Merlin - Blog Posts

crawlin back to you

doomed by the narrative but not to death. doomed to survive. doomed to stay alive inside the story. doomed to never escape the narrative, not even through death. you are allowed no exit. there is no way out for you and there never was. you couldn’t die if you wanted to. the narrative has a hold on you and it won’t let go. death is too sweet a doom for you. the story has something much worse in mind. there is no way out.

As an apology for my last post, here’s a better edit of Leon :)

He’s just finished taking over Camelot xx

Here, have this picture I edited of Leon being eaten by a snake which I made instead of writing an essay due for tomorrow 🤗

Poor Sir Leon :(

hey op come here for a second

I think the downright most horrific and brutal detail in the show is that Kilgharrah actually used Merlin to make sure Arthur's death happened with the pretence of protecting him

Arthur: What are you doing?

Gwiaine (quite drunk): that is none of your business

Arthur: yes it -

Gwaine: now let me kiss your boyfriend

Merlin (being held being arthur, also drunk): yeahhhhhh! Arthur, lemme kiss your boyfriend

Arthur (so done with his knights shit)

Gwaine: (gets Merlin drunk) Merlin: (gushing) he's just so pretty, who gave Arthur the permissions to be that pretty? Certainly not me. (Sniffles) He makes it very hard not to love him, (Cries) Leon: Lancelot: Gwen: Gwaine: Percival: The tavern: Arthur: Arthur: what.

Arthur: Merlin is the worst servant in the world Uther: He is, you need to fire him, maybe George will do better Arthur: Uther: Arthur: Uther: Arthur: (Aggressively) No

The only valid ship dynamic:

Person A: HOHOHOHOHO TIME TO DO SOME DUMB SHIT

Person B: DO A FLIP!

*later, when the dumb shit went horribly, horribly wrong*

Person B: you fucking idiot, what the hell is wrong with you. That was so incredibly stupid, I cannot believe your dumbass really thought that was gonna fucking work out, I TOLD you it would go bad!

Person A: *in a full body cast* worth it

Some of my fandoms in a chart

Quick sketch of Merlin in Disney's Sword in The Stone style! Haven't done any other styles in a while this was so fun

Modern AU.

Uther Pendragon always, every year, buys out the local Burger King to celebrate Arthur's birthday, because he'd wanted it once when he was nine.

Arthur is 23 now and really, really doesn't want to go anymore. But he also doesn't want to break his father's heart.

The worst scenario does happen when the guy in charge to celebrate his birthday breaks out into laughter. "YOU'RE the birthday Prince?"

Arthur doesn't think he's ever met a man this beautiful. And he'd never felt more humiliated in his life.

gaius, politely informing uther that his wife is a troll: she also has, what appears to be, a set of fangs.

sir leon the long-suffering, also very politely: i wouldn't so much as call them fangs

gaius:

uther:

leon: they're more like tusks.

LEON SWEETHEART YOU ARE A GEM

My absolute favourite trope in Merlin fanfic is when they all find out about Merlin’s magic and Arthur is brooding or feigning annoyance but truly doesn’t care, Elyan and Gwaine are asking so many questions because they’re so intrigued and need to know absolutely everything and somehow aren’t surprised in the slightest, Leon is weary but slowly indulges in the conversation, eyeing Arthur every so often because he’s nervous to display such behaviours about magic in front of his King but he still knows Arthur would never touch Merlin even if he was afraid and Percival is just so confused because he thought everyone already knew and just refused to speak about it

Merlin: It’s not that big of a deal. we don’t have to speak about it.

Elyan: Oh, no we absolutely do!

Gwaine: Yeah, c’mon Merlin, show us something cool, like money falling from the sky, or a pint in my hand, right now, come on.

Elyan: Can you really do that?

Merlin: *Sarcastically* If it’ll get Gwaine to shut up.

Arthur: Oh, so you can pour Gwaine a pint in the middle of the woods but you can’t clean my chambers?

It goes silent for a few moments, Merlin wonders if now is the right time for a joke but Arthur’s brow is furrowed and through the light of the fire he can see the firm press of lips on his face, he decides now is not the time. Gwaine rolls his eyes from across the flame before them.

Gwaine: He’s just saved all our arses, can you be grateful for two minutes?

Leon: Gwaine-

Merlin: He has every right to be upset-

Arthur: Do not address me as if i’m not even here, you owe me that at least.

There’s a tense silence as Merlin’s hand stills where it pokes at the fire with a stick, Leon eyes the King cautiously and Percival fiddles, wide eyed, with the frayed edges of his tunic. Merlin sighs and focuses again on the fire, it’s the only heat he can find.

