faced Merlin (when they’re back in Arthur’s chambers that night). “Sorry, father. I can’t marry the princess because I’m shagging my manservant?”

Merlin walks out.

the next day, George wakes Arthur.

THEN, GWAINE to the rescue! he sees his beloved buddy Merlin’s in a bad way. “Princess getting you down?” he asks. “You know, I’ll turn on him in a moment. Just say the word.”

Gwaine knows it’s bad when Merlin doesn’t smile.

that night Merlin tearfully tells Gwaine everything over a tankard of ale & Gwaine concocts a plan: “You’ll date me.”

Merlin spits out his ale.

Gwaine grins & pats him on the back. “It’s alright, honey. I got you.”

Merlin lets out a strangled laugh.

& so, from then on, whenever Arthur is around, Gwaine is sure to be extra flirty with Merlin, who responds with the most adorable blushes. Gwaine honestly wouldn’t mind doing this for real…

meanwhile Arthur is monstrously jealous.

aaaaand love triangle shenangigans ensue!

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

asking about your piss take headcanon that merlin and dr who take place in the same universe

hell yeah!

ok so in Journey's End (4x14) the Doctor explains that Gwen from Torchwood looks exactly like Gwyneth from The Unquiet Dead (1x03) due to 'spatial genetic multiplicity'

Russell T Davies described it as the 'repetition of physical traits across a time rift'.

Oh, the time rift in Cardiff? the time rift only 16 miles away from Caerleon, where Camelot was supposedly located

which is interesting because you know who else bares a striking resemblance to Gwen and Gwyneth? Lady Helen from the first episode of Merlin

(and I think she also low key looks like that actress Eve Myles, but maybe that's just me)

if this isn't enough to convince you, need I remind you that the characters of Arthurian Legend very much exist in the whoniverse

the Doctor's involvement in King Arthur's life is incredibly convoluted and contradictory, even within DW canon. But many stories involve the Doctor intervening to ensure that things go according to Arthurian Legend and earth's history remains consistent

for instance, there is a plot in Classic Who where Arthur's body is placed in a spaceship at the bottom of the lake, in an effort to follow the legend that he is "in eternal sleep until England's greatest need", as Ace quotes. The Doctor says that Merlin must have been involved and yet the spaceship is activated by the Doctor's voice, which is "exactly the kind of thing (the Doctor) would do". Leading Ace to ask:

clearly, some of Merlin's actions are fixed points in time and the Doctor must confirm that those things come to pass at some stage in his future

so, when does the Doctor go back to intervene with Arthur's burial and various other events? is it during the Seventh Doctor's run? One story suggests that it was the Eighth Doctor

but I would argue it was the regeneration after that. The version of the Doctor who attempted to make peace during genocide against his race and was betrayed and defeated. The last of his kind, desperate and ruthless

the version of the Doctor that sounds eerily similar to Kilgharrah (and also a bit like John Hurt)

you know, Kilgharrah, who manipulates Merlin to act in accordance with an abstract fate that only he understands

"but the Doctor can't be Kilgharrah, he's a dragon!"

bet. 2 words: chameleon arch

it can modify a Time Lord's biology, turning them into a different species. Sure, usually into a human, but who's to say that it can't work for dragons?

Time Lords still retain their time sensitivity, which would explain how Kilgharrah has an innate knowledge that some events are fated and others are subject to change

and then Kilgharrah's laments about "watching civilisations rise and fall" and his vengeance against Uther are repressed memories from the Time War

maybe it was while the Doctor was a fugitive from the Time War and he decided to kill two birds with one stone and go into hiding as a dragon. and then also make sure that the Arthurian Legend timeline was in order

so, destiny doesn't exist at all, it's just the War Doctor spouting out bullshit riddles to keep the time stream straight

of course, if these characters exist in the same universe, what about Merlin/Jethro, Uther/Mr Finch, Gaius/Dr Constantine, Gwen/Katherine, Percival/Jeff, Nimueh/Lady Christina, Lady Vivian/Jenny, Will/Cline, the list goes on

I have crack theories for those too, each one more deranged than the last, but this post is long enough already

[cbk1000]

Hey, remember how I wrote a fic that was literally just about two men driving around the countryside looking at animals and being gay for one another? And it was 90,000 words? And at the end I went, "That wasn't enough nothing, so I'm going to write a sequel to this?" Anyway, here's a preview from that sequel:

Merlin gave him a few biscuits to show they were still chums, and then rested for a bit with his forearms on the table, recovering his stamina and courage for the follow-up round. The pocket on his scrub top was torn, and his trousers had seen neater days in a byre. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. The door opened, thankfully, before he had launched himself into the next round, and in came Gaius with his stethoscope round his neck, saying, “It sounded like the Blitz in here, so I thought I’d give you a hand.”

“Yeah, did it give you flashbacks?” Merlin asked cheekily, though he did not yet have the breath to be a fully-realised shit.

Gaius rolled his eyes. “Ah, Charlie. Have you been giving Merlin some trouble?”

“He’s given me all the trouble. I’m sedating him next time.”

“It’s only an ear cleaning, Merlin.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I don’t see you in here being the David to his Goliath.”

“David won, didn’t he?” Gaius replied serenely.

“Sure, if you believe a book that says some guy talked to a burning bush and he wasn’t even tripping balls.”

Gaius rolled his eyes. “Where’s Arthur?”

“Does everyone ask ‘Where’s Merlin’ when I’m gone?” Merlin demanded.

“No.”

