#and then rayla's horns are gone

[jelzorz]

For the ficlet requests, Rayllum, pre-6x07 opening, what they might've been talking or thinking about before the episode opens with the kiss

190.

They don't spend a lot of time talking.

Admittedly, there isn't much to say: it's all kind of there and laid bare the moment Callum kisses her again and afterwards, words don't feel like enough. They kiss, and kiss some more, soft lips and gentle hands and trembling breaths on goosepimpled skin. The hours pass, as slippery and smooth as star-silk, and then the dawn breaks and Rayla wakes with the softest light in her eyes and her head upon Callum's chest.

"Hi," he whispers.

Rayla giggles. "Hi," she murmurs. "Not a dream then."

"If it is, I'm never waking up," chuckles Callum, pressing a kiss to the space between her horns. "Look." He points a finger to the stained glass, coloured light spilling across the desk by the window.

"It's beautiful," says Rayla.

"Yeah." Callum smiles. "I've never seen the sunrise from so high. Wanna go watch it?"

"Mm. Later." Rayla tilts hers her head up to face him and presses a kiss against the corner of his mouth. "Kind of want to stay here a bit longer. Is that okay?"

"More than okay," he says, his fingers tracing nonsense patterns over her skin. She shivers pleasantly at the sensation and snuggles further into his warmth. "I really missed you," he murmurs. "All of you."

"I missed you too," whispers Rayla. "That whole time I was away, and even when I came back... All I ever thought about was you."

"There wasn't... anybody else?"

She shakes her head. "How could there have been? I saw you in everything, and it was bad enough that I..." She squeezes her eyes shut and takes a breath.

"Oh, no, I—" Callum grimaces awkwardly then, and when Rayla glances up at him, his cheeks are red and his eyes are cast bashfully towards the floor. "I just... last night was—I've never done... any of that before."

"Oh."

"Yeah.".

There's a pause. Then Callum laughs, and because he laughs, Rayla laughs, the tension broken, all the guilt and regret and complexity gone again like it was never there at all. They haven't really spoken about all of that either, but it doesn't matter. Not really. What matters is that they are here and together, and there's nothing about it that really needs to be said. Rayla shifts and kisses him deeply anyway, another apology, another assurance, another promise on her lips.

"It was my first time too," she admits shyly.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Another pause. Another breath. Then they're both giggling again, giddy as lovers should be, at peace in each other's arms. Rayla sighs, relishing his warmth, his touch, his heartbeat beneath her cheek, and smiles. "Was it what you wanted?"

Callum grins into her hair. "All I ever wanted was you. Even if we hadn't... you know. It wouldn't have mattered. I'm just glad we're here. Together."

"Yeah." Rayla breathes in, the air crisp and clean and full in her lungs, the ache between them gone and replaced with warmth. "I love you," she tells him, because what else is there to say? It's so simple and so true, even if the words don't feel big enough to encompass it.

Callum's chest rises. His heart misses a beat. He lets out a breath. "I love you too," he says, and Rayla knows that it's the same for him, the words too small for the strength they carry.

The sun rises higher. The quiet settles over them once more. There are no more words.

There don't have to be.

[a-very-sparkly-nerd]

Rayllum Month 2024! (12/13)

all i ever wanted was to be enough for you

July 23rd - "I Don't Deserve You"/"You Deserve Everything"

~

One of the benefits of being both an Ocean and Sky mage was that Callum didn’t get cold anymore. Even with the freezing climate of the lands beyond the Frozen Sea, it was at worst a tingly chill every now and then.

Rayla, however, was not affected by his new magic. He’d given her his jacket and scarf, trying desperately not to let that last one be a big deal (and definitely failing, because it was a big deal), but she still shook like a leaf. There wasn’t even any magic he knew that could help warm her up (he’d have to talk to future-Aunt Janai about that, then), and her cloak had snagged on a tree branch in an escape from an angry mama banther the previous day, so that was just the cherry on top.

The inside of the room at the Starscraper they’d been delegated to was a bit better, at least. Since they’d walked in, Rayla’d immediately curled up in front of the fireplace, still in all her many layers and shivering eventually subsiding.

Now that things had calmed down, that the soonest they could be productive again (since that was what Rayla, as always, was most concerned about) would be the following morning, Callum sank to his knees beside her. She started scooching over to make room for him, patting beside her, but Callum shook his head.

“Let me repair your cloak?”

She looked to the garment she’d drawn around herself, still a bit wet from melted snow, the slush and fabric pooling at her socked feet. “It’s fine.”

“Rayla.”

“Callum.”

He shot her a look. “It’ll just be a quick second. Don’t want you to go cold.”

Rayla ducked her head away from him, biting her lip. Even now, even though this climate was natural and only biting from the outside, she’d still developed some sort of PTSD regarding the cold, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d barely endured that spell for a second, and he still wanted to scream and claw his own skin off at the memory. Rayla’d gone through things he couldn’t even fathom, and now that he was here, now that they were together, he’d make up for those two years she’d gone hungry and cold and alone.

She let him unclasp it from around her shoulders, eyebrows drooping at the corners with gratitude she so rarely let herself feel because she scarcely let anyone help her. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of her head and got up to drag his bag over, then finally made himself comfortable next to her the way she’d beckoned him to. “Don’t thank me.”

Rayla rested her head on his shoulder, studying the way he threaded the needle from his sewing kit with the closest color match to the fabric he could find; not quite the teal and navy of the coat, but a royal blue fairly close. He had a feeling she wouldn’t care.

“How do you do that with your extra finger?” she murmured, taking it and fidgeting. “I can’t do it, period.”

Callum turned to look at her, smiling a little. “Want me to show you?”

She shook her head, the tips of her horns digging into the side of his neck in just a quick second of tingly pain. “I’ll just watch you and your fancy fingerwork.” “As you wish.” He smushed their noses together, unable to help a little giddy smile at just a sweet moment where they were alone, open, not in danger… It’d been far too long.

Read more on AO3!

[raayllum]

for day 1 of rayllum’s bad vibes rodeo, flowers

He finds the flowers near the rim of the Sea of the Cast Out, growing almost like weeds - stubborn but bright like Moon arcanum flowers, out of whatever outskirts of ruins they’ve stumbled across. He was meant to be gathering firewood, but the flowers catch his eye, and well... They’re pretty, just like Rayla, and he’s been bad at expressing himself since coming back, but he knows she’s homesick and worried about her parents, and maybe something Moon arcanum-y will lift her spirits? Maybe the flowers can do the talking for him?

Callum gathers a small bouquet, the scent soothing, and then tucks them carefully into the seam of his tunic where he keeps her letter over his heart. Maybe, if he gets up the nerve to give her the flowers, they can finally talk about all of it. Why it hurt when she left, what he still doesn’t understand, and what he wants.

That he wants her.

He comes back to the campfire, Ezran playing with Stella, Rayla watching with a sweet smile while Bait grumbles in the corner. Callum adds the firewood to their pile and plops down, decidedly more beside her in a way that would’ve been normal, before, but feels tentative and heart-racing to rebuild now.

“You were gone for a while,” she notes, still smiling, but he can see the faint worry in her eyes. “Almost sent Bait out to look for you.”

Callum scoots a bit closer as a silent apology, his knee bumping into hers. “Ah, excellent tracker, is he?” He’s less surprised this time when Rayla hum and rests her head on his shoulder, her smile growing and worry fading.

“Oh, the best.”

Callum snorts, and they stay like that until the fire dies down and Ez and Stella grow quiet, Stella bounding over to curl up on Rayla’s other shoulder, and Zym coils his tail around a sleeping Ezran.

It takes even longer for Callum to find his voice, the arm that’s not wrapped around her waist half reaching for the flowers in his pocket. They’re beautiful, just like her, and she deserves to know... what? That he loves her? That he loves her.

“Rayla?” he begins, but there’s not even a sleepy hum in response, and he looks over to find her dozing, her cheek softly smushed against his shoulder.

Everything in him eases and twists with disappointment all at once. Okay, so not tonight. He leans forward and gives her forehead a little kiss, mindful of her horns. But tomorrow, for sure.

He wakes up alone, her sleeping bag cold when he reaches for her. His fingers don’t brush any of her weapons either, not her father’s bow or her familiar butterfly blades, and it hits him like a gut punch, the idea of being at Umber Tor and not having anything of her left, because she leaves, just like she always does, and—

Callum sits up, a bitter twinge in his heart. “Where’s—”

“She went out scouting,” Ez answers, petting Zym’s head by the newly lit fire.

