@merthurmicrofic prompt: numb
Word count: 178 words
“Wha’ i’ tha’?” Arthur asked, around the dentist’s fingers, eyeing the needle moving towards his face.
“Just a local anaesthetic. Nothing to worry about. It will help with the pain,” the dentist replied calmly.
“A’a—wha--?”
“Anaesthetic, Arthur,” Merlin repeated. “Remember, we talked about it in the car? It makes your mouth go numb. He was homeschooled,” he added, as an aside to the dentist.
“I- do—” Arthur shifted in frustration, and the dentist removed his fingers. “I don’t need that. I’m perfectly capable of managing my pain on my own.”
The dentist laughed. “Oh, I think you’ll definitely want it for this. We won’t be able to give you your crown without it.”
Arthur frowned, glancing over at Merlin.
“Not that kind of crown,” Merlin sighed. He reached out and took Arthur’s hand.
“You’ll just feel a little scratch and then a bit of pressure, but no pain,” the dentist said.
“I’m not worried,” Arthur said quickly.
“I’ll leave you to it, then, shall I?” Merlin said.
i started redrawing this screenshot one million years ago and couldn't decide on a shading style I liked, eight hundred tutorials and three scrapped versions later here we are...
I noticed during my last dotd rewatch that you can see excalibur in Merlin's visions in the cave so I finally decided to go through that whole scene and see what else could be found.
I've cut out the longer visions of Morgana's army and Mordred as they are easy to catch when watching.
This post is a bit long so be warned. I might just compile the images in one post if anyone would like that lmk so that people can draw their own conclusions.
This one starts focused on Merlin who is wrapped in chains then focuses more on the other facet of those skeletal giraffes being consumed by fire. They're the serkets and this is from The Tears of Uther Pendragon. The fire is from Kilgarrah who pops up a few times through-out this. I'm assuming the shot of Merlin is from the same episode as the serkets are supoosed to be attacking him.
Took me a second to figure if this was Nimueh or Morgana. It's the latter evidenced by the bracelet. Paired with the red sleeves I reason this as season 2 or 3. Not quite willing to comb every episode and it wasn't any of my initial thoughts.
The previous shot fades into a skull then merlin then Arthur then the skull again. Arthur kind of looks underwater but the distortion of the crystal may be at fault there. Possible him at the end of dotd p2 or from his drowning in the Gates of Avalon. Checking screencaps from that episode does show a similarish yellow colour however the angel is different, Arthur is further away and thus blurrier and you can't see his teeth the way you can here. I'm going to trust the skull and say this is dotd. That would make this the first vision to give us a hint of our characters' faiths.
Either the tower Nimueh likes to hang out with or the Fischer King's home from Eye of the Phoenix. I'll tell yous now we do have a clip that is deffo from eotp later on so I'm not sure if that makes it more or less likely. My main reasoning is that the brown thing in the right image is moving upwards like flying rather than falling and could be the wyverns. The window makes me think it's a Nimueh episode. Either way this moment seems somewhat nonimportant beyond being another usage of fire within the visions.
Pretty sure these are all just shots from past episodes. I think it's excalibur in the second image.
THIS is what got me on my last rewatch. That is, I do believe, excalibur being thrown into avalon in dotd p2. The use of moments from past episodes means this could blend in as from when Merlin first throws it into the lake and I have to wonder if Merlin noticed this, if he was left wondering why Arthur's sword was going into the lake where it had been previously put to keep out of the wrong hands rather than remaining with Arthur.
We've got a goblet falling so either the Dragon's Call or the Labyrinth of Gedref. It kind of looks like it could be the coastline. Also just remembered there's an episode called the Poisoned Chalice. All three work as significant episodes as either the pilot, Arthur character growth or Merlin's willingness to risk himself for Arthur. The second image is yet another Kilgarrah either him destroying Camelot or him at Camlann either way probably put calling him to the battle into Merlin's head.
Morgana on her horse, possibly from the Dark Tower which leads to one thing I noticed which is that Gwen doesn't feature at all in these visions until Merlin sees her and Arthur sleeping which isn't about her. I understand these visions relate to the destiny plot but Gwen was such an integral part of the show. We could have had a shot of her on the throne similsr to the vision that haunted Morgana so much. Second image looks like a crow flying over water.
We've got Morgana's red cloak again. I feel a lot of these moments are from Morgana focused episodes and I'm kind of surprised we didn't get a bit of Fires of Idirsholas. They could have done a cool thing of all the times things could have gone different if Merlin had told Morgana or not tried to kill her or something. These could both be from the same episode as the earlier shot of Morgana.
