#could’ve gone with Morgana if I wanted to just slap you with it

[coffinkissez]

TELL EM ABIUT YOUR OCS

HIHIHIHIHIHIHI THANK UOU FOR ASKING ASTER :DDDDDDDD

ok SO the one who’s been on my mind recently is my twst oc named emerald :D

who tumblr has not met yet I don’t believe?? ANYWAYS he’s

based on Morgana from the little mermaid 2

but is also mildly based off of Vanessa from the first movie and the fact that Ursula is based off of a drag queen.

his name is emerald bc octavinelle all have color names technically and i already had an oc named Verde. So! Emerald :D

he uses Em as a nickname

as far as I’m aware Morgana is younger than Ursula? But Emerald doesn’t feel younger than Azul to me? Idk they might be the same age and emerald was just the one born after.

who knows??

Anyways! he’s apart of the pop music club and is a fan of rock music

he also has his own little group based on Morganas side kicks that perform in the mostro lounge

in my mind hed be the lead singer of both but I’ve played around with him playing the keyboard or whatever other random ass instrument the pop music club could need.

and he does drag often! just for funzies idk he’s cis but prefers to dress gnc bc it’s fun for him bc he enjoys it and idk I love gnc men love myself

BI ICON ‼️‼️‼️

HIS HAIRCUT IS CALLED A JELLYFISH/OCTOPUS CUT!!!!!!

he’d probably be in the film studies club if the pop music club didn’t exist

But he’s really not the best actor

Hes a octavinelle student so yeah he’s good at all that shady stuff but you hand him a script and he’s stumbling and fumbling with his words

much prefers musical performances and this is mildly a call back to how the little mermaid prequel is about music

Has Big Plans that Might lead to an overblot I haven’t thought about it that much I just know it happens so he can serve in OB form

he and azul are siblings obvs

their relationship is kinda strained? idk emerald kinda resents azul after being compared to him and feeling less competent to azul

but he still loves azul and all

idk they bicker a lot

is always getting scolded for not wearing his uniform properly but it’s not like he’s serving tables so

he is always serving tho ☝️☝️

he used to have a childhood crush on Floyd but that might’ve just been bc I was in my Floyd era at the time

IDK THANKS FOR LISTENING TO MY YAPPING

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Split

Prompt: hello! i adore your merlin writing and i saw you seemed to be doing prompts? if so, i'd like to submit one, no pressure though! a mysterious spell hits arthur and splits him into different facets/parts of his personality and merlin has to fix it before uther finds out. (this could be an opportunity for some fun shenanigans with the arthur's running around making a mess or an opportunity to explore something a bit angstier ;), up to you). Thank you!!

Thanks for the prompt, babe! I hope it’s what you wanted!

Read on Ao3

Pairings: Merthur, can be platonic or romantic you decide

Warnings: Implied/referenced child abuse, nothing graphic, nothing explicit. Uther’s just a dick. 

Word Count: 4470

Listen, there is a reason you don’t run into glowing circles of magic even when the sorcerer you’re chasing is standing right inside it. You don’t do that, Arthur, you especially don’t do that when there is a helpful chorus of people behind you passionately yelling ‘no.’

You know what, if there’s ever a chorus of people passionately yelling ‘no’ behind you as you’re about to do something, don’t do it. Just good advice.

“Sire!”

Merlin turns, ducking Leon’s swing as the sword arcs above their heads to come crashing down on a tree limb. With a sharp crack, the branch falls into the circle and a flash of light makes Merlin wince.

“Arthur!”

The gold dies down. Merlin cautiously moves his hand. No sorcerer. A pile of tattered robes lies a little way away. He must’ve gotten hit with part of the magic blast.

Groaning comes from the middle of the circle. The mass of red cape stirs.

“Arthur, you bloody idiot,” Merlin hisses, rushing forward as the knights look around, “why’d you do that, you could’ve gotten yourself killed, it—“

Merlin’s hand falls away from the cape in shock. His mouth drops open. A blond head raises to look at him. Then another. Then another.

“A-Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“Merlin?”

“What do you want?”

“Bloody hell…” Gwaine’s voice comes from so far away. Merlin can’t tear his eyes away from the sight.

There are three Arthur Pendragons, each with their own red cape, crouched in the middle of the circle.

Cautiously, Merlin reaches out to touch the one closest to him. The Arthur raises his eyebrows and regards the hand with disgust, almost slapping it away. Well, he’s definitely real.

“Get my horse, boy,” the Arthur says haughtily, looking around to see the knights, “and you, men, tell me what happened.”

Gwaine’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline. “Well, that one’s a prat.”

“I’ll have your head for that,” the Arthur snarls, drawing his sword in a flash of steel despite Leon’s hurried ‘sire, no!’

And Gwaine’s ‘come on, then.’

“Not helping,” Percival mutters as Merlin manages to tear his eyes away from Prince Prat to look at the other two.

“Arthur?”

The second Arthur looks at him from where he’d been gazing at the trees. “Hello. Are you my manservant?”

“Uh, well—“ Merlin glances over his shoulder to where Leon and Lancelot have just started to calm down Prince Prat—“I think, technically, I’m…all of your manservants.”

“I’m sorry.”

Merlin’s head snaps around. “What?”

The second Arthur shrugs. “I’m sorry. That seems inconvenient for you. You were expecting to serve just one master and now it seems you have to serve three.”

“Y-yeah, um…” Merlin swallows. “It’s not ideal.”

“How did this happen,” the second Arthur says, gesturing between himself and the others, “did we accidentally provoke someone?”

“…yeah, you could say that.”

“What happened?”

“You ran into a magic circle.”

“…why?”

“I don’t know,” Merlin sighs, “I was about to ask you that.”

The second Arthur looks…contrite? Apologetic?

“I truly don’t know what would’ve pushed me to do something like that. Were you or any of the knights in direct danger?”

“No. Not really.”

He frowns. “Then I don’t know.”

Merlin glances over his shoulder to where Leon is calmly talking to Prince Prat while Gwaine raises an eyebrow at Merlin. Merlin shrugs. He doesn’t know what’s going on either, okay?

“Where’s Morgana?”

Merlin looks back at the second Arthur who’s still looking around. “What?”

“Where’s Morgana?” The second Arthur shrugs when Merlin looks at him like he’s sprouted another head. Which Merlin’s not ruling out as a possibility, by the way. “She’ll know what to do, or at least have some idea. She’s cleverer than most people give her credit for.”

“She…she’s back in the castle,” Merlin says finally, “but that sounds…reasonable.”

Reasonable Arthur gives him a nod and a smile, trying to get to his feet. Merlin jumps up to help him, eyes widening slightly when that smile only grows.

“Thank you,” Reasonable Arthur says, “I do hope this won’t be too hard for you to adjust to.”

“Um…thanks?” Merlin blinks a few times when Reasonable Arthur’s smile still doesn’t go away. “Oh, um, I should’ve asked this earlier, but…what do you remember?”

“Unhand me!”

“Sire,” comes Leon’s voice, making them turn around to look. Leon stands with his hand not quite touching Prince Prat’s chest, with Lancelot and the others behind him, “you must listen to us, we’re not in danger, the sorcerer is gone—“

“I’ll believe that when there are no longer three of us!”

