Dive into your creative stream
I could 100% see this as either modern Merlin rolling up to the lake of Avalon like after Arthur's resurrection, or as modern Merlin who sent himself back in time and confuses the hell out of Camelot! I love it either way!
A king hired a new official court sorcerer expecting a elderly white haired human in a robe not a raven haired haired 20 something riding a motorcycle in a leather jacket and aviators but he can not deny their efficiency.
Uther had so many badass lines that made him such a great and intimidating villain... and then the writers made him sleep with a troll.
The duality of BBC Merlin! You've gotta love it!
"I can't stand by and watch him die" "Then don't look" is too raw a line to come from bbc merlin
(Someone needs to take photoshop away from me at this point.)
Nice. I think that's the perfect spot for him! đđ
The Pines & Friends supremacy continues.
Bill Cipher | Gravity Falls
Alastor | Hazbin Hotel
Anthony J. Crowley | Good Omens
Aziraphale | Good Omens
Stanley Pines | Gravity Falls
Stanford Pines | Gravity Falls
Lucifer Morningstar | Hazbin Hotel
Evan Buckley | 9-1-1
Mabel Pines | Gravity Falls
Dipper Pines | Gravity Falls
Dean Winchester | Supernatural
Edmundo Diaz | 9-1-1
Charlie Morningstar | Hazbin Hotel
Fiddleford McGucket | Gravity Falls
Lestat de Lioncourt | Interview with the Vampire
Louis de Pointe du Lac | Interview with the Vampire
Castiel | Supernatural
Eddie Munson | Stranger Things
Armand | Interview with the Vampire
Steve Harrington | Stranger Things
Daniel Molloy | Interview with the Vampire
Will Graham | Hannibal
Colin Bridgerton | Bridgerton
Penelope Featherington | Bridgerton
Tommy Kinard | 9-1-1
Hannibal Lecter | Hannibal
Zuko | Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rhaenyra Targaryen | House of the Dragon
Edwin Payne | Dead Boy Detectives
Leonardo | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Alicent Hightower | House of the Dragon
Danny Fenton | Danny Phantom
Charles Rowland | Dead Boy Detectives
Donatello | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Aemond Targaryen | House of the Dragon
Vox | Hazbin Hotel
Husk | Hazbin Hotel
Sam Winchester | Supernatural
Spock | Star Trek
Twilight Sparkle | My Little Pony
Rafe Cameron | Outer Banks
Katara | Avatar: The Last Airbender
Jax | The Digital Amazing Circus
The Fifteenth Doctor | Doctor Who
Aegon II Targaryen | House of the Dragon
Spencer Reid | Criminal Minds
Sokka | Avatar: The Last Airbender
Aang | Avatar: The Last Airbender
Fluttershy | My Little Pony
Michelangelo | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Tenth Doctor | Doctor Who
Adam | Hazbin Hotel
Dr. Gregory House | House MD
James Wilson | House MD
Donna Noble | Doctor Who
Pinkie Pie | My Little Pony
The Fourteenth Doctor | Doctor Who
Raphael | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Mike Wheeler | Stranger Things
Rainbow Dash | My Little Pony
Will Byers | Stranger Things
Stede Bonnet | Our Flag Means Death
Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Edward Teach | Our Flag Means Death
Megatron | Transformers
Joel Miller | The Last of Us
Rarity | My Little Pony
Marienette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Arthur Pendragon | Merlin
Agatha Harkness | the Marvel universe
Ellie Williams | The Last of Us
James T. Kirk | Star Trek
Optimus Prime | Transformers
Cooper Howard | Fallout
Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock
Ruby Sunday | Doctor Who
Daemon Targaryen | House of the Dragon
Luz Noceda | The Owl House
Helaena Targaryen | House of the Dragon
Bobby Nash | 9-1-1
Anthony Bridgerton | Bridgerton
Claudia | Interview with the Vampire
Rose Tyler | Doctor Who
Loki Laufeyson | the Marvel universe
Sun Wukong | Lego Monkie Kid
Niko Sasaki | Dead Boy Detectives
Sally Jackson | the Percy Jackson universe
Jacaerys Velaryon | House of the Dragon
Rio Vidal | the Marvel universe
Nightcrawler | the Marvel universe
Simon Petrikov | Adventure Time
Rosie | Hazbin Hotel
Izzy Hands | Our Flag Means Death
Howard "Chimney" Han | 9-1-1
Ahsoka Tano | the Star Wars universe
Omega | the Star Wars universe
Mobius M. Mobius | the Marvel universe
Wallace Wells | the Scott Pilgrim franchise
Hunter | the Star Wars universe
Gambit | the Marvel universe
This is a returning list! Yay!
There are some great Gravity Falls Communities over here, in case you're interested đ
Hello everyone! Part 2 of Merlin refuses to leave Camelot after a magic reveal won the latest poll, so here we go! I hope you all enjoy this continuation! :D
NOTE: You can find part one here.
Without further ado, onto the story!
For the first time in what must have been several years, Arthur recalled the dolls that Morgana used to play with when she first moved into the castle.
They were well-made dolls, crafted with fine cloth and neat stitching, but they were also well-worn from Morgana carrying them around with her, hugging them close for comfort wherever she went in the unfamiliar castle.
Arthur could remember scoffing at Morgana when he had seen her playing with the dolls in her new room, imagining names and lives for each of them and moving them around to play out whatever story she wished.
If his memories served correctly, Arthur believed that that was one of the first fights he got into with Morgana, after he had taunted and teased her for playing with those dolls. He had called it a stupid little game, only fit for girls.
As he watched Merlin Emrys go about his days exactly as he had for the past ten years, acting for all intents and purposes like nothing had changed at all and that he was just an ordinary human servant, Arthur was disturbingly reminded of Morgana playing with her dolls, moving them around this way and that and having complete control over their lives, their very reality. The irony of the comparison wasn't lost of Arthur either, given how many times he had also teased Merlin about being a girl.
Perhaps this was a part of Emrys's grand plan? To get back at Arthur for all of the humiliation he endured at the hands of the ignorant king by turning the king and all his people into little more than dolls, forced to play along with his fantasy of being a regular servant lest they also be struck down by his rage, their souls tossed aside like broken little ragdolls?
