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raayllum · 3 years

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unspoken but not unsaid :: a janaya meta

Janai and Amaya are proof of the age old saying of quality over quantity, which is to say: for a ship with understandably limited time to develop, they are exceedingly well paced and well done with a steady progression and an intriguing, emotionally investing dynamic. It is astonishing how many of their scenes are overloaded, working over time to get you on board (if sword wielding lesbians wasn’t enough at face value). This is particularly impressive given how few of their scenes include dialogue, with the majority of their dynamic resting on being unspoken — but not unsaid, or misunderstood.

AKA I’ve had a vague idea for Janaya meta in my head for over a year now, and what better time to finally get it out than JanaiWeek? So let’s dive in, episode by episode, without further ado.

2x01

Season two opens with a bang, and so much of it is owed to the amazing fight scene with Amaya and the Sunfire elves at the Breach. It’s fun and exciting to see a location we’ve only had alluded to, mostly, and to see Amaya in her day job. The other half of the equation, quite literally, is Janai, with one of the most striking and beautiful character designs in the show (which is saying something — and my personal favourite) and wielding a weapon we’ve only gotten a hint of its true potential.

We’ve never seen Amaya lose a fight before, whether in countering Viren’s quick remarks or in the way she decimates Rayla at the Banther Lodge, even though Runaan himself states that Rayla may be the quickest and fastest of all their troupes. Amaya is a force to be reckoned with and deals with the other Sunfire elves easily and efficiently.

Janai poses a challenge and in some ways sends Amaya running.

It emphasizes the threat of the border, Janai’s fighting skill, and that “Aunt Amaya says she never encountered a Sunfire elf who could best her in battle — until she met Janai,” (Callum’s Spellbook) indeed.

The fact that they’re military equals, opponents, sword and shield, is a lovely foundation for what they’ll become. The ambiguity of their first on screen meeting is also rather fun — given their positions, it’s likely they’ve run into each other before — or is this somehow a first encounter? Either is bracing and great fic fodder.

As an introduction to the season and their dynamic, and to Janai as a character, it’s a fantastic start. But what follows is almost even more important.

2x04

2x01 demonstrated that they match each other physically as fighters (the long held trope of homoeroticism on the battlefield as rivals — particularly in plays like Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” help matters along too) but 2x04 adds to both of them, particularly in foreshadowing Janai as a future partner.

Janai pulls off a scheme, Amaya is almost duped but suspicious and figures it out, and the battle ensues. This time, it’s clear that whether 2x01 was their first meeting or not, it’s gotten personal, with them chasing after each other and engaging one another on one-on-one. This is their fight, and their ability to match wits.

Amaya’s cheerful confidence comes out, as well as her slight playfulness that we’ve seen in more serious fights before.

But when Janai matches her, she returns it too as an equal taunt, proving that while she is a serious and talented warrior, Janai has a smug and playful side too. (These two are going to love sparring together.) We know that Amaya has a good sense of humour and has a softer side, so seeing this possibly reflected in a future partner who will be able to understand both the warrior, leader, and the playful sides is invaluable.

I’ve commented on it before, but the best way I can think to describe the fight scene in 2x04 with its highs and lows, Janai chasing after Amaya on the roof, is personal. And not just because Janai permanently marks Amaya’s armour.

This personal sort of vibe isn’t exactly negative (despite being enemies), nor is it positive, but there’s something. Something tense and a little exciting, a sort of thrill or intrigue, if not again, that sort of matched energy, that binds them together.

It was only a matter of time before they would collide, properly.

3x01

In her bid to cut off the Breach as a connective thread, to sever elves and humans from each other even more permanently, Amaya finds herself encountering Janai. Janai throws down the rope (again, almost as a sort of taunt) while Amaya steels herself to make a sacrifice to fix what Janai has now severed, too. The two gear up to face each other, aware of the stakes (as Janai is smart enough to have put a stop to Amaya’s plan). Janai leaves another permanent mark on Amaya’s shield. But, for the first time, Amaya arguably has the true upper hand in a fight with Janai and disarms her.

Amaya uses her skill to complete her mission, almost blowing her and Janai off the cliffside and into the lava before. Janai is literally hanging on by a hand, struggling to pull herself up, her face reserved if not determined when Amaya approaches. She has no idea what her enemy will do, knows that Amaya was willing to risk herself over her own troops, knows that the general has had no trouble killing Sunfire elves before.

But Amaya can tell when more violence is unnecessary, so she drops her shield - her offense and her defense - and pulls Janai to her feet, instead.

