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thefollow-spot · 1 year

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A Leap of Faith by Misery_C_Epicaricacy & Ynnéalay

Fandom: Merlin (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Category: Gen Relationship: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Minor Gwaine & Arthur Pendragon, Minor Gwaine & Merlin Words: 40,475

Fanbinding of A Leap of Faith. Process, commentary, and additional pictures under the cut ♥

First of all, thank you to all the lovely folks from the @renegadepublishing discord for enthusiastically encouraging me to fanbind my own work, though this is not entirely just-mine. This fic was co-written with the awe-inspiring @whoawhataconcept (Misery_C_Epicaricacy on AO3) and this binding is as much a love letter to her writing, her mind, and our creative collaboration as it is to my own contributions.

On: Textblock & Typesetting

I've bound a couple fics at this point, but was saving Garamond for this one because I fell in love with how these particular words look set in Garamond. The headings are done in a simplistic all-caps Calibri with expanded spacing to pay homage to how many hours editing this damn thing were spent looking at the font in question. I've also used font 'Merlin' for the front title page—which I got linked out of the @merlinbingo discord server—and Felix Titling for the interior title page.

The body is printed on EarthChoice colour cream paper, and stitched with red crochet thread.

On: Endpapers

The endpapers were a tricky one for me! They are prints of my own fanart which was not the correct aspect ratio to use as endpapers for a book printed on letter paper. This was also the first large map I created, and if I could go back, there are things I would do differently. But in the end, I decided to use it as-is because I'm proud of it. To fix the sizing issue, I up-sized the map so the width was correct for a letter-sized print, which left a border on the top and bottom of the image—this I filled in with black and red checkerboard pattern to match the banners and standards of Camelot.

Originally, I wanted it printed on this textured, pearl-finish linen paper, but then the print shop I use didn't have it in a large enough size to do endpapers on and I was heartbroken. I ended up using topkote gloss paper by Oji.

On: Endbands

Hand-sewn in red and gold crochet thread. I redid these like three times to find a core I liked, and ended up doing them over tightly rolled paper.

The Dust Jacket

I'm not a graphic designer, so the jacket design is simplistic. It includes a cover, back cover (with a 'praise for' section), and two inside flaps (which contain the fic summary and author bios). I took some cues from this dust jacket post. It's printed on a thicker weight of topkote paper by Oji, this time with a dull finish.

Closing Thoughts

I'm so proud of how this turned out! It's my best work yet in terms of straight-ness of the spine/cover paper, and I learned a lot about printing. Lots of firsts for me here, and I feel that every time I make a book, I improve. I've gifted this copy to my co-author, Misery. Seeing her flip through it, and seeing it on our shelf, is giving me a lot of joy today!

#Withy Bindings #fanbinding #fic binding #ficbinding #fan binding #book binding #bookbinding #fanfiction #whoawhataconcept #Misery_C_Epicaricacy #Ynnealay #renegade bindery #renegade publishing #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin fanfiction #bbc merlin fanfic #A Leap of Faith #The Weavings of Destiny

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i-swear-to-merlin · 1 year

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have you read "a leap of faith" on A03? Because you HAVE to.

best magic reveal EVER 100% in character and so well written i just couldnt put it down! It couldve been canon just...just read it ok? Click on the 40k story you didnt know you needed and pray they drop part 2 soon

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #merlin fanart #merlin fanfic #Merlin fanfic art #fanfic art #bbc merthur #merthur #arthur pendragon #merlin x arthur #arthur x merlin #A leap of faith #magic reveal #merlin emrys #archive of our own #a03 fic #a03

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rookthorne · 2 years

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⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ 𝐀 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡

You hadn't been convinced by the vicious rumours circling through the town of the local motorcycle club.

Surely the club wasn't as ominous as the townsfolk thought, right?

჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻ 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 ✰ Biker!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻ 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 ✰ 1.9k

჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻ 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 ✰ Fluff ჻჻჻ TROPES: Meet Cute

჻჻჻჻჻჻჻჻ 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 ✰ My first ever oneshot! ✰ See end note for the original moodboard — thank hard work and practice for improvement!

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

The hustle and bustle of the cafe was like a soothing melody to your ears as you sat in your favourite spot on the patio. You had only recently discovered the shop, but sitting here in this padded chair beside the arched window, drinking your coffee while the sun beat down on you, had become your favourite pastime. You were quick to make friends with the feisty owner, Carol - her fiery sense of humour and quick wit melding seamlessly with your own.