THIS is another important one. Merlin pleading with Kilgarrah in dotd p2. Like Merlin saw this, this grief and anger and he didn't know. We've seen the ways in which trying to work around Crystal Cave visions doesn't work so for this to be included suggests that by this point in the story Arthur's death cannot be avoided. #myfamilyshowturnedtragedy
This actually is Kilgarrah at Camlann.
We've got Merlin sick after drinking poison which might make the goblet shot being from Poisoned Chalice more likely if there isn't going to be one from LoG now in a second too. The axe doesn't come across as overly important to me because it could be any axe but if anybody recognises it give me a shout. Thirdly, we've got what is deffo from EotP. These episode features the Fischer King who has grown incredibly old and weary, which is what we see happen to Merlin in the finale. While we don't directly see this character the yellow of the bracelet is quite recogniseable and indicates an attempt on Arthur's life.
I think the first one here is Balinor's death. Obviously a very impactful event in Merlin's life. Also a nod to Merlin's dragonlord nature which as mentioned runs throughout these visions. Furthermore it is Balinor who initially speaks to Merlin in the cave this episode.
I know someone on here can immediaely tell what scene of Arthur that is. I can't. I'm not about to comb every episode where Arthur is in a room. It looks like he's facing the bed so perhaps speaking to Uther in season 4. Could then connect these two visions via fathers.
This looks like a Sontaron riding a horse for any Doctor Who fans reading this. For any none who fans, Sontarans look like giant potatos.
We've got that Arthur shot again which really does make me think it's him dead. It's the only moment to have that yellowish colour that isn't fire. We have Merlin and the unicorn from LoG. An episode where Arthur makes a mistake and takes accountability. The usage of this could nod to how Arthur has changed over the course of the show yet the fact that we are being shown Merlin next to live unicorn could actually suggest a season one Merlin who while not innocent did have these moments of joy and felt such wonder at the unicorn.
Finally we have this horse through the window which I actually believe pops up in the shows intro so really familiar to the audience. Pretty sure this is from Excalibur a nod to the sword and also just a cool shot because who doesn't love smashing through a window.
Main takeaways are dragons/Kilgarrah and Excalibur run throughout these visions, there is a fair focus on Morgana and we also get shown the climax of the finale which is a littlle crazy but goes so fast you don't notice.
If you recognise any of the parts I didn't please tell me I was being sort of lazy doing this. I'll probs keep an eye out if I ever rewatch the whole although typing this up has reminded me of a few episodes which would be fun to revisit.
2. It's Morgana trying to stab the sleeping Uther in The crystal cave.
3. Arthur drowning in Le morte and the skull from The darkest hour.
5. The old Merlin looks at the witchy doll he glued under Morgana's bed in The sword in the stone.
8. Morgana riding to meet Morgause in the Darkling Woods, The tears of Uther Pendragon.
9. The next red cloak is the moment when Morgana falls down the stairs in The crystal cave.
The importance of The crystal cave is obvious; but the witchy doll which drained Morgana's magic shows in the visions, I think, because it led to Morgana and Aithusa's imprisonment at Sarrum's (Morgana had no powers at the moment) and to creating the Mordred's sword.
Thank you! You could actually connect the doll that drained Morgana's powers to the bracelet that took Arthur's strength and the fact Merlin is now in the caves due to losing his own magic.
I noticed during my last dotd rewatch that you can see excalibur in Merlin's visions in the cave so I finally decided to go through that whole scene and see what else could be found.
I've cut out the longer visions of Morgana's army and Mordred as they are easy to catch when watching.
This post is a bit long so be warned. I might just compile the images in one post if anyone would like that lmk so that people can draw their own conclusions.
This one starts focused on Merlin who is wrapped in chains then focuses more on the other facet of those skeletal giraffes being consumed by fire. They're the serkets and this is from The Tears of Uther Pendragon. The fire is from Kilgarrah who pops up a few times through-out this. I'm assuming the shot of Merlin is from the same episode as the serkets are supoosed to be attacking him.
Took me a second to figure if this was Nimueh or Morgana. It's the latter evidenced by the bracelet. Paired with the red sleeves I reason this as season 2 or 3. Not quite willing to comb every episode and it wasn't any of my initial thoughts.
The previous shot fades into a skull then merlin then Arthur then the skull again. Arthur kind of looks underwater but the distortion of the crystal may be at fault there. Possible him at the end of dotd p2 or from his drowning in the Gates of Avalon. Checking screencaps from that episode does show a similarish yellow colour however the angel is different, Arthur is further away and thus blurrier and you can't see his teeth the way you can here. I'm going to trust the skull and say this is dotd. That would make this the first vision to give us a hint of our characters' faiths.
