#soren is best boy

[brynnsasha191]

In honor of Soren's birthday let's talk about how amazing Soren was for realizing the toxic masculinity and jealousy that led him to bully Callum for years and owning up to it and apologizing for it.

And for him being able to confront his triggers and his traumas and let them go (the trigger being Callum having a loving dad when he didn't, and the trauma being that he didn't have a loving dad.)

We love our character development king!!! Happy birthday 🎂!

[m4rs-ex3]

HIIIIII I JUST STARTED S4 OF TDP (id started it before I just didn’t retain any of it so I restarted) AND OOOHHHHHHHHH ITS SO GOOD I am so glad i finally started it again

and Soren remains my favorite forever hes so <33333

YAYYYYYYY IM SO PROUD OF U

side note but i really feel like the discourse around season 4 was the way that we all watched it at first. like if you watch it right after season 3 and even with only vague knowledge of season 5 like it's a good season. but when it's been 3 years and we are thirsty as hell then it felt like it fell flat. from the very beginning tho i've felt like people were expecting wayyy too much because like. of course it's not gonna be the most action-packed insane shit ever. it's the first season of a new arc, it needs time to establish *everything.* AND it has the original to live up to so like FUCK YOU (im looking at reddit) season 4 SLAPS

not fuck you maia tho!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!!!!!

[raayllum]

You have been visited and blessed by the thumbs up Ezran

[fiery-emblems]

Day of Devotion

This is still one of the absolute best alts in FEH. I can't believe he was one of the first valentines alts and the first Soren alt.

[fujosh1dreamer]

TDP twitter is messed for this fr.

That hurt. I love being reminded of my trauma with this show.

[ominous-faechild]

✦ OC Questionnaire Tag 3 ✦

Thanks for the tag, @illarian-rambling!

Characters from Sun and Shadow: Freya, Crow, and Valyarus Characters from the Arcane Rifts: Gene, Tazin, and Mislav Featuring tAR's children at ages 15, 17, and 17! (Aka mid book 2.)

Questions: - Do you have a tell when you're lying? - What other media genre would you do the worst in? - Are you confident in yourself? from @the-letterbox-archives

Do you have a tell when you're lying?

Freya: Um... not that I know of? I'm not really in the habit of lying? (*remembers that she does, in fact, lie a lot... but mostly through omission of the truth!*) Haha... yeah! ... ugh, okay, um. If I had to guess... (*shifts uncomfortably in place*) it would probably be that I struggle in what to say? Though I kinda do that anyway? Ugh, I don't really know. (A/N: the easiest sign to tell that she's "lying" is that she avoids the subject completely. She'll change the subject or "get distracted". She also fidgets more, but that's something she does a lot anyways because she's awkward.)

Crow: Of course not! I don't lie anyway, so how would I find out? 😉🥰 (psst... Crow...) What? (You're supposed to basically be under truth serum for these Questionnaire posts...) Okay. And? 😘 (So you're telling me that you, a detective, have never told a lie once?) ... (See the issue there?) Nope! 😄 (A/N: WHELP! Uncooperative Crow understandably won't tell you, so I will. They're a very good liar, so it's hard to tell when they do. The best indicator is that they'll stumble slightly in their speech when almost saying something "they shouldn't" or they'll hesitate while trying to come up with a lie. The falters are always subtle though.)

Valyarus: (*snorts*) I would think not. Besides, I'm not in the habit of lying. There's too much magic that can force you into Truth-telling to be able to rely on it--no, best is operating in half-truths and implication. The best method of deception is allowing the one you wish to deceive to come up with the answers for themself. For example... (*slowly smirks, quirking an eyebrow*) I never said I don't lie just now... did I? (A/N: ahhh, our beloved douchebag faerie living up to his species's reputation. In other words: he's a fantastic "liar".)

Gene: I... don't know. I'd... like to think not. Maybe... maybe that I... (*takes a slow, deep breath, collecting himself*) ... I probably act more confident when I lie. I... I'm not confident. And probably don't... stutter as much. Or hesitate... So, speaking patterns? They--they change, I mean. My speaking patterns. When I lie.

