#I’ll tag Ezran why not

[babblingtime]

After The Battle | A One-Shot The Dragon Prince Fanfic

This takes place a few months after the S3 Finale Battle. I think way too much about Soren and it shows but his character arc is immaculate.

Summary:

After months tensions have finally started settled down from the battle in Xadia, Ezran is on the throne and with the support of everyone is slowly getting establishing a new normal for the Kingdom of Katolis. With this new found peace and quiet however Corvus finds himself anxious and restless, that is until he starts to notice Soren sneaking off somewhere and takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of it.

Sorvus if you squint

Corvus has noticed something odd recently, nothing quite distressing but it still itched at his brain.

Soren has been sneaking off in the early hours of the day when he would usually be doing what he called his ‘pre-breakfast post-bathroom’ run around the castle grounds.

Corvus like’s to think he and the Crownguard gotten close maybe even started to become friends despite their complicated history.

But this made him anxious. Soren isn’t exactly a discreet person, he is loud and excitable yet when he sneaks off he seems to put a real effort into being as discreet as possible.

The only reason he noticed was by chance while he was wandering the halls of one of the towers trying to keep himself entertained when he just so happened to peak out one of the windows and noticed a hooded figure sneaking through an alley.

At first he thought it might be a random citizen but he had noticed a glimmer of what appeared to be metal. The next day Corvus camped by the window scanning the street and sure enough the hooded figure appeared again, that time around though he scanned for the smallest of details.

It was then he recognized not only Soren’s new sword but his hair as well. For weeks now he’s been bouncing around possible explanations in his head but the longer he simply watched Soren the more nervous he got.

Things may be finally winding down after that battle in Xadia but now it felt like at every turn their some big new threat to emerge.

Corvus bites his nails pondering what Soren could possibly be up to. Or…investigating perhaps?

“Uhh… Corvus?” He jolted, attention torn from the window. The young king was standing behind him looking up confused, his arms full with a grumpy glow toad.

Instinctively Corvus’s shoulders squared and his back straightened his arms going to a default salute position.

“My King!” Ezran’s narrowed his eyes at that, he has never been one for formalities especially when it came to people he held close. The only reason Corvus had been wandering this tower was because Ezran specifically told him to relax.

“You don’t need to do that you know. We’re friends!” The young king smiled up to Corvus squeezing his glow toad closer to his chest.

With a soft sigh Corvus allowed his muscles to relax feeling a bit embarrassed.

“I know my king, it is just instinct” Ezran’s continued to smile before tiptoeing in an attempt to peer over Corvus’s shoulder.

“Kind of like how it’s still your instinct to keep track of Soren right?” Ezran’s said with a tilt of his head. Corvus felt his eyes go wide betraying his calm face. The king giggled petting Bait’s head.

“It’s okay really. I don’t blame you,” Ezran continued striding to the window peering over, by now Soren was long gone but Ezran still gazed out.

“He has proven himself a brave and loyal friend but…he’s been struggling. I know he doesn’t like to talk about it but I think his misses Claudia a lot and…his dad.” Corvus looked away for a moment, lost in his thoughts.

It was months since that fateful battle. Corvus remembers how he urged the Kingdom of Duran on, the fear of being too late consuming him but they made it just in time.

The battle wasn’t easy but he fought regardless using his agility and years of training to aid him. When the fighting stopped General Amaya gave the command to find Viren, they all fanned out frantic to find him. That’s when it happened.

He had seen Soren collapse to the ground, the illusion of his father laying in front of him blood bleeding from an open wound. Ezran was there too his eyes were wide with horror and fear.

Claudia was yelling but he couldn’t make out the words he was still too far. Corvus had desprately tried to reach them worried of her next move as Soren remained on the ground his breaths slow and shaken as he stared at his own hands.

Before he could get there the illusion had broke revealing itself and the clock started ticking, they needed to find the real Viren. Soren had been quick to pick himself back up from his feet and rushed back into action.

Everything from there was hectic and if he’s being a honest a blur.

But he had always thought back to that moment. To Soren on the ground, tears streaming down his face, the vision of his dead father before him. Soren had mourned his father moments before he actually die and had to experience it again.

After everything was said and done and they had to ride back to Katolis. Corvus could see Soren’s mind drifting as they rode.

Grief was written all over him.

In the way his eyes remained unfocused, in the way his shoulders slumped, in the way his sword had been left behind, and in the way his grip tightened on the horses reign from time to time.

Corvus made sure to try and ask him questions, crack a few jokes, and reassure him on their way back home but Soren had only given half hearted responses until slowly he only gave grunts of acknowledgment. Even now Corvus sees he still carries that grief, that guilt.

“Are you alright?” Corvus shook himself from his memory.

“Yes my king-“

“You can just call me Ez, no one else is here” Corvus nodded

“Yes, I apologize. I’m just worried about Soren. He’s changed a lot since that battle.” Ezran’s face fell and he looked down seemingly ashamed.

“Hey. Ez, you are not responsible for that battle” Corvus put a hand on his shoulder offering understanding look.

“But it took away so much from everyone and we are just now recovering.”

“Viren had already set everything into motion, none of us could’ve stopped that from happening.” Ezran shrugged pouting for a moment.

It’s strange how much he’s grown and yet how small he has remained in many ways.

“Could you check up on Soren for me? And I mean like-actually check up on him and not watch him from a distance?” Corvus flushed but quickly bowed.

“Of course Erzan. You have my word.”

——————————————————-

Corvus mentally cursed himself. He had made a promise to the king to directly check on Soren and yet the very next day when he made it to the street he had spotted Soren around his instincts found him sneaking. His footsteps light and intentional as he trailed the Crownguard from a distance.

Technically he could choose to pop out now and play it off as him just happening to run into Soren but he was curious to see where Soren would go without knowing he was being tailed, he was walking at a fair pace each step confident.

It’s very possible Soren has been sneaking off far before he had ever noticed, this was clearly a path he was comfortable taking. Corvus watched carefully behind a few crates waiting for Soren to make a little further down before inching closer.

A few more steps and he’ll have his chance, Corvus readied himself stepping a cautious foot forward.

Then Soren pauses suddenly halting Corvus in his tracks, his breath halted as the silence turned tense.

From his position he could barely see Soren through the cracks of the crates. The guard’s head moved slightly from left to right before the captain of the guard turned around tossing up his arms in exasperation.

“You know, I can tell you’re there.”

Corvus tensed, his mouth going tight and his body freezing. Soren remained silent for a moment before a long exaggeration sigh escaped him.

“Come oooon! Listen. We’re going to do this whole thing, I say ‘Come out!’ And you try to pretend you aren’t there yada yada I pretend to let my guard down you follow closer I turn around catch you by surprise and its over. So might as well come out.” Corvus stood there stunned for a moment blinking in surprise. Either he had gotten rusty or has Soren gotten better.

Soren’s eyes darted around the alleyway before landing on the crates the tracker crouched behind.

Corvus chuckled lightly slowly exiting his hiding spot with his hands up.

“Just me Soren. Sorry about that.” Soren scrunched his nose, clearly annoyed that he had been followed.

“Sooo,” Soren crosses his arms shifting his weight to one foot “Why are you following me? It’s a little creepy if you ask me.” an eyebrow raised inquisitively.

“The king requested that I…check on you”

“Ez set you up to this? Why?” Soren clearly tensed a defensive tone coating is words, Corvus squinted at this his mouth turning to a tight frown.

“We are concerned about your well being.”

“We?” Soren glares, his agitation growing.

“I-“ Corvus cleared his throat thinking of the best way to defuse the situation .

“I noticed you heading off around this time, always wearing a cloak and taking the back alleys. We just-”

“Wanted to make sure I wouldn’t betray the kingdom again.”

“Soren that’s not-“

Before he could finish his sentence Corvus felt the ground dispear under him as Soren shoves him off his feet and bolts down the alleyway, quickly gaining his bearings Corvus shoots back up his guard now up as he dashes behind following the retreating knight.

Corvus rounds the corner sharply and freezes, Soren no where in sight. Soren may be fast but he is still slowed down by his armor and he could still follow the sound of his footsteps but there wasn’t a peep.

The tracker peaks around trying to find a trace of where he went. There’s some loose gravel against the wall like someone’s foot and scraped against it.

His gaze started to drift up. Before he could react Soren lunges at him from above tackling him to the ground, Corvus knows once Soren is on top of him it’s over.

They may be around the same height but Soren is much stronger than him something that has remained true since they were in their training days.

Corvus scrambles back trying to get away from Soren’s range but the title captain of the guard doesn’t come lightly. He manages to to get on his feet but not before Soren quickly lunges again this time slamming him against a wall.

“This isn’t-“ Corvus wheezes for a second Soren glaring at him “This isn’t helping your case Soren.” Soren’s eyes dart away, his concentration faltering.

Corvus seizes his opportunity to strike when he’s distracted and sweeps his legs with his own foot, Soren lets out a startled yelp as the rolls reverse and he falls onto the ground prone while Corvus takes the high ground kneeling over him.

“Just tell me what you’re up to. Why did you run?” Soren stared wide eyed before growling.

“Can’t a man just have a little bit of privacy!” He grabs a fist full of Corvus’s shirt and tosses him down onto the ground with him. They roll, both trying to over come the other first through sheer will but ultimately it’s Soren’s strength that grants him the advantage.

Soren wrestles his full body weight on the trapper’s abdomen, and Corvus makes the mistake of lifting both of his hands to try and shove Soren only to have his right armed seized twisted and pushed against his chest. He tries to move his left arm but Soren uses his knee to pin it down. The combined weight of Soren and his pinned arm makes it hard and painful to pull either of them free.

They struggled Corvus kicking and writhing around while Soren struggled to retain a good grip and not lose his victory.

“Would you- just stay still, I’m not doing anything wrong!” Soren snaps and Corvus falls still not because of the outburst but because he feels the familiar sense of a pair of eyes watching them. Soren seemingly feels the same presence his eyes turning away from Corvus.

They both turn to their attetion away from each other heads snapping down the alley towards the street.

A man stands there eyes wide with confusion and mouth full with jelly tarts he’s eyes darting between both of them.

“This is none of your concern!” Corvus shouts annoyed not only at being bested so quickly but embrassed there was a witness to it.

“Yeah get out of here! Everything is under control!” Soren barks back.

The man looks between them once more before he shovels another tart in his mouth turning on his heel and walks away whistling.

Corvus turns back to Soren eyes furrowed in anger ready to resume their struggle. They stare at each other for a moment before Soren’s face breaks a wide smile replacing his sneer as he starts to laugh, his grip loosening on Corvus’s arm. A much appreciated release.

“Did you-did you see the look on his face!” Soren wheezes out sliding off of Corvus and onto his side next to him, his laughs rocking his whole body as he lays on the ground.

“This isn’t funny!” Corvus attempts to retain the frustration of the fight but he can’t bite back his smile and amused chuckles for long the realization of how juvenile they must’ve looked as two grown men wrestling on the ground.

They both lay there on the dirty floor of an ally laughing staring up to the sky.

Corvus stops first his laughs slipping to a small chuckle deep in his chest, turning his head he faces Soren who continues to wheeze and laugh. He had always been so easy to amuse, once he started laughing it took hm a while to come down from it.

After a few more moment Soren gathers his composure pulling himself off the ground and standing. Corvus begins propping himself up with his elbows when Soren reaches out a hand. Corvus looks at it for a moment before accepting it, fondness taking over the previous adrenaline.

An oddly comfortable silence follows, their breaths catching up to them as the tension dissipates. Soren opens his mouth, closes it, glances away, looks back and opens his mouth again.

“Do you really want to know what I’m up to?” This surprises Corvus but he nods worried if he says anything he’ll lose this chance,.

Soren bites the inside of his cheek for a moment as if reconsidering.

“Follow me” BeforeCorvus could process what was going on Soren grabs his wrist, softly this time, and drags him along. They walk a few more blocks in silence before Soren crouches leading Corvus with him. Soren tuns to him bringing a finger up to his lip as he crawls under a slightly ajar window.

The building is tall, bright full green bushes line the exterior, blue and purple flowers blooming. Inside Corvus can hear faint chatter, his eyebrows raise in curiosity as he tries to make out what the building is.

Soren meanwhile rummages around a bush but silently trumpih when he pulls out a book. Soren makes hand motions to Corvus peer over the window.

Corvus hesitates for a moment before slowly raising himself up cautiously. It is a room filled with desks, half of those seats seemed to be occupied people from the age range of 20-49. Each of them had papers and pens standing at the front of the room is a tall woman with a larger desk as she speaks and points to a chalkboard the words ‘Writing 101’ written on there along with key words, definitions, and a writing exercise.

Cautiously Corvus lowers himself from the view of the window his mind lost in thought for a moment.