Marvel cafe was a cosy spot. The warm tones and inviting rustic vibe was a magnet for any aspiring writer or artist, the blue accents instilling in the patrons a sense of calm and inspiration. It also helped that they had the best coffee in the small town you now called home. It was across the street from a playground, where a group of kids were spinning themselves mercilessly and screaming with laughter when one of them fell over.

It was a quiet day at the cafe, with much fewer patrons than you were used to seeing in the late morning rush. But that suited you just fine - it meant more peace and quiet for you to work on your current project.

You had just pulled out your laptop to begin working after taking a long gulp of warm coffee when the kids abruptly quietened, the absence of their glee startling. That’s when you heard the low rumble of engines starting from down the road. The lot of them scrambled to the edge of the playground and watched as several bikes passed by; the riders waved at them as their leather kuttes blew in the wind.

On your very first day in this town, an old lady in the grocery checkout line next to you called this group of bikers a bad omen. You had watched with fascination as they passed you by numerous times in the street, the uniformed formation of their bikes only exerting a sense of power, an unmatched sense of pride and belonging in a town that only spoke ill of them. In the weeks that followed, you heard story after story of how the delinquents caused absolute chaos throughout the town. Despite the rumours, the curiosity you felt for the men clad in leather and combat boots was only matched by the children currently jumping up and down whilst staring at their bikes.

You watched as the rider in front pulled to the side and slowed down, signalling to the others to keep going. The dull roar of the engine rumbled down to a purr as the man turned and rode back. The sleek frame and polished chrome of his motorcycle was a beacon to your inquisitive gaze - you recognized it as an Indian.

“That’s Bucky.”

The sudden voice to your side made you jump. Looking up quickly, you found Carol smiling down at you. She winked and heat flared in your cheeks at the realisation she had caught you staring.

“He’s not as bad as the town makes him out to be. You should go talk to him.”

“Carol!” you spluttered, shocked that your friend would even consider playing matchmaker at a time like this. She knew you were in the middle of an important project, and you could not afford distractions. “No! I’m perfectly content sitting here and observing, thank you very much.” You began to fidget with the now empty mug, the smooth porcelain a much welcome distraction from the situation at hand. You held her gaze and narrowed your eyes in disdain. “Don’t you have customers to serve?”

Carol hummed as she looked back to Bucky, the glint in her eyes only spelling out disaster for you. Oh no.

“Don’t even think about it,” you chided, panic brewing in your chest.

Carol gave you a playful, pitious look and shrugged. She placed the fresh cup of brew on your table and walked back inside. With a sigh of relief you turned back to your laptop, determined to continue working. You had a deadline coming up, after all.

But a certain handsome man pulled your focus yet again, the urge to sneak glances at his leather-clad figure winning over your common sense.

He had pushed his bike alongside the curb and sat back down into the seat, gesturing to the handlebars whilst looking at the children. The kids’ natural curiosity overrode any sense of caution for the tales they had been told of the group of bikers that often rode by in a group. He smiled at them when they ran forward, their small figures bouncing in glee on the footpath - and his smile was gorgeous. Stop it!

He turned to the tallest of the three children and spoke.

“Wanna rev it, kid?”

The low timbre of his voice made it a thousand times harder to turn back to your work.

Hearing the child squeal with joy and run to the bike made you smile. The kid’s body was almost vibrating with delight as his small hand reached forward to grip the throttle.

“Turn it,” Bucky guided softly. The smile on his face only encouraged the kid, who twisted it and immediately jumped back at the roar of the engine. “That’s it!” He called, ruffling the kid’s hair.

He gestured to the other two kids waiting not-so-patiently, and they bounded forward. One of them was a small girl, no older than six or seven. You observed Bucky as he looked at the kid’s mother - her figure clad in a leather jacket with studs, she wasn’t all that different from him. Bucky said something and the mother grinned, nodding excitedly, and pulled her phone from her pocket for photos.

Bucky let the other young boy rev his bike and then reached down to pick the girl up and place her on his lap, guiding her tiny hand to the throttle and helping her grip and turn it. Her laugh was infectious, and you couldn’t help but let out a laugh of your own.

