#cause it's like. To Me callum will absolutely do dark magic again. they have the time and the wherewithal

[raayllum]

thinking about the difference between "the show wouldn't do that or put this character in that position because of tone / time constraints / pacing" vs "the character wouldn't do that because of their characterization / personality" in regards to things happening or not happening.

each of which can be useful in figuring out 1) what is a reasonable expectation to have and 2) what is likely going to happen from both a plot and 3) a character standpoint.

for example:

1) the show isn't going to kill / permanently any of the main trio because of messaging and tone (story / tone constraints). they're just not.

however, any of the main trio would be willing to die for each other (characterization) or could, as characters who in the story's universe are mortal, die, which can be fun to explore in fic.

2) i love court politics, and i love thinking about in-universe politics for TDP, which is a time constraint wish > perhaps a straightforward characterization thing, but 6 seasons in it's very plain that the show has minimal time to devote to court politics, and that's okay! the aims are consistent and make sense, and it's a story constriant that helps me set expectations.

3) alternatively, when it came to callum doing dark magic again after s2, i was always sure that he would (characterization). whether the show would place him in that predicament or plot line where he'd be forced into that decision was up in the air (story/tone constraints), but what he would do if placed there was not to me.

[bittrlys]

We were so robbed of Callum and viren interacting or Callum and aaravos interacting. Like what do you mean the last time Callum and viren properly talked to eachother was season 1 how is it that these two foils never meet and actually realise how similar they are?!?!

Also I absolutely dig Callum and aaravos mentor fics they're so well written and some of them make me wish the show made them interact more. What if Callum did learn more than just one truth? What if he actually started to question why the books would hide aaravos's name and try to burry him within history just for him to always haunt the narrative? Did the dragons do this and if they did then why?

Also Iam not sure if Iam correct (so correct me if Iam wrong) but Callum x Claudia was the initial ship and I dig couples who have parallels with one another. That aside this makes me question if the reason why Terry was even introduced in the first place was because the writers needed a second Callum and that's it. It's a shame they never bothered to develop Terry properly because he has potential.

Yeah this was all over the place apologies!

Yes, there's nothing better than character foils and though it's not required they interact, there's so much rich and interesting content you can derive from said interactions. The Callum-Viren-Claudia trinity is so good and it's a shame that Soren is a mutual point of contact they all have and he barely got any time with Callum one-on-one. He did warn him against becoming Virenesque, but that's about it. I think the problem is that even when they're paralleled, Callum very rarely acknowledges the Viren of it all, and Viren has no idea what's going on with Callum. I guess they're both very self-focused characters but maybe some awareness would help to deepen these parallels, even if plot-wise they don't have many opportunities to meet.

Callum and Claudia at least got to run into each other more often. I think that's nice. Ending on the parallel of them casting the same spell was a great touch, even if it had the cowardice of "this spell isn't dark magic uwu don't worry." Still, I could use more. They have the potential to be a fantastic "two friends who tread down two different paths" type relationship and unfortunately, it's not quite there. Maybe we're due for some more flashbacks about their childhoods together ... or again, have some more awareness of each other while apart, and their opposing goals. Make them great rivals, is what I'm saying.

If Callum had more interaction with Aaravos, and ultimately rejected him, instead of just rejecting him from the jump, it would make these Callum and Claudia parallels even better. I can see Callum going "My people have been mistreated, and that we've been actively denied magic is terrible, but they haven't been able to stop me and I'm going to prove how good humanity can be." It would have just a hint of spite to help counter the implications of "I'm one of the Good Ones." He might still learn this! I'd like to see him confront the Startouch elves.

I think the dragons, however, are a lost cause. Although it's clear to you and me they've both benefited from and helped violently enforce this marginalization of humans, it feels like the Great Ones are going to take the lion's share of responsibility. I'm not who is responsible for the erasing of Aaravos's name, but I assume it was the collective who put in the group effort to help imprison him. The Startouch elves seem a little uninvolved at this point in time.

To bring it back to Callum and Claudia ... I can't find a quote from the writers saying explicitly that their ship was intended, but I would believe it was something they were considering -- they were having the voice actors do very ship-focused interviews around s2, before they decided to go in on C/R in s3. Indeed, I would say the ship did "happen" in the sense that they both had feelings for each other and even went on a lil date type thing once. I think, even if it doesn't work out, a canonical acknowledgement of mutual feelings is "canon ship" material. It's normal, too, to crush on someone and not have it work out because you find people who align more with your interests ... and in this vein the Callum/Rayla & Claudia/Terry evolution makes sense. Like Claudia, Rayla is a cool older girl, and like Callum, Terry is sweet and dorky. There's a cohesion to their 'types.'

So I wouldn't say Terry is replacing Callum because they would ever take the show's de facto protagonist and have him run around with Claudia helping her schemes -- Terry fulfilled a specific role in the plot, that is, giving Claudia someone to bounce off of while Viren and Soren were unavailable. I do agree Terry hasn't been quite fleshed out enough -- that he's just, like, having the world's craziest rumspringa doesn't seem to faze him much. And I get it! Backpacking summers across Europe can change you! However, I speculate that next season he's going to be challenged because there's no way Aaravos isn't going to drive a wedge between him and Claudia. I can even see his loyalties as an elf finally coming up (I think these existing is the only explanation for why he was so weirdly mad about Claudia threatening the coins) and he's going to be asking for mercy from Claudia for Xadia that she may not want to give. After all, so far, though he's been very down to clown, Claudia's journey has been extremely hyperfocused on her father, and I don't think Terry really, fully understood the threat that Aaravos posed.

Like you, I was always intrigued by the idea of Callum and Claudia because romantic narrative foils are very crunchy (good) but I do like Terry. I think he has a role to play and I find his optimistic and gentle outlook works well with Claudia. However, I agree that giving him some more to do than being Claudia's partner/lackey would be nice to see.

Thank you for the ask! ♥ No need to apologise, I enjoyed reading it!

[bluebirdjay]

sooooo, i finished dragon prince season 4. time to dump all my thoughts,

things i liked

ezran’s speech, it was made so well with him talking about pain and anger and how that need to stop and how that’s paralleled with claudia and ibis fight to show what happens when you don’t move on and try to do better because claudia literally brought her dad back to life because she couldn’t accept his death

TERRY, absolutely loved him, so bubbly and cute but still has his own demons that he deals with. just a nice introduction. also love claudia’s and terry’s dynamic, they are so 🥰, but also to show how claudia is able to live despite doing horrific things

rayllum dynamic, it feels how it should be after you know your girlfriend disappears for two years ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, comes back and tries to act as if that did not happen. and callum is trying to act cold cause he is hurt but rayla just wants to get things how they were before. also liked when rayla pursued viren a second time that callum understood it. honestly to show that if rayla actually discussed it with callum to do this he probably would have understood

janaya. they were just SO SOFT, AND CARING AND JUST EVERYTHING I NEED. i loved the communication with them. it’s still interesting that while janai is very good at understanding the sign she is not as well as in actually signing them which is interesting. to me suggests that janai put more effort in to understanding what amaya is trying to communicate than learning how to sign herself which makes sense since amaya can lip read. and also liked how they are basically demonstrating the problems and issues that would happen when elves and humans get reintroduced to each other after so many decades separated. like the conflict of cultures how one thing is insignificant to one has such importance and weight to the other. also the miscommunication with the soul fire makes so much sense since both of the characters considering one is grief stricken while one is panicking that the whole camp will set on fire. and also love the trial and amaya admitting that the architect literally trashed a funeral and janai giving such a fair punishment for the crime. like really liked that.

SOREN, MY SORBEAR. doing great. him just living his life, being a crownguard and a part time jester. also love his progression in the relation ship with dragons. how he is slowly understanding other beings that he tries to kill and instead befriend them. especially when he captured claudia and how gentle he is with the butterfly and the butterfly being comfortable with him that it kept coming back. where claudia or viren would not hesitate to kill it and have it in the emergency stash of magical beings.

i like the hair style changes. like i am trying to decide what it means for different characters as some grow their hair out while others cut them. like with soren i thing it’s him finally letting go and not needing to be under the pressure or control of his father and need his approval and him just doing what he wants. if you have thought on other characters would love to see

the different mature topics touched upon like panick attacks, viren having trauma from his death, aftermaths of war where both sides have been wronged, breaking the cycle of violence, reintroduction of different communities. i really enjoyed it

i liked the exploration of viren. him literally being like “oh i will die in 30 days, maybe i can finally just live and die peacefully”. like he was willing to accept dying. not pursue power, goals or even help aaravos. just to live. also his hesitance to do dark magic again. it’s interesting that he is reluctant to do it again, knowing once he walks that path again i don’t think he will be able to go of it again. also his relationship with claudia and terry, i think was very nice. also him just adopting kids left and right except his own son (´；ω；`)

Karim, like i hate him but he is a good character to introduce the conflict with is being and reflecting the people who are not so happy to reintroduce other communities

the things i did not like so much. most of it is criticism but some i feel weird about

the situation of the trial with janai and amaya. it felt really weird as in how amaya reacts. like how she is kind of making fun of the whole just punishing someone for blowing out a candle. like it felt weird how inconsiderate amaya was to janai’s culture. also shouldn’t amaya be kind of aware of the funeral rites of sunfire elves, ya know with janais sister being dead and then holding the soul fire. like i would assume amaya was present for such an important event.

the criticism i have is i think the show is too short. like i mean it’s everyone’s complain that we need MORE, which i agree but i think 9 episodes is no longer enough to tell such a story. like the story and character dynamics and stakes have become so much more complex that more time is needed to explore all the points. like the writing felt sometimes like season 1. like it’s good but is not deep. like the main cast felt a bit flat occasionally like ez. like it more visable when soren sees viren for the first time after his death. and we don’t actually see his proper reaction of realizing the father that has manipulated him, to the point of almost becoming a child murder, is back after finally living his life without his father presence outside of the scream, there wasn’t really anything.

NOT ENOUGH AARAVOS. I NEED MY STARTOUCHED ELF MORE IN MY LIFE. HIS PRESENCE, APPEREANCE, HIS DEEP ASS VOICE.

edit: completely forgot, i really liked the parallels of viren and callum. like both are high mages of katolis, have a strong relationship with the king, both interested in knowledge and specifically the mirror. a lot of shots parallel each other. like i really like how it’s was made but does not mean i like what they suggest

[six-of-ravens]

*kicks open door* AND ANOTHER THING--

so I was reading again in the bath and I realized this book is just.....very badly plotted. and I know because this is a hole I've fallen into with my own writing. the author had a beginning (all the character intros, basically), and an end, but absolutely nothing in between, and no idea what to put there. the middle of the plot is that the characters are just doing independent study on one very broad topic of magic. except half the group is doing nothing because they don't do that kind of magic. so it's freaking Sideplot City. Libby has her wormhole (though that's only mentioned in past tense, we don't get to see her and Nico actually working on it), Tristan is slowly losing his mind realizing he can see particles (?), Nico is wrapped up in this Gideon/Gideon's Mom drama, Reina is just reading books, Parisa apparently did Nothing for several months and then fucked Dalton to get Plot Relevant Info We Already Know, and Callum is causing Tristan to lose his mind, presumably for the lulz.

Since the fight against the FBI/CIA/MI6/mercenaries/other random thieves, these people haven't interacted as a group at all. No bonding. No getting drunk together, no adventures, no nothing...everyone has just apparently been Doing Their Own Thing for months. So....the main plot is not advancing. We're not seeing group dynamics, and there's barely any character interactions that are relevant to anything except one character's side quest. There's no joking, no fun, no intimacy, no becoming friends shown on-screen. Callum toying with Tristan is the most productive character interaction we get. Even Parisa only superficially manipulates Tristan into sleeping with her, but she doesn't actually seem to like him or trust him with her Plot Relevant Info.

So basically the author didn't have a middle to her story, and instead of having the characters bond or, idk, giving them more random encounters with weird magic or monsters or the fucking Special Ops, she just made up individual sidequests that take like, 3 days each, and bullshitted that nothing else interesting happened, or anything to drive them together as a group, in the rest of the 3-ish months they've been there.

Which is deeply unsatisfying!! One of my favourite things about dark academias like The Secret History or When We Were Villains (or hell, it's not DA, but Gideon the Ninth!) is the character dynamics. You take a group of people, usually very close, but possibly just united by circumstance, and break them. See how they break, if they stick together, who trusts who, who is reliable, who immediately starts day drinking....These people have almost nothing to do with each other, and don't even seem united in their common goal of independent study (?) so the murder (disappearance?) that inevitably happens will have very little emotional impact. Unless in the next hundred pages they all do a heel-face-turn and start acting all buddy-buddy, but it's TOO LATE in the story for that. You wasted my interest on boring subplots and isolating everyone instead of showing dynamics and growth and, hell, giving me a magic library that was more cool and fun than a regular library (where are the nasty evil spell books????? the ghosts and monsters?!?!?! why can't Dalton and Atlas be a little more overtly evil or have any personality at all instead of just being fucking exposition robots????)

[lily-lilou]

Great thoughts on magic systems! I just got recommenef to visit your blog and it's wonderful :-D what do you think about how the human half of the continent is devoid of magic? Almost as if it has been drained of it's magical sources a la dark magic. Or perhaps the continent not having magic is it's natural state and xadia somehow became magic infused? So many questions.

ooooh hello, nice to meet you, Anon!!!

and thank you, for the ask and the compliment :D

Well, I do have some theories about why the human half of the continent is devoided of magic.

First of all, I think we should notice that it's not entirely devoided of magic. Some places are still filled with it even though they're located in the human part of the continent. But they're hidden, hard to find (the moon nexus, the grotto where Claudia found her glowing fireflies in s1 and probably other places we don't know about yet).

