#and that her last wish is connected to Aaravos

[herwrittenuniverse]

So I'm rereading Patience and Ripples and I noticed something...

The photo of Aaravos in the rain clearly shows him crying.

You can see the streak of water start right about where his eye is, right down his cheek. This had me thinking, isn't this moment quiet similar to this one...?

And in this, Aaravos is looking at a reflecting of himself. Not only do we see a mirror/reflection motif (in both the shows and the stories), it also sheds some light on our Startouch Elf's situation...

He references a fallen star in Ripples. Pretty sure that he and it are one in the same.

He also keeps references how the other Startouch Elves are arrogant, too caught up in themselves and their own greatness to notice how small actions (ie, humans - particularly, how the wise human touches the water and literally causes it to ripple or 'distort their reflection') can have huge consequences.

Aaravos does not like his Startouch Brethren. He does not speak highly of them in either stories.

On the contrary, while he acknowledges that humans have weaknesses (and talks down upon them tbh), he also credits them for teaching him two valuable lessons - patience and consequences (ie, 'ripples').

I would say the first image - the one of Aaravos crying in the rain - is a teaser and a throwback to whatever conversation he is having with The Merciful One - who, as I have already posted, is probably not that merciful. And you know the creators have all this planned out already and love to drop little hints without us even knowing what's happening.

This is all really fascinating food for thought as we head into S6. I already mentioned that Aaravos is going to be regarded in a sympathetic light. My bets are that he was cast away by his own people (perhaps over someone he loved, as he references love in the S6 teaser - yes plz) and has something to prove to the other Startouch Elves who outcasted him - be it revenge or something similar, who knows.

Damn. I do love this show.

[dreamlandcreations]

Imagine Aaravos sacrificing his last connection to the real world for you...

Imagine Aaravos sacrificing his last connection to the real world for you, for your wish to have the power for revenge.

As you float in the waters of the Sea of the Castout, you fight with all your strength and magic to stay alive. Not for anyone or anything you love. No, all that was destroyed not far, by the Ruins of Elarion, where your people hid from the rest of the world which wouldn't accept mixed-bloods like you.

Unaware that someone was listening to your pleas, you slowly start to drift away from your home and the land of the living. In the last moment, you feel the water's energy shift into something more powerful, a power that seeps into your very being, transforming you into something else, tethering you to the physical world as an undying spirit of the water who is ready to unleash her wrath on those who wronged her.

Centuries later, the being who made you what you are comes to collect the debt...

Inspired by TANIWHA ( Get in the water )

[bat-snake]

Feeling ways about. How far the Sea of the Castout extends and just an extra special layer of tragedy in Leola's death.

The rivers reach the Silvergrove, almost touching the Moonstone Path. They connect to the oasis in the Midnight Desert. They even connect up to the Storm Spire to some unlabeled sea(???). The connect to lakes that go into the Uncharted Forest and the Drakewood and Umber Tor.

Before the crater, there was a forest and a vast lack of a water source in that area. Leola's fall and Aaravos' century of grieving brought water to an area of Xadia where there was none before. So much that it spread through the land with unimaginable impact - life flourishing!

And of course, the cosmic/navigational impact with her star - bright and clear and steadfast and beautiful. If not navigation, then an inspiration for art, for poetry, for song, for declaring love. Or even just remembering: Woah! Astronomy!

Aaravos was right that she would be surrounded by love. Maybe not in the way he meant to comfort her. By accident, with her death, an avenue for all other life cracked open, and where life is, love follows.

Yet all the appreciation for the water and agriculture that came from it...no one actually knows (or cares?) who the Castout was. Surely some interesting little folk stories about the giant that wept in a crater for a while and a variety of guesses to how that happened.

They don't know she was someone's sweet little girl - someone's baby. They don't know she was murdered for showing compassion to a "lesser being". They don't know she died frightened and confused and seeking comfort from a parent floating out of her reach. Her "last wish" was unspoken and yet she had a star named after it.

For all of that, for all the love springing from and for Leola's impact on Xadia, only one remembers her and loves her for who she was in life. Yes, he may be perfectly aware of everything I just said. Maybe he's heard it before. Maybe he's considered it for himself. That her death created an outpouring of life and opportunity.

But it's bitter comfort. They don't love her like he still loves her.

[nasgard]

I wouldn't have minded Viren's death the way it happened if it had occurred later. Maybe in the final season, but here it unfortunately left me feeling betrayed and disappointed.

I know the intention was to show that he was finally being completely selfless and humble, sacrificing his own life to save the people of the kingdom. But the way it happened, the journey leading up to his death, just seemed cruel and unfair to me. Especially when I think about everything that happened in his life.

First, we know that his journey to darkness began precisely because he used dark magic to save his son's life. He used dark magic to save others and to serve the king. In other words, he spent his entire life destroying his own body and soul to save other people's lives, to feed the people of two entire kingdoms because somehow their rulers were incompetent to do so in the first place. So, once again, he destroys his body and soul and ends his life to save people who are okay with dark magic being useful to them once again but still continue to hate whoever uses it.

Moreover, he is forced into this when he said he wouldn't do it anymore, when he finally felt free from it. And he dies repeating that he is a servant. Again, I understand the intention of showing that he is no longer selfish and power-hungry, but when I remember that his hunger for power came from the insecurity of being someone without importance and value, seeing him die saying that was very sad. As if he, a servant, could never be anything else.

So, no, I didn't like Viren's ending as it was done.

Honestly, I find myself wishing he had died at the end of Season 3 because it feels like all his development in the last two seasons was thrown away and served no purpose. Because if Viren remained dead and Claudia still chose to follow Aaravos, Soren doesn't discover the truth, then what was the point of bringing Viren back to life? What was the point of him being, as far as we know, the only person ever resurrected? What was the point of him being able to see a vision of himself from the future and the past? Why did he have visions of Aaravos' mirror? And his constant visions with Claudia? That obvious connection to the Star Arcanum served no purpose?

Besides, knowing the true reason for Aaravos' revenge plans simply makes the way he dealt with Viren, Claudia, and Sir Sparklepuff in the last three seasons very, very strange. And here, I'm not judging the character but the writers who crafted this confusing plot. Because noticing the similarities between Viren's and Aaravos' stories, I don't see why Aaravos didn't reveal that to Viren. I know that if he had treated Viren as he did in Seasons 2 and 3, he would have convinced Viren to stay on his side. But instead, Aaravos pushed Viren to a complete breakdown, to the point of wanting to give up dark magic.