“He’s shopping because we’re the worst gays ever and we live like two bachelors who forgot that they have to do things like actually keep replenishing the refrigerator which, turns out, doesn’t just refill itself. But I can’t believe he’s still not here. I bet he knew Charlie was coming in today and he’s sat at home right now swigging champagne and living the high life and laughing at me cutting off dog’s balls and putting in bloody ear drops.” Then his phone went, and he slipped it out of his pocket to find there was a text notification from Arthur. “His ears must have been burning.”

Gaius put on fresh gloves and knelt down stiffly to greet Charlie whilst he read the text, which said very cryptically, Ring me; I need saving.

He did so. “Hullo, it’s your handsome, charming, taller boyfriend, saying these things because he assumes if you try and refute them you’ll ruin the bit. Who do you need saving from?”

“Oh,” Arthur said on the other end of the line. “Ok. Right. Well, don’t worry, I’ll be there straight away.” Then: “I’m sorry, Olivia, I’m afraid there’s a bit of an emergency at the clinic. Right. I’ll tell him as soon as I see him. Right. But I think it’s really a pretty big emergency and I’m needed straight away. Yes, I’ll tell him. Yes. No, it’s not him on the phone, it’s one of the front desk staff. I think he’s in surgery. Yes. That’s why I’m needed. Exactly.” Merlin took the phone away from his ear for a moment to laugh.

“Are you free of her?” he asked when he had finished snorting.

“I’m hurrying across the street now, too quickly for her to follow, so I think I’m in the clear. Or else I’ll be hit by a car; either way, I'm free.”

“Is that what’s taken you so long to do the shopping? I was about to ask if you’d gone to York.”

“I’m at our very own Morrisons right across the street. I finished shopping nearly an hour ago. She ambushed me. Trixie has rabies again.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Merlin blurted out.

“Merlin,” Gaius scolded him with a frown.

“Well, sorry, but Olivia Harris thinks her bloody dog’s got bloody rabies again, so I’m pretty confident the next thing Arthur’s about to say is that she demands I go out there and fix her up with one of those rabies shots again before she’s torn limb from limb by her 14-year-old Pomeranian. Some people are too stupid to live, and I wish they wouldn’t.”

“Merlin!” Gaius barked.

“Oh, yeah, because this whole village is going to go into mourning if she cocks up her toes. Probably give Death a plaque and a hand shake when he comes for her.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Arthur said. “I’ve still got to get the shopping home, but I know she’s watching me, and if I don’t pop into the clinic for the ‘emergency’ then I might as well walk into oncoming traffic.”

“Don’t do that; I need you to help me with Charlie.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “Don’t,” Merlin snapped. “You dare go home or walk into oncoming traffic. I’ll drag you right out of hospital.”

He did not walk into oncoming traffic, but through the employee entrance a few minutes later, after Gaius, citing the imminent arrival of Arthur as a reason to scurry off without having so much as scratched one of Charlie’s ears had scarpered. Merlin, sensing the presence of a fellow cow wrestler, who might have been up to the gargantuan task before him, poked his head out of the exam room, said, “Get in here,” and yanked Arthur in by his shirt, in case the command had not been clear enough.

“Don’t manhandle me,” Arthur said.

“I thought you liked that,” Merlin said.

Arthur was still fresh enough to being dicked down that he coloured, very faintly, though bamboo shoots under his fingernails would not have gotten him to confess to it. He went into the overhead cabinet for some gloves, and then knelt down in front of Charlie, though all he would have had to do to meet him eye to eye was to stoop down a bit. “Hello, Charlie. Has this twat been mucking about with your ears again?” He rubbed them.

“I’ve cleaned them out and just need to put in the antibiotic drops.”

“‘Just.’ That’s like saying you ‘just’ need to build the third Pyramid of Giza,” Arthur complained.

“That’s right, I did the first bloody two, you whingeing pillock, now man up.”

“Good morning, by the way,” Arthur said, in a tone which implied very heavily it was not. Arthur had had a rare lie-in that morning whilst Merlin slipped out ahead of him, so that their last interaction had been the night previously, a shag which ought to have put him in a better mood.

“Good morning, you crotchety tit.”

“You’d be crotchety too if you’d just had to listen to Olivia Harris for an hour.”

“Well, I’m going to have to listen to her for another hour this afternoon I’m sure, so I don’t actually have any sympathy.”

“You never do.”

“He’s a rotten liar, Charlie, I’m delightful.” He hauled Arthur in by the front of his shirt, and briskly pecked him on the mouth. “In case Charlie leaves you my war widow.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a coward; he’s like a giant teddy bear.”

“Yeah, that’s why you were thinking about walking into oncoming traffic when I said you needed to help with him.”

“I was thinking of walking into oncoming traffic because I had to talk to Olivia Harris for an hour.” 

The teddy bear stood cooperatively enough for his two friends, delighted to see they had multiplied, and that the second was the lovely blonde who gave him against the express advice of his stingier partner an extra biscuit; then this friend too transformed into that vile, snakeish Judas. Arthur patted his shoulders, and said, “Up” a little wearily, though he regularly bore the weight of an animal almost as heavy. He scratched all round the ears with Charlie’s hot breath in his face, and under the lax chin whilst Merlin sidled in with the drops. He managed the right ear before Charlie had quite comprehended what was happening to him; then he lunged back from Arthur with a look to show how he had wounded him. 

“Whoa, there, mate,” Arthur said, catching his front legs, and pinning them to his shoulders, whilst Charlie hopped about on his hind legs, shaking his head, and whipping it about, and turning Merlin’s ministrations into something like a bloody-minded Cirque-de-Solei audition, where the interviewers were throwing roundhouses at him whilst he contorted himself for their amusement.