And with that I do have some theories. (under the cut 'cause it's a little long ^^')

1) it's because (like you said) of dark magic

Since dark magic destroys what it uses and leaves nothing behind (if not for corrupted remains, it seems) it could be the overuse, along the years, of magical ressources that slowly drained the land of it's physical/primal magic.

It would fit with the "hidden" part of it, if the places where we still find magic are still like that because no one found them or, if they were found, weren't completely drained of their magic...

I would add to this theory that, if it's in any part close from truth, it could also be a long-game move from Xadia. We know from the creators (don't remember where, but I'm pretty sure it was in one of the earliest AMA on Reddit) that Xadia is more characterized by "timelessness" and "perfection".

And since we also know that Archdragons and some type of elves have extra long lifespan (several thousands years for startouch and archdragons, several centuries for the rest, apparently), time would indeed mean nothing to them.

With that in mind: dividing the continent to let humans use all of their part's magic until there's none left? In almost one millenia (so not much for Xadia) = no more magic = no more dark magic = disappearance of that higly controversial practice. problem solved and it's not Xadia's fault. Because Xadia is perfection and killing innocents along the bad ones it's not perfection (yes, we know Xadia and it's view of innocence is higly controversial too, but that's another story, another theory... and we would need more informations about what truly happened 1000years ago, we only got unreliable narrators, until now...)

It would also fit with one of @beautifulterriblequeen hc, where Moonshadow elves are some kind of police for humans. After all, they're sent after "bad humans" when they do "bad deeds" to correct them, give an example. We also see how Sunfire elves have a lot of intel about humans (Kazi and KSL, etc.) while humans don't know much about Xadia. It's as if Xadia is acting like a (distant, cold and really condescendant) parent with an unruly child. (... we all remember Sol Regem)

In fact, when you see how Xadia is looking down on humans, I'm pretty sure they're totally convinced of their own magnanimity. because "there's nothing worth saving in humans" and yet they let them live.

But I'm digressing and drifting again... sorry...

so! second theory

2) It's about who live in the land.

I think I mentionned that in one of my theories, but here it is:

Magic (in my theory) is one part physical (primal magic) and another part... well, about "love", and "feelings" and everything related to the heart. It's forgiveness, empathy, all of that.

I'm really not sure this is close from truth, but I do like to think that while Xadians have an affinity for primal magic and so infuse the land with their presence, humans have one to the other part of magic. But it's so... invisible that it doesn't look like magic at all. And yet, we have an Ezran with strong empathy who can talk to animals... (however, I'm still up for @kotikala 's theory about Ezran having an afinity with the stars, hehehehe)

Anyway! with that theory, some things seems to fit: the human part of the land is almost devoided of magic because there has been almost no xadians here since the division. But we can see that the kingdoms have come to an alliance. Despite their differences, and all, they're united, they even created a temple for the summit of the pentarchy in Allhaven Hill (the place where we saw all the other kings and queens). Because their magic is just about this, (I guess?)

As for Xadia, it's filled with primal magic, sure, but when it's about the heart, about being together... I mean... In the 1st episode of s1, when we got those... screenshots of the first wars, on the elven part: we never saw tidebounds or earthblood elves. (maybe they''re not fighters, but somehow I highly doubt that...

nobody will convince me that these two can't fight. NOBODY!!!)

Moonshadow elves? Messed up to the last extent, so much that apparently (according to Devon in HBMP ep5), it can be confusing as if you're allowed to show your feelings or not... (and seriously who ghost a 15 years old girl without even giving her a chance? WHO? SHE'S A BABY AND SHE NEEDS HER DADS!!!!!!! ... sorry, sensitive subject...)

Skywings? Loners, it seems. even Ibis, who's supposed to be an ambasador between elves and dragons according to his descritpion on the official site. Aaand... I mean... The dragon queen is dying in s3 and except for him, they're absolutely NO ONE on the storm spire. Nobody seems to care?

hem! Dragonguards? 6 of them just let their king and most of all another baby down just to save their freaking lives.

Startouch? ahahah! Seems, from Callum's spellsbook, that it's extremely rare to see one of them, so they're kind of never here (And I won't even talk about Aaravos... and since we got that wonderful tweet from A.Ehasz I won't not talk about it:

I'm pretty sure Startouch are nothing but walking disasters...

I'm not sure if it's me coming with this or if I saw that in an interview, but I'm pretty sure A.Ehasz said once that Xadians aren't that close to each other (amongs different kind of elves, especially, I mean).

Okay, digressing again. All of this to say what?

That of course, nothing is as white and black as what I wrote above, I'm more talking about tendencies who would be influenced by magic. But Humans infuse... people with their magic, Xadians infuse the land, and they're both supposed to work together because magic is a whole thing.

That's why magic created both. (see that like some kind of yin and yang?)

and finally my 3rd theory. The most stupid but somehow my favorite:

3) it's Aaravos fault.

No reason, just like that.

Because he plans. Because he knows! Because he gives me a "mad scientist" vibe. The "why not" more than the "why" kind of mad scientist(still sure he has a hand in the creation of dark magic).... you know?

did he do it without anyone noticing? Or did he convinced Luna Tenebris, 1000years ago, after the fall of Sol Regem and Elarion, to mess up with magic and remove it from the human part of the land, presenting it as a faster way to erease dark magic but in fact planning something sinister?

I don't know.

In fact I don't know if any of these theories are right, but they're fun. I wonder if you have another, however ^^

Thank you again for asking, have a really nice day, Anon :D

[theredhairedmonkey]

Claudia—Just what’s so bad about Dark Magic anyway?

Ah, Claudia. Everyone’s favorite dorky Dark Mage. Even as she continues her journey to villainy, we can’t help but find her at least a little adorable.

She’s undoubtedly likable, which makes a lot of what she does even more unsettling. We’re used to villains like Viren, who are so obviously villains even if they have somewhat good intentions.

But Claudia? She seems to have a good heart and cares about people outside of simply what they can do for her. Even if she may not reciprocate Callum’s feelings, she’s still clearly fond of him.

In S2, she’s genuinely supportive of her brother, telling him that them being alive matters more than succeeding in their missions. She also comforts Ezran and even helps mend his relationship with Callum, reminding him just how lucky they are to have each other.

As I lay out here, Claudia very much resembles Callum in the earlier chapters; both are bookish nerds, adorably awkward, and with an affinity towards magic. And while Callum starts to move away from this resemblance, we can see why Claudia is so likable.

Claudia can be caring and sweet. That’s why it’s so tragic and painful to watch her continue to cross moral lines, to the point that she is now thoroughly antagonistic to Team Zym, with any hope of total redemption being slim at best.

Now, I can’t talk about Claudia without first talking about Dark Magic. You see, while Dark Magic is terrible, the show doesn’t explicitly lay out exactly why it’s terrible. It merely illustrates how it works, portrays people using it for a variety of reasons, and then lets the audience decide how it feels about it. This is all intentional—Aaron and Justin have expressly stated they didn’t want to push too hard on the point that Dark Magic is wrong, instead leaving it for fans to make up their own minds. As a result, some fans sincerely believe there’s nothing wrong with it.

And that’s why we have Claudia. Someone who is sweet and sincere, relatable enough that you picture being friends with.

Someone who also sees nothing wrong with Dark Magic, defends using it, and even tries to use it for supposedly good reasons.

Because there’s no explicit reason given for why Dark Magic is so uniquely evil, the onus is on us, the viewers, to figure this out on our own.

There have been several fan attempts at explaining why Dark Magic is so bad, but for me, at least, I always felt we were missing something.

It might be wrong because it requires Dark Mages to sacrifice innocent creatures. But then again, humans in the real world consume animals all the time.

The logical response to this is that unlike, for instance, eating, Dark Magic is not natural nor necessary. However, we do all sorts of unnatural things with animals as well. For instance, we’ve created animal glue, whale oil for lamps, and leather from cattle. We’ve used creatures as working animals as well as for their cells to develop cures and vaccines. Without arguing that Dark Magic is defensible, this just helps illustrate the larger point that there must be something else that makes Dark Magic worse than any of this.

Another argument I’ve heard is that it permanently destroys magical habitats. The reason why the Human Kingdoms are much less magical than Xadia is that Dark Mages have poached and pillaged all the creatures they could. This could all very well be true, but it’s also what human beings do on the regular in the real world; as a rule, wherever industrial civilization lays down its roots, animal extinctions follow, intentionally or not. If Dark Magic is supposed to be an indictment of the way our society works today and the ecological problems we’ve caused, then we deserve it.

But many of us (hopefully) are working to change that, even if it means making life harder for us. The solution to climate change ultimately comes in the form of learning to live sustainably and in harmony with the world around us. One day, we’ll find a balance to our way of life, but if we can, why can’t Dark Mages? Why can’t Dark Magic users learn to moderate and regulate their behavior the way we could, and sustainably find ways to use the same magic that elves and dragons take for granted?

It also doesn’t help that characters who hate Dark Magic the most are also hypocritical about it. Sol Regem argues that Dark Magic causes the death of innocent creatures…while threatening to burn down a city filled with innocent people. Perhaps he opposes Dark Magic, not for ethical or benevolent reasons, but because it shifts the balance of power too much in favor of these so-called “lesser beings.” So, we can’t take his assessment of Dark Magic with anything more than a grain of salt.

But, at the end of the day, Dark Magic is a bad thing. Even if we can’t place our finger on exactly why, we know there’s just something wrong with it.

And that’s where Claudia comes in.

She too doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with Dark Magic— Why should she? It’s no different than anything else humans do, it helps keep people alive, and keeps us from starving and being helpless. Whether you eat them or take their magic, they’re just a resource.

But over time, as she relies more on Dark Magic as her universal problem-solver, we see her cross more and more ethical boundaries.

In most of the first two seasons, Claudia’s uses of Dark Magic come entirely from whatever she happens to carry in her bag or little critters she finds here or there.

And, for the most part, she tries to do the right thing. Claudia understands how powerful Zym could one day become, and from her perspective, there is a risk that he could, in her words, reign “death and destruction down on all of us.”

Claudia honestly believes that finding the Dragon Prince and bringing the princes home is what’s best for Katolis. Initially, she believes that Rayla had kidnapped the boys, and later she still insists her actions are for the greater good.

She’s willing to cross certain lines, such as manipulating and betraying Callum and Ezran, but shows signs that she regrets doing so.

But she starts off at crossing these relatively smaller moral lines, before working her way to more reprehensible behaviors. By the end of S2, she crosses a line when she uses a living creature to cure Soren’s paralysis.

After this moment, we see that she’s willing to justify an ever-growing list of horrible actions without any regrets. Whether it’s overthrowing and imprisoning Ezran, wiping out Lux Aurea, or turning the entire army into mindless rage-fueled minions, and even possibly letting Viren’s illusion strike down Ezran.

By the time she resurrects Viren, most likely by using a poor unfortunate elf who stumbled upon her, she’s past the point of feeling remorse for what she feels she has to do.

And why?

She places all of her faith in Viren because he’s family. She values her family above all else, and finds that Dark Magic is an easy, reliable way to keep it all together.

As a result, her character’s arc helps show what’s fundamentally wrong with Dark Magic—because it’s such an easy fix to all her problems, Claudia is tempted to lean on Dark Magic in more unethical ways.

In Lord Acton’s famous maxim, power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

And Dark Magic is power incarnate.

Dark Magic is far more versatile than Primal Magic. Whereas Primal Magic lets a mage use spells by harmonizing with nature, Dark Magic is simply about harnessing power in its raw form.

It’s not merely a shortcut that lets you bypass having an Arcanum or a Primal Stone. Certain practices within Dark Magic are not possible elsewhere.

If Callum had mastered Sky Magic by the time Rayla goes to save Pyrrah, he could have made short work of Soren and his forces with his winged form, but actually freeing the dragon from its chains would have still been no easy task.

But with Dark Magic, all Callum needed was a spell. A single spell and the chains are turned into snakes. The soldiers are driven away, and the dragon is free.

You can’t do that with Primal Magic.

We haven’t seen a limit to what Dark Magic can do for you, provided you have the materials. It can swap souls.

Or take them.

It can provide safe passage across the Breach.

It could taint or even destroy sources of Primal Magic.

Dark Magic isn’t bad just because it relies on sacrificing creatures. It’s bad because it tempts users with the power to redesign and reorganize the fabric of the world around them, potentially at the expense of Primal Sources themselves.

Dark!Callum sums up this temptation perfectly:

“You can have unlimited power. And you can choose what to do with that power. You can make a real difference in the world!”

And sadly, it’s a temptation that Claudia falls for time and time again. Once Claudia wields this power, she’s tempted to abuse it, even if it just begins as an attempt to protect her loved ones. And the more she abuses it, the harder it is to stop.

She shows that the temptation to use Dark Magic and how it distorts the world is what makes the practice so terrible and so terrifying that it shouldn’t be used in any circumstance.

@batfamfan1(who gave me permission to bring up our conversation here) had argued that Claudia’s use of Dark Magic was different from Viren and Aaravos, because she at least uses Dark Magic for good (or what she sees as good). That is, she cures or protects her family.

However, I’d argue that it’s not as simple as that. Claudia indeed sacrifices a deer because she wanted to cure Soren, but had she ever considered what Soren wanted? There’s a reason why, for instance, doctors disclose all relevant facts and treatments to a patient and let them make an informed decision, even if the doctor believes only one of those treatments is the best option. It’s not just about a cure, it’s about the agency of the patient. This becomes even more important when it’s not a professional responsibility to a patient, but a duty to respect the free will of someone you love.

Claudia never respects Soren’s agency. Even when he’s come to terms with his condition, she has not. She wants to keep trying to find a cure even while he’s beginning to move on. And, when she does find a cure, she never tells him about it beforehand, never tells him what it would cost, and never tries to get his approval.

