#but because he knows that he would do anything for rayla and ez and his friends

[daisybeewrites]

just finished S5E8 of the Dragon Prince…

i am not okay

[raayllum]

The thing (or one of the things) about Ezran in early S7 is that while he's not being unreasonable, he is being hypocritical and unproductive ("You forgave Zubeia"). 7x01 is his breaking point after seasons of trying to keep everyone else together and weathering each conflict in as most an unaffected manner as possible, and he quite simply couldn't do it anymore.

Zubeia sent an assassin to kill your father? You long for your mother so deeply, you don't know your dad is dead yet, you do everything you can to get Zym back home because you love him (you can literally see through his eyes) and because it's the best chance for peace. Forgive her for killing your father and trying to kill you because she was grieving and Zym's dad for killing your mother because he's dead and they miss him. Put all your anger in a box at the one person who actually did kill him, because Zubeia saw her baby and changed her mind, and your found family sister (who is also missing) defected and spared your life that night, and he didn't.

Deny the ugly truths as long as you can by focusing on peace ("I ignored something that was true. I denied something that is undeniable"). Why should you have to acknowledge anger? Can't you just get past that? And then you can't, with the picture. (Then you can't, later, with yourself.)

Rayla comes back and Callum is fighting with her? Forgive and welcome her back unconditionally and try to counsel Callum through his big feelings. Rinse and repeat when Soren and then Zym goes missing. Advocate for and refuse to give up on Rex Igneous until he sends you sprawling into a wall.

Take on the responsibility of negotiating with the dragons. With Finnegrin (you offer up your hand, and so do your friends, your family). Talk your brother out of a more violent solution, and Rayla sides with you. She does again about hiding with the pearl and you save each other's lives. You look after home while she and Callum leave to save the world, and tell Soren the hard truth and deal with Viren till you don't. You try to spare Karim and his forces. You believe in peace. You believe in breaking the cycle.

"I am a king, and as a king, I choose love over strength."

"King of what? King of ashes?"

Ezran looks at what two years of trying to do the right peaceful thing has earned him — a destroyed kingdom while he was away — and he desperately, angrily, grasps at any semblance of control. This can't be all it was for. He feels like he's failed as a king, and is therefore a bad king. He needs to punish Sol Regem for it, but he can't. It needs to be Runaan's 'fault' because Runaan made him a king, even though keeping Runaan chained up in the Banther Lodge basement doesn't do anything but keep another family (Rayla's family) apart and make him feel in control. His pendulum swings so hard and strong, the target of his anger constantly changing to the most recent wound stacked upon themselves. After 7x02, he's not visibly angry at Runaan again until the finale; he's angrier at Callum than he is at Rayla because he thought he had control over his brother ("Callum. High Mage. We need you at this council meeting") even if that shouldn't be the goal or the focus at all anyway.

Callum doesn't betray him just because of Rayla, but because Ezran is perpetuating the cycle in a way that is antithetical to everything all three of them have striven to break, which is exactly what Callum points out to him. (If Rayla had surrendered or Callum had stayed, they just all likely would've been arrested, as it's unlikely Rayla and Runaan would've made it in the boat with Callum's magic, either. Would that have made Ezran, or anyone, feel better, hunting down his brother and friends, bringing them back in chains? No, and only Aanya is brave enough to say it out loud after Ez proves he values his bond with his brother / Callum's life over destroying Runaan's and Rayla's by proxy.)

"Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside, you want to hate. You want to hurt someone else."

What would killing or imprisoning Runaan (again) really have done?

"Hasn't he already been punished enough? Viren trapped him in a cursed coin for years. It's time to set him free." / "How much suffering is enough to pay for the mistakes we've made? No amount of suffering, yours or mine, will ever bring him back."

("As a father, I have a selfish wish, and that is for you and Ezran to be... free.")

"A life for a life. Is that justice?"

We also see that his scene with Runaan is one of the very last in the season. It's been months, if not nine, before Ezran was ready to have that conversation, ready to do with Runaan what he willingly did with Aaravos ("A king must look into the face and hear the words of those he judges"). A few days or a week by Callum's estimate wouldn't have been enough.

Ezran set Terry free to see if they could really trust him. He refused to do the same with Runaan even when it was causing clear pain and fracturing within his own family unit, nor did Runaan come to Katolis to face justice; it was just happenstance. But in Runaan being freed, he was then able to choose to come back to face Ezran's verdict. And then Ezran makes his own conscious choice.

"I'm going to forgive you. I don't know how, but I have to try."

He told everyone else that they had to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss in their hearts while also holding love. It was hard before. It was hard now. But he has to try.

(Nor does Harrow being in the bird erase the two years of mourning hell that Ezran went through, remove the crown from his brow, make things with Runaan any easier tbh, or mean he's 100% getting his father back.)

[sorinethemastermind]

After the End of the World

They stopped the end of the world. Callum doesn't know why he's having a panic attack now. #Rayllum @endergriffin444 thank you for participating in the Review Fic-Athon! I hope you like it :)

 They had stopped the end of the world. Callum didn’t know why he was having a panic attack now.

 Lack of logic didn’t seem to be stopping it, though.

 His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the table, breath coming in short, shallow gasps. He knew he shouldn’t have hung that mirror there. It had been stupid. A stupid idea.

 Why was he always so stupid?

 He made the mistake of glancing up, spotting the white streak in his hair again before jerking his head back down to stare at the desk. He tried to focus on the positives; he wasn’t horribly scarred, the way Viren and Claudia had been.

 Maybe that would come later. After Aaravos came back and possessed him and he did who knows what to his friends and everyone he loved in the world and they all died because of him and it was all his fault because he was that horrible, twisted version of himself he’d seen in the forest and that was his destiny and-

 The door opened, almost as silently as the footsteps that followed.

 “Callum? Are you okay?” Rayla’s voice was low, concerned. He didn’t turn to face her.

 “I’m fine!” he forced out, voice oddly high pitched as he tried to sound cheery. The footsteps grew closer.

 “Oh, Callum.” she stopped beside him, reaching out a hand to cup the side of his face and tilt it towards her’s. He didn’t meet her eyes. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

 “It’s nothing.” Callum said, trying to look away even as she attempted to meet his gaze. He didn’t want to see the way she looked at him now that he was-

 She brushed the hair out of his face, tucking the white streak away. She didn’t flinch as her hand touched it, just smiled at him a little sadly.

 “Do you want to talk about it?”

 She wiped a tear from his cheek. He hadn’t realized he’d started to cry.

 “I did Dark Magic, and for what?” he asked, bitterly. “It didn’t even do anything. And now- now…”

 She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his scarf. He could feel her hair tickling his neck as she held him. “It’s going to be okay.”

 “How could it be okay!? It is not going to be okay.” Callum maintained. “I couldn’t stop him then, and when he comes back, I won’t be able to stop him then. We only have seven years, Rayla. Seven years and fifteen days! I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s not. It’s really not and-”

 “We’ll be ready this time.” Rayla assured him, giving him a squeeze before pulling back to look him in the eyes. The corner of her lip twitched upward into a small smile. “And we’ll have each other.”

 “No, we won’t.” Callum pressed his palms to his eyes. “Everything I did, I only played right into his hands. I’m so stupid. Stupid.”

 “Callum-”

 He threw his hands into the air, gesturing wildly at everything and nothing. “I did Dark Magic again! What did I promise you? That I wouldn’t do Dark Magic again. And now look at me! Corrupted forever, ruined all over again. And what did I get for it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And now when he comes back…”

 “We’ll figure it out, Callum. We can… we can banish the darkness inside you again!”

 “No, we can’t.” he shook his head. “I already asked Astrid. It’s a one time thing. One second chance! No third chances. No third chances for Dark Mages who can’t learn from their mistakes.”

 He slumped into the chair behind him. “I screwed up. I screwed up again. You all should have left the first time.”

 “We’re not leaving you.” Rayla said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m right here with you.”

 “Maybe I should leave, before one of you gets hurt. Before I hurt you. Ez probably won’t even miss me and-”

 “Ezran would definitely miss you.” Rayla cut him off. “And then he’d have to send Soren and Corvus to go and track you down instead of finding King Harrow.”

 Callum groaned. “Our Dad. What am I going to say to him? How am I supposed to tell him that I abandoned Ezran when he needed me most and-”

 “Callum, stop this! You and Ez made up. Your Dad loves you. He’ll love you no matter what.” she knelt down, throwing her arms around him again. “Just like I love you.”

 Callum wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

 “I love you, Callum.” she said again, voice muffled by his scarf. “And I’m here for you. Just like you’ve always been there for me. And for Ezran. We’ve got you. But we need you to trust us to help carry this burden.”

 “I do trust you.” Callum sighed, taking a deep breath. “And I love you. So much.” 

��Then we’ll figure it out. It’s like you said. So long as we love each other, no one can control us. We write our own destinies.”

 Callum tried to take a deep breath. To focus on that. On the fact that, even when Aaravos did return, they would have each other. They would write their own destinies. He didn't know how, but he would make sure that Rayla was safe. That all of them were.

 They would carry their burdens together.

[zuppizup]

Circumstance

“You didn’t have to put him in the dungeon, Ez!” Rayla fumed, struggling to keep her temper in check. “In chains!”

“Rayla, Callum freed Aaravos!” Soren grabbed her by the upper arm, attempting to pull her back.

“He didn’t feel like he had a choice!” Rayla wrenched her arm back, glaring at the crown guard.

“He admitted to it in front of Janai and Zubeia. He made no excuses. What else could I do there and then?” Ezran sighed, tears in his eyes. “He’s my brother, Rayla, but I still have to consider my people. He’s put more than Katolis in danger.”

Rayla tried to gather her thoughts, swallowing past the thick lump in her throat. The weight of it all hung heavy upon her. Callum had done it for her after all, traded the Cube for her life. The guilt of it all felt like a dark heavy cloak smothering her, wearing her down. She hated the thought that Callum was in the position he was in because of her.

