#could finally do a callum&viren update too

[raayllum]

also remind me to make a terry-callum companion parallel post to the raydia one for s5 bc whoo those boys are in for a time

[eirianerisdar]

His Father’s Back

Summary: All his life, Soren only ever wanted one thing. Only his father could give it to him. And yet - Viren did not.

A quick fanfic since I finished season 2 of The Dragon Prince today! I’m glad to spend a couple minutes on this since Waiting in the Quiet, my other tdp fanfic, has longer chapters and will take a little longer to update in my hectic schedule.

The lower half of this references season 2 so that part is under a read more.

>His first memory was of his father’s back.

For the most part, the memory was a blurred, vague thing in the depths of Soren’s mind; the flash of gold-black tunics flapping behind his chubby knees and his new wood-carved sword in his hand, the raw-throated, echoing yell of his childhood battle-cry.

He must have been - what, four? Claudia had been walking properly for a while by then but just growing sure-footed enough to run in earnest, so that must have been about right.

Claudia.

Yes, that was right - Soren’s first memory was not only of his father’s back. It was of his father’s back and Claudia.

But no, no. That wasn’t good enough of an explanation.

It was -

-Soren remembered the grain of the small wooden hilt under his fingers and the praise of his first sword-master ringing in his ears, and he had run as fast as his little feet in their new training boots could, up to his parents’ tower to show his father what he had learnt.

It was a starburst of golden light, the sword - how every word from the sword-master seemed to flow down to Soren’s fingers, and the rough wooden blade clasped in his chubby fingers obeyed him.

But when he hurled his tiny body against the heavy wood door of his father’s study, hollering at the the top of his lungs for his father to come see - he saw instead his father’s sable-coated form sat on the low chair by the fire, back towards the door, with a small, black-skirted form in his lap - Claudia.

From where Soren skidded to a stop on the carpet, he could only see the edge of her smock and one of her stubby pigtails - but that was not what halted him in his tracks.

It was the glow of violet flame flickering from her fingers.

And Soren’s father, with the sharpness of his silver-lined coat cut in sharp silhouette by the violet-red flames of the hearth and his daughter’s magic, bent his head and laughed.

It was a low, delighted thing - one of fatherly pride.

And Soren couldn’t-

He couldn’t remember, in this memory of his young, four-year-old mind, when his father had ever laughed so for him.

But he remembered what he did next.

He had dropped his precious training sword onto the carpet - the carpet with the insignia of the uneven towers of Katolis - and stepped forward to share in the wonder and pride of his sister’s talent.

Soren had a brilliant little sister.

And when he picked up his sword again the uneven towers of Katolis had stared back at him, like he and Claudia standing side-by-side, her hand in his and wide smiles on their faces; but it was not until he was much older that he realised which tower he truly was.

>In a way, that memory was a beginning, and an ending.

Soren took to the way of the sword like a - what was that term, a fish to water? No, no, that sounded awfully plain. He took to the way of the sword like a banther to the prowl. Yes. That was better.

And so while he spent hour after hour, day after day, week after week and month after month until time bled into years on the training fields with a sword in his hand, Claudia took to their father’s study and the secrets there.

Soren didn’t resent it. He was good at the sword.

And Claudia was good at dark magic.

By the time Soren was eight years old, their roles had been so firmly established that he did not realise the implications until dinner one evening, when Soren pushed away his fourth helping of jelly-tarts and was struck by a rare moment of astute observation (he would be the first to admit he wasn’t much of an astute, or observation-y, person).

Claudia spoke with their father in speech Soren couldn’t understand, sometimes. Not a different language per se - but a way of connecting to the world and seeing it through purple-veiled eyes and whispered spells. Soren could speak with his father all he liked, but their conversations always held a somewhat similar quality - after all, there were only so many variations of What did you do today, Son? and Sword-training again, Dad. I did so-and-so formation perfectly.

Viren would nod, not unkindly, but without any true interest.

But if Soren were to ask What did you and Claudia do today, suddenly a light would spark in his father’s eyes, and he would start speaking of enchantments and experiments beyond Soren’s comprehension, and Claudia would chew too fast on her next mouthful just so she could join in their father’s words-

It was better, at least, when their mother was still there. Soren would turn to her and she would have another jelly-tart ready for him, and a smile.

She didn’t understand his love for the sword and for battle, either. But she listened.

Then came the time when Soren and Claudia had lain awake in their rooms too often in the past year listening to their parents’ arguments, and the day came when he was brought in after his morning training to find his family together in the main room of their quarters.

Soren remembers details about that meeting to this day - small things like the hard set of his father’s shoulders as he stared into the fire and the careful distance his mother put between them as she turned away from her husband and told Soren and Claudia that their world, as they knew it, was ending.

No, she hadn’t said that. Not exactly.

But she might as well have.

And then Viren had turned and looked down at his children, his back straight and the gleam of his sceptre at his side, and told them they would have to choose.

Claudia’s green eyes - so wide, so hungry for knowledge and so precious that Soren already knew by then that he would die ten times over to protect her - had started to grow damp.

And Soren, looking between his the harshness of Viren’s jaw and the grieving determination in his mother’s eyes and the catastrophic flood that was about to well up over the dam of his sister’s eyelids, chose.

He chose what he wanted most in he world.

His father’s love.

His mother had looked at his father, then - a look of understanding, more put-together and calm than any Soren had seen between his parents for a long while.

Claudia should stay with Soren and their father, his mother had said. Claudia needed her brother and he needed her.

Then their mother packed her bags, and was gone the next morning.

Soren had woken, gone to the kitchens, and eaten the largest breakfast he could; porridge and sweet tarts and eggs and bacon and sausages until his belly was tight under his leather training armour.

And then when he walked onto the training fields and turned his sword into woven lightning and his footwork to wind.

His swordmaster was all praise.

Soren looked up, chest heaving, sweat dripping off his chin, and saw a flash of black and purple in a tower window.

Once he might have raced up the stairs to that tower to show his father his new accomplishment.

He did not, now.

>Soren didn’t want to do it.

Callum might have been a clown with a blade and Ezran a few too many years younger for Soren to find many shared interests, but they were the princes and had been counted in Soren’s circle of friends for as long as anyone could remember.

Some part of him shivered as he recalled at the vows he had taken as one of the youngest members of the Crownguard: the vow to protect the crown of Katolis and its heirs to his dying breath.

So why-

Why would his father order him to kill the princes?

Soren knew that his father’s intellect was unparalleled across the five kingdoms. There was not a moment that he was not proud to say My father is Lord Viren; in fact, he looked forward to the day when he could be equally proud to say My sister is Lady Claudia.