“What do you remember,” Merlin says quickly as Leon shoots him an exasperated glance, “of before this happened?”

“I remember enough to know I have actual knights in my employ,” Prince Prat sniffs, “and that you are an absolutely awful servant.”

“I think we have most of our memories intact,” Reasonable Arthur says quickly, “just…not about the split.”

“And I have yet to have that explained to me!”

Merlin rolls his eyes. “Why don’t you explain why you ran into a circle of magic without any sort of plan?”

“I had a plan!”

“Yeah, what was it?”

“Kill the sorcerer!”

Merlin pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. Whoever got the intelligence in this split, the commons sense definitely isn’t with this one.

“Alright, well, until we figure out how to fix this, we should get back to Camelot and try to keep this a secret.”

Reasonable Arthur nods. Prince Prat just stares at him. “And what makes you think you give the orders around here?”

“You have a better idea?”

“It’s a solid plan,” Reasonable Arthur says quickly, looking between Merlin, Prince Prat, and the knights, “and I think it would make the most sense.”

“Who cares about making sense, I want this fixed!”

“But considering we don’t have the ability to do that right now—“

Merlin gets distracted when the third Arthur stands up. If he’s being completely honest, he almost forgot there was a third one. This Arthur doesn’t speak, just takes off his cape and turns it inside out, putting it on and pulling up his hood. Reasonable Arthur and Prince Prat are still arguing, only stopping when the third Arthur slots himself into line behind the horses.

“…um…Arthur?”

“What?”

“Yes?”

“No, no, not you guys, um…” Merlin cautiously approaches the third Arthur. “Are you…injured?”

The third Arthur shakes his head. “It will be easier if the others do not see me,” he says so quietly Merlin has to bend closer to hear him.

“Right, er—“ Merlin looks over his shoulder. “One of you should probably, er, hide as well.”

“I’m not hiding,” Prince Prat sniffs.

“I would…rather not?” Reasonable Arthur adjusts his own cape. “I don’t think it would be—“

“Well, one of us has to, and I’m not going to.”

“Can’t we talk about this?”

“No.”

“Look—“ Merlin quickly puts his hand on Reasonable Arthur’s shoulder. “It’s just until we can get to Gaius.”

Reasonable Arthur sighs and fiddles with his cape, standing next to the third Arthur. Prince Prat swings himself up on Arthur’s horse and commands the knights to follow him home. Lancelot spares Merlin one last glance before subtly taking over the lead. Merlin shakes his head. The sooner they can figure this out, the better.

Gaius, to his credit, simply raises an eyebrow and sighs. “I take it the patrol went well?”

“You’re hilarious.” Merlin shoves Prince Prat away from the bubbling tonics. “Now what happened?”

“Based on the fact that they all seem to still have their memories intact, I’m inclined to think it’s some sort of Division magic.”

“Division magic?”

“Yes.” Gaius watches as Reasonable Arthur attempts to tug his cape back on right while Prince Prat struts about like he owns the place. The third Arthur sits on the stool and doesn’t say anything. “Splitting a person into their separate parts, different versions of themselves that normally reside inside their own heads.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“To weaken them, perhaps, in the hopes that it would be…easier to control them.”

“You mean kill them,” Prince Prat corrects, “don’t beat around the bush.”

“We don’t know that—“

“Of course we do!” Prince Prat almost cuffs Reasonable Arthur upside the head. “What else could a sorcerer possibly want?”

“How do we fix it,” Merlin says quickly before this conversation can get anymore…terrifying, “there’s got to be a way to fix it.”

“There is.”

“Then why didn’t you lead with that?” Gaius just gives him a look. “…oh.”

“We should tell Morgana,” Reasonable Arthur pipes up, “she’s good at keeping secrets and she’s very clever.”

“She’s a girl,” Prince Prat huffs.

“She’s cleverer than you and you know it.”

“I’m gonna go get Morgana,” Merlin mutters and tears out of the room.

Morgana doesn’t believe him at first. He doesn’t really blame her. Still, her face when she walks in to see three of Arthur standing there is…interesting.

“Oh, what’ve you done now?”

“Like you can talk!”

“Morgana! You’re here!”

Morgana’s eyes widen when Reasonable Arthur looks overjoyed to see her. “…yes?”

“I told them you’d help, you’re clever.”

Morgana glances at Merlin. “…is he alright?”

Merlin quickly fills her in.

“Must we fix them,” Morgana muses, “I quite like that one.”

“We don’t know how stable it is,” Merlin mutters, “plus, part of this is supposed to make Arthur inconspicuous, right? How well d’you think Uther would react to seeing his son like that?”

Morgana hums. “Well, if there’s that in him normally, I suppose we’ll just have to work on getting it out more often.”

She walks over to the others and is promptly swept up in a conversation. Prince Prat is being a prat, Reasonable Arthur is being reasonable, Morgana is being amazing, and Gaius is looking a little less like his forehead is going to iron itself into a frown.

The third Arthur doesn’t say anything.

Merlin carefully scoots around them, laying a hand on the third Arthur’s shoulder. “Arthur? Sorry, sorry,” he says quickly when the third Arthur flinches, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

The third Arthur glances up at him and shakes his head. Merlin breathes out slowly. He lays his hand back carefully, glancing up to signal Gaius to have the others give them some space.

Prince Prat has the strut and the puffed-out chest and the voice. Reasonable Arthur has the easy movement and the gracious words and the confident nod.

The third Arthur, as Merlin looks at him, is the only one who doesn’t really look like Arthur. Not…not really.

His cheeks, while not visibly more gaunt or drawn than the others, have this sort of ashen look to them that makes Merlin’s chest clench in a funny way. The way his sits is almost too still, eerily so, like if he moves even an inch he’ll fall over. There is a solemnity to his movement, as if every step is done with the care and caution of someone balancing on a tightrope, high up in the clouds, the wind whipping about them.

He hasn’t said more than half a dozen words, the first of which being Merlin’s name.

“Are you alright?”

The third Arthur looks up and nods. Merlin’s breath catches in his throat.

There is almost nothing behind his eyes.

“That sounds fine,” Prince Prat announces, startling Merlin. He looks around to see Reasonable Arthur shaking his head slightly and Morgana’s hands perched on her hips.

“What sounds fine?”

“Gaius says he can have the cure drawn up by the end of the week,” Morgana says, “and until then, the Arthurs will stay in their chambers and only one will be allowed out at any given time.”

“And how’re we supposed to manage that? I mean, are we just supposed to have someone in there all the time that can control them and tell them which one is supposed to—“

Merlin stops. Oh, no. No, no, no.

“Believe me,” Prince Prat grumbles, “I’m not thrilled about it either.”

A quick glance around the room shows that yep, this is in fact happening. Fortunately—or unfortunately—it seems that only Prince Prat and Merlin have some sort of reservations about this. Morgana looks positively gleeful.