“A…school?” Confusion soaks in his words, as he turns to face Soren who has his book open a pen in hand. The soldiers face flushes quickly as he turns his face away from Corvus and back to the window.

“Claudia and my dad used to laugh at me whenever I suggested it, they used to say ‘stick to the sword not the pen Soren!’…its what you’re good at.” Corvus feels his face soften at that, guilt quickly replacing his caution.

“Well…I think it’s never too late to pick up the pen.”

“Yeah…but it is embarrassing” Soren whines huffing like a disgruntled dog.

“None of us would judge you you know. If this is something you want I’m more than sure that King Ezran and Prince-“

“No way!” Soren interjects lifting his chin from its resting place to face Corvus “That would be even more embarrassing. Callum is already way smarter than me and Ezran is definitely on track! That’ll just make me feel even more behind.” Soren grabs Corvus’s shoulders panic written all over his face.

“Promise you won’t tell them. O-or anyone!” His eyes are pleading and panicked searching Corvus’s face for confirmation. He thinks back to all the jabs he’s heard at Soren’s expense and he can’t help but cave.

“Alright, alright…I promise.” relief washes over Soren as his shoulders relax and a soft sigh escapes him.

Corvus stays sitting with him, as Soren dramatically reads out some of the things he’s written. Admittedly they aren’t good but regardless Corvus listens, giving half true compliments when he could.

————————————————-

Corvus finds himself back in the tower where he had observed Soren his feet still insinctly bringing him there. When he made it to the window he peered his head out looking up and down the path to no avail. Maybe he had missed him or maybe Soren wasn’t too keen on being watched from a distance.

“So what did you find out?” Corvus jolts, he can never seem to sense when the young king is approaching. He turns to face Ezran who stares at him expectantly, Corvus hears his promise echoing in is brain as he struggles to find a lie or a half truth.

“Um yes about that… Well. You see my king-“ Ezran looks amused, a playful expression spreads across his face as he leans forward bringing a hand to his face hiding his mouth from non present eavesdroppers.

“If its a secret you don’t have to tell me” he whispers. Corvus tries to say something else his mouth agap but no words form.

Ezran giggles putting down his hand and straightening his back.

“As long you made sure he’s okay you’ve done your mission well. Thank you for checking on him Corvus. I really appreciate it.”

Ezran does a small bow before walking off leaving Corvus standing there.

Ezran used to only have a way with animals seemingly knowing how they are feeling or what they are thinking but lately it seems its has been extended to people as well.

He really is going to make a great king.

Corvus’s eye return back towards the window spotting a familiar cloak heading through the alleyway. It stops for a moment and looks up to the tower. Corvus see’s Soren’s smile even from this high up as he waves. Corvus waves back before Soren hurriedly turns around and continues on his path.

[raayllum]

Updated Pinned Post

ABOUT ME: I go by Dragons or Raay. I've been in the fandom since July 2018 (yes, that is two months before the show actually premiered). I'm a graduated english major, now full time tutor who loves foils, parallels, and looking far too deeply into everything. I'm also publishing a YA SFF book! I use they/them pronouns and love aspec rayllum with my whole heart. other popular headcanons are autistic!ezran and trans!janai. i'm not an anti & tag everything meticulously to both find things and make them easy to blacklist. I look like this, always:

STUFF I MAKE: meta directory / analysis tag / my fic / my playlists / my edits / thanks for asking / predictions

salt tags (for blacklisting & minimally used): dragons gets salty / fandom nonsense

trigger warnings (tagged on request, always in reference to fictional characters): tw pregnancy / tw body horror / tw blood / tw suicidal ideation

blog housekeeping: tags masterpost / dragons rambles / foil tags / in regards to (discussions of race / racism) / fandom history / no discourse or harassment / please don't send me negativity about the show and/or cast and crew

Other Places To Find Me (TDP / fandom centric)

Youtube (AMVs): wordswithdragons

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Podcast (40+ episodes)

Twitter (no, I don't know why Aaron Ehasz follows me either): wordswdragons

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Greatest Hits (aka the things I've made that I think are the coolest):

1k / 2k / 4k notes

Rayllum AMV to a banger of a song

Personal faves

My "Viren adopts/raises Rayla" AU

Predictions achieved

Callum&Viren foils tag

Cube Hostage Exchange Theory

To Make It Right :: How Rayllum Intersects A Meta (s1-s2)

Egyptian Mythos, the Ankh, and Aaravos’ Fallen Star (S1-S4) 

(if time is money then) i’ll spend it all for you: Set four years post-S3, Runaan and Rayla’s parents are de-coined. Now it’s time to adjust to how the world and their daughter has changed, including her relationship with one particular human. 146k, COMPLETE

twice as many stars: or Sir Sparklepuff's existence is an existential horror story, the fic. 8.7k, ONESHOT

Sideblog for a queer fantasy WIP (TDP + ATLA + SOC) that's set to be published in 2025ish (bonus "being published through an indie press" experience) is about an unchosen one who wants her powers back, a former child soldier who wants revenge, and a prodigy who wants redemption / subsequent moodboard

[gothra]

Do you have any butchie fic rec’s?

sorry this one took so long, it turns out that gathering links takes a bit longer than i thought it might. just a warning: I’m going wide, because I don’t know where to stop so I’m just going to be loading a bunch in here. and they are mostly smut except for a few domestic ones, and a few bits of angst.

The first and best ones I read were the ones in aishahiwatari’s repertoire. This is kind of one of the larger collection of Butchie fics that I’ve found in the tag, so it would take forever to explain the premise of all of them, if you have spare time just take a look. There’s a lot of porn (and you will soon come to realize that that’s kind of the running theme here) but the one that really fucked me up was earth or diabolical creature because FUCK Hughie and Butcher have a toddler and she’s cute and I’m losing i

I also like this series, it’s got a lot of creative and interesting choices for smut scenarios and it all ends in a dramatic and emotional fashion.

this one is slightly like the one above but I’m not complaining because it’s good and it’s cute

okay now we’re getting into the standalones. I’ll include any of the more important content warnings, but it’s a lot to type so bare with me if you click and there’s something I’ve missed im sorry

bitter skin by none_the_wiser (one-shot. short and spicy! really encapsulates the sort of rough-and-tumble, love-to-hate-you-hate-to-love-you high that butchie seems to be on. they honestly write it better than I can.)

if you wanna be my lover…, by watchthequeenconquer (spice girls!!! The comparisons are apt. if passing out, choking, mildly dubious consent, verbal humiliation, intoxication or play fighting bothers you, avoid.)

this writer has a series of other fics that are more domestic and fluffy, centered more on them raising Ryan, which I LOVE and need MORE of:

but it may be a lunatic you’re looking for by cathect (love how horny this one is and the blurb always makes me laugh)

(bad?) neighbors by motherfuckingsorcery (I love fics that exploit hughie’s obvious praise kink)

Most of the butchie fics from holyfudgemonkies 2021 kinktober collection (keep your eyes on the tags as some have some darker and dead dove stuff but overall a fun reading experience). honestly just their whole tag has some fun stuff

if you’re noticing that I’m getting less and less specific and I’m just posting full collections, it’s because I didn’t realize just how much work this was so I’m basically just posting every fic I’ve ever read. that being said…

struck by a bolt is a very sexy series by (ourdramaqueen)

one way ticket to a dead end by ezran (hot! a bit of toxic behavior in this one tho)

ask a question, get an answer by satsumasegments (I WISH this had happened instead. it’s such a hot, smoothly written fic I love it)

when I say that this next fic fucked me up, I’m not joking. I don’t know why I read it, because death bothers me a lot, even fictional deaths, but I read it and I couldn’t function properly for days after. I think I’m just sensitive but Christ it was painful.

so you should definitely read what do they know about friends by satsuma segments

the spare knife of happiness by flwrgardens (did I mention how much I LOVE Hughie and butcher being domestic with Ryan?? Because I love it. this is such a you-have-already-left-kudos-here ass fic I love it I love it)

house of stone by tylerose (more domesticity. GIVE ME MORE DOMESTICITY AND FALLING IN LOVE!! tw for drug use but it’s just Temp V)

touch me gently, it’s been too long by spacelesscass (so tender like chicken nugget. so soft.)

please note that not every fic I’ve ever read and liked is on this list, I just tried to maintain what little brevity I had left because putting this together was so exhausting?? if you want the rest let me know but i'd basically be putting the whole tag in there since 1. it's very small and 2. i read a lot of fics

[konmaao3]

My thoughts about season 4

(tagged as tdp critical because I’m focusing on the negatives. It’s long enough as it is although I tried to keep myself short) We don’t really need yet another review, but I wanted to understand why I found season 4 so underwhelming and thus wrote this stuff, so why not post it as well.

tl;dr The storytelling was often immersion-breaking. Many things seemed to happen because the plot needed them to happen, not because they made sense. Irrespective of that, the story felt shallow. There weren’t enough conversations about all the important stuff going on, the dragang just travelled without much character development.

I think my main issues are with 1) the overall storytelling and 2) the characters within the story. Season 4 often chooses the lazy, convenient route (I’ll use the word “convenient” a lot here). In isolation, many of my points don’t matter that much or could be explained by some head canons, but they add up. There were just so many immersion-breaking logical errors and weird behaviours, and also some design choices I simply disagree with.

1) Storytelling

The story of season 1-3 was essentially “in a hostile environment, bring Zym from A to B”, which is all that was needed. What made it great were the characters within the story. So season 4 didn’t have to do something spectacular in this regard, but things were constantly throwing me off, preventing me from getting invested.

No open fire in a huge sunfire elf camp? That doesn’t sound right, there are plenty of nomadic cultures that use fires literally inside of tents. Ancient and medieval and modern armies on the march needed their fires as well. It’s strange that these human-elf misunderstandings only came up after two years. In fact, it seemed as if this plot line hadn’t gotten the memo about the time skip. Because that was the starting point of the whole conflict, it always felt weird. If I ignore that and pretend that there was a believable reason, I don’t have many issues with this story arc.

However, the Aaravos arc had me constantly shake my head:

Zubeia and Pyrrah conveniently leave just when Claudia&Co. climb the Storm Spire.

“The staff of Ziard has been stolen. I’m afraid this can only mean one thing: The Fallen Star has returned.” – Why can it mean only that? It’s a powerful relic, that alone is reason enough for any dark mage to try and get it. Claudia whispered “one step closer to freeing Aaravos” when opening the chest, but if Ibis heard that, he should have simply said “a dark mage stole the staff to free the Fallen Star” instead. But conveniently, this puts the good guys on the right track from the get-go.

Why did Zubeia take the dragang with her? Very convenient that the protagonists are included in the story that way, but there wasn’t really a reason. It’s especially weird that Ezran tags along (the world really needs a 12-year-old boy whose death could cause yet another succession crisis?) and that Opeli just yeets him into this adventure (unless she has a coup in mind, lol).

Why hasn’t Zubeia asked Ezran and Callum about the mirror in the last two years? She knows that it went missing together with Zym’s egg, and someone must have told her that Viren stole that.

For plot reasons, overpowered Zubeia needed to stay behind at Umber Tor, and the collapsed entrance worked well enough. Then the back entrance is supposed to be secret, hidden somewhere in a huge forest, and yet they find it in no time – of course with a local’s help, but they were already conveniently close anyway. Getting to know N’than and earning his trust to a degree that he was willing to risk his life by leading them to Rex was conveniently easy as well.

Rayla told Soren “you better be right behind me”, but after five steps she should have noticed that this wasn’t the case. Conveniently for the plot, she didn’t notice. Of course for plot reasons Soren had to get lost so that he could meet Claudia, but there should have been another way to do that. The drakeriders, including N’than, were pretty much unnecessary and could have made room for more important matters.

TDP usually avoids problems caused by stupid communication, but in the case of Rex it was a close call. Upon seeing him, the first word from the heroes should have been “Aaravos”, followed by “wants to escape, we have to stop him”. Would have saved a lot of time, avoiding drama that didn’t feel real anyway because it was so obvious that it was just the result of bad communication. Why do they even ask for the location of the prison? Would make sense if they wanted to free Aaravos, but they just want to prevent others from doing that.

When even Rex wasn’t immune to the sleep spell, Zym was unaffected for unknown reasons. However, the villains didn’t care about that and let him run away and hide, and then they went one step further and left their sleeping enemies and Soren unsupervised so that Zym and Soren could wake the rest of the dragang (scatter a few more “conveniently” in here somewhere).

Archdragons are intelligent beings. Yet when Rex woke up, he didn’t do the sensible thing – look for Claudia, squash her, then interrogate the others – but threw a temper tantrum like a wild animal, conveniently allowing the villains to escape and forcing the heroes to flee. Conveniently for them, suddenly a hole appeared in the barrier at the gate.

(If season 5 starts with the heroes not knowing where the prison is: Why didn’t Zubeia tell Rex that the dragang are the good guys and get the map from him as well?)

