#ethari and order are both on runaan's list of likes

[thetrapperstrap]

1, 3, 16, 26

1) Who is/are your comfort character(s)?

This is a long list, so hang in there: Raine Whispers, Eda Clawthorne, King Clawthorne, Luz Noceda, Gus Porter, Hiccup Haddock, Dagur the Deranged, Zuko, Sokka, Aang, Ashton Greymoore, Orym of the Air Asharri, Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss, Runaan, Ethari, Prince Ezran, Rayla, General Amaya, Commander Gren, (TLOK) Mako, Prince Wu, Quentin Coldwater, Eliot Waugh, Margo Hanson, Revali, Link

3) Do you leave the window open at night?

If it’s cold outside because I live with people who think if it’s below 70 degrees Fahrenheit the heat should be on and the thermostat should be above 75 to compensate for “how cold it is.”

16) Can you drive?

Can I? Yes. Do I? No. Do I like to? No. I hate cars. They cause nothing but pain and destruction both to myself and to the planet. They deserve to go extinct.

26) A scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

I plan out social situations constantly so I’ve replayed many scenarios many times but a common one that isn’t just like ordering food at a restaurant? Finally being able to confront my family about all their homophobic, transphobic, racist, and ableist ideas.

Weirder Asks

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Trickster: an Ethari theory

I've had yea many Ethari headcanons, and I hope I live to have yea many more. Most of them are probably wrong, or incomplete at best. But boy are they fun.

I love to wonder what Ethari will really be like in canon when we get to know him for more than 3 minutes, but whoever he really is on his own, he will have an effect on Runaan , Rayla, and everyone who loves him, because they love him.

The first headcanon I can remember having for "Tinker" was that he could be like Leonardo da Vinci: a genius, creative, surrounded by beautiful ideas given shape by his hands, but also capable of creating deadly weapons, enchantments, and devices with equal beauty, and perhaps not really seeing where the line between them was. It was fun, but Ethari has ended up far softer than my headcanon, and I love and support him in his softness!

After a nice string of Ethari headcanons, this year I've started poking at the Trickster archetype and seeing if it applies to him. And I think it absolutely does!

Tricksters often seem like Chaos. But they're not. They're just Difference. "Chaos" is subjective. Like the "divergent" in "neurodivergent." Who says? Divergent from what, exactly? Perspective matters, and Tricksters have a very broad take on things which allows them to think outside any box people might try to invite them into.

My enjoyment of Loki has brought all kinds of ideas to my dash with the arrival of the Loki show. I've got a copy of the Edda, and I highlighted the hell out of it a couple of years ago as I searched for the roots of Loki's origin story. (It's truly fascinating reading and the symbolic language hidden inside their poetry is dazzlingly amazing and I'm super using it sometime just so you know)

Loki is a Trickster, and he's far from alone in myth and legend. Anansi, Coyote, and Sun Wukong are some you may have heard of. Aaravos is another, of course. Tricksters can be called upon to lend aid and wisdom when the rules don't have an answer for some extraordinary circumstance which the Trickster's people find themselves in. But that's not because they are truly outside the rule of order. They are actually a part of it. They are the catch-all for when the everyday ordinary rules fail people, and something "unthinkable"--in the literal sense--might just hold the answer.

This post crossed my dash today, and something finally clicked in my head, and all of this coalesced from what felt like separate places. But they're not separate, not anymore! Serotonin, baby. It's basically upped my headcanon to a full-blown theory.

What caught my eye was an answer to why Ethari's clothing is so determinedly asymmetrical, compared to Runaan's specifically, but Moonshadows in general. It's because of this:

Long protective sleeves below patterns on shoulders. A high collar paired with a bright and noticeable swoop around the neck. Fine detailing and graceful taste. Asymmetrical tunic point on the left, below broad strappy leather. Knee high boots with stylish protective gaiters.

And let's not forget the curling horns! In some comics, Loki has a broken horn. So does Ethari.

Yes, there is a lot of similarity here, but I'm not focused so much on the visuals as the reason they were chosen. Feel free to consider other aspects of Ethari's personality and how they might be similar to certain parts of Loki's. I did! But I wouldn't be me if I didn't go deeper than that.