It was his father.

His father must have a reason.

No matter the sick churning in Soren’s gut as Ezran’s laughter faded down the line or the heaviness in his chest, he would do it.

Maybe if he did, his father would finally look him in the eye and tell him he was proud of him.

I’m proud of you, Soren.

Oh, how he longed to-

The dragon.

The crack of the boulder meeting his neck was louder than anything Soren had ever heard.

He couldn’t breathe.

And then he discovered he could, but then he couldn’t- couldn’t move.

He screamed for Claudia.

He screamed, because he had seen this happen before, to soldiers thrown from horses and struck with a fated blow on the battlefield, and he knew that only magic would save him.

And later, laying on the hospital bed with his head in a brace and his limbs nerveless and not there, he found himself putting words together as he never had before. It was not often that he found himself staying still for a long enough period to truly think. And now that is all he could do.

So he did.

He was...glad. He was glad that he couldn’t move, even if it meant never feeling the sing of steel under his fingertips again.

Because he had done all he could for his dad’s mission, and now he couldn’t do any more.

The princes were safe.

He had fulfilled his vows as a Crownguard.

Heat rose in this throat, threatened to wring tears of his eyes, and Soren squeezed them shut and sought words.

How many syllables were there in a haiku?

Dragon smash boy

Say the good words now

They light the hearts of other people.

Hmm. Not bad. Perhaps...perhaps there was a career to be had in poetry.

All the same, it would probably be best to run it by Claudia first.

>Claudia didn’t like it.

Soren couldn’t turn his head to properly watch the doctors dragging her out through the smashed glass and mess she had made, but he could hear her well enough:

“He can’t be like this. He can’t even count syllables!” Door, slamming closed.

Then silence.

Ah well, baby steps.

Soren closed his eyes. How many syllables in a haiku? Five, wasn’t it, seven, then five again?

And then suddenly-

Welcome back, my son.

I’m so proud of what you’ve done.

I love you, Soren.

An impossibility.

Soren’s cheeks and temples grew wet below his closed eyes, but there was nobody there to dry them for him.

And he would never be able to do so himself again.

>But he had a sister.

A brilliant, brilliant sister.

When her magic lanced from her fingertips and pierced his chest, Soren recalled, in the midst of the screaming and the flame and the lightning, something important.

His father had forgotten his birthday once - Soren’s birthday was something oft-overlooked due to its proximity to King Harrow’s, and one year Viren had forgotten his son’s birthday entirely.

But when Soren had sat at dinner that night, morosely stuffing himself (Viren had been busy with an experiment and did not present himself for dinner) Claudia had come up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

And Soren had been comforted.

Then his eyes opened and the purple starburst of magic faded and he felt every single broken bone and bloody scratch all at once, and Soren knew, over his joy-filled blabbering and flailing, that he loved his sister so much and he needed to thank her-

He looked at her.

And stopped.

“Clauds? Are...you okay?”

She raised her head, black eyes bleeding into their normal green; but they were framed on one side by a strip of white in her hair that had not been there before.

Her breath came  like gusts in a storm. “You’re going to be better now. That’s all that matters.”

And Soren, looking at her, knew it meant she loved him as much as he loved her.

His baby sister.

>They took the steps down carefully, one at a time.

Soren had spent most of the time revelling in the return of movement to his limbs and not thinking about their father at all, but when Claudia showed him the dragon horn it sparked that goofy streak in him again.

Words came to him of their own volition.

“Failed missions, mad dad,” he mused.

“But dragon horn means magic.

Maybe dad not mad?”

Claudia laughed so hard in her delight that she knocked him over.

Soren smiled as she helped him up, and pushed the one other haiku he had thought up but never said out of his mind.

He loved his baby sister. That was enough.

End

Thanks for reading, everyone! I’ll cross-post this to FFN, and if anyone wants to read more dragon prince fanfic you can look at my masterlist! I’m not sure how tumblr treats links right now so I’ll put links to my masterlist and other tdp fic in a reply below.

I just love what the writers did with Soren and Claudia this season. We get to see a reflection of Viren and his faults, too, which just deepens the complexity of their family relationships.

For my Waiting in the Quiet followers, I’ll see about a snippet with Gren and Amaya on Gren’s birthday if I can find a break from studying sometime in the next couple of days.

[mama-m1na]

Journey of the Chaos Trio: Chapter 2

                                                    ~~~II~~~

The following morning a funeral was held for the king despite it being against the traditions of the kingdom.

“Viren, this is ridiculous,” a member of the high council said as they led the procession, “We are to mourn for seven days before holding a funeral for a king.”

“I understand, Opeli; however, these are times of war, the kingdom needs to move on and plan for the future,” the male retorted.

“Viren, even so it’s too soon! He was just taken from us a few hours ago, look!” the female gestured towards the raven haired maid who walked behind them.

She wore a black dress that with full sleeves under a black cloak with the hood flipped up. Despite that it could be seen that her hair was let down by the few locks that escaped the hood.

Feeling eyes on her, the female’s head tilted up to reveal her eyes dull and face bearing no emotion despite the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

“The people need more time!” the woman spat as they approached the graveyard.

Ignoring her, the mage had the body of the king placed on the pedestal and stepped forward to make a speech.

“Today we woke to a devastating truth, our king has been taken from us. Slain by the forces of Xadia, vile Moonshadow elves,” the male started earning gasps from the crowd and a weak glare from the ravenette from under her cloak, “To me he was more than a king. In his final hours he called me his brother.”

“Wait,” Opeli said with a glare, “Where are the princes? They need to be here.”

“The princes are dead.”

This statement caused pure rage to fill the ravenette.

“We must move forward with strength!”

With every word Viren spoke more of Rhamina’s aura leaked from her body not hiding her emotions at all, unlike her face which remained devoid of expression, not that anyone could see it.

The aura could be felt in the dungeons, in Viren’s study, and in the forests by five females. Four of which knew exactly where it came from.

“Light the pyre,” Viren ordered turning to the other members of the High Council.

“No,” Opeli replied, extinguishing her torch.

The rest followed suite and one by one the flames went out.

“Claudia,” the mage sighed as he turned to his daughter who chanted her spell, eyes glowing purple, as flames lit the large torches before lighting the body of King Harrow.

“When a ruler of Katolis dies, we mourn for seven days,” began Viren as he turned back to the crowd, “but today we are at war. Today, we must mourn sevenfold for tonight there will be a coronation.”

As soon as the funeral was over Rhamina retreated back to her room with the cloak still over her as she sat on her bed with her knees hugged to her chest just thinking.