They were all three panting, sweaty, and dishevelled when at last the ordeal was finally over, and Charlie clumped down onto the floor, and then galloped over to the Sulking Corner because he knew that Arthur would want to make friends again with some treats, whereas Merlin would have merely called him a great baby. 

“How did this morning go?” Arthur sked, squatting in front of Charlie and offering him a chicken flavoured gravy bone. “Ear drops aside.”

“Pretty well. Diggy’s bollocks are no longer amongst us, RIP. Had an emergency c-section after that; poor bitch was in labour all yesterday and still hadn’t progressed by the time her owner brought her in, but all the pups were alive and she came through the surgery just fine. Oh, and Emma says she wishes you weren’t gay. And that you’re such a soppy loser for me that it defeated her mum’s homophobia.”

Arthur looked round from Charlie and arched his eyebrow. “What? So what you mean is, today Emma confessed to being totally insane?”

“She did all but say she fancied you, so, yeah.”

“I do have a history of attracting lunatics.”

“True,” Merlin said. “It’s your arse. If you just had your personality, even crazy people would leave you alone.”

“Oh really? Maybe I should stop doing squats, then. Live out the rest of my days in peace.”

“Don’t do that,” Merlin said, and swatted him on the bum, unfortunately timed to the opening of the door, which had been opened by Gaius.

“Merlin.” He frowned.

“What? That’s one of the most innocent things I’ve ever done to him.”

“At the clinic he is your coworker, not your boyfriend. I’m not going to have another complaint from one of our clients about you sexually harassing people.”

“That was a misunderstanding.”

“So you didn’t make a lewd comment to Arthur at the front desk in front of Mrs Clarke?”

“Well I thought it was under my breath.”

“You don’t have an under your breath,” Arthur retorted.

“Arthur started it anyway,” Merlin said. 

“I did not!”

“You said--”

“I don’t think Gaius needs to know what I said to know that you’re guilty,” Arthur cut in hastily.

“I’m certain I don’t,” Gaius said drily. “Nor do I want to have any inkling of 98% of what’s said between the two of you. Just keep it away from the front desk.” He jotted down something in the chart he was holding. “Do the two of you have time to see an alpaca today?”

“An alpaca?” Merlin asked.

“There’s a local breeder who’s just got a new male and bred him to several of her females without any pregnancies, and she was hoping we might nip over and take a sperm sample.”

“What am I supposed to use to collect alpaca jizz? I assume what we’ve got for the bulls won’t work.”

“We say semen, Merlin.”

“Well, regardless, semen, jizz, spunk, baby batter--what am I supposed to put it in?”

“You could use a bit of tupperware.”

“We are not using our tupperware to collect alpaca semen,” Arthur broke in.

“Calm your tits, I’m not going to make you eat out of it afterwards. Obviously we’d chuck it; you can’t erase that with a washing-up. But, yeah, not really keen on wasting some tupperware on that.”

“A sandwich baggie, then,” Gaius said with the serenity of a man who would not be sticking his hand under an orgasming alpaca. 

“I’ve still got to put the shopping away. I’ll take Merlin, nip home quickly, and then drive us over to the farm.”

“You just want me to put the shopping away,” Merlin complained.

“Well I did it the last two times in a row.”

“Well I was operating on a pig.”

“You always have some excuse.”

“‘Can’t, I’m sorting out intestines’ is an extremely valid one.”

“I just find it extremely interesting that these things happen when there’s shopping to put away.”

“It’s not like I’m scheduling rectal prolapses to coincide with when we do the shopping--”

“Boys,” Gaius said.

“Oh, yeah, right, alpaca jizz,” Merlin said.

They bickered amicably all the way home and whilst refiling pantry and fridge and cupboards, comparing the number of items each had put away, and determining whether he was or wasn’t carrying a fair load, till Merlin decided to cheat by saying, “I am putting away my stuff so much faster” to ensure that Arthur finished the job.

“You’re a cock,” Arthur said.

“You’re way too easy to goad,” Merlin said.

[fluffypotatey]

*smashes in like the Kool-Aid man*

PENDRAGON SIBLINGS YOU SAY????

I have. So many Feels. About Themst™

The complexity?? The layers?? The angst?? Hello??????

Their relationship is just So Much, because you are right, it's all tangled up in miscommunication and missed opportunities, and so many problems that can be sourced back to Uther "War Crimes" Pendragon, who wouldn't know a healthy relationship if it bit him on the ass.

If Merlin and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, then Arthur and Morgana are edges of the same blade.

Because it's the lonely childhoods, the shared grief, the friendship, the vulnerability, the fondness, the teasing, the envy, the jealousy, the almost romance, the protectiveness, the betrayal, the loss, the hurt, the refusal to let go and the desperate hanging on, and the love, the love, the love.

Indifference is the true opposite of love.

Hate is love that's gone rotten.

“If Merlin and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, then Arthur and Morgana are edges of the same blade.” oh fuck….

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCK

WAIT HOLD ON WAIT LEMME PIGGYBACK ON THAT BESTIE @0hheytherebigbadwolf (tagging you bc it will be a couple days after you sent this ask)

(Also, for anyone wanting background context on what me and bestie are bouncing off on: voilà)

OK OK SO

we are all familiar with King Uther being the greatest (worst) dad of all time, correct? places such high expectations on his “only son and heir” whilst never officially acknowledging Morgana as his daughter until the very end?

F+ father of the year :)

he is not above sending his children into the dungeon if they disobey him as seen here:

(Jfc he even put Morgana in chains like wtf)

also, he is not above using emotional guilt towards them when he deems it necessary (aka one of the only times he actually acknowledges them as his children)

UTHER (1x02 Valiant) I trust you will make me proud.