This is different from Rayla in 2x08 who, in spite of knowing it’s a bad idea to let Ezran leave on his own, lets him go. Or Callum, who, in spite of thinking that Rayla staying on the Spire is a bad idea, simply lays out all the relevant information to Rayla and lets her make the decision for herself.

This is because, when you love or care about someone, that has to include letting them make their own choices, even if you don’t agree.

Claudia never does this with Soren because, again, it’s not about him, but about her. She has a personal need, however tragic, to keep her family together and healthy.

She’ll do what she can to fill that need, even if she has to play goddess to do so.

For that reason, she isn’t using Dark Magic for someone else’s benefit but her own. Much like Viren, whose stated goal to defend humanity was really just a cover for his desire to be powerful, Claudia’s goal to protect her family is really about protecting her state of mind. To do that, she needs to become powerful as well.

Her inability to see just what’s wrong with Dark Magic, combined with her need to maintain this portrait of a healthy family alive, means she will always be tempted to try another Dark Magic spell that will simply cure everything and will never look back once she tries it.

This is different than, for instance, Callum. As I describe here, he’s seen the world that Rayla shows him and begins to see magic the way she does. It’s not a tool; it’s a phenomenon, a vibrance or a spirit to things.

He understands, at least in an unstated way, that there’s something fundamentally wrong about Dark Magic, because it threatens that vibrancy.

Interestingly, unlike Claudia, who sees it as an easy solution to everything, Callum is suspicious because it’s too easy:

“But that’s just it! Too easy! Even though I know it’s wrong.”

Because of this, Claudia’s character arc helps illuminate what’s wrong with Dark Magic, even if the show doesn’t go out of its way to tell us. It’s a temptation for people who want to be powerful, and it makes them just powerful enough to abuse it.

And before you know it, you’ve lost your way.

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

The Long Game Ch 1

Instead of striking a few months later, the Moonshadow assassins guild decides to play the long game. Rayla will pose as a human and kill Harrow and Ezran when the time is right all while gaining valuable information. One problem: Rayla falls in love with Callum and doesn't think Ezran deserves to die for a crime he doesn't he even know was committed.

Now, Rayla has a choice: tell the truth and risk losing Callum but fixing the divide between Katolis and Xadia or staying quiet and having a chance at a happy life with Callum, Ezran and Harrow but losing the best chance they have at peace and probably never seeing her home or family again.

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

The assassins guild had been talking for days about whether or not to go in and kill King Harrow and Prince Ezran now or wait a few more months or even a year.  Queen Zubeia was in distress and the call for revenge was ringing loud and clear throughout Xadia.  First, eight years ago, the humans had attacked them unprovoked and murdered one of their citizens for their perverted dark magic.  Now, they killed the Dragon King and the Dragon Prince's egg.  Xadia could not let this go.  The only question was: when?

Runaan looked at Rayla out of the corner of his eye.  He knew she wanted to prove herself worthy.  He personally found it difficult to believe that his friends, Tiadrin and Lain, his parents, had abandoned their post.  In the back of his mind, it didn't make sense.  They knew better.  But, a Skywing elf who had also been part of the Dragon Guard had admitted they had all fled when the humans killed the Dragon King.  There was nothing anyone could do to stop the Silvergrove Ghosting the pair now.  But, Rayla could do the right thing in their stead and proclaimed herself ready to do whatever it took to right their wrongs.

"It's better to go now.  Who knows how long the Dragon Queen has?"  Runaan turned his attention back to the conversation his guild mates were having.  A cacophony of sounds as they tried to plan the best course of action that would bring them all back home and, hopefully, stop these humans from killing anymore Xadians.

"The humans will know it's us right away."

"So what?!  We want them to know what they did was wrong!"

"True, but, if we wait, maybe we can cause doubt.  They'll destroy themselves trying to figure it out."

"We have never not admitted we've taken life before.  Why should we do it now?  We take life but we don't take it lightly."

"Yes, but this is our chance to not only get the humans fighting each other, but to also get the Moon Nexus back!"  There was silence for a few moments.  Every Moonshadow el,f even a thousand years after the humans were forced out of Xadia, still felt the string of losing contact with the Moon Nexus.  It went deeper than pride; it was an irreplaceable piece of their heritage, culture, and magic that was forever lost to them because the humans refused to accept their lot in the universe as non-magic users.  "All I'm saying is, kill two Moon Phoenixes with one arrow.  Sow dissent AND fulfill the contract."

Runaan turned to Rayla.  Her young face was stony as she took in what everyone was saying.  Young...  He looked her up and down.  She was strong, but those who didn't know better would see her as a slip of a thing.  Slowly, a plan formed in Runaan's mind.  At any other time, he would have been horrified by the idea.  Rayla was his daughter as far as he was concerned.  His apprentice, his greatest joy besides Ethari.  Ethari would never forgive him.  But...  Runaan stood up, getting the attention of everyone in the room.  "I have an idea.  It involves my protegee, Rayla, and getting honor back for her parents as well as stirring doubt in the Pentarchy."

"What do you propose, Runaan?"  The guild master had a steeling expression as he stroked his beard.

Runaan smirked.  "We play the long game."

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

"Absolutely not!" Ethari roared.  "We already lost Tiadrin and Lain.  We aren't losing Rayla!"

"She's going to be fine, Ethari."  Runaan breathed through his nose.  As he expected, Ethari was displeased.

"She's too kind, Runaan!  Too loving. Her heart isn't made for a regular mission and you want her to do this?!  Send Bandlr or someone else."

"She's the only one her age whose properly trained. She's faster than all of us and quick on her feet."

"Then send yourself or a group."

"They won't suspect a young girl travelling on her own.  The longer she does nothing, the more likely they will be to think everything is fine."

"And if they catch her after she succeeds?  They'll kill her!  They'll kill our daughter and you're sending her to the slaughter."

"She'll die with honor and rise above what her parents have done."  Even to Runan's ears he sounded so detached.  He winced.

"You...you can't be serious.  Runaan, she's our child.  Not by blood, but we raised her.  She's only 15.  She'll be 16 when her training's over.  You can't...you can't do this."  Ethari's voice was shaking as he started to breath a little harsher.  "She's just a child."

"Rayla's already agreed, Ethari.  There's nothing either or us can do now."

"You didn't even ask me first!"  Ethari breathed deeply for a few moments before his face became stone.  "So, that's it, then?  You're just going to say good-bye to our little girl?"

Runaan ran a hand through his white hair.  "My love, it's not that simple.  Queen Zubeia ordered the two hits.  We have to do the job."

"Then take a squad like tradition says and do it!  Do not send our Rayla into the human lands alone.  What if the spell fails and she's found out?  What if she slips up?  We have no idea when the time is even right.  We may never see her again!  Do you want that?  Because I don't!  Rayla shouldn't be made to go because of her parents' actions."

"No one is making me do anything," Rayla piped up from the chair.  Runaan had completely forgotten she was in the room and, judging by his slight jump, so had Ethari.  "Yes, Runaan offered my name for the plan before asking me, but I agreed.  I had a fair chance to give someone else the job and I said I would do it.  I'm going, Ethari."

"Rayla, please, don't do this."

"Why do you lack faith in me?"

Ethari shook his head.  "It's so much more than that.  You're a child, Rayla.  Don't throw away your chance for a future when tradition holds you shouldn't even be considering this."

"What future?  If Xadia doesn't do anything, the humans will eventually believe they can do whatever they want.  What if they start killing elves or more dragons for dark magic?  We're already at war.  We have to act!"

Ethari looked between the two of them.  "You know what?  Both of you, do whatever you want."

Runaan started reaching for his husband.  "Ethari-"

"I'm going to my sister's, Runaan.  I need time to process sending my child, OUR child, over the border to be alone and carrying out a mission ALONE for who knows how long."  Ethari slammed the door behind him; silence reigning for a few minutes.

"Well," Rayla looked up at Runaan, "he took that better than we expected."

Runaan sighed.  "He's right, Rayla.  Think long and hard about this.  You have been given 24 hours before you're officially assigned this task.  We are asking you to give up an untold amount of time.  You might never come back."

Rayla looked directly into his eyes.  "I know, but I don't have a choice.  Someone has to do this and it should be me.  If my parents had just stayed, maybe, the Dragon Prince would still be alive.  Besides, they'll probably believe me easier than someone like Bandlr whose already all muscle at 14.  I'm young and fast, but I'm slight enough.  No one will believe I'm a threat if I say I come from a farming village."

"You're right.  I'm so proud of you, Rayla.  I'm sure you'll be able to come back home one day."

It took Ethari two weeks to come around, a new blade for Rayla in hand and a flower for when she went on her mission.  He still barely talked to Runaan and, if Runaan was being honest, he couldn't blame him.  Rayla was going to be spending a few months with Lujanne at the Moon Nexus followed by a bit of time in the village by the Cursed Caldera before making her way to the capital.  There was no room for error and she was going to have to learn how to act human fast.

The flower Ethari made was set into the fountain, the whole of Silvergrove watching.  Runaan knew he and everyone else would be keeping an eye on it.  Rayla had to succeed.

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

6 months later

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

Callum groaned as Soren sent him to the ground again.  "C'mon, step-prince.  Wasn't your mom the strongest general is Katolis?  You shouldn't be this weak after this much training."

Callum glared a bit at his...friend?...tormentor?  Callum wasn't sure who Soren was to him anymore besides the big brother of his crush.  How Claudia and Soren came from the same parents was beyond Callum.  Though, Viren did give Claudia more attention because of her magic.  More love, probably.  "My mom was a lance specialist.  Why don't we try that?"

"Princes use swords; even step-princes."

Callum looked down at his feet.  "The king can use a lance."

"ARGH!  It's just not how it's done, OK?  Sword first, than lance.  Now, on your hands and knees and give me a hundred push-ups."  Callum groaned and was about to follow through when Caludia raced through the courtyard to stand in front of Soren.  She started miming a bit, a big smile on her face.  "What is it, Clauds?  Use your words."

She squealed.  "There's a girl whose just come from the border.  She asked to see the king and she looks about my age, maybe a year younger."

Soren and Callum's brows furrowed.  "Why does she want to see the king?"

"Don't know, but she's pretty cute.  She might be your type, Sor-bear."

"Uh-huh.  You don't know my type, Claudia.  You've proven that how many times now?"

Callum didn't bother staying for what was bound to be an argument between the two.  Instead,he hurried to the throne room, running to Ezran and Bait with a handful of jelly tarts with them.  "What do you think she wants?" Ezran asked.

"No idea.  Whatever it is, I'm sure the king will hear her out."

"You know, you can call him 'Dad.'  I really think he'd like that, Callum."

"He's the king, Ezran, and I'm just the step-prince."

"But, he raised you and I know he loves you."

Callum closed his eyes briefly.  "It's complicated, Ez."

Ezran pouted a bit, but dropped it.  When they finally made it to the throne room, they stood to Harrow's right while Opeli and Viren were standing to his left.  Before them was a pale girl with hair a few shades lighter than Soren's and light blue eyes.  She stood perhaps an inch taller than Callum and was dressed in plain robes that marked her as a member of the farming class.

"Your Majesty," her voice was clear and projected throughout the room.  She took a sweeping curtsy, though almost lost her balance doing so.  She raised her eyes when Harrow told her to rise, slowly coming back up to face the room.  "I come from a town on the border.  We were attacked not too long ago."  She looked down, a tear slipping down her cheek.  "I'm all that's left of my village.  Please, I need help.  I have no family."

"Who attacked your home?"  Viren looked straight at her, eyebrow raised.

"I believe it was elves."  Viren and Harrow shared a look before turning back to the girl.  "They kept saying something about dragons when they came but everything happened so fast it's all a blur."

Viren cleared his throat.  "And why did you come all the way here?  Surely there were others who could look after you."

The girl looked distressed, twisting her hands together a bit.  Callum couldn't help but notice just how pretty she was, with a Cupid's bow on her top lip, high cheekbones, and large eyes.  But, there was something slightly off, something that in the back of his mind was saying it wasn't quite right.  Maybe she was too pretty?  "To be honest, I tried a few times but they either didn't want me because of the possibility of the elves coming after me.  I just hoped that I could be safe here."

Harrow nodded.  "Of course, dear child.  You are welcome to stay as long as you like.  And, I am so sorry for the trials you have faced before coming here today."

Viren sent a glared at Harrow.  "Harrow-"

"Not now, Viren.  We have to look after our citizens.  Always."  Harrow turned back to face her.  "What's your name, child?"

She looked at the five in the room, a soft smile on her face.  "Rayla.  My name is Rayla."        

[foxie-roxie]

me talking about the future dynamic between rayla/claudia/callum

*CLAP* LET’S GO ITS ANOTHER SELF INDULGENT TED TALK

in the fandom, i think my favorite things are the fanfiction, fanart, and even fanmade plushies or adoraburrs! of course i usually see the rayllum fanart more, because i seek it out, but i welcome all fanart.

but you wanna know my FAVORITE thing to theorize about besides rayllum?

