his magic, for the once & future king

| august | she/he | infj | ao3: powered_by_notes | likes, asks, & follows are from main blog @powered-by-notes | ✨ A BBC merlin blog because I can’t get over it <3 main ship is merthur but honestly pretty multi :) I talk quite a bit in the tags so that’s something to look out for if that’s your thing! ✨ [Blog Image ID: My main theme/background is a deep, lake foam blue with gold accents and text. My icon is circular and a black image with bright blue butterflies flying upward through the image. The blog header is a gif of Merlin (played by Colin Morgan) from the BBC’s series Merlin. He sits in the Crystal Cave surrounded by blue glowing crystals. He puts his hands together, and when he opens them, a blue butterfly flies from them. He smiles up at it as it flies away. End ID]

[camxlots-retxrn]

the bulletin

hi there! i figured it was due time to get one of these made and sorted out :)

✨ relevant updates (aka just stuff ya might wanna know)

✨ a lil about me & (new!) my name/pronouns/nouns list

✨ a lil about the blog

✨ blog tag guide

✨ fanfic masterlist

✨ main blog

✨ harry potter blog, if you’re interested in that (though not as active there as I used to be)

✨ and my ao3!

[gabriels-golden-kazoo]

Just try not to think about how Arthur was probably waiting around for Merlin to join him in whatever you classify as heaven, and Merlin waiting around for Arthur to join him back on earth.

Both of them just waiting patiently, only for the other to never come.

[queerofthedagger]

the thing i feel people don't really take enough into account when it comes to arthur's supposed obliviousness regarding merlin's magic is that merlin is the absolute opposite of what arthur has been raised to believe sorcerers to be. merlin is clumsy and kind and - in the earlier seasons - like walking sunshine. he so obviously has negative desire for actual power, nor any respect for it, and while arthur absolutely knows that merlin isn't stupid, he 100% is an idiot.

and it's not stupid or ignorant on his part! people just do this, whenever they are taught someone who does or believes a certain thing is inherently evil! it's never the friendly guy next door who snacks half of your breakfast and then just grins when you complain, obviously not! arthur trusts merlin even early on, and beyond belief later on. of course merlin can basically do magic in front of him, because there is no part of arthur that actually thinks someone like merlin could have magic. you don't see what you're 100% convinced can't be there. if he ever got there, his already brittle construct of indoctrination and supposed repeated confirmation of said construct would crumble immediately! as it does in dotd after like, a day. it only doesn't in regards to morgana because as far as arthur is concerned, the moment she started using magic she became the cold and ruthless enemy he still couldn't bring himself to actually pursue! like.

it's very easy to think it's startingly oblivious, but one thing i really wish people would keep in mind a little more is that the viewer watches from a different point of view, and operates with a whole other set of information. that arthur operates under a certain worldview in an environment that does not teach to question it at all, and gives little opportunity to do so. it's actually wild arthur questions uther's teachings as often as he does, and considering that every time he does, they, to his knowledge, just get confirmed again (nimueh, morgause, morgana, uther's death, and so on and so forth), it's even wilder that he keeps doing it

[dryadalisliv-deactivated2025040]

I think it would be insanely funny if after Arthur’s death everyone returns back in time to the place they were the day Merlin arrived in Camelot. But like, everyone thinks they are the only ones who has returned. We see it all from Merlin’s pov, who’s traumatised and wondering why the fuck Arthur is so much sweeter to him this time around and keeps saying ‘thank you’. He wonders why Lancelot shows up earlier, why all of a sudden Gwaine is there three years too early, saying he got hurt in a tavern bawl and needs a physician. He wonders why Leon keeps pretending like he didn’t just accidentally see Merlin do magic. Why Gwen keeps giving him these knowing looks. And why Morgana doesn’t seem as afraid as she used to when she was figuring out that she had magic. Everyone is trying their best to change history for the better, thinking they are alone with this duty... and then one day when uther is dead and they are sitting around the round table, merlin steps forward and is like: ‘I need to confess that I have magic, but also that I have returned from the future.’ And everyone just whips around and is like ‘YOU TOO??!’ And then they realise that they’ve all returned and wasted their time thinking they were alone.

[regulusrules]

Specific Tags for BBC Merlin Fics

Since this post of general tags seems valuable, here is a specific one for my fellow Merlin readers and writers!

Can you guys believe that there are only 34K fics in our fandom that are tagged? When we have 62K+ fics!! There are so many hidden gems out there that honest to god changed my LIFE and deserve all the recognition in the world

So here is a guide for what are the most used/searchable tags in our fandom!

