#Callum was never a burden to this man and it’s so sad that Callum and him were never able to be as open to eachother as they could’ve been

[thegurlwhoisntthere]

Okay, so this isn’t really related to the larger parts of the season, but-

Can I just say I absolutely love how they introduced Callum’s dad?

Like, there are so many theories about him, that he was an elf, that he was a warrior who died, that he just up and left them, but in actuality? He was a poet. He was a poet with a sickness from birth and he died from that when Callum was young. He was kind and Sarai loved him. Harrow even respected him and I genuinely love that.

It also makes more sense that it would’ve been harder for Callum to connect with Harrow in the face of that. His dad wasn’t some warrior who died before he knew him, he wasn’t some elf that he never knew, or some deadbeat who left his mom. He was a kind heart poet who was born with a sickness that couldn’t be cured.

That’s extraordinarily tragic, but I love it.

[sir-phineas-lost]

Continued

I’m moving my discussion with @theredhairedmonkey​ so as to not bother other people with constant notes.

Well, you’re the one who wants this exchange so badly. And look at the result, the number of notes you got for this post is in the high-80s now! Is that a new record for you? 

Is that supposed to be an attempt at sass? Dude, it wasn’t even my post. All the notes went to the original OP.

And I don’t “want” this discussion. I just refuse to let cowards who won’t debate in good faith win just because they think they can force the burden of proof onto everyone else.

Anyway, your criticism seems to boil down to “they could have made it better” and “they should have made it more obvious.” That’s just moving the goalpost. The way they did Ezran’s scene (which was remorse, not sadness, of the fact that he enabled Viren to make others do horrible things) was sufficient to get the point across. If you’re really going to argue that you’re too dense to pick up on that, fine. But that’s not really all too convincing of an argument. 

Again, you really don’t seem to understand what “moving the goalpost” means. And remorse doesn’t look like that. We have seen what faces other people in this series makes when they are remorseful.

And it looks nothing like Ezran’s face during Soren’s speech, and it is always accompanied by vocal admission of guilt. That really is what it boils down to. I don’t buy that this was just supposed to be “subtle” because this series has never been subtle about these things before. You making a huge leap from “Ezran looks sad” to “Ezran regrets his choices as king” doesn’t make you smart unless you can actually prove that this interpretation is consistant with the storytelling until this point.

The whole point of storytelling isn’t lights and design, but character arcs. Do Viren’s motivations become corrupted over time? Yes. Does this make him a villain? Absolutely. And that’s not a comment on his moral complexity, any more than Runaan’s status as a villain suggests he’s pure evil. Anti-villains have a place in this story too, to contrast with the motivations of the heroes. 

And in a visual medium, those arcs are communicated through lights and design. And again, you keep harping on Viren’s “corruption” even though I have repeatedly made a case for why that isn’t the point of his arc without ever addressing any of my arguments. Why does Soren make the point about “who his dad really is” if it is supposed to be about him being “corrupted”? If you are so ignorant about the language of visual storytelling that you think this...

...or this...

...is communicating that the person in the middle is an “morally complex” and not pure evil, then that is your problem. Like, the second picture doesn’t even require interpreting the visuals. He is just straight up admitting that he has no problem with throwing his best friend’s kid in jail. You would think that would be hard for him if he is supposed to be morally complex.

And here we see Viren’s motivations are complex too. He still wants to create a bright future for humankind, eschewing conquest until he’s convinced it’s necessary. He willingly risks his life at Lux Auera to reduce potential casualties on his side. And even though his status as the main villain is over, his arc will still continue. 

Yeah, except we have no reason to believe he really didn’t want to conquer Xadia from the beginning. He was raising an army long before he met Aaravos and Aaravos didn’t have to make any kind of argument for why conquest was “necessary”. He literally just went:

...and Viren relented. Again, no analysis of the “lights and design” necessary here. This is clearly portrayed as a man who wants power and conquest looking for any excuse he can find. And I remind you, this is explicitly confirmed by Soren to be Viren’s true character, not a corruption.

I have no doubt that Viren’s arc will continue. And it will continue to make him the only one responsible for everything that goes wrong in the world. Mark my words. When King Ahling is upset because Aanya murdered his son the solution will no doubt be to prove that Viren “killed him” first by turning him into a monster.

...yea, making Ezran’s arc simplistic and having enough time to flesh everything out are *totally* incompatible concerns! Seriously, all your edit of the exchange between Callum and Ezran demonstrates is that you’re angry the story shows rather than tells. That line you made up is campy, anvillicious, and unnecessary, because Ezran’s actions explain everything that line does. Maybe *you* didn’t pick up on that, but that’s a different problem. 

I wouldn’t say that they are incompatible, just that “simplicity” only seems to be concern for you in this specific case because you sure don’t seem to have a problem with Callum telling rather than showing his feelings.

And I really don’t see how the exchange I made up is in any way more campy than Soren’s monologue or Ezran’s pitch for peace to Kasef. Like I said, I just don’t buy that this show suddenly thought they could be “subtle” with Ezran making a complete heel-turn when they have always worn their intentions on their sleeve previously.

And no, this change needed more connective tissue to make Ezran’s choice of “no fighting” to his choice of “burn them all” to make any sense and not just come off as him always putting cute magical creatures over his own people, which is something of a pattern with him I might remind you.

This is part of what makes it difficult for me to see his “actions” as an indicator of anything but a preference for dragons.

Really? Corvus says Ezran is noble and wise? I seem to have missed that part. He doesn’t tell him he did the right thing, only that at the end of it, he’s shown great strength and courage. Ezran didn’t have to have made the right decision to be those things, and this was certainly the encouragement he needed to hear. If you paid attention to the rest of his arc as much as you do to this one line, maybe you would have picked up on that. 

Fair is fair, I kind of extrapolated the “wise” part but “noble” and “graceful” are synonyms (and isn’t it interesting that you did apparently miss that part?).

Ezran’s arc of not running from his problems came to a head at the end of last season when he went back to be king. This could have worked as a continuation of it if they hadn’t insisted on praising his every decision so darn much. Whatever you may think of Corvus little pep-talk it sure as fuck doesn’t express any indicatiion that Ezran just wanted to avoid the problem. And I think what Ezran (and his “arc) needed was something more along the lines of “you may not have thought everything through but you still have all the qualities of a great king”. You know, something to actually encourage him to work on these flaws.

When I look at Ezran’s entire arc, I see a kid who repeatedly claims to have empathy for everyone but abandons it when it is convenient for the people he cares about the most. It will always be “right” to help the dragon who burned his people alive before even checking to see who made it out of the blaze. It will always be “necessary” to fight a bloody battle and kill soldiers who have famillies at home when it is to defend his little dragon friend. And the story will helpfully make that even easier for him by dehumanizing the soldiers for him first. That is the pattern I see when I look at Ezran’s actions as a whole.

