#i would also happily take viren

[raayllum]

Ezran having to defend the castle... For Me??

[a-confused-spoon]

TDP s6: Soren, Viren and missing the point (2/2)

(jesus christ did I write a lot for this one...)

SPOILERS FOR THE DRAGON PRINCE S6!

*sigh*

I want to make a little disclaimer here: my feelings towards Viren were always a bit mixed- I loved the writing of him, but I loved to see him suffer more.

I would have been fine with him dying just as well as living, even if I didn’t love how quick his flip was in s4 (particularly ep2), the same way I’m not in love with how the most recent season seems to gloss over the weight of what the man did in book 1, 2 and 3, even in the scenes where he tries to take accountability: it’s not just the use of dark magic, misleading Claudia or the mistreatment Soren; he got 2 rulers killed, forced a fiery-transformation spell on thousands of soldiers who didn’t want to partake in it, was willing to put an egg before his son’s life, sealed the souls of people in coins etc.

Even if his redemption had continued (as in, had he kept breathing), I personally would have preferred for him to not get a happily forever after with his family, but something more of a "open ending" or whatnot.

However

I can't shake this feeling that The Mystery of Aaravos has a tendency of prioritizing very well-built and executed single scenes with intense emotion over overarching thematic consistency and overall character growth (the number of shenanigans that amounts to nothing in said two regards being exhibit A, but of course those two things don't exclude the other), and while it's a MASSIVE improvement over book 4 and 5, book 6 still has its issues.

While indeed apologizing to who he has hurt isn’t nearly enough for his journey to be (nor feel) “complete”, it’s also true that Viren isn’t given the possibility to do much else to begin with, despite being the first (and so far only) villain to do a complete 180 and check all the boxes of the ‘big no-no’ list the story presents us with when it comes to morality and/or ethics.

I want to explain my point of view the best way I possibly can, so stick with me for a minute:

The characters of the series (or, well, those who don’t belong to the cosmos) exist in a historical context led by a narrative of power that chains them to a never-ending cycle of violence; the use of dark magic plays a big role in said cycle, not only as an active part of it from the human side, but also because the very practice is on its own an incentive to use it more and more frequently, which is a very similar relationship people have with power in general.

What the “good guys” of the story do, as a matter of fact, is break the cycle by putting an end to the narrative of power and replacing it with one of love, ‘cause as we learn in book 2, real strength means being able to choose love, vulnerability and forgiveness, even if that’s not what they’ve been taught all their lives. Only then they can break free of the chains of history; additionally, for said history to not repeat itself, dark magic needs to be abandoned, even in tough circumstances (unless Sol Regem pulls up in Katolis, but I digress) given the detrimental effects on the long run- and with Xadia and humanity at peace with one another and ideally living in harmony, it wouldn’t be needed at all.

Therefore, the list of ‘big no-no’ here is: don’t do dark magic, don’t pursuit power as opposed to love, don’t let history define your perception of the world.

All the “bad guys” of the story are either unwilling or unable to do one or more of those things: Karim can’t for the life of him look past history, Claudia isn’t able to give up dark magic (for now, at least not without guidance), Finnegrin had no intention of giving up the power he held over his crew- and Aaravos deliberately chose to find purpose in the immediate anger he felt during Leola’s trial (consequently engaging in the centuries old cycle of violence in all its ugliness), instead of giving in to the love he has for his daughter and pass away alongside her, resulting in Leola being left alone and scared throughout the horrible process (and also the whole world going through some crazy shit).

Then there’s Viren, who used to rely on dark magic (unlike Karim), pursue power (unlike Claudia) and look at things through the lenses of history (unlike Finnegrin), so he was a bad guy in all possible aspects.

Eventually though, he manages to successfully give up dark magic and choose love over power and refuse the chains of history (as shown both in his relationship with Terry and his willingness to serve King Ezran), with no expectations of mercy or forgiveness... and literally nothing comes of it because the other characters don’t give him the possibility to act on any of said changes, aside from doing one thing that gets him killed.

So it’s “we gain nothing if we don’t give the chance to learn and grow” (or whatever Amaya said in s4) until...? It's "it's never too late if you quit" or whatever Rayla says in ep3 unless...?

I’d love to agree on the “it’s too late” argument, but aside it going against the very principle of the story, even the awful things he did that I mentioned don’t really matter by the time s6 ends: Lain and Tiadrin are happly together and got to say goodbye to their daughter, and she herself chose to save Runaan instead; the fiery-transformation turns out to be temporary, no one seems to even remember that Eveneere and Del Bar exist etc. The only thing that still has an effect is Lux Aurea becoming unhabitable, yet the only character who gives some weight to said tragedy is portrayed as an idiotic bitter nobody (aka Karim) who should just look past it and take a chance on the elven-human camp. So exactly how am I supposed to care? *

I already talked extensively about the theme of forgiveness in part 1 of this essay (if I can call it that), but the point is that the story shouldn't pick and choose who gets rewarded and understood when acting according to the moral of the story and who doesn't even get a chance at getting a second chance while trying to do the exact same thing, not when the very thematic premise of said story automatically puts EVERYONE into perspective- because if it's the lies of history that chain them to a narrative of power, misleading them, and those started way before the characters were even born, then the conversation unfortunately but necessarily needs to include the perpetrators of violence too; they too were misled, therefore they too can unlearn what they've been taught (which Viren does) and should get a chance to really live a life spent on being a better person, not because they may “deserve it” or because it might not be "too late", but simply because they have the CAPACITY to do good, if they choose to.

A show that really nails this point (to me) is She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which frankly I'm not even that big of a fan of... speaking of which, if Viren was always meant to die sacrificing himself without no one's recognition, it probably would have been better for him to pull a Shadow Weaver ftom the beginning.

(I don't mean this as a comparison, it's just a way for me to lay down all the elements that I belive ultimately don't work or don't help)

For those who aren’t familiar (MAJOR SPOILERS), Shadow Weaver in She-Ra is for the most part what a lot of Viren haters think Viren is in The Dragon Prince: a magic user that loves power, traumatizing the children she grows and nothing else. She doesn’t even have a greater good she intensely believes in to explain her actions and behaviors like Viren does- she’s just a massive bitch. And she doesn’t really grow or learn during the series, it’s just that at some point hanging around the good guys becomes more convenient for her... if I’m not mistaken, she doesn’t even do much unless someone comes to her spontaneously, aside gardening. At no point in time she becomes really trust worthy or good, and it’s always looming in the air whether or not she’s even beginning to be, or will ever be for that matter.

This goes on for like, 3 seasons, until at the very end- and I mean the very end (like, last episode very end) she does one good thing, sacrificing herself to save the two girls she abused the most throughout the series, which leads to her death.

What really sells the scene (leaving out the music, the animation, the dialogue, the voice acting- all of it is just *chef’s kiss*), it’s the fact that:

Her final words to Catra, who she abused the most, really feel like they put a period at the end of a sentence; it feels like closure, you feel that both her and Adora can now move on;

It’s a deliberate choice, because she had the option of staying safe and not do it, and still did;

She dies at peace with herself, and seemingly proud of herself for making that good action too;

Her death isn't the conclusion of an arc nor it comes out of nowhere, because of the general uncertainty regarding her character that precedes that moment

I talked about closure and 'moving on' in the first part of this essay when talking about Soren (which I'm now realizing was a lot shorter, lol), so I’ll move on to everything else.

The point of him dying can’t be about being selfless, because Viren always was selfless for what he thought was right: he was willing to swap bodies with Harrow, he went back to fight Avazandum when the Queens of Duren went to face the dragon alone, when Aaravos tells him he might die going in Lux Aurea he went anyways etc. Not to mention how Soren, of all people, asks him to do dark magic, of all things, so that he can… help… people… mh, now where have I heard this before? I’m sorry- wasn’t using dark magic for the sake of protecting humanity literally what got most problems started? The source of so much conflict and pain and death? A practice that wasn’t worth doing due to the detrimental effects on the long run, even when if people were going through tough times? Literally what Viren did and received a lot of shit for when he was a full-on villain? By all means, if you find it poetic, that’s great! In my opinion it’s a bit weird: if the show wants to make a point, then it should stick to it;

Viren's literally a shell of his former self, from the very moment he steps into the castle. Sure, knowing about Claudia’s state and the part he played in it wouldn’t make anyone sleep at night, but to have him so desperate, unseen and unheard once he finally picks a path "of truth" as opposed to one of darkness really wasn’t... the best. Like, my own bias against the “redeemed character dying/character searching redemption dying before getting to the end of it” trope aside, not even while dying he seems to reach some kind of inner peace. And when Soren comes into his cell, even then, when it’s his chance to prove that he is committed to this new life path he’s still unsure and scared- Soren had to insist for Viren to step in and help. As if he didn’t really know what to do with himself;

I didn’t hope Viren could build a better life for himself because the idea felt right to me, but because for two whole seasons and a half that’s the direction his character was taking, and the fact that his journey ultimately doesn’t come to a proper end isn’t even drìirectly on him just pisses me off. So much time spent on showing Viren’s progress for what feels like nothing... if not setting up Claudia to be Aaravos's new daughter and giving Soren even more trauma to deal with :D

I didn't want Viren to receive a mere slap on the wrist of course, but I also didn't want his journey to be... this. It feels incomplete, partial, and we didn't even get the final conversation he has with Soren about sacrificing his own heart instead of his son's before saying goodbye- which may have single handedly fixed most of what I said (in part 1 more than here, but still).

[ edit: I’m adding this part because I’m only now thinking about this, and I believe it’s worth mentioning.

As I said at the beginning, I do take issue with how Viren’s journey only considers the damage he made on an interpersonal level as opposed to what he caused on a macro-scale. Had his progress continued only with what the second act of the show bothered to explore so far, I’d still have many complaints, just of different nature.

Because of what I mentioned here though (*) and, again, after two seasons and a half of giving all the impressions that there was a light at the end of the tunnel for him after all, I think that it would have been nice for said things to at least be acknowledged once he got back to Katolis, instead of just making a vague matter of deserving or not deserving mercy, as this is the very logic that keeps cycles of violence going. I do know that’s what they are referring to of course, but I still think it should have been an actual part of the conversation; I briefly mentioned this in part 1/2: I would’ve loved for Soren to be the one to call him out on it, especially the ‘leaving Claudia behind’ bit, in a “You can fool yourself into thinking that you’ve changed, but you can’t fool me, not anymore” fashion of sorts.

This still doesn’t mean that a redemption was impossible to begin with imo. I think that there might be a common assumption that redeeming a character means having them join the main team, which isn’t always the case, it just happens to be the most recurring one.

Idealistically, what I think could have been an ‘okay’ solution (I am talking only in utopistic terms here, though I don’t think it would’ve been impossible to pull off in the actual show- but it would have been admittedly very difficult considering the number of episodes per season) would have been for 2 episodes to be mostly focused on choosing how to go about it:

The first one having the main team arguing with each other before coming to the agreement of sticking to their principles despite not liking the situation one bit (but you know, had it been an easy choice then the efforts at peace would’ve started a lot sooner than the actual events of the show);

The second where the pentarchy, the Sunfire Queen and the Dragon Queen have a meeting, so that they can all have their say on the matter, given that they too were directly or indirectly affected by the man; the meeting is full of tension, there’s shouting, there’s calling each other ‘traitors’ and ‘hypocrites’- generally it really puts to the test how much of the world really is committed to the cause and how much of it isn’t ready to move on, but ultimately they begrudgingly come to the conclusion that there’s obviously a series of restrictions that need to be imposed on the man, while still not completely preventing him from doing his part if he truly means to prove his change. Things like: he cannot put foot into Xadia without the surveillance of dragons (preferably Phyrrah plus a couple more) and/or maybe the drake tamers of s4 lead by Rayla (who Viren is terrified by, so she’s perfect for the job), and when he’s in the human side of the land he still must be guarded 24/7 by at least 5 trained guards; he must find a spell to try to undo the corruption of Lux Aurea, but he’s not allowed to touch any source of magic without being openly granted the possibility to by Callum (who’s now in a higher position); anything he might suggest will be discussed among the council etc… how much of this changes in the course of time and how much people are willing to trust him can either change or not change, depending on whatever follows (even if this list is just hypothetical).

Also, in light of this very recent interview:

I want to be very clear: all I’m saying in these two posts is limited to the immediate effect of s6, and if the following season (or, hopefully, seasons) manages to handle things in such a way that it’ll make me eat my words, I’ll be unbelievably happy. This show means so much to me, and I’m only critical of it only because I feel like the second act of the story doesn’t do quite justice to all that the first one laid out: TDP used to be a hyper-fixation for me and it was the saving grace that got me out of the depression loop after Voltron’s ending, so anything that can get me back into that level on investment will make me cry happy tears.

This being said

I do wonder what the whole point of Viren’s journey of this season and the prior two was if the character is deemed irredeemable by the creators themselves, especially since Soren doesn’t get closure, Claudia only gets more trauma, and Viren doesn’t even die somewhat proud knowing that he did what he could manage to in the little time he had in Katolis after so long (as I said earlier), so no one gets much out of it if not more angst… which is always welcomed, if done with a valid point.

If said purpose was just so that his passing could influence his children’s arcs and therefore being there in function of other characters, the entire thing in retrospect feels like a bit of a waste of time, given that the same exact outcome could have been achieved without him being around in this last season at all: just have Claudia come back home to figure what to do next instead of seeing her dad again; she even has the Sunfire scepter thingie to do the spell from s3, so no one needs to die of poorly executed surgery. And then she can just, find the pearl and cave to Aaravos’s temptation, as he does claim he can revive him again anyways. That, plus I’m dying to have Claudia and her brother talk again after in s4 ☹.

…so yeah, like, on a scale from a VLD Lotor frustration to an MLB Chloe Bourgeois frustration, I’m sort of in the middle with Viren. But I do like that there’s a lot of conversation on the topic ]

CONCLUSION: Despite everything, s6 is the first season I actually enjoyed since s3, though it is still not quite at the same level to me, and while I have my problems with it and I'm very saddend that the Viren and Soren thing is among those, I'm acutally very happy that a lot of people enjoy it and that the fandom is ecstatic. It just wasn't for me- but I still had a fun time writing this two parter :)

Thanks to anyone who got 'till the end of this, I really appreciate it! <3

[beautifulterriblequeen]

TDP rewatch: autistic Soren?

I spent a lot of time going along with everyone else saying that Soren was a big dumbass. And for that, I would now like to apologize. I don’t think Soren’s dumb. I think he’s autistic. 

As an autistic person, I feel bad for not spotting this earlier. But, like Soren, I do have a tendency to believe what I’m told, especially when everyone is saying the same thing. And this may not be canon, ever, but that’s okay. I see Soren in a new light now, and I know that light. (Gods, S3 is really gonna wreck me now)

He doesn’t get sarcasm. He takes Rayla’s “obviously” sarcastic comment at face value. He’s also not good with metaphor, taking a long time to grasp “butter them up.” Once he’s figured out what he should do--lie about the king--he does a very bad job of it because the emotions he needs to embrace to sell the lie aren’t familiar to him.

He’s very good with rules. A father who needed a son who was rooted in the narrative of strength could easily have trained an autistic child to bind himself within those rules form a young age. It’ll be very hard for Soren to question rules that he consciously chose to follow himself.

He doesn’t understand the shifting of loyalties. First he’s a loyal Crownguard, and then he’s supposed to detain Callum because his dad asked him to? Soren’s genuinely confused.

He still chooses to protect Callum when the assassins attack, even shoving him to safety from Runaan’s arrow, because those old rules of loyalty to the royal family haven’t been shifted.

He’s also slow to react to the arrow striking him. He takes precious reaction time to study it closely. He’s probably never seen a Moonshadow assassin’s arrow before. It telescopes in three places. It’s green. It probably smells faintly of poison. Soren’s possibly also never been shot before. All these physical details are hitting him at once, all with equal force, and it takes him a moment to sort through them, process them, and remember that the arrow means the assassins have arrived.