Tazin: (*snarls*) I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about, you got me? I--I-- (*struggling to lie because of the whole "these questions are answered under basically-truth serum" thing*) FINE! I don't fucking lie because I can't, okay? I avoid the subject! Or I just--I don't know, I just fucking lie??? How am I supposed to fucking know if I have a "tell"??? Don't you think I'd fucking fix it if I knew??? (A/N: he gets avoidant of the subject and/or highly aggressive to dissuade the asker from continuing at the moment... or generally asking again.)

Mislav: Um... this is a weird question?... I guess I don't really--(*remembers he lies literally all the time*)--lie... (*lets out a slow, pained sigh, running his hands back through his hair in frustration*) I don't know? I just--try my best to bullshit it? Try to make people feel better, or avoid giving them the information they want? I don't know??? (A/N: best indication is that he answers too quickly. He usually practices/rehearses his lies before it comes time to actually tell them. Otherwise (if he didn't expect to have to lie/doesn't have one prepared), he freezes up, stutters, and smiles/jokes too much as he tries "appeasing" or distracting the questioner.)

What other media genre would you do the worst in?

(we're going to be implanting Forbidden Knowledge of our Real World genres and whatnot for them to be able to best answer this!)

Freya: The horror genre. (*shudders*) I cannot deal with scary stuff, okay? I think I would be the first to die. I'd scream, or cry, and break down--probably try hitting the monster or whatever over the head with a chair when it turns the corner and, well... that never goes well in those sorts of things, does it?

Crow: Fairy tales. I'd either be the "lesson"--"don't do this or look what happens to you! You'll become Crow!"--or I'd be whatever the horrifying monster or villain is. I mean... (*laughs awkwardly, looking away and rubbing their shoulder feathers*) when you're me... you get used to knowing you're what's wrong with the world. (*beat. They realize what they've just said--*) I mean, romance. I'd probably annoy my love interest to death. 😎

Valyarus: (*fake gags, then with disgust:*) Romance. My only "biological" child was through magic, and I would not step foot near anyone with that sort of intention. I don't understand how others do. Much less why my daughter is so interested in Freya. They just met! (note: he's aroace and is equally disgusted with romance and sex. Also, yes, I know that's not how all aroace people are. I have plenty of other characters everywhere else in the spectrum. This is just where Valyarus is.)

Gene: Um... probably romance. I...'m not interested in it... not really. Be-besides with Mislav, I mean... and I... I don't even know why he likes me? 😅😓 ... people think I'm creepy. They don't say it--not to my face--but I know they think it. And I... I struggle to talk with people a lot. I try to say one thing, but they think I mean another?... I don't understand why. It's hard. And I--... I don't think I'd do well in that kind of story.

Tazin: The kinda thing where I'd have to teach. I don't have that kind of fucking patience, are you fucking kidding me? I think I'd explode on them. Maybe even literally. (*He pauses, considering it... and grins darkly*) Actually, wait--I take it back. I want to try. (I want to tag in and say traditional horror/thriller. I think the degree to which he'd freak out or curse out the monster would be comical and/or break the immersion, haha.)

Mislav: I would not be able to participate in a talk show or be in the news. A talk show? (*scoff*) Regardless of the subject, it wouldn't take long for me to be driven mad by their endless talking and pretending they know everything. The news? Even worse. I think I'd snap their mic in half. And only because I'd be struggling not to snap other things. <.< (read: necks, limbs, etc.)

Are you confident in yourself?

Freya: Ha... no, not really. I act like I am, but... y'know, it's just that--an act.

Crow: What's not to be confident about? I'm the greatest, I've never made a mistake in my life, and every decision I make is the best one I possibly can! 😘

Valyarus: (*poised on a grand chair; sipping tea elegantly with one hand while the other hangs over the side of the armrest. A nail file magically hangs in the air and is filing his nails while he sips tea*) Hm? What did you say? Oh. (*chuckles*) Of course I'm confident in myself. My abilities, my character, my decisions--everything. 😉💅

Gene: Depends what you mean by "myself"... (*goes quiet, looks away, and debates*) ... I... I try my best to make the right decisions. The best ones... that I possibly can. I--as hard as it is to not question them, it's--it's not good to worry about past decisions. I do my best, and that's--that's all I can do. So... (*takes a deep breath, collecting his thoughts*) I'm not confident, but I try to be.