By long term consequences to Ezran’s actions, you mean “how people acted and reacted to his choices,” which...doesn’t change whether his choice was a good or bad one. Viren’s defeat was not a reasonably foreseeable outcome of Ezran’s abdication. I should not need to tell you.

Have you been listening to anything I have said? This is exactly why I have a problem with this whole thing and why I keep coming back to framing. Ezran couldn’t predict that this would save everyone so he shouldn’t have made that choice, but this is a story and by having the soldiers he saved come back to save the day again the narrative is telling us that this is something Ezran is responsible for and giving him credit for the victory. Combine that with the constant praise and the lack of any criticism and you have a story that says “Ezran always makes the right choice, even when all logic tells us that it shouldn’t work”.

How people act and react to his choices absolutely changes whether the choice was good or bad, because it is a story. This is how storytelling works. The way the characters react and the consequences of what happens is what tells us, the audience, how we are supposed to feel about it.

This dissonance between what we as real people can tell is bad leadership and what the story rewards as good behavior is literally the core issue I have been talking about since the beginning.

[doof-doofblog]

"Hello Phil - What Can I Get You?"

Tuesday 16th June 2020

Good evening everyone! Well, this is it, we've come to the last episode that is going to be aired before the soap leaves our screens temporarily. I have mixed emotions, a sense of sadness as it's going to be a while until we get to see our favourite story-lines comes to an end, but also i'm kinda looking forward to the new documentaries that are going to be shown. I'm also looking forward to seeing classic EastEnders episodes, I'm looking forward to reliving such iconic moments. How are you guys feeling? I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings about the soap leaving our screens temporarily.

And Wow! What a final episode that was! What a cliffhanger to end on!! I really enjoyed tonight's episode, let talk about Ian and Dotty first shall we? So Ian has also managed to get Dotty suspended from her university. I feel like things aren't going well for Dotty at the moment, Ian seems to be taking everything away from her due to her blackmailing him. He first managed to persuade Peter to leave her on account of Bobby, and now he's managed to get her suspended from uni because of her dealing drugs and assaulting an officer. I'm not too sure what Dotty is going to do next. Ian really put her in her place during that conversation in the restaurant, she has no evidence to prove that he locked Dennis on the boat, and also he's right that no one would believe her over him, after what trouble she's been in recently and Ian acting the doting citizen, no one would believe a word against him. So, really ... Ian can act all smug as he likes! But I do feel that as this is EastEnders and secrets never stay hidden for long, it will only be a matter of time before Sharon finds out the truth, whether she finds out from Dotty or from other source remains a mystery. But I sure am looking forward to finding out what happens next when it comes to Dotty and Ian with their constant battle with each other.

I felt it was nice to see Tina and Iqra in tonight's episode, however something Iqra said has really got me questioning something. Is Tina really sleeping at her gay bar? Since Mick and Linda announced that they were selling the pub, Tina has been the main one who has been worrying about finding a place to live. Shirley has said many times that she has a place sorted, but what about Tina? Is she actually hiding the fact that she could potentially be homeless and is sleeping rough? Is she trying not to be burden for her family? I'm intrigued to see what happens, but something is giving me a feeling that all will be revealed about Tina and her living arrangements when the soap comes back on air. It looks as if there could be a really close friendship that could build between Tina and Iqra? Could their possibly be a romance on the cards? I know it's a big suspicion but I'm convinced something might happen between them in the future. What this space - that's all I'm going to say on the matter! Anyway, it also looks as if maybe Iqra and Keegan could start working for Tina and perhaps be her supplier? However, as much as Iqra was keen on the idea, Keegan not quite so much - or not even seeming interested at all! I really don't understand why Keegan is STILL looking so miserable! He should be focusing on moving forward with his life, he needs to get things back on track with Tiffany and starting again with his sandwich business, moping and moaning is just not doing him any favours. All his friends and family are without a doubt supporting him through his recent ordeal with the police, but everything has been turned in his favour and all charges have been dropped and yet he still can't move on with his life. I'm sure we've all been aware about what's happened in America in recent weeks and with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, something is telling me that when the soap comes back onto our screens, somehow #BLM will be mentioned in Keegan's story. I mean, it would make sense, right?

Can I also just mention that scene between Gray and Suki! I feel like they were both playing each other with their own games. Gray was making digs about their business being above board, also basically saying (in his own words) that he doesn't want Chantelle working there anymore. Of course he lied by saying he had had a raise, it was only to keep Chantelle away from Kheerat. Suki surely rubbed Gray up the wrong way I feel, saying that Kheerat will do anything to keep her at the business. But then when Suki left the room and Gray started taking pictures of some documents, were they like some kind of invoice? Or perhaps some kind of information about the business? I'm interested to see what happens when Chantelle finds out that Gray went behind her back and basically lost her her job.

Awwww, can I just say how much I love the relationship between Ben and Jay! They really are brothers, they've been brought up together and they'll always have each other's back! I absolutely love it! It was only a matter of time really before either Callum or Jay found out first about Ben's hearing. It just so happened that Ben collapsed when Jay came to see him. What could have caused that? Was it due to his flu or a headache or just everything as a whole - including his hearing? However, even though Jay was concerned it was only when Ben shouted at him to look at him while he was speaking that Jay eventually clicked. Ben shouted in such a way that it was a desperate cry for help. Jay knew then, he just knew that his condition has worsened. I feel a sense of relief that Ben finally said something to someone instead of suffering in silence (No pun intended). So the damage that Danny caused to Ben's hearing due to the gunshot was a burst eardrum, luckily that will heal, and hopefully Ben can still have his operation to help regain his hearing, to some degree. It's sad though that Ben wants to hide it from Callum, he is going to find out sooner or later, whether it be from Jay or Ben himself. He will click that something isn't 100% right with his boyfriend. Will he try and get the new character, Frankie on board to try and help his boyfriend communicate better with him? Will she also convince Ben to experience life with the deaf community to see how they carry on with life? I know we have to wait a while to see what will happen next, and I know I've said it a lot in recent posts, but I genuinely am so excited to see where all these story-lines will go.

