#yes this is about A/aravos

[melviships]

At that point in my hyperfixation where I am devouring every scrap of information I can get my hands on while I re-connect with the source material and instead of sharing my theories I'm going to make it into the most queer god complex work I can manage

[thornyroseslovakia]

I'm going insane! It just seems to obvious to me that quasar diamonds are Startouch elves that have been killed, like Leola. That would explain why they are so rare. They say directly that quasar diamonds are compressed stardust. We see something fall to earth when Leola is killed. I haven't seen anyone talk about this!

Yes, Startouch elves can't truly be killed, unless the galactic council of Star touch decide they should be.

Most seem to think Leola became a star? That doesn't make sense to me. Aravos says the Sea of Castout is where her body fell...

I have so many ideas and theories, but this one is driving me crazy because no one else seems to have thought of it

[wickedsrest-rp]

The sky is quieter, but that doesn’t mean things are going back to normal. Does a place like Wicked’s Rest even have a normal? No, because even though the daily otherworldly blasts have ceased, there’s new problems cropping up. 

Bad omens. Packs of hellhounds are emerging from the woodwork, in numbers far greater than any ranger or slayer can handle alone. Hunters are having to band together to cull these hoofed beasts, and the sudden appearance of so many at once has only ever been a warning of a looming supernatural threat. They’re not the only demonic creatures having a population boom, however—cacodaemons are also arriving on the scene, now only adding to the chaotic confusion that occurs when loved ones start behaving irrationally. Deogen has been straying from its usual haunt around the Wishing Well in Nightfall Grove, and the risk of getting lost in its fog and never making it back out is higher than ever. One thing remains a mystery: where have all the missing people gone?

All of these omens have to be leading to something, don’t they? In this case, there’s reason to suspect they’re harbingers of the enormous, monolithic leg that erupted from the ground, smack in the middle of Wormwoods. Yes, leg. It’s somewhat avian in appearance (or perhaps lizard-like?), being scaled and sporting four long, clawed toes that are so gnarled they almost resemble the branches of a gargantuan, barren tree. Aside from its initial, violent ejection from the ground, the leg has been mostly still. The crowd gathering around it has been anything but, though. Birdwatchers are flocking in from all over the state and beyond to see the leg, adding it to their life list and then checking it off. Wicked’s Rest has, naturally, monetized the leg by setting up a barrier, and charging each person $100 to touch the leg (this, they claim, will help Worm Row’s reputation). Additionally, it has created quite the divide in town: some people want to try and cut it down, to destroy it. Others want to protect it, though it seems like a mixed bag of folks either being terrified of upsetting something powerful, or believing it to be the manifestation of a god that will raise them all from perdition and cleanse the town of evil.

It’s as of yet unclear where the truth lies. But as bad omens continue to pour into the town, there’s little reason to suspect the leg is anything good, and it may in fact be only a preview of things to come.

WHAT ELSE? WELL...

Pieces of rock that look like they came from the Abnormality are jutting out of the ground in the area around the leg. They don’t seem to be encasing anyone like before, but their presence has some people concerned.

The leg has attracted all sorts of birds to perch, from aravo to valravne, and everything in between. This only further entices birdwatchers. There also seems to be a significant presence of various demonic and specter-like entities in the area.

The skyquakes have gotten less frequent, a fact celebrated by pretty much everyone in town. Now they hit about once a week, sometimes less, but the droning does last longer than it did before. The longest one recorded so far was a full three minute stretch, rather than the multiple short bursts. The source remains unknown.

There are dozens of bounties posted in The 3 Daggers for packs of hellhounds (and possibly some black dog variants), all listing different locations where the creatures have been sighted. It’s a good way for hunters to make some extra cash!

Two large sinkholes have opened up in Worm Row and Gatlin Fields. The latter seems to have compromised the structural integrity of the Allgood Death Pit, and has deepened the already-sizable mass grave, spilling remains down into the earth. It has helped with the smell, but no one knows how far down the pit now goes, and most aren’t very keen on going down there to find out.

The sinkhole in Worm Row has claimed a couple blocks worth of apartments that sit very near the Flat itself, and aside from the rubble that still clings to its crumbling edges, seems as deep and dark as the sinkhole in the fields. It’s unclear if the influx of demonic creatures in the town are coming from these sinkholes, but that wouldn’t be a bad guess.

On April 8, there will be a full solar eclipse that will be visible to all in town. Aside from looking awesome, this phenomenon is going to have some far-reaching effects. Supernatural creatures that have an affinity with the sun are going to be feeling especially drained of energy after this eclipse, perhaps even for days or weeks. Conversely, those empowered by the moon will be feeling a little extra pep in their step! Hopefully they can control it. While the eclipse is happening, even those who don’t normally see ghosts or have any connection to the supernatural might be able to peer into another world. Surely no emotional or mental harm can come of that within 4 minutes. 

Believers in the supernatural have been warning others to stay inside when the fog rolls in. It’s hard to tell if it’s normal fog, or if it’s Deogen… and really, it isn’t worth the risk of finding out. This has been especially challenging with the increase of stormy and foggy, wet weather. 

Some people have been blaming the new sinkholes on the local cryptid known as the Moleman. A figure matching his description has been reported lurking in the nearby alleyways of Worm Row, but that can't be true, right? Either way, it’s probably safest to keep your distance.

The authorities mostly disapprove of the monetization of the leg because no one knows anything about it, and it might be dangerous. That hasn’t stopped people from paying to touch it and others from just climbing over the barriers. If you can get close enough to get a scraping of… whatever the leg is made out of, there’s some speculation of it being a helpful ingredient for alchemical amplification of objects—it does seem to trend towards negative effects, however.