The caterpillar was creepy, the Creature was silly (I had hoped for something more menacing to emerge from the chrysalis, maybe something with Koh-the-Facestealer-vibes). The scene where Viren knelt down felt very out of character, considering how disillusioned he had been until that point, and I immediately suspected that they were trying to set up a dramatic moment that could then be interrupted by silliness. The Creature vomiting all over Viren was just that, but because it was so predictable it was neither dramatic nor funny. The Creature didn’t do anything the whole season that couldn’t have been done by the other characters. I’m sure it will become plot-relevant later, but it could have been interesting right from the start. Given enough intelligence, the Creature could for example struggle for agency and free will against Aaravos who just wants a puppet. Or at least give it some cool powers.

So, within the existing story many things could have been done better, but as mentioned above the whole premise was weird from the start. It felt as if the heroes went on the adventure not because it made sense, but just because they are the protagonists of the show.

What should have been done differently? Rough idea from the top of my head: To make things interesting, you can’t have a super-powerful ally such as Zubeia around the whole time. So the heroes’ quest could have been a seemingly private one at first that doesn’t involve Zubeia (or the info-dump that took away much from the Mystery) and keeps them in the dark about the world-threatening danger that is Aaravos. It could have started with Callum interacting with Aaravos through the mirror (not knowing who he is), Aaravos promising knowledge about the missing Rayla, e.g. in exchange for the cube or the map to his prison (framed as a hostage situation, blackmail, a simple trade, anything goes).

The threat would have been more subtle. As things stand now, Zubeia should already fly across all of Xadia to warn everyone (especially the archdragon of Ocean … any others left? Sol seems to be out of the picture) and send a shit ton of dragons to the heroes’ help.

2) Characters

Rayla leaves in the morning as if that couldn’t traumatize Callum all over again, but he doesn’t even acknowledge her return at all when waking up (or later when she comes to the valley of graves), only caring about greeting Zubeia. Then Rayla is gone all day, and we don’t know why – to be fair, a mind-controlled Rayla slashing the Zubeia painting as this fanfic proposed would be an interesting reason. We also don’t learn why she suddenly returned – conveniently right when it’s adventure time.

I’m on the fence about Rayla’s and Callum’s behaviour when they see Viren. We don’t know what’s going on in their heads, but it felt odd that Rayla would just leave again after she has just returned, and that Callum would let her go without offering to come with her. Felt like the plot just needed the Rayla-Claudia confrontation so that Rayla could get the coins. But then the confrontation: Rayla says she won’t make a deal with Claudia … but she also doesn’t say what she does want. Taking a hostage usually does involve making a deal. Instead she just holds a sword to Terry’s throat and stands there. And how does Claudia (conveniently) know that two of the coins are Rayla’s parents? Parents and their children don’t look that similar. Otherwise great scene, Claudia’s smug cruelty was bone-chilling, Rayla’s scream was heartbreaking, Claudia giving Rayla the coins was very intriguing.

But then so many missed opportunities to add some emotional depth to the story:

When Callum gets angry at Rayla in his study, Stella interrupts. Ezran forgives her immediately and never talks about her absence, even though she is like a sister to him and it hurt both him and Callum and of course her as well. When Rayla wants to talk with Callum at the top of the Storm Spire – not necessarily about them, but maybe about Aaravos possessing him – Soren interrupts. When Soren talks to Rayla about Callum, the drakerider fighting the dragon interrupts. When Ezran and Callum talk about Callum’s possession and about Rayla, they don’t exchange more than a few sentences. When Callum and Rayla talk in the lava cave, Rayla leaves after just a few words (including “no one can control you” after she saw Aaravos literally do that). No one ever voices their concern about a world-threatening evil about to return to Xadia, apart from one dry comment from Rayla. No one asks Soren how he feels about the fact that Claudia is responsible for that.

Then there is Soren’s reunion with his family. His talk with Claudia was interesting, but – for valid in-universe reasons – it couldn’t actually go anywhere because Claudia couldn’t be honest. Soren thought that she was alone and wants to free Aaravos just because, when in reality Claudia wants to save Viren. But she can’t tell Soren that, because she needs to stall him until Viren and Terry free her. However, once Viren is there, there is a lot to unpack for the family:

Claudia almost killed Soren with Noctu Igne

Viren almost turned Soren into a fire monster

Viren told Soren to kill the princes, then denied it and made Claudia believe him. Would he feel remorse for any of that now?

Soren “killed” Viren’s illusion (which Viren doesn’t know yet)

I wrote a whole fanfic about this confrontation, and even with my hyperfixation on Rayllum I was very much looking forward to it, but what season 4 gave us is … nothing. Nothing at all after S1-3 set up the most interesting family dynamic imaginable.

I’m totally okay with Callum and Rayla not solving all of their issues in season 4, but there were so many opportunities to talk about serious matters, and the season ignored them almost completely. Sure, that can come later … but it doesn’t have to, not all of it. A set-up season is allowed to be interesting as well, and season 4 had the potential for it. The whole “bring Zym from A to B” plot from S1-3 was so interesting because it was accompanied by character interactions and development, things that were missing here.

Some words about the humour:

Honestly, I didn’t mind Claudia’s and Terry’s fart jokes that much. They weren’t funny, but they didn’t have to be and I’m not sure if they were supposed to. They felt in-character because Claudia was always quirky, and if Terry is her boyfriend then it makes sense that he shares her sense of humour. It was humanizing them, making them more than the evil villains who murdered Ibis. Still, the humour of season 4 didn’t convince me (while I often found S1-3 hilarious). I can’t remember many jokes in the first place (were the guardians supposed to be funny? I can’t even tell), much less ones that worked.

So, yeah, season 5 can still fix a lot of things, but on its own season 4 wasn’t great.

[blutopaz15]

How about "You're a softie", or rather "Ye're a softie" ?

Ackk!! This took me SO long to get to, I’m sorry!! It ~did~ turn into practically a whole oneshot though, so woooo! hope you enjoy ;)

also oops I lost the initial prompt post so I forget which number this is lol

#??: “You're a softie.”

Callum wasn’t exactly sure what he’d been expecting when Rayla had banished him from their room, saying that she had a “surprise” for him, but it certainly hadn’t been this.

She’d beaten him back there by a longshot. The “super short” evening audience that one of Ezran’s advisors had requested was not super or short by any means, and by the time Callum had traipsed back to their room, feet dragging and head foggy, she was already ready for bed. When the heavy door creaked open, though, rather than remaining comfortably and impatiently cross-legged on the edge of his matress, ready to curl up with him for a little bit before bedtime as usual, she’d popped up off his bed, shoved his pajamas into his arms, and quickly ushered him towards the washroom.

“Uh, okay,” he’d responded, curiosity over what she was up to clearing the fog from his mind. He deliberately leaned his weight into hers, stalling as she pushed him towards the door so he could ask: “What’s all this about?”  

“I have a surprise for you!” Her voice had his favorite teasing cadence to it, and Callum felt a little flutter of anticipation, warm and pleasant, in his chest. 

Satisfied and eager from the answer, Callum stopped resisting just as she shifted her hands from his shoulders to his waist and pressed her weight more insistently against him. This successfully sent him stumbling through the open washroom door. She gave him one more direction, accompanied first by a smile that was softer than he would’ve expected and then her lips on his cheek, before she sharply shut him away back there. 

“Ten minutes,” she said.

The typical draw of their evenings spent together was amplified by the promise of whatever surprise she was assembling out there, and Callum realized that he might’ve been a little too eager when he called out to her through the door for the first time—his face already washed, his teeth already brushed, his limbs already pajama-clad—and got an exasperated sigh in response. He tried once more, twice more, then thrice more before—at long last—she finally confirmed that he could enter.

The washroom door swung open wide, and there, at the center of the room, was Rayla on the floor, surrounded by what seemed to be every spare pillow and blanket in the castle, beaming at him, eyes shining and bright.

Callum grinned back at her, his head cocked to the side as his shoulder hit the doorframe. “What’s all this?” he asked, nodding at the piles of pillows she was nestled between.

Rayla’s nose wrinkled up as she lobbed the blue cushion laying across her lap at him, and he was pretty sure—as he held up his hands to knock it away from his face—that he’d never seen her smile so wide.

“Sleepover!” Rayla flung her arms open, gesturing towards the multi-color mountains all around her. “Last night you were saying how you wished I didn’t have to go back to my bed, and this isn’t technically sleeping in the same bed so…”

He bent to pick up the blue pillow and tossed it back to her—gently. That was a pillow-fight he would—absolutely, without a doubt, for sure—lose. She caught it—of course—and laid it back over her legs.

“I’m pretty sure this is still against the rules,” he said, shrugging at her, still in the doorway...trying to decide if he cared enough about those rules to deny her. 

Opeli’s ‘no sleeping in the same bed’ rule probably translated to ‘don’t sleep next to each other’ too, Callum thought. Though...he was pretty sure it also translated to ‘don’t lie in the same bed’...a rule which they’d been breaking daily...

But, attendants never came in to check on them in the evenings when they were bending those rules. The mornings were a different story, though: someone was always bustling in first thing, earlier than they could ever have a hope of waking up to separate themselves first, and Callum had to wonder if that was Opeli’s specific bidding.

Still though...like Rayla had said...technically…

“...and we care why, exactly?” Rayla asked, an eyebrow raised, arms crossed, outwardly annoyed. Callum could see, though, that his hesitation—which wasn’t really his anyway—had hurt her.

Pre-bedtime pillow fort cuddles—no beds or sleeping involved—probably wouldn’t break any rules, Callum figured, even if their luck changed and they got caught.

Though, maybe, he considered, the strictest translation of Opeli’s rule might be that they just weren’t supposed to lie down with each other at all…

Rayla was frowning now.

He took a few steps closer before turning his back, spreading his arms, and collapsing back onto the stacks of pillows next to her. When he peeked an eye open, Rayla chuckled softly, reaching for the hand that’d fallen across her knees.

“Dummy.”

She looked over her shoulder and down at him, appearing not quite as deflated. Callum leaned on his elbow to offer up an explanation. 

“I’m just saying, Rayla, I really don’t want to have to explain it to Ezran if Opeli separates us.” He’d meant that to be lighthearted...but it was also very true. He winced theatrically, and Rayla smiled back, rolling her eyes and squeezing at his fingers. When she stopped shaking her head at him, what she wanted was still lingering in the way she looked at him. She eased herself down by his side, matching his pose.

“Callum...please? Just for tonight?” The sincerity in the way her brow furrowed tugged at him...and she knew it. That teasing rhythm was back in her voice when she went on, her stare so very sweet. “Come on, you know you want to! It’ll be fun! The ‘it’s not a bed’ excuse will definitely work at least once.”

That was probably true, Callum admitted to himself. It was possible—likely, actually—that Opeli wouldn’t be happy about their rule-bending, but...feigning innocence was a possibility…

Plus...it’d be so nice to wake up at Rayla’s side. Her arms heavy with sleep and draped over him...her warm breath on his cheek...her lips parted and perfectly within kissing range…

Like she could see his resolve weakening, a mischievous smile crawled across Rayla’s lips. 

“How can I convince you? We can snuggle all night! I’ll let you be little spoon?” She rocked closer, still up on her elbow like he was, and pressed a kiss, brief and enthusiastic, to his lips. When she pulled away and her eyes opened...she didn’t even need to tag on the last incentive. “Mmm, I don’t know, what else do you want? Anything!” 

It wasn’t quite heat in her eyes...more like...a spark. An offer of heat. 

A similar heat very quickly filled in underneath his collar, across his cheeks.

“Yeah, the answer to that question is definitely against the rules,” he laughed, eyes wandering to the ceiling before he smiled at her. “But...fine. Sleepover. If we get caught, though, you’re going to be the one who explains to Ez what Opeli is so worried about.” 

Rayla’s hand wrapped around his almost as soon as Callum started poking a finger at her to go with the dramatized sternness of his stare, and, before he knew it, she’d used that leverage to knock him flat on his back. Rayla’s arms looped around his neck, her chest pressing him into the floor, and she was still for a moment, just holding him near. Her lips landed in his hair.

She stayed close to whisper, giggling in his ear. “You’re such a softie, Callum.”

“Maybe so,” Callum conceded, turning to press a clumsy kiss to her jaw before nuzzling closer, his lips drifting down to place tonight’s first of what he intended to be many kisses against her neck. “I was promised anything I want, though.”

The sigh she made wasn’t all that loud when he kissed her again—this time just under her ear, the skin there exceptionally warm and smooth—but Callum could feel it vibrate in her chest, and he was sure that she could feel the way he shuddered, too, as her fingertips ran along his spine.

“I thought you didn’t want to break any rules?”