Sighing, she shook her head. “What would you have done, Ez? In that moment, what would you have done?”

“You think you’re a good judge of that?”

Rayla turned to look at Soren, having almost forgotten he was there.

“You had an opening, didn’t you? Back when Aaravos possessed him again. You could have ended it all, there and then.” Soren raised his chin, his eyes piercing. “You could have stopped things before we ever got here, but you didn’t. You really think we can trust your judgement on any of this?”

“You think I should have killed him?” Her voice caught as she glared at Soren defiantly.

“I think neither of you has the high ground when it comes to considering the greater good.”

“I’d do anything to keep him safe.” Rayla swallowed, biting her lip. “He’d have done the same for Ezran. He wanted to protect us.”

“I know.” Soren held her gaze. “And that’s the sort of reasoning my father used to come up with.”

Rayla clenched her fists, glaring at him. “Callum is nothing like Viren.” How dare he-

“Isn’t he?” Soren raised an eyebrow, clearly challenging her. “He didn’t even attempt to excuse what he’d done.”

Rayla took deep breaths, trying desperately to think of some way to counter this.

Ezran stepped forward, taking her hands, soothing her tight fists. “They’re afraid of him, Rayla. They’ve seen what Viren did-”

Her breath caught in her throat, as she blinked back tears. “Ezran, he’s not Viren.”

“Rayla, I-” Ezran looked between her and Soren, his brow furrowed. “I understand why he did it. I do, I think most people would but... if it came down to it. If something similar happened again, if its Katolis or, or the Pentarchy? Xadia. Do you- What do you think he’d do?”

Ezran stared at her, his eyes wide. Challenging. Begging her to counter. To insist Callum wouldn’t falter again. Wouldn’t put either of them before everyone else.. everything else.

Before the world.

She tried to look him in the eye, to hold his gaze... but she couldn’t... because, well, she already knew the answer.

Circumstance II

———

Mayhaps in the continuity of Borrowed Time, I dunno

[jelzorz]

197.

It feels like treason to think it. Opeli would feel guilty for it on a normal day, she thinks, but the situation is dire and she wonders if anything will ever feel normal again. The Banther Lodge is a far cry from the castle, and it is crowded enough without the kingslaying elephant in the room.

She watches Soren fight Rayla over it.

She watches Ezran hide his tears.

She watches the Kingslayer walk free.

Well, she thinks. There are certainly worse things than thinking it. There are worse things than talking to her friends, her family, who also happen to be part of the council. Worse things have been done than calling a meeting behind Ezran's back, who is the King, yes, but a child first, and he has enough on his hands without this too.

"I don't think Prince Callum can continue being a part of this council."

Soren grimaces. Corvus shifts uneasily on the spot. Barius makes a face and fiddles with his hands.

Opeli stares them down. "Do you disagree?"

A pause. A sigh. Soren huffs and glances through the cellar kitchen window to make sure Callum is still preoccupied with defending Rayla and her murderous father from anyone who dares to look at them the wrong way. "No," he mutters after a moment. "You're right. You usually are, but this... Is Ezran's decision, not ours."

Opeli scowls, some misplaced maternal instinct raising her hackles. "He's dealing with enough," she says shortly. "He's eleven years old, his home has been destroyed, and his own brother returns with the elf that killed—"

"We get it," interrupts Corvus tiredly. "And we're not disagreeing with you. You're right. But what are you asking us to do, exactly? Kick Callum off the council? Is more internal conflict really what we need right now?"

"With respect, High Cleric," says Barius, "are we even supposed to be having this meeting? Isn't it breaking some sort of law to be talking about this before talking to King Ezran?"

Opeli wrinkles her nose at that, the wrongness of this heavy in her gut. "It's not illegal to bring up a concern with members of the council in confidence," she grumbles. It's a weak argument, but it's been played in court before, and she's not above playing the same dirty tactics to keep her king safe. "We are Ezran's council," she asserts. "Our duty is to him and to Katolis and I don't believe Callum's priorities are quite the same. He—" She grimaces too and locks eyes with Soren. "He's starting to remind me of your father."

Soren snorts at that. "Don't I know it," he mutters, and Opeli sees the truth of it in his eyes. Soren would know better than anyone what magic can do to people, the kind of power it gives them, the cleverness they think wielding it grants. "But Opeli, seriously, what are we going to do? We can't just arrest him. All this aside, he's still the prince. He's Ez's brother."

"One might argue that King Harrow was his stepfather, and you can see how much he cares about that."

Another pause. The room flinches because they all know that it's true, what an insult it is to Harrow's memory that his murderer would be allowed to dine at his son's table.

"Have you asked Ezran what he wants to do?" asks Corvus at last.

Opeli winces. "I didn't want to burden him with it," she mumbles. "I don't know that he knows what to do and frankly... I don't either."

"A first," says Barius, not unkindly. "It's all right to be concerned, High Cleric. It's all right not have all the answers."

"Yes, well." Opeli clears her throat and bows her head, hiding her weakness in the way her hood falls over her eyes. "I'm not particularly good at not having answers. I've come to you three hoping you might have them instead."

"I don't think we can help anymore than you," says Corvus wryly. "But our duty is to Ezran, the same as you. Soren and I won't let anything happen to him. The same way Barius won't. The same way you won't. Okay?"

"Call it a secret council pact," adds Soren with a grin. "If Callum does anything else stupid, we step in, no matter what. Deal?"

Hardly, thinks Opeli, even as she nods. She takes what little solace she can get.

[numptypylon]

“Rayla is… not my lovebug.”

“Oh ho, now?" Nyx leaned obnoxiously close, her eyebrows raising. "Have you told her that?”

“She told me," Callum said, angry all over again suddenly that... she actually hadn't told him that and yet they weren't- "So I’m tentatively assuming that she knows.”

“Oh ho? So she broke up with you and yet you’re still adventuring together, risking your lives for each other, making love eyes at each other at every opportunity… ah, to be young and in love and a garbage fire of collective awkwardness of such radiance as to light up the heavens-”

“Yeah!” Ezran agreed, walking up to them. Oh no. Hopefully Nyx would tone down the… everything… around an 11-year-old, but… considering he had been 14 himself when he’d first encountered Nyx, he didn’t have high hopes. “It’s gross and they’re so dumb, and here I am, a doomed onlooker!"

“You got the family braincell, I see,” Nyx said, winking at Ezran.

Ezran nodded sagely. “My blessing and my curse, ‘tis true.”

Really?! Did Ez really have to form an alliance with every new person they met to tag-team roast him?!

Nyx turned away from Ezran, her unwanted attention firmly back on him now. “I still need the full status update on my favorite dysfunctional lovebugs!” Nyx would keep prodding, and Callum didn’t want her to prod Rayla- “You know there’s another ex-lovebug who could tell me-“ Did he just curse that idea into Nyx’s head?! “But you’re currently the less puke-smelling option, so…"

Nyx really didn't subscribe to the idea of sensitive subjects you should keep your trap shut about.

“We… broke up. Like you said.” One way to say it. But he wasn’t giving Nyx any ammunition to use against Rayla. “Then made up. Kind of. We’re friends, just not… lovebugs.”

“Friends with benefits?”

“What friends do you have?” Ezran asked, all wide-eyed, vicious innocence. “Do you not consider friendship a benefit?”

“Hey!” Nyx looked insulted. “I thought we were allies against yon magus of maladroit you tragically must call brother?”

“My allegiances are many and inscrutable!” Ez stuck his tongue out at Nyx.

“’Allegiances’? ’Inscrutable’? Sheesh, kid, how old are you? And what awful, terrible company do you keep?!”

“11. And… politicians.”

“Oh no, you’re serious?! Oh kid, the depths of my condolences is one of them yawning chasms of endless screaming-“

“Oi?!” Villads yelled. “Matey? Riggin’ snagged!”

“I don’t hold court with betrayers, anyway,” Nyx said, incredibly hypocritically for someone who’d stranded them in a desert, and she pushed off the deck and was airborne, heading off towards the center mast.

“What is the benefit of being ‘friends with benefits’?” Ezran asked, looking around to Callum and then Soren, who had just arrived with Hat perched on his head. “The friendship is pretty obviously a benefit of being friends without having to say it, so I know it isn’t that, I just said that because Nyx was being mean.”

“Oh, I know!” Soren said, eagerly. “It’s s-“

“Sandwiches!” Callum cut him off. “Sandwiches, Soren! Remember?”

“Riiiiight!” Soren winked, exaggeratedly. “Sandwiches. Got it. Corvus makes the best bread sandwich, extra mayonnaise-“

“Please, Soren,” Callum choked. “Please, let’s… talk about something else. Anything else. Please.”