He spends time and effort trying to speak others’ languages, but he doesn’t always get it right. He knows Claudia’s nose trick but he can’t perfectly replicate it. He misinterprets Rayla’s angry intent as personal interest. He really tries to connect with his dad by offering his “see-saw” comment (which is actually right on the money as far as the show’s themes are concerned). 

He’s oddly focused on the difference between a prince and a “step-prince.” Not in a mean way, though. He thinks it means he’s paying attention to small details, which people often like. Not particularly in this case, though.

He really does just want to fit in. He does whatever Viren says because he wants to be accepted, not just as Viren’s son but as a not-weird, not-useless person.

Claudia’s the one who makes the jokes. He happily lets her lead on the mission to Mount Kaelik and has no ego attached to being in charge of her.

He’s really awkward with his brotherly feels when he calls her “weep-ridden” and offers to help by punching Callum. Autistics can struggle with language, especially in unfamiliar emotional territory and under stress.

He hyperfocuses on being a Crownguard, though, which is why he’s so good at it, and why he’s in charge. He does nothing but train. He loves being a Crownguard. He knows that role inside and out. He knows when to order men into position, and he knows when to shut up and hand the king his sword.

He insists that sweeping the leg is not a thing, though, because it’s outside his training. None of the Crownguard instructors taught him that, and so it is outside the rules. 

When he votes that Corvus is a traitor and gets Claudia to vote with him, he’s reinforcing the rules that he learned. The black-and-white shield on his armor isn’t just an indicator that he’s straddling the line between good and evil and will one day have to make a choice. It’s showing the way Soren sees the world: everything is either inside the rules, or outside them. Soren doesn’t see gray areas. But he might learn to very soon.

He’s cheerily cold-blooded about lopping Runaan’s head off and trying to kill Rayla because empathy is a strange animal for autistic folks. Sometimes it’s really high, and sometimes it’s nonexistent, even within the same person. Between a low empathy for elves and his Crownguard training, Soren legitimately doesn’t see any problem with killing them, even at the age of 18.

He knows the rules on how to deal with dragons: you fight them. And he gets a whole town torched. He was entirely unprepared. But his ego wasn’t in this fight. He freed Corvus because he understands that a Crownguard’s job is to protect Katolis, and that includes the townsfolk. And he admitted his mistake to Claudia because filters are hard under stress, and the truth just pops out like that.

When he’s paralyzed, Soren has no ego attached to remaining a Crownguard, either. His hyperfocus has broken. He was growing increasingly stressed by his dad’s secret mission. And he immediately seeks a new hyperfocus: poetry. He gives it a shot, and he’s terrible at it. He hasn’t actually internalized any poetry rules yet. He’d become a good poet pretty quickly, if he had the chance. But Claudia came to heal him instead.

As S2 ends and the siblings head home together, Soren has no plan anymore. He has no rules for what’s gonna happen, and he can’t anticipate Viren’s reaction but he expects it’ll be bad. He asks Claudia for help in understanding what his parameters should be, because that’s a long trip home, and that’s a lot of time spent worrying over scenarios that he has to consider because he can’t narrow it down--every possibility is a legitimate possibility to him.

[unfinished tdp meta]

[yourbuerokrat2]

AU where Aaravos and Mage Fam (Claudia, Sir Sparklepuff, Terry and Viren) have a weird, toxic but strangely functional and if one were to leave out a few aspects of it almost 'wholesome' found and biological family dynamic after Aaravos is free and decides to keep them around.

Claudia is the happiest with this arrangement. 'Humanitys benefactor' is free, she has a cute homonculus half-brother, Terry and her are together and her father is alive and well. Even if Viren seems to be (momentarily as Aaravos insists) talking nonsense about how dark magic and Aaravos are bad for her.

Terry is not really sure what exactly is going on here, but Claudia keeps telling him how everything is perfect now. Claudia is happy, Viren is.. doing fine and Sparklepuff seems to be happy as well. He is not sure he likes this Aaravos guy but so far he has been nothing but helpful and beneficial. Besides, he has never felt so utterly accepted for who and what he is in his life.

Aaravos blames his admittedly long (not all that long if you consider how old he is then again if one were to look a human up with no outside connection or communication or stimulus he is sure to them a week would seem endless) time in isolation for the almost sentimental mood. He has had quite a few relations with quite a few people, especially humans, during his life time but never anything resembling what could be callled a 'family'. It could certainly provide to be a welcome distraction (and source of comfort after the years of loneliness but he would be damned again before honestly admitting that) and the apparent family of doing 'whatever it takes no matter how dangerous, no matter how vile' is not only something useful but also something that fits his own philosophy quite well. Besides, he has taken a liking to Virens reaction each time the.. relation between the two of them have been brought up.

Although Aaravos view on family would to anyone else be seen as more than a bit off and alarming considering how willing he was to have a being made partly with his own blood be sacrificed for a higher purpose.

Viren is the only one to openly see and understand how messed up their situation has become but no one really seems to understand. And each time he tries to do anything about it, Aaravos always comes up with a smile on his face. And now that the Elf is free things between the two of them have become even more.. complicated. Viren has no power in this dynamic and he knows it.

Sir Sparklepuff, blissfully ignorant of one of his 'fathers' being willing to sacrifice him at the turn of a hand, is just happy to be part of this. Claudia likes, him, Terry likes him, Viren likes him and Aaravos is amused by his very existence.

And all Viren can do as his daughter happily talks with Aaravos about what could end up being the end of Xadia as they knew it ('Oh, don't be so bleak about it, Viren. Don't you remember about how we used to talk about this and how you yourself called it 'a bright future for humanity'?' 'Yes, Dad, isn't this exactly what you always wanted?') with an Elf he knew he should keep at more of a distance than he was currently letting him (That sounds so great, Step-Dad. Oh, I am sorry. Can I call you step-dad' And Aaravos, that bastard, had just turned around, smiled at Viren in a way that made Viren like all of this was just some kind of game for Aaravos 'Sure, why not?')

[evilestgentleman]

Round 1.7

Walt Propaganda

he lured a guy to his Giant Monster Teammate and said "i brought you a midnight snack" and just sat back and ate an apple while watching the guy get eaten. like he actually does get redeemed later but i think "happily watching a guy get eaten alive" still counts as evil. but at the same time he's like... got a nice suit (at least in human form) and a posh accent and he's very neat and tidy and calculating compared to the other members of the Evil Squad. the other villains are brutish and messy, but Strickler does everything with patience and finesse. ALSO he's like, pretty nice to the hero, all things considered. helps him out after school, checks in on his mental/emotional wellbeing, etc. overall just simultaneously a really nice caring guy and a sadistic manipulative freak. literally the best character in the series im so mad he was barely in it after season 1

Viren Propaganda

First of all his whole vibe is a constant "I'm smarter than you and I know it, and there's nothing you can do about it." Just OOZES smarminess and the worst part is that it's actually???? Deserved?!?!??! He is genuinely charming and well liked and you just HATE THAT about him. Anyways regarding his actual crimes: stole a dragons egg (and considering dragons are sentient creatures with their own cultures and cities and can communicate with others with no problems he basically just STOLE A BABY), claimed it was a weapon of mass destruction so he could run experiments on it, and got away with it because no one knows enough about magic to prove him wrong. Tried to take over the throne after the king (whom he considered a brother) by saying the princes were dead (they were not). Told his kids (who are good kids and were really good friends with the princes) separately to kill the princes. And then gaslit them into thinking that he didn't say that when the kids actually talked to each other cause they thought it was weird. He also very clearly favors his magic using kid and dismisses his Crown Guard kid and it makes me so mad because they are siblings who would do anything for each other (as proven in the show) and he just keeps pitting them against each other. Tried to convince the neighboring kingdoms to start a race war. When a 12 yr old told him that was stupid and she wasn't doing it, causing the others to follow her lead, he sent assassins to all of them and framed the elves and ACTUALLY started a race war. Also canonically supports Trans rights but tells people to "stop crying and get over it" when they're upset they committed a murder. He's done a lot more war crimes and nature crimes (but i figured the first 2 seasons covered enough), has been called a dilf, is divorced, has died and been brought back to life, and might be a little gay though there's no canon proof yet. 

[j-graysonlibrary]

The Xiang Chronicles: Book Two Chapter 25

Title: The Xiang Chronicles: Book Two

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 98k

Genres: Fantasy, adventure, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website

Synopsis: With another Xiang in the mix, for the first time in history, Pangu decides to reevaluate his methods and his place in the world. Along with taking his little sister Heidi as his last disciple, he also chooses to take the more political path in his efforts to end the discord throughout the land—particularly within Terra. (And gaining favor from the handsome Lord of Ultimos does not hurt.)

Heidi butts heads with everyone in the group, save Raine, and tensions are higher than ever. There are failed love confessions, in-group fighting, and demons from Kira’s past but that all comes to a head when they meet a servant of Shakti who is more than what she seems.

Could it be that the Mistresses of Shadow are more nuanced than previously believed? Or that the strict dichotomy between light and dark are, perhaps, a touch exaggerated? That and more begin to plague Pangu’s mind and his faith wavers…

Full chapter 25 under the cut

Chapter XXV:

As the sun crept up, breaching the tips of the trees and warming the air, the horses started to slow. For once, it was not the group—sleep deprived or hung over—that was dragging their feet but, rather, their mounts. They had noticed ever since retrieving them from the stables before dawn. While sluggish, the horses still kicked up to a decent trot but now they all begged for a break before plan.

There was no reasoning with the animals. If they were tired, they were tired and they would not continue for even a few more minutes.

So, at the first decent clearing along the path, Pangu and his disciples stopped and let the horses relax. The break was unplanned and too early but they would have to make the most of it as well.

Raine was rather chipper and suggested a sparring match to which Baiya happily complied. Heidi joined them as well but Kira actually passed on the offer. He branched off from the group and joined Pangu instead who was sitting on the ground, beside his horse, pouring over the map.

“What are you doing?” Kira asked and squatted down next to him.

“Looking for any shorter paths,” the Xiang answered without looking up.

With a hum from the back of his throat, Kira nodded. “I see you are eager to get back to Ultimos.”

“Of course. Viren could be in serious trouble.” Pangu sighed when he realized that they were on the shortest, fastest path already. Any shorter routes there would take them through uncharted mountains or into ravines. There really was no other way. “It is useless, however.”

Kira watched him fold up the map with a huff. There was a lot more weighing on his mind outside of Viren’s letter and he was sure he did not plan to speak of those issues to anyone. But Kira knew what keeping things inside could do to a person so, even if the Xiang would reject the help, he had to try.

“Have you spoken to Baiya since the night at the woodland inn?” He opened with as he shot a glance over at the other disciples. They were embroiled in their training so there was no chance of them overhearing.

Pangu hung his head and sighed. “No. He surely does not want to talk to me again if he does not have to.”

“That is not true.”

Their eyes met. “How do you know?”

Kira smirked. “I know that bastard. Better than I’d like. Just because you told him you cannot reciprocate his feelings does not mean that those feelings of his disappeared. They were not so conditional, Pangu.”

“Well my feelings are conditional,” he said without really meaning to.

The Terran disciple raised an eyebrow. “And by that you mean…?”

Pangu shook his head. “Nothing. I cannot say, at least.”

“You think I would tell?” Kira scoffed at the idea.

“No.” he kept shaking his head. “There are other eyes and ears than ours. I feel them on me all the time.” When Kira gave him a worried look, he clarified, “The spirits.”

“…Is that why you told Baiya you did not love him?” The pieces began to fall into place and Kira felt a knot form in his stomach. He was not so sensitive to the eyes of the spirits but, now that they were speaking of it, he did feel a looming gaze from behind them.

“I cannot say,” Pangu responded which sounded a lot like a ‘yes’ to him.

Kira frowned. “Well...I certainly wish they could give us a little privacy now and then.”

It was not especially funny but Pangu still chuckled. “They must watch me and grade my performance. Already, I am sure I will have another scolding from at least one of them soon, if not my mentors themselves. I am sure, even if Sha-Parvati blocked their eyes at the village, we have spoken of the event enough to tip them off about it. They would have figured out the missing parts anyway. This and what they already know of my mind will surely have consequences.”

His words were so fatal and Kira found himself worrying as well. What sort of punishment would the spirits and Tiandi dish out? Another scolding, only harsher? Or the removal of Pangu’s powers? Was that even possible?

“Should we all have reason to worry?” Kira decided to ask, both to get a handle on the situation and to genuinely know—would this affect all of them or just the Xiang? Of course, he was still just as worried if it only affected Pangu and he would do what he could to assist but understanding the scope would, hopefully, help him be ready for it.

Pangu shook his head. “I should be able to absolve you all. At least Raine and Heidi…sorry.”

“No. That makes sense.” Kira snickered. “I already know I am not on good terms with the heavenly folk. And there is no shortage of reasons for Baiya to be on their shit list as well.”

“I just wish there was a way to appease them without blindly following whatever they say.” Pangu looked up to the sky and sighed. “I can no longer accept their words without questioning them.”

“Surely that pisses them off more.” His second disciple rested his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “But you have to think for yourself and make your own choices. Otherwise you are just a fancy puppet.”

That was what Pangu was worried about. That the Xiang, every one of them before him, was just a puppet and that those who had chosen to live for themselves, in any capacity, had met a terrible end. Really, even if they had gone along with Tiandi’s every word, they had died too early anyway.

It was difficult to remember the times when he, himself, was eager to die for the cause—to go down in history as a great Xiang and die before he reached thirty.

“Hey,” Kira spoke suddenly and lightly slapped his arm, “Raine told me a joke last night. Wanna hear it?”

The sudden shift made Pangu laugh. He had also been the one to suggest a joke to Raine so he was fairly curious as to what the man had managed to come up with. “Sure.”

Kira stood and helped Pangu up as well as he repeated the set up, “How do you tell if someone is hungry or horny?”

Pangu nearly choked. “Raine told this?!”

His disciple cackled. “I know, right?”

Really, the joke did not even need a punch line when that was the start, coming from Raine’s mouth. Just imagining it was enough.

***

There was only one major stop before they were coming upon Ultimos again. It had been over a month since they had left but it definitely felt longer, especially when they approached the city walls.

Smoke rose into the air and the sounds of screams came from all directions. The area outside was already, clearly, in disarray with wooden barricades, crudely crafted, to block out any incoming traffic. The blockade forced the Xiang and his disciples to dismount before making it to the stables and continue on foot.

Pangu could move all of the barricades away with air but his horse was too stressed about the mess and the loud sounds to continue. Even if he could have, technically, pushed on through, he decided to spare his steed. Plus, if things were as volatile inside as they seemed, he did not want to risk his horse being hurt.

Everyone took out their weapons as they charged on to the entrance, shoving away all obstacles until they came across a line of archers—both outside and on the perimeter wall.

“Halt!” One of them barked, “No one comes in and no one leaves until we have the city secured.”

“My friend,” Raine said as he stepped forward, “We are honored guests of Huan Viren Ai—whatever issue is happening inside of these walls, we wish to help.”

The soldiers exchanged glances but none dropped their bows. “He is with him,” one of them muttered while another said, “Traitors.”

Pangu’s heartbeat spiked and he sent out a wall of air, pushing those on the outside up against the wall and those on top of the wall down into the rock. He kept them in place as they rushed past, entering the city with ease. As they came in, he released his hold but not without tossing them all forward—sending the soldiers from the top of the wall out and onto their comrades down below. It was quite a fall but they had cushioning.

Inside, the usual lively atmosphere of Ultimos was completely gone and the market side stalls and friendly vendors were either absent or in ruin. A few areas were caught up in flames and Pangu spotted a merchant, dead behind his cart.

“What is happening?” Heidi asked as she whipped around, trying to take it all in.

“They believed we were traitors,” Baiya recalled with a frown, “Either Viren has implemented a plan that backfired or some of his people turned on him.”

