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maizethecorn · 1 year ago

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The Dragon Prince Viren and Aaravos Shipping and Recommended fanfics

I stayed up watching all of season five of the Dragon Prince which runs on Netflix. I was really happy to see Sir Sparklepuff a homunculus child be revealed to be a mix of Aaravos and Viren's DNA. I'm pretty sure Sir Sparklepuff is also a mix of other animals like possibly a butterfly or a moth since he was made with magic. Anyway, Sir Sparklepuff is the closest thing the show will ever have of Viren and Aaravos having a love child. So why ship Viren and Aaravos? Here is some background information on the show:

First, the Dragon Prince is a fantasy cartoon created by Aaron Ehasz who worked on the Avatar the Last Airbender cartoon. The three main characters are Prince Callum who is a human teenager in training to be a mage, King Ezran who is a child king who can talk to animals and Rayla is a moon shadow elf teenager trained to be an assassin. These three kids along with the non-talking Dragon Prince Azymondias who acts like a dog are attempting to bring peace to the magical world of Xadia. Xadia is a land overrun with different types of elves, humans, dragons and other magic creatures. The main villain the four heroes must defeat is the elf named Aaaravos who is looking to break out of his prison and possibly rule Xadia. Callum and Rayla spend time together and fall in love in later seasons. Those two are the main couple on the show. I have nothing against Callum/Rayla other than I find them to be bland and predictable. Now, here is information on the only two interesting characters and best pairing on this show:

Aaravos is a Startouch elf who has been imprisoned in a furnished library cell at the bottom of the ocean for centuries. His one crime known for sure is that he killed the SunFire Elf Queen predating Khessa by swallowing her. The rest of his crimes and future goals once he gets out of prison are unknown. I'm guessing Aaravos possibly wants to rule the world. He is noted to be over five thousand years old. Aaravos narrates the opening of the cartoon. He is voiced by Erik Dellums.

Viren voiced by Jason Simpson is a high mage that served under King Harrow for many years. He is divorced and is the father of Soren who is a knight and Claudia who is a mage. Viren favors his daughter Claudia over Soren since she is talented at using magic like him. Soren sadly, tries to get his father's approval by displaying his athletic abilities to no avail. Ultimately, Soren gives up on getting Viren to like him and joins Callum's group in saving Xadia. As for Viren, things start to go downhill when King Harrow won't take his advice to use dark magic to save his life. To add insult to this injury, Harrow tells Viren to kneel like a servant before him and says Viren is not his equal. This disrespect after many years of loyal service is what pushes Viren to the dark side in turning against Harrow.

So how do Viren and Aaravos meet? Viren gets a magic mirror which is a portal to Aaravos's prison. He is intrigued by Aaravos when he sees the elf sitting in a chair through the mirror. Aaravos motions for Viren to put a creepy caterpillar in his ear which Viren refuses to do at first. Viren puts a blanket over the magic mirror and goes to the library to research Aaravos. However, everytime he tries to read a book about Aaravos, the text fades to black, no matter what book he picks. Annoyed, Viren goes back to the magic mirror, uncovers it and throws the blanket away. He sees Aaravos is still sitting in his prison and demands to know why he can't find any information about Aaravos in books. Smiling, Aaaravos holds the creepy caterpillar up to Viren at the glass portal. He hand motions for Viren to take the caterpillar which Viren does somewhat reluctantly. Then, Aaravos handmouths instructions for Viren make a magic potion to drink which Viren does. After drinking the potion, Viren puts the caterpillar in his ear. Finally, Viren is able to hear Aaaravo's voice through the caterpillar. The delighted elf tells Viren he has waited too long to hear the voice of another person. Aaaravos tells Viren his name was wiped from all books by a spell and he is trapped in a prison at an unknown location. Wary, Viren asks what Aaravo's crimes were and Aaravos refuses to tell him. Frustrated, Viren threatens to destroy the mirror if Aaravos won't give him the information he wants. Aaaravos calls Viren's bluff saying Viren won't destroy the mirror because he is too curious about Aaravos and wants to figure him out. The elf proposes an alliance where he will help Viren rule Xadia if Viren helps break Aaaravos out of his prison. Reluctantly, Viren accepts resulting in a shaky partnership between human and elf.

Why ship these two? I love a pairing where there is tension between characters. Aaaravos and Viren as a ship definitely has tension and chemistry. Viren starts off only wanting to help the human kingdoms of Xadia prosper. He wants to achieve his goals in as ethical a way as possible. But, Aaaravos manages to convince Viren to take what he wants by force. Aaravos is definitely a toxic influence for Viren but Viren wasn't an angel when the show began. By the start of the show, Viren has been using dark magic for decades. His true appearance shows his eyes are black and his body has been drained reducing his skin to pasty color as a side effect from using dark magic. Viren has to use glamour magic to hide his appearance from everyone except Aaaravos. Aaaravos doesn't care what Viren looks like and Viren doesn't have to use glamor magic around him. In my opinion, Aaravos was the only person Viren could vent or confide in about how unappreciated he was at the king's court at the start of the show. Granted, Aaravos just listened to Viren so he could manipulate him later but he was still a very patient listener with Viren. Viren could talk about his life goals with Aaravos and not have his hopes/dreams sliced to ribbons. Also, Aaaravos appears to enjoy Viren's company seen in one example when Viren recounts how he killed the Dragon King he nicknamed Thunder to Aaaravos. The two of them enjoy reading books and experimenting with magic. Also, I just love how Viren attempts to be defiant towards Aaaravos saying he won't do what the elf wants but almost always ends up doing what Aaravos wants anyway. Usually fanfiction, portrays Viren as being more submissive and Aaravos as being more dominant. Here are some recommended fanfics of these two:

Everytime We StarTouch is a complete, one-shot fic by Anonymous about Viren having sex with Aaravos's ghost.

Our child is a complete, one shot fic by strangefake where Viren bonds with Sir Sparklepuff after learning the homunculus is his child.

The Sound of His Voice is a complete one shot about Viren getting seduced by Aaravos just by hearing the elf's voice.

Everyone gets one is a complete two chapter fic where Viren attempts to deny to Claudia that he is dating Aaravos.

Fallen Star by Storm Fire_22 is an on going 46 chapter fic about Viren and Aaravos playing mind games with each other. Viren and Aaravos both care for each other but be prepared for them to have really bad communication skills in this story.

To Noon He fell is a complete one shot about Aaravos sharing his life history with Viren.

Discontinous is the first of a four fic series called Limits by RazRas. The author recommends you read the series in order. The story explores the idea of Viren having past feelings for King Harrow, his relationship with his ex wife and what the concept of what a family is. Soren and Claudia appear in the series and have a hard time understanding Viren dating Aaarvos. Both kids eventually accept their dad is gay and that their mom and dad won't get back together.

Just a coworker relationship is a complete one shot fic where Viren attempts to deny what his relationship with Aaarvos is to Claudia. Claudia figures out what her dad's relationship with Aarvos is within three seconds.

Soulmates is an ongoing 27 chapter fic where Aarvos finds out Viren is supposed to be his soulmate through a magic reading. Smitten, the elf decides to start a war so he can meet Viren. However, Viren senses Aaravos is hiding information from him which promotes tension between them.

If I had a heart by undefined_trevelyan is a complete, eight-chapter fic about Aaravos helping Viren overcome low self-esteem issues. At first, Viren resists Aaravo's affections but returns the elf's feelings by the end of the story.

#the dragon prince #lord viren #viren x aaravos #callum #callum x rayla #xadia #tales of xadia #azymondias

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kradogsrats · 1 year ago

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no no you're right and you should say it

We're pretty explicitly missing some kind of context for trauma in Viren's background (in that it's explicit that Kpp'Ar made it worse lmao), whether it's just the general lack of control over your life and security brought by poverty or a more specific event of loss or powerlessness in the face of tragedy. Like, his outward self-importance and tendency toward egotistical self-sacrifice are really, really obviously stemming from internal lack of self-worth. I mean, even taking it with a grain of salt that there's probably some exaggeration, "all I ever wanted was to know that I matter to you" is a really fucking bleak thing to feel like you have to say to your best friend of several decades.

And like, just on the nature vs. nurture front, Claudia is exactly the same way—both she and Viren react to trauma with "I'm going to exert enough power/control that I will never feel this way again." Which is kind of funny to me because Callum's about the same age when Sarai dies as Claudia was when Lissa left, but they're so different about it? Like you could have a debate about whether it's more traumatizing for your mother to die on a heroic mission for the sake of others (and if you want to get really fucked up about that I recommend Mamoru Hosoda's Belle) versus your mother confronting you with the "who do you love more, me or dad? (and if it's dad you'll never see me again)" challenge, and they definitely both have trauma. But again you have Callum's acceptance, whether it's innate or guided by Harrow: "sometimes there are changes you don't expect."

Also Callum is not exactly rolling in self-worth at the start of the show lmao like he pretty explicitly thinks of himself as kind of a screw-up, BUT he also has strong, loving relationships supporting him. I mean we had an entire season about him losing what he thought gave him worth, being offered a way to gain it back quickly but at great personal expense, and then gaining it anyway through self-knowledge and acceptance, SO.

the key difference between Viren's pre-series downward dark magic spiral and Callum's in-series poking at its fringes is going to be that Viren doubled, tripled, quadrupled down each time specifically to avoid the consequences of his previous choice whereas Callum is being positioned to understand and accept those consequences ("I need you to kill me," accepting that darkness and lack of control are a part of life/you in the Ocean arcanum, etc.) in this essay I will

#just rolling my blorbos around in my head like a rock polishing tumbler #as you do #kradogsmeta

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tenspontaneite · 4 years ago

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Across Shared Skin (Chapter 2/?)

“This is the worst possible way this could have happened!”

(Chapter length: 3k. Ao3 link)

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The back of his hand still ached from where she’d hit it. He couldn’t quite draw his mind away from that, couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t get away from it. The back of his hand hurt, because that was where his soulmark was, and she’d hit hers, and of course it had carried over, that was how soulbonds worked.

She was still standing there. Still with those swords in her hands, though she’d lowered them now. Still standing over him, though she’d backed away a little, as if someone had shoved her. Still wide-eyed, still aghast, still an elf, still his soulmate-

“Shit,” she said again, more emphatically, and staggered further backwards. For a moment it seemed like she was trying to lift her hands, to bury her face in them – but then she saw her swords and flinched, shuddering in a violent motion that terminated with her fingers so tight on the weapons’ hilts that they trembled.

She had white hair. All the books had said that Moonshadow elves had white hair, but it was one thing to read it, another to see it. And those horns, too, and the ears – she was – she wasn’t human, she really wasn’t, and for all that he’d spent years trying to imagine what that would look like, it still fell short of reality. It was her. It was really her. This was what his soulmate looked like. “Rayla,” He said again, testing the name, feeling his pulse race so fast that his head swam. She flinched again at the name, eyes jerking back towards him, so plainly distressed that it made his gut twist.

Her eyes were purple. He’d seen that before, of course, when she was standing over him with that sword, but – somehow it mattered more, now that he knew who she was.

“No,” she uttered, despairingly, like it was a reflex response to hearing her name from his lips. Her expression twisted as if to hold back some unbearable emotion.

Ezran was frozen at the portrait hole, and hadn’t moved. Callum was only peripherally aware of that. Mostly, he was aware of the thrum of his heartbeat, and the look on his soulmate’s face, and the part of him that was still tense and terrified in anticipation of death. In those moments, it was all confusion, a conflicting tangle of his shock and his fear. But then – he looked at her, and his mind began to catch up. She’d been this nameless, frightening elf mere minutes ago, but he’d seen her hesitate even then, seen her listen to him – and now she was Rayla, and he knew Rayla, and-

In a sudden, decisive moment, it was like something clicked into place. The elf who’d threatened him at swordpoint and the elf who was his soulmate were the same – and as that knowledge reconciled itself, he felt his shoulders slump with unthinking relief. All at once he understood, without reservation or doubt, that she wasn’t going to hurt them. He knew. He’d never been more certain of anything in his life.

“Rayla,” he repeated, steadier this time, secure in that knowledge, and slowly went to stand up.

She recoiled, flinching backwards as he rose. “No,” she said again, and then again, and again- “No, no, no, this isn’t – this wasn’t supposed to-“ She whirled around, pacing in broken and aborted steps around the office, like she wanted to flee but didn’t know where to go. Her shoulders were so tense it looked painful, and – she snapped towards him, suddenly, one of those swords suddenly up and pointing accusatively his way. “This is the worst possible way this could have happened!”

The way she’d said it, it was almost like she blamed him for that. Like he’d decided that these should be the circumstances of their pre-ordained meeting. “…I’m…sorry?” He offered, weakly, looking back at the bristling affront that had come over her in that moment. She seemed angry, right then, but – then she saw the blade she was pointing his way, and it all crumpled away at once.

“I was going to kill you.” She said, voice tight and haunted, and she looked up at him blankly. Her eyes slid to his brother, still frozen motionless in the mouth of the secret passage. Quiet, she added “…I’m supposed to kill you.”

He swallowed. “Yeah, you said.” He acknowledged, remembering his terror when she’d said she was here to kill his brother, his absolute certainty that he could not allow it to happen. That felt so long ago, now. “You’re…an assassin,” he tested the words, looking at her, looking at the swords, the armour, the wiry muscles tense along her arms. He remembered years and years and years of seeing her write about her training. “You’re an assassin, and you came here to kill Ezran.” He tilted his head at her, a little solemn. “I guess whoever sent you probably wouldn’t mind if you got another human prince, too.”