Oh poor Billy! He had been taking so much stick from Mitch that he was just about to snap ... and he eventually did! After dig, after dig and after a losing match of air hockey, he was ready to stand up to Mitch once and for all. He would be willing to do anything to fight for his woman, even ending being hit in the nose. Once Karen had been made aware of what was happening between the men in her life, Billy gave her an ultimatum, if she really wants to be with Billy, she's going to have to get Mitch to leave their flat. Which to be fair, I full support! Why should Mitch still be living with Karen when they have no romantic feeling towards each other right now? Of course they have children together, but surely Mitch could get his own place with Bailey? And Billy could potentially move in with Karen, they'd still have a family unit but then everything and everyone would be happy, right? I mean, it might be hard on the kids but they'd adjust! The Taylor household is quite big at the moment anyway, how are they all managing to fit in that tiny flat? Karen, Bernie, Chatham, Riley, Mitch, Bailey, and Keegan - even though Keegan should be living with his wife right now, but whatever - and Billy has slowly starting moving his stuff in! I do hope that Karen will stand by Billy and agree that he's right and that Mitch should move out. What do you guys think? Is Billy being a bit harsh? I don't know, I think I support Billy on this one!

Mick had quite a lot of pressure on him during this episode didn't he? He was struggling whether to give the pub to Phil or try and keep his wife happy but not selling to Phil. Either way, he was kinda in the middle of it all, which ever way he chose - one person would end up disappointed. Of course Linda would be sticking by her best friend after the way Phil treated Sharon, kicking her out after she chose her son over him - I, personally, don't back anyone over this - I can understand Phil's point of view and I can understand Sharon's point of view, it's just a shame that a little child has come between them. Phil wanted to buy The Vic in the first place for Sharon, but after her changing her mind about wanting to bring up her son permanently with Phil, Phil couldn't bring himself to look at the child, let alone love him. He couldn't bring himself to love another man's baby, especially when he first believed the child was originally his. Linda did not want to sell the Vic to the man who basically chucked his wife out just because she chose her own baby over him. Mick seemed like he was being pulled from pillar to post, being demanded by Phil to sign the papers by the end of the day to then being demanded by Linda not to sell it to him. The only person he could turn to was Sharon, he needed help, he needed advice. But Sharon could only agree that Linda needed to leave the Vic and fast - otherwise there would always be a fear of her reaching for the bottle again.

I do want mention one thing though, when Phil reminisced about the time he burnt the Vic down, it brought a smile to my face, only because I remember what an epic episode that was! For those of you who don't remember, Phil was high on drugs and he was complaining to his mother, Peggy (God rest her soul!) that she loved the pub more than him, and the only way he would take it from her would be to burn it to the ground - and so he did, with him, his Mum and everyone else inside. It was such an epic moment in EastEnders, again once of the most fascinating and phenomenal moments from Steve McFadden.  

Anyway back on the subject - what an incredible ending that was! Phil turned up expecting Mick to sign the papers over to him for the Vic, only Linda was pleading for him not to. Mick then revealed that he had had a new offer from someone else, Phil literally thought he was joking as no one could've given him an offer that quick. Linda too was also confused and was eager to know who Mick had sold the pub to. Mick led them out the front and there standing behind the bar in all her glory, with Ian by her side looking as smug as ever, was Sharon! And she once again said those iconic words "Hello Phil! - What can I get you?!" Fans will remember that years earlier she said exactly the same words to Peggy when it was revealed that Sharon had taken the pub right from under Peggy's nose. She has played Phil at his own game! I do feel for Phil - that now he's lost his wife and the pub he so really wanted. I'm assuming that will mean that the game is up. Sharon has the Vic and Kayden and Phil ends up living at his home alone? I feel sorry for Phil, I did kinda want things to go his way, but in all honesty, who else truly belongs behind that bar? Who has had the longest history with the place? It would only seem right for Sharon to have it back, it was where she grew up and where she has had many many iconic Sharon moments. (Sharongate and the death of her father Dirty Den). I think it was a perfect ending for the soap to finish on.

I do feel a sense of sadness but did anyone else watch until the very end when the credits ended. The words that appeared on screen were "To Be Continued ..." That did make me feel a bit emotional but I'm looking forward to what juicy story-lines and revelations they'll be coming up with for us in the future. While the soap is off screen, I sure will be watching these upcoming documentaries and classic episodes of EastEnders. As for this blog, who knows what i'll post - I might write about the classic episodes they show or I might do my own throwbacks and perhaps write up about my favourite characters. We shall see. But it's goodbye for now and see you very soon! Thank you all! Look after yourselves and hopefully it wont be too long before our beloved soap returns! xXx

[theavengerfairy]

One Step Closer - Chapter 5

Previously known as “Gravity”

"Rayla, it feels like my legs are about to fall off! Can we stop for a minute?"

"We need to get a little farther first to make sure we've lost them-"

"Rayla, please! I-I think I'm gonna be sick."

Rayla's heart wrenched at Callum's plea but she didn't falter in her gallop. He didn't understand. She couldn't slow down, for if she did, the adrenaline that was currently clouding her mind would dissipate, making room for the thoughts that she desperately wanted to keep at bay. Unfortunately, she hardly had time to register Anora's hand latching onto her arm before she was sharply jerked to a halt. Behind Anora, whose cheeks were flushed from the extensive sprint, Callum and Maddie fumbled clumsily over their own feet as they fought against their inertia and managed to stop just before colliding with the elf, and not a moment later, the two collapsed into panting piles of sweat and limbs on the grass.

The first thing that Rayla noticed when her mind cleared was the acute aching in the fingers and palm of her hand which was still clenched as tightly as possible around the coin, and she didn't have to look down to know that her knuckles had turned a shade other than their natural color. Next was the wobbling of her legs, her knees having locked of their own accord to keep her from crumpling like her comrades; she still, however, lacked a great deal of grace as she lowered herself down to ground to give her body a rest. Though it hurt even more to move them as to let them be, Rayla gradually unfurled her stiff fingers and stared down at the little gold disk that weighed as much as a boulder despite being no larger than the fluffiest adoraburr. Runaan gazed wordlessly up at her from the confines of his unusual prison, and while he tried his best to conceal it beneath his standard stoic mask, the dark bags beneath his dull eyes and the weary lines carved into his face told of restless nights and painfully long days of total isolation.

Before she knew it, a hot wetness had dampened Rayla's left cheek, followed by her left, and with utter horror, she realized she had begun to cry. In a flash, her fingers coiled back around the coin while her other hand flew to her mouth to muffle her whimpering in case Runaan could actually hear her from inside of the coin. He couldn't see her crying. Crying was a sign of weakness and she couldn't bear the thought of disappointing him further, even if it meant keeping her pain hidden away in the dark where it would grow and fester. Locking her lips to keep her sobs at bay, she began vigorously brushing away her tears, but no matter how hard and fast she wiped, the tear stains still gleamed on her face.

