#viren is a horrible father

[1lovepeace]

@ljf613 This is an excellent analysis of Viren. It clearly demonstrates how horribly cancerous and toxic his relationship with his children really is. He constantly abandoned and sabotaged Soren and Claudia's good traits and sense of identities. Thus leading him to misunderstand his children.

The scene where he maliciously gaslighted his children is an example of him pitting his children against each other. Intentionally manipulating them to create conflict between them and inflicting trauma onto them. Ripping into Soren's moral compass and forcing Claudia's loyalty to pick a side.

I can't wait to see where the magefam goes from here in the next coming seasons. Let's Go S5.

I've been rewatching The Dragon Prince from the beginning, and one thing I've really been paying attention to is Viren's choices and mistakes and how they lead to his eventual downfall.

A big one is the "secret missions" he gives to his children when he sends them out to find the princes: Soren is told to "take care of" the princes, and Claudia is tasked with recovering the egg at all costs.

This is a huge mistake.

On the surface level, it makes sense. The jobs given fit the skillsets of the children he gives them to: to the warrior, he gives the role that might require physical violence, while he sends the mage to get the magical object.

But it fails to take into account who Soren and Claudia really are.

Between the two siblings, Soren is the one with the moral compass. It doesn't always point true north, but it's pretty solid where it counts. Killing innocent children-- killing his friends-- is something he can't do. His conscience won't let him.

Claudia, on the other hand, prioritizes her family above everything else. Choosing the egg over Soren-- picking magic over blood-- isn't a choice she could ever make and live with herself afterwards.

These missions were always doomed to fail.

If Viren had switched the assignments, they would likely have suceeded. If he'd told Claudia that the princes actually coming home would put their family's future at risk, the boys never would have survived. If he'd warned Soren of a powerful weapon that couldn't be allowed to fall into enemy hands, the soldier in Soren would have done whatever he could to bring it back, no matter what he had to give up along the way.

Viren's mistake was that he fundamentally misunderstood his children's true natures.

He knew what they were, but not who they were. And that's why he failed.

[aceoffangirls]

Been thinking how Soren is just a less angsty and emo, golden retriever version of Zuko.

Like we know Avatar the Last Airbender and The Dragon Prince have the same creators but their parallels are very similar

They both had their mother leave when they where younger

They both have a gifted younger sibling (Azula and Claudia) who is favoured by their father (Ozai and Viren)

Both their Dads are a type of lord

They both were manipulated by their fathers into doing some thing wrong in the hopes of earning their fathers love

Both deal with internal conflict about what is right and wrong

Both of them go through a redemption arc that leads them to join the hero’s in the third season

I think the difference lies in the fact that Soren’s Dad cared for him in someway and Soren once had a good relationship with his sister while Zukos Dad never cared and was a horrible abusive human being and Zuko and his sister don’t get along.

Like they are very very different characters that just so happen to share very similar Daddy Issues that have a favoured gifted golden child younger sibling, trying to earn your fathers affection type of trauma

[m4rs-ex3]

ok but imagine soren tells everyone that viren is dead and callum can't find it in himself to be anything but thankful, and when asked why, he reveals that a part of him has always blamed viren for taking rayla away from him (now more than ever, since he can't be mad at rayla herself.) now imagine at the same time, callum is upset with ezran for taking everything out on runaan when, even though he did something horrible, it was a long time ago and he's still the father of their closest friend. do you see where i'm going with this

[adashulaz]

I hate when Apple fans try to excuse her actions because of her mom being horrible. Yes her mom sucks, she isn't the best and Apple would've possibly had a better chance at being a better person if she didn't have Snow White as her mom or had some other adult for support. This argument doesn't work because plenty of other characters have horrible parents and end up being good people. I'll use Soren as an example because they're both blue eyed blondes. Soren was treated coldly by his father. Viren, his father, would constantly call Soren easily confused(dumb basically) and just be cold towards Soren because Soren isn't like him and Claudia, Sorens younger sister. Now Soren was pretty mean towards Callum due to jealousy, this jealousy was because of the fact Harrow, Callums step-dad, treated Callum like his son while Viren never bothered to treat Soren with any kindness. That is where Soren and Apple are similar. They both are treated harshly by a parent, high expectations thrown onto them.

Where do they separate? Apple is selfish, point blank. Apple might've agreed to end signing the book in the Wonderland arc but she immediately fell back into wanting Raven to sign the book once she was given the chance. She never once thought of how it would affect Raven, she even saw how it did affect Raven. She saw that signing the book changed Raven, Apple saw that signing the book made Raven evil. Yet Apple didn't care because it means she gets her happily ever after.

Soren isn't selfish, most things he does are for everyone else. The only selfish thing he did was leave Claudia and Viren. This was due to seeing how Virens actions hurt others. Soren was used to being hurt by his father emotionally, he was used to his father being cold to him. Once he saw that Viren was willing to turn others into monsters, he left to warn Callum and Ezran. Soren even offered for Claudia to come with him, an offer she declined. But that was the only selfish thing Soren ever did, he left Viren because he was a bad person. He left because Viren didn't just hurt him but is now hurting others. While Viren was the temporary king of Katolis, something he gained through manipulation, Soren still left. Soren would have gained so much if he stayed. Soren would've been royalty, he would have a higher status. Yet he didn't care about that, he only cared about the fact that Viren was willingly hurting others.

That is where Soren and Apple separate. They both had a terrible parent in their lives. The only difference being one was selfish and one wasn't. That is what makes the argument pointless. Soren was in a similar situation as Apple but he still decided to help others. He didn't put himself above others unless he was standing up to Viren and leaving. Apple kept her own dreams and ambitions above those she claimed to care about. That is what makes Apple a horrible person, she put herself above others.

[madou-dilou]

Harrow and Viren : analysis

Viren, since he resurrected in season 4, is constantly paralleled with Harrow.

"It's been a long time. Our kingdom is prospering. There is peace. My boys, they are growing up. Perhaps it's wiser to stay focused on these blessings."

"My whole life, I have been chasing after things I did not have. Now that I'm here and may have only thirty days left, do I really want to spent those days ... chasing ? Maybe I should stop and appreciate what I do have. A whole month, enjoying every moment with my daughter. Maybe it's time for me to accept that I am who I am. And when I reach the end, I'll be at peace. And it will just be the time to let me go."

Both reevaluate their lives, questioning the crimes they left in their wake. They feel like they have escaped justice. Their loved ones do their best, encourage them to continue living, of course, but they have come to the conclusion that if their life has left such a trail of blood, prolonging it will only spread more.

That at this point, the only right thing they could do for the world was leaving it.

For said loved ones, this attitude makes no sense and feels straight-up ungrateful. ("You are acting stubborn and ungrateful!"/"Please, dad, don't. Don't do this. Don't leave. It's a mistake. You can't. I saved you! You me your life! You have to stay...")

Especially since Harrow and Viren are both incapable of explaining themselves clearly. Viren straight-up tells Harrow he doesnt understand where he is coming from, and Harrow only answers "I know you don't. Leave me." Viren, meanwhile, talks about "a path of truth of freedom" that he needs to face.

In short, to quote Kaamelott's queen Guinevere "You slit your wrists in a bath I had myself prepared just for you."

Two kings caught in blood feuds, pushed by the devils on their shoulders to prolong an existence they no longer want, even at the cost of two being supposed to be sacrifices: a soldier, who signed for that (unlike the High Mage, side-eye Harrow), and this homunculus.

Both thus renounce dark magic by, as Harrow says, "calling it what it is" for the first time; and no longer “a creative solution to solve this” as Viren used to say.

And just as Harrow wrote a letter to his son Callum to free him from the wrongs of the previous generation, Viren attempts to do the same.

To Callum, Harrow tried to explain that the past, which we must nevertheless seek to understand, should not define the future; that his death must close the cycle of revenge that he initiated with the assassination of the Titan and for which he takes full responsibility; and that his sons must ensure a new era of peace. As he prepares to face death, he also makes sure his last conversation with Ezran is completely mundane, so the boy does not grow up thinking he abandonned him.

However, Harrow did not think to officially appoint a regent (Viren, Amaya or Opeli), which forces poor Ezran to assume a horrible role for which, at eight years old, he is obviously absolutely not prepared.

Which obviously puts the kingdom in a dangerous situation.

In his letter to Soren, Viren is very literal. He wants Soren to judge him, but for him to have all the necessary elements to do so; he wants Soren to understands why he made all these mistakes. Viren tells Soren that all the suffering he felt was never his fault, but his own.

It was Viren and Viren alone who chose to become a monster by violating Kppar then Lissa, thus causing her departure, then making Soren pay for it throughout his childhood.

The letter was intended to free Soren of all guilt. Because, when you get given the cold shoulder by your father throughout your whole childhood, you believe it has to be your fault. All divorce children think it's their fault.