“Seems like there was more than just his shitty uncle plotting against him,” Kira said.

It was worse than Pangu could have predicted and his stomach twisted into knots but he could not be slowed down by it. “Come on, we need to hurry to the palace.”

The task was far easier said than done and it already did not sound all that easy. To begin with, the distance from the main entrance of the city to the palace was a half day’s trip on foot and, on top of that, there was no telling how many soldiers were between them and their target.

Every street was filled with enemies but a glimmer of hope found them as well. Other soldiers, ones wearing almost indistinguishable armor from the attackers, were fighting back. “Traitor!” They both shouted at each other as they went to blows.

The sight became more common the further they penetrated the city and, alongside them, some of the civilians had taken up weapons and joined in.

“For Lord Viren!” An elderly woman yelled before dropping down from her balcony and landing on a soldier. She wrapped her arm around his neck and, despite the clear disadvantage she had, she still took him to the ground.

Pangu ran over to her, both worried about her health and impressed by her dedication. “Ma’am, that was incredible.”

“Oh, it is nothing. I used to be a fierce soldier in my day.” She raised her head with a smirk and took his hand to get back on her feet. Her eyebrows rose as she looked at him, however, “Hey…are you the Xiang?”

“Why would you think that?” Pangu asked, nervous by her sudden change in expression.

Her eyes flickered to Raine. “You have a Kyrie soldier with you and that lady over there is blowing people away with the wind.”

Those were pretty damning observations. “Yes. I am on my way to Viren.”

A huge smile broke out across the woman’s face and she gripped his hand even tighter. “You really did come…” She practically bounced as she shouted, “Everyone! The Xiang is here!”

It was a little more attention than Pangu wanted but, rather than drawing more enemies to them, it did something else. A few more arrows started to fly their way, sure, but the soldiers on Viren’s side started to fight with more fire behind their swings and they created a path forward.

“Hurry, Xiang!” One of them shouted as he held off attacks from three different soldiers.

Heidi pushed one back as they passed and Baiya set another on fire while Kira sucked the last one’s foot into the pavement.

They ran, helping out where they could, but otherwise not stopping—it was clear they could not afford to. Screaming and crying echoed all around them and blood filled their peripherals but they could not waste any more time.

The help started to thin the closer they came to the palace and their run slowed into a jog and then they stopped altogether. A troop of archers was perched at the entrance, taking down anyone who tried to sneak in. Bodies from allied soldiers laid on the ground, shot full of arrows and piled on top of each other. One had even attempted to climb the wall by the looks of him and was shot as he was halfway over.

It was an abysmal sight but they had nothing to fear. Pangu shot up a barrier as the first volley was given and the arrows bounced off of the pall and clattered to the ground around them.

“Kira, throw a knife. Heidi, take care of the rest,” he instructed.

Kira tossed a small throwing knife and it landed in the neck of one of the archers. He did not need to follow the attack up with any more knives since Heidi took it from the body and whipped it about the air, cutting and slashing until none were left to shoot at them. About twenty bodies slumped and fell from their perches, clearing the way into the final courtyard.

But, of course, the space was soon filled by foot soldiers who charged them with their weapons drawn. Pangu had no patience to fight them one by one so he took in a deep breath and stretched his hands out, pushing along a vicious current of wind.

The soldiers’ feet kicked as they were lifted into the air. Some attempted to fling their weapons but Heidi took care of that and sent them in the opposite direction. Once they were far enough to the side, Pangu set them down and Kira stepped forward, stomping his foot down and creating a crack in the foundation. It grew in size until it was entirely impossible to jump from one side to the other.

Still, Pangu collected the spare wooden barricades from around the courtyard and swept them over with a gust of wind, blocking the edge of the ravine closest to him. Baiya snapped his fingers and they all lit up.

Raine watched the series of events, realizing there was not much he could do to help with his element. “Well, looks like you all have this covered.”

Kira and Baiya snickered but nothing else was said until Pangu started to run toward the palace.

“Let’s go,” he kept it short and simple.

[am-i-space]

Picnic with adoraburrs 🍓

A short story about some dragon prince fluff  based on an idea of @official-weasley and me (bare with the punctuation I don't know how that works in English xD)

It was a warm sunny day in Xadia, so Rayla and the princes decided that having a picnic would be the perfect way to spend the day. They were quick to convince Runaan and Ethari to join them since neither of them could say no to their daughter nor deny that they themselves would love to enjoy this beautiful day out in the forest with their friends. While Rayla and Callum helped Ethari prepare the food they wanted to take with them, Ez and Zym went to find Amaya and Gren to convince them to join their picnic, prepared to play the “i'm the king” card if necessary. 

Amaya would still be tired after only returning to the moonshadow village during the night after spending a few days with her girlfriend Janai but she always had a hard time saying no to her nephews especially with what they both went through the past few months bringing Zym back to his mother.

An hour later the food was prepared and Runaan just finished packing it, Ez finally convinced Bait to jump into his backpack for the walk and Gren gently forced Amaya out of bed and into fresh clothes. They all met at the edge of the forest ready to leave the village for their little adventure.

Zym and Ez were the first to run into the forest, chasing after a brightly coloured bird that seemed to be playing with Zym moving gracefully through the branches of the old trees while Zym, still not used to flying, used the branches of younger trees and big mushrooms to jump and glide to follow the bird. Ezran ran along on the ground, his eyes focused on his scaly friend, shouting encouraging words mixed with laughter up into the sky. 

Rayla grabbed Callums hand and pulled him into the forest running after Ez, shouting something about how she had to show them where to go if they wanted to see her favourite meadow. 

The adults followed them at a relaxed pace, all smiling softly seeing the children finally being just children, able to enjoy some time with their families.

They passed mushrooms as tall as themselves, beautiful flowers, moss and tiny mushrooms in all shapes and colours, even some purple flowers that played music and swayed like they were dancing. The sunlight creeping through the dense treetops and small glowing seeds floating through the air made everything look even more magical.

Despite having spent some time in Xadia by now, Gren and Amaya couldn't help but stare at their surroundings in awe, a big smile plastered on Grens face as he inspected all the new plants and animals they came across. And even Amaya couldn't help but relax and enjoy the peaceful walk while admiring the beautiful xadian nature surrounding them. 

Runaan and Ethari were walking hand in hand showing their new human friends the way, since the children were out of their sight, only hearing the occasional excited shout from one of the boys or Zym squealing happily about something new they discovered. 

After about a 30 minute walk they reached a meadow where Runaan and Ethari used to take Rayla as a kid quite often. 

It was a beautiful hidden opening between the giant roots of the old trees surrounding them covered in tall, soft looking grass, with the sun shining through the gap in the leaves above them, illuminating the meadow in a beautiful golden light. 

The kids were already there playing in the grass laughing, many tiny blobs of what seemed like different coloured fur balls hanging on their clothing, in their hair even on their faces. Small squeaks and chirps coming from their direction and Grens face lit up in a curious delight. 

He quickly made his way through the tall grass towards the children, extending his hands, letting them glide over the soft grass until he felt a small weight pulling his long sleeve down and putting just the smallest amount of pressure around his wrist. When he looked down he saw a brightly purple coloured ball of fur sticking to him, that after closer inspection suddenly opened two curious little eyes.

Gren squealed in delight when he saw the adorable little creature and softly pried it off his sleeve and held it in his hands with the utmost care. He looked up when he felt a presence next to him and saw Ethari looking at him with a slightly amused expression in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips. 

Runaan couldn't suppress a smile, silently shaking his head at how excited both humans stared at the tiny creature as Ethari explained to them that it was an adoraburr and that there are hundreds of them living on this meadow.

Their little moment of wonder was interrupted by a happy Zym jumping around them with at least 30 of the small colourful animals stuck in his mane and on his scales, happily squealing while Zym was bouncing around.

They turned and walked towards the children to lay out their picnic when Gren overtook them, excitedly running past them which earned him a chuckle from the other adults. 

They couldn't blame him, he was barely an adult and Amaya smiled fondly at him, happy to see her closest friend carefree and enjoying life after what he had to endure during the war.

When they arrived in the middle of the meadow next to the children, Gren already started building his own fortress out of the stackable, sticky furballs, grinning happily. Ez was providing him with more adoraburrs he was picking off of Zym, who was more than happy to run through the high grass to collect more.

Callum and Rayla were throwing the adoraburrs at each other counting points of how many sticked to the other, Rayla had a few sticking to her shirt and hair while Callum was nearly entirely covered in the colourful animals. 

Runaan and Amaya who were carrying their backpacks were setting them down and Amaya pulled a soft looking, blue blanket out of hers. While Ethari helped her spread out the blanket, Runaan already pulled out some pillows he then placed on it. 

Rayla´s attention was immediately pulled from her fight with Callum when she saw Ethari unpack Moonberry surprise, her favourite dessert.  She ran over to join the adults, who were all already sitting on the blanket. With Rayla and Callum´s screaming stopping Gren, Ez and Zym also looked up from building their colourful, living fortress, which already looked pretty impressive. 

They all got up and walked over to the others to squeeze onto the blanket which turned out to be a bit too small for all of them to sit on and have the food laid out in the middle, which meant they had to slightly cuddle up but none of them seemed to be bothered. They all enjoyed being close to their loved ones and their new friends and were content with being able to enjoy such a peaceful, happy moment after they had to fight for such a long time.

They shared stories about their lives outside the war with their new friends, telling stories about how they grew up, how they met each other and funny little anecdotes about things that happened to them. 

Ezran excitedly retold one of his countless heists into the royal bakery to steal jelly tarts for him and Bait, while Gren and Rayla were stuffing their faces with delicious, sweet strawberries. After Amaya told a story about her and her sister taking Callum on his first ride out, Runaan who up until now was mostly listening and letting Ethari and Rayla talk for him spoke up. He started telling a story about his imprisonment by Viren and what an amazing entertainer Gren was. He went into great detail about how Gren kept trying to make conversation and was rambling on about everything that came into his head for hours on end, until he got bored and started singing to pass the time.

When Runaan even tried to imitate his singing Gren buried his, now bright red face in his hands hearing everybody laugh about Runaans´ retelling but he couldn't hold back a small smile himself. He wasn't able to hide his embarrassment for long though because Amaya decided to pull his hands from his face and hold a crimson red strawberry next to it and point from his face to the berry and back. The action made Gren blush even harder and by now his freckles looked light in comparison to the rest of his skin, like the seeds of the strawberry next to his cheek, which after Rayla pointed it out to him put a smile on his lips and he couldn't keep himself from joining the others´ laughing anymore. 

Zym who noticed the sudden change in demeanor tried to join their excitement and started to run from one person to the next wiggling his tail like a dog and nearly knocking over their drinks while Bait seemed to be more interested in the food Zym pushed into his direction when he got up. 

After everybody calmed down and Callum held Zym secure in his arms to protect the rest of their food they all fell into their own little conversations.

With Gren translating, Amaya and Runaan, both excellent fighters, talked about the differences in their training and how that influenced their fighting style. 

Ethari, Ez and Rayla had a quite serious discussion about what was better, jelly tarts or moonberry surprise while Callum was watching, throwing adoraburrs at Zym who was trying to catch them in his mane. 

Hours passed and they were now all lying next to each other on the meadow looking up into the treetops around them. Gren and Ezran had built new fortresses since their old one walked away while they were eating and this time there were small hills of the tiny creatures left, still stacked on top of each other but now cuddled up closer together and peacefully sleeping. 

The darker it got the more colourful the forest became. Different types of moss, flowers, mushrooms and even some animals started to glow in the most beautiful bright colours. 

They saw some glowing blue birds flying through the dark forest and even a few three tailed squirrel-like creatures with vivid blue spots in their fur.  Bait was hungrily eyeing a glowing moth that was flying above them just outside his reach, while Zym was napping on Grens' chest.

When it started to get cold they decided to pack up their things and leave for the moonshadow village. With Runaan leading them they made their way back into the forest, the way back looked nearly unrecognisable, at least to the humans, with how much the colours of the forest changed. They passed flowers and bushes they didn't notice on their way to the meadow that were standing out now due to their glowing leaves and flower petals. The elves were watching their human friends with amused smiles on their faces as they were watching them look around with big eyes, taking in the beauty of the forest at dawn. 

Zym was sitting on Amayas shoulders, looking like he was going to fall asleep any moment now and Ezran was stumbling next to them, Amayas hand on his shoulder as he wasn't really paying attention where he was going anymore, too tired and too busy looking up to the moths that were following them. 

Rayla and Callum were holding hands, staying mostly silent enjoying the quiet way back, from time to time one of them pointed something out in the forest. Callum knew he soon needed to come back here to draw all those amazing plants and animals he saw that day, that he didn't even know existed a few weeks prior.

When they reached the village the sun was almost gone and they decided to retreat to their houses and slowly get ready for bed. While Rayla and Callum stayed in Runaan and Etharis' home, Ez settled for staying with Amaya and Gren in Raylas parents' old house.

All of them went to bed with a small smile still painted on their lips, thinking they definitely have to do this again, thankful that they had the opportunity to do this and the kids' idea that started this beautiful day. Zym, who was lying in between Ez and Bait moved in his sleep, twitching as if he was still running around the meadow with his friends and Bait looked so content that he was surely dreaming of the beautiful moths they saw in the forest. 

(this was the second time I seriously sat down and tried to write something so please let me know what you think!)

[foolsiwillshowthemall]

Rayla doesn’t do slow burn.

Random thoughts on Rayllum, heavy with TDP Season 3 spoilers, following.

Rayllum has been the most likely endgame ship among the main characters for a while, which is ironic considering that it wasn’t even planned from the start of the series.  The writers just realized midway through Season 2 that the chemistry between the two of them worked out really well.  For me, it clicked when Callum was reading the letter from his father, who advised Callum to seek a narrative of love instead of power.  It’s not clear if this line was written before or after the writers decided that Rayllum would be a thing, but it does fit perfectly with the love of a human prince and an elven assassin/Dragonguard helping bring peace to the two sides.

However, while I was expecting them to get together, I was expecting it to happen a lot more slowly than it did.  Usually in these kinds of shows, they’ll string along the will-they-or-won’t-they dance for as long as possible to build tension, and only resolve it in a season or series finale.  We were all expecting a slow burn situation.  But in a brilliant bit of character-driven storytelling, just as the existence of the relationship was driven by the chemistry between them, the pace of the relationship was also decided by the characters.

Because Rayla is just not a slow-burn kind of person.

Callum could do a slow burn, easily.  At the start of the show, it’s implied that he’s been pining over Claudia for some time.  Years, maybe.  He just doesn’t have the confidence or any idea on how to progress that relationship.  In an alternate universe where the Moonshadow elves never attack, he and Claudia could spend years dancing around each other before finally ending up together.  He’d probably also end up apprenticing to Viren to become a dark mage in that alternate universe, so it’s just as well that didn’t happen.

But Rayla isn’t the kind of person to do a slow burn relationship.  Rayla makes sudden, life-changing, emotionally driven decisions.  Deciding to not kill Marcus after he discovered the assassin team, or deciding to take the Egg to Xadia along with the human princes, or to go and save the downed red dragon from Soren and Claudia.  And when she makes these decisions, she acts on them, immediately and decisively.  So once she realized that she’s in love with Callum, she’s not going to sit around pining for him or wondering if he feels the same.  She’s going to immediately start courting him, Moonshadow elf style.

Admittedly, we have no idea what Moonshadow elf courtship looks like.  But we do know that they keep their feelings secret, they’re not supposed to admit to fear or apparently anything else openly.  So Rayla’s not going to be ready to openly declare her love just yet.  But a lot of her behavior in the first few episodes of Season 3 makes more sense when interpreted as attempted courtship.

Episode 1:  Sol Regem.  When all else fails, Rayla makes a heartfelt speech praising Callum’s virtues to try and convince Sol Regem to let hum accompany her and Zym into Xadia.  It’s totally wasted on Sol Regem, but really we know this speech was meant for Callum.  It’s Rayla’s way of letting Callum know how much she likes him, without actually admitting anything.  

