Merlin Emrys

Lieutenant Merlin Emrys is a main protagonist of the Loaded March series. He is the newest member of Excalibur and the communications specialist.
His tattoo is a dragon holding the sword "Excalibur" - the same sword as Arthur's. But where Arthur's tattoo says "One edge to defend", Merlin's reads "One edge to protect". (One might even say "two sides, one coin" ... (gross sobbing. sorry. feelings ran away - Christina). Merlin also had the artist work in magical symbols to store power (which he used for the first time in Desperate Measures).
==Personality==
Merlin is a clumsy, foolish, naive, weird idiot who happens to be really good with computers. He has no sense of self preservation, no way to defend himself, and only survives because he's fucking Arthur Pendragon. At least, that's what he wants you to think. 
Merlin has two extraodrinary talents, he can hack any system in existance given enough time and his equipment. In War Games, it is revealed that Merlin cracked the code used by Pendragon Consulting before graduating from University - with the writer of the code being one of his professors. He is one of the most powerful warlocks that has ever existed.  He is really sarcastic, and can be hilariously rude and honest. He is very witty, and his jokes and insults are almost always funny. Merlin is frequently described as 'brilliant', and he is fully aware of his genius with technology. Merlin is also very sneaky, and succeeds in keeping several large secrets throughout the series.
However, despite his skill at keeping secrets, Merlin is a notoriously bad liar, especially with Arthur. Arthur claims that Merlin 'can't' lie to him. While 'undercover', Merlin is very successful at pulling off an innocent, submissive and naive role with Arthur, and despite his minor insecurities, uses his physical appearance and sexual appeal to manipulate those around him. Will later tweaks this image, claiming that Merlin is secretly pulling all the strings. When faced with difficult questions, Merlin tends to manipulate the truth and dodge the questions, which is generally put down to his anti-interrogation training, as well as the need for secrecy regarding his magic for so long. However, in R&R, Excalibur learnt that witholding coffee whilst Merlin was hungover was a highly effective way of making him open up, at least a fraction.
At the same time, Merlin is sweet. Merlin is described by other members of the team as not having a bad bone in his body. He's really honest, and vunerable, but amazing at hiding it. He doesn't truly feel accepted by Excalibur for ages and it kills him. This is part of the reason he doesn't reveal his magic for a while: he is terrified they will resent him for it, while also knowing that they will also be furious about his keeping it from them. After the magic reveal and the events of Groundwork, he starts to believe that, maybe, he really is part of the team. However, that faith is shattered easily, as shown by Merlin's retreat into his shell after Morgana accuses him of being a double agent (Means to an End). 
He's completely in love with Arthur Pendragon, who to him, is the most incredible and brilliant man in the world, and sees himself almost as unworthy of him. He hides his problems very well, but if you break him, you shatter him. He is terrified of rejection. 
Arthur often fondly refers to him as an idiot, even though he knows it is far from the truth, similar to how Merlin cheekily calls him 'Captain Prat' (even though that is still true most of the time).
He also has a sweet tooth (cf. Desperate Measures).
Merlin's handwriting is hard to read and described as a "scribble that looked like someone had dipped a spider in ink and set upon a page" (cf. Collaborations) which makes Merlin's frequent complaints about Arthur's incomprehensible hand gestures all the more ironic.
Merlin is on first name basis with the hackers of hackers.net which is ... kinda cool (cf. Collaborations).
(please edit this people i'm just gushing a little bit... merlin is my bby - Ruby)
(gushing is so accurate though! Gave it a little tidy up :p - Lauren)
==History==
Merlin is Pagan but is not as invested in the religion as is his uncle Gaius.
When Merlin was young, Merlin's father had someone bind Merlin's magic so that others could not detect it and to protect Merlin. This led to Merlin unconciously using this block as a crutch to control his magic. Later, Merlin's father Balinor disappears, presumed KIA.
He was bullied during secondary school by Bryn Nash, Tristan Heynes and others which only stopped whenever his best friend Will stepped in. Merlin did not do anything against his bullies for fear of outing his magic abilities: he'd rather keep his head low than attract unwanted attention. He even suffered some frostbite on his lower extremeties when he was locked out of school starkers in the middle of winter. 
