#and morgana’s like ‘no you just poison them’

[quotidian-oblivion]

for the Melrin ask - Worst thing you think Merlin ever did. im so curious about this one

I had to think so much about this one too.

I don't know. I love Merlin, he's my favorite character. I justify everything he does, even if it's bad. That's what happens with any favorite fictional characters.

I don't want to say "Not telling Arthur sooner" or "Mistrusting Mordred" or "Poisoning Morgana" or anything of the like because, to be fair, that's a given. It's something a lot of us will lament about. Mainly because the writers did not do their job properly (imo).

I'd say, the worst thing he did, to me, is be passive.

I'm bringing up my own values and morals here because I believe that Merlin ruined himself and all of Albion by being passive. By listening to the dragon and not doing his own research. By being whatever Arthur needed him to be. By taking things upon himself. By not trusting others because that's what he was told.

If Merlin had been a little more assertive and a little more sure of himself and what he wanted, then the show would have gone on in an entirely different direction. But he's passive. For the majority of the show. The biggest time where he's not is in the first scene where he challenges Arthur because he wanted to stay true to his ideals and values which was to stand up against bullies who prey on the ones who can't defend themselves against them.

If he had been more assertive, he would have told Arthur earlier, he wouldn't have poisoned Morgana, he would have trusted Mordred or even Gwaine and the others more.

But he let himself be led by Destiny and Kilgharrah and Gaius and whoever else advised him rather than take some time to think things through first. Like Arthur does.

The thing about Merlin and Arthur here is that Arthur really is bolder than Merlin, but in a different way. He is bold in a way Merlin lacks, which is with practical and tactical matters. He questions Merlin's judgement, questions his father's judgement, Gaius's judgement. Agravaine was a main villain for season 4 because of his perfect ways of manipulation and deceit in a way that it got past Arthur's critical thinking and assertiveness. Arthur doesn't take things at face value and is willing to consider different ways things can go and the show mostly shows that when it comes to questioning Merlin's judgement (like about Agravaine and the siege tunnels and about Gwen at first etc). But in the first few seasons, he questioned his father's judgement a lot too but the fandom mainly focuses on Merlin's opinions vs Arthur's even though he and Uther had met head-on-head multiple times.

Arthur doesn't take things at face value which is why it's possible for so many magic reveal fics to look and be accurate.

But Merlin does. Merlin takes a lot of things at face value. He took Kilgharrah's sayings at face value, he took Gaius's (good-hearted but misguided) warnings at face value. He took what the druids said, what Edwin Muirden said, what Julius Borden said, what that druid seer in the Diamere episode said, and so many others at face value. Just accepted it without thinking much about it and went forward.

Don't get me wrong, Merlin has a very strong moral compass and moral thinking. But he lacks critical thinking. Something which Arthur doesn't lack. They complete each other in this way.

But if we're not looking at all that then I'd say the worst thing I believe Merlin ever did was poison Morgana because- WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK MERLIN, DID YOU NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER FUCKING SOLUTION???? HOW ABOUT GETTING MORGANA OUT OF THE CASTLE? HUH? WHAT THEN? WHAT ABOUT TELLING HER THAT HEY, I'M GONNA POISON YOU BUT DW I HAVE THE ANTIDOTE SO THAT I CAN REVIVE YOU AGAIN WHEN MORGAUSE COMES AND LIFTS THE SPELL BC I KNOW THAT YOU DONT WANT THIS EVEN THOUGH YOU THINK UTHER SUCKS. I MEAN, THE USED THAT PLAN SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES ALREADY, WHY COULDN'T THEY USE IT THIS ONCE???????

#quotidian asks #joan <3 #thanks for the askkkk #bbcm #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin meta #merlin #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #morgana #bbc morgana #morgana pendragon #morgana bbc #bbc arthur pendragon #gaius #bbc gaius #gaius bbc #kilgharrah #bbc kilgharrah #kilgharrah bbc #introspective #ik i went a little too introspective and literal there #but heh #idk i'm very particular about morals and values and personality traits when it comes to people #espeically in terms of ignorance #after all #i mainly have to suffer through islamophobia bc bigots don't want to search and see for themselves what Islam is actually about #anyhooo #this is fun i love this ask game

[adhd-merlin]

you know, if arthur had ever come to know that merlin considered letting a literal child die to save his life, however briefly, he would have been horrified. even if mordred did end up killing him. that's just not what arthur was about

#there's no point to this post #that's it. it's just something i've thought about #like do you think he would have been a bit repulsed by it (/merlin)? #or would he have felt some sympathy for merlin being put in that position #cause like. poisoning morgana is one thing #she had already started conspiring against them #but mordred was still an innocent boy #I MEAN #he still was innocent when merlin tried to get him killed in S5 #(REPEATEDLY) #arthur would not have liked that either. for sure #i would have liked to see arthur's reaction to that #merlin and mordred #merlin

[wordsinhaled]

hope y'all are ready for another unhinged merlin post, friends

okay, because we always talk about how much merlin does to help and save arthur, and how drawn he is to him. but can we talk about how from the very beginning arthur has been indignant and ready to put himself in harm's way at the thought of harm coming to merlin??? i am at the beginning of my rewatch so i'm focusing mostly on the early eps, so -

in the THIRD episode, when merlin tries to turn himself in as a sorcerer - arthur (visibly distressed) covers for him immediately - not just because he thinks merlin couldn't possibly have magic, but because he knows merlin will be killed in gwen's stead

in the FOURTH episode - he'd rather drink from the poisoned chalice himself than have merlin drink it - an unheard of level of risk for someone to take for their manservant in camelot's society

like??? can we talk about how arthur's first thought the moment merlin is poisoned is, "sounds like fun, i'll brave a journey that'll put me in mortal peril for someone i've only known for a few months, at the longest"? can we talk about how he disobeys uther directly and sets out on his own, knowing that it could end to his own death? can we talk about how he and merlin are fucking psychically connected?

can we talk about how their interwoven destiny is known and used against both of them from the very beginning???

i want to talk too about uther's complete lack of understanding of how important merlin is to arthur. he just doesn't understand why arthur is so distressed, why he's willing to risk his life, why he's willing to sacrifice himself to save merlin. and arthur says it's because that's not the kind of king he would want to be. he says it's because he wants to be the kind of ruler who wouldn't discount a "mere" servant's life. he says that merlin saved his life, so of course he'd want to do the same for him. and of course, this is true - arthur is noble, and good-hearted, and he does the right thing even when it contravenes what his father would do or wants him to do

but like... there's the part where he genuinely cares for merlin, specifically - not just for a life debt owed, not just on the principle that a servant's life is equal to a lord's or a king's. merlin, specifically. it can be seen in the way he immediately rushes to protect merlin or to deflect attention away from him whenever merlin makes a scene in public at court that puts him at risk. in his visible worry when merlin drinks from the poisoned chalice. in the way he rushes to merlin's side after he collapses, and frets over him while gaius checks him over

and most of all (in this particular episode), it can be seen during the scene at the end - the scene shot over merlin's shoulder, where you see arthur entering gaius' chambers from behind merlin - and the relief that fills his face when he sees that merlin is up and eating, that's not prince arthur, or obnoxious lordling arthur; that's just arthur at his most genuine, with no posturing, when no one is paying attention to him. the way he takes a second before he schools himself to start up his usual banter with merlin, playing the taskmaster prince again, minimizing the risk he took for merlin's sake. but the way that persona falls again, and he tells merlin that he came to see if he was alright. tells merlin to get some rest

it's about merlin, specifically, and what he has come to mean to arthur. not just the life of any manservant, but merlin's life, merlin's importance to him

i also have a broader tangent about the relationship between uther and arthur & uther + homophobia, and how arthur's dynamic with merlin plays into it. "he's just a boy," uther tells morgana in this episode, and she counters, "have you seen your son lately?" and i think the trouble is uther has seen arthur lately, and he's not comfortable with what he sees. he doesn't understand arthur's closeness and attachment to merlin, and i'd argue that he's noticing his son's queerness and trying to stamp it out of him/trying to denial his way out of dealing with it directly. uther fits the mold of the toxically masculine/authoritarian father who sees the queerness in his child and responds by becoming even more cruelly authoritarian

as for arthur - arthur's been told since birth that he's crown prince, that he'll need to rule camelot, and produce his own heir to continue the line of camelot, and i would argue that arthur's need to prove himself, his bravado, his deep-seated need for his father's approval comes from the pressure also of knowing in his core that he doesn't measure up to what his father wants for him - he's kinder, yes, and more just - but also softer at heart, and queer in ways that aren't permitted for his time or station or for what he knows are his responsibilities as a future monarch. it comes to the fore whenever his connection to merlin hangs in the balance, when we're able to see arthur in unguarded moments when he can be his unadulterated self

i think we talk often about how merlin is drawn to arthur, and also i think it's very clear to see how merlin's magic is allegorical for queerness/closetedness, but my favorite to explore is how arthur gravitates towards merlin, and arthur's queerness, and it's especially apparent in these early episodes

and tl;dr basically merthur is WILD and i will never be normal about them even in the year of our lord 2023

#bbc merlin #merthur

[ohnoitstbskyen]

I know Riot would never do it, but do you feel like there's any champion in League that could benefit being split from their kit? Meaning the kit is perfectly fine, doesn't merit a rework, it just doesn't fit the Champion and their lore the best. If I were to give an example I'd say Morg.