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Moonberry Wishes (Ruthari Week 2021 #2)

Pairing: Ruthari

Rating: T

Tags: post-coin Runaan, Runaan pulls an Eljaal, belated reunion, angry Ethari, all the feels, angst, fluff, i missed you, toppy Ethari, Runaan is never gonna be ready to hear about Rayllum

Prompt: Leaving/Returning

Moonberry Wishes

The clang of sword on shield snapped Runaan out of his morning meditation. His eyes opened on the now-familiar view of the rocky slopes of eastern Duren, their golden stone bleached with early morning sunlight. Squinting against the light, Runaan tracked the sound of battle, snatched up his bowblade, and hurled himself off the high stone ledge where he’d made secure camp the night before. The descent to the narrow pass a few hundred meters below wasn’t difficult for one with his skills, and he leaped easily from boulder to boulder as he descended past the timber line toward the old trade road.

The faint flicker of a small cooking fire at the edge of the road caught his eye as he targeted a cluster of figures at the far edge of the road. Someone had camped there in the night, and he hadn’t heard a thing! The assassin tossed his confusion aside and leaped down, skidding dramatically through a cloud of fine pale dust shot through with angled sunbeams, expecting the attackers to turn and run, or possibly turn and stare. To acknowledge his arrival, at the very least--he was a Moonshadow elf, and making himself known on purpose was a rare treat.

But no one did. Not even the traveler he’d rushed in to rescue. The man stood still, his back to Runaan, the hood of his cloak pulled up.

Runaan blinked mid-skid and reassessed, fingers tense on his bowstring.

Half a dozen bandits had clearly attempted to besiege this man. Yet three of them lay sprawled in the dust already, and one hung by his belt from a broken tree limb three meters off the ground. As Runaan skidded in, another bandit got shoved backward through the air and plopped into a muddy patch in the woods with a squelch.

Runaan sought the last bandit as he battled his surprise. He seemed to have found the one human who could hold his own as well as an assassin against half a dozen attackers. He finally spotted the greasy man when his head rose up over the traveler’s hood, caught in the would-be victim’s grip as he was bodily lifted into Runaan’s line of sight by the front of his shirt. The traveler’s other arm dropped to his side, revealing a small round silvery shield strapped to his forearm.

Runaan reassessed again, casting his gaze around the small campsite, seeking clues as to who this strange paradox of a person was.

The traveler had camped in the most foolish location, right where any passing rogue could find him. Yet he’d somehow managed to set up his camp silently in the night. He carried no sword, but he’d bested half a dozen desperate humans with a small shield. His campfire was expertly laid, but the aroma that rose from it was one of stewing fruits.

Runaan’s eyes narrowed. He suddenly doubted that this stranger had ever needed his help at all.

“I have a question for you,” the traveler huffed to his captive, catching his breath from their quick scuffle. “And if you answer me truthfully, you can be on your way.” His voice was soft velvet over cold steel, and its gentle brogue stabbed Runaan in the gut with an icicle made of all the frozen feelings he’d tried to ignore for nearly a year.

The world telescoped around him, streaking past his vision with dizzying speed. His freedom from the coin, his shame and uncertainty over failing half his mission, the strange sense of mourning he felt over feeling his blood oath breaking with his supposed death, his decision to wander in search of new purpose instead of returning home and learning he’d been ghosted. His honor had always been vital to his identity, and he hadn’t been ready to face the risk of having it stripped away despite his best and most dutiful intentions. Three seasons had passed since he’d turned his boots toward the west, and not one step had landed on Xadian soil.

But apparently Xadia had grown tired of waiting for him. This stranger was no human. This stranger didn’t sound like a stranger, either.

Runaan’s breath burst from his mouth in a single disbelieving gasp. “Ethari?”

The traveler dropped his bandit like a discarded cloak and spun to face Runaan. His silvery shield thudded to the dirt unheeded. Warm brown eyes blazed out at the errant assassin from beneath a dark blue hood edged with locks of long black hair, and his dark skin was unmarked by blue Moonshadow paint. He also sported five fingers on each hand.

Runaan let out a soft grunt of pain. This man wasn’t his--

The traveler’s mouth fell open in surprise at the sight of the Moonshadow before him. A quick hand flicked back his hood, and a pale shimmering spell rippled across his body.

Runaan’s eyes widened even further.

The Moon spell danced around the traveler’s hidden features, revealing elf horns, cheek markings, shoulder swirls. His black hair became shaggy and white, and his eyes warmed to a soft sunset, just as wide as Runaan’s were.

The elves stared at each other in shock. To the side, the discarded bandit scrambled to his feet and hesitantly edged away, his gaze darting between the safety of the forest and the big elf who had flicked him aside.

“Never mind,” Ethari told him in a faint voice, eyes locked onto Runaan. “I found him.”

The bandit nodded eagerly as if he’d actually been of help. He gathered up his foolhardy compatriots, and together the humans bolted without a backward glance.

Runaan tracked him with a tense stare until he was out of sight before he let himself drink in the sight of his precious craftsman from head to toe. Tension he’d been holding for nearly a year began to ease from his shoulders. “Ethari.” His voice was a tentative prayer.

“Runaan.” Ethari’s voice was faint, too.

The assassin’s eyes dropped to the shield. Its edge was rimmed with all the phases of the Moon. Runaan wondered briefly how many enchantments Ethari had crammed into its swirlies. “You’re fighting?” he murmured.

“I’m on a mission,” Ethari corrected breathlessly. His chest was still heaving, but Runaan suspected it was for a different reason now.

Runaan felt the first hints of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. He hadn’t smiled since the Silvergrove, but Ethari always had a way of--

Ethari’s brows lowered sharply. “To find Xadia’s biggest dumbass.”

Runaan’s eyes widened. “What?”

With a growl, Ethari charged at him. Runaan managed to drop his bowblade safely into a nearby fern before Ethari seized him by the front of his shirt and backed him up against a nearby tree trunk. Runaan gripped his husband’s wrists and braced for impact, wincing as his horn tip clattered against the rough bark. His toes slipped on an angled root and dangled in the air as Ethari pinned him easily in place. Runaan’s eyes danced from his husband’s furious eyes to his bulging deltoids to his aggressive stance to his fingers knotting in Runaan’s shirt to the way those two soft locks of hair always fluttered right in the middle of his forehead, and finally managed to focus on his mouth, which had been pouring an angry stream of words past his ears for several seconds.

“--where the fuck have you been? Why didn’t you come home? I thought you were dead! Or lost! Or hurt! Or captured again! I was worried sick! Did you ever think about that? Did you?”

Runaan opened his mouth to stammer a reply.

Ethari’s question was apparently rhetorical. He bulled onward: “I gave Rayla your lotus in a jar of water from the pool, and she said she’d bring you back to me. And she started to promise me, and do you know what I did, Runaan? Do you? I stopped her. I couldn’t take another broken promise from an assassin standing beside my ritual pool. I couldn’t take it. So I sent her off without it, and I started to hope again. And the full Moon came, and went, and I couldn’t sleep a wink, for days and days. I waited! I waited for you, you shadowsaken idiot!”

Runaan couldn’t look away. The full force of Ethari’s rage and sorrow poured into his eyes and slammed against his chest, leaving him breathless. “I…”

Ethari wasn’t nearly done, though. “And then Rayla returned to the Silvergrove, with Lain and Tiadrin and Callum and Ezran and the Queen of the Sunfire Elves and her human girlfriend--”

“Her what?” Runaan blurted.

“--and she had to tell me to my face that you’d run away,” Ethari continued. “Left in the night. Bolted. Scarpered. Fled, like some kind of coward. She had to say those words to me, and she had to watch me crumple to the floor and fall apart, again!” He checked Runaan against the tree a second time. “Again, Runaan!” Another shove. “I fell apart again!” And another. “How many times am I going to let you destroy my heart before I’ve had enough?” Furious tears spilled down Ethari’s cheeks and lost themselves in his markings.

“N-No…” Runaan’s whispered denial shivered into a sudden sob. Ethari’s angry slams barely registered compared to the pain of seeing his tears. His fingers fluttered toward Ethari’s cheeks, aching to wipe away the sorrow he’d caused. “I’m so sor--”

Ethari pulled him away from the tree and slammed him back against it with more force, interrupting Runaan’s gesture. “I’m not finished!” he roared. “Don’t you dare be soft with me before I’ve gotten this off my chest! I’ve been carrying it alone for ten months and I’ll be bloodcursed if I let you stop me from unloading every last word now that I’ve found you, do you hear me?”

Half terrified, half dazzled at the raw power in Ethari’s voice, Runaan could only nod mutely and cling to his husband’s wrists for dear life.

“Good!” Ethari yelled. He panted heavily for a few breaths, staring Runaan in the eye with a baleful glare, before asking in a slightly less aggressive tone, “Alright, now where was I?”

A distant light dawned in Runaan’s heart, and his brows lifted softly. “You were asking me how many times you were going to let me destroy your heart before you’ve had enough,” he supplied gently.

Ethari’s fists tightened in Runaan’s shirt. He slowed his breathing and swallowed, and when he spoke, his voice was merely resentful. “Right. Yes. Thank you.”

Runaan felt one of his own tears escape over the edge of his cheek. His heart was absolutely thrumming with Ethari’s presence. His warmth, his strength, the smell of his breath, the shivering rumble of his voice--Runaan was nearly delirious with so much enchanting proof of his husband’s existence right there in front of him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, relaxing in Ethari’s grip. When he opened them again, they lingered on Ethari’s hands for a long moment, and he gave his husband’s wrists a long, fervent squeeze. “You’re welcome,” he murmured.

“No, don’t you do that, don’t you be soft and handsome when I’m angry at you,” Ethari protested grumpily. He set Runaan on his feet and checked him lightly against the tree with a quick press of his fingertips.

Runaan let out a soft grunt as his back connected with the bark again. “I keep asking you to tell me how to stop doing that, but you never have.”

Ethari glared balefully at him, and his lip curled once again. But then his bottom lip shivered, and his face crumpled into longing. He cupped Runaan’s head in his hands, bringing their foreheads together with a soft bump and pressing hard. One hand wound into Runaan’s hair, and the other encircled his shoulders, pulling him tightly against Ethari’s chest until their noses brushed tips. “You utter idiot. I missed you,” Ethari breathed, so softly Runaan almost didn’t catch it.

Uncertain but needy, Runaan slipped his hands inside Ethari’s cloak and gripped the back of his broad belt, pulling their bodies flush. He waited, silent, soaking up every heartbeat of this soft, precious, long-awaited contact with his beloved.

“I stayed, for a while.” Ethari’s words rode just above a whisper, and their warmth brushed Runaan’s lips. “For Lain and Tiadrin, and for Rayla. But they knew. They knew. They knew before I did.”

Runaan’s fingers squeezed tighter, clinging, needing to hear the rest but fearing the truth of the pain his absence had caused.

“I didn’t know where to begin, but Rayla helped me. And so did King Ezran, and Prince Callum, and Queen Aanya, and Lujanne, too. I started wandering, following stories of a shadowy hero who always saved people from danger and vanished into the night. No one ever admitted to getting a good look at him, no one remembered his words. They just knew they owed him their lives.”

Runaan huffed in wry amusement. He’d thought he was changing his life entirely, and yet his husband had known him in an instant, merely from stories of his minor exploits. “I can’t ever hide from you, can I?”

“I could recognize you by touch alone,” Ethari breathed, “by smell. I would know you blind, by the way your breaths came and your feet struck the earth. I would know you in death, at the end of the world.”

A wry smile lifted one corner of Runaan’s mouth. “I think we’ve been.”

Ethari cupped Runaan’s cheeks softly and gave him a steady look. “You made me a promise, Runaan, to return my heart to me.”

“I did.”

“But I had to go looking for it myself.”

Runaan’s gaze dropped. “You did.”

Ethari gently lifted his chin with a finger until their eyes met again. “Well? I’m here now.”

Runaan’s brows twitched down. “But… I failed you. I destroyed it, with my carelessness and my pride. You just asked me--”

Ethari pressed his finger against Runaan’s lips. “I asked you how many times. I know. Because it’s happened more than once. I know that, too. Yes, I’m angry with you. But I didn’t hike all over Garlath’s green earth just to tell you to stuff it, you great stupid moonberry.”

“What did you hike all over Garlath’s green earth to tell me, then?” Runaan asked, half afraid of the answer.

“I’m a Master Craftsman, Runaan. You should remember well how many weapons I’ve repaired for you over the years, because it’s been a lot. And I’ve repaired other things for you, too. Your feelings. Your body. Your own heart.”

Runaan went still under Ethari’s touch as a frenetic parade of memories streaked past his mind’s eye. Ethari’s soft words, soft touch, soft kisses, ten thousand times over. Overcome, he pressed his cheek into his husband’s hand and nodded, feeling hot tears slipping past his lashes.

“I’m not a Master Craftsman for nothing. I can repair anything I choose to. Anything at all,” Ethari continued softly. He leaned his forehead against Runaan’s again. “And I choose to repair my own heart when you break it. I choose. To re-pair my heart. With yours.”