Just thinking, until she thought, ‘My sisters, the Princes, they need to know.’

Without putting her shoes back on, the cloaked female made her way outside of the castle to a small pond where she kneeled in front of the water and removed the hood from her face.

She closed her eyes and hovered her hands above the water while letting her energy flow from her hands into the water, praying her sisters were near water.

“Srevir taht egdirb su rehtegot, egdirb em dna ym sretsis,” she chanted as a glow came from the water before dying down.

When the light had disappeared the ravenette looked down to not see her reflection but the faces of Sam, Kerstin, Tijarah, and Chloe.

“Mina, what happened?” Kerstin asked, “Where are you?”

“Why are you wearing all black, Mina, it looks like you were at a funer- oh,” Chloe said watching the saddened expression on the ravenette’s face.

“Dad, is dead,” she whispered, “the funeral was held this morning by Lord Viren but where are the boys tell me they’re with you!”

“Callum and Ezran are fine they’re just asleep,” Sam said as the seventeen-year-old sighed in relief, “Why?”

“Lord Viren, lied then. He said the boys were dead as well,” Rhamina explained, “Anyways just continue to keep them safe.”

“When are you going to catch up with us?” Kerstin asked, “We’re already on our way to Xadia.”

“At this point I don’t know if I’ll be going with you guys,” she sighed brushing her hair behind her ear.

“What do you mean, Mina? I know you actually respect, Dad’s orders and-” “His orders were to stay with the boys and keep them safe,” Rhamina explained cutting off Sam, “And I’m following the second half. Lord Viren is planning something that will make this war worse and I plan on somehow messing it up. Plus if I’m here I can keep you all updated on what’s happening.”

“Mina, the Callum told us what happened with you guys and Claudia,” Sam said, “She’s going to get suspicious.”

“I can protect you all better from here, trust me,” the ravenette tried.

“...You’re planning on saving someone aren’t you?” Kerstin deduced remembering how her sister works, “Fine but you better be alive when we get back.”

“Don’t worry I will be,” Rhamina chuckled before looking at the sun, “I better head back before they start to wonder where I am. I’ll be sure to check in with you guys everyday.”

“Mina, wait what do we tell them?”

“Who?”

“The princes.”

“Oh,” Rhamina said looking down at her hands, “I’ll leave that up to you but for now I have to go. I love you guys.”

“I love you too, Mina.” “I love you, Mina-chan.” “I hoot you!” “Love you, Mina.”

Somehow getting back into her room without being noticed, Rhamina just sat on her bed for a few minutes before getting out a pen and a journal before writing some things down.

About twenty minutes passed before she could hear a conversation from outside her room.

“What? I don’t want to get near that monster!”

“None of us do but someone has to give the elf its food. Orders from Lord Viren.”

Rhamina interupted the conversation by opening her door startling the two bickering maids.

“Miss Rhamina-” “I’ll do it.” “Huh?” “I’ll take the food down to the elf,” the ravenette explained the hood still covering her face.

“Are you sure, I mean he is the one who killed King Harrow,” the older woman said, “will you be alright?”

“I’ll be fine, I need closure and what’s a better way than facing his killer,” the teen said looking down at her hands, “Plus it’s not like we’ll talk much, I’m just delivering food.”

Without another word the female still donned in all black made her way to the kitchen to pick up the meal before making her way to the dungeons.

“Can you give us some privacy?” Rhamina asked the guards standing by the cell that held the king’s killer.

They gave her strange looks before nodding Rhamina patting one on the shoulder as he unlocked the cell door before walking down the hall.

Opening the cell door, the female saw the terrible condition of the elf.

‘Poor thing,’ she thought entering and closing the door behind her, setting the tray of food down momentarily so she could light the torch, ‘He was already beat up from the fight, did they have to make it worse?’

With light in the small room she looked back at the male to see his eyes still closed as he ignored her.

“I’m sorry all this happened to you,” the ravenette spoke quietly as she approached the male.

The male snapped his head up at the new voice and glared, stopping the girl in her tracks.

“Tell your master, I will say nothing,” he hissed glaring at her with turquoise orbs.

“I’m not here to interrogate you,” Rhamina spoke once again, “I’m just here to give you your food.”

She then kneeled in front of the elf as she took out a ring of keys from a pocket hidden in the skirt of her dress before unlocking the chains that held the male’s wrists up.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a glare as the female stood back up and moved towards the tray she left by the door.

“I’m sure it would be difficult to eat like that,” she said placing the tray in front of him before removing her hood, “and no I was not supposed to do that, so I suggest you eat quickly before the guards come back.”

“You!” he gasped as the girl sat against the wall with her face revealed, “You’re the girl from last night.”

“Yes?”

“Who are you?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“I’m Rhamina Miyu, a maid of this castle,” she said not looking at him, “employed by King Harrow.”

“You know that’s not what I asked,” the male hissed still not moving towards the female.

“Then be more specific please and please just eat,” the ravenette said glancing at him as she brought her knees to her chest, “It’s bad enough with your injuries, I don’t want you malnourished as well.”

“That was the language of the ancients,” he explained, “How does a human like you even know of it?”

The ravenette sighed before turning her head to the male, “Eat first and I will answer your questions, otherwise I will stay silent.”

Slowly, the male reached towards the food on the tray and brought it to his mouth, his eyes not leaving the form of the female who had closed her eyes and leaned back on the wall.

“Mezame sa sou uta o, hito wa kokoro de kurikaesu,” the female began to sing softly as her pendant began to glow a soft purple, “Hikari kie ta sora ni, ai tomosu yo ni.”

“Inori sasage te mo, hito wa ayamachi kurikaseu,” she continued as the glow began to radiate and eventually reach the male who felt a comforting aura surround him, “Da kara yurushiaeru, nan do mo umare te yume o mi te.”

“Owari naki tabi no naka de, dare mo mina sagashi teru,” Slowly the wounds on the male’s body began to heal as the female continued her song and the glow of the pendant became more prominent, “kono inochi no imi o.”

The glow died down the elf was free from all his wounds except for his missing horn and only looked up at the female in shock.

“Why did you-” “I’m not answering until you finish your food.”

The male narrowed his eyes once again but did as told and after he finished asked, “Who are you?”

“I already answered that question-!”

Rhamina was cut off as she was tackled to the floor by the male with her wrists pinned to either side of her head.

“Stop playing dumb!” he hissed hovering just above the female who’s heart was starting to beat faster.

‘Shit!’ she thought, ‘Hot guy in my face! No, kill me now please!’

“And that necklace where the hell did you get it?” continued the male, “The one who gave it to me was a black fox.”