When her Blackthorn skin came out I felt like it was such a perfect match for the kit and made a great case for why the kit deserves to be on a swamp warlock/witch. With its grasping vines and poisonous ground. This would give Morg the chance to get a new kit to better support her lore as a protector of the people and rivalry with Kayle.

I mean, yeah, Morgana is a great example of that kind of thing - her character's whole vibe is resistance against unjust exercise of power, forgiveness and redemption, but her KIT is nothing but chains and pains.

Her abilities are like Q: imprison a person, W: make them walk on flaming coals, E: a shield, and E: imprison even more people.

Of those, only her shield, which protects from crowd control, really works thematically with the idea of her as a liberator or a guardian against undue imprisonment and punishment. If anything, her kit seems like a much more natural fit for Kayle as a character.

Blitzcrank is another character whose kit isn't that great a fit for his character - in his story he's a heroic service-robot who spends his time helping the deprived of Zaun, cleaning up toxic waste and averting disasters. Like, his Q should at LEAST be useable for dragging allies out of danger as well as hooking enemies, but basically none of his kit supports that character fantasy AT ALL, and his ult straight up sucks for what he's supposed to be.

Kennen has the problem that his powers... it's not that they're a BAD fit for his story role, it's more that they're NO fit for it. They don't detract, but they also don't support it at all. He's supposed to be the agent of balance between the Eye of Twilight (Shen) and the Fist of Shadow (formerly Akali), a diplomatic mediator spurring the Eye to action and the Fist to calm, and that's just... NOT at all related to his lightning powers. Like, at ALL. They seem like utterly separate things.

Which is the same problem Skarner has - no real connection between his abilities and his story, although I guess maybe the rework is about to do something about that. Theoretically. If it ever comes out.

#tb answers #league of legends #morgana league of legends #skarner #kennen league of legends #blitzcrank

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

Part 2 of the Merlin saves (tries to kill) Arthur fic

(I suck at naming stuff and I'm not putting more effort into the title than the actual fic.)

(Part 1) (Part 3)

—

When Merlin woke, fear coursed through him. Arthur, Gwen and Gaius were sat around him and he was pushed too far back into his own mind. He felt himself lunge at Arthur, hands aiming for his neck, all reservations about subtlety gone.

“Kill Arthur Pendragon!” Fomorroh screeched. “Kill!”

Merlin grasped at reality, fighting desperately again but loosing the battle. Something hit the back of his head and he collapsed again.

———

When Merlin awoke again, it was to only Gwen and Gaius, a smoke canister under his nose that made wakefulness rush through him alongside relief. The distant mantra of ‘Kill Arthur Pendragon’ still rang through his head but he was fully in control of himself.

“What is that? Arthur's socks?” He grinned, looking at Gwen smile in relief.

She stood and pulled the door open, Arthur was just outside looking anxious with a furrowed brow and red rimmed eyes.

“Arthur,” Merlin breathed, the king looked up.

“Merlin.” He whispered, standing and taking a cautious step closer. He looked to Gaius, “is he..?”

“Not permanently. It’s dormant for now, but that’s will only last a day.” Gaius said. He shivered at the thought of being dragged back under its control.

“Arthur, I’m so sorry,” he pushed himself into a sitting position on the workbench, cleared to act as a table while he was being treated.

“What happened?”

Gaius stepped forward and set a bowl of his favourite berries on the table. Merlin slid into the chair and frowned, trying to remember everything.

“The mercenaries, they were hired by someone I know. I can’t remember what his voice sounded like, but I remember knowing him.” He started, “I had my eyes closed so they’d think I was unconscious, the mercenaries were calling the man who hired them “my lord” too.”

Arthur sat down, “The traitor, do you think you’d recognise the voice?”

“Traitor?” Merlin asked, surprised Arthur was willing to think of such a thing.

“We were talking about it before you attacked me, do you not…”

He pinched his lips into a line and shook his head, “I remember fighting for control and using your voice to remind myself that we’re friends, that I’d never want to harm you, but I don’t remember what you were saying. Then… Fomorroh got way too excited about something, like the poison and the crossbow but I could sabotage it with that. It kept screaming in my head but I don’t know what happened next, the next thing I knew everything went dark.” He couldn’t figure out what happened after that.

“You broke free of the enchantment.” Gwen informed him. “Your eyes were gold, then you were shaking and you told us Morgana was controlling your mind with a Fomorroh and then said we should knock you out.”

“Gold?”

“Don’t think on it too much for now.” Arthur’s said coolly, “what happened after the mercenaries?”

Merlin nodded hesitantly, “I passed out for real, then when Morgana woke me up I was hanging from the ceiling by my wrists. She had a sort of… hovel? Like what Dragoon lived in but in the woods. Then she healed me, and knocked me out again. The next time I woke up, she conjured the snake and put it in my neck. Everything disappeared, like I was underwater but with the Fomorroh yelling that I had to-“ he looked down, glancing at Arthur and back to the half empty bowl of fruit on the table.

“To kill me.” Arthur filled in.

Merlin nodded.

“Do you remember anything else?”

He hesitated, thinking about what he could pull from the memories that didn’t feel like his own, “There’s a few things but none of them make any sense.“

Merlin shook his head, brow furrowed in anxious concentration as he tried to force the memories to surface without disturbing Fomorroh.

Arthur sighed, relaxing slightly and dropping his hands onto Merlin’s shoulders, startling him out of his thoughts by kneeling down to meet Merlin’s eyes, “You’re in no trouble, Merlin. You saved my life today, for that I’m in your debt.”

“Does that mean I finally get a day off?”he quipped without thinking.

Arthur huffed, “you can have a free afternoon after all this is sorted out, but we just want to know how to fix whatever Morgana did to you so.”

Merlin swallowed, feeling his cheeks heat. He’d seen Arthur’s charm turned on nobles and members of the court, even Gwen at one point before she and Lancelot married, but seeing it aimed at him was too much. He had no idea how to handle such a thing.

“Take a breath, and just… say whatever comes back to you.” He said, giving Merlin’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “We’re okay.”

Merlin took a breath, as instructed, and thought back to the time he’d been fighting against the snake.

“It would get excited whenever it thought up some plan.” He said, realising he’d said something similar before. “I couldn’t see much of what was going on, I could hear a few words when I got closer with fighting back into control but never anything important. Except for Morgana. I remember… when the knights found me, I didn’t understand why they sounded different than Morgana did. I could hear everything she said even with the snake.”

“You don’t remember what happened when we found you?” Arthur asked with a furrowed brow. The questions helped.

Merlin frowned and tried to focus. “Gwaine called me bog man. He was there, wasn’t he?” He hated how small and uncertain he sounded.

“It was me and Gwaine. Leon and the others had just got back from searching.” Arthur told him.

“You were there?” He asked, knowing Arthur wouldn’t lie but the memories all seemed just out of reach. “Fomorroh kept taunting me, telling me that you’d die believing you’d been betrayed. I managed to get a second of control then…” he frowned for a moment, trying to remember that moment it came back to him. The realisation ached, knowing what he’d missed.

“You hugged me,” he murmured.

Arthur rolled his eyes. “I was happy to see you alive.”

“I missed it,” Merlin pouted. “The first time you hug me and I can’t even remember it, I had a second when you were pulling away but then it took over again. It was more careful after that, keeping me away from control.”

Arthur frowned at him, still knelt on the floor. Merlin almost forgot that Gwen and Gaius were there too, evidently it had slipped the kings mind too because he pulled Merlin forward and wrapped his arms around him. Merlin instantly melted under the warmth and safety of it.

His arms came up and held onto Arthur’s shoulders, fingers curling into his tunic and holding on like letting go would kill him.

“You actually hugged me back this time.” Arthur huffed in a whisper, breath landing on Merlin’s ear and their two heartbeats beating against each other’s chests.

“I’m so sorry, Arthur,” Merlin told him, tears brimming in his eyes and voice thick.

Arthur’s grip on him tightened. “You did nothing wrong. You saved my life, and did all you could.”

Merlin didn’t respond, only buried his face into Arthur’s neck, dampening his tunic with the tears that hadn’t fallen and breathing in the warmth.

“I’m sorry I didn’t notice what was going on.” Arthur whispered.

Merlin shook his head, not knowing the words to say. Arthur apologising never even crossed his mind, he’d never thought about Arthur having something to apologise for.

“You’ve nothing to apologise for.” Merlin whispered, teary eyed and trembling. Arthur’s hands ran up and down his back, rubbing circles into his shoulders and holding him close like just staying there would keep Morgana’s terror away.

‘Dear Gods, please let me keep him.’ Merlin prays desperately to any forces or divine powers that still listen to him.

His grip loosens, his arms tighten around Arthur’s shoulders, palms pressing flat against his shoulder blades. Merlin knows, given any chance, he’d hold on forever and he would never let Arthur go.

But then Arthur pulls away and Merlin has to suppress a pained whimper at the loss. Arthur pushes himself up and sits on the bench beside Merlin, they’re pressed together, shoulder to shoulder. Arthur doesn’t move away and neither does Merlin, Gwen and Gaius are kind enough not to mention it.