And what was that about Lissa not wanting to shed a single damn tear to save her own son? Honestly, the revelation that Viren had to pull her hair to get the tear to save THEIR SON, when Viren had already made the greater sacrifice with his own body and soul, didn't make me mad at Viren, it made me mad at her. She even abandoned the kids afterward, and Viren is the only terrible parent here?

All that being said, Viren was my favorite character because he was the most complex, the most real, and the best written. With him dead, I've lost interest in continuing to watch the show, which is really a shame.

[currentlyinflames]

Analyzing the poem about stars that Damien (callum's father) wrote

They say the stars outlast us all

A reference to the startouch elves' long lives and how they have seen human kingdoms and cities rise and fall. "They" could refer to stories written about their kind, like Elarion.

Eternal sentinels on high

They mostly live in the stars (the "high"); sentinels means guardians, which could refer to how the council "guards" the balance.

But I have sought their silver hearts

The glowing markings on every startouch elf's chest. I'm not sure what he means by sought tho, perhaps he has thought from their perspective on their views of mortal matters like death.

And wonder if perhaps they die

Connects back to Callum's question of "How do you kill a startouch elf?" This is posed as an innocent question, in contrast to the serious mood of when Callum asked the same question. This could also be Damian confronting his own mortality.

Perhaps they gasp the cold of dawn

When Leola died, Aaravos lost what was guiding him and was exposed to the betrayal of the sun, the cold heart of the dawn. The "dawn" could also be a reference to how sol regem's true colors emerged as he is depicted as a cold hearted snitch. He sobbed gasping tears while mourning his only light.

A final breath of the living night

Leola's last wish? Then newborn sparks born of the dark

Maybe a reference to how Leola's death caused a new star to be born or how Startouch elves can be reborn when their stars align once more.

Breathe in the dusk and breathe out light

Possible allusion to Leola's death, where light poured out of her being. The dusk is considered a symbol for the end. The day ends with dusk, taking away the light and Leola dies in a burst of brightness, taking away her father's light.

This poem portrays startouch elves in a very human light. They breathe, they grieve, they die. This idea is further highlighted by Aaravos' story of him and Leola. The very normal concept of parenting is taken to make us see Aaravos in a more favourable way.

[fynnlink]

"The Dragon Prince" Theory for Book 6 "Stars" concerning the star "Leola's Last Wish" and the Identity of Leola herself and what her "Last Wish" might have been. Plus some speculation regarding "The Merciful One" and Aaravos

Possible Spoilers but I'm mostly just theorising.

SPOILERS

Okay so quick recap for those who only watch the series and don't interact with other content:

Leola was once a unicorn who once gave the Humans their first Primal Stones, thus granting them access to magic before they later learned / turned to Dark Magic. She was also said to have been "unique" amongst her kind.

Later after the Humans had learned dark magic they hunted the unicorns to near extinction, to use them to empower their magic. This is also what makes the unicorn horn in the earlier Books so rare and Claudia's finding it such a feat.

So on to the theory:

According to Aaron Ehasz the elven child in the drawing below (seen in the credits of an episode and more importantly in the Star-chart/map in the new Intro) is none other than Leola herself.

Tweet from Aaron Ehasz talking about the drawing of the Elf Child

Star Map in the new "Mystery of Aaravos" Intro (same drawing in the center on the left)

While I'm neither arguing against or trying to "disprove" the stated theory of "Startouch Elves = Unicorns", I'm instead focusing on another part of the drawing and the greater lore of TDP as a whole. (Whether there is a specific connection between Startouch Elves and unicorns beyond a shared Primal Source is ultimately irrelevant to my theory but it's an interesting thought nonetheless.)

As stated/shown in Book 5 Episode 2 "Old Wounds" the Elves of Xadia call the brightest star in the sky "Leola's Last Wish" (as opposed to the Humans calling it "The South Star" which is probably a play on our own "North" Star). What interests me is the fact it is specifically called Leola's Last Wish and the fact that this star is the brightest of all.

It's also interesting that Rayla doesn't know who Leola was joking that she might have been a friend of Garlaath the Annihilator (which might have been the case but we don't know. Garlaath might be seen wielding an axe and shield on the right side of the star map though this is also unconfirmed.)

While we do not yet know why or exactly when Leola became a unicorn we do know it must have been before the Splitting of Xadia and probably before - around the founding of Elarion 2000+ years before the begin of Book 1.

Regardless of why, we know Leola was once an elf (maybe even a Startouch Elf) who later became a unicorn. It is my theory that Leola's "Last Wish" was the one that turned her into a unicorn and the drawing above shows the exact moment she wished upon a star. This would also explain why Leola was "unique" among the unicorns.

Furthermore I believe that Leola's wish was granted by "The Merciful One" a Startouch Elf first shown in one of the new promo clips "Elf Sad" which features Aaravos (possibly just after his literal and metaphorical "Fall") being visited by T.M.O above the Sea of the Castout. This is also the same place where we first see the two statues of Aaravos and T.M.O back in B5 E9.

This clip also shows "The Merciful One" in much brighter, even glowing garments as opposed to Aaravos' cold and dark ones. While this is most likely because of his Fall (the star symbol on his chest is also black and his clothes look damaged/ripped), the entire scene draws attention to The Merciful One connected to the brighter purple/red/gold of the stars and nebulae. This contrast between Aaravos' dark and T.M.O's light/colour is most noticeable in the top-down shot below.

I do think the difference in attire has more to do with Aaravos' "Fall" than with The Merciful One themselves but these two theories aren't mutually exclusive.

I believe "The Merciful One" is this brightest star, the one known to the Elves as "Leola's Last Wish" and the Humans' "South Star" thus why I speculate a connection between them and Leola.