*SMACKS CHALKBOARD* WHAT THE DYNAMIC WILL BE LIKE BETWEEN RAYLA, CALLUM, AND CLAUDIA. BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH IT

SO LET’S FUCKING TALK ABOUT IT

So Callum and Claudia have been enemies for a few weeks because she y’know, tried to capture them n other stuff whatever you know if you watched S2

and ofc, rayllum happened. so the “love triangle” basically lasted like. a week lmao

BUT THE DYNAMIC HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER AND I AM SO FUCKING READY

first off, why don’t we talk about PARALLELS BETWEEN CALLUM AND CLAUDS! because in s3 one really stood out to me, and it’s not that noticable

and it’s with the wings and reviving lord Corona-Virus, because they’re both HUGE for plot. callum learns a new spell (and saves rayla brb screeching bc that scene MAKES ME SO SOFT), and claudia is very clearly slowly being consumed by dark magic with half her hair being white

i like how it’s clear that they’re on opposite sides, in ALL ways, not just politically. callum is learning primal magic and isn’t being corrupted at all, claudia is learning dark magic and corrupting her soul more

OK THATS ENOUGH RAMBLING ABT OFFTOPIC SHIT IT’S TIME TO GET TO THE FUN STUFF

THE POSSIBLE DYNAMIC

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THIS CAN GO,,

First off, Rayllum

IF IT’S GONNA CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH SOMEONE,, I MEAN CLAUDIA COULD BE THE SOMEONE OK

Now lemme make it clear, I don’t think she would be jealous or anything. hell no (i imagine she finds out and is like “lmao ok, still hate u guys”)

it’s the fact that callum saved rayla instead of her father, who he grew up with

he chose an elf girl he meant a month ago, over someone he grew up

,,,IMAGINE HOW PISSY CLAUDIA’S GONNA BE ABOUT T H A T

now here’s the thing.

me talking about claudia and callum being enemies,, isn’t exactly true

on the sides of the war absolutely they are enemies

but in terms of their friendship? ...no

to me they seem quite neutral, as callum nor claudia has really mentioned the other, so i assume there are no grudges. 

but the thing is, they also... haven’t talked. they don’t know what the fUCK happened to the other after they separated. last time they saw eachother, callum almost motherfucking DIED because he’s an IDIOT

i also don’t ship claudium, i am a rayllum/raydia shipper the whole way, and i don’t think claudia really had feelings

but that’s my two cents, i won’t get into it

the only way callum could potentially know about what happened with claudia is soren but eh idk

claudia has no way of knowing that rayllum even exists, or that callum knows primal magic

so if they do run into eachother again,, holy shit

i know this wasn’t really much of talking abt the dynamic but instead what could CONTRIBUTE to it but @/raayllum made a great post about this on their blog (it’s actually from an ask that i asked lmao) so go read that!

anyway my adhdass’ train of thought is gone im gonna go read more fic bye

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Melkor and Glorfindel in TDP

My mind is still running off my Aaravos’s-plan-and-Runaan’s-fate hc that spun from @queensaraiz​‘s hc that Aaravos punished Queen Aditi by turning her human. (And come on, that’s a brilliantly horrible plan, I love it tbh) Remember how the Orphan Queen’s picture only shows three fingers, but a round human ear?

I commented on that when it first came out because I always look at elf hands, but everyone thought it was an angle thing. Maybe it is. But maybe it’s not.

Okay, on to what woke me up this morning. 

Runaan looks terrified in the purple light of Viren’s staff. I think he knows exactly what’s going to happen to him, because he knows the story of what Aaravos did to Queen Aditi--or whoever the Orphan Queen is. Aaravos stripped out her arcanum, and that is why Aaravos is worse than death. Especially to any elf who is prejudiced against humans. Aaravos can curse an elf to live a mortal life without magic. It’s a long, drawn-out, miserable existence--as far as the elves are concerned. Runaan would far prefer to die swiftly and honorably in battle, and his Moonshadow powers are a huge part of who he is.

He’s going to lose the one part of him that he identifies with most, the one thing that gives him his abilities, which he uses on missions to serve his people. Without his arcanum, Runaan will feel worthless, useless, whether he’s free and whole or not. He won’t be himself ever again, and that is indeed worse than death to him.

When Runaan got put into the coin, we only watched Gren’s reaction to it. Runaan screaming in agony onscreen wasn’t really appropriate for a kids’ show. But what if something else was happening to him that we weren’t supposed to know about yet?

If burning out an elf’s arcanum turns them human, maybe Runaan’s horns burned off too. The Orphan Queen doesn’t have any horns anymore. It would hurt horribly--he’d definitely scream about that. His hands are very conveniently pressed across the top of the coin so we can’t see any hint of them. He still has his pointy ears, and we get one glimpse of his horn cuff. But Runaan had really big ears as an elf, so maybe he just has cute human ears with points now? 

And his horns were designed very specifically so that he could hide them by lifting his chin and looking “good” and flaring them up behind his head by dropping his chin when he wanted to look intimidating, like when he says “hard enough to do whatever it takes.” He uses his horns as a deliberate sign of his dark and deadly side. If that part of him burns away, that’s actually better for his character.

But it also gives us the opportunity for a false reveal. Seeing him straight on, we’ll see the rounded metal of his horn cuffs as we always have. Only when he turns or tips his head will we see that they’re empty, just tucked into his hair. Appearances, remember? He wants to feel their weight on his head.

With them still on his head, holding nothing, possibly feeling his ear points starting to resorb, Runaan’s in an existential crisis. He’s getting broken by truth--something Moonshadows never want to look too closely at.

Who is he, if he’s not the Moonshadow elf Runaan? He’s lost so much further out into the dark than he thought possible. 

You know who will take one look, bow, and say “Trees to meet you” though. Ethari. Ethari won’t care what Runaan looks like on the outside. No spell can change a person’s heart. Runaan is still Ethari’s beloved husband, and he’s so kind and gentle and instantly accepting--even of humans!--I can’t see any reason he wouldn’t just sweep Runaan into his powerful arms, no matter what bits of him are missing, and cry with happiness that his husband is home.

Now, that said. Why did I title this Melkor and Glorfindel?

Melkor is the big evil dude that Sauron served in the Silmarillion. He took elves and locked them away underground and tortured them for hundreds of years, until they became something dark, shambling, and twisted: orcs.

Aaravos, in my new headcanon, created humans by stripping out the magical connection they were born with, in order to create his own version of life. He deliberately mutilated elves to create something of his own, his own race, his own contribution to the world. Of course he loves humans best. He made them out of elves. And therefore, he absolutely did create dark magic and give it to his darlings, because the Master Plan is to get rid of the elves by sending his pets to burn them. Burn out their arcana or burn them as spell fuel, it doesn’t matter. Aaravos will have a world where nothing remains but his precious humans. And then there will be balance. A balance of his own making, where none of the other Star Touches had succeeded.

Now for Glorfindel. He was a brave hero in the Silmarillion, with long and glorious golden hair, who fell in battle. Through great effort and a boon of magic from the the King of the Valar, Manwë, Glorfindel was restored to full life and health, and continued fighting for what was right, the only elf to ever come back from beyond the grave.

I know I’ve compared Runaan to Glorfindel on his epic hair and my hopes for his restoration before. But this time I have an extra headcanon.

Since Callum is a person who exists and has connected to an arcanum of his own choosing, I think that’s truly why he’s the “special boy”. Not because he’s the only human who can do that. But because he’s the one who can teach humans and former elves alike how to consciously choose an arcanum and connect with it. 

I think Callum will help Runaan choose a new arcanum. And because Runaan’s experiences were so horrific, and resulted directly from him doing his Moonshadow duty, I think Runaan will struggle with choosing. I don’t think he’ll just pick up Moon again. I hope he talks it over with Ethari so they both understand what could happen. But I hope Runaan goes into that wild new learning process with an open heart and a willingness to change.

I think at that point he might pick Sun and become a Sunfire elf. How hilarious to turn the tables on that old Sunfire-tinker headcanon! We’d get our eclipse anyway, but in reverse. And the whole point of choosing Sun is so Runaan can get a light-being. So that after all the taking and destruction he has caused, he can now dedicate his life to healing and restoring. To comfort instead of distress. We all saw how soft he was with Ethari. Imagine if he gets to be that soft with everyone, because he can actually embrace his own feels now! He’s always been too soft to be a Moonshadow.

He could pick another arcanum that gives him healing abilities, if they’re out there: Earth and Ocean come to mind. But I like Sun the best because when Runaan’s new horns grow in, and his hair changes color, he can literally have Glorfindel’s glorious long golden locks.

Maybe he’ll find his way to becoming the Sun King by the end of the war. His craftsman husband would have literally a million ideas for what to do with the Sunforge, and what all he can make with that much magical power. I can think of no better person to entrust it to--someone who has studied hard to make up for a weaker magic ability, who relies on learning new things (not a very Moonshadow trait at all) in order to remain of service.

If Runaan remained the Sun, and Ethari remained the Moon, that would be a lovely pairing. Runaan would literally rise from Shadow to Sun, and that’s one hell of a redemption arc.

Although... would Ethari remain a Moonshadow? Or would he sacrifice to join his husband in his new arcanum? From Moon and Shadow to Sun and Fire? Runaan being the Sun and Ethari being the Fire? All the better to work the Sunforge, my dear.

[raayllum]

Do you think Callum will do dark magic again?

Oh yeah, not a doubt in my mind. This is for 3 main reasons:

1) You don't have a character say "But beware, if you ever do dark magic again, the darkness will overwhelm and corrupt you" and escalate the stakes of usage unless you're going to go there. It's kind of like how I know Callum is going to be possessed Again at one point (s7 dark my beloved) precisely because he's worried about it and more than that, that he's brought another character (Rayla) into the fold with a decision to make. No reason to have setup and then no payoff

2) Unless Callum does dark magic again, Aaravos can't possess him again. And as previously mentioned, Callum has to get possessed unless they want to throw away multiple episodes (4x04, 4x05, 4x07, 5x04, 5x08, all S6 + orb shots, 6x03) out the window. Ergo, he has to do dark magic again. Setup like this (i.e. Rayla as Callum's light being hinted at in framing in s2 and then much more overtly in s4 before being brought mostly home in s6) always comes back around in some manner, just gotta look for it

3) Viren parallels. Viren and Callum have always had oppositional (arc 1) and then mirrored (switching) foil arcs throughout the show (think Callum with wings vs Viren falling to his death in 3x09, or Viren swearing dark magic off in 5x09 and Callum having opened that door back up again an episode prior, etc). Viren, as stated, had sworn off dark magic saying he would never ever do it again, nor did he want to do it in 6x08 for a multitude of reasons.

However, someone he loved (Soren) as well as the extenuating circumstances caused him to use dark magic as a full on sacrifice that likewise only sacrificed himself. A couple episodes we had Callum 'fix' the hole dark magic had made inside him, but if he's following Viren's path, there's two likely angles: the first is that he, like Viren, will use dark magic even after trying so hard to rid himself of it (the mirrored arc). The second, overlapping angle is that Callum will refuse to sacrifice his heart (switching) because his heart is Rayla.

'I will think of you under every full moon. Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.' —Dear Callum

Kinda like how Aaravos demanded that Viren should make the sacrifice in 5x09, and Viren refused vs Rayla demanding that Callum should make the sacrifice in 6x03 (and Finnegrin a bit honestly) and Callum inevitably refusing cause Rayla can't permanently die lmao.

Other:

There's also the unsavoury implication that "restores bodies to spirits" spell Callum did in 5x09 has unique associations with the dark ritual spell Claudia did in killing Sir Sparklepuff that was undeniably dark magic usage.

The coin has been seemingly wiped clean now that Runaan is out (though maybe there's the symbol still on the other side?) but it does make me wonder of a potential plotline where Callum knew ahead of time, or belatedly, that this spell would require something adjacent to dark magic and he's done it, but the corruption Kosmo spoke of is gradual, making him more irritated, paranoid, etc. like the King of a 1000 Eyes that Amaya talked about. I think that'd be really interesting

The indirectness / the fact we'd only know it'd Happened retroactively makes me lean that we'll outright see another blatant usage in S7 since that's more Dramatic (which I've always been in favour of Callum viewing "I get possessed again bc I make a 'bad' choice and hand myself over to Aaravos" as a sacrifice of himself into "i'm already dead so kill me" territory). And if he breaks his promise to Rayla that he won't pick her over the greater good, then she can break her promise to him that she'll kill him (this is exactly beat for beat what I've wanted since s4 dropped and even before tbh)

TLDR; Absolutely Yes. S7 being Book Seven: Dark only adds to this and the stakes / set up are all there. I'm pumped

[aaravos-breaks-the-internet]

【Aaravos liveblogs The Dragon Prince】Season 1, Episode 1

(Note from the mun: Probably best experienced by reading it while watching the episode yourself? Unless you have great memory of the episode’s details, I assume. I didn’t flesh out the descriptions of the individual scenes because the following text alone took me more than three hours and is 12 pages in Word already. Sadly, I forgot to add time stamps. I might edit them in later if I have the time but I hope that it’ll be possible to follow the script without them for now.

With that said, have fun!)

 *The Intro plays. Magical birds are flying over the waves of an ocean.*

Oh, oh my stars… I’m getting a lump in my throat right off the bat…I can watch Xadia everyday thanks to my arcanum’s ability to see into the beyond. Yet, this feels…different. How long has it been since I’ve walked freely in its wonderful landscape, felt the soothing breeze of the Xadian s-

WHAT THE! HOLY SHOOTING STAR! THAT IS MY VOICE. I – what

*His brain enters a state of frantic confusion.*

????!!!???!! This…this is so surreal. Forgive me but I’m – as you people say – absolutely losing it.

….

 ……………

That is- I just can’t believe it.

That Is Me! I’m in the Netflix. My voice is actually, really, in the Netflix!!

*He burries his hands in his hair with excitement. His initial fear is forgotten.*

 [“…rich in magic and wonder.”]

No offense, but I sound GOOD. I mean, technically I know that. But hearing myself like this is so different from hearing my voice from my own perspective.

*He squeals in anticipation.* This is so awesome.

…

Oh, the music is so sweet…

…

That dragon is…well, I guess I can try to ignore him…

…

…Why is he in every shot? Do we really need him to explain the arcanums? He’s not that great. Believe me.

