Latest Posts by ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral - Page 5

Today's the day!! Happy Arthur's death anniversary everyone!

Let's get Merlin to #1 on trending today in honor of our favorite late himbo king!

Here is my contribution to the festivities:

(I'll be posting a couple other memes throughout the day!)

Bringing this one back to celebrate the countdown to the release of Ithaca saga! Only one more day left before the full musical is out!!

Another thought on Epic the Musical, do you want to know one detail that kills me every time?

If you look at the titles of the songs, the ONLY songs that are named after characters are songs that are named after monsters that are trying to slaughter as many people as possible (like Polyphemus, Scylla, and Charybdis). No human character or even any god gets a song named after them, only the monsters do.

But (MINOR SPOILER AHEAD), do you know what song 38 is titled? Odysseus.

Odysseus, the man made monster, who has become something so far from his own humanity that he is counted within the ranks of the terrible monsters that came earlier in the story. Odysseus, who will absolutely be trying to slaughter as many suitors as possible when he returns to Ithaca.

It's such a small detail, but it gets me every time I think about it! Because not only has Odysseus become a monster in the eyes of the other characters, but he has become one in the eyes of THE VERY MUSICAL ITSELF!

AHHHHHHHHH!!!

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

I AM THE GOD OF TRASH!!

YESSS!! I SHALL HAVE AN ARMY OF POSSUMS TO DO MY BIDDING!!

here's a random word generator--whatever word it gives you is now the thing you are the deity of

A visual representation of what my mind looks like when I'm writing Merlin fics:

(Someone needs to take photoshop away from me at this point.)

Nice. I think that's the perfect spot for him! 😉😂

TV Fictional Characters

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 👀

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

Ooh, this looks fun!

Egg: Over easy

Steak: Medium rare

Milk: 2% dairy or oat

Alcohol: None

Warm Drink: Coffee, preferably a latte or mocha!

Anyone who wants to join in, consider yourself tagged! :D

Tagged by @stealingmyplaceinthesun on a very long post XD

Egg: drop soup

Steak: venison, rare

Milk: raw

Alcohol: no thanks

Warm drink: apple cider with cinnamon, or various hot teas

@starwarmth @faeriefully @wiremotherofficial @rebathetoeless and anyone else 👀

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!

Instinctive, Unique, and Unseen Powers of Merlin

Fandom often ponders the nature of Merlin’s 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 Gilli’s ring). So what powers distinguish Merlin as “the most powerful sorcerer ever to walk the earth” and why does he use them so little?

1. Ability to use magic with no physical conduit or verbal components

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 doesn’t believe they exist until he meets Merlin. Even so, Merlin is possibly the only one who could do this “since before [he] could talk.”

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 didn’t know it was possible, despite apparently studying for years let’s 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 “magic itself,” 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.

2. Taming, summoning, and hatching dragons + understanding the dragon tongue + other dragonlord abilities

Merlin’s dragonlord abilities are established in “The Last Dragonlord” and “Aithusa.” 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 Merlin’s arrival in Camelot that he is the son of a dragonlord, but doesn’t 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.

3. Senses when an object has magic and when powerful magic is used

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.

4. When magic is strong in a particular location, Merlin can feel the effects on the surrounding environment

Merlin easily idenitifies the sacred grounds of the Disir because he can feel the liveliness of “every tree, every leaf, every insect,” and is shocked to find that Arthur cannot do the same. This implies much about Merlin’s 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 Arthur’s shock, Morgana did not share in this trait of Merlin’s. 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 “funny feelings” in cursed places and when he’s being watched?

5. Ability to slow or stop time

Merlin slows time twice in “The Dragon’s Call,” once to save Gaius and then to save Arthur, and does so again in “The Gates of Avalon” 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 Merlin’s reaction time) and with the theory that it is a purely reflexive ability.

6. Eavesdrops on Druids’ telepathy

Those capable of telepathy can only communicate directly one-on-one, never suspecting that they can be overheard (“The Nightmare Begins” and “The Witch’s Quickening”). Merlin does not listen in by choice, merely hearing it within a certain range.