[thrandilf]

I've always viewed the possession scene in S4 as manipulation meant to spur the heroes on to go after Aaravos because he wanted them to give chase, with the possession acting as a threat but not the end game

and while I still think that's true I also was considering how everything Aaravos says to them individually works as they react to it

he's also driving them in Specific ways to Aaravos's benefit, even while they think they're angry at Aaravos, but really, with what we know is coming in S6 in mind:

the moonshadow assassin who isn't capable of killing: we think he's taunting her to come after him and we see Rayla warm up to the idea of killing Aaravos in the beginning of S5, but the actual person she'll be put to the test about killing in S6 is more likely Callum

the failed son whose father wishes he had never been born: this one makes me wonder if Aaravos was distantly aware of Viren's change of heart/perhaps Viren's avoidance of the staff if Aaravos is able to sense such things through the staff or Sparklepuff or their connection in general which he seems to be able to pull on in S5 without having to give Viren an eye sigil (horrifying if that entire thing in S3 was for Show), and it pushes Soren further against Viren, who Soren won't believe has changed and who is not one of Aaravos's pawns by the time we hit S6 and therefore no loss for Aaravos

the whining child king, in over his head and he knows it: this one doesn't seem to have a specific target for Ezran to go against but it does make me think that Aaravos wants Ezran to be heavily involved in whatever comes next, perhaps because he thinks Ezran is an easy target, or better yet, Ezran could be swayed to be merciful and is Aaravos's best shot at gaining sympathy or a nonviolent ending, if that's what Aaravos wishes, so also to Aaravos's benefit

the human mage, destined to play right into my hands: this one has been the most blatantly obvious that even as Callum doesn't want to do this, his fighting against playing into Aaravos's hands seems to be leading him right into Aaravos's hands especially with the S6 comic con promo image making it look like he takes Aaravos to the Starscraper in the backpack which is probably the Last thing he should be doing, so this one's really Callum vs himself/Aaravos but also going in Aaravos's favor

Every instance of this is lining up for Aaravos inspired friendly fire without them realizing it/while trying to fight against him and that's incredible, with the most worrying one for me probably being Rayla. Yay!

[raayllum]

Okay now for an actual somewhere coherent breakdown of the clip:

Rayla and Callum are taking a solo trip (presumably to visit the Sunfire elves) as when you look at their camp, there’s two steeds - a shadowpaw and a horse - and just Stella and Bait. No other people are present. 

Callum has his staff per usual, and Rayla has a quiver of arrows to match with Runaan’s bow, so we may actually get to see her use it at one point!

Callum is seen sketching again (which he didn’t do in S4) and those include a flower and Stella!

As someone who predicted this exact part of the original “written in the stars” skit this is based on would come back in exactly this kind of symbolic way with Rayllum over a year ago, I am feeling very pleased and very hype!

And like listen the sheer amount of foreshadowing and emphasis here, starting the clip off with a shooting/wishing star, Rayla emphasizing “together” (which doing things alone vs together has always been core to their dynamic) and Aaravos equalling stars, and just like. Come on. Come on

Last but not least we can estimate where this scene falls in the season. It has to be early on, so I’m tentatively labelling 5x02, as they’re also clearly close to the Sunfire elves, as they seem be in the forest by the ruins that Janai proposed to Amaya at.

And given Callum’s response to Rayla showing more affection, it’s clear they’ve probably talked a bit and are on Much better terms (especially since he embraced and is able to actually work on forgiving her, now, rather than just holding onto his anger) but we still know later on in the season they’re going to have conflict (which if they haven’t talked about everything, makes perfect sense tbh). 

Then we have the lore drop that like many things, the South Star is defined by duality, as it is also called Leola’s Last Wish. Leola, revealed in the Book One: Novelization (or tales of xadia or both) is the unicorn who gifted humans primal stones and helped teach them draconic. She is likely the unicorn we see on the S4 intro star chart, and unicorns are also one of the few creatures connected to the Star arcanum, which is also associated with wishes. And hmm... what do people in the show wish for??

Harrow: But as a father, I have a selfish wish: for you and Ezran to be free.  Rayla: I wish I could stay. Callum: I wish I could just forgive her but it - it - it’s so hard.

Aaravos “Tests of love” “To fulfil your wishes of course” looking at Rayllum real meaningfully right now, I think. 

[orchid-merryweather]

Thinking about how both times Callum uses dark magic, he then connects to a primal source

First, in order to save a dragon, a creature of the sky, he turns chains into snakes, he then connects to the sky acanum

Then, while in a boat on the ocean (hear me out here folks), he uses dark magic, again turning chains into snakes to free himself, he then connects to the ocean arcanum

Makes me think about why/how humans have dark magic in the first place

Because I'd always thought that we were supposed to assume that Aaravos was the one that taught humans dark magic, in order to corrupt and control them, but I'm realizing that it's far more likely that someone else did

When Vieren, Claudia, and that one guy in the flashback with Sol Reagem use dark magic, they aren't doing it with good in their hearts and to achieve a net positive outcome. Vieren killed the king of the dragons. Claudia acted so violently towards that one dragon that it was 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 of her. That one guy was defending a city full of innocent people that was clearly not his first use of dark magic and his soul was already corrupted.

They used dark magic in acts of evil and their souls became corrupted because of it.

Callum used dark magic as a last resort to save the lives of others. He used it in small amounts and with good intentions

I used to think that we were supposed to assume that Aaravos taught the humans dark magic. But, what if it was someone else? I still think it was a Startouch elf, I don't think that the power of dark magic could have originated elsewhere. I believe that some other Startouch elf gave the humans dark magic.

Dark magic, as was given to the humans, was not supposed to be used the way we see it used by Vieren and Claudia, but how we see Callum use it

I believe dark magic was given to the humans as a way of forming connections with the arcanums

Its purpose was supposed to be to help humans connect with magic, dark magic is a bridge between having and being without a primal source. The first use of dark magic and the following dark magic coma prepares the body for the use of magic which it is not used to

And when Callum has his dark magic coma, we see that a lot of his dream is sky/storm based alongside his rejecting of corruption

His rejecting of that corruption of his soul prepares him to use magic, and then all the weird sky/storm stuff is of course the building of his connection to the arcanum

I wish we could have seen Callum's pov when he used dark magic the second time. We know that dark mages only have the dark magic coma the first time they use dark magic, but we don't know how connecting to a second arcanum works. Did he have some weird dream first? Or did he suddenly understand the arcanum?

Of course, I could be overanalyzing this entirely, but I just don't think it's a coincidence that Callum's understanding of an arcanum and use of dark magic are never far apart.

Now for my prediction

Callum is going to understand the star arcanum. To do that, he first needs another instance of using dark magic

It's going to happen at the starscraper. It's going to be revealed that the Celestial Elves (an ancient sect of skywing elves for those of you who don't remember) are supporters of Aaravos. After finding out that Rayla and Callum are against Aaravos, and that they know where he is, the Celestial Elves lock them away, wanting to free him. Here Callum uses dark magic to get him and Rayla out, and being at this place that is clearly connected to star magic, he forms a connection to the star arcanum. We will also get to see what happens when a human connects to a primal source that isn't their first because we didn't get to see that in s5 with ocean magic

[zuppizup]

Possession

He tries to scream, to cry out, but it’s like he’s nothing. No-one. Just a passive wanderer in his own body.