Gwaine: What kind of things can you do?

Merlin is hesitant to answer but Elyan looks at him expectantly and even Leon has turned his attention to him now, seemingly awaiting either an answer from the servant or an order from his King.

Merlin: I- I can do small things like move stuff around, tell a broom to sweep or a rag to clean.

He thinks that’s enough but by the excited look in Gwaine and Elyan’s eyes it isn’t.

Merlin: I can light fires, fell trees, sense a nearby threat, anything… really.

Gwaine: That’s so cool

Arthur: So you could’ve been useful this entire time and you chose not to be.

There’s another lull as Arthur picks apart leaves and tosses them into the fire but as Leon speaks up even Arthur turns his gaze.

Leon: How long have you been able to do all this?

It’s hardly an innocent question but Leon’s tone is honest and Merlin cannot feel cornered by his words.

Merlin: Since birth.

Arthur: Lies.

Elyan: Is that possible?

Gwaine: What?

Leon: Is that all you can do? Move things? Will them to your command?

Now that question is loaded even if Leon means no ill will. Merlin swallows, he nods.

Merlin: Yes

Leon: What else can you command?

Merlin: The seas

Arthur: A mermaid are you, now?

Merlin: The trees and the ground.

Arthur: A nymph perhaps?

Merlin: The skies

Arthur: Now you’re just being absurd-

Merlin: Lighting.

Merlin cuts in quickly. He was never proud of it, bringing the bolt down so harshly and eradicating the sorceress to nothing but a pile of smouldering ash but Arthur will find out one way or another. Banishment or pyre he will make sure Arthur hears of his crimes before he goes.

Merlin: Nimue. I killed her. A bolt straight through her body. There was nothing left.

The group maintains their silence for a few moments and Arthur finally turns to look at Merlin for the first time since they’d stopped to make camp

Arthur: Prove it.

Merlin: Sire-

Arthur: Don’t call me that and prove it.

Merlin: Why? Hoping i’ll mess it all up and strike myself down? Save you the trouble of building the pyre?

Arthur: If I wanted you dead you wouldn’t be speaking so stop moping, get off your arse and prove. It.

Merlin doesn’t need to get up because the second Arthur stops talking Merlin’s eyes are sparking gold and the sky erupts in a violent flash of colour. tendrils of brilliant white crack the darkness apart, coating the forest in a momentary burst of day before the light fades and in its wake leaves behind the fading outline of the Pendragon crest in the forks of dying white.

The group remains still, staring upwards at the now pitch black sky before Elyan is laughing out loud and Gwaine is excitedly smacking Leon beside him.

Gwaine: Oh my god, we could do so much. We could strike Lord Harold down and he wouldn’t even know what hit him-

Arthur: shut up, Gwaine

Arthur is still staring at the sky and Leon speaks from beside him.

Leon: Forgive me for asking, ignore me next time

The Knight is almost blushing in his place and Merlin manages a small huff of laughter at that before he resumes poking at the fire but his moment of silence is inturpeted

Arthur: Sir Percival, you’ve been unusually quiet. Please, what are your opinions on all of this.

Arthur seems pissed off, but not in an angry way, more of an i’ve been outvoted and i’m not happy about it way. Percival shrugs, picking away at the skin of nails like he has no idea what this conversation could possibly be about.

Arthur: Percival?

Percy: Mhh hmm.

Arthur raises an eyebrow. Percival stares back at him.

Percy: Yes, Sire?

Arthur: Don’t play dumb with me.

Percy: I don’t know what you mean, sire.

There’s a moment , a beat, barely a second.

Gwaine: You knew?!?!!!?!???!?

Elyan: You sly bastard!

Leon: oh lord-

Percy: I didn’t, I swear-

Arthur: Percival-

Merlin: How-

Percy: I THOUGHT WE ALL KNEW-

Gwaine: WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT-

Elyan: HOW WOULD WE HAVE KNOWN-

Leon: Kill me.

Percy: IT WAS SO OBVIOUS-

Merlin: HANG ON-

GWAINE: WHY WOULD’NT YOU TELL ME?

Elyan: Gwen’s going to be so pissed off she missed this

Gwaine: I THOUGHT WE WE’RE FRIENDS-

Merlin: HOW WAS IT OBVIOUS-

Percy: WE ARE, I JUST THOUGHT WE WEREN’T ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT IT

Leon: please lord,

ELYAN: WHY WOULD’NT WE BE ALLOWED TO- Oh, no, wait, yeah got it, continue.