UTHER (1x08 The Beginning of the End) I’ve treated you like a daughter. Is this how you repay me?

UTHER (1x12 To Kill the King) You are the daughter I never had.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) You would believe a sorcerer’s lies over the word of your father?

not to mention that when Arthur or Morgana try to reason with him or argue with him since they are the only ones with the status to do so, he pulls rank

UTHER (1x12 To Kill the King) May I remind you that you are speaking to your King [...] Take care, child, or I’ll have you restrained.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) I am your king and your father. You will show me some respect!

UTHER (2x06 Beauty and the Beast) We live in dangerous times, I cannot allow you to undermine my authority.

UTHER (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You have caused this to happen, Arthur. My decision is final.

ngl i could include more but i have already spent hours searching for shit (YOUTUBE WILL DIE BY MY HAND THAT STINGY BITC—) but y’all get what i mean: Uther is an abusive fucker and it has messed up the conditions of Arthur and Morgana

now, about the double edged blade…..

as previously established, Uther is a fucking dick and wants his children to obey him but also adore him. with this behavior, the Pendragon siblings react in two ways: with anger & contempt or submission and remorse

way #1

i’m gonna start with Morgana because anger is the easiest to pick out throughout the show. in the first episode of the first season, our introduction to Morgana’s character is her lecturing Uther about executing the man Merlin witnessed upon entering Camelot (such a warm welcome for Emrys, mh?)

MORGANA I just don't think chopping someone's head off is cause for a celebration. That poor mother. UTHER It was simple justice for what he'd done. MORGANA To whom? He practiced some magic, he didn't hurt anyone. UTHER You were not around twenty years ago, you have no idea what it was like. MORGANA How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?

early on, it is easy to pick up on Morgana’s resentment and anger at Uther, who she believes is blinded by his fear of magic and his need for control (which she isn’t wrong about). also, we find that she isn’t one to back off when poking the bear (Uther). she does it constantly in seasons 1 & 2

MORGANA (1x03 Mark of Nimueh) Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with a snap of her fingers? Like an idle king!

MORGANA (1x08 The Beginning of the End) How can this child be your enemy? He's just a boy. UTHER He is a Druid. MORGANA Is that such a crime?…What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?

UTHER (2x04 Lancelot and Guinevere) How many men would you have me sacrifice to save a servant? MORGANA  As many as it takes!

to be honest, i wouldn’t be surprised if screaming, arguing and berating Uther about his morals and ethics is her way of proving that she is not weak or submissive to his actions. i mean, Morgana grew up in a household the complete opposite from her time in Camelot. Gorlois, the man whom Morgana considers to be her father and one and only family member, was said to be “just” and “kind” and someone that Uther even considered a good friend who openly kept him in check. Morgana, until the age of ten, understood parental love and empathy unlike Arthur, who spent his whole life without any good or healthy substance of it.

the culture of Camelot and Uther’s wrath is not something Morgana was ever able to fully acclimate to as Uther himself pointed out in 1x12. She “was at odds with [him] since the beginning” and could never picture herself as a Pendragon (point further proven in 4x05: she looked revolted when Queen Annis compared her to Uther) because she didn’t share in their idea of magic = evil and a king = absolute control.

ironic in terms of future plot events, isn’t it :’)

way #2

compare that to Arthur: man’s respressed af. keeps all his emotions under lock and key if they are anything but haughty and serious. y’all, Arthur even says it himself how he “[can't] disagree with Father [Uther] in public.” whenever Arthur finds himself at odds with Uther, he holds his tongue and waits until he can disobey secretly (2x05 when he leaves to rescue Gwen, 1x08 when he helps Morgana sneak out Mordred in the dark of the night, 2x08 when he sneaks out to meet Morgause for more info about his mom, etc). it is only the rare moments when Arthur feels impassioned enough to speak up without fearing any retribution does Arthur talk back at him (so satisfying 👌)

ARTHUR (1x03 Mark of Nimueh) [Morgana’s] right, Father. You hear the word magic, you no longer listen.

ARTHUR (2x08 Sins of the Father) This is what fuels your hatred for those who practice magic. Rather than blame yourself for what you did, you blame them….You hunted her kind like animals! How many hundreds have you condemned to death to ease your guilt?!….You speak of honour and nobility! You're nothing but a hypocrite and a liar!

ARTHUR (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You can't forbid my feelings any more than I can. I won't deny them any longer, I love her. I love Guinevere.

we can even compare how the two react to Uther’s violence towards them

(ahahahahahaaaaa what a wonderful dad)

on the left, you see Arthur’s face right when Uther crushes the morteus flower needed to heal Merlin (his manservant/friend/????) and on the right, is Morgana after Uther discovers she was harboring a Druid child in her chambers and she refuses to listen to his reason.

notice how both faces are remarkably similar 👀

however, Arthur’s look of shock and dismay come from his hope that Uther would do the right thing. that he would help save Merlin’s life from dying of poison. that he wouldn’t use this as a method to teach Arthur “what it means to disobey and cross the king.” he truly did hope, just like he always does with the people he holds close. Arthur cannot help but hope and trust that those close to him will not betray him and yet so many do. hence the remorse

looking at Morgana, her shock comes from the fact that this might be the first time Uther reacted to her words and actions in a physical manner. my suspicion is that most of the time, all Morgana previously got was Uther reprimanding her and yelling at her to stop questioning his methods (bc, let’s be real, she was the favorite child.) never has he lifted a finder on her like Arthur and i have proof (cue transcript!)

AND! and, Arthur is constantly warning Morgana about not angering Uther any further because of the consequences she might face (consequences this boy is very familiar with) when Uther deems it necessary to “teach” his children obedience.

