#virens little bug pal

[its-kapi-wara]

Did someone just say cinematic parallels?

Sadly, this Bee Movie joke got lost in my home country dub 🐛💜✨️

[self-spaghettification]

of bugs and butterflies - ported from my instagram

i am aware sir sparklepuff is supposed to look like the monarch butterflies in the show that viren uses btw

[yveswithleaves]

The Dragon Prince Viren and Aaravos fanart. No I will not be taking questions.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Now I'm so curious where we're all at!

[raayllum]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how the framing of Ezran compared to Viren in the dungeon scenes (and how Soren is framed with the latter), regarding what we know about AtLA really framing Zuko as the one imprisoned rather than Iroh despite Iroh being the one in jail.

That's all, have a nice week (before s7 destroys us)!

I've been thinking doing a post about the show's literal framing of physical imprisonment just cause there are two shots from 3x03 and 5x08 that I think about a lot, but I wasn't thinking about Ez in the mix so time to go digging. (And yess I love that detail! I still remember watching this youtube essay about it and how exciting/illuminating it was.)

3x04 is a really interesting episode just because it sets a lot up symbolically before things reach literal standpoints (i.e. Ezran taking off one chain he's chosen — the crown, i.e. 'a child is freer than a king' — in favour of literal chains and imprisonment, sacrificing his freedom for other people's). An example is how Ezran is already shown behind bars as he prepares to give up his crown:

We see something similar with Aaravos once Viren can see him. Even though we don't Know yet that Aaravos was imprisoned (that only comes in 3x06) it shows the bars that seemingly imprison him being something he can easily pass through as he takes the next step in his plan with Viren. Viren's freedom means his freedom.

There's also some interesting things done with how Viren is presented in jail earlier on in the episode. When Aaravos is about to begin preparing his eye with little bug pal, and the eye itself, the 'bars' (the stripes in the eye's case) are prominent and total.

These emphasis on bars is shifted from as Aaravos goes to take the eye goop off, and we switch it to an emphasis on TDP's favourite light and dark motif, with Viren entirely in the dark vs Ezran in 3x05 who lies in the light. This combination of the imprisonment framing/subversion and some kind of light/dark symbolism is also frequently common. So while the chain framing for Ezran isn't really There (and he's doing the 'right' thing / isn't tethered to Freedom as a theme as much as Justice, honestly) but that sort of makes sense in its own way, favouring his light-dark symbolism contrast instead.

Case in point, in the meantime, for Ezran: Viren being in the light when Ezran comes to make the transfer, with Ezran much more in the dark in the end credits art:

We also get some nice parallels with this shot from 3x04 vs 3x01, of Viren being trapped in a circle/chain/cycle vs not (as he's being freed and simultaneously pulled deeper into Aaravos' trap as he goes).

And last but not least some framing for Viren and Ezran as they switch places, with the actual transfer having a parallel "walking in, walking out" tradeoff from 3x06:

We also get some nice set up ("sometimes a friend can help light the way!") for Bait and Soren in 3x05, and in 3x03 with Viren's visitor being just another means of control/deception through consumption rather than aid and actual sustenance (jelly tarts).

Keeping Soren shadowed, I think, isn't necessarily to make us doubt if it's him (it's not dark enough for that) but it does reaffirm us having doubts about what he's doing to do, before we see the happier turn and know we can trust him, which is Also a direct opposition to Viren's false framing with it in 3x03.

There's also Lots of great framing in the scene with Claudia, Soren, and Viren, that continually use the bars and lighting to make it look like the siblings are the ones imprisoned rather than their father and that bars symbolize the growing wedge between them. Even just the way Viren is framed with light around his head ("but we must be willing to sacrifice, even the things we love") as he portrays himself like a (false) martyr. These are the shots I always think about when watching 3x03, as referenced above.

