Curate, connect, and discover
Bbc Merlin - Blog Posts
Just curious on what people think:
My qualifications include these gifs:
I feel like this is enough spinning blorbos to claim the title, right?
Hello everyone! I'm back with another Merlin au to celebrate the Merlin tag randomly trending recently! Enjoy! :D
This au starts at the Disir episode, arguably one of the biggest turning points of the entire series: when Arthur refuses the Disir's deal of where returning magic to the kingdom in exchange for Mordred's life. Well, what if Merlin himself was the one injured by the Disir? Merlin would survive, of course, but Arthur did not know that.
And, without Merlin there to advise him, Arthur was left following the only compass he had at the moment: his heart. And, for once, his heart's message was loud and clear: he could not lose Merlin. He took the time that the Disir gave him to think over their offer, but his mind was made up the moment that the three prophets offered him a chance to save Merlin.
As Arthur accepted the Disir's conditions welcoming magic into Camelot again, ignoring the horrified looks on the faces of the knights surrounding him, the three sorceresses grinned, but this time their smiles were far less menacing than before.
"You have chosen well, young king," One of the three began.
"You have passed the test put forth by you by the Goddess, and for that, she shall ensure your kingdom's prosperity," Another one replied, their voices overlapping and bouncing off of the stone walls of the cave.
"And my manservant will be safe? He will recover, right?" Arthur asked, trying desperately to rein in the panic that bleed through his voice.
"Yes," all of the Disir said softly in one voice, "when you return to Camelot, you shall find him there alive and unharmed."
The tension in Arthur's shoulders eased for just a moment before the prophets spoke again.
"To ensure your compliance with your vow, the goddess demands that you establish a connection to the Old Religion: an unbreakable bond that will forever tie you to its power."
Terror and panic shot through Arthur's body again at their words, a familiar dread filling him. The Old Religion always demanded some terrible price, and now Arthur had to pay one himself. He steadied himself before replying.
"What do you mean by that? What type of bond do you speak of?"
The Disir all turned to look directly into his eyes, their gazes so piercing that Arthur felt like he had been pinned in place by their eyes alone. When they spoke, it felt like their words were reverberating around his skull with their intensity.
"To seal your agreement, the Goddess demands your worship, but not towards her own self. It is the will of the goddess that you dedicate your worship and devote yourself to the god you have disrespected most grievously, the god that your father futilely attempted to wipe out entirely. The goddess wishes for you to worship Emrys, the god of all magic and lord of the druids."
Arthur winced as the name echoed inside his mind, almost chanting 'Emrys, Emrys, Emrys'. Arthur was so preoccupied with trying to gather his own thoughts that he almost missed the quiet, shocked gasp that Mordred let out at the name.
"This is your task, your debt to be repaid for the life of your servant. Devote and submit yourself to Emrys, Arthur Pendragon. Embrace magic in Camelot." Disir continued speaking as one, their voices piercing through Arthur's very thoughts so powerfully that he physically winced and stepped back with their force.
Finally, the sorceresses finished their speech, and Arthur took a few second to calm his own mind and reply.
"I... I understand. If my servant truly is unharmed upon my return to Camelot, then I shall do as you ask."
The horrified stares from the knights felt even heavier as Arthur agreed to the Disir's terms, forcing Arthur to stare straight ahead at the three cloaked figures to avoid their gazes.
To his surprise, the three Disir gave a short, but formal, bow to him, and disappeared into the air with a short "Go in peace."
Arthur stood frozen in the cave for a few seconds, as if a part of him was petrified by what he had just agreed to. The cave itself was near-silent, the only noise breaking through the tension-filled air was the quick, panicked breathing of his knights right behind him.
Finally, after Arthur no longer felt like he would break apart into tiny pieces at the slightest movement, he turned around, facing the knights, who all looked just as frightened and shocked as himself.