“And you didn’t think to wake me?” he grouses irritably. They could’ve gone together. She would’ve let him come this time, wouldn’t she? She’d wanted him to come in the Drakewood, and he’d been too angry and proud to—

“We figured a prince needs his beauty sleep,” she drawls, strolling back into camp with berries and a bright smile. Ezran accepts the present eagerly, Rayla frowning when Callum doesn’t lighten. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he says, composing himself. He isn’t going to be mad anymore. He doesn’t want to be mad. He just wants—He reaches for the flowers, his fingers finding only strange ash. What the—?

Can emotion kill the good things too, as some kind of cruel magic?

“Just... still a bit tired,” he lies, and she softens.

“Eat,” she coaxes. “You’ll feel better.”

He gets his answer later though, when their path takes them by the same bend of ruins he’d traipsed through the previous night. The field had been full of beautiful blooms, but now they’re nothing more than crumbled piles of ash. Zym sniffs at one with a displeased snort.

“What are these about, Rayla?” Ezran asks.

“Flowers of Elarion,” she says. “They’re beautiful, but only at night. They regrow in the evening but don’t make it past sunrise.”

“Like a phoenix cycle?”

She reaches down and ruffles Ezran’s hair. “A bit, yeah.”

“That’s sort of sad,” he reflects.

“Sort of,” she agrees. “But they’re flowers. They can’t change their nature.”

Callum presses his lips together. They’re beautiful and soothing, just like her, and nothing good nor bad ever lasts forever, but fuck, his heart hurts now. There’s a strange quality in his voice, as he says, “So they’re always gone by morning?”

Rayla catches his eye, and there must be something in his gaze, too, because she ducks her head, unable to entirely hold it—just like he can’t entirely hold her, no matter how badly he wants to. “Yes,” she answers. She swallows. “They are.”

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Does he still love me?

I’ve been feeling for a while that Runaan and Tinker argued before he and Rayla left on their mission. Argued hard, over him taking Rayla with him. Maybe over other things, too--the mission itself and some less-related issues. Behaviors. How, from Tinker’s perspective, Runaan always does what he’s told. Never thinks for himself. Refuses to accept responsibility for what he does, for the results of his own actions. (The Dragon Queen this, the Dragon Queen that) How he’s going to take Rayla, a fifteen-year-old unblooded assassin, on an assassination mission, because he can’t think his way out of it, and on some level doesn’t want to. How can he sit there and think that anything about that decision is okay? Because he’s not deciding. He’s abstaining. He’s dodging, using that DEX 18 for things it was never meant to be used on.

“Runaan, you can dodge swords and arrows all night long, but you can’t dodge this responsibility. You’ll get Rayla killed! You know she’s not ready!”

And Runaan just. Can’t. See. Where Tinker is coming from. He can’t. He’s trained himself too long to be hard enough to do whatever it takes, and that means shutting a lot of options out. He can be flexible as hell on missions, in every way possible. But he can’t think himself out of a wet paper bag when it comes to civilian decisions. Runaan’s honest-to-the-moon too hard. 

Runaan and Tinker have often understood each other on several levels at once, and even when they don’t really see where the other is coming from, they trust each other. Moonshadows earn trust slowly, but they keep it close to their hearts once they have it. These two have been through a lot together. But Runaan taking Rayla on this mission was just too much for Tinker. He couldn’t stretch his mind far enough to see what Runaan saw, and that scared him. Runaan had a place so quiet and deadly, so calculating, that Tinker couldn’t reach it. Couldn’t reach him when he went there. (this is where VIren lives, btw, that cold, calculating place--Runaan can absolutely go there too)  And Tinker had to decide: Do I turn cold and calculating in order to understand Runaan, or so I draw a line?

Tinker drew the line. Runaan’s the Slytherin, and Tinker’s the Ravenclaw. Only one of these will do whatever it takes, at any cost, and that’s the point where they found themselves. That’s the point where Tinker had to step back and say No. He wasn’t willing to risk Rayla’s life, even if Rayla was. That’s not how you treat your child. But in that moment, saying No to Rayla’s mission meant saying No to Runaan’s plan, and to Runaan. The plan to take Rayla was a reflection of who Runaan is. Runaan felt rejected along with his plan when Tinker objected. 

And so they argued. Maybe they separated. Do Moonshadows break up? Separate? Divorce? Somehow these words don’t seem nearly dramatic enough for the breaking of such a hard-won trust between two elves who love each other deeply, but who fundamentally disagree. What did they do?

*whispers* Runaan, Tinker, what did you do?

Does Rayla know? I guess we’ll find out. But at some point before Runaan’s lotus sank, Tinker lost a stripe on his right arm, a gem from his left horn, and the ringed horn tips he was wearing earlier. Did he set them aside with cool logic and hope that Runaan would come to his senses? Did he yank them off, pry that gem out with a screwdriver, and throw them all off a cliff into a raging river? Did he cry? Did he lock himself in his workshop and build things for a week straight? Did he protest the mission, yell at the Dragon Queen? 

A few lyrics selections from their songs:

(Tinker) [”I Am All That I Need,” Fleet Foxes] So it's true, I've gone too far to find you And the thumbprint scar I let define you Was a myth I made you measure up to It was all just water, winding by you 

(Runaan) [”Kiss From a Rose,” Seal] I've been kissed by a rose on the grey And if I should fall, will it all go away? 

(Tinker) [”Quelqu’un M’a Dit,” Carla Bruni] I am told that destiny is making fun of us It doesn't give us anything and it promise us everything It appears that happiness is within reach So we reach out and we find ourselves crazy However someone told me that you still love me It is someone that told me that you still love me Would it be possible then?

(Runaan)  [Full Moon,” The Black Ghosts] 'Cause all I want is here and now but it's already been and gone Our intentions always last that bit too long Far far away, no voices sounding No one around me and you're still there Far far away,

[unfinished tdp meta]

[winterstorm032802]

Is she okay?

That's the first thought that came to Callum when he woke back up for the second time in this Sea Crab's inner room. Finnegrin is just doing something... when he hears Callum stir, he begins. "That was quite a display. All that talk about how love makes you stronger, but the second you see that elf girl in pain, you completely lost yourself."

He's right... I did. I lost myself because of her... I don't hear her screaming... is she okay now? Does that mean she's okay as much as anyone can be in this situation?

Callum looks away, whether it's shame for being exposed in such a way and for losing himself or if it's something else. Noticing the empty cage and a clink catches his attention, and when he turns, Bait is getting put into a cage. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, don't worry. The cage is for his protection. This way, he lures us a leviathan but doesn't get eaten."

Is this how I die? Set into a serpent's jaws?

"The one getting thrown into the sea serpent's hungry mouth is your elf girl."

...what? No... no, no, no, no! Not her!

Callum struggles against the chains. Every ounce of whatever strength he has left is put into escaping the damn chains.

"No, no, wait!"

I would do anything for you.

"A dying breath."

Rayla, I was wrong. I waited too long. I hope you know--

I know.

He can't stop it. The magic Finnegrin wanted are rushing out faster than he can think.

"Blood filled with hatred. A-And a unicorn horn."

He looks away once more. What is wrong with him? Why is he losing himself so quickly? No... he knows why. Because of her. Because he would do anything for her. He can't lose her.

"That's the dark magic you want. Just... just let her go."

The bastard just clicks his tongue like a father scolding a child. "Oh, my poor lad. That deal was no longer on the table." The light streams in as the door opens. "No!" Then it's gone, as is he. "No!"

~

Had this saved up, @raayllum made a great notice here and I felt obligated to make this.

[shiningnightstars]

Hello I am here for seeds lore

ask and you shall receive!

seeds and rayla are from my story (which has not been posted anywhere ever </2) "a seed of hope". the concept for the story was based on an article i read when i was like. 11. and it was about how scientists where figuring out how to make it so human children could be born with animal parts (e.g: cat ears, bird wings, etc.)

the story takes place in a time period where this was successfully figured out and therefore parents were giving their children bits of animal genetics through like. putting the dna in them. i would explain the science better but i am TIRED right now so. yeah i think you could probably research it if youre curious?

anyways, of course because humans tend to SUCK. these hybrids were looked upon as just feral animals by many humans. in fact, it started going so far that "zoos" made, not for protection of animals, but for the money and profit off of other's suffering, started popping up, and they would offer insane amounts of money to parents who agreed to give up their children to be raised in these zoos. and it wasnt very great by any means.

at first, scientists had only figured out how to put the dna of other mammals into humans - not, say, reptiles or birds just yet. however, after several more years of studies, they finally figured out how to do hybrids of reptiles with humans/birds with humans. however it was incredibly difficult for them to survive for a long time due to the huge change, and in the case of reptiles, cold-blooded vs warm-blooded. if their animal type can fly, then theres a slim chance of them being able to actually lift themselves off the ground, much less actually glide or even fly. so, naturally, the zoos would pay so much for this stuff. putting these people in cages for being just a bit different in a way they cant control.