The problem is, reading the truth might as well make Soren feel worse. Because this letter confirms that it was to save him that Viren destroyed the family, even if it was a choice that Viren made. According to Puzzle House, Soren remembers that he was sick, that his grandfather disappeared, that his father saved him, and that his mother left, but he could never connect the dots between all these events.

This letter means that the simple fact that Soren was alive was indeed the first crack that eventually caused the whole house to collapse.

Viren therefore chose to burn the letter, hoping to spare his son such a burden.

Both Viren's and Harrow's deaths have something of a suicide to them, and not just in the letters they leave behind.

Remember my post comparing their actions to the quote from the Kaamelott show ? "What is someone who suffers and spills his blood on the floor so that everyone is guilty? All suicides are Christ. All bathtubs are the Grail."

In short, I was trying to explain how their masochism made others suffer.

Harrow claims to consider himself a servant, and he certainly means it. He is humble, is aware monarchy is an unfair system and has a great sense of honor, not hesitating to defy certain traditions - by sharing his official portrait with Viren - and to put his own life at stake. But when, for example, he finds nothing better to do than deprive his people of food simply to honor a promise, his claims sound particularly hollow. He is out-of-touch enough not to know the state his kingdom is in, so he will certainly not have to see his own family starve. But he set out to restore some justice to the world, however stupid this justice is. He seems to consider that by sacrificing the kingdom, he is sacrificing himself. And during his heroic death, that by sacrificing himself, he will save the kingdom instead of plunging it into chaos.

Viren, most probably partly because of his social origins that he keeps getting reminded of (and a fun childhood too, the guy insults himself in front of the mirror until he breaks down crying and constantly devalues his son) is haunted by an inferiority complex. To be useless. He has a morbid need for gratitude. Hoping to matter, to serve a purpose, he spent years self-destructing through dark magic, constantly putting himself in danger, ruining his health, wiping behind the king's decisions, or letting Aaravos exploit his body in increasingly abject ways. In short, to see himself only as a means to an end.

This feeling of ungratefulness is not unfounded: not only is the king actually incompetent enough not to have the slightest idea of ​​the state of his kingdom's resources, but in addition, where any swordsman would display with pride the scars of his craft, Viren is forced to hide his swollen face - it is even part of the reason why his wife left him.

The problem is that his own self-sacrificing tendancies made him think he had the right to exploit others: his wife, Sarai, Harrow, the princes, Soren, and a few thousand others, and I'm probably forgetting some.

That since sacrificing others was difficult for him, it made him the hero.

Viren probably suffers from a huge martyr syndrome: being able to exist only through the gratitude of others, he begins to take charge of all their problems, even unsollicited, and even if it means creating others in the process. It doesnt make him evil. It's an unconcious strategy to simply survive.

Since he is competent, no-nonesense, pragmatic and literally magical, he ends up making himself absolutely indispensable. No one but him could save two kingdoms from famine. Even more so, Sarai, Harrow's wife, sacrificed herself to save him because he was a mage. This survivor's guilt may have made this problem worse.

His mentality, which he summed up as "get a grip" to a traumatized Terry, also likely played a role in the deterioration of his relationship with Harrow. After Sarai's death, Viren probably felt that he ought to be the immovable and unshakable pillar on which Harrow should be able to rely. That if he ever showed the slightest doubt, the slightest weakness, Harrow, and with him, the kingdom, would collapse. Whereas if Viren had been less constipated, Harrow would undoubtedly have felt less lonely, and would have been less likely to take his own life as he did.

Viren is the brain of the heart. He provides a safeguard to Harrow, whose sense of justice blinds him. Harrow has, after all, indeed chosen the Blindfold in his dream, to push him to imagine a system aimed at protecting everyone equally. An ideal, unrealistic and inconsiderate. Viren is the Scales, in my opinion: he compares the costs of his actions to the positive consequences that will result from them. He is a result-oriented person, measuring his self-worth by his productivity.

Now, it's time for me to talk about the Drama Triangle, theorized by psychiatrist Stephen Karpman in his article Fairy Tales and script drama analysis.

Karpmann first applies this schema to fairy tales: for example, the Piper of Hamelin saves the villagers, victims of the rats who persecute them; but instead of thanking him, the villagers throw stones at him and banish him without paying their dues; which pushes the Piper to take revenge, becoming a persecutor, by making all the children of the village disappear.

But this Triangle, as Karpman explains, is also an unconscious psychological game, a relational pattern between victim, persecutor and savior that cannot be applied to an emergency situation. It is not necessary for all three instances of the triangle to be present, but it is often enough for one person to play the game for the others to get involved. Stephen Karpman adds that the more roles are reversed in a single scene, the more intense it is in emotion and conflict.

The victim is isolated, passive and unable to make decisions to resolve their problems. The persecutor belittles them, minimizes their suffering and mocks them in the hope of making them react. The savior defends them, feels obliged to solve the victim's problems for him even unsollicited, which is very gratifying for them but maintains the victim in a state of dependence.

None of these roles are positive because they create unbalanced relationships.

The problem, you can see it coming, is that over the years, Harrow has become completely dependent on Viren to put his grand ideas into practice, and therefore on the "necessary" crimes that Viren lined up like pearls on a necklace. It's not just dirty, it's also infantilising. Viren constantly acts as a savior, which places Harrow in a victim role, unaccustomed to questioning Viren's decisions even when he is wrong.

Harrow couldn't take it anymore.

He became so fed up with his own dependence on Viren that he concluded the only way to get rid of him was to die.

Harrow could have hidden with the princes, or fired his entire guard and faced the consequences of his actions alone, but he just seized the opportunity to sell his skin dearly and die a hero.

I would even go so far as to say that for Harrow, his own death served three purposes:

Reunite with Sarai without whom his life no longer has meaning

Finally receive his rightful punishment and put an end to his own feelings of guilt

Make Viren finally feel guilty about something, even if it was his suicide. He wants him to see his blood spilled on the floor.

In short, to finally regain control by placing Viren in the role of victim, while becoming the persecutor.

"I have tolerated your arrogance for to long. But if this is my last day as king, I will make sure you will know your place."

Viren, throughout seasons 1 and 2, paying for Harrow's mistakes as he always did, tried to position himself as the savior of the human kingdoms, that were then facing a crisis situation: as a result, he is rejected at every turn, completely isolated, sentenced to death for treason and completely unable to resolve his problems. In short, a victim.

And who is it that "saves" him ?

Aaravos, by presenting himself as Viren's "servant", flatters his ego and points out persecutors to blame. However, Viren is not a fool: he is aware of being manipulated. He knows that Aaravos is deliberately withholding a lot of information from him. But he throws himself into it of his own free will. He's more stressed than everyone else as well as grieving, he back to the wall and isn't thinking like the rest of the world: as far as he is concerned, he has only made a series of unavoidable decisions, which had doors and doors shutting in his face over and over, plunging him further and further into sheer darkness.

Until he has "nothing left to lose". Until the man who he has chained to a wall is freer than him. Until the knife eventually becomes the border between two worlds, separating him from the only source of light, pale, artificial, unforgiving, coming from "worse than death": Aaravos.

Yeah, it's clearly suicide-coded.

Viren (believing he was doing the right thing) got the worst out of Harrow, just as Aaravos (wanting to cause chaos for fun) got the worst out of Viren.

And just like Harrow, the only way Viren had to get rid of the devil on his shoulder was to die.

And as for Viren's third death in the sixth season, heroic if ever there was one (on the very balcony where he looked at his wrist in season 2), it is also no coincidence that he repeats Harrow's last words to him, told to humiliate him : "I am a servant."

This term carries an ambivalence: the nobility of abnegation and the humiliation of submission.

Although Harrow saw himself as a servant of the kingdom and promoted equality in his reforms and symbols, he eventually grew tired of it. He does sacrifice his own life to end the cycle of revenge, but since he does not take the trouble to prepare for his succession, even if only by ensuring that the princes are safe, the result is a total disaster. He also devotes the last minutes of his existence to being completely unjustified cruelty towards Viren. His death was a way for him to finally regain control.

Viren, hurt that Harrow lowered him to the ground by mistaking his self-sacrifice for arrogance and once again leaving him to pay the price for his decisions, has made this term the justification for his crimes... confusing, in his good intentions, “serving the people” for “using the people”.

Viren was completely willing to sacrifice himself to save Harrow in Season 1, but Harrow, determined to regain control, didn't even listen to him; and Viren immediately recanted when Harrow refused to recognize him as an equal. Although it could not have been more sincere, the sacrifice of his own life was then rejected by the plot because it was done without humility.

(or maybe Harrow immediately understood what Viren was going to do and scolded him to dissuade him)

Viren was then reduced to his greatest weakness : his existential need for gratitude.