I suspect that praising someone you like to a third party, where they can overhear, is a common courtship method among Moonshadow elves, as it lets them know you like them without you having to admit any feelings of your own.  “I don’t admit to personally having feelings for them, I’m just stating how amazing they are as a fact” is a distinctly Moonshadow-ish behavior, and something that both Rayla and Callum have done for each other.

Also, she keeps his scarf, although unfortunately not past the end of the episode.  This comes after they’ve established how strongly it smells of him, because apparently Rayla likes the way he smells.

Episode 2: The Crown.  Moonshadow elves are all about concealment and secrecy, so showing somebody a secret place where you played alone as a child is an incredibly intimate and personal step.  Rayla might as well have stripped naked in front of him for all that she’s laying her life bare.  Fortunately, Callum has responded positively to her courtship so far, although at this point he doesn’t realize that this is what she’s doing.  As incredibly empathic and perceptive as Callum is, he’s fairly clueless at figuring out matters of romance, and has no idea that Rayla likes him that way yet.

Episode 3: Ghost.  Courtship is going well, so Rayla takes the next step of introducing Callum to her one remaining parental figure and showing him where she grew up.  Unfortunately, things don’t go well, as she’s been magically banished and is reminded of how she’s disappointed everyone and was more or less responsible for all of the other members of the team being killed or sealed in coins.  Callum tries to comfort her, and we might even have proceeded to the scene we do eventually get in the next episode, but Ethari interrupts them and gives them the means to start seriously traveling onwards again.

Episode 4: The Midnight Desert.  Enter Nyx.  Nyx is a conman (Con-woman?  Con-elf?) who is skilled at reading people.  She figures out pretty quickly what’s going on with these two, which is why she makes that teasing comment about whether they need one blanked or two.  She’s also smart enough to realize that Callum and Rayla will, given the chance, provide enough distraction to each other for her to slip away with Zym.

It’s in this episode that we get the continuation of the emotional moment interrupted by Ethari.  Rayla is wallowing in self-loathing, but Callum comes along and starts praising her virtues.  At last, Rayla thinks, the big dumb human has caught on and is reciprocating my courtship.  So she kisses him. 

Unfortunately, Callum wasn’t actually trying to court her, at least not consciously, so things get all awkward and stuff.  Poor Rayla is very confused, as what seemed to be fairly clear signals weren’t what she thought they were.  It turns out that Callum does actually like her like that, he just didn’t even realize that it was an option so far, and they probably would have resolved things with a little more talking, but Zym’s been abducted and they have to put the courtship on hold to deal with that.

Ironically, if Callum hadn’t backed down and had been kissing her back right away, Nyx would probably have gotten away freely.  Emotional awkwardness saves the day.

Episode 5: Heroes and Masterminds.  Zym has been rescued, Nyx has been defeated and then also rescued, and Callum get the opportunity to praise Rayla to someone else in front of here.  You can see the surprise and hope on her face as she’s trying to figure out the meaning of this gesture, not wanting to mis-interpret his intentions again.  You can also see that Nyx figures out pretty quickly that this speech isn’t for her benefit, as she turns and walks away halfway through it.  Rayla still isn’t sure what Callum’s intentions are, but he makes them more clear when he kisses her.

He then gets flustered and tries to back down again, but Rayla knows what the deal is.  If she wants the relationship to proceed, she has to take the initiative.  Fortunately, she’s more than capable of doing so, and Callum is willing to let her.

So where do things go now?  At the moment, we don’t know if there even will be a Season 4.  Netflix likes to cancel shows after 2 or 3 seasons, and the internal drama among the creative team at Wonderstorm still might tear the company apart.  Personally, I’d be satisfied with the story as it is if it ended here, since the third season wrapped up the initial plot very nicely, but I’ll also happily watch season 4 and any more that they make.

It’s rumored that there will be a timeskip before the next season, and if so then presumably the relationship between Rayla and Callum will only develop further during that time.  Although she won’t be able to actually show him around the Silvergrove until the banishment is lifted, and it will probably be a while before they can free her parents from the coins they’re probably trapped within.  I think that I speak for many in the fandom in hoping that the writers don’t split Callum and Rayla up for cheap drama, since they’ve been pretty good about not doing that kind of thing so far, and since Rayllum wasn’t even planned for part of the story initially it’s probably not going to be a major driver of the plot.  Which is actually kind of a relief, if they can just be a stable couple together while the rest of the plot is going on around them.  There’s enough drama happening in the world of TDP as a whole, they can just be the rock that keep each other stable and safe.

It’s also been really amusing seeing the fanfiction sites react to season 3.  So many slow burn stories that are now just completely AU compared to how quickly things went in the canon story.

[oliveofthenight]

Now that I’m back on my Aaravos bs again (I’ve looked literally everywhere for an escape but there is none. I’m more trapped than he is in that mirror I swear-) and I also do so very much adore my crossovers, now I’m thinking of an ATLA crossover.

Aaravos is the avatar.

Literally no one likes him.

As the avatar it’s his job to bring peace, and that’s a job that he takes incredibly seriously. In fact he’s already seen the path and though this path requires great change, he believes he can get everyone there.

But alas, this path requires the change of everyone’s mindset and wouldn’t you know, people are rather stubborn to think they’re mindset is the correct one. So whenever Aaravos goes to work with political leaders, he gets pretty much kicked out the next day. Not one of them is willing to work with him and his ideals. He was patient at first, realizing it may have been a bit brash to bring this on so suddenly, they need time to adjust to his plan, let it sink in. They’ll see he’s right. But then a decade and a half passes, they haven’t budged on their stance even a little. More years pass and this still remains true. Aaravos has lost his patience. He’s trying to help people, better their lives, but these simplistic fools are too arrogant to see past their own egoes! He’s the avatar, it’s his job to fix things, why can’t everyone see that and just work with him?! He can only fix so much on his own, which he’s still trying to do, but he can’t get the world on the desired path to peace if he doesn’t have the help of world leaders.

His past lives urge him to keep his patience, but he can’t anymore. Aaravos becomes a force to be reckoned with, using the elements as well as his own mind tactics to bend these leaders to his will. They need correcting, and he will correct them, they’ve had their time to act like children. And it works for a time, he’s making progress, until a more central power comes to light: Avizandum, what most call the Great Uniter (let’s ignore I took that straight from LOK shall we?)

He’s more manipulative than even Aaravos, his tactics far dirtier as well. And yet people don’t see it, only how much he’s helped people. It’s pretty much Avizandum’s plan to unite all and be the ultimate leader the one to control all, Aaravos threatens that, so he singlehandedly turns our dear avatar into the world’s number one public enemy. Any few allies he made vanish, all turn against him. In less than five years he’s been apprehended, locked away in a metal box (we’ll say metalbending hasn’t been a thing just yet), all tied up and unable to use his arms or legs. Even his mouth has been gagged. No one comes to free him, Aaravos dies like a caged animal. He failed and he has never been more angry in his life. The cycle continues on.

Our next avatar is an airbender named Callum. Haha, shocked we’re not turning to Viren are we? Yeah, as much as I love their chemistry, Viren’s not the way to go with this. Anyways Callum grows up only airbending, no one’s told him he’s the avatar and no one plans to, after all the avatar’s name and title has been totally tarnished with Avizandum’s power. But then Callum starts having these dreams, flashbacks to Aaravos’ life which confuse him but he ignores them, until one day during a meditation session, Aaravos contacts him directly. It freaks Callum tf out because whats the avatar doing here? How do I even know him? What is going on? He doesn’t want to tell anyone this, not even his own family even though they know something’s wrong. They all keep pressing him and he’s so stressed that one day he goes out to vent and ends up firebending. And he realizes he’s the new avatar. What the fuck.

So he goes back to meditation, tries to contact Aaravos again. Aaravos happily obliges and they work together to get rid of the avatar’s terrible reputation, along with others he meets along the way as he starts to master the different forms of bending. Though the hidden motive is to get Avizandum killed because Aaravos just has been very wronged and he wants revenge so badly, so Callum starts off as a puppet to be used until they grow together and Callum sorta helps Aaravos settle down and work through all that’s happened and Aaravos tells Callum what he always wanted to accomplish: peace and safety for all. They come to understandings. It gets disrupted a little as they get closer to defeating and putting Avizandum out of power and the other avatar’s of the past go “you know he’s just using you right? The second you enter the avatar state he has full intentions on taking over and killing Avizandum.” And Callum goes “what??? That’s not what we discussed!”

They fight for a bit because of that, but they don’t have time to work through it because Callum is literally meeting Avizandum to work through this peacefully in an hour. And then they meet and Avizandum pretty just tries to kill Callum because he will not have another avatar coming to destroy his work. It’s bad, Aaravos and his other teachers helped teach him a lot about bending and while he’s skilled, he’s not quite the master Aaravos was, he hasnt had the time to he’s still quite young (like 18-20 at this point). So he does a good job at first but then he gets his butt kicked and its not looking good, but Callum doesnt want to turn to the avatar state because he knows what Aaravos will do if he does. But eventually he doesn’t have a choice, his survival instincts are kicking in, and so he relents, gives into the avatar state. And yes, Aaravos does take over. He takes over and wipes the floor with Avizandum, insulting and berating as he does so. But then the great uniter is on the floor, broken and battered and old and Aaravos is ready to deliver the final blow...but then he remembers Callum, and he stops. He’s been planning this for years, but this boy who is connected to him, who is him to an extent, has changed him. He’s no longer bitter and angry, and part of his deep old self returns. That and he’s grown to care about Callum, and killing the great uniter would put him in such a difficult position, and he knows that murder isn’t what Callum wants either. So...he lets him go. Allows Callum back control and to decide for himself what he wants to do.

That’s all the brain power I have. And maybe I haven’t described it well enough and it makes not a lick of sense but still. This is neat. So I’m going to keep it.

[propheticfire]

Magic

(Viren & Soren & Claudia, modern AU) A Dragon Prince fic:

Traipsing through Disney isn’t exactly how Viren had planned to spend his birthday, but between work and school, this week was the only one that had fit into his and the kids’ schedules. It’s been a year since the divorce, and the kids are adjusting as best they can, but he’d wanted to do something to help take their minds off it. He’s tried so hard to enjoy himself too, but every part of him not covered by clothing has been sunburned more than once. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get the chlorine smell from the resort pool out of his hair. Parts of his body ache that he didn’t even know existed. His voice is hoarse, his head hurts, there are blisters on his heels, and if he has to hear “It’s A Small World” one more time he might just throw himself into the moat around Tom Sawyer island and let the riverboat run him over.

But the kids…

It’s day five, and somehow they still have just as much energy as day one. The joy that lights up their faces every morning as they enter the park has been worth every sore muscle and sleepless night. Soren has not stopped talking about Pirates of the Caribbean, running around their hotel room with his plastic sword and feathered hat, forcing Viren to hold Claudia “captive” so he can duel him to save her. “But I don’t have a sword,” Viren protested, the first time. And Soren came back with, “Pretend you’re a dark wizard, Dad! Use magic! You’re an evil pirate wizard!” Claudia, for her part, has insisted she’s capable of saving herself, and has assembled and disassembled her Haunted Mansion attic diorama kit twelve times already since yesterday, in varying ways. They’re a little disappointed they won’t get to go on Space Mountain again before they leave, but only a little. Because today…

…is Star Wars day.

If Viren had backpacks with leashes on them, he would have used them, because the kids are already trying to take off in different directions as they enter this part of the park.

“Dad! Lightsabers! I wanna get a lightsaber!”

“Look Daddy it’s Rey!”

“Dad I wanna fly the Millennium Falcon!”

“Daddy can we get some blue milk? Or some green milk? I want blue and green milk! Does that make turquoise milk? Do they have purple milk?”

As tired as he is, Viren can’t help but smile at their enthusiasm. “Questions, so many questions! Yes, we can look at the lightsabers. No, you are not gong to build your own. I will try to take you to meet Rey. Yes, Smuggler’s Run is on our to-do list. Yes, we will get some colored milk. I don’t think they have purple. Just don’t get too far ahead of me. There’s a lot to do and I want to make sure you stay close so we don’t waste time.”

Claudia is too excited about the milk, so that’s the first place they head, even though it’s on the opposite end of Star Wars land from where they are. Ah well. Viren can modify their itinerary a bit. They’ll just work their way back down to this end instead.

Or at least, that’s the first place they would have headed if both Soren and Claudia hadn’t gotten distracted by toys.

“Dad look! There’s the lightsabers! Can we see them? Please can we see them?”

“Is that a bantha? And a porg! And…I don’t know what that warty-looking one is but I want to pet it!”

They’re both tugging at his hands, so with a sigh he lets them lead him into the toy shop. Immediately they pull out of his grasp, Soren toward the lightsabers and blasters, and Claudia toward the stuffed creatures. He tries to grab their hands again, but they’re too fast.

“Kids! Wait! Stay togeth— Come back— Oh for goodness’ sake, Soren! Claudia don’t go too far!”

The shop isn’t that large, though, and he can just make out Claudia’s form on the other side of a kiosk, so he opts to trail after Soren. He’s the more likely one to run off or accidentally break something anyway.

After exploring the shop a bit, Soren runs up to him, a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other. “Dad! Dad look! Now I can be a smuggler Jedi!” He brandishes them both with enthusiasm. “Can I get them?”

Viren tries to catch his son’s flailing arms. “You can be a smuggler or a Jedi. Not both. You have to pick one.”

Soren considers, then finally thrusts the lightsaber at his father. “This one.”

“Very good. Now go put the other one back and find your sister. I’m getting in line.”

The store had started filling with people as they shopped, and the checkout line is getting lengthy. He’ll have to hurry if they want to stay on schedule. He steps into the queue as Soren scampers off.

Soren reappears once with a stuffed warty toad-like creature. “Claudia wants this. We’re gonna go look at the blasters again, okay?”

“Okay, but you can still only get one—”

Soren is gone before he can finish the sentence.

“—thing.”

Eventually, he reaches the front of the line. He pays for the items—how are these things that expensive?—and weaves through the people back to the lightsabers and blasters.

“Soren?”

He doesn’t see his son. Or his daughter. He looks around the area again. They’re not there. Okay maybe they went back over by the stuffed animals.

They’re not there.

Maybe they went up to the register to find him.

They’re not there.

Maybe they’re somewhere else in the shop.

Not there.

Maybe they went outside to wait?

Not there.

They’re not there.

Where are his kids?

He takes a deep, slow breath, trying to quell the cold dread that’s quickly building in his stomach. They can’t have gone far. They obviously did. There’s only so many places they could be. They could be anywhere. Maybe they went to find an employee to help them. Maybe someone took them.

There are a couple other shops adjacent to the toy one. Viren walks through those. Checks every corner, every hiding place around and behind every kiosk and clothes rack. There’s still no sign of them.

Where are his kids?

Maybe they did go to the milk stand after all. Soren had asked for a map of the park, presumably to tape it up on his wall when they got home. Maybe Claudia had insisted and they’d gone on ahead. But if he goes there, and his kids come back to the toy shop, then he’ll miss them. But he can’t stand here and do nothing. He walks one last time through all the shops he’d checked. Still no sign of them.

Having made his decision, he takes a breath, and heads for the milk stand.

They’re not there either. And he hasn’t seen them on the streets, or in the line for Smuggler’s Run. That cold panic constricts his chest, weighs down his limbs. This is the last thing he needs. Four days at Disney and he’s held it together, and on the final day he loses his kids. How could this happen? How could he let this happen? He should have never let them out of his sight, he should have designated a meeting place for them here, he should have gotten the backpacks with leashes, he should just never have come—

“Excuse me, are you Lord Viren?”

He snaps his head around. The speaker is…an employee, he thinks. They’re dressed very Star Wars-y, but they have a nametag and an earpiece. “My name is Viren, yes.”

“Could you follow me, please?” the employee says. “Your children are waiting for you.”