She barked a harsh laugh. “If you got in the way? No. No, they wouldn’t.” Again, her eyes flickered to Ezran. She exhaled. Again, she said “I’m supposed to kill you.” It was strangely bleak, this time. Defeated.

Ez flinched a little, but Callum didn’t falter at all. Not anymore. He took a step towards her, and she rocked back on her heels as if to lean away from him. He stepped again though, with a confidence that surprised him, and said “You won’t.”

She didn’t move back this time. Just watched him, rigidly still, expression twisting. Her fingers clenched on her weapons. “You sure about that?” Her voice was low.

He stepped again, and again, until he was directly in front of her. Close enough for her to run him through with either blade. Close enough for her to reach out and break his neck. But she wouldn’t. “Yeah. I’m sure.” She watched him, so wary, so conflicted. There was something in her expression that made her look startlingly vulnerable. With utter certainty, he said “You’re not going to hurt us.”

She closed her eyes, then. Exhaled. When she opened them, her hands flexed on the weapons. He didn’t even flinch as they moved, convinced beyond the possibility of doubt that she would never threaten him with them again. And, sure enough, the way that motion ended was with the blades flipping away, melding by some mechanism back into their handles. Sheathed. Safe. “No.” She agreed, finally. “I’m not.” There was an edge of self-recrimination in her eyes as she looked away. “I couldn’t.”

Finally, Ezran seemed to sense an opening in that tension. Cautiously, he stepped out of the portrait hole, creeping a few steps forward until her eyes fell on him. He looked up at her, wary but interested, Bait held tightly in his arms. “You’re Callum’s soulmate,” he spoke, like he just needed to say it, to get it out there. “Rayla. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Her expression twisted, like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. “And you’re his brother. Prince Ezran.” Her hand went to one of the silvery ribbons she wore around her wrists. “I’ve heard plenty about you, too.” She exhaled, shakily. “I came here to kill you.”

Ezran crept a little closer, surprisingly confident, as if some of Callum’s certainty had bled into him. “Why?” He asked, curious and almost calm, as if this were some matter considerably lighter than one of life and death.

“You’re the son of a king who killed our king and his son.” She answered, bleakly. “We’re supposed to pay it back. Blood for blood. Justice for their deaths. Make it right.”

Callum hesitated, then reached out. His fingertips grazed her forearm; the first time he’d ever touched her. She flinched as though burned, eyes snapping to his. “Revenge isn’t the same thing as justice, Rayla.” He told her, quietly. “You know that.”

“Do I?” Her voice sounded almost tired.

“Killing Ez to make up for what happened to the Dragon Prince wouldn’t solve anything. Wouldn’t make anything better.” He looked at her, exhaling softly, and could finally speak a truth he had never been allowed to write: “Just like…King Harrow killing the Dragon King, to make up for what happened to my mom, didn’t solve anything.” He saw her recoil at that, and added quietly “Didn’t help me, and…didn’t help the world, either. Or you wouldn’t be here.”

“Your mother,” she whispered, like she was abruptly reconciling Callum the prince with Callum the soulmate. Like it had just occurred to her what that meant. “Queen Sarai. The – Dragon King killed her?”

A twist of pain gripped his chest. “Yeah.” He studied her eyes, her expression. “You didn’t know?”

“No.” With that awful understanding on her face, he couldn’t doubt her. She shuddered and looked away, hands clenching on her sheathed weapons. When finally she looked back, she seemed so horribly uncertain that it made his heart ache. “Callum…” she said, finally, the first time he’d ever heard her speak his name. “What am I supposed to do?”

He hesitated, then. He wanted to say don’t murder anyone, but she didn’t need telling that, and…that wasn’t an answer to that question. Not really. She was here in the heart of the kingdom, and could have killed him, and could have killed his brother, and – surely, she wasn’t alone. Surely they’d not have sent only her. There had to be others, and that wasn’t something he knew how to answer.

Ezran, though... “You should follow me,” he said, plainly, finally approaching enough to insinuate himself beside them. “If this is about the Dragon Prince…” he nodded towards the open portrait hole. “Then there’s something you need to see.”

She stared down at him with obvious consternation. She glanced at Callum, as if to check with him, and he shrugged helplessly. “You sure, Ez?” he asked his brother, dubious, and received a very firm nod in return. He sighed. In a situation like this…he had to trust that Ezran wouldn’t mess around. “Alright,” he accepted. “Lead the way.”

‘The way’, apparently, was into the secret passage connected to Lord Viren’s study. Ezran and Bait climbed back into it, but Rayla hesitated before following. She went off to the side, picked something up, and pushed it into his hands. “You dropped this.” She said, quiet. “When I knocked you over.”

It was Harrow’s letter. Callum swallowed past the lump in his throat, and held it close. “…Thanks.”

Ever-so-briefly, and so lightly he hardly felt it, she rested her hand on his arm. Her eyes met his. Then she turned away, and walked off into the dark.

Callum followed.

---

Ezran had been right. They had needed to see this.

“The Dragon Prince is alive,” Rayla breathed, eyes wide, fingers shaking. “This – this changes everything.”

After a little discussion, though, it transpired that some of that ‘everything’ might be a little harder to change than the rest. “So there are more of you.” Callum concluded, voice tight, as she finally admitted that the ‘others’ would be coming.

“Five.” She agreed, voice just as terse as his . “I – was supposed to stay behind. I didn’t. I came early, so they wouldn’t stop me, but-“ She glanced up at the stone ceiling, as if she could see the sky even through a castle’s worth of rock and air. “But they’ll be coming once the Moon rises. When we’re strongest.”

“…Can we stop them?” He asked, carefully controlled. He’d known he had a Moonshadow elf for a soulmate for years. He’d done research. He’d asked people. He knew how powerful they were supposed to be at Full Moon.

She looked at him, uncertainty plain on her face. “If we show the egg to Runaan-“ She started, falteringly. “He��might call the mission off?”

He could see how unconvinced she was of that. “You think?”

She exhaled. “No. But I think we have to try.” She stood. “I know where he’ll be. We should get there as soon as possible.”

Ezran picked up the egg, and the three of them prepared to set off.

Except that was when Claudia arrived.

---

Not much later, with a primal stone in his hands and the exhilaration of magic still fresh in his veins, Rayla turned to him for a moment and smiled. It was a tentative thing, but- “Preferred that to all your sword lessons, didn’t you,” she observed, and he stopped short, strangely breathless. There was something about the reference to their history, to the things she knew because she was his soulmate, that – that was just – kind of amazing.

“So much,” he agreed, heartfelt, and felt his face break into a grin at her. She went a little pink around the ears, but huffed at him with a friendly sort of humour. She patted him on the shoulder.

“Well, magic’s plenty good for defending yourself, so just keep that spell in mind and you’ll be fine.” Her lips twisted thoughtfully for a moment. “Don’t suppose you know that lightning spell too? Looked proper useful, that one.”

“Er,” he said, eloquently, and thought. “I remember the rune. Is that enough?”

“No, you’d need the incantation too.” She frowned.

He tried to remember it, but…in the end, his memory was mostly only good for things he saw. “…Finalous?” He guessed, knowing it wasn’t right. “Culminus? No…”

She scowled at the wall for a second, holding up a finger to silence him. “Fulminis.” She concluded, decisively, after that moment. “I think.” She glanced back at him. “Try it.”

“Now?” He blinked, taken-aback. “Shouldn’t we be going to find your assassin leader?”

“It’s related.” Her teeth gritted a little. “Try it.”

He exchanged a glance with Ezran, then shrugged. “Alright.” He lifted the stone in one hand. Drawing the rune was easy; it lit up with sparks, magic surging at once, impatient for release. And then the incantation did turn out to be right, because saying “fulminis” unleashed a bolt of lightning from his fingertip that crackled loud and bright into the wall he’d aimed it at. He beamed.

Rayla noted this with a sort of grim satisfaction, and said “Good.” When he looked askance at her, she exhaled, and admitted “He’s probably going to try to kill you.”

It took him a second to think of who she meant. “…Your leader?” He questioned, confused. “Because…I’d get between him and Ezran?”

“That too.” She looked away. “Mostly, though, because you’re my soulmate. My human soulmate. And we’ve only just met, so…” She glanced back at him, troubled. “Well, you know.”

Oh. Right. He could imagine how ‘human soulmate’ and ‘only just met’ might be a recipe for violence from a murderous, concerned-for-Rayla elven assassin commander. He winced. “Yeah. He’d…what, want to kill me before it’s ‘too late’?”

She scowled, expression tightening, and inclined her head. “I wouldn’t put it past him to think I’d be better off that way.” Her shoulders straightened, and she reached out to tap the primal stone. “So keep this handy. And defend yourself, alright?”

He swallowed, and nodded. “What about you?” He asked. She looked confused. “He’s – you’re Moonshadow elves. The mission is supposed to be everything, right? You’re supposed to act like you’re already dead, even, so it doesn’t matter if you die to pull it off?”

Rayla stared at him. “How do you know that?”

“He’s been reading about you guys forever.” Ezran offered, and her eyes turned his way. “And talking to anyone who’s ever met Moonshadow elves or knows anything. Aunt Amaya, Lord Viren, everyone.”

At her expression, he shrugged self-consciously. “I knew you were a Moonshadow elf. I wanted to know what that meant. And – you weren’t allowed to talk to me about that. So I had to ask other people.” He shook his head. “That’s not important right now, though. What I mean is – you’re going against the mission, right? You’re trying to stop him. So…” Carefully, he looked at her. “Are you going to be safe?”

She was quiet for long enough that the silence was an answer of its own. Finally, she said “Probably not. I don’t think he’d actually kill me. But…” She shrugged.

Callum set his jaw, and clutched the primal stone close. “I’ll be ready.” He promised grimly.

Rayla looked almost startled at that response, though he didn’t know why. Wasn’t it obvious that he’d try to protect her, if he could?

“We should go.” Ezran said, nervous, looking between the egg in his hands and the ceiling. He glanced around at them. “We’re going to the roof, right? There’s a pretty quick way there. Follow me.”

“How much time have you spent in the castle secret passages?” Callum asked, exasperated, already following.

Ez smiled a little, smug. “A while,” he said nonchalantly, and opened a hidden staircase in the corridor beside them like it was nothing.

They were in a doorway opening out to the castle battlements when Rayla stopped them, suddenly tense. “He’s out there.” She said, terse. “Or he will be soon. I-“ She hesitated for a moment, then said “I’ll try to get him to call off the mission. I might call you out to show him the egg. But if he won’t stop…” She exhaled, hands drifting to where she’d hung her sheathed blades. “I’ll have to stop him myself.”

Callum, meanwhile, was very resolved that she absolutely wouldn’t be doing any assassin-stopping by herself. Not if he had anything to say about it.

He fixed the spell into his mind, gritted his teeth, and waited.

---

End chapter.

Notes: also a cliffhanger! I guess! But the story wanted it, so. Who am I to argue.

Canon is going to get drop-kicked off of a mountain next chapter, FYI.

Thank you everyone for the response. It’s been flattering to hear from those of you who read this in the zine first, who are looking forward to the story continuing. I hope it continues to do justice to the concept!

Worldbuilding stuff of note in this chapter: if you’re curious about what Callum and Rayla meant about the ‘only just met’ and ‘too late’ stuff, the answer is: soulmate mechanics! Gonna tease this for a bit, but you’ll see what it’s about in ch4.

#rayllum #tdp fic #soulmate AU #tdp callum #tdp rayla #tdp ezran

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beautifulterriblequeen · 4 years ago

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AMA reread headcanon #2

I’m having further thoughts about Moonshadow assassin capabilities after rereading this ama question, which basically asks, Why didn’t Viren hide Harrow in the dungeon or somewhere, away from the Moonshadow assassins?

The given answer says, “I think hiding him anywhere was never really an option. The Moonshadow assassins would have had ways of locating him and slipping in no matter where he was...”

My initial guess, last fall, was this: since there already seems to be some kind of internal life-force sensor that Moonshadows can use--the way Lujanne simply touches Zym’s egg and determines that his life is fading--perhaps that skill can be honed and shifted from merely sensing all life around you in a beautiful symphony, to seeking one life force in particular, no matter where it is, for the purposes of hunting it down and taking it. A sort of Moonshadow Cerebro, if you will, which probably takes a lot of practice to achieve, and maybe a lot of focus to hold onto during a mission. Perhaps this is what Runaan was meditating on, the morning of the full moon: Harrow’s and Ezran’s life forces, pinging softly in the distance, somewhere in the castle.

Yeah, creepy and dark, turning a Moonshadow connection to life into a tracking skill for death. *shudders* I love it.

But yesterday, I was staring at this line and wondering whether there was more. See, it’s one thing to sense your target no matter where they are. But it’s another to do that slipping-in thing that the creators mentioned.

Viren says in S1E2 that Moonshadow assassins can “penetrate any defense.” Any at all? How would that work if you put Harrow behind a slew of locked doors? Magical barriers? Defensive monsters? All of the above at once?

One of the other AMA answers, paraphrased on reddit, got me thinking:

"Moonshadow elves partially slip into a dimension of the moon granting them full stealth mode."

If a partial shift into the dimension of the moon grants invisibility yet leaves them present this dimension, what would a full shift grant?

Here’s my guess, then, for a second layer of Moonshadow assassin skills that can be put to use on a mission: an accomplished and practiced assassin can focus their life force during a full moon and project themselves fully into the dimension of the moon--the world that Rayla visited in TTM. Doing so is basically dying, and they have to be perfectly poised and precise in order to come back into the real world exactly where they mean to--and not inside a wall or something--within a probably-short time limit like the 7 minutes it takes your brain to die if you lose access to oxygen or something. It’s a very risky move! But if anyone is going to push themselves to the limit of death--and beyond--to accomplish a mission, it’s a Moonshadow assassin.