…

Ok, the flight effect is really spectacular. I have to admit that.

Still, stupid dragon.

…

[“…a human mage…”]

OHHHHH I remember that one *he growls*

…

[“…discovered new magic…”]

Yeah, I bet you “discovered” it. I wonder how you “discovered” it. I’d really like to know. You gotta enlighten me about that “discovery” of yours.

…

In loving memory of those poor birds.

…

OH! OH! OH MY STARS! There I am!! It’s me!!! Hey, I actually look decent for a change. Sigh, I miss my old wardrobe. That scarf was my favourite. So silky and soft.

Also, not to brag, but my hair? Nice.

…

Sigh, poor humans. It breaks my heart everytime I think of the split…

…

Still forever impressed that they managed to draw an actual lava line through all of Xadia.

That’s some true dedication to the cause of hating each other. But I guess if it fuels your ambitions…who am I to judge…you idiots…

…

Oh, Thunder…my cherished…friend…

…

[“But in the eve of last Winter’s Turn…”]

*He inhales sharply*

Oh…this is where the future begins…I have yet to experience what is about to be shown…

…

Unspeakable dark magic? *He rubs his temples, visibly annoyed.* Yeah, I already have an idea what that might have been.

You idiots. All of you. Dragons, elves, humans, all idiots!

…

I’m really carrying myself with a lot of grace in this narration. Good job, future me! I can assure you, that is probably not what I have felt on the inside.

…

Welps, guess there goes your family tree, Thunder. My condolences.

…

[“Now the world stands on the edge of all-out war.”]

I’m pretty sure I smashed my head on the table after that line. Again?! AGAIN?! HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING? You incredible fools?!! You like this, don’t you? This is fun for you, there’s no other explanation. Why else would you imbeciles continue to fight each other like little, immature, bratty kindergarden children.

It’s –ARGHASFADADSF

The worst part is – I knew all of this from the very beginning. Why did I – why do I even bother with helping you…

*He takes a deep breath.*

Calm down, calm doooown… *he hums*

Anger is not good for your soul. You’ll just get bitter and start to come up with horrible revenge fantasies. It’s not worth it. Remember that. Caaaaalm…..

……..

Ok. I’m feeling better.

Let’s continue.

…

Is-is that boy drooling on his glow toad? Poor thing…but that begs the question, why does he let it sleep in his bed in the first place. I would not recommend that…at all. *He shudders.*

…

Oh, that’s a very impressive drawing of a drag-………..marshmallow monster? Really?...well, I guess, that’s…human imagination…very…cute.

…

Yeah no, I don’t think the glow toad was scared…

…

Oh my, that poor guard is dead. So many moonshadow elves? Not a chance.

…

Aaaaand, of course he trips.

…

I’m about to eat my cloak. She let him go.

You might as well turn yourself in as voluntary dragon breakfast now.

…

HHHHeeey!! What’s that greasy dude doing in front of my mirror?

Don’t touch it! I hate it when there are grease spots on the glass.

Well, I guess those humans successfully raided Thunder’s lair. At least I’ll have more sunshine now.

Heyheyhey, I said don’t touch it!

It’s not like you could understand any of those runes anyways.

…

What? He is the High Mage? I have foreseen that the High Mage of Katolis will be important to me. But I expected something…else.

Can I never be lucky? Is that what I get for being so kind, so gracious, so willing to sacrifice myself to help you all? Couldn’t fate be nice to me for a change?

Sigh, guess that’s what I have to work with now.

This better not be too tiring…

I mean, he slew Thunder. That’s something. I guess…

…

Noooo, don’t cover the mirror. My sunshine, remember? At least let me have that. I’ve only seen cave walls for the last couple of centuries. I’d love to have a little change of scene.

Damn.

…

*Harrow rising*

“I woke up like this.”

With perfect hair and perfectly dressed. Ah yes, very realistic. Just like me, every morning. (I’ll never tell you if that’s sarcasm or not.)

…

Oh yes, execute him!

Ok, sorry, I guess that came out a little too excited…*cough*

…

That bird’s nice.

…

That bird’s name is…well, I guess it’s a name.

…

He’s surprisingly calm considering he and his whole crew are about to be violently murdered by moonshadow assassins.

That’s some startouch-level coolness.

Impressive.

…

[“…we must find them today…”]

Yeaaaah, good luck with that…

…

Moonshadow elves are always so dramatic when it comes to their acrobatics.

Yeees, you’re very cool. A real ninja. Here, have a pat on the back. Now go back and play with the others.

…

Please don’t tell me you think veteran moonshadow assassins can’t tell the difference between blood and moonberry juice…

…

Aaaand, you think they can’t. *He slaps his forehead.*

I’m foresing that a great assassin career lies ahead of you. Yes, really.

…

*Cough* Wh-who is this very good looking fella, holy shooting star…

I mean.

Who is this?

He looks important. Like an important elf. Probably their leader.

Yes, that must be it. I just deduced that. I’m very smart.

*The coughing intensifies.*

…

*He sees the necklace.*

Nooooooooo, he is betrothed.

Whyyyyyyy fate. Won’t you let me have anything?

…

Did…did he just fall for the moonberry trick?

You’re very beautiful but forgive me, that was very dumb.

…

This face…my stars…

……………………..

 ………………….

………..What on earth is going on with me? Focus you dumb, old startouch elf.

It’s not like you to be so easily impressed with others. There’s absolutely no reason for that.

He’s just a boring, average moonshadow elf.

Whatever those weird, inexplicable, mushy feelings in your stomach are, we are done with those.

No more silly touchy-feely emotions.

Ok, let’s get back on track.

Ha, see, you have no power over me, you ridiculously pretty moonshadow elf!

Glad we sorted that out.

…

Yeah, he can see that.

…

That human village looks pretty sweet actually.

I wonder if they sell bread.

I’d love to have some bread now.

Wait, what?

…

Ah, jelly tarts. I remember those. Never liked them. Not enough chocolate. How can they make pastry. Without chocolate. I will never understand.

…

Those are…some impressive lashes.

Apparently modern day humans in Katolis like to put make-up on their pets?

Isn’t that animal cruelty? Is nobody concerned?

…

That toad is definitely smarter when it comes to this whole jelly tart stealing business…

It’s a bit sad to watch.

Well, at least it helped the human kid out.

Enjoy your tarts. Your sad, little, chocolate-less tarts…

…

Ah, that knight looks like a very smart person.

  Not.

…

He seems as enthusiastic about teaching the artist boy as I am about working together with the greasy wizard.

I relate to you, not very smart but at least good-at-your-trade knight.

…

Geez, this sword fighting lesson is a tragedy.

I’ve read startouch law books that were more uplifting.

…

Love amongst the dragons? Sigh, really? Such an overrated book. Too many dragons.

Ok ok, the love story part is kind of cute.

I guess.

Not that I would know.

As I have never read it.

…

I want to take a moment to thank the universe for not having siblings.

…

I mean, 300 years is nothing. So she’s kinda right? It’s pretty new?

…

*Slaps his face*

No you can’t do it now. That was a bad idea.

You’re noticing that yourself, aren’t you?

…

Is this how you humans court each other?.............

That explains….a lot….

…

Oh? What? He didn’t really stab you? You don’t say. I thought you were dead for real. What a shocking twist of events.

…

Hehe, pushing around those little figures was always the best part of any political meeting.

…

This conversation is off to a rocky start. Don’t do your children dirty like that.

You are evidently muddying the mood of your kids.

…

We have visitors from Xadia…unwanted visitors…look at mee…I’m the human mage…I’m so important…with my condescending voice…I’m so powerfuuuuul…for I am the human mage…

I feel the sudden urge to throw myself from the highest bookshelf in my library.

…

Yes. Yes, I think you’re an idiot, Soren.

…

[“…You’re saying they’ll kill the king?”]

Yeah right. As if Callum could have heard that down there in the courtyard.

He has human ears, not elf ears. *wiggles them in annoyance without noticing*

…

[“…’unstoppable: is just another kind of ‘stoppable’.”]

That’s…not…what?

My head hurts.

Is this the future of dark magic in Katolis?

I’m very concerned now.

…

14 and three quarters?

……………………………

This kingdom doesn’t need any enemies. It’ll take itself down all on its own.

…

[“Think fast.”]

As fast as you, three-quarter-boy?

…

Ah yes, the moonshadow elves. Their leader is talking. He sounds very distressed.

I mean. They murdered the dragon. I understand. I would be very distressed, too.

…

Uh-oh, no, please don’t bind your lives to-

Sigh……………moonshadow elves are so, so very dramatic. It’s painful.

Really annoying a thousand years ago, still really annoying today.

…

Yes, life is precious. Very good, very well observed. So why do you idiots throw it away with stupid binding curses like that? Your assassin career would be just fine without your silly, theatrical honour codes, that you cling to in order to give your life a deeper meaning but that are ultimately very useless and very dumb.

…

You really had to flex your arm like that just to illustrate the binding of the ribbon, didn’t you, moonshadow leader? That was totally necessary. Sure.

…

Ah….Runaan…that is…a nice name.

Which I just assessed factually, neutrally, in a very matter-of-fact manner.

I just noticed. Nothing more.

…

[“What if they know we’re coming?”]

That’s the face of somebody who messed up big time.

…

[“No, I don’t want a stupid jelly tart!”]

Ah, yes. Finally somebody who gets it!

…

Ok, I have to admit…I feel for them though… Poor children.

…

[“…closet full of moon sweaters.”]

*Bursts into laughter*

Closet full of moon sweaters!! That’s-OHHHH Curses! *he growls*

You got me there. Shame on me. Won’t happen a second time. I promise you that!

…

Flopflopflopflopflop

You know…the sound of the moon moth’s wings…right?

…

Yesssss, dramatic horse chase. Follow the moon sweater moth!

…

Well, guess he just…broke off that engagement.

…

Ohhhh, pretty sparkles!!

See? We’re perfect for each other.

He likes sparkles. I sparkle.

A match made in heaven!

…

Soren, they-they’re right in front of you!!

Is this the amount of effort you put into protecting your kingdom? When it is at the brink of freaking war?! Forget the moonshadow elves, you’re the biggest threat to Katolis’ safety…

God, I’m getting a headache.

I hope your father is a bit...brighter or I might have to let the elves and dragons win this thing.

…

[“You lied to me!”]

Ohhhhh, he’s so fierce when he’s angry…

I would never lie to you! *hums*

 Well, because I can’t lie. Which is very annoying sometimes…

…

[“Runaan, I’m sorry!”]

Something tells me that this won’t convince him.

…

[“You let him live but you’ve killed us all!”]

Whoa, Runaan, calm down. She’s a kid. I’m sure that’s not very good for her mental well-being. Cut her some slack.

If this was so important then maybe you should have taken out that soldier yourself. Didn’t occur to you back then? Nope, I don’t think so. Don’t blame her now because you were so bad at planning ahead.

*Shakes his head*

Moonshadow assassin leaders…

…

 Oh, that was it? Already?

That was…surprisingly fun. Not the soul-crushing existential crisis I was anticipating.

What does it say here? Next episode in five seconds? Well, I won’t say no to that…

Maybe I should get myself something to eat…

*He gets up, humming cheerfully.*

[true-neutral-earth-elf]

Tdp Crack Theory/fan lore: Avizandum and the Seven Cakes of Xadia

Avizandum is actually a very popular protagonist in Elven folktales, like Jack and Hansel who both appear in various stories irl. Their appearance is unknown and will often be attributed different features, and genders, depending on the story origin.

At some point after entering Xadia and getting past Sol Regem, Rayla and Callum find themselves getting roped into a production of the most popular of these stories, “Avizandum and the Seven Cakes of Xadia.” Callum is singled out to play the daring hero by the eccentric director, while Rayla works with the special effects. Zym watches the whole thing from beneath one of the bleachers, occasionally sneaking some elven equivalent of popcorn from the distracted children.

The story opens with Avizandum sitting upon a rock, pondering the meaning of existence. A cloaked stranger approaches them, asking why it is that they sit there staring into space. The hero shares with the stranger their confusion. Why are they here, what is the purpose for which they were born (“Elves are, apparently, quite fond of stories depicting existential crises,” Callum notes). The stranger listens carefully, then calmly answers, “Dear child, that is quite the conundrum! If you are, indeed, bent on finding the answer to your query, then this I shall offer you.” The stranger tells them of the Seven Cakes of Xadia, magical goodies concocted by the wisest of the archmages many centuries ago (“What kind of preservatives were those things pumped with?!”); each one granted the consumer absolute knowledge of a single part of life. The stranger hands Avizandum a map made of riddles which would direct them to each of the cakes. Avizandum considers the offer (“guess the only trait everyone can agree on, is his need to take time to think,”), to which the stranger prompts him to decide, “My child, I have a long journey ahead of me and little time to waste; yay or nay?” They accept, and go on their way to find the first cake.

The first cake, a red jelly filled delight which almost seemed to pulse, contained the knowledge of body. Avizandum had to endure a hike through the mighty dessert and traverse the tallest mountain, and suffered from starvation, dehydration, and sleep deprivation until they came to the place in which the cake was kept. They now knew what it meant to hunger and want for nourishment, which they had taken for granted living a comfortable life.

From there our hero began the search for the second cake, which granted knowledge of the world. The elf ventured through a vast grassland, inhabited by ferocious creatures of darkness and was constantly berated by violent lightning, hail, and wind storms. It was in that place that they learned of true terror. They found the second cake, which was filled with dry nuts, berries, and was decorated with edible flora, hidden away in an underground cabin with a heavy door. Avizandum now knew what it truly meant to feel safe, secure, and what peace that brought to the mind.