However, Viren being placed behind bars does start to enter the framing, with the siblings being portrayed side by side (with nothing dividing them) once Claudia brings up her brother's truth:

But we go right back to the 'siblings divided by bars' symbolism once Viren is considering what to do, and then chooses the lie and gaslighting Soren. However, we never go back to Viren being portrayed without the bars to the same degree. He's trapped himself in too, which is fitting, as this is the moment he ultimately loses Soren (and Claudia) forever.

And we see this first hand in Soren's visits to the dungeon in 6x05, 6x06, and 6x08, but that might have to be a post in its own right since I'm getting close to the picture limit for this one. Part 2 to follow!

[uglyduchessrantsandcomments]

PSA to all Viravos shippers: your ship is canon in Dutch

So I've been blessed with a new teaching job in the Netherlands (no that's not off topic), and because I'm a good teacher and a serious person I was brushing up on my language skills and decided to watch tdp in Dutch. I must say I am *blown away* by the voice acting, which is incredibly accurate and true to the original.

So in season 3 ep 6, Soren calls Aaravos Viren's "kleine rupsvriendje" (or "insectenvriendje" in the subtitles), which is the translation for "little bug pal", or more accurately "little caterpillar friend". HOW-EV-ER, "vriendje" is a fun little word that means both "little friend" and boyfriend, which honestly gives a whole new, hilarious meaning to the scene, like:

Soren calls Aaravos Viren's "little caterpillar boyfriend"

Viren's like "yea let's call him that why the hell not"

Aaravos is totally rolling with it with his next line, "has our relationship escalated to that point" 👀👀👀👀

This is a translation masterpiece, give these people a raise 🙏 I'm not even a Viravos shipper but... Well now they're canon in Dutch.

Native Dutch speakers please tell me I'm right please please

EDIT: I know it's not actually canon, it's just that the potential double entendre made me laugh and I wanted to share it with you guys. Please don't consider this as canon information obviously!!!

[thrandilf]

its so wild that i can say that aaravos via little bug pal has spent time inside viren's body and done stuff like weave a caterpillar string sigil over his eye and get viren to give him some of his blood definitely watched viren sleep sometimes guided/somewhat possessed Viren a few times using his body to channel magic and after falling from the storm spire he perhaps literally needed to rearrange some of viren's guts before Personally spinning his corpse into a cocoon and to top it all off they have A CHILD together and this is all without having sex. frankly compared to half of this sex would've been LESS intimate

[puddinginthemix]

He is a flaming can of trash, I looooooove him

Controversial Character Tournament Round 1: Viren from The Dragon Prince

[xadian-daydreams]

Aaravos' Plan for Viren

In Reel James S5 interview Ehasz confirmed there was a connection between Aaravos' 'swallowed Aditi' comment and the giant skeleton found at Aaravos prison.

Which has lead to a lot of speculation about shapeshifting Aaravos, or possessing Luna Tenebris corpse etc.

My speculation is that this skeleton is from a creature Aaravos created, but his working was interrupted by the Orphan Queen and the archdragons' plan. Heck, this could be the main reason he was caught.

Aaravos has been tricking Viren into retrying this great working. Only better! Because Viren has something that wasn't around 300 years ago.

Plus, a theory about Kim'dael's Bloodmoon cult.

Spoilers from Season 4 & 5 and Book 2 Sky novel, and stuff from interviews, below the cut.

Warning - really long post...

History Repeats Itself if Someone Weaves Threads of Fate Tight Enough.

Events occurring in the present and 300 years ago are echoing each other extremely loudly.

The Dragon Monarch dies - Luna Tenebris and Avizandum

A human mage/king, that is under Aaravos' influence, plans a war - Viren and unnamed blond king.

A politically important and magically powerful individual goes missing, which would present difficulties in transferring power after Dragon Monarch's death - Queen Aditi and Zym

Both of these magically powerful individual meet 'swallow' fates, though Zym survives his.

There is massive upheaval in the Sunfire kingdom - Queen Aditi's disappearance is blamed on archdragons, Viren/Aaravos corrupt the Sunforge and contaminates Lux Aurea.