flash forward to the present. seeds is 20 now, and has been in these zoos for, well, 20 years. he barely remembers his mom and never met his dad, as they were both bird hybirds like him and, per rules in the zoos, a child born in a zoo is not to meet their father and is only to be with there mother until they can walk and talk on their own.

seeds, being one of the few bird hybrids that can actually fly, hates being trapped in the cages. hes only never escaped because of the chains that tie his wings together and the fact that he was always told bad things about the outside world as a kid. twice a day he goes off to a separate, large open room where the chains are temporarily removed so he can fly freely and show off for the visiters.

one day, however, it is discovered that the keys to unlock the chains were stolen. suddenly hit with the fact he may never fly free again, he immediately went and escaped the zoo in order to find the who stole the keys and get them back.

he managed to, somehow, successfully escape. he got out and promptly began his search, knowing he was gonna have to be quick so that theh dont realize he gone, or at least so he doesnt get caugjt by someone willing to bring him back.

to get a higher vantage point, he climbs up a building in order to see more of the city below. however, for but a moment, he foregts about the chains, and jumps off the building to start flying.... and he jsut falls.

thankfully he is unharmed as he is caught by someone with a pair of big ole ram horns on her head. she puts him down, playfully teasing like "oh i see the little birdy cant fly, hm?"

he is, frankly, caught off guard by this, but once he mentally steadies himself again, he asks her if she might know what haplened to the keys, seeing as shes a hybrid as well, who seems to also be from the zoo. she pulls the keys out, but doesnt unlock the chains. she wants to make deal the next day, waiting a bit longer to see how truly willing he is. he agrees to meet up, and yeah. in exchange for him helping her cause problems from those against hybrid freedom, she will unlock his wings. he agrees, and he is free once more. and the ram girl introduces herself as rayla.

over time they get closer and closer and start to become friends, and eventually partners. seeds finally speaks up about one of the biggest reason he hated the zoo. (heavy tw for sexual trauma, safe to read again once to see the "~~~")

he told rayla about how in the zoo, due to how difficult it was to get bird hybrids, that they would often be forced to have children once they reached 18 years of age. he would never get to meet his children and he never, ever wanted to have sex ever again. not after that. and, once again, hes only 20.