Bucky’s head snapped up in response and your guts twisted with nerves - dammit.

You couldn’t help but stare at him - his smile was so wide, it made his nose scrunch and his sunglasses to move. His dark hair flowed out from under his helmet, the flyaway strands falling over his ears and face. The kutte collar was folded to show a small embroidered rifle and the red star adorning his back was almost as eye-catching as his smile.

Only managing a small smile in return, you hastily bent over your table, desperate to appear busy and not just like a creep watching from the other side of the road. The children's laughter died down as they ran back to the playground, shouting about how the man had let them rev his bike.

“That was so cool!” The tallest of the three bragged as he jumped straight back onto a swing, the grin on his face only telling of the pure joy and excitement he felt.

The bike choked as Bucky turned it off and a small clatter of fibreglass being set down on the metal of the fuel tank caught your attention, but you refused to look up. You tried to ignore the feeling of eyes observing you as footsteps approached. Oh god, help me.

“Ah, Bucky! Good to see you!”

You cursed Carol in your head as you sent a sharp glare her way, of which she pointedly ignored.

“Hey, Carol!” His voice was right beside you, making you jump. “Kids, right?”

Carol and Bucky shared a laugh, and all you wanted was the earth to open up and swallow you whole. But today was not your lucky day.

You looked up from your pointed stare at your laptop to his face, his towering height dwarfing you in the chair. He smiled down at you and threw you a wink.

“Saw you watchin’ me, doll. You want a turn, too?”

Your heart leapt into your throat, thankfully stopping the squeak of excitement that threatened to burst free - the thought of sitting behind, and holding Bucky making you feel faint. God, what did I do to deserve this?

“Oh, Bucky, she’s been dying to - take her for a spin!”

Oh, you were going to kill Carol.

“C’mon, doll. I got you.”

He reached out his gloved hand and you hesitated. Were you really going to do this?

Carol quietly shuffled beside you and shoved you out of your seat with an innocent smile. Bucky laughed, grabbing your hand in his as he led you across the road to his bike.

You felt as though you were gliding - the trepidation and thrill of actually following this handsome stranger made your feet blindly move of their own accord as they followed him. Your heart was hammering against your chest as you got closer to the bike.

Bucky reached out to the fuel tank and grabbed his helmet, and then turned to face you. He gave you a cheeky grin before placing it on your head and fastening the straps.

“Ever ridden before, doll?”

“No,” you whispered, afraid your voice would betray what you were feeling - absolute terror blending with simmering excitement.

Bucky grinned and swung his leg over the bike, reaching back to pat the seat behind him. Taking a deep breath, you awkwardly climbed up behind him and gripped his shoulders for balance. You rested your feet where he directed and he started the engine, the deafening roar making you squeak quietly into his back as you gripped his shoulders tighter.

You nervously glanced up to see Carol watching from the other side of the road with your laptop in hand. The smirk on her face was both smug and knowing. You would have to either slap or hug her after this - you hadn’t yet decided.

Bucky looked over his shoulder at you, and you could barely hear him speak over the roar of the bike.

“Put your arms around me.”

The shock of hearing him tell you what you’ve been wanting to do since first seeing him made you foolishly hesitate. Did you really hear him right?

Bucky looked over his shoulder with a raised brow. You quickly wrapped your arms around his waist and gripped tight, the vibration of the bike shaking you to the bone. A laugh rumbled through his chest and you swore you heard him say something along the lines of good girl, but you weren’t sure.

“Hold on, sweetheart.” Bucky revved the bike and pulled away from the curb, leaving your insides behind.

You almost screamed as the bike took off, your frame shaking from fear as he sped down the street. The surprising grip of his hand over yours after a particularly hard squeeze to his middle through a small turn soothed your nerves. You took a deep breath, forcing your heart back down into your chest as you moved your face from the leather of his back to peer over his shoulder.

The buildings flew by as he accelerated, the main street coming to an end and leading you onto the backstreets. You began to laugh, shock and exhilaration making your mind fuzzy as the wind whipped your hair back.

Bucky rode on, the side streets empty of any traffic as he redlined the bike to make it roar, your squeal of laughter egging him on. You squeezed his middle tighter as you rested your chin on his shoulder, content to feel the wind blowing away all of your fear and worries - you had never felt more free.