Unable to watch the heart-wrenching scene before her in silence for a moment longer, Anora knelt down beside Rayla and threw her arms around her, praying that the younger girl wouldn't pull away and potentially retaliate for her forwardness. To the relief of herself and Rayla, the latter surrendered herself into the embrace despite the avid protests of her mind and her pride, resting her head against Anora's shoulder while she in return rested her chin atop the girl's crown and comfortingly massaged the valley between her shoulder blades with her fingers. She knew it was petty, but nonetheless Anora scowled down at the fist concealing the coin, hoping that Runaan would sense her disapproving stare even if he couldn't see it. Her parents had taught her enough about Moonshadow elves for her to understand why Rayla wouldn't want a man she heralded as a father figure and mentor to see her upset, and while she understood and respected that the concealment of certain emotions to avoid appearing weak was part of their culture, she disagreed strongly with the notion to say the least.

"This is all my fault." Rayla managed to lament after enough air reached her lungs between shallow hiccups.

"Moondrop, how could this possibly be your fault?"

"The humans knew we were coming and had a chance to prepare because of me. I tried not to think about the attack or what might have happened after the king was killed, but I never could've imagined-Oh gods, there were more coins back there! Some of the other assassins could be trapped in them as well and we just left without trying to help them too! Ugh, I'm such an idiot-"

"Rayla, that's enough!" Cupping the younger girl's face in her hands, Anora raised it up so that their eyes met, her own glittering with maternal fire while Rayla's widened in surprise at her sudden ferocity. You told me how you tried to call off the assasination; the responsibility for your team's choice and the consequences of that call are not your burdens to bear. If you think we have a chance, I'll go back with you to get the other coins while Maddie and Callum keep an eye on Zym and rest."

At the mention of his name, Zym thrust his head upward and knocked basket cover loose again, and with the lid perched on his head like a hat, he sprang up onto Anora's shoulder and curiously surveyed his surroundings. It didn't take the dragonling long to notice Rayla's sad expression and moist cheeks, and with a concerned yip, he started licking her face until she laughed, earning himself a reward of gentle scratches on the nape from Anora.

"I want to go back, but their keeper is bound to be on the lookout for us now. Getting captured is something we can't afford, but to just leave them seems..."

Anora understood that this decision was a hard one, and gently folding her hands overtop of Rayla's, she gave them a reassuring squeeze. "There is nothing to say we won't get another chance to free your comrades."

"There's nothing to say we will either."

"Well, that's just where we are going to need to have a little faith. For now, let's see what we can do to help your friend."

Turning her fist over in Anora's lap, Rayla opened it as the other elf leaned forward to get a better look at the coin. Runaan's expression hardened at the sight of a new face, his eyes darting up and down her form multiple times while he sized her up as was typical behavior for him given his occupation. His keen focus visibly shattered, however, when Anora started tapping the face of the coin without warning.

"Magic is obviously what got your mentor into this mess and it's what is going to get him back out. We just need to figure out what kind of spell we're dealing with here." Anora remarked with several more hardy taps. "Hmm, no ripples; that rules out a reflection spell then. I suppose that's a good thing."

Rayla's brow curved into a high arch. "You never said anything about being an Ocean mage."

"I'm not; my parents were though. I know bits and pieces about some different spells, but I was too busy chasing otters or racing hippocampi to study the art myself while growing up." Taking the coin between her forefinger and thumb, Anora gently shook it a little and then squinted down at it again, ignoring the sour glare Runaan was aiming at her as she searched for something else in the coin's face. "No bubbles either. I don't really recall my parents ever mentioning a spell capable of trapping someone inside any kind of object, so my hunch is this isn't an Ocean spell. Callum, can you come here please? We need your expertise on Sky magic."

"Um, I've only been a mage for about two weeks, so I don't think I'll be of much help." Even as he spoke, however, Callum was already staggering back to his feet and dragging himself over to Rayla's side. The minute he came into Runaan's line of sight, the latter shrank back, his features contorting into a feral snarl of wariness that was, in all honesty, a little comical given his current state.

Anora sent Callum a sidelong glance. "He doesn't seem to be too fond of you."

"Yeah well, our first meeting wasn't exactly on...friendly terms." Ignoring the phantom daggers Runaan was shooting up at him, Callum studied the coin in silence for a moment before voicing his thoughts. "The last time we saw Runaan, he was leading the attack against my dad...I took the Primal Stone, and I don't think Viren had another...That leaves one other explanation."

Rayla's heart dropped into her stomach. "You think it's dark magic."

"It's gotta be. Maybe a Sky spell will still be able to break him out though. Rayla, set the coin down and I'll try zapping-"

"No!" Clutching the coin to her chest, Rayla scooted back a little, leaving Callum to stare at her with confusion and hurt swirling in his wide eyes. He had hardly blinked, however, before Anora was beside him, her arm slung around his shoulders in a reassuring side hug.

"That's very kind of you, Callum, but I agree with Rayla that that's not a good idea. There's a chance of the coin being damaged or destroyed if we don't use the right counterspell, which would leave Runaan trapped forever. You understand?" Relieved when she sensed the tension dissipating, which meant she had successfully averted the tricky situation, Anora slung both Zym's basket and the satchel of rations off of her back, setting them down by her feet. "Why don't we take this moment to fill our bellies and replenish our strength before we continue on our way? Maddie, you think you can manage to drag yourself over here or do I need to come carry you?"

Rather than snickering mixed with a few choice words from the little redhead, her taunt was met by the snapping of a lone twig as it was trampled underfoot. The sickening crunch shot out among the trees, whose leaves rustled slightly as though they too were plagued with unease at the sound, and as their anxious whispers echoed overhead, Rayla leaped to her feet after tucking Runaan safely in her pocket and assumed a combative stance alongside Callum, who also stood at the ready. Anora, meanwhile, scooped a squirmy, chittering Zym up with one arm and beckoned Madeleine to her side with the other all while watching the brush for any signs of movement.

"I would say I told ya so, but I'm gonna wait on gloating until we're out of immediate danger." Rayla's face bore no sneer nor even a trace of a smirk, but the potent smugness in her voice more than made up for it.

Just as Madeleine finally slipped into the safety of her comrades' shadows, an idea struck Anora. "Maddie, you have any more of those celebration starters in your bag?"

"Ya know, I'm not so sure I want to call them celebration starters anymore. The name's too wordy and doesn't roll off the tongue-"

"It doesn't matter what they're called-" Before Rayla could finish, Anora swiftly cut in, her reprimand firm but gentle.

"Maddie, priorities."

"Right, right, sorry. I've got something even better for the occasion." Rifling through her bag, Madeleine produced two items while beaming with pride: a metallic, simply decorated cylinder the length of her arm and the wristbow with which they had already been acquainted. After strapping the latter onto her dominant hand, she handed the former to a perplexed Anora, "There's a couple of kinks that I still need to tinker out, but it should work well enough for now."