[howdy-cowpoke]

TIMING: Recent LOCATION: The woods near Prickly Pear Acres PARTIES: Monty (@howdy-cowpoke) & Kaden (@chasseurdeloup) SUMMARY: After asking Monty if he wants to accompany him on a hunt, Kaden is surprised when the zombie says yes. The pair find an aravo. CONTENT WARNINGS: Gun use

—

Every twig cracked and leaf crunched under their feet sent tension shooting through Kaden. Putain, this was stupid, he was never this nervous on a hunt. Not even when he was out on the full moon without much more than a few tranqs and a knife. Somehow that was different. It wasn’t only his own life that he was putting on the line. This time he wasn’t alone, Monty was following just behind him, shotgun in hand. This time if something went sideways, it wouldn’t just be himself in danger, it would be his partner, too. The thought was terrifying. 

Maybe inviting him had been a mistake. 

No, that wasn’t quite right. Kaden didn’t regret asking Monty to join him, not really. It was different — he’d never been able to share what he was or what he did with anyone who wasn’t already a hunter. And all the hunters he had relationships with, well, those weren’t exactly long-term. But his partner had never seen this side of him, not really. Would he still be okay with it in practice and not just in theory? 

Kaden took his hand off the rifle he was gripping, shook it out, then swapped and shook the other. It didn’t do much. Putain, he had to calm the hell down. It wasn’t like Monty was just some human out there with him, he was a zombie. He wasn’t going to go down easy, not to mention he knew how to shoot. They’d be fine. It was going to be fine. 

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. “I’m, uh, a little surprised,” he said as they continued deeper into the woods. “I mean, that you said yes. To coming out here. With me.” He used the awkward silence to listen for any signs of creatures up ahead. “Not like– I just mean hunting.” It wasn’t exactly something he’d pictured them doing together. Ever. But there they were. Kaden had just wanted to get out and do something, a way to feel better, more in control, after everything that had happened lately. Hunting down Jade and confronting her seemed to be off the table for now, so this was the next best option. He had a feeling that Monty was out there for similar reasons. 

—

It had been an uphill battle to remind himself he was not who he used to be, and that he did not have to regress into that state of being to protect and defend the people he cared about. For weeks, he’d been colder. Angrier. More ready to do something rash. He’d been the man that Hector had carved from a petrified bit of wood, discovered in a state of fright that night on the ranch, but recognized as a thing that had the potential to be shaped into a more pleasing form. And shaped he had been, chipped away at and molded into someone who would better serve Hector’s purposes over the course of seventeen years. When that service came to an end, the cowboy hadn’t really known who he was anymore. But after settling here in Maine, after meeting the people most important to him, he had started to remember.

He couldn’t forget that now, not when he had so much to lose.

Agreeing to go with Kaden on this hunt had been as much about giving himself an outlet as it was about keeping an eye on the man, paranoia becoming a daily obstacle that the cowboy had to hurdle over to keep his momentum going, to keep himself from shutting down. There was so much fear deep in his core that he didn’t know how to address or dispel, and this seemed like the best option he had. He knew getting rid of that slayer would feel nice, but it would never solve the problem. There were too many threats coming from too many angles. Monty was beginning to feel trapped. A walk in the woods sounded very, very good. 

“How could I say no, mi corazón?” Monty gave his partner a soft smile, tilting his head up slightly to meet the other’s gaze. “You help out so much on the farm, it was only fair.” That was far from the real reason, and they both knew that. It didn’t really need to be spoken. “Anyway, I thought maybe it would be good for you to have someone here to watch your back, ah?” He couldn’t help but let his thoughts flit toward the last few times Kaden had gone alone — the bite. The attempted drowning. No, he needed protecting just as much as Monty needed to feel like he wasn’t helpless. The terrible memories drew him closer to the man, his free hand finding the small of Kaden’s back. 

—

It was stupid how much one small smile from his partner could help dampen the nerves coursing through Kaden’s veins. Unfortunately, it couldn’t silence them but it was enough to remind him to breathe, relax a little. Vigilance was critical when going out in the field, but panic was detrimental. He knew that. Hell, it had practically been beaten into him. Kaden knew better than to put himself into danger when his emotions were compromised but there he was, a fucking mess because of one man. The same man was the one who managed to calm him down. Maybe it would balance itself out. For now, Kaden was going to ignore his heart pounding in his damn chest.

“Don’t start distracting me too much or I might have to rethink future invitations,” he said, returning the smile. It would be easier to just stop right there, forget hunting, forget any of the anger and fear that had been swirling around inside them both, just let this be some time together out in the woods and not a potentially life-threatening activity. It would be nicer to lean into his partner's touch and let the world fall away. There was a tree on the side of the path and if he leaned over and took a step that way, he could drop his weapons and steal a kiss instead, maybe—

Pins pricked along his spine and Kaden’s focus snapped back to the forest in front of them. It wasn’t a shifter, certainly not a werewolf, but there was a beast nearby. 

Right. It was better not to forget themselves, not here in the woods of Wicked’s Rest. Even if he didn’t want to be a hunter right this second, Kaden couldn’t let his guard down, couldn’t forget his training. Not yet.  

“Mi corazon.”

”Hmm?” he said, turning back to look at Monty. His brow was raised, wondering what it was that the cowboy needed from him. A quick visual sweep of their surroundings didn’t reveal anything alarming, at least not on first glance. Kaden met his partner’s eye’s again, hoping to find the answer there or some sort of clue. “Did you see something?” That had been Monty’s voice. Kaden would know it anywhere. And it came from the right direction. So why did his partner look more confused than he did?

—

Monty recognized that look in Kaden’s eyes, half expecting their plans for the day to be very quickly altered into something decidedly more safe but not exactly calm, either—a thought that would have made him blush if he were still able. He felt his grip on the shotgun loosening until Kaden’s body language shifted again, his gaze drawn away by something he had heard or felt. Monty, with his deadened senses, hadn’t heard anything, but—

His eyes widened. Was that… his voice? 