“Mhm, yeah very interesting,” the female yelped as her face began to heat up, “can you get off of me please?”

He looked down as his eyes met brown irises speckled with flecks of gold that sparkled as they caught the light of the single torch in the room and realization hit him.

“You’re that fox aren’t you?” he asked calming down and loosening his grip but at this point the female didn’t move.

She was too flustered for the closeness and the fact she had been caught.

Her head flicked up when she heard the distant sound of armor and she said, “They’re coming, please get off and get back. I’m sorry but I don’t know what I can do for you right now.”

The male agreed while keeping his now interested eyes on the female as she locked the chains around his wrists with a pained expression.

“Please forgive me,” she whispered into his ear as she placed the keys back into her pocket, “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Runaan,” he said earning a confused look from the female, “You asked for my name that day.”

As the female collected the tray the cell door was slammed open by Viren.

“Rhamina,” he greeted, “What are you doing here?”

“I just finished giving him his meal.”

“I’m surprised you volunteered to come down here,” the male said with a raised brow before looking to the glare of the elf.

“If I was going to get over it I needed to confront it,” the ravenette answered not turning to face the Lord.

“I see, you are free to go.”

Rhamina sent one more worried gaze towards the elf as she exited the cell and ascended the stairs.

Meanwhile, the four other human girls along with the princes and the female elf named Rayla were on their way to the Banther Lodge to get a cube Callum thought would be useful.

“Don’t worry it’s spring there won’t be any humans there,” the prince confidently stated, “It’s a winter lodge and it’s spring right now.”

“Callum, you’re going to jinx us,” Tijarah stated from her spot with the other four girls.

When the group arrived they looked around and Callum smirked.

“I told you,” he chirped as the others only sighed.

“Where is the cube so I can get it?” Rayla asked causing the boy to draw the room on a page from his art book before handing it to her.

“It’s in the game room.”

“Alright, I’ll be back in a bit,” the elf said pulling her hood over her head before moving towards the lodge.

After about ten minutes Chloe flicked her head to the treeline and Sam asked, “Are your Mina senses tingling?”

“No, but I sense danger for us,” Chloe said as a familiar figure came out from the trees followed by her troops.

“Oh, shit it’s Mom,” Kerstin said recognizing the armored female as she approached closer.

“What?” Callum asked turning to the treeline.

“Auntie Amaya!” both princes exclaimed once they saw the general of Katolis.

“I’m glad you all are safe,” Commander Gren translated as Amaya began signing things, “And you girls, isn’t Rhamina supposed to be with you?”

“Um, Mina got sick and wasn’t well enough to travel with us but she contacted us this morning and said she’ll be coming once she’s well enough,” Kerstin said thinking of a cover in literally two seconds.

“Has she been taking her vitamins?”

“Yeah, she just got caught in the rain,” Sam added as she leaned onto Kerstin, “You know how she is.”

“Poor girl and that immune system of hers, well we better get inside,” Gren translated as the female walked towards the door.

“Um, that door is locked,” Callum said, “So you can wait here for a few minutes, however long it takes to find a key-”

Before the male could finish his rambling the male Kicked down both doors with cheers from the four girls about her being a badass.

“I don’t believe in locks.”

After looking around Gren translated, “Someone’s here.”

At this point the group was pretty much panicking as Callum started acting really suspicious until Ezran stepped forward and said, “I skipped breakfast?”

The general gave a disappointed look as Gren translated, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

As the mother like figure walked to the kitchen three of the four girls glared at him as Tijarah whispered, “Next time let one of us do the talking.”

The next few hours went as bad as one could possibly think.

Rayla was discovered and captured; in order to escape Callum had unknowingly offended Rayla.

As the three were going down the river on a boat the four girls found another boat and followed them.

“What are you doing?!” Gren translated.

“It’s our job to stay with and protect the princes!” Sam yelled up.

“It was Dad’s last task for us and we’re going to keep with it!” Kerstin added as they followed down the river for them.

“You found it?” Callum asked as the elf tossed him a cube with runes for the six primal source of magic.

“It’s a toy,” Rayla sighed, “Probably from a children’s game. I hope it was worth it, risking everyone’s lives.”

“Guys, if Mom is going back to the castle won’t Mina be in a complicated situation?” Kerstin asked suddenly remembering their sister back home.

“Don’t worry about her,” Tijarah said as she laid at the bottom of their boat, “She can play it off being the devil she is.”

“And you’re one to talk,” Sam scoffed in reply flicking water at the female who screeched in response.

“At least I’m not thirsting for a creeps dick!”

“Lord Viren can call on me anytime,” Sam replied starting to act really inappropriate.

“Sam cut that out, Ezran is literally in the other boat!” Rhamina’s voice said as all the girls went to the edge of the boat to see the face of their sister in the water.

“Mina, what’s up?” Kerstin asked.

“Nothing, I just had a feeling Sam was being a reverse pedo, again,” Rhamina said, “I have to go though, so bye.”

Back in the castle Rhamina sighed as she looked back to the basin of water then back to her reflection in the mirror.

She was wearing one of her better looking dresses due to Viren’s unjust coordination.

“I really hope he burns,” she muttered as she put her hair into a low bun with two hair sticks, “But I have to keep up an act for now until I can get Runaan out and myself out safely.”

Rhamina stood in the crowd by the gates looking up at the balcony as the male stepped forward.

‘Oh how I wish to burn you to the ground,’ she thought as she felt a snarl build in her throat.

“People of Katolis, King Harrow’s death has wounded us deeply, but the loss of his sons is a greater injustice,” he spoke once again bringing rage to the female who fought to keep her aura restrained, “By taking the heirs to the throne, our enemies sought to leave us without a leader.”

“It would disgrace Harrow's memory to allow the kingdom he loved to be lost in darkness,” he continued as the female caught feeling of two familiar people, “Though it is a heavy burden, I will humbly take up the battle in Harrow's name. I will become Lord Protector of the realm.”

Rhamina could feel herself smirk as the sound of horses echoed throughout the filled courtyard and Gren exclaimed, “Stop! Stop the coronation! The princes are alive!”

“Mom!” the ravenette exclaimed as she looked up to the female general and her helper.

In a few minutes she, Viren, Rhamina, and Gren were all gathered in the throne room as Amaya began to chew out Viren for being shady.

“Then why don’t you take the throne?” Viren suggested, “I will support you one hundred percent!”

“The throne stays empty until the princes are found,” Gren translated causing Viren to leave with a huff.

Rhamina watched as the door closed before launching herself at the woman who was the only one to not be knocked over so far.