And more than ever, he was the only one with common sense in the room, on top of being belittled for his absence of royal blood. He still thinks he knows better than everyone else, just as he always actually did. Anyone who crosses his vision ought to be killed. No matter how much he has to harm others and himself (burning his own eyes, committing high treason and sentencing himself to death, giving in body and soul to "worse than death", letting Aaravos manipulate his body in absolutely gross ways, risking being burned at the stake) in the process. Aaravos sees straight through, exploits this, because it's what dark magic is: it's dehumanising yourself as well as others; seeing no longer people but components and obstacles. Viren harms himself to be seen as a hero, not a servant. He needs gratitude, admiration. To be seen as above. A servant is beneath, only ever doing what he is told.

But today, Viren, haunted by the vision of Harrow's blood on the floor, chooses to sacrifice himself, thus saving the population of Katolis in the face of dragon fire, to sacrifice himself alone and no one else, reviled, hated, and misunderstood. The official portrait of him and Harrow, symbolizing his noble deeds and the good they were able to do together, burned in the castle fire.

He dies not in court clothes but in rags, not as an official hero showered with praise, but as a traitor. Soren will never know what he did for him as a child, Viren doesn't want his death to haunt him.

Even though he dies as the Lord Protector of the Realm Ezran could not be, in the eyes of history, Viren will remain the traitor. The Evil Chancellor, Jafar, Richard III, Iago, Scar.

No one will see his blood as he spills it on the floor of Harrow's room.

Servants of the realm indeed.

[classicanalyzer]

Dragon Prince S6 Thoughts

"Sometimes the line between mercy and cruelty can be thin." Aaravos and Startouch Elves

Well holy shit, that opening really went from wholesome Viren (who is alive) hugging Terry and celebrating Aaravos’ supposed “lie” to OH GOD CLAUDIA KILLED A CHILD. God, it's really terrifying seeing Claudia give so much to save her father...it really hits home how Viren felt responsible for leading her down this route. The tragic thing is that I think Viren knows deep inside that as of now, he can't help her...but he hopes he can inspire her to turn back. Despite everything she did, Claudia's actions to save her father were all for nothing. She lost a leg and her soul (it is yet to be seen if her soul can be brought back) and yet by the time she reached home, her father died yet again...this time for good. Claudia's screams were really chilling and sad.

At least, Terry is always there for Claudia...though I'm worried about what will happen to him given Claudia's increasing mental dive into darkness and insanity. He rightfully points out how revenge is different from love and how it drove Aaravos to the deaths of God who knows.

I really love that Viren didn't choose to reveal what he did to heal Soren. It would've just caused Soren more grief and pain. That's one of the most best things Viren could have done before his sacrifice. He carries on the absolute shame (I felt chills when I heard how he obtained the last part of the spell) that he caused rather than “pass it on” so to say to Soren.

Viren’s true death feels fitting for him. All this time everyone close to him ask if he was willing to risk his life for another. Dark Magic has ruined so many lives and yet also saved so man in some cases. There is a price to be paid. But finally, he proved that he was willing to do that rather than find some other way to pay the price or back out. This time he paid the price and did a truly selfless action where nobody had to get hurt...other than him. He lived his whole life choosing what he felt was pragmatic and selfish with only a few moments of his good self showing...he chose to finally die a servant of his home. While Soren will understandably never forgive him for what he did to him and the world, he will remember him for his last act of unselfish genuine goodness and living up to his desires of atonement rather than going back. I also love how his last words are the last words spoken by Harrow to him.

"I am a servant. I am a...servant." Viren's last words

That entire ship episode is so hilarious with the meta-commentary. The Celestial Elves were a really cool sub-ect of Skywing Elves. I also love the parallels between dealing with Ice Behmeath in the present and the Magma Titan in the past. Instead of killing the beast which left people killed, they found what made it so sad and everyone lives.

Also Callum and Rayla are back together! So happy and I wished we didn't have the break-up personally but still finally.

I now understand the Soren and Corvus ship, and I approve.

I'm so happy that Amaya and Janai finally got married at last. Too bad Karim had to ruin all the vibes temporarily, thankfully, the two were able to salvage it. Amaya and Janai truly deserve the world.

The build-up to when Ezran and Corvus realizes the true plan of Karim is really chilling.

S6 really has me lowkey ship Ezran and Aanya haha. Two badass, wise, and compassionate young rulers who lost their parents...speaking off, I can't imagine seeing Ezran in S7 now that he knows his kingdom is destroyed.

Sol Regem really is responsible for the events of the show. While it is dark how he died and it's horrible how he was responsible for his soulmate's death, I can't say he didn't deserve his death at all. He was the one who laid the seeds for humanity's conflict with elves and utterly despises humanity. He literally choked and burned on his own element.

Katolis being destroyed made me sad since it was our primary setting in the human realm for 6 seasons.

The Startouch Elves gave me so many Collector vibes. Aaravos really is the Ardyn of Dragon Prince with a bit of Collector and I'm all here for it. Now all that is needed is for him to get a stylish hat and turn the sky into an eternal darkness. Also, Aaravos was really that big in his natural mortal form...which made S5's horrifying reveal of what he said make a lot of sense.

A major theme of S6 and the show is how revenge won't get you anywhere but further metaphorically drown yourself. Another major theme is love (platonically and romantically), whether familial, platonic, or romantic.

S6 really is an amazing return to form, and it felt like the quality of the first three seasons was consistent. I cannot wait for the final season of this saga. I did hear about them wanting to make three more books and I wonder how they can go from here...but I trust them to do right based on S6.

[inamindfarfaraway]

It's so cool that the Viren-Claudia-Callum foil triangle each have a different approach to the "I would do anything for you" sentiment that they all define themselves by.

Pre-coma Viren doesn't fully mean it even when he believes he does. He says that his loyalty is to the best interests of his family and humanity, but as K'ppar points out in his dream, he keeps putting his own ambition and self-importance before anything else. He doesn't consider sacrificing his life for Harrow until Harrow brings it up. Even after that, he never once thinks of giving up the dragon prince's egg; the belief that the prince was killed is part of the reason the assassins are here and returning him to them might appease them, might at least make them spare Harrow's son, which the man Viren loves as a brother would obviously want. He orders Soren to kill the princes to guarantee Viren the throne. He orders Claudia to save the egg instead of Soren if she had to choose. Harrow, Ezran, Callum and his own child are not worth losing the power of Zym to his enemies for. He isn't willing to sacrifice his power or vision, his selfish interests, but is instead willing to sacrifice the people he loves, which is why he's evil. The promise is conditional. But what lets him redeem himself is that the love at the base of it really is unconditional. He still loves Harrow and genuinely expresses this in his dream, overwhelmed with relief when he appears to be alive. He still loves his children, even after all the horrible things he does to them and the lack of remorse he shows for those actions until his death. The coma reminds him of that enduring love, and makes him reevaluate how he dismissed it.

Claudia is the opposite. When she says she'll do anything for someone, she means it with everything she has. Herself, her moral integrity, other people's lives, the fate of the world - nothing is more important to her than her perceived responsibility to her loved ones. Including what her loved ones themselves want. But she can also change her mind about who she loves, at least enough to see them as against her rather than with her. Callum is her friend, until he isn't. Soren is her family, until he isn't and only Viren is worth protecting. Like her father’s did before her, her value of Soren’s wellbeing has been slipping from “That’s all that matters” to “That doesn’t matter!” People can be disqualified by opposing her desires and ideology. The promise is unconditional, but the love isn't.

And then you have Callum, who seems to have the best approach of the three. He means his promise when he says it and will never rescind it later on. His devotion is both absolute and everlasting. He will do anything for Ezran and Rayla, putting them before his own interests; and he would never consider them expendable. That's great! After all, having conditions of worth in relationships they don't belong in is bad. It leads to Viren and Claudia hurting, manipulating and betraying their family and friends, and such behaviour feels viscerally wrong. They're traitors. They're abusers. Those are serious crimes. Those labels are grievous insults meaning ‘Bad Person’. But unlike both Viren and Claudia, Callum doesn't have the arrogant belief that he always know best to warp his love into something self-serving. His genuine selflessness prevents him from ever becoming that kind of person. He does cut ties with Claudia, but only after she proves to be untrustworthy and have enduring harmful intent toward him, his brother and Rayla, so it's a perfectly reasonable boundary to set. His version of "I would do anything for you" just makes him caring and heroic. Right?

Until you realize that technically, if he had to kill everyone else on the continent in order to save Ezran and Rayla, all evidence from canon suggests that he would.