UTHER (1x04 The Poisoned Chalice) You have to learn there's a right and a wrong way of doing things. I'll see you're let out in a week. Then you can find yourself another servant.

UTHER (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You have caused this to happen, Arthur. My decision is final [...] This is for your own good. - UTHER She will die. The enchantment will be broken. You'll see I was right.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) I am protecting you from your own foolishness!

so educational 🥰 but see, because Uther presents his punishments as lessons, Arthur himself views them as just a fucked up but meaningful way of his father’s concern because “yeah, I am the first born son and only heir to the throne. of course I need to learn not to do silly things like disobey, talk back to him, be my own person.” <- I’m paraphrasing here

Arthur does and has never seen a way out of the life thrust upon him by Uther (see 3x06). succeeding Uther as king, marrying a noblewoman of high standing for heirs and alliance strength was always expected of him. Arthur never saw a way out of this. even when he and Gwen were in their secret relationship phase, Arthur had to remind himself that this would never last. he loved her and knew she loved him, but there was always that reminder (that sounded a lot like Uther) in the back of his head telling him that it would never last so long as he was prince. he had a duty (constructed by Uther) to serve Camelot and going against his father would mean (in his eyes) that he is going against Camelot (as Uther always presented it to be).

so unlike Morgana, he did not kick and scream but stood firm because that was what he believed was stronger. if he stayed in his lane and did his part, then he would be a good king, maybe even a better one than his father, for Camelot. however, the show proves that differentiating himself from Uther actually made him the better king and more respected, but this is not the meta for that. I am getting side tracked.

OK: so we’ve established parental issues between the two siblings. now onto their very complex, complicated yet beloved dynamic

sO, as i mentioned in this post (because i am lazy and too tired to copy/paste the evidence from there), these siblings do care for one another. they just go about it in the most hilarious and repressed and in-denial way (hilarious to me 😤)

when we meet them, it’s established that these two have known each other for some time. enough for them to bicker and have banter, you know, as you do with a Pendragon. also, should add, neither character are ever aware they are blood-related until s3 (because of some weak-ass bitch named Uther), so you have that very, uh, interesting subplot in s1 that everybody forgets about until you rewatch it. (honestly, I have so many questions. number 1: why???? number 2: it’s only in s1—was it scrapped??? is it like it never existed???? what was its purpose to the plot??? bbc explain yourself—)

however, despite how much it is shown that they do care for one another, they’re relationship in s1 is still undefined and vague as if they also don’t know how to accurately define what the other means to them. it’s very similar to the whole “i really love this person so much but is what i’m feeling platonic, familial, or romantic?” because….you know, guy and girl besties who are close are typically expected to grow romantic feelings for each other, so tbh i would not be surprised if both mistook their love as romantically inclined in the beginning bc, reminder, neither of them were aware they were siblings until much later.

[and this is ALL i am saying on this subplot. i do not want to cause any negative discourse, so if anyone has a few choice words about it, either keep it to yourself or feel free to talk about it with people you know. personally? not a fan of the ship and never will be, but i am not here to post about that.]

anyway, have some featured receipts showing Arthur and Morgana slipping up and showing how much they care for each other.

SEE!!!! LOOK AT HOW THE CARE!!!! SEE HOW THEY WORRY FOR THE OTHER AND WISH TO PROTECT THEM FROM HARM!!! (and see how even when they’re on opposite sides there is still that same love. just more warped and corrupted T^T)

^worried/protective Morgana

^Arthur’s face after Merlin informs him that there’s an intruder heading to Morgana’s chambers

Morgana is very aware of Arthur’s trusting nature. Arthur is very aware of Morgana’s empathy and righteous nature. they understand each other so well which is why Morgana knew just how to harm Arthur in later seasons and why Morgana’s betrayal hit Arthur so hard. it’s also why he never stopped trying to reach out to her in s4 & s5. as @merlinemrys said in this lovely post, the show’s driving force is love. love of all kinds. whatever conflict it is, love is there at the center of it all and, in Arthur and Morgana’s case, it does not save them (just like how love does not save Merlin or Arthur from what lies ahead, as the op of the post pointed out).

that is what makes their relationship/love be like a double edged sword!! that is why they are edges of the same blade!!! they protect and fight for what they believe in and for the people they love, but the same blades cut deep and twist their wounds into a lasting scar.

it is because of Arthur’s love for Morgana that he cannot help but hope and mourn the woman he once knew. it is because of Morgana’s love for Arthur that her feelings of hatred are so strong and ugly.

like honestly,

look at them T^T compared to before

their relationship is so tragic T^T because we knew them before it all went wrong. we knew they cared and understood each other. we knew that for some time, they only had each other to rely on for a friend, a crutch, a breather for when the royal life was too much. both of them were fighters and strive to honor their values. both of them had once leaned on the other for support, had wanted nothing but happiness for each other.

fuck, they didn’t even get the chance to really be siblings because they found out too late, and by then Morgana was on a war path and Arthur only found out at the last minute.

like fuck, man

two sides of the same blade: forged with love, yet used for blood

screencaps brought to you by me, @sourdough-morbread, and farfarawaysite

[oneknightstand-if]

Hello! Thank you very very much for amazingly high-quality work! I haven't read such long, intriguing, interesting demo for a long time. Good luck with your work! And a quick question! Can you name who is the most jealous RO? From least to most? Will there be.. mmm spicy moments in the game if MC will flirt with different ROs? Thank you!

There might be a few moments of jealousy depending upon the RO, but over all if the MC starts flirting with multiple people repeatedly, they're going to get the reputation of being a flirt.

