#bbc merlin is a tragedy

[sircarebearalot]

Merlin should be black cat coded, and Arthur should be golden retriever coded, and maybe they are to some extent EXCEPT

Merlin waits by the lake, like a dog would wait by the train tracks.

Arthur hisses and claws at vulnerability and then cuddles up and apologizes.

Merlin makes the same mistakes like a dog chasing a stick that was never thrown not because he is stupid but because that’s his nature, that’s his fate— he did it all for love, because he had love.

Arthur is bound by his sense of dignity and independence, even as he is drawn to a home that he knows and loves.

I dunno. I dunno. But Athur is the prickly loving one and Merlin is the endlessly, bone-deep loyal one.

[abandoneddinosaur]

Do you ever think of how, to Arthur, Merlin is a clumsy, idiot of a servant with no care for tradition, but he makes Arthur laugh and gives the best advice and somehow, without Arthur even noticing, has become his best friend in the entire world, the person he wants to face every battle with, not only so he can protect Merlin but also so he can have Merlin’s support and approval

And then it turns out that Merlin doesn’t need protecting, and he’s the most powerful sorcerer to exist, he has magic, and has actually been the one protecting Arthur this entire time

And Arthur has to face their entire relationship being turned upside down, because okay you have magic, he’s had his suspicions about magic not being evil for a while now and of course Merlin isn’t evil, but it’s more how dare you not tell me, after I’ve came to you for everything and I thought you did too, I thought I noticed when things were wrong and put a smile on your face but this whole time you’ve not trusted me

And in a matter of hours he has to relearn their entire friendship and try to understand why Merlin has done this and why he keeps doing this and make sure that everything else about our friendship is true please say the rest was true

And by the end, because he is dying and the end is so very near, it doesn’t matter anymore because he is Arthur and he is Merlin and it doesn’t matter that they’re also the Once and Future King of Camelot and Emrys the Most Powerful Sorcerer Ever to Live

No, they’re just Merlin and Arthur in their last few minutes together and they both know it and this is his last chance so it’s not you betrayed me and I need time and how could you do this to us, instead it’s it’s okay and hold me and thank you because if this is his last chance to protect Merlin then of course he is going to take it, that’s always been his job and neither death nor magic is going to change that

[princess-of-morkva]

thinking about. how merlin brings out the best in arthur and on the other hand arthur brings out the darkest parts of merlin. how arthur always tries to be better and do the right thing because merlin believes in him and he wouldn't want to disappoint him. because he believes merlin is good and he wants to be good for him. how merlin always ends up making the worst decision in his desire to protect arthur, doing things he never thought he'd do. how from saving arthur's life because that's a right thing to do, he goes to putting his life above any of his own morals.

[myoonmii]

He watches him like a ghost

[buzzbuzzlittlebees]

the tragedy of merthur is so insane to me. it’s everything. it’s “i will love you in every universe” and “i will love you if it kills me” and “i will love you after you die” and “the love that we shared existed and because of that i will persevere” and “i will stay alive so i can love your memory longer” and “if i ever lost you i would see you in everything” and “i will love you if you hate me” and “i love you in all the ways that i was never loved”

[justaz]

arthur hearing merlin say he will not follow arthur to camlann and while he is upset, he still can’t bear the thought of just leaving merlin behind. arthur writing a letter and leaving it for merlin to read if he never returns. arthur falling in battle and merlin holding him as he passes. merlin not returning to camelot and remaining in ealdor for years before he is able to return and see his friends. he plans to stay but the moment he sees the citadel, he knows he won’t be able to. merlin wandering the streets of camelot and the halls of the castle like a ghost. this is arthur’s kingdom. every stone, every wall, every blade of grass, every tree has his name etched into it. the entire city is arthur. merlin finds himself turning to speak to arthur but he’s not there.

finding gwen who is ecstatic to see him and plans to offer him the position as court sorcerer but merlin refuses. he explains how he sees arthur everywhere. gwen confesses she feels the same but derives a sense of comfort from it, its as if he’s still with her. merlin saying it feels haunting, like it’s taunting merlin with arthur’s presence but never giving it to him. merlin saying he has to return to ealdor and take care of his mother. gwen telling him to be safe and asking if he’ll return to visit. merlin only managing a weak smile before walking off and gwen mourning again knowing that’ll be the last time she sees her best friend.

leon carrying the letter arthur had written to merlin for years in the hopes that someday he’d see him again to give him the last thing arthur wrote. running into merlin in the halls and greeting him. offering him the letter and explaining that arthur wrote it for him. merlin shakily taking it but being unable to open it. he keeps it preserved in his bag but never reads it. he won’t be able to take it. he knows it. merlin carrying it with him for years, decades, centuries. by the time he finally works up the nerve to unfurl it and read it, the parchment is so old it crumbles, the ink has faded so its almost illegible, and the language has long since died so merlin can’t understand it anymore.