While Viren's dragon slaying and eggnapping started this echo, Aaravos has been guiding events so they align up. The only event that doesn't immediately seem to be blamed on Aaravos or Viren are Luna Tenebris' death - but, it does seem suspicious, and I'm going to expand on a theory about that in a bit. But the take away point is that I believe that Aaravos has tried this plan before 300 years ago and failed.

The Great Working - a break down on how Aaravos has been chivvying Viren unwittingly along.

Right from the first silent meeting across the mirror. Aaravos doesn't bother establishing any alternative communication (like writing or signing). After Aaravos notices Viren has Ziard's staff, he simply presents the spell artefacts and, eventually, Viren plays along.

The Blood binding ritual - They both make and drink an enchanted potion, then spill their blood into part of the enchantment artefacts, which combines and enchants their blood, then Aaravos drinks the blood to create Lil Bug Pal. Then Aaravos presents Lil Bug Pal as a means of contact from wherever he's imprisoned.

However, going by Book 2 Sky novel, this spell pre-dates Aaravos' imprisonment.

A little while later the mirror mage returned to view, carrying a small ornate chest. ... Viren felt he had seen this object somewhere before . ... Yes, he could see it perfectly in his memory - a chest which could be this one's twin, or sibling at least, belonged to Kpp'Ar. Certainly, it was among the irreplaceable relics his mentor had destroyed during the profligate tantrum he called his repentance.

Channelling - passing energy/magic between them, which cemented a connection. Viren is being apprehended by the guards, Aaravos warns him that he's in danger and to follow his instructions in battle. Viren could have just gone back into the secret passage, or not made things worse for his defence by fighting. In Book 2: Sky novel describes this as;

He could sense his movements and actions being gently directed. Viren did not feel controlled, but he understood that somehow, invisible strings connected him with the Startouch elf. ... Though his [Aaravos] actual location was a mystery even to him, there was no denying that in this moment he was in a way present and completely connected to Viren.

Gestation - Aaravos convinces Viren to smuggle Bug Pal into the Sunfire kingdom by hiding it down his throat. This has similarity to how Aaravos formed Bug Pal in the first place and Bug Pal becomes significantly bigger.

Empowering - This happens off screen, so speculation here. Between corrupting the Sunforge scene and returning to the human armies Bug Pal grows much bigger. Presumably, this growth comes from energy from the Sunforge. Aaravos possibly presented this as teaching and grabbing the power for the Hearts of Cinder spell used on the army, as that's the next big spell Viren casts. 🤔 My other speculation is it forges a link for the working to the Sunforge - Aaravos has been purposefully targeting the Sunfire kingdom as part of his plan, even before he was imprisoned, as he picked the most disruptive time possible to disappear Queen Aditi. Significance of this in a bit.

Swallowing - While Aaravos original phrased it that taking down Zubeia and capturing Zym would garner him world attention - so more political power, after the Hearts of Cinder spell there's no more beating about the bush. Viren is invested in this ride and Aaravos just promises he can take Zym's power for his own. Aaravos himself casts this dark magic spell via Bug Pal and Zaird's staff. Viren just has to stand there and make off-putting faces and noises while receiving this... bounty. This is clearly one of the crux parts of the working - stealing a world leading power and gifting it to a human.

Aaravos' spell rewinds to - "He swallows your heart. He swallows your mind. He swallows your power." The phrasing matching the disturbing "You're just like your grandmother. Would you like to know the truth of her fate before you meet yours? I swallowed her." Which makes me wonder if Aaravos has done this spell before, only using that blond king shown in the imprisonment flashbacks to steal Aditi's power, rather than some cannibalism thing.

Side note - How could Aditi compare to an infant archdragon for use in the working? Aditi is particularly powerful - even the archdragons respected her. There's also hints she possesses a unique Light ability that helps her make judgments - the archdragon's held her judgment as the highest, she's called "guiding light" and the "Light of the Sun Incarnate" and there's that scene where bright light erupts from her glabella. This power seems Stars adjacent (and potentially a threat to Aaravos' secrets and plans).