My favorite book in the universe (so far) is Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion, and one of the many reasons why is because of her pantheon. It holds five gods, represented by a hand: Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard. The first four all have their roles and places. The Bastard--the thumb--inherits everything else. He is the god of all things that do not belong to any other gods, and that includes self-sacrificing vengeance and queerness. He is a Trickster, and his influence on Cazaril's life is far deeper than at first glance. Chaos has its place. It belongs, and so do the Tricksters who engender it. God, I love this book. Please read it if you haven't. Bujold's work is amazing.

If you've seen or read any version of MDZS/Untamed, you know that Wei WuXian is a trickster. Competent and badass in battle, but playful and teasing to the point where sometimes even he isn't sure what he truly wants, he can bring a massive amount of power and focus when he wants to. It's always a matter of "but is it important to me?"

I love WWX so much. The Trickster vibe is very apparent in his character, and in a way you just don't get in Western media. We see him on his own, and we see him with family and loved ones. And he's always feeling something so intensely! He's driven by his emotions, for good or ill. He vibes with chaos, and he will create it if it doesn't exist yet. But he will also create family from nothing, and that's something you don't see enough of! WWX is a Trickster with an emotional preference for joy.

In TDP, Ethari doesn't have a lot of lore yet. It's being Moonshadowed because spoilers for future seasons, and I respect that. The longer the wait for S4, the more ideas I will just amuse myself with in the meantime--and yeah, this is one of them, so what? :))) But we do know a little about him.

He loves music. He loves to read. He leaves his mark on things in swirly form. He works very hard, even through headaches, because what he's doing is that important to him, even though he would much rather be making jewelry. He loves taking the time to polish rough stones into brilliant jewels, and he adores big pretty flowers and had them at his wedding.

Ethari has a temper, but he also loves puns. The weapons he crafts are exquisite: "light, elegant, strong, and clever." And he knew darn well that Runaan was trying to flirt with him, but why return a sentiment he may or may not feel yet when he can play with the overly earnest assassin just a little bit first?

Okay, just... A "simple craftsman" deciding that it's going to be fun to toy for a bit with a broody assassin's feelings? Would you risk that? Ethari got balls the size of the moon, and a brain to match. When he has to make weaponry, he does not half-ass it. Ethari's stabby creations nearly have a life of their own. His creations are literally called "trick weapons." This elf is a lot, okay. And it's possible that he doesn't even know how "a lot" he is. Yet.

We're meeting Ethari after he's found something that is, in fact, genuinely important to him: Runaan, and Rayla, and Laindrin too. Ethari has found a relatively stable place to settle and find a role to adopt. I say adopt, though, because making weaponry for his loved ones is not what he grew up wanting to do. It's what he had to do to keep them safe, once he found a place to bestow his heart.

But in the show, Ethari has lost his family, one by one. First Lain and Tiadrin, ghosted. Then Runaan, supposedly fallen on his mission. Then Rayla, ghosted for abandoning Runaan. He and Rayla have reconnected now, but the rest of his family is still out of his reach. If Rayla has indeed told him, by S4, what she learned at the Moonhenge in TTM, then Ethari may parallel Rayla's journey to seek answers. But even if he doesn't know yet, and gets pulled into some other story arc first, we will be seeing Ethari without his family.

Remember the ATLA episode "Zuko Alone"? Consider: "Ethari Alone."

Ethari has chosen, for love, to fit himself into a box that wasn't of his own making. And now that box has broken. His family doesn't need him to be their craftsman anymore. Perhaps others will need him to be other things to them. Or perhaps he will know that his family does need him, but to be far more than just a maker of pretty swords. A rescuer, perhaps. A healer, a guide? An avenger?

A trickster. Capable of taking many shapes, because he understands them all. Ethari works with form and function. If he needs to transform himself, he will.

That's what Tricksters do. It's delightfully queer and delightfully neurodivergent. Ancient peoples accepted and revered the different among them and actively sought their help with things they themselves struggled with.

Tricksters are Difference. Sometimes that manifests as chaos, sometimes as genius. But if you do not love and appreciate your chaos, it will absolutely turn on you. Wei Wuxian did. Loki certainly has, many times. Perhaps Aaravos is doing so as well.

I cannot wait to see what Ethari does with his difference. I have something very specific that I hope he goes and breaks.

All this from a picture of Tom Hiddleston in his Avengers 1 Loki costume? Yeah. Because Ethari was designed to wear asymmetrical clothing, in a Moonshadow culture that prides itself on balance. Sure, there are some other Moonshadows who wear this or that asymmetrical item, and I do love to see it. But Ethari has the most asymmetrical lines of them all. The meta glee I feel knowing that Moonshadow elves are designed to hold many layers of meaning in their appearances--that the writers, creators, and character designers just flexed with them--is truly a delight.