Runaan laughed through a sob at his husband’s pun and slid gentle arms around his husband, reassuring himself of his husband’s warm, solid strength.

Ethari sighed in relief at Runaan’s gesture. “I hiked all over Garlath’s green earth to choose you, again. But I need to know, Runaan… What do you choose?”

Runaan sought his husband’s warm sunset eyes and found them brimming with emotion. His own lip trembled at the sight of the pain he’d caused his most beloved. A thousand years of tradition flashed through his mind, its insistence foggy and distant without the pull of his lost oath. Without that urgency pounding through his own blood, there was only one thing he longed to be: with Ethari. With this elf whom he’d hurt, with this elf whom he was very sure he didn’t deserve.

He cupped his husband’s face and bared his heart for whatever fate awaited him. “You,” he said, through an ecstatic sob. “I choose you. Take this heart of yours back, Ethari, if you truly still want it. I did my best to keep it safe, but it deserved so much more care than I could give it… I did you wrong, my heart, so wrong, and I dare not make you any promises, but...” Runaan’s words faded to desperate puffs of breath that ghosted across Ethari’s lips as he leaned closer, drawn by the dizzyingly warm, solid presence of his precious husband. “My heart… I missed you, too...”

Ethari met him halfway, and he tasted as if they’d never been apart. They pulled each other close, full of eager hands and soft whimpers. Runaan’s head spun with the blessed ecstasy of his husband’s kisses, and he clung to Ethari’s sturdy shoulders for balance even as he pressed himself closer against him.

All those months apart suddenly seemed to be happening all at once, endless yet instantaneous. Runaan felt eight kinds of fool for letting his blasted honor get in the way of the love this glorious elf was determined to shower him with. With a soft cry, he buried his face against Ethari’s neck and threw his arms around his shoulders. Ethari wrapped him in a tight hug and rocked him slowly, humming into his hair.

“What do I do now?” Runaan murmured brokenly into Ethari’s purple scarf.

“Come home,” Ethari said promptly. He caressed Runaan’s cheek and pressed a kiss to his temple. “Come home.”

Runaan raised his head, accepting Ethari’s easy words as proof that he hadn’t been ghosted back in the Silvergrove. But in that quiet moment there in his husband’s arms, high in the mountains of Duren, he realized that, for the first time in his life, he didn’t care what the Silvergrove thought of him. Only Ethari’s regard mattered now. “You’re my home. And you’re right in front of me.”

His husband’s eyes lit with eager warmth, and a teasing lilt accompanied his sassy grin. “Then you’d better come here.”

Runaan bit his lip at his husband’s suggestive pun. “My camp’s just up the slope.”

Ethari took Runaan’s face in his hands, backed him gently against the tree again, and kissed him passionately. When he finally let Runaan up for air, he gasped, “What in Garlath’s green earth makes you think I can wait that long?”

Some while later, the husbands ambled along the mountain road, hand in hand, with nowhere in particular to go. Ethari talked as lightly as he could of the things he had seen, and Runaan listened with a full heart and trod with a quiet and grateful step. His hand never left Ethari’s, needing constant reassurance that he was truly there beside him after so long, that he had truly come looking for his long-lost husband. That Runaan was worth searching for, despite all he had done.

If Ethari noticed the occasional tear of humble gratitude slipping over Runaan’s cheeks, he was kind enough not to draw attention to it. Instead, he easily shifted topics to give Runaan time to adjust, telling sweet anecdotes and dramatic retellings and recounting his brushes with powerful figures that Runaan already knew, and some he didn’t. He hopped and twirled and bowed in time with his stories, never once letting go of his wayward husband’s hand, spinning close for the occasional kiss as he always had.

“...and then the Tidebound ambassador arrived and caused quite a splash,” Ethari said as they crested a hill. A warm breeze wafted up from the valley below, ruffling Runaan’s side tails and Ethari’s scarf. “Literally, the elf shot himself out of the well! I could hear the humans yelping all the way back at the blacksmith’s shop. If it hadn’t been for Callum’s quick thinking, that first contact would’ve been quite the wet blanket! But he had everything sorted in minutes. Rayla’s truly chosen well, my heart.”

Runaan’s feet slowed. “Chosen well…?”

Ethari paused, wide-eyed. “Surely they told you when they freed you.”

Runaan’s eyes narrowed. “They mysteriously neglected to mention.”

"But why would she-?" To Runaan’s surprise, Ethari suddenly burst into snorting laughter. “Ah. Clever girl.”

“What?” Runaan asked, suspicious.

“I should’ve known what that wicked twinkle in her eye was about when I told her I’d come searching for you. She’s letting me do the mentioning for her, right now. She knows us too well, love.”

Runaan blinked. Rayla and the human prince? Together? The scheming young couple had left Ethari to search for his husband, and to unwittingly break the news of their courtship to him, knowing that Runaan would take such disturbing news best from the elf he loved most.

That didn’t mean he’d take it well.

“I’ll be right back.” Runaan spun on his heel, stalking directly toward Katolis.

Ethari planted his feet and towed Runaan right back around in front of him, though. He pulled the wayward assassin into his arms and kissed him right on his frown. “Welcome back! I missed you. Again.” His dark brows bent softly.

Runaan’s tense expression broke, and his eyebrows drifted high in dismay at what he’d just tried to do. He clung to Ethari’s muscled arms and pressed his forehead against his husband’s. “Moon help me, I am a great stupid moonberry.”

“Yes, you are. And I love you anyway.” Ethari’s embrace was gentle and warm.

Runaan pressed a soft kiss of apology against his husband’s lips and let it linger, soaking up Ethari’s patience. “Walk with me again, then, and…”

“And?”

Runaan took a deep breath and slid his fingers between his husband’s. “And... tell me of Callum. Apparently, I have quite a bit of catching up to do.”

Ethari grinned and nudged Runaan’s shoulder with his own. “As my moonberry wishes.”

[fitfmybeloved]

10 fandoms 10 characters 10 tags

thank you for the tag @loulovehome, @counttoinfinityy  and @lanwangiji !!!

ezran from the dragon prince, someone i would literally fight everyone and anyone for

tadashi hamada from big hero 6, because who doesn’t love him

bucky from mcu, i havent watched tfatws yet, but i still love this man very much

joyce byers from stranger things, i don’t think people give her enough love, if anything happens to her, i WILL fight someone

toothless from how to train your dragon, he counts right??

bow from she-ra, so precious

finnick from the hunger games, do i need to explain?

terry from b99, (couldn’t decide between him and jake but)

noah from i’ll give you the sun, i lovee how he sees the world and just his character in general

patroclus from the song of achilles, i just love this book as a whole so

this was wayy harder than expected, my mind literally went blank why. tagging @cuddlysue, @zaynsalbum, @louisjaan, @bluecolouredlou, @repfalls, @trulymadlycrazy, @sunsmile-lou, @agn2618, @thehornoftheunicorn, @thechickenofthenuggie ( please feel free to ignore if you don’t want to or have already done it!)

[arcmagecallum]

rayllum <3

1. What made you ship it?

the boat scene in s1!!!!! but when Rayla says "Say the word and I'll go right back into that tower with you" it opened my eyes for the ship. yes I was instantly sold and right after I ended the show I went to AO3 and typed "callum/rayla" (and saw the born of the tag, truly amazing)

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

I LOVE how, back in s1, they really like and want to know better about each other despite their better judgement (as in, they were supposed to be enemies especially giving how Rayla wanted to kill Ezran, even if I think she wouldn't do it).

their platonic bond is everything to me and it's estabilished SO WELL that no matter which route they took, it would be amazing (although i personally lean more to romantic, and slowly warming up to qpr)

listen they love and support each other just the way they are and it was always this way, but at the same time they inspire and push each other to be better, be it in their values / morals or abilities.

i think there are more things but these are the main. yeah i really love them lol

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

i don't really think so? aside from not thinking they are forced, rushed or anything like that (which is what half of the fandom thinks), in the rayllum fandom i don't think i have any worthy unpopular opinion about them

but, maybe: it was not necessary (because i think they kind of nailed it with the show don't tell) but i really would like Rayla bringing up on s3 when Callum says "You and I don't have that yet." to her in s2. but like i said, not really necessary, just something i would like to see

send me a ship and i will tell you why i do or don't ship it

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

Secret Love Song

Rayla gets a call that her boyfriend, Callum, is engaged to his childhood friend.  Human AU.  For the Rayllum Birthday Prompt ‘Rain’ and inspired by Little Mix’s Secret Love Song

-----------------------------

Why can't you hold me in the street?

Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor?

I wish that it could be like that

Why can't we be like that? Cause I'm yours

Rayla sighed as Little Mix came on.  ‘Irony. Love it.’  The song rolled over her as the rain continued to pound against her window.  The song hit like a freaking sucker punch to her stomach after the phone call with Viren she had just had.  Her boyfriend, her secret boyfriend, was magically engaged to his childhood friend, Claudia.  ‘I thought Americans didn’t pull this shit.  “Planned since childhood” my ass.’

Rayla looked at her phone and opened it to view her lockscreen.  A pair of the most captivating green eyes she had ever seen was staring back at her.  A wide smile on his face as he held her close. A giant smile was on her own lips and she looked so relaxed it was almost difficult to remember this had been taken only a few days ago.  They had been together for two and a half years and she had genuinely believed they were headed to marriage.

Callum had done a study abroad program in her native Scotland three years ago.  They had become fast friends after a misunderstanding involving his art and someone choosing to deface it before the school art exhibition.  The six months between then and the exhibition had been one filled with late night movies, study sessions, and Rayla trying to convince him that Chinese was the best takeaway while he always complained it wasn’t authentic enough.  Rayla could still remember wearing a nice dress at that first art show as he presented something completely different than the defaced piece and losing her breath as he unveiled a traditional painting of her.  There had been such love and devotion in his brushstrokes it had emboldened her to kiss him when he brought her back to her apartment.  They had been together ever since, even with a giant ocean between them and being unable to go public.

‘Public.’  Rayla hated that word.  Callum’s step-father was, unfortunately, deeply involved in American politics and was currently running for senator.  While Harrow had been open to her, his campaign advisor and close friend, Viren, had discouraged the move.  Rayla didn’t have the refined manners Viren believed was necessary for someone of Callum’s family’s status.  She was a championship fencer at university and was working on starting a career in physical therapy after training to represent the UK in the next Olympics. Why wasn’t she good enough?  Viren’s phone call had to be joke.  

I don't wanna hide us away

Tell the world about the love we making

I'm living for that day, someday

Rayla looked through her newsfeed and saw it.  ‘Callum Evans is engaged to Claudia Nelson.  The couple, currently vacationing in the Scottish countryside, were seen exiting a hotel together this morning.’  No.  This was impossible.  Claudia was gay.  She had a girlfriend.  They had talked about her finally coming out to her dad.  Rayla dropped her phone, screaming into the storm that was crashing against her windows.  

Rayla stood up, almost throwing the blanket Callum had given her off the couch.  Her apartment was covered in his art and pictures of them. She refused to go into her bedroom.  The amount of times she and Callum had made love in there….  She started to pace, startled when the mirror by the door showing her face was covered in tear tracks.  She hadn’t cried this hard since her parents died in a car accident when she was eight and had been taken in by Runaan and Ethari.  

‘I don’t want to hide it anymore, Rayla.  I love you. I don’t want anyone else.’ Callum’s voice floated in her ear, reminding her of just yesterday when he had been over.

“SHUT UP!!!”  Rayla opened the window.  In a few minutes, she was drenched from the rain blowing in.  “YOU LIED!”  A few hiccupping sobs escaped her.  “You lied…”

---------------------------------

Why can't I say that I'm in love?

I wanna shout it from the rooftops

I wish that it could be like that (I wish)

Why can't we be like that? Cause I'm yours

Callum stared door at the carpet.  “Viren, no.  You can’t do this.”

Viren sighed, like Callum was a child and not a 22-year-old man.  “Callum, you and Claudia are a much better match than you and Ms. Burrows.”

“Claudia’s in a relationship, too, you know.”  Callum’s eyes widened a bit, playing it back in his head.  ‘OK, didn’t out her.’

“I’m aware.  I told her to break it off.  It’s unnecessary.”

“What is?  Us being happy?”  

“Happiness is overrated.”

“Says the man who let his wife walk away because he was incapable of taking more time out for her.”

Viren was silent for a moment.  Callum knew it was a low blow, but he didn’t care.  “That was uncalled for.”

“I’m not marrying Claudia. I was planning on proposing to Rayla. The whole reason I came to Scotland for this vacation was to do that.”  Claudia had tagged along to see her own girlfriend, but Callum had barely seen Claudia since they had landed at the airport.

“When are you going to realize there is no future there?”