7. Sees through certain transformation or illusion spells

Merlin identifies Gwen through the animal transformation spell that Morgana used in “The Hunter’s Heart.” 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 “deer” was human. This may mean that the reason he can’t see through aging spells is because there are few vital differences between an older and younger version of oneself. However, he also didn’t see through troll Catrina’s disguise—maybe he learned to recognize the feeling, which is why it takes a moment to realize it’s 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 person’s true image (think Mary Collins in 1x01). Merlin also represents purity and, whether it’s instinctive or not, carries on the theme of seeing a person’s true self when others cannot.

8. Witnesses the future and the past

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.

9. Scries in his mind

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 “The Poisoned Chalice” to locate Arthur and send him a light. He presumably has no memory of doing this when he wakes.

10. Controls the weather

Whether this entails creating a wind (“The Mark of Nimueh,” “The Moment of Truth,” and “A Servant of Two Masters”), calling down a lightning storm (“The Questing Beast” and “The Diamond of the Day p2”), or creating a fog (“The Nightmare Begins”), Merlin appears to be the only person besides Cornelius Sigan (who purportedly “turned day into night”) 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.

11. Immortality

Merlin is referred to by the Druids as “Emrys,” which translates to “Immortal One.” He apparently dies multiple times, or should have died, but comes back. There is usually some plausible deniability for this, as confirmation of Merlin’s immortality only happens in the finale (though it is implied as early as his mistaken death in “The Poisoned Chalice”).

Balinor says to Merlin, “[…] You have always been, and always will be,” though it is not confirmed whether Merlin understood this was a reference to eternal life (Balinor says he himself, as a spirit, will “always be,” 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.

12. Classifiable as a creature of magic, but not so much as a human

A person can be both a human and a creature of magic, but Merlin’s status as the former is debatable.

Merlin is the human personification of “magic itself,” though what this implies is initially unclear. However, the fact that Merlin “always has been” (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 that’s half the joy of it.

13. Immense Power

While this is not a power in and of itself, Merlin’s 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 periods—in 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 Sidhe’s 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 Arthur’s 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).

Why don’t we see more variety in Merlin’s powers?

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 “habit,” since he will be burned to death if he is caught. Merlin’s concern about using magic in Ealdor is that he won’t be able to protect Arthur anymore if he’s discovered, which doesn’t weigh on most sorcerers’ 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, Merlin’s resources for learning magic in Camelot comes down to what Gaius has to offer. There’s not much opportunity for learning magic in Camelot, though it seems there was a multi-kingdom education system in place before Uther’s Purge. Gaius tell us about your wizarding school challenge.

Is this an extended metaph- what’s 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

Thanks for the tag @thefreckledelf!

*Stares at my username* Well, this is going to take a while! Let's do this!

Ruthlessness from Epic: The Musical

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Hozier

Millie, Warm the Kettle Once More by Rabbitology

Be by Hozier

Like Real People Do by Hozier

It Will Come Back by Hozier

Nobody's Soldier by Hozier

Get in the Water from Epic: The Musical

Shrike by Hozier

Open Arms from Epic: The Musical

Foreigner's God by Hozier

Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

Curses by The Crane Wives

Hot To Go by Chappell Roan

Abstract (Psychopomp) by Hozier

There are Other Ways from Epic: The Musical

Take Me to Church by Hozier

In the Woods Somewhere by Hozier

Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan

NFWMB by Hozier

Eat Your Young by Hozier

The Underworld from Epic: The Musical

Too Sweet by Hozier

Rockslide by The Crane Wives

Never Love an Anchor by The Crane Wives

Love in Paradise from Epic: The Musical

Well, I have probably just revealed how much of my spotify top songs of 2024 playlist consists solely of Hozier's music. 😅 It's good background music for writing though!

No pressure tags! @achillesuwu @griffonskies @sugar-coated-prat-dragon @tansyuduri @guiltyscarlet

URL song game with a twist!

