TOA Merlin from Red Shoes AU (Part 1)
So, in this post, I said I might make some small stuff for the AU being discussed in said post. Well, here is some stuff. I might make more things besides just headcanons/basic ideas. Maybe some little scenes/art. IDK, not quite as dedicated to this one as some other stuff, but it’s easier to write/plan out, and some of it is really fun, so maybe. Anyways, here are the headcanons. @sopafloal, I hope you like this (they came up with they AU).
Merlin has always just kinda…been there. In Canterlot. For as long as anyone can remember. Nobody knows his story. But pretty much everyone respects him nonetheless.
They probably shouldn’t though.
Merlin hates the war against magic (because he’s magic. At this moment he probably doesn’t care that much about the trolls or whatever), but can’t really say anything about it since, you know, he’s magic. And can’t really disobey the king.
Isn’t quite as obsessed with the greater good, but holds some of the more significant wisdom TOA’s Merlin gave.
Before character development (which he will have in this AU), he still shows a mild obsession with looks, though it’s a bit subtle. He will say things about how ugly the Gumm-Gumms are and will be slightly judgmental of the trolls and other magical beings that don’t fit his personal ideas of beauty. Still judges goodness based on appearance.
Argues with Morgana over whether or not to tell Arthur how to calm the fuck down, and if so, how.
The two are kinda tense sometimes, not just because of conflicting opinions, but because Morgana sometimes feels as though Merlin hasn’t grown up and is too immature, and yet he still treats her like she’s just his apprentice whom he can “bossy around like he’s got the power”
He can actually really command the room at times, when he gets serious, and it’s a weird reminder of just how OLD and POWERFUL he really is.
He’s still shorter than many of the others at Camelot.
Found Douxie about to be killed by the knights for a magic trick (same as in canon), noticing his powerful magic, but was just kinda like “excuse me gentlemen, he’s actually mine” and just basically picked him up and took him home.
That’s basically what happened when he got home.
Weird relationship dynamic during Camelot because I thought it would be funny but needed Douxie to be similar to how he was in canon.
Merlin is like that older sibling who likes to convince you to do stupid shit even though it will get both of you in trouble.
Can get a little annoyed at the moppet, but in an older sibling type way, and doesn’t really show it much.
When they first meet, the moppet is like 15 or something and looks up to Merlin, making the older sibling vibes even stronger.
Cares about his moppet brother a lot and would protect the cinnamon roll with his life.
Part of their initial dynamic is just Merlin holding Douxie on a child leash (and Morgana is holding Merlin on a child leash. Archie is holding everyone on a child leash)
Their dynamic slightly changes as Douxie gets older, but to be honest, it’s even more chaotic.
Merlin still tries to be a mentor to the moppet, even doing some of the wisdom stuff (albeit in a more snarky way), saying the classic “magic is not a replacement for hard work”.
Merlin thinks himself to be the wise, cool, and incredibly smart mentor (kinda is sometimes)
Five minutes later, both of them are lying face down on the ground after Merlin tries to use a spell to get them down from the roof they had been stuck on for the past 45 minutes.
They have quite a few misadventures.
Something has blown up at some point.
Might’ve been a building.
Archie is the only one with a fully functioning brain cell in the trio.
Merlin and Douxie generally have a more positive relationship that is built on chaos and bad ideas, as well as brotherly teasing and protectiveness.
Merlin will occasionally act how he acts in TOA, but in a more joking/gentle teasing way or where he is trying to sound cool.
Merlin and Archie are the leaders of the Douxie Protection Squad.
Merlin has taught Douxie how to flirt (doesn’t actually work, the only reason Douxie seems suave is because he is just polite). Even in modern day, he is giving Douxie flirting advice. Take that however you like. For the shippers, Merlin is Douxie’s wingman who teases him. AroAce headcanon peeps (aka, me), Douxie is just confused.
Merlin teaches Douxie some pretty cool spells (he’s a bit more active as a teach compared to canon), and though their styles are still different, Douxie’s magic still has parallels to Merlin’s (someone made a cool post explaining that Douxie’s magic is more like plasma, the kind you see in a plasma ball. Can’t find the post though).
During the time travel Camelot arc for Wizards, Merlin is a little bit the same in some ways, saying that Douxie can’t just mess with time, and sometimes expresses hidden annoyance with the moppet (though he doesn’t openly express it).
Probably still trapped the Lady of the Lake, as he is still a mildly morally dubious character (this is based on his personality before he met Snow in the movie. I’m sorry, it just seems like it would be in character, seeing as to how he got cursed in the first place).
Is somewhat caught off guard by Douxie’s solution to the problem, but proud of his apprentice.
When Morgana turns evil there is much ANGST.
Morgana was both an older and younger sister to Merlin. She helped support him for a long time and they were pretty close, and Merlin had been teaching Morgana magic ever since she was a little girl. He had watched her grow up into a strong and confident wizard, and he felt comfortable having some more serious private conversations with her about the war and the future of magic.
He still decided she needed to be sealed away
And made him a bit more wary to trust people.
Made the Trollhunter amulet with Douxie and gave him the staff, very proud of how far his apprentice has come, even if he wasn’t there for much of it.
Did the falling asleep thing for 900 years because he’s tired tbh.
His moppet brother misses him deeply, as Merlin was Douxie’s second favorite person (after Archie, who he has a spiritual bond with and who also raised him)
Gonna make a part 2 since I have so much and this is long enough already.