The implications of such a skill are fabulous. Only the best assassins can probably do this, and they'll probably need a completely full moon to do it. But the effect would be terrifying. There you sit, surrounded by three dozen guards, behind eight magical wards, where not even a stray spider can sneak in, and suddenly there's a whisper of movement right behind you, and then you're dead. And not one of your guards sees a damn thing. They’d panic and bolt, and the word would get out: Moonshadow assassins are unstoppable.

The key here is what Viren believes the assassins are capable of. He knows better than to try to hide Harrow. His only suggestion was to try to mislead the assassins with a soul switcheroo, which could call back to the idea of Moonshadows being able to track a single life force. Whether Viren expected their tracking to follow Harrow’s body instead of his soul, or simply to be confused by two separate sources, I couldn’t say. But his soulfang solution seems like the TDP equivalent of trying to hide your heat signature from infrared scanners by hopping into a hot tub with a breathing straw.

So here I am with this really cool headcanon about a powerful and frankly dangerous Moonshadow ability, and I ask myself, Self, what kind of cool thing could this ability be used for?

I’m so predictable. You know where I’m headed, right?

I am super invested in Runaan's story arc, and in his character development. I'm eagerly awaiting S4 to see what happens next! We all want our favorite broody assassin set free so he can go be dramatic and stabby and also soft with his husband. It's basically a universal headcanon at this point that Runaan will be freed from his coin at some point, in some way.

You know which version of “Free Runaan” I'm not sure I've ever seen? Runaan rescuing himself. Considering his thematic elements and his coding, that's actually a really important idea. People in trauma aren't helpless damsels out of a fairy tale. They're people. And they deserve agency just like everyone else.

Within the plot of TDP, such a concept would need to be folded in with everything else that’s going on, though. Rayla still has to find her truth, and to deal with her motivations and choices. She deserves agency, too, as does Ethari, Callum, Claudia, Viren, Aaravos, Nyx, and anyone who might get included in the coin storyline.

It would be great to see Runaan use a Moonshadow dimension-slip to escape his coin to somewhere else. Where would he go? Well, there are a few possibilities, but “the real world” probably shouldn’t be one of them. If he can get out of hell on his own, and then need some guidance getting back to the real world--and to his family--from there, that lets multiple characters decide if and how much to lend a hand.

Trauma lies. It tells you that you’re alone, the only one who feels so horrible. But that’s not true. It’s never true. So the more characters who contribute to Runaan’s freedom, the better. Especially since it’ll be really good for him to experience, considering he’s spent his life holding everyone at arm’s length. It’ll be a good message of cooperation, and of forgiveness, and those are some of TDP’s strongest themes.

But so is agency! Having a voice, having a say in your own fate. I’m not sure how much of a say Runaan has really had in his own fate. That’s some information I’m also eagerly awaiting! Seeing him get to participate, even a little, in his own rescue from the hellcoin would be amazing, and maybe it could happen with a cool, scary, dramatic Moonshadow power like being able to walk in the land of the dead for a few minutes or something.

Runaan’s a badass, okay, show it to me, give. But also, just imagine some wild twist like Rayla struggling for most of S4 to find him and her parents, fighting, making allies, learning secrets, doing stealth stuff, figuring out who to trust, all building up an absolutely stellar arc for her, and at last she somehow gets that coin pouch, and she dumps it out, and while she’s so relieved to finally have found her parents again... Runaan’s coin is blank. Dun Dun DUNNNNNN, cue the credits!

#tdp speculation #tdp theory #tdp meta #runaan #moonshadow elves #moonshadow assassins #tdp #tdp ama #tw trauma #haha but what clues would be in the credits sketches then #the animal doctor listening to the coin with a stethoscope #zym biting it #ethari holding like seven tools at once and wearing goggles as he studies it #janai using her sunforge blade on it while amaya gazes admiringly #claudia suddenly hearing a commotion inside her own belt pouch #help me i gotta stop thinking it's too much fun

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shiramoonshadow · 4 years ago

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Hi! The vip panel with Jason Simpson, Luc Roderique and Adrian Petriw lasts longer that the first one, so I've transcribed the first 30 minutes and I'll try to have the last half hour left by tomorrow. Sorry to keep you waiting!

Luc, favorite king Harrow scene? (This was mine)

Luc: That’s a really tough one. I think my favorite scene to watch... pretty much anything in “heart of a titan” are my favorite scenes to watch. I literally just re-watched “heart of a titan” before doing this and it gets me every single time...Um..from the scenes of watching I love those scenes where Harrow is just standing on the balcony watching his sons, watching Callum draw a little picture in the dirt of Harrow and realizing that Harrow means something to him or where he's talking about making history a narrative of love instead of a narrative of strength and watching Callum and Ezran have a little wooden sword fight, and then Callum hits a little too hard and accidentally hurts Ezran and he can see that and immediately drops his sword to make sure that his little brother's all right. Those scenes always get me. My favorite one to act was probably...episode three; his goodbye to Callum. It was pretty early in the process of recording and I just remembered the feeling in the room like every other actor in the room was so amazing and really gave us the space to play that scene, and it’s the most emotional moment I’ve ever had in a recording booth in an animated session.

What did you do in that moment where you broke Viren’s heart forever and it never recovered? So Viren’s resigned himself to do the right thing, he’s come to terms with the fact that King Harrow is right and he’s in the wrong and he’s got to be a better person, a different person, and he goes in to kind of walk side by side and king Harrow says “get on your knees b****, you are my subject and you’re going to get in line and you’re going to shut your mouth”, and then it broke Viren’s heart forever. Tell me your process.

Luc: That’s an interesting one for Harrow because it’s very counter-intuitive to I think how he normally operates, but I think they have such a long-standing friendship in relationship, like I have those friendships in my own life where you know a person so well and you know all of the things you love about them and the reason that you’re still their friend, but the things that just...they are like family, right? Viren will just not get off of this dark magic thing and I have seen the harm that dark magic can do in the past and it just like Harrow lets his emotions get the better of him. I said it before, it’s like Achilles heel and I think in that moment he was just “I need to show him who’s in charge here. I need to show him what’s going to happen and he knows that the only way to do that is a show of strength and a show of authority.

What do you think Jason? Is that the moment where we lose Viren for good?

Jason: No, I don’t think we’ve lost him for good. I mean, I have high hopes and as an actor I have...Um..you know, you want to progress and grow and I think there’s a whole lot of growth potential and hopefully it’s coming because the guy’s got a long way to go to redemption, but you don’t need someone else’s approval to find redemption but it certainly helps when you’ve hurt other people and you want their forgiveness and that’s not going to come easy at all, but I want it to be there because, you know, he’s such a great character and he’s...we’ve got Claudia in the mix and their relationship is going to grow and there’s going to be struggles and so; no, Viren is not long gone but that definitely was the catalyst for him...maybe not the catalyst, one of them. For him..Um...going forward with what he was doing, I think he always had plans but now his friend is gone...is he?

What’s your favorite scene Jason?

Jason: Favorite scene overall...There’s a couple of things that get me excited…

Other than Harrow?

Jason: I do love the...it’s very very short but it’s a moment where...well no, actually my favorite scene is Amaya and Janai at the helms deep there, oh wrong show, um... just that full action sequence, it's so exciting, it gives me goosebumps every time I watch it, it’s so exciting, and the sword and she grabs her and she pulls her up and… My favorite scene to work on was just a very short scene with the mirror and Viren trying so hard to figure it out and he puts the crap in his eyes and it was a really raw emotional moment for me, the most emotional I’ve been on the show as an actor. He is clearly screaming at himself, “you’re worthless, why did I waste my time?” It really touched a nerve in me. I’ve had those moments staring into the mirror myself, so that was a very touching moment.

Adrian, what’s your favorite scene?

Adrian: My favorite scene to voice is...maybe not a scene but a sequence, was doing the whole in the first season, the whole sort of the banther lodge sequence when we come and Callum is there and Rayla's hiding. That was one of the first sort of times as Gren, as an actor, I really had to play with this dichotomy that the character has? I don’t know if dichotomy is quite the right term, but where Gren has his own voice as his own character but then when he speaks for Amaya there has to be this shift and you know, he has to sort of take on this sort of confidence and poise that she has, so having to play the shift between speaking to Amaya and to Callum as Gren and speaking for Amaya, making that transition was really interesting. Favorite scene overall is really tough...I don’t know if I can pick an absolute favorite but one that always comes up, I just really love the moment in s1 with Amaya at her sister's grave, when she's signing to her sister and there's no captions. It's such a powerful scene all thanks to the animators and it’s honestly one of the most common scenes that people bring up to me when we’re chatting at cons and stuff like that and, you know, I thought there was a lot of brave choices there and it was also just something I just had never seen in a cartoon before. That’s always stuck with me and that was one moment when I was first watching the first season that really hit me, that I was like “wow I’m really proud to be a part of this thing”.

What relationship changes more from this point on from s4 forward, Jason what changes more, Viren and Claudia or Viren and Aaravos?

Jason: I think it’s gonna...this is me speculating, this is not-

Yeah, yeah. Of course, nobody knows anything.

Jason: Yeah (Wink). I think his relationship with Claudia is going to be strained because she is going to be moving forward in the path that he might move forward, but he is going to be seeing things in a whole different light and I think that has to do with the way he will be treated, maybe cast aside by Aaravos. Um... I think he's gonna be fighting for his daughter's life.

[About conquering Xadia] maybe it’s just Aaravos hiding intentions, but it felt very like, what are we doing bro? Like is there a plan? Like can I, can you give me something? Like, to me it felt very much like Viren was in charge and you’re saying at that point Aaravos knows everything?

Jason: It certainly can feel like Viren is in charge and it can certainly look like it. It does not mean for one second, in my opinion, that Aaravos is pulling all the strings. Let me use a very very very terrible analogy. A smart person decides to use a drug because it heightens them and they figure I’m smart enough, I know when to stop, I can control this, but it gives me more. They lose control, it sucks them in and no matter how smart they are, no matter what their plans are. That’s a terrible way to put that...I can see that exact thing happening with Viren and Aaravos. The beautiful thing about this is we all watch the same thing, we all see the same visuals, we all hear the same dialogue but we can have completely opposing opinions. You and I could have a complete argument and never convince each other, . That's awesome.

#the dragon prince #cast and crew #viren #harrow #gren #amaya #janaya #callum #ezran #claudia #aaravos

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raayllum · 3 months ago

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Been also thinking about the line between "the text wasn't meant to be interpreted this way but it's a solid reading / line of critique (with caveats)" (#1) versus "the text wasn't meant to be interpreted this way and doing so actively worsens the story they're trying to tell" (#2).

Going to do some TDP specific examples.

But basically: When your in-depth reading takes away from the Surface Level reading rather than providing contribution, that's usually a good sign you're going into a story with 1) an expectation or reading that was never promised or 2) are weakening the story through a typically unfounded analysis.

A TDP specific example is the relationship between Viren and Harrow. Canonically, textually, they had a brotherly relationship, both in the dialogue that Viren conveys ("I think of you as my brother" / "You're my brother") and in their persistent parallel framing with Callum and Ezran.

However, that doesn't stop many fans (myself included) from reading a romantic and sexual attraction between Viren and Harrow, especially in their youth. Not only do they just have the vibes, parallels to other couples, and subtext, Viren very much places Harrow's importance in his life in a way that's usually reserved for lovers. Viren having been in love (or ongoing) just makes sense. That doesn't mean any of us are expecting TDP to ever make it Canon — like I said, it's canonically very much Not that — but it does add a layer to Viren always wanting to 1) matter to Harrow as much as he does, and 2) his frustration and severance with Harrow because he wasn't getting the acceptance and affection that he wanted.

This is what I would consider #1 avenue: it doesn't take away from their dynamic, and to me adds a layer, but it allows the text to stand as is. Viren wants Harrow's love and attention in the gradual and then sharp deterioration of their dynamic. All I'm changing is a little bit of the why per my personal reading.

Meanwhile, if I went the route of "Yeah I know canon shows Harrow appreciating, taking Viren into account, and smiling at / loving him, but I don't think Harrow cared at all and he was just a bad friend to Viren for years" then... Yeah I could read it that way — it's not as though Harrow or Viren were hardly perfect friends to each other, and Harrow's discard of Viren is harsh (even if it was a long time coming in a lot of ways) — but what does that leave me with? Frustration, maybe; a poor view of Harrow; immense sympathy towards Viren? At best, I'd maybe resent how Viren learns the lessons Harrow was trying to teach him by paying for it with his life; at worst, I'd think the narrative was being fundamentally unfair to Viren without recognizing that his previous modes of self sacrifice were always couched in ego, shirking the immediate consequences of being saved, or that he was routinely willing to sacrifice everyone around him first, including his own children.

This is where we get into area #2, and I see it happen all the time with TDP, whether it's from the series not portraying monarchies as a bad thing or the ever persistent "issue" of dark magic. Quite frankly, it's silly to walk into TDP post-S1 expecting dark magic to be anything beyond — given all the current textual evidence — "morally complicated" magic at best. Yes it can be used for good things, but that doesn't automatically make it good, and while we could spin logistical wheels for ages, the Point the story is Making with dark magic is about power, desperation, love, self-destruction, violation, and agency, and how all those things can overlap or counteract each other. Toting out "well I think dark magic is blanket statement Okay and Good actually" misses all of that, and actively makes your reading and experience with TDP worse. The surface level reading is important to take into account when examining a piece of media, otherwise it can lead to a very warped view and effect your ability to be well founded in your reading of the text.