———

Excerpt from an upcoming chapter of my S4-6 between-canon-episodes fic, Downtime’s Up (successor to my S1-3 between-canon-scenes fics Downtime in Wartime and Upside Downtime)

It’s wednesday and I have many wips I want to work on and no time, but I DO also have a lot of stuff written and not posted, so… hope you enjoyed some overgrown pigeon time and depraved sandwich innuendos. Once I get past the next 4 chapters of Downtime’s Up, I have most of the rest of the story written, just… it’s been rough going to write anything lately

[m4rs-ex3]

(even louder) trailer screaming part 2

the adrenaline i've had all day is making me crash hard so i'm tired so idk if i'll actually be screaming louder but like. internally i am

well starting off strong

oh fucking boy

first i'm gonna say i love the way he said "however ~vile~" like slay

and then i know that like. this feels like such an obvious/lame explanation but i do not believe this is "real". like of course there's the fact that the cube. yknow. isn't like that in real life that's just how it looks in his fever dream. a lame ass reason for sure but honestly my real reason for not believing this is that there's no way they'd put THIS reveal in the trailer. there's a distinctly lower number of new clips in this trailer then there has been for seasons past, which could be them building hype for the end of the arc(s), but still i have a feeling that there's only so much they were willing to put out (which excites me btw), so i doubt this would be one of those things, yk? i don't know anything ok im tired

could be another dream, could be hallucinations, could be anything

i do find it incredibly interesting that he's clearly in a xadian forest surrounded by giant mushrooms tho (zubeia?)

i will say this i believe

(edit: it isn't a trailer analysis of mine unless i don't realize something was reused. this is from 6x03)

fuck she relapsed. but. b-ut also..ooo..w..

iiiiiiiiiii

we're all fairly certain that's human aaravos (which didn't even occur to me until i read one of the comments that shows you how observatory i am) and............... well i suppose it was inevitable. i've personally never really thirsted for aaravos; of course i get it but just can't relate. and now.............. oh my god this is the hottest person i have ever seen in my life. i've been awoogaing from the minute i saw him and damnit you can't make me stop

considering the following shot (also because it makes sense) that this is the spell that brought back all the spirits, but it makes me question the shot of aaravos standing in the valley of the graves cackling as the spirits surround him, because that just gives me very "mwuahaha we've just unleashed them" so idk. this is me trying to convince myself that that's not actually aaravos so i can drool over him without a little shame

ohoho this is exciting and fucking petrifying. that is a freeze spell if i've ever seen one, so it seems we have soren, TERRY !!, and allen rushing to presumably stop them, and then aanya kneeling over lujanne's body!!! yippee!

may i just say that the location zip zapping is hurting my brain. like callum and rayla both go from the nexus to katolis and everyone in katolis goes to the banther lodge and then callum ends up in a random xadian forest but also akiyu's grotto for some reason meanwhile rayla goes to the silvergrove but she also ends up in lux aurea with soren and coruvs who were with ez and aanya in the crystal cavern but ez and aanya were also at the valley of the graves but soren and aanya are also at the nexus where claudia and aaravos and terry are but before/after that they were/are first at the valley of the graves and also a xadian forest but then terry was in a different seemingly not-xadian forest and i need to lie down

in addition to the Cave Fuckers we also keep seeing this mf with BAT WINGS??? HELLO????

ok i know i sound like an edgy middle schooler but i'm sorry this is the most exciting shot in the trailer for me. what can i say blood excites me. my favorite characters covered in blood? even better. short king ram with that sickass head tilt? fucking hell to the fucking yeah (i'm choosing to ignore the way he literally went rawr XD immediately after)

this is another one where there's so much to process like as aforementioned we're in a xadian forest and terry's here looking perfectly content so assuming that he is abandoning ship (which is supported by the nexus shot) this is before that??

also as aforementioned callum in akiyu's grotto which is SO out of left field but whatever

and akiyu is also here. on the ground perhaps. good sign

this is irrelevant but. look at that lil face. hehe

ALSO AA IM STUPID AND AM ONLY JUST NOW REALIZING THIS BUT THE FIRE IS CLAUDIA'S YOU CAN SEE FROM THE BG OF HER DRAGON TRANSFORMATION SHE DEF THERE TOO AAKSDHFKJAHSKJDFHIASDHFLJKHSDKLFHKJSAHDLFK IM FO FUCKING EXCITED YOU HAVE NO IDEA HWO LONG AND HOW BADLY IVE NEEDE A PROPER CALLUM V CLAUDIA SHOW DOEWN EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

also it's giving

[colonelpancakes]

Season Six Episode Five "Moonless Night" lets go! Given the fact that one of our protagonist’s is a MOONshadow elf, this title makes me worried. Like, I know it’s referring to the prophecy thing but still…

Skjsklf I love Rayla. She wants NO part of this ding dang prophecy business.

Hmm so Callum wants to know more about whatever Startouch magic item they could get for doing the quest. Interesting. I wonder if he’s still thinking about ways to defeat Aaravos? Since "from the heavens" does sound like it would have something to do with the Startouch elves, "beings from the heavens".

Stella’s little “just kiss already��� look is killing me.

I love Soren checking in on Ez to see if he's okay is so sweet. I love his character development so much, going from considering killing Ezran to being a dedicated crownguard and making sure Ezran's okay.

Oh wedding?? That’s happening now?? Yay!

Surely nothing will go wrong, Ezran will have a nice relaxing break and Janai and Amaya will have a lovely stress-free wedding and nothing will go wrong and the fact that the episode after next is called "The Red Wedding" means nothi-

Ezran sidestepping actually saying Viren’s name and even Soren faltering a little bit before he says it. The impact he’s had on both their lives is so clear even in these little moments.

They’re so sweet they are going to melt my heart I love themm 🥹

Ohh... and Soren's upbeat demeanor vanishing as soon as he leaves Ezran's room because he knows Ezran needs the reassurance...

Fly caught in a spiderweb imagery how interesting…

Oughh poor Soren. And the voice acting is so good here. You can hear how much effort Soren is putting into keeping his voice steady and tough so he doesn’t give Viren any control over him again.

Rayla gives the exact same response as Sarai did in season two. The Ice Behemoth is already giving me huge Magma Titan vibes I really feel like killing it is the wrong move. And Rayla’s right, they don’t know anything about the behemoth or why its causing the storms. “Does it think? Does it feel? Does it have a family? […] Then is it the last of its kind?”.

Yeah, that’s something I was thinking about too. It’s interesting how Callum is the one so interested in this prophecy when before this point, he’s always been the most resistant to the idea of destiny, or the concept that there’s something you “have” to do and there’s no way around it. I wonder if there’s something else at play?

🥺🥺🥺 Rayla singing a lullaby???? Holding Stella like a baby???? My heart…

Viren, respectfully, please shut up.

I wonder if the reason Soren keeps coming down is because he needs to see for himself that Viren is still locked up so that it can be real for him? Like if he keeps checking on Viren that means he can see with his own eyes that he’s still there and isn’t escaping or hurting anyone, and it'd be hard to get that reassurance from a guard. It could also be that he feels some form of responsibility for Viren and doesn't feel right passing that to someone else. Idk maybe I'm totally off, but I could see that contributing.

"And that’s why I abandoned your sister on a beach."

Yes, including abandoning your daughter on a fucking beach. Viren. It’s good that you're acknowledging how much you’ve hurt Soren but please also acknowledge that you are in fact still actively fucking up in the parenting department.

Ohh. Soren… He’s finally hearing his father tell him the things he’s wanted to hear for so long, the things he’s had to figure out on his own. That the way he was treated was cruel and wrong. That he’s not lesser, or a bad person, or stupid or the things he’s been told aloud or otherwise for most of his life. That is father sees who he is and is proud of the man he’s become. But the last time he was down here with Viren, Viren told him that all of the awful things were in his head, that he was imagining them. That he was too stupid to understand Viren’s instructions and of COURSE his dad had never done anything wrong. He was literally gaslit and it has (understandably and rightly) absolutely destroyed his ability to ever trust Viren again. How could he when Viren lied to and manipulated him for his whole life? It’s too good to be true, so it must be a trick.

And then Soren getting angry, reaffirming that he knows who Viren is and what has happened and that it was real out loud so that Viren can’t gaslight him again, can’t convince him that nothing was wrong in the first place, can’t manipulate his point of view or taint the happiness that he’s finally found in the palace with Ez and Callum and Corvus and Opelli.

Oh, Soren…

On a much happier note, Stella holding Sneezles!!!!!!!!!!

sjaklffsjdkaljfd I love them so much. Callum, what are you doing?

Also, I noticed while screenshotting that Stella is still holding Sneezles and I just think that’s so cute.

Ooh interesting. I wonder what determines the prerequisites for a spell being cast. Like, what characteristics distinguish spells that need a physical element or a magic object from spells that can just be cast aloud with runes?

Yeah, I still don’t think that killing the behemoth is a good idea in the first place. This magma titan part two. Hopefully with a different ending this time.

Ohhhhhh I am imagining wet socks in that kind of weather and that sounds hellish. Hopefully the Celestial Elves have some spidersilk socks they can lend them.

Aww, Callum sheltering Rayla from the storm with his arms.

The behemoth’s heart even glows in the same way the magma titan’s did! Actually, how do we know this isn’t just an ice titan? Maybe titans aren't all humanoids, I mean we've only seen one type so far.

Okay I'm less than halfway through the episode and I've run out of images. Dang. Continued in reblogs

[theoakleafpancake]

Doing a closer watch of season 7 and will be going episode by episode so this chain will contain spoilers

Chapter 1: Death Alive

“Scary poem” “it’s not a dream” I love how Kosmo and Astrid are still siblings at the end of the day

New intro. Interesting that Claudia is no longer turned to stone, but instead lifted up by Aaravos

ETHARI BELOVED

Poor guy can’t catch a break

Runaan trying to act all tough is hilarious when he can barely stand

The fact that Callum’s probably been watching Katolis burn for several days and can’t do anything about it because he’s also worried about Rayla

“You’re stuck with me now” love that

Terry is NOT having it

Claudia, LET. VIREN. GO. PLEASE.

“With unfinished business” Viren was ready to die. “It’s…possible.” Sir you know well and good he ain’t there

The fact that Callum doesn’t know about the pearl and doesn’t understand how Katolis fell—

Soren I feel so bad for him (not even ten minutes in and am already sobbing :D)

“Let’s do the plan that doesn’t take a hundred years” LMAO

Okay I guess I need to read The Puzzle House

Soren buddy please get your injuries bandaged before you get an infection

Sorvus crumbs let’s gooo

“It is not our place” ughh are you KIDDING ME

“I never promised” let’s go Astrid

Soren trying to stay positive

HARROW AND SARAI I CAN’T

Headcanon that Corvus cleaned Soren’s wounds

Ooh Ezran’s mad mad

Okay but why did he turn into an island

Terry remaining unimpressed is top tier

“I know you like Earthblood, Claudia” sIr

Runaan just eating grubs

“Katolis. Is…is that necessary?” Oh cmon, why wouldn’t you want to go back to Katolis? Yknow, the place whose king you killed? That’s a great idea

“I’m pretty sure that island was there” Callum did you like…never go to the Valley?

