#he can also steam roll / will forge on ahead regardless of what anyone else thinks (see: like all of 5x05 and 1x09)

[raayllum]

I think it was reading @numptypylon's fic that helped cinch it for me, metaphor wise (which kudos for nailing the path metaphor emphasis like seasons ahead) in regards to like Callum and Rayla's devotion?

Because they've always felt equally devoted to me, but with two kind of caveats between both thought process and manifestation

When it comes to how that devotion manifests, we see repeatedly that for Rayla it doesn't always equal the same kind of prioritization that Callum offers (she tends to just have the Most Faith in her loved ones ever??) which makes sense given the way she knew her parents + Runaan loved her but she didn't always feel like their priority, and that they'd do things that were for her yes but also for the common good lumped in together. Whereas with Callum if he's devoted to you, you will be his #1 priority at least 75% to 99% of the time when it comes down to it, because that is how he shows devotion/love through consistency and persistence / general Togetherness

But the other one in terms of thought process / operation is where the paths metaphor Numpty uses I think is really useful and apt, and kind of perfectly illustrates how I & many others see them, because it's like...

Like Callum, Rayla will walk down every path she sees as an option to keep her loved one(s) safe, but unlike Callum, she just fundamentally doesn't see certain paths.

It's not that she sees them as options and doesn't pick 'em, it's that they don't even occur to her as concepts (i.e. she knew Claudia and her bag of dark magic ingredients were there in 2x07 and that there was a chain breaking spell, but it's very clear Rayla never would've considered that as a option given how she does approach freeing the dragon).

Meanwhile Callum, due to his immense intelligence and creative thinking, does see well - creative solutions. He does see those paths (like in 2x07) and because he sees them, because they are presented as options, he can and and will and has gone down those roads. Like Rayla, he'll take every path he sees - he just sees more of them than she does

and Idk, I think it's a very nice piece of not only description but very strong characterization