“I missed you, Mom!” she chirped as she looked up into the woman’s dark brown eyes.

“I missed you too but you knew about the princes being alive right? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Mom, my final orders from King Harrow were to keep Callum and Ezran safe,” Rhamina explained, “I can’t do that without a head now can I?”

The woman sighed before wrapping her arms around the seventeen-year-old tightly.

“Thank God you’re smart.”

At around midnight the ravenette made her way back down to the kitchen to grab a few slices of meat and bread before going back to the dungeons to be faced with the guards again.

“Miss Rhamina- what are you-” the male was cut off by his vision going black as his body slumped to the ground.

“I’d say sorry but it’s not like you’d remember this happened anyway,” the ravenette spoke as her pendant stopped glowing.

Quickly finding the ring of keys, Rhamina hastily unlocked the cell door and was met with open turquoise irises.

“Why are you still awake?” she asked as she walked over and unshackled his wrists.

“I should be asking you that question,” he replied as she stretched while the ravenette looked him over.

“No new injuries that’s good, did he ask what happened to your wounds?” Rhamina asked as she sat in front of the male.

“No, that man just seemed adamant on asking me repeated questions,” Runaan replied while watching the girl pull out a small parcel from her pockets.

“Here, it’s better than what you had earlier,” she said unwrapping it to reveal fresh bread and meat.

“Are you actually a human?” the male asked picking up the food.

“Of course I am, why do you ask?” Rhamina questioned as she played with the ends of her long hair.

“That aura from this morning and just a few hours ago,” he started in between bites, “That was yours. Humans cannot generate such strong auras. Along with the fact that when I first met you, you were a fox.”

“Who says it was mine?”

His raised a brow and the ravenette sighed, “Yeah, it was mine.”

“As for the fox thing though, magic does a lot,” the female shrugged who earned a small glare from the male.

“Must you keep lying?”

“If it avoids confrontation then yes,” Rhamina chuckled, “I suck at confrontation. Please forgive me.”

“I will if you answer me this,” Runaan said as he set down a piece of bread he was working on, “Why did you save me then and why do you continue to do so now?”

“There was no reason to, especially now,” he continued, “I am your enemy and I killed your king.”

“Okay, first off you aren’t my enemy,” Rhamina said, “You’re just another living being who is doing as their told. You haven’t done anything to me and I don’t think you will.”

“Second, I saved you because, well…” the ravenette sighed, “I don’t know. Back then I was just focused on surviving because I lived on the streets, well that’s what I kept trying to tell myself but I always found myself doing shit like that even if it could cost my life. It didn’t matter because back then I thought I was worth nothing so I had nothing to lose. Even now that the stakes are higher and I know I should just stay in my own business… I just don’t want this war anymore and the violence between the races. Personally though I think I got attached to you.”

She looked up at him as she continued, “It’s one of my many flaws, I get attached way too easily… I’m just… fuck me… I’m just fucking weak.”

“Even if I know I can’t do anything I still try and I’m disappointed by the results even if I knew it would happen,” she muttered, “Fuck, just kill me.”

“That’s not a flaw,” the male said watching the female start to spiral, “It’s a good trait to care for others the way you do. It’s a trait I wish the rest of your race had. Had it been that way then maybe this could have been different.”

“I like you,” she chuckled looking up to the male with a large smile, “I don’t care if you don’t see me the same way but you’re my friend now and there’s no escape.”

“I don’t think I would mind that,” he smiled back.

“Are you sure?” she asked with a raised brow, “I’m a handful and I’m really annoying.”

“I’m sure I’ve had worse,” the male chuckled as his mind went to a certain female elf in his team if assassins.

“... Bet,” the ravenette smirked, “I am able to drive off the forces of hell with how annoying I am.”

“So, who is this ‘worse’ you speak of?” Rhamina asked after a few moments of silence.

“Rayla, she’s the youngest elf on my team,” Runaan began with a small smile, “She’s like a daughter to me.”

“She was the elf that was with the boys, right?” the teen asked somehow remembering the female’s name amongst the chaos of the previous night.

“Yes, she’s very skilled. Perhaps more than any of us; however she hesitates,” explained Runaan as the ravenette nodded.

“I’m guessing that she’s still pretty innocent then,” she concluded, “Must be nice to actually value life like that. I’m jealous.”

“What do you mean?”

“As of now I could either kill with no meaning or have emotions override and I couldn’t bare the thought of taking a life,” the teen explained looking down at her hands, “I’m the ultimate hypocrite, I want this war and violence to end but at the same time if I was put under certain circumstances I would enjoy taking part in it.”

“Have you ever taken a life, Rhamina?”

The ravenette shook her head before speaking, “No, but I’ve come close and I don’t know how I feel about it.”

“Then you still have that innocence in you as well,” the male spoke earning a chuckle from the teen.

“I wish,” she replied looking longingly into nothing, “I’m only innocent in one aspect. My mind is broken and it will never be repaired. It broke quite a long time ago.”

“What is Xadia like?” she immediately asked again wanting the attention diverted from herself, “I’ve heard stories from the people here but I’m sure they are one hundred percent wrong.”

Still curious as to what the female meant, Runaan begrudgingly went on to describe the lands of Xadia that humans could no longer visit peacefully.

He described the beautiful forests, mountains, and lakes.

He described how magic was almost everywhere one could look and how his home village was.

“That must be so nice,” she sighed as she laid on the floor while looking up at the male, “I mean here isn’t that bad, there are some good people, some bad people that’s how it is. There’s a balance and people will try to disrupt it but it will always equal out.”

“Can I suggest something weird?” Rhamina asked as she sat up and turned to face the male.

“Go ahead.”

“The concept of Good and Evil doesn’t exist.”

“What?”

“I mean if you think about it those who are classified as villains do what they do for a cause they think is just in their moral system and actually see the hero as their villain,” she explained, “And vice versa. The concept of Good and Evil actually depends on all perspective. So if someone were to see both sides as they were there would be no Good and Evil only two people making changes based on their ideals.”

“However, there is no true way to completely understand this concept,” Rhamina sighed, “Because prejudice will always get in the way, even if one thinks they are completely unbiased they will always have an opinion that will sway them one way or another.”

As they continued to converse the sun began to rise and the ravenette sadly had to lock him back up before giving him a quick hug.