Aaravos this isn’t a fairy tale, get your apple and sob story test out of here

“KatAlis”

Coming full circle with the Banther Lodge, huh?

Ezran pls get some sleep

Again, Soren being the first to notice the Elves

Rayla and Soren hugging I love their sibling relationship

Runaan maybe walking straight into Katolis wasn’t the best idea—

“Ez, just calm down,” Callum. Buddy

Okay I get the nuance of the situation, I do. But Ez has every right to be furious. Honestly if I were Callum, I probably would have held a grudge with him

Day/night sibling tropes like with Kosmo and Astrid go hard (literally my OC’s)

Kosmo still willing to help his sister even if it sort of breaks his oath >>>>

[tategaminu]

“They are both equally important to each other and their development but Rayla is the one who gets the insults…”

What’s even more annoying about this is not only does Rayla get ridiculed for something Callum also does, that particular set of fans will also straight up deny that Rayla is Callum’s priority. “Oh, he would’ve found a way to connect to the Ocean with or without her as motivation. There were other factors in him deciding to do dark magic again.”

No. It was about Rayla, and pretty much only Rayla.

THIS

What kind of bs is "there were other factors" like my guy!! are you watching the show with a blindfold on? sure, he probably wanted all of them to get out of the boat but Rayla was the trigger

A thing I have also seen in fandoms is people trying to invalidate male characters' feelings for a girl, for whatever reason I don't understand. I will always find incredibly beautiful a male character treating a female character as an equal, not as the fairer sex or stuff like that, as an equal who he loves, and we see this with Callum, he has never ever treated Rayla as lesser than him, she's his priority alongside Ezran and that's super beautiful. I will always have a soft spots for guys being the most lovable and protective people towards their girls you know? not because they are girls but because they know they deseve love, so seeing people totally invalidate that feels so wrong to me.

S5 and S2 parallel each other, in S2 we saw Callum connect to an arcanum because he did ark magic for Rayla, sure he also did it for himself to feel useful but it was mostly to save Rayla, season 5 shows it even more clear. We only see Rayla and Callum wanting to scape when they see the other in danger, the reason Finnegrin even wants to throw Rayla to the leviathan is because Callum punched him because he was hurting Rayla, and he was hurting Rayla because he tried to beat his ass for hurting Callum.

We can see Callum letting himself get beaten and still refusing to do dark magic and give the spell to kill Domina away, it's only when Finnegru says he will feed Rayla to the fishes we see Callum BREAK. He tells him the spell right away. He could have invented a different spell but he was too desesperate to save Rayla he told him the whole truth. He could have done dark magic any other moment but it's after this moment when he does, and then he goes straight up to save Rayla, then just as in season 2, he figures out the arcanum after doing dark magic for her, but this time also thanks to the poem A LOVE POEM who he recited before in ep 1 TO RAYLA. The proof is all there like seriously, he can figure out the arcanum because he loves her, it is as clear as day.

He tells her "I would do anything for you" which it's directly shown in this whole episode. Callum is terrified of doing dark magic, not only because it breaks his morals but because he's scared it could make Rayla dislike him and because it would be an step further for Aaravos to possess him, (tho I'm not sure if he fully knows dark magic is what allows Aaravos to possess him at all, maybe he suspects it) we can see how people like Claudia who do way too much dark magic lose a bit of themselves, Callum is probably afraid of that as well and yet he still does because Rayla is more important to him than whatever the consecuences might be.

There are people out there who believe he wouldn't risk the world for her and stuff but c'mon, this guy would risk the entire universe, he is extremely loyal and proctective, his love for the ones closest to him make him twist his morals because he treasures them more than anything (Rayla and Ez that's it). Rayla has been shown as his achilles heel and we will see even more this plays out. I can't believe there are people who can't see it, everyone has their own way to interpret media sure but somes things are just SO clear, like imagine looking at Zym and going "I don't think he is a dragon, he could be a rat", no.

In a summary, I want people to cut slack on those two, mostly Rayla. It would be cool to treat her like an actual good written character and not trying to invalidate her or her relationship with Callum. The show characterizes them and their relationship so well, they are such complex people and I can't believe we have to deal with those kind of comments.

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

Can We Talk?

What if Stella hadn't interrupted Callum and Rayla in 4.3.

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

“You look nice, Callum.”

Nice?  NICE?!  She just waltzed into his study like she’d never left and she said he looked nice ?!  “Right.  Well, thanks.”  She kept talking, going on about how nervous she was.  He really didn’t want to deal with this.  “You know what?  I have a long day tomorrow.  I should go to bed.”  Moving towards the door, he refused to look at her.  She came back the day after his birthday and didn’t even have the decency to say she was sorry for missing it or sorry for intruding or…or anything.

“Wait.  What?”  She grabbed his arm, her eyes slightly narrowed.  “We haven’t seen each other in two years.  Don’t you think it’s worth staying up a little past your bedtime?”

She released him, filling him with a longing that she would touch him again.  Holding his arm, he tried to sound more tired than angry.  “I’m tired.”  And he was tired.  He was absolutely exhausted, holding in all this anger and trying to divert his feelings into learning about magic or thinking about anything else.  

Rayla haunted him.  This had to be yet another dream where she came back and they fell back together and he was left feeling hollow and alone and miserable in the morning.  He hated how much he still loved her.  It would be so much easier to move on if he hated her.  But, he couldn’t.  Even if he was mad at her, he now understood that she had desperately needed closure and she wasn’t going to get it staying in Katolis.  He knew that now.  That didn’t mean that being without her didn’t hurt.  

Rayla looked at him with slightly hurt eyes.  It didn’t make him feel better.   

“Fine.  What do you want to talk about?”  He rolled his eyes and strode over to the mirror.  Sources, if this wasn’t a dream….

“Anything, really,” she said.  “I’m so happy to see you again, Callum.”

She sounded happy.  Why did she sound so happy?  And anything?  She was going to talk about anything?  When she’d been off Lady Justice-knew where doing Sources-knew what after leaving him in the middle of the night on his birthday?!

Needing something to do with his hands, he started trying to move the mirror around.  Anything but this.  Anything but her sweet voice saying his name.  She was already pulling him back to her, like a siren from the stories Harrow used to read to him and Ez.  A spell so deeply woven into his soul that he’d never be free of it.  Of her.    

“OK.  So why are you back?  Did you find Viren?  Was he dead after all?”  He put a cloth on the mirror, refusing to look at her as she moved to come stand closer to him.  Couldn’t she just stay in the damn corner and talk from there?  Did she have to get so close that he could smell that slight wildflower scent that always clung to her?  He was going to go under if he wasn’t careful.  

But he wanted to.  He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her and tell her that everything was OK because she was back and they could do anything if they were together.  But he also wanted to scream.

Rayla sighed.  “I didn���t find him.”

He turned around to face her, no longer able to control his annoyance.  “Oh.  So you disappeared for two years for no reason at all.”  He got up in her face a bit as she leaned back.  “And now you’re back.  Why?”

“I missed you.”  Rayla said it with such honesty he almost believed her.  No.  He wasn’t doing this again.  He wasn’t going to be her boyfriend and hold her…and kiss her…and…man, her lips looked so good.  Soft and just a little shiny.  Sweeter than any jelly tart.  He still remembered how she tasted.  What he wouldn’t give to fall back into her and just pretend that their life together hadn’t been upended by her leaving him.  

If she had stayed, maybe she could have been his fiancée by now.  He was old enough.  So was she.  Rayla would look stunning in a Katolian wedding dress, covered head to toe in gold, red, and cream.  A blushing smile on her face as they exchanged vows to the Paragons before their friends-No.  No.  He wasn’t getting lost in his fantasies.     

“That’s not good enough,” he finally said.  “You just left me in the middle of the night.  On my birthday, Rayla.  And the first thing you can say to me is ‘hey.  You look nice’?”  

She winced, looking slightly to the side.  “I know I hurt you-”

“Hurt me?  Oh, no.”  Callum laughed sardonically, shaking his head as he moved around the room to escape whatever she was doing to distract him.  “You didn’t hurt me, Rayla.  You destroyed me.  I was a mess when I saw that you were gone after you lied to me.”

“I left you a letter.  And I meant every word, Callum.  I loved you back then.  I still love you.”

“Oh,and that’s supposed to make me feel better?  That’s supposed to make up for you being gone for two years and just showing up out of the blue the day after my birthday?  You have a real funny way of delivering late birthday presents, you know that?”

“I deserved that.”  Sitting in the chair, she looked up at him in guilt.  “I was trying to protect you.  I wasn’t sure how long we’d be gone and I didn’t know just what Viren and Claudia were capable of.  I don’t regret my decision not to bring you with me because Ezran needed you.”

Ezran did need him, but still.  “Even more than you did?”

“No one will ever need you more than I do.”  

Callum stopped.  That was…unexpected.  It wasn’t an apology, but it was nice.  Maybe they could-NO.  NO.  Get a grip, Callum.  “That’s not good enough, Rayla.  Not at this point.  I-you-we.”  Releasing a groan of frustration, he ran a hand through his hair.  “I’m so furious at you, I could cry.  You left me!”

“I know.”

“Stop doing that!”  He rounded on her, glaring down at her figure as she wrapped her arms around herself.  “Stop just taking it and acting like if you just agree with me, this will all be fixed.”

“What do you want me to do, then?!”  She stood up from the chair so fast that it fell backwards.  “You want me to get on my hands and knees and beg you to forgive me?  Or to love me back?  I don’t beg anyone for anything, Callum.”

“No!  That’s not what I want.”