Noticing a little knob on the side of the device, Anora gave it a gentle twist. With some clangs and clicks, the cylinder shot outwards on both sides, causing Anora and Zym to jump, until it stood at a height of just a hair taller than Anora. Reaching over, Maddie jiggled the staff slightly followed by tugging on it with all her strength.

"Good, looks like all the interior bolts are secure. Just don't smack anyone too hard or they might get knocked loose."

"Maddie, when...why..."

"Well, your folks taught you to use a bo staff, right? You said yours got turned to cinders in the attack; now you have one that can't burn!"

Tears pricked Anora's eyes as she swept Madeleine into a tight hug, which the latter readily returned. "Thank you..."

"Um, sorry not sorry about ruining the moment, but could ya save the sappiness for later? We're kind of in the middle of a situation!" Rayla called over her shoulder, not daring to look back for even a moment and thus give the enemy an opportunity to strike.

Callum shot her a look of disapproval. "Rayla!"

"What?! There's a time and a place, and this is not the time or the place!"

As though on cue, aggressive rustling rang out from some bushes off to their left which shuddered as their unwelcome contact drew closer.

"Wait a minute," Maddie interjected out of the blue. "We came running from the other direction. How'd the merchant get ahead of us without being noticed?"

Instead of the round, angry merchant, the shrubbery spat out a disheveled Corvus, who ceased muttering to himself when he perceived the faces before him.

"Rayla! Prince Callum!"

"Corvus? Oh thank the gods! We thought you were-" Callum's relief was cut short when he noticed the apprehension lurking in Corvus's face, from the bags beneath his eyes to his tightly drawn lips, along with the absence of his brother and the grumpy glowtoad from his side, "-Wait, where are Ezran and Bait?"

"Don't tell me ya lost 'em again? What kind of tracker are you?" Rayla jeered only for dread's icy claws to seize her innards when she received no reaction, not even an indignant huff, from the man. "Hey, I was just joking. Corvus?"

Corvus slumped to his knees, his body collapsing in on itself, and if he hadn't thrown his arm out in front of him to cushion his head as he fell into a repentant bow, he would've fullblown face-planted into the dirt. "Please forgive me, my prince. I have failed in my duties and do not deserve to call myself a soldier of Katolis."

The color drained from Callum's face, leaving him paler than a specter shrouded in moonlight. "Where is my brother?!"

Corvus swallowed thickly, hardly able to speak as shame and terror nearly swelled his throat shut. "King Ezran has been captured and is being held for ransom. I have a week to fulfill his captor's demands or he will be killed."

Rayla and Anora both threw out their arms to catch Callum as he stumbled back, eyes wide with terror while his breath puffed from his lips in short, rapid bursts. Memories of Callum's frightening delirium from not even an entire week earlier engulfed Rayla's mind, so with her heart taking the lead while her head was incapacitated, she squeezed Callum's shoulder and shook him a little to loosen the hold of the spiraling panic which fought to drag him down into its dark, gaping maw.

"Callum, breathe! You need to breathe! We'll get Ez back, I swear it!"

The words tumbled from her lips without much thought, but as though they were magic, Callum's body started to relax, his breathing regulating. Once the last traces of the trance lost their grip and disappeared, his hand slipped overtop of Rayla's, which was still tightly clasping his shoulder, and returned her firm squeeze in a silent expression of thanks and reassurance.

"How much do they want for him? I'll go back to Katolis with you and we can take whatever we need from the palace treasury." It was almost certain that Callum wouldn't be allowed to leave again if he returned home now, which meant saying goodbye to seeing Xadia with his own eyes and, even worse, to Rayla. However, if that was the sacrifice necessary to save his brother's life, he would not hesitate to pay it along with the ransom.

"That is the problem, my prince. This monster doesn't want riches. He asked for something very specific in exchange for your brother: a stolen Xadian mirror decorated with runes."

Something about Corvus's intonation stuck out to both Anora and Rayla, with the former eventually voicing their shared question, "When you say monster, do you mean that figuratively or literally?"

"Literally." Corvus, either just noticing Anora entirely or realizing what she was, paused and took a moment to analyze her intently as he had been trained to do. Apparently finding nothing about her which troubled him, he then continued, "I didn't think creatures like him lived anywhere other than Xadia."

"Creatures like him?"

"Merfolk."

A guttural groan of loathing and dismay reverberated from the depths of Anora's core. She had started to have her suspicions about the identity of this gutsy assailant at the mention of the desired magic mirror, but part of her had fixated on the lack of interest in treasure as proof that it couldn't be who she suspected. There was no denying it now however, even though she oh so desperately wanted to.

"Of course it's him. It's always him."

Corvus sat up a little straighter with obvious interest. "You know this creature?!"

"Blue tail, gold eyes, and irritatingly cheeky?"

"Yes, that's him!"

"I do, unfortunately. His name is Castel, and he's the acolyte of a dangerous archmage, a choice which got him banished from Xadia many years ago. My parents kept an eye on him in his exile to ensure he didn't cause any major trouble, and they had their work cut out for them to say the least." Her usually relaxed nature steadily succumbing to nervous agitation, Anora wrung her hands a few times while she mulled over the facts of the current dilemma. "The only thing that snake loves more than treasure is magic, so this mirror he wants must be some kind of powerful relic. Did he give you any clue about where this mirror is being kept?"

"No, he didn't."

"Uh, are you two serious right now? You're just gonna hand a mysterious magical artifact over to a banished mage? We have no idea what he plans to use it for!" Rayla barked fiercely, although she spared conflicted glances down at Callum as she spoke. She knew her protest might come across as somewhat callous, but attached to the thought of giving this bully exactly what he wanted was a stifling foreboding that left her hair standing on end. "Archmage acolyte or not, there's five of us and one of him. Even if we can't defeat him, we can distract him long enough for one of us to grab Ez and get him to safety!"

"Moondrop, your heart is in the right place, but the risk is just too great. I don't like it any more than you do, but our best option is to just give Castel what he wants."

"Assuming we can even find this mirror in time. I was given a week, but that isn't enough time to search all of the human kingdoms for one object." Gritting his teeth, Corvus pounded his fist against the dirt. "Damn that bastard! Damn him to hell!"

"Hey! Language! There are little ears listening!" Madeleine snapped, throwing her hands over the sides of Zym's head as he perched cutely on her shoulder.

This entire time, Callum had remained deathly quiet, his brows drawn together in critical thought. Reaching into his satchel, he rummaged through it for something. "What if I-"

"No!" Rayla exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "I know exactly what you're thinking! You want to try that tracking spell that Claudia explained she used to find us, but I won't let you!"