“Don’t worry Merlin,” she says as she sweeps out of the room, “I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”

Well, once they get to Arthur’s chambers, it becomes clear that they have a lot to figure out. Prince Prat insists on sleeping in the bed because it’s his, Reasonable Arthur points out that technically it is all of their beds, Prince Prat threatens to take Reasonable Arthur’s head off until Merlin threatens to make them both sleep on the floor. The grudging agreement to share it doesn’t come free. Reasonable Arthur gets an apple chucked at his head. The rest of that day and the next is spent in terse, tolerable silence that makes Merlin want to bite his own head off.

Then of course it’s supposedly time for Arthur to go train and of course Prince Prat has to go. Merlin asks a guard to summon Leon and it’s a testament to how much shit Leon’s been through that he simply nods and lets Prince Prat lead the way. Merlin shakes his head and wonders how the knights will deal with this. He’s sure to get an earful from Gwaine about it later.

Then Reasonable Arthur sits down at Arthur’s desk and picks up a quill and just…works. Merlin has to stop every once in a while as he's doing his own chores to watch Arthur sit there, scratching away at the roll of parchment, glancing up every so often to smile at Merlin or ask him a question. Then he wants to go talk to Morgana and Merlin has to explain that no, everyone thinks that Arthur—the one Arthur—is outside training right now, he can’t be also seen going to Morgana’s chambers, and having Morgana come here while everyone thinks Arthur’s outside is also not good. Merlin hands the work off to another servant to bring to the King.

Then Merlin notices that all the third Arthur’s done is sit quietly on a chair in the corner, toying with something.

Glancing over his shoulder to notice that neither of the others has even noticed, Merlin sets down his basket and crosses the room to crouch down in front of him. The third Arthur barely blinks.

“…Arthur?”

His head turns but he doesn’t make eye contact.

“Do you need anything?”

He shakes his head with the smallest smile, discreetly tucking whatever he was toying with into his sleeve. Merlin glances over his shoulder again. Reasonable Arthur is paying them absolutely no mind.

“…are you alright?”

The third Arthur doesn’t quite look at him, but his hand twitches toward Merlin. Merlin holds his own trembling hand out—why is he shaking? What’s happening?—for him to take, if he wants.

He doesn’t, and Merlin doesn’t push. This Arthur is…intriguing, to say the least. As he gets back to his chores, pointedly avoiding looking in that direction to give him privacy, he thinks.

Has he ever seen this part of Arthur before? Is it just so small normally that he doesn’t? Was there some rule about the spell having to split them into three so they just…made another Arthur?

A thundering of footsteps signals the return of Prince Prat, much to Reasonable Arthur’s chagrin.

“Off with my armor,” Prince Prat orders, “now.”

“Tell you what,” Merlin sighs, “you ask me by name and I’ll do it.”

“And why should I do that?”

“Because it’s the decent thing to do?”

“Who cares about decent?”

“We should,” Reasonable Arthur says, frowning, “of course, we should care. If we’re going to be king—“

“You’re not going to be king, I’m going to be king.”

“Technically we’re all going to be king.”

“You won’t do a good job of it. All you want to do is talk, and not fight for what you want, what kind of king will do that?”

“And what kind of king will just prattle on about whatever he wants and not listen,” Reasonable Arthur shoots back, “how many enemies will you make because you want to answer things with a sword?”

“You have to fight for what is right!”

“And how will you know what that is if you don’t talk?”

Merlin sighs, leaning back against the pillar of Arthur’s bed. To be honest, he’d be more invested in this conversation—which is pretty interesting, even without the fact that it’s two versions of Arthur shouting at himself—if he wasn’t already fed up with this entire situation.

Then a knock at the door.

“Sire!”

“Yes?” Prince Prat turns.

“The King has summoned you!”

The room falls deathly quiet.

Merlin quickly says that he’ll be on his way in a second, gaze darting back and forth between the two Arthurs, both of which have gone pale.

“W-well,” Reasonable Arthur says, “er…duty calls.”

“No, no,” Prince Prat says, actually moving away from the door, “you should go. He wants to talk.”

“But you’re in armor.”

“But you can actually think.”

Merlin’s stomach drops. Arthur…the Arthurs look scared.

“I’ll go.”

The third Arthur stands up, the chair scraping against the floor with a horrid noise. He rolls his shoulders back and something in Merlin’s mind clicks.

He knows that posture, recognizes it from when they went out to face the dragon. He knows that walk, knows it from seeing Arthur walk towards the block as Morgause held aloft the axe.

And as the third Arthur turns around to give them one last look, Merlin recognizes the look in his eyes as their gazes finally meet.

Resignation.

The door thuds shut behind him before Merlin can even move.

His fingers itch. He needs something to do. He turns to Prince Prat. “I’ll, um, I’ll get your armor off.”

“N-no,” Prince Prat stutters, still looking at the door. “I need it. I need it on.”

“What?”

“I need it on,” he repeats, almost clutching his sword.

Soft scratchings fill the room and Merlin looks around to see Reasonable Arthur scribbling frantically.

“I have to tell him,” he keeps muttering, “I’m right, I just—if he would let me explain, I could—“

“You can’t,” Prince Prat interrupts. “You know you can’t. He won’t listen to words.”

“If we defend ourselves it—“

“If we talk it—“

“We have to—“

“We can’t—“

The Arthurs freeze. Prince Prat’s hand is wrapped firmly around the pommel of his sword. Reasonable Arthur’s hands ball up in spare sheets of parchment. Neither of them dares look away from the door.

An icy pit opens up in Merlin’s chest and a cold fire rages.

Somewhere, in this castle, there is an Arthur standing in front of Uther Pendragon, with an indifferent cool gaze iced into place, and the only words on his tongue are: “Yes, Father.”

Merlin has no idea how long they stand there.

Footsteps.

Merlin blinks and suddenly Prince Prat is in front of him, holding out an arm to shield him. Reasonable Arthur is at his shoulder, clutching a scribbled list in one hand, the other on the back of Merlin’s tunic.

The door starts to creak open.

The Survivor Arthur appears and the room heaves a sigh of relief, quickly followed by Merlin ducking around Prince Prat to rush to Survivor Arthur’s side. His hands flit about anxiously as he asks about injuries. Survivor Arthur shakes his head, moves away from the door, and sits back down in the chair. Merlin watches, gobsmacked, as Reasonable Arthur and Prince Prat just…return to what they were doing. Without any sort of…anything.

“Merlin?”

Survivor Arthur’s voice breaks him out of his trance, looking around to see his head turned just enough to stare at Merlin’s torso.

“I’m here,” Merlin says quickly, “do you need something?”

He shakes his head. “Just…wanted to know you were here.”

Yeah, Merlin’s not leaving this room for shit.

He makes sure Survivor Arthur is in the bed that night. The other two must see something in his gaze because they don’t argue, just curl up on either side of the truly massive bed. Prince Prat nods off right away, Reasonable Arthur following not long after. Only Survivor Arthur stays awake, his eyes darting around until his gaze lands on Merlin, finishing up the last of his chores.

“Arthur?”

In the dark, Merlin can only see half of his face. “You’re staying, aren’t you?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Merlin promises, “not for anything.”

“…I don’t want you to leave.”

“I won’t.”

“No one does what you do.”

“Well, there’s only so many manservants that will put up with their charge splitting into three.”