“You are not afraid of me—but what of the dragons?” asked Kim’dael. “You would dare invoke their wrath?” “The dragons know better than to invoke mine,” Aditi said. She struck the metal again and again, purposeful and confident. Not a shred of her strength was wasted. “Is that not why you came to me? For my protection?” “I came because the dragons trust your judgment. Your guiding light,” Kim’dael told her, feigning meekness. “But my queen, they do not fear you. The dragons fear nothing.” “They feared you once.” Kim’dael twitched a smirk of pride and quickly hid it. ... “A token of my protection,” Aditi told her. “As I promised.” “A false promise. How…unbecoming. I thought it beneath the Sunfire elves to lie.” “I did not lie. That collar claims you as mine, and as I told you, the dragons know better than to risk my wrath.” Aditi gestured to the thing around Kim’dael’s neck.  The Queen's Mercy

Then Viren took a really long first step down the world's tallest stairs and died. Two years later Claudia uses a resurrection spell Aaravos taught her via Bug Pal, and the 30 day prison hunt begins.

Hatching the homunculus out of the cocoon. Claudia is told this is to create a guide who will lead them to the information they need to locate Aaravos' prison - but Viren is who was expected to cast the spell. Instead, Viren's hesitance means Claudia just decides to perform the spell herself. Kinda curious how this misstep will effect the working.

Consuming the homunculus' essence - Even before Claudia has completed her mission, Aaravos is urging Viren to commit the life extension spell, before the resurrection spell expires.

Now he's here for you. And I will show you how to use every drop of his living essence to restore your own life and your future. The resurrection spell will expire tonight, and you will die. You must make the sacrifice. If you don't, tomorrow, the sun will rise... and you will not. [Infantis Sanguine]

Which harkens back to what Aaravos was promising before Viren died;

When you capture the dragonling, I will show you how to take his power, how to imbue yourself with all his magic and potentials, so that you will transcend the limits of your human form. Then none will dare stand against you. [Final Battle]

If you break down what Aaravos says here as steps - 1, take power, 2, imbue yourself, 3, transcend human limit - then this is a strong indicator Aaravos always intended for Viren to consume the stolen power from Zym (and the Sunforge) by absorbing Sparklepuff's essence. That the absorption occurs during a life extension spell is just making omlets out of broken eggs.

The goal all along was to "transcend the limits of your human form" Very peculiar wording. Remember the giant skeleton at Aaravos prison - the big creature Aaravos created was formerly the blond king.

Why Viren?

At the end of S3 Aaravos' Bug Pal is free to roam, can talk to others (he speaks to Claudia) and can possibly even cast spells. So, couldn't Aaravos pick a not dead dark mage, restart the spell, go wild in abandoned Lux Aurea and just sneak in to spell zap Zym, instead of taking 2 years to resurrect Viren? Heck, he could convince Claudia that, with this method, he could gift her the power to permanently resurrect Viren - she'd even know her way around Katolis Castle to grab the mirror, if it's necessary.

Viren has one accomplishment, with still existing ingredients, that's making him too tempting to pass up. The Mystery of Aaravos opening even hints what's particularly of interest about Viren to Aaravos.

He killed Avizandum with the Weapon of Vengeance spell. The weapon is still there, stuck in Avizandum's remains. A spell powerful enough to fell "the most powerful being in the world" and it's magic is keyed to Viren.

Why I think the cursed unicorn horn is important to the working? I don't think Luna Tenebris just keeled over for no reason, I think she died due to Aaravos' machination to get ingredients for the working. But rather than blond king killing her, Aaravos got the Bloodmoon cult to kill Luna Tenebris.

First, the blatant bloodmoon image when discussing her death. The cult's big rituals require the power of the bloodmoon, so they can infuse essence and powers into blood, which they can consume at their convenience and use their powers outside of moon's cycle.

Go back to the Queen's Mercy short story and Kim'dael is proud of how the dragons once feared the cult. Avizandum only hunts them down after the death of Luna Tenebris - they've been active long enough that most of the horror stories humans have about Moonshadow elves are actually about Bloodmoon elves. It could be because he discovered what they did and believed they'd become too big a threat.