Tazin: (*snarls*) Of course I'm confident. I've gotten this far, haven't I? (*and slowly starting to smirk instead--*) I mean, look at me. (*leans back and gestures at himself with both hands*) I used to live on the streets with Gene. Now I have a girlfriend. People used to be terrified at my name--and they still would be if I didn't have to stop with the whole "Svarog" thing. (*oops, snarls again and leans in close; threateningly*) Look, I don't care what anyone else says, but Gene wasn't the only reason we were successful! He wouldn't have gotten anywhere without my strength, got it!?!? (Is actually less confident than he thinks he is--overcompensates for that by having convinced himself that he's the greatest. Hm... wonder if that fits the diagnosis criteria for anything?)

Mislav: Ha... not at all. (*swallows and looks down at his hands, fighting back tears*) I... one of these days, this curse is going to take over me. Will I even know when it does? Or will it be slow enough that I never even recognize that I've changed? I... (*looks back up at asker*) I worry, one of these days, I'll only know it when I've done something I can't come back from...

Your questions: - Same as the ones I answered!

Tagging (with no pressure) @yourpenpaldee @honeybewrites @fantasy-things-and-such @wyked-ao3 @the-golden-comet

@paeliae-occasionally @ath3alin @mysticstarlightduck @the-letterbox-archives + open tags!

Divider from @cafekitsune

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

did smth rly important for all of society to benefit from

[mjbarrosart]

My Dragon Prince Boards season 7, episode 702

The time has finally come for me to talk about my boards for the last season of the Dragon Prince! Wow, time flies!

To be honest season 7 was such a hard season to make. Telling a good story is always a challenge, but ending one, oof! that is an herculean job!

I remeber everyone being super stressed during the production of this season, because time was always in short supply, and it is really hard to produce great art with little time, haha.

Also, I think that after a year and a half working non stop doing boards for the show, most of us where starting to feel exhausted, and you can see it on my boards, they are much less polished than usual.

But, no matter the context and circumstances, we always try to deliver the best we can and tell the ending of this arc in the most satisfactory way possible.

Lets start with my sequences. First one is the one with Ezran's council in the Banther Lodge.

This one starts with the little exchange between Soren and Corvus, I really like these two. I think they grew on me as a duo during my time in the show. Soren was already one of my favorites, but by the end of season 7, Corvus and Soren was a top pair for me, too.

I think that, whatever you think their relationship is, physical touch is a thing between this two, they are always touching each other, there is some vulnerability that they allow with each other that is endearing.

If you read my comments about my boards in season 6, one of the things I was talking about is how sometimes the expressions we draw in boards don't translate that well to the final animation (This happens in a lot of shows, and it's because of limitation on the face rig of the characters, nothing related to the talent of our crew, because they are all super talented) This little shot is another case, I wanted Callum to feel like "Oh boy, shit is hitting the fan!"

I think this scene is mostly about the conflict between points of view, Callum and Rayla wanting for Ezran to free (and forgive) Runaan as soon as possible, while Ezran is struggling with his emotions. It's a hard one.

To be honest I understand Ezran 100% and I know that the right thing for him would be eventually to forgive Runaan, but is not something that could happen inmediatly. Grieve and angry are feelings that can get poisonus really easily, and they need time to heal and allow perspective.

I think Ralyla made the wrong choice bringing Runaan to Katolis.

Anyway, I wanted to play this sequence (and the next one) a little as a power play between the brothers. There are two forces pulling Callum rigth now, and the tension is growing because of it. I like this shot, I think, is cool.

My next sequence is the continuation of the Banther Lodge Council scene. Rayla is out of the building right now, and Callum is deeply distracted.

But we start with a little coment of comedy with Soren "testing" the bread. This shot ended flipped, but the idea is still the same, I am glad the keept the moment of Soren putting the bread on his mouth, haha.

