#tdp 4x01

[lunanightriderofthecove]

The way Callum's voice breaks when he's worried about Ezran 🥺

[self-spaghettification]

THE AARAVOS-IFICATION OF HER HAIRCUT TEXTURE IN S4 OMG

[raayllum]

Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.

[tdpgifs]

callum drawing runes through arc 2 (s4)

[booasaur]

The Dragon Prince - 2x01 || 4x01

[lawchan89]

Okay folks I’m ready for tonight and next week

[ftvs-cm45]

Janaya Kisses in the Mystery of Aaravos (S4)

[atesan]

Our first order of business is welcoming our new council member to his first day.

THE DRAGON PRINCE 4x01 - Rebirthday

[rainwalker-dragonblade29]

I love this Claudia moment... it's so... Claudia

[shadow-and-purgatory]

You want to know something I REALLY loved in TDP S4 4x01 that nobody’s mentioned yet (as far as I’ve seen)? They have their own song they sing at birthdays. I LOVE that detail. It just. Adds to the feeling that the world of the dragon prince feel whole, and real, and has its own little personal rituals! And it’s a fun scene! Nobody’s in tune, barius is getting really into it, they’re not even singing it at the same pace! And we recognize it for what it is, but it’s still its own thing! And it’s really good!

[lunanightriderofthecove]

Amaya attacking the elves, thinking it was an ambush, could've been prevented by a simple warning of "whatever happens next, it's not an attack" or something similar.

[self-spaghettification]

"Ugh! I should just seal this whole place up, Angus!" he declared, sniffling, to the spell that wasn't there anymore. "The whole dungeon and everything in it.

Everything down here-it's all horrible. I should just lock it all away, forever.

That's the best thing to do-right?"

- Inheritance

“That’s why it’s called Inheritance.

He’s inheriting a position with a storied history of its own, and he’s inheriting a literal thing from his predecessor, that we the audience know to be…quite a burden, and he doesn’t know that yet. So if he has no concept of what he’s inheriting, how can we expect him to react to it with the same awareness and care that we as the audience would?”

[with most of viren’s old stuff,] he seems to reject a lot of it…. like “no no no no, i don’t need to carry any of this with me, i’m gonna seal all of it up forever, it’s done.”

“however, there is one thing he cannot leave alone, and that is the mirror. and i think it’s ..interesting that it has this power that compels him as…a mage. it’s something that he can’t seem to resist.”

—Interview with Devon and Kris

“Aaravos chose as his instruments people who had strong minds and strong hearts, but who had an insatiable thirst and fascination with magic. Aaravos could offer them access to the great mysteries of the universe.”

This cube is an ancient relic that has been passed down through the ages. It belonged to an elven wizard in Xadia, the Archmage Aaravos, a master of all six primal sources. It is hidden in a box of keys because it is known as the"Key of Aaravos" and legends say it unlocks something of great power in Xadia. Perhaps it will be you, Callum, who discovers the key's secrets.

“…and my favorite, the human mage…”

mages were his prey.

“in the name of love, you may perform acts so unforgivable, you will never forgive yourself.”

“destined to fall right into my hands.”

THINKING SO HARD ABT THIS

callum should get a little villain arc as a treat

i think

probably in the name of protecting rayla we’ll see

[raayllum]

Claudia and Terry (S6 theory / spoilers)

So we know from 6x01 that Claudia and Terry break up (to put it mildly) with Claudia deciding that Terry is never going to leave her, because she's going to leave him first, infamously after this clip from the very teaser

And we have confirmation from people who have seen 6x01 at cons that the Claudia and Terry moment pictured below is not from 6x01 despite 1) being the two together and 2) presumably on the same beach.

We can also see this is night fall and that Claudia's clothes are hung up, presumably washed and drying to deal with all the blood.

So I got two theories:

It's a flashback Claudia is having (or a dream) of Terry taking care of her that first night at the beach in 5x09, and the bloodied clothes are removed to help her warm up and because of the loss of her leg. Think contrast / reaffirmation of what she just left behind vs the loneliness she now feels (before Aaravos swoops in)

Alternatively, and more interestingly (to me, anyway), the other consideration is that Claudia goes back to Terry post-6x01. But why? She seemed pretty adamant, and put effort into actively leaving even while Terry profused love and support for her (hi Rayllum parallels, we meet again), and we need Claudia to be on her own in order for her to fully be in Aaravos' grasp; that has always been very clear. So what gives?