———

Thoughts? There's maybe one or two more parts to come but honestly motivation is a struggle at the moment so please be patient

#bbc merlin #merlin #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #guinevere #gaius merlin #merthur #merlin bbc #fix it fic #merlin fanfic #fanfic #angst and hurt/comfort #a servant of two masters #i’m bad at tagging

[regulusrules]

Ranking the best 10 Merlin episodes + a fic rec based on each one:

(absolutely not based on how gay they were) ((no order for the eps; they're all chef's kiss)) (((last two fics have a hold on me that levels the show itself; worth scrolling for)))

1. The Poisoned Chalice

Look. There is something just absolutely entrancing about introducing this episode in the first five of the entire show. Like, this hands-on was the sole reason everyone fell for those two idiots. It beautifully captured how the saving each other thing is reciprocal, because the first three episodes you just have to watch Merlin run around saving Arthur, never the reverse. Producing it early on in the show was the decision that, in my opinion, held everyone in their chokehold for eternity.

Fic rec: you are my favorite mistake (it can only be fate) by @multifandom-jess.

2. The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

I could go on and on for how this episode singlehandedly carried s5 on its shoulder. Like, okay I unfortunately love s5 with all my fucking heart, but this episode was perfect. Ghosts? Check. Banter? Check. POETRY?? Check check. A slap to Uther's face? Oh how beautifully checked.

It's so easy to recall how Arthur truly loved his father, but in this episode, the turmoil you see in his eyes from the actions of his father and how he resorts to saving the ones he loves (Merlin) over his father, is just too beautiful to be overlooked. Ever since Arthur became king, we see him struggle from his father's legacy. But in this episode, he begins to detach both consciously and subconsciously from him. Whether it's in his decision to save the old sorceress in the beginning, or to shun Uther's ghost, both the literal and the figurative, from his life any longer. This was one of the episodes that captured the true essence of King Arthur.

+1: the innuendos of this episode were 🤌. They knew what they were doing, you can't convince me otherwise. (are you threatening me with a spoon? / I'm teaching him some poetry.. he can't get enough of it! / what was that? h-horseplay. why don't I show you?)

Fic rec: My heart is readily yours by @regulusrules. (absolutely love how after all this introspection, i decided to throw it all away and made uther stab merlin in the fucking heart instead. but still it was my honourable attempt to shit on the finale and give them the happy ending everyone deserved).

3. The Sword in the Stone pt. 2

OKAY. This episode! Aside from how badass Merlin was in both pt.1&2, but here, especially in the part where us audience were impatiently waiting for the revival of the sword in the stone, there could've been nothing more perfect. Just like their adaptation of the round table scene, this was perfect in its own way for how different it was. They didn't make it so that people will finally find a king; they made it so that the people believe in their king. And more than that, for Arthur to believe in himself. With the estrangement and losing his crown, the writers gave him the best way to re-establish his inner glory. And Merlin being this guide; what more perfect culmination to their relationship?

You have to believe, Arthur.

Iconic.

Fic rec: Couldn't choose between Only Friend by @captain-ozone, and Fathom Me Out by @supercalvin. Brilliance ahead in both of them, I tell you.

4. The Eye of the Phoenix

Magic. Gwaine. Quests. Need I say more to explain that this was the show's holy trinity?

Fic rec: From Past to Present by flowersheep. (Prince Merlin. Archer Merlin. Perfection my friends).

5. A Servant of Two Masters

Look look; if there's an honourary wall of opinions for all the people who've watched Merlin, I DARE you to find just one who disliked this episode. Like, the series was so full of BS sometimes, but this episode was above all. The level of brilliance in this episode; showing Dark!Merlin, who's at the same time hilariously funny, and seeing him BAMF his way with Morgana, even when he's chained and tortured.. oh dear holy Lord. His "do me a favour, could you? let Arthur know." was able to steal all breath from my lungs the first time I saw it (and until now).

And don't get me started on the Protective!Arthur we got. Caring for Merlin, screaming for him when the rocks fell between them, silencing Agravaine immediately when he told him he's sorry for losing such a loyal servant because bullshit if he doesn't reign down hell before he loses Merlin. And ofc, Courage and Strength on their way to find Magic, which just filled my heart with an 'aaahhh!' moment, because we didn't get enough Gwaine-Arthur-Merlin shenanigans. And at last, the Hug™. Fucking screamed let me tell you.

It is an episode that truly showed everything; from comic elements to fluff and angst and everything. The only thing it lacked was, as always, giving Arthur the space to know. Because ffs what would they have lost if they made Arthur understand that Merlin's under Morgana's control? It wouldn't have exposed shit. It would've just been a plus to us to see Arthur caring for Merlin even more. They tried so hard that it completely backfired sometimes.

Fic rec: Still I Surface in Morning Light by @queerofthedagger. (I swear to you, anything written by this author, I readily throw whatever in hand to read it).

6. The Dragon's Call

Let thy gif caption speak.

No but really, that first episode was the stuff of legends. I could list down tens of tropes they did in just that episode alone. Honestly, no "family" show I've ever seen had started this powerfully. Just the music alone, the beauty of beginnings, not the CGI, was truly so gripping. Also bonus points for just Colin Morgan's sass abilities. None can compare.

Fic rec: This Time Around... series (incomplete) by Oneiric (lkdaswani). (this is a time travel AU, but the way the writer rewrote this episode was one of the best deviations I've read for an episode I already find near faultless).

7. The Sins of the Father

I might be subjecting myself to true wrath with my upcoming statement, but here we go:

S2 sucked.

From the beginning of the season, Arthur's shift in characterization from the honourable lovable prat of s1 to a letting Merlin act as a horse stool got me going wtf? It was like they deliberately ruined everything in their relationship and started out fresh just to force the Arthurian narrative of Arwen. And it's fine by me, truly, even if I'll never ship them, but they could've developed Arthur's character SO MUCH in that season beyond comic relief and romantic rendezvous.

Anyway so that I don't stray so much from the topic; this episode was, by fair comparison, the best in the entire season. By now it's pretty obvious that I gravitate towards all the episodes that give Arthur a semblance of agency. Him going against Uther and his maniac murderous agenda was the start of actually seeing King Arthur in front of us. Also, him listening to Merlin when he was on the verge of committing patricide was one of the things that gave me hope in how there's still hope in them. Even if they ruined it with making Merlin lie to Arthur, but the writers practically ruined every good episode with this.

+1: Morgause's intro was badass.

Fic rec: The Sins of the Father (and how to right them) by @cupcakezys. (what we deserved. to see arthur with agency, with an ability to decide for his future without being lied and deceived to).

8. Diamond of the Fucking Day

No matter how much I hate this episode, I can't, in good conscience, deny its hold on my heart. As I wrote before, there could've been no better magic reveal than this. And for all of my bitterness over their decision to kill Arthur, I sanely admit how it was a decision that insured the immortality of this fandom. It's been ten years since that episode aired, and I bet my ass off that it will still feel the same even after countless more decades.

Fic rec: literally the entirety of the fandom's fix-it fics. We all started from there, didn't we? Choosing only one would be so undervaluing to all the brilliance I've seen. However, my tags filter for it usually include: fix-it, angst with a happy ending, court sorcerer merlin, shitting on bbc writers 101, canon era, not canon compliant, everybody lives especially king arthur you mfs.

9. The Wicked Day

Throw me from the highest tower there is because every time I remember this scene, I just want to fade into the light. The sheer level of love and understanding shimmering between those two. Sometimes I marvel at the choice of bringing Colin and Bradley together, because no two could have achieved such chemistry, platonic or not, as those two did. This whole episode of showing Arthur's grief, and Merlin's desperation to heal it, was truly unforgettable. I try not to linger on its ending, Arthur denouncing magic for the millionth of time, but other than that it was a gem served to us on a silver platter.

Also seeing Uther finally die was a plus.

Fic rec: As much as I'd love to recommend my own fic for this, but honestly, whenever I get the chance, I will always take it to scream and wail about one of my absolute favourite fics of all time, which really isn't given ANY of the goddamn credit or attention or kudos it deserves. Beauty in the Ashes of Our Lives by Fulgance. I swear to you, you will never read something as beautifully heartbreaking as this. This fic resides in my mind rent-free. Basically any work by Fulgance is amazing, but this fic— oh God, my heart cannot take it sometimes.

10. Arthur's Bane pt. 1

Fuck, that episode was a masterpiece. You know, if it was all in my hands, I would've magic revealed at this particular episode. It was just.. the perfect opportunity. King Arthur in his glory, beginning of the season, enough time for Arthur to fully understand the depth of what Merlin did for him. Also, the range Arthur was given starting from here; God it's what we deserved. I always blame the writers for being inconsistent with his characterization (s2 and all), but they beautifully crafted it in the end, and it was their perfect chance to even explore the whole extent if only they made the magic reveal earlier.

Fic rec: Our broken pieces by @aramblingjay. Okay so this fic rec isn't necessarily linked at all to the episode, but I can't, in good conscience, recommend fics and not include it. Technically context wise it fits s5, for in it you see Arthur in his grandeur as king. This shall be my only exception because it's the only fic that was able to make me cry. Truly, I never shed tears, but in this, my heart stuttered. The fact that it is so unnoticed makes my blood boil because of how much praise it deserves. I can never recommend it enough.