3x03

The next scene we cut to is Janai visiting Amaya in the ring of fire, making sure she’s brought the right interpreter for the job. It means she’s tried to communicate with Amaya before and came up against a communication barrier, but has made sure to fix it. In the actual interrogation itself, Amaya’s eyes flit from Janai to Kazi (interpreting) and away again, but keep going back to the conversation. She can bring herself to turn away, but not to look away.

Janai holds onto Amaya’s face for far longer than she has to, but the intent is clear: she could see Amaya’s attention flickering before, and this time Janai demands to have it on her. She’s not put off by Amaya’s “sass” or rudeness, even if it does cause her to grow impatient and to escalate the circumstances of Amaya’s imprisonment.

It’s also worth noting that while Amaya is rude to Janai, she takes infinitely more risks with Khessa. The queen’s snide expression and body language - not a single word - is what makes Amaya spit at her, whereas with Janai she seemed annoyed and then mildly entertained. There’s a clear level of respect that Amaya has afforded Janai that she does not extend to Khessa (but more on that later).

Khessa quickly passes down a verdict: “Dispose of her,” although Janai is not so easily convinced.

K: If she’s not useful, get rid of her. She is worthless. J: She is not worthless. This may be a human, but she fought bravely, and treated me, her enemy, with warrior’s honour. Should we not do the same? K: Oh, my sweet little sister. If you truly believe this one is so special, we’ll let the Light decide her fate.

The exchange they have, in which Janai vouches for Amaya’s life with clear indignant emotionality, is notable for a few reasons. First, it shows that Janai is willing to argue for Amaya, no matter the fact the general has been uncooperative. It shows she has a different heart than her sister, and that the respect and decency Amaya has shown her goes both ways, even to the extent of admiration. And Janai wants to live up to the standard Amaya has set.

The second thing, which has always struck me pretty strongly when I noticed it on a rewatch, is that Amaya can’t see what Janai is saying, only how Khessa responds to it. She can’t read Janai’s lips, only Khessa’s. So all Amaya knows is Khessa calling for her disposal, calling her worthless, and Janai seemingly stepping in, and Khessa making their familial connection plain, as well as that Janai thinks Amaya is “so special.”

Then, of course, you have Janai’s worry about Amaya when the light ritual starts. Amaya understandably looks away until Janai grabs her, getting close enough so she can read her lips and understand what’s going on. Janai is also putting herself in harm’s way (to a degree) to get the information across, but luckily, Amaya understands it. And more than that, Amaya trusts her — even though because she’s deaf, Amaya relies on her sight a bit more than non HoH people probably would.

But the Trial works to sway Khessa’s verdict, and she decides that Janai can “just take her” and keep Amaya alive. Janai hoists Amaya up, worried and careful, and that’s their last scene for the episode. Now, they’ve both saved each other in a way and while they’re not friends, per se, they’re not strictly speaking enemies.

And while Janai just thanks her sister, it’s clear that she doesn’t agree with Khessa’s cruelty, and is resentful, if not also protective on Amaya’s behalf. Yes, Amaya is her prisoner, but Amaya is her prisoner.

However, in many ways, the most important episode for their development is undeniably

3x07

Is the turning point for Janai and Amaya’s relationship, largely because of the trust that Janai bestows upon Amaya throughout. Their first interaction in this episode is also telling. Janai comes to visit Amaya, not to ask for information (as an interrogation) but to provide it, because... she wanted to, presumably, a reading encouraged by her use of “my human friend.” Her news is not what Amaya wanted to hear.

J: Bad news, my human friend. Your king came seeking passage. A: What? That’s impossible. J: The light revealed his true nature. Tainted with darkness, rotten to the core. Such an arrogant man. A: That man is no king. He may be the most dangerous human in the world. J: No matter. The queen sentenced him to be purified. After the ritual, I doubt there will be anything left of him.

And Janai, in her own way, is reassuring. Amaya is worried about Viren? Janai says that her fear is unfounded as soon, Viren won’t be a threat at all. But Amaya’s worry — fear that Janai has never seen on her before — only grows.

A: You don’t understand. If he’s here, everyone is in danger. We need to stop him!

So Janai has a decision to make. Does she trust her prisoner — a human — just on the basis of Amaya’s word? Because for all she knows, Amaya could be lying. Why would the woman be disloyal to her king? The whole thing could be an elaborate lie, a setup, in order to get Amaya out of her cell. And yet... Amaya’s worry reads as genuine, as real, as she reaches out towards Janai for the second time, grabbing her arm and standing her ground even when Janai pulls away. Janai listens, considers.