Maybe it was your lucky day, after all. You would definitely have to hug Carol after this.

Who knew such a leap of faith could help you feel so alive?

⠈⠂⠄ 𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱 | 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 | 𝐚𝐨𝟑 ⠄⠂⠁

⠈⠂⠄𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ⠄⠂⠁

For old times sake, here is the original moodboard I made for this fic:

#bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes oneshot #marvel imagine #biker au #alternate universe #a leap of faith #ALOF #rookthorne’s works

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luvjunie · 11 months

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I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF OMGGG look at my Milesss! 🥹

went off a pinterest reference but still 😙

#across the spiderverse #into the spider verse #miles morales #a leap of faith #miles morales fanart

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galladrabbles · 9 months

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Hello!

It's my turn again (yeaaaaaah, so happy) and this time I give you "A leap of faith" ... can't wait to read your drabbles! It's gonna be a great week. ;)

Hugs

Hey Mina,

thank you so much for your prompt. I hope you're in "the good(est) place" possible ;) The wait has been long but we're happy to have you as our prompter again!

So, dear Galladrable Crew...let's all take "A LEAP OF FAITH" together this week!

Happy Drabbling Everyone!

#galladrabbles #no88 #a leap of faith #mod post #gallavich #shameless

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illogicalvulcans · 10 months

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[Fic Book Covers 10/?] A Leap of Faith by Misery_C_Epicaricacy and Ynnealay

Merlin confesses his magic, upending the trust between him and Arthur; when he goes missing from Camelot, a conflicted Arthur must reckon with his fears and prejudices as Merlin’s life is put at stake. “You were never going to renounce magic, really, were you?” “I was going to try,” Merlin said. “Were you? Or are you lying again?”

Image via Dale McCready

#bbc merlin #merlin #merlinedit #merlin edit #fic book cover #fanfic cover #fic rec #A Leap of Faith #Misery_C_Epicaricacy #Ynnealay #*mine #i've been Waiting for an opportunity to use these fonts since i downloaded them bc they're a fun pair #so you can imagine my delight when they fit so wonderfully for a merlin fic i enjoyed and wanted to make a cover for!#as always shoutout to unsplash and rawpixel for misc textures/elements #illogical makes

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sketchy--doodles · 7 months

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the 2nd week prompt of @theworldofprompts's art challenge: theworldofprompts.tumblr.com

The prompt was "a leap of faith" and I immediately went to Fawna and her journey of confidence and bravery. It was a leap of faith for Fawna to go up against the wolves. Here she is going up against Tilde. I used screenshots from "The Fox and the Hound" for background references. Also, I wish there were more wolf drawing poses out there lol

PLEASE REBLOG! IT HELPS A LOT!

#doodles #disney #deer #bambi #oc #doe #wolf #a leap of faith #disney bambi #bambi oc #disney oc #wolfaboo

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kim-hao-han · 2 years

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A Leap Of Faith // Five Hargreeves X Reader (Pt.1)

Some info: Just an inspo from Demon Slayer (totally irrelevant), “Below the Surface” FNAF(also irrelevant) and of course “The Umbrella Academy” show and comics. Reader and Five are 20 for the sake of being mature content (no smut but violence, alcohol and such). I kinda follow the real plot but also not???? There may be multiple endings so be warned. I’m not new to fanfiction but its been a few years so excuse any mistake or not well written parts. Also, English is not my first language so bare with me for any grammar mistakes. Please enjoy the story!! <3

Words: 800

/Part 2/

“Why? Why did you do this? Are you dumb?”

“I trust you with my life. A leap of faith.”

He smiled bitterly. “Like a leap of faith…That’s our life journey like”

She smiled, coughing up blood. “Like my love for you”

October 1st 1989 12:00

43 superpowered infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy at the start of the day. An extraterrestrial disguised as a famous entrepreneur, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, begins his journey to adopt as many of the kids as he can. In the end, he adopts seven of the children and prepares them to save the world from an unknown threat. Their name?

The Umbrella Academy

Each one of the kids had their own set of skills and paths to walk. From power, to speed, to smarts, looks and many more. Some could ask what about the rest 37…Well, that’s were I come in. Not an Umbrella Academy superhero, not a young girl living her own life. I wasn’t that lucky to be chosen or found by Mr. Hargreeves. Instead, I was raised by the “Unknown” threat, the Commission and especially by her own majesty, the Handler. In the place of saving, I was taught killing. I was taught survival of the fittest and to trust no one. “Trust is a leap of faith with a bad ending” That’s what the Handler had told me and Lila.