He doesn’t laugh. Merlin pauses, walking closer to the side of the bed.

“…no one takes care of me like you do,” comes the whisper. Merlin’s heart clenches.

“I’ve got no one else to care for like I care for you.”

Something in the darkness softens. “Don’t leave?”

“…I’m not going anywhere.”

Merlin doesn’t move from his spot next to the bed until the sunlight wakes him up. He groans, shifting around and rubbing his eyes blearily.

“Merlin?”

“Yeah,” he grumbles, “I’m awake.”

“Merlin.”

“Yes, I’m awake, hang on.”

“Merlin.”

“What?”

Merlin looks around, expecting to see Prince Prat glaring up at him, only to blink and see one Arthur in the bed, not three.

“…Arthur?”

Arthur looks down at himself, then back up to Merlin. “Pretty sure.”

“Are you—you’re—you’re back.”

“I am.” Arthur swings his legs over the side of the bed and stares up at Merlin with far too much awareness for this early in the morning. “Not that I ever really went anywhere.”

“Do you, er, what do you remember?”

Arthur gives him a look that should not be turning Merlin’s legs to jelly. “I remember everything, Merlin, including something about—“

“Please don’t,” Merlin says, feeling his face flare, “you don’t have to—”

“Merlin,” Arthur calls softly, “look at me.”

“Is that required?”

“Come on, it’s not that bad.”

“Says someone who couldn’t look at me most of the time,” Merlin shoots back instantly, only to wince a second later. “Sorry, that was…bad.”

He hears the faint rustling of sheets as Arthur stands, then a warm hand under his chin. He lets Arthur guide his face up.

“You’re right,” Arthur says softly, “I couldn’t look at you then. But I can do it now.”

“Are you sure,” Merlin tries weakly, “that this isn’t just Reasonable Arthur?”

“Reasonable Arthur?”

“Yeah. The one of you that admitted Morgana was smarter than you and actually did your work.”

“I don’t know if I would say smarter…”

“And wasn’t a massive pain in my are.”

“Wait, did you give names to all of them?”

“Had to tell you apart somehow, didn’t I?”

“What were the others?”

“Prince Prat.”

“Of course.”

“And, um…” Merlin chews on his lip. “…Survivor Arthur.”

“Survivor?” Merlin nods. “Not ‘coward?’”

“What? No!” Merlin’s jaw clenches and he stares at Arthur in disbelief. “No, protecting yourself isn’t cowardly. You—you—what the hell are you talking about?”

Arthur swallows heavily.

“…Arthur…Arthur, are you ashamed?”

Silence.

“You listen to me,” Merlin growls, taking a step forward right into Arthur’s space, “there is nothing to be ashamed about surviving. You have to live first and foremost and the last thing I want is for you to hurt yourself for the sake of it. You had to learn how to survive and I’m sorry and I hate it but I will never call you a coward because of it!”

He’s only aware that he’s shouting by the end of it by the strain in his throat. He blinks, going to take a step back, only for the hand still under his chin to hold him firm.

Arthur’s hand comes up to gently trace his cheek, looking at him like he’s something precious.

“I meant it,” he says softly, “no one takes care of me like you do.”

This time, Merlin can see his face clearly and the sincerity in his gaze makes him tremble.

“…I meant it too,” he manages, “I’ve got no one else to care for like I care for you.”

The corner of Arthur’s mouth quirks up. “I didn’t look at you because I couldn’t,” he whispers, “I didn’t have the part of me that was brave enough to look.”

The hand slots back under his chin.

“But now I do,” he breathes, “and I…I actually might believe you now.”

“…now that you’ve got your intelligent side back?”

Arthur gives his chest a gentle shove, chuckling. “Enough, you idiot, I’m trying to be sincere here.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Arthur sobers, his hand coming up to ruffle through Merlin’s hair and cup the back of his neck. “…don’t leave, Merlin.”

Merlin reaches back to cover Arthur’s hand with his. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“No,” Arthur corrects, the hand under Merlin’s shifting a little, “I mean don’t…don’t leave. I know I was the one literally split into three people but you…I saw more of you too.”

Oh.

Oh.

“So please, Merlin,” Arthur whispers, his voice shaking slightly, “please, don’t leave.”

“I told you,” Merlin says, “I’m not going anywhere, you prat.”

His voice is shaking a little too much for it to be completely joking.

The sunlight on the back of Merlin’s neck is not nearly as warm as Arthur’s hand, nor is it bright enough to hurt when their foreheads touch and their eyes fall shut. Arthur’s breath is warm on Merlin’s cheek.

“…no more running into magic circles, okay?”

“I don’t know,” Arthur murmurs, tilting his head just enough to brush his nose along Merlin’s temple, “I think this turned out alright.”

Merlin draws back just enough to open his mouth in some snappy remark only to have Arthur’s pleased smile immediately ruin it for him.

“…I’m sure the knights have questions.”

“I think Gwaine’ll be happy, don’t you?”

“I think he was grateful for an excuse to kick the shit out of me.”

“Wait, are you admitting that Gwaine is a better fighter than you?”

“Merlin!”

[akirakurusuimagines]

Fluff in which akira looses his glasses on his face.

Akira watched his history professor with a knowing smile as his homeroom teacher slash maid rang the intercom, her voice soft and asking for Mr. Inui to come to the faculty room. Always willing to comply, he dashed off with an estranged voice instructing the students in his classroom to continue reading the chapter they had been focused on, however, only a rare few would comply with those wishes. Akira watched him leave, waiting several seconds before setting up his desk in a manner where his books and folders shielded his face as Morgana asked what he was going to do⁠— there wasn’t much need to continue explaining. “I’m going to nap for a little while. Wake me up when he comes back, please.” Akira stroked under Morgana’s chin affectionately before he folded his arms under his head and laid himself to rest for a while.

It was a very pleasant dream⁠⁠— something he was grateful for. To be able to spend some time with you inside the huge ferris wheel by the beach he had only been to once before, a relatively romantic tryst, leaning closer and closer to each other, soft laughs from indescribable words filling the air between the two of you before he watched your eyes flutter closed, a warmth on his hand as you took his in your own and squeezed it… only for it all to be interrupted by the incessant hissing of his catpanion. At least he felt closer to you. 

“Wake up! He’s here!” Morgana slapped whatever part of Akira he could reach, tail swishing with anxiousness. “Akiraaaa!” 

“I’m up, I’m up,” Akira sighed, lifting his head and rubbing his eyes, groggy from the interrupted nap. He instinctively set the books down as he yawned, doing his best to wake himself up before the lesson began again. 

But something was wrong. Very wrong. The exhaustion subsided as concern swelled up in his chest, though he did his best not to outwardly show it. Akira brought his hand up to his face and touched it, dread settling in his stomach as he looked around his desk, under the books, in his bag, where Morgana was⁠— but to no avail. 

“Where did my glasses go?” He whispered, dumbfounded at the prospect that he lost them somehow while he had been sleeping. He could’ve sworn it was right next to him⁠— he looked at Morgana, but the cat was already knocked out, just like he had been. Ann was absent today too, probably to go see Shiho in the hospital. Akira looked around for his glasses a little more, the feeling of being exposed without them was eating away at him. It wasn’t on the floor, not on his chair, not anywhere nearby. Where did they go? 