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

thinking about "it's unreasonable to assume that a character knows what genre they're in" and how in series 1-3, Merlin (and the audience) thinks that he's in a fantasy adventure comedy. no one realises that he's in a tragedy until it's too late.

[abisalli]

I just want him to have fun, is that too much to ask for

[fact-dogsarehappiness]

Me, watching Merlin for the millionth time: I sure do wish nothing bad happens this time around

[achillesuwu]

I'm obsessed with this so I need to write it down : AU where merlin has to reveal his magic to save them all but it's very very likely he will die so he turns to Lancelot and says "My name, can you remember my name? ". Arthur & the others knights are confuse but Lancelot understand what it means. Sorcerer aren't allowed to have a burial, they never even get a trial. Thus their name are never written down, forgotten like their ashes in the wind.

"I will"

He will, he will speak of it and one thousand years later no one will remember the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth by the name Emrys. They will only know Merlin.

And I see fire

Blood in the breeze

And I hope that you remember me

[oswinsdolma]

love how in merlin arthur will be like "we ride at dawn" and the next shot is of them leaving camelot at midday, fr it's funny every time

[theroundbartable]

Reverse concept:

Merlin and Arthur are stuck in a cave but don't know why. There are symbols on the wall

Arthur: the hell is this? Do we have to like - confess our deepest secrets or something?

Merlin: actually this thing says that only thus people are stuck who are deeply in love. Apparently some ex girlfriend left it here to kill the man and the woman he betrayed her with

Arthur: 1. How the fuck can you read those symbols. 2. What the fuck?

Merlin: yeah, I know. And Gaius taught me.

...

Arthur: so, you're in love, huh? How hard would it be for you to stop bein in love with them and find another way to get us out of here?

Merlin: ... Impossible. How about you?

Arthur: fuck. same

Merlin: ... May I ask who it is?

Arthur: no.

...

Merlin: maybe our best bet would be to forget they ever existed. You've been hit in the head a couple of times, if we do it hard enough that might work

Arthur: I've never forgotten who I loved tho. It was only ever short term. Besides, if you do it to me, I'd forget you existed and would forget to get you out. I suppose unless you have magic or something and can erase our minds, we'll starve to death here.

Merlin: huh...

Arthur: what?

Merlin: nothing, it's just - that is an option

Arthur: I was kidding. You don't have magic, do you, Merlin?

Merlin: ...

Arthur: you have magic?!?!?!

Merlin: sorry!

Arthur: fuck. So like - you lied to me, all these years *tries to get out again, fails, then sighs* fuck, I knew it.

Merlin: what?

Arthur: not even THAT gets my mind off of you. And yeah, it's you. I might as well tell you now If we're going to die, or you erase my mind - or kill me, whatever it is you wanna do

Merlin: for the record, it's mutual

Arthur: shit, for real?

Merlin: yeah... And you're reacting far better about the magic than I expected, so this is kinda - it's the worst feeling ever. Knowing we have a chance to get out but ... None of this remains

Arthur: i'm sorry

Merlin: wanna make out before I erase our minds?

Arthur: well, it can't be more embarrassing than it already is

Bonus: three erasures later

Arthur: who are you? What are we doing here?

Merlin: I'm Merlin and you? apparently people in love are stuck here

Arthur: oh... Hahah. Funny thing, do you believe in love at first sight?

[muchmossymess]

Arthur: I love Camelot more than I can say but, sometimes I feel I can hardly breathe everyone expects so much of me. Being here with you, I can be myself.

Gwen: I like that, you being yourself.

Arthur: Sometimes I dream of leaving Camelot.

Gwen: Really? Where would you go?

Arthur: I don't know. Somewhere where nobody knew who I was. I'd get some land and become a farmer.

Gwen, laughing: I can hardly see you toiling away in the fields all day.

Arthur: Obviously, I'd take Merlin with me. He can do all the hard work.

Gwen: I'm sure he'd love that.

[chronicowboy]

god the start of season 4 when agravaine is shamelessly manipulating arthur, trying to craft him into uther so he's more justified in his hatred of him, trying to isolate arthur from the people he cares about because its not proper or a sign of strength, and the fact that it works !! or it should, it almost does, but agravaine didn't account for merlin. merlin who isn't just a manservant, isn't just a kinda-sorta friend, isn't just an informal advisor, but is arthur's main pillar of support and council, merlin who would never let arthur lock himself away all alone, merlin who pushes arthur to the fucking limit and suffers his rages and his insults just so that arthur knows there's someone there. yeah, fuck, its all well and good that merlin's willing to die for him, but idk for me its the smaller acts of unwavering devotion that make merthur so fucking good.

[driftingoffthegrid]

rewatching bbc merlin.

please send thoughts and prayers

[queerofthedagger]

—Salma Deera

For @merlinrarepairfest Day 7 - Free Choice: BBC Merlin x Tragedy