“You’ve barely said two words to Rayla.  How do you know there is no future there?”

“Because when I called her to tell her the news, she didn’t seem all that upset.”

Callum’s chest constricted. “You called her?”

“Well, someone had to.”

“Before telling me what you’re planning?”

“It’s going to be in all the major newspapers very soon.  Ah. Speak of the devil.  It’s already up.”  Callum turned to his laptop and went to type his name in the search bar.  First result was an announcement that he and Claudia were engaged.  The picture was from this morning and from when he and Claudia had met by chance. She was off for another date and he was going to pick up Rayla’s ring from Ethari.  It made been made with love by one of her fathers who, miraculously, had been alright with the possibility that Rayla might be moving thousands of miles away to live with him.

“I can’t believe you,” Callum hissed.  “You had no right!”  Lightning flashed out of the corner of his eye.  “Tell them you lied.  Does Claudia even know?”

“Not yet.  She’ll be delighted, I’m sure.  You two have always been close.”

“You know what, Viren? You and Claudia need to have a long conversation about what exactly would make her happy.  But I can guarantee, it isn’t me.  If you won’t tell the networks you made a mistake, I will.”

“You will go through with this.  Your father’s campaign-”

“WHAT?!  How will me marrying a potential OLYMPIAN ruin my father’s reputation?  Explain that to me!  She’s smart, worldly, humble, and she’s great at handling people even though she’s not a people person.  What has she done that makes you so sure she would drag my family down?  Because, from where I’m standing, she’s been nothing short of amazing.  My art has only gotten better since she’s become my muse and she’s opened up my mind to so much more than I ever thought was possible.  Ezran has started making more friends since they started having weekly Skype calls.  Dad has started having stronger pro-immigrant and cultural exchange stances since we started dating.  WHAT HAS SHE DONE THAT’S SO WRONG?!”

“She’s not one of us. She’s lower class, her family has nothing-”

“FUCK YOU.  I have tried to respectful to you because you’ve done a lot for our family.  I don’t know what happened to you, Viren, but you are not who you used to be.  And I hope for your sake, and Soren and Claudia’s, you can find who you once were and be that person again.  I am not marrying Claudia.  Good-bye.”  Callum hung-up before Viren could get in another word edgewise.  “Shit.”  Callum sighed for a moment, sitting on the bed.  “I should have stayed with Rayla.  Maybe if I had, when she got that call…  FUCK.” Callum leapt off the bed, grabbing his rental keys and jacket as he ran out the door.  “I’m coming, Rayla.”

-----------------------------

Why can't we be like that?

Wish we could be like that

Rayla walked unsteadily down the street, silent sobs racking her body.  The rain was pelting her and had neither a coat on or was using an umbrella. The streets were empty except for the occasional car.  The rainstorm was keeping everyone inside.  She was probably going to get sick, but she couldn’t be in that apartment.  It was too full of happy, hopeful memories.  Rayla ran a hand down her naked ring finger on her left hand.  She had been so sure Callum was planning on proposing.  ‘Maybe Viren’s talking out his ass?’  

Rayla kept almost calling Callum, to beg him to tell her that this was all part of some sick plot by Viren.  But, her heart would probably give out if he told her it was true.  She wasn’t sure she would survive seeing wedding pictures of Callum with anyone else.  “I just want to hold you….why is that too much to ask?”

“It’s not.”  Rayla almost didn’t hear him over the rain. She turned her head to see Callum, drenched, next to a still running car.  “Ray…”

“Is it true?”

“No.  Viren went ahead and did what he wanted.”  Callum fumbled with his pocket.  “FUCK.  It’s back at the hotel.  I got Ethari to make a ring for you.”  Rayla’s heart stuttered for a beat before pounding in her chest.  “Rayla Burrows, I don’t want anyone else.  I’m so sorry about Viren, but he does not speak for me.” Callum stepped towards her, taking her had.  “I don’t have the ring on me, but would you marry me?  I’ll let you pick out the takeout every night, even awful Chinese, if you let me prove to you that this was just a blip.  I won’t let anyone come between us.”

Rayla looked into his eyes. “Promise?”

“Yes.  I never wanted to keep us a secret and I am so, so sorry I let anyone convince me that it was for the best.  I thought it would be better for you because my childhood was not always a happy one.  The press is cruel and demanding.  But you are the strongest, bravest, most wonderful, beautiful person I’ve ever met. I would be the biggest idiot on the planet if I let you go without begging you for a chance to make this up to you.”

“Yes.”  

“Yeah?”  Callum’s eyes went wide as hope filled them.

“Yeah,” Rayla nodded. She could feel the tears combining with the rain as Callum pulled her into a kiss.  When they finally pulled away, Rayla looked at the car.  “My place?”

“Hotel first.  I want to see that ring on your finger before anyone starts making absurd claims I’m cheating on Claudia.”

“Claudia.  What are we going to do about that?”

“We’ll just call it a misunderstanding.  I’m sure there’s enough video evidence throughout the city that proves we’ve barely interacted since landing.”

“OK.  Take me to this ring you just promised me.”

“My pleasure.”

-------------------------------

‘Yesterday, we announced Callum Evans was engaged to Claudia Nelson, the daughter of his father’s campaign advisor.  This has been proven to be false.  Apparently, Viren Nelson, Claudia’s father, accidentally gave his daughter’s name when delivering the news that Callum was engaged to Rayla Burrows.  Ms. Burrows is a Scottish fencer who is bound for the Olympics.  The two have been in a relationship for two and a half years.  Claudia Nelson is also engaged to her Australian-born, UK-based girlfriend, Zaras Smith.  Congratulations to both happy couples.’

[thewhitehairedwitchgirl]

Callum’s Magic Theories

I’m outlining my main 4 theories for why Callum is somehow the only human who can cast primal magic so far. No I will not let this go, I demand answers!

Theory 1: Occam’s Razor

The simplest/most obvious reason: Callum is special because he’s one of the protagonists and therefore needs to be unique in some way. Rayla is the youngest Moonshadow assassin, Ezran is a child king, Callum is a human primal mage.

Pros: everyone gets to look shocked when he whips out his magic and it potentially opens up dialogue as to why humans haven’t been able to cast Primal Magic in the past

Cons: Humanity has been living for so long and there are multiple kingdoms. The chances that no human (even while they were living among Xadians) ever managed to forge an Arcanum sounds improbable at best.   

Theory 2: Part-Elf Callum

Callum is half-elf which allows him access to magic. It’s not like humans and Xadians are incompatible, and we know fuck-all about Callum’s father. On another hand, Ezran clearly has some magic seeing as he can speak to animals so maybe the Xadian genetics are from Sarai. It might not even be so direct since, while humans and Xadians were living together, there would be some mixing even if Xadians looked down on humans.

Pros: CHARACTER LORE BABY! Plus we haven’t seen mixed characters, we don’t know what they look like or are capable of. 

Cons: some people dislike the idea of “mixed-race child is bridge between worlds” which is fair but also Callum isn’t bridging anything. He’s not even in line to do anything courtly. It also implies that Callum only did magic because special bloodline and not because he put in any work but also like, he didn’t? He put in work to learn the spells but the Arcanum forging was just something that happened after he cast Dark Magic for the first time. 

Theory 3: Secret Society

(my personal favourite that I actually hope is canon) There are and have been humans that can cast Primal Magic but they are in hiding, either voluntarily or otherwise.

Pros: HISTORY LORE BABY! The story might expand more on why Xadians thought of humans as lesser, and how humans do connect to an Arcanum. Also it makes way more statistical sense than Callum being the only human to ever do this.

Cons: ....................................idk? If someone has any let me know?

Theory 4: Dark Magic is a Gateway

A theory sent to me by someone (i’ll tag as soon as I find the name) that since most humans believe that can’t cast Primal, they stick to Dark Magic and when they have the nightmares Callum had, they ignore it and don’t realise that it’s an opportunity.

Pros: reduces the improbable statistics from the first theory, Callum did only start asking about forging an Arcanum after talking to Rayla and Lujanne which presumably isn’t a common conversation after humanity was driven out of Xadia.

Cons: the aforementioned statistical probability

[klashta-neali]

IT’S SPOILER TIME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I FORGOT TO MAKE NOTES IN ORDER OF WATCHING SO HERE’S EVERYHING IN RANDOM ORDER

(also I turned off caps lock because it’d be a pain to read later but I *AM* screaming)

we get Tinker’s name!!! Ethari!??!?!? Also Tinker IS RUNAAN’S HUSBAND

WE SEE THEM KISS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Janaya is DEFINITELY a thing; they are definitely gonna be a wlw couple and I have ZERO doubts about it

sidenote: some of that was kinky as fuc-

So Wormavos is gonna LITERALLY TURN INTO AARAVOS???? 

Claudia choosing “evil” and Soren choosing “good”.... damn... they really did get split

I can’t fcukingslkdjfadkaskldjf skldfjj they really made us think Soren killed his dad I’m aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAA

AANYA. MY GIRL. SHE WAS. SO AMAZING AAAAAAA 

like??? it was foreshadowed in the end credits scenes!!! but!?!? aaAAA Actually seeing her land those arrows in Kasef,,, amAZING

speaking of end credits, we got to see broccoli boi still hating broccoli while in rage mode ahahahaha

Aaravos... I don’t even know where to begin with all of the VIRAVOS. Listen. Viravos,,,,,, VIRAVOS FANS WHERE U AT. I am going to be stalking the tag for the next several weeks >.>

rayllum. Right. there was a lot of rayllum for sure.

Kasef being a main character (an antagonist no less) was actually kinda interesting.

EZRAN IN PRISON NOOOOOOOOOO HE DIDN’T DESERVE THAAAAT MY BOYYYYY he was so baby!!! gods it hurt seeing him in chains!!!!

Rayla’s parents were AMAZING.

Viren is... really... fvcking awful...?? like... I love viravos, I love the dynamics, but they’re such *shjtty* people,,, I’ll get to Aaravos later, but Viren... doing that to Harrow.... the whole revenge thing with Sarai, making him grieve again when he already wanted to move on... damn. 

Also he was literally going to kill Ezran—but... was he?? Big question here. Would he—could he have killed Ezran if that was just an illusion???? I mean... how does that even work??? How was he moving?? What was controlling him?? Since when was he an illusion?? I think he might’ve been an illusion since after Aaravos last talked to him during the battle... since, well, Claudia was casting all the spells—I did wonder why Viren didn’t cast them himself.

speaking of Aaravos... damn. “so, we should like, totally conquer Xadia...” while Viren was at least trying to pretend to himself that he was doing good; meanwhile Aaravos is just. “hey. let’s conquer Xadia. Can we conquer Xadia?? We should conquer Xadia. C’mon, you want to conquer Xadia right??!?!?!”

Zym was adorable in every single scene he was in

Callum in the first episode (I think it was the first?? second maybe?) being ABSOLUTELY WOWED by everything being magical in Xadia was HELLA relateable. like that would literally be me, zero exaggeration

speaking of Callum, ALL OF THE SOKKA REFERENCES I’M AAAAAAAAA. 

THE CACTUS JUICE

THE BOOMERAAANNGG!!!

just. all the AtLA references!!!!! 

rayllum deserves an extra mention because..... damn that’s a nice relationship there.

sooooo, what’s Runaan and Ethari’s new ship name!!??!?!?!?

RUNAAN’S FLOWER IS ONLY HALFWAY SUNK. IT DIDN’T SINK COMPLETELY. 

look, I’ll be honest, the Ghost episode was pretty damn terrifying. People with no faces is creepy as hell, okay?!?

that *hurt* when Ethari and Rayla spoke again... the hug....all of that,,,, aaaa

there is SO much I missed but I’m just gonna post this for now

[raayllum]

yeah my bad, honestly forgot that he was half asian (I have not interacted w the show or fandom in a while, so thats on me tbh), but I definitely agree with your input. I know that Callum is the main character, so he’s going to get more love and attention, same as Rayla, especially since Rayllum is the main couple (not dissing on them or the ship ofc) but it really upsets me when I look for art/fics of Ezran he’s either A) with Callum or B) in the background of something Rayllum related and in fics i rarely ever see solo fics of just him, he’s either in the background of rayllum or being their therapist or something like that

TDP has done a good job when it comes to portraying their characters of color, and its nice to see POC in positions of power for once (Harrow, Ez, Janai, Anaya, Kasef, etc), I just wish that the fandom as a whole would do the same thing yknow?

I’ll get out of your askbox for now, but this was definitely something that was weighing on me for a while lol

Omg you're all good! That's actually why I've run two Ezran Appreciation Weeks (although I still need to finish my fics for the second one, but life got unexpectedly super busy) and why I use the tag Ezran centric for fics that well, focus primarily on him and his relationships, rather than him being in a supportive or background role. I still wanna write a fic about him and Janai (maybe I can work it into a speculative S5 piece, since it seems like maybe we'll get to see them on screen together, and they had a Lot of parallels in S4).