Percy: I THOUGHT YOU WERE ALL AWARE AND JUST NEVER MENTIONED IT CAUSE IT WAS SUCH A CASUAL THING THATS WHY I WOULD ALWAYS GIVE YOU A CLAP ON THE BACK AFTER AN AMBUSH OR-

Merlin: I THOUGH IT WAS CAUSE I DIDN’T DIE

Leon: Finish me off

Percy: YEAH, CAUSE YOU SAVED US. WITH MAGIC

Leon: I beg of you

ELyan: Holy shit-

Gwaine: Have we really been that blind?

Percival shrugs and Merlin still looks at him like he’s just betrayed his entire blood line.

Leon: Please, it would be the kind thing to do

Elyan: What?

Leon: What?

Gwaine: Did you tell him?

Merlin: Why would i tell him?

Percy: ouch.

Arthur: Percival.

Everyone pauses, Leon stops praying to a deity he does not believe in and Merlin stops looking so offended but Gwaine and Elyan still hold that child like wonder in their eyes.

Arthur: I’m not entirely sure what to threaten you with right now but I will think of something and trust me you’re going to wish you were never born.

Gwaine: Fair do’s, that

Percy: So Merlin gets away scot free but not me?

Merlin: OI-

Arthur: Oh, i’m not even started with you.

Gwaine: Oh, c’mon princess, don’t act like you didn’t have even the slightest hunch.

Arthur’s head spins at a pace that’s frankly alarming to look over at Gwaine. He narrow his eyes like he was lining up his next arrow for loosening. There’s another beat before Gwaine’s eyes widen

Gwaine: OH MY GOD YOU DID-

Then Arthur is launching forward, over the fire and it takes the four others an hour to get Arthur to release the impossible grip he has on Gwaine’s hair and another two to get Gwaine to apologise for the black eye now blooming on the King’s face.

Merlin becoming unhinged and paranoid after being alive for 1500 years. Merlin not eating for 1 week straight before he goes like "oh right" because he fucking forgot. Oh, the elevator in his apartment building is out of order, but he has to go to Lake Avalon. Oh well. He's gonna use the stairs. And by "using the stairs" I mean throwing himself from the staircase. It's faster this way! He's gonna break a few bones and give himself a concussion but hey, he's immortal, so it's ok! Merlin walking outside and glancing behind his back every 3 seconds when someone looks like has been walking behind him for a bit too much of a time. Merlin having a tons of locks on his front door. Because you never know. Merlin talking with people and that voice in his head screaming at him "don't form connections with them, don't you dare become attached to them, because that's how it starts. You make small conversations with people, then you become friends, and the next thing you know they find out about your magic and they try to kill you or they just die because they're mortal." (definitely not from experience, nuh-uh). Merlin having weapons somewhere hidden in his house just in case he's in danger and his magic doesn't work for whatever reason. A minor inconvenience happening and Merlin just going "fuck. Oh well, let me just- *throws himself from the top of a building*. Merlin finding out he's neurodivergent. He doesn't really have to mask anymore, he hasn't been doing that for a while because he's all alone so no one will care and also because nowadays no one gives a shit. Him being neurodivergent explains so much (personally I'm an ADHD Merlin truther lol). Merlin having abandonment issues, which is also another reason why he refuses to connect with people. Because hey, better to be never loved than be loved and lose it, right? Merlin considering himself something more than human. Not in the "haha, I'm more powerful than everyone else, lmao" way, but in the "I have all this power in my hands yet the world is still shit, I'm a failure, why couldn't I be like everyone else?" way. All these stuff don't even have to revolve around Arthur or Camelot, it can be just the brain trying to comprehend 15 centuries worth of trauma.

BBC Merlin & Text Posts (16/?)

i am something

maybe I'm dumb that it took me this long to realize but when Arthur tells Gwen he has a dream to run away and be a farmer his only frame of reference for how farmers actually live is that one time that he was in Ealdor with Merlin sleeping on his cold floor and eating porridge and he hated it, my god, did he hate it but he was also with Merlin and it's the only time he didn't have to be Prince Arthur he could just be Arthur and he remembered that feeling of being just Arthur and Merlin and he coveted it so deeply that it became his dream?????

I have an idea for a Merlin fic but life is chaos so I cannot write it:

So for whatever reason Arthur is away (probably visiting some Lord or Nobel House) and Merlin stays behind (who knows why).

