Descent

[judin]

Author: judin
Title: Descent
Rating: PG-13 (Series rating: R)
Pairing/s: Arthur/Merlin
Character/s: Arthur, Merlin, Ragnor
Summary: Merlin faces Ragnor in the dark.
Warnings: Angst, issues of rape, (minor) character death
Word Count: 2569
Prompt: #33 Choices
Author's Notes: You can find the rest of this series on AO3, or here at Camelot Drabble.

Comments

[archaeologist_d]

Loving it. Both so guilty and not able to talk about what had happened. Loved that Merlin realized he'd let down the people who were looking to him to bring magic back. In many ways, Merlin is a coward, to let others die to protect his secret.

I wonder what he's going to do next.

[judin]

It kind of struck me, that for the past three years of peace, Merlin has done remarkably little to help the druid/sorcerer cause. Although I'm of the opinion that the druids could lean a little less on him and maybe start doing some of the re-conciliatory work themselves. In this verse, though, destiny just sent Merlin a reminder of his duty.

I'm loving you. :3

[k_nightfox]

Oh, please, please tell me he didn't kill the little girl along with the others! I mean, the woman's unharmed so why would his spell only have hurt the kid...

Sheet! This story, this story just tears at my heart so much. These men are both beating themselves over the same thing and when they talk, they don't talk! They cross-over each other, they don't actually communicate!

You write this so well, it's such gorgeous angsty angst!

[judin]

Woah! Did not mean to give that impression. The girl is alive, don't worry. Merlin is good at focusing his powers on his targets.

Your comments tear my heart. With joy! X3

Angsty angsty angst. It's the best.

[kayson135]

This is just lovely and heartbreakingly sad. They're both suffering and it's making their thoughts blacker and actions less logical. I adore this story and ache when I read it. It seems any kind of resolution is far in the future!

[judin]

I made you ache? Yes! Haha, I win! Thank you for aching. That's what I was hoping for. :D

[lullabylily]

Wow! This story has got a lot of plot. But the emotional tension between Arthur and Merlin since the incident has been what's really driving the characters. My heart aches for both of them. With Mee
Merlin now as Dragoon a swift clearing up of all the misubderstandings between them seems unlikely. Can't wait to see where you take this! This part also made me go reread the beginning, incredibly crafty how you weave this story week after week.

[judin]

I love that you think I'm incredibly crafty, while I feel like I'm sort of flopping around like a fish on land. Thank you so much for your continued support and lovely comments.

Also, thank you for the cookie I got for Halloween! :D

[rocknvaughn]

My heart is flipping breaking for Arthur and Merlin, especially Merlin in this installment. How terrible that he thinks Arthur wants him to leave when that is literally the furthest thing from what Arthur *really* wants.

And Merlin, for going so far to protect his beloved king from backlash of their abuse.

I cannot imagine that the early deaths of Ragnor and Hamar are going to be received well by Queen Annis. Oh, boy!

[judin]

I was really uncertain of how much to make of the death of the bandits, cause it's not as if Merlin hasn't killed people before, and the show rarely makes a big deal out of it, but I couldn't help but think that it would feel like a big deal to him, because of the secrecy and the brutality of it, so I went with guilty Merlin.

It's kind of been a theme for this season, I think: Merlin willing to do anything for Arthur, even to the point where he's becoming blind to the bigger picture. I like it. It's daaark.

Poor Queen Annis. All these homosexuals prancing into her kingdom and just taking over, doing whatever they want, flaunting their angst all over the place. Tsk, tsk.