Again this scene mix two trains of though or conflicts together, in one hand you have Ezran trying to figure out how to lead his people in a way that makes sure a tragedy like the burning of Katolis doesn't happen again. And in the other hand the struggle between Callum loyalties, and his inhability to be what Ezran needs him to be right now.

This is not hate to Callum, I think that his desicions are pretty ok taking in consideration that is he still a teeneager. But I feel that he gets tunnel vision when things are related to Rayla, and he failed miserably as a brother and member of the council during this time.

While I think Callum is right, Ezran should forgive Runaan, he should be there to provide love and support to his brother, and advice and perspective to his king. Space for Ezran to come to the conclusion that forgivenes is the right path.

Anyway, I had this gesture boarded with Ezran hitting the air, but they ended adding the cup there for him to toss. I don't know how I feel about it, It's fine (specially if you talke into consideration that the Anya pick up the cup and give it back to Ezran) but feels a little off to me. Not sure why, tho.

I like Anya and Ezran relationship. I think I would appreciate it if she also took the place that Callum was failing to fulfill and gave some space to Ezran to grieve and process his sadness in a more intimate level. Like as friends more than as "heads of state". But anyway, she is cool, I am glad Ezran had someone as his side during this time.

I remember that one of the instructions I got for this sequence was to make sure that Ezran feels like a mob boss. Hahaha. Funny, tho. But besides that, I think that something that I was glad to see and board was Ezran taking more action and having more agency.

Maybe we can disagree with his point of view, but it was great to finally see him taking the reins of the kingdom, being active and assertive with his actions.

My last two sequences in this episode were the talk of Callum and Ezran close to the fireplace. I think this was an instance of Callum trying to be Ezran brother, giving him support and love and helping him to see the erron of his ways.

BUT, and this is a big but, I feel that all of this feels empty and, from Ezran point of view, manipulative; because after this talk Callum right away decides not only to "betray" Ezran but also to leave him alone. And that was not pretty wise of him, imo.

It is always a pleasure to draw any character making a suspicious face, hahaha "I don't trust you":

I think during the first part of the talk, the sibilings are on pretty opposite sides, there is a rift between them, and it is hard to close. But then there is more space for vulnerability and trust.

I think a really significant momen is for Ezran to remove his crown. "I am not talking as the king, but as your brother" kind of moment. Humanizes him a lot and shows the sincerity of his words.

He is confesing here, how he is tired, how this dury felt on his shoulders even when he was not ready for it, and how much he is trying to carry the burden, but oh boy, how heavy is the crown!

And I feel that this is the part when Callum made a mistake. Instead of listen to him, to recognize his pain, to offer his aid and support, some kind of "you don't need to do this alone" kind of thing, he brings the topic back to Runaan.

And then he shots the shot: "You forgave Zubeia" And ouch! I mean, he is right, that is something that Ezran did, but I don't think this is the moment to bring it. But again, the conflict here is that none of them can see the other right now. Callum is too worried about Rayla and Runaan, and Ezran is too hurt and overwheelmed.

And I wanted to make the shift clear, so Callum literally points fingers at Ezran. He demands action, he expect his brother to do what he wants him to do, not what Ezran needs to do. In an ideal world there would be a trial for Runaan, one where we can hear both parties, where Ezran can express his feelings his doubts and grieve, that could end in him finding forgivenes in his heart.

But it is not an ideal world. Things are falling apart, and the struggles between the needs and wants of characters are in conflict. So, people make bad decisions. That is good writing if you ask me.

Then Zym intervines, he wants Ezran to forgive Runaan, not for the same reasons than Callum, tho.

I think in Zym's mind is more an attempt to get "the old Ezran back". So Callum and Zym try to make their point together. I wanted to paint it as if Zym has this naive approach to the stituation, while Callum is a little more manipulative (I don't think that on porpouse) being like "look, even Zym agrees" failing to see why Zym is agreeing. I think the sin of Callum in all this episode is blindness (or tunel vision as we said before)

And kinda works. Not because Ezran is ready to forgive, but because I feel that there is something inside Ezran that thinks like Zym too. That maybe there is a way to go back to be like he was before.

And that is the thing, pain and grieve change you, and accept that change is part of growing up. Aaravos talk about that a lot this season. So there is a little truce, a moment of "maybe" from Ezran. I really like to draw this two together.