If that truly were the case, then this punishment was far lighter than what Arthur deserved. He had hunted down and slaughtered Emrys's followers, burned his temples, and had demeaned the god of magic himself for nearly ten years by somehow missing the fact that his manservant was secretly a god the whole time, and his punishment was to simply continue on as if everything was the same?
No, that couldn't possibly be the case. Emrys's forgiveness might extend enough such that Arthur wasn't immediately struck down for his hubris, but he had to have some other punishment in store for Camelot. But now, the question remained: what punishment would the god of magic levy upon the kingdom that had so greatly disrespected him, and could Arthur spare his people from the divine wrath that he had brought down on them?
As Arthur sat at his seat at the round table, feeling the full weight of Emrys's gaze on his back, he made a solemn vow to himself: whatever retribution, whatever wrath that Emrys wished to rain down upon the people of Camelot, Arthur would shoulder it all. This was his duty as king.
But, to Arthur's dismay, no matter how many times he pleaded with Merlin Emrys to spare his people, the god never obliged, simply giving Arthur a menacing smile and setting out his clothes for the day, dressing Arthur up like a helpless doll.
Arthur couldn't even get away from Emrys long enough to convene with his knights and form a plan of attack against the god of magic holding their home hostage. Nothing that Arthur did was outside of Emrys's sight, and any attempt at resistance was snuffed out before it could even begin.
(Arthur couldn't help but think about how Merlin's constant presence was a comfort, before... before the truth.)
The only time when Arthur got any privacy from Emrys was at night, when he was able to climb into bed and stay up late into the night wracking his brain for any strategy, any way to persuade Emrys that might protect his kingdom.
But the next morning, after a restless night that bore no new ideas to beat Emrys with, the god would burst through the doors of the royal chambers with a tray of breakfast in hand. And, like every morning since that damned battle at Camlann, Arthur would leap out of bed, sword in hand, only to be disarmed and sat down at his desk with little more than a flash of gold in Merlin's Emrys's eyes. Pushed around like a ragdoll.
After dozens of mornings like this, over a month of feeling powerless and useless, Arthur had had enough. His already too-short patience had run dry, and in his frustration, he made a stupid, foolish mistake. The kind of mistake Merlin- before- would have chastised him for and then have gently guided him towards the better solution.
But Merlin wasn't here. He was gone, perhaps he never even existed and was just a lie the whole time, and Arthur was stuck with an unpredictable and dangerous god in his place.
Namely, an unpredictable and dangerous god whose head Arthur had just thrown a platter at with all of his might in a fit of rage.
Oh no.
Arthur's heart dropped to his gut as Emrys, with an irritated huff, froze the platter in midair and the reality of what he just did came crashing down on him, making his knees weak with horror.
His only method of keeping his people safe was by keeping Emrys appeased enough to limit whatever punishment he had in store for the kingdom to only Arthur himself, and Arthur had almost just hit him in the head with a platter!
Arthur opened his mouth to beg and plead for his people's safety, kingly pride be damned in the face of his entire kingdom being wiped out by divine wrath because of a stupid mistake that Arthur himself made, but was cut off by a sound that once made his chest bloom with warmth, but now only brought dread.
Laughter. Merlin Emrys was laughing at him. Was the god of magic truly so excited about finally smiting the king that had humiliated him for almost a decade that he would laugh about it?
... On second thought, the laughter made sense. For what felt like the hundredth time in the past month, Arthur braced himself for the agony of being struck down by divine wrath, certain that this time he had finally crossed the line and that Emrys would put an end to him here and now.
"Oh Arthur, you really never change, do you? Always such a prat no matter what."
Merlin Emrys shook his head, laughing and smiling all the while, much to Arthur's bewilderment. What was he playing at?!
Suddenly, Arthur's feelings of hurt and betrayal welled up alongside his frustration, and his mouth moved before his brain could register it.
"At least I haven't changed. The same cannot be said for everyone."
Emrys's eyes widened at his words, looking shocked and, surprisingly, hurt. But why would a god care about what a king that he was holding hostage thought about him?
"But I haven't. I haven't changed at all, Arthur, it's only your perception of me that has changed. I've always been... this. And I'm happy with my life as it is, and I don't want it to change.
Don't you see? That's why I'm still here, why I'm doing all of this. I don't want anything to change."
Merlin looked at him earnestly, as if pleading with Arthur to hear him. It was strange, thinking about a god looking at him, a mortal man, pleadingly.
But, if this was truly all he wanted? To live out his life as Merlin the manservant, and not the all-powerful Emrys?
While Arthur certainly couldn't understand it, if treating Emrys as his servant would be what kept the god of magic's wrath at bay, then Arthur would play along and pretend for as long as he needed to.
For everyone's sake.
Arthur gave Emrys Merlin a strained smile as his new plan to ensure his kingdom's survival formed in his mind.
"In that case, why don't you get my armor and weapons ready for training later today, Merlin? We've got a long day ahead of us."
As Merlin gave him a familiar bright smile, Arthur prayed to any gods who weren't Emrys that he hadn't just made a deadly mistake.
And that's all for this au for now! I hope you all enjoyed Arthur's POV! Please let me know if you would like to see a continuation of this au!
And, as always, thank you for reading through my ramblings! :D
Also, a big thank you to everyone who showed support on this au! I'll try to tag you all here:
@obsessionrepression @transteddyd @merthurogies @dontknowanythingohwell @scuttlingsleipnir
@auroraboringaliceinwonderland @thedollopheadofcamelot @starlight-kestrel @iron-niffler @rainbowsmagicandshit
@linotheghost @sugar-coated-prat-dragon @archiveofcamelot @elementalpirate4 @anemwevieam
@spekulatiusmuffin @theintrovertedintrovert @esoulix @wheneverfeasible @auldsusie
Aaand Merlin's now trending again for no apparent reason other than... well, the anniversary of you-know-what.
I love that it can be a random day in December, and the Merlin fandom collectively wakes up to make this happen:
Because we all miss our favorite himbo and his unhinged warlock!
