Merlin Rec

I Keep Going Over the World We Knew (Over and Over) by mellacita [R] (54k)
Summary: When Merlin Emrys is sent on a 'round-the-world assignment, he begins remembering a life of magic, dragons, and kings. To make matters worse, a strange woman starts stalking him along the way. And that's before he even meets Arthur Pendragon, whose answer to climate change is going to save the world. Because apparently just saving Britain won’t be enough this time around.

I almost didn't read this fic. The warnings of modern-era reincarnation and immortality; flashbacks to happy and tragic canon-era events including Arthur's fall at Camlann; are things that make me really uncomfortable. But enough people who I share fic tastes with adored it, and I quite like this author's writing so I gave it a chance. It was a wonderful tale. The reincarnation is woven in beautifully to the plot and the characterisation. I could see the camelot!Merlin in modern day!Merlin and feel the bleed of the two personalities merging. I loved Merlin's 'round the world adventure and all his struggles with researching something that was private and sacred and asking people to share with an outsider. I loved Arthur who was still a prat and an arse but a noble one still (and very good at what he does - which to me is very important in modern AUs). An excellent story with an excellent cast of characters both new and old.