“I… no? That… was not me,” Monty explained, bewildered. His grip on the weapon tightened again and he looked around them just as Kaden had, but saw nothing. He recalled the stories of duendes he’d been told as a child and how they could mimic human voices, so he was always warned against following a voice out into the woods. He supposed that if they were real, this would be the place for them to exist. They weren’t always evil though, or so the stories went, but they did love mischief. “Have you heard of a thing called a duende?” It might be called something else entirely around here, he couldn’t be sure. Now that he thought about it more, it certainly sounded fae-ish. But that wouldn’t have had Kaden’s spine straightening like that before either of them could see anything. So what was it, then?

—

Kaden’s mouth set into a thin line as he glanced through the treelines, searching for the source setting off his hunter senses. “It wasn’t?” He tried to keep the concern from weighing down his voice as much as he tried to keep scanning the forest rather than meeting Monty’s eyes. Mimicking voices. Had to be some kind of beast nearby. There were a handful of possibilities swirling in Kaden’s mind but it was too early to make assumptions.

“A duende,” he repeated. “I haven’t, no. What is it exactly?” He was afraid to find out that there was something out there he’d never heard of. The ranger had heard of a lot of things. Plenty. This town still found new ways to be weird all the same. 

His head twisted towards a flash of feathers in the branches but he was too slow to get a look at what was waiting there. For all he knew, his heart rate had spiked over a fucking blue jay. Kaden knew better than that, though.

“Watch your back.” Kaden could have sworn it was his partner’s voice, that it was coming from the man right behind him. He spun around, gun raised and ready to fire, but all he saw was Monty, nothing else. 

The look on the zombie’s face made it pretty clear that he hadn’t been the one to speak those words. Kaden tried not to let his own concern show and did his best to think instead. “Have you heard?” The voice rang out into the forest and this time it was clear that Monty’s mouth wasn’t moving along with it. The only indication was a rustling in the trees. 

—

“Ehm… exactly? They are… smallish… people? They lived in the cloud forests in Oaxaca. They could mimic voices and they would steal… toes.” It sounded strange, he knew, but his abuela had been adamant that if he ever heard someone speaking to him but could not see them, it was probably a duende. 

There was a flurry of movement and Monty’s gaze followed Kaden’s, but his reaction times were not quite so good. He saw nothing, but heard himself speak again, only it wasn’t him. Eyebrows raised in alarm, he watched Kaden swing the gun around and aim it at the trees where there was a rustling. From that obscured spot in the trees, he heard something speak with his voice again. If his heart could still beat, it would be thundering out of his chest. 

He took a step back, eyes fixed on the spot where the voice had some from. He lifted his shotgun as well, feeling uncertain about firing but not knowing what else to do if something came flying at them from the canopy. It did not seem like this was a little person, unless that little person could also fly. 

“Exactly?” Monty’s own voice croaked from the trees. The zombie took another step back, eyes widening as there was a flash of bright color and suddenly—wait, was that a parrot? “Ay dios mío!” the cowboy exclaimed with a laugh, relief overwhelming him. Obviously this was just someone’s lost pet!

—

If they weren’t in the middle of a hunt, this would be the moment where Kaden would take his partner’s hand and give him a small show of comfort. Even if he was simply unsure rather than frightened or nervous, he would have liked to give Monty some reassurance rather than have his hands wrapped around the handle of a shotgun. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury at the moment. 

Instead,the ranger kept his eyes peeled, following the trail of the rustles around them. Before he could get a good look at the beast, Monty was laughing at his own words repeated back to him.  At first glance, it looked like an ordinary parrot. Kaden desperately wanted to believe that was the case but he knew better.

“Mon coeur” he said, reaching for his partner to back up behind him, trying to put himself between Monty and the monster. He didn’t get a chance to even aim his gun at the bird before it flew over to them and landed on the zombie’s shoulder. 

Putain. That was no parrot. It was an aravo. “Mon coeur, I think you should step back n–”

“Mon coeur,” the thing repeated in his exact voice. “Mi corazon,” it added, switching back to Monty’s voice.

Fuck. This thing was going to end up with both of their voices at this rate. Kaden held up a finger to his lips, hoping his partner understood what he was suggesting.

—

It wasn’t until the not-parrot landed on Monty’s shoulder that he realized it wasn’t feathered like it should be, but covered in colorful scales. Its wings were bat-like, and it propped itself up on them like some kind of small dragon. His eyes were wide, but he didn’t feel afraid—it wasn’t attacking, after all, it was just… talking. And cawing, he noted with a wince as it let out a loud screech. “Okay, okay, I hear you,” he muttered, looking over to Kaden as he heard him start to speak. 

The parrot copied him, and Monty chuckled again. It was weird, to be sure, but definitely cute. Except… Kaden didn’t look so charmed. His partner was telling him to be quiet with a hand motion, his gaze jumping to the bird… lizard thing on Monty’s shoulder. The cowboy tilted his head curiously, but he didn’t need to be told twice. If Kaden was telling him to do (or not do) something while they interacted with a supernatural beast, there would be no second-guessing from Monty. He knew his partner knew best. 

The creature was craning its neck up to nip at the brim of Monty’s hat, and the animal-lover had to stifle his reaction. This thing seemed harmless, except for whatever was going on with it mimicking their voices. “I hear you!” it screeched, and Monty grimaced. Okay, that one sounded a little ominous. He shrugged at Kaden, wondering what they were supposed to do next.

—

The shotgun was going to be a terrible idea with the creature sitting on the cowboy’s shoulder. If Kaden missed his shot… He didn’t want to even consider as much. Carefully, he put the safety back on and lowered the gun to the ground by his side. His mind swirled to come up with a Plan B in the meantime. Merde, if this had been an actual parrot, its playfulness with Monty would have brought a smile to his face. He had to remind himself that this wasn’t just a bird or a lost pet, this was a monster. A supernatural creature that could (and would) steal their voices. Hell, it had already started.