This means that they'll have to work harder to be taken seriously if MC ever want to actually settle down into a serious relationship with anyone. (Hello, Lust MC)

The actual jealousy levels of the ROs is something of a spoiler, so here is how it appears to be on the surface. Now come back and ask this again once OKS has been published and everyone's started revealing their true colors.

From Least to Most

Merlin: Human jealousy? How adorable.

Percy: Yeah... not likely to ever show jealous tendencies. Also not likely to ever fall in love with someone whose eye keeps wandering in the first place.

Adrian: I want my beloved to be happy! *falls on sword*

Gwen: She's all about the true love thing and that requires a lot of trusting in the other person's intentions, right? The type to crawl off painfully rather than have a possessive fit.

4̷0̴4̵ ̶E̵r̷r̷o̶r̵ ̶N̵o̵t̶ ̴F̴o̶u̶n̶d̴ [DOES NOT COMPUTE]

Arthur: He is absolutely not going through this love triangle shit again. He'll break it off real quick if MC starts showing these tendencies.

Lorelei: Like Arthur, she's not likely to put up with or otherwise get involved with someone likely to get into these type of shenanigans in the first place.

Broderick: Hey, it's someone likely to show a normal amount of jealousy if their significant other starts flirting around.

Vivian: She knows you humans need to marry and propagate your species as such, just not right in front of her, okay? Or near any large bodies of water.

Cassandra: She's understanding if you've got a flirty personality in the beginning (she does too at times!). But oh boy, you better not be doing that when things get serious.

Also see another scenario... random redshirt flirting with MC.

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Sooooo... I've had a thought for a while. How awesome would it have been if they had let Colin Morgan keep actual his Irish accent to remind ppl that he wasn't originally from Camelot? Like, maybe it becomes subtler as the seasons go on but it's always there and when he gets tired or angry the lilt would come out FULL FORCE and ppl that didn't know or forget would be like, yo wtf???

(Headcanon Masterlist) (Full Masterlist)

Ok so I rarely answer asks as soon as I see them but

Anon

I DEDICATE AT LEAST HALF AN HOUR OF EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DAY THINKING ABOUT MERLIN WITH AN ACCENT!!!!

Like.... I'm turning this into a headcanon set because I need to think about this right now (if someone else wants to expand it that's fine, or if it's popular enough, I'll add it to the next List update).

ANYWAY!!!

Say he's not actually from Essetir, but Ireland (from research I think it was called Hibernia during the medieval ages, or maybe Alba? I'm not sure, so I'll just stick with Ireland), and Balinor ran a little further afield before meeting Hunith, and then returning once things had settled down to live in that skanky cave, so he can keep an eye on how Camelot was doing. Hunith and Merlin travel to Essetir when Merlin is maybe twelve or so?? So the accent and customs (and even the language) is like... heavily embedded. (To cover plot holes... uh... Gaius is also Irish, but travelled over with... relatives(?) when he was so young that he doesn't have an accent, or even really any memories of home. He has however visited and been visited by his sister enough to have a good relationship with her, and they exchanged letters regularly before and after she moved to Essetir. There. Don't think about it too much.)

HOWEVER!! When he moves to Camelot, he covers it up, because Camelot already hates Bastards (check), Sorcerers (double check) and also Gaels (check again). So to make his life easier, he gives himself a generic Essetirian/Camelot accent, and no one really notices, Maybe he has a bit of a lilt here and there, but people chalk it up to him spending lots of time with a diverse set of people, and/or maybe just being a country bumpkin. The lilt definitely comes out more when he's angry, the angrier he is the stronger it is, but, what the majority of Merlin's friends don’t know, is that they've never really seen him truly angry. Annoyed, frustrated maybe, a little pissed off, but not properly angry. Not for the first few years at least, so again, no one really notices.

Sometimes he rants to himself under his breath in Gaels, more so when he's with Gaius because it's not like the guy doesn't already know, even if he can't actually understand (Gaius does mourn the loss of his heritage sometimes, especially because, when delirious, Merlin's accent comes back full force, and Gaius can't understand a word he's saying).

Anyway. I do have this scenario in my head of some poor page running into the Throne room all "Oh CHRIST, My Lord, there's a woman in the courtyard who claims to have killed Morgause and rescued Morgana!! BUT!!! She says she'll only speak to Myrddin??" And the whole room is in uproar and Merlin just rolls his eyes at them and goes "What does she look like?", at the description he just goes "Oh shit" except in Gaels and runs out. All the gang follow to see him embracing this woman and speaking fast Gaels to her. She's introduced as his sister or an old childhood neighbour/friend or something. She couldn't give less of a shit about Camelot's anti magic laws if she TRIED, and fully admits to defeating the two witches with magic, because she herself is also a witch, and basically dares Arthur to do something abut it whilst Merlin despairs. Once the shock passes, someone, probably Gwaine, just goes "Hey, Merls, what's with the accent?? And the name??" and the woman just raises her eyebrow and goes "Aye, Merls, what's with the accent and the name?" And he has to admit that he's Irish and his real name is Myrddin (I know it's actually Welsh but let’s pretend just for now) and talks in his normal accent and everyone just... blue screens.

At least three times a day for the next few weeks, if not months, he has to explain the "new" accent to friends whom he hasn't spoken to since before the incident. Overall it's very funny, and everyone in Camelot suddenly finds Merlin ten times hotter. Arthur is struggling to cope. Leon openly drools. Gwaine is so wowed he can't even flirt right. Gwen trips over every time he speaks.