Either the tower Nimueh likes to hang out with or the Fischer King's home from Eye of the Phoenix. I'll tell yous now we do have a clip that is deffo from eotp later on so I'm not sure if that makes it more or less likely. My main reasoning is that the brown thing in the right image is moving upwards like flying rather than falling and could be the wyverns. The window makes me think it's a Nimueh episode. Either way this moment seems somewhat nonimportant beyond being another usage of fire within the visions.
Pretty sure these are all just shots from past episodes. I think it's excalibur in the second image.
THIS is what got me on my last rewatch. That is, I do believe, excalibur being thrown into avalon in dotd p2. The use of moments from past episodes means this could blend in as from when Merlin first throws it into the lake and I have to wonder if Merlin noticed this, if he was left wondering why Arthur's sword was going into the lake where it had been previously put to keep out of the wrong hands rather than remaining with Arthur.
We've got a goblet falling so either the Dragon's Call or the Labyrinth of Gedref. It kind of looks like it could be the coastline. Also just remembered there's an episode called the Poisoned Chalice. All three work as significant episodes as either the pilot, Arthur character growth or Merlin's willingness to risk himself for Arthur. The second image is yet another Kilgarrah either him destroying Camelot or him at Camlann either way probably put calling him to the battle into Merlin's head.
Morgana on her horse, possibly from the Dark Tower which leads to one thing I noticed which is that Gwen doesn't feature at all in these visions until Merlin sees her and Arthur sleeping which isn't about her. I understand these visions relate to the destiny plot but Gwen was such an integral part of the show. We could have had a shot of her on the throne similsr to the vision that haunted Morgana so much. Second image looks like a crow flying over water.
We've got Morgana's red cloak again. I feel a lot of these moments are from Morgana focused episodes and I'm kind of surprised we didn't get a bit of Fires of Idirsholas. They could have done a cool thing of all the times things could have gone different if Merlin had told Morgana or not tried to kill her or something. These could both be from the same episode as the earlier shot of Morgana.
THIS is another important one. Merlin pleading with Kilgarrah in dotd p2. Like Merlin saw this, this grief and anger and he didn't know. We've seen the ways in which trying to work around Crystal Cave visions doesn't work so for this to be included suggests that by this point in the story Arthur's death cannot be avoided. #myfamilyshowturnedtragedy
This actually is Kilgarrah at Camlann.
We've got Merlin sick after drinking poison which might make the goblet shot being from Poisoned Chalice more likely if there isn't going to be one from LoG now in a second too. The axe doesn't come across as overly important to me because it could be any axe but if anybody recognises it give me a shout. Thirdly, we've got what is deffo from EotP. These episode features the Fischer King who has grown incredibly old and weary, which is what we see happen to Merlin in the finale. While we don't directly see this character the yellow of the bracelet is quite recogniseable and indicates an attempt on Arthur's life.
I think the first one here is Balinor's death. Obviously a very impactful event in Merlin's life. Also a nod to Merlin's dragonlord nature which as mentioned runs throughout these visions. Furthermore it is Balinor who initially speaks to Merlin in the cave this episode.
I know someone on here can immediaely tell what scene of Arthur that is. I can't. I'm not about to comb every episode where Arthur is in a room. It looks like he's facing the bed so perhaps speaking to Uther in season 4. Could then connect these two visions via fathers.
This looks like a Sontaron riding a horse for any Doctor Who fans reading this. For any none who fans, Sontarans look like giant potatos.
We've got that Arthur shot again which really does make me think it's him dead. It's the only moment to have that yellowish colour that isn't fire. We have Merlin and the unicorn from LoG. An episode where Arthur makes a mistake and takes accountability. The usage of this could nod to how Arthur has changed over the course of the show yet the fact that we are being shown Merlin next to live unicorn could actually suggest a season one Merlin who while not innocent did have these moments of joy and felt such wonder at the unicorn.
Finally we have this horse through the window which I actually believe pops up in the shows intro so really familiar to the audience. Pretty sure this is from Excalibur a nod to the sword and also just a cool shot because who doesn't love smashing through a window.
Main takeaways are dragons/Kilgarrah and Excalibur run throughout these visions, there is a fair focus on Morgana and we also get shown the climax of the finale which is a littlle crazy but goes so fast you don't notice.
If you recognise any of the parts I didn't please tell me I was being sort of lazy doing this. I'll probs keep an eye out if I ever rewatch the whole although typing this up has reminded me of a few episodes which would be fun to revisit.
I wanted to draw some medieval clothes for Merlin and try new rendering tricks. The last sketch took 15 minutes lol but I like this little sorcerer hat and twisted magic staff
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