As quietly and as carefully as he could manage, Kaden fished around in his pack for a net. He wasn’t sure how much it would help but it was worth a shot. He kept it bunched up in his hands, hiding from the creature as much as possible. He knew these fuckers were smart, it wouldn’t be unheard of for the aravo to notice and fly off. For now, the ranger was going to take advantage of the fact that the thing seemed enamored with his partner. It had good taste, he’d give it that much. 

Kaden breathed in deep, net in hand and ready to spring it onto the monster. Only, he hesitated. Just for a split second. He couldn’t help it. The mannerisms of the beast were more akin to a pet than he’d like. The line between animal and pest blurred the longer he looked at it. 

What if he was wrong? What if this aravo was like the squonk his mother had him hold the blade to? What if this was more misunderstanding, more bullshit indoctrination from his past rather than reality? Did this creature really deserve to die? How far off was it from Wrinkles or even Alex?

Before he could muster up the answer to his many questions, the avaro’s wings fluttered and Kaden knew he had to act. He leapt at the beast and his partner, hoping to wrap the net around the bird-like monster and toss it away from Monty. Only his momentary hesitation was a second too long. The only thing pinned down was the zombie, net tangled around him, while the avaro hovered above them both, squawking, “Okay. That was not me,” in Monty’s voice. 

—

Monty couldn’t stop the alarmed yelp that slipped out when the creature hopped off his shoulder and the net found his head instead, letting out a loud oof! as they both hit the ground and the beast just hovered over them, speaking in Monty’s voice again in an almost mocking tone. The cowboy suddenly felt a little less endeared to the thing, and scowled up at it from the forest floor. 

He turned his head to look at Kaden and try to whisper something to him, something that the bird hopefully wouldn’t hear, but nothing came out. Confused, he cleared his throat and tried again, but yeah. Nothing. He couldn’t speak. 

Suddenly the warning made sense, and Monty’s eyes widened in fear. Was… was he mute now? Forever? Oh god. Oh god. Untangling himself from the net, he glared at the creature that was now flying in circles overhead, squawking and cawing and saying things not only in Monty and Kaden’s voices, but other voices that he didn’t recognize. Maybe other poor mute people that had never been able to get it back. If there was even a way to get it back! He didn’t know, so he looked to Kaden, grabbing the gun that’d fallen beside him. Never mind how cute it was, if he needed to kill this thing to get his voice back, he would. 

—

“Putain de merde,” is what Kaden tried to say. It only came out “de merde.”

Yeah fuck this. This avaro took away his putain? This fucking bird had to die. No bleeding hearts to find here anymore. This was completely different from a squonk. 

He scrambled to stand, doing his best to help Monty out of the net as he apologized, forgetting that he shouldn’t be speaking at all. His partner was doing a much better job at staying silent through the whole thing. He wasn’t even making any sounds of distress, he was taking it so seriously.

Wait. Monty didn’t know why he should be silent. Meaning more than likely the bird had his boyfriend’s voice. And Kaden was already losing his. 

The ranger grabbed the net and prepared to try again. He saw Monty had the shotgun in hand again. Alright, they could do this. He gave the cowboy a nod to the firearm, his own hands holding up the net, hoping that it was enough silent communication to signal the whole plan in his mind. 

At this point, the avaro was taunting them, speaking in various stolen voices, saying things like “Can’t catch me. That’s mine. Stupid bird, come back!” Each sentence sounded like another person and Kaden had to wonder how many people had stumbled upon the creature and how many people would get their voices back once it was dead. He could only imagine. Mostly, he just hoped that Monty’s would get back to him safe and sound. He’d heard some strange things happening with alvaro’s in the past and it was hard to say what was true and what was hunter tall tales. 

Kaden started to edge his way over to the bird, gripping the net and keeping his eyes on Monty. He held up three fingers where the piece of shit not-parrot couldn’t see and counted them down once he was sure the cowboy was paying attention. 

On a silent three, the hunter whipped around and threw the net on top of the monster who screamed in their own voices for him to stop and let go. Kaden didn’t do any such thing and dragged the creature to the ground, wrapped in the mesh of the net, pinned down as best as it was going to be. He just needed Monty to make his shot and not fall into the trap of thinking this was just some pet. 

—

Kaden had a plan, and Monty did his best to surmise what that was while stifling his own panic about not being able to speak. He followed his partner with his gaze, watching him count down on his fingers while readying himself with the shotgun, flicking off the safety and waiting to raise it so he didn’t startle the… thing. 

Kaden jumped for it and snagged the little shit, pinning it to the ground and waiting for Monty to take the shot. But this was a shotgun, not a pistol, he couldn’t exactly be precise with his aim. So he shook his head, taking a step back. He couldn’t tell Kaden to throw it in the air while still in the net, so he mimed it by swinging the muzzle of the gun up into the air, following it with a jerk of his head, then took another step back and readied himself to fire. 

Once his attempt to communicate his own plan was understood and the creature, net and all, was hurled into the air, Monty easily tracked it and fired at the apex of its arc. The animal (no, pest) screeched as it hurtled back to the ground, slamming into the leafy underbrush and letting out a cacophony of screams in all sorts of different voices. When Monty heard his own once more, he scowled and moved closer, aiming at the thrashing heap in the ferns and firing again. 

It went still, and he sighed. 

—

Monty wanted him to throw it? Did he know this wasn’t skeet shooting and this wasn’t a damn clay pigeon, right? Kaden felt like he should be waiting for his partner to yell “pull” before he tossed the thing but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, he waited until the cowboy looked ready, his shot lined up, and then slung the net and the avaro across the clearing in the forest. 

The shot rang out and the screeching that came with that was followed by a small thud as the monster’s body hit the ground. Kaden reached for his knife once he realized there were still murmurs coming from the creature but he needn’t have bothered. Monty had stepped up and shot it dead before he could pull a blade from his back pocket. 