[detectiphoenix]

A silly little Viravos-centric Pokemon AU where Viren is a Pokemon Professor, and Aaravos is a near-immortal Mythical Pokemon disguised as a human ~

I'll be tagging all art in this AU #phoenix's tdp pokemon au, so if the content bothers you, please block said tag! On the other hand, if you decide to make art/content of this AU, please use said tag 👀

Typed out tidbits underneath the cut!

AARAVOS, DARK/DRAGON MYTHICAL

Is "The Fallen Star"

Can appear as either his draconic Pokémon form or human - can also sprout horns and a tail if comfortable

Likes living as a human. Likes creating rumors about himself more

In his many years of life, has mastered fluent human Standard speak, but can also communicate telepathically

Horribly enamoured by the cute little Professor who thinks he's on top of the world

AMAYA HANSEN, GYM LEADER

Commands the easiest gym in the region, but boasts an impressive combat threat outside of gym battles

Celebrated for having extremely deep connections to her Pokémon

Favorite part about being a gym leader is giving new trainers their first badge

CALLUM ASPEN, POKÉMON TRAINER

Pokémon enthusiast!

Is very serious about his "catch-em-all" mission

Met Rayla when they were both trying to catch the same Pokémon

Acknowledges his last name is the name of the tree, and won't stop talking about his fate being to be a Pokémon Professor

CLAUDIA CYPRESS, POKÉMON TRAINER

Wanted to stay with her father to help him with his research, but he convinced her to stay with Soren for the time being

Determined to be a Pokémon Professor one day

An expert with her items and consumables

Cheers every time a trainer engages her in battle

EZRAN ASPEN, POKÉMON DAY CARE ASSISTANT

Is almost old enough to get his starter Pokémon, but isn't sure if he wants to be a trainer

Sneaks treats to all of the Pokémon under his watch

He thinks he's being sneaky, but everyone knows he's sneaking treats and no one says anything because all of the Pokémon adore him

HARROW ASPEN, POKÉMON CHAMPION

Defends his title with pride and a bright smile

Popular for his natural charisma, even outside of his region

His great-grandfather was a Pokémon Professor

Pip, a Talonflame he raised from a Fletchling, is his star fighter

JANAI COETZEE, ELITE FOUR

Despite being the newest member, is considered to be the most difficult challenge of the four

Often described as having a threatening aura during battle

After battle, however, her kind nature is clear

RAYLA COLLINS, POKÉMON TRAINER

Got the Pokémon

Determined to be the Champion one day

Wants to make her dads proud (they're already proud)

Began her journey saying she would only fight using stronger Pokémon to increase her chances at becoming the Champion, but gets extremely attached to every Pokémon she catches

RUNAAN COLLINS, RETIRED POKÉMON CHAMPION

Used to be the region's Champion, before retiring to spend more time with his husband and adopted daughter

Isn't that old, but has enough funds from his championship that he is able to live comfortably without a job

Still assists his husband, Ethari, with his Battle Items Shop

SOREN CYPRESS, POKÉMON TRAINER

The trainer that will run up to you and engage you in a Pokémon battle

Determined to be the Champion one day, or at least a cool gym leader in his home region

Very suspicious of that guy who keeps spending time with his father

Likes to travel across regions and bring his father Pokémon that don't appear in their home region

VIREN CYPRESS, POKÉMON PROFESSOR

Has spent the vast majority of his life researching "The Fallen Star"

Believes Aaravos to be a researcher as passionate as himself in the same field

Wants to be the first to discover "The Fallen Star", sees Aaravos as frustratingly intelligent competition

Needs reading glasses to read, but despises wearing them

Would have found "The Fallen Star" already, if not for an insufferably attractive individual's meddling

[raayllum]

I think sometimes the way I approach fic / meta writing / analysis stems from how I character build and write my OG stuff as well, because while the classical writing advice is about asking "what does your character want?" I've always found it most useful to ask "What does your character want, and what are they willing to justify to get it?"

(Asking how they justify their actions is also incredibly useful but more on that later.)

For example, when ('good') characters are under stressful situations and respond well regardless, we take that as being indicative of who they Truly Are—heroic, helpful, selfless, often even compassionate, etc, and when antagonists behave that way, we dismiss it as just glory hounding or being selfish, when it can Be multiple things at once.

When ('bad') characters respond poorly to stressful situations—threatening harm, using dark magic to saved loved ones, being angry and cold hearted—we take that as who they are, and when it's the protags, we say they're stressed or coerced or any number of things... that are true for the antags often, too! And still true even if you don't like them or have as much compassion towards them.

But unfortunately sometimes people are rarely inclined to do the opposite. They're rarely inclined to take antagonists' good moments as honest statements of their character because "well they're mean/evil" and often dismiss protagonists' complicated or less than stellar choices because "well they're good and they feel bad" (Viren saying he'll never forgive himself for the things he's done even when they saved his son, and Claudia crying over what she's done to save her father? yeah those scenes don't exist anymore sorry).

The fact of the matter is that, at least in TDP and in many other works (including my own), actual antagonists are not always evil and awful and morally bankrupt 100% of the time, and actual protagonists are not always perfect or good or making the right choice (because sometimes there isn't one, tbh).

Who your character is at their best and their worst, regardless of circumstance, is ALL of who they are. It all has to be taken into account. No cherry picking. Rayla can be selfish and dismissive and a liar who routinely fails at whatever she sets out to do and is awful at communicating, and Viren can love his kingdom and his family and genuinely believe that's what he's doing everything for, and neither encompasses their whole character. A perfect example is Claudia, who we cheer for when she chooses Soren over the world-saving mission of the egg in 2x07, and despair at when she chooses Viren over the world-saving mission of maybe not freeing the dangerous imprisoned Startouch elf in S4 and S5. Same principle, character, motivation, different circumstance, but we're happy about Soren (because he's not Viren) and bummed about Viren (because he's not Soren), and because character traits are consistent, and whether those traits are good or bad is inherently circumstantial. Claudia's loyalty can be great, and it can be a terrible, awful justification. Both of those things are true.

To be clear, this isn't to argue for false equivalency: Viren and Claudia and other antagonists are far more often Wrong than the protagonists are, and the protagonists are routinely more Right than our two favourite dark mages are. TDP likes its complications and circumstantial stuff, but there's still some things that are Bad No Matter What (like gaslighting your child, or routine dehumanization). And some of our associations are because antagonistic characters tend to be routinely cruel and mean, which are part of the horrible things they do, and protagonist characters are routinely kinder and more compassionate to the people around them, and protecting each other / innocent people is part of what makes them a good person, but... There's no inherent difference between a lot (not all, but some) of the actions the characters across the board take, particularly in arc 2, just their perspective and who we're personally more attached to and thereby more willing to justify their decisions surrounding.

Like idk my main WIP protag buries people alive en masse and tortures someone vindictively because they killed her friend and I'd still classify her as a Good Person (fictionally), and it's just always wild to me when people don't take All Parts and Choices and Relationships of a character into account especially because TDP spells it out for us over and over that we Should with quite literally every single character, whether those actions are good or bad:

Once again I am asking for encompassing wholes and character nuances where the only time a character should be like "well it's totally fine that you did a Thing actually" (Rayla towards Callum's dark magic use or Callum towards Rayla lying to/stealing from him) or "totally not okay that you did a thing" (Runaan about Rayla sparing Marcos, or Claudia doing dark magic) is taken as an aspect of Character Bias, not a definitive Narrative get off the hook slant or condemnation, because neither of those things Get us anywhere in a writing or analytical sense thank you

[lily-lilou]

My breef thoughts on TDP Season 6, not at all in order (also, spoilers so watch out!)

So, main thought? Ouch

Prepare tissues, I needed so much it's unbelievable

Remember we learned, with "Through the Moon" that Rayla's flower sank in the Silvergrove? Well, I don’t wanna imagine what Ethari will feel when he’ll see his big cat come back, have maybe an omnious feeling, and then see Rayla’s flower sink again a few days later... Then both flowers go back and the poor guy will have so many heart attack I ache for him.

Glad to see that frozen ship (hehe) finally move

about said frozen ship, I hope Rayla's "if you have to chose between me and the greater good, do the right thing. make the sacrifice” won't come bite her back because knowing Callum... well, usually he wouldn't, he’s proven time and again that he will always choose her and his loved ones above the greater good. But, you know... never say never...

one last star diamond, one last miracle maker stone. Wonder on what it will be used? (my bet: something about Leola)

Leola is the cuetest cutie ever.

I was all "Cutie Pie! I've know you for like five seconds but if anything happens to you I'll kill everyone and then myself"

But apparently Aaravos called dibs on that plan...

Tissues, guys. Tissues. Your body won't have enough water for all the tears you'll shed.

Lain and Tiadrin : re - ouch. (and ouch for their total screen time since S1...)

Mini Baits

Soren OMG

Viren's backstory (or more like his relationship with Soren's backstory) : prepare tissues.