That doesn't mean you can't desire a more morally neutral form of dark magic — plenty of fantasy series and stories have it, and some I adore (like "the legend of Zelda" — but it does mean accepting the story is never going to broadly speaking do that, and it's Okay that it won't. I'd be silly if I walked into LOZ expecting them to get into the ethics of its form of (non) dark magic of using monsters for spell parts because it's 1) a game mechanic and 2) it's not interested in the ethics of it, and no amount of me saying "well it should be" will change that, nor is it a Story Flaw that it doesn't.

This is all to say that I think asking "Why would the writers do this?" is one of the most useful, if basic, questions to ask when it comes to analysis and when figuring out whether your viewpoint is falling into avenue #1 of being grounded, or avenue #2 of veering towards warped territory.

For example, if I take Rayla not being by Callum's side when he's struggling over the pearl reveal in 6x06 as an indicator she doesn't care about him, I'm doing a deep dive that ignores all the very Surface Level emphasized scenes of Rayla caring about and supporting Callum a whole lot. I could make the claim she doesn't care based on that scene, but it wouldn't be well founded because it's ignoring miles of other much more prevalent, consistent scenes of her being there for him; it's not a well founded claim.

For something less obvious, let's look at 5x08. While Callum could've given Finnegrin the wrong spell on purpose, as some fans have thoughtfully proposed, as a sneaky wink for die hard fans... why would the authors do that? What does the story gain from that reading or intention? Well, it makes it seem like Callum was less desperate in his dealings with Finnegrin, which makes him doing dark magic afterwards come off worse. It also lessens the battle Callum has throughout that episode for feeling in control and recognizing that he can't always be. It's a reading that, in my opinion, not only strays away from the surface level reading, but is one removes elements from the text that the text would otherwise be stronger for having. In comparison, after all, if Callum gave his version of the right spell without thinking it through, he did so entirely out of desperation, which better affirms just how desperate and worn down he had to be to do dark magic, and is another instance in the episode of him feeling very much out of control (especially since we don't see the 3rd with dark magic on screen, so otherwise, we'd only have him punching Finnegrin as an example and nothing else).

Same thing with the old (now debunked) theory of Callum's bio dad being elven in nature. It's an interesting idea, exploring the implications and backstory and how'd grapple with it, but it'd weaken what canon is actively striving for, which is that Callum's magic use is special precisely because he's an ordinary human who's gained primal magic, and having elven ancestry would counteract that. It doesn't mean that the idea isn't a Good one or that it's not fun to explore in fanon, but there's a lot of reasons the story isn't (or decided not to) have it be canon, because it was stronger for the story they Wanted to tell for it not to be.

Sometimes, as fans this means acknowledging that what we want or prefer in a story is just blatantly not what's being set up, because the story is going to do things regardless of what we want or personally like. That doesn't mean those decisions are bad, and it also doesn't mean those elements or decisions or constructions are beyond critique, but it does mean to ask yourself some key questions:

Is there anything my reading is missing? (ie. if TDP shouldn't have monarchs and that's the critical focus, we lose the messages about leadership, family, and legacy that are engaged with through the vessel of hereditary monarchy)

Why might the story or scene go in certain directions? Are there story constraints (time, tone, etc) they have to abide by?

Am I expecting the story to ascribe to my worldview or preference, and am I open to things that don't do that? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Is my in-depth takeaway aligned with a surface level reading? Are both readings working together, or are they opposed? What other surface level readings might be plausible here for a casual viewer?

Even if this is not personally compelling and/or believable to me, does my personal takeaway match up with the characters' responses to it? Why or why not? (Think every Disney movie where they fall in love in 3 days. Realistic? No. Does it matter within the context of the story? Also no)

Again, this is not to say that 1) what the casual takeaway Is is an objective singular monolith (it isn't) or 2) if the casual takeaway and your interpretation is at odds that you're wrong. But through context clues, we can usually narrow it down as to what the story intends, and that if our interpretations do veer heavily to examine why and to manage expectations accordingly.

Anyways hopefully this all made sense Viren x Harrow forever

#the english major strikes again #tdp #tdp meta #the dragon prince #analysis series #analysis

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shy-badger · 4 years ago

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A Strange Moment in Time Ch5

Ok so I'm human and suck at descriptions, so I didn't include any mention of Runaan's arms. I will touch more on it when he is in another chapter, but Runaan has only one arm. The assassin band removed his left arm as promised. now, enjoy the rest I guess.

Viren’s head throbbed as though the weight of the world sat on his temples. Reaching up to hold his head only brought an uncomfortably loud racket causing him to wince. Finally he opened his eyes to investigate the source of this metallic clanging coming from his wrists. Chains. Viren was chained to the floor.

The dungeon? Why am I here? Viren thought, already recounting the events that led up to this.

The elves were attacking, one of them ran off, I had the other one on the ropes, then I was trapped in ice by… the mage. He was a human mage! Why would a human help those bloodthirsty elves? And how did that land me here?

Viren scanned his surroundings. He was in the castle’s public dungeon, not his own hidden cells. The bed he lay on, hardwood with no covers, typical for a prisoner. The light coming from above was a soft purple, indicating that dawn was only an hour or two away. This however made seeing farther than five feet away difficult. His robes seemed to be all that was left on him. No pouches on his belt or ingredients in his pockets making him feel almost naked.

“My my, what a sticky situation we have here.” a deep voice almost sang from the darkness.

Viren bolted up, trying to look as battle ready as possible with his hands bound.

“Who is there? Show yourself!” Viren commanded.

“But, of course. I am always here to help you Viren.” came a smooth, almost amused reply. From the shadows just beyond the bars of his cell, a figure appeared, a translucent being that felt almost ancient, and ethereal. The robes it wore were covered in a starry pattern extending to its drawn hood, which seemed to be covering some large headdress. “Past, present, and future.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Viren asked, gaining an ever increasing feeling of dejavu.

“I assume by now you have figured out that something is off, that you are not where you’re supposed to be. Well my dear Viren, that is because I have brought you to a new and interesting time, specifically somewhere around thirty two years in the future. This may sound crazy I know, but I assure you, it’s possible.” The stranger explained, matter-of-factly.

Viren stared at him for a minute, before deciding that this was all in his imagination, probably from being hit in the head, and layed back down on the bed.

“Come now, I assure you this is real. I am bound to you Viren, through space and time. And through this bond, I have called you to me, through all these years, so that I can finally ensure that your will is done.” The stranger almost pleaded with him.

“And what is that exactly? And why should I believe you? I don’t know who or what you are.” Viren huffed.

“I am your humble servant. You wish to secure a bright future for all of humanity. I seek only to aid you in that endeavor. I have earned your trust before, and I will do so again. You need your freedom first. Then I believe some pesky elves should be removed.” The stranger grinned.

Callum fidgeted with his scarf as he climbed the stairs. He said he wanted to talk to his mom, and he did, but now he had no idea what he wanted to ask. The urge to talk to her for hours had welled in his chest, however he hadn’t even started and was drawing a blank on what to say. He was running out of stairwell to climb and still no closer to a conversation starter, when he was interrupted by Queen Sarai herself.

“Callum! It is still no stranger to see you fully grown today than it was yesterday. But look at you! An early riser, with a healthy lifestyle. I’m so proud.” Saria practically beamed.

“Oh… um.. Thanks. I mean most days I still try to sleep in. But I’m a dad you know. I’ve got to set a good example. I mean, you know. You’re a mom. I mean of course you know you’re a mom. How wouldn’t you know? Heh heh.” Callum couldn’t stop the word vomit spilling from his mouth. “You were a really good one too. I mean ARE a good one. I’m sorry. I don’t know if that’s rude. I’ve never talked with someone from the past before… Sorry.” Callum sighed, trying to reign in the thoughts racing through his head.

“Honey, it’s ok, take a breath. Are you ok?” Sarai grabbed his shoulder, concern flooding her face.

“Sorry, yeah I’m ok. It’s just weird having you back.” Callum said.

“How long have I been gone?” Sarai’s tone softened, looking directly at her son.

“Um… About thirty… one, thirty two years. It’s been a while.” he said.

“It’s ok that you’re nervous. If my dad suddenly showed up I would be too. Come on, Harrow is checking on the kids, why don’t we get something to snack on before breakfast?” Sarai offered.

“Well Barius usually has some jelly tarts ready for Ezran early in the morning.” Callum suggested.

“I knew I liked that man.” Sarai smiled.

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Ezran shuffled towards the castle kitchen, desperate for a sugary boost to his morning after the near all-nighter he just pulled. As he rounded the last corner, voices caught him off-guard enough to bring him to attention. It was Callum and Queen Sarai talking softly to one another, their voices packed with emotion. Ezran ducked behind the door frame and listened as well as he could.

“It wasn’t easy growing up without you after that, no. I tried so hard to grow into the man I thought you wanted me to be.... But at some point, I was so busy just trying to survive, or do what was right, that I forgot to be what you wanted of me. I guess that just made me think I failed you.” Callum sounded like he was about to cry.

“Sweetie, I promise you, that you haven’t failed me. All I wanted for you is to grow up happy and healthy. The last thing I want is for you to try to be something you’re not just to please someone else. And look at you! You’re High Mage, have a happy family, you stay active and just. You’re everything I ever hoped you would be. I love you Callum. I always will.” A ruffle of clothing made Ezran think they were hugging.

“Thanks mom. It’s really good having you back.” Callum sniffled a little as he said that. “Come on, we should get out of here before Ezran finds out we ate all his jelly tarts.”

“YOU WHAT?!” Ezran shouted as he jumped out of the doorway.

“EZ!” Callum jumped to his feet, clearly shocked to see Ezran catching them in the act of stealing his precious morning tarts.

“Aw I needed those after staying up all night….” Ezran’s anguished cry petered out almost immediately as a familiar sensation exploded from within. The smile that spread across his face instantly inspired confusion in Callum and Sarai.

“Zym’s almost here!” Ezran shouted as he bolted for the courtyard to greet his winged friend for the first time in a year.

#Fanfic #Rayllum #Callum #Sarai #Ezran #Viren #Aaravos

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aspoonofsugar · 5 years ago

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Viren and His Children: A Game of Mirrors

This picture shows the relationships between Viren and his two kids pretty nicely. On one hand there is Claudia using magic and Viren tenderly watching her. On the other hand there is Soren, who is not in his father’s lap, looking up at his sister and grabbing his father’s clothes to attract the man’s attention.

Viren treats both Soren and Claudia as extensions of himself, but he does so in different ways. There are two consequences to this. On one hand Soren and Claudia have developed different problems in relation to their parent. On the other hand they represent different sides of Viren himself.

This meta will try to show this and to show how Soren, Claudia and Viren all explore similar themes in different ways.

As a side note, when it comes to Soren and Viren, this meta by @mystic-deep has thoughts very similar to mine and it is a good read!

VIREN AND SOREN: THE TRUTH IN THE MIRROR

At the root of Viren’s character there is this:

Here, Viren is talking about the magic mirror, but he is symbolically referring to himself. He wants to have power and to feel special. In other words, Viren’s thirst for power (aka his main flaw) is born by him deep down feeling worthless.

Viren projects this sense of worthlessness on both his children, so that they feel they have to gain their worth. After all, it is not by chance that by the age of respectively sixteen and eighteen Claudia and Soren are already accomplished enough to become the Archmage’s assistant and a Crownguard:

This becomes especially evident when you compare them with Ezran and Callum who, despite being princes, are not asked to do anything special with their lives. They are simply loved:

It is interesting that Viren and Soren say basically the same thing, respectively at the beginning and at the end of the first part of the series. However, they give the same concept opposite spins. As a matter of fact Viren presents the way Harrow brought Callum up as negative, while Soren presents it as positive. This is not by chance because Soren has inherited many of his father’s issues, but, differently from him, has managed to move past them by the end of season three.

This leads us to the main point of this section aka how Soren and Viren are similar and in what they differ.

First of all, both of them have sworn to protect the king since Viren is Harrow’s most trusted advisor, while Soren is a Crownguard. They both define themselves through their role and have pride in the abilities which let them reach their position. To be more specific, Viren is proud of his talent in dark magic and of his intelligence. Soren is instead proud of his physical prowess. In short, they share the same wish (proving their worth), but try to realize it in different ways (magical prowess vs physical prowess).

Viren and Soren are both ultimately examples of toxic masculinity, which can be defined as it follows:

-Suppressing emotions or masking distress

-Maintaining an appearance of hardness

-Violence as an indicator of power (think: “tough-guy” behavior)

(From the article I linked above, which @hamliet suggested to me).

These kinds of behaviours are very easy to spot when it comes to Soren:

However, the story makes clear that Soren has developed them because of his father’s education:

Toxic masculinity is at the root of the order Viren gives Soren. As a matter of fact he is asking his son to kill his childhood friends for some kind of greater good. Soren is asked to sacrifice his bonds and his feelings to impress his father. What is more, this sacrifice is presented as a way to prove his strength.

In other words, Soren tries to act as he thinks his father would want him to. This detrimental behaviour reaches its climax when Soren tries to kill Pyrrah. Let’s highlight that the episode Fire and Fury comes after The Heart of a Titan:

The Heart of a Titan

Fire and Fury

Both Viren and Soren’s fights against a dragon are masked as selfless attempts to help others. On one hand Viren goes back to try and help the Queens of Duren. On the other hand Soren claims that he wants to help the people of the city. However, both men are motivated by the need of proving themselves. Once again this is pretty evident when it comes to Soren:

But even in this case Soren’s behaviour is born by specific teachings he received:

Viren is obsessed by the inferiority of humans when compared with magical creatures and thinks it is his duty to find a solution for it. What he does not notice is that he confuses humanity’s inferiority with his own inferiority complex. He does not want to win against magical creatures for humanity’s sake, but to show he is not inferior to them. In other words, Viren going back to fight Avizandum, when it was clear that he had no chance, was something probably born by his need to prove himself.