“Then what do you want?  An apology?  Oh, I’m sorry that I tried to keep my boyfriend safe.”  She rolled her eyes as she finished in a sarcastic tone.  “Guess what?  I’m not.”

“Then why are we even talking?  What’s the point?”

“Because I want to be in your life again.  And I don’t know how to do it.  You don’t want me to listen to you yell at me and you don’t want to talk and you don’t want me to beg.  So, what do you want?”

“I wanted you!”  Callum’s palms were up as his fingers curled.  She was so infuriating!  And aggravating.  And…and…she put her hand on his elbow.  And…was she leaning in?  Why did she have to come back so damn pretty?  Daring, strong, beautiful, smart.  She was so perfect.  

“I still want you,” she whispered before slanting her lips over his.  She was trying to distract him.  It wouldn’t work.  He had things to say and yell and-oh, oh, he’d missed this.  Her soft, pillowy lips were so familiar it was like coming home.  

She sighed softly as their lips moved against each other.  Strong arms wrapped around his neck as small hands played with his hair.  It was like she’d never left.  His arms latched onto her waist while she backed up against the wall.  

He didn’t care anymore.  She felt too good.  Dream, real, it didn’t matter.  He just wanted to drown in the love of his life.  

One of his hands landed on the wall next to her head, tilting his head to devour her more.  It wasn’t enough.  Her little tongue snuck past his lips to play with his.  The last time they’d done this, they’d be way too embarrassed to talk about it.  The last time….

Shoving himself off of her, his breath coming out in harsh pants.  Her purple eyes were hooded and full of hunger.  “Callum,” she whispered, “I missed you so much.”

He’d missed her, too.  Everything in him ached to hold her close and do whatever she asked of him.  Burning, all-consuming love reignited with such a fury that he didn’t know what to do about it.  He didn’t know what to do.

“You need to stay right there,” he said as he walked towards the center of the room.  The distance between them should clear his head.  “I need to think.”

“You can think next to me.”  

Why did she have to be so tempting?  Her legs were longer and her waist was more defined under that cloak.  He’d felt it with his own hands.  Her chest had been so soft against him.  Her body had changed and he liked what he saw.  It was hard not to think dirty thoughts when she looked at him like all she’d ever wanted was him.  

“No, I really can’t,” he finally said.  “Where were you?”

She groaned, leaning her head against the wall.  “In Xadia.”

“Doing what?”

“Tracking Viren.”

“Is that all you did?”  Silence.  “Rayla?”  Still no answer.  Her fingers played with the end of her cloak before she pulled it off.  Oh.  She was…she was hot.  That cloak was practically criminal hiding her from him like that.  No.  Stop.  Focus, Callum.  Focus.  “Answer me.”

“If you’re asking if I was involved with anyone, the answer is ‘no.’”

Not exactly what he’d been gunning for but he’d take it.  “That’s…that’s good.  But I still have no idea what you spent two years doing and you won’t give me a straight answer, so I don’t see what the point of us continuing is.  So, I’m going to bed and you can just…do whatever you’re going to do, I guess.”

He made his way to the door, ignoring the concerned look from Bait and the weird look he got from the creepy lemur-looking thing Rayla had brought with her.  

“I lost someone,” Rayla finally said.

Hand on the handle, he paused.  Looking back at her, he saw her eyes on the floor.  “What do you mean?”

“I went back to Silvergrove to see if they would unghost me and they refused.  Not even a letter from the Dragon Queen was enough.  And, they wouldn’t let Ethari see me.  So, I wandered around Xadia trying to track Viren and I ran into some assassins who were doing their own thing and I joined their group.”

So, she’d had friends.  That was good, actually.  It made him feel better to know that there had been people watching her back when he hadn’t been given the chance to.  No matter how much it hurt that she hadn’t chosen him, them, in the end, he still wanted her to be safe.  

“One of our group, Siobhan, well, let’s just say that she was obsessed with revenge.  I connected to her because we both lost our parents to monsters, but she didn’t want closure like I did.  She wanted to kill her parents’ killer and I tried to help her.  The monster was already dead.  So, she killed the kids.”

“Rayla-”

Shaking her head, Rayla looked up at him with teary eyes.  “They were just babies, Callum.  She kept calling it a monster, but it’d just been a banther.  She made me believe it was some kind of noble cause, that we were ridding the world of someone like Viren.  It was just a banther.  After that, I couldn’t stay and I wandered around for a few months before I realized that I wasn’t going to find Viren.  The trail had grown too cold.”

“So you came back?”

“I came back.  I’m never going to get closure and a part of me still hasn’t accepted that.  I believe he’s still out there, but I’m never going to find him.  Or Claudia.  They both eluded me.”

“I’m sorry you were involved in that, but I can’t just let you back into my life like nothing happened.”  Running a hand through his hair, he tried to find the words to explain what he wanted to say to her.  “You’ve hurt me in ways I can’t explain to anyone because I still love you.  I’m angry at you.  My head’s all turned around, I’m short with everyone, I hate my own birthday now.  I feel like I’m becoming someone I don’t like because I can’t let you go.”

“Do you even want to let me go?” 

No, he didn’t.  She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and their love was the stuff of fairy tales.  When he’d jumped off the Spire for her, he’d known in that moment that he couldn’t live without her.  And she’d made him do just that for two years.    

“I feel like you aren’t listening to what I’m saying, Rayla.  You keep focusing on the parts concerning us and not the rest of it.  I’m hurt.  I’m angry.  You are not coming back into my life to do what you did all over again.”

They stood in silence for a few minutes, looking at each other before looking away.  The tension was so thick he could have cut it with a knife.  “I don’t know how to make this better,” she finally said.  “I don’t regret trying to protect you.  But, you’re right.  I did ruin your birthday and I understand why you’re angry with me.  I just want you back, Callum.”

“You never lost me.  But I thought I lost you.”

“Didn’t you read my letter?”  Her eyes were wide in confusion as she made her way towards him.  He didn’t stop her from cupping his cheeks.  “You will never lose me.  I am irrevocably yours.”

“But you left.”  A few tears leaked out of his cheeks.  Her calloused thumbs lightly brushed his cheeks.  “Rayla….”  

“I’m so sorry that I made you feel like I didn’t want you.”

“You picked revenge over me.  What was I supposed to feel?”

“It wasn’t revenge.  It was closure.  I was looking for answers because I don’t know what Viren did to my parents or Runaan.  And it’s killing me inside almost as much as being without you is.  I’m not the same person I was when I left and I can live with not getting answers a lot easier now.  But I can’t live without you.”

“If you’re coming back, we have to go slow.”

“I can go slow.”  She leaned in again, stopping before she made contact with his lips.  “I can go as slow as you want.”

His eyelids lowered as he felt her breath against him.  “I’m still angry at you.”

“We can talk it out.  All the Big Feelings Times you want.”

“You can’t leave me again.”

“Never.”  

He closed the gap, unable to hold back from the promise of getting lost in her.  They needed to talk more.  They really needed to work through his feelings and what she did.  But kissing her felt too good and he didn’t have the energy to fight her anymore.  His heart beat louder in his chest than it had in a long time, her hand coming up to touch his chest right over it.  Everything in him felt so alive as she pulled back to the wall.  

They had a lot of lost time to make-up for.

[oceanarcaneum]

My worst problem with this season is the characterization, personally. Everything just felt so out of place. This is most prominent in the Rayllum plotline, in that, like - yeah, I get it, Callum is being harsh and standoffish because he's upset, but it's been two years and we barely saw a single moment of confrontation about it. "Did you find Viren? / So you just left for two years for nothing?" was a good moment, but I feel like they really needed to have an actual argument about it. Rayla has always been headstrong and tends to rush at her problems, and she gets defensive so easily - and if she's grown into a person who isn't like that anymore, we need to see that development in REAL TIME, not just see the end result. The whole conflict just felt so unbearably bland and devoid of any real emotion, and it wasn't explained well enough in-show to justify it happening at all.

This also has to do with the animation. I rewatched seasons 1-3 right before I started season 4 because I wanted to see it all linearly and have 1-3 fresh in my memory, and the difference in animation quality is so… evident? the movements look so STIFF and the expressions are soooo bland and lacking in real emotion. it's just so obvious, especially in contrast with the previous three seasons, how stiff and lifeless this season's character expressions/movements are.

Also in regards to characterization. I was so FRUSTRATED with how they handled Callum's possession by Aaravos? Not in the moment, the moment was FANTASTIC (though even there it felt like nobody in the room was even barely reacting to it the way they would have or should have), but also as it continued on. When Callum tried to talk about it to Ezran by the fire and Ez thought he was referring to Rayla leaving - like ??? if a mystical star being that even all the arch dragons couldn't hope to take down threatened to take my brother from me, I WOULD NOT BE THINKING ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP ISSUES. And Rayla's approach, too: she says "No one can control you" - Aaravos literally did and YOU WERE THERE. YOU SAW. it felt so swept aside and like it barely meant anything to anyone, except Callum (and even then it was only brought up significantly like two times after it happened.)

It all really just comes down to writing. Everything felt like setup for season 5, and there are ways this could have actually been done good, but you cannot justify and ENTIRE SEASON of what amounts to practically filler after three straight seasons of nothing but plot-driven episode structures.

(Also, and these are more minor things, I hated the retcon-esque nonsense or the way things were brushed aside in-season. Like Callum going through ALL that trouble to decode the mirror: the payoff for all of that SHOULD have been Callum discovering how the mirror works on his own and getting to see him interact with Aaravos privately and directly (mirroring Viren's interactions with him, and Callum has been HEAVILY themed to reflect Viren for a LOT of this season). Or the fact that Zubeia literally said "every arch dragon has a CLUE to where Aaravos is, but no one truly knows the location" only to immediately transition to "this one specific arch dragon has a literal map to where Aaravos is." like. fucking hello????)