Ethari is asymmetrical. The full and practical application of that is a glass casket, and I hope it becomes a gift that keeps on giving, because boy do I want to keep receiving it. But right now, I'm genuinely seeing evidence of the Trickster archetype in him. And I really hope it gets to come out and play.

[raayllum]

Hi everyone, and welcome to this year’s Rayllum Birthday Bash! 

As we all know, July is the birthday month for our beloved babies, with Callum’s birthday on July 15th and Rayla’s birthday on July 31st. Earlier, I presented you guys with a list of prompts to vote on to help me narrow down ones and what order they should be presented in. Unlike in last year’s Rayllum Month, where there were prompts for all 31 days of July, there will only be sixteen prompts for Rayllum Birthday bash, with one every other day starting on July 1st and concluding on July 31st. This is to give you more time with the prompts and to have a built in catch up or preparation day for the next one. 

All content is welcome for the month, including AMVs, meta, headcanons, fics, graphics, gifs, playlists, fanart, and more! The list of prompts is down below on a calendar, but I’ll also type them out for easier reading and clarity as well!

For your content, please tag it as Rayllum Birthday Bash so I can see it! If I miss something, please send it my way. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to privately message me or leave an ask in my inbox (anonymous or not). 

Above all let’s have fun and brighten up our July with some Rayllum goodness and fluff!

July 1st: Anniversary. Friendship, dating, or wedding anniversary? All are welcome here.

July 3rd: Mistake / Amends. Rayla and Callum are flawed individuals. What mistakes have they made both in show or beyond? How do they make amends and apologize (heartfelt speeches, gifts, etc.)?

July 5th: Travel. There’s still so much of Katolis and the Pentarchy to see, and we know they want to see it all. Where do they visit and what do they explore while there? Or is it about having fun on the long hard road?

July 7th: Baking / Cooking. Someone’s gotta make the food. Whether it goes well or ends up in a food fight is up to you!

July 9th: Nightmares / Comfort. These kids have been through a lot. How do they comfort each other after nightmares or cope in the aftermath of season three (or earlier)?

July 11th: Dancing. At a ball, gala, or Silvergrove forest, these two are adorable when they dance together. Formal wear and fancy footwork is welcome.

July 13th: Written in the stars. Whether stargazing, fate, or chosen destinies, these two were written in the stars. How does this manifest for them? Do they still talk about constellations together?

July 15th: Callum’s birthday. Happy birthday my beautiful baby boy! Can be both Callum focused, with a Rayllum slant, or flat out Rayllum focused.

July 17th: Domesticity. Chores, cooking, and living together at various stages of their life. We’re here for the softness. 

July 19th: In Laws. Rayla has four parents and is already best buds with her future brother in law. How does it all work out? Rayllum featuring Ezran, Amaya, Janai, Harrow, Sarai, Tiadrin, Runaan, Ethari, and Lain.

July 21st: Alternate Universe. High school, college, or something else entirely? Some sort of canon divergence? Go wild with whatever makes these two perfect for each other in any universe.

July 23rd: Gift. What trinkets and belongings do these two give each other? Can be for a birthday or anniversary, or just something special out of the blue - could be perfect, or maybe from difficult or disastrous results, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

July 25th: Growth. These two have grown a lot since they’ve met. What are some of your favourite parallels or changes? Or even a perpetually changing height difference? (Do horns count?)

July 27th: Date Night. Making time for your partner is important. How do these two celebrate date night and what are their favourite activities? Who plans what?

July 29th: Timeskip. S4 has a confirmed timeskip. What would Rayllum be like in six months, three years, or even further into the future? What changes and what stays the same?

July 31st: Rayla’s birthday. Happy birthday my sweet baby girl! Can be both Rayla focused, with a Rayllum slant, or flat out Rayllum focused.

[kiminicricket]

Swords and Opals - 15

A Ruthari fic based pre-show. adventure. friendship. bad-assery. fluff. angst. romance. and of course, Ruthari. What else could you need?