Things end up badly for both father and son. As a matter of fact the people they were trying to help suffer because of their interference. What is more, both Viren and Soren need to be saved by a woman who sacrifices (a part of) herself:

However, Soren receives an ulterior bad consequence for his behaviour:

He temporary loses his physical strength aka the thing he was the most proud of. Because of this, he is forced to face his own vulnerability:

Opens up to his sister:

And expresses what he really wants:

Ultimately what Soren wants is to love people and to be loved in return. Because of this, it is important that he is saved because of others’ love and kindness:

Claudia is there for him despite him having done a mess and Ezran forgives his crimes. It is ultimately because of them and of his own ability to learn from his mistakes that Soren is able to grow. It is poignant that in season 3 Soren starts to pursue his objectives with a completely different method from this:

He uses intelligence:

Communication:

And shows vulnerability, even to his father:

The fact that Viren, in this scene, despises his son’s vulnerability is symbolic of how he can’t really accept his own. As a matter of fact Viren basically does to Soren what he does to himself:

He asks Soren to cut his ties with his childhood friends, just like he did with Harrow whose children he is trying to kill. He wants Soren to inherit the throne, just like he is usurping it. He wants to turn Soren in a monster, just like he himself is turning more and more into one (both internally and externally):

Because of all of this, the reason why Viren treats Soren so coldly finally becomes clear. It is because Viren sees in Soren a part of himself he is ashamed of and does not want to face. Soren is, in Viren’s eyes, the part of himself who tries hard, but never fully succeeds. So Viren asks of Soren the impossible and he shows Soren his most cruel and pragmatic side more openly than he does with Claudia. Moreover he tries to change Soren into someone(-thing) he sees as powerful. However, by refusing to accept his son for who he is, Viren misses that there is much to be loved about Soren. He misses that Soren has talents and traits, which make him a good person and a great Crownguard:

What is more, by refusing Soren’s doubts and challenges, he also refuses to see what should be clear:

If Viren had listened to Soren’s question and had been honest with himself, he could have realized that he is not really the one in control, but that Aaravos is. Soren refuses to stay his father’s puppet, just when his father chooses to be someone else’s and stops thinking with his own head.

In conclusion, Soren is the victim of his father’s self-hate. Moreover, he symbolizes a part of Viren the man refuses. It is precisely because of this refusal that Viren spirals further and this spiral is symbolized by him becoming more and more intertwined with Dark Magic.

VIREN AND CLAUDIA: AN ILLUSION IN THE MIRROR

Dark Magic is described in this way by Sarai:

It is a shortcut which lets people evade problems. However, because of this, the issues which created the problems in the first place are never fully addressed. This leads to people being unable to grow because they never face their own shortcomings. In this way, they are given a sense of false security which is detrimental in the long run.

This is what happens to both Viren and Claudia. In particular, Claudia makes it clear:

Claudia has grown so dependent on Dark Magic that she would use it even for making pancakes. Instead of simply cooking normally, she sacrifices small animals’ lives unnecessarily. This overdependence leads her to lose her usual nice demeanor when a situation she can’t fix with magic arises:

As in Soren’s case, she has become this way because of Viren’s teachings:

As a matter of fact both father and daughter share the method they use to reach their objectives. That said, Claudia’s internal motivation is different from her father’s. Viren is motivated by the wish to prove his strength. Claudia is instead motivated by the wish to stay together with her family. This is why she always justifies her loved ones’ actions. In this way, she does not have to enter in a serious conflict with them. In other words, she enables them even when she should call them out.

We have seen glimpses of this with Soren:

However, it is with Viren that this behaviour truly becomes toxic:

In the scenes above, it is clear that Claudia is tricking herself into believing Viren. She probably knows deep down that Soren has not misheard. However, it is easier to cling to the illusion that he did because in this way Claudia’s perfect little world does not shatter. In this world, her father is the best person ever and Soren is lovable, but a doof. Still, this world is an illusion and it will naturally disappear no matter how much Claudia tries to preserve it:

In the end Soren leaves and Claudia’s family loses another member. It is interesting that, in a sense, Claudia’s behaviour is the opposite of this:

Villads tells Rayla she can control nothing, but herself. Claudia, though, is doing the opposite. She tries to control everything, but is really not able to control herself. By this, I mean that she is unable to actively make a choice:

When it comes to her family, Claudia can’t choose. No matter that one side is clearly in the wrong, she still can’t bring herself to leave a family member. And this is why she is the one left behind instead. Let’s highlight that Claudia has stayed with Viren not because she has actively chosen him over her mother or even Soren. She has stayed with Viren because she could not make a choice and so her decision ended up being a passive one. Only at this point, Claudia would cling to what she has left and protect it with all her strength even if she must twist reality (both in her own mind and externally) to do so:

This behaviour is damaging both for herself and for her loved ones. As a matter of fact, by not calling her family out, Claudia is not able to stop their spirals. She helps Soren take out a dragon only for that dragon to wound her brother while he is mocking it.

Something similar happens with Viren as well:

Since the very beginning, it is clear that Claudia’s talent for Dark Magic has enabled her father to perform more and more dangerous magic. Let’s highlight that Claudia is probably not really interested in her father’s objectives. She just wants to help Viren, but she only helps him to self-destruct himself more efficiently. If she had not given her father the corn, Viren and Harrow would not have killed Avizandum and all the terrible things which happened and will happen to her family could have been avoided.

Let’s underline that Claudia enabling her father is true not only from a practical point of view:

The scene above shows that Viren wants to be reassured and to be told that he has done the right thing. So he asks Claudia and Claudia readily tells him what he wants to hear. She knows what he wants to hear because it is what he himself has taught her. In short, Claudia acts as Viren’s echo chamber and repeats to him the same justifications he himself uses. In this way, they both manage to keep their respective illusions alive. They can both keep believing Viren is a good person, even if they deep down know it is not true.

This dynamic explains why Viren favors Claudia so much. He sees Claudia as a personification of everything he is proud of about himself. What is more, this personification looks at him as if he were the best person ever. So Viren sees through Claudia an image of himself he likes.

This is also why he hesitates to show Claudia his cruellest side:

The mission Viren gives Claudia may be the one he cares the most about, but it is also the less cruel. Moreover he does not tell her to choose the egg over Soren initially, but he makes the addition after Claudia asks him. Even when one considers it, he is not asking Claudia to actively kill someone she cares about.

In conclusion, Claudia and Viren put each other on a pedestal and this is damaging for both. In particular, Viren uses Claudia to nurture his ego and to feel better about himself, while Claudia lets Viren go away with everything not to be abandoned. It is because Claudia refuses a conflict with her father that she can neither save herself nor him.

VIREN AND AARAVOS: BECOMING THE MIRROR

Soren and Claudia’s different relationships with Viren are conveyed through their respective reactions to Aaravos:

On one hand Claudia finds her father’s little bug pal cute. On the other hand Soren tries to smoosh it. This is not accidental, but symbolic. As a matter of fact Soren is who Viren is ashamed to be, while Claudia is who Viren is proud to be. Aaravos is instead who gives Viren the chance to truly become his ideal-self.

This is made clear since the very beginning:

The first thing Aaravos does to communicate with Viren is to repeat the man’s actions. This is what a reflection should do, so Aaravos plays the part of Viren’s reflection. To be more precise, he offers Viren what he wants:

Because of this, Aaravos is seen by Viren as a chance to finally become who he wants to be. As a matter of fact it is clear that Viren idealizes Aaravos and ends up depending on him more and more. This is also shown through minor details:

Viren glimpses into Aaravos’s room from his own one, which resembles a dungeon. The symbolism is clear: Viren feels trapped by his own limits and is given the possibility to see a better place and a person who may help him overcome said limits. However, this is an illusion:

Aaravos’s luxurious room is nothing more than a prison. Similarly, the beautiful elf who offers to help Viren is not really Viren’s ideals encarnated, but, if anything, he is his worst instincts:

Aaravos pushes Viren to commit more atrocities than those he has already committed. What is more, the elf interferes in the relationship Viren has with his children:

This is a pretty crucial moment. Claudia asks his father to explain himself and Viren is given the chance to come clean and to use this input to truly reflect on his own actions. However, any feeling of guilt or vulnerability Viren may be experiencing is readily suffocated by Aaravos’s words. The elf invites Viren to only think utilitaristically. So Viren manipulates both his children. In this way, he pushes Soren away and traps Claudia in a dynamic, which will damage her.

In a sense, Aaravos’s lines usually highlight Viren’s hypocrisy and his hidden contradictions:

Viren refuses the idea that Claudia is just an asset, but ultimately this is how he treats both her and Soren. If that were not the case, he would have answered Claudia’s question in the dungeon honestly and would have apologized to both her and Soren. Aaravos simply makes clear something about Viren, which the man refuses. The same happens here:

Viren wants power for selfish reasons (he wants to feel worthy), but he deceives himself into thinking he wants it for others. This is why Aaravos’s words do not sit well with him. Your actions appear much less noble if you are reminded that what you really want is to conquer a nation.

At the same time, it is clear that Aaravos is not really in good faith and that he is using Viren’s insecurities to further his own agenda. This is why he is symbolically taking control of Viren:

Aaravos’s vessel is not the bug, but Viren himself. Aaravos is slowly taking him over. This is symbolically shown by Aaravos “stealing” Viren’s senses:

Moreover, by the end of season three, Aaravos is the one moving Viren’s body to hit Rayla:

In other words, it is not Viren controlling the mirror, but it is the mirror controlling him:

This is highly ironic. As a matter of fact, in his pursue of self-importance, Viren is being reduced to a shell through which Aaravos can act. However, Viren refuses to face this (as seen through his dynamic with Soren (shame)) and to admit his mistakes (as shown by his dynamic with Claudia (pride)).

CLAUDIA AND SOREN: MORE THAN REFLECTIONS

The analysis up until now has been focused on how Viren objectifies his two kids. He treats them as parts of himself, but they are more than that. This last section will highlight it through their relationship.

First of all, as stated in the first section, Soren and Claudia are very accomplished for their age. They are given adult responsibilities to the point that they are barely treated as kids by their parent:

Viren has shown very little patience when it comes to the siblings’ most childish traits. He is annoyed by their jokes and dismisses their quirkiness as non-sense. This is very different from how the siblings treat each other:

Soren and Claudia are able to express themselves more openly when they are together than when they interact with Viren. This is true also when it comes to calling each other out:

Interestingly, they criticize behaviours they share with Viren. As a matter of fact Claudia scolds Soren for his lack of tact and cruelty and ignores Viren’s mission is far crueller. Soren instead shows disgust for his sister’s magic, but does not dare to do the same to his father’s face.

This shows that, since the beginning, Soren and Claudia are uncomfortable with some traits Viren has. However, they tolerate them both in Viren and in each other out of respect for their parent. This is made clear throughout the series:

Soren finds magic gross, but finds ingredients for Claudia’s spell. Claudia does not want to fight her friends, but accepts to do it. The reason why they both compromise is clearly just one:

They must succeed in their mission. In other words, Viren’s presence, even when he is away, stops them from truly calling each other out and from acting in a way they both feel comfortable with. In a sense, it stops them from growing. Because of this, it is not a surprise that the first serious conflict they have is specifically about their father:

This scene portrays Soren and Claudia serving two different kings (Viren and Ezran). This highlights two differences between the siblings.

The first one is the dychotomy between duty and family/feelings. Given the choice, Soren always chooses his duty (Ezran):

While Claudia always chooses her family (Viren):

Let’s underline that one choice is not inherently better than the other. This is made clear in season two. In this season, we see Soren choosing the mission over his childhood friends. This is his reasoning:

Surely, he wants to please his father, but he also wants to believe it is the best thing for the greater good.

In that same season, we see Claudia giving up on her mission:

Claudia does so because her love for her family is superior to her sense of duty.

In other words, season two shows Soren making the wrong choice out of a misplaced sense of duty, while Claudia makes the right one by trusting her feelings. However, season three shows a reversed situation:

Soren is able to betray his father because of his own sense of duty, while Claudia can’t make herself leave Viren out of love.

In other words, the right choice does not lie neither in “relationships” nor in “duty”. After all, the lines between these two concepts are blurred. On one hand Soren reconciled with his childhood friends and forged new bonds in order to fulfill his duty. On the other hand Claudia would help Viren more if she called him out.

So, in the scene above, what is the true difference between the two siblings? Why is Soren in the right, while Claudia is in the wrong? The main difference lies symbolically in the fact that Soren is protecting a child, while Claudia is enabling a parent. This means that Soren is growing up, while Claudia is refusing to.

Growing up is a process, which often creates conflict between the child and the parent. This is especially true in this context because of Viren’s abusive behaviour. If the two siblings want to grow up, they must escape Viren and become their own people. This is what Soren has started to do in season three. Throughout the season he is able to see his father for who he really is, calls him out and finally leaves him to become who he wants to be.

This is something Claudia is not able to do because deep down she does not want to grow up. This is conveyed, as shown above, by her inability to choose. As a matter of fact Claudia does not want to choose, but to be chosen. This is because a choice implies a sacrifice (a consequence), but Claudia does not want to give up on anything precious to her. What she wants is, instead, that the people she loves always choose her. In this way, Claudia gives up her own agency.

