#i wanted to see rayllum and claudia and they're both definitely here this is just! not what i wanted

[sumiaa]

OKAY FUNNY I ALMOST FORGOT WHY I CAME ON HERE BUT THE LAST POST REMINDED ME... I'm not sure I like the new season of the dragon prince :(

[jelzorz]

Crack quartet timeline 2: electric boogaloo

BC I'm bored and waiting for a) the 6x03 answer and the 6x04 clue, and b) my last two essays to be released

Some housekeeping for those only just now stumbling on the concept of the crack quartet:

The tdp post-canon crack quartet refers to rayllum and the following set of insane sounding ships: corterry, sorpeli, and claudiez

Yeah I know I'm a nutcase, it's cool

In my defence, I got talked into the other three by @raayllum but when they're right, they're right

Part one of the crack quartet timeline and hcs is here!

A reminder to everyone that the crack quartet can only ever happen years and years after canon when everyone involved is significantly older and able to consent, so please keep that in mind before y'all come at me

Also I share some of these hcs with @raayllum but they also have their own hcs and would be absolutely thrilled to talk about them so please go and encourage them so I'm not the only one in the sorpeli tag

Now that that's out of the way!

When we last left the crack quartet timeline, Viren had returned to Katolis castle and was causing absolute mayhem in the crack quartet family unit. At this stage, Ezran's council consists of Ez, Callum, Rayla, Soren, Barius, Opeli (resigned from High Cleric but still on the council as per Ezran's request) and Clio (the new High Cleric). By now, Callum and Rayla have a little girl called Sarai, Ez is formally courting Claudia, and Soren and Opeli have been told they're expecting twins.

If you haven't read the snake (which I swear I'll finish), our gang agrees (for a very loose definition of agreeing) to give Viren a trial. Callum is furious and has been an absolute asshole about it but it goes ahead with Callum prosecuting and Soren begrudgingly representing his father (because if it's not him, it's Opeli and she is heavily pregnant at this point so...). Viren is found guilty but Ez refuses to execute him (he Doesn't Want To Be That Kind of King) and exiles him instead.

Claudia finds herself with a decision to make: she has always wanted to keep her family together and now it's being torn apart again. The others are SUPER CONCERNED for a hot minute, because if she leaves and breaks Ezran's heart and chooses her father AGAIN after everything that's happened, they will not be able to forgive her a second time. In the end, it's not that difficult a decision to make. Ezran is here. Soren is here. She will have two brand new nieces in the summer. She chooses to stay.

Callum is not happy about Ez's decision but he can't keep disagreeing with him like this either, and together they agree that they both might benefit from a little bit of space. Callum never really wanted to be a prince anyway, and Ez needs the space to come into his own and find his own way, without being parented by his brother. It's tearful, but ultimately for the best, and they're still going to be brothers no matter what. It's the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one too. Callum and Rayla pack up and head for the Silvergrove. Ez et al see them off and promise to come and visit once they've settled in.

Callum and Rayla run into Corvus and Terry on the way who are, to their surprise, living happily together in a partnership no one expected and have been quietly keeping up with the Katolis Castle soap opera. They're glad everything's settling down and gladder still to meet baby Sarai. They catch up before Callum and Rayla continue on their way.

Soren and Opeli's twin girls are born the following summer. It's a tough labour, but the three of them come out fine and Soren heads out to Temple Hill in a rare show of faith to thank the goddesses his wife had once devoted herself to for keeping his family safe. Callum and Rayla return to the castle to offer their support and so Sarai can meet her new cousins. Ez and Callum are reunited and happy to be together again. Tentatively, Ezran tells his brother that he is considering marrying Claudia. Callum takes it well! He's just happy that Ez is happy, even if he's still a little apprehensive about Claudia's presence in the castle.

Claudia takes it less well. She knows what she is and what she's done. She knows how this will look to people who know of her crimes but don't know her. When Ezran asks, she says no. Then she disappears.

Callum is Fucking Furious. How dare she. How dare she hurt his brother like that. How dare she leave. This isn't digging up any old wounds At All. And although he promises Rayla that this has nothing to do with what happened when they were kids, Rayla still remembers how much she hurt him and can't help but wonder if he still feels that sting, even after all this time. And she wants to fix this! She can't stand seeing her boys hurt like this. And who would know where Claudia went better than

Soren. The poor man is exhausted. Y'all thought one newborn was bad—try two. He and Opeli take turns with the girls but the added stress of Claudia disappearing isn't doing them any favours. But he has enough brain left in him to guess the one place Claudia might have gone.

He reaches out to Corvus and Terry who are a hub for information at this point, and they point him the direction of a small town in the Independent Isles. There's an ex-mage over there that they keep hearing about. Apparently he was exiled from Katolis last winter. Does that help at all?

Sure does. But who to send? Ez can't go, and Callum shouldn't go, and Rayla can't go by herself. Soren doesn't want to leave Opeli but, in her words, their duty is to Ezran, and Ezran needs help. Claudia is his sister too and Opeli insists she'll be fine with the twins. He should go with Rayla. Reluctantly, he goes, and they're halfway out to the Independent Isles when who should they find stowed away in the back of their carriage but Ezran, who is sick and tired of having other people deal with his problems for him. If anyone's going to convince Claudia to come home, it's going to be him.

They find Viren helping to rebuild a village on the coast of one of the Independent Isles. It's awkward, but Viren is definitely better than he was when they saw him last, and he's glad to know that Soren and the twins are doing well. He hopes to meet them one day but won't hold Soren to that if he doesn't feel comfortable with it, but Soren surprises them both with "maybe one day". Viren tells them that Claudia was here but left again not long after. He asks Ezran what happened. Ezran won't say. Still, he tells them Claudia went to Del Bar and wishes them well.

@raayllum and I have discussed this At Length, but they find Claudia hiding in Del Bar and seeking guidance from Lissa. Lissa is more surprised than anyone to see the King of Katolis at her door with her son and an elven ambassador, but ultimately, whatever happens next is Claudia decision.

What happens next? I don't know yet! But Claudia does eventually come back, and everything does eventually work out. If I ever finish the snake, I'll write this too. And I might be crazy but the Katolis Castle soap is never ending and full of drama and I love that for them.