CLAUDIA!!!!

And Terry, he's the best boi ever with Callum

SO!!!! MY THEORY ABOUT LOVE BEING MAGIC WAS RIGHT?! Though, from what I can see so far, it's not exactly a magic on its own in the same way the others are, but it's a glue in between, what makes the scale tips in the right direction. Interesting, hmmm? :D

oh yeah, the Cosmic Order. I hate them. I've always been prompt to give everyone some leeway in this show, even Sol Regem because I could bet all of them had "ReAsoNs" to act the way they did, no matter how horrible. The cosmic order, though?

they didn’t just kill a kid, they did it out of fear despite being the most powerful out there. My little theory (how long ago was the last one XD) is all about their view of things : destiny, fate, everything should be as is should. Except humans are unpredictable, and that scares them.  Which is why, apparently, showing them magic is a crime.

But hey, if Kung fu panda taught me one thing, it’s that it’s on the path where you hope avoiding it, that you meet your fate. And in killing the kid, they just ensured that destruction they feared so much (now, how they managed to not see that coming? Easy! When you’re emotionally stunt enough to think allowing a father to die with his daughter is a mercy, you’re just destined to die.)

Speaking of mercy. Mrs Merciful One! You’ll excuse my foul language, you all, but I’ll say it anyway : Fuck you! Never have I hated someone more in this whole show that this one. And if I find the damn idiot who called that elf “the merciful one”, I’ll roast them slowly and painfully (Aaravos probably already did, but hey, I'm sure resurecting people can be a thing...)

oh yeah, a very tiny but so crucial point: Runnan is back =)

And Katolis is a big chunk of charcoal...

Ok that's all for now

Have a nice day everyone! I'll come back from time to time. Now, I'm gonna try to cope with all of this, because this is gonna give me some kind of PTSD I'm sure T.T

[comicaurora]

If you've finished The Dragon Prince, S5, what's your opinion? Personally I'm still processing everything and there were a few things I was kind of "ehhhhh" about, but those were just one-off moments and overall I'm satisfied, even though it ended up playing out very differently from how I was expecting (for one, I was certain Aaravos would be getting out by the end of the season).

I liked it a lot!

SPOILERS AND STUFF:

Because I liked it a lot, most of my more specific thoughts are about the few things that sort of jarred me a little bit and felt a little rough or strange. But before I get to that I wanna list some of the stuff I loved:

Soren! My sweet boi has finally gotten the acknowledgement the previous seasons denied him. Soren locking eyes with Deadwood and going "yo same issues" was incredible, and after the last season treated his abduction by and confrontation with his abusive father as 90% comedy funtime hijinks in a nightgown, it was really refreshing to see him get a chance to actually shine in a serious, heartwarming context and be narratively rewarded for it.

In fact, that whole sequence with the pirates was incredible. I knew there was no way they were gonna cleanly outrun the bad guys, but I was not expecting how exactly they would catch up.

They did a lot of elegant work this season setting up Claudia as going from being family-motivated to being anger-motivated, and I like that, because at the rate things are going she's gonna run out of family to be motivated by in T-minus one episode, and if she's going to continue being the main boots-on-the-ground antagonist she's going to need some new motivation to swap out for her dad. Showing her actively reveling in having power over creatures that used to frighten her is a clever way to ease into that.

Viren's arc this season of being forced to confront his own coping mechanism, "I had no choice", was damn elegant. He had to realize he did have a choice the whole time, even if it was a choice between two bad options - he took every step along the path of his own free will, and he can choose to stop walking at any time. I'm not anticipating a redemption arc - my guess is Aaravos is going to let him die and just keep his soul imprisoned with him, "your soul is my treasure" and all that - but it was a very cool way to confront the audience and Viren with his humanity, which is easy to lose sight of when he spends all his time being a horrible dick.

The stuff with the Nova Blade screams "sneaky poetic double meaning" and there's absolutely no way it can actually kill Aaravos. The fact that the novablade and the three quasar diamonds they need to let Ruunan out of his coin after four goddamn seasons are all in the same place called the Starscraper that is so most definitely a boss arena makes me absolutely certain that they won't get there until some sort of final battle or immediately-pre-final-battle confrontation, but it's also almost guaranteed that the novablade is not going to cleanly resolve everything because the characters were realistically sus about that poem but quickly dismissed their entirely reasonable concerns. My guess is the novablade has already stabbed Aaravos once and he's the dude from the poem who was somehow both immortal and "no more," which feeds into the other thing they're 100% setting up, which is that Callum is one thousand percent going to be the one who lets him out in an ill-fated attempt to save his loved ones, which would cleanly make Callum three for three. Which segues into my "things that bothered me a little bit" zone-

Every time there's a story where the heroes are like "we're going to make our way through the incredibly circuitous and hard-to-navigate traps and secrets to finally find our way to the closely-guarded and ludicrously dangerous macguffin so we can take it with us and put it somewhere much less guarded" I feel my investment slip just a little, because how can anybody be surprised when the bad guys then get ahold of it with a tenth of the effort it would've taken them to get through the circuitous treasure hunt themselves? Claudia was not on track to figuring out the secret in time, and Aaravos didn't seem to have a way to tell her directly, and once the deadline ran out she'd have almost no reason to want to release Aaravos anymore. I worry this plotline could've solved itself if the heroes hadn't inexplicably concluded that they could guard a magical prison better than a centuries-deep conspiracy of archmages and archdragons.

The Dragon Prince character writing is usually rock-solid and very good at showing slow growth and development, while occasionally being vulnerable to characters seemingly losing their braincells to facilitate plot points that they would reasonably be too smart to let happen. That happened a few times this season, most notably with Zubeia getting very clearly bit by a shadowbeast - something we know everyone riding on her back saw, because Corvus intervened to get it off her and nearly died in the process, and we later see Soren talking to her about it - which means Amaya at minimum, and probably Callum and Rayla as well, should reasonably be expected to have both the information "a wound from a shadowbeast magically festers and turns the infected victim into a shadowbeast" and "zubeia was injured by a shadowbeast." So it's a bit weird that this doesn't come up and they just leave her alone about it, and only Soren - who doesn't know about shadowbeast stuff - even asks her about it.

I have this theory that there was a draft of the season's plot where the main characters had access to a different space of information - for instance, knowing about Zubeia's wound and its implications instead of her inexplicably brushing it off, hiding its true severity and then nearly dying. The most notable instance of this feeling struck me in the same episode, when right after Amaya's incredibly dramatic "go!" moment and the gang are about to fly away, Callum pointedly looks down one last time, then sees her shove Corvus and herself into the book drop, and he says "they made it into the book drop! they'll be totally fine!" and then they fly away. It feels a little jarring because it seemed like the natural flow of the episode would've been to let Amaya and Corvus's sacrifice play out as expected, with Chekov's Book Drop at their backs to save them as soon as the heroes were out of sight. Then Amaya and Corvus could show back up later in a big heroic moment, possibly even keeping the camera off them until Amaya rides to Janai's rescue a few episodes later - a classic "aragorn goes over the cliff jk he's fine" style reveal.

The reason they didn't do this, I think, is because it would've been hard for the kid heroes to be quippy-fun-time jokey-joking mere hours after losing their last living relative to presumed horrible zombie death. And I get that! But I think that was a notable factor in the way some of the episodes were structured around making sure that the heroes mostly got to spend their time being light-hearted and funny, which meant troubling information was artificially kept from them and encouraging information was shoehorned into their eyeline in slightly contrived ways so they could stay safely partitioned away from the actually heavy emotional implications of their situation. That's why I think the pirate episodes hit the audience as hard as they did, because suddenly the story dipped really seriously into the extremely painful and scary side of this otherwise fun and exciting fantasy adventure, and the characters shone in the unusually serious environment.

I kinda feel the same about Viren, but in the opposite direction. He spent the entire season comatose and safely partitioned away from the other characters, and while his highly symbolic coma dreams were extremely cool and revelatory to see, it feels like a squandering of his character potential to keep him from interacting with anyone but Aaravos - which is why I think they're gonna keep his ghost around at minimum. Hell, maybe Claudia will take a page out of his book and store him in a coin for safekeeping. Either way, they've had no problems sticking Viren on the proverbial shelf for seasons at a time and it seems like it's just too convenient for them to stop now. Viren's inner life is very cool, but I want to see him actually interact with the real world, because he's so bad at it.