I’m sure you have many questions as to what happened and what I’m trying to say. So, let’s hurry up. Time is money after all.

Present Day, March 24th 2019

/ I think we’re alone now playing/

Dancing was and always will be the way of the family to relax and let their personal burdens away. But a sudden gash of air, an earthquake like feeling disrupts their fun and reunites them outside to face a giant hole connecting them to another time? Place? None of them knew. Usually, Five was into that stuff but he was long gone for 15 years. Like the earth had swollen him whole.

Diego walked out the door first seeing the scenery in front of him in shock “Oh…” The wind was howling loudly pushing Allison’s hair in her face. Luther carefully helped her by pushing it behind her ear and smiled at her lightly before going in front of her protectively. “What is this?” Asked a semi confused and semi scared Vanya/Viktor as she carefully walked closer to it. Allison immediately got in front of her. “Don’t get too close!” she warned Vanya but really it was meant for all of them as she held Luther’s arm. Diego kept staring at the huge hole in front of them ”Yeah, no shit…” he said rolling his eyes slightly. “It looks like some sort of temporal anomaly” he added which of course Luther would have to comment on it. “Either that or a miniature black hole. One of the two” “Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan”.

“OUT OF THE WAY!” Klaus screamed running to the front using the fire extinguisher in an attempt to help but of course no use which he proceeded with throwing the item through the hole. “What are you-“ Luther begun but his brother’s question was soon answered. Allison looked confused and pointed at the anomaly. “What is that gonna do?” “I don’t know~ Do you have a better idea?” Klaus replied whining and pouted as he raised his hands in defeat. A few thunders roared in front of them as they took and few steps back from the thing. They saw two people, an old like couple from the opposite side screaming as they tried to pass the through the hole. As the protective older brother, Luther pushed them behind him holding Allison’s hand. “Everyone, get behind me.” “Yeah, get behind us.” Diego said joining his brother at the front. They may have grown apart but thy were still a family. And a family always sticks up for one another. Klaus swayed from left to right in his high like state. “I vote for running, c’mon” he said ready to grab Vanya’s hand and run to the door.

Two loud screams stopped them from moving when suddenly the elderly couple slowly transformed into two youngsters and fell in front of them. “ Well…that was a trip I ain’t planning on repeating.” The girl said standing up and felt her outfit a bit looser. She turned to look at her companion only to find him but younger and just different. “Oh no” “Does..anyone else see lil Number Five with a fine lady, or is it just me?” Her head snapped to the drunk like man who spoke. Five stood up looking at his body, then his friend and lastly his companion. “Shit….”

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askarsjustsoswedish · 1 year

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I posted 1,297 times in 2022

15 posts created (1%)

1,282 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@skarsjoy

@henricavyll

@suometar

@stephendorff

@kazumi601427

I tagged 1,297 of my posts in 2022

#♥ - 1,146 posts

#alexander skarsgård - 554 posts

#skarsjoy - 274 posts

#amleth - 112 posts

#the northman '22 - 99 posts

#tnpr - 89 posts

#henry cavill - 85 posts

#lol - 79 posts

#haha - 79 posts

#jake gyllenhaal - 75 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#https://www.coachmag.co.uk/workouts/celebrity-workouts/alexander-skarsgards-workouts-for-the-northman-were-in-the-morning-heres-why-you-shou

My Top Posts in 2022:

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My #1 post of 2022

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Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #askarsjustsoswedish #ajss my year in review '22 #no surprises there #haha #ajss13 #2022 was not a good year #2023 must be better #a leap of faith #lol

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thebuhonerodazorrow · 1 year

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Superman #4 (2023)

Screams from the past

Dawn of Dc

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thefollow-spot · 1 year

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A Leap of Faith

|| Merlin & Arthur ● T+ ● WC: 40K ● Warning: Violence ||

Summary: Merlin confesses his magic, upending the trust between him and Arthur; when he goes missing from Camelot, a conflicted Arthur must reckon with his fears and prejudices as Merlin’s life is put at stake.

---

What now, destiny? What now?

