#rayla water

[seireasong]

“That was brave, Rayla.” “No. I already told you. I’m afraid of water.”

Exactly. - You may think these two images display growth. And I believe they do; to some degree. But not because she wasn’t already being impossibly brave in the first image. If you boil it down, these two images are actually showing the same thing:

Rayla, after considerable self-doubt and mortal hesitation, literally submerging herself inside her grievous fear in order to help someone. (More to come on this line of brainrot. Season 5 profoundly rewarded 5 years of daydreams and character analysis. She did so, so well.)

[inamindfarfaraway]

In the first episode of Season Six, “Startouched”, a white-haired girl in her late teens has emerged from a body of water onto a beach lit by the sun, and seen her not-actually-dead father who she lost two years ago restored to complete life with a dark magic spell that demands blood be spilled. She’s distraught after the intense trauma of killing another member of her family. Her father made peace with passing on, but she selfishly couldn’t bear losing him and acted to keep his spirit tethered to the mortal world, hurting him in the process. She stands, then falls. Someone she loves dearly, the male former high mage of Katolis with brown hair who has repeatedly used dark magic but solemnly sworn off it, embraces her and she returns it. But then he abandons her. She is unbalanced, despairing, directionless and lost.

In the last episode of Season Six, “Stardust”, a white-haired girl in her late teens has emerged from a body of water onto a beach lit by the moon, and is about to see her not-actually-dead father who she lost two years ago restored to complete life with a primal magic spell that demands blood be spilled. She’s relieved after the intense catharsis of enabling other members of her family to die. They made peace with passing on, and she selflessly accepted losing both of them and acted to heal and free their tethered spirits. She falls, then stands. Someone she loves dearly, the male high mage of Katolis with brown hair who has repeatedly used dark magic but solemnly sworn off it, embraces her and she returns it. He will never abandon her. She is mature, hopeful, purposeful and found.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Rayla really does see everything

[raayllum]

Seen some discussion on this and I think the big takeaway being "Rayla is taking Runaan's place here as the leader" is underselling it in some ways, tbh, since I think it's a lot more indicative of how S7 is going to challenge Rayla at her core of whether she's like Runaan, and what version(s) of Runaan that means.

Rayla has always had similarities to her father / mentor. Keeping secrets about her own harm, the emphasis on sacrifice, her view of herself as an assassin, goodbye kisses to their lovers, leaving people at home to protect them, her little silver pauldron that matches his, wielding his bow-blade in S5, and her ponytail hair clasp, etc etc. Some of the lessons she's learned from Runaan have been helpful, allowing her to protect herself and her friends; some of them have been less so.

I told you: I am already dead.

I've talked about this before but the bulk of the characters in TDP have a 'shadow self' for lack of a better term—a person in the narrative/history or in their family that they are struggling with whether to be like, if not actively striving against it (Janai with Queen Aditi, Ezran with Harrow, etc). However, it's a bit more complicated than that. As noted in previous metas, Callum's parallels to Viren have gone from being indicative of a mostly negative path (dark magic use to the point of corruption, Aaravos' manipulations, etc) to also indicating a positive path: breaking away from Aaravos and dark magic (5x09) and doing more heroic deeds (6x08) because you refuse to sacrifice the people around you. It's shifted from "Callum is like Viren" to "Callum is like both of Viren's arcs, bad and eventually good," as when he inevitably breaks away from Aaravos' hold, he will ultimately be paralleling his main foil in a positive way as well.

It's a similar matter for Rayla with Runaan, with the way Runaan parallels Viren being a fun bonus, down to being resurrected and deeply regretful of how they've treated their child(ren).

Is she going to be Runaan the assassin, who keeps their oaths/promises no matter what even if that means sacrificing everything they hold dear, including their family? Who believes that the mission is too far gone now for a detour, or to go off track entirely? The Runaan who put duty over love and tried to kill someone he loved, even if it ended up destroying himself, too?

Or is she going to be the Runaan who regrets doing so, who is lost but found through love, who is brought back and brings others back? Who carries Runaan's bravery and guidance but sheds the lesson of sacrifice at all cost, of yourself, of others? And instead is devoted to preserving life, rather than taking it?

CALLUM: Rayla's brave. She saves people. [...] Rayla is selfless, strong, and caring. That's what makes her a hero. That's what makes her Rayla.

As Runaan and Rayla have both had time to unlearn their previous mindsets and build upon new ones, I think they will continue to challenge each other to reject the duty > love mindset, and that they've had to embrace a healthier, more balanced view of love and sacrifice for themselves and its impact on others around them.

[hazieash]

Zombnaan from the season 6 trailer today

[dotcircledot]

sketchy things bc school and i cant do big rendered things for a while :’)

[kradogsrats]

🌊🌊🌊🏊🌊🌊🌊

[silkiecorn]

A comic featuring the sweet child

(I have more comic ideas in store and will post them)

[tategaminu]

I'm so happy Callum got his own little animal companion as well‚ he deserves it

[saltyb0ba]

the wrath of the waves must not be underestimated.