Trusts.

Because not only is Amaya out of her cell in the next scene, she’s wearing her armour. But this time, not to defend herself against Janai, but to work with her.

And when Khessa falls, when Janai runs, enraged, and other Sunfire elves are running in the opposite direction, Amaya runs after her. Pins Janai down with a worried look on her face, because she knows if she can’t, Janai will run right into danger without her.

Amaya burns her hand — through the fabric of her gloves, depicted later — in order to try and keep Janai safe, bolstered by their growing bond and the fact that this is a deep seated loss that she understands. Her own fraught/hateful relationship with Khessa doesn’t matter, as Amaya channels her love for Sarai he struggles and shakes her head, because she understands, and it gets through to Janai. Only when the heat mode has melted away with so many of Janai’s barriers does Amaya let go. But even once she lets go of Janai’s hand, she just places her hand on her shoulder instead.

They’re bonded now, by battle and loss and trust under fire (literally). So it makes perfect sense in more ways than one that not only does their trust grow, but romantic undertones begin to be steadily built over the following two episodes, too.

3x08

One of the key ways Janaya develops as a potential romantic relationship is through both explicit indicators and through parallels to other canonical relationships, i.e. Rayla and Callum. Seconds after Callum introduces his girlfriend as his friend, a comparison is made to Janai and Amaya that causes the former to blush.

C: Seems like you have an elf friend now too? J: We are not friends. She is my prisoner.

Amaya chimes in with her own two cents (“She thinks I’m cute but won’t admit it yet”) although Janai can’t/doesn’t know what she’s saying. It is lovely getting to see Janai meet of Amaya’s family, however, that thankfully goes better than Amaya’s own meeting with Janai’s.

The finale is our first real chance to see them just be friends, however, so without further ado:

3x09

Amaya and Janai are fully allies in the Final Battle, flying on Janai’s twin-tailed inferno-tooth tiger (hotcat for short) — another Rayllum parallel of sharing a mount. They prepare and lead the battle together, and we see them share in the joy of fighting side by side on a battlefield rather than against each other (hence the silent grin that Amaya initiates). We also see the rage Janai expresses when Kasef attacks Amaya, similar to how Janai reacted when Khessa fell.

However, one of my absolute favourite Janaya parallels is how Amaya raises her sword at the beginning of the battle — and how Janai’s troops follow.

The shield that Amaya had dropped to help Janai up from the ledge is now the shield she raises to lead Janai’s troops alongside her. And when the battle is beginning to end, Amaya and Janai are still close to one another. When Amaya expresses a concern, Janai goes to remedy it.

A: I’m worried. This is not over until we find Viren. We cannot let him slip from our grasp. J: I’ll order a massive search of the entire battlefield. We will find him and capture him. We won’t let him get away.

The next few interactions with the boys is also interesting and hopeful for Janai and Amaya’s relationship. A few Sunfire elves give Ezran the traditional salute when he passes them, showing that he’s earned their respect — which bodes well for Amaya earning it as well. This is only reinforced by everyone bowing the way the human monarchs do when Ezran walks through the antechamber in 3x09. The troops that fought with Amaya and Janai will support their general turned queens, and show that the rest of the Sunfire elves can likely be won over as well.

Janai is also shown to be fond of Ezran and Callum, which is very important for anyone Amaya would consider as a partner. They would eventually be Janai’s nephews as well, after all.

Then, of course, we have the biggest Rayllum parallel and what indicates Janaya’s canon burgeoning romantic feelings the most, of when they take one another’s hands and share a smile in the Dragon Queen’s chambers. This is a parallel to an earlier conversation between Callum and Rayla 3x07 where he asks, “Are we going to tell the Dragon Queen we’re a thing?” which is the language consistently used in reference to romantic relationships (Callum to Ezran later in that ep, Callum to Lujanne in reference to her and Allen in “Through the Moon”). And back to back, Rayllum and Janay have their handholds, one as the reaffirmation of a relationship — and the other as a possible beginning.

And I think that unspoken understanding, that doesn’t have to be said in order to be unknown, is just beautiful.

#janaya #tdp meta #the dragon prince #janaiweek #tdp janai #tdp amaya #amaya tdp #janai tdp #analysis series #analysis #arc 1 #s2 #s3 #feels good to finally have this one out

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