Sadly this moment gets interrupted by Soren asking for help. And from here is downhill. I think Callum's actions after this point did not help at all to Ezran to heal or change his mind.

The fact that Callum decided to leave probably made Ezran wound worst, and any hope that this conversation could bring for the brothes to get back together gets shattered.

Great setting up of their conflict for this season, imo.

Well that was my work for 702. Thanks for reading this brickwall of text! Hope you like this! And feel free to ask if you have questions about the storyboard process!

See you for 705 boards soon!

[traumapinata]

LOVED the Dragon Prince live stream tonight; some of my personal highlights:

Jack said he wants to introduce fans to a special guest who debuted in s7 and alluded to it being his newborn. [SIC. ARE WE GETTING A #Rayllum baby!?!! 😭]

Callum is probably dying, several comments were made including a funeral reference 🥲. Jack was really trying to avoid spoilers but I’m pretty sure our boy is cooked. They definitely confirmed that SOMEONE dies.

One of the writers made a flag that said “AGONY” to describe the new season (RIP).

Paula described the tone of the season as “sad” so big yikes

The whole cast in tears talking about how much the show meant to them 🥹 Why are they all so wholesome?!

Cast is begging us to PLEASE promote the hell out of the show so we can get arc 3!

Gren, Villads, or Opeli would probably be the best drivers out of the dragaang lmao (Corvus was downvoted for likely losing his cool in traffic, which is fair)

Claudia is not allowed to drive and Soren would be in Tokyo Drift 😅

Callum would lose his car in a parking lot and then give up looking for it (so real, buddies)

Jack 1000% leaned into Rayllum before it was ever even canon. Same for Paula. They just kinda felt it and went with it even tho it hadn’t been intended. These characters wrote themselves ISTG. Thank God for them giving us Rayllum.

Never gonna beat the #percabeth and #hiccstrid allegations

Confirmed that Callum cut his hair as a response to the Rayllum breakup (no wonder that cut is so emo coded lawl)

Callum immediately after Rayla leaves:

SOREN LOVE FROM THE CAST ❤️

VA’s giving advice to their characters— Paula said she would tell Rayla she needs to work on her human impersonation 😂

Wished we got some more talk about Ez and Zym

Did I catch Harrow’s VA make a reference to that damn bird or did I hallucinate???

Literally everyone loves Rayllum

DIVERSITY REP 🥳

TDP Fandom: “I’ve had Astrid for 5 minutes but if anything happens to them I’m k***ng everyone and then myself”

Do with this information what you wish 🫡 Godspeed, tomorrow we weep

[charmwitch]

There's a modern AU idea I've been mulling with my friend Train and it's just:

Elena comforting Almedha about their sons and her terrible marriage and how she lives as a socialite on her daddy's money because she's scared to be vulnerable again and is too overprotective of her boy and he's pushing her away because of it.

Elena's doing her best, she's taking away her drink.

Notes:

Rajaion and Greil both worked for CEO Ashnard before they both left for reasons.

The Goldoan Royal Family is just very powerful in general. Almedha is a socialite squandering money after her messy divorce.

Ashnard likes to have custody battles for his son only because it pisses everyone off. Just makes Soren sit in his office while he plays indoor golf and tees off one of his bodyguard's foreheads or something.

Greil owns a martial arts/sword fighting studio somewhere in town. It's discrete. Ike loves to throw bodyguards if they bother Soren.

That's about it. It's just silly.

[more-than-just-her-light]

Rayllum memory loss fic idea:

You remember how, back in season 3's Dragonguard, when she decides to stay and fight, all Rayla asks of Callum is for him to 'remember her?'

What if, after Rayla leaves during the time skip between seasons 3 and 4, Callum suffers a severe head injury that leaves him with almost complete and total amnesia?

Everything is just gone: his name, his childhood, his parents, Ezran. Maybe even basic knowledge such as the names of the five kingdoms. The only scrap of memory he has, due to hand-wavy magic shenanigans, is his connection to the Sky Arcanum.