I don't really know why the sunfire civil war thing is still happening, and my only theory is that Aaravos is still influencing the bald elf guy he possessed to kill the Queen back in season 3, meaning that these guys will be bolstering the ranks of General Problems in season 6 onward. I don't mind that concept, but I kind of feel like the problem they're running into is they killed their actually interesting Dickhead Royal back in season 3, and without Prince Kasef they have to make do with We Have Kasef At Home, aka Karim, who's not good enough at machiavellian scheming to be interesting and not enough of a dickhead to be fun to watch. They didn't even let Amaya take one of his eyes and make him look cooler, so I can only assume he'll be usurped as the primary threat next season and replaced with someone actually threatening, aka Aaravos. It seems plausible that Aaravos is going to sell both the poison and the cure, promising a way to fix Lux Aurea's corruption, but it's just a weirdly disconnected plot thread at present.

The thing with the ocean archmage felt like a very transparent Yoda homage, which started out cute and then went on about three times longer than I wanted it to, and it kind of highlighted the running theme of how every new character in this story is introduced saying "I absolutely cannot let you do this thing you need to do to progress the plot, no way no how." and then after some arguing and quips and ten minutes of wasted time and optional sidequests they're like "you may now proceed with the story." The ocean archdragon had the exact same gimmick in the opening scene, even the pirates were introduced that way. I think part of the reason the pirate episode felt so different and cool is that it broke the episodic formula in almost every way and highlighted some character tropes that the lighthearted tone doesn't normally allow for, which is why people keep describing it as "like a fanfic, but in a good way!" It took the characters we were at this point very familiar with and put them in a Situation, and fans love it when characters get put in Situations.

Kinda feels like the show only remembers Ezran has geopolitical kingly responsibilities when it's most inconvenient for the gang, and while I find his presence in this season refreshing, it is a little weird that he can just run around adventuring and getting kidnapped by pirates without anyone bringing up how the throne and the crown are burdens like they've been banging on about for the previous four seasons. I assume that'll come back into focus later, but it ties into the same thing I've observed where it feels like the characters are very carefully contextualized to only have to consider serious responsibility things in very specific contexts, usually when it will facilitate actively frustrating character arcs and decisions, so they can just loosely quip and react to things the rest of the time.

Anyway I had a dang good time, excited for more! Harrow is one thousand percent in that bird.

[thrandilf]

What I mean: Viren is such a fascinating character, he's both highly emotional yet cold and pragmatic. He may believe that the ends justify the means but he is agonized over the means, but he does what he feels he must. He is an antagonist who genuinely believes he is in the right. He's made horrible mistakes as a father yet he does love his children, even Soren. His moments of kindness and likability are as genuine as his moments of ruthlessness and he's so humanly flawed and complex that I want to write a dissertation about him. The same man who deeply grieved Sarai and Harrow then took the throne without remorse because it needed to be done. He has so many layers to him and yet this potential for warmth doesn't negate the cruel and horrible things he's done, but it makes us wonder what he will do in the future, if he will continue on his path, feeling as though he has no agency in the cycle he perpetuates, letting precedence and history control him, or if he will be able to take his new chance at life and do something new with it

What I say: welcome to DILF city, he's the mayor

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Layers and white lies: a Puzzle House takeaway

I'm not going to delve into too much detail on this amazing book here, but I will touch on a few themey, plotty things I saw and roll around in some angst for a while, so, behold, a cut for big ol' Puzzle House spoilers:

One of the clues that helps Claudia delve deeper into the Puzzle House - and the plot - is the little clue on the bottom of the lantern she picks up: some things are hidden in plain sight. And the deep angst and all of Kpp'Ar's intentions are some of them!

This story, like all of TDP's stories, is written to be understood at a certain level by children. And it is. But for us adults, if we slow down and study what's in front of us - another Claudia clue, which she advises Soren with - we can see more. (this works in the show too of course)

In this case, I'm seeing Kpp'Ar's entire plan - and why he abandoned it - and how it worked anyway.

There's the real angst. He set something in motion, and it became too big to stop on his own. And that's very much relevant to TDP's concept of the cycle too!

Okay, let's break down the situation Kpp'Ar found himself in:

Soren was very ill

Kpp'Ar was engaged with Viren in helping find a way to save him

Kpp'Ar knew about the power in unicorn horns

he captured a giant who was guarding a map scroll that could lead him to one

but then he realized he was not worthy to read its information, and instead of stopping to look at that, he pushed forward in a new direction

This is when things get a little dark.

When the fun cute carousel (that might be made of actual creatures turned to stone? did they all die for this performance?) carries Soren and Claudia deep into the tower, Soren sees the horrible traps and assumes he and his sister are off the planned track for their surprise. At one point he claims that what they're dealing with is literally too big for them.

He's right... but also, he isn't.

Follow the unicorns. That's what Kpp'Ar wanted Claudia to do.

They start on the lantern, and they're present on the balustrade right next to them. She was always supposed to pick up the lantern, remember the snap magic trick Kpp'Ar taught her, and head right up those stairs.

She was supposed to fail at the slide. She was supposed to find a different way to keep chasing what she wanted. Just like Kpp'Ar. When he closes a trap door, he opens a window? Sure.

Follow those unicorns, Claudia! Cutesy and bright, they led her all the way to the giant's prison. She was always supposed to push past the boundaries of "child-friendly" fun and go in there and read the map, so that her father and his mentor could go kill a unicorn for its horn, and then save Soren's life with it.

That was always the plan.

And it was always too big to just ask a child to do. So Kpp'Ar made it into puzzles for her. That way Viren could still save Soren's life, and Claudia would have fun and never be burdened with knowing what she was really doing.

She learned that trick, too, btw. Good job, Clauds.

The hidden angst of what happened to Kpp'Ar is a little harder to see, but it's there too:

Kpp'Ar realized he was dragging Claudia into the same kinds of machinations he'd dragged Viren into

he'd known Viren for years and something in that arc gave Kpp'Ar pause

he could see what Viren couldn't (until S5) - that he was hurting Claudia's future despite her trust in him

something in Kpp'Ar broke, and he had a tantrum (like Viren in S2) and a big change of heart (took Viren 3 more seasons)

he gave Claudia those snake bracelets just before he vanished because he wanted her to free the giant

she'd still have to follow the unicorns to find him - she still might find and use the map - but he couldn't control that now, all he could hope for was that she would show compassion for the giant too

And she did, because she was pure of heart. Kpp'Ar helped set things right, with one of his final acts. But he'd already put into place a whole big plan to kill a unicorn, and there was no way to separate rescuing Kruha from aiding that plan in progressing forward. He had to take his hands off the wheel and trust someone else to do the right thing. He had to give up his need to control everything, and start to trust just a little.

Themey, innit.

What's interesting is that Viren gives no clear indication to anyone - Atticus, Claudia, us - that he's aware of this big puzzle Kpp'Ar made, or its goal. All he admits is that things are complicated and the Puzzle House is dangerous. Very on brand with those layers and white lies.

Couple possibilities:

Kpp'Ar knew Viren would not allow him to endanger Claudia, so he didn't tell him about it, and Viren didn't understand the full scope until after Claudia had seen the map - possibly several years later, shortly before Viren proposed his vengeance plan to Harrow

OR, Viren knew all along about the plan to use Claudia (and was willing to risk her life for Soren's), but it didn't matter anymore, because he'd already found another way to heal Soren - possibly with (some of?) Kpp'Ar's life force - so he played dumb with the map paper and only told Claudia to keep it safe for later

Since he couldn't read the map... I lean toward him knowing all along. Coining Kpp'Ar for having a change of heart - something anyone should be allowed to do at any time - certainly added to the darkening of Viren's heart, but surely he and Kpp'Ar tested the map and found that neither of them could read it before going to these lengths.

With the comments Kpp'Ar makes to Viren in his fever dream - which now might be partially... real? - it's very possible that Viren pushed for the whole thing, trying to save his son's life. Offered Claudia up, got Kpp'Ar to give her a book so she could start studying up on magic, and then lost his cool entirely when his mentor basically said Soren should die, and coined him for it.

And Claudia never knew a bit of that. Probably still doesn't!

I wonder if she'll interact with any Kpp'Ar details in future seasons!

Alright, that's my thoughts!

Puzzle House is possibly the theme-iest graphic novel we've gotten so far. It's themes all the way down. They reach down through the PH plot, into Claudia's onscreen tactics, and they reach up to the meta level with the way that The Dragon Prince approaches the entirety of the show itself.

There is something scary in the dark. But that doesn't mean we should run. It's always better to go slow, to have compassion, and to follow your heart.

Because sometimes the solutions are hiding in plain sight.

Thanks for reading

[newtthetranswriter]

hii can u write a cuddle session with yuuta?

Summary: Just a lazy day cuddling and watching The Dragon Prince.