Write down your url only using songs from your Top Songs of 2024 playlist on Spotify (or equivalent) and tag as many people as the letters in your url! 🎶🕺

Thank you for the tag @breathing-and-stuff

Eternal eternity from Sailor Moon Crystal

L’Impeto Oscuro - Young Xehanort by Yoko Shimomura

Inertia by AJR

L’EminenZa Oscura I - Ansem by Yoko Shimomura (it’s z what was I supposed to do lol)

A thousand years by Christina Perri

Beautiful Trauma by P!nk

Everything by Parachute

The Last of the Real Ones by Fall Out Boy

Helena by My Chemical Romance

Deep in the woods by Hayley Kiyoko

It’s About You by Brye

Crazy = Genius by Panic! At The Disco

MakE Me Feel by Janelle Monáe

Wilson (Expensive Mistakes) by Fall Out Boy

If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic

MonstEr by Jorge Rivera-Herrans

Love Me Anyway by Parachute

Don’t Think Twice by Hikaru Utada

BattlE of the Larynx by Melanie Martinez

Road To You by Five for Fighting

Tagging @twilight-blaze @joost8910 @lavenderlivres @sapphoslibrary @nagemeikenu @share-the-skye @absurdistlesbianism @dafmusic22 @abbyworldshaper @thefreckledelf @omnifitense @twistedthicket27 @rhythmmortis @stresslitzia @larkawolfgirl @casuallyspookytidalwave @comradesummers @mimiplaysgames @toxicfighter @puertorican-74

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 so…

I don't know why, but I kind of get the vibe that you're a person who has a lot of pets!

Reblog this post to ask mutuals to tell you their weirdest theory about u

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! 🤣

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."

Reblog this post to ask mutuals to tell you their weirdest theory about u

Ooh, this looks like fun! Beloved mutuals, what crazy theories do you have about me? :)

Reblog this post to ask mutuals to tell you their weirdest theory about u

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. 👀

Ah yes, I love my favorite cockroach man, ✨Sir Leon✨!

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

Poll Time!

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

Magic, mischief, and blackmail!

Oh, 2025 is going to be fun, isn't it? :)

Witchcraft, Wisdom, Death...

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 😅

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."

Thanks for the tag @akelafang!

Hi everyone! My name is Cat, and I brought the sweet potato casserole! It's a family recipe :D

I'm thankful for the awesome community I've found over the past year! Before this year, I'd never really gotten involved in fandom except for reading and writing fics. I had never posted on tumblr or joined any fandom discords, so I had never really been a part of a fandom community. And now, I have all my lovely mutuals and friends from a few Merlin discords to share all of my unhinged story ideas with, and you all make me very happy! :D

No pressure tags!

@saladscream @fabledfrog @griffonskies @pyjamacryptid @imagine-dragonlords

@theroundbartable @justaz @that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction @larluce @thesongistheriver

@tansyuduri @247merthur @merthurogies @starrieisdelusional @guiltyscarlet

@achillesuwu @sugar-coated-prat-dragon

Happy Mootsgiving, everyone!

So, technically, I know Thanksgiving is an American holiday… history… yadda yadda. However, this is not Thanksgiving.

This is Mootsgiving, and what I say goes ‘cause this is my holiday. Anyway! Mootsgiving is all the basic ideas of Thankgiving but better because I’m great like that.

I just wanted to show everyone how grateful I am, since gratefulness is a key principle of Thanksgiving.

I want all my moots from different countries to be able to have the picture-perfect movie-esque Thanksgiving of being surrounded by friends and family with all the care and love and gratefulness that can be poured into a single human. And, as the ever-dramatic Runar, what better way to do that than to organize a huge event?

So! Rules!

State what food you brought

State one thing you’re thankful for

My name is Runar, I brought the eggnog, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you 💗🫶

Really sappy and really long paragraph/speech under the cut!!

Soooo… to start off my big long speech… *clinks my fancy wine glass that’s filled with a mysterious substance* (It’s eggnog)

When I first started this blog, it was off a whim. I wanted to do something, something that involved putting my work out there, as I was just starting out. I wanted to mean something. In any sort of way, I wanted to leave a sort of mark. Not just any mark, though, no. I wanted to add a bit of joy, a spark of life that comes from creativity, and adding words and love into the space we occupy on this floating rock in space.

