#look. Zym deserves his father.

[dannydevitosthiccdog]

Has anyone thought the 3rd quasar diamond could be used to resurrect Avizandum? If it's possible. I want it to happen... but also not.

[raayllum]

He should hate her.

She's done terrible things. Nearly squeezed him to death. Slammed Callum into the rough seabed floor, spelled them to sleep, murdered Ibis and left Zym brokenhearted, aided her father's every plan and whim, left Soren, declared "I'll destroy all of you if I have to," eyes spitting fire amid the dark waters of the sea. She's been just as bad as Viren with none of the single moment of good, so doesn't she deserve the same fate? The same lack of mercy from him? Shouldn't he hate her the way he'd hated her father?

Ezran thinks he does hate her, as Claudia stares up at him from on her knees, hair choppy and entirely white, shackles around her paper-thin wrists.

They can't send her elsewhere under banishment, kingdoms too ravaged by what had resulted from her setting Aaravos free. To keep her in the dungeons long term feels cruel to Soren in ways it hadn't even with Viren, while he and Opeli had deliberated on what could be done with him longterm, what the best form of execution would be.

But in the end, Ezran's mouth twists, and all he orders is, "Take her to the dungeons."

Rayla scoffs from beside him. Callum sputters. "What? Ez, you can't be—"

But Ez turns away. He doesn't want to look at any of them. "I gave my orders."

Claudia must pause by the door, the way she did the last time he'd shown mercy (when execution hadn't even been on the table), as she mumbles a quiet, tired, "Thank you, Ezran."

"Ezran," Callum starts, but Opeli or Barius must shoot him a look, because he brother shuffles off, muttering with Rayla—unhappy, but leaving it for now.

Only Soren stays behind. His voice is thick. "Ezran, uh..."

And Ezran hugs him because he thinks Soren needs it, and maybe because he needs one, too.

Because he wants to say he did it for Soren, and Soren alone, because that's the acceptable answer. Motivation. Want. Soren and Claudia can still be tied, tethered, in love to one another because they're brother and sister, and—She is leading our people down the wrong path, Prince Karim had said, but she will always be my sister—that will always be true. Nothing can sever it.

But Ezran also knows, with his eyes screwed shut—

Claudia's hand on his shoulder as he'd mumbled out, "My Dad..." and her steady reassurance, the warmth of her next to him as he'd sobbed in her arms, comforted and not alone as he felt the weight of the world and his grief break over his shoulders

—that he did it for himself, and for the girl who was with him when no one else was.

No matter how much they've both changed.

[theoakleafpancake]

Okay so I think I've had enough time to get my thoughts together, and after watching the new season twice back to back, here are my highlights for each episode (Basically me taking the thoughts I had written down and condensing them) (Do not keep reading if you haven't watched it yet :)) This is going to be a very long post

Chapter 1: Startouched

First of all, still can't get over Aaravos's crying. Pack it up, Santa Claus 🤚

The new Viren intro? Hello? Is he dead? He must be

Was very disappointed to realize that he was, in fact, not dead

Terry is still thriving. We stan him

Rest in peace, Sir Sparklepuff

Claudia was abandoned by her mother and her brother (in her eyes), and now her father, too, whom she sacrificed so much to save.

Her sobs are chilling

Soren is an icon, as usual, he and Opeli are the best duo

"Fellowship of the Pearl" ELROND??

Stella is the number one Rayllum stan

Seriously, why does everyone sleep in full uniform?? Except Rayla. She gets comfort

"What have I done" my poor boy is never going to sleep again

"He took our blankie" LMAOO

Barius could be an award-winning baker in our world

"I'll be fine. I have my blankie." I'm going to live by this phrase

Claudia, PLEASE get some therapy

Chapter 2: Love, War and Mushrooms

Ayo we get a Claudia intro now??? Leave my girl alone

SORUVS CRUMBS LET'S GOOO

"I'm happy to see you, too." Good. Now kiss

Karim's reflection in the crown :( poor Janai

"What am I not seeing?" Corvus, honey. There are weirdly-colored mushrooms. EVERYWHERE.

Not him having to babysit Soren and Hat

"But I will do what I must" Karim stop trying to be Viren

Ezran and Zym being brothers <3

Soren's carrying the entire show with the modern references "Among Us"

"If I ever start to doubt you, I'll know I am truly lost" crying rn

I did not expect Soren to have beef with a mushroom

Hello?? The parallel scene with Janai and Karim's speeches?? I am speechless?? It's beautiful.

Fun sized Zym!

YES JANAYA IS GETTING MARRIED

Each group adopted a baitling and I'm here for it

Chapter 3: The Frozen Ship

AARAVOS FORCED HIM TO USE DARK MAGIC ON THE SHIP???? HE WAS POSSESSED AGAIN???

"Aww, look at that pair, Sneezles and Snoozles" as he's having a traumatic nightmare LMAO

Terry is still waiting for her...

SNEEZLES WHY'D YOU RUIN THE KISS (Very smooth, Callum)

I love Earthblood magic

"Evil black ice" preach, Rayla

They really put the ship monologue in, didn't they 😭

"I mean, you can sit here and draw pictures up the ship, but does that change anything?" hey, shut up <3

Y'know what, forget the plot twists and everything, I wanna know how Claudia's nails stay perfect

Rayla sobbing over a love tragedy while Callum's out in the freezing snow

"Rayla, I'm here!" *door slams in his face*

"Rayla..." *gives a super soft look* "all this time...you were READING?" Writers how dare you

WE GET DAD LORE, EVERYONE. HIS NAME IS DAMIEN. HE WAS A POET. AND HE HAD A BREATHING DISEASE. Maybe the same like Soren? Could he have been saved with Dark Magic????

Callum just share the blanket...YES

Stella the wingman

Callum nO—WHY WOULD YOU TELL HER ABOUT THE DARK MAGIC RIGHT WHEN YOU WERE ABOUT TO KISS?

Claudia is slaying with that new haircut

TERRY WAS COLLECTING THE STICKS TO MAKE HER A LEG HJLEFHKBEFAHKBEF "I did it for you!" kuhewfkhuefw "I would do anything for you." YES

Idk why but the animation during the argument was just *chef's kiss*

"I promise." Hey. No. Stop it.

"I am a humble servant!" How the turns have tabled

Aw, Viren's begging and sobbing on the ground like the pathetic man he is.

"Good. You don't deserve any." LET'S GO, EZRAN

Chapter 4: The Starscraper

I was expecting Callum to just be shot up in the sky like he was walking into a geyser, tbh

but the starscaper is giving minecraft beacons

I was kind of expecting a "BUT it's a living creature and deserves to not be used for parts" but ig we'll settle for a "BUT it's sooo cute"

"Hello, we need help." "Drop." Well alright then

Claudia, yes. Step away from Aaravos. No, he does not deserve your help. nO

"I need to see my dad, he can tell me the right path" Yeah, I don't think she's gonna see her dad again

"How do you all feel about spiders" haha nOPE I'm out

Oh, yay. Sol Regem.

"No" HA

"No horns! But greasy hair..." dang Astrid what did Callum do to you

THE STAFFS. AND VIREN'S SHOULD BE THERE

The novablade was given to a human girl?? The Orphan Queen, mayhaps?? 👀

AARAVOS CAN'T BE KILLED???

Thank you Terry, for saving Claudia from using that vial

ohhh, Soren's about to get severe whiplash

Chapter 5: Moonless Night

Soren's serious and I don't like it

LMAO not Stella trying to steal Callum's book

"Maybe I just want to see you suffer" As you should, Soren

"And I'm so proud of you" "Everything you're telling me is some kind of lie" OUCH

Viren being miserable brings me joy

Not the wet socks :(

Rayla girlbossing as usual

her seeing the good in the ones that everyone else thinks is a monster >>>>

I want to pet Esmeray

Moana who? I only know Rayla

"Luna's love is with you even if she's not" didn't Runaan say something similar to Ethari before he left??

What's the significance of the bells

THE QUASAR DIAMONDS

HE DID IT FOR HER. HE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR HER. SHE GETS TO SEE HER FAMILY AGAIN

Imagine the first thing you see in your life is the stars...I think I'd transcend, too

THEY'RE SEEING EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME

Kosmo's getting his magical girl transformation

"Your star is...darkness" That wasn't very nice >:(

Lain's face is full of defiance while Tiadrin and Runaan are terrified

Poor Callum

The scene with Viren shouting to Aaravos he can't control him, and then panning to the fly caught in a spiderweb is a nice touch

Chapter 6: Moment of Truth

I'm sorry, what happened to "Hello?" "How are you?" WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT THE REAL PEARL? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S THE DECOY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN AARAVOS CONTROLLED HIM AGAIN?

The parallels of both Viren and Harrow writing a letter to their son

Lissa is gorgeous

Nooo, writers, stop trying to make me feel sympathy for the rat man

Kpp'Ar?!? Isn't actually a bad guy?

Kosmo you broke Callum

"You might have all the power of the cosmos but you're still dumb" Astrid ily

Did he just?? Hit the restart button? I want that. Give me the power of the cosmos :(

HARROW CAMEO

Callum's stronger than I am cause I would have walked out as soon as she mentioned the spider was going to bite me

"Without magic, you're just a frail old man" who's talking now, Viren

Oh. "I watched it fill with her tears" my hatred of you has increased tenfold, Viren

RAYLA IS HIS TRUTH. HIS LIGHT. THE ONE WHO BRINGS HIM BACK FROM THE DARKNESS

That letter needs to go to Claudia instead of Soren

Stella bringing out the popcorn lmao

THEY KISSED. THIS ISN'T A DRILL, THEY KISSED

"I love you" IOUHEFIUHGIUEGFIUGHEFWIUHEWIO THEY FINALLY SAID IT

Chapter 7: The Red Wedding

The way he caresses her face adiwefiijefjioef

MOON NEXUS. HER PARENTS. RUNAAN.

Not Stella being mean to Sneezles for messing up another Raylum kiss

Ooh, they're getting married! But Karim has to be a little POS and ruin it with an army

Aanya, beloved

Hmm I saw you moving closer to Ezran there

Janaya for life

"Specifically, we tried to kill each other" true love at it's finest

They keep bringing attention to Pharos's wound and I don't like it

Get married, kill your traitorous brother, and eat cake, all in a day's work

THE WAY THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER they're literally perfect

"Of course I love my sister! I still want to take everything she ever loved from her!" Brother of the year award

So many of my problems could be fixed with an exploding arrow

Ezran didn't reach them in time IS HE GONNA DIE WITH THEM

Wait

LMAO SOL REGEM DITCHED THEM THAT'S HILARIOUS

Oh no he's heading for Katolis oh NO

Chapter 8: We All Fall Down

I am...I have no words for this. (Seriously, I didn't have a lot of notes for this bit. Just seeing Katolis being burned to the ground, the townspeople about to die...the writers were brilliant at letting us feel their horror and fear)

AARAVOS.

Hat survived tho

"Take good care of Hat" you act like you're about to die??

There are a lot of names I'd like to call Aaravos, but I won't say them

"I can't" oh do something for ONCE

"Take my heart." I'm sorry??? No???

Viren. Why is there blood on the knife what did you DO

He carved his own heart. He CARVED his OWN HEART

Soren's alive tho

THE PICTURES OF THE FAMILY JLKBEFJBKLFES

Ladies and gentlemen, Viren is finally dead. And even though I still hate him, his death sequence was top tier

CLAUDIA

Ew, pathetic beast (Sol Regem)

Aaravos, I hope you choke on your own tears <3

Claudia, the tragedy that you are

She lost her father TWICE

Nooo the pearl GET AWAY FROM HER AARAVOS

HE DID ALL OF THIS. ALL OF THIS BECAUSE THE PEARL WAS STILL THERE. HE KNEW SHE WOULD COME BACK FOR HER FATHER. AND HE NEEDED VIREN DEAD TO GIVE HER THAT FINAL PUSH.

I forgot Lujanne had a husband. Or boyfriend. Did she and Allen get married? I don't remember

Thank you for being the ONLY reasonable one here, Terry

Claudia and Callum are after the same spell??

He needed Sol Regem's bones :o

IT ISN'T THE REAL QUASAR DIAMOND?

"Veritas" hello Deltora Quest what are you doing here

HE HAD THE THIRD QUASAR DIAMOND IN HIS STAFF THE WHOLE TIME?? RAYLA HAS TO CHOOSE? WHY CAN'T YOU LET HER BE HAPPY DANGIT

Ooh Claudia's spell didn't work?

Chapter 9: Stardust

"It needs love" That was...not what I expected from you

Leola, cutie. Her and Claudia would have gotten along well

Callum made her a bracelet to bring her back <3

Rayllum!

RUNAAN? it wasn't the behemoth, he's there but he's corrupted? What???

LAIN AND TIADRIN!! And they're...dancing?

Ohhh the key was for a book

They're at peace. Runaan's not. I'm going to die

Leola looks so small standing before them

I love how the cosmic order is just like "oh this is the beginning of chaos" you are quite literally about to kickstart that chaos

The og trio looks so small in the flashback

THE REFLECTION IN THE POND SHOWS LITTLE RAYLA HUGGING HER PARENTS. ILUHEFIUGLEFIUHL

And thus, Leola's Last Wish was born

Oh Santa's back

They put his prison in his daughter's grave 😟

"You taught me to never break my promises!" Hey, so. Can you break the promise you made in Chapter 3?

"No!" Runaan get back here right now.

So Lain and Tiadrin have been dancing this whole time while Runaan's been living in a nightmare. That checks out

Ruthari <3

OOh the Aaravos/Runaan spell is just like the Janai/Karim speech sequence

RUNAAN IS BACK. RUNAAN IS ALIVE

OH NO CALLUM CAUGHT SIGHT OF KATOLIS BURNING

The wedding was supposed to be happy >:(

Aanya got to try her cake tho

Ezran, my poor boy. He was just going away for his aunt's wedding. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. He's still a kid.

Aaravos also gets his magical girl transformation

Hello?? He's literally a giant? Ohhh the "I swallowed her" makes sense now

Terry knows this is a horrible idea. What if Aaravos makes her turn on Terry?????

Is this why is voice is so deep?

Overall, season 6 was a ROLLERCOASTER and probably my new favorite season. There was so much going on, and it did not disappoint. I can't wait to see the next season, AND for those of you who don't know, there has been a mention of a third arc which means possibily 10 seasons instead of 7!!!!! But in order for that to happen we need to show as much support as possible so yeah! If we do get those 3 extra seasons I will never shut up about this series

[obsessedwiththedragonprince]

So I've watched the first three seasons of TDP a while ago, randomly decided it needed a rewatch, somehow realised it got two additional seasons while i wasn't looking and now I need a place to vent my random thoughts.

I watched around a season a day and i just have to watch the se3 finale tomorrow and I'll catch up with what I've seen so far. When I see the 4th and 5th seasons I'll probably going to start spewing a lot of random shit so beware.

First of all. FIRST EPISODE AND CLAUDIA IS READING LOVE AMONGST THE DRAGONS?!

Second. I shipped Amaya and Janai hard the first time around already but this is so good. Like Janai's sister dying? Prolly my favourite scene so far. (Btw I'm spoiler free for seasons 4 and 5 except i googled ship name for them and saw a picture of them kissing so i know that's canon. Would honestly feel cheated and insulted if it wasn't.) Also the translator is such a cinnamon roll.

There are sooo many lovable characters in this series. I love Amaya and Soren most I think but everyone has such good arcs!!

Like Claudia being manipuated by Viren? I really like how her corruption comes from her love for Viren. I also loved how Soren is seen as the slower one out of them but she's more naive when it comes to their father.

The scene where Soren leaves her and she says "Don’t make me choose! Not again."? Right in the feels man.

Also sending my love to Bait! The guy deserves some love! I felt really bad for him during that scene on the ship when he felt like he was replaced by Zym and then when Callum invited him to come and he was so happy?? Like my heart? And then he basically goes and becomes a parental figure to Zym.

Oh that reminds me. What was the captain's name? I can't remember but i recognised it in those texts in the beginning when important people who work on the series are written so. Fun.

Also Gren is so random but I hope we'll see more of him. Loved his friendship with Amaya even if it had like two minutes of screentime.

I'm trying to think of everything that went through my head during the watching. Um.

Oh! Aaravos (is that correct?) What's up with that dude? And I didn't go back to check but in Harrow's letter to Callum he said that cube is a key sth connected to Aavaros and that he's a powerful mage and knows all six arcanums? So I'm wondering where that'll go. But he'll prolly be the final villain instead of Viren? We'll see ig. And a stupid thought but i just imagined him being somehow stuck in the cube? And my brain automatically got the idea that to open it all six sides must be activated(glowing) at the same time? I dunno what my brain is on atm but this exists in my head now.

And what happened with Ezran's abdication? Like why did he do it? What did anyone gain from that? Were the others supposed to leave them alone just because he did it? Dunno.

Also Aanya is so cool. Really love how she has a brain you know?

Also who was the guy who first deserted when the option was offered? Cause I know we saw him before but idk where. Wait he's not the guy Rayla spared is he? That would make some sense but i know we see the guy who deserts at least once in the throne room? I'm confused.

Also all kings and queens are dead so who's leading all the other armies beside Kasef(is it Kasef?)? Why don't we meet them?

Also Corvus is great and I love how he just goes along with everything Ezran does. You're a weird king Ezran.

This is so random but how was that vet supposed to know how fast an unhatched dragon's heartbeat is supposed to be? Just seemed funny to me.

Also i think the first time around i didn't like Soren in the beginning but now i loved him from the first scene when he helps Callum show off in front of Claudia.

I'll be back in the morning but right now I'll have to finish this rant cause i went to bed like two hours ago and couldn't sleep so this happened lmao.

[biqherosix]

hiiiiiiiiii do u write for the drgaon prince ??????????????????????? it’s totally not el spamming you again bc you deserve your ezran/callum x sister reader even if i’ll give it to you too

the secret life of katolis royalty - headcanons

prompt(s): the royal family uphold a proper, good reputation. but with you and your siblings, there are always bound to be a few secrets whether they're silly or not

pairing(s): familial! callum x fem! reader x ezran

fandom(s): the dragon prince

genre(s): fluff

warning(s): none (if there are, please feel free to point them out!)

other notes: hi el 🙄 anyway yes i write for dragon prince now because there is a lack of content in this fandom, especially for the royal siblings ! i want platonic goodness, and i'm getting it even if i have to make it myself. enjoy :) also reader may possibly be bi?? can be interpreted as whatever you'd like though !

- so you're three years older than callum, making you at least seven when ezran is born

- you're so protective, no doubt about it

- and callum doesn't mind because you're not overbearing (if anything callum is more protective of you and ezran than you are of your brothers)

- which is why callum never finds out about your little things with both soren and claudia (more like a kiss with claudia, dating soren, and then breaking up with soren to try shit out with claudia; spoiler alert you kinda miss soren as much as you love your magical perky girl)

- another reason is that cal has such a major crush on claudia before meeting rayla and you don't want him to feel bad upon finding out

- but let's be honest ezran finds out because he walked in on you making out with soren after exiting a secret tunnel

- ezran gossips with you more than you both like to admit because of this huge secret only the two of you now know

- but it brought you two closer and he's really happy about that because now he gets to cuddle into your side while he asks questions and spills the beans while you play with his hair lmao

- yk sometimes you even shit talk callum and his sword fighting and that definitely stays between the two of you (he always wonders why you two are giggling under the tree whenever he plays around with soren)

- but you love your brothers and they love you so !! freaking !! much !!

- y'all are attached to the hip, you can't be seen without one or the other

- most of the time it's your brothers doing your thing and brushing up your knowledge on royal etiquette because a part of you is anxious whenever your father talks about his royal wrongdoings

- he doesn't mean to worry you, he just wants you to be prepared (you were in fact, worried and unprepared when he died and you now had three mf children and a dragon egg to take care of)

- don't worry though because callum and ezran are here to save the day and will tell you how amazing you are for hours, it honestly passes the time very well

- okay but i gotta get this outta the way before i forget but callum is the epitome of the "you're doing amazing sweetie!" meme okay?? he is

- where he succeeds (magic, art, being awkward) you on the other hand lack and vice versa (you are badass okay? you can fight and spar properly thanks to your mother's extensive knowledge and even without a weapon you can pack a punch)

- rayla doesn't really understand how callum can be so happy and perky even when you suck at what you're doing

- but he's your baby brother and he loves hyping you up

- callum is your biggest hypeman and always has been it's a second nature to him, trust me if someone were to mention your name he'd never shut up !!

- like this one time you drew rayla and callum on a spare piece of paper callum gave you and it didn't really turn out the best but he still fake cried and attacked you in a hug

- he keeps it in his sketchbook and he's never letting that go, so rayla jokingly judges him for it and your boy ezran backs you up with callum

- "i don't see why you keep it, i mean it doesn't even look like us! we're like lil' stick figures" "art is contemporary, rayla. it can be anything you want it to be! isn't that right zym?" "ez is right, plus it doesn't look that bad! it's cute. look, she even drew me doing magic! her markings are so accurate" "callum, i don't even know what spell you're doing" "it's clearly aspiro! look at the wind" "they're lines!" "that's what art is all about!"

- baby gets so nervous when he and rayla kiss bc he obviously has to tell you and your opinion matters most to him; he's just scared bc rayla always teases you and you may not approve

- so he kept it a secret for a fat minute after telling ezran, ez is so annoyed bc he has to keep your soren secret and callum's??? at least bait and zym are there to listen (man relationships are hard)

- you just laugh because you saw it coming and the moment is just so wholesome !! you tackle rayla into a hug, welcoming her into the family with "bad drawings and all" bc she never lets you live it down fr fr

- but later that night callum can't sleep and he lets out everything because he never really told you about his crush in the first place like he feels really guilty because you're always so open with him and sometimes he has some walls up, like how he was with king harrow even if you're his biological sibling

- also you bet on your life that you would do anything to make sure callum was content with his life and so after his lil rant and your assurance he asks if you've ever felt that way before

- and you had to do it to em, so you tell him about soren and claudia

- "why didn't you tell me anything before?" "you liked claudia! i didn't want to be the reason for your heartache" "but you're my sister, you deserve to be happy. maybe you and soren can work out" "eh, we'll see. not gonna lie i was ready to go back for him after he almost killed that dragon. he looked pretty hurt but you looked way worse honestly" "hey! you're making my heart hurt here y/n." "that doesn't count because it was playful!"

- you end up going to sleep that night leaning on each other because that's what you've been doing all your life — leaning on each other and you don't want him to forget that !!!

- you also wake up the next morning with ezran in between you sleeping soundly, and rayla comes back to the three of you making funny faces and laughing like there was no tomorrow

- she didn't get it but the three of you did, it was a simple moment that you would all cherish even after ezran becomes king — perhaps it even makes you better as royals

- and from then on, there were no secrets, just a family trying to piece themselves together again after so much tragedy

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

Flowers

My lone submission for the Rayllum Valentine’s event.  Warning: this fic contains mentions of post-partum depression.  Canon-verse, but does involve Rayla still being ghosted 

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

Rayla growled in frustration as she threw the letter in the fire.  “Ray-” Callum murmured from the side, holding their week-old daughter. Aisling was the most beautiful thing Rayla had ever seen, with her father’s green eyes and brown hair with ten fingers and ten toes.  The most elven thing about her was the little horn stubs on the top of her head.    

“Don’t, Callum. Please.”

“We’ll make them understand.”

“How?!  You freed Runaan, Lain, Tiadrin, and many others from those coins.  We saved Zym and reunited him with Zubeia.  We defeated Aaravos and it’s STILL NOT ENOUGH.  They will never unghost me and let me go back home.” Rayla felt the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and tried to hold them back, but they poured out. “And now I’m getting hormonal and just…UGH.”

She didn’t resist when she felt Callum come up behind her and wrap his arm around her waist.  “I’m sorry, Ray.  I don’t know why they are being so stubborn.  You don’t deserve this, but no matter what, you have me and Aisling, and Ezran and Soren.  You ARE home.”

“You don’t get it.”

Sighing, he moved away from her.  “What don’t I get?  Didn’t we agree that this is your home now?  Didn’t we say that, no matter what, we are each other’s home?”

“And I stand by that. But you cannot possibly understand what I am going through.  You still have your home.  You haven’t been banished and you can come and go as you please.  I need weeks of planning to not only go see my parents, but if I want to see my childhood homes, nobody can see me.  My culture, my language, everything, is basically lost to me. You don’t get it.”

Callum was quiet for a while, perhaps minding their daughter.  Rayla winced as she continued looking at the fire.  Wrapping her arms around herself, she felt even more terrible. She didn’t feel like she had taken to being a parent nearly as well as Callum had.  Maybe she wasn’t meant to be a parent.  She loved Aisling with everything she had, had carried the halfling in her belly for nine and a half months and delivered the child for hours, but she was also crying more, angered quicker, and didn’t stop Callum from getting out of bed at night to tend to the baby.  If anything, she hoped he would so she didn’t have to.    

Callum finally came back to her and wrapped both his arms around her.  “You’re right, Ray, I don’t get it.  I cannot understand your pain and frustration.  And now that we have a child, I’m sure your feelings have only grown stronger because you want to share all of those things with her.  But I have to believe that we can make them welcome you back because I’ll hate them if I don’t.  We’re trying to forge peace and hate doesn’t belong anywhere near that.”

“I haven’t even thought about how it would affect Aisling.  Gods, I’m a terrible mother.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“Yes, I am.  I gave her a Xadian name and she can’t spend time in Moonshadow territory?  She’s cut off from half of herself and I’m sitting here thinking about how it affects me.” Rayla felt the panic rising in her chest.  “Callum, what if she hates me?  All I do is fuck up with her.  I’m not bonding with her like I should.  She already adores you more and I’m just there.”

“Look at me. Please.”  Slowly turning, Rayla raised her eyes to meet his, shocked at the tears in them.  “You aren’t fucking up.  You’re having a hard time, but that’s not that weird.  You heard Sabah and Amaya.  Most new mothers feel like this, and if it lasts longer, we’ll get you help. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother or something is wrong with you.  What did the mid-wife say?”

“That birth is traumatic for some and it takes longer to heal the mind than the body.”

“What else?”

“That, because I don’t have a support system from my home and my culture, I’m more at risk.”

“I’m so sorry that this is happening and I wish I could fix it for you.  I would fly into Silvergrove now and make them take you back if I thought it would work.  But you are not screwing up with Aisling.  She’s not cut off from half of herself because she has you.  If you want to only speak to her in High Elven, I will support that.  If you want to teach her to read it, I will find books every time we go to Xadia and ask Janai for some.  I’ll order ingredients from Xadia so she can have Xadian food.  I promise, I will do what I can to give you both a connection to your home because, even though we are each other’s home, you do still need a connection your culture.  Aisling does, too.”  Wrapping her arms around him tight, Rayla’s shoulders shook as she silently sobbed in his arms.  Callum kissed the top of her head and held her close, rocking her side to side as he so easily did their baby.

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

Rayla rolled her eyes as she stared at the curtains Callum had pulled over part of their bedroom. He said there were changes coming to the garden and it was a surprise so she wasn’t allowed to look.  It had been several months since the Council’s latest rejection of her return to Silvergrove and she was slowly starting accept that she would always be rejected.  All four of her parents had visited Aisling and had adored their grandchild, promising to visit as often as possible and give her a connection to her culture. Lain and Tiadrin were even considering permanently moving to Katolis so they could be more active in Rayla’s life and make up for lost time.

Stroking Aisling’s cheek with the back of her fingers, Rayla held her bairn close.  Sabah had been a big help in the journey into motherhood, visiting often and letting Rayla freely voice her concerns and fears. Months ago, Rayla had feared the judgmental eyes of others for not being close enough to her child, but she was slowly learning that it really was different for everyone.  Tiadrin had shyly admitted she had had a hard time post-partum with Rayla as well; lying in bed for days on end and Runaan and Ethari and Lain having to check in on her.  She still felt like a failure some days, but her child was healthy and growing with a flush on her cheeks.  “I love you, even if you do wake me and your father up.  We need to get you sleeping through the night, wee one.”

A knock of the door interrupted her gentle scolding, causing her to look up.  “Princess Rayla?”

“Aye?”  

“Prince Callum requests you and Princess Aisling join him in the garden.”

“We’ll be there.” Standing up, she held Aisling close and left her bed chambers.  The trip to the gardens was a short one, but Callum had covered all the windows so Rayla couldn’t accidently get a peak at what he was doing.  “We’re finally going to see what your father has been up to.  I’ll bet you five whole jelly tarts he built a pond just to practice ocean magic.”

“I would take that bet.” She turned to the side to see Callum waiting for her.  “Ready to see the surprise?”

“I’ve been ready.” She turned to the glass doors leading to the garden and waited for Callum to open them.  He smiled at her and turned the handles.  As the doors opened, Rayla was hit with the smell of moonlilies.  She hadn’t smelled that scent outside of soap in years and her eyes watered in nostalgia and happiness.  Callum had planted a whole field of them as well as having built a gazebo.  “How did you do this?”

“Well,” running a hand through his hair, he gave her a sheepish smile, “it certainly wasn’t easy. The Council is being so stubborn with unghosting you, but I managed to convince them with a letter a day to let me have enough moonlilies to do this.  I told them that it was the least they could do for the mage who had decoined several of their citizens.  I know it’s not the same thing, but, at least, you can now have a piece of home right here in Katolis.  Let me show you the gazebo.”

He led them over, hand on the small of her back, and Rayla marveled at all the flowers before her. Moonlilies only bloomed at night, but their scent was still unmistakable.  The gazebo was wrought iron and featured multiple Moonshadow knots and symbols.  There were cushions and benches for sitting on.  “I could spend all day here.”

“I’m glad.”

“Thank you.  This is the sweetest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“I love you, Ray. This is our home, and, I hope, I made it feel a bit more like home for you.”

“You did.  I love you, too.”  

The three of them spent all day in the gardens, having lunch and dinner in the gazebo and later joined by Ezran and Soren.  Sabah, Marcos, and their child joined them as well, Sabah’s heavily pregnant belly leading the way.  Rayla and Sabah chatted in their mixed High Elvens while Callum made his attempts and the little one in their group hung on every word.  It still hurt Rayla that she couldn’t go home freely, but she did feel a bit more at home now.  Maybe one day, she would get to show Aisling and any other children she and Callum had Silvergrove and other Moonshadow territories.  Until then, the gardens would do quite nicely.

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

This fic is something of an ode to my mother who had post-partum depression and had no real support system (family more than a 1000 miles away) besides my father and an ode to my grandmother who had her last child in a country and a culture that were not her own and who regrets not teaching her children more about her language and culture or about my grandfather's (English was the common language between them, so that's what they spoke in the house). I tried to convey their thoughts and feelings to the best of my abilities and to bring in the realties of raising a child in a multicultural, international relationship.

[theredhairedmonkey]

Thunderfall and the Narrative of Love

I’ll admit, I still have trouble watching Thunderfall, and in particular the scene where Avizandum is turned to stone.

Even during rewatches, I pause to do a quick gut-check and see if I’m up for viewing this particular moment again.

What can I say? This show sometimes isn’t for the faint of heart (of which I am).

But the focus of this episode is actually on King Harrow.

In the classical sense of heroes and tragedies, Harrow is the epitome of a tragic hero.

A hero is simply one who does great deeds, the sort of feats ordinary people could scarcely dream of doing.

But his story is also a tragedy. We tend to think of tragedies as stories with a sad ending, and that’s half right. But in the original definition, what made a sad story a tragedy is that the hero falls due to a “tragic flaw.”

So, for instance, when people read or watch the movie “The Death of Superman,” where we see Kal-El die after his fight with Doomsday, we conclude this is a tragedy because of its sad ending. But while we see Superman die, we never see him fall; he remains true to form, a paragon of virtue and heroism to the very end.

But in Greek tragedies, heroes have flaws that lead to their downfall. Achilles was a courageous warrior and had the strength of a god, but was stubborn and proud, which led to a series of events—him sitting out the Trojan war for a time, the sacking of Troy, his battle with Hector—which led to his demise at the hands of Paris.

Oedipus, probably the most famous tragic hero in history, had what Greeks held to be the ultimate flaw—hubris, or the belief that one could possibly oppose fate and the gods. His hubris led to Oedipus blinding himself and going into self-imposed exile.

In each of these, the tragic component comes not from how the hero dies, but how the hero’s flaws lead to their fall.

And that’s what Thunderfall is really about. It’s the story of Avizandum’s death, but it’s actually about Harrow’s fall.

He was truly a good king, putting the interests of his people ahead of himself.

Viren: “King Harrow worked tirelessly. He told me he thought of himself as a servant of all the people of Katolis. A servant King.”

Fighting to create a just world, one that treats everyone, rich and poor alike, with the fairness and kindness they deserve.

Harrow: Sarai, my father told me that above all, I must be a just king. The night he died, Lady Justice came to me in a dream…She said to me that justice was more than fair decisions and fair consequences. True justice was a fair system. Then she laid before me her scales, her sword, and her blindfold and told me to choose.

Sarai: You chose the blindfold.

Harrow: I did. She said the blindfold gives us a way to test the system.That I should use it to imagine I had not been born yet, and that I did not know if I would be born rich or poor, what color my skin would be, what culture or practices my family would have. That a fair system should be fair no matter the accident of my birth. That the rights, and laws, and opportunities within the system should stand to protect and empower everyone.

But Harrow was only a man. He found the love of his life, and she was taken from him not long after.

And for years he struggled to move past his loss. To be the better person. To look toward the present and the future.

But in the end, he couldn’t let go of his hate. He succumbed to it and let it consume him.

And this one moment of weakness set in motion everything that was to follow—Avizandum’s death and stealing the Dragon Egg; the Dragonguard’s betrayal; the Dragon Queen’s revenge; and the quest to return Zym home.

This all led to the moment when Callum found himself standing on the same field where Harrow once stood, wrestling with the same feelings and temptations that Harrow once wrestled with.

At this moment, Callum struggles to contain his hatred. Even Rayla looks somewhat shocked.

He’s feeling such a wave of emotion—pain, sadness, anger. Maybe even a little gladness that the creature who took his mother is gone.

But this all fades away to sadness and regret: “I feel so sorry that this all happened.”

Why?

That was the moment Callum saw beyond himself. His pain was personal, but it was never only his. Because even for Avizandum, the object of Callum’s hatred, there was someone who mourned his loss.

And someone who’s life was now emptier without him.

They were all bound together now, by both Avizandum’s life and his death.

Just like Callum, Ezran, and Rayla are.

Because of that, rather than succumbing to it like Harrow did, Callum decides to let go of his hate. He instead chooses to have faith that love—his love— could be enough to finally fix what was broken and set right what once went wrong so long ago.

One of the things I really like about Callum isn’t that he’s a strong character who is also vulnerable, emotional, and loving. Even though that’s not as common for male characters as I’d like it to be, it’s still not that rare. Some of the most iconic heroic figures—Superman, Luke Skywalker, Avatar Aang—are powerful characters who allow themselves to be vulnerable and sensitive.

But what’s different from Callum is that he’s not merely both strong and vulnerable, but that his strength comes from his vulnerability. He’s become a powerful mage in a matter of weeks because of his love—he’s always learned new forms of magic in response to a need; his love, and his desire to protect it, helps provide that need, and pushes him to break past the limits to his strength again and again.

He’s able to face so much adversity in his life because he’s not afraid to face his emotions and even his darker impulses—to learn from them and then let them go. And this is the lesson that Harrow passed on to his son; that strength means he no longer has to hold on to his hatred and his pain but look beyond to find something meaningful, something worth fighting for and protecting.

And that something might end up saving their world.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Freak Your Bean (Male Moonshadow!Reader x Soren)

Requested by @acoustickitten for “ Does the idea of Soren bonding with a moonshadow mage (that's possibly Lujanne's apprentice? Because illusion magic is awesome) that's apart of Ezran's Royal Council when he and Claudia were imprisoned appeal to you?”

You had made quite a splash with the kingdom of Katolis when you showed up with Corvus and Ezran (and a banther, but no one really counted it). 

Because an elf? Serving the new King of Katolis? It was unthinkable for anyone on either side of the Breach.

Your Moonshadow brethren would turn you into a ghost for certain because of this transgression, but it was necessary.

When Ezran and his friends had come to the Moon Nexus, you had had a few talks with your master, Lujanne, who had been teaching you Moon Magic since you were a child. Dealing with imaginary friends is a lot more difficult when you know illusion magic.

Anyway, the two of you had decided you would travel with the newborn Dragon Prince to get him to Xadia and to Zubeia, the Dragon Queen.

But when Ezran decided it was necessary for him to return to Katolis, you spoke up and said you were going with him.

Because Rayla and Callum could take Zym to Xadia, and earn trust from the Xadian people in humans, but the divide needed to be healed both ways. So you went with Ezran to earn trust in Xadians from the humans.

After all, the Moon Arcanum is all about knowing that reality is subjective, that the only truth is the things you know without using your senses. So who is to say humans deserved to be cast out of Xadia, or that magical creatures and humans are natural enemies?

You admired Ezran’s confidence in claiming you as an advisor in the royal court. It was hard, but you convinced them that you meant no harm to any but those who would harm Ezran, and you wanted to promote peace between the human kingdoms and Xadia.

You were surprised to see Claudia and Soren again. You kind of liked Soren. You had been nervous about his “slidey-sling go-fast rope” and he had gone with you to demonstrate how safe it was, holding you around the waist while you flew across the ravine. It had been exhilarating.

Soren seemed to like you, too. He watched in awe as you had put on a show for him, Claudia, Callum, and the others, using your illusion magic to create beautiful pictures while Lujanne told a story. He even clapped and giggled like a baby when you made a miniature dragon illusion fly up his nose. 

You wonder if Claudia still thinks you’re an illusion. She looks awful, her hair with a thick streak of white, and the stench of Dark Magic curls off of her in waves.

When Ezran is pressured into imprisoning the two children of Viren, you look at him. “Ez - my lord, may I visit them? I’m sure I can determine their guilt or innocence.”

Ezran looks at you hopefully, and despite the protests of Opeli and the court, you are sent alone to them.

“...a bread sandwich.” you hear Soren say as you enter the tower room.

“You know, bread has been my favorite human food? We don’t have bread in Xadia.”

“Y/N!” Soren’s face lights up, and he runs to hug you. He offers you one of the three slightly-bitten bread loaves he holds, and you accept.

Claudia sighs. “Look, Y/N, you have to tell Ezran we weren’t trying to kill him!  He’s got it all wrong.”

You look at Soren, who looks so sad and lost. “Soren?”

“Y/N... Claudia didn’t know about it. But... it’s true. My dad ordered me to kill the princes.”

You gasp. “Wait a minute... was the slidey-sling go-fast rope part of that?”

Soren shrugged. “It was at first. But you were having so much fun that I kinda... decided not to.”

Claudia huffs in frustration. “Don’t listen to him. He misheard or misremembered or something. There’s no way Dad would tell him to do that!”

“I believe you, Soren.” you say softly. He looks at you in awe and gratitude. “But I think that you’re a good person. You wouldn’t have gone through with it. Or you, Claudia.”

She nods. “I’ve known Ezran since he was born. He’s like family. I’d never hurt him.”

You absently trace your fingers through the air, a blue rune forming at your touch . “Lumen imaginibus.”

Soren gasps as you send little glowing outlines of butterflies flying around the room. Even Claudia smiles at the magic.The butterflies perch on the walls of the room, shedding ethereal blue light everywhere, almost like you’re all back in the Moon Nexus.

“I’m going to tell Ezran that neither of you are a threat to him. I know your father wants the baby dragon, but Azymondias needs to go to his mother. It’s the only way to stop our people from fighting each other.” As you talk, the butterflies swarm and turn into little glowing pictures of Callum and Rayla and Azymondias walking in place before turning into wisps that become miniature Moon Phoenixes.

Claudia and Soren nod. “Good. I should go now, but I’ll have you out of here soon.”

As you leave, you see Claudia glancing pointedly at Soren, then at you. Then you hear her whisper-shout “tell him!”

“Tell me what?”

“Soren has something to say to you.” Claudia grins mischievously, then steps away so that you can see the Crownguard blushing and smiling bashfully.

“Uh.... Y/N?”

“Yes?”

“I like you....r accent.” Soren tacks the last part on. Claudia facepalms.

You smile. “I like your accent, too.”

He blinks in confusion before smiling back. “I like how you can draw pictures in the air and make them move. I like how you can make anything seem tasty with magic, and make people think stuff is there when it isn’t. Or the other way around. I... I’m trying to say I think I like you, Y/N. And maybe, when things are calmer, I could take you out on a date or something.”

You grin. “I think I like you too, Soren. And I know I’d really enjoy spending more time with you.”

You wave your hand, and the Phoenixes all fly towards you and vanish, except for one, which perches on Soren’s shoulder before turning into a butterfly. He holds out his hand and it flutters to his finger.

“I think you forgot one.”

“Keep it,” you say, and the butterfly wraps itself around his finger, turning into glowing blue lines that fade into his skin. “Now, all you have to do it think of me and snap your fingers, and the butterfly will fly to me and deliver a message, wherever I am. You can tell me where to meet you for our date.”

He sighs contentedly, staring at his finger while you exit.

After you leave he looks at Claudia. “Am I smooth or what?”

She just sighs.

[violaswimmer]

Hopes for TDP Season 4

Yo! For those of you who don’t know I love the Dragon Prince on Netflix, I’m a huge fan of the show especially of this past season! There was so much that happened (Spoilers btw) and I have so much I want to see in season 4/future seasons! So here we go, some things I hope to see in season 4!

1. Rayla trying to understand and overcome taking a life. Whether we want to admit it or not, Rayla did kill Viren (even if he was brought back to life later). It was somewhat indirect, since Rayla tossed both of them over the tower’s edge. But she probably knew that it would be very unlike for either of them to survive, no matter how powerful Viren had become. I don’t think she will regret her actions, but I think she still feel the guilt of ending someone’s life. Especially knowing that Viren is Soren (now an ally, yay!) and Claudia’s father. 

Also that introduces a new dynamic between Soren and Rayla, who now that they are allies, will probably begin to develop some sort of friendship (hopefully). Soren would have taken his father’s life to stop him, and killed his illusion in front of Claudia without hesitation. Rayla however, actually did kill him. It will be interesting to see how that may help or hinder whatever relationship they will form. It could be that Soren will learn to respect her greatly, knowing that she will do the right thing no matter what (killing Viren to save Zym, knowing that her own life would be in danger). But he could also still view her as his father’s murderer as he deals with his own guilt at attacking his illusion. 

2. Our heroes meet the real threat, Aaravos. Everyone will know that something is up when they can’t locate Viren’s body at the bottom of the tower. I think the search for him will be spearheaded by Amaya who never trusted him and knows the danger he posses and Rayla who would want to retrieve the bag filled with coins, knowing that the bag somehow contains a collection of Moonshadow elves. Something big will definitely happen when Aaravos breaks free of his cocoon. I’m also sure that the Dragon Queen will grow concerned when she hears of the battle and someone describes to her the giant purple worm hanging onto Viren. I’m sure that will begin to jog her memory and our heroes will be introduced to the true villain of the series. 

Viren and Claudia will also be in trouble, the tide has turned and when the cocoon breaks, it’s likely that Viren will not be in control anymore. Aaravos will become the master and promise Viren (and by extension Claudia) what they want, the destruction of Xadia. Claudia may also turn towards the dark side even further, at the loss of her brother choosing Xadia over their family and at Rayla if she is to find out that Rayla was the one who sent Viren to his death. Rayla can also be blamed (at least by Claudia) for the reason that Ezran and Callum no longer trust her, and honestly being the source of the beginning to all of this. Rayla could easily become the object of her anger. 

3. Ezran becoming king, for real this time. Ezran came back to his thrown too early, being a bit naive in his attempts to be king of Katolis. I think he had good intentions which will translate to his true rule and I hope he maintains his ideals for peace having quite literally been the one (along with Callum and Rayla) to forge it. The new threat of Aaravos’s return will shake the unstable foundation of that peace, as a human (Viren) was the one to bring him back. With his new allies, and the battle solidifying his intent as king to maintain peace, Ezran will be the great child-king of Katolis. 

4. Callum and Rayla going on another journey. The Aaravos threat means that the world is going to need all the help it can get! As Ezran sits on the thrown, these two go on a journey to find answers while Callum learns more magic and Rayla helps him while maintain his safety as well as finding out what they can about Aaravos. We think that Callum is the only human to ever understand an arcanum, but perhaps he isn’t the only one. We will also hopefully see what exactly Aaravos did to deserve his imprisonment aside from using dark magic. 

5. Soren and Claudia solidifying sides. We saw Soren and Claudia make some pretty big decisions this past season. Soren knowing what wrong looks like and deciding to join the fight against his father and Claudia trying to please choosing to stay with Viren. Though this one fight did cause some big decisions it doesn’t mean that either of them won’t choose different sides later on. I think eventually everyone will be on the same side (at least briefly) when Aaravos comes into full power. He may try to manipulate Claudia and Viren into following him for a time, but I would find it hard to believe that either of them would allow themselves to be subjugated to him for too long. 

Although I love Claudia’s character, I think she’s going down a road that she can’t come back from (especially bringing her father back, presumably by sacrificing another life, and it probably isn’t another deer). She has consistently shown that she can’t adapt to the idea of elves not being monsters, and that her father may not be the person she thinks he is. He has seemed to treat her kindly (not always but better than he treated Soren) but manipulates her constantly. Making her believe that Soren is a fool (he can be but that doesn’t mean he is a fool, he has his great moments). She also seems to take his word as gospel, never challenging him even when Soren whom she cares for deeply, tried to tell her about the order to assassinate the princes. 

Soren on the other hand has to deal with losing both his sister and his father. Also he has to sit with the fact that when the moment counted, he chose to protect his king and was willing to kill (or severely injure) his father in order to do it. This is something that he will feel guilty over but I don’t think he will regret his actions. He gave every warning to illusion Viren that he wouldn’t stand by as Ezran was killed. That scene is pretty spot on in terms of Soren and Viren’s relationship. Viren has had every chance to be a better father to Soren and for some reason refuses to. He constantly demeans him and underestimates him, favoring Claudia much more. It’s hard to tell when Viren started treating Soren this way, since when their parents split it seemed like Soren liked his father a great deal, enough to want to stay with him instead of going with his mother. I also hope we get to hear about Claudia and Soren’s mother, what is her name and where did she go? It would be neat if Soren met with her again, and we got to see the opposite of the divorce. Soren with his mother and Claudia with her father. 

I’d also like to see Soren begin to learn his true value with his new group. Instead of having his ideas dismissed or mocked I’d like to see him become a really force of good will, seeing that he truly made the right decision by leaving his father. I want to see him develop more into a warrior and leader. 

6. Continuation of relationships development both romantic and platonic. Rayllum anyone? Yes, thank you for this blessing. Janai and Amaya? Beautiful, amazing, love it! Runaan and Ethari, so so good! I hope to see these relationship develop along with new friendships! Soren and Rayla, Soren and Ezran, Amaya and Rayla, so on and so forth! I hope we also get to learn even more about these character pasts, and see them grow as they encounter new challenges!

I think that might be it? For now at least! Let me know your thoughts on the season and what you hope to see next! 

[xadianwolf]

🌒Book I: Moon🌒

🌕Moonrise🌕

-Harrow ready for the assassins is such a beautiful, but sad scene. He knows that this will definetly be his end and yet, he marches towards it, without fear.

- Aww, him cuddling with Pip for probably the last time....okay, that's not as cute when I think about it...

- So Dark Mages can basically use hand-flashlights? Or hand-flashs? Light-hands?

- Notice that, when Rayla steps closer to the egg, Callum backs away while Ezran grabs onto the egg. Though she's not going to kill them anymore, they still are suspicious.

- Boys having to choose between Claudia and Rayla. I think Ezran was unsure who to choose, but upon realizing Zym's egg is without a mother, he chose Rayla. Callum probablt wanted to choose Claudia, but changed his mind when Ez went with Rayla.

- "The right thing. I hope." He knows taking the egg back is right, but is still unsure.

- Smoky Seekers spell is actually pretty scary. First off, The Shadowlife candle, which is basically dragon's earwax (ew) thrown together with Moon Phoenix blood. Then there's the ashes of dead Xadian Wolves thrown onto the flames and being resurrected as forms of smoke, but BOUND to the summoner's command. You can basically take a soul, bring it back to life AND force it to do what you want. That's messed up.

- Sidenote: we've only seen Moon-related creatures being shadow-surrected (Xadian Wolves are connected to Moon Primal and later Viren uses the ashes of dead Moonshadow assassins). Does that mean only they can be brought back?

- Rayla's first encouragement for Callum to walking on mage's path.

- Little does Viren know, those words will stay with Soren til the final battle.

- Though the stab stuff is over, princes still don't trust Rayla.

- Oof. To be honest, Viren kinda deserved being lectured around.

- The look on Rayla's face when Callum comes out and tells Runaan off. She's scared for him, but also stunned. Just mere minutes ago, she'd thought of humans as nothing and this boy has no reason to trust her, and yet he defends her.

- Shadow!Rayla!!!

- So the Soulfang basket stayed in Harrow's room 🤔 I wonder if it could mean something....

- Viagra, you dick!

- Rayla and Runaan fighting until Runaan realizes what she's trying to do. I do wonder why didn't she go after him though.

- HOW DARE YOU CALL MY VIRTUAL SON MONGREL, VIRUS?!

- Soren pushed Callum away from the arrow! Huh, I guess he kinda cares for him. Meh, that boy is still a dick.

- Moonshadows are so focused on their mission that they don't even notice Callum and Viren. That's dedication. Okay, that sounded bad, but I'm gonna leave it here anyway.

- Virus backing off from the fight.

- I feel for Callum. Like seriously, my son ran away from the tower and stumbled across dead bodies. Eesh, TDP is dark....and I love it.

- Rayla being ready to save Harrow from her own people 🥺

- I wonder what Zubeia thought when the Shadowhawk arrived because there was only one ribbon. Angry because assassins failed to kill Ezran? A bit of gladness because the human who took her mate was killed? Or maybe even sad and regretful because a child was now left king without parents? No wonder she fell into a coma when so many mixed feelings were flying around her head.

- Rayla doesn't want to hurt the princes further, so she keeps the truth about their father's death.

Alright, that's it for today, wolves! Next time I'll cover episodes from 4-6.

Wolfy out 🐺!

[purfectprincessgirl]

Sooo... TDP Season 3 is finally out and...

...I’ve got... SO many feels about it : o 

((SPOILERS BELOW))

Zym and Bait continue to be precious lil beans and I love em >w< Zym’s especially reminding me of my sis’ new pup irl so all his puppy-like cuteness kept killing me every dang time 😭❤️

Poor Rayla being so excluded from her own people like that... all over something her parents “supposedly” did that didn’t even turn out to be true ;-; Someone pls give her a hug 

RUNAAN’S HUSBAND ETHARI IS HERE AND HE’S SO PRECIOUS~! 💕Seeing that flashback of him and Runaan just being so soft and loving to eachother before this big mission... only for Runaan to befall a tragic fate and leaving Ethari so alone now q-q Luckily that one shot of Runaan’s flower faintly glowing underwater could give us some good hope of a reunion between them one day... T-T

Sooo, looks like Rayla and Callum are canon now? :O Huh, that’s cool ^^ Admittedly I wasn’t too big a shipper of them in the previous seasons so I was a bit unsure at first at how to take in all of this sudden ship-teasing in-between all this serious war stuff happening... but it all turned out surprisingly pretty heartfelt by the end and it’s at least refreshing that they didn’t wait til like, the very last season(s) to bring them together or whatever (unlike some other annoyingly-dragged out “will they/won’t they?” ships in certain other shows >.>). I wish these two the best of luck for the upcoming TDP season(s) 👍

Callum’s getting pretty powerful now with these new spells he’s learning... wonder if he’s gonna find any limit with that or if he’s gonna go the straight up Avatar route of just obtaining all the magic arcanums? Either way, I’m intrigued : o 

Also speaking of which did anyone else just scream at that lil boomerang mention? Aaaaa thank you for my daily Sokka feels T-T

I’m... really conflicted on how they handled Claudia here .-. I mean, I still love her as a whole and I’ll admit that I am pretty intrigued to see how she handles being on the same side as not just her dad but Aaravos as well now... but, I honestly feel like she was a bit too trusting of her dad here? ^^; Like, girl... you just saw Viren turn everyone into freaky lava monsters and the way he kept harshly brushing off Soren... why so quick to still take Viren’s side in all this? o.o Guess that’s an unfortunate side effect of having a manipulative prick like him as a father... I just hope she’ll somehow find the light of it by the next season or so. Poor thing deserves better :c 

On the plus side though, Soren was SUCH a pure bean here and I couldn’t be any prouder that he was able to break free on the good side now~ :D. Never stop being you, boi 💜

Viren’s still a stubborn jackass... surprise to no one ever lol Wonder how long he’ll be able to keep up this "having good intentions at heart” schtick... he doesn’t have much left now except his daughter and “little bug pal”, so... lol

Now Aarovos on the other hand... oooh was he just fun here~ ;p Being able to move around more freely in that spirit form as Viren prepared his army... lowkey acting like a playful troll the whole time (ex. laying around on his spirit-horse while Viren talked) but still putting up the “charming yet intimidating” villain card well when the time called for it. That very last cliffhanger tho... idk if this means his bug form is gonna grow into some freaky butterfly now or if Aaravos is actually regrowing his actual body in a physical form but either way, I’m hyyyped~ ;D ngl tho am I the only one who kinda thought at first Claudia killed his bug body to bring back her dad? lmao

The other characters were pretty entertaining here in their own ways too~ Love how Amaya was her usual bamf-ass self but yet still soft enough to convince Janai on her side :3. Poor Janai losing her sister though... arrogant or not, that was a pretty harsh fate she went through o.o 

Hurray for Gren coming back in one piece~! :3 And that Sunfire linguist that was helping to translate Amaya’s words for Janai was pretty cute too~ ^^

King Ezran is so strong and resourceful at his young age ;w; Harrow would be so proud~

Speaking of Harrow... whoa, that flashback with him and Viren though : o Twisting his grief over his deceased wife enough to convince Harrow to bring down Zym’s dad... ouch

Nyx was a fun little character with a pretty design... kinda wish she stuck around more for the end though, but hopefully we’ll see some more of her in the next volume? 

I... did NOT expect to see lil Aanya show up with her whole army with her... but boy was I hype for it~! 👏 Now THAT is a queen :D

Overall, I say it was a pretty fun season as a whole, and I can’t wait for the next to come (if it does soon) ^w^

[raayllum]

for day 1 of rayllum’s bad vibes rodeo, flowers

He finds the flowers near the rim of the Sea of the Cast Out, growing almost like weeds - stubborn but bright like Moon arcanum flowers, out of whatever outskirts of ruins they’ve stumbled across. He was meant to be gathering firewood, but the flowers catch his eye, and well... They’re pretty, just like Rayla, and he’s been bad at expressing himself since coming back, but he knows she’s homesick and worried about her parents, and maybe something Moon arcanum-y will lift her spirits? Maybe the flowers can do the talking for him?

Callum gathers a small bouquet, the scent soothing, and then tucks them carefully into the seam of his tunic where he keeps her letter over his heart. Maybe, if he gets up the nerve to give her the flowers, they can finally talk about all of it. Why it hurt when she left, what he still doesn’t understand, and what he wants.