To conclude, BBC Merlin has a powerful hold on everyone because of the fact that they knew how to eternalise it. It is significantly unique in its interpretation of legendary figures. I think I watched nearly all adaptations of King Arthur throughout the years, but even with how great some really are, to me none compare with this sword-swishing, banter-driven, CGI-messing, emotionally-killing 2008 show.

Honorary mentions:

| The Labyrinth of Gedref | Gwaine | Le Morte D'Arthur | Lancelot | The Coming of Arthur | The Moment of Truth | The Hunter's Heart | His Father's Son | The Darkest Hour |

[Short fic recs]

[Long fic recs]

#merlin #welcome to a long ass critical appreciation for my favourite show in the world #with fic recs because writers deserve longlasting fame too #arthur pendragon #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #ao3 #merthur #merlin x arthur #king arthur #merlin fic #did I say that I love these fics so much already? #merlin fic writers are a godsend #regulusrules metas #regulusrules recs

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Morgana AU Pt 4

Sarrum isn't invading. That much is clear when they begin to pass Camelot soldiers on the road near the city, and not one of them gives the host or their captives a second glance.

Within the city walls at least, stares and whispers follow them, as shocked citizens watch them paraded through the city streets in chains. Gwen remains silent through it all, seeming to retreat into herself as they near the palace.

They seem to be expected, and though Sarrum and his lieutenants split off to enter the main gate of the palace while the captives are funneled through the servants entrance, their destination is the same-- the main hall, where a pair of great wooden doors swing open to admit them all.

"Your Majesty!" Sarrum bellows amiably, lifting both arms in greeting. "An honor and a privilege to be a guest of Camelot once more."

Kara surveys the court, specifically the dais on which the king sits. His throne is relatively modest, and his knights are stationed around the room on high alert. Just behind the throne, however, stands a beanpole of a young man with dark hair, chin ducked as though guilty of a heinous secret.

In an instant, Kara knows this is Merlin.

She's heard of the boy, the servant who'd poisoned Morgana with a waterskin. She remembers Morgana's soft words to Gwen shortly before they all left the hut behind.

"I died, Gwen," she'd murmured beside the fire, while Kara had been outside fetching more wood.

Gwen's shock had been palpable in the silence that followed, before she tucks away what are undoubtedly countless questions to focus on the one thing that matters.

"But you came back."

Morgana sighed then. "Perhaps."

Whether Morgana had ever shared the identity of her murderer with Gwen, Kara doesn't know, but in this moment what she does know is that Morgana's two greatest enemies stand in this hall.

The king-- Arthur-- rises from his seat. His knights shift in readiness.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Arthur's voice is calm and measured, but Kara hears the hint of a threat. Likely, a parade of dirty captives into his throne room isn't an often occurence.

"A gift for your majesty," Sarrum announces with pride. "And for the jewel upon the crown--!"

Sarrum throws his arm back towards the great doors, and the crowd of his men parts to admit one of their own tugging on a chain. At the end of it is Morgana, hands and neck locked into a set of narrow wooden stocks, eyes glassy with fever.

If Kara could break her chains she would, but instead she simply holds her breath, relieved that her friend is alive. Her eyes flick towards the dais, and is surprised to see the king's shock mingle with a mix of concern and outrage.

The soldier hands the chain to Sarrum once within reach, who immediately gives the leash a rough pull, jerking Morgana off her feet. She lands hard on her knees with a crack that echoes in the great hall, and is given no time to recover before Sarrum grabs her by the hair to wrench her head back.

"The lady witch herself!" he announces.

Morgana grunts, breathing heavily against the pain and fever, but says nothing.

"Morgana..."

Clearly dumbfounded, Arthur stares at the prize offered to him. His jaw works soundlessly, unable to speak.

Someone does it for him.

"End this, Arthur!"

Gwen pushes past Kara to stand in the open, as far as her chains allow. At the sight of her, Arthur goes pale.

"Gwen?"

A cascade of whispers ripples across the assembled nobles.

"End this," she says again, urging her husband to listen. "Please. It isn't right--"

"Silence!"

A guard steps forward to strike her, but halts when a blade touches his neck from behind. Gwen straightens from her reactive flinch, and relaxes at the sight of her brother holding the hilt.

"Elyan..."

"It's good to see you," he says with a soft smile. Gwen nods, and returns her attention to Arthur.

"Let her go, Arthur."

At that, Merlin steps out from behind the throne to murmur in the king's ear. "Use caution, your Majesty. She is no friend to Camelot."

Kara's hands tighten into fists. Gwen, too, bristles. "People can change," she points out sharply. "Clearly, if you have come to treat with a man as cruel as Sarrum."

Arthur's jaw tightens, but to his credit doesn't otherwise react to the barb. Kara watches as he considers his option, waiting for his decision.

Finally, he looks to Sarrum.

"Release them."

Gwen releases a breath, even as Sarrum sputters in protest. "But your Majesty--!"

"I said release them!" Arthur presses, tone sharpening to a deadly edge. "All of them."

Sarrum hesitates, as though debating whether to defy the order. In the end, he motions sharply to his men, and in moments the captives are released from their irons. Kara and Gwen rush to Morgana's side as the stocks are removed from her neck, and she slumps forward into Gwen's arms.

Gwen cups Morgana's cheek and looks sharply to Kara in fear. "She's burning up!"

"The arrow--" Kara rips the fabric at Morgana's shoulder, and sure enough the shaft is still there, festering.

"Gaius!" Gwen calls. She looks around her sharply, pinning Arthur with a hard stare. "We need Gaius!"

Arthur swallows thickly, yet nods to his nearest man. "Percival."

"Arthur..." Merlin says in a low warning.

"She has done many terrible things," Arthur concedes, "but she is still my sister."

Kara watches as Percival-- a positively mountainous man-- tucks Morgana against his chest and lifts her into his arms. Morgana moans, eyes rolling back in effort to remain conscious.

Gwen and Kara follow Percival out of the throne room and through the castle, ignoring the stares from servants and vassals alike, up and up a winding staircase until bursting into what could only be a healer's chambers. A narrow cot is cleared of strewn clothes, and Morgana is laid upon it with as much care as Percival can manage. Still, it jostles the shaft in Morgana's shoulder and she groans in agony.

"Careful, careful," an elderly man urges, bustling towards them with rags and cutting implements. "Merlin--"

"Right," the boy says, moving obediently to undress Morgana's wound as though he hadn't just been advocating for her misery.

Kara intercepts him with a growl.

"Don't you touch her!" Her fists bury themselves in his shirt, arresting his movement. She releases him with a shove. "Don't you touch her."

"I'll do it," Gwen says urgently, already peeling away the blood-dried fabric to reveal the wound. "It pierced through as well."

"Then we have double the work to do," Gaius observes, his voice steady. "We shall do what we can--"

"No," Kara clips out, turning her glare from Merlin to Gaius. "You will do what you can. Not him."

"Very well," Gaius agrees. He gently moves Gwen to the other side of the cot, where she immediately moves to press a cold compress against Morgana's brow. The healer passes his gaze across the rest of them. "Clear the room."

"But--" Arthur begins to protest, but not even a king holds sway in a healer's domain.

"I require space to work, and fresh air to clear the lungs and cool the body. You may post a guard at the door if you must, but we must not be disturbed."

Arthur reticently nods, and motions to his men, tugging Merlin along with him. The boy glares balefully at Kara, who glares back in equal measure until the door swings shut behind the lot.

That Gwen and Kara both remain behind goes unremarked upon.

"Now, then," Gaius says, looking to his new assistant. Gwen glances up at him, features lined with worry. "It will not be pleasant, but we must work quickly."

Removing the arrow shaft releases a musk of pus and infection that quickly fills the room, the open windows hardly enough to help. The one blessing they have is that Morgana loses her battle to remain conscious, and goes limp before they can even begin to clean the wound and clear the infection.

"How long?" Gaius asks.

"Three days," Gwen returns. She provides what little information she can, but Kara remains quiet, arms folded as she stands watch against any who may enter. All the while, her gaze remains focused on Morgana, trying her hardest not to imagine Lena on that cot, Lena fighting for her life.

It's going to be okay, Kara thinks to herself.

It has to be.

#supercorp #morgana au #got some more for yah! #hopefully its a bit juicy #more to come

[caswensworld]

One thing about me is I will always respect a good villain gang when I see one and THIS gang! The gang of Merlin Academy running the shots! No exception. Rent. Was. Due! Disney, from here on out, if your teen villains do not look like these baddies who are serving seductive, poisonous cunt, Respectfully, Ion want it.

So let’s run down the line. Let’s take attendance.

Dara Renee said she looks cute as Ulyana, NOT HOT! OKAY GREEN! Look at her smile! First her daughter, now her sister, Ursula’s family has me in a chokehold and they are never letting me go (and I don’t want them to hehe). This look gives very much Ursula from Once Upon a Time vibes and I love it! So much! I wanna be part of her gang! Like, Ulyana, baby girl, what are you insecure of? I don’t care about Ursula anymore. I got Uma and I got Ulyana, I don’t want Ursula. I’m trying to keep it pg-rated, but…I would let her top me. I want her tentacles all over me, I’m so sorry…I’m not.