Need to catch up? From the Start Previous Chapter

Pre-warning for a little bit of Language and a little bit of kissy kissy

The shadowed figure in the doorway stalked towards him, Ethari took a step backwards, the back of his legs hitting his workbench. He was trapped. He glanced around, but the only doors in and out of the workshop were behind the figure. He took a deep breath, readying himself to scream or yell or cause a ruckus but stopped dead still when the figure’s face came into view from the dim glow from the forge. It was Runaan and he had a most determined look on his face. Ethari faltered in his movements, but Runaan kept moving until he was right in front of him, that piercing gaze holding Ethari captive.

“Did you mean it?” He asked, almost growled.

“Mean what?” Ethari asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Runaan’s hand came up to cup Ethari’s cheek, fingers gently tracing along his tattoos.

“Is there more where that came from? I made it back.” His eyebrow raised, almost cockily as he smiled at Ethari.

Ethari could barely hold a coherent thought let alone speak right now, with Runaan’s fingertips tracing his skin so gently. He just nodded and closed his eyes as Runaan surged forward and kissed him hungrily. It was everything Ethari had hoped for and his arms came up to grasp Runaan tighter as he returned the kiss, grasping fistfuls of tunic, never wanting to let him go again.

Runaan seemed to mirror the sentiment as his other hand came up until he was cradling Ethari’s face in his hands, thumbs gently tracing along his cheekbones, fingers tangling at the edges of his hair. One hand moved to cup the back of his head, the other wrapped around him, drawing him impossibly closer, fingertips grazing just under Ethari’s top and leaving trails of burning sensations anywhere skin met skin. Ethari was lost in Runaan. He never wanted to return to reality, wanting to live forever drinking from Runaan’s lips, breathing in his presence.

A single lingering concern broke through the haze and Ethari pulled back, gasping for air. Runaan’s lips simply moved from his own to his chin, his jaw, his neck. Ethari’s hand went to the back of Runaan’s head, cradling it as he struggled for a moment of rational thought.

“The others?” He managed to breath out.

“Safe and sound.” Runaan said into his neck. He kissed Ethari again and Ethari melted against him, all thought leaving him except the elf kissing him.

***

“I’ll have you know that your little stunt drove me crazy.” Runaan said hours later as they lay comfortably together.

“Crazy good I hope.” Ethari said, playing with a strand of Runaan’s hair.

Runaan leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “Crazy crazy. I was hopeless on this mission. The team leader was so disappointed in me. All this buildup and I didn’t even kill anyone.”

“You didn’t?”

“Nope, too distracted by a certain elf.” Runaan gently tapped Ethari’s nose. “I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

Ethari was quiet for a moment, letting that sink in. He absently traced the tattoos on Runaan’s shoulder until Runaan leaned up on one elbow.

“You went quiet.” He remarked.

“I guess I just don’t understand. I’m not complaining, at all, I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t even know if I can articulate it.” Runaan said.

Ethari nodded, staring up at the roof. He didn’t expect there to be a reason. Sometimes feelings were funny that way. It was enough that they had made it to this point.  There was a moment of contented silence before Runaan spoke again.

“You saw me at my lowest, and you were kind, and dependable, and incredibly smart, and funny, and hot as hell.” Runaan leaned down and planted a kiss on Ethari’s shoulder.

Ethari turned shining eyes on Runaan. “I… don’t even know what to say.” He whispered.

“What about you?” Runaan asked.

“What about me?”

“What was… how… did you,” Ethari smiled as Runaan stumbled over his words. Seeing the smile Runaan huffed indignantly, motioning for Ethari to speak.

“I never thought someone like you would even notice me.” Ethari admitted, reaching out to cup Runaan’s face.

“Someone like me?” Runaan nuzzled into the touch.

“Talented, popular, smart, handsome, top on every elf’s wish list.”

Runaan let out a self-conscious chuckle, reaching up to take Ethari’s hand in his own.

“For a long time you didn’t I suppose.”

Runaan looked distressed.  He opened his mouth as though to protest but Ethari kept talking.

“It’s fine, I’ve always kind of hung back, not wanted to be the centre of attention. I definitely noticed you, had a crush on you for the longest time, before I even knew you properly.” Ethari paused. “And then when I did, I guess I just saw through the mask. That’s when it really hit me I think.”

“The mask?” Runaan frowned.

“The ‘everything’s ok and I’ve got things figured out’ mask.”

The frown deepened. “You fell for me because I’m actually a disaster?” He clarified.

Ethari laughed. “I mean when you put it that way…”

Runaan leaned over him and smiled. “I think you should stop talking now.”