Luna Tenebris is a Moon Archdragon, and the cult is about increasing their moon powers, by sacrificing others using dark magic rituals. Yes, the Bloodmoon cult uses dark magic - that's straight up confirmed by Ehasz in AIPT comic S5 interview.

AIPT: Kim’dael is one cool character. A lot of times when you have graphic novel spinoffs, they’re just that. But you bring a character who you introduced in the graphic novels and introduce her in such a cool way, that she has to be a big player in seasons six and seven, right? JR: She’s awesome, we have plans for Kim’dael that go beyond the show. AE: She complicates the story in a really important way. In the first three seasons, the narrative of the world is that humans use dark magic, primal magic is for elves and dragons, humans are naughty and bad because they do this. Kim’dael shows that there’s elves who have gone there. The way she does, the way that she does, is beyond primal magic. She’s found ways through dark magic to extend her primal moon powers. It’s very evil how she is able to do what she does and extend her life, and use her powers that would normally only be used under the full moon, she can use anytime because she’s infused blood with the light of the full moon. That’s dark. We love Kim’Dael, but we love what she means about the world of Xadia, and the narrative that’s not been acknowledged. There’s darkness and complication across the Elven world as well.

If Aaravos gifted dark magic to humans, then who else could he have gifted this knowledge to? (Kinda hoping he personally knows Kim'dael, that'd be a cool twist). And his prize would have been archdragon blood infused with the most powerful archdragon's essence.

Why is Aaravos after an ingredient related to the most powerful archdragon around at the time? Because he's trying to create his own archdragon - a Stars archdragon. (Possibly also Dark magic archdragon, if that even makes sense, like - dark magic corrupted Stars archdragon?)

There's that info in the Tales of Xadia handbook about Stars Devourer dragons - a myth that when a star disappears it's due to one of these dragons entering the core of a star and absorbing its magic. (Heck, there's even a little legend about a king who wanted to be remembered forever and made a wish upon a star dragon bone. His name was forgotten, but the legend lives on, which does also fit it neatly with the whole bones of a king who failed to become a star dragon).

But, what if the artificial Stars dragon can only really become a true star dragons if they manage to consume a star - in this case, the Sunforge. Which is why Aaravos has been targeting Lux Aurea.

So, 300 years ago, using Luna archdragon essence and the Stars adjacent Guiding Light power of Aditi, Aaravos uses a human dark mage to create a pseudo-dragon, but is unable get around to completing it and it dies. The Orphan Queen's image shows her catching out Aaravos' treachery when his own Key shines the Stars primal - what if she came across this pseudo-dragon and the Key confirmed it was a Stars dragon in the making. The archdragons not only imprisoned Aaravos, they put down his creation and left the remains over his prison as a warning to anyone who might think to release Aaravos about what kind of horror he's trying to unleash. (I'm assuming Jailer arranged the placement).

Now, Aaravos has Sparklepuff imbued with infant Sky Archdragon potential, a cursed unicorn horn powerful enough to fell a Dragon Monarch (unicorns are Stars primal) and the Sunforge under his control. Which should make this attempt much easier (well, except for Viren trying to skip out on it).

Why would Aaravos want to create a Stars archdragon?

Possible reasons;

Viren could channel energy and magic from Aaravos, if this is an open channel, then Aaravos could channel power from an archdragon. He's already mastered all 6 primals, getting archdragon powers is pretty much the only power upgrade he hasn't got.

Aaravos could just be planning to switch bodies with his creation. (Not my fave answer, but you never know).

Going by Ripples short story, Aaravos desires include making the other Startouch elves fall (Plus, the Mystery of Aaravos title includes falling stars). However, they're no longer on Xadia. If they're somewhere 'heavenly' (eyes Leola's Last Wish star suspiciously) and Aaravos is exiled and can't access it, then he'll need a Stars primal creature who can.

I can't think of a more powerful weapon then your own pet Stars archdragon, whoever he's got a beef with will be in deep doodoo. I don't think the Novablade is gonna cut it as a counter to a Stars archdragon.