[raayllum]

The 'Dark'!Callum Inversion scenes Meta

Because it was Everything to me from a characterization standpoint, extremely interesting and satisfying, and I just have all the feelings, so let's talk about it!

First off, symbolism set up!

Before the scene in the forest begins, we're treated to reflection motif with Callum seeing a corrupted version of himself in the water of the Moonshadow assassin lotus pond, which was previously a place associated with shame, loss, and failure (3x03); as well as love and goodbyes (3x03, 6x09). The first batch is what Callum is feeling, with the second batch being what will influence his future choices in the coming episodes.

We also get Callum talking about how he (inadvertently) freed Aaravos, then dons his symbol of freedom (wings) in order to get away. Then Callum brings out a far more complicated symbol for himself: the cube.

A few things right off the bat:

The cube since S4 has explicitly represented Callum's inner turmoil and connection to Aaravos, and we see that come out further here in both areas.

Just as Karim looks to direction from the Sun ("What would you have me do? Where would you have me go?" in 5x04) and his sister ("And what would you have me do?" in 7x03), Callum quasi-looks to the cube for direction.

However, the runes being emphasized (upside down star for Aaravos, the Ocean rune) foreshadow that the choice of what do do next is already made, as the Ocean rune was also emphasized in his original dark magic dreams in 2x08, and foreshadowed his choice to do dark magic again in 5x08. We'll return to the rune emphasis again later.

I also want to talk about dark!Callum (DC)'s appearance as opposed to the form he takes in 2x08. The cloak is back, which in 2x08 was their main distinguishing feature. Now, 7x06's is joined with corruption around the eyes (which was present in Callum's 6x03 nightmare) and the white streak, which is new. 7x06 DC therefore seems both less menacing than full corruption leering grin DC (earlier in the pond; 2x08's true form) and simultaneously more honest. He's not covering up his appearance at all, is presenting more of a middle man of what Callum could become, and yet is still deeply loathed.

The rune emphasis continues even once we get DC shows up, with the Ocean rune continuing to be highlighted, as Callum unlocked the Ocean arcanum due to realizing/accepting his lack of control on "To love is simply to know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep [...] The Ocean arcanum is accepting that there are depths you can't see, parts of yourself you can't understand..." It was inextricably linked due to him realizing he would go that far with dark magic again, even if he hated it.

Then we get into what is probably my second favourite line in the whole scene, which is, "You didn't create me with dark magic, Callum. I have always been a part of you." Although DC is demonstrated through dark magic indicators, it is not exclusive to dark magic use. This too is reflected in what Callum says about the ocean arcanum, explaining, "The ocean arcanum is about accepting there are depths you can't see, parts of yourself you can't understand, and things you can't control".

This aspect of everyone having both dark and light inside them (as Aaravos lays out in 7x04) is reflected in 7x06 "Inversion" as well through the metaphor of the half-moon. Not only is there dark and light within all the main cast that they have to confront this season (Ez and Rayla, for example, both accept and understand the circumstances under which they'd murder someone) but it also comes back to the half-moon as well: "Consider the half moon. Light only falls on half its face right now, but that doesn't mean the other half isn't there" (2x02).

So this dark side—this willingness to go this far and in this way—is a fundamental part of who Callum is and who he's always been ("But not everything [has changed]: I would do anything for you"). Again, we love it here.

Then, the scene starts stacking metaphor upon metaphor / symbol upon symbol. First, we had DC, evidenced through dark magic corruption and a darker doppelgänger self; then we had the Ocean rune to invoke the last time Callum did dark magic, and why; finally, we have DC bring the two together into one of the other main symbols of the series: fate vs freewill through the idea of writing your own story.

"So how's your book?"

Previously, Callum had though that choosing who he wanted to be was exclusive to being a dark mage. He could choose to exert and maintain his agency OR choose to give into a pre-written destiny ("your destiny is already written, all you have to do now is accept it"). This was only enhanced by his struggle in earlier arc 2 seasons, as the dichotomy between "you can be a dark mage or a powerless human" become reconciled to "you are a powerless human because you are a dark mage," manifested in Aaravos stripping him of his power through possession/control because of his dark magic use.

This is similar to Callum's more optimistic but simplified view in 5x08 that "so long as we protect each other, so long as we love each other, you can never control us." By the end of the episode he's realized that's not true, and by the end of season 7 he likewise realizes his previous view of dark magic and himself is also not true.

Like Viren, Callum is realizing that it's not so much a choice between agency or dark magic in his life, so much as it is taking responsibility and acknowledging that he's Choosing to do dark magic for something he thinks is worth it ("Every step forward is a choice" / "That's the destiny I choose"). A character just giving up dark magic is not enough to make them a 'good' person (hi Kpp'Ar) or truly change their path (6x04 Claudia) without recognizing that dark magic itself wasn't necessarily the problem, but what it brought out in them and how they coped with it (Viren blaming Soren for his own actions, etc). Simply put, there is no 'or'. There is only 'and'.

The true heart is a gift of childhood. For a few wonder-filled years, we each have innocent eyes to experience the world’s beauty in a simple way. Terrestrius, you were lucky and held that innocent wonder longer than most. I have seen generations of humans and elves accept the darkness that lurks in all of us beside the light. There is no black and white, only shades of gray. We must all carry complexity. But please believe me there is beauty in this burden. Your heart will be a little heavier, but now there will be no more half-truths, Terrestrius. 

[Side note: if you're interested more in the idea of knowledge as a burden in TDP, please check out this meta.]

As indicated by Aaravos' speech, this process of reconciling dichotomies into singular dualities is part of growing up and accepting that things are complicated shades of grey, just as Ezran had to learn in his 4x03 speech: "To give them that, we have to hold pain and love in our hearts at the same time," with reconciling dualities permeating much of arc 2, particularly season four.

So what does this process look like for Callum emotionally, with this scene in the woods? Well, there's a few different stages.

The first involves ideas of trust, which TDP comes back to time and time again. Whereas before DC kept himself very separate from Callum in 2x08 outside of a couple of lines, here he refers to them more routinely as one entity / person, emphasizing:

which Callum reflects even before we get there, even if he backtracks:

Furthermore, we return to the concept of parts of ourselves, not only in terms of fragmentation and brokenness, but also in terms of reality. DC states that he has always been a part of Callum, and the Ocean arcanum's "parts of yourself you can't understand" furthers this as previously noted, but so does Lujanne's statement from 2x02:

Real trust is accepting the dark parts we will never know.

But more on 7x09 in a bit. For now, part of how DC attempts to get through to Callum is in line with him being a more honest presentation of Callum than his prior manifestation in 2x08, and that begins with acknowledging Callum's feelings, but also the facts:

I get it. You hate me. But we know the truth too. Only I can save them all.

Now there will be no more half-truths. Dark and light brought together in understanding and acceptance, even if it is painful and complicated. DC posits, then, that Callum is someone who can and will "sacrifice [his] sense of right and wrong" and do dark magic again. This would, in addition, mean sacrificing his own life and his life with Rayla, as the plan involves being killed so Aaravos cannot use him further. (It does not, noticeably, involve sacrificing Rayla herself; in fact, it's rather the opposite, but again, more on that in a bit.)

Callum's capacity and willingness to do so is called out openly by DC, who reminds Callum of another truth and of his own doubt:

Taking the coin feels especially noteworthy since, when Callum did so, everything was seemingly fine. He'd cleansed himself of dark magic use and therefore possession, and believed/'knew' that the prison pearl was safely at the Starscraper, hundreds of miles away from him or anyone who would ever seemingly get to it. Yet he took the coin anyway, because to quote one of my friends, "Callum will see something and go man that's fucked up and file it away for later," and boy, he sure will. This tendency to preventively 'take', particularly for objects of perceived/potential power, also goes back even earlier: he doesn't just chain Claudia, but also steals her primal stone (1x03, 2x02: "You stole her primal stone"); in 4x07, he is unable to let go of / attempt to destroy the cube ("if you're so sure, why did you save it?"); and rather than having the self-awareness I'd assumed off screen to burn all of Viren's dark magic books, he read all of them instead (5x08).

So Callum plans for contingencies, yet has reservations about the plan DC—himself—is making. Fair enough. It would cause him to do "sacrifice his own sense of right and wrong," i.e. something that he considers vile and dangerous, and morally reprehensible. It'd mean dying and sacrificing his life. Does he bring any of these up as to why he doesn't want to, or can't, follow through on the plan?

No, because the singular reason he gives is this:

I can't. Don't you get it? Rayla loves me. She believes in me. This version of myself.

"You hate me" versus "Rayla loves me."

He doesn't say that it's wrong (2x08; which seems to be something he's relinquished partially by 6x03 anyway) and he doesn't even say that it'd kill him. The sole objection he gives is that Rayla would stop loving him, and implicitly that he'd be letting her down. I don't think I have to say why this is a little bit crazy and codependent, but I do love it, and it tracks with what Callum has said in the past, ie. 4x07's "I'm not afraid that he'll hurt me. I'm afraid that he'll use me to do awful things or hurt people I care about." A big part of 5x08 and the Ocean arcanum was realizing if it's a choice between doing awful things or his loved ones being hurt, he'll choose to do the awful thing, and 7x06 here takes that one step further: is doing an awful thing worth it to save your loved one, even if they hate you for it? (The answer to him is yes, but again: we're getting there.)

At this time, Callum still has hope that there's another way through that lets him defeat Aaravos and still have Rayla's love — I mean, not die, stating, "There has to be another way. Another way without you."