For Canon Era Fics

Merlin's Magic Revealed - Magic Reveal - Arthur knows about Merlin's magic - Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic - Episode Tag (for example: s01e04: The Poisoned Chalice) ((all episodes have a tag, and it's important to mark which setting are we in from the start)) - Merlin is Emrys - Merlin Needs a Hug - Protective Knights - Merlin dies - Everyone knows about Merlin's magic - Arthur-centric - Merlin-centric - Golden Age - Magic Ban Lifted - Merthur - Post-Camlann - (character's name) Lives - Arthur has magic - Merlin's Scars Revealed

For Reincarnation / Modern Fics

Arthur Pendragon Returns - Modern Setting - Modern Era - Alternate Universe - No Magic / Historical / War / University / High School / Reincarnation / Office / Authors / Royalty / Fantasy / Soulmates / Spies - Doctor Merlin - Businessman Arthur - Professor Merlin - Artist Merlin - CEO Arthur - Teacher Merlin - Actor Arthur - Musician Merlin - Lawyer Arthur - Writer Merlin

For Characters

(trait is followed by character's name. eg: Hurt Arthur)

Merlin: Hurt - BAMF - Immortal - Protective - Court Sorcerer - POV - Dragonlord - Pining - Oblivious - Powerful - Dark - Prince - Sick - Consort - Kidnapped - Caring - Top/Bottom - Royal - Tired - Sassy - Competent - King - Angry - Sad - Parent - Soft - Worried

Arthur Pendragon: Protective - King - POV - Pining - Prince - Caring - Hurt - Jealous - Soft - Worried - Oblivious - Confused - BAMF - Dark - Guilty - Smitten - Possessive - Angry - Top/Bottom - Parent - Insecure - Touch-Starved - Smart

Gwen: Awesome - Queen - POV - BAMF - Caring - Hurt - Protective

Morgana: Good - Evil - Redeemed - BAMF - Protective - POV - Awesome - Dark - Queen

Mordred: Good - Evil - Hurt - Protective - Kid

Gwaine: Protective - Hurt - POV - Pining - Awesome - Worried - Caring

Lancelot: Protective - Hurt - Supportive - Lives

Leon: Immortal - Long-Suffering - Protective

Elyan: Protective - Hurt - POV - Lives

Percival: Protective - Hurt

And remember to tag ANY triggering topic you will be writing about!

[petrovapendragon]

I saw someone refer to Merlin flirting with Arthur as Merlin Emrizz and I’m losing it

[georgies-ftts]

I love the CourtSorcerer!Merlin depictions where he’s wearing deep blue regal robes that fit him perfectly with dark trousers and leather boots that aren’t falling apart and his hair is longer and bushy and crowns his head perfectly

and Arthur believes he’s is a god sent to him by some omnipotent power and looks at him like he’s his entire world but still treats him as if he is the lanky manservant that he met all those years ago but the moment they are alone together he worships the ground that Merlin walks on and let’s his emotions fall from his face like a rain because he knows that Merlin, no matter what, can always tell what’s going through his mind

And Arthur gives Merlin a crown of silver that matches his robes perfectly, and the crown is a laurel that circles his hair and doesn’t meet in the front so his hair protrudes out and Arthur wants to play with the strands but he holds himself back and only stares because that’s all he can do without reaching his hand out to do something that the court would definitely shun him for later on

and Arthur watches as Merlin’s eyes glow molten gold and he declares it as his favourite colour and Arthur allows himself to see Merlin as he truly his, the other half of the same coin, half of his soul, his sorcerer. The man that waltz into camelot all those years ago and challenged him with gusto, the one that stood by his side through every challenge, every battle, that saved his life countless times without ever seeking any form of appraisal and Arthur stands in awe as Merlin’s power throttles onwards and Arthur let’s it happen with a smile ghosting his face because his Merlin, despite everything he was taught to believe, would never ever hurt him and now i’m just writing my own fanfiction from everything that i love but i devour it every. single. time.

[eddiediaaz]

merthur week 2023 | DAY TWO | any poem ↳ End Well by Ash Elizabeth [in/sp]

[ayeforscotland]

Surgeries and operations are being cancelled on the day of the queen’s funeral. These patients will have been on a waiting list for months if not years.

Everyone should be absolutely seething with rage.

[powered-by-notes]

[ID: Tweet from user Sarah-Louise, @ slk_writes:

“that’s me finally cried over the queen dying

“not because i’m sad about her dying but because two people in a fibrosis group i’m in have had their long awaited operations cancelled due to it being the day of her funeral.

“i’m absolutely seething.”

Tweet posted at 17:52 on September 9, 2022 from Twitter for iPhone. /END ID]

[kairennart]

He swung Merlin around easily, and Merlin found laughter bursting from his lips without any conscious understanding. At the end of the dance, men who were paired up with women picked them up and swung them around by their waists. Merlin expected Arthur to stop there. Instead, Arthur’s hands caught around Merlin’s hips and lifted him with ease.No had lifted Merlin since his mother when he was small. He understood now, why the young women of ealdor got all aflutter about it. Something about the strain in Arthur’s arms and the delight in his eyes, combined with the utter exhilaration of his feet swinging through empty air made his heart beat rabbit quick in his chest.

A Witch Hunter in Ealdor by @thenerdyindividual for @aftercamlann

[cursedmerlinedits]

Can you please make Merlin into a garden gnome bc let’s be honest he already dresses like one

tbh i barely had to do anything to this bc his face fit so perfectly

[sen-art-acc]

they have a little crush

[h-l-w]

Words from “Driving, Not Washing” by Richard Siken

[pyjamacryptid]

smooch

[eternalgirlscout]

they're in love they're oblivious they're pining they're divorced they hate each other they're a nightmare of labor exploitation they're besties they repeatedly save each other's lives they want to kill each other they're horny freaks they're the the stupidest people alive they're my favorite specialest princesses they're just some guys

[cursedmerlinedits]

six flags albion

[camxlots-retxrn]

hello besties it’s been a while I miss the merlin fandom and I miss loving merlin and I miss writing merlin and arthur !!!!!