Do you want to conquer Xadia? The dragon monarch is usually the most powerful archdragon at the time, a Stars archdragon would probably legitimately become Xadia's monarch using this standard.

And that about wraps it up. So, there are a lot of speculations and what ifs in this theory, but I think it ties a bunch of things together nicely.

I also like the way that Ezran/Zym bond would be parallelled by Aaravos/Viren if this theory turns out to be true. One bond being made of friendship and sincerity, the other out of trickery and dark magic. I can see these two bonds clashing and being very embodying of the show's theme. In Book 2 : Sky novel it's very obvious that the scene where Viren fights the guards channeling Aaravos' power, and the scene where Ezran helps teach Zym to fly when at the Moonstone path, are intended to be compared.

Pretty invested in seeing how much I got wrong or if I got anything right come Season 6.

Thanks for reading!

[littlemisssquiggles]

A moment of silence to pay respects for those of us TDP fans who thought Viren was secretly in love with King Harrow since Book One; myself included. Foolish was I.

Man said “I love you like a brother!” and just like that, the King Harrow x Viren ship has suck. Went down the same way Sheith did from Voltron: Legendary Defender.

At least, we still got Viren x Aaravos, right? It’s one-sided, but at least they have a “kid” together, right?

I dunno what floored me the most---the narrative taking my headcanons about Viren being in love with King Harrow out back and putting them to rest or high key confirming the ones I had about Viren x Aaravos which in my mind, was supposed to be a crack ship.

AND this is ALONGWITH the fact that they even included a little “family photo” of Viren, Aaravos and their Smeagle/Gollum love child in the credit illustrations.

I cannot with this show XD

And the fact that Aaravos is leaning into it too! He is so unapologetic with his teasing quips about his coupling with Viren and I love him for it.

From Viren’s little bug pal to his big bug baby daddy---he actually says this! Not exactly in the same words but the implication is there!

IT IS CANON!

This is not the "ship progression" I anticipated.

Janaya is STILL planning their wedding but Vaaravos over here having a "secret love child" plus a divorce/break/seperation everything everywhere all at once IN THE LAST EPISODE OF THE SEASON!!!!

Mystery of Aaravos is wilding and I will see myself out now. See ya’ll in Season 6 whenever!

~LMS (2023)

[soultheories]

tdp au where everything is the same except viren and aaravos comunicate like This before little bug pal appears

[cmcrusoe]

PREPARE FOR GREATNESS!

Small piece before bed ft. Viren’s little bug pal.

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

TDPtober

Day 4: Blood

When Claudia is five, she trips and scrapes her knee.

Now, this in and of itself is not a momentous occasion. People fall all the time, especially children, still learning to find their balance and not teeter over at every step. Even five-year-old Claudia hadn’t thought it a momentous occasion, because hadn’t Soren survived worse? And she was tough, too, so she picked herself up and wiped her face in her sleeved elbow. All it was was a bit of pain, stinging and sharp in her right knee, her dress torn a bit at the hem.

Dad’s office was right around the corner, and she’d already been on the way, pushing the door open and running to cling to his knees, both of which are regular Dad knees, sturdy and warm, albeit yucky-smelling, not bleeding.

He looks away from his big book and crouches to take her shoulders, wiping her tears away with one big pointer finger. “Claudia, sweetie, what’s wrong?”

She sniffs and points, the tears still coming. “My knee.”

Dad eases her onto his chair, her favorite one in his office because it’s big and velvety and it even spins, and she feels important when she sits in it, a strong, powerful, respected mage like Dad.

“Were you running?” he asks, firm but gentle as he crosses the room to get something she can’t spot off a shelf.

Claudia shifts. She’s been told a million times not to, but so has everyone. And Dad can never stay mad at her, anyway. Soren’s the golden child, but she’s the prodigy. She’s the apt one. She’s the smart one. “Maybe…”

Dad crouches again, holding an open vial to the trickling stream of blood and shaking his head in amusement, though he hands her a handkerchief, too, a black one with fancy gold and purple swirls. “And what have I told you about running inside?”