"What? No! No dark magic ever again, I promise! I was just wondering if maybe Castel would accept a different magical item in exchange for Ez." From his bag Callum withdrew the Key of Aaravos and set it in his lap, and Rayla's hard features soon softened significantly.

"Callum, are you sure?"

"If it'll get Ez back, absolutely."

"There is no time to waste then. I will take you to him and we can-" Corvus' voice abruptly broke off and he raised his hand to signal for silence. Both Rayla's and Anora's ears also picked up what had caught his attention: the murmuring of wind despite the air being completely still. Sliding his kaginawa off of his belt, Corvus slowly tilted his head from side to side, listening carefully; then in an instant, he whirled around and lashed out with the weapon, slicing the tops off of several bushes before the blade at the end of the chain sunk into a tree trunk with a thud. The whispering echoed on somewhere nearby, but the surrounding foliage remained completely motionless and devoid of any signs of life. Perhaps their frayed nerves were playing tricks on them; perhaps there was truly nothing there after all.

There was a glint of silver followed by Corvus giving a ghastly howl, his knees hitting the dirt and a throwing knife's hilt protruding from the back of one of his thighs. Though she didn't see it, Rayla heard the whistling of a second knife as it sliced through the air, and she swung her own blade just in time to deflect the projectile from embedding itself in the tracker's neck.

"Everybody circle up around Corvus! Now!"

Standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs to their wounded comrade, Rayla, Callum, Maddie, and Anora watched and listened, muscles twitching in anticipation of the next attack.

"There!" Glimpsing a deep purple flicker in her right peripheral, Maddie took aim and shot off an arrow, but to her amazement, the projectile passed harmlessly through the smoky body of the humanoid creature, falling instead among the shrubs and tree roots behind it. "Um, guys? We have a problem."

A dark shadow blanketed Anora, prompting her to raise her staff just in time as another ghostly figure sprang from the shadows and swung at her with its naginata. Their weapons colliding with the grating shriek of metal against metal, they struggled against one another before Anora surged forward with all of her weight, shoving her attacker back. Meanwhile, the two other dark assailants darted into the light, heading straight for Callum and Rayla who countered their attack with a lightning spell and a few slashes of the latter's blades.

"It's those smoke creatures again! Which dark mage did we tick off this time?!" Rayla lamented, swinging at one of the shadows when it took a few steps too close. "Callum, use your wind spell!"

Callum was already halfway done drawing the Aspiro rune, but when he uttered the incantation which transformed his exhaled breath into a mighty gale, the two closest elves darted to either side out of the spell's path.

"They're too fast! I need something to keep them in place long enough for me to hit them!"

"Leave that to me. Cover your ears!" Anora remarked before clamping her hands over the sides of Callum's head. Once the others had heeded her warning, she let loose her ear-piercing shriek, sending all the nearby wildlife fleeing in terror. The smoky apparitions recoiled at the sound, and in their moment of vulnerability, Callum's traced the rune out once more while uttering the incantation, the gust from his lips swiftly sweeping the four figures out of sight.

"We need to move. Even if those things don't come back, their master could send someone or something else after us." Kneeling beside Corvus, Rayla looped one of his arms over her shoulder while Anora took the other. "Maddie, you carry Zym and scout up ahead. Callum, you guard the rear."

"I'm just going to slow you down like this. Leave me here and go help the king; I'll be fine." Corvus grunted, doing his best to hide his pain behind a brave mask.

"We are not leaving you here. There's a town nearby; we can set you up along its outskirts near the main road so you can flag down a ride into town and get some help." Anora refuted as their little group started to limp along.

"But King Ezran-"

"We will free the king from Castel. I give you my word."

As they walked, Rayla stayed completely silent, and although she was typically the quiet type, the way her head hung low between her shoulders and her eyes stared uncomprehendingly at the ground told Callum that something was on her mind as he followed along behind her.

"Rayla, you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Rayla was not fine, but Callum had enough to worry about at the moment. Retreating back into her thoughts, images of those four figures played over and over in her mind, taunting her as she struggled to make sense of what they were. Unlike the wolves Claudia had sent after them, these beings had been more humanlike. They hadn't fought like humans though, and the longer she mulled over what she had seen, the more familiar the ghostly creatures started to seem. However, her mind refused to delve any deeper for one reason or another, and perhaps that was best for the time being.

[sunsetsover]

Hey loved your fic! Would happily read anything else you might post! Also enjoy your meta so I have a question for you if that ok. We've seen how some of Ben's expexpierices have shaped/impact him. Namely his dad, coming out & Paul's death. Even killing Heather (though not much this stint). Kathy faking death was too easily dealt with but anyway Lol! But what about Stellar's abuse? That's not something the shows explicitly focussed on, but how do you think it imapcted/influences Ben's behaviour?

Further to my previous ask re Ben/Stella. That’s a part of Ben’s history Callum wouldn’t have a clue about unlike the other stuff. How do you think Callum would feel/react if he found out? Also do you have any headcannons about callums childhood. He’s still a relatively blank canvas that the show can dig into his past for material really. Stuart once said Callum was a happy kid & bad stuff seemed to pass him by. Knowing what we do now that’s just callums default coping mechanism… 

first of all thank you so much!! and of course it’s ok!! i’m just really glad you enjoy my rambling and my one singular fic lmao 🥺🥺

for reference before i start: i’m the same age as ben is, so when he was like what, about 10 when he was being abused by stella? i was also about 10 when i was watching it. and i haven’t watched it since, so i really don’t remember the specifics. so if you want an in-depth delve into that whole storyline and how it affects ben today i’m probably not the best person to answer this. however, i will try my best!!

also this is a v sensitive topic and i’m gonna try to be as sensitive as i can be too, but please pull me up if i say anything i shouldn’t!

but yh into the meat of the question: i think ben has, sadly, been a victim of abuse multiple times in his life. i’d argue that he still is, to a certain degree, a victim of phil’s abuse. but to my knowledge stella is the only one who has abused him physically, and i think that would leave a different kind of scar on him, u know? a different kind of hurt, of trauma. but i almost think that because stella was such a short part of his life (albeit a damaging one) such a long time ago, what she did to him has kind of been overshadowed by all the other shit that’s happened to him since, you know? like you said, between his dad’s constant bullshit and abuse, his struggle with his sexuality and then coming out and phil’s horrid reaction, going back in, then coming out again, killing heather, his mum basically coming back from the dead, then everything that happened with paul, stella seems to have kind of faded from his mind - his conscious mind, anyway, because i’m sure it still affects him subconsciously. but if you were to ask him today to name some of the shitty things that’s happened to him, i doubt stella would even be top 3, you know? and i think that’s because - as tragic and as sad as it is - so much traumatic shit has happened since stella, that what she did to him has been kind of put on the back burner, you know :-(

but like i said, just because it’s not something present in his conscious mind, doesn’t mean it won’t still affect him subconsciously. it may be a big part of why he’s just so…. accepting of physical abuse now. like a combination of the emotional abuse he’s experienced in his life just completely shattering his self esteem and making him think he deserves the beatings he’s always getting, and then the physical abuse he experienced from stella making him kind of accustomed to it in a way. like he expects it now, almost. and i doubt he even realizes that himself - which is why he never talks about it - but it may explain that behaviour. or at least some of it.