Oh thank goodness.

“What? Where? You found them?”

The employee nods, and says something into the earpiece, then beckons him to follow. They lead him back through the Star Wars attraction, all the way back to almost where he’d first entered. There, talking happily with the actor playing Rey, are his kids. He nearly collapses with relief. They’re okay. They’re safe and they’re okay.

“Dad!”

Soren notices him and waves. It’s all he can do to not run over and gather his son in his arms. Claudia sees him too, and tugs on Rey’s outfit. She crouches down so Claudia can whisper something in her ear, and smiles.

The employee who had led him here stops before them and announces, “Young Master Soren and Padawan Claudia, we have located the dark wizard Lord Viren, as you requested.”

Soren and Claudia clap. A few more employees gather closer. Something tugs at the back of Viren’s mind. It feels like there’s more going on here than it seems.

Rey stands up and approaches Viren, his kids in tow. “These very bold and thoughtful younglings sought me out to tell me that today is their father’s birthday. They love their father very much, and they wanted to surprise him with something nice.” She nudges the kids, and they run to the edge of the little half circle that’s formed around them, taking some things from the employees standing there. When they come back, Claudia is holding out a piece of chocolate cake, and Soren is holding up a shirt with Darth Vader’s silhouette on it, that reads “BEST DAD IN THE GALAXY”.

“A little Disney magic, from our family to yours,” Rey says, and then she nods at Claudia.

Claudia immediately bursts out into song. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!” The gathering crowd quickly catches on. The third line is a garbled mess between “Lord Viren” and “Dad” and “Daddy”, but by the end, Viren is blushing hard and there are tears in his eyes. He kneels down and envelops his children in a hug.

“Please don’t ever run off like that again,” he says quietly, “I was so worried. But thank you.”

“We love you Daddy,” Claudia says.

“Yeah Dad,” Soren echoes. “We love you.”

“And I love you. Now, who’s ready for Smuggler’s Run? I think it’s almost our turn.”

“Yaaaaaay!”

The kids run back to Rey to say their goodbyes, and the actor hugs them both, before nodding in his direction, a genuinely delighted smile on her face.

“I do believe these younglings are safe in your care. Happy birthday, Lord Viren.”

(Also available on AO3)

[ko-chan-the-blueberry-donut]

Fate’s Divergence Chapter 5

Hey guys! Here’s Chapter 5 of Fate’s Divergence! Thank you so much for the support for this story! Also, I updated the other chapters with Ethari instead of Tinker to be season 3 compliant. Hopefully I got all of it. Let me know if I missed one and where.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Dragon Prince

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Rayla made a face at the clothes that were provided for her. She didn’t want to wear dresses or human garments. She stubbornly kept on her dirty clothes, hoping the snub wouldn’t change the minds of the humans to execute her after all.

The human male and his wife exchanged a look before giving her smiles, though it did nothing to ease Rayla, despite their promises not to hurt her.

“We’ll get clothes you like.” The human male promised, but to Rayla, it was nothing but gibberish. She didn’t know what they were saying, and it continued to frustrate her as they led her and the human boy to a large dining area. Any doubt they were not royalty left Rayla’s mind the more she took in of the castle, leaving her with more questions.

If these humans were royalty, did that mean they were planning to attack the Dragon King? But then they would’ve held her as a hostage, wouldn’t they? So many questions circled Rayla’s head, and she grew more and more frustrated with the language barrier imposed on her.

A tiny hand took hers, and Rayla was yanked from her thoughts as she met the human boy’s gaze. He gave her an excited smile.

“Moonlily, after breakfast I’ll show you my room okay? We’ll have lots of fun!” the boy promised. Rayla furrowed her brow, catching he kept saying ‘Moonlily’. Was he insulting her?

She wished more than anything to know.

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

“Now Callum, you have lessons after breakfast.” Sarai lightly chided him, her eyes sparkling playfully.

“But I want to play with Moonlily!” Callum protested. He didn’t want to leave Moonlily alone again, afraid she’ll be lonely and start sobbing again. Callum couldn’t describe it, but when Moonlily cried it made his chest ache.

“Moonlily needs to go to the tailor after breakfast.” Harrow told him smiling. “It seems she’s more a fan of pants than Claudia’s old dresses.”

“She’s speaking sense.” Sarai grinned at Harrow. “Pants are much better than dresses!”

“Speaking from experience now?” Harrow quirked an eyebrow, teasingly.

“Of course! After all, I don’t wear dresses for that reason!” Sarai winked. Harrow and Callum laughed while the elf girl watched them with a frown, her brow scrunching up.

“Are you all right, Moonlily?” Callum squeezed her hand gently. As for his Moonlily, she gave him a pensive expression.

“Amin delotha sut amin uma il- rangwa mani lle naa ilya sayien!” Moonlily said with a sour expression. “Amin merna an edhel a' talk a'…”

Callum studied her, stroking her hand with his thumb like his mother would do for him to soothe him. His Moonlily stared back at him, irritation and perhaps a bit of sorrow in her gaze. He wished more than anything he could understand her and her understand him.

An idea came to him then, and he grinned excitedly, squeezing his Moonlily’s hand to reassure her.

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

“I beg your pardon, Prince Callum?” Opeli blinked as she paused in setting up for Callum’s lessons.

“I want to learn Elvish, Miss Opeli.” Callum repeated, his expression determined.

“Prince Callum, I’m supposed to teach you politics and Katolis’s traditions.” Opeli told him, though not unkindly.

“Well, shouldn’t being able to communicate with other nations count as politics?” Callum wasn’t giving up. Opeli gave him an impressed look.

“Very good point, Prince Callum, but I still can’t teach you.” Opeli told him.

“Why not?” Callum was shocked. “Miss Opeli, you’re the smartest teacher on the king’s council!” Callum protested.

“Well, that’s very sweet of you, Prince Callum.” Opeli smiled softly at the young boy. “But the reason I can’t teach you is because I don’t know Elvish.”

“What?” Callum blinked, but straightened his shoulders, trying to appear more like a prince. “Well… is there anyone who does know Elvish?” he asked politely, but with a professionalism he’s seen King Harrow use when addressing his subjects.

“Humans haven’t needed to know Elvish for centuries.” Opeli replied, eying him sadly. “I doubt there’s any human tutor that could teach you.”

Callum’s shoulders slumped, and he appeared sad. Opeli watched him in pity. She had seen the little elf King Harrow and Queen Sarai had brought home. She knew eventually it would have to be brought up in the council that King Harrow was housing an elf. She knew some of her other council members wouldn’t be as welcoming to the prospect of an elf in Katolis as the King and Queen were, and she couldn’t help but pity the poor elf. She was just a child, and Opeli knew despite being taken in by the highest authority in Katolis, it wouldn’t be enough to deter others from showing her spite.

“However,” Opeli began, catching Callum’s undivided attention. “The castle’s library has many ancient books, some collected before Katolis was formed. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was at least one book on what you are looking for.”

The smile that spread on Prince Callum’s face was brighter than the sun, and Opeli found herself smiling as well.

“Thanks Miss Opeli! I’ll check out the library!” Callum said happily. Opeli smiled, and they began their lesson.

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

Rayla made a face as she was directed to hold still as the unknown male appeared to be measuring her. To occupy herself, she watched the man who spoke with a condescending tone to her before speaking to the human king and his wife. She squirmed unconsciously when his children surveyed her curiously.

“Do you think elves bleed the same way humans do?” the dark-haired girl spoke, circling her. Rayla didn’t know what she was saying, but her gut told her it wasn’t pleasant with the way the girl watched her like she was a specimen and not a living being.

“Don’t get too close, Clauds.” The boy told his sister worriedly. “I heard if they bite, you get moonshadow madness!”

The dark-haired girl burst out into laughter, and Rayla furrowed her brow in frustration.

“Pfft where did you hear something so ridiculous?” the girl directed at her brother. He appeared embarrassed.

“Camp…” he murmured. The dark-haired girl laughed even harder. Rayla felt herself grow annoyed with them, feeling like she was the butt of some joke.

The tailor barked at her something, and Rayla assumed it was because her posture tensed up. She grumpily put herself back into her original stance as the siblings continued to bicker.

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

“Harrow, you can’t be ridiculous.” Viren pinched the bridge of his nose. “You surely can’t present her as your ward to the public.”

“I don’t see why not. She’s under our wing now.” Sarai gave Viren a look, not liking what he was implying. “We’re not keeping her a secret.”

“Think about what you’re saying, Queen Sarai.” Viren tried to advise. “The elf—”

“Moonlily.” Both Harrow and Sarai corrected him. Viren sighed.

“Moonlily.” He acquiesced. “Yes, we’re now her home, and we all agree we can’t take her back to Xadia, but think about it. Humans hate elves. The public would absolutely hate her—your subjects would question your sanity, and your rule could be shaky.” Viren tried to persuade Harrow.

“Perhaps that can change.” Harrow argued, determined. “She’s just a child. She’s harmless. Surely no one would hold anger towards a child?”

“No one will see her as a child. They’ll just see her as an elf.” Viren countered. “Perhaps give her to me? I would be less conspicuous and not as controversial.”

“Forgive me, Viren, but before you spoke to Moonlily disrespectfully so I’m doubtful you want to suddenly take her in as your own.” Sarai raised an eyebrow in skepticism. Viren sighed in frustration.

“I understand you’ve grown attached to her, Queen Sarai.” Viren spoke, “but you can’t let your emotions rule your common sense. Some of the castle is already talking in displeasure about your new ward. It would be better if she was hidden away.”

“You mean lock her up?” Harrow was appalled. “She’ll be miserable!”

“She’ll be safe!” Viren told them, frustrated at their stubbornness. “She’ll be safe, and your rule won’t be questioned! Everyone wins.”

“But at what cost?” Harrow challenged. “I preserve everyone’s peace of mind but condemn hers. I will not punish Moonlily for being born an elf. I will not be ashamed of her.”

“You can’t force change, Harrow.” Viren frowned at him. “I’m not speaking to you as your high mage, but as your friend. You may not be ashamed, but there are those who will make sure she feels shame.”

“Then they will answer to us.” Sarai said, determined. “We’re Moonlily’s family now. We’re all she has.”

“Viren,” Harrow’s stance carried all the authority of a king, “I understand your worries, but I won’t turn my back on Moonlily when she needs us.” He smiled then at his friend, placing a hand on Viren’s shoulder. “The people will see. I’m sure of it.”

Before Viren could answer, there was a commotion and the three of them turned to see the elf girl biting the tailor while Claudia and Soren were yelling.

“He’s gonna get moonshadow madness!” Soren cried.

“That’s not real!” Claudia countered.

“Ow! You savage! I was trying to fit you!”

The elf girl wasted no time in fleeing the room, with the three adults pursuing quickly.

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

Rayla hurried through the hallways out into the courtyard. She didn’t stop running from the human male with the sharp pointy needles. She didn’t need new clothes. She wanted her clothes, and she did not need some human poking her every time she fidgets and yelling at her when she moves. Eventually, she grew tired of this and just bit the human. His yell made her feel insanely better about the torture he was putting her through.

However, her satisfaction was short lived when she tripped, falling straight into a mud puddle. Rayla froze, looking down at her clothes caked in mud. Her hands shook as she fingered her clothes. They were her only piece of home, and now they were dirty.

Would the humans now throw her clothes away?

Rayla panicked when she heard the humans getting close and quickly got up, before someone snatched her up.

It was the silent lady who made weird hand gestures.

The woman surveyed her critically before giving her a teasing smirk. She wagged a finger at Rayla, which Rayla recognized as the universal gesture of ‘don’t be naughty’ and recalled the woman did that gesture to her before. Rayla huffed, crossing her arms, giving the woman an intense glare. The woman simply quirked an eyebrow in challenge.

“Moonlily! Are you okay?” her female kidnapper ran up to them. Rayla realized the woman holding her and the king’s wife appeared quite similar. Perhaps they were related?

The woman continued to make more gestures with her free hand, the queen speaking out loud, possibly translating for her husband and the stingy man.

“I saw the little one running and tripped into the mud. Seems like she now needs a bath.” The queen translated. Rayla tried making out some words she could possibly know, but as usual, she didn’t understand. Rayla had to wonder why she even bothered.

The woman holding her turned her gaze to her, poking her nose playfully. Rayla squeaked, scowling.

“Common naa y' confusien lammen.” Rayla grumbled. The woman didn’t appear bothered by her foul mood.

“I’ll take her, Amaya.” The queen said, holding out her arms, and Rayla understood the gesture. Rayla huffed as she was transferred to her kidnapper’s arms once again.

The human queen gave her a gentle smile, and Rayla refused to smile back. She knew she was pushing her luck, but they set her up with the human who poked her with needles, and she was still not happy with that experience.

“I’ll take her for a bath while you and Viren cast the spell.” The queen told her husband and the stingy man. They nodded, and Rayla was carried off by the human queen.

She observed she was being carried throughout the castle, and she wondered where she was being taken. The human queen seemed to know where they were, so Rayla told herself to relax, despite the irrational fear they would put her in a cell after all.

But she reminded herself these humans also promised not to hurt her. She could see there was no lie on her kidnapper’s face when she confirmed that to Rayla. If Ethari was here, he would tell her to stay positive and hopeful, and replayed his soothing voice in her mind to calm her.

However, when they entered the bathroom, and Rayla saw where the human queen intended for her to go, all the calm flew out the window.

“N'uma! amin uma il- merna natul- poika!” Rayla struggled in her kidnapper’s arms. She abhorred baths!

“It’s okay, Moonlily! It’s just a bath!” the human queen spoke, and Rayla didn’t care if the woman was trying to reassure her, Rayla was still incensed.

“N'uma alu! amin merna mataya amin dal yeste'!” Rayla protested, grabbing onto the doorframe for dear life. The human queen then snorted, and Rayla glared at her. “Sina naa il- amusien!”

“Oh Moonlily!” the human queen, despite Rayla’s complaint, was laughing. “Don’t tell me you hate baths!”

Rayla’s glare was waspish. She didn’t know what the human queen was saying, but she knew it was at her expense. She tightened her grip on the doorframe. The human queen’s eyes glinted, and she smirked in teasing.

That did not bode well for Rayla.

Rayla yelped when she felt the human woman’s fingers tickling her sides. Rayla hurriedly let go of the doorframe in order to protect herself. Seeing the human woman’s triumphant smirk, Rayla realized her error and her eyes widened in horror.

No! She kept falling for this trick! That was how Runaan and Ethari got her in the bath!

Rayla didn’t get time to escape before the human woman shut the door and removed Rayla’s muddy clothes. Rayla tried the same strategy she had with the human male with pointy needles, but the queen easily evaded her teeth while maneuvering the faucet and filling the tub.

It wasn’t long before the human woman deposited her into the huge tub and was scrubbing her clean. Rayla scowled as bubbles surrounded her entire body.

“Mom?” a voice called as someone knocked on the door. Rayla recognized it as the human boy’s voice. She realized he was calling for the human woman. “The king said you were in here. Are you okay?”

“Just fine, sweetie! Moonlily fell into some mud so she’s getting a bath!” the human woman replied. Rayla took her distraction as a chance to try to escape, but the human woman blocked her attempts effortlessly. Rayla gave her a grumpy look.

The door opened and the human boy peaked his head in. She must have looked a sight because the boy tried to hold back some giggles. He turned to his mother.

“I guess she doesn’t like baths?” the human boy asked her. His mother chuckled.

“You got that right. Why don’t you come in and help me calm her down? She might like you talking to her.” The human woman told her son. Rayla raised an eyebrow when the human boy came into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He hurried over to the tub, and Rayla tilted her head.

“No hurt.” The human boy repeated, and Rayla relaxed her shoulders, understanding the phrase. “My lessons are done for the day. We should play when you get cleaned up!” the human boy spoke excitedly to her. “Or maybe we can go see Ezran? You seem to like him.” He continued to babble in a language Rayla didn’t understand but found herself being less tense as she listened to his voice.