Rayla grunts in pain as she is thrown into another tree.

Thrown by him.

It’s a whole new sort of terror, this disembodied helplessness. He doesn’t have eyes to cry or teeth to grit… no hands to ball in anger.

All he is is a ghost. A passenger along for the ride as Aaravos does with his body as he sees fit.

Aaravos laughs at him too. Callum can feel the Startouch’s amusement at his predicament. He can feel his delight as Callum’s body hurt’s Rayla over and over and over and over…

At least Soren got Ezran away. The wide-eyed horror as this body advanced on him is something Callum thinks he will never forget.

But his brother is safe from him.

For now.

Rayla assured that, at the cost of her own safety. Her own life.

So very Rayla.

He already knows Aaravos’ intentions. The connection flows back and forth more this time.

He knows Aaravos plans on toying with her for a while. Drawing it out as long as possible and then killing her slowly, painfully. While Callum can do nothing but watch. Sit passively by as she is rent asunder by his own hands.

Part of him thinks she knows how futile this struggle is. How hopeless.

She’s still pulling her punches though, still trying to incapacitate them.

Holding back is only hurting her more and all he wants to do is beg her to at the very least run.

Give up on him and save herself.

She doesn’t though, she continues to have faith in him. Getting up every time she’s knocked down. Trying to reach him, pull him free. “I know you’re still in there, Callum!” She spits blood onto the forest floor, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes fixed on his. “I know you’re stronger than him!”

How he wishes he could tell her he hears every word, he’s just to weak to resist the control.

He can see she’s faltering now, weak and injured. She has little left to give.

Aaravos knows it too, and Callum’s heart constricts when he realises Aaravos knows if he doesn’t finish her soon, she’ll loose consciousness.

Or worse.

And he wants very much to play with her.

Rayla rushes them, the remaining half of Runaan’s bow blade in her left arm. Not her good arm, but that hangs useless by her side.

She raises the knife, preparing to strike but even Callum can see her resolve crumble. Before she reaches them, she sobs, stumbling and dropping to her knees.

The blade skids across the forest floor, stopping when Aaravos lazily lifts Callum’s foot to intercept it.

Callum tries to scream, to cry out, push back… anything.

He already knows what Aaravos has planned, the images of Rayla’s ruined body flashing through their joined minds.

They bend down and pick up the knife, casually strolling over to where Rayla kneels panting on the rough ground. Grabbing her by the horn, they roughly pull her head back, chuckling at her tears.

“Any final words?” Aaravos snickers as he teases the blade along her neck. “He can hear you, you know? One last declaration of love? A plea for your life?”

Rayla swallows, looking defiantly into his eyes. “It’s not your fault, Callum.” She whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek as she smiles sadly. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault…”

Aaravos laughs, pushing the blade lower, pressing it against Rayla’s stomach. “We’ll see if you still think that once this is all over.”

He pulls back, preparing to gut her, the slow beginning of this torturous end…

Rayla closes her eyes, breathing out slowly. She looks resigned.

This cannot be happening. He can’t, he can’t, he can’t do this to Rayla. He can’t bare it. It’s too much.

Aaravos chuckles as he prepares to rip the knife through flesh and then there’s a blinding pain, burning like fire through his ribs.

They both gasp, falling on hands and knees as the breath is knocked from them.

“Idiot boy.” Aaravos sneers as he retreats into darkness, leaving Callum alone in his own mind.

“Callum!” Rayla crawls forward, arms reaching for him. “Oh Sources, Callum, what did you do?!”

“It doesn’t matter.” He coughs, only a little surprised to see the splatter of blood on the ground. He pays it no mind as he turns to look at Rayla, smiling softly. “He’s gone. You’re safe now.”

[herwrittenuniverse]

TDP MATH INCOMING

ALRIGHT SO

ERIK DELLUMS (the voice of Aaravos) tweeted this a few months ago:

We know there is a constellation called Leola's Last Wish and it's important because A. Rayla references it in the camping scene with Callum (S5E2) and TDP literally tweeted about it.

Now stick with me here...

In the beginning of S6E1, we see Aaravos in tears, talking to another Startouch Elf (who I believe was confirmed to be the The Merciful One), referencing being connected about love or something along those lines.

WHAT IF - THE ELF BEING REFERENCED - ABOUT LOVE - IN REGARDS TO AARAVOS - IS LEOLA

AND HER LAST WISH HAS TO WITH AARAVOS - Look at the star she is holding! Clearly the same one that is missing from Aaravos' chest!

BUT WHAT WAS THE LAST WISH????? AND IS IT WHY AARAVOS IS IMPRISONED?

I AM PAYING THE MATH BUDGET TODAY AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME OTHERWISE THESE TWO ARE CONNECTED AHHHHHH

[xadian-daydreams]

Leola - Startouch elves and Unicorns.

I'm a big fan of the Leola is Aaravos' daughter theory, and as I was making a different post I had one of those what ifs that went weird places. Plus, there's a lot of speculation about shapeshifting unicorns because the child Startouch elf holding the Leola's Last Wish in the star map is confirmed to be Leola, who is also mentioned as a unicorn in Tales of Xadia handbook.

So, this theory is full blown tinfoil hat.

Here's a unicorn as depicted in Puzzle House. They have a diamond blaze under their horn. Aaravos' conjured horse also has diamond blade, but hornless. Notice that the shape is the close to Aaravos' missing chest piece, his "white heart".

From the Death of the Immortal poem;

Kazi: "...and though undying, took last breath, immortal Laurelion was no more." Callum: That's good, right? I mean, when someone "was no more," that-that's dead, yeah? Kazi: It's a bit confusing, but that is the clearest implication. Though, it is somewhat odd they call them undying and immortal. Callum: Well, that doesn't sound so immortal? Laurelion "was no more." Right. But how? How did they...? Kazi: Right here. "White as the star's heart it pierced, ivory draconic brought death's bite known ever forth as Novablade." Callum: It's a sword. A weapon that can end a Startouch Elf's mortal existence. The weapon. We did it. We found the answer.

(ivory draconic - wonder if that's a reference to the star dragon bone mentioned in a legend in ToX).

So, here comes the wild speculation part...

What if "took last breath" and [Leola's] "Last Wish" are connected? What if Startouch elves lose their immortality because they have massive amounts of power drawn out of them (aka last breath) by the Novablade to perform a "great wish." What if the drawing takes a twisted form that solidifies, erupting from their heart piece...