Hades has left the Underworld and he is looking sharp! I love leather. I love spikes. I love the whole punk persona! I have a punk persona! So I love the fact that me and Hades, one of my favorite villains…Are the same. Exactly the same. I am going to find a studded leather jacket and choker so we can match. We also got similar taste in music, like Hades, let’s be friends. Let’s start a band. We can call ourselves “Fire!”

Queen Maleficent, Mistress of Darkness may be lurking in the back, but I’m seeing her. Now her horns look a little weird right now but I’m gonna wait for the official posters and pictures with better quality before I start to give my full judgement. But like…y’all, she’s Maleficent, when have we ever had a Maleficent who doesn’t serve with looks, darkness, and attitude? Like, girl, come for Ulyana! Pull Hades! I expect you to use magic! I demand at least ONE Dragon transformation! DEMAND it!

Ulyana is the Captain here, jot that down, but Hook is still serving so let’s have a conversation. Looks are clearly a strength in the Hooks family, so what do the girls look like? The men are handsome, so let’s have the girls do some Justice please. His fit almost exactly replicated the cartoon and I love that. The only problem I have is…where’s the hat? The iconic red hat with the big feather? Disney, he better have that hat. Don’t be playing with me.

Morgie…he’s giving kinda Carlos and Gil vibes. That is indeed a compliment. Now is his outfit as extravagant as the others? No. Is it still good and is he still killing the game? Absolutely. These VKs stay with the drip. Who else is looking good in a scarf? I don’t see anyone else wearing one! Now his mother is said to be the Morgana Le Fay in Sofia the First so…Is our dear Princess in the Descendants Universe lol? Is my girl enrolled in Auradon Prep? Is she with Hugo? I’m sorry, I just find this so funny, where is Enchancia on the Auradon map? Watch Morgie reference this in the movie, I just, I can’t!

One thing about villains is they will always be looking good and I will always be wanting to find a way to thrift their clothing. I can’t wait to see these looks with better qualities

#disney descendants #descendants #descendants 4 #descendants the pocketwatch #disney descendants 4 #descendants rise of red #descendants the rise of red #the rise of red #hades descendants #descendants hades #young hades #disney hades #hercules hades #ulyana sister of ursula #descendants maleficent #young maleficent #maleficent mistress of evil #maleficent #captain hook #morgie descendants #descendants morgie #morgana le fay

[angelynmoon]

What if, instead of Merlin or Arthur or Morgana or Lancelot going back in time to fix things instead it's Gwaine, caught in a time loop, everytime he dies he ends up back in that tavern that he first met Merlin in.

--

The first time he meets Merlin, the very first time he still choses to fight with them, he looks into Merlin's confused blue eyes as he introduces himself and knows his life is forever changed.

Gwaine won't say it was love at first sight but it was something similar, a moment where it felt like the world fell into place, 'oh, there you are,' he remembered thinking, 'I've been looking for you.'

And that was every reason why he kept answering Merlin's call to help, he couldn't help it, it was nice knowing that he was Merlin's first choice to help, even if it was for Arthur.

The first time, that very first time, he didn't know about Merlin's magic, didn't know what he did to protect them, the sacrifices Merlin had made.

That first time Gwaine survived Arthur's death and Merlin's execution for having magic when he returned to tell Guinevere of Arthur's death. She couldn't pardon Merlin, the council overruled her and Merlin Burned.

Gwaine had stayed for Guinevere and Leon, to keep her safe as she worked to repeal the ban on Magic, for Merlin, for Morgana and all the innocents that had died for the anger and grief of one man.

Gwaine had died soon after, drinking poison slipped into Guinevere's goblet, choking and gasping as Leon and Percival had searched to capture the assassin Gwaine hadn't minded dying in his Queen's lap, held in her arms as she begged him to stay awake.

No, Gwaine hadn't minded dying, at least he'd get to see Merlin again.

Gwaine had woken in that dark little tavern he'd first met Merlin in, it'd been confusing but Gwaine hadn't minded that either, he got to relive finding Merlin, making him blush, falling in love with him all over again and getting him to fall in love with him back.

Merlin's sweet kisses made every heartbreak worth it.

The first few times, Gwaine didn't change anything, still thinking it was a weird afterlife, but eventually he couldn't bare to watch Merlin Burn again, threw himself on the pyre to go with him and learned that no matter how he died he'd end up in that no name tavern.

It wasn't always the same time that Merlin and Arthur would be there, sometimes it was years earlier, sometimes weeks, sometimes it was days, but it was always that same tavern where his life was forever changed.

There were times he ran from the tavern as soon as possible, he wasn't proud of it, but he couldn't fall in love just to watch Merlin Burn.

Gwaine would find Merlin eventually anyway, if not in the Perilous Lands, then he'd find him in the fighting ring while he looked for the Cup of Life.

Sometimes he'd meet Lancelot first and when Lancelot answered Merlin's call Gwaine would follow.

He fell for Merlin everytime, couldn't help it, he could no more stop loving Merlin than he could change Destiny.

He'd tried.

Sometimes he'd find Morgana and behead her without guilt, he'd burn her body like Merlin's had burned so many times and scatter her ashes far and wide, but nothing changed, in the lives that Gwaine killed Morgana, Mordred would take her place, in the lives Gwaine killed Mordred as a child, Merlin always Burned before they met.

In the few lives that Gwaine chose to behead King Uther before Morgana and Morgause could invade Camelot it was Gwaine that Burned, he didn't mind that so much, better him than Merlin.

Merlin never watched, always turned from the sight, those moments made Gwaine wonder if he felt the same loss as Gwaine did when the never had time to fall in love.

There was one life that Gwaine decided to kill Arthur instead and had been torn apart by Merlin's own Magic, he doesn't think Merlin meant to, not with the way the man had cradled him at the end as he died, that had been the first time Gwaine wondered how much Merlin had sacrificed for Arthur's life.

It wouldn't be the last.

He discovered one life that Lancelot knew about Merlin's Magic, that he knew Merlin intended to take Arthur's place to seal the Veil. Helped cover for Merlin when Lancelot was helping him with Magic Beasts and Sorcerers.

He never told Merlin he knew.

One life Gwaine chose to take Lancelot's place to seal the Veil.

The return to the Tavern was strange that time, it felt longer, colder.

But return he did, as he always did.

That life he proposed to Merlin instead of introducing himself, was shocked when Merlin said yes.

When he woke in Merlin's bed he'd kissed him and said he was still going to marry him if he was willing.

That life he'd stayed in Camelot from the first time, using his Noblity to avoid banishment, thankfully he and Merlin had already exchanged vows before Geoffry with Arthur as witness so Uthur could not stop him and Merlin from being together.

That life he died when Morgana wanted to set an example, that life Merlin had turned Camelot's castle into rubble and Morgana and Morgause into ash as Gwaine had bled out.

That life Gwaine had died cradled in the arms of the man he loved in so many lives as Uthur ordered his husband's execution, as Arthur tried to change Uthur's mind.

That life Gwaine had lived long enough to hear Merlin ask Lancelot to kill him with the sword that killed immortal men.

He did not live long enough to know if Lancelot did as asked.

After that, some lives Gwaine would seek Merlin out, he'd turn up in Ealdor and make a shy young Warlock fall in love with him, he never asked why the flowers he gave never wilted, and when he went off to Camelot, Gwaine would follow, would marry him in the quiet morning before they left Ealdor, Hunith smiling happily.

In those lives Gwaine told Merlin to share his secret with Morgana, to help her control herself, in those lives Merlin and Morgana stood together against Morgause, in those lives Magic was let free under Uther's rule and Morgana offered a child to them to raise, in those lives Merlin died an old man with grandchildren and the flowers never wilted in Camelot's castle.

In one life Gwaine went searching for Balinor instead if Merlin, he begged the man to share his knowledge with him, in that life Gwaine slayed the Great Dragon without remorse, a dragon's heart is on the right, not the left, Gwaine always remembered, and he took Merlin to meet his father in secret and watched as their relationship bloomed.

Why Gwaine returned to that Tavern when he died he never found out, there were no tales of such a thing happening, the Druids didn't know either and Uthur had burned so many books and the other Kingdoms had as well, even the Castle of The Fisher King held no answers for him.

But life after life he found himself finding Merlin, one day he'd find out how to break the curse of his family, one day he'd eventually live one last life with the man he loved, one day his line would be free, but for now, Gwaine wakes up in the Tavern where he met the man he Loved over a thousand lives.

"I'd like to see you try." Merlin snorted into his mug.

"You just had to open your big mouth, didn'tyou Merlin?" Arthur said.

And Gwaine, Gwaine got up to meet Destiny in a small, no account Tavern.

Maybe he'd propose to Merlin again instead of introducing himself.

--

A/n: just a little thought I had and demanded to be written.

You know for someone who reads mainly Arthur/Merlin, I never seem to write Arthur/Merlin.