hes struggles with the feeling of being touched at all by someone he barely/doesnt know, and hates it so much.

~~~

aaaaand thats about it (the above part, while it is important to his character, it isnt necessary to know so dw!!!). yeah mans has been through stuff. i could go on a whole other tangent about rayla and how her problems are but it is nearly 11:40 at night and i am TIRED. he has a lot of problems i dont know why i did this to him but WHATEVER. i love rayla though fr so i might add onto this post tomorrow about her lmao.

ANYWAYS THANK YOU FOR ASKING RAHHHHHHHH

[obsessedwiththedragonprince]

Se4 ep6 thoughts

I love how Soren sees the dragon and is immediately like: ✨️friends✨️? Big puppy energy. Looks so innocent!! Well that didn't go well.

No-one looking for Soren? Yikes. Wow Rayla took you long enough lmao. Not like he didn't come home last night!

Whatcha doing? while Ezran's discovering he's the new spiderman.

Zubeia will not be pleased.

Finally some thought to the freaking anonymous elf!! Did i mention how much i am loving the accent? Because yes.

Lmao Raylaa

What is this????

Like ig there was a different light source and they changed it later but does no-one watch this like, I dunno, a thousand times before it's released??

My distracted ass had to go make these gifs mid episode because why not. And this was my first time making one so when i clicked the tick and it didn't appear as an option in my videos from gallery i tried again. And again. And again. Then realised i had four of them in the gallery. So yeah. That happened.

Anyway continuing my watch. Lmaoo not even 6 minutes. Oops...

Poor Bait getting knocked overr. And again why can Ez see through Zym's eyes? Will we ever know?

Amaya it is not just a fricking candlee. Like I love you but show some respect please. Okay that escalated quickly. Is there no way to like, give the elf some comfort or something that doesn't involve killing? Like yes i actually get why death would be an appropriate punishment cause in their eyes extinguishing that candle is prolly worse than killing someone cause if u kill they still get to the afterlife but. I think the focus should also be on the elf and doing sth for his benefit?

Um i guess earthblood elves don't know he's the dragon prince? Cause otherwise they have some serious trouble coming. Is Callum going to save the day? This blackout transition was a bit unusual. Looked fine but not really their style?

Are we getting some info on elven politics? Masked guys? This little smile thing between Karim and one of Six Horns... he did some bribing? Hope not cause this could turn ugly. It prolly will who am i lying to.

'Don't u remember who u are' felt a little forced to me. They often have those inspiring speeches that don't feel like they belong there. Why isn't Callum flying around looking for Zym? And why wasn't he their 'eyes' to begin with?

The kiddo is back again! Kinda didn't like that was all we saw of him so welcome back!

Karim u little shit. I don't yet know what he's planning but i feel it in my bones it ain't nothing good. Best case he just wants them gone from Xadia. Hopefully.

Why did that elf go after Rayla? Because they are so-called protectors? That little Bait smile lmaooo. Another gif incoming.

I am a pro now.

Anyway.

Amaya on the side of the elves yes please. But i think she'll do the same Karim did with some kind of I dunno. Not clearing her of guilt completely but sth. Yess compassionate justice pleasee. I feel like they won't listen cause it'd be too good to be true but still. Prolly Karim bribing people won't help. Still not sure if he did.

This catching dragons really reminds me of HTTYD. This boy is the next Hiccup. N'than i love youuu.

Damn for a moment i really thought she'll cut her hands off. Ig that wouldn't really belong on screen but i thought the same for blood so...

this was so good!! I loved it! I actually cried Just hope Janai didn't undermine herself and look weak in the eyes of other elves. I feel like this was also more realistic so they didn't escalate things for no reason. Just show them all trying to get along. Sometimes successfully, other times less so. In love with how Janai said compassion

This entire scene was a masterpiece idc. How the architect broke down crying from relief and stress, the shrine idea, how the elf subtly accepted this as retribution, how it drove a divide between Karim and Janai, how logical the punishment was, it will be the greatest work of my life... just. Peak animation.

I knew it! The Pit of Despair, answer to all our prayers.

Will Karim and Janai fix things or will Karim not be understanding? Again a pretty scene, and Karim doesn't look hostile so far so yayy

I wanted to ask before but how long did Rayla and Soren actually knew each other? Cause i was under the impression that Rayla left practically at the end of se3 but Soren acted like they were kinda close earlier and now Rayla sounds really distressed?

Ohh Karimm lover boyy! Is he going to usurper her? Really?

Lmaoo Soren late to the party😂😂 omgg they're so cuteeee! ✨️friends✨️ for real now

The happiness on his face🥹

OMGG SIBLINGS REUNIONN!!!!

[crxwnguard]

AU 01: 'BALDUR'S GATE 3'

TAG: scalesworn rider of katolis [bg3 au]

LOCATION: Katolis is home, but he's been traveling all over Faerûn for a year or two

OCCUPATION: head of Katolis' Crownguard & their first Scalesworn

MAIN TRANSPORTATION: walking, riding horseback / dragonback

ABILITY SCORES - STRENGTH: 18 - DEXTERITY: 13 - CONSTITUTION: 17 - INTELLIGENCE: 10 - WISDOM: 12 - CHARISMA: 10

BACKSTORY:

Katolis is a small independent kingdom on the northern banks of the Delimbiyr River, upstream from Daggerford and the village of Julkoun, downstream from the town of Secomber. Soren was born with chronic respiration issues, which grew worse through his childhood until he was bedridden at around 6 years old. No treatments or typical healing spells seemed to work, at best only soothing the symptoms for a while. While his younger sister Claudia and mother Lissa did their best to tend to him and keep his spirits up, his father Viren desperately sought a way to heal Soren's chronic condition permanently. A spell was found, but it required significant power, rare magical ingredients, and the tears of his mother... which Viren forcibly took from her. Though the spell did work, Lissa couldn't bear to be around her husband afterward and returned to Waterdeep. Soren and Claudia were given the choice which parent to stay with; Soren chose Viren, because he'd just started to go outside again and make friends in Katolis, while Claudia didn't want to choose but Lissa urged her to stay with her brother.

While Claudia showed quite an aptitude for various kinds of magic, Soren had little, which only added to the cold distance his father now showed him (blaming Soren for what Viren had done with Lissa and the resulting fracture of their family). Soren grew healthier and stronger by the day, soon starting to train for Katolis' Crownguard, though none of his efforts seemed to make a difference - even when, as a teenager, he became the Crownguard's youngest member in its history. He got to know King Harrow's sons as well, Callum and Ezran, though the former was the king's stepson. Envious of the open fatherly affection Callum was nonetheless shown by Harrow, Soren would often bully and tease the younger boy. Still, it wasn't as deep as hatred, as he did help in Callum's attempts to impress Claudia. Tragically, King Harrow was assassinated by a small group of elves from the Misty Forest, after they'd learned a dragon's egg was being experimented on within the castle's walls. It wasn't Harrow who was the true culprit, though, but Viren. Callum, Ezran, and Rayla - one of the elf assassins - discovered the baby inside the egg was still alive and stole it from Viren's chambers. They escaped into the forest; Soren and Claudia were sent after them, with Viren giving Soren a secret order to kill the princes (as his father intended to take the throne instead).

When they caught up to the group, the egg had hatched. They tried to convince the princes to come home with them, but were unsuccessful. As the group escaped them, Soren and Claudia instead captured Corvus, a soldier sent by Katolis' General Amaya to protect the princes. Upon taking him to the nearest town, they discovered it was being swooped by a dragon, Pyrrah (a mixed copper-bronze dragon). He attacked first, and downed her after she retaliated, but when he and Claudia went to collect her - hoping to bring her back to their father in lieu of the baby silver dragon Azymondias - she was still alive and fought back. In the struggle, Soren was thrown against a boulder and paralyzed, with other wounds as well. Pyrrah flew off and escaped. Claudia delved into the magic Viren had been teaching her and managed to heal the paralysis, though not the other injuries. They returned to Katolis with only a severed piece of Pyrrah's horn... only to find that Ezran had gone back to Katolis, and taken his rightful place as his father's heir. Viren was locked in the dungeon, but Ezran decided to let Soren and Claudia go free. Their father, however, was still livid at his children's failure, even shouting that it didn't matter if Soren could've died so long as Claudia had the chance to steal back Azymondias. Ezran did step down for a time, out of conflict over what was best for Katolis, and Viren crowned himself king. Soren, meanwhile, secretly helped break Ezran out of the dungeon, after which Corvus (who'd grown more amicable after Soren freed him from capture while fighting Pyrrah) escorted the errant king out of Katolis to help Callum, Rayla, and Zym. Viren, meanwhile, decided to march the kingdom's forces on first the Misty Forest and then across the High Moor to the Greypeak Mountains - intending not only to steal away Zym but to take down any other dragons there. When Soren saw the kinds of spells being cast on the soldiers, saw how Viren expected him to willingly submit to a bestial transformation for the mage-king's ambitions, he left... despite Claudia begging him to stay, not wanting her family to split again.

He rode nonstop to where Zym, Ezran, Corvus, Callum, and Rayla were sheltering with Zubeia in the Greypeaks, to warn them of what was coming. They eventually decided to stay and fight, with the aid of forces from the Misty Forest & other dragons. It was a fraught battle, but they triumphed... though Viren and Claudia were left unaccounted for. Soren aided in tending to the dragons who'd been injured, recognizing how much better it felt to be helping rather than hunting them. Soren returned with the others, and the slowly-healing troops who'd been enchanted by Viren, to Katolis.

For the next few years, they rebuilt and recovered with Ezran on the throne & Callum serving as High Mage, even establishing a camaraderie with the dragons of the Greypeaks and beginning to mend relations with King Melandrach and the elves of the Misty Forest. The fight with Viren, however, exposed his machinations and connections to the Cult of the Dragon. To help push back against the Cult, in the hopes of one day dissolving it completely, Soren was named the first of Katolis' Scalesworn - an elite group of trusted soldier-adventurers tasked with protecting dragons in need of aid and with rooting out Cult of the Dragon cells all across Faerûn. Pyrrah, having seen his sincere regret and efforts to change, stepped forward to travel and fight alongside him. Everywhere they stop, Soren always tries to find a little treat to bring back to her, or to at least tell an intriguing story from the day. He does still have obligations as a Crownguard, and periodically returns to Katolis, but otherwise can be happened upon almost anywhere in Faerûn.