The relief that trickled in was interrupted by the prick of panic when he remembered that neither of them had spoken yet. 

Moment of truth. “Are you okay?” he asked as he approached his partner. His voice was a little shaky, like standing up again for the first time after hours of sitting down, but it was his, at least as far as he could tell. “Did you get it back?” 

—

Monty was hesitant to speak, afraid of the possibility that he might not have gotten it back — honestly, he hadn’t known for sure if that would be the outcome of killing the creature, but it seemed about as plausible as having his voice stolen in the first place. So he’d hoped, as he gunned the thing down, that this wasn’t a pointless kill. He’d feel badly if it had been. 

But then Kaden asked, and he at least had the relief of the expected outcome. Still, his throat felt tight. He sucked in a breath (that wasn’t needed but made him feel a little better), and tried to shake away the nerves. 

“... I’m… yes,” he answered with a bit of struggling, like he was trying to remember how to form the words with his mouth. “I think so.” Thank god. Now he heaved a sigh of relief, putting the safety back on and lowering the muzzle down toward the ground. “What… the fuck.” 

—

At this point it was hard to recall the anger burning in his veins that had brought the two of them out there in the first place. The only thing Kaden could feel was his heart pounding in his chest as he waited with bated breath for a word from Monty. Any word. 

The panic that gripped him was slow to fall away while his partner’s voice was still small and unsure. It was fine. He was fine. This was all alright. Maybe if he thought it enough, it would be true. Maybe it would squash the guilt building inside him for taking Monty out here in the first place.

Kaden closed the distance between them in a few swift strides, looking over his partner for any physical injuries as if those would have lingered or meant anything, as if there was some outward indication that all had been righted. “Aravo.” He nodded to the direction of the carcass before reaching out to put a hand at the small of Monty’s back. “They’re mostly harmless. Except for the stealing voices thing.” 

Right, that had to be obvious at this point. “As far as I know, killing them is the only way to get them back. I’m…” The words fell away, this time on his own accord. Kaden didn’t know what he was as he stood there beside the cowboy. He was sorry, and worried, and grateful that he was alright, and impressed at how well they’d worked together, and guilty that he’d put him in danger in the first place. All of it all at once. And he didn’t know where to begin now that he was able to speak without fear. 

—

He could see each different emotion that passed behind Kaden’s eyes, picking out the more worrisome ones and knowing that he needed to ease them, even if he didn’t feel fully recovered himself. “Hey,” he spoke softly, his voice a little hoarse. “It’s okay. We did what… we came out here to do, ah? But I think we should hedge our bets. Head home while we are still winning.” He leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on Kaden’s cheek after rocking up onto his toes. “Maybe we… find our way back to that moment before the aravo interrupted? Hm?” He was trying to clumsily shove some levity back into the situation, ignoring the anxiety that still clawed at the back of his throat. It’d be gone by the time they got back to the farm, he was certain. It had to be. This hadn’t even been life or death, just… something else. Something almost scarier, at least for Monty, who had already lived so much longer than he was meant to. 

Reaching for Kaden’s hand after they’d made sure to retrieve anything they’d dropped, Monty decided that the walk back was not going to be treated so much like a hunt, even if it was more dangerous. They both needed a break, he figured. And Kaden seem well-equipped to sense or hear anything that might try to sneak up on them. He wasn’t worried! Not at all. (Maybe just a smidge. They needed to get out of these woods.)

—

He should really be used to it by now but somehow, Kaden was still surprised by how easily his partner could put a smile back on his face, even though it was clear both of them were still a little shaken by the whole thing. “I like the sound of that,” he said, hoping that they could both find that moment from before, that it could make them forget what had just happened. He leaned in to steal another kiss once they were headed on the path out of the forest when another chill ran down the ranger’s spine. 

Duty be damned, he wasn’t fucking dealing with anymore monsters. Not today.

“Let’s head home first.” Kaden had every intention of walking ahead, but something stopped him in his tracks. Specifically the word “home.” He’d called the farm home. Alright, sure, Monty had said it first but all the same. Had he done that before? Had Kaden referred to the farmhouse as home before? More unsettling was the fact that it felt right when he said it. Kaden had called it home and it came so easily that it shot a new, different sort of panic from the one from the aravo through him. “I mean, the farm. Not— I mean because I don’t live— Not that I don’t spend a lot of time. Or that— I mean it’s not that I don’t think of it as, um…” 

Some part of him fucking wished another goddamn bird would come and take his voice so he would stop fucking talking. 

—

Monty felt his brows raising the longer Kaden… well, rambled, for lack of a better word. There was a smirk spreading across his lips as he listened, head nodding in agreement with the statement he thought Kaden was trying to make, in an adorably awkward sort of way. Not that he couldn’t act like he hadn’t been in the hunter’s shoes before, shoving his own foot in his mouth with his inability to articulate his thoughts. Though this seemed more like the result of his fear of overstepping than anything. Which was sweet, in its way.

He gave Kaden’s hand a squeeze, peering up at him from beneath the brim of his hat. “It… could be home. If you want. More than it… already is.” It might have been a more terrifying prospect if they hadn’t already been cohabitating so frequently. He’d been nervous at first, but over the year and a few months they’d known each other, it had gotten easier and easier until he didn’t really think about it except for on the mornings when Kaden wasn’t there—when he had no need for the routines they’d built together. No reason to brew coffee, no reason to pull ingredients from the fridge for breakfast (since Kaden was the far superior cook between them), no reason for… a lot of things. It was a simple freshening up before the work day started and lacked all the calming, enjoyable quietness of the first hour or so after Kaden woke up. Even sending him off to his own job was an enjoyable thing, at least compared to his complete absence in the mornings. There was a feeling of having taken care of someone you loved, a feeling Monty had become much more familiar with since coming to Wicked’s Rest. 