Merlin was finishing up in Arthur’s chambers for the night. It was a quiet evening‍—‍there was no talking, just the soft patter of Merlin’s feet walking from task to task, and the soft shh, shh of his cloth against the wood of Arthur’s table. It was one of the nights when Merlin was invisible to Arthur, and that was comfortable.

A clear evening, but Merlin felt like he was watching storm clouds roll in from way afar. After years of settling, years of watching the seeds of Arthur’s kingship begin to blossom, Mordred had reappeared.

Now, Mordred had been knighted, and every day he wove his way into the fabric of Camelot.

Now, Merlin knew what Morgana sought‍—‍Arthur’s bane‍—‍and what was he supposed to do when it wasn’t Mordred, wasn’t Morgana, wasn’t Sefa or some other traitor, but Arthur himself?

What now, destiny? he’d been wondering bitterly.

There was a pile of parchment sheets on Arthur’s desk that he was supposed to be getting through, sitting there with his quill lying beside, both untouched.

Instead, Arthur, in casual dress, had turned his chair toward the window, leaning his chin in his hand, watching the last rays of sun go down on Camelot. The sky was a royal blue and steadily getting darker, swallowing the clear day with a crisp wind that had stung Merlin’s cheeks pink, earlier.

Merlin glanced at him through the stone arches.

There was so much Arthur didn’t know, so many dangers. It was almost laughable how unprepared he was, despite his years of diplomacy, despite being brought up only to rule. Even if Merlin told him, it would be, you and your funny feelings Merlin, and, what is this really about? and always nothing would come of it, and always Merlin would be alone.

Perhaps that was why he was thinking about it again.

He was thinking, again, about: Arthur, I’m a sorcerer. For some reason, the thought always seemed to come to him‍—‍drifting in like a breeze through an open chamber window‍—‍while he was wiping the table in Arthur’s rooms, at the end of the day. After Ismere, the imagining had become more persistent, less fantasy, more realistic.

Real enough to get his heart thudding in his chest.

Perhaps it was just sense-memory by this point, the rough cloth pressed between his fingers, a mindless motion of wiping the cloth in circles. The breeze coming in, cool and refreshing like first breath after suffocation. Perhaps it was the way he was so comfortably invisible to Arthur right now: this was the last task before, will there be anything else, and then his duck out the door.

Merlin imagined the words coming out of his mouth:

Arthur, I’m a sorcerer, before fleeing from the room without having to stop and observe the consequences, remaining invisible all the while.

And Merlin was thinking‍—‍so hard‍—‍about the words he’d imagined time and time again‍—‍

Arthur, I’m a sorcerer

‍—‍that when he finished wiping the table, he stood upright and crossed through the arches, and by some sort of slip or split-second stride off the coming cliff,

“Arthur, I’m a sorcerer.”

He was surprised to hear it in his own voice.

The high ceilings of Arthur’s chambers tossed it around the room, echoing, and it somehow didn’t sound at all the way Merlin had heard it in his head.

Arthur looked over his shoulder, like Merlin had only just become visible to him again, blinking at the statement, the sudden change of script.

“What?” he said.

And Merlin realized, suddenly, this wasn’t some fantasy, some hypothetical, this wasn’t, Arthur I’m a sorcerer in the confines of his head, but Arthur I’m a sorcerer out loud, in Arthur’s chambers, six paces from Arthur’s desk, and Arthur‍—‍the King of Camelot‍—‍looking at him like that.

He had said that aloud, and all the muscles in his body tensed.

“I’m…”

Arthur swivelled his chair around, for proper facing. In that moment Merlin had a choice: he could play it off as a joke, or he could decide that, yes, this was the moment.

Was this the moment?

Maybe this wasn’t wise, but the idea of turning back made his stomach twist nauseously. His heart thudded, rattling his ribcage, and then Merlin drew himself up and repeated, more deliberately,

“I’m a sorcerer. I thought you should know.”

Silence, for another moment.

Arthur’s eyes searching his face, Merlin searching his. Seeing him, seeing each other, shoved viciously back into visibility. Then Arthur raised an amused eyebrow and Merlin thought deliriously, he already knows, he’s known all along‍—‍

“Very funny, Merlin,” Arthur scoffed.

His heart thudding faster, racing like a drum roll against his breast bone‍—‍

“I’m not joking.”