The immediate episode starts poking holes in this through Aaravos' conversation with Ezran: "It is the nature of children to think that the world must be one way or another." Callum has created a binary of "use dark magic to defeat Aaravos but sacrifice myself / Rayla's love" OR "defeat Aaravos without dark magic and keep Rayla's love". One option, or another. He's going to find out that that binary isn't true, but again, not quite there yet. For now I want to detour briefly into 7x07, specifically:

AARAVOS: There is great affinity between your brother and I. Callum sees the world as I do, understands the need for compromise [corruption]. Very soon, your brother will embrace dark magic to save those he loves. EZRAN: Oh? I suppose you've seen that written in the stars. AARAVOS: No, no. I've seen it written in his eyes. EZRAN: You're lying. Callum would never do that. AARAVOS: I never lie, Ezran. In your heart, you know this already. Callum will walk down that dark road.

So Aaravos knows, episodes in advance, what Callum is capable of and what he's willing to do. So does Ezran. So does Callum. And so, eventually, does Rayla.

But why is he willing to do this? Unsurprisingly, it's time to talk about my favourite part of the scene, or what I'm going to call

The Narrowing

Now, there's no denying that part of Callum's motivation here is to save the world. This has always been true; Callum loves the world. He cares about the greater good, and he's been willing to sacrifice himself for it before (3x01). Him being willing to use dark magic to save everyone, including Rayla and Ezran, is not news; it's inordinately in character. We've yet to see one of their lives be pitted against the greater good, wherein I think his choices would change, but Callum being willing to sacrifice himself / a life together in order to keep Rayla alive? That was always my prediction going into S7 that he'd do dark magic again and do it no matter the personal cost (losing the relationship, losing his life, etc) so long as it kept her and/or Ezran alive. And here we are.

With that out of the way, I want to talk about the specific narrowing we see, as DC proposes the same plan and according rationale behind it three times in 7x06, but it gets more specific each time (+ specific rune placements to boot):

"Them all," to a greater emphasis on Ezran and Rayla, to just Rayla.

Now, part of this is to reflect Callum's objections, which as we've gone over were exclusively centred on not wanting to lose Rayla's love (which Callum probably associates having her love as synonymous with him being alive, but Ezran did it first with her being alive in 4x01, so. yeah). That's what he wants to maintain, that's what he cares about. But DC points out that Rayla loving him, and him wanting that, should be secondary to keeping her alive. It's not about his wants. It's not about him.

It's about her.

After seasons of Callum's "I would do anything for you," we finally verbally get the second piece:

VIREN: But if it's love, then nothing else matters. Do what you must. (6x06)

While other characters discuss Callum's motivations in other ways—Runaan says "He will do whatever it takes to protect this world" as the man who's prepared to take him out to do the same, and as fits within Runaan's worldview like a perfect puzzle piece—most of that is publicly around other characters who share that worldview. Callum says "I have to, or everyone will die" and Aaravos' "So the hero dies for the greater good" in the final battle, where everyone—Rayla included—can hear (remember, privately, with Ezran how Aaravos framed the matter instead). Callum and Aaravos have an incentive and need for Rayla to accept and understand this—Callum wants her to take him out, and knows this'd be more effective than "I'm doing it for you" or she'd flat out refuse (6x03, 6x05); she needs to be Callum's 'false' safety net for Callum to be willing to corrupt himself again, on Aaravos' end—nor does it make it untrue. That is what Callum is doing something vile and dangerous for, and it's worth sacrificing his life and Rayla's love for him if it means saving everyone, including her. If it doesn't, or didn't, well, that remains to be seen...

But we all know what I'm saying for future events. Where we leave off story wise now is a Callum who willingly re-corrupted himself to save her and the greater good, a Callum who fully knows and accepts that in many ways he has sacrificed his sense of right and wrong in order to do so, and is aware that now and in the future he will "do anything, however dangerous, however vile" to protect the people he loves. The nice thing is that he also knows that rather than the false dichotomy set up before, sacrificing Rayla's love for him in order to save her life, is not something he has to be concerned about any longer, because she still loves him, and always will.

He became the person he hated, the person he was terrified to be (he carried out the exact same plan DC posited for the exact same reasons as posited) but not in the manner he expected, because he's still a person that Rayla loves. That's why the white streak is different. He can trust himself in this way, and knows that she can too.

She loves, accepts, and trusts this part of him, all of him. The thing he was most worried to lose is what he didn't have to lose at all, and I think that's pretty beautiful.

In conclusion, the scene in the forest was everything, the white streak and bridge scene in the finale was everything, we love a little snake boi and his prime enabler, TDP is kissing me on the mouth characterization wise always, god bless; thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.

[sorinethemastermind]

Snake Boi Callum Week 3.0 | Prompt: The Greater Good / Promise

 Sometimes Callum wondered if the halls had always been this quiet. Or if it was just that now there was no one to fill them.

 It was raining again, it had been for days; the drips running down the window panes in an endless torrent, the moon obscured by clouds. It was for the best. Better that he couldn’t see it. The thought felt selfish, but even now, years later, he could still see her in everything. 

 Leaning against his desk, twirling one of her blades absently. Her face lighting up with a smile  as he opened the door and she saw him. “Callum! There you are.” she would say, as though she’d spent all day looking. As though he was the only thing she could have wanted to find. 

 Huddled up before the fire, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she leafed through the big book of ocean poems he had given her. Her silver hair shining in the firelight, fingers softly brushing down the page as she read.

 Sat on the settee beside him, eyes sparkling in the candlelight, reaching out a hand to brush the hair out of his face before she leaned in to kiss him; her skin soft against his own, her lips softer. He remembered the way her smile had felt against his mouth as she laughed; happy. 

 “I kept my promise, Rayla.” he’d used to say, voice never quite able to pierce the eternal silence that had descended upon his study. But if that was true, why did it feel like he had broken one as well?

 Now Callum didn’t say anything.

 He found the book he had come for quickly, letting the door of the study swing shut behind him with a muffled creak. He didn’t want to stay there any longer than he had to. Following the light that shone from the other halls, he soon found himself in the wider castle. Here he could almost pretend that everything was as it should be. Guards patrolled just as they always had, chatting as they went, though perhaps with less alertness than before. It wasn’t needed now; this was a time of peace.

 But that was what they’d thought last time.

 Callum hurried past them and into Ezran’s chambers, locking the great double doors behind himself.

 “Callum?” his brother asked, seeing the look on his face. “Callum, what is it? It’s after midnight.”

 Ezran was already in his nightshirt, the long flowy fabric trailing around his feet. He looked tired. But he always looked tired now. He was the king.

 “This is important.” Callum crossed the room, pushing scrolls off of Ezran’s desk and onto the floor to clear space for his book. He heard his brother sigh, but that wasn’t anything new either. He slammed the book down onto the table, sending a cloud of dust pluming into the air, and opened it to the page he was looking for. “Look! Look, Ez! It’s right here.”

 Except it wasn’t. 

 Ezran placed a hand on his shoulder. “Callum-” he began, voice gentle. 

 “No.” Callum shrugged him off, flipping the page back and forth. Waiting for the letters to move. “I know what I saw. He’s back, Ez. He's back.” “Callum, Aaravos is dead.”

 “But that’s the thing!” he spun, turning to face Ezran and pushing his long, unruly hair out of his face. If his brother would only listen. “What if we just think he’s gone? You know what the Celestial Elves said. They said that-”

 “I know, Callum.” Ezran said, but Callum knew that he didn’t. None of them did. None of them understood. But he could show them. If they would just-

 “Callum, I do understand but-”

 Callum stopped. He hadn’t realized he was saying it out loud. Then he shook his head. “Ez, you don’t. None of you do.”

 “I miss her too, Callum. We all do.” he said, reaching out and wrapping his arms around his brother. For a moment Callum didn’t do anything, and then, slowly, he reached up and hugged him back. His breath caught in his chest. 

 “I just wish… it had been for something.” 

 “It was. It is.” Ezran assured him. “It’s over now.”

 And there it was, the thing that Ezran would never understand. It wasn’t over. It could never be. Because life was… well, it was like the moon. An eternal cycle; rotating forever as it shifted out of sight and back into view. There would always be love. But there would also be loss. There might be peace now, but it would always be followed by war.

 Callum hugged his brother back, and he felt the love like a warmth around his heart, holding him in that moment. But after, when he apologized for keeping Ezran up, took his book, and shuffled off back to bed, he also felt the cold. The cold in the empty halls. The cold of the rain beading against his skin as he walked across the courtyard. The cold of the dark study as he returned the book to his shelf. 

 The cold didn’t hold you in the now. It slipped through your fingers as you grabbed at it, slowly sliding you back into the then and the why and the how. The cold laughed as you clung to it desperately. It ran through you like the rain, bitter and biting, until you finally fell backwards into it and couldn’t find your way out. The cold felt like drowning. Like the ocean swallowing you whole. 

 Callum paused, his fingers tracing the worn leather of the book’s spine. He lifted it back off the shelf, and when he opened it again it fell onto the same page. The sketched face of his enemy looked up at him with a sneer as the words on the page slowly swirled into black.

 Callum gasped, staggering back. The book fell to the floor with a thump, dust motes floating in the air around it. Callum’s breath came in ragged, shaking gulps and he took a moment to regain his composure before lifting it back up. He opened it ever so slightly, peering from between the pages at the words. Nothing stirred, so he opened it fully. The face of his enemy stared blankly back at him, the words still against the stained parchment. 

 Callum closed his eyes. Maybe Ezran was right, maybe it was over. Maybe it was all in his head. He slipped the book back onto its shelf. The worst part was not being sure.

 The rain had cleared somewhat by the time he left his study again, and he could see the stars peeking out from behind the clouds. He stared up at the sky, feeling the last drops of rain fall onto his face like the sky was crying cold tears.

 “I miss her too.” he told it. 

 He always did. But on moonless nights he missed her the most.

[zuppizup]

I've been gathering my thoughts, musing, discussing, re-watching and while I still don't quite know how I feel about the new season, I've managed to put something together.

I assume it's incoherent...

So, overall, I did enjoy the season. It was awesome to be back in the world again. The scenery was gorgeous (especially Xadia), Soren was an absolute hoot and little gremlin child Zym cracked me up.