Paring: Yuta x gn!Reader

Word Count: 874

A/N: Thank you for requesting this. I love cuddles with Yuta, he’s just so sweet. I couldn’t help but use the dragon prince as the show they watch while cuddling because it’s one of my favorites right now and if you’ve watched you should understand my comparisons, if you haven’t watched it I highly recommend, it has such diversity and has the same feel as Avatar the Last Airbender, plus there are a bunch of easter eggs for atla because one of the creators was also a writer and producer on Avatar. Anyway, enjoy this lovely piece and let me know what you think. MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT

Dating Yuta has been a dream come true. He is the sweetest guy I have ever met and it feels like he understands me better than anyone. It’s almost like he can sense when I’m having a bad day because today he suggested that we skip hanging out with our friends to just stay in and watch one of my favorite shows. So, that's exactly what we are doing right now, we’er cuddled up on my bed with a bowl of skittles on my lap watching The Dragon Prince on netflix.

I just really enjoy laying with him and commenting on the little jokes each character makes or judging Viren for being a horrible father. We also like to try and figure out which character reminds us of each other and our friends, that’s the current debate we are having.

“There is no way Toge is Claudia, if anything he’s Zym. Because one, he can’t talk, and two he likes to cause trouble. I don’t think any of our friends are evil enough to be Claudia.” I said completely flabbergasted that he would insinuate that our best friend would be able to do such horrid things to people and animals.

He laughed and said “I wasn’t saying that because I think he’s evil or something, I was saying it because in the first few seasons Claudia is a complete dork, yeah she sucks for doing dark magic but she does dumb stuff as well. Anyway, now that we have Inumaki picked, who would Maki be? I personally think Rayla is an exact copy of her; they would both roll their eyes and slap someone for being an idiot.”

I chuckled at his defense, “I completely agree. Maki is also too stubborn to ask for help when she really needs it. Panda is Ezran, I will not accept any argument, he understands Toge and encourages his dumb behaviors.” I started with no room for argument.  “Also you are Soren, don't try to fight it, that's my final decision and I'm sticking to it.”

“W-what how am I Soren?” My boyfriend looked at me obviously confused by my statement. “I’m not disagreeing, I’m just curious why you think that.”

“Well for one you both use swords to fight. But most importantly, you are both extremely kind in spite of the fact you have both been through a lot. Soren spent years being gaslite by his father into doing horrible things, and when he tried to make his sister see it she also tried to gaslight him. Once he finally realized his family was doing horrible things he made the hard choice to leave them and change for the better. Now I’m not saying you have the same past but I know you struggled and suffered for a while. Having Rika lash out everytime something even came close to threatening you and not understanding it had to have been difficult, but instead of giving up, you decided to keep fighting and try and make it so no one else has to go through what you did.” I pointed out the major similarities between the two swordsmen. “Also I think you are both adorable.”

He just watched amazed by my reasoning, thinking I was just gonna say it was because they both use swords and are dorks, but no it was like I had thought about this alot. “I-i- Wow, you’ve thought about that a lot haven’t you?” he asked with a light blush.

I smiled up at him. “ Yeah I have, you have been through a lot and I'm proud of you for it. Now the most important question, what character am I?” I asked, trying to see his brain work.

“Oh definitely Bait.” He said confidently as I looked at him in shock.

“Excuse me, I just gave a college dissertation level speech on why I think you are a handsome swordsman, and all I get is a toad.” I said sitting up and turning to fully face him.

“Well yeah you are both adorable when you’re grumpy, both love shiny things, and you have a massive sweet tooth.” He said, defending his choice, reaching to try and pull back to lay with him. I begrudgingly layed back down resting my head on his chest, I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders as he placed a kiss to the top of my head. “Now shush, one of your favorite moments is coming up.”

I just nodded and snuggled closer to his side as I turned to watch as general Amya accidentally ruined her own engagement. I always find it funny, like yeah I get wanting to propose in a flashy way but seriously. Amya is a high ranked general who doesn't seem like someone who enjoys random surprises, what else would you expect to happen ambushing her with what look like flaming whips. I chuckled at the scene before closing my eyes, just enjoying the time I get to spend cuddling Yuta. I whispered a quiet “I Love you” as I drifted off to sleep.

Right as I let sleep take over, I heard Yuta respond with his “I love you too” before we both feel asleep to the sounds of dragons, elves, and magic.

[stranger-angel0401]

Come Back to Me

Pairing: Soren x Reader

Description: When Soren joins the good guys, reader is angry at him for abandoning them in the past. When the battle rages on, the only thing Soren cares about is finding you, alive.

WC: 2.5k

CW: Blood, death

When Soren first appeared at the storm spire, you were relieved. You weren’t sure you’d see him alive again, and if you did, you were certain it would be on opposite sides of a battlefield. When he’d first laid eyes on you, he’d asked if this was the afterlife. He couldn’t imagine it was real life. You were standing in the corner, eyes fixed on him. Your sword was in your hand, and he couldn’t help but realize how strong you looked, and how beautiful you were. 

Now that you’d had time to process Soren’s return, you were angry. He had abandoned you, betrayed you. He’d broken your heart.

After Soren had revealed Viren’s plans, you’d retreated to the pinnacle. Rayla and Callum knew better by now than to follow you. You needed space. Soren, unfortunately, was not so smart. It had only been a few minutes when he’d climbed the stairs to find you. Despite the short time, it had been long enough for you to stew in your anger.

“Hey, we need to talk.”

You don’t turn to face him.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

Staring out at the clouds, you miss the way Soren’s expression falls.

“But I- I came all this way. I came back for you. To fight with you! To save the world! I risked my life t-”

“You abandoned me!”

You spin to face him, sword pointed at his chest. You did not intend for the words to come out, but they do.

“I begged you to come with me, to help me! And you chose him, after everything he’s done! After what he did to me!”

Soren is not oblivious to the pain behind your anger. He’d only recently learned exactly what Viren had taken from you. It was not a battle for the kingdom that had killed your father.

“He’s my father, what was I supposed to do? How could I choose betw-”

“My father is dead! And it is Viren’s fault!”

Something in you snaps, and everything you’ve held inside for weeks comes out.

“How could you do that to me? You told me you’d do anything for me, but when I needed you most you left! How can I trust you again?”

You sob, and Soren steps towards you, but you thrust your sword towards him.

“I have nothing to say to you Soren. Go.”

You expect him to keep trying to talk to you, but instead he turns.

“I know I messed up. But I’m here now. And I’ll never leave you again.”

His words bounce around your head as he leaves you. You watch him walk away from you again, and somehow, it hurts worse. He is only a staircase below you. He is a million miles away. Your knees buckle and you cry, a luxury you haven’t allowed yourself in your travels. You raise your sword before piercing the dirt with it, using it to support your weight as you sob. You never want to see him again. You need him. 

By the time the sun sets, you are lying on the ground. You’ve resigned yourself to sleeping here, despite the loneliness that fills your bones. You sit up and pull your knees to your chest. It would be so easy to go down, to find your friends. It would be weak. Soren’s words echo in your ears.

I’ll never leave you again.

You almost trip over him at the bottom of the stairs. Soren is lying there, asleep on the ground. His pillow is covered in drool, and he is mumbling something in his sleep. He is beautiful.

“He insisted on sleeping there. Couldn’t stand the thought of you up there alone, in the open. He swore if anything tried to reach you, he’d take them down.”

Callums voice takes you by surprise. You stare at him blankly, before looking back at Soren. He whispers your name in his sleep. You want to brush the stray piece of hair out of his face. Callum sighs.

“I know you’re angry at him, and I know Viren did horrible things to you. But Soren is here, and he cares about you. He’s hurting, and he loves you.”

You shake your head. You know how seriously Soren takes those words. He does not throw them around.

“Soren does not love me. He- he does care for me. I just..”

You give in to yourself and bend down, sweeping a single strand of hair out of Soren’s face. He’s grown stubble during his time in Xadia, and you think you like it.

“I need time.”

You came down for comfort, for companionship, but you return to the pinnacle alone.

The next morning is a blur. Your group goes over the plan, but it feels hopeless. General Amaya has made a new friend, a sunfire elf, who has brought her armies. Ezran is going to get help from the dragons. It still does not feel like enough. `

You keep catching Soren sneaking glances at you. You want to run to him, to tell him it’s okay. You can’t find the strength to.

The plan is solid, but when you see the army approaching, your knees buckle. You don’t stand a chance, but you’ll fight to the end to save Zym. 

As the army approaches, your forces stand together. You are all prepared for whatever is to come. You are prepared to die at Viren’s hand. 

One soldier surges forward first, the rest following soon after. The battle has begun. For a moment, you feel like maybe you can do it. And then the explosion hits. 

Initially, you crumple to the ground, holding your ears as a loud ringing sounds. You feel like your head is exploding, and your vision spins. You feel someone kneel by your side, and when you look up, you meet concerned blue eyes. He offers you a hand, and reluctantly, you allow him to help you up. You lean against him for a moment, and he steadies you. For one, horrible, selfish moment, you allow yourself to relish in his touch once again. There is a battle to be fought. You look to Soren and he nods at you.

