With Soren growing to be so much more protective of Ezran this season (even paralleling some prior broyals scenes from S1) and Rayla choosing Callum in coming back at all, but not enough to not go after Viren again... Given what Aaravos said in S4 and that he saw Rayla be the only one to approach Callum in the antechamber / her worry as she caught him, I think we’re going to get a scene at some point where Aaravos pits Love vs Duty against each other as much as they possibly could be, with Rayla. She wasn’t even willing to cut a deal with Claudia for a safe transfer for the coins. But for Callum?
We know that Aaravos can puppet Callum with very little fuss. We know, despite his serious fears and reservations, he’s held onto the cube. We know that Rayla is far more cynical and jaded than she was before (“We can’t save everyone. There’s too much at stake”) while maintaining a strong optimistic thread with Callum, in spite of all his anger (“It’s okay Callum. Whatever you have to say to me, everything will be fine”).
Which is to say: if it’s Callum’s life vs the world, the safety of the world vs Rayla having to kill him - what could be a greater Test of Love than that? And we know of course that Rayla would never, even if Callum was begging her to. She’d choose him over her mission in a way that can’t be taken back
Her Heart or Xadia, and we all know what she’ll choose
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Eddie cooks and Steve doesn't is a rule in their house.
Eddie is an amazing cook. He sucks at baking because he always stops following the recipes, but cooking??? Eddie could be a chef with how delicious the food is. Eddie learned how to cook out of necessity, and quickly found he actually enjoyed it. Eddie just gets distracted and lazy, tending to go for the quicker options that are still tasty. Put everything in a crockpot and push a button? Sign him up! Throw everything in a stew and stir it? Hell yeah! if he imagines he's making potions for a group of travelers well who really needs to know.
Steve, on the other hand, can't cook. He burns every thing he has ever made. He never really learned how, as when he had to take home ec in school he spent most of his time talking to Tommy and Carol. His dad had told him cooking was "a woman's job"- Steve wishes he could go back to his younger self and punch him for ever listening to his dad's misogynistic bullshit (hell, he would even punch his dad). Steve stuck to sandwiches and cheap frozen dinners, but most nights he bought fast food. It was easy and he always had money for it. He always made up for it by being active in sports (and he wasn't a total fiend he knew enough about health, some days he ordered a salad and grilled chicken sandwich instead of a burger and fries. He always drank diet soda, claiming it was healthier).
Steve never realized Eddie could cook. Steve had lamented over how he's a terrible cook, to which Eddie replied "oh me too". So, Steve had decided to try and cook Eddie a meal for their date one night. Of course day of, he may have set the oven wrong. And he maybe didn't know to cut the potatoes for mashed potatoes and just stuck them whole in a pot with milk. Eddie had come over early and they were kissing when a beeping noise was heard. The smoke detector going off is what alerted them to something being amiss. Eddie had taken one look at the burnt chicken and the smoke rising from the oven and immediately decided Steve was never cooking again. His eye twitched as he had lifted the lid on the pot, seeing a whole ass potato sitting in milk that was sticking and burning to the bottom of the pot, and slowly lowered the lid. Steve had tried not to cry, unable to look Eddie in the eyes as they opened windows to let the smoke vent out. Eddie had kissed his forehead and went to the fridge to see what was available. Eddie ended up making cheesy scrambled eggs, pancakes, and ham. Steve was still upset, disappointed and mad at himself. He took one bite before freezing and then looking up at Eddie. "Does it not taste good?" Eddie had asked. "It tastes like...betrayal! You know I can't cook and don't even mention you're a fucking wizard in the kitchen?" Steve had mock glared at him. "Oh excuse me, well you shouldn't have betrayal," Eddie went to grab Steve's plate and narrowly missed the fork that Steve had tried to stab at his hand, "You can take this food from my cold dead body!" Eddie had went to say something but Steve hunched over it and said "My precious" before shoving food in his face like a gremlin. Eddie's heart had soared at the fact that Steve had made a reference to something he knew Eddie liked even though he never read the books. Steve's heart soared at the fact that they wouldn't have to live on fast food and thought thankgodsomeonecanactuallycookthisissogoodholyshit.
That was the date that cemented the rule that Eddie is the one who cooks.
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Extremely in love with the idea of a time loop scenario for submas, because PLA made it just so PERFECT for them. ♡♡♡
I love thinking of it from Ingo's POV because that would be so confusing. Like he goes to bed with Emmet totally normal and fine one night, and the next morning, the change is just so. STARK.