Uthers manservant is ill so he requests Merlin (after all he’s the crown prince’s manservant he should be good enough for the king).

Merlin is now stuck as Uthers servant for a week and I really want to see Merlin try to wake the King up with “rise and shine!! :D”

He talks too much and is entirely too familiar with the King, taking liberties and speaking out of turn, mentioning Arthur by name and not title, is always late with lunch but somehow…

Uther finds him fascinating. He knows Merlin is completely loyal to Arthur (he said so himself in the show). He understands Merlin hears castle gossip like most staff, but he is actually able to understand the significance behind the rumours. Merlin is also trusted by the knights and has insight into the lords and ladies of the court. He sees things, he hears things. Uther can use this

As a physician in training, he is able to treat Uthers old knee injury, and he is clearly learned. He can read and write better than some of the noblemen he’s met. One day Uther enters his chambers and finds Merlin bent over the desk looking over the grain reports “did you notice Lord Chester had been underreporting his grain storage for three years and is selling it under the table to a foreign king?”

Merlin is a terrible manservant…but Uthers clothing had never been cleaner, his armour so polished, his bathwater so hot and his notes so organised. Merlin is continuously late and covered in mud or moss, but somehow Uther finds he doesn’t mind as long as Merlin keeps feeding him important castle gossip.

Arthur gets Merlin back at the end of the week, and Merlin can finally breathe (he’s been a nervous wreck for the last seven days). Uthers servant recovers and the King has a functional servant again as is befitting his station.

But Uther is now willing to overlook some of Merlin’s …ridiculousness and familiarity with Arthur…after all, he’s realised Merlin does have some uses, even though he’s always late with breakfast.

Scenes like this:

“You’re the clumsiest excuse for a servant I’ve ever met!”

“Yes, Arthur says I have the elegance of a newborn lamb”

“Why is there a twig in your hair? It’s unbefitting of your station as servant of the King”

“I fell asleep in a ditch, anyways have you heard Lady Carteret has been seen buying hemlock at the apothecary? I’m sure Lord Carteret is soon to be missing, poor sod”

“Can you never bring me my breakfast on time?!”

“Sorry Sire, the poison tester died this morning after drinking your tea, so I had to brew it myself, and we’re in need of a new poison tester. And in totally unrelated news Lord Milder was seen fleeing the castle”

“Rise and shine!! The sun is up and you should be too!”

“Is this really how you wake your King? And where the hell is my breakfast!”

“Well Arthur usually throws a pillow at me even though it’s my job to wake him in the morning - that lazy arse!”

sometimes I’m fine, but other times I can’t help but think like

Gwen chose Arthur because he was the closest she could get to having Morgana/Lancelot

and

Arthur chose Gwen because she was the closest he could get to having Merlin

Arthur: There's no way he likes me back.

Leon: Merlin would throw himself in front of a moving car for you.

Arthur: Merlin would throw himself in front of a moving car for fun.

I absolutely love the idea of Arthur writing letters to Merlin saying all those things he couldn't say out loud. He would compose the most heartbreaking breathtaking well-written confessions of longing. But he would hide them in a chest that once belonged to his mother, careful Merlin wouldn't find them should he ever decide to do something outlandish like cleaning the kings chambers.

Now imagine Arthur gets poisoned and falls into a coma, so while Merlin searches everything to determine what happened he finds a spell to see what objects someone touched recently.

So he finds the chest and opens it, staring at dozens of letters addressed to him.

Naturally he would read them and find out about Arthur's love but still he had no clue how to wake him. That's when Morgana shows up telling Merlin she dreamed about the cure and she was fairly sure she could make it with Gaius help

A few hours later the potion was ready and given to the sleeping king, who woke to a sobbing Merlin with those letters in his hands

I want to send this to my partner but he’s never seen Merlin and he just WON’t get it 🤣

"Hi there mortal. So, I was in a pretty bad mood when I gave you that punishment, so I might have overreacted."

"I’ve been here for 2,000 years!" "Bad moods can last a while when you’re a god."

AU where Arthur doesn't die at Camlann and doesn't find out about Merlin's magic.

It's a few years after Camlann. Gwen and Arthur have two kids, a prince and a princess. It's not quite a golden age, but damn is it close.

Merlin loves and cares for those kids like there his own. He finds himself even more protective of them than he is of Arthur, something Gwaine never fails to rag on him about.

Merlins noticed their nurse acting strange. He's suspicious by nature of course and decides she's definitely hiding something. Something to do with the princess.