He was stuck with that anxiety the entire class, making sure his bangs covered most of his face and that he didn’t look at any of his peers directly. The moment school let out, he scooped up his poor cat into his bag and made his way out, the eyes that were watching him were suffocating. Akira almost gave up hope of finding his glasses, wondering if someone had taken them as a prank of some sort, or out of malicious intent. He wasn’t in the mood to interrogate anyone. Instead, Akira set off, wanting to find you⁠— perhaps you could help him. 

“There you are,” Akira’s exacerbated voice let on to his distress perhaps more than he would’ve liked. 

“Huh? Are you okay?” You held onto your bag tightly as you stared at him, clearly worried. It wasn’t often that Akira of all people was vulnerable. You looked up, and it clicked almost immediately. “Where’d your glasses go?” 

Akira shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s what I’m trying to look for. I haven’t found it yet. I don’t know where they went,” he explained. “I just took a nap in class and suddenly they were gone.” 

You stared at him for several moments, putting the pieces together as he explained the situation. A smile formed on your face and the words faded from his mouth as he watched you, clearly surprised at your joyful reaction. You stepped closer to him, taking your hands and gently pulling his face closer to yours. 

His eyes went wide and he could feel his face heating up at the proximity, the memories of his dream flooding back to him and he opened his mouth, wanting to say something, anything⁠, wondering if this was even real⁠— 

“Here you go!” You declared, and true to your word, held his missing glasses in your hand like a skilled magician. 

Akira stared at you, then at his glasses, and back at you. “How did you⁠—”

You laughed softly and opted to put the glasses on his face, gently putting his bags back in their rightful place over them, though made no move to back away and increase the distance between you two. “They were stuck in your hair. I guess you have so much of it that you didn’t even notice.” 

If he wasn’t outwardly blushing a minute ago, he was sure he was now. “Oh…” Akira was extremely embarrassed, the culmination of losing his glasses on himself and then panicking about it, plus how close you were and the dream he had⁠— he cleared his throat and stepped back, twisting his bangs in a nervous fidget. It wasn’t often the leader of the Phantom Thieves was taken aback like this. “Case closed, then.” 

“Case closed!” You repeated joyfully, though a short air of awkward silence fell between the two of you. 

Akira was the first one to break it, somewhat getting his composure in order. “Would you like to hang out somewhere today?” 

You brightened up at his offer, nodding vehemently. “I’d love to.” 

“How does the diner in Shibuya sound to you?”

“Perfect.”

Akira’s heart fluttered as you took his hand, and a smile formed on his face, the anxieties he had completely washed away as you excitedly lead him towards Shibuya, eager to spend as much time as you can with the transfer student. 

Though he put much more faith in you than he probably should, considering how quickly you began to tease him on your way there about how he lost his glasses, watching the heat flare on his face as you called him cute, and warned him to not lose anything else in that fluffy black hair of his. 

[swanqueeneverafter]

Sins of the Past Pt.6

Camelot. Past. Forest. Night. (With the help of Arthur, Morgana and Mordred have successfully escaped the castle grounds. After riding a short distance, they meet the Druids in the woods.) Iseldir: “We are forever indebted to you, Morgana Pendragon, for returning the boy to us.” Morgana: “You must not let it be known that it was I who brought him to you.” Iseldir: “We will tell no one. You have my word.” (The Druids turn to leave.) Morgana: “Wait, please! I need your help. There have been incidents… I fear I may have…“ (Morgana is unable to say the words.) Mordred: (Telepathically to Iseldir:) "She is like us. She holds great power.” Morgana: “Did you hear that? (To Mordred:) How did you do that?” Iseldir: “We don’t always need words to speak to one another.” Mordred: (Looks to Iseldir, who nods. Holds out his hand to Morgana:) “Now I can take care of you, like you did me.” (Taking the boy’s hand, Morgana allows herself to be lead deeper into the woods, towards the Druid’s camp.) Storybrooke. Swan-Mills House. Present. (Emma prepares breakfast in the kitchen when her phone rings.) Emma: (Answering:) “Hey, Lily. What? Seriously? No, of course I’ll cover you. (Disappointed:) Yeah, I’m coming in. Bye. (Hangs up:) Dammit.” Bedroom. (Placing the food-laden tray on the bed, Emma walks over to the bathroom and opens the door.) Emma: (Calling out:) “Gina, I’ve got to go in to work. Lily’s been called to Arendelle.” Regina: (From the shower:) “What?! (Turns off the water:) Today’s your day off.” Emma: “I know, but Lily’s covered plenty for me since the baby and- (Regina pulls back the glass partition to glare at Emma in all her naked, wet glory:) Oh, Jesus.” Regina: “Get Hook to cover you. God knows he likes playing cops and robbers lately.” Emma: (Averting her gaze:) “They can’t find him. Lily thinks he went on some drunken bender with Rumple.” Regina: (Muttering:) “I knew those two becoming best pals would bite me in the ass someday.” Emma: (Glancing at her wife then quickly closing her eyes:) “I’m sorry. (Backing out of the room:) I’ll try to be back as soon as I can.” Regina: (In a softer tone:) “Emma, look at me.” Emma: (Opening one eye slowly:) “Oh, you don’t play fair.” Regina: (Pressing herself up against the glass:) “Are you sure you have to go?” Emma: (Her mouth suddenly extremely dry:) “Yes. (Closing her eyes tightly shut again:) Yes. I’ve got to, I’m sorry. (Emma turns and leaves the bathroom, immediately stubbing her toe on the armoire, which causes the sheriff to hop on one foot. Losing her balance, Emma falls backwards, making just enough contact with the bed before hitting the floor to send the food tray toppling over on top of her:) Great. Just great.”

Storybrooke Free Public Library. (Mulan gently deposits Merida on a makeshift cot at the back of the library.) Belle: "Wouldn’t the hospital be a better place to take her?” Mulan: (Shaking her head:) “You know how delicate the political landscape in Dun Broch is. If anyone gets word that Merida is sick, there’ll be a power struggle.” Belle: “So you brought her here?” Mulan: (Holding up the petal:) “This was in the goblet she drank from. Anhora claims to have no knowledge of how it got there, but I know you’ll have a better idea than Whale of what flower this came from.” Alice: (Feeling Merida’s forehead:) “She’s burning up.” Belle: (Taking the petal from Mulan:) “Fetch Alice some water and a towel.” (Mulan nods and does as she’s told while Belle pulls out a book.) Alice: “Is she going to be alright?” Belle: “I won’t know until I can identify the poison.” Alice: “Her brow’s on fire.” Mulan: (Returning:) “Here. Keep her cool; it’ll help control her fever.” Wonderland. Morning. (Will is asleep against a tree as the sounds of chopping can be heard.) Will: (Jumping awake as a branch lands on him:) “What the bloody hell!” Ella: “Oh good, you’re up.” Will: “What are you doing?” Ella: (Continues practicing her swordplay on a defenseless tree:) “I’m getting ready. I’m a bit rusty.” Will: (As another tree limb goes flying:) “There. Now you’ve gone and hurt the tree. Happy?” Ella: “I’ll be happy once we find my mother. We need to get moving. We’ve been in Wonderland for too long. Our enemies know we’re here.” Will: “Our enemies? Who would they be?” Ella: “Excellent question. (Holds out her hand:) Come on. (Pulls Will to his feet:) I have a plan, Will.” Will: “Of course you do.” Ella: “Our biggest problem is we don’t know where my mother is. She could be trapped somewhere, or captured.” Will: “Look, is there any chance of a coffee? I can’t really think until-” Ella: (Continues:) “But then I realized we don’t need to know where she is.” Will: “Oh, we don’t?” Ella: “Because we know something. Something nobody else does.” Will: “I’m not sure you’re clear on what the word ‘we’ means.” Ella: “Come on, Will. Time to get going.” Storybrooke. Dragon’s Lair. (While Xena sits picking the olives off her pizza, Henry sits talking with Gabrielle about writing.)