also it may help explain why he became so aggressive and defensive after that (and still is to this day). like a ‘i’ve been weak once and someone hurt me so i’m not gonna let anyone do that to me again��� kind of thing? though i do think phil is also a massive part of that.

basically i think ben’s behaviours and issues and stuff are all a result of a combination of things that have happened to him, as opposed to ‘well this is because of phil, and this is because of stella’ you know? he’s complicated and traumatized and fucked up for lots of reasons and i couldn’t even begin to pick it all apart.

but yeah, as a result of it being something that’s not really at the forefront of ben’s (or anyone’s) mind, callum wouldn’t know about it, and probably wouldn’t find out about it until a lot further down the road. so when he does find out, i think callum would be quite surprised! because like… practically all of ben’s life is common knowledge on the square, and yet he’s never heard anything about stella.

so callum would probably be curious about it and maybe try to talk to ben about it (and i mean like this is in the future, not any time soon), but i think that ben wouldn’t really want to tbh. i think he’d probably feel like it’s something that’s not worth dwelling on, for either of them. so he’d tell callum, but he’d tell him the bare minimum and wouldn’t really go into details. and callum would respect that bc ofc he would. but i think it would just make him really, really sad. like as if ben hasn’t already had enough shit to deal with in his life but there’s more he didn’t even know about? it’s so unfair and callum just wishes he could protect ben from the world :-(

as for callum’s childhood, i’ve got a funny feeling we’re gonna get a bit of a glimpse at it when jonno comes back. or if not then, then surely it’ll come up at some point. but for me, i think that actually callum’s childhood may be worse than he makes out. while i think stuart basically took all of jonno’s physical abuse, i think that made him come down on callum twice as hard with the psychological abuse - emasculating him bc stuart was protecting him and like that whole ‘what, you can’t take it like a real man’ bullshit, belittling him for everything from the way he looked to the things he did to the friends he had… like i think that he was really, really fucking cruel to callum growing up. i just get that sense (and i just think callum has always been very good about not letting anyone see that he’s hurting, hence why even stuart seemed to think callum was a ‘happy kid’). and jonno probably threw the fact that their mum wasn’t around in both callum’s and stuart’s faces and made them feel like it was their fault she was gone, that it was because of them, because they weren’t good enough etc. add to that the fact  that i’m pretty much certain jonno knew or at least suspected callum was gay when he was younger and probably made his life absolutely fucking miserable for that on top of everything else - probably threatened him with physical violence, maybe even as far as threatening to kill him. i mean it makes sense considering how petrified callum was (is?) of being gay, and some of the things jonno said last time he was around.

but you know, i think callum is and has been incredibly resilient, even as a kid, and so even though he was going through all of that shit, he was still, still always was happy and upbeat and kind. he didn’t let any of what was happening to him make him jaded and cruel the way stuart and ben did, and he still hasn’t. like you said, kindness and happiness must have become like his coping mechanism (a much better one than anger or violence, i must say) that’s why stuart made that comment about callum being a happy child - he was. he hid all of what was going on with him so well. he probably didn’t want to put any more of a burden on stuart, either. like callum is a fucking sweetheart with a massive, massive heart and he smiles no matter what’s going on with him. he’s just a pure, pure boy. a fountain of love. love him. angel :-(

[aarontveit]

chuck, fabien, charlie, eph, pest, callum

CHUCK.

1: sexuality head canon:As much as Chuck has a pretty fluid sexuality, and I believe he’s pretty bisexual, he is just so fucking gay that it hurts. Also, let’s be real, the boy is EphraimSexual. 

2: otp:Chuck/Ephraim & Chuck/Tracy & Chuck/Bradley

3: brotp:Tom, Eph, Tracy, and I feel like one day Ryan could be added to this list(imagine if I could put Aidan *swoons*)

4: notp:Chuck/anyone not Eph or Tracy or Bradley

5: first head canon that pops into my head:Chuck was the kid who secretly liked drawing dicks on everything.Everything. He didn’t know why he was so obsessed with it.He just needed to draw them all the time, because dicks. 6: one way in which I relate to this character:I, too, think that Bradley is disgustingly pretty & want him to bone me.I, too, would take enjoyment out of watching Eph work up a sweat.I, too, have high levels of anxiety & paralyzing self doubt & hate myself.7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:The box. Fuck you, DD.

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?PROBLEMATIC CINNAMON TOAST. Bye.

FABIEN.

1: sexuality head canon:When it comes to Fabien’s sexuality, I’m not exactly sure? I don’t even know if Famine knows for sure? I think that, in terms of interests of course, that he’s…. like, I really see Fabien on the aro/ace spectrum of things, while also being demisexual in some aspects, if not completely. His sexuality, for me, is complicated in the same way if you were to ask me about Bradley’s - because even though I know that Bradley is gay, it’s still complicated for Bradley himself. The same way Warren’s sexuality is complicated, and even Prestyn’s. It’s all stemming from the things they endured & encountered while growing up with Thierry, you know? And then any & all outside experiences. So yeah, I’d say he falls under the aro/ace umbrella, while being demisexual, but with no real indicators on gender preference (I’m leaning toward polysexual).

2: otp:Bradley/Fabien & David/Fabien.

3: brotp:FABIEN HAS FRIENDS? Tbh, I’d go with Bradley/Fabien or even Ryan/Fabien in the future, and then there’s David/Fabien, whoops. Though, that could change because YOU’D HAVE TO TALK TO ERIN NOW ABOUT THAT HAHAhAHAHAahahahaa ha aha hahahaahahha. I do believe there’s an alternate timeline out there where Fabien & Tracy are bros, though. 

4: notp:Fabien/Drugs. Ariane/Fabien.Fabien/Rehab.

5: first head canon that pops into my head:He couldn’t say Bradley’s name for the longest time and would call him either “Baldy” or “Badly.” 

6: one way in which I relate to this character:I’m not willing to explain this one :) but I can deeply relate to him. Also, eating disorder(s) buddies.

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:That time he did the thing with David tied to the bed.I enjoyed it, I died.But I also died. 8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?Druggomatic Fave. 

CHARLIE.