And the Startouch is transformed into a unicorn who can die, with the horn being the mark of their final wish.

Why unicorns? Well, part of it's the western fantasy familiarity with unicorns and pure-heartedness. I think only pure hearted Startouch were selected for this...

Going with this, as a child Leola was stabbed with the Novablade, which created the brightest star in the sky - Leola's Last Wish. Now, I think this has something to do with the "heavens" the Startouch elves disappeared to. Using Leola's sacrificed immortality the Startouch created a cosmic home for themselves, which Aaravos ends up getting cast out of.

But what if this isn't just Leola, what if this is just how Startouch effect the world and every unicorn was created this way. Using a (star?) dragon bone blade to sacrifice a pure hearted child's immortal future in order to benefit the greater community. Maybe that's how primal magic was created from deep magic - a child's wish to make life better for others. Unicorns are described as "selfless" - a most cherished value in elf culture.

Take Rayla's example. Doing her duty to her community, by giving up her family, by risking her life to keep others safe, by doing the unpleasant tasks while trying to save other that burden, that's what she's been taught is love. She's sent on a dangerous mission at 15 to reclaim honor and help lift herself out of the shame of her parent's failure - when she had nothing to do with it. She has to prove she's worthy to Silvergrove. When she fails in her duty to her community, she loses their love and is castout.

Extrapolate to a culture where the greatest act of love is sacrificing your forever.

But if Leola is Aaravos' daughter, he probably was less than pleased she lost her immortality just so others could live the life. Even if everyone else praised and honored her, he still lost her. She's depicted as uniquely kind amongst unicorns and he may have felt the others took advantage of her great empathy - and being just a kid. Even if she volunteered, he would have felt the culture pressured her. He might despise the whole practice and culture that benefits from it.

Which makes his action with Sparklepuff more of a dark mirror held up against Startouch practices. Deliberately creating a child purely for sacrificial purpose to benefit from their power is evil... so how can a culture justify brainwashing children to get the same result?

(Kinda headcanoning Leola as a bit of a mash-up of Rayla and Ezran).

Then Leola became humanity's helper, gifting the people of Elarion primal stones and knowledge of primal magic, which led to some learning primal magic, and the Elarion culture flourishing. This appears to have gone against Startouches' warning and to have eventually incurred the Startouches' ire - at least according to Aaravos, who obliques says in Ripple short story that the Startouch killed all the human primal mages by dropping a small star (implied to be Aaravos) and creating the Sea of the Castout. Another slight against Leola that Aaravos may feel the need to rectify, on top of them casting him out. Que introduction of dark magic, plans of vengeance against Startouch etc.

So this theory is pretty out there, as it's not really based off much - Leola on star map & mentioned in ToX, weird wording in the Death of the Immortal poem, odd observation about Aaravos' horse, that only those of pure heart can see the unicorn map, and the "self-sacrificing for duty is love" nature of elf culture. But it was mentioned in an interview that most of Aaravos motivation stems from his relationship with an individual, and losing a daughter to elf culture's emphasis on self-sacrifice that mainly benefits those he finds unworthy of such love? I kinda like it as a motivation.

(Side note, kinda feel Aaravos is making a dig for his own amusement with his mount looking like a hornless unicorn, given that he doesn't have a white heart to stab and isn't pure hearted anyway. Plus, some stuff about why Aaravos is pleased about a unicorn horn being used in the Weapon of Vengeance spell, but that gets off topic so I might come back to that later).

[chronicvillainstan]

So, Leola = Startouch Elf, can shapeshift into a unicorn? Leola = gift-giver of Primal Stones. Was her "Last Wish" to empower humanity? To spare them from Luna Tenebris's wrath? And was she cast from the heavens because of it? AND WHO IS LAURELION?!

I may write this up in full at a later date, but my working theory is that Leola & Laurelion both have some connection to Aaravos. Leola took pity on humans and was cast out (Leola is the "falling star" in Ripples, who had "given" humanity something it was "never meant to have" + the "daughter of an elven leader" in the novelization of Book 1). Meanwhile, Laurelion was stabbed by Aaravos as *Laurelion* was the one to cast Leola out. In turn, Aaravos was also cast out, but could never find Leola as she'd shapeshifted into a unicorn.

So, in a nutshell, Leola is Aaravos's daughter, and everything that happened to her partly drives Aaravos's actions (amazing Viravos parallels if this is the case).

[self-spaghettification]

Hey I think you are cool and pretty knowledgeable in this area so I'd like to share a theory(?) I have with you. Do correct me if I get anything obviously wrong I have only been in the Fandom since February or May and there may be context I am missing 😅.

What if the Star described in Ripples was not Aaravos but Leola. The calamity is said to have happened after humans were given primal magic, not dark magic. Also:

"The sky opened its maw and spat from its black jaws a tiny star. Small as it was, it gleamed with all the searing brilliance of a diamond—brighter and more beautiful than anything the humans had ever beheld."

Aaravos is not "tiny" or "small". It would be odd for him to describe himself that way. The only Startouch elf that we know of that could be described as small would be Leola.

Idk if I am making any sense sorry lmao. Anyway. Have a good day!!

Hi there! Thank you :)) I’m honored that you think that!

Anyway, about the theory. It’s intriguing! Especially the tiny star connection to Leola, the smallest startouch elf we know of at the moment:

However— “The calamity is said to have happened after humans were given primal magic, not dark magic.” This, my dear anon, is —in my speculative view—exactly why it can’t be Leola. Leola the unicorn gave humanity primal magic. Leola the startouch elf was pictured with a star, her last wish, and last wish being pretty grim, I interpret it as the death of her, or her form as a startouch elf at least. So if primal magic had already been gifted to humanity by the time of this fallen star, Leola had likely already fallen, ruling her out.

However! This is all my view. There are a lot of different takes on Leola, the falling star, and Leola’s relationship/connection with Aaravos, and I would encourage checking those out! I’d link them but it’s been a second. They’re probably under the tdp Leola tag or with their friends

There is the possibility Leola was 1. Unicorn then 2. Startouch elf then 3. Star or some other combo, but it’s all wishy washy lore enough atm that nothing can really be ruled out, so I’m all for more theories!

So yeah, that’s my take! Thanks for asking!