Alright, I've seen some debates on this, but I want to settle this question once and for all!
For reference:
and so like Mariah Carey, the Merlin fandom defrosts!
Fandom often ponders the nature of Merlinâs powers, given how little we truly see of them. He uses certain spells repetitively, like his telekinesis, but we are told this can be learned with practice or a conduit (such as Gilliâs ring). So what powers distinguish Merlin as âthe most powerful sorcerer ever to walk the earthâ and why does he use them so little?
While we see many magic users throughout the series express this power (Morgana, Nimueh, Mordred, and Finna, to name a few), that number is disproportionate to the general population of sorcerers. There are so few who can that Gaius doesnât believe they exist until he meets Merlin. Even so, Merlin is possibly the only one who could do this âsince before [he] could talk.â
Before the Purge, it is likely that sorcerers with the innate ability became initiates of the Priesthood early in life and kept this power secret, which would also explain why Gaius didnât know it was possible, despite apparently studying for years letâs discuss the implication of wizard schools later though
Theory: born-sorcerers act as a conduit for magic, and learned sorcerers use spells or objects to direct their focus. Merlin is different from both because he is âmagic itself,â therefore no conduit (verbal or physical) is needed. He can simply will it into being. However, conduits can help him control how much force is used. Note the difference between his spells and his reflexive magic against the serkets in 3x01.
Merlinâs dragonlord abilities are established in âThe Last Dragonlordâ and âAithusa.â He is obviously not the only person to have this ability, but he is the last known dragonlord in Albion, ranking him higher in power than most other figures of magic.
Not so fun fact: Gaius knows for years prior to Merlinâs arrival in Camelot that he is the son of a dragonlord, but doesnât seem to know much about their powers beyond the obvious. Balinor is not surprised that Merlin uses reflexive magic, which means it must be seen among his people, Balinor included. However, most knowledge of dragonlord culture would have died with Balinor and Kilgharrah, assuming they were as secretive as the High Priestesses on the Isle of the Blessed.
This includes the alchemy stone, the staff Morgana used to unleash an army of the dead, the eye of the phoenix, the cup of life, the marks Finna leaves, and more. This power is expressed in other magic users, but it is still incredibly rare and only appears amongst the most powerful, such as Morgause.
Merlin easily idenitifies the sacred grounds of the Disir because he can feel the liveliness of âevery tree, every leaf, every insect,â and is shocked to find that Arthur cannot do the same. This implies much about Merlinâs relationship to nature and how deeply his magic is connected to his personhood, as he is under the impression that his experience is the universal standard for humans well into his twenties. Merlin has understood nature in this way since birth. It can be inferred that, given Arthurâs shock, Morgana did not share in this trait of Merlinâs. It is unheard of.
Genuine question: if nature responds to powerful magic, does that mean plants and animals respond to Merlin in the same way? And if Merlin has such an intricate form of communication with plants and animals, does this explain his âfunny feelingsâ in cursed places and when heâs being watched?
Merlin slows time twice in âThe Dragonâs Call,â once to save Gaius and then to save Arthur, and does so again in âThe Gates of Avalonâ to watch the fae. It is unclear if this is a conscious decision or if he relies on instinct to do it. This is a considerably rare power we see from no one else in the series. In fact, we never see Merlin use it past season 1. This makes sense from a plot standpoint as it vastly overpowers him (though it is dependent on Merlinâs reaction time) and with the theory that it is a purely reflexive ability.
Those capable of telepathy can only communicate directly one-on-one, never suspecting that they can be overheard (âThe Nightmare Beginsâ and âThe Witchâs Quickeningâ). Merlin does not listen in by choice, merely hearing it within a certain range.
Merlin identifies Gwen through the animal transformation spell that Morgana used in âThe Hunterâs Heart.â It is unclear whether other magic users can do this, but people without magic cannot.
Deduction from canon material: Merlin likely saw through the spell because he sensed that the âdeerâ was human. This may mean that the reason he canât see through aging spells is because there are few vital differences between an older and younger version of oneself. However, he also didnât see through troll Catrinaâs disguiseâmaybe he learned to recognize the feeling, which is why it takes a moment to realize itâs Gwen? Or perhaps the spell on Gwen was more of an illusion than a transformation (as opposed to the one the goblin uses on Arthur), which would mean he sees through illusions but not transformations. Luckily, he saw and heard Donkey Arthur clear as day.
Actual fun fact: silver represents purity, which is why a mirror shows a personâs true image (think Mary Collins in 1x01). Merlin also represents purity and, whether itâs instinctive or not, carries on the theme of seeing a personâs true self when others cannot.
In the Crystal Cave, where the Crystal of Neahtid was hewn from, Merlin sees uncontrolled visions. Very few can use the crystals, only the most practiced and powerful. Using the crystals visibly pains Merlin (beyond emotional damage). However, he learns to control and actively choose what the crystals show.
When we see other sorcerers scrying, they usually accomplish it with a magical crystal or in the surface of water. Merlin, though, scries subconsciously (and possibly without a spell) in âThe Poisoned Chaliceâ to locate Arthur and send him a light. He presumably has no memory of doing this when he wakes.
Whether this entails creating a wind (âThe Mark of Nimueh,â âThe Moment of Truth,â and âA Servant of Two Mastersâ), calling down a lightning storm (âThe Questing Beastâ and âThe Diamond of the Day p2â), or creating a fog (âThe Nightmare Beginsâ), Merlin appears to be the only person besides Cornelius Sigan (who purportedly âturned day into nightâ) and Nimueh that can change the weather. It is another aspect of his instinctive/elemental powers, as he can do so with no verbal or physical conduit, though he typically uses one anyway.
Merlin is referred to by the Druids as âEmrys,â which translates to âImmortal One.â He apparently dies multiple times, or should have died, but comes back. There is usually some plausible deniability for this, as confirmation of Merlinâs immortality only happens in the finale (though it is implied as early as his mistaken death in âThe Poisoned Chaliceâ).
Balinor says to Merlin, â[âŚ] You have always been, and always will be,â though it is not confirmed whether Merlin understood this was a reference to eternal life (Balinor says he himself, as a spirit, will âalways be,â so Merlin may have misinterpreted it). However, it is revealed that Merlin lives into the modern day, making him over 1,500 years old.