#mergwaine #merlin/gwaine #time loop #merlin tv #fanfic

[karistiltskin]

what if i said "but I would die for you in secret" but imagine merlin and arthur.

peace lyric analysis as merthur:

"Our coming-of-age has come and gone

Suddenly the summer, it's clear

I never had the courage of my convictions

As long as danger is near

And it's just around the corner, darling

'Cause it lives in me

No, I could never give you peace"

OUR COMING-OF-AGE?? okay, listen. as we know, arthur's coming-of-age moment is linked to his coronation. He literally has an episode called "The Coming of Arthur" parts one and two (S03 E12-E13). it's arthur becoming king and merlin starting to finally feel like he's getting somewhere with their destiny because of arthur's crowning. this is our setting. we're now in the after.

"I never had the courage of my convictions as long as danger is near" SHUT UPPPP SHUT UPPPP like actually oh my god. as long as danger is near is so so sick and speaks so loud. merlin absolutely does have the courage of his convictions and just to clarify, collins dictionary [colin morgan ;) ] states it as the confidence to do what you believe is right, even though other people may not agree or approve. BUT when arthur is in danger he does not do the "right" thing. he listens to the giant lizard instead or gaius (still love him) and does anything, anything, to make sure arthur doesn't get harmed no matter what.

rip morgana and getting poisoned.

rip mordred's entire existence.

although arthur attracts danger, merlin attracts just as much. and merlin is magic. (ugh, I'm getting sad and the only reason i won't cry is cause i'm in the middle of a lecture. a nighttime lecture). merlin can never give arthur peace because he is everything arthur was conditioned to hate. arthur can never give merlin peace because he's a king with expectations from Camelot and neighboring kingdoms. aka they can never be peacefully together without the threat of danger from them both and towards their relationship.

"But I'm a fire, and I'll keep your brittle heart warm

If your cascade ocean wave blues comes

All these people think love's for show

But I would die for you in secret

The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me

Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?"

merlin lights arthur fires. that's it. that's the tweet.

merlin is also arthur's closest friend and confidant. he definitely gets arthur to see other perspectives on a situation and makes sure he remains compassionate and fair. for example, that look arthur gave merlin in S05 E11 during kara's trial?? my god. or the episode where arthur killed that one king's son under the influence of his uncle, the sleaze.

THEY WOULD DIE FOR EACH OTHER IN SECRET. NO ARGUMENTS. they've proved episode after episode again that they would no questions asked. people who don't know them just go "he's just a servant" or "you would choose him over your kind?" (ouch) not knowing the depth of their relationship. but yes. yes they would. and they would not have a single regret. they would deny the hell out of it but the proof is in their actions.

but you got a friend in me yes ma'am they do.

and it would be enough. it would. do they need a reminder that they were both born in mind of each other? that it was written since the beginning of time? that both of them have their own personal demons that instead of running away they'd take care of each other instead? that they're the most important person for each other and nothing can split them apart because they've grown to trust each other so much that their souls have intertwined? two sides of the same coin? other half of my soul, as the poets say???

"Your integrity makes me seem small

You paint dreamscapes on the wall

I talk shit with my friends

It's like I'm wasting your honor"

from arthur's pov he knows merlin is better than him. the way he interacts with people, his morals and values, his humbleness, just everything really. he pretends to be mad and upset about it but there's such deep admiration in it that he's actually self-aware.

dreamscape (google) definition: a landscape or scene with the strangeness or mystery characteristic of dreams

arthur finds merlin so strange!! so strange and mysterious.

the walls: i read this one fanfic on ao3 called "The Tragedy of Godhood" by Lilmia_Casand (read it!! it's so good. short, but beautiful) and the summary states:

"Merlin had gotten better at controlling his magic over the years, but it still spilled over, as if he were the source instead of someone calling upon it. It seeped into the castle walls, into the stone floors..."

This was the first thing I thought of (this quote stuck with me, it got bookmarked) and i couldn't have said it better. here's a play by play: arthur lives in a castle. the castle has walls. a lot of walls. he sees these walls everyday. the walls are familiar. the walls stay. the walls are forever. he can't imagine the castle without his walls.

walls = life/the future

magic is part of merlin's mystery because he's essentially hiding HIMSELF.

(does this make sense? no, prob not but bear with me)

there's an air about merlin where when you think about him, you realize you actually don't know much about him. he's a mystery. you know his jokes, you know where he's gonna be at whatever time of day (not the tavern, contrary to what arthur thinks), you know his favourite food. you don't know about his parents, you don't know why he saved arthur at his first feast, you don't know why he stays around.

arthur reflects on this and realizes it one day when merlin starts to become unavoidable in his mind. then he thinks, 'i really know nothing about this boy.' over time, merlin stays by his side, always, and arthur is so dependent on him that he starts worrying if he'll ever leave and if not him, camelot (he has abandonment issues 100%).

also see: S01 E10

hence, "you paint dreamscapes on the wall" is arthur saying, "you're the biggest mystery i've ever met and you make me wonder what every day will be like with you. will you be here tomorrow? and the day after that? until I'm married and have children who will favour you over me? will you be here to see them? to see me? i can't see it through the haze. i can't see you through the haze."

moving on—fuck that was so much longer than it needed to be—arthur and merlin talk shit about each other ALL THE TIME it's hilarious. and they know the one "bad" thing they talk about doesn't define their entire character because they hold each other in such high regard but... well...

(they definitely have regrets after)

"And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences

Sit with you in the trenches

Give you my wild, give you a child

Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother

Is it enough?"

they both go all out for each other but with a focus on merlin, he goes ALL. OUT. it's war with him. nothing is half-assed. he fights, and fights, and never takes it less than seriously. but he also is there at arthurs lowest moments. when they're losing and when arthur is feeling too much or has too much on his shoulders. he's there. through it all.

merlin will give arthur anything he asks. he's already given him the purpose of his life and has hidden his magic until arthur's dying day because he thought that's what arthur needed and thought he would never accept him as he is so he gave it up.

but he's also given arthur the best thing he has. a friend. understanding. communication without words. souls recognizing souls, so much that the silence may be quiet but words are being exchanged through that same silence.

also, speechless eye conversations that range near the line of sexual tens—

then in the last line, merlin is saying: your people are my people. your burdens are my burdens.

"But there's robbers to the east, clowns to the west

I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best

But the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me"

this goes both ways!! the only difference is that arthur's is visible and merlin's is hidden. explanation: arthur no doubt has enemies, it's not a secret. being a king and a target from the magic community, that man is almost getting killed everyday. it is not a peaceful life. he knows that. but nonetheless, he has shown merlin his best before—merlin is literally the reason he reaches the best person he can be, like the growth omg—so he knows he can give it but he knows there's a lot of baggage (external and internal) that comes with being with him.

as for merlin, his enemies are a secret. and they're dangerous. arthur faces some of those same enemies but from the product of what they've created, not them personally. no, merlin goes head-to-head with the people who curse/try to kill arthur. and he gives arthur a version of his best (he still has to keep many many secrets) but even if it's limited it's still genuine. although his secrets, his late nights, and his pure exhaustion are a part of him as well. and you can't have sunshine without rain.

okay ,WOW, i'm wrung out. it feels incomplete so i might add additional things later on but for now, enjoy.

once again, thank you if you read this, thank you bbc merlin, and thank you taylor swift.

(notice how i didn't use the word love once)

#merlin #bbc merlin #bbc merthur #peace #taylor swift #taylors version #folklore #merthur #merlin x arthur #merlin emrys #merlin fandom #merlin and arthur #morgana #lady morgana #queen guinevere #king arthur #knights of the round table #camelot #lancelot #percival #sir leon #sir elyan #gwaine #arthur pendragon #colin morgan #bradley james #katie mcgrath #angel coulby #merlin wizard #warlock

[vashtijoy]

Futaba's line in the engine room about Robin Hood being Goro's "lies" kind of rubs me the wrong way, opinions?

I think it makes a lot of sense for Futaba to say that. In the same way, Morgana's statement that "everything, even his appearance, was a lie" is not wrong.

We know with the light of hindsight, and from how P5R treats Akechi's two original personas, that you can't get a persona from a lie or fabricate a persona—or at least, that Akechi didn't do that; we've got Word of God that both of them represent part of Akechi. But Futaba doesn't know that.

As for Morgana's statement? Well, Akechi's appearance is a lie. The persona he's using in Sae's Palace is a lie. They may be real, but you can lie with the truth—Akechi is using a real persona and a real Metaverse outfit to misrepresent himself to the Phantom Thieves and to deceive them.

It seems pretty clear that whatever part of him Robin Hood represents, Akechi doesn't relate so much to it. He probably feels he's long outgrown it. He may not be wrong.

Futaba なのに人生ソロプレイだったから、目覚めた力は、自前の『嘘』と『恨み』の、たった2個だけ⋯ na no ni jinsei soropurei datta kara, mezameta chikara wa, jimae no "uso" to "urami" no, datta niko dake... But you trusted no one, so you only got two Personas: one for your lies, and one for your hate.

I didn't comment on the second half of this in my last post because I'm not too confident in my reading of it yet—in particular that use of jimae no, which can mean just "your X" but also often suggests that you got X through your own efforts: "when you awakened to your power, the only two things in you that could become personas were your lies and your hate".

uso is pretty obvious, but I'm a little uncertain of translating urami as "hate", since it's the exact word Akechi used to describe his feelings for Shido—and it was not rendered "hate" there:

Akechi 恨み抜いたよ⋯けどヤツは、当時もう与党の都議サマで、子供じゃどうしようもなかった。 urami nuita yo... kedo yatsu wa, touji mou yotou no togi-sama de, kodomo ja dou shiyou mo nakatta. I resented him, but he was already a high-ranking official by then. A kid like me could do nothing. I had it in for him, but he was already flying high on the Tokyo Assembly for the governing party, and what could a child do about it?