The human woman shampooed Rayla’s silvery white hair while her son continued to talk Rayla’s ear off. Again, she couldn’t help but wish she had someone she could talk to that she could actually understand. The boy’s voice was very comforting, but she wished she could know what exactly he was saying. It was nice to have someone her age around her in this ordeal, but it did nothing to give her peace the way someone who could understand her could.

Rayla closed her eyes, replaying her family’s voices in her mind, the familiar Elvish making her heart ache.

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

I hope people enjoyed this chapter. I hoped everyone was believable in this chapter since Harrow has a tendency to rule with his feelings and Viren is too pragmatic without considering feelings. They’re both extremes and they both bring up good points, but both aren’t entirely right because in reality, there is no easy solution. There is no clear-cut answer and Rayla is in the middle of it.

Translations of Rayla’s words:

Amin delotha sut amin uma il- rangwa mani lle naa ilya sayien! = I hate how I do not understand what you are all saying!

Amin merna an edhel a' talk a'… = I wish I had an elf to talk to…

Common naa y' confusien lammen = Common is a confusing language.

N'uma! amin uma il- merna natul- poika! = No! I do not want to become clean!

N'uma alu! amin merna mataya amin dal yeste'! = No water! I would want to eat my foot first! (she’s basically saying I would rather eat her own foot first instead of getting in water)

Sina naa il- amusien! = this is not amusing!

[raayllum]

I've thought about Terry and Rayla parallels before ("I think too much, get confused about the right thing to do" / "says I think too much about everything" / elves supporting their mages / Rayla leaving as love vs Terry refusing to leave as love / lovingly watching your partner sleep, etc etc). Even the way they can sometimes enable Callum and Claudia's actions.

This is more true, of course, in Terry's case than Rayla's, but in a similar vein that their bonds of love are unbreakable (look at Rayla and Runaan) and that it would take a LOT for Rayla to ever even consider maybe that Callum could make a Seriously Bad Decision (she got straight up told he had a heart full of darkness and went "you're the best/goodest person I know" + the idea of Callum being controlled by Aaravos in a bad way being unfathomable to her in S4).

However what I want to talk about today is their attitudes towards dark magic.

Part of why Terry loves Claudia, I think, is that he doesn't see anything 'wrong' with dark magic. He's seen her do "a lot of awful things, dark magic things" but dark magic to him is also useful and fine and has a tingly aftertaste. It's not a hangup for him with Viren or Claudia; all he see is that she has a Good Reason, and that's all he needs, because there's no moral wedge in the way to begin with.

That doesn't mean he has zero discomfort with dark magic ("You think if dark magic did this to someone, they might not do it") or Claudia's actions ("The way you treated that Moonshadow elf, it was just cruel" / "Please, Claudia, you don't have to do this, it's trapped, you won").

But even Sir Sparklepuff's murder gets couched under "had a good reason" because it did bring Viren back, which Terry happily joyously celebrated when it happened. With all that in mind, Terry has always reminded me of Ethari — you fell in love with someone who engages in "dark work, bloody work" (Lost Child) and you knew what it would involve, and love them regardless. That's not a choice or mindset that's easily broken, but it does lead to Terry's lack of assertiveness fucking him up in ways that Claudia's passivity can too ("Please Terry, tell me what to do" / "[to Aaravos] Tell me what to do").

Terry's lack of moral qualms with dark magic is clearest to me in 6x04 in some ways, because of this exchange with Claudia:

C: All I see is parts, for spells. T: But...? C: But it's so adorable!

His but being an 'okay but WHY is this a problem for you now?' not 'yeah Sounds Concerning (and like a red flag) jc'. Claudia says she's all messed up inside, but Terry (for whatever reason) can't fully conceptualize what she means. This also leads to him not truly understanding what it is and what it's doing to his partner (probably because he met her when she was already more than mid-spiral) because if Terry fully understood how it was hurting her...

Don't you think he'd tell her to stop?

Meanwhile, even though Rayla does have moral qualms with dark magic, she doesn't focus on any of them in her argument with Callum just an episode earlier. Instead, it's all about him and the risk it poses to him and his emotions.

But most importantly because it makes you more vulnerable to the thing you're most afraid of.

Not "well Aaravos could control you and that'd be bad for everyone else / the world" but that it scares him, it hurts him, it puts him in danger. Granted, she still switches to the greater good concern later both for mitigating the harm Callum might do ("If you ever have to choose between me or the greater good, do the right thing: make the sacrifice") and on her own end ("Yes. I promise [to kill you]" + "taught me to never break my promises") but that's not her primary concern, at least not in my head.

And it's precisely because of those reasons that Rayla tells him very overtly what to do, both in regards to sacrificing her and in regards to saving him:

Rayla has unbreakable bonds of love, too, nor are her moral qualms about dark magic why she's making this point. It's because her main drive has always been to protect Callum, not even necessarily to help him, and therefore his safety is at the top of her list, so if something hurts or puts him in danger, she's going to tell him to knock it off. (And that includes saving her, but anyway.) Their mutual assertiveness with one another is one of the reasons why Rayla and Callum work, and one of the reasons Terry and Claudia were going to crash and burn, because Callum is likewise Rayla's anchor, and Terry and Claudia didn't realize they needed to be each other's until it was too late

I risked losing the best thing I ever had: you.

[lairofsentinel]

Beware of the Narrator I - Viren is not a servant. He is the “saviour”.

[Probably this analysis has been done dozens of times, but I need to do it myself to keep it fresh when future seasons come]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Viren full analysis [part one] [part two] [part three] and its Summary [here]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When he knows Harrow is going to die due to the Moonshadows, he sets a plan quickly. He propose to use a dual-head soulfang serpent that he got in their “last journey to Xadia” [aka, when they killed Avizandum? He got time for that?]

Of course, Harrow doesn’t like this plan. By now, Harrow is sick of Dark Magic and creative solutions. He says “I would rather die a king than live as a coward”. Bold phrase. So Viren accuses him of excess of pride. Harrow replies that it’s not pride but Dark Magic, and Viren keeps on trying to convince him by telling him that any of his subjects would happily trade their life to save his. Viren doesn’t see Harrow as a means to have power [because Viren’s goals are not related to power, but to safety of humanity]. So far I got from his character, Viren thinks of Harrow as a unique King worth anything to keep him alive. Any “peasant's or soldier’s life” is nothing when it comes to Harrow’s [I thinks this is an important perspective to keep in mind when we think about Viren. He sees his son less valuable for the same reason. A soldier is a lesser piece, easy to replace, when big events happen]. 

But Harrow stopped him:

This is also something worth noting in Viren’s perspective. In his mind, he is a Dark Mage, something that is quite rare in humans lands [Most kingdoms have some, but they are not many]. He knows himself ultra valuable for his powers and for his knowledge. He showed Harrow means to help Duren Kingdom when they came asking for help for the famine in their lands. Viren gave a solution to something that would have meant starving a whole kingdom or two. He believes [and he is] special and irreplaceable. Like the King Harrow.

So Harrow puts him in a bad situation asking him to be HE the one taking his place when the moonshadows come to kill him. However, and this speaks volumes about the concept that Viren was not a super evil villain since the beginning, is that he accepted to do the sacrifice.   

Maybe with that last sentence we can suspect that he has a level of regret.  I even would dare guess that he knew he did something wrong about Sarai in the fight against the molten titan. So that he implies he is not as pure as Harrow wants him to believe he is. 

He is convinced that he can exchange his body with Harrow’s, and he will do it because he truly wants Harrow to live. It’s not a dark Viren what we see here. It’s a man ready to do whatever it takes to protect his loved ones [which is a trait inherited by Claudia]. He says his goodbyes to Claudia!. He is prepared for that.

And he does the same with Soren. He is saying his goodbyes to his son too. 

But then, when he enters Harrow’s room, there is an interesting visual dynamics. 

It start with Viren standing, while the King is sitting. The King doesn’t mind that Viren is towering over him when Viren is telling him “king”. He sits in the King’s bed while saying “friend”. It’s a clear dynamic that Hierarchy is just an appearance in their relationship. They always felt each other as brothers. They trusted each other as such. There is not need to keep that formality [something we saw too in the moment Viren wakes him up and Harrow says that he is going to execute him. All that hierarchy thing is a charade, a joke between them.]

And I’m not sure what to think about this, but Harrow goes wild. I think he believes Viren is going to ask him to give him the crown or leave him as a Regent King while his son is a child, or something like that, because he goes wild after the word “brother” and calls the “laws”. It’s not just Harrow sick of being manipulated by Viren [for a greater good]. Maybe he thinks that Viren is forcing a blood-link to reclaim the crown, which goes against the Kingdom rules. Otherwise I don’t see why he went so rabid. 

And then, what I think that started the process of Viren as the villain happens. There is something about this scene too powerful, and with too many parallels along the series [specially with Aaravos and his “May I serve you?”].

This also showed a hint of Harrow’s hard fist. I could not blame him, Harrow is in that situation due to Viren that encouraged him to do an act of hate when he claimed vengeance for Sarai. 

Also, this scene makes me remember so much at Ziard and Sol Regem. It’s almost the same with different words. “Stop deciding by yourself, I know better, I’m superior, and you are a lesser being, know your place.” This is the starting point in which Viren will begin to look for power in order to “save” humanity by himself. He stopped being a servant to became the Saviour. His link with Harrow was severed. 

And the last thing that left me thinking about this... is the basket. 

We don’t know what happened in that room after Viren knelt. But the Soulfang was left there. 

[kuno-chan]

Love Amongst the Dragons - Ch. 7, The Bars That Bind

Summary: In a sentence, Prince Callum doesn’t care for dragons. He has his reasons for not being a fan, but the Dragon Ban has expired and now his life is full of them as the Dragon Keep has finished and everyone around him is preoccupied in making sure everything is ready for the Xadians arriving so the dragon rider’s training program may succeed. Now, Callum is up to his neck in everything that has to do with dragons as he does his best to satiate some dangerous curiosities, wrestle sorrowful memories and support his stepfather, King Harrow, in this time of redemption.

Rating: G

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The next morning, the Xadian party visited again. As always, Callum beat everyone to the keep. Again, Ezran was nowhere to be found. He would have to start asking around and almost did that morning, but the news of the Xadian party’s return visit piqued his curiosity.

His worried stepfather also had Callum willing to go.

The morning began much like the last; the Xadians inspecting the keep and irritating Lord Viren in the process. He didn’t like how the elves inspected the place as if they owned it, but their supervision was part of the peace deal with Xadia.

It didn’t exactly help that it all came from a place of mistrust. Elves did not, under most circumstances, trust humans. They especially didn’t trust humans with dragons. Frankly, the elves were better and probably could have dealt with almost any rider the humans could produce. Then again, maybe Callum was being presumptuous.

“Today, we will show you how to ride a dragon,” Runaan announced to the keep. “Our way.”

He nodded to Rayla who promptly mounted Luna. She nodded back and patted Luna before bursting into the air, twirling like the wind itself. They soared around the keep, diving and flying together as one. Rayla even leapt off of Luna mid-air and, somehow, Luna was right there to catch her before she fell.

Callum marveled at them. At her. Rayla did not hesitate. She held no fear of the ground below or the sky above. Not with Luna.

He might have envied her, but… that freedom. Fearlessness. It seemed so attainable now. His mind naturally went back to the Tempest. Callum shook his head. He would never ride a dragon, but he could admire those who could.

Rayla and Luna landed gracefully just as Runaan flew off on Athena. If Rayla and Luna were one, then Runaan and Athena were a part of the sky itself. They wove through the air seamlessly. Like silk and clouds. Not an ounce of hesitation anywhere in sight.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Callum could see Lord Viren frowning beside King Harrow who was smiling. The king clapped as Runaan landed and dismounted in one swift motion. “You truly are a master.”

“It’s the result of many years of training. Bonding. If a dragon doesn’t trust you, then you have nothing but a weapon.”

“We are in agreement.” Harrow looked over the titan wing dragon. “She would save you from anything. Give her life for you.”

Runaan ran a hand over Athena’s scales. “I wouldn’t want her to. But yes.”

King Harrow’s gaze flickered down, then back to Runaan’s face. “You have shown us a true gift. My hope is that humans can have the same understanding and love you both have with your dragons.”

Lord Viren inclined his head at King Harrow. Callum wondered what it was about.

After the meeting, Callum caught up to Rayla on the ramparts, feeding Luna a Xadian orange and scratching her freely.

“... you did so good today. I’ll get you a pear later, okay?”

Luna warbled happily, proudly receiving her scratches.

“There’s a dragon I know who likes pears.” Callum said, making Rayla turn her head. “Is that a dragon thing?”

Rayla blinked at him, assessing. Luna nudged her and warbled again, this time encouraging. Rayla glared at her softly, but it quickly fell into something softer. “Crescentbacks like them, for sure. But they’re picky things. I think they just like fruit in general.”

There was a pause between them as Rayla fed Luna another cut of orange. “You were amazing up there. In the sky?” Callum could have smacked himself. Where else would she be flying? “I just mean… you’re an amazing flyer. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Rayla looked over him. Another nudge from Luna. “... thank you,” she said proudly. “Even if half of it is Luna. She does a lot of the legwork. I trust her with my life.”

“That’s incredible. You’re incredible. Both of you are, I mean.”

Luna approached and snuffled him. Approval, perhaps?

“She’s saying thank you.”

Callum laughed. “You’re welcome?”

Luna sniffed him again, setting her eyes on him for a moment. Callum’s stomach fell. Right. The Tempest. Then, he caught Rayla’s face from behind. She was… smiling?

He smiled back at her. “I mean it. I know I barely know you, but you’re just… incredible.”

If he didn’t know better, he’d say her face was turning red, but she cleared her throat and shook her head. “Thank you. I… that’s appreciated. And, yeah. Thanks.” She looked away. “Luna, we should go. Runaan’s going to leave us behind.”

Luna snuffled another goodbye. Rayla waited for her.

“Callum?” she said his name, cocking her head.

“Yes?” Callum blinked.

“I’ll see you tomorrow? I’m usually flying in the courtyard. I’m sure Luna would like to see you again. I could ask you some questions.”

“What kind of questions?”

“I’ll ask you tomorrow.”

Then, she left. He felt the urge to follow after her.

-:-:-:-

The Tempest was much more receiving of Rayla than he was of Claudia. His nostrils flared and whatever Rayla’s scent was, it seemed familiar enough for him to relax and let Callum talk about the elvish dragon rider he couldn’t stop thinking about.

“And she’s fearless. You should have seen her! I just… she loved being up there. And she was good at it! Better than any of the riders I’ve ever seen.” Not that he was an expert on the subject. “She wants to talk to me tomorrow.”

He didn’t know why the prospect excited him so much. He’d known her for all of a few days, but she never ceased to impress him. And, apparently, Luna didn’t mind him either. Callum didn’t blame her for not trusting him entirely, but he was glad she’d give him the time of day.

She was wary of him, but her invitation for a talk was genuine. Welcome.

She seemed just as curious as he was.

He didn’t know why it mattered to him so much.

The Tempest made a noise. Amused? Laughing?

“Listen, the king wants peace, right?” He retorted, his face warming. “I’m just helping. It’d be nice if we were friends. It could help in the long run… right?”

After all, that was why he was so interested.

The Tempest grunted.

“And I think she’s cool.”

Whatever it was, the dragon snuffled at him fondly and Callum rubbed his nose. He lingered there, his mind going back to a place he often tried to leave. It didn’t escape him that there were bars between the two of them. That the Tempest had been in this cell for more than a little while.

He wondered if they ever came to see him, give him water or scraps. Callum provided these things in secret, but it shouldn’t have been that way. He still noticed the way the Tempest looked at the sky from time to time. How he seemed to get darker as time moved on, the color of a heavy thundercloud. His strength was coming back, but he still seemed…

Sad?

Not completely there.

That was Callum’s intuition, anyway. He didn’t exactly know the Tempest outside of this cage.