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

Flowers

My lone submission for the Rayllum Valentine’s event.  Warning: this fic contains mentions of post-partum depression.  Canon-verse, but does involve Rayla still being ghosted 

-------------------

Rayla growled in frustration as she threw the letter in the fire.  “Ray-” Callum murmured from the side, holding their week-old daughter. Aisling was the most beautiful thing Rayla had ever seen, with her father’s green eyes and brown hair with ten fingers and ten toes.  The most elven thing about her was the little horn stubs on the top of her head.    

“Don’t, Callum. Please.”

“We’ll make them understand.”

“How?!  You freed Runaan, Lain, Tiadrin, and many others from those coins.  We saved Zym and reunited him with Zubeia.  We defeated Aaravos and it’s STILL NOT ENOUGH.  They will never unghost me and let me go back home.” Rayla felt the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and tried to hold them back, but they poured out. “And now I’m getting hormonal and just…UGH.”

She didn’t resist when she felt Callum come up behind her and wrap his arm around her waist.  “I’m sorry, Ray.  I don’t know why they are being so stubborn.  You don’t deserve this, but no matter what, you have me and Aisling, and Ezran and Soren.  You ARE home.”

“You don’t get it.”

Sighing, he moved away from her.  “What don’t I get?  Didn’t we agree that this is your home now?  Didn’t we say that, no matter what, we are each other’s home?”

“And I stand by that. But you cannot possibly understand what I am going through.  You still have your home.  You haven’t been banished and you can come and go as you please.  I need weeks of planning to not only go see my parents, but if I want to see my childhood homes, nobody can see me.  My culture, my language, everything, is basically lost to me. You don’t get it.”

Callum was quiet for a while, perhaps minding their daughter.  Rayla winced as she continued looking at the fire.  Wrapping her arms around herself, she felt even more terrible. She didn’t feel like she had taken to being a parent nearly as well as Callum had.  Maybe she wasn’t meant to be a parent.  She loved Aisling with everything she had, had carried the halfling in her belly for nine and a half months and delivered the child for hours, but she was also crying more, angered quicker, and didn’t stop Callum from getting out of bed at night to tend to the baby.  If anything, she hoped he would so she didn’t have to.    

Callum finally came back to her and wrapped both his arms around her.  “You’re right, Ray, I don’t get it.  I cannot understand your pain and frustration.  And now that we have a child, I’m sure your feelings have only grown stronger because you want to share all of those things with her.  But I have to believe that we can make them welcome you back because I’ll hate them if I don’t.  We’re trying to forge peace and hate doesn’t belong anywhere near that.”

“I haven’t even thought about how it would affect Aisling.  Gods, I’m a terrible mother.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“Yes, I am.  I gave her a Xadian name and she can’t spend time in Moonshadow territory?  She’s cut off from half of herself and I’m sitting here thinking about how it affects me.” Rayla felt the panic rising in her chest.  “Callum, what if she hates me?  All I do is fuck up with her.  I’m not bonding with her like I should.  She already adores you more and I’m just there.”

“Look at me. Please.”  Slowly turning, Rayla raised her eyes to meet his, shocked at the tears in them.  “You aren’t fucking up.  You’re having a hard time, but that’s not that weird.  You heard Sabah and Amaya.  Most new mothers feel like this, and if it lasts longer, we’ll get you help. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother or something is wrong with you.  What did the mid-wife say?”

“That birth is traumatic for some and it takes longer to heal the mind than the body.”

“What else?”

“That, because I don’t have a support system from my home and my culture, I’m more at risk.”

“I’m so sorry that this is happening and I wish I could fix it for you.  I would fly into Silvergrove now and make them take you back if I thought it would work.  But you are not screwing up with Aisling.  She’s not cut off from half of herself because she has you.  If you want to only speak to her in High Elven, I will support that.  If you want to teach her to read it, I will find books every time we go to Xadia and ask Janai for some.  I’ll order ingredients from Xadia so she can have Xadian food.  I promise, I will do what I can to give you both a connection to your home because, even though we are each other’s home, you do still need a connection your culture.  Aisling does, too.”  Wrapping her arms around him tight, Rayla’s shoulders shook as she silently sobbed in his arms.  Callum kissed the top of her head and held her close, rocking her side to side as he so easily did their baby.

------------------------------------------------------

Rayla rolled her eyes as she stared at the curtains Callum had pulled over part of their bedroom. He said there were changes coming to the garden and it was a surprise so she wasn’t allowed to look.  It had been several months since the Council’s latest rejection of her return to Silvergrove and she was slowly starting accept that she would always be rejected.  All four of her parents had visited Aisling and had adored their grandchild, promising to visit as often as possible and give her a connection to her culture. Lain and Tiadrin were even considering permanently moving to Katolis so they could be more active in Rayla’s life and make up for lost time.

Stroking Aisling’s cheek with the back of her fingers, Rayla held her bairn close.  Sabah had been a big help in the journey into motherhood, visiting often and letting Rayla freely voice her concerns and fears. Months ago, Rayla had feared the judgmental eyes of others for not being close enough to her child, but she was slowly learning that it really was different for everyone.  Tiadrin had shyly admitted she had had a hard time post-partum with Rayla as well; lying in bed for days on end and Runaan and Ethari and Lain having to check in on her.  She still felt like a failure some days, but her child was healthy and growing with a flush on her cheeks.  “I love you, even if you do wake me and your father up.  We need to get you sleeping through the night, wee one.”

A knock of the door interrupted her gentle scolding, causing her to look up.  “Princess Rayla?”

“Aye?”  

“Prince Callum requests you and Princess Aisling join him in the garden.”

“We’ll be there.” Standing up, she held Aisling close and left her bed chambers.  The trip to the gardens was a short one, but Callum had covered all the windows so Rayla couldn’t accidently get a peak at what he was doing.  “We’re finally going to see what your father has been up to.  I’ll bet you five whole jelly tarts he built a pond just to practice ocean magic.”

“I would take that bet.” She turned to the side to see Callum waiting for her.  “Ready to see the surprise?”

“I’ve been ready.” She turned to the glass doors leading to the garden and waited for Callum to open them.  He smiled at her and turned the handles.  As the doors opened, Rayla was hit with the smell of moonlilies.  She hadn’t smelled that scent outside of soap in years and her eyes watered in nostalgia and happiness.  Callum had planted a whole field of them as well as having built a gazebo.  “How did you do this?”

“Well,” running a hand through his hair, he gave her a sheepish smile, “it certainly wasn’t easy. The Council is being so stubborn with unghosting you, but I managed to convince them with a letter a day to let me have enough moonlilies to do this.  I told them that it was the least they could do for the mage who had decoined several of their citizens.  I know it’s not the same thing, but, at least, you can now have a piece of home right here in Katolis.  Let me show you the gazebo.”