“I’ll see you in a few hours then.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

~~~Fin. Chapter 2~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warnings: None

Songs used: “Song of Healing” - Lost Song

Picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/153966880982052569/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[bicokun]

I watched The Dragon Prince a few weeks ago, but I haven’t really written anything about it yet since I’ve been busy finishing the last week of my latest grad course and doing weapon qual ranges and field exercises.

I think the thing that really struck me about the show - aside from the weird animation which was basically just like RWBY’s digital anime style but better quality - was how similar it was to ATLA. I mean, Sokka’s VA being Callum’s VA was obvious, but I could just see the writers ticking off the boxes of what made the first season of ATLA so enjoyable. We had the opening narration, the system of magic based on elemental segregation, the two siblings/one exotic foreigner trio (plus team pet(s)), etc. Even with Soren and Claudia I saw a weird parallel with Zuko and Azula. Children of the Big Bad, with the younger sister being a favored prodigy in the world’s magic and the older brother being the more mundane fighting expert. The main difference there is that these two are like if their father had treated them like Uncle Iroh while secretly being or at least having the potential to go all Ozai underneath.

I don’t think it’s at all a bad thing that it has similarities to ATLA, though. It’s more like a spiritual successor to the previous series, just based around more traditional Western fantasy. I do like the concept of the six magic sources based on domains and the things in them rather than an alchemical elemental system, since I don’t see that too often. The dark magic domain is pretty classic, of course, but it makes sense in the context of the larger system.

I’m also definitely loving the character interactions. I could really believe Viren and King Harrow were best friends, and I feel like it gave an even better depiction of friends-turned-enemies than Roku and Sozin. Like I could honestly sympathize with Viren desperately wanting to do anything, even terrible things, to save his friend and becoming embittered when his attempts were rebuffed and he was met with what must have felt like betrayal. Shipping-wise, there wasn’t much definitively, but Callum was shown to have a crush on Claudia at the beginning and she did call him adorable, which would make me think they were love interests, normally. It would be more interesting since they’re later set up as enemies due to Claudia’s father manipulating them. Of course, classic action/adventure romance tropes would put Callum and Rayla together, which is also interesting since they have a more enemies-to-friends dynamic than Claudia and Callum who started as friends of sorts. Rayla and Callum also have a very cute chemistry together, so I definitely started to enjoy their interactions more as the season went on. Obviously things could change and they could pull a Korrasami by having Callum’s two potential love interests get together, but since they haven’t had any interactions besides the one fight at the beginning I guess we’ll have to see.

I think the one major complaint I have at this point is that the first season was two short. It wasn’t rushed for the most part except for the last couple episodes, though. It just ended where I feel like they’d do a mid-season finale rather than an actual narrative wrap-up, but they just happened to tack on the season plot of getting the dragon egg hatched and Rayla’s ribbon off. This is probably a result of the fact that it’s being released on Netflix, and their original animations have been getting shorter seasons, like with Voltron cutting its seasons in half after the first couple in order to have more frequent updates. They really should have structured it either with a full season story arc with a natural mid-season finale which didn’t have to wrap up everything, but just solve some secondary issue while teasing the rest of the season, or integrate the finale’s ultimate solution into previous episodes to make it feel like more of a true season.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing the next season, and maybe I’ll do some fan art in the near future.

[avidbeader]

Finished “The Dragon Prince”.

Non-spoiler stuff: it’s cute. It kind of pushes my love for high fantasy. There’s impressive world-building happening. I appreciate what they’re going for in terms of weaving together a bunch of threads into a complex plot. I also appreciate the efforts to make as many characters as possible a bit nuanced and/or complicated, as well as the diversity of race and gender on display.

But it’s not grabbing me by the throat. I don’t feel compelled to read/write fic or seek art at this time. The designs really kiddify many of the characters for me and make them feel young teen instead of older/nearly adult (the first of only two comparisons to “Voltron” I’ll make), and because so much of the action is focused on our trio of kids, I did feel I was watching something not meant for me. I’m also not thrilled with the animation quality: yes, 100% computer animated means more characters and things move in the background compared to a mostly hand-drawn product, but it all felt like the frame rate was too slow and it took me ages to get into the story enough and stop noticing. And finally, a lot of the banter and humor in the dialogue isn’t to my taste, whether because I’m an older viewer or just because it’s my taste

With the character designs being so rounded and soft, they really do feel younger. I know there’s some chart out there listing the ages of the different characters going around and I don’t remember all of them. But it does give me the impression that a Callum or a Rayla is in the 13-15 range, where the more angular designs of characters like Pidge, Keith, and Lance in “Voltron” make me think 16-19.

So, in short, cute and if more seasons happen I might watch because I’m curious about a few things. I don’t have enough data points for a real comparison, but I’m thinking that much of what drew me in about “Voltron” was seeing just how amazingly Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery updated it all from the ashes of DotU. I don’t have that prior connection here.

Spoilery thoughts under the cut:

Callum is probably my favorite character, although the cringey moments do come on a regular basis. I like that he is smart and can figure things out, but I love most just how fiercely he defends others. One thing I would want strongly in future seasons is for the balance to shift so that the babbling/off on a tangent moments decrease in favor of leadership and stepping up. The protective-Callum moments were among my favorite bits of the entire season.

Ezran is a male counterpart to Lilo of “Lilo and Stitch” for me, which makes Bait a version of Stitch on permanent Xanax. That impression formed with the stealing-the-pastries scene and I could not shake it.

I have a hard time getting past Rayla’s accent - the voice is so very Merida from “Brave”. I do like that they addressed in both word and deed how conflicted she was when it came time to kill someone in cold blood. Ezran’s telling her it’s a good thing she’s an assassin who’s never killed anyone encapsulated that whole arc perfectly. I was also waiting to see how she was going to get the binding off her wrist and when (1) they didn’t go for Ezran not breathing after going into the river and (2) the sunforge blade failed, I expected that to go into the following season right up to the moment where the dragon bit it off.