Callum paused.

He didn’t know the Tempest outside of this cage .

They’d never interacted outside of this room, had they?

Sure, Callum visited him, but--

He might as well have been a more accommodating jailer.

And the prime question coming to Callum’s mind:

Did they hurt him? When Callum wasn’t here, did they hurt him? It’s not like he’d ever know. Did dragons even bruise?

Maybe he’d never know. Or maybe he did. It wasn’t like they would never visit him. And Callum had seen what the Tempest was like with other humans. There was no way they--

Enough. This was enough.

He could ask himself questions again and again and have the same thoughts run through his head endlessly, but that wouldn’t solve anything.

And something about today--

Callum couldn’t stand to see him in this cage anymore.

“I’ll be back for you tomorrow night. It’ll be different tomorrow night,” Callum said to him. “I promise.”

The Tempest snuffled at him softly and laid back down when Callum left.

-:-:-:-

This idea had been a lot less nerve-wracking when he’d thought of it last night. Last night, he’d felt brave and determined and just… he just wanted the Tempest to have a better life than what was going on in that room.

But now he was heading to the courtyard, his mind running through whatever he was going to say when he told her he’d been visiting a caged dragon that looked just like her own.

And then having the audacity to ask her for a favor and not run to her very scary dragon commander. Leader. Whatever he was.

In the courtyard, Callum heard her before he saw her. She was flying high, taking Luna around and around in what seemed less like a drill and more like an instance where Luna wanted to play. They twisted and turned in the air, whizzing by and soaring. Callum heard Rayla laugh. It made him smile despite his nerves.

He waited for her to see him. She seemed pleased and his breath hitched in his throat.

“Callum, there you are. I wasn’t sure if you were going to--”

“I need a favor,” he blurted out. He smacked himself on the forehead. “I’m sorry. I just… I need your help.”

Rayla raised her brows when he looked to her, then she frowned. “With?”

He didn’t answer right away, and he kept his voice quiet. “There’s something I think you’d like to see.”

Like was a bit of a strong word in this context.

Callum pulled her aside and told her what was going on -- and begged her to keep quiet about it. The last person he wanted to hear about this was… well, everyone, but Viren and Runaan were amongst the two people he was mainly talking about.

In any case, he won her over.

“So, what exactly was your plan?” she asked him that night.

They didn’t fly that night. Too risky. And it wasn’t like Callum had ever gotten on a dragon’s back before. So, they walked along the path Callum went through every other night.

She wasn’t… pleased with the revelation that he’d been visiting a caged dragon. Or that they locked it up in the first place. She said something about humans and how Runaan had warned her about this.

But she let up and ultimately agreed to help him once he told her his plan.

Callum winced. “Okay, I know it sounds bad, but… I guess I just wasn’t sure what to do.”

“So, you just kept him in there?” The look she gave him was scathing.

“The king-- my stepfather needs this to work. I didn’t want to cause trouble.”

“Right.” She said. With bite. “The king.”

He was in no position to ask what she meant by that. In fact, he was lucky she didn’t rat him out, but that only made him look at her more.

“What are you staring at?” she asked. Luna was around, Callum realized. Somewhere he couldn’t see. He also realized it didn’t bother him.

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“Thank you. For doing this. For helping me get him out.”

“He should already be out. Why would you put him in a cage?”

Callum frowned. “I didn’t put him in there.”

“Then why did you keep him in there? You said the king needs this to work. Well, if you’d said something, we would have demanded him out already.” She argued. “This isn’t right. He’s a magical creature. Not an experiment.”

“I know that.” Callum stopped in his tracks. “Look, I hate seeing him in there. But… my stepdad needs this peace to work, okay? What was I supposed to do? Bring this to him and make him worry more?”

“I’m not really worried about what your king is worried about,” she said, turning to look at him. Luna appeared between them, revealing herself.

“This peace is important to him. It means everything to him. He wants this to work more than you know.” Callum bit his lip. Tried to bite his tongue. “And you don’t know him.”

He locked eyes with her. Violet eyes mixed with something between regret, anger and irritation.

And I don’t know you, he realized.

“You knew somebody, didn’t you?” he asked, deflating. “In the war.”

“In the war he started?” she turned away and started walking. “Yeah.”

He did it because of what happened to Callum’s mother. He did it because the elves sent a dragon to kill her. He did it to avenge her death.

Callum said none of these things.

“I’m sorry,” he said instead. “That war was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened and… I’m sorry. For your loss, too.”

Rayla froze. Her shoulders hunched. “... I’m… sorry for yours, too.” She turned back to him. Her face was softer, even if whatever feelings she had before lacked absolution. “I am. All of it was a mistake.”

There was too much to unpack there. The history. The deaths. King Harrow could never talk about it in a way that Callum could understand. This moment wouldn’t fix that.

“I know this doesn’t… help, much. I know it doesn’t really make sense, but I really do appreciate you coming to help me.” They started walking again. “I can’t stand to see him like this anymore, but I don’t know what else to do.”

“You’re trying to be loyal to your family,” she said weakly. “I get that. And you’re trying to help. I’ll admit I didn’t exactly expect this from you.”

“What did you expect from me?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I guess that’s why I wanted to talk to you. In the courtyard, I mean. Runaan told me what to expect from humans. You kept coming around and you weren’t really like how he said you might be.”

“And what did he say?”

She glanced at him. “... not nice things.”

Callum laughed, if only to himself.

She turned her attention to him. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. You’re just-- you’re good at talking in circles. Didn’t really expect that from you. You seem like you’d be the direct type.”

She didn’t know how to take that. Her head raised, then lowered, then raised again as if unsure how to respond and how to carry herself. “I am,” she said, raising her chin again. “I am direct. But I’m on an important mission here. I’m not supposed to just be discussing anything with just any human, you know.”

He walked ahead of her. Turned to her. “But I’m not just any human. I’m Callum. Remember?”

He grinned. She blinked at him and--

The crack of a smile. “I suppose so.” She walked past him, the smile growing a bit wider. “Callum… you’re lucky I like your name.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not?” She shrugged. “I think it’s nice.”

-:-:-:-

The Tempest was waiting for Callum as usual, but his attention went straight to Rayla before she even entered the room. He could smell her judging by the flare of his nostrils.

“It’s alright,” Callum reassured him, reaching through the bars. Rayla knew better than to approach him right away. The Tempest’s pupils were in slits, trained on Rayla for any sudden moves. Callum stroked his nose. “This is Rayla. Remember me telling you about her?”

“You told him about me?”

Callum shushed her, his face warmer than normal. He placed a hand on the dragon’s horn. “It’s fine. I promise. She’s here to help.”

The Tempest snorted. His nostrils flared one more time. He looked at Callum, then relaxed, a noise of resignation rising from his throat.

“How did you ever get close to him?” she asked, carefully walking up.

Callum shrugged, pulling out the Tempest’s dinner: a piece of beef and some pears. “He just kind of let me, to be honest. Then, I started bringing food, and he warmed up more.”

“Interesting…”

The Tempest stopped eating, his pupils slit again, and he focused on an empty spot.

Luna appeared in that spot. She warbled a greeting at him, but kept her distance. On instinct, Rayla approached her dragon and stroked her muzzle. “We’re friendly,” she said. “We’re here to help.”

Callum smiled when the Tempest went back to eating his food. “We’re going to get you out.”

Whether the dragon actually understood or just knew something was different, Callum didn’t know, but they looked at each other and Callum nodded. He was doing this. Tonight. He refused to keep acting like the Tempest’s jailer or one of the humans that imprisoned him.

He wasn’t sure how Rayla would help him, but she was here and between the two of them he was sure they could figure it out. Granted, his plan could have been better. He had the idea of picking the lock or breaking the bars with Luna and the Tempest, perhaps the impact of their strength would--

Rayla pulled out two wicked blades from under her hood. Callum’s mouth dropped open. He kept a tight hold on the Tempest. “I didn’t know you had those.”

“Of course you didn’t. I didn’t want you to know,” she said and got to work on the lock.

“You can pick that?”

“I can try. These blades are a bit big for picking, but this lock is pretty big too. If nothing else, I can try to break it, but it’s probably proofed against dragon fire and claws. I’m willing to bet my blades won’t so much as scratch it.”

Callum sat nervously, hoping that this was a good idea and he wasn’t making a big mistake. He waited as Rayla tried with the lock. It opened in less than five minutes.

Rayla stared at it. She slowly stood up, but didn’t put her swords away.

“That was too easy.”

“Well, I’m glad it was because--”

“No, I mean-- That should have been harder to do. I shouldn't have been able to open it so fast. Callum, are you sure nobody knows you come down here?”

Callum shook his head. “I’m sure. I’ve been coming down here for weeks. If anyone knew, why would they just keep letting me?”

She didn’t answer.

She still didn’t put her swords away.

“Let’s go,” she urged. “Will he come outside with you?”

Callum hoped so. The Tempest edged out of his cage. Slowly. Slowly.

He spread his wings and stretched his body. Callum let him do these things at his own pace. The Tempest was cautious, but reached his head out and snuffled at Callum. A thank you? Curiosity? Either way, Callum was more concerned with just how big the beast was. He was at least twice Callum’s size now that he was uncurled.

In the corner with Luna, Rayla hadn’t put her blades away.

“You can trust him,” Callum said.

“I trust him,” Rayla said. “But I also trust him to be a dragon that’s been locked in a cage for weeks.”

The Tempest looked at her, his tail slowly moving. Ready to pounce at any moment. Callum ventured and scratched under his chin. “It’s okay. They’re friends. They’re with me.”

Callum stepped between them. He had the Tempest’s attention and smiled. Whatever the dragon saw, he went back to stretching.

“We need to get out of here,” Rayla said. “If he wants to fly away, then he needs to get going.”

A lump formed in Callum’s throat. “You’re right.”

He didn’t think about this part.

He didn’t think it would make him feel like...

Well, like this.

But Callum owed it to the Tempest. If his mother’s death had taught him anything it was that, sometimes, people left you. Sometimes, you had to leave them.

His fingers on the Tempest’s dry scales slowed and his mind misted back to the hours after his mother died.

“Don’t make me go!”

“Prince Callum… you have to let her go now.”

His stepfather wasn’t there yet. The guards were digging their fingers in him and pulling him off his mother’s corpse. She was ice cold, but he clung to her and laid his head against her still chest.

He waited for her voice. Her lullaby. Her gentle words.

Anything.

There was nothing, and he screamed when they pried his arms from around her.

He wailed.

He didn’t stop crying even when his stepfather finally crushed Callum into a hug.

He never saw her again. Callum only ever saw her in the stone of her grave, but she was still gone. It never stopped feeling like she left. Or she was taken. He could never decide the difference, really.

Callum blinked back any tears that threatened to spill. Not right now. He’d cry about this later.

They led the Tempest outside and Callum still hadn’t quite let go. Rayla didn’t say anything, but when they got outside, he looked at her. Comfort? Reassurance? He didn’t know.

She smiled softly.

“Do you know his name?”

Callum shook his head.

“Dragons usually have their own names,” she said gently. “When they tell you, it means they choose you. You’re the one they want to bond with.”

The lump in Callum’s throat grew. He turned back to the Tempest. “I wish I’d had time to learn your name,” he whispered. He bit down on his inner cheek. “But you miss your freedom. And I can at least give you that.”

The Tempest snuffled Callum’s hair. He nudged him and bowed his head.

Then, he turned and spread his wings. He launched himself into the air.

A chain dragged him back down to the earth.

Callum’s breath caught in his throat. The commotion startled him as the guards spilled into the arena, one chain after another keeping the Tempest grounded. The Tempest snarled and thrashed, but they kept him down. Rayla ran into the fray and knocked one of the guards out, but they quickly surrounded her to the point where he couldn’t see her.

“No!” Callum ran forward, but one of the guards grabbed him and kept him back. He fought back. “Stop! You’re going to hurt them.”

He didn’t know where Luna was, but he could hear her, roaring and snarling to get to Rayla. There was the beginning of dragonfire in his peripheral, then there was a commotion and--

“Luna!”

The tip of Rayla’s blade found the apex of a guard’s throat. No, wait--

Not a guard.

Lord Viren stood where he’d approached. His staff in hand, he raised his brows. “And what do you intend to do with that? Kill me? As a diplomatic envoy?”

“I don’t care,” she growled. “Let Luna go.”

“Do you honestly expect me to put my men in danger? Your beast attacked them--”

“Because of what you’re doing!” Callum shouted at him. “Lord Viren, I’m begging you. Please, don’t--”

“Don’t what, exactly?” Lord Viren glowered at him. “Don’t hurt them? Do you not understand that these people would all slit our throats and set fire to our cities if we so much as give them an edge to stand on? Look at her!”

“She’s done nothing wrong,” Callum ground his teeth. “I asked Rayla to be here.”

“Because you have been coerced-- brainwashed by this Tempest Crescentback! A vindictive, unholy beast! One of the most dangerous of the Lesser Dragons! Your soft heart has led us all here! And she,” Lord Viren gestured to Rayla. “Has misled you twice that. Do you truly believe that her weapons are just for protection--”

Rayla pressed her sword to his throat. “We’d be fools to walk into your kingdom, with our dragons, unprepared. Don’t think we don’t know what dark mages do with the dragons they find.”

Lord Viren glared at her. Then, he snorted. “Very well, then. Kill me.” He raised his chin. “Kill me and let the war begin.”

Rayla’s elbow bent. The sword retracted slightly.

Hesitation.

“Don’t say that to her,” Callum’s voice was soft. His eyes were not.

The guards approached Rayla. She readied her blades for a fight. Dragons snarled--

“That is enough.”

The king had never sounded so venomous. Not in Callum’s living memory.

The crownguard at his back were small compared to King Harrow’s glowering anger at the scene before him. Guards that weren’t holding dragons immediately stepped back from whatever they were doing.

“What is the meaning of this?” King Harrow demanded.

“Your majesty, I discovered Prince Callum cooperating with this elven girl to free this Tempest. I had him put away because he was a danger to the trainers and the other dragons.”

The king frowned and raised a brow. “Put away?”

“You locked him in a cage for weeks! I’m the one who had to feed him so he didn’t starve,” Callum fought against the guards restraining him. “Your majesty, please, he’s not a bad dragon. I know I shouldn’t have been this close to him by myself, but he’s good and he doesn’t deserve to be left in a tiny cage to die.”

The king narrowed his eyes at the guards holding Callum. “If you know what is good for you, I suggest you both let my son go.” The guards obeyed, letting Callum go so fast he almost stumbled to the ground. King Harrow’s gaze softened. “Callum, of course he doesn’t deserve that. Why didn’t you come to me about this sooner if you were so concerned?”

Callum pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure how to answer. “I… I just didn’t want it to get in the way of everything that was going on.”

The king sighed. He turned to Rayla. “Are you hurt, Rayla?”

Rayla stiffened. She shook her head.

“Good. Runaan will want to see you when he hears of this. I can’t imagine he would be very happy if you were.” He turned to Viren. “As for you--”

“Your majesty--”

“No. We will discuss this later. After I make sure the Tempest is placed somewhere safe for the night. You will also let Rayla’s dragon go.”

“Harrow.”

“Now.”

They stared at each other for a split second. Viren hesitated. He bowed.

The guards let Luna go. She snapped at them and returned to Rayla’s side, snarling protectively at them while Rayla smoothed down the crescent spines on her back. Rayla hushed her, keeping one hand on her saddle.

“This is over. I won’t have any more trouble. Before the night is truly over, I must now explain this to the Xadians,” said King Harrow. He turned to Rayla and Callum. “I’d like the both of you to remain here and I will escort you both back to the castle.”

“I can get back on my own,” Rayla protested.

“I have no doubt that you can, but nothing will happen to you if you are accompanied by me. And as far as I’m concerned, your safety is my responsibility until you return to Runaan’s charge when we get back to the castle. “

Rayla didn’t argue, but it was clear she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Runaan after all of this.