Other sorcerers seek immortality and longevity, but none are naturally immortal like Merlin is. Sigan impants his soul into a crystal, for example, and possesses living human bodies. Had he actually managed to possess Merlin, perhaps he would have achieved immortality after all. Too bad.
A person can be both a human and a creature of magic, but Merlinâs status as the former is debatable.
Merlin is the human personification of âmagic itself,â though what this implies is initially unclear. However, the fact that Merlin âalways has beenâ (he existed long before his human form) and is not bound by the rules of mortality may mean he is beyond human. In Celtic legend, Merlin is considered a nature deity, closely mirroring many of his characteristics, like his sensitivity to nature and control of the elements.
Merlin as a deity has greater implications for world-building and creates more questions than it answers, but thatâs half the joy of it.
While this is not a power in and of itself, Merlinâs sheer, innate power also influences his place on the scale of most to least powerful among sorcerers.
Merlin defeats sorcerers who are deemed untouchable, such as Nimueh and Cornelius Sigan. He is able to hold an aging spell, which quickly tires Morgana and Morgause, for extended periodsâin fact, he has more difficulty turning himself back. He even holds an aging spell while summoning a goddess, despite the exhaustion it would cause a less powerful sorcerer. Additionally, he wields the Sidheâs staff weapon, though it is unknown if sorcerers like Gaius or Morgana can do the same.
Merlin may also overextend his powers at times, such as when he tries to warm Arthurâs bath but sets it to a boil, though this may be attributed to other factors. He consistently underestimates his ability to perform powerful spells, only to use them with ease later on (like the spell he uses on the Griffin, which he uses on the Questing beast and the dragon as well).
As Merlin learns more spells, his reflexive magic becomes far easier to control, which means he no longer uses it unintentionally not often, anyway and therefore becomes reliant on a limited number of learned spells instead of instinct.
Is this an extended metaphor for how Merlin loses his sense of self because he is guilted into believing that magic (remember that Merlin is magic itself) should only be used as a tool? Probably.
Furthermore, Merlin is a sorcerer who is employed in Camelot, which means he cannot practice his magic as often or as freely as Morgana can in her woods hut or revamped castle ruins. Merlin tells Arthur in 5x13 (as well as Lancelot in a deleted 4x02 scene) that he forgets to use magic sometimes out of âhabit,â since he will be burned to death if he is caught. Merlinâs concern about using magic in Ealdor is that he wonât be able to protect Arthur anymore if heâs discovered, which doesnât weigh on most sorcerersâ consciences.
Is this also an extended metaphor for how Merlin loses his sense of self because he is guilted into believing that magic should only be used as a tool? Probably.
And, of course, Merlinâs resources for learning magic in Camelot comes down to what Gaius has to offer. Thereâs not much opportunity for learning magic in Camelot, though it seems there was a multi-kingdom education system in place before Utherâs Purge. Gaius tell us about your wizarding school challenge.
Is this an extended metaph- whatâs that red dot on my chest for?
I've thought about this before!! I would really love to see the whole series from Arthur's POV, and I don't mean just showing different scenes either. I'm talking different camera angles, color grading, background music, and a whole different tone to the show!
I say this because it seems like, at times, Merlin and Arthur are going about their lives in two completely different genres of stories.
Because, while we see all the trauma and pain Merlin goes through throughout the entire series and we get to see the series as a whole become darker with Merlin's darkening worldview, Arthur has the opposite experience. As the series goes on, he becomes more lighthearted, growing as a person. It seems like, at some points, that Arthur is going through his life like he's in a fairytale or a rom-com, while Merlin is going through... all of that.
So, in this Arthur's POV, everything, especially in the later seasons, would be lighter, more colorful, more alive than what we see from season 4 onwards. Arthur's POV would look more like a conventional fairytale, because that's what his experience, up until the finale, has been.
You know it would be so funny
If BBC released two versions of Merlin side by side
Like some people would get what is already the show
Other people get the show from arthurs perspective showing scenes where merlin isn't there and arthur is doing stuff etc
And the people who get the arthur version don't get to find out merlin had magic till the last episode.
Imagine the fan theories of those watching the arthur version, especially at seeing old merlin and the dolma.
Imagine all the fans by at least the last season kinda expecting merlin to have magic at that point.
Imagine them seeing the last episode and breaking down cuz how dare it end like that
Then imagine them finding out about the OG merlin show and watching the scenes from his perspective and getting even more devastated at seeing just how much merlin did for arthur.
This would have been truly evil of BBC to do and I respect them less for not doing it
A little Merlin angst for you all on this lovely day!
In the show, we never really see the "consequences" that Kilgharrah speaks of when Uther wields Excalibur instead of Arthur in season 1.
What if, by being the first person to be granted Excalibur by Emrys (even if it was accidentally), Uther was made the "Once and Future King" instead of Arthur? Uther, of course, never lifts the bans on magic, and the show goes on as normal. However, 1500 years later, as Merlin sits by the side of Avalon lake awaiting his king's return, it isn't Arthur who rises from the lake, but Uther.
I would also like to point out that the way you build muscle has an impact on what muscle groups you build!
For example, Arthur has built his muscle through combat training and exercise, so he has well-developed muscles groups for swinging a sword and punching bad guys. Other physical activities will of course be easy for him, but the combat that he's built his physique around will be where his strength shines through the most.
But Merlin, on the other hand, has presumably mostly built up his muscle through manual labor as Arthur's manservant. He's hauling things around, carrying heavy armor, handling horses, etc. So, our season 5 buff Merlin would probably have muscle groups well developed for those sorts of motions, which could be slightly different muscle groups than the ones Arthur uses to swing a sword.
My ultimate point here is that, of the two of them, Merlin would probably have the better musculature to sling Arthur over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
bringing this back bc holy shit they r soâŚ
Ah damn, you figured it out!
This is actually what I look like when I write stories in which I put my favorite characters through lots of pain:
(Someone did tell me once that they imagined me IRL as a talking Kermit puppet telling stories, so this is apparently a common theme lol!)