That amused eyebrow lowered. “Stop talking nonsense.”

And maybe this was a new script for Arthur, but Merlin had imagined it so many times, and it wasn’t a new script for him. The rest of the words came to him in a rush, the words he’d imagined saying to Arthur, imagined changing the fabric of Camelot with‍—‍

“I was born with magic,” Merlin said, “and‍—‍” his voice almost caught, but he steadied himself before it did, “‍—‍and I’ve been keeping it a secret. All this time. Because of the law. This isn’t a joke, Arthur.”

That was so visible he felt bare, but Arthur just scoffed again.

“Who put you up to this?” he asked. “What is this? A bet?”

He stood, went around the desk, and made to approach Merlin‍—‍evoking the image of a father approaching his young, foolish son‍—‍but Merlin raised his hand, and Arthur halted. Those six paces went down to four.

“Merlin.”

Merlin didn’t want them to be within striking distance of each other, not yet.

“I’ll prove it to you,” he said. Arthur crossed his arms, and waited.

Alright… Merlin cast around for something small he could do, some proof of his magic, yet proof that he wasn’t a threat, and certainly no threat to Arthur. And then he saw it‍—‍the candles set on the wall, flickering with the movement in the room, glowing brighter as the evening drew close.

He raised his other hand toward the candle, and for one sickening moment he failed to grasp his magic, like cupping water in a trembling hand.

And then, he forced himself steady, and said the incantation.

“Dwimor dracan.”

Warmth passed through his eyes, and the candle flame danced, forming the illusion of a dragon’s head, its mouth open in a roar. It was brief, and the flame quickly settled, but it had happened, as clear as if the dragon had been in front of them.

Merlin looked at Arthur, to be sure he’d seen it.

Arthur stared at the space where the dragon’s head had been. Perhaps it was only seconds, but those seconds moved like tree sap. Merlin saw every movement in Arthur’s face the same way he saw every tension of muscle in a tourney match‍—‍the widening of his eyes, the knitting together of his eyebrows, the shocked downturn of his mouth. And then, excruciatingly slowly, Arthur turned his gaze back to Merlin. For the first time in a long time, Merlin couldn’t tell what Arthur was thinking. It was eyes meeting eyes, both frozen, both, for once, seeing.

At last, Arthur opened his mouth to speak‍—‍

“Who are you?”

His eyes moved from Merlin’s, darting around the room quickly. Locating his sword, Merlin realized, which was lying across the top of Arthur’s desk.

Arthur spotted it at the same time Merlin did, and lunged back to his desk for it. In a second, Merlin decided against moving it out of his reach. The hilt fit into Arthur’s expert hand.

“Just me,” Merlin said, getting panicked.

“Who are you?” Arthur repeated more forcefully, sword at the ready, but not making a move toward him, yet. Merlin backed up anyway.

“Just who I’ve always been‍—‍”

“Answer me, sorcerer.”

“Please, Arthur‍—‍”

Arthur strode forwards, backing Merlin towards the arches he’d just marched through, and he registered the question. Arthur didn’t even believe he was Merlin?

“It’s me.” His mouth scrambled for something to say, for some proof‍—‍he’d never prepared proof... “I’m your servant, Merlin. I, I‍—‍I’m your servant, I led you to the stone you pulled Excalibur out of, I‍—‍I waited all night for you the night you grieved your father.”

He knew immediately he shouldn’t have brought that up, when Arthur’s face shifted from angry to stricken. Time slowed down again, and Merlin watched every muscle move, watched the slow deepening of his frown lines. And then, just as slowly, Arthur raised his sword, coiling to lunge at him, and Merlin instinctively raised his own hand in defence. Arthur paused, and Merlin saw the flash of fear on his face‍—‍felt it like a blow to his chest. Then, time went back to normal, as Arthur lowered his sword.

“It’s me,” Merlin was saying, stumbling towards Arthur’s table. “It’s‍—‍it’s just‍—‍”

“What is your business here?” Arthur’s voice low, a growl.

Merlin tried to calculate the right answer to that, but couldn’t find it in time. His heel hit the leg of a dining chair, and he put it in the ten paces between them.

“Just‍—‍just Camelot, just...”

Arthur’s expression darkened.

“The truth.”

“That is the truth!”