Ethari smiled back. “I think you should make me.”

Runaan didn’t bother replying and Ethari closed his eyes as Runaan’s lips met his once more.

***

Tiadrin and Lain were waiting for Runaan by the training fields. Lain sitting on a huge tree root with Tiadrin tucked between his legs. He was bent over her shoulder.

“See if you curl your fingers like this,” Lain’s hand curled Tiadrin’s fingers, and then straightened her thumb. “And then I do one too, and then we join them together like this,” he touched their fingertips together. “It makes a heart. See?”

“Uuuugh” Tiadrin let out a long groan, her head falling back against his chest. “You are such a hopeless fucking dork. I love you.”

Lain stiffened behind her, quickly turning her to face him. “You what?” He asked, searching her eyes.

Tiadrin blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She hadn’t meant to blurt that out, but now that she had, she wasn’t taking it back. She met Lain’s gaze, sure and steady. She shrugged.

“You heard me.” She said with a shy smile. Lain slid off the root and drew her closer.

“I’d like to hear it again,” He whispered, lips hovering over hers.

“I love you, you dork.” Tiadrin said, closing her eyes.

“I love you too.” His lips descended on hers, arms wrapping her in a tight embrace.

“Ahem.”

Runaan’s voice drew them apart and Lain shot him a dirty look over his shoulder as he released Tiadrin.

“Oh you finally ready for training,” he groused.

“Sorry, I uh- overslept.” Runaan shrugged.

“Oh. My. God!” A huge grin split Tiadrin’s face as she took in Runaan’s appearance. Very well put together but wearing the same tunic as the day before. And were his lips a bit pinker than usual?

Runaan frowned at her. “What?”

Tiadrin just smiled smugly. “Shall we go then?” She asked innocently.

“By all means,” Runaan indicated for her to lead the way.

They spent the morning running drills and exercises, sinking into the practiced familiarity of the movements. Movements that carried extra weight after their last assignment. Still they practiced until they could do the movements in their sleep. Until defence was second nature, and attacking quick as an asp was first. A few hours into the sparring Tiadrin whispered to Runaan.

“Someone’s got a visitor,” she winked and glanced towards the end of the field, where Ethari was watching them. “He’s not here to see me.” She said, grinning.

Runaan rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the smile as he quickly and confidently took her down until she yielded. “Who knew having your boyfriend here would be so… motivating.” She grumbled, pushing his sword away from her.

Runaan said nothing, just swung again with the practice swords. She parried easily.

“What’s that? No denial?”

“Why would I deny it?”

Tiadrin’s shriek paused all training as every eye on the field turned towards her. She had flung her arms around Runaan, who had turned the colour of a moonberry and was awkwardly hugging her back.

Lain rushed over. “Is everything ok?” He asked, worriedly.

“Yes. fine.” Runaan said. Tiadrin dropped and turned to Lain, a brilliant smile on her face.

“Runaan has some most excellent news. ETHARI!” She turned and waved him over. Ethari cautiously made his way to them. Tiadrin, finally noting that she had drawn a crowd waved the onlookers away.

“As you were folks, nothing to see here.” Several raised eyebrows, smirks, and even chuckles were heard as the assassins returned to their sparring. Ethari reached them in short order.

“Nice of you to come watch us practice,” Tiadrin said meaningfully.

“Ha, yeah I hadn’t been in a while and I-”

“She knows we’re together,” Runaan said, interrupting him and taking his hand. Tiadrin couldn’t help an excited squeal as they interlocked their fingers. Ethari blushed and smiled, his whole face glowing with happiness.

“Finally!” Lain said, reaching out to hug them both.

Tiadrin hugged Ethari fiercely and reached out to punch Runaan in the shoulder.

“If you hurt him I will hunt you down and murder you in your sleep.”

“Tiadrin,” Ethari said, a warning tone in his voice. He had no doubts that she would, but didn’t really want that kind of tension in their group.

“No no, I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Runaan nodded to Tiadrin.

“It’s about bloody time.” She said. Runaan just raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean by that? How long have you known?” Runaan shot an accusatory look at Lain.

“She’s talking about me,” Ethari said, tugging on his hand and pulling Runaan’s glare away from Lain. Runaan softened.

“Oh, of course.”

