Hi! Thanks For The Tag @gd-dollopole (and For Thinking That My Unhinged Au Ideas Are Cool 😊)!

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

Hello everyone! I've just updated my "Eldritch god Merlin befriends a very long-suffering Leon" fic on ao3! If you like my writing over here, I would highly recommend checking out my fic!

Since my last modern au idea was a hit, here's another one!

In this au, old man Merlin's still waiting on Arthur by the shore of Avalon, even in the 21st century. He's mostly isolated, but occasionally ventures out into the nearby town to buy groceries and chat with some of the locals.

It's on one of these trips that he hears something he wasn't expecting to: apparently the BBC is making a show about him and Arthur, and the first season has been pretty popular.

Intrigued by this, Merlin does some digging (and watches the first season of the show), and he finds out that the BBC are casting for some minor characters to add for the second season. And, seeing as how Arthur probably isn't waking up any time soon, Merlin decides to brush off his old shapeshifting skills and audition for the show, figuring that he'd get a good laugh out of it at the very least.

Sure enough, the casting directors loved his audition, and he was added into the show as a minor character with a few guest appearances throughout the season. And his name?

Leon.

(And Merlin then convinced that directors to not kill off his character under any circumstances, just for the fun of it.)

These tags are some amazing angst ideas, OP! I'd also love to see more fics explore Merlin having a deep-seated fear of fire from the threat of the pyre hanging over his head for so many years.

merlin magic reveal fic where arthur asks “why didn’t you tell me?” and merlin says, mirthless smile and haunted eyes “all my dreams end in fire. fire and burning and dying”

You know, I didn't think that one of my most popular posts would be a joke about Arthur's troll stepmom, but I'll take it!

Now I definitely have to incorporate this into my next au!

You know what's one thing I'm disappointed we never got in Merlin? After the troll episodes, the entire event was never brought up again!

I mean, I understand if the people of Camelot would rather forget about the whole thing, but Arthur had a troll for a stepmother for like a week and Merlin never teased him about it later on?!

I would really like to write a fic or au some day set in the Golden Age where it's discovered that dragonlords got their powers from being descended from ancient powerful dragons that shapeshifted in humans and had half-human children.

And Arthur's reaction is to turn to Merlin and go "So what you're telling me is that one of your ancestors was deranged enough to sleep with a dragon? That certainly confirms my theory that your insanity is passed down through your blood."

And of course Merlin immediately fires back, "And remind me Sire, which of our family trees includes a troll?"

Arthur sputters for a moment before shouting that that doesn't count, she enchanted his father and the whole thing was a trick, before Geoffrey pipes up and says, "Actually sire, as it was an official wedding, Queen Catrina the Troll was officially added to the Pendragon family tree. And as the marriage was never formally annulled before her death, she cannot be removed from the record."

Arthur's left horrified by this, while Merlin's laughing his ass off.

I just think a scene like that would be neat!

@sugar-coated-prat-dragon They all knew that my ideas were too powerful 😔

New REBLOG Game

Just fucking lie about the previous poster

With the way he curls his legs back, it almost looks like he's trying to make himself smaller in these situations, which is VERY in character for Merlin.

We can see clearly that Merlin, even back in season one, is very tall, even taller than Arthur, but he makes himself smaller, more unassuming, in order to come off as not dangerous and to avoid suspicion. We already know that Merlin does the same with his magic, but it's interesting to see him physically do it as well.

The main reason behind this is kind of obvious: he needs to look unassuming so that nobody notices that he has magic. But I think there's another reason too.

Merlin shows a lot of self-deprecation throughout the series, even calling himself a monster in the first episode. It gets worse as time goes on, until in the final season Merlin barely even sees himself as a person anymore, just an instrument of fate and a weapon for Arthur. He makes some improvement with his revelation in the crystal cave in the finale, but not much.

So, it makes sense that Merlin makes himself physically smaller because he thinks of himself as a monster, a threat, and he needs everyone else around him to see him as nonthreatening, both for his own survival and to keep the people he loves.

When Merlin stands up straight and uses his magic, showing his full strength, it is only around the characters who know about his magic and accept him with it. He only shows this side of himself, the powerful side of him that isn't afraid to take up space and have a presence, to people he already knows don't see him as a threat.

And it adds a whole new level of heartbreak to Merlin's character.

Obsessed with how Colin Merlin sits with his long ass legs all curled up

it’s giving 11 year old boy who grew really tall over the summer and is still getting used to having big feet and long legs

Merlin took one look at Arthur and knew. Merlin's ability to read people is unmatched lol!

👀

• merlin meeting arthur for the first time:

*the knights and merlin travelling the outskirts of Camelot’s forests*

Elyan: Do you guys see these weird markings on the tree?

Percival: Yeah, I’ve seen a few of them a few yards back.

Leon: And you didn’t tell anyone? That could be marks of enemies!

Gwaine: They are. Bandits leave behind signs when they leave an area for other bandits. Or just to remind themselves when they come back.

Lancelot: Do you know what these say? We didn’t had bandits in a while.

Gwaine: I am not sure. If I read this correctly it means “no good looting” and “beware of harmless looking guy picking herbs”.

Merlin: *cold sweat*

Arthur: *laughs* Be careful everyone! Merlin might tear us apart limb by limb!

Merlin: *eyes glow*

Arthur: *branch almost falls on him, spooking his horse*

Lancelot: 👀

Merlin: 🤷🏻‍♂️

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