I wanted to write because it made me happy, and I wanted there to be a possibility of someone who was who got joy from reading to maybe stumble upon it, and get joy from me. Get joy from something I was able to provide for them.

I was also incredibly lonely. I had no friends, I had nothing, pretty much. I didn’t talk much. I was reclusive. I was okay, but I was empty. I didn’t have a purpose. And while I wasn’t expecting much, nothing at all really, I was overjoyed at the prospect that maybe just one person would stumble upon something I wrote and for a moment of their day, maybe they got peace from it.

Maybe they felt a little less lonely. I would have been at peace with just knowing the possibility of it was out there. And then… it did. And I got more than I bargained for, even, I got a friend. My first friend.

From there, everything… clicked. Slowly, but ever so surely, things were falling into place. I was gaining something that had not even crossed my mind. A family.

So, my silly dream born from a whim became friends, connections, and family, it became life-altering. It had ups, it had downs, it had in-betweens. It was beautiful and messy and happy and sad and fucked up and so wonderfully… human?

Yeah, this is online, this is a silly mootsgiving idea I thought up three hours ago because I wanted people to know I love them.

But to someone who had nothing, this is everything. You are everything.

Even if we’ve only talked one time, you have a special place in my heart. The character growth has been… one hell of a ride. I’ve gone through many eras, and made new friends in each and every one of them. So, with the end of the year closing soon, I suppose in a way this is not just a silly mootsgiving.

My bigger end goal, really, was to make sure as we get to the end of this ear, you know how genuinely important this whole year has been to me. How important you have been. I got an anon ask,

What does it feel like to be wanted?

It was beautiful poetry. I replied, said I wouldn’t know what it feels like to be wanted. But really? I think maybe I do. I think it feels like having enough people that you love to organize and invite everyone to a huge event online, to write out this heartfelt paragraph and trust that at least one person will care enough to read it.

My beginning goal has changed so much, and not at all. My biggest purpose in life has been, and I think will always be, to add something into this world.

Creativity, joy, happiness, compassion, I want to ensure that no matter what, as long as you know me, you know you have one person on this earth who loves and cares about you with as much feeling that can physically be felt by one person without exploding into a bunch of tiny little runar pieces.

But moreso, I think maybe my goal has changed from wanting to put stories out there, to putting myself out there. I don’t want to write stories that are just fiction, just crafted ideas meshed together to create a blob of fiction.

I want to write pieces of myself into everything, which i think might genuinely be impossible to not do. I want my heart to pour out of my fingers into the things i type out for you, and i want to not only feel things, but to maybe make you feel something too. Something warm and fuzzy, something good, as good as you deserve.

Aaaaannnd…. to end this….

I love you guys, thanks for being here <3

@marauding-almond @percyweasleyapologist @yesiamprocrastinating @dieatthealtar-deactivated @caramel-covered-apples @thatoneslytherinnerd @thatoneslytherinnerd2

@hedgehog-troops@circe-butbetter @stars-on-my-bedroom-ceiling @l1ve-l4ugh-lov3craft @aidens-ocean-galaxy@rainystarsx@liggy-not-potter @goformoony@i-still-got-love-for-you @definitionoffuckup@mairon-goth-minion

@weewooooweew @residentdisaster @matty-os-blog @starkissed-mars @printershorts @the1970sdeadgaywizard-regulus @lesbian-disaster-tm @star-dust-shark @enbysiriusblack @sadnappo @kawaiibarty @hershey-not-the-chocolate-maybe

@jamespotterbbg @scrumblewonk @seekmemystar @rins-batcave @utterqueerdisasterthesimp @gasolinehornet @asters-tempo @here-am-i-sitting-in-a-tin-can @permetutotheworld @theprongspotter @sotiredimbored @yourlocalbadgerscales @raeprise @burgundykicks @whydousernamesevenexist @jaydove-writes @the-stars-drowning @inara-tries-to-survive @saturnsconstellation @royallygray

POV: Someone accuses you of sorcery, but you're just a chill manservant who definitely doesn't practice magic: