#no ethari yet

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Ethari leaned his forehead against Runaan's old punching target. Its leather was worn smooth with age and careful care, and scuffed by the odd full-force strike. He closed his eyes against the memories that tried to rise and flourish, memories that tried to resurrect a man long dead. He did not want to remember just now.

His hands settled around the target's waist,and he blew out a long, sad breath. His shoulders slumped, bowed with the weight of things he could not change. Once, he'd thought himself strong enough to bear any load.

Now, he knew better. Now, he knew where his weak spots lay, and how little pressure it took to break him again.

This time, it was the library.

He'd lost track of where his feet were headed, and when he glanced up and saw where he was, years of memories had assaulted him all at once.

Home. No safer there, but at least the pains were more predictable.

He balled one hand into a fist and jabbed hard into the target's midsection. It rocked back with a leather creak, its tilt anchored by the heavy weight of the sand that filled its base.

Rayla had been scared of the violent sloshing sound the water had made when Runaan hit it, so Ethari had volunteered to trek over to the Midnight Desert and haul back a giant sack of black sand to replace it with-

Ethari's fist connected again. The target rocked back again, its leather protesting.

Again, and then again, jabbing the same useless sucker punch over and over. Not a move he'd ever use. Just the one that required the least effort.

The target righted itself after every hit and kissed itself against his forehead. Ethari hated it, that false semblance of intimacy, and he struck again, harder. Tears slipped down his cheeks, hot and bitter, and he sobbed in time with his punches.

He didn't escalate. There was no point in fighting harder. He'd already lost.

He'd already lost.

Finally, he wiped his eyes on an old training towel, still hanging on its peg, and patted the target on the waist.

"Good talk."

He turned to go. They'd chat again soon enough.

[ask-runaan-anything]

Hiiii. Got nothin to ask just wanted to say hi, you give me a lot of drawing motivation

You know what I look like? I thought I was so well hidden...

[ruthari-preacher]

Gren: Do you support gay rights? Runaan: I’m literally gay. Gren: You’re avoiding the question!

[apogean-tides]

I was today years old when I learnt that one of Runaan's early concept designs was rejected for being too "spicy" and now it lives rent free in my head

Me: side thigh slits. what's so spicy about them?

Also me: *watches Hell's Paradise for the first time* o-oh. OH.

[auggiedrawsturts]

Someone get that dumb brittish twink out of the coin right now so i can erase him and the entire dumb moonfam out of my brain

[needsmorewlw]

Glad my post from 5 years ago is making the rounds again after season 7 dropped

ethari making runaans weapons prettier than everyone elses

[ladyandherbooks]

I think most of us knew and weren't surprised that Runaan touching Ethari would be the thing to prove to him that the Runaan he's seeing is really truly him.

But I do like how each touch in their reunion showed the different phases of his emotional journey in this scene.

Runaan's first touch shocks him, rendering him wide-eyed, open mouthed and speechless. He has to turn around and face Runaan and take him in, to confirm that this is really happening. But he hasn't accepted that it's really Runaan yet and this is where touch 2 comes into play.

Runaan grabs Ethari's hands and pulls them up inbetween them. Ethari is so shocked, too distracted in taking Runaan in that it takes him a few seconds to realise that Runaan's touching him again. He can feel it, feel Runaan touch, feel his warmth and it makes him gasp. But he's still a little wary so he needs to reach out to confirm that this isn't his own grief and longing creating this perfect moment. And so touch 3 happens.

Ethari reaches out to cup Runaan's cheek and the moment his hand makes contact, the moment Runaan leans into his touch Ethari's eyes flicker. He's starting to realise that this is real, that it really is Runaan standing in front of him, reminding him of a promise that he made long ago. And then we get touch 4.

Runaan places his hand over Ethari's and kisses his palm. This moment, this touch seals it, Ethari not only believes but knows that this is no phantom, it's his husband, alive and almost entirely whole. And then comes touch 5.

This kiss starts with Ethari wide-eyed surprise as he wasn't ready for Runaan to surge forward to kiss him but he quickly recovers and leans in, kissing Runaan back and wrapping his arms around him. And then we get touch 6.

This time, this second kiss has them both lean in at the same time, both enthusiastic for another kiss now that they are finally in each other's arms. And then we get the final touch.

Ethari, freshly kissed and now knowing that Runaan is alive and finally home hugs him tightly, overjoyed that his heart has returned to him.

[themistdragon]

Callum, talking to Ethari post-reunion: So you have your husband back

Ethari: Yes, I do

Callum You must be... re-leafed he's okay

Ethari: ...Oh, yes. I must admit, when I saw him for the first time, I got quite a bit... sappy

Callum: I understand how you feel. When I saw Rayla after two years, I fir-got how much I loved seeing her face

Ethari: That’s sweet. How are you enjoying the Silvergrove, by the way? Have you tree-ted yourself to the bakery, yet?

Callum: Oh, the moonberry surprises are the best! I can see why they're so poplar

Ethari: I know, right? They're just the thing to spruce up your day

Callum: I tried some of the other pastries, but in comparison to the surprises, they were just oak-kay

Ethari: The surprises are delicious. When my husband and I were younger, I remember how he wood pine after those desserts as if they were the answer to life.

Callum: He's got good taste. Do you think you could convince him to branch out and try some tarts from Katolis?

Ethari: I'm not sure... but it wood-n't hurt to try

Runaan:

[eledarart]

HORRAY!!! Here’s the art-cover! Recently I’ve posted piece with Ethari and Runaan… Check it out if you haven’t seen this yet! Now it’s time for another artwork to shine. I really liked the process, in final it looks so good! Especially printed one. Hope you’ll like it!

[raayllum]

She Must Pay the Price, or A Drop of Mercy :: A Rayla and Leola Meta

Quick:

You're a young elven girl, and you show mercy and compassion to a human that you definitely weren't supposed to. When it's found out, you're punished, with elves even calling for your execution (6x09, book 1 novelization). Your father does what he can, but there's only so much. You're put on trial. You're found guilty regardless of intent, and only by association. You die for this; you die for them. You're a star. A guiding light. There's even a Great Fall off a precipice (though only one of you hits the ground).

Your name is Leola, or Rayla.

You're the beginning and the end, respectively.

So let's talk about it.

Tests of Love

For years, I had wondered where Aaravos' assessment of "Those who fail tests of love are simple animals. They deserve to be motivated by fear" (2x09) came from, cause you don't drop in a line like that if it's not going somewhere. It's quite a statement and worldview, after all. Now, with Leola's trial, it seems we know.

We can see, then, perhaps that Leola's gift giving was the first test of love — are you willing to break the Natural Law, the Natural Order of things? — to help another? To show another a source of power in order to share, to be compassionate, and in Rayla's case, to be merciful (though we'll get more to that in a minute).

We also know that the love Leola had was powerful and all encompassing:

She didn't care to follow the order set in the stars. Though she was born an immortal being from the Heavens, she loved this world... and all its flaws. Her heart was warm and open.

And she befriended mortals. Animals, elves... and humans.

ETHARI: Who I love, where I love, what I love, are all specific. But to Runaan and those like your parents... love is rooted in all families, all creatures. Souls like that feel called to protect everyone as fiercely as those they hold close. (Bloodmoon Huntress)

Okay, so Leola and Rayla both have big compassionate hearts and befriend creatures from all over the place. So what? So do Callum, Ezran, Soren, and most of our other main good guy characters. Even Claudia to a degree (though she could work on not using magical creatures for spell parts).

Well, specifically, it's because of how they intersect currently more with anyone else on the concept of

Mercy

KOSMO: Daughter of the Moon, yours is a wondrous heart. In a moment of mercy, you sent ripples out into the ocean of time. Ripples that have not yet stilled. (6x05)

Rayla sparing Marcos, as noted in multiple interviews by the creators and by myself in previous metas, is ultimately the inciting incident / lynchpin of the entire series. Without it, there would've been no soulfang proposal or Ez running away to find the egg or any of the number of other elements that had to come together to make achieving peace possible.

While we still have details to discover regarding Aaravos' Fall and development of dark magic, we know that a lack of mercy was ultimately what sent him on his path of vengeance. Leola was not shown mercy, and while it seems there were already "flaws" for an imperfect world, things were (probably) better than they currently are in Xadia in a variety of ways. Then, to kick off the entire Saga, we have Rayla sparing Marcos in a soundtrack literally titled "Mercy" and have Kosmo, seasons and seasons later, spell out directly what a big deal this was for well, the ocean of time.

None of this is to say Rayla can't act out of revenge — she did ("when I first came here, I was on a mission for revenge") and she has ("but I became so obsessed with revenge"), much like Aaravos ("he isn't doing anything out of love, he's doing it for revenge") — but that her general compassion and love for others has always been stronger than her grief or rage, and that even when she had every social and personal reason to, she was and is fundamentally unable to hurt someone innocent.

Even when she's shamed or punished for it by herself or by others. RAYLA: The human looked up at me, and I saw the fear in his eyes. RUNAAN: Of course he was afraid, but you a job to do! (1x01)

EZRAN: Yeah, but then you saw he was scared, and you knew he was a person, just like you. RAYLA: That shouldn't have mattered. I had a job to do. (1x08)

The Cosmic Council — and to a degree, the Silvergrove — say that the reasonings or motivations, the intentions, behind Leola and Rayla's actions do not and should not matter when it comes out to doling 'Justice'. So Leola faces her justice, being literally killed in the one manner that can kill a Startouch elf, and so does Rayla, being metaphorically Ghosted / 'murdered' by her community, regardless.

Neither are enough to ultimately quell their light or their love/power, however.

A Star

RAYLA: That beautiful shining star you just pointed out? We call it Leola's Last Wish. (5x02)

So both Leola and Rayla are stars in season 6, literally and metaphorically respectively. Leola's is more self-explanatory, whereas Rayla's is mostly about the role she has in Callum's life as a guiding light and star. I don't think it's a coincidence, though, that just as Rayla placed Callum on his path of being a primal mage, though, that Leola did the same for humanity. I also don't think it's a coincidence that Callum's love for Rayla restores Callum's own light and agency amid Leola giving humanity the same through light and fire.

It happened long ago, when humans had only just learned to hold fire in their hands without burning. They nurtured their precious primal flames secretly—in the dark of night, beneath shadows and shrouds—as cultivating its glow drew the eyes and ire of monsters. Eventually, for the audacity of their fire, they were hunted, and—though they looked to the stars for salvation—the stars, too, looked down upon them with disdain. Humanity had been given something it was never meant to have. (TDP shorts, Ripples)

In this way, we see the manifestation of a repeating parallel of Rayla representing Leola, a gift giver of life, magic, light, unjustly punished/killed, and Callum representing humanity, looking to the kindest brightest star for guidance, magic, restoration, and salvation if he's just given the chance to grasp it. After all, presumably, Leola's last wish would have something to do with primal magic and humanity, and who represents that better than Callum, with two arcana under his belt and possibly more on the way? With that in mind, I want to return to another quote from earlier but with a different focus on

Ripples

Daughter of the Moon, yours is a wondrous heart. In a moment of mercy, you sent ripples out into the ocean of time. Ripples that have not yet stilled.

The wisest of the humans looked upon the water. His own reflection smiled back at him, and he dared to imagine what such power would feel like in his own hands, should he be allowed to hold it. Imagine, he thought, if I were more than what I am. With a trembling hand he touched the surface of the water. Ripples spread from his fingertips. [...] I hope the stars were watching. I hope they saw it: the moment their perfect reflections turned warped and ruined, churned to chaos by the touch of a single human hand. In this, the humans taught me another lesson. And so I touch the surface of the water. I watch the ripples spread.

Water in TDP is a strange beast, symbolically speaking. There are some more straight forward motifs (reflections, "don't try to control where the river [of life] goes, there's one thing you can know and control: yourself"). For Aaravos, it's connected to deep loss but also his own sense of patience in playing and winning his game, as illustrated above. For Rayla, it's linked to shame, self-reflection, bravery, and loss. Aaravos weeps and creates a sea upon losing Leola; Rayla says goodbye to her family by the lotus pond times three.

We don't know what water represents for Leola. Not distinctly, anyway. The best we can figure though, is that by following the through line of the Rayla and Leola parallels, that the ripples Leola wanted to send out or did send out — not the distortions caused by her father and his grief — are ones that Rayla received, and then continued.

Rayla has always been a foil to Aaravos, and this hasn't changed. She is the one who set Callum on the path initially of being a mage, which put him in Aaravos' machinations as prey; she retrieved his Key; and she's the reason Callum's done dark magic, twice. At the same time, much like the moon, Rayla carries Leola's light as much as she shoulders Aaravos' dark. She literally represents light in Callum's life, helps lead him through the darkness, and him being a primal mage and it's possible growth to other humans is the best possible thing that could've ever happened to Xadia.

Sol Regem says that "no one can save" Xadia or fix what is deeply broken. The Cosmic Council said that Leola had broken the Cosmic order and had to pay the price. Rayla has repeatedly been willing to pay the price for both hers and other's actions in hopes of making things right, of sparing others' pain. Sometimes to her detriment, but—if Rayla as Callum's one Truth could fix the darkness within him, if she's the lynchpin for breaking the Cycle, for bringing back Runaan and fixing her family's souls, in opposing and presenting mercy amid the Council's lack of mercy, in the face of Xadia's violence—

Then Rayla's act of mercy in 1x01, and potentially beyond in S7 with Callum, will be what fixes Xadia.

Leola's gift of magic is what 'broke' Xadia, and her execution is what literally did so, leading to the division of the continent. She wrongly paid the price in the absence of mercy and love. Rayla is therefore her thematic successor — welcomed this time as Light and Truth — as the carrier of Mercy and Love, and she will 'fix' Xadia through her ripples and dynamics. She will mend them back together. There will, at last, be no price to pay.

Misc. Thoughts / Predictions

One thing I was always curious about going forward into future seasons was the prospect of a 'trial' or reunification of the Silvergrove. It felt like a no-brainer the Silvergrove would have to change in order to reflect Runaan's character arc, much the way we see Katolis and the Sunfire elves change to better accommodate the new, more compassionate world order. Pre-S4 a trial felt a little strange as an idea, though post-S4 the parallels it could provide to the Lucia tribunal made more sense about why include either (or both).

However, Leola's trial seemed to hammer home the almost necessity (as this is still a prediction, after all, that may not happen) of Rayla and/or Runaan saying their peace to the Silvergrove leaders. This would be a great opportunity to provide a contrast to the Cosmic Council, reaffirming that Xadia is ultimately better than them because the Moonshadow elves and everyone else can change, and the Cosmic Council seemingly cannot or will not. But I guess we'll have to wait for S7 or beyond (#GiveUsTheSaga) to find out if this'll come to fruition or not.

I also wanted to touch on what we see with Leola ("I'm so scared!") and the repeated emphasis on "recognizing fear as a moment of empathy and personhood" and the horror that can come if you don't have that moment of recognition. This is something I've touched on before most notably as a striking difference between S1 Rayla and S5 Claudia, but I thought it was worth mentioning as S6 added to it specifically with Viren towards Soren and Lissa. This is another point in the "Rayla is an inversion of the Council's lack of mercy" column, as Leola's — a child's fear, and Aaravos willing to pay the price and take her place — earns her no mercy. Rayla, meanwhile, sees someone innocent that she has 'every right' to execute is afraid of her, and that strays her hand; it steadies her sword, and she spares him. Because if someone is afraid of you, it's worth asking yourself why, and what you might want to do instead.

Last but not least I wanted to talk about Leola's parallels to Callum and Ezran as well, since they are very much there (though yet not perhaps to the same extent).

Ezran has Leola's friendliness to animals and soft heart. He too is a child whose death is called for as a means of Justice, and he is granted mercy through Rayla and the discovery of the egg, able to live and grow and help usher in peace. He is, I think, what Leola might've been allowed to be if she'd lived in different times. Callum, meanwhile, carries the gift giving motif through his cube, staff, and tokens he both gives to (moon-phoenix bracelet) and receives (the moon opal necklace) from Rayla, and previous 'human-Leola' magic dynamic. Callum being able to break free fully from Aaravos' and dark magic's control in S7 and turn his eye instead to primal magic will be what helps bring true justice to Leola and hope for humanity / Xadia in righting the Cosmic Council's fundamental wrongdoing. Hopefully, anyway.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into some parallels and potential narrative goings-on between Leola and Rayla as characters. TDP loves its historical and ironic layers in TDP (Ez and the Orphan Queen, Viren's arc from S1 to S6) and I think this layered thematic dynamic between the two merciful young girls was a good, brilliant choice by the creative team. I'm excited to see where this thematic thread goes in the future and how it may continue to be woven into the story. As always, thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next one.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Ethari begins the season hammering at his (notably bisexual) forge.

Then he sees Runaan's lotus has floated in the pool, and he does not take it well. He rejects the possibility immediately. Knowing that he's haunted by the phantom of his lost husband, it makes sense that he tries to mentally slam that door shut. He's been hoping so hard that he's hallucinated Runaan's return for two years, and he's exhausted by his own inability to let it go.

So he tries to preempt his own hope. He's talking to her, but he's also talking to himself: Runaan is gone.

He doesn't convince himself, though. By the time Runaan arrives at the workshop some days later, Ethari's in such a state that he borders on rudeness to his unseen visitor,

and he's shifted from hammering safely at his anvil to sending sparks across his very wooden worktable!

Elf's in no fit state. He's already having a bit of a spiral just from the lotus, and he hasn't shaken it off yet. It's no wonder, then, that he thinks he's hallucinating his husband again. He knows exactly how poorly he's taken the news of the lotus, how it's thrust him back into his grief all over again. He's in a bad place, and it's familiar territory. So he just rolls with the crack in his sanity, after barely a moment's pause.

Runaan needed saving. But so did Ethari.

[lucrezianoin]

So one of my mutual on twitter was saying that it seems like in Western animated shows (a part from a general lack of queer romances) FF romances have higher numbers than MM. Because I wanted to check, I made a list so I thought it would be nice to share both FF and MM romances in Western animation, so people know where to find them!! FF ships are here.

Most of these are canon and main ships, but sadly there is truly a lack of number compared to FF ships, and I hate when the pictures number is unbalanced, which is why I added the last four, you can see I added a question mark on some of them so I will explain in the description.

There will be SPOILERS (especially for: Did they kiss? Did they end up together?)

In order (top to bottom, left to right):

Lacklon and Roland (Dragon Age Absolution): Lacklon and Roland are both main characters in this one season show, unsure yet if we will have a second season. They have a flirting/teasing relationship through the whole show which ends up with them kissing (so yes, they do kiss!). They are implied to stay together as they also discuss what they will do after the mission!

Ballister and Ambrosius (Nimona): This is an animated movie, and Ballister is a protagonist and Ambrosius a main character. They are ex-boyfriends turned enemies and then reconcociling with an enemies-to-lovers once more! Do they kiss? Yes! They also have a happy ending and they are together.

Runaan and Ethari (The Dragon Prince): Runaan and Ethari are both secondary characters. They are already in a relationship when they appear (together and raising a child), mostly shown in the comics and through flashbacks (where yes, they do kiss!). They are separated from most of the show as Runaan is trapped in a sort of prison since S1. In S6 Runaan is finally freed, and S7 will be the last season of the show so I fully expect them to be reunited. The protagonist of the show (Rayla) is their adopted daughter.

Blitz and Stolas (Helluva Boss): Blitz is the protagonist of Helluva Boss and Stolas is a main character. They have an ongoing sexual casual relationship turned into real feelings, with a lot of misunderstandings about how real the feelings are/how they see each other's. Their relationship is very graphic, so yes, they do kiss, and there is sexual content. The show is still ongoing, with them finally dealing with their feelings (maybe!) after a quick break up. They are the main romance of Helluva Boss and the creator of the show confirmed they will be endgame.

Fizzarolli and Asmodeus (Helluva Boss): They both are secondary characters in Helluva Boss, with Fizzarolli probably having a bit more screentime than Asmodeus. They are already in a loving relationship when introduced, and have two full episodes also dedicated to them and their romance.

Gary Prince and Marshall Lee (Fionna and Cake): Fionna and Cake is an AU of Adventure time, so this is the genderbend version of Bubbline set in a modern Fionna and Cake setting. Only one season of Fionna and Cake is out, and I have yet to watch it, but I know they date through the whole season and become boyfriends. Do they kiss? Yes! A new season is set to start in the future.

Korvo and Terry (Solar Opposites): This is another ongoing show with a sixth season coming out. Terry and Korvo are the two protagonists, and they start as colleagues/mission partners and progress into a romance. As I have not watched the show, I am unsure how the pace is, but I know that yes, they do kiss and then they marry and become husbands in S5!

Barney and Logan (Dead End paranormal park): Another show I did not watch but I did watch their scenes on youtube! Barney is the protagonist and he is a trans man (and gay) and Logan (also called Logs) is one of the main characters. The show has only two seasons before being cancelled. Barney and Logan meet in the show, and Barney is immediately attracked to him. Do they kiss? Yes!

Benson and Troy (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts): The show has three seasons and is complete. Benson is part of the main cast and Troy a secondary character and appears in all three seasons. They start to date in season 3. Do they kiss? Yes!

Kaldur'ahm and Wyynde (Young Justice): This is a complete four season DC show. Kaldur'ahm is Aqualad and one of the protagonists. If you checked my FF romances post you know I am not familiar with DC, and it was pretty hard to find information. From what I can tell, Wyynde appears in S3 and S4 and they are already in an established relationship.

Steve and Benji (Q Force): The show was one season and then it was cancelled. Steve is the protagonist and Benji is a secondary character. They meet in the show itself, start dating and seems to have a happy ending even if the show was cancelled. Do they kiss? Yes!

NOT CANON

Angel Dust and Husk (Hazbin Hotel): The show only has one season out, so I think this might fall into the category of "Will they? Maybe? Looks promising!". They are both main characters, and Angel Dust often flirts with Husk. At least from Angel Dust's side there seems to be both attraction and affection. We will have to see!

Soren and Corvus (The Dragon Prince): The last season will release soon, and I think this ship is a "Who knows, maybe... we'll see" category. The Dragon Prince already has a M/M ship, so if this is meant to be they would not shy away from it. The two characters meet pretty early in the show, with Soren being one of the main cast while Corvus a secondary character. There are some interviews from the creators that seem to confirm this will be the direction. I guess we will see!

Jayce and Viktor (Arcane): This is more in a "Interpret it your own way" category I guess. It heavily relies on tropes used in other popular queer-interpreted shows (copying the whole of Magic Madoka's very popular cosmic scene). Creators of the show seems to be on different sides of it, with some saying they have a brotherly bond and the ship cannot happen because Viktor is asexual (misunderstanding asexuality and spreading acephobia at the same time), other saying that the bond was never written as romantic but they can see it as a possibility after seeing how the animation studio decided to write them. The ship heavily leans on "only you can save me"/"only you in all timelines and possibilities", and it ends with both characters dying/disappearing and cosmically linked. So I guess we will see if they will be left "in the brace of the arcane" or if they will be revisited.

MEH

Shiro and Curtis (Voltron): I am sorry, I said I would only post main ships, and this is not it. But it felt wrong to exclude given I posted a few "fanon maybe will be canon" ships, and Shito is one of the protagonists. Still, this is a lazy case of "let's give him a random character so he can marry and kiss him at the last minute". I would hardly consider Curtis a character at all.

FF SHIPS HERE

[1lovepeace]

@hoothalcyon, I know, right. Like, what has Ethari been doing for those last two years? How has he been coping and dealing with not only the loss of his family but the unspeakable guilt and unbearable regret for ghosting Rayla? No doubt it's left him severely hurt, scarred, distraught, and completely heartbroken ever since. Consumed by nothing but regrets, remorse, despair, and sorrow. Or to make it even angstier, him dealing with some self-loathing and self blaming. All alone with nothing but memories and probably left wondering how and why everything went wrong.

Poor guy, let Ethari be reunited with his daughter. Let him pour all his heart and soul into every single apology to Rayla. Acknowledging how horribly he failed her as a father and vowing to her that he's never leaving her side again. Please give me all the soft dad hugs between Ethari and Rayla in S5. Give them the reunion and reconciliation that they deserve. They've been through too much hurt and heartbreak already. 😢

so either ethari isn't in s5 or they're just gonna have him show up with no warning or story beforehand LMAO

[halyasgirl]

Rayllum's problems are Moonshadow problems

(and Runaan needs to help fix them)

Callum and Rayla have officially reconciled as of season 6, and while many were happy, some still feel that Rayla hasn't properly earned Callum's forgiveness as she's never directly apologized for abandoning him. Personally, I don’t mind that Rayla hasn’t apologized yet. I think it makes sense that she still doesn’t quite understand how harmful it was, because her “leaving to keep a loved one safe” was perfectly consistent with the values she was raised with. Specifically, the values Runaan raised her with, and he's been Rayla's primary role model throughout her life.

Rayla putting her body between an innocent child and someone trying to kill them and refusing to back down no matter the odds? Runaan.

Unhesitatingly going to her almost-certain death in the name of duty? Runaan.

Leaving her loved ones on dubious intel to stalk someone across the world like a vengeful persistence predator? Runaan again.

Rayla does know her leaving hurt Callum, but however bad she feels about leaving, she still thinks she's done the right thing, because Callum's safe. This attitude of leaving to keep others safe while striking out alone to deal with challenges is held up as an expression of selfless sacrifice in Moonshadow culture, and we see it play out for Rayla in her own family. Her parents leave her to protect the future of Xadia in the Dragonguard. Runaan leaves Ethari for his work as an assassin. Bluntly put, Bloodmoon Huntress is a story of Rayla being conditioned with these values, however loving her family is.

Rayla struggles with her resentment and feelings of abandonment when her parents leave, but starts to come around after seeing how Runaan and Ethari (happily married and deeply in love) rationalize this in their relationship. Rayla questions how Runaan could leave Ethari to do the things he does, how Ethari could accept it, and is told that bad things can be justified if you do them for the right reasons. This is clearest to her when Runaan and Ethari discuss this together, unknowingly overheard by Rayla.

Rayla emulates Runaan in her relationship with Callum, but Ethari understands why Runaan does the things he does, because he shares the same (questionable) cultural values, where Callum does not.*

I think the catch will be the entire moonfam grappling with where these values led them. Runaan has been described as the most Moonshadow of the Moonshadow elves, his particular brand of selfless ruthlessness is valued there. But he spent two years in a hell of his own making because he tried and failed to uphold Moonshadow society's impossible values. Was Runaan trekking across country to murder a 10 year old really doing anything to keep his people safe? Was it worth tearing their family apart?

I think seeing her family have to deal with the fallout of their actions may be the breaking point forcing Rayla to reevaluate her treatment of Callum. How do they move forward from this?

*This understanding is also built on the communication and trust Ethari and Runaan have built in their marriage, where Rayla broke her promise, lied to, and abandoned Callum. In Bloodmoon Huntress, Runaan trusts Ethari's judgement and respects his decision when he follows him into a dangerous situation, and they plan and work together to solve the problem. We know from "Ghost" they disagreed on Runaan's last mission and Rayla's role in it, but they discussed and came to an agreement, for better or worse. Runaan doesn't dismiss him and he certainly didn't lie and go behind his back. Rayla's dishonesty is definitely not something she gets from Moonshadow values or Runaan, but before we drag Rayla too much for this, recall that Runaan keeping his promises led him to try and murder a child, and Rayla's lies are usually a misguided attempt to protect others.

[themistdragon]

Rest in Peace to the Following:

- Sir Sparklepuff (died doing what he loved, getting brutally murdered for magic)

- Viren (the redemption was too little, too late)

- Karim's last shred of dignity (imagine betraying the woman who loved you and being absolutely humiliated on the battlefield when your old fart of a dragon didn't show up all because you were racist)

- Zym's relevance (the show is literally called The Dragon Prince and yet his screentime has been on the steady decline since season five)

- Leola (being kind to humans is the worst crime in the universe and punishable by death, apparently)

- Tiadrin and Lain (you didn't deserve your fate, but at least you're together in eternity)

- Claudia and Terry's relationship (Terry let Claudia chose her own path, and was surprised when the path quite literally took her away from him)

- Ethari's screentime (just put our weary hearts to rest and reunite already!!!)

[sapphicteadragon]

i seriously cannot believe how fucking incredible the music was in the ruthari reunion scene, it's honestly astounding. the way it's dark and sad at first when ethari's disbelief is the focus (in F minor but the melodic line uses a D natural which would make it the dorian mode, giving it a sense of something being 'out of place') then anticipatory aas runaan tries to get through to him, the way it warms the second ethari drops the blade (the orchestration changes to only strings, and the D natural becomes a D flat, and is the root of the chord, grounding it as a natural minor and bringing harmonic resolution and all the warmth that F minor can possibly give), then evolves into their theme (the heartbloom theme) in its most beautiful and heartrending rendition yet once ethari realises he's real? and then how it swells as they kiss and there's harp in there and it's just msdnfkdfnkgnm. my musician brain is going nuts. just magnificent. perfect. it encapsulates every emotion between them so perfectly and i gotta applaud frederik wiedmann for that