Well, all of them except for one. Instead of staring at Arthur with absolute horror, Mordred was looking at him with something that bordered on wonder. Arthur opened his mouth to ask Mordred why his reaction was so different, but the clamor of all of the knights suddenly descending upon him and demanding to know what was he thinking taking that offer? drowned Arthur's question out.
The only knight who hadn't descended upon Arthur in a frenzy was a surprisingly somber Sir Gwaine, who took hold of a momentarily overwhelmed Arthur's shoulder and steered everyone towards the cave's exit. Arthur caught the usually jovial knight's eye and saw approval and some sort of grim gratitude.
Ah, Arthur thought as the other knights berated him for his decision, Gwaine understood. These other knights, besides Mordred, were not of his inner circle. These ignorant knights thought that Arthur was giving up his kingdom for just any servant, but of course, Gwaine knew better. Perhaps, if the admiration that he had caught sight of in Gwaine's eyes whenever they looked in Merlin's direction was any indication, Gwaine knew exactly why Arthur had agreed to the Disir's demands so easily.
There's wasn't anything that Arthur wouldn't do for Merlin.
And that included overturning the ban on magic and inviting the Old Religion into his kingdom, into his soul, for Merlin's sake.
Arthur stayed silent on their return journey, and the knights' pestering slowly died down as they realized that Arthur was not listening to them. As they made camp for the night, Arthur was again lost in his thoughts, worried about the state that he would find Merlin in upon his return and anxieties over fulfilling the duty now put on his shoulders.
Arthur was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Mordred approaching him, walking slowly over to where Arthur sat, perched on a log and staring into the campfire.
Arthur startled slightly as the younger knight sat down next to him, his face oddly peaceful in contrast to the rest of the knights'.
"I know that the others will object, but I think that you made the right choice."
Mordred spoke softly, in a heartfelt voice that Arthur had never heard from the newer knight. Still, while it isn't quite as reassuring as Merlin's approval would be, Arthur appreciated Mordred's support.
"If I may, sire, I..."
Arthur watched, still silent and deep in thought, as Mordred trailed off, searching for the correct words for whatever he was trying to say. Arthur tried to give him a small, reassuring smile, but his internal turmoil and anxieties for the future twisted it into something more akin to a grimace.
"You know that I grew up among the druids, and I spend my childhood worshipping the gods of the Old Religion, even if I feel more distant from them as the years have gone by. Should you need any assistance or advice to fulfill your new duties, I would be happy to assist you."
Arthur's eyes widened at Mordred's words. That's right, he had almost forgotten that Mordred was the very same druid boy that he had rescued so many years ago. And if Mordred grew up as a druid, then he would know...
"Mordred, what do you know about Emrys? What can you tell me about him?"
If Arthur was going to be dedicating the rest of his life to a god of the Old Religion, he should at least know about said god's reputation, right? It seemed unlikely, but perhaps having more information on this Emrys would ease Arthur's dread just a bit.
To Arthur's surprise, Mordred brightened at the question.
"Of course! Emrys is a prominent god of the Old Religion and is of special significance to the druids. He's considered to be something of a divine king to most druid clans, including the one I grew up in. He's not just the ruler of all magic, but rather magic itself."
Arthur nods shakily, trying to take in what Mordred had told him. If Emrys really was some sort of king, perhaps he could be negotiated with? Arthur was far more familiar and comfortable negotiating with foreign kings than he was at appeasing a god.
The night went on like that until dawn, with Arthur asking questions and Mordred answering and telling tales of Emrys: his power, his mercy, his blessings.
Arthur was particularly interested in the story of how Emrys struck down one of his own priestesses with lightning for harming a kind old man who was under his protection. Based on Mordred's stories, Emrys seemed to be protective and to do well by those who followed his commands.
What would he make of Arthur, then? The man who had been a leader in the slaughter of Emrys's followers? Would he damn a man who had cut down those who prayed to Emrys for protection?
Who was Arthur kidding? If someone went around killing everyone who was under Arthur's protection, they would be tried and executed without hesitation. Why would Arthur expect any different from the god who was a king to the druids?