“I mean, I was talking about both of you,” Tiadrin said, drawing Runaan’s attention once more. She shrugged off the cautioning hand Lain put on her shoulder. “It’s difficult to tell, but once you get to know that Runaan’s ‘I’m into him’ face is only very slightly different to his ‘I hate this’ face and figure out the difference, it was clear as day.”

Runaan turned red and scratched the back of his neck, seemingly uncomfortable with Tiadrin’s discerning eye.

“Well, we should give you two a minute. Not too long though Runaan or you’ll be running laps. You know how Usten gets.” With that Tiadrin and Lain walked away. They hadn’t gone too far before Tiadrin turned around and made an obscene gesture, throwing them an exaggerated wink before turning back and returning to sparring. Runaan and Ethari were left at the end of the training field. Runaan turned to face Ethari, shrugging helplessly.

“I know she means a lot to you, but if a terrible accident were to happen and she somehow lost the ability to-”

Ethari grinned and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, stopping Runaan mid-sentence. He wasn’t worried about Runaan and Tiadrin fighting, because he knew that Runaan respected and valued Tiadrin, and also because even if things did get a little heated, Tiadrin was more than capable of handling herself. It was, however interesting and somewhat satisfying to see the calming effect a simple kiss had on Runaan. Ethari squeezed his hand gently before letting go.

“I should let you get back to it.” He said softly.

“I’ll see you tonight?” Runaan asked.

“Count on it.” Ethari said, smiling as Runaan leant in to give him a soft kiss. Then another. Then another.

Laughing, Ethari finally pushed him away. “Off with you and train.” He said. Runaan kissed him one more time and then jogged back onto the training field. Ethari settled on the edge of the field and pulled out his sketchbook. It was a glorious day after all, it would be a shame to waste it by staying inside.

AN: Thanks to all for taking this crazy ride with me! I’m about to start uni again for the semester so I’m going to have to leave this one here for now. I do have some more plot ideas but have no idea when I’ll be able to post, so I’m officially calling Hiatus for now. Definitely let me know if you want more though. Thanks to everyone who has liked, reblogged, and commented and encouraged this fic! Y’all turned it into what it is today.

Much Love xx

[beautifulterriblequeen]

A quick ND Ruthari headcanon

I’ve had this floating in my head for a while but I don’t think I’ve ever written it down. And I have half of a really long theory post for Runaan in my drafts, but this is about the pair of them together:

Runaan has several traits of ASD and Ethari has several ADHD traits. They’re part of a looser headcanon that Moonshadow society at large represents a spectrum of mental states, aka what NT’s call neurodiversity. (What is neurotypical, anyway, isn’t that just part of the diversity, come on) Those rituals that get us through the day are absolutely necessary to keep us all on track.

But back to the husbands.

Runaan has a singular ability to hyperfocus to the exclusion of all else.

He has a hard time with verbal communication sometimes and prefers nonverbal interactions more than other elves seem to.

He avoids most eye contact during times he anticipates the other person will be upset, indicating he’s not comfortable with handling others’ sad/negative feelings, even if he loves them dearly.

He has deep feels that motivate him powerfully, but he struggles to show them sometimes in an obvious manner.

He doesn’t get punny humor (via the Deluxe Elf Interview).

He’s Lawful Neutral, meaning The Rules are more important to him than good or evil. Order is literally one of his officially listed likes.

He wears a lot of layers and shows less skin than other Moonshadows. No one touches him first--they let him decide when touching is going to happen. Which is very cool of them, btw.

Sometimes he hides his hands behind his back, too.

And he stims with his hands when he’s emotionally worked up.

These are all ASD things. (He has more traits that I’ll go over in my longer theory post but this is the gist)

Ethari has magical forge sleeves stitched with a heat protection rune but apparently sometimes forgets that critical step in activating them and burns his hands, and then he gets really upset at himself, because of course he knows better, but executive dysfunction is a bitch.

He’s always busy with his hands, putting swirlies on everything in sight, braiding hair, making trinkets and trick weapons, etc., to keep his mind clear.

He’s very physically expressive, slamming things and bobbing and crouching with all his beautiful grace.

A good work ethic is a high priority for him (via one of Devon’s tweets) because he probably doesn’t have one naturally, but others (Runaan) are relying on him to keep them safe, and the adrenaline rush from knowing lives depend on his good work--and failure could get Runaan hurt or killed--helps him focus.

And he wears a crop top to work at his forge and around sharp implements--adorable, but not the safest of work clothing choices.