Emmet looks exhausted, in a way that Ingo has no idea how to deal with, because it doesn't look as simple as Emmet not having slept well. He's tired in a way that sleep won't fix, he's listless, he's quiet, all of his energy and chipper attitude that Emmet usually displays even in the early hours of the morning has been completely sucked away and left him looking hollow and empty.
Emmet seems resigned to something, and Ingo has no idea what it is or what to do about it.
Ingo himself has had a strange anxiety lately, something he's left unspoken so as not to worry his darling brother, an odd ominous sensation that haunts him constantly, but all of it goes on the back burner immediately. It's probably nothing. It's certainly not his main concern anymore.
His day only gets weirder as it goes. Not only does Emmet evade Ingo's questions trying to figure out what's wrong with him, he also refuses to explain odd things that he shouldn't have or know. Ingo finds a pokeball that doesn't match any of their team, it's one he's never seen or even heard of before, gold on one side and silver on the other-
Emmet lays his hand over Ingo's, carefully takes the pokeball from him, quietly tells him not to worry about it. Everything will be ok. Emmet will explain everything, he promises. But later...ok?
Ingo doesn't push. Emmet goes back to cooking breakfast. He somehow manages to make exactly what Ingo's craving.
÷÷÷
When they get to Gear Station, Emmet asks to do the multi train instead of running their own separate lines, and Ingo is so distressed about Emmet's behavior so far that he doesn't have it in him to refuse. Ingo would do just about anything right then to see Emmet actually smile, not the crestfallen, stitched-on expression that's been fooling everyone else all day.
Emmet goes on to correctly predict every single pair of trainers they face that day, to the point that it becomes uncanny. He's always been an extremely able battler, Emmet has excellent intuition and he can quickly adapt to almost anything thrown his way. Ingo has always admired and been so, so proud of him.
But that's a little different from Emmet adjusting to a trainer's attack pattern before they even toss out their pokeball.
Over their lunchbreak, Emmet doesn't leave Ingo's side for even a moment, much as he's done for the entire day. They normally stick pretty close together, they prefer to function as a pair after all, but there's a strange desperation to it today. Emmet pulls out the lunches he'd made that morning; it's all of their favorites.
Ingo watches Emmet savor it like a last meal.
And then, that night, at the end of their shift, well after dark when the hour is closing in on midnight. Ingo gets a message that a bright light was seen down in one of the abandoned subway tunnels. Must be a flashlight; a trespasser, probably. Ingo turns to tell Emmet to go home without him; Ingo is the night owl between them and Emmet has had an off day. He deserves to go home and rest, Ingo will be home as soon as he's done with some more work.
Ingo has no more opened his mouth when he realizes Emmet already has all his things gathered and is taking his hand. "I'm going down with you."
Ingo hadn't told him about the message yet. He shouldn't have known.
÷÷÷
The whole way down the tunnels, Emmet has a vice grip on Ingo's hand, fingers laced tight together. He barely even seems to investigate, he just kind of walks with Ingo, pace slower than usual, always watching their steps.
Ingo sticks his head around a corner to check for intruders, and hears a quiet intake of breath behind him before the hand in his suddenly redoubles its grip.
Ingo turns around. Emmet is looking down. Ingo follows his gaze.
There is light. Bright, searing, white light, that is not Emmet's flashlight, not Ingo's flashlight, but is wrapped around Ingo himself, coming up from the bottoms of his shoes.
Ingo tries to jump back but finds that he can't move, he's rooted to the spot, there is light pouring out of him and flooding the ground, spreading outwards, lapping at Emmet's ankles who is suddenly right up against Ingo and holding onto him like he might disappear.
"I am sorry. Ingo, I am so, so sorry." Ingo pushes at Emmet's arms, but he won't budge, he won't get out of the way- "I tried. I really did!" the light wants Ingo, just him, he can feel it, Emmet needs to get away from him- "Many, maaaaany times!" he has no idea what he's talking about but he can't let Emmet be collateral, he can't, he can't, Ingo shoves at him again, harder, Emmet stubbornly clings on, Ingo's panic is rising like the tide, like bile in his throat, only growing more desperate in the face of Emmet's disarming calm, the light is obscuring everything, warping it, twisting it- "But I could not keep you here with me."
Everything, all of it, his entire world turns violently on its head, and when the light finally lets him go, Ingo sees bright blue sky all around him. Emmet looks up at him, the force of the shift having put them at arm's length, but unable to break their grip on each other. He can see the entire expanse of the landscape sprawled behind his brother, far far below. Pinpricks of tears bubble up from Emmet's eyes and spatter against Ingo's cheeks as they hurtle like a comet towards the ground.
"So let's Fall together."
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