He led them over, hand on the small of her back, and Rayla marveled at all the flowers before her. Moonlilies only bloomed at night, but their scent was still unmistakable.  The gazebo was wrought iron and featured multiple Moonshadow knots and symbols.  There were cushions and benches for sitting on.  “I could spend all day here.”

“I’m glad.”

“Thank you.  This is the sweetest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“I love you, Ray. This is our home, and, I hope, I made it feel a bit more like home for you.”

“You did.  I love you, too.”  

The three of them spent all day in the gardens, having lunch and dinner in the gazebo and later joined by Ezran and Soren.  Sabah, Marcos, and their child joined them as well, Sabah’s heavily pregnant belly leading the way.  Rayla and Sabah chatted in their mixed High Elvens while Callum made his attempts and the little one in their group hung on every word.  It still hurt Rayla that she couldn’t go home freely, but she did feel a bit more at home now.  Maybe one day, she would get to show Aisling and any other children she and Callum had Silvergrove and other Moonshadow territories.  Until then, the gardens would do quite nicely.

------------------------

This fic is something of an ode to my mother who had post-partum depression and had no real support system (family more than a 1000 miles away) besides my father and an ode to my grandmother who had her last child in a country and a culture that were not her own and who regrets not teaching her children more about her language and culture or about my grandfather's (English was the common language between them, so that's what they spoke in the house). I tried to convey their thoughts and feelings to the best of my abilities and to bring in the realties of raising a child in a multicultural, international relationship.

[enbeemagical]

Happy Aro Pride Day!!

As part of the Aro Pride Collab with @siriuslyremus @mossypebbles @logandeservesbetter @marathegreat @emmytheace @fandom-trashowo, I also wrote a Dragon Prince fic! Part one is complete, part two will be out when I finish it, hopefully soon.

Summary: Aaravos is asexual, aromantic, and sex-repulsed. Inspired by the vast amount of fics where Aaravos makes things spicy very quickly, my being a sex-repulsed aroace, and a what if. Roughly 2.4k words.

PART ONE

Aaravos is eleven years old when the human and elven children his age announce their first crushes. He does not have a crush, so he says it must work differently for Startouches, since they have such long lifespans.

Aaravos is sixteen years old when his caretakers finally realize he is going through puberty and sit him down for The Talk. The physical changes part he's already figured out. He doesn't understand the other part at all. Why would someone want to put their body next to another's in such a way when simple cuddling is likely far more comfortable?

Aaravos does not like not knowing things. He takes a dozen or so books on biology to his room, and spends weeks studying them. He still does not understand. The books seem to say that is enjoyable, but the pictures look rather uncomfortable.

At nineteen, Aaravos finally claims a crush: a shy, curly-haired human boy his age who clearly admires Aaravos. Aaravos enjoys this admiration– and who is to say he does not have a crush? No one else can know what he feels, and for all he knows this is what a crush is supposed to feel like.

The two have been together almost two months when the other boy brings up… physical intimacy.

They do not make it to their two-month anniversary.

Aaravos faces more questions about his intimate life as he gets older, and more beautiful. "How is such a one as you still alone?" "Do you not desire companionship?" "Books cannot provide the same company as another person…." "Have you ever done it?"

For his twenty-sixth birthday, Aaravos gets a cat. He names her Diamond.

Dia never once tells Aaravos that he should get out more, that he will be lonely without a partner. She does not attempt to pull him from his books and his stars. She asks only that he keep her dish full and her box clean, and in return she sits on his lap or his feet as he reads, purring all the while.

He reaches forty, still alone save for Dia, having connected to both Sun and Moon as well as Stars.

"You will be alone forever!" one of his human friends tells him exasperatedly. She is also forty, with a wife and three children. 

"My lifespan is more than twenty times yours," Aaravos replies. "Should I ever desire a romantic or sexual partner, I have much time to find one." He has no intention of ever doing so.

"You'll like it," his friend promises. "Try it someday, Aaravos."

Aaravos rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "Perhaps I shall," he says, with no intent of doing so.

✨💚✨

Despite his best efforts, Dia is only a cat, and a cat's life is not so long as an elf's. His constant companion and forever supporter exits his life on the same day she came into it, and for the first time, Aaravos is alone on his birthday.

He hates being alone. And so, for the first time, he tries sex. Perhaps it truly does work as his friends believe it to. Perhaps it will make him feel better.

He feels even worse afterwards. Dirty, violated. He consented fully to the experience, sought it out even, and he cannot figure out why he still feels as though he did not.

Never again. 

He retreats even further into his studies for a time, refining his mastery of the Sun and Moon, and connecting to Earth, Sky, and Ocean.

Aaravos has been alone for decades. Sometimes he misses other people. Contact with another living being. Sometimes he is content alone, and sometimes he aches with the wish, the need to hear another voice, to touch another being. Elf, human, cat, horse, it does not matter…. Aaravos is lonely.

He returns to society. It is awkward at first, speaking to others after so long. All his old friends are dead, he learns, and though he is sad there is also a spark of something else.

He can reinvent himself. Be anyone he wants to be. He does not need to be the awkward Aaravos he was, the boy whose ears and cheeks turned crimson at the mention of crushes or sex, the young man who was constantly on edge from the feeling of eyes following him, the man who threw himself into his studies as a way to escape constant questions. He can be anyone.

It happens gradually, almost without thought. A woman compliments his beauty, and before he can reconsider he says, "Oh, I know,” adding after a moment’s thought, “I thank you for noticing."

She smiles and nods silently, cheeks flushing.

A one-off interaction, or so Aaravos thinks. But later, when he is at dinner at an enchanting little café in Lux Aurea, another person comes up to him. Putting their hand on his table, they say, "Are you single?"

Aaravos pauses, looking up and quirking one eyebrow. "Why?" He smirks, lowering his eyelids. "Are you interested?" Stars, why did he just say that? What if they think he wants– that?

The human's eyes widen slightly, and Aaravos sees the dark blush spreading over their neck. Did he cause that? The thought gives him a sensation of– of power, of control. He is not the one blushing crimson, not now.

"Maybe I am," the human says in an almost sing-song voice. "Depends on if you are, I suppose."

What is the human getting at? "And what precisely is it you are asking me for?" he returns, voice light. Is this flirting? he wonders. Am I flirting with them?