But yeah there are definitely people in the fandom who aren't open to critique in how they treat Ezran. I once pointed out that hey, most of the time when his character is incorrectly tagged in a post, it's almost always in relation to his brother. Did not go over well, but I don't really care. It was still worth saying (and hopefully people will think a bit more thoughtfully about it too).

We could definitely all do more; I do my best to put dents in it when I can, but with varying degrees of success I'm sure

List of Ezran focused fics for anyone who wants em! (to the dashboard, i know i've missed some, so please feel free to add 'em)

Ezran appreciation week day 1: animals

3 shot collection on AO3

Ezran dealing with possessed Callum (post s4)

Opeli & Ezran drabble 1

Ezran & Rayla oneshot

Opeli & Ezran oneshot + future oneshots

Chessmaster Ezran oneshot

i hope i wake up young again: Soren is the “best crownguard,” ten years in the making. Ezran&Soren, 3.7k

if i am the king: then you have to let me go.“ Ezran and Corvus make their way back to Katolis, times three. 3.2k

ezran contemplates viren’s death

ezran and ethari’s first meeting (pre s4)

will not be denied: Per the monarchs of old, King Ezran is visited by Lady Justice in a dream. 1.5k, Ezran centric

can my eyes rest: otherwise known as how many autistic Ezran headcanons can I fit into one ficlet

Other relevant tags perhaps: autistic!Ezran, let Ezran be messy, chessmaster ezran, ezran's council, ezris (for ezran/ellis) and ezran x aanya, ezranedit

Upcoming Ezran projects:

Canon divergent Ezran & Kasef focused oneshot

why is it a monster: Ezran finds Aaravos' mirror first.

Ezran oneshots/drabbles about missing Rayla during the timeskip; feelings about his mother's death; bonding with Ibis in 3x09; etc.

Aforementioned Janai&Ezran parallels piece

great responsibility: Modern AU. Ezran gets bit by a radioactive spider. feat. Rayla as his boxing trainer and Callum as an overprotective big brother while he becomes the superhero he's destined to be

[true-neutral-earth-elf]

Elves, Dragons, Humans, and their Primal Connections

I know this wasn’t on the list of theories to vote for. I posted that before @thecartoonuniverse shared that list of lore details from the SDCC “The Dragon Prince” panel that hadn’t found their way into the theorist loop yet. What is written here will have some bearing on the theories y’all voted for. I hope y’all enjoy!

According to @thecartoonuniverse ‘s chronological list of events, 5000 years prior to the current timeline, elves did not possess an innate connection with primal sources. This doesn’t necessarily mean they were completely incapable of forming that connection, via intense concentration and introspection -as Callum did in the current timeline, however I’ll explore that point further on in this post. According to this list, we also learned that Dragons at this time were not on amicable terms with the elves...or anyone it seems. This reminds me of yet another high fantasy story, in which dragons, elves, and humans were once at odds before forming a mutually beneficial relationship. Christopher Paolini’s “The Inheritance Cycle.”

(WAIT, THERE’S A NEW BOOK TO THE SERIES?!?! HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?!?!?! AAARRRGHHHH!!! Deal with that later!)

For those unfamiliar with the book series, or simply in need of a refresher, here’s a basic summary of the relevant portion of the books. Several millennia prior to current timeline of the book series (familiar?) elves arrived in the land of Alagaesia, which had only been inhabited by dragons, urgals, and dwarves.

The elves were far different at this point in comparison to their future descendants. They were wild, belligerent, and, though long lived, were mortal. They thought of dragons as common beasts, which they sorely regretted when said beasts declared war on their species.

It was an awful time for everyone involved, but not all was lost. As fate would have it, a young elf found an abandoned dragon egg and chose to raise it as his own. That elf was Eragon, for whom the series’ protagonist was named, and the dragon was Bid’ Daum; the first dragon rider team in all of Alagaesian history. Together they established peace between their species, which eventually led to them to create a magic bond.

This bond is what finally tamed the elves and blessed them with immortality. How exactly the bond impacted the dragons is never disclosed (though I suspect it was a dose of empathy); however, it is prominent in dragons bonded to a rider, as they develop a more docile attitude along with the ability to learn spoken and written languages (“Wild” dragons only know how communicate via mental images and emotions, unless expressing a particular interest in spoken languages).

At some point afterwards, humans arrived on the continent. They, as the elves did before, were warlike and caused many problems for the elves. For reasons I cannot recall, elves and dragons decided to add humans to their magic bond. Humans cooled down and were now able to become riders and learn magic.

By now you probably already see where I’m going with this, buuuut I wrote a long ass draft just for this post and I refuse to let that paper go to waste!

What if elves in the “now” are born connected to a primal source because their predecessors formed a pact with the dragons connected to a particular source?

The reason I apply the word “pact” in lieu of “bond” is because elves in the tdp universe appear to serve dragons as though they’re royalty, which is in stark contrast to the (debatably) equal exchange of power in “The Inheritance Cycle.” We see this in the first season, as Runaan and Rayla clearly indicate that they were dispatched by the Dragon Queen, who I believe to be Luna Tenebris. If this is correct, then I assume that all Moonshadow elves are under her command. This is further supported by another piece of info detailing the events occurring under her rule, more specifically the Judgement of the Half-Moon. In the opening sequence of the first season we see images of elves, specifically Moonshadow elves, driving humans from their homes in Xadia; possibly because Luna didn’t trust anyone else to follow through with her orders. This might be yet another factor as to why we only see Moonshadow, Sunfire, and Skywing elves (yeah, Aaravos was there too but I’m ignoring him for arguments sake) in the opening sequences; their dragon leaders are all in on keeping humans out of Xadia. (I have another theory post exploring the other primal dragons and their whereabouts, so keep an eye out for it in the future!)

But, how did Dragons go from being the elves’ enemies, to their leaders? This is where the elves discovering their ability to connect to a primal source comes in to play! What if the dragons, realizing that the elves could possibly become strong enough to be an actual threat, decided to offer them an easier path to primal magic? All they asked for in return was their undying loyalty. Between that, and certain death, I’m sure the elves were thrilled to accept. This would also be a tad ironic (in a deliciously sadistic way), considering elves accuse humans of using dark magic as a shortcut, when they themselves chose to be enslaved in order to receive an arcanum at birth! Speaking of humanity! Why were they not included in the deal, hm? Most likely, it was because humans at this point were not as advanced as their elven neighbors in neither magical prowess nor technology, therefore not a threat. However, in the coming millennia humans did discover dark magic (maybe with a little help from a certain Startouch elf, who shan’t be named, for reasons) and built the city Elarion (which I’ll discuss the importance of in a future post). This enraged the dragons (*cough* Sol *cough*) since now humans could drain magic from anything (including them) and had no way of controlling this new magic. There is another way this could’ve went down (one that I, personally, find rather amusing); dragons could have offered humans the same deal they did with the elves, but humanity basically said, “No thanks, we like freedom,” thereby pissing off Sol-uh, I mean dragons (no I don’t) in the process. No matter how it went down in the past, we’re still left with a major question for the future.

Will Callum’s ability to connect to the Sky primal prove to dragons that humanity is “worthy” of their respect?

No clue! Maybe Zym’s connection with Ezran will help....or maybe it’ll only complicate things further (there’s a theory there, but it’s dark and this is a family show). We’ll just have to wait and see!

@random-fandom-ramble , @beautifulterriblequeen , @moonshadow-memes , @feral-anarchy , @blossom765 , @thebestdragonprince , @tdp-sun-dragon , and literally anyone interested in theorizing (tag your favs if you don’t see them listed) -

Any thoughts?

[moonshxdows]

me? writing hlfx outlines instead of studying for calc? more likely then you think

spoilers for hlfx if u havent read it yet and also for the next chap (obviously) and yeah. ill put a cut since its getting kind of long. this is mostly me just organizing my thoughts bc now im finishing this fic out of spite and also i miss raydia. fuck OFF aaron theyre both gay and i do what i want

also i checked my chapter count and apparently. i mentally skipped like a whole ass chapter so we'll see what happens. im rambling. hopefully i’ll be able to actually write this once i finish finals and college essays but until then here

ps if u WANT to read hlfx scroll thru my hlfx tag 😳👀 theres links there promise

so. ezran is still kidnapped, and raydia is pretty much spending 12+ hours on the road a day trying to catch up to the earthblood elves that took him

not to mention they Still Have The Egg. AND they had a fight ab viren and also morality earlier. things r tense and quiet theyre not talking much

raylas like. dealing w her trauma yk? (thanks viren). she hasnt had the best few days/weeks/months/how long has it been since marcos died again?

anyways. bad times but shes healing!! shes gettin better!!! this is first and foremost a story ab healing and moving on and becoming better!!!!!

claudia is Also thinking but not about trauma (maybe about trauma). shes like. rethinking some of the things her dad told her u know? and is also developing an outsiders pov on dark magic with raylas sidelong comments earlier in their journey. except now shes actually Thinking about it and hmm. hmmmmmmm.

idk if i SAID they have the air primal stone but they do now. maybe the fire primal stone bc i do nothing if not project on claudia and boy am i a pyromaniac

anyways.

jesus that was just the setup

anyways they come across an elf village and rayla wants to avoid it this time but claudia sneaks in bc she wants to see it for herself

i change my mind she goes to see how magic is used in their societies and steals a primal stone

so she gets away with it (barely) and rayla wakes up to (another? cannot remember if they had the air primal stone lmao) primal stone in her bag with the egg

"claudia what the fuck im not carrying this your turn"

she doesnt explain WHY she stole the primal stone but rayla notices the filmy magic coating their clearings in the morning. and its not heavy, dark magic. its the magic of her childhood and her people, and gives her a little hope for her traveling companion

(are they friends? can she call claudia a friend when they were at each other's throats only a few weeks before?)

she doesnt mention it, though

they get more little moments on the road, peppered between sharp words on the bad days and dead silence on the worst ones. but they grow closer, bit by bit.

then they intercept the caravan with ezran and everything goes to shit

raylas impulsive and angry and so, so tired and so she runs at them, only for claudia to pull her back last minute.

theyre both scared but. claudia has a plan. she hopes.

so they linger outside the queen's palace, and wait. because if xadia politics are anything like human politics, the dragon queen will want to see her royal prisoner

she does. and when ezran steps in front of the massive dragon, sweating and exhausted in his torn cloak and tunic, rayla grabs claudias hand to stop herself from running out to him then and there.

it doesnt take long for the queen to demand retribution for her child, since clearly the crown prince- now king- ezran is alive

and this is where the plan comes in

rayla steps out onto the open air royal draconic chamber, holding the egg, and all goes silent. there are tears in her eyes when she sees ezran start to cry, but her voice remains steady when she speaks

"I have something better than retribution. But the one who brought it deserves to be the one to give it to you" or something like that

she hands the egg to ezran, he explains, claudia rushes out and theres a teary group hug while zym is born

the dragon queen doesnt trust them entirely, especially since the new one reeks of black magic, but she agrees to send an emissary to katolis

with rayla as their guard, of course

its the first step to true, lasting peace

[allykatsart]

I was tagged by my friend so have this long rant about The Dragon Prince.

#1. Which Primal Source Do you identify most with? Why?

The stars. I find outer space fascinating and calming...also apparently those who relate to the stars often have their heads in the clouds thinking about stuff and since I stay up every night with like 14 stories in my head, that seems to fit.

#2. Elves or Humans?

War and conflict wise: Humans since they were the ones kicked out and most Katolis were just kind of chill about them killing their king and didn’t want to retaliate. They don ‘t want to fight anymore.

Design wise: Elves, I love how different they are from regular humans and all the varieties they come in! They just look so good!

#3. If you had to choose, would you rather free Runaan from the coin or Aaravos from the mirror?

Runaan from the coin. I really like Aaravos but he’s been in there for awhile he can handle a little longer. Also I don’t trust him completely. Freeing Runaan gives more opportunity for story conflicts and character growth while Aavaros is probably gonna be free at some point anyways.

#4. Best animal companion?

I...I can't decide, I love all of them. Zym is great for story purposes (also he’s a dragon), same with Pip, Thunder was epic, Bait need more love, and Phoe Phoe looks so cool!

#5. Best humanoid companion?

Claudia. She’s strong when it comes to magic and would do anything to keep her family close. I can relate to that.

#6. You can revive one character, who is it and why them?

I don’t know. There’s no one in the first two seasons that died that didn’t need to die for the story to work out. I would say Aanaya’s parents but Aanaya needed to be there to make sure Viren didn’t start a war. She wouldn’t be queen if her parents were still there.

#7. Otp?

Harrow x Sarai. They have a good relationship and I loved their chemistry and interactions. Sarai being funny and jovial contrasts well with Harrow’s more serious and deeper moments. At the same time she won’t hesitate to tell her husband when she thinks he’s doing something wrong. They just have a really good relationship and I wish I could see more of it.

