#the hazards of being blocked on a side blog but not main and being confused

[raayllum]

anyway because I'm seeing people (perhaps understandably!) misinterpret what I mean when it comes to the broyals angst plot line

While Ezran feeling like Callum hasn't been there enough for him as high mage / that Callum is abandoning him is not where they currently are in the text (though I do think there's some subtext), Ezran having these feelings at one point is a natural symptom / almost a temporary inevitability for the disagreement about Runaan in the first place for a few different reasons.

The first is that an argument for the boys about Runaan is the catalyst for Ezran to feel (or realize he feels) that way, not that it's where they currently are in the present at all. Because right now we know, thanks to Deep Below, that Ezran does harbour a lot of anger and resentment at Runaan (in ways he doesn't seemingly towards Zubeia, I might add, which is valid in its own right).

And how is Ezran going to feel when he finds out that Callum wants to free Runaan / has no 'real issues' with him, and Ezran does?

He's probably going to feel like Callum isn't on his side, that they're opposed. He's going to feel like Callum doesn't care that the situation is unfair, that Callum is prioritizing Runaan over their dead father. That Callum is prioritizing Runaan over backing up Ezran, over being there for his brother. Ezran is going to be searching for an answer as to how and why Callum could feel so differently, and maybe think it's because Callum lost 'less' than Ezran did, because Ez was always close to Harrow and more importantly, Ezran is tethered to the Harrow's crown and throne and kingdom more than Callum ever, fundamentally, will be.

Should Ezran not feel abandoned? Should he not feel like Callum isn't doing enough for him then? Can he not feel like his brother is supposed to agree with him and be on 'his side'?

Can Ezran not agree with Soren and feel that it's unfair (textually) that "he has to struggle through this alone?"

Nor is Callum the bad guy in this situation (jc), either - nor is Ezran, because as often times in TDP, there is no 'Bad Guy'. There's just people, and their responses to the cycle, and when and how they choose to break or they don't.

Saying the situation is unfounded or that it makes someone into the bad guy just feels like people don't understand how easily and accidentally sibling bonds can get messy, how protection can feel like a lack of trust, how an age gap sibling relationship can lead to inadvertent infantilization, how you can both be doing your best and still accidentally hurt each other or be driving each other fucking crazy because you're fundamentally different people. Or, y'know, all the foreshadowing

J: I may be queen, but even I don't have the power to stop those two once they've set their mind on something.

The brothers disagreed about whether to find the prison or the Nova Blade. We know in 6x01 they disagree temporarily on what to do with the prison now that they have it. If Viren is alive and goes back to Katolis (as I've written in fanon s6) they'll probably disagree on what to do with him. And they are going to disagree about Runaan, too.

And I like the mess, so sue me.