“Not to do it unless it’s an emergency,” she repeats obediently, feeling her face get hot with embarrassment at being chided.

“Is it an emergency?”

“No…”

Viren pats her good knee. “It’s alright, Claudia. You’re not in trouble. I suppose you’ve suffered enough?” The last part is a joke. It’s a language only Claudia understands, and she’s special for it.

She giggles a little. “I guess. Daddy, what are you doing?”

It’s the first time he stalls, looking away as his brow gets all crinkly, then back at her with wide, hopeful eyes that always give her an explanation. “You know how some things are really special? Even if they’re not magic themself, they might as well be?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, your blood is like that,” he says, straightforward as ever, not bothering to call it “boo-boo tears” like King Atticus always did, awkwardly and not meeting her gaze. “Children’s blood. Pure and good.”

She tilts her head. “But… Daddy, you’re good?” It’s a question, no matter how hard she tries to avoid phrasing it like one.

He stoppers the vial and then presses a purple band-aid with flowers to the dried-out cut. “Claudia, I’ve had to do some things,” he admits, leveling with her. “Things that… are not objectively good. But all of them had good reasons. You and Soren are my reason. You’re not…”

Claudia sets her tiny little hand on his big shoulder, and he lifts his bowed head. “You’re not bad. Not to me, Daddy. You’re good. You’re the best.”

Her hands are red like his had been that day, setting the vial aside on its own shelf, all special. “Above all the rest,” Dad had said fondly, and ruffled her hair, then scooped her up into his arms as she squealed.

The vial is the body, though, and she has to work fast so Sparklepuff’s blood doesn’t pour uselessly onto the sand. Her knee–her right knee, more specifically, because that’s the only one that’s left–stings at the memory.

It’s okay. She’d made sure Sparklepuff didn’t feel a thing. He’d even been asleep, too, because Claudia has the stomach Soren doesn’t. The creature had fallen asleep, not knowing anything was amiss, and then woken up in wherever it was that not-so-little bug pals went after they died.

Her dad is good. That’s why she’s doing this. This is her good reason.

Even if all Claudia can see is red.

[finding-the-secrets-of-xadia]

Discussion Questions for S3E7: Hearts of Cinder

The Sunfire elves tried to purify Viren, but his little bug pal corrupted the Sun Forge, putting the city of Lux Aurea at risk. If the elves still had the power to cleanse dark magic, do you think they would risk doing the ritual again? Why or why not? 

Who do you think is scarier: King Viren, who hid Aaravos’s caterpillar inside his body so it could attack, or Queen Khessa, who planned to kill him with a giant magic laser?

Have you ever had conversations with someone who doesn’t speak the same way you do, like Ezran and Pyrrah the red dragon, or Janai and Amaya? How does having different kinds of communication help us say things we might not otherwise know how to say?

When Viren was ready to cast his spell on the army, Soren refused it, Kasef chose to claim it, and Claudia couldn’t choose between Viren and her brother. Why do you think they made the choices they did? Which would you choose?

Do you think Viren’s soldiers were given a choice about whether or not to be transformed? How does that make you feel? 

[meganwasbored]

The Dragon Prince Thoughts Season 3 Episodes 5 and 6

i could’ve sworn i posted these immediately but turns out these have just been sitting in my notes app since february so here comes the rest of season 3 and 4 for anyone who cares

Episode 5

-i’m still very confused why ezran is in jail what did he do can someone please explain

-WHY are the chains necessary??? what do they think he’s gonna do, squeeze through the bars???

-bait taking advantage of the absolute chaos that is happening in the castle to steal jelly tarts for ezran is just the best

-“see? this isn’t so bad!” the child says while sitting in the jail cell he may or may not be in for the rest of his life

-“still as a mouse” mice are the least still creatures ever what are you talking about

-the snakes REGENERATE???? that took like 10 seconds there was no way they could’ve gotten to safety in time anyway

-seriously who the heck is this dude and how does he benefit from all this

-i feel so stupid right now but how does a king stepping down land him in jail???? he’s 9????