[aevyk-ing]

Thoughts on Mystery of Aaravos Part 3 Episodes 6-7

- Do the hand touch, Soren!

- Ups.

- Don’t try to be cute, monkey, you haven’t done anything useful yet.

- Spider-Ezran, Spider-Ezran...

- Right, let them keep their traditions. It’s all they have left.

- Amaya, I know you’re better than this.

- Whoa, but the only punishment being death is a bit harsh. Just lecture her about Elvish traditions.

- Zym’s here! And... now he’s gone.

- That’s not Six Horns, that’s like... Twelve.

- That’s... a weird way to end a discussion.

- We got a Horngazel, everyone!

- When did this turn into How to train your dragon?

- What’s he wearing? This is great. Some sort of flowery gym clothes?

- When did this turn into Trollhunters?

- Come on, they’re in Trollmarket.

- And Rayla, you don’t know Soren at all. 

- Oh, he’s wearing his pajamas.

- Soren: Yip, yip. 

Me: 

- Great, the monkey can make portals, now they can use the power of gemstones... if they find a hammer, I’m out.

- When did this turn into Fraggle Rock?

- Please, Rayla, trying to be funny in that situation is just sad.

- Really cool perspective from that creature’s eyes.

- Gandalf voice: Fly, you fools!

- Wait, it was a joke. Don’t worry, he’ll be back as Zym the White.

- Okay, THAT was funny. “What are we looking at?”

- The butterfly has blessed Soren.

- Elves and dragons just didn’t want to get involved, Claudia. You were too busy fighting each other. And yeah, I know that’s Aaravos telling her lies, but come on.

- Love seeing Callum using more spells.

- Rayla: Now I’m cold. 

Me: 🙄

- Huh? What’s this, The Promise? Haven’t read that comic yet, it’s next on my list, but I know what it’s about.

- Just don’t let him possess you again! Fight it! Outmage the mage! You did it in the dream, you can do it again!

- Nah, Terry, you’re a doe. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

[davey-in-a-minivan]

just, remember me, okay?

asdfkjal this is late and long, but my gift for @keiththeweirdo for the @tdpholidayexchange!

word count: 2213 mood: angst with a happy ending?? rayllum, side serving of claudia premise: what if callum’s rescue off the storm spire had gotten... complicated? (also on ao3)

She should have died. That was Rayla’s one clear thought as consciousness returned, sticky and slow as blood seeping from a reopened wound. She had thrown herself from the Storm Spire. She should have died.

But then, Callum above her. But then, Callum with feathers pushing through his skin and a wild, desperate determination in his eyes. Callum, with human fear and human clumsiness and heavy human bones, who could barely support his own weight with his new wings. Callum, who had realized that he could not carry her to safety and so had swooped beneath her instead.

Callum, in whose motionless limbs she was still tangled.

She should have died.

It wasn’t grief that plagued her so much as fear-- icy, paralyzing fear, to open her eyes and roll off his crushed body and see him staring blankly at the sky he dearly loved. Even the pain that burned in her every bone and joint after the jolt of impact could not persuade her to untangle herself.

The sound of approaching footsteps, however, could. Her eyes opened to slits to see a dark figure in a billowing cloak stumble past, stopping beside Viren’s battered body. The caterpillar that had coiled around his shoulders wriggled and the figure kicked it aside with a guttural cry, slinging it through the air to crawl into the shadows. Then she dropped to her knees, hands fluttering from Viren's bleeding head to his chest to his pulseless throat. “It’s going to be alright, Dad. I found you. I’m going to save you, I’m going to--” Her voice cracked.

Rayla inhaled. “Claudia.”

The human shot upright, wiping her face furiously. “What are you doing here?” Then Rayla struggled to her feet and Claudia’s eyes shifted past her, to Callum. The last flush of color left her ashen face. “No.”

Rayla pointed a finger. “You said you can save him.”

“No, no, no-- what happened?” Claudia demanded, her gaze darting from face to vacant face like a caged animal looking for an escape. Rayla wanted to shout at her to stop stalling. It didn’t matter what had happened! “This is your fault!”

The words hurt like a dagger twisted in the back-- because they were true. But-- “You were the one that attacked us! You, and your evil father--”

“Don’t talk about him like that,” Claudia snarled, raising her staff. A sunfire staff, stolen from the elves, though the core had somehow been corrupted. “You need to leave, now.”

“I’m not leaving Callum,” Rayla said.

“I’ll kill you.”

“Try it.”

For a moment they just stood, panting, eyes locked. Rayla’s face burned, and the effort of holding back tears made her head pound. She would fight. She would die. But she could imagine a moment of savage triumph, of sinking her blade between the dark mage’s ribs, before they both collapsed onto the blood-stained ground. She reached for her swords.

But then Callum’s voice stopped her. Claudia is my friend. They had been at the lunar nexus. She had only seen Claudia and Soren as threats, but Callum wanted to trust them. They betrayed us at the nexus, she thought angrily. Yes, but then Soren came to help us. Led by the good heart Callum had sworn he had, Soren joined the fight for peace. Maybe… Claudia could do the same.

Hesitantly, Rayla shifted from her fighting stance, her hands drifting away from the hilts of her blades. “Claudia, you and I’ve never been friends. I know that. But Callum-- you and Callum were. And he needs help.”

“Why do you care so much?” Claudia asked suspiciously. “A month ago you would have been glad to see him dead.”

“I would have,” she said. “But I didn’t know-- Callum is good.” The word choked in her throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut for a second, holding back tears. “Since I’ve known him, everything he does is for love. It’s for peace. He makes you see how the world could be, instead of how it is. And I don’t know anyone else like that. The world is so hurt and so ugly, but if anyone can heal it-- it’s him. Don’t you see that? He needs to live.” Hot tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn’t break eye contact. Surely Claudia knew. Surely she understood that nothing could be right if Callum were dead. Surely--

“You love him,” Claudia said softly. The last ragged thread of Rayla’s self-control snapped, and she sank to the ground, sobbing, nodding, shoulders shaking. The sunfire staff clattered as it was cast aside, and then Claudia’s arms were around her, holding her as she cried. “It’s so easy to, isn’t it?” she whispered. Rayla clung to her as she fought to steady her breath, finally pulling back to wipe her eyes.

“Is there anything you can do to save him?”

Claudia gave a watery laugh, gesturing at Callum and Viren. “What, like a double resurrection?”

Rayla’s heart skipped a beat. “Is that possible?”

"Theoretically," Claudia said, kneading her eyes. Her voice quivered-- from sorrow or exhaustion, Rayla couldn't guess. "In practice, though-- I’ve never touched necromancy before. The ingredients alone are almost impossible. You need-- you need--” She trailed off, furrowing her brow, and Rayla’s veins iced with fear. Of course the ingredients would be something horrific. Or something impossible. Nothing came for free, not with dark magic, especially not something as precious as Callum’s life. Still looking fuzzily to the distance, Claudia muttered “--and of course, the hard part isn’t even healing the body, it’s calling back the spirit--”

Rayla shook her head, refusing to acknowledge the impossibility of her task that weighed like the world on her chest. “What are the ingredients?”

Claudia grimaced. “You need some part of a magical creature that owes its life to the one who died. But there’s no way we’ll get up to the dragon prince in time for it to be of use, even if we could evade the queen and all the guards--”

The crushing pressure on Rayla’s chest lifted. “Use me, then.”

“What?”

Heat flooded Rayla’s heart, painful and brilliant. “I would have died if it weren’t for Callum. Use me.”

“But I need to use a part of you, flesh or bone.”

“Then you’ll have to cut off my horn,” Rayla said, reaching for the fallen sunfire staff. Claudia watched wordlessly as she drew a blade and slid it through the fiery core of the staff. “With a steady hand and a hot blade, it shouldn’t be hard.” The blade now shone white-hot as she offered the hilt to Claudia.

Claudia gaped at her. “You… want me to do it?”

“Well, I cannae do it myself,” she said. Gingerly, Claudia took the sword. Rayla smoothed her hair away from her horns and then turned her back to the human. She was entirely vulnerable. One slash from the superheated sword and she’d be gone. She clung to her second-hand belief in Claudia, her desperate trust. And after a moment, she felt heat waft over her scalp, and an unfamiliar pressure against her skull. The smell of singed hair reached her. Then the pressure eased and the heat faded. Rayla turned to see Claudia holding her blade in one hand and a coal-gray horn in the other, looking entirely lost.

“But what about my father?”

She sounded… helpless. She must have combed through a lifetime of memories, searching for one moment her father saved a magical creature, only to come up empty. The fear in her eyes echoed Rayla’s own. For the first time, Rayla didn’t feel a wave of disgust at the mention of Viren. Instead, grief tugged at her, for the man the girl had lost. Rayla hesitated. Then, slowly, she said, “if Soren hadn’t come ta warn us yesterday, I would probably be dead.” Viren was greedy. Manipulative. Ruthless. But she had been wrong to believe that humans were fully evil. “And if you hadn’t taught Callum his first spell… he would never have connected to the sky arcanum.” Every one of them was a mix of good and bad, drawn from two streams. “And I know I’d be dead.” Viren had made wrong choices, evil choices, that she could not forget. But he had also done good. “I owe the man who raised you two with good hearts,” she said.

Claudia’s hands were shaking. “I don’t understand.”

“Take my other horn. For him.” Rayla turned her back to the human once more. “And do it quick.”

“Thank you,” Claudia said hoarsely, pressing the blade to the base of Rayla’s remaining horn. “I don’t-- I know he--”

“You won’t let things go back to the way they were,” Rayla said, cutting her off. “This is a new chance-- for both of ye.” The choice felt inexplicably right. The kind of thing Callum would do. A weight lifted from her skull and her fingers went to her head, finding two uneven stubs tangled in her wind-swept hair like spiderwebs. “Well, that’s that.” Claudia carefully set down the sword, which had cooled to a cherry-red. “What now?”

“The blood of one who loves them,” Claudia said, passing one horn to Rayla. It felt funny in her hand. Smaller than she imagined. She copied Claudia, bloodying the tip of the horn from one of her many bleeding scrapes. Then Claudia knelt between the bodies, pressing the tip of one horn to each chest, piercing the skin. Rayla counted the passing seconds like a clock was ticking in her ears.

“It’s going to work. You can do this,” she urged Claudia.