#8. Unpopular opinion?

I prefer platonic Rayllum. If romance is gonna be the end game, fine, I’ll tolerate it. I’ve just watched so many Hallmark movies where boy meets girl and they fall in love I get sick of it. It’s mainly a me thing.

#9. Favorite headcanon?

I’d like to think that Claudia and Soren go see their mother every once in awhile. That they might hold a little contempt towards her but they want to try and have a mother. I’d also like to think that their mom also planted a seed of doubt in them about their father, because while Viren is a really complex and morally grey (leaning towards the darker shade of grey) character, I don’t think he realizes it. I think there’s a reason his wife left him that had to do with him not seeing himself as the bad guy, and I kind of hope Claudia and Soren aren’t brainwashed into thinking that their father can do no wrong.

I’d like to headcanon this cause it offers a great naritive appeal in realizing your parents aren’t always good people and that you do NOT have to be like them or make their mistakes. That there are two sides to every story and that people who leave their spouses are not inherently bad or do it for bad reasons.

#10. Best siblings pair?

I know I just talked about them but it’s Soren and Claudia for me. They have One Brain Cell each and most of the time they juggle them for fun. XD

On a more serious note, they remind me of my own relationship with my siblings. My sister is the most important thing to me in my life and we get along well. We also...well, we also live in a split home, just like these two. We’re silly, we make up memes and laugh a lot, we read fanfiction together and draw. We’re really close and help each other with everything. So yeah, how could I not love a sibling pair like Soren and Claudia?

#11. Who’s your Queen?

There’s not many living queens huh? Personally I like Sarai. From what we’ve seen of her, she really cares about life in general.

#12. Lujanne offers you ice cream, how do you respond?

Suspisious…...but I’ll bite (as long as I don’t know it’s grubs XD).

#13. Be honest, do you have the guts to use dark magic?

…...Yes. In all honesty, Claudia’s decision to take that deer’s life to save her brother really struck a nerve in me. If it had been me in her position, my sister paralyzed and I could actually do something about it? I would take that deer’s life in a heartbeat. Dark magic takes a toll on you, I can understand that, but if it takes part of my life to take someone I love? I would do it with no questions asked.

Would I use it constantly? Probably not. I can’t stand being near spiders much less kill them. But I could and would use it if I had to.

#14. Who’s best elf? Why?

Rayla. I love Aaravos but if I’m being objective? He killed people, or helped Viren kill people anyways. Rayla refused to even at her own mission being at stake and has never killed before. 

15. Hot brown morning potion or leaf flavored water?

I don’t know. I don’t particularly like either, I much prefer hot coco.

#16. Best use for magic?

Helping those around you directly or indirectly. Also pranks. Pranks is a good use.

#17. Who wins the best hair award?

Aaravos. Sorry but there’s very little competition there.

#18. Viren; misguided, evil, or actually the good guy?

He knows what he’s doing, but doesn’t think it’s wrong to do so. He does bad things but he feels they are justified. He would take one life he doesn't care about to save a thousand he does know. He’s understandable. He tries to do what he thinks is right.

However he still sends his son to kill two children so he can have the throne. He tells Claudia to disregard her brother in the interest of his own gain. He disregards everyone and everything so that his plans can survive. He hid the dragon egg from Harrow (endangering Ezran) to presumably use against the elves. He wants war no matter the cost. That, no matter the reasoning, is flawed thinking. 

#19. Would you rather fly with Phoe-Phoe, hike with Corvus, sail with Villads, or stay home with Opeli?

I’ve hiked before. I’ve stayed home a lot. I’d prefer flying or sailing, those seem like fun.

#20. Who’s your crush?

Aaravos. I don’t trust him but I’d love to have a conversation with him. His characterization is fascinating and visually he’s very easy on the eyes. I would love to have the opportunity to do what Viren had the chance to do, to talk to him ask questions about him and maybe figure out where he is. I’d also like to learn exactly why he was placed in that mirror….

#21. You’re being chased by a cotton candy hippo; reaction?

RIDE AND EAT IT!

#22. Choose a champion.

Sarai, and if I can’t have her, Zym.

#23. Favorite scene? Why?

Everything in Callum’s mind. I love the funniness of it all, but also the lesson it taught. Just remembering to breathe, to not focus on all those swirling and baffling thoughts that eat you up and to calm down. You don’t need to fix it all, focus on the present and let your brain settle. (Also, it was great to see Callum and his mom.)

#24. Should Soren be a poet?

Yes, well at least at some point. Even if he’s better physically, continuing to be a guard and under his father’s influence might be bad for his mental health. He was just a drone, not really thinking about killing Ezran and Callum, just doing what his father wanted to get approval. Poetry and creative writing is a really good outlet for that.

#25. Soggy Socks. (No more context)

gET OUT!

@theblackdragon-studios I diiiid it

[theblackdragon-studios]

The Dragon Prince Tag

I wasn’t tagged...but I saw this and I had to fill it out. I am obligated by my own laws about quiz taking to do so. Sorry. (I read from the one I got this from that it was made by @ true-neutral-earth-elf)

Rules: Answer all 25 questions to the best of your ability, then tag 5 other blogs.

#1. Which Primal Source Do you identify most with? Why?

The official quiz said Ocean, and I agree. At least for now.

Moon is a good second guess though.

#2. Elves or Humans?

Dragons. *shot* Uh...I can’t really choose right now. We’ve only seen the human side of the conflict so far. I want to see the elf side of things before I choose a side.

#3. If you had to choose, would you rather free Runaan from the coin or Aaravos from the mirror?

...I know I’m basically an Aarahoe...and it’s very obvious by the era title “Return of Aaravos” he’s going to break free...but I still don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.

But Runaan...I’ll get into my opinion on him later. I’ll just say the one reason I’d have for freeing him right now is because of Rayla. If she asked, I’d try.

#4. Best animal companion?

Oh don’t make me choose! Um, Bait is the obvious choice because he’s got the most personality. Ava’s also a good girl though...and Phoe-Phoe is a beautiful Moon Phoenix! Oh and then there’s the Aarapod/Wormavos...but if I had to choose, I guess Bait.

EDIT: Actually Berto the parrot! Best animal companion! XD

#5. Best humanoid companion?

To have as your own? Also a tough choice...since they’re all good choices. Except Fen. *shot*

#6. You can revive one character, who is it and why them?

That’s also a tough one...Sarai seems like a good choice, based on what we saw of her...but almost every death in this show is for a reason that leads to major story choices. So...probably no one.

#7. Otp?

Please note this is my opinion. Not yours. If you disagree, that’s fine, but none of my choices are meant to be controversial.

Rayllum. I don’t care if they end up canon, not to the extent I’ll meme or throw a fit or something if it does or doesn’t, but they have the best chemistry I’ve seen in a cartoon in a while.

Other pairings I like:

Amaya x Gren-This is very unlikely given the age gap...I know they’re just close friends as we’ve seen, but it seems nice as a background ship to me.

Harrow x Sarai-Do I need to explain?

Harrow x Viren-Again, I know they were just friends but...it’s also a nice thought. What if they were? You know? (Alternatively: Harrow, Sarai, and Viren could be interesting to think about in an AU too)

Viren x Aaravos-Not super into this one...because this is a Toxic relationship with a capital T if you only look at canon footage. But the fandom has made some interesting “What if it was like this” content...and I love both Viren and Aaravos as characters. Just not their dynamic so far.

Aaravos x Reader/Self-Insert/OC-Aaravos x Anyone really, but I love the self-inserts and “x Reader” stories and headcanons. I’m a part of the problem of course...but that’s beside the point.

Viren x Reader/Self-Insert/OC-I see less of him than any of the main cast in this area, for good reason, but what I have seen...I support you and wish there was more out there. He wasn’t always who he is now.

#8. Unpopular opinion?

1.) Ok, probably the most unpopular...I’m not a huge Runaan fan. I don’t dislike him, don’t get me wrong. I’m just kind of indifferent. I like that he’s an uncle figure to Rayla and that’s really sweet...but I’m just not as interested in him or Tinker as what looks to be a lot of the fandom. Again, I don’t dislike them at all, but I don’t have strong feelings yet either. (That is a bit hypocritical since I know just as much, if not less, about Aaravos...but he intrigues me. There are so many mysteries surrounding him and he’s being built up big time...starting with his role as narrator. I’m not seeing that with Runaan. Sorry.)

2.) Viren is my favorite character, hands down. He’s the most interesting and such a refreshing take on an old idea. I don’t love to hate him for this either, like I do a lot of my favorite villains in the media I consume. I genuinely like him as a character, and that adds to my conflict on how to feel about Aaravos...

3.) I really hope Harrow isn’t Pip (the bird.) I think Pip escaped, but it’s not Harrow. It’s just Pip...whom Ezran can still communicate with if they go that route.

I also hope Callum isn’t half-elf. I don’t know if that’s unpopular, but it just feels like an easy way out. The show doesn’t feel like they’d do that when they’re trying to say Dark Magic is an easy way out, a short cut instead of spending years learning runes and the philosophy of the magic you study.

#9. Favorite headcanon?

More of a theory...but the one that Crowmaster is an Earthblood elf in disguise. I really like that.

Also all the Aaravos headcanons. Some are super cute, others are fuel for my angsty, sadistic writer’s heart.

#10. Best siblings pair?

Both the Broyals and the One Brain Cell Siblings. I won’t choose between them, they’re both great.

#11. Who’s your Queen?

...We haven’t seen the Dragon Queen yet...so I won’t say her in case she’s insane from grief or something... Uh...man, I don’t know. I’ll stay undecided for now.

#12. Lujanne offers you ice cream, how do you respond?

Is it Bubblegum flavored?

#13. Be honest, do you have the guts to use dark magic?

The guts? Maybe. The drive? Not really. My only reason to use it would be to test my theory if everyone goes through what Callum did when he used it. That weird dream where he had to choose. But that’s coming from someone that knows the consequences of Dark Magic and all the comparisons being made about it.

It’s like smoking, it’s like cancer, and for me it’s like killing household pests. When I started out, I was very hesitant about how hard to swat when killing flies that got in the house. Now, I use full force from so much time doing so. It got easier and easier and now it’s almost second nature.

That’s how I would describe the use of Dark Magic. Why it’s so easy for Viren to kill with it, why it gets easier for Claudia to as well...just my thoughts.

#14. Who’s best elf? Why?

I’m not sure yet. Rayla’s the only one that hasn’t insulted humanity in some way so far...but because I’m biased and thirsty: Aaravos (XD)

#15. Hot brown morning potion or leaf flavored water?

Hot brown morning potion WITH chocolate mixed in. Otherwise, I’ll take your flavored water.

#16. Best use for magic?

It depends what type. I’ll go with illusions for...personal reasons. Related to a certain starry elf in a mirror...

#17. Who wins the best hair award?

Does Thunder count? I mean look at that beard! *shot* I dunno...I like them all. But Harrow, Viren, and Aaravos (ofc) stand out most when I think about hairstyles.

#18. Viren; misguided, evil, or actually the good guy?

It’s hard to say right now...everyone raises some good points...but it’s too early to say. Is he just power-hungry? Seeking control? Wants to take control of the East side, the magical side of Xadia, for a selfish reason? Or was he being honest when he claimed to love the kingdom? That war is coming and they need to take action?

What we know from the creators is Viren’s main goal or dream is to “get his name in the history books” though I could have worded that wrong. Basically I’ll just say...he’s clearly the villain. Maybe he didn’t start out that way, but by now he’s definitely willing to do whatever it takes to get his way. Is it a good cause? I don’t know yet...but I can’t say he’s a good guy or the Good Guy at this point.

#19. Would you rather fly with Phoe-Phoe, hike with Corvus, sail with Villads, or stay home with Opeli?

I would love to fly, but Villads is just the best...and I like Corvus but I hate hiking...Phoe-Phoe or Villads.

#20. Who’s your crush?

Isn’t it obvious? Viren, of course. *shot* I mean like I said...I like him...but it’s obviously Aaravos.

#21. You’re being chased by a cotton candy hippo; reaction?

Confusion. And I run.

#22. Choose a champion.

I don’t get this one...

#23. Favorite scene? Why?

It’s hard to choose just one... All Viren and Aaravos’ scenes are great...but I’ll go with the scene where Callum is reading King Harrow’s letter. That is my favorite moment.

A more humorous answer: Anything with Villads, but I love his introduction.

#24. Should Soren be a poet?

I mean who am I to judge? I think people that complain about “bad poetry” need to lighten up about it.

#25. Soggy Socks. (No more context)

...I think that’s the metaphor. Villads is the only reason this is ok to me.

Tags: I only have one friend I know in the TDP fandom who won’t mind being tagged...so: @allykatsart and anyone else that wants to fill it out.