... Now I kind of want to do a Merlin commentary as Kermit! đ¤Ł
In Kermit voice: "Yeah Leon, I'm sure they're just reciting some poetry in there! You know, my buddy Aldric even wrote some poetry himself once! I think he called it something like Beowulf. Don't worry though, I don't think that there are any actual wolves in it."
I am once again pushing my agenda that the druids could bypass the "Life for a Life" requirement with the cup of life if they had the power and support of a god for the ritual. I have two ideas about how this would go:
I would like to think that one of the gods of the old religion looked at Leon and said "Man, you know what would be even better than killing one of Uther's head knights? Forcing him to live for-fucking-ever and denying him the sweet release of death!" And then the god punished Leon by transferred all of the years that Leon's victim during the Purge should have lived (had their lives not been cut short) onto Leon. Needless to say, that's a LOT of years.
The Druids were like "Hey, isn't this guy chill with Emrys? Maybe we should call him in." And they called upon Emrys's power to keep Leon alive, unbeknownst to Merlin. So now, Merlin's endless magic is what keeps Leon alive, leading to his immortality.
Still wondering who died for Sir Leon when the druids saved him with the cup of life. đ
Ah yes, I love my favorite cockroach man, â¨Sir Leonâ¨!
im aware this is an insane thing to say but i fucking. love characters that are just cockroaches. and i dont mean like. gross i mean they just do not fucking die. they can survive anything. they will outlive EVERYONE because they just will not die no matter what be it because they have a reason or because they literally cannot stop surviving the odds i love it i love it
Hello everyone! It's been a while since I did a poll, and I need a little motivation to work on another au, so here we go!
Happy voting! I look forward to seeing what you all choose! :D
Merlin, waking Arthur up one day: Hey, the gods said that it's my turn on the throne.
Arthur, still sleepy: What the hell are you going on about?
Merlin: I'm not really happy about it, but the gods said that their decision is final >:(
Arthur: ???
Gwaine, from the hallway: Are we doing a Merlin coup?! :D
if you ask me, the guy who put the sword INTO the stone should be king, not the chucklefuck who got it out.
Aww, thank you @sugar-coated-prat-dragon! But this imagination is both a blessing and a curse, as I am constantly tormented by fic ideas that I do not have the time to write, which leads to my drafts folder looking like this:
And all of those are au ideas that I started and haven't finished đ
But the plot bunny demons whisper in my ear, and I cannot ignore their calls!
Hello everyone! I'm back with another au! Enjoy! :)
This au picks up at the battle of Camlann, where Morgana uses a spell to deactivate Merlin's aging spell. All of Camelot's forces look on in horror as the old sorcerer on the ridge turns out to be Merlin. Merlin himself looks devastated by this.
Morgana then begins goading Merlin by loudly revealing all his secrets to Arthur, Gwen, and all the knights on the battlefield, intending to make sure that he could never return to Camelot. She reveals that he is Emrys, all-powerful, magic incarnate, the son of the Triple Goddess, and a god of the Old Religion in human form. He is the the most feared creature in all of Camelot, and they never even knew it.
Merlin, enraged by this, viciously fights Morgana with his magic. Mordred abandons his goal of battling Arthur to rush over to Morgana's side, trying to defend her from Emrys's wrath.
Merlin, still carving a path of destruction and death through the battlefield, doesn't hesitate to strike Mordred down with lightning. While Morgana was too busy being stunned and horrified by what just happened, Merlin takes Mordred's fallen dragon-forged blade and runs Morgana through with it, ending her for good.
The remaining soldiers in Morgana's Saxon army, now decimated and seeing that their leader is dead, killed by a force far more powerful than she herself, turn around and flee, desperate to avoid being slaughtered at the hands of a god.
With the Saxons gone, the battlefield of Camlann goes quiet, with the only sounds being the quiet whistling of the wind blowing through the valley. Camelot's knights are frozen in fear and shock, looking at Arthur for guidance for what to do next.
However, Arthur himself is frozen still too, unable to tear his eyes away from Merlin, the man who he trusted more than anyone, who was never even a man to begin with. His manservant, who was secretly a god the entire time!
But Merlin has his back turned to Arthur, and is simply gazing out into the distance. He turns around though, and he meets Arthur's eyes for a split second, before vanishing into thin air.
A second later, Arthur could swear that he heard Merlin's voice whisper along with the wind, "I'm sorry."
Staring out across the now empty battlefield, Arthur had no choice but to shakily order the knights to pack up and return to Camelot. There was nothing left for them here.
They returned to camp and started the journey back to Camelot in silence, everyone's minds reeling from what had just happened. The sudden revelation of Merlin's true nature had left Arthur, Gwen, and the knights terrified and unsure of everything.
Once back in the safety of Camelot, Arthur has a huge breakdown, wondering how the hell he's even alive if the man he's bossed around for the past ten years was actually capable of brutally destroying an entire army with a wave of his hand the entire time. How had he survived if he had been humiliating a god every day for years, a god whose followers had been slaughtered by his hand!
Their return to Camelot had been stressful to say the least, all of them on edge despite their victory. Yes, Merlin Emrys had ensured their victory, but who knew what plans the god had for Camelot now that his true nature was revealed?! What revenge would he enact on the kingdom responsible for the purge?!
These thoughts haunted Arthur even as he returned to his chambers, changed himself into his nightclothes (and ignoring the fact that the god of magic had been dressing him for the past decade), and fell into a fitful sleep.
Arthur was shocked and terrified when, in the morning, he was awoken with a very familiar "Rise and shine, dollophead! You have a full schedule today!"
His heart stuttered with terror as his eyes shot open and beheld the sight of Merlin, smiling and looking as he always did, as if nothing had changed. His heart pounded with sudden fear as he leapt out of bed, scrambling for something, anything to defend himself with against the man who had once been his closest friend. But, Arthur's mind hissed at him, what good would any sword do against a god?! He was as good as dead already!
Merlin Emrys, to Arthur's shock, didn't even bat an eye at Arthur pulling a blade on him and set the tray full of breakfast on the table, completely unphased.
"Come on, we don't have time for this, Arthur! Just sit down and eat your breakfast while I pick out your clothes for the day."