Luckily, he has a loving and strong support system in the form of Ezran, Soren, Corvus, Opeli, etc. They band together to help Callum recover from his injury and tell him stories about his past. Yet somewhere along the way they neglect to inform him about one Very Important Detail: Rayla.

It's not something they plan. But they look at this-this new Callum, light and carefree. They've already had to tell that him his mother and fathers are dead-it sparked nothing in Callum's mind and gave him nothing but a sense of loss and regret. None of them can bare to tell Callum that the girl he loved left him.

So life goes on. Callum slowly rebuilds his life: he reforges his brotherly bond with Ezran, becomes closer friends with Soren than he was pre-memory loss, regains his knowledge of magic via intense studying. Opeli puts him through prince lessons, and he excels at them in ways he never could before.

In addition to re-establishing his old bonds, he makes new friends too! One of them being Barius' niece, Taylor.

All in all, by the time of his seventeenth birthday, Callum's pretty happy with his life, and he's at peace with the fact it looks like his memory will never come back.

Then Rayla comes back.

Now, Rayla doesn't know what she was coming back to. Would Callum be happy to see her? Angry? Would he turn her away and tell her never to come back? A million scenarios are running through her head.

What she doesn't expect is for Callum to look at her like she's a stranger and ask her who she is.

At first she thinks he's joking around. A mean joke, but she gives it a pass. The longer he 'pretends' not to know her, though, the more hurt she gets until she's yelling at him.

In the midst of Rayla's ranting she brings up Ezran and Soren, and Callum is quick to go get them to clear up the confusion. Cue the king and his Crownsguard being overjoyed to see Rayla before their joy quickly shifts into horror, and they guiltily explain to Rayla the situation regarding Callum's memory.

Rayla experiences a myriad of emotions: horror that the boy she loves was hurt so badly, guilt that she wasn't there to help him recover, and grief that he no longer remembers her, let alone loves her.

Only of course she couldn't be more wrong.

Callum is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Just looking at this beautiful elf girl makes him happier than he's ever been. His heart is racing, his stomach is doing flips. All he wants is to wrap his arms around her in an intimate embrace, and he only just manages to stop himself from doing so and limit himself to timidly holding her hand at random intervals.

Rayla is flustered by Callum's behavior towards her. Even her best case scenarios upon returning to Katolis didn't have him being so open and affectionate and, dare she say it, even flirty. She's torn between being pleased with the attention and feeling guilty because if he actually remembered her, there's no way he would be so welcoming.

Right...?

Cue the events of season 4 and beyond with an amnesiac Callum actively pursuing a reluctant Rayla.

[soren-apologist]

kinda wild to think about how much ike and soren’s first meeting as children changed the course of tellius’ history.

most of you already know how the story goes, but ike stumbles across soren slowly starving to death in the forests of gallia. in direct contrast to the abuse and scorn soren has only ever known up to this point, ike not only gives him his lunch to eat, but actually wants to help him further, promising to return the next day with more food and even offering to bring him back to his home. while soren ultimately refuses the latter offer and ike disappears the next day, this act of genuine, unconditional kindness is so earth-shattering to young soren that he chooses to spend years searching for the boy who saved him. after finally locating him, soren joins the greil mercenaries and chooses to repay ike’s act of kindness by exclusively dedicating his arcane and tactical abilities to aiding him, even when ike himself is still unable to recall their first meeting.

with that established, let me start diving into the ramifications of all this by stating that soren is nothing short of a tactical genius. in fact, it’s not all that much of a stretch to claim that, even in his young age, he’s likely the best tactician on the continent. it’s honestly kind of a blessing for everyone else that ike has no desire for power and soren just follows his lead, because if he really wanted to soren could probably have the entire continent in the palm of his hand in like 5 years just by pulling the strings from the shadows.