Gabrielle: “The best advice I can give you is to write what you know.” Henry: “But that’s just it. I’ve already written everything I know. I was ‘The Author’. I’ve written three storybooks. I even wrote my own happy ending and still…” Gabrielle: (Nods:) “Retirement not turning out to be all it’s cracked up to be huh?” Henry: (Scoffs:) “I’m working more now than I ever have.” Gabrielle: “Some would argue that’s not a bad thing. For the longest time traveling with Xena, all I wanted was for her to find a sense of peace. For us to settle down somewhere and grow old together. But now, since coming to this land where everyone seems to have found their place in the world… I don’t know how to put it into words. It’s like-” Xena: “It’s god-damn irritating is what it is.” Henry: (Turning towards her:) “Thank you! (Xena nods before devouring her pizza:) Everyone around here seems so settled and happy. Meanwhile Ella and I are still struggling. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great that everyone’s together and at peace but-” Gabrielle: “You feel like you’re playing catch up to everyone else’s happiness?” Henry: “Honestly, sometimes? Yeah.” Wonderland. (Ella and Will travel through the forest. Ella uses her sword to cut through the tree branches as Will follows a short distance behind.) Ella: “Keep up, would you? We’re making good time.” Will: “You’re thinking about what happens if we find her?” Ella: “When. When we find her.” Will: “What if it’s nothing like you thought?” Ella: “Meaning?” Will: “Well I just think to protect yourself, you should consider the possibility that things may be different. You’ve been apart a long time.” Ella: “My mother is waiting for me. She needs me.” Will: “Then why hasn’t she contacted you?” Ella: “The only reason she hasn’t contacted me is because she must be in trouble. That’s why we need to pick up the pace.” Will: “Or she’s moved on.” Ella: “Not a chance. Nothing will get in the way of us being together. (They finally come to the end of the tree line:) Except possibly this. (A large lake sits before them:) I suppose we could swim across.” Will: “No, we can’t.” Ella: “If you’re afraid of dangers lurking beneath the surface, I can handle-” Will: “I can’t swim.” Ella: “How have you lived your whole life and never -” Will: “I was doing other things.” Ella: “Like what?” Will: “Like being afraid of water. When Alice almost drowned in that frozen lake, it was the last time I got anywhere near the water.” Ella: “Fine. We’ll just have to wait for the ferry.” Will: “How do you know about the ferry?” Ella: “Alice told me.” Will: “Hm. Or better idea, we walk around it.” Ella: “Walk around the entire thing? That would take two days at least. We’re taking the ferry.” (Ella walks onto the beach and begins to clap.) Will: (When Ella glares back at him:) “Oh, for…” (Will joins her on the beach and together they begin clapping. In no time at all, Ella spots something in the distance and waves.) Ella: “There she is. Over here, Fairy.” Silvermist: (Landing before them:) “I am the fairy Silvermist. Where may I… I.” Will: “Heya, Silv. (She slaps him:) How’s it going? (She slaps him again:) There it is.” Ella: “I take it you two know each other?”

Silvermist: (To Will:) “Awfully bold of you to show your face in this part of Wonderland. Do you know how many people are looking for you?” Will: “Might be easier to figure out how many aren’t.” Silvermist: “You think you’re funny?” Will: “I think I’m buggered no matter what I say right now.” Ella: “Perhaps you two might continue reminiscing while we make our way across the lake.” Will: (Whispers:) “I think we have to walk.” Silvermist: (Composing herself, to Ella:) “Not at all. I’m happy to take you.” Ella: “The both of us? Are you sure?” Silvermist: “Of course. It’s my job, and I’m a professional. I don’t let feelings get in the way of my work, especially old feelings that I’ve completely moved on from.” Ella: “Okay. Thank you very much.” (Ella nudges Will in the side.) Will: “Yeah, thank you very much.” Ella: “Excellent.” Silvermist: “Don’t worry. You can trust me. I’m here to help.” (Waving her wand and showering them both with fairy dust, Silvermist turns and heads over the water, Will and Ella flying through the sky behind her.) Camelot. Past. Morgana’s Chambers. Day. (Servants clean up the burnt fragments and glass scattered across Morgana’s floor.) Guinevere: “I came back in with some extra blankets. There was a candle, but I put it out.” Uther: “Are you sure?” Guinevere: “I blew it out, I swear.” Uther: “She could’ve been burnt alive.” Arthur: “Lightning struck the castle roof last night, that could’ve started the fire.” Uther: “No, this was no accident.” Arthur: “What other explanation is there, My Lord?” Uther: “Last night my daughter attempted to return the druid boy to his people and this morning I find her window broken and the curtains torched. The answer is simple. The Druids saw Morgana as easy prey. They used their powers to break into the castle, retrieve the boy and take my daughter hostage. (To Arthur:) We’ve long suspected that the Druids are hiding in the forest of Essetir. Take no prisoners. It’s time we rid ourselves of these Druids once and for all.” (Uther leaves. Guinevere starts to protest when Arthur stops her.) Arthur: “Listen to me. You must leave, find Morgana and warn the Druids. I cannot go against Uther’s orders. I’ve done all that I can. It’s now down to you to save them, Guinevere.” Druid Camp, Morgana’s Tent. (The Druid leader Aglain enters.) Aglain: “I trust you slept well?” Morgana: “Better than I’ve done in days.” Aglain: “Here, this might make you feel more at home.” (Aglain hands her a druid cloak.) Forest. (Leading the King’s soldiers, Arthur pursues Morgana’s trail with dogs.) Druid Camp. (Aglain walks with Morgana.) Aglain: “They are surprised to see you here, if not a little afraid. Your father would have us killed.” Morgana: “They have nothing to fear from me. I do not share Uther’s hatred of magic.” Aglain: “No. I imagine you wouldn’t. These forests are dangerous. What brings you so far from Camelot?” Morgana: “I’m searching for answers. I hope the Druids might be able to give them to me.” Aglain: “Come.” (Aglain ushers her into his tent.)