To a small, old town was where their journey led them. The elves of this place were cold to the adventurer as they knew not of this being’s character. Avizandum felt out of place amongst the close knit townsfolk; an outcast in the crowd. Loneliness, that draining specter, haunted them. But then, a child, of all living things, befriended them; the little one showed Avizandum the ways of the village and convinced their kin to open up to, and accept their new friend. Eventually the subject of the third cake came up, to which the townsfolk were thrilled to answer all questions of. They brought forth the cake and shared it with the adventurer. A welcoming scent wafted forth from the soft, warm, buttery cake; eating it reminded the hero what it meant to love, be loved, and accepted. The cake granted knowledge of companionship, friendship.

The fourth riddle guided Avizandum to a grand manor, in which a contest of streangth and wit was being held. The master of the manor had promised the competitors that the winner of every contest could claim any prise from his treasury; the fourth cake being amongst them. The hero struggled greatly with each challenge, and met defeat with anguish and despair. But their competition faired no better; they were on equal footing. So, Avizandum began training harder and harder, gaining recognition amongst their peers. They took each victory in stride and shared their celebratory spirit with the others. Finally, they had succeeded in every challenge laid before them and claimed the cake as their prize! This cake provided knowledge of achievement, what it was to fight and be respected. (“Interesting prospect..”)

The elven hero was puzzled by the fifth riddle as it did not give way to a location, but appeared to urge them to reflect on themselves (“Finally, something they’re really good at.”). Avizandum chose a place beneath a mighty tree and recalled the events of their life. Their memories came forth like water through a damn, first the recent uneventful ones, then the sorrowful ones, the fearful ones, the ones that filled them with range, and, worst of all, the regretful ones. The hero began to weep from the the bombardment of emotions until there was nothing left to weep for. Within that time the daylight had faded to night, Avizandum gazed up towards the full light of the moon. “Who am I,” they wondered, “Am I as pitiful as these memories doth testify? Or is this only part of what makes me a reality?” They thought back on their memories, but, this time, examined each and every one separately; carefully, they considered why these memories impacted them so much, why that one person from before said claimed something about them, how a certain event caused the others to occur, and it had shaped them. Avizandum closed their eyes and whispered into the night, “All this life I have lived and all has become a part of me. Though, I know and regret much of it, I shan’t purge it from my mind! No. I shall do better. Be better. Many more mistakes will be made, but I will face and accept them as a new part of me. I shall reach for my full potential!” Their eyes fluttered open, and right in front of them was placed the fifth cake. Avizandum took joy in slowly eating the cake, appreciating the bittersweet mixture of flavors that made it truly unique, and gained the knowledge of self.

Avizandum set out upon the road once the sun had reached its peak. The sixth, and final riddle asked nothing of them other than to simply walk and watch the world around them. So they did. No flittering bird went unnoticed, no ant forgotten, nor breeze unappreciated. But it what truly caught The elve’s eye was the people they passed along the way, for now that they knew themself they could now recognize the “self” in others. The other elves, though very much strangers, were alive just as they. Suffered in ways Avizandum could never truly know but empathize with. Lived their own lives as they learned how to in their youth. And loved their home in their own way, as they would have it. At the end of the trail waited the cloaked stranger who had sent them on their journey. “My child, it is good to lay eyes on you once again!” The stranger clapped them on the back, then asked in a cheerful manor, “Have you learned anything from this trip of yours?” Avizandum gleefully shared with their friend the details of their journey. Just as before, the strangers listened intently and waited until the young elf was through to speak, “And, what have you learned this day?” “My dear friend,” the youth spoke in a calm tone, “today I have have found that we, let’s say you and I, are different, yet the same. We are, to each, our own. Both on our own paths with our own understandings, which may coincide at moments like this, but shall remain ours alone...and that is fine. We shall walk our own paths, side by side.” The stranger smiled, and from his cloak brought out the sixth cake. This one was rather simple, it surface was covered in smooth, light blue frosting and had no real taste but sharpened the elf’s mind. The hero now had knowledge of things beyond themself.

Once finsished with the cake, Avizandum turned towards the stranger, “But, what of the seventh cake? There is no riddle for it, nor can I imagine anything greater than what I have learned.” The stranger shook his head, and replied, “My child, the seventh cake is one you will find on your own eventually. I could tell you now...but I wish not do so. Your journey has taught you what it is to live, and thus what to maintain in life. If I shared with you the seventh cake, it’s knowledge would either frighten or excite you. Are you willing to face the possible consequences now?” The youth wanted to reply with an enthusiastic “yes” but could not bring themself to do so. “If it is truly something I will learn later on, then I shall wait until then.” “Very well, my young friend, very well indeed.”

The curtains close, Callum and the other actors take a bow along with the director then exit stage left. After most of the audience cleared out, Callum, Rayla, and Azymondias were relaxing in the bleachers, comparing notes on how they nearly botched their jobs.

“So, what was the seventh cake?” The words of the fabled stranger still lingered in Callum’s mind.

“Dunno,” Rayla shrugged, “I never thought it was worth wasting time over. Avizandum didn’t need it, why should I?”

“I guess that’s one way of thinking about it.”

“Might I be of some assistance?” The two snapped their heads towards the direction of the unknown voice. A tall, robe clad elf softly approached them. “I’m sorry for disturbing you both, but I couldn’t help but overhear your question.”

“That’s ok,” Callum gave a welcome smile, blissfully unaware of the the look of caution on Rayla’s face, “Do you know what it is?”

“Yes dear...but do you really want to know?”

The human thought for a moment, “Yes.”

The older elf smiled. “The seventh cake is the knowledge of the hereafter; death.”

Callum blinked, and shared a questioning look with Rayla.

“Knowledge of death entails the cruel reality of life; that it has no inherent meaning. There is not a higher purpose, nor a universal truth to be found. In death our “selves” perish, and eventually the memory of us follows suit. The stranger in the story feared that this truth would destroy Avizandum’s view of the world, that they would lose their will to live, as many do.” they leaned back a little, gazing thoughtfully at the fielding, “Some people find comfort in this truth. No pressure from a greater power means that we alone possess the power to define our lives, as we see fit. In this way, we are free.” With a sigh, the elf returned their gaze to the surprised teens. They chuckled, “Come now little ones! Does this news change anything?”

Rayla hummed, “I suppose not.”

The stranger nodded, then turned to head off, “Then think nothing of it! You’re young and full of life, embrace and appreciate that. Go safely dears!”

(A/N: This was so not meant to be this long. Well, hope y’all enjoyed anyways!)

[outtacommission]

everybody, please believe I’m fine

hello i have the soren sickfic!!!!!! (no pairings, just sibling h/c)

Ao3

If there was going to be a day for this to happen, it would happen to be this day. Soren wakes up to a dark, cloudy sky, cold rain pattering against the window, and a splitting headache. He doesn’t realize how bad it is until he sits up in bed only to have a bolt of pain spear through his skull. He drops his head into his hands with a hiss and pushes the heels of his palms into his eyes. It takes too long for the throb to lessen enough to look up again, and when he does, it becomes apparent that the headache isn’t the only discomfort plaguing him at the moment. Pressure is already building in his sinuses, and his throat is itchy and sore when he swallows.

Soren freezes. Is he… Is he sick? He can’t remember the last time he’s felt this way.

He groans in frustration and rakes a hand through sleep-matted hair. Is this because I didn’t wash my hands with soap before lunch a few days ago…? Or maybe it’s the universe’s way of getting back at him for laughing at Claudia that one time when she fudged a spell and accidentally gave herself a rash.

Either way, a cold can’t get in the way of his responsibilities. He’s a strong, tough guy. In all honesty he thought he was beyond getting sick at all. The last time he was ill was…probably as a child. There was one instance in his early teen years when he had an allergic reaction to some weird edible plant he ate on a dare, but he doesn’t really count that.

It’s weird that he’s suddenly experiencing these symptoms now, when his body is in such excellent condition. Guess it can’t be helped. The day has to go on, and he can’t spend it in bed.

He skips breakfast. Out of all the days to do so, this is probably the worst one, but he can’t really seem to work up an appetite. In fact, the thought of porridge or pastries makes him a little nauseous. That’s also unusual, but he doesn’t dwell on it. He’ll make up for it with a large lunch—surely he’ll be feeling better by then.

The castle seems draftier than normal and his armor sits heavy on his shoulders when he puts it on. His muscles ache as he reaches up to secure his pauldron. He willfully ignores it.

Claudia catches up to him in the corridor on his way out to meet with the rest of his troop. “Mornin,’ Sor-bear!” she says loudly, running up to his side. “I didn’t see you at breakfast!”

Soren tries not to wince when the volume of her voice causes another spike of pain in his head. “Uh, yeah. I didn’t really feel like breakfast today, so.”

“You…didn’t feel like breakfast? That’s weird.” She reaches up and pokes his cheek gently. “You feel like breakfast to me!”

He only laughs softly in reply.

Claudia frowns. “You okay, Sor-bear? You seem…quiet.”

“Ah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He smiles, internally grimacing at how utterly unconvincing he sounds. “Just a little tired. Didn’t sleep well, I guess.”

His sister purses her lips and places a hand on his shoulder. “Then take it easy today, okay? You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Including Dad.”

Soren starts a little at that. He and Claudia have always been close—closer than most siblings, he thinks—and sometimes it seems like she can read his mind. Truthfully, he’s not entirely convinced that she can’t, since magic doesn’t make much sense to him. It can be a little unnerving. And Claudia is terrifyingly smart and perceptive when she wants to be.

And, well, maybe it’s a little bit true that he carries himself like he’s got something to prove. But when you’re the youngest member of the king’s army, ever, and the son of the High Mage, it’s hard not to feel pressured. Eyes are on him all the time, and no matter how skilled he is with a blade, he can’t help but wonder if people look down on him for not being talented with magic. And by people, he specifically means his father. Not that Viren has ever given him much reason to think he’s disappointed in his lack of magical ability, but when Soren watches him and Claudia together, he can’t stop the idea from passing through his mind.

He’s never admitted that before. It’s just a nagging little thought that he usually stuffs deep, deep down under bravado and confidence, and that works pretty well.

Damn Claudia for bringing that up now. Damn her for noticing it in the first place. Soren is not insecure. That’s just not a thing. And he certainly doesn’t think this deeply about things. Feelings and emotions and worrying about not meeting expectations are not a part of who he is.

“I’m not—I don’t—” Damn it. He stutters to a stop as his face screws up, and before he can stop it, he sneezes. Forcefully. The ache behind his face flares and he groans.

“Bless you!” Claudia says, surprised.

Shit. Soren sniffles wetly, dragging the back of his hand under his nose. “Thanks.”

His sister comes to stand in front of him and crosses her arms. “I’m serious, Soren. Don’t push yourself today.”

With one last sniff, he straightens up and puts on his best smirk. “I’m fine, Claudia. I’m not gonna keel over or anything.”

She raises an eyebrow at him, but then cracks a smile and shakes her head. “Okay, well, I’ll be around. If you happen to need anything.”

He smiles back and nods before turning and continuing on his way.

—

Training is… Well, it goes a lot worse than he had anticipated. The floodgates open ten minutes in and he's instantly soaked through, and training in wet gear is miserable enough on its own. But on top of that, his armor is so heavy and each swing of his sword takes herculean effort. He doesn’t understand. He’s never had this much trouble. Armor isn’t light, exactly, but it’s never weighed him down like this, even while wet. He’s never struggled so much to get his footwork right. His movements are sluggish and clumsy and it takes far more concentration than it ever should merely to keep his balance while his sparring partner deals offensive blows. And despite the constant movement, he's freezing. Courtesy of the rain.

It’s when he’s finally knocked on his ass that he admits to needing a break. He stows the wooden training sword and makes his way to the water pump around the corner of the courtyard, where he takes a moment to press his forearm to the wall and rest his head on it. His body is so weak and drained of energy. He definitely shouldn’t have skipped breakfast, but even now the thought of eating makes him feel ill.

He growls in frustration. This is so inconvenient.

A cough suddenly bursts from his throat, forceful and dry. He’s been having the urge to cough since he got his heart-rate up, but hasn’t allowed himself more than a quick clearing of his throat until now. Now, the cough completely takes over and his lungs heave as he hacks, feeling how much the illness is settling into his throat and chest and head.

Why can’t the day just be over already?

No sooner had the thought entered his head than a distant clock chimes twelve, and he groans again as the coughing tapers off. Lunchtime. And then he’s supposed to have swordplay training with the step-prince. He usually enjoys being Callum’s instructor, even if the kid is no good with a blade, but today just thinking about training is exhausting.

That, and he still isn’t hungry. Either he forces himself to eat and potentially vomits from it, or he continues on with an empty stomach and drains what little energy he has left and pray that he can keep pulling strength from somewhere.

Neither option sounds good.

Technically he could always admit to not feeling well and take the rest of the day off, but that’s not going to happen.

He pushes himself upright and takes off for the training ground again. But after a few steps, the blood suddenly drains from his head and his legs lose strength completely. He stumbles to the wall again, feels his shoulder slam against it as his vision starts spinning and morphing into bright shapes and a rushing sound fills his ears. For a few moments, he’s completely cut off from the world and his own body as he can’t see or hear, and can only feel a dull tingling, trembling sensation.

When he finally comes back to himself, he’s lying slumped on his side in the grass not five feet from the water pump. His hands are shaking, he’s covered in cold sweat and rain, and his head is absolutely pounding.

What…just happened…?

Fear starts burrowing into his consciousness as he comes to the realization that he’d just passed out.

Oh, not good, not good, not good, not good.

He’s got to get up before someone sees him like this.

His first attempt fails miserably. As soon as he sits up and tries to get to his feet, his muscles scream in protest and dizziness overwhelms him, knocking him right back down. He pants roughly, the air making his throat ache. He’s weak as a newborn foal, and probably looks about as graceful as one. Oh, this is so bad. What if he can’t get up? What if he has to call for someone to help?