Claudia bent her head with grim determination. “Or I’ll die trying,” she said, and began to chant. Rayla held her breath, bracing herself for the poisonous hum of dark magic in the air. Instead, all she felt was an electric buzz, making her hair stand on end. Claudia’s eyes filled with golden light, and more light blossomed from Callum and Viren’s chests. Claudia’s forehead beaded with sweat from the effort, but she seemed to draw strength from the light. Because it’s not dark magic, Rayla realized with a jolt. Dark magic was stolen magic, ripped from the creature to whom it belonged. But Rayla had given her horns freely, and the power that Claudia now summoned was something new. Callum would be fascinated. Then the thought slipped away because suddenly Claudia was gasping for breath, blinking away the light and fixing Rayla with wide eyes. “It’s up to you now. Call his spirit back.”

***

The boy supposed he must be dead. He had the vague idea that death was something that had scared him before; he had the faintest memory of fear shooting through his heart as he hurtled toward the ground, fear that was only overcome by the overpowering urge to save-- hmm. He couldn’t remember who.

It was peaceful here, in death; no ticking clock, no frantically beating heart. Just a soft expanse of hills, blanketed in fog, and in the distance a white gate. He walked towards it. Again, he felt like he was forgetting something. He wasn’t supposed to be travelling alone. But there was no one else here to travel beside him. The white gate loomed above him as he approached. He pushed the knob and it swung open without a noise, feather-light. His breath caught as he saw the vast sunlit valley beyond. It was beautiful. He stepped forward-- then stumbled back, as if pulled by unseen hands. This wasn’t right. What was missing?

A voice whispered in his ear, soft and insistent. Callum. He spun, looking over his shoulder, back over the fog-bound hills. No one. Callum, come back. The boy blinked. Callum. That was his name. Callum, please.

“Who are you?” Callum called. His voice echoed strangely in the still air.

Callum. Every repetition of the name was like the tug of a fish-hook lodged firmly in his chest. I need you to come back. I need you to wake up.

“I don’t know how,” he said, distress tightening his throat for the first time since he had died. “I don’t know where to go, except through the gate.”

Follow my voice. Come back to me. Do you hear me?

“Who are you?” he shouted desperately, his head jerking from side to side. The voice sounded like it was coming from the left-- and as he looked, a path seemed to open in the fog, revealing tiny white flowers. He took a few tentative steps, and a flash of memory shot through his mind: a meadow of flowers, and laughter in the air. He stumbled. “Hello?”

Can you hear me?

“I hear you! I’m coming!” He broke into a run.

Callum, please. Scattered memories crackled through his head, fast and disorienting. His legs pounded the earth. He knew that voice. I know you’re there. I know you can find your way. I’m not going to give up on you. The fog dissolved like ocean spray on a breaking wave. I love you, Callum.

The name he had been searching for came at last to his lips. "Rayla," he said. Then every memory came crashing back, and a searing flash of lightning split the world. 

***

"I love you, Callum," Rayla whispered. And his heart began to beat again. 

[jelzorz]

120.

following on from the CHET ficlets (111, 114, 115, 116)

They happen across a travelling doctor on the way home.

She's a Sunfire elf with ties to Lux Aurea, she says, and she takes one look at Rayla and offers her help. "I'm a friend," she promises after she catches the way Callum's fingers tighten protectively around Rayla's shoulder. "That horn needs tending to. I can help."

Reluctantly, cautiously, Callum lets her. It's hard to trust people these days, especially after what they've all been through, but Rayla's in too bad shape to wait until they get home. It's Ez who convinces him that it'll be okay, especially after the doctor says she knows Queen Janai.

"You might know our aunt, then," says Ezran.

"Ez..." warns Callum, but the doctor only smiles and nods.

"I wondered if that might be who you are," she says. "Your Majesty. Your Highness. Captain. My Lady." She bows at them in turn, offering a nod to Soren and a hand to Rayla to beckon her forward. "Come. Let's get you fixed up."

They take the opportunity to set up camp for the evening, and Callum tries not to watch too closely or seem too paranoid, at the way the doctor--Navah, she'd said--pokes and prods at Rayla. Soren takes pity on him at last and heads over to see how things are going, and Callum is left to tend the fire with Ez.

"She'll be okay," says Ezran reassuringly. "Navah seems nice and she knows what she's doing. Better than any of us, anyway. Rayla's gonna be fine."

"Mm."

A pause settles between them. The fire crackles happily in the night. Ez heaves a sigh.

"Do you wanna do Big Feelings Time?"

"What?"

Ez nudges his elbow. "Like when we were kids, remember? We say what's on our mind, and the other person says they hear you, and it makes you feel better?"

Callum grimaces. "I don't really wanna talk about my Big Feelings," he murmurs.

"Well, I do."

"Ezran."

Ezran gives him a look. "I have Big Feelings too, y'know," he says You're not the only one who missed her, and who was scared, and who was worried about her--who's still worried about her, especially after what she's been through. She's my family too."

Callum falls silent at that. He looks away, his face warmed by the fire and red in shame. "Sorry," he mutters.

Ez twitches his lips at him. "I get it," he says quietly. "When we got that message from Claudia--when Rayla's... horn turned up in our mail..." He shudders. "I don't think I'd ever been so angry and so scared at the same time. I threw up after you left. The idea that someone could hurt Rayla like that..." He swallows and pokes sadly at the fire. "I think--and again, I get it, you love her differently, and she's more than family to you but... I think you forget sometimes that you're not the only one who loves her."

There's another pause. Callum presses his lips together and blinks in the firelight, his eyes watering. "Sorry," he rasps again, his throat dry. "I--um--"

"You don't have to apologise," says Ez kindly. "But you guys aren't alone out here. What Claudia did was messed up but... not everyone wants to hurt her. Soren and I, and even Navah, and all the people at home--we just want to help."

"Right. Yeah." The stick Callum's been using to poke the fire feels slick with sweat, the bark sharp against his palms. His throat is all clogged up, and not just because he wants to cry and scream and rage all over again, but because there are feelings there that need to be aired and...

"We don't have to talk about it now," says Ez. "But we have to talk about it, okay? We still haven't... really discussed all the stuff that happened while she was gone, but she's home now. She's gonna be okay. So... let's talk about it properly when we get back, okay? Promise?"

Callum nods. He glances at Rayla, and the way Navah is applying salve to the stump of her horn, and the way Soren's taken over splinting her bad wrist. He sucks in a breath. "Promise."

[hoothalcyon]

Heyooo. Maybe you could do 8? (In secrecy), if you want :D I would've gone with my signature 28 move (just the number in general, not the prompt) but since lying is bad, guess 8 will have to do 😔. (It's Mari btw, yes, I'm a coward ✌🏼).

Bloodmoon Huntress angst set right after the final panel of the coloured previews!

tags: fluff, hurt/comfort, selective mutism, angst, everyone's having a hard time but they're trying

- -

Rayla quickly finished the rest of her mushcup before following Ethari down the hallway, eyeing the new surroundings with interest. Holding her hand, her new guardian noticed her quiet curiosity with a gentle fondness before he noticed the closed door above her horns. 

He squeezed her hand for a beat. “Rayla, I just need to check on something very quickly. Could you stay here for a moment?” 

Pressing her back against the wall to show that she wasn’t going anywhere, she nodded. “Okay!” 

“Thank you, moonbeam,” he murmured before turning the knob, making sure to cover the doorframe before the elfling could peek inside. Just as he’d suspected, his husband had found refuge in the small, secluded room—burrowed underneath his weighted blanket as he tried to collect his thoughts. 

Ethari frowned, crossing the room to kneel beside him. Even as they were situated face to face, he couldn’t help but notice just how small Runaan appeared in his current state. 

He put a gentle hand to his husband’s shoulder and offered a hopeful smile. “Hi, love. Are you alright?” 

Runaan laid motionless, as if still processing Ethari’s very presence. He shook his head.

“I know it’s a lot of change all at once, but we can get through it together. Rayla is on our side.” He let the moments between each sentence broaden, since he knew his husband needed extra time to process them clearly along with their meaning. Ethari’s hand smoothed through Runaan's hair all the while; broad strokes to guide him towards the softer side of reality.

A minute passed before Ethari spoke up again. “I invited the little one to join me in my workshop today. You don’t have to worry about us, we’ll be okay while you get some rest.”

Runaan pressed his face into his pillow, signalling that the quelling of guilt in him had started to kick up again. Deciding not to press further, Ethari pressed a final kiss to his forehead and whispered a final goodbye, allowing him to be alone. 

[raayllum]

thinking about ez making callum promise they'll wait till he's back from his dragon mission (which, of course, got derailed by s5's plot) because they wanted to show her together but the boys taking rayla to a room in the castle just. full of little things they collected over the two years she was gone that made them think of her. fuzzy blue pajamas for when the castle gets extra cold, a moonshadow-esque styled vase, a framed sketch of ethari callum did (if she wants it), shawls and scarves and a hat with holes poked in for her horns, figurines from the market, and absolutely some silly things they know she'll loathe but laugh at. variations of everything she could need and want to have a home, if she wants it.

rayla breaks down in tears and hugs both of them fiercely, of course

[beautifulterriblequeen]

BH: buried(?)

I haven't seen anyone else mention this detail yet but I love it a lot:

the architecture inside the mausoleum looks like a ring of hatchets buried head-down around a sarcophagus.

Runaan hears the screech of the Bloodmoon Huntress and he knows two things immediately:

she isn't as dead as he thought she was

she'll be at the mausoleum because that's somehow part of the stories he knows - he checked there for footprints earlier

Pretty sure that Kimdael's been sacrificing people on the altar of her own grave for the past thousand years, entirely undetected, and Rayla had exactly the right idea when she got her dads to help her crack it.

did the Moonshadow elves want her to be dead so hard that they made an empty grave for her?

that pairs nicely with the idea that legendary figures always get cool graves even if they're horrible assholes irl

potentially the hatchets could symbolize something historical like "Bury the Hatchet" as if there was only meant to be one generation of assassins