Aglain’s Tent. (Guinevere sneaks into the Druid camp and listens in on Aglain’s conversation with Morgana.) Aglain: “What would you like to know?” Morgana: “Why I can see the future in my dreams. Why I’m able to start fires with my mind.” Aglain: “People who are able to do this are few and far between. You have a gift.” Morgana: “Is it magic?” Aglain: “Of a kind, yes. But it will be many years before you’re able to understand it fully, let alone use it. This isn’t something to be afraid of.” Morgana: “It is if you have Uther as your father. If he found out, lord only knows what he’d do.” Aglain: “He won’t.” Morgana: “But if he did…” Aglain: “We won’t let that happen. You’re safe here. You shouldn’t be scared of Uther. You should pity him.” Morgana: “Pity? Why?” Aglain: “Because he’s a broken man, consumed by fear. His hatred of magic has driven goodness from his heart.” Morgana: “I’ve always been taught that magic is evil, that it corrupts your soul.” Aglain: “Uther told you this. Just because he decrees it, doesn’t make it so. In time you will learn that magic isn’t a dark art that must be shrouded in secrecy. It can be a force for good.” Storybrooke. Present. (Emma pulls into a seemingly abandoned alleyway in a police cruiser. Getting out of the car, she looks around before reaching through the window for the radio.) Emma: "Sheriff Swan calling base, there’s nobody here, are you sure this is the right place.” Regina: (Stepping out from around the corner:) “Oh, I’m sure, Sheriff.” Emma: “Nevermind. (Replaces radio:) We got an anonymous tip there was a ‘street walker’ down this alley. I’m guessing that was you?” Regina: (Smirks:) “You didn’t think there would be an actual street walker in my town, did you, Sheriff?” Emma: “Well, now that you mention it… where’s Maria?” Regina: (Leaning against a chain-link fence:) “I got a call moments after you ran out of the house this morning from Anna of all people. She apologised for messing up our plans and offered to take Maria for a few hours.” Emma: “And you let her?” Regina: “She said I would be doing her a favour. It seems her ice-farming husband needs a little warming up to the idea of having kids of their own.” Emma: “Speaking of warming up. (Stares at Regina:) You look incredible.” Regina: (Smiles:) “Seeing as you were so eager to go to work, I’d thought I’d stop by and make sure you do your job.” Emma: “Do my job? (Regina nods:) Well as far as I know, there’s no law against looking sexy in a public place, Madam Mayor.” Regina: “No? (Running her hands down her sides, slowly draws up the bottom of her dress to reveal her black stocking tops before drawing a familiar pair of red panties down over her thighs and stepping out of them, much to the Sheriff’s delight. Holding them up:) How about now?” Emma: “Is that my underwear?” Regina: “Mmhmm. By my count that’s theft and indecent exposure.” Emma: “Oh I see nothing indecent here and since we’re married, what’s mine is yours anyway.” Regina: “Is that right? Hm, well I guess... (Begins to climb on to the hood of the car:) I’ll just have to get more creative.” Emma: “So you want me to arrest you, is that it?” Regina: (Nods:) “Mmhmm.” (Regina turns her body so that she is now sitting on the hood of the car, allowing Emma to stand between her legs.) Emma: “In that case, you have the right to remain silent. (Regina wraps her legs around her waist:) Although I really wouldn’t object to you screaming just a little bit. (They begin to make out:) Anything you say, (Kiss:) can be held against you.” Regina: “Mm you promise?” (Regina’s hands travel to Emma’s jeans and unbuckles them, lowering them to her knees.) Emma: (Feeling Regina’s hands running over her body:) “Oh God, we can’t do this here. Hold on to me.” Regina: (Now sucking Emma’s neck:) “Not a problem, Sheriff.” (With some difficulty, Emma lifts Regina into her arms and walks, or rather waddles, towards the back of the car. Somehow opening the door, she manages to gently deposit Regina in the back seat and close the door. Pulling up her jeans as she hurries around to the front of the car. Emma gets behind the wheel and turns on the engine.) Emma: “I’ll radio ahead and tell everyone at the station to take an early lunch. (Looking to see Regina perform a few more public indecencies in the back seat:) Good God woman, control yourself! Better let people know to get out of my way. (Flicks on the siren:) We’re coming in hot!”

Storybrooke Free Public Library. (With Ruby having now joined them, Alice & Mulan continue to care for Merida while Belle searches for a cure.) Belle: (Finding something:) “Ah. The petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says here that someone poisoned by the Mortaeus can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower. It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the Forest of Balor. The flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree.” Alice: (Pointing to a picture of something:) “That’s not particularly friendly.” Belle: “A Cockatrice. It guards the forest. Its venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death. Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isgaard in search of the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive.” Mulan: (Intrigued:) “Sounds like fun.” Ruby: “Mulan, it’s too dangerous.” Mulan: (To Belle:) “If I don’t get the antidote, what happens to Merida?” Belle: (Reading:) “The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death. She may hold out for four, maybe five days, but not for much longer. Eventually she will die.” Mulan: “I won’t fail, I promise you.” Ruby: “Well you’re not going alone no matter what you think. Look what happens when I let you have all the fun.” Mulan: (Smiles, to Belle:) “We’ll find the antidote and bring it back.” Camelot. Past. Forest. (Arthur and the guards reach the woods near the Druid camp and see the smoke from their fires.) Arthur: “Remember the King’s orders! (Hesitantly:) No prisoners!” Druid Camp. Morgana’s Tent. (Guinevere enters.) Morgana: “Guin! What are you doing here?” Guinevere: “I’ve come to take you back to Camelot.” Morgana: “Then I’m afraid you’ve had a wasted journey. I’m never going back.” Guinevere: “I’m sorry, but you have to.” Morgana: “Why? You’re the one who said I should seek out the Druids.” Guinevere: “I never realised what the repercussions would be.” Morgana: “What repercussions?” Guinevere: “The King thinks you’ve been kidnapped. He won’t stop until you’re found. He’s arrested dozens of people. He’s gonna execute them all.” Morgana: “If I return, the same fate awaits me.” Guinevere: “Uther doesn’t need to know about this. I won’t tell a soul.” (Arthur and guards approach the camp.) Morgana: “I’m sorry. I’m never going back. These are my people. They’re like me. I don’t feel so alone here. Do you understand?” Aglain: (Enters:) “Morgana, we must go. Who are you?” Morgana: “I–it’s alright, she’s a friend. What’s wrong?” Aglain: “Arthur and his men are coming. Your friend has led him straight to us.”