This is clearly a consequence of her mother’s abandonment:

Because of this event, she is stuck in a childish state where she wants to be taken care of and protected. That said, her family members have other objectives, so she gives them what she herself wants (nurture and protection) hoping to receive it from them in return.

Let’s think once again about what Viren tells Callum at the beginning:

Viren claims that Callum (and Ezran) won’t be able to face changes because they have been spoilt. However, the narrative shows that this is not the case. If anything, the fact that Harrow has loved and supported his children is the reason why they can grow up:

Among the main characters, the one who can’t face change is Claudia and this is not because she has been spoilt, but because her mother made her feel unloved.

In short, both Soren and Claudia have developed a sense of worthlessness because of their parents’ behaviour. Soren has developed it because of Viren’s mistreatment, while Claudia has hers because of her mother’s abandonment. Soren tries to overcome his by impressing his fahter and later on he finds a healthier fulfillment in his role of Crownguard. Claudia tries to overcome hers by keeping her family together and toning down its conflicts. Soren defines himself through external recognizements, while Claudia through her relationships with others. All in all, it is the same problem, but it is declined in different ways.

In conclusion, Soren and Claudia are two kids who have been suffering because of their parents. In order to reach a positive outcome they must grow up and become independent (as proven by Soren in season three). In this way, they will naturally tone down some traits, which can be negative if taken to the extreme (love for one’s own strength, hate of conflict). It is probable that they will be able to do so through each other. After all, Soren got his chance to actively redeem himself because Claudia cured him, so it is likely Claudia too will be given another chance (hopefully) through Soren.

CONCLUSION: ESCAPING THE MIRROR

Both Viren and his children are all trapped in a game of mirrors. Viren treats his kids as reflections of himself and his pursue of an ideal self (who is nothing, but a mirage) is destroying his family.

To stop this process, Viren must accept who he is and his mistakes, while Soren and Claudia must claim their own individuality and become independent from their parent. There are several ways this can (or can’t) happen. I am curious about how the dynamics of this family will keep being explored in later seasons.

#tdp #tdp meta #tdp viren #lord viren #tdp claudia #tdp soren #claudia tdp #soren tdp #the dragon prince #the dragon prince meta #my meta #brodigies

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iwillhaveamoonbase · 4 years ago

Text

The Long Game ch. 5

Rayla sighed as she felt Callum’s forehead. “He’s still burning up.” The doctor sighed, gesturing towards the medicine to the side.

“Make sure he takes it, Lady Rayla.”

“OK.” Rayla barely noticed as the doctor left the room. Callum had come down with a high fever and a sore throat a few days ago, complaining of aches and shaking as he grew pale very quickly. The past 24 hours, he had barely been conscious, and when he was, his gaze was unfocused and his breathing worse.

Rayla had barely left his side since he became bedridden, finding it difficult to leave him. The whispers that it was improper couldn’t get her to leave him. Harrow visited frequently and Ezran rarely left the room, either. Currently, Ezran was discussing something important with Opeli. Rayla should care, it was her job to care, but she didn’t. Gently, she held Callum’s hand and ran her thumb along the back of his hand. “Get better. Please. I can’t do this without you.” What even was ‘this’? Her mission? No. Life? Maybe. “I need you.”

“Is everything OK?” Ezran asked from behind. Rayla didn’t even turn around, nodding as her eyes remained on Callum’s prone form.

“The doctor didn’t look pleased, but he said Callum needs to keep taking the medicine.”

“That’s probably the best we could have hoped for.” Ezran sat in the chair on the other side, Bait in his lap. “Maybe if you told him you love him-”

“Stop it, Ez. I don’t love him.”

“Why are you lying? Everyone can see it. Well, not him.”

Rayla looked over at Ezran, shaking her head. “No, Ezran. He’s meant for something better than me. That’s final.”

“Why are you like this? You two wouldn’t be the first couple where someone was from a royal background and the other person wasn’t.”

Rayla stayed quiet. She knew the real answer why she couldn’t be with Callum, but Ezran didn’t. “He needs more water. I’ll get a maid to go get some.”

“Rayla-”

“Let it go, Ezran. Please. My feelings are not important. I’ll ask for them to bring us dinner here, too, OK?” Ezran sighed, but nodded in assent. Bait looked at her with concern. Great, the glowing frog was also worried about her.

Rayla grabbed a passing maid, asking for water and dinner. Instead of heading back in and risk being interrogated by Ezran again, she took a walk around the castle. Everyone stared at her like she was a ghost. They had barely seen her in a few days, but was it really that surprising? The sunlight against her skin as she passed the windows felt nice, warm. “He’s going to get better, right?” she whispered into the air.

She hadn’t seen Claudia since Callum fell ill, despite how often she tried to hang around nowadays. Rayla didn’t trust it. Viren had to be up to something. The longer she was here, the clearer it was that anything involving dark magic was Viren’s idea and that he convinced Harrow to take that route. Harrow didn’t trust dark magic anymore, supposedly, and they fought constantly.

“You can’t be serious!” Rayla turned to the door on her right, shocked that it was Harrow’s study she had found herself in front of. She quietly opened the door, looking in to see Viren and Harrow arguing. “No more dark magic!”

“Xadia hasn’t attacked us, Harrow!”

“GREAT! Excellent! Why are we tempting fate?”

“Because that girl-”

“Do you mean Rayla?”

“Yes, her. She came in out of nowhere, no evidence of what she claimed anywhere, and you just took her in. What if she’s a spy?”

“She’s a child, Viren.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. What if all of this is a ploy to get access to you? What if she wants to marry one of your sons?”

“She’ll have my blessing if she and Callum actually confess their feelings for each other.”

“I can’t believe you are encouraging them. You should be encouraging Callum to pay attention to Claudia.”

“Viren, Claudia likes girls. Everyone has known that since she the incident with the bakery girl. Why are you so desperate for the two of them to be miserable?”

“Because it would unite our houses!”

“And, what, Viren? Bring you back into my good graces? Make me forget what you did to that egg?!” Rayla’s eyes widened, wrapping her hand around her mouth to keep the gasp from escaping. They still hadn’t discovered she was there, but she wasn’t going to risk them learning.

“It doesn’t matter, Harrow.”

“IT WAS AN EGG! An innocent! Killing Thunder because he killed Sarai was one thing. But you killed his egg and took a magic mirror. And the Dragon Guard? You want to explain to me what happened to them?”

“I told you, they ran away!”

“I don’t believe you. What did you do?” Viren was quiet for so long Rayla didn’t know if that was the end of the conversation or not. She heard clinking followed by a gasp from Harrow. “What have you done?!” She couldn’t see through the crack, but whatever Viren had showed him, it had caused Harrow’s face to go pale. “They were people-”

“Elves who were going to kill us!”

“You can’t prove that! If you had just left the damned egg alone, Viren. What have you done? Free them at once!”

“No.”

“Viren!”

“NO! That just leaves a bunch of elves running around Katolis!”

“How many do you have?” Viren was quiet again. “Gods, how long have you been doing this? Do you keep them for experiments?”

“No. I’ve never released them.” Released them from what? Rayla wanted to know what was happening, but neither Harrow nor Viren was being explicit enough. What if…whatever it was, it was her parents? Did something happen to her parents? Had they not abandoned the Dragon Prince after all? “Whose to say what would happen if they were ever released from the coins.”

‘Coins?’

Rayla didn’t have time to contemplate it. Harrow growled a ‘get out’ and she had to quickly move away as Viren stormed out of the room. He saw her and glared.

“You don’t belong here, girl.” Viren walked away, not turning back to her.

Rayla looked in the study only to see Harrow slouched in his chair. He looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “Your Majesty?” He looked up, nodding. “Is everything alright?”

“Fine. How’s Callum?”

“The doctor said that he needs to continue with his medicine.”

“Of course. He’ll be fine, then. Will you and Ezran be having dinner in his room again this evening?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Please, Rayla, call me ‘Harrow.’” She nodded.

“Harrow, I heard you and Viren arguing.”

“Don’t mind it, Rayla, please. Just too old men arguing about old things.”

“But, you mentioned the Dragon King.”

“Rayla. I trust you, I do, but I need you to understand that I have not always done the right thing. I’ve let my grief consume me.” Rayla waited for him to continue, sensing that if she said a word, he wouldn’t tell her more. “In my grief, I made a bad decision. I went with Viren on a mission of revenge, to kill the Dragon King for killing Sarai. Sarai deserved to live.”

“But, Sarai took a life.”

Harrow looked down at the ground, a tear going down his cheek. “She shouldn’t have been there. She went because she believed we should stand together, but she didn’t believe in the mission. She thought it was a shortcut. And what happened? She was right. It worked, but it cost us her life. Ezran has no memories of her and Callum was effectively orphaned. It was my fault. If I had just made a decision sooner, if I had been smarter with the Queens of Duren….”

Rayla placed a hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing it. “I’m sorry. Everything I’ve heard has made her out to be a wonderful person. She didn’t deserve to die. Do you regret any of it?”

“I don’t know. I regret how things have played out and for letting Viren persuade me into using dark magic, but I don’t feel regret for killing Thunder.”

“What about the egg?”

“I have no idea what Viren’s done with that egg. I wonder if he destroyed it or used it or is lying to me. Either way, it was an innocent and should have been left alone. What if Xadia comes for my sons in revenge?” Rayla gulped. ‘That’s why I’m here, Your Highness.’

“Maybe you should ban dark magic. Stop Ezran from having those same choices offered to him?”

“Viren has too much influence. It’s my own fault. Taking away dark magic could leave use defenseless. Besides, Xadia would get what it has always wanted but what about letting us back in?”

“What if that’s what it would take? An act of good will?”

“It’s too late for me. It’s not too late for Ezran and Callum, though. My hope is that they will choose peace every time. Some day soon, I hope you will stand with them.”

“Me?”

Harrow finally looked up. His green eyes were full of such hope and sorrow it almost broke Rayla’s own heart. “I see the way you look at Callum. Your souls are screaming for each other. You never deny it; your feelings or that he has them for you. Why don’t you act on it?”

“Because, I am not meant for this life. Because I don’t think he loves me the way you and everyone else seems convinced he is. Even if he was, you can’t rewrite the stars for two people. I have to return to him. Good day, Harrow.” Rayla curtsied to Harrow before he could say more and left. The egg could still be alive. The Dragon Prince could still be alive! She was going to have to search every corner of this castle until she knew for sure whether or not that was true.

For now, she had to return to Callum and Ezran. When she got back to the room, Callum’s eyes were half-open. He groaned, hand reaching out towards her. She rushed forward, taking his hand in her’s and holding it to her chest. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m sorry I was so long.”

Ezran stayed quiet, but she could feel his eyes on her. Rayla didn’t care. She fed Callum his dinner and barely left except to bathe and take the occasional walk. When Callum recovered three days later, he awoke to Rayla holding his hand, a relieved smile on her face. “Morning, sleepyhead. We missed you.”

#rayllum fanfic #rayllum #tdp #the dragon prince #au #the long game #moonbase fanfics

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theredhairedmonkey · 5 years ago

Note

It's interesting you think Harrow was referring to Sarai when he asked Callum to be Ezran's partner, defender, and closest advisor. I always thought he was referring to Viren, and asking Callum to become Ez's High Mage. Why doesn't the letter mean that?

Well, Harrow had no way of knowing Callum would become a Mage, so I don’t think having him become a High Mage is what Harrow had in mind. It’s true that he intended Callum to inherit the Key of Aaravos, but that could have meant any of a variety of things, not necessarily that he has to become a mage to unlock its secrets. Needless to say, if Harrow truly knew of Callum’s magical abilities, he would have had him trained to master them, rather than just force him to learn sword-fighting and all these other princely skills he was having trouble with.

But in the more abstract way, “partner, defender, and closest adviser” does refer to Sarai and not to Viren. Because (1) While Sarai was alive, she was all those things for Harrow, and (2) at the time that Harrow wrote the letter, Viren was none of those things.

Sarai was indeed Harrow’s partner

Sarai: “You’ll be a champion of love and justice, and I’ll be fighting by your side.”

I mean…this one should be straightforward.

Sarai was also Harrow’s defender

Sarai: “I think this was in our marriage vows, right? Something about keeping you alive when you're acting like a brave idiot?”

Even prior to their marriage, it’s hinted that Sarai was a general—perhaps the general—of the Katolian army.

Opeli: “Your Aunt Amaya, and your mother before her, saw to it that our army was the best trained and most disciplined force in the kingdoms.”

As a general, her entire mission was to not only protect the kingdom but to protect the king and his family. For their entire relationship, Sarai was always the defender, either keeping Harrow alive or keeping Harrow safe.

Lastly, Sarai was Harrow’s closest advisor

As stated by Viren, Sarai was the one Harrow sought advice from. Whether it’s about the wisdom of hunting down the Titan, or about the insecurities he had with being King:

Sarai: Harrow, what troubles you?

Harrow: Why do I deserve this? What did I do, except being born with everything?

Sarai: You are humble, and grateful, and kind.

Whenever he’s seeking wisdom or guidance, it’s always Sarai. According to Viren, she “made him better. Harrow told me he was never as strong or brave as Queen Sarai believed him to be, but he tried every day to be stronger and braver so he could live up to what she saw in him.”

Viren, on the other hand, was never able to fill Sarai’s shoes, whether when she was alive or dead.

He was never Harrow’s partner

Viren clearly thought so.

Viren: “He insisted I stand next to him in the painting, because he knew I would stand by him through anything.”

