Sorry your boyfriend died and came back and died and came back and died and came back and died and came back again. He was trying to find you.
It's always funny to me when antis try to downplay katsudeku's relationship. Bro even if you hate the relationship, you should realize they're the main duo, the mc and deturgenoist, and main rivals, ofc the manga is gonna focus on these two's relationship the most and would give them multiple emotional moments and best development. This always happens in Shonen. How are you trying to downplay that? đ Like you're literally letting your bias taint your logic. And no last minute content getting crammed in the last 2 chapters of the epilogue is gonna erase those +400 chapters of development. Because we are not gonna forget about the main plot of the manga.
Whenever arthur gets a new bethrothed
Merlin: Gaius she's evil
Gaius: you cant say that about every woman arthur tries to marry merlin, at this point you might as well marry him yourself if none of his suitors are to your standard
Merlin already making the plague rats sew together his wedding dress like cinderella: im prepared to make that sacrifice
Leon: usually when someone is in love they act really stupidly in front of their crush, it's common to make a fool out of yourself
Lancelot: I can confirm
Merlin: wow, Arthur must really love everybody since he acts like an imbecile all the time
So Merlin is Immortal, he can't stay dead, but he does get killed throughout the show in his bid to protect Arthur.
Here's my AU idea:
Every time Merlin dies, a piece of his memories dies with him.
This doesn't affect him much, as he doesn't die often in the beginning, but as time goes on and he gets more desperate to protect Arthur, he becomes more reckless, not realising his lucky escapes after being knocked out was due to him being dead and the perpetrators leaving his corpse.
After all, dead men tell no tales, usually.
With each death, he loses a memory and he wouldn't have noticed, but Arthur does.
Arthur would mention at one point or another about this or that and Merlin wouldn't be able to recall it.
It at first annoys him and makes him point out about Merlin's low intelligence. But as time goes on, he gets concerned when Merlin can't remember certain people or events.
He brings up the time Merlin cried for the Dragonlord.
Merlin: Who?
Arthur: The last Dragonlord? Balinor? You cried over him when he died protecting you?
Merlin: Huh... I don't remember him, but if he did save my life, then I'm grateful, but why did I cry? Did I know him well?
Arthur: ... No, but you helped to convince him to help Camelot. He was a good man in the end.
Merlin: I see. Well, it's strange how I don't remember that.
Arthur: *Concerned*
It happens occasionally as time goes on and Arthur starts to consult Gaius about Merlin's memories.
Then I can see Merlin being outed as a sorcerer to Uther when Arthur is gone on some diplomatic mission. Uther wouldn't think twice before sentencing Merlin to death. Only he won't die.
He dies and dies in many different ways. Uther desperate to get rid of Merlin who he sees as the embodiment of his fears (if only he knew đ ).
Merlins deaths happen so many times, that by the time Arthur returns 2 weeks later, and storms the dungeons angry and confused, he was met with a sight he'll never forget.
Arthur: Merlin! *Rushes to the jail bars and demands answers to his questions*
Merlin: *Stares blankly*
Arthur: đ Merlin! Answer me!
Merlin: Do I know you?
It hits him harder than any fist or magic ever could.
And that's all I've got. Tell me what you think, what happens next?
Till next time fellow dreamers~! âš
âIt's beautiful out today, I wish you could take me upstateâ
Iâm envisioning Arthur by his desk but sat facing the window and Merlin stood next to him. Itâs a slightly warm, yet still breezy summer day. It feels like a full day rather than the miserable winter ones that drag because itâs so dark. The dayâs refreshing, the sun is bright and theyâre looking out the window.
Gwen told Merlin about how on her date with Arthur she was taken aback because Arthur said he practically wanted to run away with Merlin. Get a bit of farmland and take Merlin with him. It shows how Arthur craves the freedom and lack of duty.
Merlin brought it up afterwards in a teasing manner and Arthur gets flustered and tells him to shut up. Merlin turns soft, yet serious for a moment and says he thinks itâs beautiful and heâd love to do something like that. Then starts the teasing manner again suddenly and says something stupid about responsibility and chores.
âTo the little place you would tell me about, when you'd sense that I want to escapeâ
Ever since then, when Merlin can tell Arthur is tense or stressed or feeling insecure about not being enough or feeling insecure and thinking that heâs not being good enough for his people, Merlin will reassure him.
Heâll say what he usually says about being the greatest king Albion has ever known but he also brings up the farm and it evolves into a dream of a little house with a pond as well and other things.
Today is the kind of beautiful, warming day they imagine their haven would feel like every day. Theyâre both silently thinking of it in unison without saying anything.
âTexas is a landlocked state, it's a little bit far away from the water from the home that I've wanted to makeâ
Arthur suddenly speaks up and points a small area on the map on his desk. His ring is glinting and sun is filtering through his hair. Merlin thinks he looks so majestic.
Obviously itâs not actually Texas, but itâd be a small quiet area in the middle of nowhere. The water is referring to the pond in their shared daydream which is âthe homeâ Arthur has âwanted to makeâ.
âIt's somehow in the cityâ
I imagine Arthur always wanted to know what it would be like to grow up around other people and be allowed to have friends and people who have things in common around him. Iâd like to think he enjoys hearing stories of Ealdor and Merlin and Will growing up.
I donât think itâd be a city. I think itâd be slightly isolated but within travel distance of a small town with few people.
âYou make it there and you make it anywhere, anywhereâ
Merlinâs devoted and undivided loyalty to Arthur. It shows how no matter where Arthur goes he believes Merlin would follow.
âBut I've been anywhere and it's not what I want and I wanna be still with youâ
Arthur believes it doesnât matter actually matter where he goes because wherever he ends up the only thing that matters is Merlin by his side.
He knows he wouldnât enjoy a peasant life long after growing with everything he could ever want,minus love and companionship which is why being with Merlin is so important to him. Because Merlin helps him experience what he didnât have growing up.
âYou keep your socks on in bed, keep our hearth warmâ
I guess this is the domestic bliss of them living together, away from the rest of the world. It shows how Merlin cares for Arthur. It shows how Merlin is a warm person and protects Arthur from the cold.
âSee the tree shadows lie in black the pools in the lawnsâ
It has a deeper meaning in the actual song. Itâs describing life through poetry but in this case Iâd like to think of it as Merlin and Arthur, yet again, envisioned their life away from reality.
âYou're the breeze in my Austin nightsâ
It juxtaposes the âkeep our hearth warmâ line, yet itâs so beautiful. I think Austin is warm (i wouldnât know, Iâve never been but I assume it is.) and it shows that Merlin in a refresher for Arthur when heâs caught up in the heat and responsibilities of life. Merlin is Arthurâs cold breeze in the blistering heat.
Iâm thinking of writing this as a oneshot rather than an analysis. The song is called âTexas Reznikoffâ By Mitski. đ«¶đŒđ«¶đŒ
i finished mha and been brainrotting a bit evidently
And if I said that Merlin would deny his magic for Arthur, and Arthur would deny his kingdom for Merlin, thereby giving up the part of themself that is the core of who they are?
oh, to fly with you again
MERLIN REWATCH ⊠1.02 Valiant