No, he can’t. He’s stronger than this. He’s got this. It’s just a stupid cold.

He removes his pauldron, gorget, and breastplate, and it’s a little easier to breathe. He leans his head against the stone wall and focuses on drawing oxygen into his lungs. This is because he skipped breakfast for sure. He really should try to eat something for lunch, even if it’s just a piece of bread. And maybe he would, if he felt steady enough to stand.

After a while, his hands stop shaking quite so badly and the dizziness recedes, leaving just the terrible headache and utter exhaustion in its wake. Soren takes a deep breath, begs his body to cooperate, and slowly climbs to his feet. Thankfully, this time, his legs are solid enough to hold him and he doesn’t get knocked back down by vertigo. Good enough. He coughs again into his elbow and makes his way back out to the training ground.

The rain has slowed to a drizzle now, hardly enough to notice, but everything—including Soren’s hair and clothes—is still wet and cold. He shivers.

Surprisingly, Callum is already there on a bench with his head bent over his sketchbook. He looks up when Soren approaches.

“Hey,” he greets. “I was wondering where you were.”

Soren’s brow furrows. “Why? Training’s not ’til one.”

“Uh, it is one.” Callum tilts his head, raises an eyebrow. “Where’s the rest of your armor?”

It’s…been an entire hour? There’s no way. He couldn’t have been sitting by the water pump for a whole hour, and he hadn’t heard the clock chime. He’s not…

“Hellooo? Soren?”

Callum’s waving a hand in front of his face.

Jeez, he’s out of it. If he can’t get his head on straight maybe he really shouldn’t be swinging a sword around, even if it’s a wooden one. “Sorry. What was the question?”

Callum frowns at him, confused and maybe a little concerned. “Are you alright?”

Soren blinks. It’s getting a little hard to breathe again. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“Because you’re missing half of your armor.” Callum’s shrewd green eyes linger on his face for a brief moment. “And you look really pale.”

Panic rises in Soren’s breast. He totally forgot about his discarded armor. His chest heaves. “I was just—sparring. That’s what…what a good workout’ll do for you. You should try it sometime.” He stretches his arms out in front of him and bends sideways, ignoring the persistent ache in his muscles and praying the kid will just take the explanation.

Of course, he does not. Callum puts his sketchbook aside and stands. He’s decently shorter than Soren, but something about being sized up makes Soren nervous and he unconsciously backs up a little. “Are you…sure? You really don’t look too good, Soren.” Something lights up in the prince’s eyes and he rubs the back of his head. “You know, you shouldn’t train with me if you’re not up to it. I don’t mind missing a day—”

“No, no, no.” It’s no secret that Callum doesn’t like sword-fighting, or any type of fighting, but Soren’s taken that as more of a personal challenge. He was entrusted with teaching the step-prince how to fight, and it’ll reflect badly on him if Callum is unable to at least defend himself in battle. “Nice try, but we’re not skipping training.”

“But you—”

“You should be focused on yourself.” He goes to retrieve the sparring swords and tosses one to the prince (which is dropped and clatters on the cobblestone). Soren rolls his eyes and tries to convince himself he’s feeling alright. He’s not—he still feels worryingly out of breath, his nose is running, he needs to cough, his body is almost unbearably heavy and every inch is in pain. Maybe he’ll cut their training short today, but he can’t allow either one of them to just skip it.

They work on offense. He shows Callum the proper footwork and techniques and they run through them together over and over again. Soren wonders if the prince can tell how sluggish and uncoordinated he’s feeling. It’s only gotten worse since that morning. But if Callum does notice anything, he keeps his mouth shut.

He’s demonstrating another technique for the fourth time when he feels it again. An uncomfortable chill creeps up his neck and down his arms, causing him to break into a cold sweat, and his head starts getting light. No, no, no! This isn’t happening again. It can’t. He is not about to faint right in front of Callum. He’ll…he’ll be alright if he just ignores it. If he keeps moving and powers through, it’ll go away. He thinks.

He pulls up out of his thrust and turns to the young boy, panting. “Okay, now…now you try it.”

Callum looks unsure, but he makes a pathetic attempt. As if anticipating the scolding Soren would give him for messing up again, he grimaces and sighs. “I just don’t really get how the steps work. Like, I could never remember where to put my feet if I was actually fighting someone, you know?”

Soren’s breath comes in ragged pants. No matter how much he wills it away, black spots are clouding up his vision and the rushing sound is coming back. He’s gotta do…something.

“Sorry if it doesn’t make sense to me that when you’re in battle you’d basically just start dancing with the other person, but I really don’t get why—uh. Soren?”

He’s aware, on some level, that he’s just staring into space. At some point he’d put his weight on his sword, leaning on it like a crutch, and the fact that he doesn’t remember doing so is kind of alarming. He needs to answer Callum, but he has no idea what the kid had been talking about and he’s far too preoccupied with focusing on not falling over.

“Soren?” Callum appears in front of him, big eyes wide with worry. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

A little bit of clarity comes back to him. “I’m—I’m okay.” He puts a hand on Callum’s shoulder in what’s supposed to be a reassuring gesture, but when he tries taking a step he ends up putting most of his weight on the prince’s small frame.

“Whoa—Soren—!”

His strength leaves him and suddenly he’s on his knees with his face buried in Callum’s tunic. He reaches up a shaking hand and grips his jacket. Tries to tell him that he’s fine, he just needs a minute, but soft gasps are all that come out of his mouth before he’s coughing violently.  

And then, somehow, he’s on the ground again. Callum is hovering over him and shouting something that he can’t make out.

He feels absolutely terrible. Easily the worst he’s ever felt in his entire life. As soon as he’s down, all interest in putting up a front and powering through his illness vanishes without a trace. All he wants is his bed. And his mother.

Things go dark and hazy for an indeterminable amount of time. The next thing he’s aware of is a cool hand on his face and voices above him. Something is pressed to his lips and then there’s liquid trickling into his mouth. It’s sweet, and he can’t help but sputter and cough when it makes its way past his tongue.

“Come on, Sor, you need to drink it.”

That voice has him prying his eyes open. “C…Claudia?” It’s still hard to see as his head hasn’t stopped spinning, but her long, dark hair is unmistakable.

“Yeah, I’m here.” He thinks she smiles a little. “You’re alright. Think you scared the daylights out of Callum, though.”

He tries to laugh, but it comes out as more of a pathetic groan.

“Try to drink some of this, okay?”

More liquid is poured into his mouth, and now that his body actually recognizes what it needs to be doing, he manages to swallow it.

“Good, Sor.”

In the back of his mind, he’s aware that he’s still on the ground in the courtyard, undeniably making a huge scene with his sister there holding up his head and helping him drink. He’s never going to live this one down. At the moment, though, he can’t be bothered to feel embarrassed, even if he would like to get in bed as soon as possible.

When Claudia lowers the vial, he coughs again. “Wh—what happ’ned?”

His vision is slowly clearing, and he can see a look of sheer worry come over his sister’s face. She looks at the prince, who’s still hovering, but over her shoulder now. “Callum?”

“I don’t know, he just…passed out. He was really pale when he showed up. I knew he shouldn’t have been training and I told him that but he didn’t listen.”

Claudia looks back down at Soren and sighs. “You’re such an idiot. I told you not to push yourself too hard.” She presses a palm to his forehead. “You’re running a fever, Sor-bear. Ready to go to bed now?”

He can’t do much more than moan miserably in agreement. What an awful day this has turned out to be.

“Alright. Callum, help me get him up.”

And it isn’t over yet, he soon learns, as they help him get upright and walking. The lightheadedness comes back almost instantly and his body sags, like there are weights tied around his limbs and torso. He gasps at the pain that spears through his head.

“He’s heavy,” Callum groans.

Soren almost feels bad for the two of them. He’s not much more than dead weight, hardly able to lift his legs and shivering all the while. When the cough comes back, he tries to lower his head out of courtesy. His throat is killing him.

They make their way through the castle corridors slowly. Claudia murmurs soft encouragements to him the whole time, even when he tells her he needs to stop and rest (which is more often than he wants to admit. He blames the weakness on the apparent fever). At the edges of his consciousness, he is aware of the servants and guards who stop to ask if he’s alright, and it’s absolutely humiliating to have his fellow guardsmen see him in such a state. He wishes he could just sink into the floor.

When they’re almost back to his chambers, a new voice pipes up down the hall. “Callum! There you are. I was looking for… Uh, what’re you doing?”

Soren likes Prince Ezran, even if he doesn’t always understand the kid. He’s sweet and curious and more clever than a kid his age should be. He can’t say that’s a trait he appreciates right at the moment, though.

“Getting Soren back to his room,” Callum replies.

Quick little footsteps echo on the walls as Ezran comes closer. “Eugh. What’s the matter with him? He looks like he’s about to puke.”

“He’s not feeling well. Hey, would you mind getting the door?”

The hinges creak when Ezran pushes it open, and the relief Soren feels at the sight of his own bed is absolutely immense. His body turns to jelly as soon as he’s able to sink onto it. His head misses the pillow, but that doesn’t matter. He closes his eyes and lets out a soft sigh.

“I sent for the court physician,” Claudia says as she begins removing the rest of his armor. “And Dad.”

That has Soren picking his head up again. “Dad…?”

“Well, yeah.” She looks at him like she doesn’t understand why that would be a problem. She probably doesn’t. “He’ll want to know what’s going on.”

He groans, letting his head fall back forcefully. Of course, his father would find out what had happened eventually, but he’s definitely not thrilled about having the man here at his sickbed. If he even bothers to come, that is. Honestly Soren isn’t sure which he’d prefer.

When the armor is off, Claudia steps back with a satisfied breath and turns to the princes. “Okay, you two, you can run along. I can handle him from here.”

Callum gives a hesitant nod. “Um, sure. Feel better, Soren.”

“Get well soon!” Ezran says, lifting his little toad creature above his head and scurrying out after his brother.

He gives a little wave in thanks and instantly feels better as the door shuts behind them.

Claudia gives his shoulder a nudge. “Come on, big guy. Let’s get you out of these wet clothes.”

He patiently allows her to help him change. She’s the only one he would ever let do it.

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” she asks as she holds out his nightshirt for him to slip his arms into.

“Dunno.” He coughs gently as she pulls it over his head. “Thought I could make it through the day.”

She huffs, exasperated. “You know, for a knight, you don’t really have a good sense of self-preservation.” She pulls back the bedcovers and helps him get situated under them, fluffs up his pillows, and pulls the sheets up to his chest like their mother used to do when they were little. “I wish you’d just told me earlier that you were feeling sick. I’m your sister.”

“You would’ve stopped me from going to training.”

“Yeah, and maybe then this wouldn’t have happened!” She sits on the side of the bed and gently pushes a lock of sweaty hair back from his face. “You look really awful, Sor. You gotta take better care of yourself. You didn’t eat breakfast and you—” She stops abruptly, a horrified look coming over her face. “You haven’t eaten at all today, have you?”

He looks away, wincing in guilt.

“Oh, Soren—no wonder you collapsed! You’re such an idiot.”

“You’ve said that already.”

“Well, it’s worth repeating.” She gives him a sad look that makes his heart clench painfully in his chest. “I heard Callum yelling for help out in the courtyard and when I saw you on the ground…”  

His cheeks burn with something more than fever. “I’m sorry, Claudia. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

Her bright green eyes wander over his face for a moment before she sighs. “It’s alright, I’m just glad you’re okay. But, please, don’t do this again.”

He gives her a small smile. “Won’t. Promise.”

“Good.” She ruffles his hair and stands up. “The doctor will be here soon. I’m gonna get some food sent up in the meantime. Is there anything you want? Soup? Jelly tarts?”

“Soup is fine.” He still feels sick at the notion of eating anything, but he definitely doesn’t have a choice in the matter now. There haven’t been too many reasons over the years for Claudia to mother him like this, but she sure is good at it. And he wouldn’t admit it, but just having her looking after him has already made him feel ten times better, at least mentally and emotionally.

Once she’s spoken to a few servants, she returns to his bedside with a basin of water and a cloth. “So how are you feeling? Be honest.”

Soren shrugs. “Exhausted, mostly. My head and my throat hurt a lot. And I'm really cold.”

Claudia hums sympathetically. “That's the fever. You’re burning up.”

He grunts unhappily. “This is pathetic.”

“No, it's not. Everyone gets sick sometimes. Even you.” She wrings out the cloth and presses it to his forehead.

“Dad's not gonna be happy with me.”

She pauses for a brief moment, some emotion passing through her eyes that he can’t quite recognize, and then resumes wiping down his face. “He knows it’s not your fault.”

Even in his feverish state, he doesn’t miss the fact that didn’t disagree with him.

“Try not to worry about that,” Claudia says. “Just focus on resting and getting better.”

“Okay.” Hopefully he can fall asleep and just forget about this whole day. If he’s lucky, maybe he’ll even wake up feeling well again.

Just as he closes his eyes, though, an itch flares up in his sinuses and his breathing hitches a few times before he sneezes. The force makes him groan.

“Bless you,” his sister says, gently wiping under his nose. “Poor thing.”

He gazes up at her through stinging eyes. “Thanks for taking care of me, Claudia.” He really doesn’t know what he’d do without her.

She smiles warmly. “You’re welcome, Sor-bear. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[chadsuke]

Title: one little lie Prompt: Adventure [Ao3 Link.] For @raydia-week

The difference is this: Claudia doesn’t know about the egg.

She gasps like all the others when she follows the trail of persimmon jelly, gapes at the dragon egg that had been hidden so carefully here. “But Dad-“ she says, and she can’t stop staring. “But Dad said he destroyed it!”