That he wants her.

He comes back to the campfire, Ezran playing with Stella, Rayla watching with a sweet smile while Bait grumbles in the corner. Callum adds the firewood to their pile and plops down, decidedly more beside her in a way that would’ve been normal, before, but feels tentative and heart-racing to rebuild now.

“You were gone for a while,” she notes, still smiling, but he can see the faint worry in her eyes. “Almost sent Bait out to look for you.”

Callum scoots a bit closer as a silent apology, his knee bumping into hers. “Ah, excellent tracker, is he?” He’s less surprised this time when Rayla hum and rests her head on his shoulder, her smile growing and worry fading.

“Oh, the best.”

Callum snorts, and they stay like that until the fire dies down and Ez and Stella grow quiet, Stella bounding over to curl up on Rayla’s other shoulder, and Zym coils his tail around a sleeping Ezran.

It takes even longer for Callum to find his voice, the arm that’s not wrapped around her waist half reaching for the flowers in his pocket. They’re beautiful, just like her, and she deserves to know... what? That he loves her? That he loves her.

“Rayla?” he begins, but there’s not even a sleepy hum in response, and he looks over to find her dozing, her cheek softly smushed against his shoulder.

Everything in him eases and twists with disappointment all at once. Okay, so not tonight. He leans forward and gives her forehead a little kiss, mindful of her horns. But tomorrow, for sure.

He wakes up alone, her sleeping bag cold when he reaches for her. His fingers don’t brush any of her weapons either, not her father’s bow or her familiar butterfly blades, and it hits him like a gut punch, the idea of being at Umber Tor and not having anything of her left, because she leaves, just like she always does, and—

Callum sits up, a bitter twinge in his heart. “Where’s—”

“She went out scouting,” Ez answers, petting Zym’s head by the newly lit fire.

“And you didn’t think to wake me?” he grouses irritably. They could’ve gone together. She would’ve let him come this time, wouldn’t she? She’d wanted him to come in the Drakewood, and he’d been too angry and proud to—

“We figured a prince needs his beauty sleep,” she drawls, strolling back into camp with berries and a bright smile. Ezran accepts the present eagerly, Rayla frowning when Callum doesn’t lighten. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he says, composing himself. He isn’t going to be mad anymore. He doesn’t want to be mad. He just wants—He reaches for the flowers, his fingers finding only strange ash. What the—?

Can emotion kill the good things too, as some kind of cruel magic?

“Just... still a bit tired,” he lies, and she softens.

“Eat,” she coaxes. “You’ll feel better.”

He gets his answer later though, when their path takes them by the same bend of ruins he’d traipsed through the previous night. The field had been full of beautiful blooms, but now they’re nothing more than crumbled piles of ash. Zym sniffs at one with a displeased snort.

“What are these about, Rayla?” Ezran asks.

“Flowers of Elarion,” she says. “They’re beautiful, but only at night. They regrow in the evening but don’t make it past sunrise.”

“Like a phoenix cycle?”

She reaches down and ruffles Ezran’s hair. “A bit, yeah.”

“That’s sort of sad,” he reflects.

“Sort of,” she agrees. “But they’re flowers. They can’t change their nature.”

Callum presses his lips together. They’re beautiful and soothing, just like her, and nothing good nor bad ever lasts forever, but fuck, his heart hurts now. There’s a strange quality in his voice, as he says, “So they’re always gone by morning?”

Rayla catches his eye, and there must be something in his gaze, too, because she ducks her head, unable to entirely hold it—just like he can’t entirely hold her, no matter how badly he wants to. “Yes,” she answers. She swallows. “They are.”

[lysteriaposts]

tdp scribbles

sooo I probably should’ve done this live or like in order but I didn’t so here’s an incredibly messy, all-over-the-place “review” (if it even can be called that) of the dragon prince, season 2. continue at your own peril.

SO MANY FLASHBACKS/BACKSTORIES HELLS YEA

illusion worm food by crazy auntie lujanne

her explanation of “reality” got me mind-boggled

CROW MASTER? LITTLE BADASS GIRL QUEEN AND HER TWO MOTHERS? to name a few? these new characters are cool

honestly the shots in this show are gorgeous

rayla is even more on edge this season, hah

tbh Viren I would also turn evil if I had to be advisor for a king that constantly ignores my advice... you still a shitty father t h o u gh (i can see why your wife left you sry not sry)

Harrow I know you have your mantra and all but stop making bad decisions for your people, pls

I LIVE FOR SOREN/CLAUDIA SIBLINGHOOD

HEY SOREN'S A DUMB JOCK BUT HE'S MY DUMB JOCK!

both terrified and turned on whenever claudia does magic..

A+ for continuity with callum/claudia but yeesh they're a weird pairing

soren and rayla’s synched “ugh” lmfao. he finally had a sparring partner, i support this frenemyship.

AHA! SARCASM1!!!1

KING EZRAN GROWS SO MUCH THIS SEASON I FEEL LIKE SUCH A PROUD MOTHER

bait, don't worry, i still remember you and your glowing smile (hah get it??? yes i know i’m boring)

KING HARROW'S LETTER TO CALLUM (who’s slicing onions)

callum & rayla = friendship goals, also their hugs are cozy???

aavaros scares the living crap outta me, he makes viren look like a wimp... great villain incoming

callum’s anxiety and panic attacks, damn when will he stop being so relatable

THAT NARCOLEPTIC PIRATE WAS LOWKEY IROH IN DISGUISE AHAHAHA

#SaveGrenFromTheDungeonChallenge

soren you just became responsible for indirectly massacring a whole ass town, you dumb human

okay? when he became paralysed for trying to fight a freaking dragon? and then cried and confessed he just wanted to be loved by his father??? i might’ve just shed a tear

CLAUDIA & EZRAN BONDING YEEHAW

claudia saving her brother's life by sacrificing part of her humanity, we don't deserve her :(((

CALLUM CAN DO PRIMAL MAGIC, NOICE #DefyExpectations

the toasted by lightning zym finally got off his little toe

last note, i don’t ship anyone. i’d rather not let that ruin the story for me and i want to watch where the writers take it, plus i think they’ve created a TON of dynamics between characters that are already interesting without the romance. i guess i’ve learned from past mistakes at last.

i’ll end it here for my own and your sanity. can’t wait to see what’s next!!!

[sufandomgirl]

Amphibia x Dragon Prince x VLD Fanfiction Part 5

Andrias x Leif

{Andrias could not believe what he saw on the memory stone. It enraged him. He saw Terrence's actions as a failure to his one true love, which was unacceptable. However, all he could really do was reassign him to his old outpost permanently, since it was on the outskirts, taming predators that might attack villages for the rest of his days. Terrence accepted this punishment, graciously. Also, the memory stone had not given a clear, concise idea as to her location as they had hoped. This was all so frustrating. They had no idea where she was and Terrence could've been at that mountain base randomly. Without a way or reason to suspect that Leif might be on the other side of the mountainous and mineral barrier, they had to let it go. All of the strange mineral appearances and growths looked suspicious at first glance, but it hadn't affected anyone yet, so there was no reason to investigate it, either. The twins enter the throneroom after everyone else but their Uncle Barrel had left. Their father was angry, they could sense it. Barrel explained that it was just him missing Leif and king stuff. Belle tilted her head, quizzically up at him. This never failed to bring a smile to his face, soon followed up by a chuckle.}

Andrias: Thank you, Belle. I just miss her everyday is all.

{Her shier brother, Frederick, was more into. the deep thought behind his father's words. He and Uncle Barrel told them so many stories of Leif that they felt like they knew her. They often wondered, if she was still here, would she have liked them?}

Leif's Hideout...

{Callum watched as Kaylee's parents, whom everyone thought were dead came and took back custody of her. For someone who 'loved Leif like her mother', Kaylee was disturbingly willing to go with them, not knowing whether they'd let her see Leif again. First Andrias and Barrel had hunted her, then Terrence refused to help when Leif had really needed him and left her to run this whole thing on her own until he and Zym arrived. Callum clenched his fists. It wasn't fair, Leif deserved so much better. Now, she'd have to learn how to use a new, bigger body.}

That Night, Newtopian Castle...

{This dream was different. Andrias was looking down at a pink giant salamander his size and felt strong emotions towards her, like he'd known her his whole life. The nurses were rushig her on a gurney.}

Nurse 1: Hurry, she's flatlining!

{She couldn't move a muscle. She couldn't feel anything. This was it.}

Dream Andrias: (screaming) No!!!! Leif!!!!!

{Andrias bolted awake in a cold sweat. He'd called the salamander Leif, why?}

Andrias: What a strange dream.

[raayllum]

Some of my favorite things about s4!!

-Ezran’s speech in episode 3 and the way it voices over Claudia and Ibis’s battle

-Ibis’s death scene paired with Corvus’s song (sorry Ibis)

-Janaya proposal scene <3 and the amount of times Janai calls Amaya her future wife

-The Janaya two cakes scene, which is so incredibly soft and beautiful

-Terry’s conversation with Viren about how he always knew he was a buck and how beautifully his representation was portrayed

-the aged up character designs!

-the Katolis birthday song

-“you still love her, dont you?”

-the softness and intimacy of the morning after the rayllum reunion scene. The way rayla’s face is filled with such love watching him sleep.

“The best thing I ever had: you.”