So: not "lies and hate", but lies and resentment; lies and vengeance—bitterness, grudges, spite. Hate is not wrong, exactly, Akechi is full of hate; everything he wants has grown from it. But the sort of hate it is? It's exactly that poisonous resentment that's eaten him alive.

#asks #persona 5 #p5 meta #goro akechi

[nimrism]

Hi 👋 This fandom is truly the once and future fandom. Morgana did nothing wrong can coexist with Merthur love for me(although she basically destroyed them) What about you? (^.^)

HELLAURRRRR

you're so so right for the once and future fandom line like we'll truly be here forever 😭

and YES morgana has never done anything wrong in her LIFE she's literally an angel as far as i'm concerned she was THE BEST GUY AROUNDDDDD :)) all her actions are justifiable trust me trust me

merthur are something that can be so personal like they truly are THAT mlm ship for me. the merlin writers KNEW what they were doing (ruining my life) AND AS FOR MORGANA AND MERTHUR I'M CONVINCED SHE'S THEIR BIGGEST SHIPPER ACTUALLY (you're just gonna have to trust me on this one again cause the show doesn't help me prove my point with all the impaling/plotting against each other/eventual murder BUT she's always rooted for them to be together and if merlin hadn't yk... poisoned her and foiled her plans fifteen thousand times she might've been his wingman)

but these are mostly just my delusions :) do share any headcanons you have cause i love hearing different perspectives on their characters and in the end i just end up combining multiple headcanons to create a parallel reality in my head so :)))

#give me more openings to ramble on about my hcs this was so fun omg #bbc merlin #morgana pendragon #merlin #morgana #merthur #reiterating that: #morgana is merthur's biggest shipper #trust me bro #in a different reality she's the alex danvers to their supercorp #ie: done with their shit and just wants them to kiss at this point to save them all the pining #headcanon

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

BBC Merlin fic rec

The Time Merlin and Lancelot Almost Destroyed Camelot (as told by the Knights of the Rountable) by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

Words: 16,279 Chapters: 3/3 English

Summary:

"It's true then?" Elyan frowned as he peered out the door into the hallway Lancelot had just exited through. Gwen bit her lip before nodding. "Damn. What would Lancelot and Merlin even argue about?"

"Please," Gwaine rolled his eyes before flicking his hair out of his face "This has got to be some new battle strategy. Maybe Morgana is trying to throw us off with this so we won't notice when she tries to invade again." He shrugged. The others seemed to consider this.

"That somehow makes more sense." Percival muttered. Gwen wrinkled her nose before putting down the basket with a sigh.

"I'm telling you," She said "George heard them both yelling. It sounded very intense."

"Maybe they were having sex. Sometimes people yell during sex." Gwaine suggested. Everyone turned to him.

"Is that more likely than having an argument?" Leon asked dryly. Gwaine pointed his glove at him.

"Between Lancelot and Merlin? Yes. Absolutely, you ignorant fool."

Or

Lancelot and Merlin get into an argument. All of Camelot loses its goddamn mind trying to figure out what's going on.

———

Merlin and Lancelot friendship, the knights getting up to shenanigans, poison ivy as an apology gift, everyone freaking the fuck out when Merlin is spotted without his emotional support Lancelot

I honestly love this so much, go read it.

#bbc merlin #merlin #merlin emrys #lancelot #sir lancelot #knights of the dumbass table #the knights of the round table #ao3 fanfic #ao3 link #merlin fic recs #merlin fanfic #fic rec #i’m bad at tagging

[pbaintthetb]

last merlin thing, I have very much said it before but to say it again

I fucking adore how Merlin is villain coded? (is that the word) in his confrontation with Morgana in 3x07 (The Castle of Fyrien)

it’s just, impeccable. Like he gets all the stereotypical villain lines and vibes and yet he’s in the right, he’s not the villain here, and as far as Morgana’s aware she really holds all the power.

Morgana’s happily picking wood and Merlin appears and he looms and he makes threats and Morgana tells him to say what he means.

And even from Merlin’s POV (as she wins that scenario, again classic hero move) Morgana holds a significant amount of power over him, Merlin can’t play his true hand because he can’t reveal it. Ugh such a good show, I need more brain worms and I wish so so so hard that Morgana had been the villain less in S3 (or perhaps just taken advantage of other people’s plots) because sometimes she goes so hard but her constantly failing really discredits her lmao

lastly “I don’t understand how anyone would want to hurt their friends.”

“No. You just poison them.”

fucking rawest line of dialogue in season 3 and there is a lot of it.

#BBC Merlin #merlin #season 3 really went so yeah morgana is the unapologetic villain now #but merlin's no angel #crystal cave is an oof #my 2-faced magic users

[emanation-aura]

hi this is a free space to infodump about any of your fics. my ears are open and my eyes are peeled. love your writing

Thank you anon! I love infodumping about my fics but I hate doing it without reason, so this is literally perfect.

Ok, so: more P5R fic this time, but I've actually run out of Palace AUs for the moment so it's something else I was cooking.

It's a rewrite of the Okumura's Palace "Morgana fallout" scene where Ryuji and Morgana get so heated that Morgana runs away, but instead of making Joker a passive observer who just... watches his team fall apart, I gave him some agency (and anger!) to work with. Disclaimer: Akira is really, really rude to Ryuji in this because he's snapping from months of pent-up anger, but I don't mean for it to last and this is not a Ryuji-bashing fic; they make up later.

"Fine then," and he can feel the moment the temperature plummets, knows that the hard-edged voice which he'd taken so much care to soften has finally reared its head. There's nothing he can do about it, though— the anger wells in cracks and bubbles, impossible to ignore. "Let's go on the merits of usefulness, shall we? In that case, I should simply disband the Phantom Thieves, because I can do everything you can." It's too far. It's way too fucking far. He shouldn't be saying this at all, breaking their trust— how could he disband the only thing holding them together, giving their lives meaning and purpose? But there is nothing he can do to stop the venom spilling out of his mouth, the months of pent-up tension and weariness inflicted on him the moment he stepped into Tokyo. [...] “Where do you get off calling Morgana useless?!” Akira cuts it again, unable to stop himself. It skips across his body merrily, this vein of deep-seated anger, intertwining itself with the erratic thump-thump-thump of his heartbeat. “Is that all the Phantom Thieves are to you? Useful or useless?” That manages to cut through the chaos of the room like a knife. In the deadly still aftermath of his words, Akira derives cold satisfaction the way his teammates flinch back from him. It swells in his heart like that, thick and hazy, erupting into the room like poison gas.

There's something incredibly interesting about Akira teetering on that edge of "why can't I do this by myself?". He is a Wildcard/Trickster with huge adaptability due to his range of Personas, so while it would suck to not have his teammates as a safety net, he is theoretically capable of going through the game (at this level, anyway, not so much early on) solo; that's also a little gameplay-story integration with the Joker Solo runs people do.

This, of course, is also incredibly similar to Akechi's own philosophy around teammates, and part of why they mirror each other in so many ways. Speaking of Akechi, though, this is also fundamentally a shuake fic, so:

Akira runs a hand through his hair, grimacing as it comes away sticky with rainwater. He doesn’t dare look at Akechi while he thinks of a reply— it feels too invasive, meeting the detective’s eyes, as if he’ll see through everything Akira is trying so desperately to hide. “Are you alright, Kurusu? Did something happen?” Damn him. Akechi has always been uncannily perceptive, although any person with a half-decent brain could probably tell he’s going through some shit right now. The way the detective’s voice goes soft around the edges, though, something almost compassionate creeping through… “I’m fine, detective,” he replies curtly, hunching further into himself as he turns away from Akechi’s gaze. That compassion is the same poison in Yusuke’s voice, the one that punctured his heart like bullets. “Shouldn’t you be getting home?” “You don’t look fine,” Akechi bites back, sharper. It’s almost a relief as the concern bleeds away from his voice, replaced with something more disapproving and caustic. “Did someone attack you? Are you hurt?” Fuck. Akira resists the urge to bury his head in his knees and tries to breathe. Every cold breath seems to stab him in the lungs, a tip-tap to the rhythm of the rain soaking him through. ...A shadow falls over him. Akira looks up to see Akechi’s umbrella open over him, the detective’s grip on the handle tight with tension. “You’re going to catch a cold if you stay like this,” Akechi says tonelessly. “You should go home, Kurusu.”

Akira runs away to Kichijoji to avoid confronting his friends after (blowing up at them / punching Ryuji in the face / having a traumatic flashback) all in one. I don't want to spoil the rest of the fic but it's shuake, Akechi finds Akira in a vulnerable state, you can fill in the rest of the blanks (though it's not smut).