His accent is naturally really toned down, from years of hiding it and just being around people who don't have that accent, but it still gets strong when he shouts, and is nigh impossible to understand when he's concussed/drugged/suffering from blood loss/exhausted to the point of delirium. He also starts using words like "aye" to mean yes, and "slán" (the original of Sláinte, meaning good health, or cheers), when he says goodbye, and it's very endearing but also very confusing.

Our man is just so much happier being able to be himself and share his culture with no backlash, because Uther's been gone a while, and Arthur made peace with the Gaels ages ago (Merlin was basically just in too deep to back out then and kept clutching straws until the sister/friend arrived and blew it all wide open). Now he just has to do the same with the magic thing.... But then again!! Sister/friend not giving a fuck has maybe done that already. So. Maybe he's already set?

Anyway. Merlin with an Irish accent. Yes Please Please Please :D

[ambriel-angstwitch]

Wonderland through the lens of Merthur

Flashing lights and we Took a wrong turn and we Fell down a rabbit hole

Light is usually associated with goodness but when it’s flashing it can be blinding. Merlin became so caught up in his love for Arthur that he forgot about bringing magic back to Camelot. He made the wrong decisions in an attempt save Arthur and things got worse from there

You held on tight to me 'Cause nothing's as it seems And spinning out of control

Merlin was Arthur’s rock when Morgana betrayed him Merlin was there. When Gwen cheated on him Merlin was there. When making decisions Arthur turns to and holds tight to Merlin. When he doesn’t know who to trust and everything is falling apart he still has Merlin.

Didn't they tell us don't rush into things? Didn't you flash your green eyes at me? Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?

Ok so neither of them have green eyes but consider green eyes not literally but green as in go like a stoplight. While anyone around them would tell them that a relationship between the two of them would be a bad idea they both go ahead with it anyways. But the saying is curiosity killed the cat. Uther would be furious if he found out and Merlin could be dead if Arthur found out about his magic.

Didn't it all seem new and exciting? I felt your arms twisting around me I should have slept with one eye open at night

So the the word twisting is interesting because it invokes the imagery of being trapped so while the love is wonderful and exciting in some ways it’s also constricting. It keeps Merlin trapped in a kingdom that hates all he is, saving a king who would have him killed for it just because Uther’s death would cause him pain. Merlin needs to be on guard because of what he is.

We found wonderland You and I got lost in it And we pretended it could last forever We found wonderland You and I got lost in it And life was never worse but never better

Wonderland symbolizes how magical and exciting the relationship feels. But it can’t last forever. Merlin was a wonderful experience for Arthur, someone who saw him as a person not caring about his title. But Arthur was everything to Merlin, he was his purpose and made him happy but he also brought him so much pain, Merlin had to kill for him he had to risk his life for him, he watched the people he loved die after he met Arthur.

So we went on our way Too in love to think straight All alone or so it seemed But there were strangers watching And whispers turned to talking And talking turned to screams

People noticed how much Arthur and Merlin cared for eachother and they used it against them. Like Morgana and Agravaine targeting Merlin to use against Arthur even though they didn’t know about his magic.

I reached for you but you were gone. I knew I had to go back home

The first line is Merlin and the second line is Arthur when it comes to the finale. Merlin tried to save Arthur and he tried to hold him close but Arthur was already doomed. Arthur knew he wasn’t going to make it though that’s why he just asked for Merlin to hold him. He wanted their last moments to be love rather than anguish. He knew he had to go.

You searched the world for something else to make you feel like what we had And in the end in wonderland we both went mad

Merlin is left alone in the world just waiting for Arthur to come back, or at the very least something to give him purpose, someone to make him alive like Arthur did. In the end they both lost everything they were looking for. In the end their entire worldviews were shattered, Merlin wasn’t exactly who Arthur thought he was, Magic couldn’t be evil like he thought because Merlin was magic and Merlin lost his world.

[knightsofthethicktable]

Re watching Merlin and I don't like that the knights didn't do anything when Gwen arrested Merlin (S5, E7). They're supposed to be his friends! So I wrote a fic changing that. Here's some guards recounting my version of how things really went down.

"Did you hear about the time the knights blew up the dungeons for the King's manservant?"

A general negative murmur ran around the group of guards sitting in Camelot's Rising Sun tavern.

The night shift dungeon guard glanced about to check that no nobles were listening. "Ok. Right, so it was back when our King Arthur was poisoned. Queen Guinevere arrested Merlin on suspicion of poisoning him. Cleared later of course," He added when there was a shocked gasp. "But he did end up in the dungeons. So there I was keeping an eye on things, doing my job and the lad only left through the royal escape!-"

"The royal escape? I thought he was a manservant. What is it that Merlin does here?" A new squire asked in confusion.

The guard raised his hands. "Not my department. Way above my paygrade."

"So you let him just go?"

"The king was poisoned mate, Merlin might be soft in the head at times but he’s a half decent physician. Probably went to Gaius and tried to find a cure or whatever."

"Anyways, later that night Sir Leon. The bleeding First Knight of Camelot is coming over chatting to Me. He’s carrying pillows and blankets and said the cook was making a full meal instead of the normal prisoner rations. He's wanting to make Merlin more comfortable while they sort out what he believes must be a mistake."

'Top bloke is Sir Leon.' 'Good lad.' the guards chorused.

"Yeah proper decent chap. But I'm there tryin' to figure out how to say 'he already left' when there's this massive explosion. So I rush to open the cell doors only to find a ruddy sword pointed in me face. Get this, it was Sir Gwaine, behind him was Sir Percival and both of them covered in dust. There's wood splinters and smoke everywhere from who knows what! And I do mean everywhere.

"Sir Gwaine yells at me 'What have you done with him? Where is he?' Sir Leon batters him back like 'What are you doing here?' Then they argued until they cleaned up the mess and organised cover stories for Merlin's disappearance."