“You expect me to believe that?” Arthur said, stalking towards him.

“I‍—‍Arthur‍—‍”

“You have‍—‍have worked your way into the heart of Camelot‍—‍”

“I only want to serve you‍—‍”

“‍—‍gained my trust, all while having magic‍—‍”

“‍—‍all I’ve ever said, I never lied to you‍—‍”

“You being here is a lie!”

A pit of ice dropped into Merlin’s stomach.

“No‍—‍no, that’s not true,” he said.

“Isn’t it?”

There was still space between them, but Merlin could see it closing, and he backed up. The hearth wall pressed against his back. Arthur scraped the chair out of his path, and took another step with his sword.

“Answer me this,” Merlin rushed out, panicked, “have I ever tried to harm you? In all the years you’ve known me.”

“You have magic,” Arthur hissed. Merlin could see his mind working, struggling desperately, his eyes flickering from place to place. “You‍—‍you‍—‍” and something clicked in Arthur’s head:

“You’ve been in league with Morgana!”

“No,” Merlin said. “That’s‍—‍no.”

“She’s had you planted for years. Like Agravaine, and Sefa!”

“If I were in league with Morgana, why would I be telling you any of this!?” Merlin shot back. “Come on, Arthur, you can’t think I’m that stupid.”

Arthur looked as though Merlin had thrown a gauntlet at his feet.

“I’m not stupid either!” he exclaimed. “You expect me to believe you’re here innocently, after years of hiding? I should arrest you!”

“Well, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t.” Why did he say that? Why couldn’t he help it? He prepared to duck aside, or defend himself, but Arthur didn’t seem to be making a move. Three paces away, still.

“Is this funny to you?” Arthur demanded. For some reason, he pointed with his finger instead of his sword. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now!”

Merlin’s features quickly arranged into something more serious, and a few responses flickered through his head: because you couldn’t if you tried, because I’m your friend, because I haven’t done anything wrong and magic shouldn’t be a crime. And he thought, if Arthur really wanted to, why wasn’t he calling the guards?

“I have the right to a fair trial,” he managed to say.

Arthur’s face slackened with a look that was almost incredulity.

“I just witnessed you perform magic with my own eyes!”

“Because I admitted it willingly. Tell me that’s grounds for execution. Here, and now, without a hearing.”

If Arthur could say that he did, then Merlin didn’t know him at all. He had this over his father: Arthur could be reasoned with… Merlin hoped he could be reasoned with. Reasoned out of, tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now.

And something changed, because Arthur was strangely still. His weight shifted, nearly imperceptibly…

“Guards!” he yelled.

Merlin flinched, and Arthur raised his sword to him, warning him against running away.

Two guards ran into the room, and then stopped by the open door, confused at the scene before them, hands on the hilts of their swords but nothing drawn. It was as though they, too, were only seeing Merlin for the first time. Merlin eyed the guards, and then looked at Arthur, somehow‍—‍still‍—‍shocked.

The thought floated through his head: he’s going to sentence me to death.

“Arrest him,” Arthur said, stretching his sword toward Merlin, “on the charge of sorcery.”

For a split second, both of the guards looked like they were going to protest. They blinked at Arthur like he’d asked them to do something insane. But that second passed, and then they were stalking toward Merlin.

Should I struggle?

Merlin had to make the choice, and he decided not to, as if somehow that placid going would convince Arthur he had it wrong. He let them grab him, each taking an arm, clasping their hands around him tight enough to bruise.

“Whatever you think, I’m still loyal to you, Arthur,” he said, as the guards began to walk him past the chair askew, meeting no resistance. “I’m still your friend.”

“I will never be friends with a sorcerer,” Arthur spat.

Something in Merlin’s chest lurched, and wouldn’t right itself. He still felt off-balance when the guards dragged him out of Arthur’s chambers, and the big wooden door echoed as it slammed closed behind him. His heart was hammering. What now? The question was presenting itself to him over and over, louder and louder, as they dragged him farther from Arthur.

What now, destiny? What now?

---

[Read A Leap of Faith on AO3]

Co-written with @whoawhataconcept

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin fanfic #merlin bbc #merlin fanfiction #merlin fanfic #merlin fic #merlin's magic revealed #A Leap of Faith #The Weavings of Destiny #thefollow-spot #ynnealay's fic #ynnealay

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