Arthur's dread and anxiety built as they reached Camelot again. Would Merlin truly be healed? What would happen when Arthur had to uphold his end of the deal? Would he be forced to leave Camelot to enact Emrys's will? Would his own agency be taken away, his body being made a puppet for magic itself?
(Even as such horrific scenarios flew through Arthur's head, if Merlin was saved, then he couldn't bring himself to regret what he had agreed to.)
As they rode through town and approached the citadel, Arthur's heart pounded in his chest with twisting dread.
Arthur's joy upon seeing Merlin waiting for him in the courtyard, with color having return to his face and relief shining in his eyes, barely overtook his dread for what was to come.
And that's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this au, and please let me know if you'd like to see a continuation!
And, as always, thank you for reading through my ramblings! :D
@onegirlintheback suggested that the machine should be violently shaking, and I couldn't agree more!
Look at him go! :D
Washing machine…. Have you put Merthur in a washing machine? Might you put them in a washing machine?? /lh /nf
Well, I couldn't fit them both in there, so here's Arthur on spin cycle! Enjoy!
Washing machine…. Have you put Merthur in a washing machine? Might you put them in a washing machine?? /lh /nf
Well, I couldn't fit them both in there, so here's Arthur on spin cycle! Enjoy!
A random thought on the ending of Merlin (since it haunts me all the time): there are many species of butterflies that are known to feed on corpses for nutrients. Merlin's main symbol in the finale, the symbol of his own self-acceptance and reclaiming himself from the claws of destiny, was a bright blue butterfly, a symbol of death and rebirth.
The image of it is striking for me: Merlin, symbolized by the butterfly, finally accepting himself, only for those same butterflies to turn around and feed on Arthur's corpse while waiting for Arthur himself to be reborn.
I'm insane about this show, if you couldn't already tell.
@tansyuduri I forgot all about this! Thanks for reminding me about it!
This is still a thing and I should not be allowed to use it
can u post the gifs of merlin and arthur spinning in transparent backgrounds pretty please <3
Of course! Here's the Merlin and Arthur spinning gifs, plus the Uther gif if anyone wants it
Here's some tips for downloading gifs from tumblr too, because tumblr doesn't make it easy:
You interrupted something. Rude. Ko-Fi
Aaaand we're at #4 on trending again. I have no clue what's in the water today (besides the general desire for escapism), but let's party on Merlin fandom!
Merlin fandom, are we all doing okay?? Because this is the third time THIS WEEK that THIS has happened:
I feel like I've missed something here. What the hell is happening?! Or have we all just collectively awakened and decided like the hive mind that we are to take over tumblr again?
Bringing this one back because Arthur, the world definitely needs you right now 😭
No, no. This is spitroasting!
Merlin fandom, are we all doing okay?? Because this is the third time THIS WEEK that THIS has happened:
I feel like I've missed something here. What the hell is happening?! Or have we all just collectively awakened and decided like the hive mind that we are to take over tumblr again?
The cuties!! <3
Screencap redraw or something
Now they get to be on a hot dog roller together! :)
In celebration of Merlin once again trending for no reason:
Now they're in the microwave together!
I'm sure Arthur's metal armor will be fine in there. :)
Morgana controlling shade!Lancelot's mind so that she can finally kiss Gwen (by proxy, at least):
I <3 delulu Morgana!
As funny as seeing Arthur get tossed around is, this scene is a stark reminder of Merlin's power. Merlin could effortlessly toss anyone across the room like a ragdoll at any point during the series.
But he doesn't. Not just out of fear for the discovery of his magic, but I think that using his powers like that on other people in situations where it isn't a life or death emergency simply... never occurs to Merlin. Or, if it does occur to him, he never even considers it.