Well, picture this. Claudia stalks off from the beach, angry, bitter, bleeding. Eventually she has to take more of a break, or breaks down in tears again, and she hears Aaravos speaking to her ("Claudia, Claudia, I'm here") and he gives her an idea. A plan. He convinces her that she can go back to Terry without opening her heart, that she doesn't have to fear pain or abandonment if she keeps one foot (her only foot?) out the door, and she can't be left if she closes off her heart, right?

It'd be especially cruel, mind you, to go back and accept Terry's love and aid because you've convinced yourself it's okay to use him. But he seems to apparently be having some kind of breaking point with her during the spell she's doing, perhaps when the truth of what they've become (in general) and what he's been complicit in is crashing down on him, so...

Terry internal turmoil arc back on the table? For me?

[theredhairedmonkey]

Callum’s Dark Side

At this point, we’ve all probably seen the 4x01 (some of us maybe several times lol), and so we’ve seen just how much all the main characters have changed. But in particular, we got to see just how...testy Callum can be. 

And it is equal parts awesome, and equal parts terrifying.

Before I get into what this all means, it’s probably worth breaking down just why this is all pretty worrisome behavior for Callum,

The second he overhears Soren try to exclude him (”After Callum’s gone, should we talk about...”) he knows something is up, and he’s unconvinced by Soren’s bluff.

Now, does he do the normal thing of confronting Soren right then and there, in front of everyone, and try and ask to get him to tell the truth? Noooope. Instead, he waits until the meeting is over, waits until some time has passed, waits until Soren is by himself, then surprises him just to through him off his game...and then asks hims to tell the truth:

Callum: What’s going on Soren? The secrets, and the whispers, and the hush-hushy stuff at the council meeting. You’re going to tell me.

That last sentence is the kicker. He’s asking, but he’s not really asking. One way or another, they weren’t leaving until Callum was satisfied.

When I looked at other people’s reactions, someone had compared Callum’s behavior to a bird of prey, like a hawk or a falcon, waiting from a high perch for a moment of vulnerability, and then pouncing at the right moment.

Fitting, considering his Arcanum. 

Now that we’ve fleshed this out, it’s time to think about the cherry on top: this isn’t out of character for Callum.

Callum isn’t displaying any new character traits. What the story is doing is taking all his older traits that made him into a hero and then turning them on their head--suddently, every single trait that made Callum into a hero start to make him show his dark side.

In the first three seasons, TDP did a good job laying out just what kind of person he is. Callum is loyal (to a fault)

Fearless when it’s time for action.

And impatient with the ones who doubt him.

The issue is now these traits are on full display when Callum is not doing something heroic. Now his loyalty to Ezran makes him hyper-concerned about any and all threats to him. His fearlessness makes him more confrontational and aggressive than it does make him brave. And his impatience make him, well...

...scary.

Now if we combine the above with Aaravos’ manipulations, that builds for a pretty tense character arc for Callum that could go either way.

And I for one and here for it 😎 😎 😎 

[booasaur]

The Dragon Prince - 4x01

[lawchan89]

Emotional Damage

Part 6 of the Rayllum Whumptober Series

Summary: Callum had never attempted the Pax Partans spell before, but he was willing to try anything to solidify the shaky ground his and Rayla’s relationship was on. What resulted was nothing they expected yet perhaps exactly what they may have needed.

Rating: General Audiences

“Are you sure this is gonna help?” Rayla asked, seating herself across from Callum in the middle of the carpeted floor in his high mage chambers.

“No,” Callum replied honestly as he adjusted the candles he had set up around them to relax the atmosphere. “But it can’t hurt to try. I did a lot of meditation spells while you were…” He cleared his throat, “When I was alone.”

“And this is gonna let us meditate together?”

“Basically. Once I draw the sigil, you need to take my hands before I say the trigger words. Otherwise it kind of defeats the purpose.”

“I dunno,” she shifted uncomfortably in her spot. “This isn’t like a mind-readin’ spell or anythin’, is it?”

“Rayla, do you really think I would do that to you?” He sounded hurt, as he so often did whenever they tried to hold a conversation for any length of time. Ever since they had reunited after so long. Over two years. Seven hundred and fifty days— Callum knew, he had counted. And now to see her sitting here with him again, it felt as if no time had passed at all, but at the same time seemed as tepid as the first few days they had met. Callum hated feeling this way around her. Someone he loved with all his heart, even after all this time, and knew he always would.

Continued on Ao3