now, this isn’t just me extolling soren’s virtues because i’m a fan (i am, and that’s what i’m doing— it’s just besides the point); if soren hadn’t decided to join the greil mercenaries, it’s honestly pretty unlikely they would have even managed to survive daein’s onslaught. even with titania and greil’s combined might in combat, they still had to contend with daein’s sheer amount of soldiers in comparison to their small mercenary company. in real life, numbers are a really big deal in warfare— even if you’ve got a group of professional soldiers going up against a bunch of untrained peasants drafted into an army, if those peasants outnumber the soldiers enough, you’re probably going to lose unless you can come up with a really good strategy. while yes, this is fire emblem, the same franchise where just one guy on a horse could literally solo the entire campaign just one game before, a lot of that ability to survive maps comes from you as the player being able to strategize and effectively command them. this means that even though titania can hard carry the entirety of fe9’s early game, if you just plonk her in front of the enemy’s line of mages with zero terrain cover and a single iron axe, she’s probably not going to survive.

as such, this is exactly what makes soren so important to battle as a whole. diegetically speaking, your role as a player is essentially managing ike and soren’s jobs in the army. not only do you command the forces (ike), you’re also the one handling things like budgeting of weapons and supplies, as well as working out the specific strategies meant to guarantee your army’s survival and success (soren). consequently, ike’s decisions as a commander rely heavily on soren’s advice and tactical acumen to make sure his forces aren’t just immediately decimated the second he gives orders. simply put, without soren’s tactics essentially performing miracles to allow the greil mercenaries’ tiny number of forces to defeat daein’s massive numbers, they’re all probably going to die or end up captured. in the best-case scenario, elincia somehow manages to evade daein’s forces and get to gallia, but the more likely outcome is her capture and subsequent execution.

if elincia does manage to reach gallia and go to caineghis for aid, it’s unlikely she would be able to garner much in the way of any sort of protection considering the mercenaries are gone and any laguz forces will be very unwilling to fight for a beorc princess. any battles from here on out are going to be significantly more difficult, and while it is theoretically possible for her to defeat daein and reclaim crimea with begnion and later gallia’s help, the odds of it actually happening without their forces being defeated entirely would be astronomically low.

if elincia couldn’t get to gallia and then begnion to petition for aid, or if her forces are ultimately defeated by daein, ashnard’s original plans of marching through crimea to invade gallia and dragging all the other nations into it would have continued. while gallia was definitely far better equipped to handle a military invasion than crimea would have ever been, they would still have to deal with the combined forces of daein and begnion once the latter is dragged into the beorc vs. laguz conflict (assuming elincia doesn’t make it all the way to begnion). considering how much of a nightmare it was for them to fight begnion in fe10, they’d similarly petition for aid from kilvas and phoenicis, effectively forming the laguz alliance three years early. with that in mind, while i ultimately doubt this conflict would fully manage to awaken ashera without hatari’s and, depending on how events turn out, goldoa���s involvement, it’d still be an extremely messy and bloody war that’d leave scars on the continent far greater than those of the canon mad king’s war.

if ike hadn’t found soren that day in gallia, there likely would have been no patriotic hero and princess of crimea to bring together the continent to defeat daein and save crimea. the rifts between beorc and laguz would have been deepened instead of bridged, and in the same way ashera would remain asleep, the pain and suffering of tellius would be left unchanged, continuing to haunt the living as the bloodied bodies of the dead piled higher and higher. ironically, amidst all the great and legendary feats ike would come to be known for, his simple act of genuine kindness would ultimately be the catalyst for the salvation of tellius.

[raayllum]

idk man i think i just have a thing for characters that do terrible things for good/understandable reasons and then lowkey to highkey hate themselves for it afterwards and/or don't hate themselves nearly enough for it (tragically)

[traysonk]

Soren es mi pj favorito de toda la serie y aun mas luego de haber terminado la s7.

Asi que tuve que hacerlo en crochet si o si. Aunque es el mas complicado que he hecho hasta ahora 🫠 Pero vale la pena :p

Claramente me faltan dellates y mas, pero quería subirlo hoy por el cumpleaños de Soren :]

Happy birthday to the best golden boy! 🎉

[fujosh1dreamer]

First looks at season 5 from the official TDP twitter!!!

Spoilers: For people who don't wanna see the images.

Alright lets take a look!!!

There were more but these were the ones I was most interested in.

First of all mom and dad are fighting. Why are Callum and Rayla arguing again what happened?

Also the thing im most excited for general amaya is back with the squad, but why? What happened to wifey???