of note: the hatchet blades are all pointed at the sarcophagus as if it is a threat

gotta wonder if Kim'dael was ever inside it and got out, or if it was more of a "we're metaphorically burying you and yeah that's a threat" vibe

Alright, speculation time:

alternate, more complicated, more angsty idea: maybe this is not her grave, but her spouse's grave?

she has a horncuff on her remaining intact horn, and a braid, and we know those are Moonshadow signs of loyalty and affection-

okay the horn cuff I could see her keeping for centuries, she doesn't need to do a thing with it, it can just sit there, but her braid? what if

ohoho this is horrible

what if she brought her spouse back from the dead in some partial manner, and they're in perhaps not the most perfect of condition, but she is loyal to them anyway, and they still braid her hair for her

what if their death had some impact on her life choices 👀

what if other Moonshadow assassins were sent to kill them for helping Kim'dael with her forbidden blood magic 👀👀

uhhh, Briarwood vibes anyone? mmhmm same

Kim'dael as a bitter and powerful spouse who only wants to live forever in order to exact revenge for the one she loves? hngh

Yeah, that would be the bomb actually, the darkest (so far) version of true love that the TDP universe has, serving as a warning but also as a balm: if someone has already gone this dark, no one we know and care about in the show probably will.

Probably.

[blutopaz15]

Flufftober Oct. 1

Winning a Prize for the Other

Hi friends! I've been badly needing some writing inspiration, so I think I'm going to make an effort to do some @flufftober2021 prompts! Some of the other things I've been working on have been getting a little heavy, so...what a good excuse for some sweet, sweet Rayllum fluff!

NOTES: modern au rayllum + ez at a renaissance faire, 1.3k word, rated g

ao3 link

“--so all I’m saying is I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be a toad, not a frog. I mean, have you ever seen a frog this grumpy looking? Toads on the other hand--” Ezran chatted on happily, despite Rayla’s inattention. He turned the bright yellow stuffed animal towards her once more, showcasing--then mimicking--its definite frown. “Rayla?”

“Sorry, Ez,” Rayla sighed, glaring at the corner that Callum had disappeared around, then glancing down at her phone.

He’d been gone thirty whole minutes, and the more time passed, the more impossible it felt to stop looking for him...and it wasn’t just the hunger pangs that’d kicked into gear.

She opened their messages again, and tapped out the text she’d held off on sending.

Where’d you go?

She’d been scanning the crowd, looking for Callum--and their lunch--every few minutes all along. It didn’t help that every so often some other boy in blue or with messy brown hair or even once with a red loop around his neck would come down the dirt path. Her breath kept catching, hoping it was Callum...and then she’d deflate each time when it turned out not to be her dork in his prince-(but-like-not-obnoxious)-turned-mage get-up.

Rayla returned her phone back to the pouch sewn into the holster at her back and her attention back to Ez and the much-loved prize she’d won for him when they’d first gotten to the Faire this morning.

“You’re probably right,” she said, fidgeting with the tape that held her pinky finger to her fourth, regretting how the distraction of looking for Callum kept making her inadvertently ignore Ez. “A toad for sure.”

“A glow toad, I think,” he commented, holding it up for her consideration again, “named Bait.”

“That...sounds made up,” she teased. Really, she was only mostly sure that a glow toad was a species from Ezran’s imagination rather than from the near-encyclopedia of animals she knew he had in his head.

“Well, yeah,” he said, serving her sass right back and gesturing to the gold crown Callum had spray-painted for him last night. “Every king needs a magical animal companion, obviously. He even had a stint as my regent, but it didn’t work out.”

“Yeah?” Rayla’s focus drifted again, her eyes pulled back to the path she kept expecting to see Callum on.

“Mmhmm,” Ezran nodded. “He--”

The fairgrounds weren’t that busy, she thought, itching to check her phone again despite not having felt it buzz against her back, but...maybe they should’ve all gone to get lunch instead of letting clumsy Callum try to manage food for three. Maybe he needed a hand?

“I’m sorry, Ez,” she interrupted, too distracted by picturing Callum and their lunch dumped all over the walkway. “You good here if I go find your brother?”

Ezran agreed--with a groan and a remark about sandwiches that she didn’t think was all that related to lunch at a Renaissance Faire--and she followed the path Callum had taken on his quest to find them all some food.

Rayla made herself pass quickly by the booth that Ez and Callum had nervously accompanied her into so she could buy her pair of props: two blades that fit just right with the elven assassin costume she’d spent all summer saving for and piecing together.

She then happily sped past the creepy, dark shack that seemed to sell replicas--she hoped they were replicas, at least--of random animals and parts of animals in jars. On her way by, she tugged the headband holding her horns--that looked an awful lot like ones the shack had on display--back into place and pushed platinum blonde hair back behind the pointy-ear prosthetics that were starting to itch.

Rayla slowed, though, when she came to the vendors where Callum had lingered earlier, not putting it past him to get so caught up in googly-eyed amazement again that he’d forgotten all about lunch. It definitely wouldn’t have surprised her if he’d spent the past half hour thumbing through old-looking books that his bedroom didn’t have space for, or poking at weird amulets and pretty-looking stones.

But...no Callum.

She was practically back at the entrance to the fairground by the time she found him--looking somehow both determined and demoralized--back at the carnival game she’d won Ezran’s Bait from earlier.

Rayla waited to speak until he’d thrown the last dart in his hands.

“You know the food’s that way, right?”

He startled like she’d thought he might, shoulders bolting upward, and sighed as he turned to her, following her gaze down the path they hadn’t yet taken before slumping over.

“Yeah...I know.” He sounded exasperated, but the dejected look on his face cleared a little when she came closer, leaning her hip against the counter of the wooden booth.

“Well,” Rayla said, drawing out the word and tilting towards him, “we’re starting to get a little hangry back there.”

Callum’s barely-there smile twitched a little wider. “Sorry,” he said, shrugging and pushing the handful of change he’d dug out of his pack across the counter. “Got...distracted.”

“By darts?” She asked, crossing her arms and leaning back against the counter now, eyebrow raised. The attendant exchanged the money on the counter for another three green-handled darts.

“You said you liked him.” Callum looked up--above the colorful balloons he’d apparently spent the last half hour trying to pop--at the blue stuffed dragon she’d said was cute when they’d stopped at the booth the first time. “And it looked so easy when you did it earlier, so I thought I’d surprise you with a cute baby dragon when I brought the food back, but…” Callum trailed off, looking down.

She reached for his hand, her taped-together fingers settling awkwardly at the side of his.

“How very noble of you, your highness.” She tugged on his scarf, pleased by how her teasing had made his eyes roll and his smile brighten again. “Want some help?”

Callum sighed again, picking up the darts and offering them to her.

Shaking her head, she untangled her hand from his, but only took one of the three.

“Which one do we have to pop?” she asked, turning slightly to the side and lifting the dart to eye level.

“The one that’s all glowy,” he answered, pointing up at the iridescent balloon near the top of the board.

“Watch.”

She took aim for the one just below the single, solitary dragon-winning target.

Pop.

A wave of satisfaction fluttered in her chest when she let loose the well-aimed dart and then immediately turned, a hand on her hip, to see Callum looking at her so attentively, eyes wide and head cocked to the side.

“Your turn, mage,” she smiled.

Callum lifted the dart to eye-level--just the way she had--but she cut him off before he could throw his second-to-last dart.

“Hang on.” Rayla stepped closer to gently press his shoulder to the side, encouraging him to split his stance the way she had.

His eyes followed when he turned and then his lips were right there, just inches from hers. It was nothing to drift closer and kiss him softly, her hand trailing away down his arm.

“For luck,” she explained, squeezing his elbow before stepping to the side.

Callum, a little more smiley and a lot more red-faced than before, nodded, seemingly having recaptured his sense of determination. He took aim, and…

Thud.

Missed.

But...it was close.

“You should probably just do the last one,” he grumbled, looking down at the last dart in his hand before holding it out to her. “I can’t do it.”

“You can, Callum.” She shook her head and closed his fingers back around the dart. “Just...breathe. I believe in you.”

Callum listened. He sucked in a breath as he pulled back the last dart, then exhaled, and...

Pop.

[retvenkos]

sprinting through cobblestone streets |

The Dragon Prince - Callum, Rayla, and Ezra, x Platonic!Reader, slight fluff requested by @biqherosix​​

tw: a mob, feelings of inadequacy

word count: 2.3k

prompt: “have you always been this idiotic?”

A/N: alright, so i know the request just said callum,,,, and i was going for that originally,,,, but then this happened. i hope you don’t mind? i was going to rewrite it but then it was 2k words and i couldn’t part with it.

Summary: Being half-elf, half-human, there was nowhere that (Y/n) truly belonged. But perhaps their luck would change, when they run into a group of idiotic travelers about to be run down by an angry mob...

Being half-elf in the Human Kingdoms was risky living. (Y/n) had been born on the human side of the Breach, and yet, every day was a danger - a possibility that fear would threaten their very existence. (Y/n) had known very early on how to live as an outsider; they knew how to hide their more telling attributes and how to stay away from towns. They lived in secret, away from everyone else and only stopping into town when necessity called for it, but there was always a low level of risk, to their existence. Not a day passed where (Y/n) wasn't constantly looking over their shoulder; there were always on edge, even in the comfort of their own home.

(Y/n) had been to Xadia once, when their elven parent begged their Queen to take mercy on (Y/n), for they were just a child and a victim to their parent's whims. It wasn't their choice to be half anything - all they had ever wanted was a place to be whole. The Lux Aureans turned them away, and before (Y/n) could return home, they tried to run away.

They had foolishly thought that other elves would take them in - that perhaps Xadia was a more just place than their family had feared.

They had made it far, but not far enough. 

(Y/n) was brought back to the Human Kingdoms with their hood pulled over their head to hide their pointed ears. In Lux Aurea, it had been a horror that they did not have any horns. Here, in this place they would learn to call home, it was a blessing that there was less of them to hide.