A round of applause for Merlin's level of restraint! Because if I got thrown in the stocks in my first week in Camelot, I'd be tossing the king out the window asap.
bbc merlin - 04x02 The Darkest Hour, Part II
throw that man on the floor
I love it! You know what, the amount of bloodlust that everyone has had for Uther as a response to this gif has inspired me to do this:
I hope this slakes everyone's bloodlust! :D
This one's for all of you!
Congratulations! As per the results of the last poll, you all voted to...
Put Uther in the blender! 🥳
he’s got that previously neglected shelter dog rizz. he looks like he wants to quietly sit next to you on the couch while you watch TV
Holy shit I am looking!! Am I looking respectfully? Hell no, I'm looking at him like this:
Okay, here's a hot and wet Merlin for your enjoyment. 😏
(Just forget about the context of the actual scene...😅)
Ooh, I love these! OP, these gifs are crisper than a McDonald's sprite and I am forever in your debt!
ARTHUR
Merlin 4x01 | The Darkest Hour
Even just building the story around potential smut helps me flesh out my stories! And I don't even write smut!
For example, did I write an entire au to build the framework for season 1 twink Merlin to top dilf king Arthur? Yes. Do I regret it? No. Will I ever write that scene? I have no clue. But just the potential of it helped get those creative muscles working for me!
Say it with me:
and what do we do to overcome writer’s block?
That’s right! We write gay sex!
Alright, I think this may be my last gif for a while. I'm falling behind on my writing! But I'll probably make more of them in a few weeks. For now, enjoy the juggling show put on by Merlin himself! :)
Reblogging for the awesome additions! Thank you so much @bollitolyn20 and @roxineedstosleep! I love both of your ideas! <3
Hello everyone! I'm back with another Merlin au! I hope you all enjoy! :D
In this AU, Merlin is born much, much later than in canon, such that Arthur is already in his late thirties and has been on the throne for over a decade by the time Merlin arrives in Camelot.
In this world, Uther had been assassinated by Morgause, leading to Arthur taking the throne and, at first, continuing the purge as a means to avenge his father. However, after some kind druids help him in finding Morgause after getting lost in the woods during a search party for the witch, Arthur slowly starts to soften his heart towards the druids, allowing them to live undisturbed on Camelot's lands. After all, they kept to themselves and offered assistance whenever a curse befell the land.
After a few years of peace with the druids, some of the druid elders travelled to the city itself, something they had never done before, and requested an audience with Arthur, claiming to have important information regarding a prophecy and Camelot's future. Trusting their word and curious about this prophecy, Arthur welcomes them into the castle and hears what they have to say.
And what they had to say was earth-shattering information for Arthur. They spoke of a prophecy as old as the Old Religion itself, how a king would be born to unite the warring land of Albion and restore peace, bringing the land into a gold age as the gods intended it. They spoke of how this Once and Future King would have a counterpart, the other half of his soul who would complete him and make him the glorious king that he was destined to be.
They told Arthur of Emrys, all-powerful magic made into the form of a man, the son of the Triple Goddess sent to the mortal plane to complete the Once and Future and guide him towards his destiny.
And just like that, Arthur's whole life changed.
The thing you have to understand about this Arthur is that he is very lonely. He has friends, people he trusts, but he's never been able to have a friend that sees Arthur instead of the prince or king. But the prophecy, according to the druids, says that Emrys would see beyond his titles and have a connection to Arthur, not the king. That Emrys would complete him in a way that he'd never fully comprehend.
They also describe Emrys's godly abilities, far beyond anything a mortal sorcerer could ever hope to achieve. He could command the elements of nature, the powers of all the world arose at his call, and time itself bowed to his command.
(And this all sounded very appealing to a repressed Arthur. Soon, Arthur's pleasant dreams started to feature a powerful cloaked figure bringing Arthur to heel, just as he had brought all the powers of magic under his control.)
So, Arthur eagerly awaits Emrys for years, waiting for the day that he meets his other half of the coin and the golden age can finally begin.
The druids, some of whom now stayed permanently in the castle to help Arthur with matters concerning magic until Emrys arrived to take over that role, told Arthur that they could sense when Emrys was nearby, and that they would alert him if they felt Emrys's presence in Camelot.