Poor solo Mum Zubeia.

Having said that... I spent most of the season expecting each episode would deal with the elephant in the room and each episode just left me with more questions.

And maybe that would have been okay, if not for the persistent hype.

For so long we've been told how much darker this season is going to be. How Callum is super affected by Rayla’s absence, how he's dangerously obsessed with magic now but... he got mad at a book and that was kinda of it? He seemed quite interested in the mirror but this is the guy who almost got zapped by lightning to try and connect to the Sky Arcanum.

So, yeah, I've seen worse from him. I expected worse from him.

Episode one and Callum’s Reflections story showed he was clearly devastated by the events of TTM. Inheritance has him unable to even say Rayla’s name months after she’s left.

So honestly, his reaction to Rayla’s sudden return actually seemed relatively normal. He didn’t want to talk which we’ve seen him do before.

But he seems to see her reaction to his apparent rejection and concedes:

and this happens:

Rayla’s reaction just seemed… almost cruel. Cuddling and giggling with Stella while Callum sits upset. Saying he was joking when he referred to the fact she was missing for two years. Honestly, I was so taken aback by that.

(I know people love the cuddle-mama thing but what about my boy Callum?!)

The revenge thing also got me, because… when was it about revenge? When did that change? Are we to disregard TTM and Dear Callum? What was the point of them then?

What really got me for both of them was Rayla leaving the next morning (Why? To go where?) and Callum… not even noticing? Being more concerned about a magic show than the person he's apparently been worried sick about for literally years.

Rayla randomly re-appearing later that night also seemed… so strange. What was she doing all day? Why not come to Ez somewhere private? And like others have pointed out, she apologises to Ezran but never Callum? And he forgives her immediately? Soren seemed to be the most aware of how weird this whole situation is for Callum. (Thanks himbo, we love you).

My favourite scene was top of the Storm Spire when Callum seemed like he was going to talk to her but they took that away too?! And yeah, the callback was funny but come on! It really felt out of place.

Now we have Callum’s possession by Aaravos forgotten about and the issue with Rayla’s absence once again pushed back.

I would have bought her joking and attempts at flirting if we got a few more micro expressions of concern or doubt but it felt genuine rather than trying to awkwardly ease the tension.

The Drakewood sequence threw me to. Her attitude was such a departure from old Rayla (the Rayla who ran off solo to save a dragon because it felt like the right thing to do).

And don't get me wrong, I was hungry for why she changed so much but we got nothing. I'm really hoping this is addressed in later seasons because "time skip" just doesn't feel like enough to explain this to me.

Hints of old Rayla did make me hopeful (the immediate self blame when Soren doesn't come back) and I was hoping this would lead to her more relaxed nature being a front. Hiding her emotions is not out of character for Rayla, being good at it is. Getting better at that during a time skip I could buy.

But alas, that didn't seem to go anywhere either.

The Viren reveal was even stranger for me. Mainly because… what about people who haven’t read TTM? Wouldn’t you expect more shock from Rayla and Callum to find him alive? There’s been barely anything addressing the fact Rayla left because she wasn’t convinced Viren was dead. A throw away line in S04E03 which wasn’t really given any weight or importance.

And where do they go from here? Has Rayla been “validated”? From her perspective Viren has been alive the entire time and is actively trying to free Aaravos. So yeah, it hurt Callum that she left but her reasons are valid.

If anything Viren is more dangerous than she suspected in TTM.

And yes, I get I’m not a regular fan. My ~500k of fanfic focusing of these characters clearly shows that, but what about the casual fans? Or people just discovering the show on a binge watch? So many things in the season just make no sense. Characters do things because the plot needs them to, not for compelling reasons.

And sure, it might all get explained in the next season (please, please!!!) but there were a number of choices that felt off or confusing.

Which… after all the hype of “Where’s Rayla?”, the Twitter and Instagram posts, the panels, etc… we essentially got:

“Oh yeah, she’s there.”

I hope some of this is addressed next season. I want to know what Rayla was doing for two years. Why she came back when she did. What caused her change of heart when it comes to things like trying to save people. Why she hasn't apologised to Callum yet.

I know coming back after a hiatus was going to be difficult and integrating the supplementary material would be a task but we had so much wonderful character building and insight and it really felt like it was all for nothing at this stage.

I loved the Reflections series and utterly adored TTM. They did great things with the characters and I was really looking forward to seeing that continue in the series. I’m still hopefully for future seasons but I will admit to being underwhelmed by this one.

[jelzorz]

167.

It's an argument Callum never thought he would have. He and Soren get along better these days, which isn't a high bar to set considering what their relationship was like when they were younger, and while they're certainly part of each other's family, so to speak, they're not what they'd call best friends. Soren is too much like an older brother, but not like the way Callum is an older brother—Callum cares about safety and plans, and Soren likes being fun (reckless) and ridiculous (stupid).

It's unsurprising, then, that Callum has never really needed advice from Soren, nor has he ever heeded it when it's given. And most times it's fine. When Rayla was away, it was always about going out or getting drinks or meeting other girls (or guys), none of which Callum really cared for at the time, and Soren took no offence when Callum turned him down or went home early. They're just different people like that, with different interests and different coping mechanisms—and then there's this.

They're in his office, gathered around Aaravos' prison. It's the second time they've had this meeting, only this time Callum has the Nova Blade on his desk next to the pearl, and now that they've got it, now that it's tangible, now that the concept of victory is real, the discussion is that much more serious.

There is no secret knock this time, no grumpy blindfolded Opeli, no pretense about what to do. It's break the prison and kill Aaravos, or wait around and risk Aaravos killing them. To Callum, the answer is pretty simple, but Ez and Soren and Opeli stare him down from the other side of his desk like he's just broken a law. Rayla, alone, stands with him on his side of the desk looking just as defiant as he.

"I don't understand what's not to get," bristles Callum. "We have the Nova Blade We can kill him and end this once and for all. Why are you all hesitating?"

"Because we don't know if it'll work?" says Ez dourly. "Because we have no idea how powerful Aaravos might be? Because you and Rayla went off to get the stupid Nova Blade without telling us?"

"So this isn't even about killing him, it's because we didn't get permission."

"It's about how we're supposed to be a team!" snaps Ez. "It's about how we're a council, how we're supposed to talk about this and decide things together, and you guys thought you'd just do what you want even though we decided together that we weren't going to do anything stupid!"

"This isn't stupid!" says Callum, scowling. "This is our chance to beat him! You're telling me that we have an opportunity to kill the most dangerous elf the world has ever seen and you just want to wait and see?"

"We're saying that we have no idea whether or not this will work, and that it's not worth doing anything reckless!"

"Your Highness," Opeli cuts in, massaging the bridge of her nose. "This wasn't the plan. None of us agreed to this, and barreling in without evidence is foolish at best."

"It will work though!" insists Callum. "The Celestial elves said so!"

"That's not evidence, that's hearsay."

"Look, Callum." That's Soren, and Callum almost blinks because it's rare that he's the one breaking up arguments. "I get it. You really think that this'll work. Just—what happens if it doesn't? What happens if you start a fight you can't finish? What if you're wrong?"

Callum scoffs. "I'm not wrong," he says loftily. "I did the research. I know this will work."

"Yeah, but what if?" says Soren, patient but somehow condescending, which was only ever something Callum had seen in swordfighting lessons when they were younger and Soren was a bully. "No offense, but going in like this is stupid."

Callum makes a face. "Really?" he drawls. "You're lecturing me about being stupid."

"You fucking bet I am," says Soren coolly. "Take it from someone who's been there. Starting this fight when you don't need to is the dumbest thing you could possibly do right now."

"I didn't start anything!" snaps Callum. "This fight was already going! I'm here to end it! What the hell are you three doing about it?"

"We're on the same side, Callum," says Ezran, hands raised like he's trying to placate his brother. "We just want to be careful!"

"Careful?" Callum barks out a laugh. "Doing nothing isn't careful! The elf in there is the most powerful being in the world! He'll destroy us all if we don't do something about it now!"

Soren scowls at him then, his arms crossed judgementally across his chest. "You sound like my dad," he mutters.

There's a pause. The silence in Callum's study beats, because they all know what Viren was like, they all know the things that Viren did, and Soren has the nerve—

"I'm nothing like him," snarls Callum.

"Really?" challenges Soren. "You're one step out from destroying an egg because it's a threat—"

"This isn't an egg, it's an elf who could conquer the world—"

"Who's imprisoned in a magical prison designed to keep him in," snaps Soren, "and you want to let him out on the idea that you might be able to kill him?" He snorts. "You're just like him. You're so convinced you can save the world that you don't care who you put in harm's way to do it."

Another pause. Callum's lungs fill with protests and counterarguments and words that definitely can't be said in polite conversation, but the only thing that leaves him in the end is, "Get out."

They do. Opeli leads the way. Soren takes the the pearl. Ezran shoots him a dirty glare. The door shuts behind them and then there is silence again except for Callum's breathing, heavy and furious that they would accuse him of being anything like Viren.

"You haven't said anything," he mutters to Rayla.

Rayla takes a breath. "I don't know what there is to say," she says quietly. "They might be right."

"Are you seriously siding with them right now?"

"No," says Rayla coolly. "I'm always on your side. But it's something to consider. If we're wrong..." She swallows. "I really don't want you to be wrong."

She touches his hand gently, and Callum flinches away like her fingers burn against his skin. The accusation stings because it was Viren who imprisoned her family, Viren who stole Zym's egg, Viren who started all this in the first place and the idea that he could be like him in any capacity is—

He breathes in. "Do you think I'm like him?"

Rayla shrugs. "Maybe you are," she says. "But ultimately, it doesn't really matter. Not to me. To me, you're Callum. I trust you, no matter what." She offers him a smile, a promise, and Callum hopes, with all his heart, that she isn't wrong to place that trust in him.