“But it is okay if not! I do not mean to pressure you.”

—

Kaden repeated the words in his head a few times over. It could be home. It sounded so simple when Monty said it. And he seemed so calm about it, too. Alright, maybe part of that was because he didn’t have a pulse that could give away his emotions like the hunter did. But he had a feeling it was something more than that, possibly the fact that it was Monty saying it at all that made it seem simple. 

He ran the prospect over in his mind a few times. Well, a few times more than he had subconsciously in the past however long it had been since he discovered he had more clothes at the farmhouse than the cabin more often than not. The cabin that had so quickly felt like home when Alex and Andy were there had been quieter and emptier for months now. And it wasn’t just because of their absence but his own, too. 

He knew Alex would be back at some point. At least, that’s what he’d hoped, and he wanted to keep a space for her to come back to when she did. The longer time went on, the more it felt like he could do that without living at the cabin himself. But in all the times he’d thought about relocating to the farmhouse, it had almost been temporary, a foot half in and half out, just in case. Was Kaden ready to bite the bullet and admit he didn’t really live in the cabin he’d shared with his cousins anymore? 

Looking down into familiar brown eyes, it all felt simple. “Let’s go home,” he repeated, a smile beaming on his face as he tipped back Monty’s hat and finally leaned in to grab the kiss he’d been eager to steal this whole damn time. 

[happymeishappylife]

TV Shows I Watched in 2024

1. Stranger Things (S1-4)

This has been on my list for a minute and man, did it not disappoint. I have never watched such an intricately interesting story and loved all the cast so much like I have this show. I think everyone's growth and dynamics have also shined as the story has gone on and there's been some absolutely incredible performances while they take on the Upside Down. My favorite characters are Joyce because she is the best mom and also a badass in her own way, Steve because he's always down to help the kids no matter how much danger he puts them and himself in, Robin because she's wicked smart and hilarious, and of course Eleven. I'm very curious to see how this all ends, but after binging these seasons, I know it will be great.

2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (S1)

I absolutely adore this adaptation of PJO. Every single one of the trio has perfectly nailed their characters and seeing them at the actual age of the characters take this on, is both great, and worrying, lol. And yes they changed some of the book, but what I like about the series is because its not in Percy's head, we also get to see what characters are doing around him when he isn't around. Like Grover who tried to manipulate Aries. I'm excited for season 2 and while I know the kids will now be older than the characters, I have full faith they will be amazing and I hope we get to see the rest of the series, through Heroes of Olympus which I'm reading now.

3. Carmen Sandiego (S1-4)

I remember playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? as a kid, but this show is such a great fresh telling of Carmen that I fell in love instantly. Knowing that Carmen's super thief skills come from her background at Vile, but she uses them for good is great. And learning about her background and how Shadowsan saved her is very interesting. I think the series ended a little too quickly, but other than that I loved it.

4. Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts (S1-3)

This was such a creative show that I absolutely adored. Not only is it about giving kids empowerment to do what's right, but it also gives them empowerment to be themselves. No matter how weird, silly, happy, nerdy, or cool you are, you also need a friend and Kipo's journey on the surface to find Wolf and gang proved that. Heck even becoming friends with Scarlamagne proved successful for Kipo.

5. Edge of Sleep (S1)

Even though this was a short unexpected series, I really enjoyed the horror story aspect and the imaginative tale of everyone dying in their sleep (or did they?). I also have been meaning to get around to the podcast, but this was a great way to dip in and everyone did a great job in it. Plus I was happy to support Mark and prove what an audience can do when it dropped two days early with no promo.

6. Carole & Tuesday (S1-2)

It's funny that even though this was set on Mars and in the future, this anime proved strangely poignant as the point of the story was about how music connects us all. And that two young songwriters can still be relevant and successful in a world with AI. Sure the antics were crazy, but the story was great and the music was really good. I also loved that in the second season, the point of the show pivoted to everyone's rights and how music can connect us all.

8. The Dragon Prince (S6)

I knew having the pearl of Aravos so close to the team was going to be a bad thing. And while I respect Callum's growth to try and leave it with the Starlight elves, I worry that its going to crush him when its revealed that Claudia unleashed him. Aravos' backstory in this was interesting, but I also don't fully understand his vengeance on everyone when it was his own people who punished his daughter. We'll see what the final season brings to close out this story, but I imagine it will be a tough one. Also I love how we still got goofy Soren and a great emotional arc for him at the same time so I hope that continues.

9. Miraculous Ladybug (S4-S5)

I knew we were slowly getting more plot in season 3 but seasons 4 and 5 really cranked it up. I mean not only do we get to see the full story and fall of Shadow Moth, but we get to see characters backgrounds and also finally get to see Marinette and Adrien become a couple, though they are still awkward. I worry what will happen once Adrien learns that his father's death is because Ladybug finishes him off, but I do also wonder if we'll ever seen them learn about their true identities. Also I like that Marinette is the only one to fight at the end, but I didn't like how they explained her awful stuttering issue around boys she likes. I mean I get it, bullying is bad, but that's still stretching it to make us feel for her. I'm curious to see where this series goes next and who the big bad will be.

10. Netflix's Avatar the Last Air Bender (S1)

I actually really enjoyed this adaptation. Was it a one to one match of the original show? No, but it didn't need to me. I love the original on its own, but I thought this was a cool way to see live action bending done right and also a way to see what a lot of the adults were doing while Aang and the gang travelled. Plus it did a great and horrifying job of putting the war with the Fire Nation into imagery that the original show couldn't do. My only thing is I wish they had one or two more episodes to expand some of the episodes, but I'm still looking forward to the next couple seasons.