Callum stepped forward to go to the Tempest, but the king stopped him. “Your Majesty--”

Something flickered in his eyes before he set sturdy hands on Callum’s shoulders. “Not right now, Callum.”

“Please,” Callum looked at the dragon still struggling on the ground. “Just let me help him.”

“Tomorrow. Right now, he’s an agitated, cornered creature. I won’t risk you getting hurt. Let us get him somewhere where he can calm down.”

“Can’t we just let him free?”

“Not if he’s upset enough that he might attack someone. Tomorrow, Callum.” The king’s voice broke a little. “I promise.”

Callum felt the faintest touch on his arm. He looked over his shoulder at Rayla, pulling back as if she weren’t sure what she was doing. Still, the tone in her voice was anything but harsh. “Callum…”

His eyes burned. “I can’t just leave him like this.”

“I know, but... he’s kind of right.” She pointedly did not look at the king. “We don’t want him to end up getting hurt.”

Luna groaned at him, tugging gently on his sleeve.

He hated this.

He really hated this.

Callum stepped back, but he didn’t turn away. Rayla never left his side which made it easier -- if only a little -- to deal with the fear that crept into his heart.

--

This was the longest chapter yet! This chapter is almost at the halfway point for this fic. It's right about there and this was an important chapter, marking other important chapters. Soon, very soon. The Tempest also, for me, becomes more and more real as the chapters go on. His place in Callum's life a little more solidified each time. The chapters coming after this are going to be very important and the fic is really going to wind up.

As always, guys I love it when you leave those reviews, they really keep me going and really keep me going. I sincerely thank you guys for your patience with me on this fic and Sides of the Moon because with school going it's harder to write, but I'm going to keep going! Train's not stopping anytime soon! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!

[rins-rambles]

TDP Actor AU

I miss writing these, so of course I do one for my next favorite hyperfixated show

General

Callum and Ezran’s actors are actually brothers. Since they worked incredibly well together in their auditions they were both chosen to play the roles of the princes’.

This is Ezran’s actors first major acting role

Funnily enough, Claudia and Soren’s actors aren’t related, but many have mistaken them to be actual siblings. Claudia’s actress has called Soren’s actor her “brother from another mother” on her social media plenty of times.

They actually worked together on other shows/movies where they played siblings, so of course it comes naturally to them

Ezran actually acts with a Bait plushie that he now doesn’t go anywhere on set without.

Claudia actually dyed that section of her hair purple, and let Ezran’s actor paint her nails. Although she wears a wig, Rayla’s actress really wants to dye her hair white, and Claudia gives her tips.

A lot of the humor coming from Soren is usually ad-libbed by his actor. Since he sometimes comes up with something funnier than what the writers intended, they sometimes just write “Soren does/says something” and let his actor go wild

Rayla’s actress was a gymnast, which is how she moves so agilely and begged the crew to let her do her own stunts. She was allowed this freedom, but in certain fight scenes they have a stunt double doing the work.

Callum’s actor thought Rayla was just really good at mimicking accents, but she really does have a Scottish accent.

Rayla, Callum, Ezran, Soren, and Claudia’s actors when not on set like to joke around, especially “casting” magic. But instead of saying the spell, they often say, “You’re watching the Disney Channel!”

Claudia and Viren find that the dark spells are just sentences played backwards is both really cool but also creepy

One problem some of the elven actors face is when their horns would fall off during scenes, sometimes for no reason. There are lots of blooper takes so far when this happens, to the point where the actors yell “point!” every time it happens, since they made a bet to the staff that if they would get at least a total of five horn drops in a season, then they would have to treat the actors to a restaurant.

All the elf actors have to wear what they call a “finger glove” over their pinky, so their finger can be CG’d out to show that they only have four fingers. In far away scenes, they don’t worry about it so much, but on close ups, they have to wear the finger glove. 

Season 1

Echoes of Thunder

Callum’s actor integrated his photographic memory and love for art into his character, and the writers went with it

The baker that Ezran steals jelly tarts from is actually one of the directors for the show

Claudia’s actress says that when playing Claudia, she’s literally just being herself.

She says that one time in the past, she did end up running into a tree when reading a book. Her father videotaped it and forever has proof.

Runaan’s hair has gotten caught and tangled with his surroundings on more than one occasion. His horns also sometimes gets tangled in his hair

Harrow and Viren’s actors are old friends, and were surprised to see each other on set when shooting their first scene together. That scene happened to be when Viren goes to offer to switch his soul with Harrow’s

Harrow’s actor begged to be able to throw in the “winter is coming” line, since he’s a huge GoT fan.

However after he’s killed off, he asks the writers if they intentionally made him the Ned Stark of this show because of it.

Pip is actually all CGI, since Harrow’s actor is allergic to birds. But he does have a cat that he calls Pip.

Callum’s actor had a hard time not tearing up when he had to say goodbye to Harrow.

Rayla’s actor tends drops her weapons more often than the other actors do

What Is Done

The two guards who are talking with each other about breakfast are actually some of the writers.

Ezran just made up the combination for the “stone rock” 

Claudia was just told to act like she hated the jelly, and while it tasted a bit like oranges, she called it persimmons, because she doesn’t like those fruits

Claudia has a bit of a hard time moving in her dress down the stairs and nearly tripped a few times. So she was glad that later on her outfit gets changed

But she always liked filming the part where she treats her hand like a flashlight. 

Moonrise

The egg is actually lighter than it looks, made out of thin 3D printed plastic and carefully painted

Viren and Harrow’s actors could barely keep a straight face when Harrow orders Viren “on his knees”, which is why the cameras use more close ups of their faces, since one of the other was trying hard not to crack up

In order to get the “dark” moonshadow elf look, Runaan and Rayla’s actors actually have to get more makeup applied on them, and then get layered on with CGI. They’re both less than pleased about having to spend more time in the makeup chair, but they put up with it.

Callum actually has a hard time saying the spells, because he would sometime stumble on the words. A majority of the blooper reels are of him messing up.

Everyone off set made jokes about Callum being Ariel while Viren was Ursula after Viren takes his voice

Bloodthirsty

Amaya’s actress is actually deaf, and was the first choice to play her character which she happily accepted. She has a brother in the army, and bases some of Amaya’s characteristics off of him. 

She’s grown close to Ezran and Callum’s actors, teaching them ASL and starting to treat them like they’re her actual nephews

Gren’s actor is a close friend with Amaya’s actress, and is usually the one who translates for her outside and during work

The loaf of bread Amaya describes as “weapons grade” is actually a loaf of bread one of the staff members baked, but left it out for too long, so it hardened. They decided to throw that into the script. 

The snail armor line was actually an argument Ezran and Callum had when they were younger

Rayla’s actress was sad when the writers forced her character to cut her braid, since she would spend some time off set to braid it herself

Rayla almost teared up when her character calls Callum out on saying she’s a monster

The cube is made out of thin metal, and there are lights inside that glow when someone off set hits a switch

An Empty Throne

Rayla’s actress does get a bit motion sick, but not to the extent that her character does

The boat ride the three ride on is shot on something like Roaring Rapids 

However, the drop from the small waterfall and the close ups on the actors faces were done on green screens

Amaya’s actress enjoys how much her character calls out Viren on his bullshit. 

Sarai’s actress and Amaya are actually related to each other, and Amaya’s signing to her statue are how she feels about her sister. It’s also thanks to her sister that she even got into the acting industry. 

Through the Ice

Ezran’s actor has an idea of what the talk about “sandwiches” indicates, although when he asks his brother to clarify, he changes the subject

Callum’s actor had to sit down a few times because he lost his breath when performing the Aspiro spell

Rayla’s actress doesn’t like looking at her hand, because she doesn’t like the bruising color it leaves behind.

Running up the stairs and stretching is how Soren’s actor usually prepares to play Soren 

His history is like a see-saw line is ad-libbed which threw of Viren’s actor and he had to adjust to that line

Offset, Claudia occasionally does call Soren “Sor-bear”

The Dagger and the Wolf

Ezran’s actor loves animals, and hopes to either be a veterinarian or an animal caretaker if he ever stops acting

The huge swordsman used to be a wrestler, and agreed to play this part as a favor to one of the writer’s who’s their acquaintance. 

Rayla’s actress had a blast playing “human Rayla”, and the lines that made it in were improvised. 

When getting an idea for Ava and Ellis, the girl who gave the writers some pointers ended up getting the role of Ellis, while her companion wolf got Ava

Cursed Caldera

Callum’s actor claims he had the best pun about the Cursed Caldera and everyone else was just jealous at how good it was

Rayla’s actress hates slugs and was not fond of seeing the CGI monster she’d have to fight off

Runaan’s actor admits that he didn’t like filming his scenes when he’s imprisoned, mainly because he was always cold without a top on. He thinks that the writers purposefully had him without a shirt for many different reasons

It takes roughly three hours in the makeup chair for Viren to get his “corrupted” form done

Wonderstorm

Claudia genuinely thought the “Ka-tallest mountain” line was hilarious which made it easier for her to really laugh on set

Rayla’s actress literally booked it off the set when the mummified person hisses at her

For the effect of the spider-roar, Ezran had to stand in front of a large leaf blower and he actually enjoyed that part, thinking it was funny

While the actors thought that the spiders looked cool, they admitted that they would never want to see them ever get that big

Callum’s “jerkface dance” is actually something one of the writers did for their siblings whenever they had to apologize. Callum is particularly proud of how he got down the movements in three tries. 

The actors all cooed when they got to see what Zym looked like and all demanded that stuffed versions of him would be made available and they’d get theirs first

Lujanne’s actress claims she likes wearing the elven horns more than the ears

She likes to think Phoe-Phoe is based off of her own pet bird that she allowed the team to use as a reference

[imhereformysciencefriends]

Fandom Ask Thing! Fandom - BNHA Ship - Sheith Character - Claudia (TDP)

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: Iida!!!!!!!!!!!!

Least Favorite character: BakuBITCH

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): 

Dekusquad ot5

Iidekuchako

Todoiideku

Iida x any of his friends really

Shoutoko

Character I find most attractive: Iida

Character I would marry: Iida

Character I would be best friends with: Iida and also probably Ochako

a random thought: If 20% of the world population is still quirkless, Deku ABSOLUTELY should have had quirkless classmates. 20% is one in five. 1/5. There’s absolutely no reason why quirklessness should already be seen as lesser, uncommon, or otherwise stigmatized. No way in hell Deku could’ve been the only one in all his classes without a quirk c m o n

An unpopular opinion: I don’t think Shinsou should be in class 1-A. I think his goal to get there is reflective of his all-or-nothing mindset that has been holding him back and part of him overcoming that mindset will and should involve accepting that there are ways to become a hero without the schooling that some of his peers are getting, and being a hero is about doing HIS PERSONAL BEST and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, not where he graduated from. Also, he has friends in the gen class and I want him to keep and appreciate those bonds.

My Canon OTP: I don’t… think anyone in that show is actually canonically dating. I think literally everyone we see in that show is single. Eh fuck it. Iida’s Mom x Iida’s Dad

My Non-canon OTP: Iida x The fucking respect and appreciation he goddamn well deserves

Most Badass Character: Iida

Most Epic Villain: I fuckin love that warp dude. Handman went off on the aesthetics I’ll give him that but I mean what could be better than a tired half-dad in a barkeeper getup?

Pairing I am not a fan of: :) Bitchboy x MY GREEN SON

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Mineta could’ve been a genuinely compelling character if he’d been more firmly characterized as “I am small and also a coward but I want to be a hero more than anything so even though I am very afraid and also definitely crying right now I’m still gonna give it my all” and less as “I am a perverted little bastard. I’m here to be a fucking pervert joke.”

Favouite Friendship: Iida & Deku & Ochako

Character I most identify with: Iida

Character I wish I could be: Shouji

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you:

When I started shipping them: Literally episode 1 lmao

My thoughts: THEY’RE SO IN LOVE!!! FUCK!!! THEY’RE SO TENDER!!! tHEY’RE SO SOFT!!!! LITERALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM IS SO TRUSTING AND GENTLE AND WHOLE-HEARTED AND SWEET AND GOOD AND KIND AND I!!!!!!!!! DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What makes me happy about them: God, everything? When they call each other’s names, when they stare fondly at each other, when they touch each other’s shoulders in fondness or reassurance or comfort or simply to remind the other that they’re there and they have their back. God. Keith would and did cross the stars to find Shiro, and Shiro CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD for Keith! They’re soulmates!!!

What makes me sad about them: :) Such a shame we never got a season 8 :) I bet we would’ve had a really amazing resolution to the passion and intimacy of their friendship :) Really just such a tragedy season 8 was cancelled before it could ever air :)

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I really and genuinely do not care for femsheith. Even when it’s a genderbend, which usually checks out for me, I am just Not About It

Things I look for in fanfic: A good balance between tenderness and friendship. It’s not all serious heavy emotions all the time, they’re best friends and they LIKE each other, but it’s also not just all goofs and gags, they’re very soft with each other. Also smut.

My wishlist: Not entirely sure what this is asking but

1. Shiro to acknowledge Keith’s confession from the clone fight

2. Keith to try and play it off (he’s a terrible liar so we know this would not work) because he thinks he’s being rejected

3. Shiro to gently take his shoulder in hand and say he feels the same

4. A tender kiss

5. Absolutely nothing about their public relationship changes. They were in love before they confessed and they are not the types to get all blushy and nervous. Maybe they’ll hold hands or sling their arms around each other’s waists in front of others now but that’s it.

6. They do cool space-politics stuff and then travel the stars together after the war ends, retired and exploring all the wonders the universe has to offer them with their cool space dog.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I don’t have, like, alternate ships for them. I like Heith, and Rolo x Keith, but only really as concepts? I like Keitor and Lotor x Shiro (they have a ship name but I’m forgetting it right now) but only in the context of fanfic, in canon I would want him to work it out with Allura so that’s kinda out. I just genuinely cannot see them with anyone but each other, really. 

My happily ever after for them: In a houseboat, but like, for space. Not a spaceship, since those are really big and built for a lot of people, but a spaceboat. Them, their dog, and the endless expanse of space for them to travel and explore together.

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

How I feel about this character: I love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of the main tdp cast I think she’s probably my favorite! (She and Aaravos are duking it out for first place in general)

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character:

Callum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prince Kasef 

Idk I guess I like Claudia x Rayla content but I also don’t really see it? It’s cute to observe? But not something I actively partake in? But I find it charming? I can’t really say if Rayla should be in this list or not. 

Weird one but I think she and Nyx would get along super well

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: SOREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEYRE SUCH GOOD SIBLINGS! 

runner up is her relationship with Ezran the two are super heartfelt

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don’t think her using dark magic is any different than a butcher carving up a cow to be eaten. Yeah if she’s using elf or dragon body parts that’s fuckin bad, because those are people, but humans have a LONG history of killing animals for food + tools + materials, so using certain body parts for magic is also?? Not the worst thing in the world. If a magic sheep can have its meat turned into mutton, its wool turned into clothing, its skin turned into parchment, and its bones turned into  magic, why SHOULDN’T Claudia use it’s bones? Yes, there’s a toll on her body, but like we’ve seen in the show, Dark magic is a FORM. It requires practice, study, patience. The reason Callum reacts to it so badly is because he’s basically some dude who’s never worked out in his life waltzing into the gym and immediately going for the heaviest barbell. Claudia has studied this extensively, practiced it, built up her “magic muscles” so to speak, and so her body can handle it. Viren also overdoes it, but that’s because he knows he can butterfly the negative affects away and doesn’t particularly care if he gets a little ghostly in the process.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: she and Callum had had a chance to talk it out and make up. They’re friends! Best of friends! They have been since they were young kids! She genuinely was trying to do what she thought the right thing was, that’s all she’s ever tried to do, and I think Callum is the kind of person who, with some time to simmer down, has enough empathy and understanding to see that and reason with her.

Favorite friendship for this character: Callum and Ezran

My crossover ship: I don’t actually have one