"May I take you out for lunch tomorrow?" the human says.

They are interested then. Aaravos does not have much money at the moment, which he hopes to remedy soon. In the meantime, he still has to eat, and, well, they offered.

At lunch the next day, Aaravos watches carefully for signs that the human– he has already forgotten their name, so he calls them “starling,” which they seem to like– wants something from him in return for the meal. But, they seem only to want to talk, and listen. He guards his words at first, but they are surprisingly easy to talk to, and he finds his tongue loosening more and more.

He is enjoying this.

He stays in Lux Aurea for a time, continuing to date the human whose name, he finally remembers, is Tess. They help him get a job where he can use his magic: architecture. The new city never seems to have enough architects or builders. Sometimes Tess will take Aaravos out, sometimes he will take them out. 

After a time, he moves into their house. Both of them enjoy this new arrangement, Aaravos especially because they have separate rooms.

Now they are living together, there is much more casual physical contact. Aaravos does not like this, but he does not mind it.

Their relationship lasts about a year of living together before Aaravos and Tess separately decide to tell each other, on the same night, that it is not working out. They laugh at their timing, and agree to remain friends.

✨💚✨

Aaravos begins traveling Xadia then, never staying in one place longer than a couple moon cycles. He finds he enjoys this, the freedom of not being pinned down. Wherever he goes, he will use his skills to barter for food and lodging, or use his magic to gain those directly. He acquires new skills occasionally, and practises these as he goes. “A jack of all trades, a master of none,” the saying goes, “is sometimes better than a master of one.” Aaravos, however, is no human. He has time to master many trades, and he does.

He speaks however he pleases, finding another kind of freedom in flirting with no sense of obligation. He will be moving on in a matter of days, after all; he will not know anyone long enough to care whether they take his flirtations too seriously. And if anyone moves on him, he will simply… move on.

When the constant moving around and learning of new names and customs becomes too much for him, Aaravos retreats back to the Star nexus, where he stays until the loneliness becomes too great to bear. Then he is off again, as charming, flirty, and witty as ever.

He’s stopped keeping track of the years. Sometimes, someone will ask when his birthday is. He has it written down somewhere, but as he never bothers to check, he’ll usually ask the date and say, in great surprise, “Why, it is today!”

Aaravos mostly sticks to smaller cities and villages, whether human or elf. He notices that even the bigger human settlements are dirtier and poorer than the elven ones, and in the cities with both humans and elves, high-ranking humans are rare.

“This is the way it’s always been,” he hears every time he asks.

But it is not the way it must be.

Aaravos knows he can be charming and persuasive. He is beautiful, which does not hurt, but his voice and his intellect are what really matter. His voice is deep and smooth; he knows that when he speaks people hear the truth whether he speaks it or no. His mind is better. He is clever with his words, somehow knowing what his listener wants to hear. How to turn them to his cause. His magic, too, is powerful, a weapon many would kill to have.

And he finally knows why he has been given these gifts.

He journeys to the mountain called the Storm Spire, and requests an audience with Queen Azare. At first, the Dragonguard denies him, but he insists the queen will want to see him, even demonstrating his mastery of all six Primal sources. A guard leaves to ask the queen, and Aaravos waits, cracking jokes and seeing how hard he needs to flirt to make the stoic guards blush (very hard, actually), until the elf returns with the news that Aaravos is to be allowed in under guard.

Apparently this means something different than it seems to, for two elves grab his arms before he can react, and place wide metal bracelets on his wrists. They do not restrict his movement, but they are uncomfortable.

“What are these for?” He raises his arms, smirking. “Not exactly my style. I prefer sterling silver, in case you wish to get me a better gift. Iron isn’t really the best metal to give someone you want to ask out.”

“None of us are asking you out,” one guard snaps, causing a younger guard to blush and mumble something under her breath. “Those are magic restricting cuffs. No one does magic in the queen’s presence without her explicit permission.”

“Hm.” Aaravos draws a quick rune, which fails to even appear in front of him. “It seems they are.” He gives a short laugh to cover his rising panic. Stars, he needs to work on his physical fighting skills more. “Shall we proceed?”

Aaravos learns several things that day. Namely, that the Dragon Queen cares little for the plight of more than half her subjects, and even less for the charms of a certain Startouch elf. Not even his offer of service sways her.

“‘Humans are humans,’” he grumbles to himself as he leaves. “‘Their lives are too short to be changed by any effort on my part, so why should I try?’ Damned stuck-up uncaring spiteful dragoness!”

After that, Aaravos keeps mostly to human villages, staying longer and doing more to help. He cannot do anything about the systems that keep humans below elves, however, not like this.

He retreats to his nexus again, to study not magic, but politics, wars, government.

When he emerges, he finds there is a new dragon queen, this one an Earth dragon. He meets with her, but she claims there must be a reason humans are not equal to elves. If they were truly equal to elves, she argues, they would not be considered lesser. Yet they are, so they must be.

Aaravos points out the flaws in her logic, very nicely, and attempts to leave, only to be flung in jail. He works on charming his way out, but they continually rotate his guard, and that makes it very difficult. Until there is a regular guard. He flirts with her as hard as he can, but she never reacts.

“How can you simply ignore me?” he cries one day in frustration. “Am I so long imprisoned that I have lost my ability to flirt? Or is your heart simply so hardened from being a guard to that cruel queen you do not care?”

She looks at him for the first time since she entered. “I am aroace,” she says simply. “Your charms cannot work on me, Archmage.”

This is a new word to Aaravos. “Ah-row-ace?” he asks questioningly. “I’ve not heard this word before.”

A trace of a smile crosses the guard’s lips. “It’s a relatively new word, coined in the past, oh, fifty or so years. You’ve been here nearly a century, so I’m not surprised. It means aromantic asexual.”

Those words… Aaravos remembers reading them somewhere, but he cannot remember what they meant. He asks the guard, and she is all too happy to explain.

Aaravos enjoys her explanation past only the sound of another voice and the definitions. He feels… seen. The words resonate within him strangely, and he is silent for the rest of this guard’s shift.

He sleeps through the next few shifts, waking when the aroace guard returns.

“I have been thinking about what you said,” he tells her.

“Oh?” She raises one eyebrow at him.

He smiles. “I think I am aroace as well.” The word feels strange in his mouth, but oddly right. Like his name, like the title Archmage, it seems to fit him, settling around him comfortingly. He is not broken. He never was. He is aroace.

How strange, that he should realize he is whole in a place meant to break him.

✨💚✨