"What did you do?"

"The only thing I could do in that situation. I casually walked backwards until they'd forgotten I was there. No way was I getting involved in that drama."

The other guards uttered murmurs of 'good call,' 'Nice one,' 'Wise.'

"But that's not even the best part. Next day, King gets better right and insists I let Merlin out. So I goes down there expecting the cell to be empty. And guess what? Merlin has only snuck back in the cell. He's there pretending to wake up all innocently as though he thought no one would notice that he'd been gone."

[loosingmoreletters]

time is weird so idk what counts as a recent fandom, so I’m gonna put a couple options just in case one of them is a little too old or something if that’s ok (and if none of the fandoms feel right pls pick whatever fandom you want, I just like the prompt)

32 “how much of that did you hear” for CodyWan, or merthur, or something Batman/dc

regardless of what you do I just wanna say that I love your writing :)

Thank you!!! I don’t ship codywan and just wrote dc so merthur it is!

“How much of that did you hear?”

Arthur didn’t look angry or afraid as Merlin would’ve been, only just resigned to his fate. There was this exhausted acceptance in his eyes that Merlin knew from all the times the king gave another order Arthur would have to follow though he didn’t agree with it.

“Enough then,” Arthur concluded and dropped back on his chair. “Are you going to tell my father?”

“What,” Merlin blurted out. “Do you expect me to go to the kinga nd tell him his son is doing magic?”

Somewhere, Merlin registered that he was falling into some kind of panic. He’d caught Arthur Pendragon practicing magic.

“Nevermind, that wouldn’t go over well,” Arthur said. “Father wouldn’t believe you anyway. I suppose it would be too much to ask you to keep quiet? I am aware you have no reason to think good of anyone practicing magic but—”

Keep quiet? About this?

Merlin laughed breathily. He felt as if the first day of spring had come early, all of nature’s might awakening with him, causing flowers to bloom wherever he walked.

“Arthur,” Merlin said. “Arthur, let me show you my silence.”

And just like that, hiding in the crown prince’s chamber, Merlin let go as he’d only ever allowed himself deep in the forest far away from the village. There, the wind had played a song for him and the trees created shadows spilling stories.

Here, in the heart of Camelot, the light of the candles danced to the tune of Merlin’s magic, crowning Arthur king with a circle of fire that didn’t burn a single hair on top of his head.

[maplemind]

I’ve just watched S2 Ep6 (Beauty and the Beast II) and I have fallen down a massive whumpy rabbit hole…

Despite having rewatched this episode half a dozen times (probably more), I’ve only just realised something major.

***TW discussion of suicide***

*** Seriously I’m about to go all-in on Arthur’s apparent suicide. If that’s going to bother you then please click away now ***

… Uther thought Arthur had taken his own life.

When Uther bursts into Arthur’s chambers and sees him lying there, he immediately assumes that Arthur drank poison because he had nothing left to live for after everything Uther had done - not just disinheriting him, not just screaming abuse at him (in front of the whole court), not just treating him like he was worthless and like Uther didn’t want him around anymore…

…In that moment Uther recognises that he’s never been a loving father to his son. He’s always treated him like just one of the knights (other than when he wants to parade him to boost his own ego).

It’s a shame we didn’t get to see Gaius delivering the news that he’d found Arthur dead in his chambers. I would love to have seen how Gaius played it, and Uther’s reaction.

How quickly did he start to realise he’d done something unforgivable to his son? How quickly did the panic set in? Did he imagine Arthur sitting alone in his chambers, desperately depressed, seeking out a poison to end the years of compounded loneliness, self hatred, and feelings of being a failure?

Did Uther wonder how long his son had been thinking about it? Did he wrack his brain trying to work out if he’d missed the signs of Arthur’s deterioration? Did he desperately replay his memories of their last conversation to see if Arthur had indicated his intention, if Arthur had been saying goodbye?

Did he wonder how long Arthur lay there on the cold floor before someone found him? Did he wonder if Gaius and Merlín had tried to save him (an antidote, CPR, anything) or if they were just too late?

As a grade A whumper, I really wish we’d had more scenes around that.

And I realised that Merlín and Gaius deliberately set it up to look like Arthur had taken his own life. I would love to have seen more discussion of that. I can really see Merlín and Gaius being slightly vindictive about it - “he treats Arthur like he’s worthless, let’s make him pay for it” - and I can see Gaius smirking behind Uther’s back as the king tears along the corridors to reach his son.

Did Gaius outright say “it seems his took his own life” (it would have been Merlin that found Arthur, and Uther would definitely have accused Merlin of killing him), or did Uther put the pieces together himself, realising how poorly he’s treated his own child?

And where was Merlín? Surely they didn’t leave the antidote back in their chambers and he had to go back for it? Perhaps Merlín couldn’t keep the look of satisfaction off his face at the idea of Uther’s pain, so he had to stay out of the way.

And what happened afterwards? When Arthur is alive again - did Uther hold him tight and whisper his gratitude (“thank God you’re alive, I thought I’d lost you”)? Did he apologise properly? Did he ask Arthur if there was any truth to it, if he had struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts? Did he implore Arthur to please speak to someone, anyone, if he started to feel that way?

Did Uther lay awake that night, thinking it over, remembering how it felt to hold Arthur’s lifeless body in his arms, feeling the real fear of losing his son and the relief that he was ok this time.

Or did Uther just sweep it all under the rug with his usual self-centred attitude and act like nothing had happened? (Let’s be honest, we know that’s exactly what he did).

Wooooooh I’m in a Whumpy maelstrom here. And I love it.