1: sexuality head canon:I believe Charlie is “whatever the fuck I feel like” in terms of sexuality, but leans mostly toward being straight. Kind of like how Tracy is “strictly dickly” but also loves ladies, except Charlie doesn’t “love ladies.” I don’t know, I don’t know how to explain what I’m thinking. Like, I wouldn’t go so far as to say she’s straight, even though I’m ninety percent sure it’s been said that she’s straight. To be honest, I think it’s hard for me, personally, to ever actually sit back & say that someone, 100%, is straight. 

2: otp:Tom/Charlie

3: brotp:Tony & Tom & Chet, tbh (with a side of Ephraim)

4: notp:ANYONE THAT ISN’T TOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(mayBE tony in a deep/dark corner of mind, SHUT UP)

5: first head canon that pops into my head:I am pretty sure we’ve discussed this, or that it’s in the head canons for one of them, or both, but I’ve always firmly believed that Charlie would end up taking & wearing Tony’s shirts, and Tony always let her because he didn’t give a flying fuck. He loves his baby sis, and if she wants to steal one of his damn shirts, tie one of his flannels around her waist, etc? He fucking loved it. He thought it was great. The second part of this thought though, is that Charlie did this even more heavily when Tony went to prison & she realized he wasn’t going to be getting out any time soon. She didn’t wear them out as much, it was more so around the house. She’d wear one until the smell was gone, & then she’d move onto the next, using them to sleep in. It kept her close to him, and yeah, maybe it was dumb, but it was almost like she wasn’t letting him be alone in there, and that she wasn’t without him outside. God, that’s so sad why am I like this? 

6: one way in which I relate to this character:I, too, took care of my family & had to unfairly grow up young. I, too, watched my brother go to prison more than once.I, too, watched my brother struggle with depression & suicide.

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:There’s actually nothing coming to mind, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing. 

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?Sinful Cinnamon Bun. 

EPHRAIM.

1: sexuality head canon:He’s very much pansexual, and is actually heavily demiromantic. I mean, really, he’s also incredibly demisexual, but he feels obligated (when not in a relationship) to be a sexual person, so he ends up being sexual despite his discomfort. Good thing he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore! Isn’t this just such a happy head canon!

2: otp:Eph/Chuck & Eph/Gavin & Eph/Charlie.(Eph/Chuck/Bradley, inevitably). 

3: brotp:Gavin (and Charlie, to an extent). 

4: notp:Eph/Neil.

5: first head canon that pops into my head:He was always an antisocial guy, but it didn’t really come into play just how antisocial he could be until his dad lost the money. He was always working under obligation to make these social appearances, and couldn’t understand some of the looks certain parents would give him (because certain people would have actually known that Eph’s father was an irresponsible gambler). So, when his father lost everything, Ephraim just backed off from everything entirely because there was no longer that feeling of obligation to being a person in front of other people (even though he had that obligation his family). 

6: one way in which I relate to this character:I, too, can be incredibly gay for Gavin. I, too, am horrible at talking about my Level 12 Tragic Back Story. 

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:His dog is named OODLES, for crying out loud!!!!!!!

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?FUCK OFF. EPHRAIM IS A CINNAMON ROLL & I’LL FUCKING FIGHT YOU. 

PRESTYN.

1: sexuality head canon:Prestyn seems pretty fucking bisexual to me, I don’t know, man. 

2: otp:I DON’T HAVE ONE, ACTUALLY!(I do, but it doesn’t make any sense, bye)

3: brotp:Sage.

4: notp:Prestyn/Bradley, lmao. Outside of the OBVIOUS reason, this is because they are just a very toxic thing because Prestyn, without meaning to, has used Bradley, and it just leaves such a bad taste in Bradley’s mouth, especially when he tried to express that to him (not in the best way, but yeah) and it wasn’t dealt with the best by Prestyn. Which makes sense, but it’s a tricky & complicated situation & it makes me sad as fuck, man. 

5: first head canon that pops into my head:Prestyn acts oblivious to the things surrounding his brothers, almost naive to it all, but he’s really not. He knows, even if he wishes he didn’t know. He doesn’t have the confirmation, can’t really place the alarming images inside his head from when he was an toddler. The nightmares are broken, but sometimes he plays it down to just that; nightmares. If it was all just a nightmare, then he doesn’t have to face the reality & gravity of what has happened to both Bradley & Fabien. 

6: one way in which I relate to this character:I, too, am the youngest.I, too, fucked my brother’s best friend.

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:Anytime he tries to dirty talk, because he’s just….. IT’S JUST SO FUNNY? 

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?PROBLEMATIC FAVE, AS OF LATE!

CALLUM.

1: sexuality head canon:He’s asexual & aromantic,but the version of himself that he presents to the public is a totally different person. Someone sexual, if not hypersexual, as well as someone who is actively seeking out a relationship (without ever actually committing to one). He goes on dates, but he never settles (because it’s not something he actually wants). 

2: otp:I mean, if anything, it’d be Callum/Matt, but I don’t really have an otp for this asshole.

3: brotp:Matt.

4: notp:see also: Callum/Matt.(tentatively Anna)

5: first head canon that pops into my head:There’s a part of Callum that believes he’s going to have to kill Matt in the future, only because there is no real purpose for that boy (in Callum’s eyes). He keeps him around for fun, but that fun isn’t always clear & evident. One day, Matt will have to be disposed of because, in reality, Callum doesn’t actually need him. Matt is disposable, expendable. He doesn’t need the guy, and he does find him to be quite the burden on the odd occasion - even if there’s a part of him, way down inside himself, that could almost care about him. 

6: one way in which I relate to this character:The only way I kind of relate to this narcissistic piece of shit is my ability to be a completely different person out of obligation when in a social environment. 

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character:NOTHING (yet). 

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?PROBLEMATIC. Not a fave, but he might become one in the future.

[amozon28]

His Dad being a poet and dying young also explains so much of callums character and where he got it. Hes a sensitive soul, an artist like his father. And because his father was sick his entire like callum probably grew up being a caregiver, or used to putting others needs as more important than his needs.

Okay, so this isn’t really related to the larger parts of the season, but-

Can I just say I absolutely love how they introduced Callum’s dad?

Like, there are so many theories about him, that he was an elf, that he was a warrior who died, that he just up and left them, but in actuality? He was a poet. He was a poet with a sickness from birth and he died from that when Callum was young. He was kind and Sarai loved him. Harrow even respected him and I genuinely love that.

It also makes more sense that it would’ve been harder for Callum to connect with Harrow in the face of that. His dad wasn’t some warrior who died before he knew him, he wasn’t some elf that he never knew, or some deadbeat who left his mom. He was a kind heart poet who was born with a sickness that couldn’t be cured.

That’s extraordinarily tragic, but I love it.