I was super-impressed with King Harrow and how they showed a man whose outlook has evolved so much, recognizing both his own wrongs and the tangled mess that history created. The one thing I disliked was how quickly he seemed to accept what he saw as his fate, letting the need for atonement take precedence when he could have been trying to find solutions. I don’t know if he thought it would, but I certainly didn’t believe for a moment that Harrow’s death would have solved anything.

My husband (who only saw parts of the season, not the whole) thinks Viren did the body swap with the king. I think Viren trapped the king in his pet bird, and when the time comes Ezran will know because of his gift with animals. (In this, @radiofreekerberos and I thought alike.)

I struggle the most with Soren and Claudia. I think they are both very competent at what they do, given their ages, but that the writers chose to given them both their awful sense of humor so they wouldn’t seem too mature. It doesn’t work for me. They could have done more with them simply being uncertain about things - the scene where Soren asks Claudia if their dad gave her a secret mission too? That bit worked so well because it showed Soren as thinking, wrestling with a huge moral conflict beyond his current experience. I want more of that and less fart jokes.

Similarly, I didn’t like how Gren got reduced to comedic fodder after being taken prisoner. Again, assuming more seasons happen, I would hope Viren’s imprisoning of Runaan flips a switch in Gren so he can talk/fight/trick his way to freedom.

Overall I’m not really feeling any ships, but then I didn’t feel any ships at the end of the first season of “Voltron” other than a nostalgia-fueled tug for Kallura. The only thing that has even a spark of my interest is the possibility of Gren and Runaan: if Gren can free himself and then find a way to free Runaan who then leads their escape, it’s got that shared experience as prisoners and the “we saved each other” thing. Which is a thing I like.

Okay, maybe I could see myself doing a rare-pair fic for this franchise...

[raayllum]

anyway because the inspiration and oneshot list grows every day here’s the updated list, in no particular order (all rayllum focused unless stated otherwise)

non rayllum

less: Claudia learns from Viren that Rayla was the one who killed him. She looks back on her decision to hand over the coins in a new light. Terry POV, Terry/Claudia, angst

pre-s4 (set during timeskip)

a frightening thought: Soren thinks he may be falling in love with Corvus. This is a problem for more reasons than one. Soren&Callum with equal Sorvus and Rayllum focus

Breathtaking: Ezran visits the Storm Spire three times. Callum does not.

i think i am finally clean: Rayla decides to go back to Katolis.

during s4

blink and you miss it (ch2-4; angst, hurt/comfort, some fluff)

i’d kill just to watch as you’re sleeping (ch2): Rayla tends to Callum post-possession until he wakes up, and a little bit afterwards. Also features Rayla&Zubeia talks (in between 4x04 and 4x05)

still left with his hands (ch3): Dolling out bedrolls in the Drakewood is easier said than awkwardly done. Missing scene from 4x05

i fell onto love like a sword (ch4): Thoughts once Callum comes back to rest after their “you need to kill me” conversation in 4x07. 

post-s4

The Snitch: Ezran acts as Stella’s translator and Callum learns a little more about just how much Rayla loves him. Fluff

and if you find me, will you know me?: Callum finds out why Soren and Rayla were separated in the Drakewood, and Rayla has some reckoning to do. Angst hurt/comfort 

out damned spot: Callum finally learns why Rayla came back and wishes he hadn’t. Angst, hurt/comfort

(you’re) a crisis of my faith: As Stella’s connection to the Star arcanum grows, Rayla is haunted by dreams of the lives she could’ve had in contrast to the one she does. Possible three-shot depending on length

speculative s5

(this fall) might just kill me: At Rayla’s prompting, Callum goes to the Sunfire elves to attempt to purify himself from dark magic. It doesn’t go as planned. [Fluffier than it sounds I promise] 

i could dive so deep i never come out: Season five, featuring talks and Callum and Rayla on a boat. Fluff, hurt/comfort co-written with thosefiveadoraburrs

if it’s not you, it’s not anyone: Their Tidebound elf guide is a little too friendly towards Rayla. Callum doesn’t know how to feel about it, never mind what to do about it. co-written with thosefiveadoraburrs

[raayllum]

fic masterpost ~ rayllum edition

a/n: this post is subject to change and be updated as early as February 15th 2021 (with fulfilled prompts from Rayllum Valentine’s Week) so while you are welcome to reblog it, it is long and will only get longer! There will be changes! This post, as the title says, also only includes my Rayllum fics - which while the majority of what I write for TDP, are not at all. I’ve done my best to organize every piece of writing (from long multichaps to 200 word drabbles) into a coherent system under headers and as per chronological order (in terms of the pieces, not when they were posted) as can possibly be. I would love if this introduced you to a fic or ficlet of mine that you previously weren’t aware of! (There were certainly pieces I’d entirely forgotten I’d written!) Happy reading, and a big thanks to the fandom of being so supportive of my writing for the past 2.5 years! :)

Canon 

i do not believe in love at first sight. but god damn. (look at you.): callum’s pov for his first meeting with rayla in 1x02, ficlet

by the boat: a missing scene set after 1x04, featuring some slight rayllum and trio fluff, ficlet

each time (you happen to me all over again): “Hey, I like her too. But the thing is, she’s… not telling us everything. I can feel it.” Or, a oneshot in which Callum likes Rayla, against his better judgement. Set in between 1x03 and up until 1x06, 870 word ficlet

pivot: ‘He likes her too much.‘ For “Meeting/Friendship” for the Rayllum fanzine, “Falling for You,” set during 1x05-1x07 of Book One: Moon, 2.7k

the scarf: set in between 1x06 and 1x07, ficlet

because she’s rayla: the more he understands her, the more he loves her. OR: how Callum fell in love with Rayla, season by season. IN-PROGRESS, 1.8k+ threeshot 

turn against: Callum and Rayla reflect on betrayal and abandonment, post-3x01. 2.4k, oneshot

heights: could slot into early 3x01 post sol regem (aka when ez is travelling back), pre 3x02 ficlet

i don’t believe that anybody feels the way i do about you now: missing scene from 3x04; callum gets a little jealous when they make camp at the oasis, ficlet

second sight: “Was it love at first sight?” Corvus asks. OR: Callum and Rayla reflect on what love is. Set during 3x05-3x09, written for the “Falling for You” fanzine, 3.5k

that isn’t part of the spell: Ezran’s POV of the moment he finds out Callum and Rayla are ‘a thing’ in 3x07, ficlet

all through the night: Callum and Rayla’s first night at the Spire. Angst hurt/comfort set during 3x08, ficlet

i’ll explain later: On the eve before the Final Battle, Amaya has some catching up to do with her nephew. Set during 3x08, mentions of Rayllum & Janaya, 1.9k, oneshot

i really do: An oneshot comprised of missing Rayllum moments/scenes from S3 (including post-3x09). Spoilers abound. co written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs. 3.9k, oneshot