The elf lets her close, because she does not threaten, does not conjure up magic to battle them, and she rests a hand on the egg. She can feel the life thrumming below the surface – can feel how powerful this being will be someday, how much she could wrest from it now if she chose to use it for magic.

But when Ezran speaks of it missing its mother, Claudia thinks of her own, buried underneath the dirt and closes her eyes.

“Dad has a plan to save the King,” she says, “But if we can stop the assassins, we should.”

It doesn’t work and they still go after him and all four of them nearabout trip over themselves to run, to get out of there with the egg. I should tell Dad where we’re going, she thinks, but she doesn’t have time and she doesn’t know what to think because she thought she could trust Dad but he hadn’t told her.

Why hadn’t he told her?

They run until they can’t run anymore and both Callum and Ezran fall asleep almost immediately. She doesn’t know if it’s because she slept in this morning or if she’s generally had a better day than them or what, but she’s awake and so is the elf.

“My name’s Claudia,” she tells her, cause everyone should know each other’s names, and she sticks out her hand.

The elf very gingerly takes it, shaking for just an instant before she pulls away. “I’m Rayla.” She pauses. Hesitates. “You should go home now, before it’s too late.”

Okay, Claudia can be slow on the uptake sometimes (she knows this! It’s okay! That’s just how life is!) but she has no idea what this girl is talking about. “What do you mean?”

Rayla shrugs, picking at a strange ribbon on her wrist. “The egg given back to the queen by the princes… it means something, yeah? But if you want to go home, you can, even though you can’t tell nobody.”

Double negative, she notes, but Claudia looks down at her feet and digs a little gouge in the grass with the tip of her shoe. “That was my Dad’s lab,” she says, and she doesn’t look at the elf. “He kept the egg and didn’t tell me.”

She doesn’t have to tell the elf I don’t know if I want to go back because Rayla doesn’t ask anymore. She nods. “Okay.” And that’s the end of it.

---

Ezran is the first one to talk to her once she’s finally woken up and swallowed a bottle of Hot Brown Morning Potion. “Hey, Claudia,” he asks, and she smiles down at the little prince. “You said your dad had a plan, right? What was it?”

“Oh!” She lights up, because she always loves talking about her plans, and she taps her nose eagerly. “Callum made me think of it!”

He flushes and she tells them everything. The snake and the souls and the switching and they all just sort of gape at her while she beams proudly.

“Dark magic,” says Rayla, and she does a strange symbol with her finger that Claudia doesn’t recognize. Some elf thing? “Even if his body is dead, he still lives?”

She grins at her because yes! She’s gotten it so well! “Yes! Exactly!”

No one else seems enthused, and she doesn’t understand. Rayla sighs. “I guess it won’t hurt to tell ya, then…” And then she shares all about her ribbon.

“That seems darker than switching souls to save somebody,” Claudia says, because she’s right, isn’t she? And that just gets a glare out of the elf.

“Well, I don’t really like either of them,” Ezran says. “But I like that the soul stuff saved Dad and thanks for not killing me, Rayla.”

Her purple cheeks darken, and she glances to the side. “I’m not… not really a killer,” she says softly. “Failure of an assassin.”

“Yeah, uh, that’s not really a bad thing,” Callum chimes in, and Claudia laughs.

“Let’s get going!” She stretches, arcs her back until it pops, and oh, that feels good. “We can send a message at the next town we see that we’re okay and stuff.”

“Fine,” Rayla tells her, but she gets to her feet and sticks her finger up in Claudia’s face. “But no dark magic.”

She considers the elf for a moment, before leaning forward til Rayla’s finger hits her nose. “Boop,” she says, and Rayla looks mortally offended and Claudia laughs again. “Okay, no dark magic.” She’s totally lying, though. No way is she giving it up.

Still, Rayla looks mollified if absolutely confused. “Then yes,” she says. “Let’s be off.”

Oh, man, Claudia’s gonna have fun. She’s looking forward to an adventure.

---

But.

But.

The difference is this: Callum doesn’t know he’s a mage. He doesn’t know that he can use Claudia’s Primal Stone, that he can work the magic of the elements. He doesn’t know the symbols, and he doesn’t think of the small block at the Banther Lodge. They go a different route.

The difference is this: When Amaya, Gren, and all her soldiers show at the lodge, there is no one. There is not a single person – no whisper of the princes. No nothing. Not a soul has been there since it closed down for the winter. Dread gathers in her heart.

The difference is this: No one knows the princes are alive. That Claudia yet lives – Soren buries his head in his hands and cries softly in his room because his King, his sister, and the princes are all gone, in one fell swoop and he feels sick to his stomach. Claudia is his best friend in the whole world even if she’s stupid and he doesn’t think anything will fill the gaping hole inside of him.

The difference is this: Viren is crowned King, and a mourning nation bows their heads.

[alittleyellowdinosaur]

The Dragon Prince Season 2 Review

*SEASON ONE SPOILERS IN THHIS SECTION* i love this show and, unless another Voltron situation happens, that’s not going to change. But I find myself... disappointed with this season. Mainly bc it felt like a season of filler episodes. Yes we had some developments, largely with Caleb’s magic and his relationship w Claudia, as well as Claudia and Sorens relationship and Virens Evil Plan™️. But 3 of the 9 episodes were on just Caleb and Claudia in one place, with the same issue that could have been resolved in one episode leaving room for more, and 2 of the remaining 6 episodes were mostly backstory on Caleb and Ezran’s mother. And while yes, I was very excited to learn about her it was just... lackluster, as it was told as a story by Viren and not a more meaningful way, such as Caleb’s memories, or in a letter from his mother, for example. The remaining episodes were mostly focused on Caleb’s magic. It just felt like filler as these things could have been dealt with in more exciting ways. I hate to bring up Voltron, but in the episode where Shiro connects to the black lion, that was still engaging and didn’t feel like filler bc there were exciting things happening during this, and their was a deadline. In this season, very little action happens, and most of it is in backstory, and the things that (in this case of the one episode of voltron) took one episode, took a whole season, even though about the same progression took place. It’s just boring, and made the season feel like filler.

Especially because the whole time there is never any real danger or time pressure. Rayla begins the season saying “danger is coming” but Claudia and Soren show up later that episode I think and don’t wind up being that dangerous. The rest of the season there is no real time constraint except us being told, not shown, that they need to get Zym to Xadia soon. Although you might say Viren causing trouble is the danger, it’s not really present in the narrative as he isn’t sending people out to get the trio and the trio has no idea what he is doing.

Now for some LARGE SPOILERY points I’d like to make about the season (I apologize if formatting gets weird here, I’m writing this one my phone and it, well, is tumblr. Also I can’t find the mobile version of the read more button.)

In this season there is a lot of development of Caleb’s romantic relationships, specifically with Claudia, and briefly at the end with Rayla. Although I admit I have not looked up their exact ages, appearance wise, to me, Caleb looks 15 or so, and the girls look late teens early twenties. This, to put it simply, makes me very uncomfortable. In Season one, I was perfectly fine with Caleb’s puppy dog, schoolboy crush on Claudia. It was realistic to how a young teen might feel towards an older friend as he is first hitting puberty, and I found it cute. But now Claudia is reciprocating, and not just in a motherly, older sister way. She’s doing her hair up, she’s goin on a date with him, and they nearly kissed. I find this unacceptable as the age differences between them are too large, and regardless if the young one is a boy, that’s still very much not ok. Maybe technically she’s only a few years older than him, but as it isn’t stated and appearance wise she is much older seeming (since you can’t expect viewers to look up the wiki, this is what I have to go on), I strongly disagree with this, and the same concerning Rayla. He is, from my interpretation, 15. That’s not ok and I’m extremely mad about this. I hope it gets resolved in a way that is appropriate but I worry it won’t, and I worry more about the message that sends to young boys that they should let older girls hit on them when that’s no more ok than an older man hitting on a younger girl.

My second big complaint is how lgbt rep is handled in this season. Bc yes, we got some!!! And they died two episodes later!!! Not even, if you do some critical thinking as to why their daughter is ruling as a child queen with no parents. But yes, they kill the two lesbians who show up, although they are very much canon, kissing and a kid and all. They kill them, and although it is necessary for the narrative and not just thrown in there to get rid of them, it still sucks bc it’s still the trope that hurts so many of us. Now do I think this is the only lgbt rep we will get in this show? Absolutely not, I firmly believe we have yet to see the true lgbt characters revealed (still hoping for Amaya...) and I don’t believe this was all we will get, however those episodes haven’t been released yet and as of our knowledge this is all we have, and it’s a kill your gays trope. I just can’t agree with this, even though again, it was necessary to the narrative and wasn’t just a dismissive death and move on.

Oh and one last quick thing disliked. In this season, Soren briefly becomes a quadrepeligic. It’s handled rather well, in my opinion, with Soren trying to find the good in it and crack a joke as is his way, and Claudia nearly having a mental breakdown bc she doesn’t have a spell to help. But then she pulls one out of her ass and heals him. And although I am not disabled nor do I have any disabled friends, I find this a bit rude to the community (please do tell me if I am wrong about this however and you believe the disabled community is fine with this as I am not certain). The community doesnt have a magic solution to solve their disabilities. That’s not an option. And in my, admittedly unknowleable opinion, I think they should have let Soren remain disabled and truly showed how that affects the life of someone who previously relied on fighting. I think it would have added a whole other layer to the show of both diversity and intrigue. Do I think this was a slight at the disabled community? No I don’t, simply concerning how we know they don’t have a problem putting characters into the show with disabilities, and doing it well too (Aka Amaya making tasteful jokes about being deaf and using actual ESL, and Vallads, a pirate character from this season who DOES use magic assistive technology to deal with his blindness and it works amazing). But I do feel this was a wasted opportunity for character growth for Soren by helping him realize fighting skills aren’t all that make him who he is, and also an interesting way to creatively work in magical assistive technology (a la the flying wheelchair from A:TLA)

Lastly I’d like to talk about some good things about this season bc I’ve bashed it enough for one day don’t you think? Viren’s whole thing with the mirror was boring as hell yes, and only contributed to the filler season feeling, however it was intriguing and I’m curious to learn more about the man in the mirror, so I appreciate that mystery. I liked the development of Claudia and Soren and how it showed what might be the start of Claudia’s descent into Dark Magic. I enjoyed the whole part where Callum was sick and struggling with using dark magic, and how it was taken as a bit of a joke on the deep important hallucinations, while still being a deep important hallucination. Also the inclusion of memes (“one does not simply walk into Xadia”) and the pirate Vallads. I just find this shows ability to make light of itself to be really enjoyable and part of why I love it so much. Ezran is as always an absolute bean and he grows so much in this season. Caleb acknowledging why Rayla struggled to tell him about his father and not letting it drive a wedge between them like it would in so many shows (and would be frustrating like it always is) was so mature and I loved it. Claudia’s development about her mother, Queen Sarai’s whole section, and Harrows letter were all amazing bits of development, especially in the case of Claudia, about how hard it is on kids when parents divorce, while also acknowledging why there was a divorce and that it wasn’t bad that the mom did it. Also the explainations Of magic and the Sunfire (I think that’s what they are called) elves were awesome (who else is now shipping Amaya and that one leader elf??) I think a lot of the development was super amazing and I loved it all, and by no means do I think this season will be a blight on the show as a whole, I just think it very much had some faults and I look forward to seeing some more plot focused episodes!!

[flicksnfilms]

The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. 

Director: David Yates Writer: J.K. Rowling Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Jude Law IMDB | RottenTomatoes | Official Site

Watched: on 27 November, at the cinema

Reaction: ± Oh man, where do i even start? What a fucking disappointment. [Beware: RANT ahead.] J.K. Rowling should stop writing this universe cause all she’s doing is ruining everything people love about it. She’s made this convoluted plan that retcons SO many things, even things that she’s ALREADY retconned before and she layers it with twists that make no sense and new characters out of nowhere with backstories that make no sense and have no substance and are a waste of narrative space for a movie. 

[SPOILER warning] Like, oh suddenly, Nagini was a human once and here she is --a lame attempt at diversity-- but let’s give her an absolutely bare-bones story line and no dimension whatsoever and make her a simply a device to further the story of one of our white male characters. The white male character who, surprise, is a hitherto unheard of brother of one of our old (male) characters whose full family backstory was covered already but for some reason never mentioned this brother despite the rest of the family history already being a sordid tale. Oh, and let’s take these supporting characters from the first film who were fun and awesome and flatten them out completely and wreck their lives by having them make choices that make NO sense for them narratively. Let’s weaken them absolutely just so we can shoehorn in a bunch of characters we never introduce much less properly explain. AND THEN let’s make it even less compelling and take all this time we need for storytelling and put a bunch of CGI that adds absolutely nothing to the story. AND let’s main-title it “Fantastic Beasts” even though the beasts are so sorely lacking in number, skimmed over, and barely developed just so we can squeeze more money out of this cash cow as we beat it to death. Also, let’s completely disregard any previous details we set up in previous books and movies just because plot. Oh my god.

After they announced this was gonna be a five-movie deal, i had already lost interest in it, and i wasn’t even going to watch this one but then someone told me they wanted someone to talk to it about so i did. And i feel like i wasted so much time and my money. I should’ve just gone and watched Bad Times at the El Royale again or watched Widows, or Bohemian Rhapsody again. What are they even doing. Jeez.

Memorable aspect of the movie: + Eddie Redmayne. The ONLY saving grace of this entire film. And the few beasts we actually do get to see.  - Honestly, this whole extended venture of this series, which isn’t really a “Fantastic Beasts” series at all. They should have cut out that part of the title entirely.

Would I recommend it? > No. And likely, i wouldn’t recommend any of the following ones either.