“While I Am Enjoying This Exchange Of Pleasantries,“ Gabriel Said, Seeing That Henry Was About To

bell hooks spoke about her disdain for the phrase “i’ve fallen in love” and calls for its change to “i’ve chosen love”, “i am loving”, “i am love” and my heart has softened since i read those words.

Honestly one of my biggest upsets in BBC Merlin is that we didn’t get a third situation where Gaius had to make up another weird ass sorcerer for Merlin to be. Like he already struggled hardcore to come up with the woman concept, I can just imagine Gaius - the OG ratchet - being like “not to worry Sire, I know another sorcerer known for their...great height. They’re...10 feet tall, Sire.” And Merlin is just standing there like ‘well here we fucking go.’

Gaius fully intends for Merlin to use a spell to reach that height but Merlin and his ratchet little heart is like ‘I only need to get myself a few feet higher, tbh how hard could stilts be.’ Merlin then proceeds to teeter fucking EVERYWHERE in his endearingly shitty disguise and knock over EVERYTHING the entire episode like:

He comes up with increasingly more ludicrous reasons why he must always lean against a surface. One of those surfaces is Arthur, who tells him surely he’d remember if they’d met in the past but his eyes are just so familiar.

Merlin has regrets.

Leaning against Arthur isn’t one of them.

1 impostor remains

The sword in the stone episode is practically the essence of the whole show. It is Arthur and Merlin, both, that stand before all the people, but everyone's eyes are on Arthur, as usual. Merlin used his magic under their very noses and not a soul noticed his eyes glow gold. The scene where Arthur pulls out the sword? If that isn't a symbol of Arthur and Merlin's entire time together, then I don't know what is. Arthur is fully aware of his strengths as a warrior, but doubts his kingly qualities, and even though his love interest Gwen is there, he needs Merlin to reassure him. Merlin tells him of the legend of the sword and takes him to the sword. Mind you, he is fully aware it is by magic that the sword is stuck in the stone, and that it is stuck fast, but also that using magic he could easily get Arthur to pull it out with his thumb alone. Nonetheless, Merlin stands back and first lets Arthur try.  He lets him try anyway. Despite.  Because he knows it is impossible for someone to pull it out without magic, and yet he is so sure Arthur is the greatest king to ever exist that he momentarily forgets that a major part of the legend is his own brainchild.   But Arthur cannot, and yet he does not fail. Because he's got a Merlin. When Arthur is struck with panic and dread when he realizes for a moment how impossible the idea is, Merlin is there, as always, telling him what he needs to hear, a part of his heart and brain in a whole different person. Merlin tells him, "Have faith." This may or may not be the first time he's said it out loud, but the idea was always there. Merlin has no great warrior-like skills that Arthur knows of, and yet he is dragged along on every great and perilous journey and quest, because he has faith in himself when Merlin is around. And they always somehow get back home with two hands, two feet, and their own teeth. He has faith in Merlin. And the most important part, Arthur does manage to pull the sword out. He knew it was impossible, and he knew he did it. He knew it was magic, but he doesn't complain, because it would be foolish to refuse magic, because one, it was then that they needed it the most, and two, because magic has always been at the heart of Camelot.

i don’t know what version of hell we’re living in but it’s definitely the funniest

King Arthur’s Round Table

The Round Table represents everything that separated Arthur from Uther. People repeatedly point out how Arthur isn't so different from Uther as he'd like to think, because he, too, shunned magic. But that is because of upbringing, and inputted thoughts. 

Arthur believed in equality. 

The first time he met Percival, he told him to call him Arthur instead of the expected address (my lord, sire, my king). When he first found the Round Table, Merlin was an inseparable part of it, even though he was his servant. This is because he remembered and agreed with what Gwaine said, "Nobility is defined by what you do, not by who you are." He married the servant girl, daughter of a condemned blacksmith, for goodness' sake, because she was wiser than most nobles.

Why he refused to accept sorcerers and magicians is because he did not see them as equal. Every single sorcerer he had met had betrayed him in one way or another, were dangerous people he needed to be careful around. Nimueh, the witch-hunter, Kara, Dragoon the Great, Mordred and his beloved Merlin. His mother and  father both died of sorcery. He lost his half-sister to magic. They were criminals. Why would he allow sorcerers equal status if he wouldn't grant that to petty criminals or those acquitted of treason?

No, Arthur was fair to the very end. 

He promised Dolma that he would remember there is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men, and he forgave Merlin.

Gwen backpedaling to hide her crush: A story in three parts.

Merlin/Arthur in sync

for @meteorjam​