Arthur's however, didn't move from his place against the wall. Did he really think Arthur was stupid enough to fall for something like that?
Well, Arthur's mind hissed again, you were stupid enough to mistake a god for an manservant for ten years.
Emrys simply rolled his eyes, his impatience now showing, and Arthur braced himself to be hit with the full force of divine wrath.
Something in the air shifted, and Arthur suddenly found himself sitting at the table without having moved a muscle, with the breakfast tray in front of him.
"There we go! Now, please hurry up and eat. I didn't even steal one of your sausages this time! So, for today, do you want to wear your training gambeson or your more formal set?"
Arthur said nothing in response, too busy staring, petrified by fear and bewildered beyond words, at the god of magic lay out his clothes for the day.
The rest of the day goes on like this, with Merlin pretending like everything's normal while Arthur, and everyone else in the castle, is completely terrified by Merlin's presence alone. But, they can't really make him to leave.
Knights who draw their swords at the sight of Merlin find that their blades turn to dust as soon as he looks at them. The servants who see him, who have no doubt heard the disturbing news about his true nature as Emrys, scream in terror and run away at the sight of him.
Even Guinevere, who was sitting on her throne next to Arthur when she saw Merlin out of the corner of her eye, holding a pitcher of watered down wine like it was an ordinary day, tensed up with fright, her hands gripping the arms of her throne and her breathing picking up as her mind replayed memories of Merlin, her dearest friend, raining death down upon Camlann.
Eventually, Arthur gathers enough courage to ask Merlin why he's still here, what he wants from Camelot, and what it will take to have him spare Arthur's people.
And Merlin's response is to simply smile and tell Arthur that he will not leave. He is Arthur's servant, and there's nothing Arthur can do about that other than accept it.
TL;DR:
Arthur, fearing for his entire kingdom: Please, Emrys, just tell me what you want! I'm sorry about treating you like a servant! I'll do anything, just please spare my people!
Merlin, doing laundry and desperate to avoid his life changing in any way: I'm :) your :) servant :)
This au was created with the combined forces of the amazing and awesomely talented group of @griffonskies, @hufflehobbitmakes, @lorienrobins, and myself (and they're all super cool people and you should all check out their blogs!) in an absolutely hilarious conversation, so I had to flesh this idea out. Enjoy!
This is a post-canon AU, where Merlin is still living by the Lake of Avalon in modern times, awaiting Arthur's return. While the world has changed immensely in the time since Arthur's reign, there were a few things that have stayed the same. And one of the things that had stayed constant throughout the last 1500 years were the druids and their worship of Emrys.
As Merlin's powers grew following Camlann, he found that he could hear the prayers that the druids directed at him, and he could answer them to the best of his ability with his magic while staying at the shores of Avalon. Besides, the druids knew better than to seek him out in person unless there was an absolute emergency.
Now, fast forwards to the 21st century, and there's modern druids worshipping Merlin as Emrys, and they pray to him and leave offerings, and he still sometimes answers their prayers. While the most popular offerings to Emrys are physical offerings, such as wooden carvings and food, their songs and dances praising him work as offerings as well.
However, one day, some Gen Z druids get an idea. Their religion isn't very well known, how about they spread more awareness of it online? And what better way to reach a wide audience than to share one of their dances praising Emrys on TikTok!
And of course, their dances for Emrys blows up online and go viral. The consequences of this, besides the rising interest in their religion, is that Merlin has accidentally gained millions of new worshippers, who have performed the dance without really knowing what it means.
Suddenly, with millions of people performing dances in honor of him online, Merlin is more powerful than ever before, much to his own confusion, since he's just chilling in a cabin next to the lake and doesn't really spend much time online.
However, one day, Arthur's reincarnation does the new dance trend at reincarnated Morgana's insistence. Merlin immediately senses his king performing one of the dances made to worship Emrys and teleports to Arthur's location, scaring the shit out of him. Now Arthur's stuck with a maybe-a-god-but-honesty-kinda-hot guy in his flat who keeps calling him "sire" and telling him to go to some lake so he can pick up a sword. It's a very confusing day for poor Arthur!
Bonus: some quotes from Gen Z druids in this au explaining their religion online: "Yeah, we can talk directly to our god, but he doesn't always respond because he's kinda busy being sad next to a magical lake."
"No, we swear he isn't a cult leader looking for a tax break!"
"If you catch him in a good mood he might do a pub crawl with you! That happened to my cousin once!"
"Yeah, I heard he turned water into beer on that pub crawl! Wild night."
POV: Someone accuses you of sorcery, but you're just a chill manservant who definitely doesn't practice magic:
Hello everyone! I'm back with another au! Enjoy! :)
This au picks up at the battle of Camlann, where Morgana uses a spell to deactivate Merlin's aging spell. All of Camelot's forces look on in horror as the old sorcerer on the ridge turns out to be Merlin. Merlin himself looks devastated by this.
Morgana then begins goading Merlin by loudly revealing all his secrets to Arthur, Gwen, and all the knights on the battlefield, intending to make sure that he could never return to Camelot. She reveals that he is Emrys, all-powerful, magic incarnate, the son of the Triple Goddess, and a god of the Old Religion in human form. He is the the most feared creature in all of Camelot, and they never even knew it.
Merlin, enraged by this, viciously fights Morgana with his magic. Mordred abandons his goal of battling Arthur to rush over to Morgana's side, trying to defend her from Emrys's wrath.
Merlin, still carving a path of destruction and death through the battlefield, doesn't hesitate to strike Mordred down with lightning. While Morgana was too busy being stunned and horrified by what just happened, Merlin takes Mordred's fallen dragon-forged blade and runs Morgana through with it, ending her for good.
The remaining soldiers in Morgana's Saxon army, now decimated and seeing that their leader is dead, killed by a force far more powerful than she herself, turn around and flee, desperate to avoid being slaughtered at the hands of a god.
With the Saxons gone, the battlefield of Camlann goes quiet, with the only sounds being the quiet whistling of the wind blowing through the valley. Camelot's knights are frozen in fear and shock, looking at Arthur for guidance for what to do next.