Other Shows I Watched in 2024: 11. Doctor Who: Joy to the World 12. Doctor Who (S14) 13. The Magicians (S1-5) 14. The Crown (S1-6) 15. Jane the Virgin (S4-5) 16. Call the Midwife (S13) 17. Song Exploder (S1-2) 18. Wild Babies (S1) 19. Street Foods: Latin America 20. Street Foods: USA 21. Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal 22. Miraculous World: Paris 23. Oddballs (S1) 24. Good Morning Call (S1-2) 25. Ride on Time (Kattun, News, V6, Tokio, and Kanjani8) 26. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Shows I Rewatched in 2024: 1. Kim Possible (S1) 2. Warehouse 13 (S1-5)

[rymixta]

Misunderstood season 4 of The Dragon Prince by fans

I'm pretty embarrassed about The Dragon Prince Season 4 hatred from fans, here are a few things I want to say in defense and support.

The wide or tiny audience? What about if is needed novels and other for uderstood?

Yes I agree it's a bit mind boggling - that they said you don't need to read the comics to understand the story - probably this will be answered by a wider audience in the next season...

On the other hand, I'm arguing, that instead of trying to get a wider audience, they keep the existing one, and  I think they achieve this precisely with a lot of things are dosed outside of the series - through graphic novels and stuff...you're in touch with the story and space even while waiting for the next season and "you have something to do" - by that I mean, if you are really interested in it and are a big fan, then you also enjoy these things and watch them - and thanks to that you have a better chance to understand - and that's when you run out of things in the serial that others don't understand or don't notice.

Complex things cannot be understood at first sight and not everyone can understand them.

My other thought is connected to this - the dragon prince is an incredibly complex world - and whenever something is complex - you can never understand everything the first time and that's what I enjoy so much - I have a reason to watch the series again, because I often only understand some things after a few seeing of season or of the moment. Which may not be fully the purpose of the show - but I know this when I make games and ciphers - I know how it is a perfectly thought out, complex and brilliantly fitting idea - but at the same time, not everyone will understand my idea on the first try and some people will not understand it at all, and whoever understands it will then say wow, that's brilliant - but I had to put all the pieces of the puzzle together - and that's exactly what happens to creators - they have some brilliant ideas of a complicated interconnected world - which are not straightforwardly meaned out and it's impossible to understand them all at once without a deeper of interest.

They build it for their fans, there are a lot of things that are not easy to notice if you only see the scene once. I like the fact that often on stage even those in the background have some kind of interaction. And so, I have to see some scenes more than once - because I really don't have eyes on both sides of the screen. And season 4 has this too.

The Dragon Prince is about patience, reality and deep understanding.

Honestly, I'm really sorry for the attitude of the fandom. I think this season is misunderstood - as is Callum and Rayla's relationship and my genial camp ciphers (By this I want to indicate that it is not possible to reach everyone without explaining to them in the end how it actually works). In every serials, we have cheap arguments, rapid development of romance and it's still the same, everyone wants everything now - that's what romantic Christmas movies are for. But the dragon prince is about patience...and I think this brilliantly reflects the story of Aravos....also his "absence in the serial",...his whole story is about infinite patience. You can see the hatred..honestly - you can see it on the creators, every other interview they don't look so enthusiastic anymore. Yes, I had to listen to them and maybe hear some explanation of how some things were intended, either from the creators or someone who already understood - but that's my interest in the world - and it helped me understand a lot of things and love the season. Btw. they said there will be Soren interaction with Viren etc.

Animation - yes, the first parts were probably built distantly - like our previous two years of study - how good you can apply your skills?

What I definitely agree with fans is the animation, yes I was also irritated by Rayla's appearance as a lumberjack at times and bugs in the form of disappearing body parts and clothes. And I really missed moving her ears.

Ununderstood Rayllum

As for Rayllum - again, you can't understand it without looking carefully, and the creators themselves said so. The problem with fans is that they expect what they have already seen, what they have seen hundreds of times, but this is something else. With 1-3, were often about a lot of expression with words.. Season 4 is about what is not said (in the words of the creators), many things are not expressed in words, but in body language - and that's definitely something that hits an older audience. They said they would like to speed up their relationship - but that it's not possible - it's not natural and I like that. Rayla tries to give him space, and he gradually transforms his ignorance into small, often minute acceptances of her presence and small touches. The next season is supposed to bring a deepening of their relationship on the level of friendship instead of romance (see today's twitter the Dragon prince) - and it probably makes sense, they are not crazy teenagers, they are almost adults, but not so much and they have to find a way to each other again and build new trust and only then on it build love for the other.

Fall in love again This is my opinion. I find it hard to compare the previous arc and this one - it's different. My relationship with season 4 was building like Callum and Rayla's relationship...first it was WTF, then eeeeee I'll see what happens, then I can't stop and then I'm so glad the series is back and I love it.

[lairofsentinel]

Beware of the Narrator III - Viren tells the story to Aaravos [Probably this analysis has been done dozens of times, but I need to do it myself to keep it fresh when future seasons come]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Viren full analysis [part one] [part two] [part three] and its Summary [here]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

What I found interesting is that Viren truly was always focused in destroying the dragons. To me, he sees in Dragons the true threat against humanity. The elves are something that doesn’t concern him much. Maybe because Dragons, as it is said in the series, have “god-like” powers, and for some reason, I think Viren has always too present the confrontation of Ziard with Sol Regem when it comes to perceive Dragon’s true intentions. 

So, in the previous narration led by Viren, we know he “took Sarai’s last breath”, just in case [just in case!] the opportunity to do “something else” would appear. And that appeared years later when Claudia [he said that, we don’t know if it was him] found a unicorn horn. 

Viren introduces the matter saying that he had found a powerful spell that would allow him to kill a god-like Dragon. Which needed the last breath of a person and the blood tinged with anger of a loved one of such person. Viren had always planned this from the moment he stole Sarai’s last breath... One can infer that just by watching the ingredients of the spell.

