#i am so sorry the last paragraph is one sentence but we're leaving it as is bc this was impromptu ok bye

[raayllum]

love as magic :: rayla + callum’s mage arc (s4 update)

So I made a post about this over a month ago and a much longer meta about Rayla as an agent of Narrative Change in Callum’s specific arc with magic (as he has arcs with his family, grief, also running throughout Arc 1 and 2) forever ago ?? (Oct 2021 dear lord) but this is my unofficial follow up because S4 did what I’ve been hoping for for a very long time

Which is to say rather than leaving the parallels between Callum’s relationship with magic and his relationship with Rayla as purely subtextual, it finally made them 100% textual, thank you very much

So now I just wanna scream about why this is a big deal, to me, anyway

The first is that this is not technically the first time this has happened, with three main preceding events. The one that probably counts the ‘least’ purely because it’s supplementary material (although it did help me predict that Rex Igneous was gonna eat a jelly tart like 2 years in advance so you know, can also be relevant sometimes) is from Callum’s Spellbook, in which Rayla has a note saying “Love is magic” in agreement with him (and Amaya also signs it, so future Janaya foreshadowing maybe?) as the closing note / page of the entire book.

This sentiment is of course very well reflected in the other moments that draw the largest parallels between Callum’s journey with magic and his development with Rayla. When Callum connects to the Sky arcanum, he does so propelled by love from the memory of his mother and anchored in the present by love from Rayla, with pretty clear parallels. 

And in his eyes, it is his love for Rayla that makes the wing spell work for the first time against all odds. 

Season four continues this trend, then, with the creators confirming in multiple interviews that one of the reasons Callum became so obsessive about the mirror was to distract himself, and we see this first hand in their reunion scene as he goes to his half-empty Tome of Translation, then using the mirror as a wall, etc etc. Even throughout the season in terms of how he uses his staff as well, until he realizes he can’t use it as a crutch any longer and flat out drops it to pick up Rayla’s sword.

Okay cool, so Callum’s arc with magic often parallels this relationship arc with Rayla, even into S4. (If you’re interested in how it parallels in S1 and S2 I’d recommend the metas linked at the top.) Why does this matter?

Well, it lends itself very well to the idea that while reconnecting with Rayla, Callum will also connect to the Moon arcanum in a future season (likely season five) and possibly while breaking free of Aaravos’ brainwashing. 

It also helps to balance out the negative side effects he’s experiencing due to magic use with some of the more positive ones, like the emphasis of agency in Callum’s arc or the fact it can help him protect his loved ones, like the rest of the Dragang. 

TLDR; I think it’s a great example of how relational TDP is with its story arcs (i.e. Soren’s position as crownguard is about his own construction of self and also his relationship with Ezran, reaffirming each other in a loop) as well as how the show displays that the best things or characteristics in our lives can also routinely be our worst ones if taken too far to extremes, and I just think it’s a neat fun consistency and reflects how Rayllum’s dynamic changes every season, while Ezran has thus far routinely been there to anchor Callum as a foundational > transformative aspect. 

[astraystayyh]

I finally have words ‼️ I am so sorry for how long this is

Okay okay… you hear this so much and AS YOU SHOULD bc your writing is phenomenal and you deserve each and every compliment you receive ever.

I think I’ve said this before but your ability to capture raw emotions and put them into words will never cease to amaze me. Whenever I read your works the writing never fails to make me feel so much emotion that I sometimes get overwhelmed because I’m not used to it (in a good way 😭)

Every part of volcano, every paragraph, every break in sentences, every little detail you put into it felt so personal it literally pained me to read it. During the beginning I was so caught off guard and it was only like that because I was the exact same, always crying, always being empathetic to the point it was a weakness. And I loved the the reader knew their faults, and that they were realistic in the way they denied any help even if they might’ve needed it.

Your pieces always feel real, like they were pulled from a life, a moment that was already lived and I love it so much.

The bathroom scene during the party is one of my favorites. Knowing what someone needs even though it’s the last thing either one of you would ever think of doing, and still doing it? Gets me every time. (Also making eye contact through the mirror is oddly attractive)

And confession scenes are what usually have me climbing the walls and crying but I think the conversation in the elevator was what really got me? Han being openly worried, and reader denying it and him was a little too relatable ‼️

Screaming in the rain. 100% better than therapy (source? trust me) I liked that part a lot, I used to sit in the rain, sometimes I’d lay down if I was feeling worse, and just close my eyes and listen to the rainfall. I love rain because it’s relieving, I love rain because it makes the pain feel invisible.

There’s so much more I could say about this fic, but I think I should stop for now 🥲 but just know I love your writing a bunch, I love being able to feel emotions I’ve never felt before, and like why am I crying??? They just confessed!??

PLEASE NEVER APOLOGIZE i am reading this kicking my feet and giggling PROMISE

:"))))) i still can't wrap my head around the fact something i wrote made u feel sm like this is peak compliment to me thank u so so much ☹️☹️☹️☹️

"your pieces always feel real, like they were pulled from a life, a moment that was already lived" wah this is so beautifully written and it made me very emotional,,, i always leave small parts of me in every fic i write (for instance i relate to the sensitive bit in volcano) so i love it when ppl say they relate as well, i try to make the fics feel as human as possible, because we're all flawed but it doesn't make us any less beautiful or deserving of love, yk?

IM GLAD U LIKED IT!!!! i love the eye contact through the mirror too.. the tension it holds 🤭

and yes!!!! rain is such a powerful release i love it sm so IM VERY HAPPY U LIKED THAT SCENE!!!! i need to do this when it finally rains again for me :")

thank u so much for sending this in, u are so sweet and this made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. thank u thank u honey <33333