Look at King Ez and his guards best boi trio?!!?!?

[kradogsrats]

The last time Lissa cries is in Katolis.

As she rides away, she feels as if she'll weep forever—tears she can't stop flowing down her cheeks, ceaseless and steady—but when she crosses into Del Bar, her face and eyes are dry. Her parents welcome her back into their home. Her siblings and their children turning out to comfort her. Lissa smiles and thanks them, lets them embrace her.

None of them say, I told you so. Not outright, at least. She can tell some of them are thinking it.

Doesn't seem all that broken up about it, does she? Not a single tear.

Shush—let the poor girl be. Not all pains can be wept over right away.

But when her mother falls ill, she doesn't cry like her sisters do. When they bury her—when her father, always mountain-strong, is reduced to gravel in his children's arms—she has no tears to shed.

Nor does she weep for her brother's son—young and bright and brimming with promise—dead the instant his horse throws him, his neck snapped cleanly. He'd planned to marry his sweetheart, in a year or two. There's a funeral instead, the other boy's anguished tears a river of grief.

Lissa still does not cry. No matter the sorrow, her eyes sit in her head like stones, hard and heavy. Dry as bone, even as her throat closes and her chest burns like her heart is on fire.

There are no tears from her even for her second sister's husband, a sailor whose ship never returns from its last journey through the spring storms. Her sister holds her own shattered pieces together for the sake of their small children, and the family rallies to support her with food and chores and company. They cry with her, late into the night—all of them, except for Lissa.

Cold as the heart of Hinterpeak, that one.

You're surprised? She married a mage, she was cursed from the start.

Then she abandoned her children in the snake's den, when she'd had her fill of him and his poison.

I suppose it takes a monster to love a monster.

What could she tell them—that Viren had meant no ill? That she'd been the collateral damage of a miracle, a negligible cost for saving a child from death? That her children were better served by staying with a father who loved them so fiercely than by their broken mother dragging them away?

That when he'd stumbled in half-mad, his face scarred beyond recognition, ranting and raving his demands that she weep to save their son, she had refused? That she'd feared what he might take from her, as if anything she possessed could be worth more than Soren's life?

That when his hand twisted in her hair and the cold glass pressed against her cheek, she cried not for Soren, but for the man she'd loved and the monster he'd become?

That, most of all, she had cried for herself?

She stays quiet, and does not cry.

Her father finally passes, never recovered from her mother's loss, and her brother approaches on behalf of the family. We love you, Lissy, you know that—but we think it would be best if you didn't come to the funeral.

Lissa's heart burns, her throat clenched tight against any protest, and she nods. She leaves that night, vanishing into the mountains. No one comes looking for her.

She settles outside a remote village, in a tiny hut halfway up the mountain, more a hunter's seasonal shelter than a house. She busies herself with survival—tends a garden, hunts and forages. Down in the village, she trades the pelts of what she can trap, and sometimes plays the decrepit, barely-tuned piano in the tavern for coins.

That's where she hears of the great march on Xadia. King Viren of Katolis, leading the united Pentarchy to end the threat of dragons for good.

Lissa returns to the tavern every day after that, desperate for more news—it's barely a week later when she hears he's dead, his army broken by an alliance between the elves of Xadia and those loyal to King Harrow's son. There is no mention of her children in any of the garbled rumors.

It's almost a relief, that she doesn't cry for Viren.

But Soren would be old enough to have joined the Crownguard, just as he'd always wanted. With two kings dead in such quick succession—first King Harrow, and then, somehow, his own father—could she even dare hope he still lives? And Claudia, so fascinated by magic, even when it tore their family apart—had she succumbed to all its dangers? Would Viren have let her walk a different path, if she chose?

She imagines going back, demanding to know what happened to her son and daughter—if Viren remained in a place sufficiently prominent to somehow become king, someone has to know. She imagines seeing them again, being able to run to them and take them in her arms. She imagines crying, then—a decade of stolen tears released in a flood of joy and relief.

Then she imagines their revulsion at the mother who left them, should she be unable to shed a single tear of grief or regret.

Lissa stops going to the tavern. Her heart burns as if its falling to ash.

She doesn't cry.