So, Arthur waits, and waits, and waits, never once giving up hope of meeting his destined other half.
He waits, until one day, the druid elders calmly announce at court that the day has come. Emrys had arrived at the gates of Camelot.
And Arthur's heart nearly leapt out of his chest with excitement. He was here! At long last, his life would be complete and he would become the great king his people deserved!
Arthur rushed to call for the entire court to assemble in the courtyard, ready to welcome Emrys with fanfare, and he sent word to the servants and cooks to prepare a celebratory feast as soon as they could. He needed to make a good first impression on his "other half of the coin" after all!
Arthur, not for the first time, wondered what Emrys would look like when he arrived. The druids didn't have a physical description for him, since his unimaginable powers gave him the ability to change his appearance at will. Perhaps he would look like a druid himself, or would he take on a more noble appearance, befitting of his status? Would he teleport himself into the courtyard with flair, or perhaps he would ride in on the back of a magic beast, like a dragon or unicorn!
Between all of the rush to prepare the castle for Emrys's grand arrival, Arthur forgot all about a skinny peasant boy accidentally bumping into him. The boy had apologized and asked politely where he could find Gaius's chambers. Arthur had looked at him oddly, since that was a rather large breach of decorum to ask the king such a trivial question, but Arthur simply brushed it off and pointed the young man in the right direction.
Finally, after everything was prepared, Arthur stood outside on the steps of the castle with his entire court behind him, straining his eyes at the gate for any sign of movement.
And he waited, and waited, and waited. But there was still no powerful warlock coming through the gates.
Finally, he turned to the druid elder next to him and asked, "Where is he? I thought you said he was in the city!"
The druid responded patiently, "He is, my lord. He might be in a disguise though, as to avoid attention. It is known that Lord Emrys is rather humble."
Arthur grumbled about prophesized warlocks never arriving on time and dismissed his court to attend the feast, hoping that perhaps Emrys would make himself known there, in a less public space.
The feast in its own right was a splendid time, with fresh food, fine wine, and even an famous songstress brought in for entertainment. However, as the night went on and the chair to Arthur's right remained empty, his mood soured. Emrys was supposed to be here, by his side, so where was he?!
Arthur was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed the moment when the singer's voice became threatening, her song became sinister, and an unnatural stillness came over everyone in attendance.
Arthur watched with barely-open eyes as the sorceress unsheathed a dagger and took aim and his chest, a vengeful smile on her face.
He could barely breathe as the dagger flew, his death drawing closer and closer until...
Until the blade stopped in mid-air, frozen by magic. Arthur's breath hitched. Could it be?
Arthur felt himself be pulled out of his chair, and the dagger hit the back of it, right where his chest had been moments before. The sorceress turned to where Arthur and his savior had landed with a furious expression, but before she could even take a step towards them, the chain holding the chandelier above her, which had never shown any signs of rust or damage, snapped, landing directly on top of the witch with a loud crash.
With the witch now dead, her spell was lifted, and Arthur scrambled to his feet the second that his limbs no longer felt like they were made out of solid lead. With his heart hammering in his chest, he turned around to face the sorcerer who had stopped time itself to save him.
This was Emrys, right behind him, and all of a sudden, Arthur wasn't quite sure what to expect.
Arthur turned and gazed down at the man still sprawled out on the floor, his arm outstretched to where the chandelier had been hanging. His eyes flickered wildly over his form, unsure of what details to take in first.
When his mind was finally calm enough to catch up to what his eyes were seeing, his thoughts came to a screeching halt. Because this man was certainly Emrys, and he had certainly been in the castle today. Arthur had seen him after all.
He was the peasant boy, from before. He had indeed snuck into the castle under a disguise to avoid suspicion, and had tested Arthur's heart, just as the druids said that he would. Any other king would have ignored a peasant asking for directions, or would even had them punished for such disrespect towards royalty. But Arthur had stopped to help him, and he must have passed Emrys's test, because he had saved Arthur from the witch's dagger with his own two hands.