After high school, Merlin went to Cambridge University with Will and focused in engineering and telecommunications. He had a full ride, top marks, and he came out with a patent for modulating encryption technology for wireless privileges. He was admitted to a hospital during university after a gay hate crime.
Merlin passed counter-interrogation while training for the SAS.
He was in Regiment 22 Squad D before being shot perilously on a mission and sent to the Artists while recovering.
In Regiment 21 Squad E, Merlin and Will were among the senior personnel and some of the toughest instructors to train new recruits. He taught cryptography, cyber-hacking and telecommunications, and search and rescue.
Merlin's request to get transfered back to active status was four times rejected in seven months, before it got accepted.
You can read some of his history in the Extras - Anti Interrogation and Urgent Assistance Required. 
He mumbles in his sleep, according to Arthur (cf. First Contact).
In Breakwater we learn that Merlin has enough magic to be confused for a ley line. 
==Relationships==
During high school, Merlin was in a relationship with Freya Peters for two months, although he thinks Freya just wanted to make another guy jealous. We also know that Merlin once went out with a guy named Theo. Merlin's last relationship before Arthur ended badly when Merlin signed up for the army. 
Despite the fact that Merlin and Arthur fall in lust at first sight, Merlin's relationship with Arthur Pendragon begins somewhat roughly though this gradually gives way as they learn to respect one another and slowly give in to their mutual attraction. However, they initially don't act on their feelings because of the rule against fraternizing with a superior officer, and their uncertainty of one another's feelings. The two eventually kiss when Merlin gives Arthur CPR in Avalon. During Intermission, Merlin willingly confesses to Arthur that he has magic, basically telling Arthur that he loves him; Arthur answers back by kissing him. He reveals to Arthur during The Play's the Thing that he'd inadvertantly bonded them, and that they were therefore engaged, although Arthur claimed that he had still proposed. Merlin married Arthur at the start of Means to an End in an impromptu hand fasting over which Gaius presided.
His parents are Hunith and Balinor Emrys, although Merlin believes Balinor was KIA when he was young.
He also has an Uncle named Gaius, who taught him how to control his magic. 
Merlin is close to all members of Excalibur, but especially to Gwaine. Gwaine initially enjoys flirting a lot with Merlin, and notes that he's a perfectly shaggable man, but Merlin notes in R&R that while anyone would be lucky to have Gwaine, Gwaine isn't his type. The eventually settle into their very close friendship when Gwaine starts dating Perceval. During Groundwork, he tells Arthur that Merlin's having magic shouldn't matter, and expresses disappointment with himself for pulling a gun on Merlin; he apologizes as soon as he can. In Collaborations, he claims that Merlin is his best friend in the world.
He describes Will as being like his brother, as the pair grew up together.  
:: It would have been nice to have seen Will. The team was starting to feel like family, but there were times when he still felt like an outsider looking in and he ached for someone who knew him, like Will did, who understood his silences, who knew his secrets.
: From R&R
Will was also one of very few who knew about his magic prior to First Contact, as Merlin had used his magic to save Will when they were 5.
==Trivia==
Merlin is fluent in about 5 languages: English, Welsh, French, the local dialect of their base in Afghnistan, Dutch (cf. Radioman)
Merlin broke his leg once at Old Man Simmon's Mill. It was a hairline fracture right above his left ankle. 
He won a couple of science fair awards in first form.
Professor Geoffrey Monmouth was one of the members of his advisory committee at Cambridge.  He advised Merlin on his thesis and told Merlin to take out the chapter on the 'E' channel. Merlin also broke the Monmouth Corollary Code.
After uni, Merlin was headhunted by 12 companies. Among those companies were Nicholson Industries, Orca Corp and King Limited, which are competitors of Pendragon Consulting. 
==Quotes==
"You asked for it." Merlin raised a brow, and his mouth tugged into a grin. "Aw, Arthur, were you jealous? Because my clearance rating was higher than yours? Were you feeling a little inferior? A little out of the loop? Maybe a bit intimidated because mine was bigger than yours?" (War Games )
"Oh. Math, free Internet, and world peace," Merlin said, deliberately misunderstanding her. There was no missing that woman's tone. Inexplicably nervous, Merlin babbled on, "I also like long strolls on a lovely mountain hillside, counting the stars on a clear crisp night, and arguing with the local toffs to keep their graffiti off my car."
Category:Characters
Category:Team Excalibur