Something I will share though is that sometimes it's easier to share your burdens with someone you are strangers with. Akechi isn't exactly a stranger to Akira, but they have a connection that is both incredibly personal and also impersonally strange. They act like acquaintances and then rivals in the confidant progression, but there is a spark of recognition in that relationship that is absent from most others: like recognises like, which is why the Shuake relationship is so interesting to explore. They skip every conceivable normal 'milestone' a normal friendship does but still understand each other on a deep level because of their similar backgrounds and experiences.

Here's a part I'm really proud of, though:

He doesn’t have any defenses or smokescreens left to throw up. All Akira can do is avert his gaze and curl his hands tighter around the mug, uncaring of the way it begins to burn him. What can he say? Sorry, I thought you were arresting me? Akechi sighs, and although Akira can’t see his expression, it sounds utterly defeated. “I would appreciate a truthful answer,” he says evenly, although perhaps only Akira is privy to the tightly-controlled bundle of emotions behind that flat neutrality. “If nothing else, for the sake of not repeating this incident. Don’t take me for a fool, Kurusu. Your actions tonight were highly irregular, and I could already work out an answer based on what you told me.” “Then why don’t you?” “I’d rather hear it from you instead,” Akechi shrugs. There is a storm brewing in his red eyes, though, formidable and piercing. “Don’t you hate it when people just assume things about you without asking for your perspective?”

(quick context: Akira had a traumatic reaction to Akechi trying to haul him to his feet)

This is something they share deeply. Of course, it's obvious with Akira because he is the subject of so many bad 'delinquent' rumours in Shujin, subject to literally everyone who knows about his criminal record assuming things about him before they meet him, up to and including Sojiro. Akechi's is less obvious but just as intense: it's two-fold, coming from both his status as an orphaned bastard child and as a Detective Prince. He accrues the default social reaction of pity or praise respectively due to the assumptions forced on him by society; for an orphan it's helplessness, stupidity, and being unloveable, and as the Detective Prince it's the assumption that he has his life under control with everything handled. In this way they are both people who have had the burden of societal expectations forced upon them.

One last snippet to end this rambling off:

“What’s it to you?” Akira finally manages, averting his gaze. The mug beneath his fingers has finally cooled to a reasonable temperature, once again allowing the chill to spread along his fingertips, ice freezing over slowly in his veins. What is Akira’s deepest weaknesses and insecurities, to Akechi? Why is he sitting in Akechi’s living room at three in the morning, allowing the detective to dissect his psyche? Akechi goes silent. When he speaks, he’s back to the placid TV mask again, his idle fingers and tapping foot curiously still. “I wasn’t aware it was anything, Kurusu-kun. I saw you in trouble, so I helped you. Is there anything more to it than that?” I saw you in trouble, so I helped you. Akira, coming between the drunken man and the woman he was accosting. Watching Ryuji about to be executed by Kamoshida. Akechi has just cited the motive of the Phantom Thieves. Or, well, the motive before the fame and popularity got to their heads. Something dizzying jolts through his chest— is this how they felt? Thinks of Kawakami’s miserable second job, Hifumi’s controlling mother, Chihaya preyed on by a cult. Changing their hearts. Is this how they felt, being helped?

This is so dear to me because I interpret things to see that Akechi is not heartless. He is, obviously, a serial killer and assassin working for a fascist politician/father for his own ends, but that doesn't mean he has completely ditched all his values.

This is where I diverge from canon a bit. After the Akechi Black Mask fight, Futaba says: "but you didn't trust anyone. So you got one [Persona] for your lies, and one for your hate." This implies that Robin Hood stems from the lie of justice within Akechi's own heart and was never genuine— yet in the 'Proof of Justice' OVA in the anime as well as Akechi Rank 5, Akechi is depicted idolising heroes and using a laser gun (his weapon in both Metaverse forms) from a young age, before his mother died. Robin Hood represents the quintessential 'steal from the rich, give to the poor' kind of underdog justice that would fit the Thieves perfectly if he didn't turn out to be traitor, but we're also given hints that this is the original Akechi before he was tainted by the world; his version of 'justice' that was true even if it was simultaneously used as a lie.

Think of it like... method acting. Goro's Robin Hood, and by extension, "I saw you in trouble, so I helped you" justification is an act, because he is putting on a show of a courteous gentleman to fit with his public image. But that act stems from a genuine desire for justice and righteousness in his heart that never quite died.

This is also multiplied 10x by the fact that it's Akira whom Goro is trying to help and they have that aforementioned unique relationship that is impossible for me to define in a single post.

Actually I lied, this is the snippet I want to finish on: I wanted this continuity to carry into Royal's Third Semester so I wrote an extended interaction of their 'reunion' in January.

“I need to know what happened now between then,” Goro asks curtly, done with dancing around the topic. “Did you take down Shido? What happened after?” So Kurusu explains. “Yes, we took down Shido,” in a voice that bears an unmistakable hint of pain. He shelters it well, but it’s still recognisable to Goro’s trained ears— after all, doesn’t it sound awfully familiar to that same wavering tone a soaked Kurusu had used outside of the billiards bar in Kichijoji in November, shrinking away from his touch like it might burn him? The memory slams itself into Goro in a way he doesn’t know what to do with, so he shelves it and listens to the absolutely insane explanation of how Akira shot god on Christmas Day.

Thanks so much for the interest in my fic because god I have so many thoughts to expunge that wouldn't fit in authors notes! This one isn't published and it's literally just saved on my computer as 'P5R fic', so if people had fun title recommendations (preferably lifted from irl literature because that's my style) feel free to send them in.

#persona 5 #persona 5 royal #shuake #goro akechi #persona 5 joker #akira kurusu #fic writing #fic meta

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Morgana AU Pt 5

After what seems an interminable time, Gaius withdraws, leaving Gwen alone by the bedside. "I have done all I can," he says softly, "for now."

Kara barely looks up from her seat beside Morgana's cot, but Gwen utters a soft thank you.

"I shall go and update the king," the man continues. "I'll see to it that you are not disturbed."

In the quiet that follow his departure, Kara takes up a clean cloth and dips it into a bowl of water, and begins to clean Morgana's wrists. They are raw and weeping-- she must have been in the stocks from the moment they were separated, Kara realizes. Gwen does the same for the reddened band of skin at Morgana's neck, where it too had been rubbed raw by the stocks.

"What's going to happen now?" Kara murmurs quietly.

That Morgana will survive is an assumption they share, for Gwen's response cuts straight to the heart of the matter.

"I don't know," she says. "I don't deny she doesn't deserve punishment for her crimes, but... hasn't she been punished enough?"

Kara's gaze drifts back to the wrist in her hands, where new injury overlaps the old scars of iron manacles. She exhales, reminded of Lena, who had committed wrongs yet paid for them and more a hundred times over.

"I suppose that's not for us to decide," Kara observes quietly. "Is Arthur...?"

"He's not a cruel man," Gwen confirms, before her features grow solemn. "Or, at least he wasn't. That he would welcome a man like Sarrum into his castle... perhaps things have changed more than I thought."

Setting aside her damo cloth, Kara simply takes a moment to hold Morgana's hand in hers.

She could not say what may happen next, that much is certain. All she can promise is that, whatever happens-- Morgana will not face it alone.

---

They are allowed to keep vigil throughout the night without interruption, but early the following morning a knock sounds at the door. On the other side is Arthur, with dark circles under his eyes and looking far more haggard than a king ought to be.

"May I sit with her?" he asks.

Kara leaves the answer to Gwen, who steps aside to give him entrance. Beyond the door Kara catches a glimpse of Merlin, looking worried but making no move to trail inside behind his master.

"Thank you," Arthur says softly when Gwen closes the door firmly behind him. "I know I shouldn't-- I should... but I--"

"She's your sister," Gwen echoes his own words back at him. "And your friend."

"Or she was," Arthur observes. Gwen nods him towards the stool she'd vacated, and Arthur takes his seat. His hand twitches towards Morgana's as she yet sleeps, but ultimately is gripped by the other. "I never wished for that to change, and yet..."

"We've all made our choices."

Arthur blinks up at her, but says nothing. The history between them, between all three of them, hangs heavy and unspoken in the air. Kara remains quiet.

"What of the other prisoners--?"

"Freed," Arthur says quickly.

"And Sarrum?" Gwen presses, barely containing the poison in her voice.

Arthur pauses at that.

"Contained, for now." He swallows thickly. "He has related the manner of his... history, with Morgana."

"And you allow him to live?" Kara speaks up for the first time, anger sharpening her words. Arthur looks at her in surprise. "The man is a monster--"

"With a sizeable force outside my walls," Arthur points out. "I must tread carefully."

"He thought you would welcome a handful of druids for your pyres, Arthur," Gwen murmurs. "Why?"

Arthur shakes his head. "There have been no executions during my reign--"

"And yet he brought us to you in shackles!"

"He is used to treating with my father!" Arthur snaps, bristling before calming once more. "I cannot control how others perceive me--"

"You can. You can if your policies no longer target vulnerable people just trying to live their lives. They weren't harming anyone--"

"I know. I know. But if policy changes before the people are ready--"

"Your people are dying! Not by magic, but by the cruelty of your would-be allies," Gwen points out. "You are the king-- you set the example, or others will set it for you."

Instead of responding with the indignation Kara expects, Arthur seems to deflate a little. He exhales, turning his gaze back towards Morgana.

"I know."

#morgana au #a bit of an interlude #a quiet moment #but necessary