Arthur's didn't know how much time passed as he and Emrys looked at each other, both of them staring with wide eyes.
Finally, after what felt like hours of silence, Emrys climbed to his feet and looked around the room with wide eyes, taking in the shocked and awed stares of everyone in the court.
Looking back at everyone with matching shock, Emrys stuttered out "I'll, uh, be going now. I, um, hope you all enjoy the rest of your feast," and ran off before Arthur's mind could come up with some kind of response, weaving in between shocked lords and bowing druids.
After Emrys had left the room, all eyes turned to Arthur, who took a moment to calm his breathing and his racing thoughts.
"It seems that Emrys has truly arrived in Camelot at last! Since this feast was interrupted, let's postpone the festivities to tomorrow, when Emrys can truly be in attendance."
That seemed to bring the court back to reality, and they slowly began to make their way out of the feasting hall, moving slowly so that everyone could talk amongst one another about Emrys's sudden appearance.
As soon as the last of the courtiers had left the hall, Arthur sprinted out of the room, running to his own chambers as fast as his feet would carry him. He only stopped briefly to breathlessly ask one of the druid elders to pass along a message to Emrys, inviting him for a private meeting with a king later that evening.
Racing back to his own rooms, Arthur was beyond glad to find them spotless. His chamber servants would get a raise after this, they had outdone themselves this time. Everything was perfect, his rooms free of any dirt, his desk immaculate, his furniture exactly where it was supposed to be, and his bed made.
Arthur anxiously paced around his own rooms, worrying about what Emrys already thought of him. Had he been too dismissive during their first encounter? Was he disappointed that Arthur could not recognize him, the other half of his soul, through his peasant disguise?
Finally, there was a soft knock at Arthur's door. Taking a deep breath, Arthur called out, "You may enter," in a deceptively steady voice.
The door opened slowly, revealing a now-familiar face in the doorway. Arthur's breathing sped up as Emrys slowly stepped into his rooms and closed the door behind him.
"You- you wanted to see me?"
"Of course! I apologize for not recognizing you when we first met, but I did not expect you to come in such a disguise. Now that we are alone though, you can drop your magical glamour and reveal your true face. You do not need to hide anything form me, I promise."
But Emrys simply looked at him, blinking with confusion.
"I... appreciate that, but what are you talking about? What glamour?"
"The illusion that makes you appear like," Arthur waved his hand at Emrys's peasant garb, "this. You can freely show you true splendor here!"
Again, Emrys looked at him with nothing but confusion.
"But... but this is what I look like. I'm not using any sort illusion right now."
A beat of silence. Then, one dumbfounded word escaped Arthur's mouth.
"What?"
TL;DR:
The sorcerer Arthur thought he was getting:
Vs the sorcerer he actually got:
For those of you who wanted a more violent gif for Uther:
This one's for you! <3
TW: Blood
Oooh, there's a story idea in there! Imagine the stories of Emrys being mistranslated from the language of the Old Religion, such that now everyone except for the druids thinks that Emrys is some powerful enchanted jewel, a treasure that grants its wielder magical power beyond anything else.
This usually isn't too much of an issue for Merlin, but it becomes a problem when Arthur hears about how he is destined to find Emrys and use its power to bring peace to Albion. So, Arthur and the knights go on a holy grail-like quest to find the legendary treasure known as Emrys.
But the real treasure was exasperated the manservant they brought along the way!
So I got distracted
Now imagine they all think Merlin was a fucking stone
Congratulations! As per the results of the last poll, you all voted to...
Put Uther in the blender! 🥳
Poll Time!
If you've enjoyed the last few gifs with Arthur or Merlin spinning, please pick one of these options to help me pick which gif I'll make next!
You all were supposed to STOP me! Not encourage this!
(I say this half-jokingly, because I had too much fun making this and it took over two hours of my day today.)
