terrible horrible no good ideas
So I've been watching Merlin because it's silly and happy and also tramples all over the Arthurian legend, with which I've always had massive issues and an unhealthy love/hate relationship. The bad news is, my brain just can't stand it when things make me happy. I keep staring at Merlin and thinking, "Kid, someone gives you one hard push, and you'll be so broken they'll never find all the pieces." And that makes it very hard for me not to push him.
The more I watch, the more I feel compelled to write fic in which Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic, has a fit of Daddy issues, and reacts badly, in response to which Merlin goes batshit insane. I've read fic in which Arthur reacts badly, but never fic in which Merlin sees Arthur's bad reaction and raises him a magical apocalypse. Why have I never seen that fic? Merlin's never been the most balanced of people, he's under unbelievable pressure, and he's obviously made Arthur the absolute center of his crazy little world. Also, he's the most powerful being alive. It's a complete recipe for disaster.
Say Arthur condemns Merlin to death, then takes a day or two to calm down and change his mind. By which time it's too late, because Merlin's escaped, though he hasn't gone far. It's his job to protect Arthur, and by God he will, whether Arthur likes it or not. Merlin starts stalking the halls of Camelot, invisible, and continues killing Arthur's enemies. Except now, he has no one to talk to about this. No one to talk to at all. He gradually gets shaky on what exactly constitutes an 'enemy'. It all goes very The Yellow Wallpaper meets Rebecca over the years, until eventually Merlin has killed absolutely everyone in Camelot except Arthur, who he's keeping locked up inside the castle because it's dangerous outside. But he still can't let Arthur see him! Because! Arthur doesn't want him, so Merlin has to help IN SECRET. So he just whispers insanely to Arthur while he's sleeping and steps in occasionally to keep him from killing himself.
This could be even worse if it started out funny. Invisible!Merlin adventures. Merlin accidentally crashing into things and dropping things at awkward moments. Humor and hope which would SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY BE CRUSHED.
I promise not to write it. JUST SAY NO TO THE IMP OF THE PERVERSE. Anyway, Gaius would have to be dead for any of this to work, and Gaius is my favorite, so I think we're safe.
Um, I just felt the need to officially promise somewhere that I'm not writing that. :D ? Sorry. It's preying on my mind.