Luckily, there’s a nice list of traits they may share together that they can help each other out with, too. Things like

having a very small friend group, aka Laindrin and Rayla

the Moon being up during the day during part of its cycle could indicate chronic sleep issues for them and for other Moonshadows. Even Rayla with her incipient PTSD is having sleep difficulties.

using touch to bypass auditory processing issues

helping each other out with sensory issues because they both get it

understanding and adapting when they get into arguments due to different viewpoints/explaining themselves poorly/narrow-mindedness/getting overwhelmed with the emotions of disagreement, and taking it slow and working it through together methodically

being very careful to avoid openly shutting each other down due to RSD

As well as some nice strengths-and-weaknesses pairings, where perhaps Runaan helps Ethari set a daily schedule he can stick to, and Ethari guides Runaan through social interactions and helps him with subtle cues and humor. They’re both perfectly functional people, but like always, they’re better together than on their own, and their potential increases exponentially when they team up because their weak spots are protected by the other’s strengths.

Basically, these two need to be soft with each other because they are both highkey stressed and sensitive at all times. We see Ethari for like three minutes and two sketches, but he’s got tears in his eyes on four different occasions. And thanks to @kotikala​’s angsty assassin tears hunts, we know that Runaan is so spectacularly unsuccessful at suppressing his own intense and disastrous feels that he also tears up at least four times.

A soft team, doing their best, just like everyone wants to. And they’re doing great. Please let them reunite, they do so much better together!

[beautifulterriblequeen]

B2:S - Chapter 4

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be Viren being villainous, Rayla, Claudia, Soren, and Callum, and tons of culture clash themey stuff

and a tw: animal death, Claudia why

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

Viren's scenes in Book Two: Sky are all amazing because they're full of worldbuilding and character building details. I love to study the word choices used from his perspective. They're so tasty. Like how he forced a servant, and also Soren, to carry his messages to the rookery, so that he never had to go himself. I'm really curious why Viren is forcing a servant, whose job is literally to serve, here. He really only has to ask. Maybe he was mean about it on purpose, or maybe he picked a servant who was afraid of birds just to flex on them. Whatever the reason for the word choice, Viren doesn't seem to like servants' jobs, it seems, especially when they take him somewhere with poop on the floor. It makes it all the more ironic that he sweeps Runaan's cell clean himself, then, humbling himself before he finally figures out the mirror.

Viren's secretive, right down to his very carefully chosen words to those around him, but his true thoughts shine through even more clearly in the book than in the show. He knows he's been sneaking and hiding stuff, and he knows that some of those actions would be called treachery. Stealing the king's seal to forge royal documents is up there on the treacherous list, but it's apparently not there alone. Ah, Viren, such a villainous delight. What have you gotten up to?

The way he thinks of and treats Crow Master is ageist and classist, but certain lines also hint that Viren has spent a lot of time memorizing the finer points of proper courtesy, and he expects others to have done the same. There are many reasons someone might put forth such effort: a commoner trying to better himself to be noticed by a kind prince is a nice version. A sociopath learning to fake caring about rich people so he can blend in with them is less nice. Superconveniently, the skills a young, earnest Viren might use to feel worthy of Harrow's attention will serve him just as well when dark magic ravages his empathy and he has to lie to everyone about how dead he is inside in order to keep his position of power. Until he's not lying anymore and he straight up threatens poor Crow Master with death unless he sends illegal mail for him. There's the Viren we know and uhhhhhh

Rayla and the blue rose! It's so fun to see inside her head here. She acted swiftly in the last chapter to save herself from Claudia's sleep spell, but now that she has to lie there, that thorn really hurts! She wishes she maybe had a different plan instead of playing asleep.

I hope Rayla only calls Claudia's voice "awful" because of association. I love Claudia's raspy voice! It's so neat! Rayla immediately recognizes it as Claudia's, from the castle and identifies her as a dark mage, with a clanky-metal warrior beside her. She gets mad at Soren for apparently calling killing a sport, even though that's not what he said at all. Soren's using an unfamiliar, maybe old-fashioned term, and Rayla's taking it very literally. It's like Viren and Runaan are arguing through them. A fun little example of culture clash.