This scene is so focused on Viren’s narration. Neither Harrow nor us [the watchers of the show] truly know if it’s true, if he could have done something to save her or not. We only have his word. The scene we saw was a black screen. We only got the sounds.

so... in the same scene, he doesn’t imply that the spell was not “discovered” recently, but he knew about it [maybe] even back then, when he took Sarai’s last breath.

The more I focus on watching Viren’s scenes, the more I see Aaravos Mastermind way of speaking in a human. And to me is obvious. Viren has done with Harrow exactly what Aaravos is doing with him now. They have particular agendas that do not always focused on gathering power. Viren in Season 1 is not thirsty for power at all. He is not taking any power-related reward in most of the situations he interferes. His reward  is knowing that “humanity is safer” with each of his actions. He thinks of himself as the only one who truly sees the danger that Xadia in general, and in particular the Dragons, represent to humanity. So he wants to destroy them. That’s the main aim in all his personal suggestions. He doesn’t care about avenging Sarai, but he needs that excuse to get the last compound of the spell to have a “weapon” that can kill a Dragon.

And he got what he wanted. Viren does exactly what Aravos did to him in season 3:

This conversation is pretty close to this one [below] in which we see Aaravos asking him if he wants to conquer Xadia, and Viren says three times that his main goal has always been protecting Humanity, not conquering power. But somehow, Aaravos convinces him to believe otherwise. Yes, Viren took the throne, and made alliances but not because the power itself, but because he wants to be “the Humanity’s Saviour”. He knows he is “the only one seeing the danger of Xadia”, the unique human who knows what is needed to do in order to have that safety.

So, finally... Viren crafts the Weapon of Vengeance:

When they face Avizandum, Viren infers through the Dragon’s cryptic words [such “today is a day of life” and all that] that he has an egg. Once again, to Viren, that’s a bigger danger because Zym “will be destined to destroy humanity”. He thinks about all Dragons as if they were Sol Regem. During all those flashbacks he has been consistent enough, he only cares about destroying Dragons. 

He still believes deeply in Harrow, he doesn’t want his power [in fact, he loves him as a brother], so that he defends him against Avizandum [if this weren’t the case, It would have been a unique opportunity to kill him] and collapses later due to the big demand of energy that Dark Magic means for a human

When they see Avizandum dying... Viren gets his reward: one less dragon in the world, a bit more of safety to Humanity.

Viren is enjoying the death of a Dragon,while Harrow is just tasting the bitter vengeance.

Now, Viren uses once again the same technique he has been using with Harrow, with Soren, and with Claudia: convinces them that they are doing the right thing, that’s a needed evil because it’s the only choice they have. 

[Beautiful concept that Zym’s destiny was supposed to be the destruction of Humanity, The destiny of Callum was going to be the use of Dark Magic, the Destiny of Rayla was going to become an assassin, and all of them broke it. As Harrow said in his letter to Callum: They are free and can chose without being chained by the past.]

It’s always the same with Viren. He doesn’t see another way with Dragons.... probably because he is a Dark Mage and must have learnt about Ziard’s teachings [there must be a reason why he has Ziard’s staff, maybe his relationship with Ziard is deeper than just Historical studies of the Past]. The interaction between Ziard and Sol Regem was incredible unfair to humans, and Sol Regem used continuously that same argument: “There is not other choice, abandon Dark Magic or die”. So, from that situation in the past, Viren may have acknowledged that humans have no many choices against Dragons, because Dragons never gave any to them. I suppose Viren was raised submerged in that History event and understand that the Dragons are the true bad boys in this world. So, he has been protecting Humanity all the time during Harrow’s life. At all cost. 

And by the end of the story, a story in which Viren presented himself as the means to satisfy Harrow’s apparent wishes, Aaravos takes the present narrative showing that now it’s he who took that place as a giver of wishes, while Viren seems to have taking Harrow’s place of listener:

I love that scene because it’s not one, but two masterminds playing one against the other.  It can be understood in many ways, and I never can choose which is the true one. Viren did exactly this with Harrow, telling him that he always had creative solutions for all his wishes and whims in order to became a “just” King, the “servant King”. But in convincing him so, Viren was performing his own goals: removing Sarai from the picture to have a better grip around Harrow so he could suggest him when and how to destroy Dragons. 

Aaravos tells him the first moment he can speaks, that he is there to serve him, to help him in acquire his wishes. Viren’s wish is a humanity safe and sound, but Aaravos is guiding him to “conquer Xadia”. In this scene, he convinced him that he needs to conquer Xadia to be “sure” that humans will flourish.

The inflexion point is when Aaravos asks Viren to go to the Sunfire Forge. Viren doesn’t like elves, but they are not a threat in his way of seeing this world. He is all the time aiming against Dragons [again, because maybe his relationship with Ziard is deeper than a mere historical tale]. But he is starting to be more and more manipulated by Aaravos. 

Once he stole the power of the Sunfires, he stops putting humanity first in his speeches, as he has been doing during all the seasons , instead, he asks about conquering Xadia. His goal shifted. 

Humanity comes second. And that’s the effect of Aaravos mastermind around him. He stops caring about humanity at all when he turns the soldiers into those monsters. I thinks that metamorphosis is not just a resource that Authors uses in order to prevent our heroes [Callum and Rayla] “could kill humans” in the final battle. It’s the symptom that Viren stopped being the Viren we knew in Season 1, the one who always, ALWAYS put humanity first: first than his Queen, First than his King and brother, First than his kids, First than himself [he is a dark mage, accepting a progressive decay, and he had accepted to change body with Harrow in order to save him because he was a good king even though more often than not it was Viren who fixed his naive promises.]

However, it’s true that maybe it’s not such symbol, since all of them are expendable. All of them are soldiers, like Soren. He didn’t ask Claudia to change, because she is valuable. But the rest.... they are too easy to replace.

And I think that no one explains us Viren’s nature better than Soren:

Fitting description of Viren. And Aaravos.