So Merlin investigates, finds nothing. Until one day he enters the nursery unexpectedly. A toy unicorn hovers in the air, the princess eyes shining gold, and the nurses face floods with panic.

She begs Merlin not to say anything. "Please don't blame the princess she can't control it, if someone must be punished please Sir punish me she's just a girl she doesn't know"

The nurse babbles on, terrified by Merlins shocked expression.

"This must be what my mother felt like' Merlin thinks, 'Terrified for a babe who doesn't yet understand the world they were born into'

He glances at the princess, she looks shocked and scared. Her little hands clutch the unicorn like a lifeline. Merlin had carved it for her as a 3rd birthday gift.

And he loves her, oh he loves her. To see his own childhood confusion and terror reflected on her face breaks his heart.

He had been scared his whole life. It was normal to him now, to be terrified of the people he loves finding out his true self.

But he wasn't scared now, as the overwhelming clarity of what he had to do settled over him.

'I won't make the same mistakes again' he thinks 'This girl will not grow up in fear. I won't allow it'

Destiny it seems, has finally forced his hand.

WAIT IS THIS BASED ON “a quirkless boys guide to loving dynamight” STOPPP IM AHHHHH STOPPP im actually so happy rn if it is. that fanfic is so good i’d die for it tbh 😔😔

Once Arthur comes back, Merlin will film EVERYTHING.

Merlin knows he will survive Arthur, no matter what. But sometimes, he's so busy trying to keep the memory, that he forgets to live them.

Arthur is annoyed at first because Merlin keeps holding that rectangular lightning brick in his face and asks him to stop. It takes a long while for him to listen.

But once he realises what Merlin is doing, Arthur keeps a video log. He uses it every night when Merlin is asleep, and sums up their day, confessing his love long before they even get together. Sometimes he hides a camera in their room, so they can live life normally, but Merlin will still keep the memory.

Arthur lives a long healthy life and dies a sudden death at the age of 98 in Merlin's crying arms. His will leave Merlin terrabites of memories.

It's so many that Merlin can't go through all of them before Arthur reincarnates once more :)

i love this sm

Once Arthur comes back, Merlin will film EVERYTHING.

Merlin knows he will survive Arthur, no matter what. But sometimes, he's so busy trying to keep the memory, that he forgets to live them.

Arthur is annoyed at first because Merlin keeps holding that rectangular lightning brick in his face and asks him to stop. It takes a long while for him to listen.

But once he realises what Merlin is doing, Arthur keeps a video log. He uses it every night when Merlin is asleep, and sums up their day, confessing his love long before they even get together. Sometimes he hides a camera in their room, so they can live life normally, but Merlin will still keep the memory.

Arthur lives a long healthy life and dies a sudden death at the age of 98 in Merlin's crying arms. His will leave Merlin terrabites of memories.

It's so many that Merlin can't go through all of them before Arthur reincarnates once more :)

imagine being a new guard at camelot and you hear someone make treasonous remarks/ flat out commit treason and obviously you go to arrest them and get ready to report to the king or however that works but the other guards are horrified???

not at the criminal

but at you

for arresting the guy who committed TREASON because apparently he’s allowed to do that

and obviously you think the guards are just fucking with you

but then the knights corner you and threaten you

and the servants all give you the cold shoulder

even sweet old beth who used to pinch your cheeks

and then the prince of all people comes storming up to you, looking murderous

and you think “oh at least someone gives a damn about treason

but he just angerly tells you that “merlin has a permit”

“to- to um commit treason?”

“yes.” and forbids you from telling the king

and then you just awkwardly watch as the prince frets over the not criminal and making sure he’s okay and fret over him 

and then immediately sentences him to go to the stocks “because i said so and i’m the prince merlin”

and the not criminal turns and looks you in the eyes and says “couldn’t you have been better at getting me executed”

and then sighs and leaves

ive made this post before but do u get it? he left him no choice but to stay here forever!!!!!!!!

Headcannon - When Arthur was a kid he used to sneak into Uther’s room to steal shirts and wear them as nightwear.

He thought that a piece of clothing he wore to sleep, that smelled slightly like his father, is what a hug from Uther would feel like.

He never really found out if that was true because he had never experienced a real hug from the King.

Maybe, when he’s older and Arthur and Merlin are friends, but have obliviously feelings for each other, he steals Merlin’s neckerchief somehow. He doesn’t think or know to ask Merlin for a hug because he subconsciously thinks he’ll be rejected instantly.

So instead, he steals Merlin’s neckerchief and hides it under his pillow until night and while he’s sleeping he kind of just holds close it next to him.