However, Arthur himself is frozen still too, unable to tear his eyes away from Merlin, the man who he trusted more than anyone, who was never even a man to begin with. His manservant, who was secretly a god the entire time!
But Merlin has his back turned to Arthur, and is simply gazing out into the distance. He turns around though, and he meets Arthur's eyes for a split second, before vanishing into thin air.
A second later, Arthur could swear that he heard Merlin's voice whisper along with the wind, "I'm sorry."
Staring out across the now empty battlefield, Arthur had no choice but to shakily order the knights to pack up and return to Camelot. There was nothing left for them here.
They returned to camp and started the journey back to Camelot in silence, everyone's minds reeling from what had just happened. The sudden revelation of Merlin's true nature had left Arthur, Gwen, and the knights terrified and unsure of everything.
Once back in the safety of Camelot, Arthur has a huge breakdown, wondering how the hell he's even alive if the man he's bossed around for the past ten years was actually capable of brutally destroying an entire army with a wave of his hand the entire time. How had he survived if he had been humiliating a god every day for years, a god whose followers had been slaughtered by his hand!
Their return to Camelot had been stressful to say the least, all of them on edge despite their victory. Yes, Merlin Emrys had ensured their victory, but who knew what plans the god had for Camelot now that his true nature was revealed?! What revenge would he enact on the kingdom responsible for the purge?!
These thoughts haunted Arthur even as he returned to his chambers, changed himself into his nightclothes (and ignoring the fact that the god of magic had been dressing him for the past decade), and fell into a fitful sleep.
Arthur was shocked and terrified when, in the morning, he was awoken with a very familiar "Rise and shine, dollophead! You have a full schedule today!"
His heart stuttered with terror as his eyes shot open and beheld the sight of Merlin, smiling and looking as he always did, as if nothing had changed. His heart pounded with sudden fear as he leapt out of bed, scrambling for something, anything to defend himself with against the man who had once been his closest friend. But, Arthur's mind hissed at him, what good would any sword do against a god?! He was as good as dead already!
Merlin Emrys, to Arthur's shock, didn't even bat an eye at Arthur pulling a blade on him and set the tray full of breakfast on the table, completely unphased.
"Come on, we don't have time for this, Arthur! Just sit down and eat your breakfast while I pick out your clothes for the day."
Arthur's however, didn't move from his place against the wall. Did he really think Arthur was stupid enough to fall for something like that?
Well, Arthur's mind hissed again, you were stupid enough to mistake a god for an manservant for ten years.
Emrys simply rolled his eyes, his impatience now showing, and Arthur braced himself to be hit with the full force of divine wrath.
Something in the air shifted, and Arthur suddenly found himself sitting at the table without having moved a muscle, with the breakfast tray in front of him.
"There we go! Now, please hurry up and eat. I didn't even steal one of your sausages this time! So, for today, do you want to wear your training gambeson or your more formal set?"
Arthur said nothing in response, too busy staring, petrified by fear and bewildered beyond words, at the god of magic lay out his clothes for the day.
The rest of the day goes on like this, with Merlin pretending like everything's normal while Arthur, and everyone else in the castle, is completely terrified by Merlin's presence alone. But, they can't really make him to leave.
Knights who draw their swords at the sight of Merlin find that their blades turn to dust as soon as he looks at them. The servants who see him, who have no doubt heard the disturbing news about his true nature as Emrys, scream in terror and run away at the sight of him.
Even Guinevere, who was sitting on her throne next to Arthur when she saw Merlin out of the corner of her eye, holding a pitcher of watered down wine like it was an ordinary day, tensed up with fright, her hands gripping the arms of her throne and her breathing picking up as her mind replayed memories of Merlin, her dearest friend, raining death down upon Camlann.
Eventually, Arthur gathers enough courage to ask Merlin why he's still here, what he wants from Camelot, and what it will take to have him spare Arthur's people.
And Merlin's response is to simply smile and tell Arthur that he will not leave. He is Arthur's servant, and there's nothing Arthur can do about that other than accept it.
TL;DR:
Arthur, fearing for his entire kingdom: Please, Emrys, just tell me what you want! I'm sorry about treating you like a servant! I'll do anything, just please spare my people!
Merlin, doing laundry and desperate to avoid his life changing in any way: I'm :) your :) servant :)
Thanks for tagging me @saladscream! This looks like fun!
3 Non-romantic Duos:
Merlin & Gwen. I love their sweet friendship and wish that the show kept it for longer!
Gwaine & Percival. Chaotic knight bros! They deserved more screentime together.
Merlin & Lancelot. Merlin and his bestie! They deserved more time!! Merlin deserved more time with the one person who truly understood him!
A ship that might surprise others:
Leon/George! I'd love to write a fic about these two one day! Two tired dudes who just want to do their jobs but the madness in Camelot keeps getting in the way lol!
Last Song: The Moon Will Sing by the Crane Wives
Last Film: Probably also Deadpool & Wolverine.
Currently Reading: The Song of Achilles. I just started it though, so it might take me a while to finish!
Currently Watching: I'm not really watching any shows right now, especially with uni final exams coming up quick!
Currently Consuming: Merlin fics and Thanksgiving food!
Currently Craving: Hot chocolate and having enough time to write!
No Pressure tags!
@theroundbartable @larluce @achillesuwu
(because I think 9 would be a bit presumptuous of me) đ
tagged: @realmoftenderness đ
tagging: @bertytravelsfar @calamity-talvi @ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral
3 non romantic duos :
Arthur & Leon
Subtle sibling vibe, these two. True brothers in arms. Probably best mates since they were wee lads playing with sticks instead of swords.
Merlin & Gwaine
Obviously partners in crime, these two. It's canon.
That is not to say they wouldn't have been lovers under different circumstances... Because Gwaine is one flirty trollop and Merlin is only human (mostly). đ
Uther & Gaius
Very odd dynamic between these two. It sometimes feels like they were once great friends. Possibly a bit like Arthur and Merlin - except the whole thing has gone very very wrong. Now it simply feels like they know each other's worst secrets.