(Y/n) had learned long ago to make no friends, to keep their head down and work hard, praying that perhaps, one day, they would be allowed into Lux Aurea as something other than the child of a traitor.

One day, (Y/n)'s parents had woken them in the middle of the night, pressing coin into their hand and telling them that it happened - they had been found, and they had to split up. They had kissed (Y/n) on their forehead, and it was the last they had seen of a friendly face for a year.

(Y/n) had run, only settling down to create roots when they had made it to Katolis - far from where each parent would be. They were careful, in this strange, new kingdom, settling in the thick of a wood where men rarely traveled, preferring to stick to the wider roads. For months, they lived without incident, only visiting villages for supplies twice - walking for days at a time so they weren't seen in the same place twice, and not coming from the same direction.

When supplies were running low once more, (Y/n) took the last of their coin and headed toward a new village - one further away, where no one would know their face. It had been a week's walk, but the burn in their thighs would be worth the protection. They slipped in amongst the crowd easily enough - the day was cold, the seasons changing to something with more of a bite and everyone had a thick cloak on, most of them with a hood pulled up, barely above the eyes. (Y/n) had found a villager to barter with easily enough, and it was when they had almost secured a reasonable deal that they heard the shouts that plagued their worst nightmares.

"You're an elf!"

Their blood ran cold.

(Y/n) had spun on their heel faster than lightning, their hand flying to the dagger they kept strapped to their side. Their heart was pounding with enough force to knock out any attacker they came up against, and despite the fear that struck their heart, (Y/n) kept a cool head. In a crowded marketplace like this, it wouldn't be long until innocent farmers became an angry mob, their ranks full of pitchforks and butcher knives. They expected to worst to greet them, but when (Y/n) turned, the horde of villagers wasn't looking at them at all, but three other travelers, one of which was unmistakably an elf.

"An elf? No way!" One of the travelers - a young boy with messy brown hair, chuckled nervously, projecting his voice in an almost comedic way, trying to wave off the villagers as the group slowly backed up, edging themselves towards the mouth of the street, where they might find a chance of escaping. "We're all very much human, here..."

(Y/n) slipped their bag of coin into their pocket, ducking and weaving through the crowd to edge their way closer to the ostracised group. If (Y/n) could find an outlet, maybe they could sneak off and save their own skin. But if they could create a distraction of some sort and pull the elf and her friends to safety, maybe they could be given some type of reward...

A reward that might earn them a place in Xadia.

 "My human friend is wearing an elven costume! Y'know, for... a play?"

(Y/n) sighed at the lame excuse before pushing over a street cart.

The villagers were startled, caught off guard by the loud crash and apparent destruction, and it was just enough time for (Y/n) to rush forward, seizing the elf's arm and dragging her forward out of the crowd. The boys followed in suit, and together they got a head start, sprinting through the cobblestone streets.

"Hey!"

The villagers got their bearings quick enough and were only more enraged by the idea of a chase. (Y/n) took a sharp turn down the narrow street that they had originally entered into town from, ushering the group forth. A hay cart stood in the middle of the street, and (Y/n) picked up the young boy that held a glow toad by the back of his jacket to help him vault over the obstacle. The other boy from earlier - the one with the terrible excuse, jumped over with a fair amount of success -  the adrenaline mixed with some quick thinking leading him to step on boxes nearby like makeshift steps, making the jump easier to handle. The elf jumped over with remarkable agility and (Y/n) followed in suit, the sudden movement pushing their cloak back, revealing their best-kept secret - their elven shaped ears. 

(Y/n) cursed but didn't have time to scramble for the hood, instead choosing to press forth, leading their new allies into the woods, where they had just enough time to find a hiding place from the mob, the hay cart having been the perfect barrier.

Only half of the villagers passed by their hideout, judging by the cacophony of footfalls and heavy breathing, accompanied by the gruff voice of one villager, who decided to round everyone up and wait by the main road - they would have to get out, somehow.

The group had managed to stay exceptionally still, while their pursuers cleared out of the wood, but (Y/n) could feel three pairs of eyes watching them, their level of scrutiny unsettling.

When all was quiet, (Y/n) dared to venture forth, and they found the woods uninhabited. The three that (Y/n) had saved were slower to exit their hiding spot, and when they did, they turned on (Y/n) quickly - the elf already whipping out her swords.

"Who are you?"

"You mean other than your savior?" (Y/n) said, putting their hand on the hilt of their dagger - just in case.

"What are you, then?" The elf took a step forward, her accent punctuating her every word. "You're not human, but you're not elf either."

"I'm both."

And the revelation was just enough to stun the elf, allowing the idiotic boy from earlier to step up. "Well, thank you for your help back there. Right, Rayla?" —he shot a glance at the elf and she pushed her lips together, clearly still on edge— "I'm Callum and this is Ezran with Bait. And you are...?"

"(Y/n)." They crossed their arms against their chest, narrowing their eyes.

"(Y/n)," Callum repeated, nodding his head slowly as he shot wayward glances back at his friends, who were still assessing the situation. Ezran peered up at (Y/n) with a trepidatious kind of respect while Rayla still held her swords out, her brow furrowed, mirroring (Y/n). 

"What were you doing in a human village, (Y/n)?" Rayla all but spat, tightening her grip.

"Apparently being smarter than you - have you always been this idiotic?" (Y/n) turned to look at Callum and he reeled backward, offended. "Going into a village market with an elf is a death sentence! You could have been caught."

"You went in there!"

"Because I had to! You are a human traveling with an elf - you could have easily gone without her."

Callum blinked, tilting his head to the side. Little Ezran walked up, tugging on his brother's sleeve. "(Y/n) has a point, y'know."

"Yeah, well, we just didn't think of it," Callum mumbled, earning a scoff from (Y/n), which elicited a glare from Rayla. "But in our defense, things were going smoothly until I tripped and pushed Rayla's hood back."

(Y/n) chuckled darkly, rolling their eyes, and Rayla took the opportunity to press forth. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be in Xadia?"

(Y/n) took a step closer, as though daring Rayla to make a move. "Shouldn't you?"

"Whoa!" Callum stepped between the two, gingerly pushing them apart. "Shouldn't we all be?"

(Y/n) shot him a suspicious look - one that they had been saddled with their whole life. It felt odd, almost, giving it to someone else. "Why would you be heading to Xadia? Why are you traveling with an elf, anyway?"

Callum chuckled nervously again, grabbing the back of his neck with one hand and pointing at (Y/n) with the other. "I mean, no better place than Xadia - right? The magic, the elves, the dragons..."

"Callum doesn't know what he's talking about," Rayla recovered, but there was a slight shake to her voice - a tell. "He's taking me to the Moonshadow Path - we're friends. He's not coming with me. Humans don't belong in Xadia."

But Callum winced at that, and Ezran looked down, his feelings hurt. If Rayla noticed, she found no point in disputing her statement, choosing instead to press forth.

"Do you?"

And (Y/n) thought of why they had saved this group of idiots in the first place... in the hopes that they would get the recognition needed to belong in Xadia. For a couple of humans, a glow toad, and a Moonshadow elf, they seemed pretty intent on making it to the magical world beyond the Breach. Whatever their reason, it must have been good, seeing as they banded together, despite the hatred that ran between their races. (Y/n)'s immediate reaction was to leave and never look back - face the consequences of saving these odd travelers and find a new village to buy grain from, continuing to live the way they always had - but they couldn't. For a reason that was beyond what (Y/n) had always thought to be true, a feeling that went beyond their mantra to make no friends and keep their head down, they felt the urge to stay.

Ignoring the voice in their head that screamed at them to not make such a stupid mistake, (Y/n) lifted their hand and pushed away Rayla's sword with the tip of their gloved finger.

"I don't belong anywhere. But I hoped that by saving you, maybe I could." 

Ezran took a sympathetic step forward, coming out from behind his friends, and looking (Y/n) deep in the eye. There was something in his gaze that made (Y/n) feel like he understood them, despite their lives being so different. Callum put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder and (Y/n) noticed it was in his eyes, too. They turned to Rayla, and she looked away, but there was a fury in her eyes - a familiar wave of anger that had to be righteously earned from being cast out, from being an outsider in a place that should have been home. 

Suddenly, it dawned on (Y/n) that this ragtag group of wanderers didn't belong anywhere, at least, not anymore, and were walking to Xadia with a hope that (Y/n) had lost long ago.

"You can belong with us if you want," Ezran spoke up, and his words seemed to have the conviction of one twice his age, as though he had been born to royalty. (Y/n) entertained the idea as they considered his words. He certainly held the air of a royal, and he had nice enough clothes to be in the nobility.

"Ezran." Rayla fixed him with a look, one that implied they had secrets to keep.

"They saved our lives, Rayla, we can't just leave them."

The elf hesitated, but Callum stepped forward, a bit of suspicion still swimming in his eyes, but something more hidden beneath. "What Ez means to say is that you can journey with us if you want."

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow. "And you're sure Rayla isn't going to kill me when my back is turned?"

"Not if you don't give me a reason to," Rayla said, and Callum turned to her with a poignant stare.

"We need all the help we can get, Rayla. We need to be safe if we're going to make it back to Xadia"

"Do you trust them with our cargo?"

(Y/n) cocked their head, and Rayla looked at them with a harsh glance. Callum sighed. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Alright, then," Rayla sighed, taking a step forward and extending her hand. (Y/n) hesitated for a moment before pulling off their glove, exposing their lack of a fifth finger, and clasping it with hers.

"You'll take me to Xadia?"

And Callum was the one to answer, shaking (Y/n)'s other hand with his own. "You can walk with us as long as you'd like."

-- taglist: message me if you want to be added to a taglist!