-The fact that Barius invented chocolate and this arguably saved the dragangs lives when facing Rex Igneous. So yeah he 1000% deserves that council seat!

-callum entrusting/asking rayla to kill him if he loses control of himself

-zubeia…being unexpectedly one of my favorite characters this season!

-Sorvus, my beloved

-the way callum cradles rayla’s blade to his chest at the end of episode 9

-Soren and rayla’s friendship

And there’s so much more!! But I’ll leave it at that. <3

Other things I loved:

seeing Callum staring up and looking at the moon and thinking of Rayla in general

Ezran being so much more confident as king even if he’s not infallible

Claudia falling down the stairs of the storm spire just like her father while she repeats (literally and figuratively) all his same mistakes

All the new spells this season!

Rayla being so sweet and affectionate/warm with Stella, her cuddle baby <3 girl still has as big a heart as ever

Soren being fully integrated into the dragang

“But enough about my pajamas Claudia. You need to stop trying to free the greatest evil the world has ever known”

Zubeia knowing Ezran and Zym are besties (and using it to her advantage when it comes to eating vegetables)

The transition shot of Ibis on the spire to Opeli lighting the circular fire basin in 4x03

Aaravos shattering his mirror in the same place it had been kept for 300+ years was chef’s kiss

Three Ezran and Rayla hugs this season. Automatically best season

“Just some crickets. But don’t worry. They told me they’re not the ambushing type” 

unpopular opinion maybe but i looved the guardians of the gate, chert is my funny lil rock guy

[raayllum]

Anyway I miss Ezran and I wanna get on an Ezran related meta kick so here’s

Ezran as a Witness and Justice Personified

because I’ve said I would write it forever, so now’s the time. This meta is going to be looking at two key aspects of Ezran’s character, one embedded thematically (message) and one embedded narratively (parallels and relationship wise). In spite of the title ordering, we’re actually going to work backwards, and talk about the narrative aspect, Ezran as Justice, first, because it relates to why he works as a thematic Witness.

This is all adjacent but technically separate to what I have described / touched on before of the Callum and Ezran representing the third path in a world that enforces a fierce binary. Moving past the intro and onto the actual meta now...

What is Justice, in the series, and why does Ezran personify it?

Most of what we know about justice - as an ideal in TDP’s world and within the realm of personification (religion?) that Katolis has comes from Harrow’s speech in 2x05. This, mixed in with the weight of Ezran’s death being labelled as justice/revenge, is where a lot of his entanglement comes from. Thus, here’s King Harrow’s speech in full:

H: My father told me that above all, I must be a Just king. The night he died, Lady Justice came to me in a dream [...] She said to me that justice was more than fair decisions and fair consequences. True justice was a fair system. Then she laid before me her scales, her sword, and her blindfold and told me to choose. [You chose the blindfold.] I did. She said the blindfold gives us a way to test the system. That I should use it to imagine that I had not been born yet, and that I did not know if I would be born rich or poor, what colour my skin would be, what culture or practices my family would have. That a fair system should be fair no matter the accident of my birth. That the rights, the laws, and opportunities within the system should stand to protect and empower everyone.

I’ve talked about it before, but Harrow does his best to embody this by the sacrifices he’s willing to make for the kingdom of Duren. Although he’s king of Katolis, Harrow refuses to place more value on certain people’s lives just because of what side of a border they happen to live on. He falls short when it comes to the magma titan because it falls on the opposite side of the border to himself. 

Ezran, however, does not.

Where Callum offers up an avenue to change an unfair system (magically), Ezran walks a more complicated narrative path. While Ezran undeniably has the very privilege Harrow wrestles with in the scene above (“What did I do to deserve being born with everything?”) he also has the consequences. The “accident” of his birth is what brings violence to his doorstep and creates a direct threat to his life.

Ezran is going to be punished for crimes his father (and his father’s best friend) committed. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Ezran is so headstrong about it in 3x02 when it comes to Claudia and Soren. 

Ezran’s survival becomes its own form of justice, in many ways. As Rayla says, “How can we take action for a crime that never happened?” By finding the egg, Ezran unintentionally finds the key to his own survival. But ultimately, Rayla is willing to lose a hand just to keep Ezran alive, regardless of whether or not the Dragon Prince makes it. And Ezran’s investment in ensuring Zym’s survival comes at even the cost of his own, i.e. risking his life to save the egg in the first place in 1x06. 

While Harrow says that being a Just king is more than only making fair/just decisions, Ezran embodies that as well. He works to smooth over the stormy waters between Callum and Rayla in S1 (or at least, he tries). He holds Claudia accountable in 2x09 but forgives her, and as previously mentioned, frees Claudia and Soren in 3x02. Part of this is due to his compassion towards everyone, including enemies and especially towards animals (and dragons).

However, it also speaks to Ezran as an embodiment of Freedom just as much as Callum is, in having the Sky arcanum, or as Rayla, in being a beacon of new light for what a Moonshadow elf / assassin can become, in terms of breaking away from the cycle of violence / dark magic and creating a new future. His compassion is what allows him to break the cycle they’re all entrenched in by finding Zym and choosing to trust Rayla, ultimately, because “You’re right. It wants its mother.”

But one of the biggest ways Ezran is Freedom and Justice (and the Heart / Spirit / Scales and all that) is because he’s the series’ Witness. I’ll explain more of what I mean in a second, but first I want to talk about why a Witness is a key component of the series’ thematic Justice (and not in a court room way, for either). I touched on this in my 3x03 Viren-Ethari comparison meta, but 

‘ To love someone is to bear witness to them, to See them for who they truly are and to love them anyway. To engage in, not erase, their reality. ’

This is important in the series due to a lack of information - a lack of more than one witness - often leading to trouble, particularly in the case of the Dragonguard egg fallout. The other Dragonguard fled, leaving no witnesses behind to protect the egg or vouch for Rayla’s parents, so they were banished. Viren was able to get away with stealing the egg > killing it (and taking Sarai’s last breath) because he was alone, namely, without Harrow. Without another witness.

So how does this relate to Ezran?

Typically, the audience is privy to more information than the characters (what Viren is up to and his various machinations; the secret behind Rayla’s binding amid Callum’s mistrust; Soren and Claudia’s true intentions, in S2). The only place this is largely subverted is Ezran’s character, where neither the audience nor the characters are privy to his grand revelations until he lets us in on the secret. 

Whether it’s him disappearing and finding the egg in 1x01; knowing about the secret passageways and rock-stone codes; him successfully saving the egg in 1x06 while we’re left to wait and worry; him alone being able to communicate and convey with Ava is saying in 1x09; seeing through the illusions even when Rayla did not; being the only person Claudia has opened up to about her own problems (2x09), as well as witness to Soren’s turn (3x05) and the murder of his father (3x09) alongside Claudia. Never mind Ezran leaving to return with the dragons in 3x09 as well, right when we needed the reinforcements the most. 

The only times something is going on that Ezran is completely unaware of, generally, is Rayllum’s romance in s3, Aanya arriving on the scene in 3x09, and Viren’s revival, which no one but Claudia and Aaravos are privy to by the season’s end. And for things Ezran doesn’t know for sure, he tends to have an intuitive nature about; he cares far less about not knowing the truth regarding Rayla’s binding, he wants to communicate with Amaya in 1x04, and he’s aware he’s being set up in 3x04 - he’s just willing to take the fall in hopes of saving absolutely any of his people. 

 Ezran is not naive. He knows how terrible the world is and has experienced much of it now first hand. He’s simply hopeful it can get better and pushes the world to be better.

Since, as he’s Justice and Truth embodied in many ways - seeing through illusions, positing the truth as a powerful force - and fulfils Harrow’s wish as best he can “to be free,” how the other characters in the show treat Ezran is the standard of whether they are heroic or villainous in so many ways. It’s not always as clear cut (see my Life Giver / Death Seeker dichotomy meta for something I think better encompasses the dichotomy TDP is actually using more purposefully) but it is pretty consistent.

Soren and Rayla’s redemption arcs are solidified by what they are willing to do in order to protect Ezran and make up for prior choices / threats. 

Claudia is accordingly a bit murkier, both attacking Ezran and being there for him in his deepest moment of grief. But her turn to villainy (at least for now) is still marked by being willing to put Ezran’s life at risk, even if Viren was an illusion. Callum is at his jerkiest with his brother, but always comes back around, and his drive to protect his brother is one of the things that establishes him as a decidedly ‘heroic’ character early on (narratively, anyhow). Viren, again as of S3, is at the bottom of the barrel. While Callum has the cube, Ezran likely has the bloodline of the Orphan Queen, a figure we know had a personal connection to Aaravos 300+ years ago and who may have had something to do with what led to his imprisonment. 

Ezran is used as this measuring tool for morality for a number of reasons. The first is that he’s able to continually grow past where other characters falter, or have faltered. This is reminiscent of one of the shows’ core philosophies, that “a child is freer than a king” precisely because they are less burdened by the past and waves of prejudice. Ezran accordingly holds this spot as the one true child character in the main cast at only 10 years old. The second is that because Ezran bears Witness, he sees every character’s good and bad actions in many ways, and can be a fair Judge, as well. The third is his connection to the natural world, the strongest and clearest we’ve seen so far, that puts him in direct contrast with the use of dark magic arguably more than any other character, manifested in his connection to literally see through Zym’s eyes.

His ability to simultaneously fully wear the blindfold while also seeing clearly is his greatest gift, and I am so excited to see how the future seasons of the show can build on this groundwork and explore his character even further.