[weirdlotiel]

So In the meantime I watched new season of the Dragon Prince.

1. Why the fuck was it earlier??? I thought I messed up the dates again.

2. Please, I neez Zubeia to be alright.

3. Love Janai and Amaya.

4. Karim and his girlfriend can go and drop dead. I had enough of them. (More than Viren)

5. About that guy. Gosh, I love the choice he made. (Not that I want him dead). I mean, he gave up dark magic. Finally!!!!!!

6. Btw, what was that about child Soren???? Was he sick? I mean, what was the reason Viren even chose that dark path?

7. I need people to stop saying it’s all Viren’s fault Claudia is messing with that dark magic stuff. Yes, he introduced it to her, but it was her choice. She had every opportunity to give it up, just Like Viren finally did. Don’t get me wrong again, I still kinda like her, but she’s even more messed up than her dad.

8. Once again dark magic. Callum, really? Ok, I get it… you want to protect your precious Rayla… no. Don’t. Don’t you ever touch that stuff again.

9. Some stuff was predictable, like Captain Villads and Nyx (ir maybe it only was me 😂)

10. I guess I need a lil but more of Kim’dael

11. Akiu was funny. I wanna see more of her

12. So, elves and dragons said that humans are evil, but they asked a human to create a jail for Aaravos? Can’t they finally decide on one thing?

13. What’s more it was a human who exposed Aaravos’ treachery. (I know it was the previous season)

14. About this freaking elf. What the heck did he do to Aditi? Swollowed her? What???

15. I love the homunculus. Don’t you dare to touch him Aar. Seriously, he may be his “child” (is he gay and has crush on Viren?😂. Please no.) but it doesn’t mean he can be its father.

16. Please, Callum, fund a way to free Rayla’s parents and Runaan. I beg you.

17. Young Viren looks almost like Soren (or maybe again it’s just me?)

18. Whi is this one guard always talking about food?

19. I can’t believe Callum was tortured, And Soren was beaten. And rayla was supposed to be a fish food.

20. Finnegrin vs Domina. Hmmm…

21. I hate that Pirate.

22. Yay, Callum has new powers!!!! Ocean magic rules.

23. Soren really worries about his new family, doesn’t he?

24. Who the fuck is Mushroom Mage???? (I couldn’t stop humming after that)

[1lovepeace]

So, a few days ago, we recently got the first look at some screenshots of S5, which has gotten me even more excited about what is coming. But the last screenshot, with both Callum and Rayla possibly arguing, is one of the few that really caught my attention. Besides, seeing Rayla with Runaan's Bowblade. (Aww, my heart ❤️😭.) This could very well be the beginning origin of the intense, messy, overwhelming, and emotional conflict and topic that is about none other than Runaan for a variety of obvious, huge reasons. Considering how Runaan is just so much for both of them.

For Callum, freeing Rayla's family with dark magic, potentially as a last resort, is huge enough, but also know that one of the elves he would be saving is Runaan. This would not sit right with him at all because in his eyes, he'd be freeing the same elf who killed his stepfather, King Harrow, and made him and his brother orphans.

But for Rayla, it would be just as heavy and intense. Considering that she's willing to do anything and everything to free her family, also because of her deep history and connection with Runaan. Being that there's too many unresolved and unanswered moments between them from their last devastating interactions with each other from the disastrous fallout of the mission. There is a tremendous amount of emotional baggages, traumas, hurt, and pain that will be exposed at some point. Because in her eyes, Runaan was doing his job/civic duty as an assasin, but she might also remind Callum that his stepfather was not an innocent man either because he chose to take vengence into his own hands by killing Thunder Avizandum and giving the order to Viren to kill Zym who was still just an unborn egg, which was extremely monstrous. Resulting in another father being tragically taken away from his child and mate.

Imagine the heavy emotional yet honest and incredible dialogue we can have with them as this possible conflict unfolds. It would be phenomenal to see. Watch S5 unleash the raging tides of the oceans. I'm ready but not ready all in one. Let's Go Season 5🎉❤

[raayllum]

Together. / You told me to never sacrifice the greater good for one person, no matter who it is...

5x05 / 6x03

[self-spaghettification]

i finally read through the moon and i sure am appreciating the ocean/water motif like. 10 times more now thank you book 5 ocean i see you

like how callum goes from this

to trusting rayla with anything. respecting her decision and his lack of control in the situation instead of fighting it

and how the lack of control is literally tied to a body of water (moon nexus, uhh the water control thing i guess)

once callum understands the ocean & be ok with his lack of control he can jump in with her

[lettersfromxadia]

Rayla: I am not, in fact, having a good time.

[tategaminu]

Anyone else incredibly happy by the animation in the new clips?? It's awesome! the expressions?? Movements?? Rayla's action scene?? the 2D water??? like it seems the animation from S2/3 is back! Season four was... kind of bad and even if S5 was improved it still didn't have the smootheness of Arc 1 SO YIPEE