21 Days: They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. // A Rayllum ficlet for every episode from 1x03-3x05, updates daily. COMPLETE, 14.4k

Could Be Canon (fics that haven’t been proven or denied thus far)

doesn’t deserve this: Callum approaches the Dragon Queen with a request, post-3x09, ficlet

a broken cycle: Rayla has nightmares about when she and Callum met, post-s3, hurt/comfort, ficlet

rumination: Callum and Rayla learn what Claudia did to revive Viren, ficlet

autopsies: claudia sees callum (and rayla) for the first time since 2x07, ficlet

i want to hang out with you basically for the rest of my life: post war proposal that technically fits right in to canon, somehow (even if it was written after s1), ficlet

things you said when you thought i was asleep: callum talking to their baby, first pregnancy, post war, ficlet

AU as of S2

your heart is your masterpiece: It’s Rayla’s sixteenth birthday. Callum knows exactly what to get her. [Rayla/Callum] title is from “i’ll keep you safe,” by sleeping at last, 1.8k oneshot

frostbite: rayla tries ice cream, ficlet

sweep the leg: rayla trains callum, ficlet

the amulet: post 1x09, the kids go amulet shopping.

when you’re around i don’t know how to hide my feelings: quietly pining rayla feat. cloud counting, ficlet

participation medals of the heart: callum likes claudia and rayla knows this, ficlet

i know your weakness. it’s kisses. you are doomed: cute established rayllum closest to being set during s2 i guess? ficlet 

AU as of S3

a speculative take on 3x01, during the scarf exchange and based on spoilers released at october comic con 2019, ficlet

seem impossible: rayla teaches callum to dance, based off the s3 trailer, ficlet

based off of rayla pulling callum close to her to jump down in the trailer, pining callum, ficlet

speculative take on the pining callum still that got released, written to be set around 3x04 (picture is actually from 3x08), pining callum ficlet

sleeveless callum insp & based off s3 promo pictures, pining rayla, ficlet 

speculative reunion with amaya, featuring callum defending rayla from his aunt, based off tiniest screencap from s3 trailer, ficlet

things you said when we were on top of the world: exactly what it says on the tin + pining callum, ficlet

term of endearment: rayla calls callum an elvish word and he asks tinker what it means, just under 1k ficlet

things you said after you kissed me: first kiss, shocking similar to 3x05, ficlet

things you said when you were scared: rayla gets injured, callum is worried, ficlet

rayla dreads their separation, speculative late s3, slightly angsty pining rayla, ficlet

rayllum can’t say goodbye, speculation end of s3 get together, pining callum, ficlet

i think you are beautiful and would like to kiss you: rayla and callum meet again at a ball after the war, pining callum, ficlet

still into you: callum plans a proposal to rayla in katolis after the war, 1.2k, oneshot

in search of silver linings (we discovered gold): co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs. Rayla and Callum travel through Xadia, and maybe fall in love along the way. Post-s2, semi-fan season 3. COMPLETE, 84k

Dragonguard Rayllum (post-s3)

don’t go where i can’t follow: Post-S3. When Rayla realizes the extent of Callum’s devotion to her, it takes a trip back home to come to terms with it. Fluffier than the summary makes it sound, I swear. co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs. 2.1k

i should let someone know (maybe when i’m better): Rayla has a fever that brings out some unintended emotional consequences. Callum is there to help. co-written with @thosefiveadoraburrs, 3.8k

south star: post-s3 oneshot about rayllum stargazing and making decisions. co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs. 1.5k

and since we’ve got no place to go (let it snow): rayla and callum’s first winter at the spire

unprovoked: Rayla asks Callum about his mother, ficlet

bleed: Callum has a minor injury and Rayla frets over him, ficlet

hair tuck: Callum notices an adorable quick of Rayla’s, pining Callum, ficlet

messy hair: Pining Rayla featuring Callum’s messy bedhead, ficlet

AU as of TTM

you said, “are you serious?” (i said like a heart attack): Soren doesn’t understand why Rayla is with Callum, until he does. co-written with @thosefiveadoraburrs. Rayla/Callum and onesided Soren/Rayla. 6.2k

a mighty ocean or a gentle kiss: The castle physician notes how much time Callum and Rayla spend together, and makes a strange recommendation, 3.1k

at every table, i’ll save you a seat: Rayla and Callum’s first Valentine’s Day as a couple, post-s3, based off official art ficlet

let there be light (let me be right): Series of oneshots based off 5 of 16 prompts from Rayllum Birthday Bash 2020, 7.4k+, complete.

do over: Rayla realizes that Callum hasn’t had a great first date experience, and is determined to give him one. 8.3k, for Day 2 of Rayllum Valentine’s Week

Post TTM: (series is numbered)

callum’s pov of “through the moon”’s immediate aftermath, angst, ficlet

rayla’s pov of the immediate aftermath of through the moon, angst ficlet

now the day bleeds into nightfall: Callum follows Rayla into Xadia, but before that, he makes a stop at the Silvergrove, 3.4k (#1)

but sometimes the lines get all blurry: In perhaps the cruelest stroke of fate, Claudia finds her first. // Post-TTM including spoilers, 2.7k (#2)

just wait for me to come home: Rayla runs and Callum chases her. It’s their own cycle to break. OR: the post-TTM reunion fic with a with a whole lot of angst, 16.8k (#3)

Canon Divergence

looking for a way to break in: In a world where the moral lines of Dark Magic are less evenly divided, Rayla is a Moonshadow elf in the service of the royal family of Katolis. Assigned to be Prince Callum’s bodyguard on a pilgrimage arranged by tradition, she soon finds her feelings becoming harder to deny - and their world harder to protect. co-written with @thosefiveadoraburrs. IN-PROGRESS, 73.9k+

at my worst, i worry you’ll realize you deserve better: early 20s with a dash of angst, vaguely canon divergence, ficlet

wait for me: hadestown inspired, callum makes a deal with aaravos and goes to get rayla back, ficlet

i will always love you, or anyway i will always have loved you now: married rayllum with kids, but not to each other, feat. romantic what ifs

the future is brighter than any flashback: It’s Sarai’s third birthday at the Silvergrove and, naturally, the whole family comes over to celebrate. [Gen+Moonfam+Rayllum post war oneshot] co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs, 10.3k

if heaven and hell decide: Claudia convinces Soren to play the long game. OR: a post 2x03, canon divergence where Claudia and Soren travel with the trio rather than betraying them right away. co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs, ongoing, 8k+

(if time is money then) i’ll spend it all for you

(if time is money then) i’ll spend it all for you: Set four years post-S3, Runaan and Rayla’s parents are de-coined. Now it’s time to adjust to how the world and their daughter has changed, including her relationship with one particular human. co-written by me and @thosefiveadoraburrs. COMPLETE, 146.4k

a typical afternoon in the silvergrove for rayllum’s kids, Rae and Juni, set post fic, ficlet

AU

luck: Callum and Rayla meet at a DnD club. Modern AU, 3k

based off of eerna’s pirate AU, callum helps a pirate rayla get out of jail to help his brother, ficlet

the most wonderful time of the year: Modern AU. Ezran drags Callum to a “Meet Santa” even. Rayla works as a holiday helper. Christmas fluff ensues. 2.8k