Also digging the fact that Rayla knows what sleeping breathing looks like, as opposed to awake breathing, for the purposes of faking someone out. Did she just. Perch in a tree over Runaan and Ethari as they napped after a picnic and watched them sleep, or did Runaan help her sneak around the Silvergrove to spy on sleeping elves for training purposes? Also, raise your hand if you've faked sleep breathing to fool someone. that's not just me right

Rayla's sass is a constant delight. Whenever she's up against an enemy, she is outwardly fearless and full of witty taunts and comments, and I love her so much. where could she have learned this from I also love that she can't help but flex on Soren about her technique. It seems that her attitude is part "never show fear" and part "humans are liars."

Claudia and Soren were trying to kill Rayla to save the princes from her. But Rayla was also intent on killing both of them right back. And she wasn't ever gonna tell Callum and Ez about that. Woah. First Harrow, now this. That whole "death and secrets" thing really sank in with her, didn't it? Crack voice in the back of my brain: Ethari does know Runaan stabs people, right, he does know that?

Interesting change of detail from show to book: in the show, Claudia overheats Rayla's swords with some green splattery goo from a little glass jar. In the book, uhhh. She grabs a live bird and squishes it to cast the spell. Eew. Really making a point of dark magic's inherent violence today, I see. Got it.

"Rayla, pipe down." Callum still has a ways to go on how to win friends and influence people here. Everyone's shouting, he's interrupted to save Rayla's life (or so he thinks), and when Rayla shouts that his friends tried to kill her, he tells her--and no one else--to pipe down. Followed soon by "but a 'good' elf." Ahgod. He doesn't think he's taking sides, but he's got two humans versus one elf, and he's a human himself, and his underlying biases are showing. He's 14, and he's willing to learn, though--and he really does learn and grow over time. But this version of this scene was just. So. Painfully. Awkward.

I feel like this version was part of a larger theme I'm seeing throughout the first half of the book, emphasizing that Callum comes from years of having a crush on Claudia, and it takes many scenes with Claudia and with Rayla to shift through several gears with each of them in order to facilitate the possibility of breaking with Claudia and then also of falling for Rayla, in a way that feels organic within the structure of the story being told.

Also Callum super has a type and it's Girls Who Will Commit Murder. I don't make the rules.

Rayla's defense just attacks Callum's word choice: "What do you mean, 'but a good elf'? Do you know any bad elves?" And I just. Rayla, honey. You're not in any better of a spot than Callum right now. Your mentor literally stabs people to death. You're both literally assassins. Some humans could accept most elves, but they might draw the line at assassins.

But this tiny clash in the midst of this war, this single exchange of words, is such a great microcosm, the war made personal. It's early enough in their adventure and their growth that they're still sounding a lot like their parents. And that includes Claudia! She demands to know how an elf can be good, and Callum allows that it's possible for good elves to exist, but he has to be the one to say it, not the actual elf behind him. And the actual elf behind him insists that her kind are all good, thank you very much, and implying otherwise skirts very close to "humans are liars."

It's quite a tangle, but having the main characters tangled up like this shows us that as they untangle themselves in their own personal situations, they're learning things about human and elven hearts, about relationships and family, and those things are universal truths which they can use to help them understand other people's troubles, as well as the larger issues involved in the war they're trying to stop.

Callum assessing--and then reassessing--his confidence level. It's adorable, and it serves to show that his first scrambling attempt to make peace, in which he messed up a little but at least no one died--won't be his last. He's not really sure how this is gonna go. Everything is new. But he's dedicated to peace, and he's not giving up. He did just run in between Soren and his target while Soren was holding a sword.

He keeps doing that. Standing in front of people who have their weapons raised in his direction. And he does it with a ridiculous amount of chill. Is this Sarai's influence on him? Considering that Harrow has kept his distance, maybe so! I'd love that.

This chapter ends with some fun relationship drama when Callum gets butterflies in his stomach at being around Claudia again. She tucks a strand of hair behind his ear, and he forgets all about telling her about smashing her primal stone. He instantly worries that Rayla saw her gesture, which of course she did. Callum's nervousness and Rayla's glare feel to me like they're supposed to fit into a tactical box instead of a romantic box, but I can see how it could be interpreted the other way. Callum just intervened in a fight that Rayla completely intended to end by secretly killing Claudia and Soren, so in Rayla's mind, she's probably convinced that Callum intervened to save his girlfriend's life, while he's sure that he just saved Rayla's. She's probably angry because Claudia's gesture is making her think that Callum only seemed to be trying to save Rayla when his true intention was to save Claudia all along.

Dun dun dunnnnnnn.