But when he tried to express this sentiment.

Viren: “Right now I do not come to you as my King. I think of you as my brother.”

Harrow blew up at him.

Harrow: “I see the problem now. It’s that you believe you are special. Better than everyone else, above the laws of this kingdom.”

We’ve never seen Harrow have this kind of temper, before or since. So, I’d wager that Harrow’s anger must have been building for quite some time. Viren was perhaps always overstepping his boundaries, seeing himself as a “partner” to Harrow while the King always saw him as a subject. A loyal and capable subject of Katolis, but a subject nonetheless.

It’s interesting to note that, while Harrow does not regard Viren as his brother, he emphasizes that Ez and Callum are brothers, and wants them to treat each other as siblings, rather than as King and subject.

In his letter to Callum, he stresses that, whatever lies before him and Ez, they’ll face it together. As partners.

“I may not have long. So I’m forced to ask myself…what can I pass on to my sons in the short time I have left?”

“Soon you will both face a lie.”

“I ask you and your brother to reject history as a narrative of strength and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love.”

“I will be watching over you and your brother always.”

“I have a selfish wish. And that is for you and Ezran to be…free.”

And when you look at the kind of relationship Harrow had with Sarai, and the kind he had with Viren, ask yourself which one he wanted his sons to have?

Viren was also not his defender

Think back to how Harrow joked about executing Viren for disturbing him.

Harrow: “Viren, didn't I tell you if you ever woke me up this early again I'd have you executed?”

Harrow: “So, what's so important that you come into my bedroom risking your life like this?”

While this is obviously a tongue-in-cheek joke, it does hint at the fact at how Harrow saw Viren at the time. He preferred to keep Viren at somewhat an arm’s length, and regarded the matters he brought before him as relatively trivial rather than life-or-death. Even though Viren does do things to protect his King, it’s clear that Harrow regards these as ancillary—the Crownguard formed the bulk of his protection, and he was already making preparations for his defense when Viren arrived.

And if there’s an exchange that justifies why Harrow keeps so much distance between them, it’s the following:

Viren: “Know this, every one of these men and women would gladly trade their life to save yours.”

Harrow: “Would you?”

Viren: “I-uh…”

Harrow: Get out.

Lastly, Viren was not Harrow’s closest advisor

Harrow doesn’t rope Viren into any of his plans—while Viren was free to make his own plans, Harrow didn’t include him in any defense strategy he himself came up with. He sees Viren as primarily a problem-solver, but not necessarily whose advice he trusts his life with.

And even when Viren provided counsel to Harrow, his actions made it clear he did not regard Viren as his closest advisor.

In fact, he seems to have choice words for Viren.

Viren: “You're acting stubborn and ungrateful.”

Harrow: “Should I be grateful that you destroyed that dragon's egg? Thank you for starting this unwinnable war? Thank you for angering the dragons and the elves so much that tonight they are here for my life?”

Harrow questions and second-guesses all of Viren’s advice. In fact, there’s not a single time that I can think of where Harrow approaches Viren and asks him for his guidance. Instead, it’s usually Viren who approaches Harrow with plans that Harrow reluctantly signs off on and ends up regretting.

It’s clear by the point Harrow hands Callum the letter, he doesn’t keep close company with Viren. He holds Dark Magic, Viren’s primary craft, in high contempt. He thinks Viren is primarily responsible for the assassins coming to kill him. He thinks all of Viren’s plans have amounted to mere shortcuts for which the “blood price” would have to be paid for eventually.

When Harrow is writing to Callum, he doesn’t want him to have a relationship with Ez that he had with Viren. By that point, their relationship had deteriorated to the point that Harrow is miffed when Viren calls him his brother, he no longer loops in Viren to his defense plans, and questions and criticizes the advice that Viren gives him.

Instead, he wants the two boys to have a relationship like he had with Sarai, who Harrow always sought advice from, with whom they had an incredibly positive relationship that made Harrow want to do and be better, and with whom Harrow would trust his life with.

I’ve already written before here how Callum has already become a “partner, defender, and closest adviser” for Rayla. I’ve also written here about some of the things Callum has in common with his mother, and one of these days I plan to write about the other commonalities they have. But Callum really is his mother’s son—I think Harrow saw that and wanted to foster those qualities. When he saw moments such as:

It reminded him of how he and his wife used to spar.

And it made him see the close bond that the two boys have with one another. They’re inseparable, they fully trust one another, and they would always be at the other’s side. For Callum’s part, he will always protect his brother and look after his wellbeing. He could speak his mind, and work together with Ezran to build a better and brighter Katolis.

Harrow could never imagine having that from Viren. And honestly, it’s quite possible that this is part of why Viren held Callum in such utter contempt—without having any special talents with spells or steel, this boy will be in closer company with his King than Viren ever could be.

No wonder he has so much hatred for him.

#harrow #sarai #viren #callum #ezran #rayla #katolis #tdp #the dragon prince #thanks for asking

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lumateranlibrarian · 5 years ago

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Let’s talk about Claudia and Soren, because I’m pretty sure their conflict is going to be one of the biggest parts of The Dragon Prince’s endgame.

The Dragon Prince’s main recurring theme is breaking the cycle of revenge and hate, and how that duty falls on the newer generations when their predecessors failed to do so. This theme is so prevalent that we see the children of The Dragon Prince being placed over and over in chilling parallels to their parents.

Rayla’s parents were the last line of defense for the Dragon Prince’s egg, and yet they failed to protect it, running away or losing their lives (or so we’re led to believe); Rayla chose to be the last line of defense for Zym and Zubeia during the final battle. In her confrontation with the exact same man her parents faced, she was put in the same position, and was also willing to die to save Zym (and would have if Callum hadn’t pulled that spell out of his ass, but that’s beside the point).

Ezran sits on the throne of Katolis, and has to decide whether he’ll let a man driven by vengeance and fear tell him how to use his power. This man inevitably decides that dark magic will lead him to his goal. Like Harrow in his final days, Ezran chooses peace over conflict - and yet, for this choice, Ezran is ousted from his throne and placed in a prison he later escapes (unlike his father, unless you consider a birdcage, subsequently escaped, to be a prison too - oh, wait).

And then. Soren and Claudia.

Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon. Shit’s about to get real.

The scene where Soren snuck away from Viren’s army, leaving Claudia behind, was masterfully executed, and I’m still both delighted and heartbroken over it all. But to map out why it was so excruciating, we have to go back a few episodes. Specifically, the finale of Season 2.

In Breathe, Claudia apologizes to Ezran for her actions attempting to capture him. When Ezran admits that he knows about his father’s death, Claudia empathizes with him by explaining the circumstances of Viren and her mother’s separation.

CLAUDIA I know it’s not the same, but… when I was a kid, my mom and dad split up. I remember hearing them fight a lot at night after we went to bed. And then one day, they told us Mom was moving back to Del Bar, where her family was from. And then they said… we had to choose. And Soren chose Dad. How could I choose? How could I do that? Then my mom looked at my dad, and she told me to stay. She said that I had to stay with Soren, that this was my home, and my brother and I needed each other. And then she left.

EZRAN But how could she do that? Why would she leave you?

CLAUDIA I think she needed to leave for herself. To be happy… somehow. You might have noticed my dad is pretty intense.

EZRAN You must miss her.

CLAUDIA Losing her has been the hardest thing that’s ever happened to me.

EZRAN When you grow up, sometimes there are changes you don’t expect, and you have to face things you’re not ready for. Callum told me that.

CLAUDIA You are so lucky to have a brother like Callum.

EZRAN I know.

CLAUDIA And… I’m lucky to have my brother. Soren is a doof, but he’s my doof! I know he would do anything to protect me, and I would do anything for him.

Pretty upsetting, right? I can understand why a young Claudia would be so torn - after all, no child wants to make the choice between losing one parent or the other. And Claudia clearly recognizes that it was not abandonment, when her mother left - rather, it was her mother doing what was right for herself. Of course, Claudia didn’t come to this realization immediately, and says as much. It just took a long time for her to get there. Again, an understandable response.

Hold onto that! It’s a surprise tool that will help us later.

So, with this in mind, let’s proceed to Season 3, Episode 7, Hearts of Cinder.

Soren has seen some shit.

Where to even start? Viren told Soren all but explicitly to kill the crown prince and his brother. And when Soren and Claudia confronted Viren about this, Viren gaslighted the shit out of his son, to the point that even Claudia was convinced Soren had misunderstood their brilliant, intellectual father for the umpteenth time. This left a deeply upset Soren was wrestling with what he knew and what he was being told. Every time Soren tried to ask for more information, he was harshly rebuffed by Viren, or more gently brushed to the side by a (perhaps willfully) naive Claudia. He knows what Viren wanted him to do with Ezran, and this has been weighing on him for a while. When Ezran spared his and Claudia’s lives, and then was himself thrown in jail (a fucking ten year old boy cuffed in the same prison cell used to contain a treasonous archmage), Soren finally put his foot down and said, actually, fuck this.

And, before I get into the quotes once more, I’d like to point out: Soren isn’t actually stupid. He has his blatantly obtuse moments, yes, but he did come up with the plan (and muster the sheer audacity it took to pull it off) to get Ezran out of Katolis. That doesn’t happen by being an idiot.

Anyways, hold on to that. It’s a surprise tool that will help us later.

By the time Viren, with Aaravos’ help, manages to siphon the power of the Sun Elves’ city, Soren has seen enough. And when Viren straight-up assumes that Soren will be blindly willing to be the first transformed soldier - perhaps because he assumes Soren is too easily led to refuse - Soren says no. He says, I don’t want to do this. I’m scared.

You know how the rest of that scene goes.

Let’s get to the good stuff.

Soren flees, and Claudia goes after him.

CLAUDIA Soren. What’s going on? Where are you going?

SOREN I can’t stay here anymore, Claudia. You’ve seen what’s going on. What Dad turned Kasef into. What Dad turned into.

CLAUDIA Maybe he’s just doing what needs to be done.

SOREN Claudia, you’re changing, too. But it’s not too late. Come with me, Claudia. You can leave him!

CLAUDIA Please, Soren, don’t… don’t do this to me. Don’t make me choose. Not again!

SOREN Okay. Goodbye, Clauds.

CLAUDIA No! No! No, no no!

Do you see the parallels? Yes? No? All right, let’s go.

Both of these scenarios have arisen because of some sort of discord between Viren and his (I hope) loved one

Both loved ones (the children’s mother and Soren, respectively) decided that they could no longer stay with Viren, and had to leave.

Both loved ones gave the remaining family members a choice, to stay with Viren or come with them.

Claudia couldn’t decide, or Claudia wouldn’t decide, and this drove her to intense distress.

Hoping to spare Claudia pain, the leaving party told her to stay with Viren and Soren (or, just Viren), and Claudia had to watch someone she loved walk away.

The writers are bringing their A-game here, in case that hasn’t been made abundantly clear yet. There are a couple of reasonable assumptions we can make, going off these pretty blatant similarities:

Claudia and Soren’s mother was likely also upset about Viren’s growing reliance on dark magic. Or at least, that was a part of it.

Claudia and Soren’s mother returned to live with her family in another city, far away. This raises the possibility that Team Zym and associates are now Soren’s “family”, and like his mother, he’s not likely to go back.

Remember that first “surprise tool”? Claudia, while heartbroken now like she was then, may be able to forgive Soren for leaving her, as she came to understand her mother’s reasons for finalizing the divorce and moving away from the capital. Whether she does, and if doing so leads to reconciliation, however, remains to be seen…

This scene was beautifully executed, and kudos to the writers, animators, and voice actors for a superb character study. I am curious, though. Claudia has been closely paralleled with Viren, here. It’s possible that Soren has had several moments in the series so far where his actions and motivations mirror his mother’s, and we just don’t know about it because of how little we know of her.

But wait! We’re not done. I did say I think a final, major confrontation between Claudia and Soren is part of the endgame, right? Let’s dive into that.

Point: Claudia is either more powerful or more dangerously driven than Viren. Why do I say this, given all the crazy shit Viren’s done, especially under Aaravos’ counsel? Because Claudia brought Viren back from the dead. She has done what Viren either never could, or never dared to do. If Viren had been able or willing, he would have saved Sarai.

(If that’s not true… if he chose not to save Sarai, in favor of collecting her last breath in order to make a cursed weapon that could bring down Thunder… well, any shred of redeemability Viren had is now gone in my mind. Because how do you look your friend, a grieving husband, father, and king in the eye when you hold his wife’s last breath in your hands and say, “This is all I was able to save,” when it’s a lie?)

Point: Viren failed Aaravos. Viren failed Aaravos, but Claudia has managed to perform what is, as far as we know, the impossible. From the split second glimpse we have of her face immediately after Viren is revived, it seems like she just cast the spell - her eyes are pure black, but quickly fade to their original color, much as they did when Claudia restored Soren’s ability to walk using life force siphoned from a pair of deer. We also know that Aaravos has been spinning himself a new form over the two days before Viren was revived - it’s possible that Aaravos doesn’t yet know what Claudia has accomplished. What will Aaravos do, I wonder, when he learns about the impossible prodigy he has access to? It’s implied that Claudia still doesn’t know about Aaravos speaking through the caterpillar, but that hardly matters to a master manipulator like Aaravos. When you want to conquer Xadia, do you want a broken, old pawn, or a young and innovative replacement instead?