-Opeli is the only competent one here viren was literally just arrested for treason you’re telling me not one other person is concerned about this???

-claudia looks so unfazed

-callum literally risking his life to not touch rayla just so things aren’t awkward but in doing so makes things much more awkward

-“it’s subtle but if you look closely you can see the ambler’s tracks” girl anyone with eyes can see those tracks they’re bigger than you

-YES SOREN IM SORRY I KEEP DOUBTING YOU

-this is the first show in a long time that genuinely makes me laugh out loud

-the guards continue to be the funniest characters in this entire show

-they’re trying to make viren look somewhat redeemable by caring so much about claudia as if he didn’t just tell soren to his face that he doesn’t care if he dies like idc what happens i will never forgive this man

-not to sound ungrateful but what the heck is the baker doing here

-honestly i support nyx in all that she does, you snooze you loose

-“no need to paint a picture”

”i would only need one color for that picture”

*walks away annoyed*

“brown”

-“ezran in his last act as king insisted that whoever didn’t wish to fight could lay down their arms” can’t you just… change that?

-RESPECT

-zym couldn’t have done that the first time she tried to kidnap him?

-did phoe phoe just… come out of the moon???

-when your girlfriend is so impressive that you risk death just to watch her fight

-“you are so….” YOURE TRYING TO KILL ME

-the fact that she literally kissed him yesterday and kissed him back right now yet he still feels the need to apologize for kissing her like trust me dude i think she likes you back

-after rewatching that three times i just realized they’re kissing literally right in front of nyx and i’ve never seen anybody acknowledge this

Episode 6

-is the ambler just immune to snake bites like how has it not been bitten by now

-is “amble” a word because my phone keeps autocorrecting “ambler” to “amble”

-cuties

-i love that no one is even surprised about viren’s “little bug pal”

-still don’t get how aaravos’s… soul(?) can go outside of the mirror like he’s practically not even imprisoned

-ANOTHER KING HARROW FLASHBACK LETS GOOOOO

-y’all will never understand how much i love that man i still can’t believe he’s gone

-dude why are you explaining to this man in detail how his wife died

-genuinely don’t know how much of what past viren is saying is true, how much of this does he actually believe and how much of it is he just saying to manipulate harrow into doing the spell

-“i will leave you with your grief” who SAYS THAT???

-i’m sorry i know some of you like him for some reason but prince kasef is just a loser with a crown he’s just so unpleasant to be around like he’d be on the cover of spoiled-entitled-judgmental-princes magazine

-“is you father talking to himself?”

“no, of course he’s not talking to himself, that’d be crazy! he’s talking to his little bug pal!”

-still kinda blown away that the dragons can talk, like they practically have human brains at this point what is even considered an animal in this world? like in theory elves could be considered animals (not that i consider them animals because i don’t) i’m just saying where do we draw the line?

-“are you okay? are you hurt? let me look at you” MY HEARTTTTT

-IF THIS BIRD DIES I BURN THIS HOUSE DOWN

-CRYING

-this is so frustrating because callum has every right to hate thunder(i’m just not gonna remember his real name i’m sorry it’s 2:33 am) and runaan for killing his parents but rayla has a personal connection to both of them (one was (is?) practically her dad and the other was her king) so like we’re in a tough spot here and i respect rayla so much for being so understanding

-oh my gosh how did it not occur to me that they’re literally right there, like they’re so close to the cave

[thejosiebird]

Aaravos must have had some plans for Viren right? Otherwise why would he already get started on making the resurrection permanent while Claudia hasn’t even released him? Why else try to nudge Viren into sacrificing the homunculus?

Also if that thing started out at the little bug pal from seasons 2 and 3, then did he plan from the start for Viren to die?!

What’s going to happen to Viren now?

Was Claudia doomed to fail? I don’t think freeing Aaravos from that pearl is as simple as breaking the glass in case of an emergency. Did the gang play into Aaravos’s hands?

What is Aaravos going to do when he gets out?!