(The Druids run, trying to escape Arthur and the guards. Arthur sees Mordred and Aglain helping Morgana run away.) Arthur: “This way!” (Guinevere runs with Mordred, Morgana, and Aglain through a rock valley.) Aglain: “We’ve got to keep moving!” Morgana: “My ankle, I think it’s twisted. It’s too painful!” Guinevere: “I’ll try to create a diversion.” Morgana: “No, Guin, you can’t!” Guinevere: “You carry on! It’s my fault they’re here! Go! Go!” Morgana: “I’ll never forget this.” (Guinevere picks up a large tree branch and uses it to dislodge some precariously positioned rocks, causing a blockage in the path. Pulling up her hood, Guinevere runs.) Arthur: “There!” (Arthur pursues the hooded figure. Guinevere jumps and hides under a protruding rock. Arthur and his men jump right over her. Guinevere runs back. Guards spot Morgana’s party anyway.) Guard: “Over there!” (Morgana slumps to the ground.) Morgana: “I can’t go on.” Aglain: “We’re not leaving you behind.” Morgana: “Please.” (Morgana faints.) Mordred: “They’re coming!” (Aglain is shot with a crossbow. Mordred runs.) Guard: “Arthur! We have the Lady Morgana!” (Mordred runs, but is surrounded by guards. Guinevere stops running and watches Mordred use his powers to throw three guards backwards then run off into the distance.) Storybrooke. Present. Sheriff’s Station. (Anna, with baby Maria in her arms, enters the station.) Anna: “We’re back, Emma. You can call Regina now and tell her you’re coming-” Lily: (Entering the room:) “I think she already knows.” (Directing her attention towards the cells, Lily smirks as Anna gasps and covers the baby’s eyes.) Anna: “-Home.” Emma: (Emerging from a jail cell, sheepishly:) “Hey. Did you guys have any luck?” Lily: (Peeking around Emma to get a look at her cell mate:) “Not as much as you it seems.” Emma: (Standing to block her view:) “I meant did you manage to find a singer for Elsa’s party?” Lily: “Yep, and by mutual agreement, which is rare for us.” Anna: “Not that rare. I mean okay we don’t agree on everything, but neither do me and Elsa and she’s been my sister a lot longer than you have.” Emma: “Not officially.” Lily: “Cool it, Emma.” Regina: (Stepping out of the cell with a handcuff dangling from one wrist:) “We’re glad we could help.” Anna: (Staring at Regina’s bare legs, catches herself:) “Ah, yeah. Well this is yours. (Awkwardly hands Maria to Emma:) And we should be going.” Emma: “Oh no, you guys stay, we’ll go. (Over her shoulder to Regina:) You got everything?” Regina: “And then some. (Smiling to Lily and Anna:) Feel free to call us, anytime.” (With a wave of her hand, Regina poofs herself, Emma and Maria out of the station, leaving a blushing Anna and a very amused Lily in their wake.)

[elrondsscribe]

OK, so I just finished BBC’s Merlin . . .

. . . and I’m feeling fairly let down, if I may say so. Big spoilers ahead for all 5 seasons of Merlin, by the way.

Let me say, straight off the bat - Arthur’s death is not what I’m unsatisfied with. Obviously Arthur was going to die. That’s tradition, and I’d be perfectly happy to cry my obligatory tears without protest. But much of Season 5 was unfulfilling at best and a disaster at worst.

First off (this is a relatively minor quibble) why couldn’t they have had the Dead-Uther confrontation in Season 4? There was plenty of time then, and Season 5 was really the time when the story needed to be cohesive and all the episodes needed to count for something. It wasn’t as if anything of lasting consequence came of Dead-Uther vs. Arthur/Merlin.

And then Brainwashed!Guinevere. I mean, it did serve to illustrate very nicely the really twisted kind of evil Morgana was capable of, but again, nothing of consequence came of it. Brainwashed!Gwen made a couple of attempts on Arthur’s life, both foiled by Merlin, and then she was cured and everything was fine. Again, Season 3 or 4 was the time for an experiment like that, not Season 5 when things were wrapping up. I hate to say it this way, but if you’re going to warp the character of Guinevere like that, don’t be half-assed about it.

[And I can’t help it, I’m black and I’m human - I also resent Elyan’s pointless early death. I mean, really, if you’re going to have a black Guinevere and a black Knight of Camelot, is there any reason we can’t hang onto them both for as long as we’d hang on to the white characters?]

And then - what was Gwaine’s oh-so-special heritage? I’m assuming this is the same Knight in the Arthurian legend as takes up Sir Bertilak’s challenge in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Was all that mystery about the Unknown Identity of Gwaine’s Father and Gwaine being the third in the trio of the Courage, Magic, and Strength and Old Merlin saying to him “You are not what you seem” all just a bunch of hot air that the writers tossed in, with no intention of ever doing anything with it? Why couldn’t we have had that instead of Dead Uther?

And did we ever actually see the future that the prophecies were going on about actually come to fruition? The one where a united Albion was supposed to see magic liberated and Merlin would work openly alongside the Once and Future King? No, we did not. I’m honestly not sure whether to hope that this entirely dishonest bit of storytelling was intentional or not. If you’re going to have predictions like that all throughout a 5-season series, you really ought to follow through with them and give us at least a glimpse of this destined future before “going true to the legend” and killing Arthur off.

But the greatest sin of all was Mordred. From the first episode when we met him they were setting him up as Arthur’s Bane and Camelot’s Doom and all-around Bad News; but after the beginning of Season 5 he was presented as a likable, honorable, capable character - one who turned on Morgana because he believed Arthur and Arthur’s cause were more worth his devotion, and who covered for Merlin to help keep his secret. And Merlin behaved like an ass to him entirely without reason - because Mordred genuinely liked, respected, and trusted Arthur just as much as Arthur liked, respected, and trusted him.

Until Brunette Plot Device - er, sorry, Kara - turned up. In the episode before the finale. With absolutely no backstory, and no previous mention in word, memory, vision, or prophecy. With every word and action clearly crafted to kickstart the plot. With, somehow, no capacity or willingness to break herself out of prison or really do anything other than get herself executed. (Honestly, the Merlin-verse equivalent of an Alohomora and a few Stupefy’s or Petrificus Totalus’s would have done the trick just fine. And don’t tell me they don’t have spells like that - we’ve seen them in action. Unless she simply has no magic, because apart from her mind-speech with Mordred we never saw her use any.)

And within the confines of the series, whoever heard of a warlike druid anyway? Why is she so anti-Pendragon that does she doesn’t seem to know or care that her death will cause her “beloved” Mordred pain? In my view, she is either the worst kind of Badly Constructed Plot Device or she obviously doesn’t love Mordred nearly as much as he loves her.

Bottom line: If you’re going to have a traitorous-but-sympathetic Mordred, for heaven’s sake don’t do it like this.

Honestly, I’d be much happier to accept Mordred’s ‘treachery’ if they’d made it the least bit credible. If, for example, we could’ve met Kara alongside Mordred in Arthur’s Bane (or maybe the episode after) and built up her relationship with Mordred over the course of the season. Maybe we could have seen Mordred struggling with whether to betray her to Arthur or Arthur to her. (Not to mention Kara herself would feel like an actual character and not just a flimsy device.)

Or, we could have gone the more traditional route and had Mordred faithful to Morgana all along, sent by her to Camelot to inform her of Arthur’s (and Merlin’s) doings and generally spy on the kingdom. Which would have been a great alternative to Brainwashed!Guinevere, if you ask me, though in fairness it might also have come off as a repeat of the Agravaine storyline from Season 4. Maybe a redo of Season 4 would be in order too, if we preferred this option.

Either way, when Mordred ultimately does betray Arthur, it wouldn’t feel so avoidable and cheap and cliche. And I wouldn’t have gone through Season 5 wanting to slap Merlin in the face quite so much. And Merlin is not a character that you want to feel compelled to slap in the face.