We’ll do this later.

You take off into the battle.

The fight is a rollercoaster. You are losing, then with the help of the dragons, you are winning, until the dragons are captured. When Opeli and Corvus show up with Queen Anya and her army, you let yourself believe you will win. Your hopes stay high until you feel a sharp pain in your shoulder. When you turn, Viren is in the distance, staring at you. A bloody knife rests in the dirt at your feet. You raise your sword, and you charge. You’re ending this. 

By the time you reach him, Viren has disappeared in a cloud of smoke. You decide to channel your anger. You fight, taking down monster after monster. You almost don’t realize when the battle has ended. Your knees buckle, and you collapse. There are bodies lying all around you. You can’t tell if they are alive or dead. Only one thought crosses your mind.

Soren.

Your shoulder burns, your leg too. You realize your leg is bleeding, dripping from a large gash. You stand anyway, bracing yourself against your sword. You cry out his name, choking back a sob. You cannot see him, You don’t know if he is alive. You stagger forward. Several soldiers stop you, insisting you receive medical attention. You refuse, and continue on. Your calls become chokes, fading into sobs, until your throat is raw. You wonder if he’s dead. Your legs are ready to give out again, until you hear something.

“S-soren?”

Your voice is hoarse and fading, but you hear it again. Your name being called across the battlefield. You see a glint of silver, and suddenly you’re running, despite the pain in your leg. You manage to hold out until he reaches you, and you collapse into him. You throw your arms around his neck and sob against him as he lowers you to the ground. 

He holds you tight as you cry, as you choke out soft apologies against his neck. He rubs your back gently, pulling you impossibly close. You relish in the warmth he shares with you.

Soren shifts, and you yelp, causing him to flinch away. When he sees the blood dripping from your arm and your leg, he panics. He pulls you into his arms and takes off, searching for anyone who can help you. He whispers in your ear as he runs.

“It’s gonna be okay. Please don’t leave me.”

Your eyelids grow heavy, and you find yourself losing the battle to keep them open. If these are your last moments, you’re glad they’re in his arms. You wish you could tell him that.

You hear him before you see him. Soft sniffles beside you. When you open your eyes, even the light from the moon is too much. You groan, and reach out to him. He nearly jumps out of his skin when your fingers brush his arm. He stares at you, an unreadable expression on his face. 

“H-hey.”

Your throat is raw, and your voice is hoarse. It’s enough for Soren’s walls to crumble, and he sobs.

“I thought- they didn’t know if you would wake up-”

You realize you’re back on the pinnacle. Did he carry you all the way up? Your wounds are still sore, but it is tolerable. You shift, and Soren gently pushes against your uninjured shoulder.

“No, no no, don’t sit up. Rest.”

You scoff and shove his hand off, and for a moment he looks like a kicked puppy. But then you fling yourself at him, burying your face in the crook of his neck. He tenses for a moment, surprised by the contact, but wraps his arms around you. He’s no longer wearing his armor, only the gray shirt and black pants he wears underneath. You take advantage of this, take advantage of the fact that there’s no cold metal between you. You press yourself against him, practically sitting in his lap, and you cry in his arms. You need him here forever. You do not deserve him. 

It feels like hours have passed when you pull away from Soren’s embrace. He is crying, but he wipes his face when you look at him.

“Soren, I-”

He shushes you gently.

“I know. We can talk tomorrow, after you’ve rested. I just needed to know you were okay.”

He stands, and as he starts to walk away, you panic. You don’t understand why, but you can’t let him leave. You feel like you’ll die without him. You try to stand, but when you put weight on your injured leg, you cry out. Soren turns, and catches you just before you hit the ground. You cry and sputter for a moment, before managing a single word.

“S-stay.”

He almost sobs. The way you’re looking at him fills and breaks his heart all at once. He’s missed you. He’s hurt you. 

“Okay.”

Soren lays you down before sitting down next to you. You try to say something, but you can’t seem to form the words. You settle for an indignant grunt, reaching out for him. You feel like a child. He’s never loved you more.

He allows you to take his hand, yelping as you yank him forward. You ignore the pain radiating from your arm as you do. He lies next to you, but does not touch you. You grimace as he lays his head against the hard ground.

“Soren.”

It comes out as barely a whisper, but he understands. He’s always understood you so well. He shifts until you’re nose to nose, gently wrapping his arms around you. He is careful, offering you a way out if he’s misunderstood. You pull him closer and tuck your head under his chin. The warmth overwhelms you, he overwhelms you. 

“Soren.”

He hums lightly, his chest vibrating against your body.

“S-sorry. I’m-”

“I know.”

You shake your head.

“No. Soren, I’m sorry. I wasn’t fair to you, I- of course you picked him, he’s your dad. I should’ve never expected you- a-and you did the right thing anyway and I still-”

He shushes you again. There is no malice behind it. You battle against yourself for a moment before committing. You reach up, ignoring the pain it causes you, and rest your palm against his cheek. You pull him closer, silently asking permission. He doesn’t back away.

When your lips meet, you’re crying again. You think he is too. It’s 18 years of friendship, 6 of pining, 1 of heartbreak, all coming together in a single moment. It’s too much and not enough all at once. You can’t breathe, and you don’t care. You need him next to you for the rest of your life, you’ll die if he leaves again for even a moment.

When you pull away, he stares at you, eyes flicking back and forth between your own. He’s beautiful. 

“C-callum said something to me yesterday. A couple things actually. I- why did you sleep at the base of the pinnacle?”

He takes a shaky breath. Okay, we’re doing this.

“You were up there all alone, unprotected. I- I couldn’t bear the thought of someone or something reaching you.”

You nod, and suddenly Callum’s words hit you like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t lied about that. Why would he lie about this?

“He also said-”

“That I love you?”

You freeze. Those are not words Soren takes lightly. They are words he so rarely heard growing up, he almost doesn’t know how to say them. You’ve never heard them come from his mouth.

“He was wrong.”

You want to push him away, to sob in peace, alone, but he brushes a bit of hair from your face, and you feel like you’re melting.

“I need you. I breathe for you. Everything I do, everything I have ever done has been for you. Losing sight of that is the worst thing I’ve ever done, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for that. I love you, but it’s so much more than that.”

You sob, and he kisses you again. Despite the warmth his body provides, you are shaking. He will protect you from the world.

“I love you too. Please don’t leave me again.”

He pulls you into him, and the message is clear.

I’m here forever.

It’s not the first time you’ve fallen asleep next to him, it’s not the first time he’s laid awake, determined to protect you. You both relish in the contact. Even long after you’ve fallen asleep, Soren plays with your hair, he rubs your back, he holds you as close as he can. He is afraid if he lets go you’ll disappear. He’ll hold you for the rest of his life if he can.

When he looks up at the sky, he understands that Viren’s love was not what he needed. He understands that you are all he needs. He’ll never deserve you. He’ll spend the rest of his life fighting for you.

[adashulaz]

The Dragon Prince season 6 spoilers, the spoilers won't cover the entire season, only episode 6 so if you don't want to get spoiled then don't read this lmafo.

While Viren was writing that letter/note for Soren about why he became the man he did, I didn't think I could hate him more than I already did. Because wdym Viren has always hated Soren??? That makes everything so much more worse imo, especially when you see how Viren treats Soren in earlier seasons. He wasn't just being a bad dad, he was being horrible because he hated his son. And he admits he hates Soren because he blames Soren for everything that happened.

Ig it makes sense since Lissa did end up leaving after Soren was healed but not because of Soren. She left because she believed Viren became a monster. Which is honestly true, he did become a monster and only tried to redeem himself because he died so he believed he was on the path of freedom and wants to go back to Katolis. He wanted to see his son(i guess because he never once mentioned Soren when telling Claudia that he wants to go back to Katolis and never once brought up Soren when telling Claudia they could be a happy family again).

So Viren blaming Soren feels like he can't handle the fact that he was the one to ruin their family. Soren didn't do anything, Soren was basically a young child(I'm assuming hes five during the flashback since he can form proper sentences but still has that itty bitty baby voice yk?) who was struggling to live because he couldn't breathe properly. While it makes sense within Virens character because he tends to shift blame so he can seem like he's the innocent one, it's makes Soren calling his father a bad guy hurt.

It hurts because we now know that Viren has always hated Soren. That Viren has hated Soren since Soren was a small child. It makes their entire relationship, all of their interactions so much more worse. Because we know that Soren used to love his dad while Viren used to hate his son. And then it just switched, swapping their relationship around. Soren no longer loves his dad while Viren is starting to love his son.

And Viren kinda just died because he didn't want to use Sorens heart so ig that gets him a point in being an ok person for doing the bare minimum.