A ship that might surprise others
Uther/Nimueh
I haven't given much thought to this, mind you. But if I have to come up with some unusual couple, I would put my money on these two. It's just... They both deserve each other. And Nimueh got rid of Ygraine. I feel there's a tension between them that speaks of former attachment.
Last song: "Urgent" by Foreigner because it's one of my favourites.
Last film: "Deadpool and Wolverine"? I think. Either that or "Trap"
Currently reading: Sadly, nothing. Last proper book I read was "The Captive Prince" (thanks for the rec btw, Berty!)
Currently watching: Um... "Agatha all along". Finished watching it a couple of weeks ago, but haven't had the time to start anything else. Where do you guys find the TIME to watch stuff?!? I can barely function as it is, with work and family, etc.
Currently consuming: Merthur fics. Like cookies. And coffee of course.
Currently craving: peace and quiet. The holidays. FREE TIME to write!
Why the hell is Merlin trending again today?? Is it one of those days where we all wake up and collectively go nuts over our favorite beautiful Shakespearean tragedy of a show again?? Did I miss something?
This probably won't happen in my Eldritch Merlin fic, but I think that a scene like this would be funny!
Merlin: *Is in his true form as Emrys, which takes the form of golden, twisting strands of magic surrounded by an uncountable number of glimmering eyes centered around a blindingly bright golden light, its shape ever changing and fluid, emanating pure magic and power*
Emrys: *Speaking despite not having an actual mouth* Be not afraid!
Most of the knights: AHHH HOLY FUCK!
Leon: Sighs
Gwaine: ... You know what? Smash.
Arthur: *Turns to Gwaine* Be more afraid!
Merlin took one look at Arthur and knew. Merlin's ability to read people is unmatched lol!
đ
⢠merlin meeting arthur for the first time:
Merlin's arms strain with the effort of hauling Arthur, barely-conscious, towards the misty shores of Avalon. It takes little more than his presence to call the Sidhe forth from their sanctuary in the lake, but Arthur groans with both pain and shock as their winged blue forms fly out of the water.
"You must save him! I am willing to give up my own life, but he must live!"
Arthur weakly struggled in Merlin's supportive arms, protesting Merlin's plan now that it had become clear that Merlin was set on self-sacrifice.
Hovering above the gleaming surface if the lake, one Sidhe gave Merlin a sharp, almost menacing, grin.
"While we cannot take your life to exchange for his, Emrys, there is another sacrifice you can make that would save your king."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arthur gently places a young tree that's barely tall enough to brush against his knees into a prepared spot in the center of the royal gardens.
There are no tears on his face, for he ran out of those long ago.
"I hope you like the view from here, Merlin. I think you'll be able to see out over all of Camelot in a couple years."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The knights watched as Arthur viciously pulls out the axes that had been stuck in the tree's trunk and had carved a large gouge in its base. Arthur whirled around at them, and many, including his closest companions on the round table, flinched back at his near-feral expression.
Arthur's eyes locked into the spy responsible for this.
"Anyone who so much as touches this tree pays for their transgression with their head."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So you can perform the spell, then?"
"We can, your majesty, but only with the proper materials. A blade bearing the lifeblood of 300 men and 3 dragon scales are not easy to come by."
Arthur leans forward from where he's sitting on his throne, his eyes wild in a way that disturbingly reminds the druid delegation of the look in Uther Pendragon's eyes as he hunted down every living creature with a hint of magic.
"Do not concern yourselves with that. I will gather these materials for you. Just make sure that you can perform the ritual successfully when the time comes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two pairs of eyes, the owners of which both believed themselves to be dead moments before, blink open to the same sunny morning. An unforgettable morning that they had both lived through before, many years prior.
This was, after all, the morning that their destiny was set into motion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you enjoyed this! I tried to write some scenes that are implied in larluce's au, but are never directly shown, so that you aren't spoiled for many scenes in the au!
Check out the time travel au here! (You should definitely go read it right now because it's awesome!!)
What's he cooking up in there? đ¤
(Now I kinda want to write an au where Arthur returns, but he got body swapped with either Freya or Lancelot, or maybe one where Arthur returns but Freya and Lancelot's souls are stuck with him inside his mind lol!)
the hell is he making in there
I absolutely love this, and the fic is amazing! Everyone, go read this right now!!
Also, the fic had me thinking, what about the reverse situation? Where the tyrant Arthur who never met Merlin is transported into the canon timeline?
I would think one of two things might happen: 1. Canon Arthur knows, deep down, what he would have become without Merlin present in his life, so as soon as he learns that this Arthur never met Merlin, he's getting thrown in the dungeons before he can do any harm, or 2: Merlin meets dark Arthur and thinks that he's canon Arthur under an enchantment, so now he's having to suffer dark Arthur's abuse while trying desperately to find a cure (at least until he realizes that this is a different Arthur from his own entirely).
I love this entire idea so much!! Incredible work as always @theroundbartable! đ
Arthur wakes up in a Camelot where Merlin has never come to Camelot.
At first, Arthur is so distracted by Merlin's absence, that he doesn't realize how everyone is staring at him strangely.
Arthur: Is something the matter?
Knight: Are you - Excuse me, Sire - You are so calm today. Is everything alright?
Arthur: Calm? How on earth am I calm? Merlin is gone!"
Knight: Yes but ... Aside from this mysterious Merlin... You haven't chosen a servant today.
Arthur: If they aren't Merlin, then it doesn't matter.
Knight: *Wide eyes* You beat up this Merlin person?
Arthur: If I WHAT?!
OMG! This is so cute!! đ
âYou look like a startled stoat.â
had a bad week, so I treated myself to some stoat!merlins
(individual shots & poll under cut)
Iâm also thinking of getting some printed as stickers for myself, if others are interested:
Oh, this is one of my favorite Merlin fic tropes. I'd read (or write, if I had enough time and caffeine) a thousand of fics involving this specific story element and I'd never get bored! I love fics exploring all of the possibilities of god-of-magic Merlin SO MUCH!!
(As my readers on ao3 can probably tell, based on the relative words counts of my Merlin fics. đ A certain fic of mine centered around this premise is much longer than the others lol!)
I legit need this fandom to refer to Merlin as âgod of magicâ more often, I desperately need it.