Point: Soren is not stupid. He’s not booksmart, obviously. But he’s got a keen eye for strategy. How do I know? Because he made Captain of the Crownsguard at the age of 18. Because it took him all of two seconds to see a dragon brought down by ballista during the battle to realize that the only way to give the dragons a fighting chance was to keep them in the air. Because he planned - no, he masterminded - Ezran’s escape from the dungeons and subsequent journey across Xadia to get to Zym before Viren. And because he timed it just right, Viren has no idea Ezran has escaped until the final battle - if he even knows at all, given that the only interaction we see is between them after Ezran’s escape is on the battlefield, with Ezran and the illusion Viren created by Claudia.

Point: The Illusion Viren.

This frame was the one that, of the entire season, truly stole my breath away.

Viren (well, illusion Viren, but that’s not the point of this frame) is the dividing factor between Claudia and Soren, and he has caused this rift between them due to his intent towards Ezran. Soren’s compassion and duty towards Ezran has allowed him to see the truth of Viren’s actions, whereas Claudia’s compassion for Ezran has blinded her to the fact that her own father could act so horribly to him.

And, if you’ll indulge me for just a minute, I have to wonder - why was this the ploy Claudia chose to use, to distract Soren and Ezran from the threat at the top of the Storm Spire? She has adamantly been opposed to the idea that Viren would ever orchestrate Ezran’s death, including several clear warning signs and Soren’s testimony. So why did she use this illusion - of Viren going after Ezran, clearly trying to kill him - against Soren, when his resolve to protect Ezran from Viren is what led him to the Storm Spire in the first place? Claudia is horrified when Soren demonstrates that he is willing to kill his own father to protect Ezran (who is, by the way, still a ten-year-old boy, king or not). But isn’t this what Soren has been saying all along? That Viren has been telling him to kill Ezran, and that Viren is wrong, and Soren believed this so much that he chose to leave rather than continue gong along with Viren’s plans? So, whose resolve is Claudia really testing here - Soren’s? Or her own?

I think it’s the latter, honestly. But back to our regularly-scheduled programming. Where was I?

Ah, yes.

Endgame.

So what do we know? Claudia is quite possibly the most powerful dark mage in the world. She’s chosen to continue aligning herself with Viren and Viren alone. Soren is a strategist driven by duty, and is surrounded by other warriors of similar mind and similar or even better skill. Unless a new threat emerges beyond the alliance of Viren and Aaravos (which isn’t impossible, of course), the two siblings are in direct opposition to one another. Claudia must live with the fact that her brother was willing to kill their father, and has left her to pick up the pieces. Soren must live with the fact that he was willing to kill their father, and that Claudia’s manipulation is what drove him to it.

The two of them have also, believe it or not, grown up with vastly different influences during their formative years. Differences in treatment from Viren aside, there’s an implication that Claudia and Soren have been on separate paths for a long time. Claudia is clearly Viren’s favorite - he has actual conversations with her, listens to her questions and attempts to answer them (whether the answers or truthful or not is another issue). Meanwhile, Viren puts very little effort into understanding Soren. Likely, he believes he already does, as Soren isn’t, shall we say, the most complicated of individuals. So, Claudia gets private tutoring under her father, and academic and intellectual training that Viren can relate to and challenge and encourage. Meanwhile, Soren, the family jock, goes into the castle guard. It’s not clear what all this would entail, but I imagine he trained with other recruits for a time in his own age group, reported to a commander or other superior officer, and probably received some sort of advanced training when it became clear he was a prodigy in his own right - after all, it’s not your average eighteen-year-old who is placed in charge of the security of a monarch. To sum up, Claudia was favored and likely spoiled to some degree by her father, whereas Soren excelled in military boot camp, which requires recruits to learn how to carry their own weight and take responsibility for protecting others in a very different sense than Viren’s supposed dedication to the realm.

Narratively speaking, despite first impressions, Claudia is the sibling with more cards stacked against her. She is falling faster and faster towards the point of no return with dark magic, whereas Soren has fought for every inch of his venture into the light. I’m anticipating larger confrontation between the two siblings than what we have seen so far. My heart breaks for both of them, but when I think of how future generations of humans and elves will tell the story of the Dragon Prince, these tragic siblings will fill one of the most resonant threads of the epic.

Ezran rode into the throne room that was his by birthright on the back of a massive, black-furred beast whom he charmed into loyalty. Rayla tackled a madman off of the highest peak in Xadia, and Callum dove selflessly after her. Claudia raised her father from the dead. Soren crossed miles of hostile territory in a single night to warn the Dragon Prince of a coming army.

There is a story being told here. Sometimes, history repeats, and sometimes, it rhymes. Cycles are meant to be broken, but only time will tell how Claudia and Soren handle the one they’re trapped in.

Can I just say, though?

Claudia is going to make one hell of an epic villain.

Bring it on.

#the dragon prince #meta #my meta #I think this is the longest meta i've ever written #it's just over 2800 words #that's longer than most of my Ao3 pieces #LONG post #tdp

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avenger09 · 5 years ago

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The Dragon Prince: Fighting Game Banter

If there was one made in the style of a NeatherRealm game.

Callum: (Drawing a rune in the air) It's the fight of the century!

Ezran: (Riding on a Banther) Brother, vs Brother.

Callum: Mage vs giant sharp-toothed Banth- Oh-this-was-a-terrible-idea.

Ezran: Callum, and Rayla, sittin' in a tree-

Callum: You've been waiting to use that, haven't you?

Ezran: K-I-S-S-I-N-G. And yes.

Rayla: How’s our adorable little Prince?

Ezran: Great. But I’m a king now.

Rayla: You know I meant Zym, Ez. Good joke though.

Soren: (Sword over his shoulder) Rematch Time.

Rayla: (Her blades switching in and out of scythe mode) Really? You want to risk breaking your back again?

Soren: (Combat pose) Hey! That was a Dragon! Not you.

Callum: What did I do?

Rayla: You ate my last moonberry surprise...

Callum: Oh no, she's Hangry again!

Soren: Want to spar today your highness?

Ezran: I would like to, yes.

Soren: As you wish. For the record though, using a Banter is totally cheating.

Soren: Sometimes girls can be so weird.

Callum: My first girlfriend get's superpowers from the moon.

Soren: ...That's neat buddy.

Rayla: Winner gets to plan our next date.

Callum: Neat. And the loser?

Rayla: (Chuckle) Has to tell your Aunt we're together.

Callum: (melodramatically) Two lovers divided, forced to fight!

Rayla: (just as melodramatically) Can their love endure this tragic twist of fate?!

Callum: Only thing is for certain... Wing cuddles will ensue.

Callum: Hi there. What"s your name?

Rayla: I'm Rayla, I'm your girlfriend, and we really don't have time to play "Never Met."

Callum: ... Rayla's a pretty name.

Callum: You didn’t need me to dance with you to let me into the Silvergrove did you?

Rayla: Hmmhmm Nope.

Callum: I’m dating an evil genius. And I’m okay with that.

Rayla: You think we should be called, what?

Soren: Eclipse Elves. ‘Cause that’s the only time the moon makes a shadow.

Rayla: That's... surprisingly A good point.

Ezran: What is it Aunt Amaya?

Amaya: (Gren interpreting) [Your mother would be so proud of you.]

Ezran: Thanks... I think she'd be proud of you too.

Amaya: [What's this I hear about you jumping of a cliff?]

Callum: It was for love!

Amaya: [Good motive, still reckless.]

Soren: Sometimes for lunch, I eat nothing but butter.

Amaya: [You shouldn't do that.]

Soren: Probably. My chest hurts all the time.

Corvus: (Spinning his sickle chain) We got off to a rocky start.

Rayla: It's okay. We all came together when it mattered.

Corvus: Still feel like I owe you a free one.

Amaya: [It's good to have you back.]

Corvus: Funny how we both ended up captured, General.

Amaya: (Grinning) [Captured? I was just taking a sunny holiday.]

Corvus: You really set an impossible goal post, your Highness.

Callum: How?

Corvus: How can any other couple top; Confessed our love mid-flight?

Rayla: So... Got any hobbies?

Amaya: [I know your dating my nephew.]

Rayla: Wha... I don't, I wasn't. Okay, I was just building up to that.

Rayla: Are you the reason we’re sometimes fighting copies of ourselves? Lujanne: (Dissipating her Human form) Maybe I am, or maybe the veil of reality has been opened wide for your others selves to come through. Rayla: So it’s definitely you, then,

Soren: Waaait... Are you and Callum together?

Rayla: Uck, no Soren. (mock cheery tone) We just like to kiss, hold hands, and be around each other all the time.

Soren: Hey, some people do, do, that. I'm not judging.

Soren: This is freaky.

Soren: Are we in some kind of weird, reflection, world?

Soren: If it is, you'd think it'd be a lot shinier, other me.

Ellis: (Ava poised dramatically) Hey Banterboy.

Ezran: Hey Wolfgirl.

Ellis: (Ava ready to lunge) Now, we fight crime.

Ellis: Yes! I knew you two would get together!

Rayla: Well we didn’t.

Ellis: Of course you two wouldn’t, dummy.

Ellis: You can grow wings now?! Callum: Just call me, “Souring Callum.”

Ellis: Hehaha! Sorry I thought you said: “Snoring Callum.”

Viren: This is a test Claudia.

Claudia: (Eyes turning black her snake wrist chain moving) To prove what?

Viren: (Staff extending) To prove If your strong enough to fight even your flash and blood.

Claudia: Hey man-bun!

Corvus: I have a name.

Claudia: Well, I've forgotten it. So...

Soren: Shouldn't have sent a Guard to do an Assassins job.

Viren: I sent you to save Katolis from a weak ruler. And to earn my pride.

Soren: I've got plenty of Pride. Big shock, none of it came from you!

Viren: Come to kill me for real, son?

Soren: I should have left you when Mom did!

Viren: Yes. You should have.

Viren: Impossible. How did you learn Primal Magic?

Callum: I did this thing called; Actually trying!

Viren: Dark Magic, Is not, A shortcut!

Claudia: Don't make me fight you Sorebear.

Soren: Claud's... Dad is evil.

Claudia: I can't choose again!

Callum: The way you use magic is wrong.

Viren: Oh? And how should I use it, oh wise, mongrel, Prince?

Callum: To help people, not use them! You selfish idiot!

Callum: You say you cared about my Dad.

Viren: Like a brother.

Callum: Then why didn't you ever just consider trading back the egg?

Rayla: Shouldn’t you be a puddle right now?

Viren: Despite your best efforts I live.

Rayla: Your remind me of a bad itch that just won’t go away.

Rayla: Do you even know my name? Or the names of those you’ve captured?

Viren: Should I, Elf.

Rayla: You will.

Ezran: I know about the Soulfrang, Viren.

Viren: How?

Ezran: Let's say, a little birdy told me.

Jenai: (drawing her Sunforge sword) Lux Aurea will be avenged.

Viren: I don’t even know who you are.

Jenai: You will...

Callum: So. You and my aunt huh?

Jenai: (Genuinely confused) What about me and your aunt?

Callum: Oh you’ll find out.

Janai: You don't have to stand so close to me.

Amaya: (teasing) [But your so warm and cozy.]

Janai: *sigh* *You where much more intimidating before we started talking.

Soren: If it isn't the Hot Elf.

Janai: Excuse me?!

Soren: Huh? No, Wait! I meant like.. Your made of fire sometimes!

Claudia: I bet Callum hates me right now.

Rayla: He doesn't hate you. He misses you.

Claudia: Why? He has you now.

Claudia: (sadly) Just an 'Assassin Friend' huh?

Callum: I'm sorry. Me and Rayla... It was completely unexpected.

Claudia: ‘Unexpected’ is just another kind of expected.

Ezran: I'm not angry Claudia.

Claudia: How can you say that, after I let you down.

Ezran: Your not your father. You can still be helped.

Soren: Your hair, what did you do?

Claudia: I made Dad better. Like for you.

Soren: Better, but he..? Claudia, no...

Amaya: (stern) [Your father is a liar, a thief, and a traitor. For your sake give him up.]

Claudia: It's not that simple!

Amaya: (sympathetic) It never is with family.

Aaravos: (After his familiar has possessed a host) I've looked forward to this meeting.

Callum: Do I know you?

Aaravos: No. But you possess something that can help me. A certain... cube.

Lujanne: They say “Time fades even Legends”

Arravos: Who does?

Lujanne: No clue? Read it in a book about vampires once, and thought you might know?

Callum: Why should I trust you?

Aaravos: I can help you achieve your full potential.

Callum: That just helps me, what about my friends?

Aaravos: Why settle for being a mere High Mage?

Callum: What else is there?

Aaravos: Becoming the heir to my power. The new Archmage of Xadia.

Aaravos: We have both broken past the limits others set upon us.

Callum: That doesn't make us friends.

Aaravos: But it does make us equals.

Aaravos: I had such hopes for you.

Viren: Please, I still need your power. Anything you ask I’ll grant! Aaravos: Oh, have some dignity!

Amaya: [Stay away from my family!]

Aaravos: Afraid you’ll fail at protecting another of them, are you?

Amaya: [I’m only afraid I’ll enjoy this.]

Jenai: Any last words?

Aaravos: How’s your sister..?

Jenai: (Heat mode) Arrrrgh!

Aaravos: You shall be quite useful.

Rayla: Not happening.

Aaravos: Your compliance is not required. You will lure my new disciple to me.

Harrow: (Standing up from his throne as a set of disembodied armor) So... Tell me about this girl your seeing.

Callum: You do know she was one of the Assassins sent to kill you, right?

Harrow: Well, nobody’s perfect.

#The Dragon Prince #Fighting Game #Injustice 2 #Mortal Kombat #Rayllum #Rayla #Callum #Ezran #Soren #Claudia #Viren #Corvus #Amaya #The Dragon Prince Fighting Game

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