#ruthari dynamics

[themistdragon]

Runaan is one of those people who CANNOT sleep in total silence. There had to be some form of noise, otherwise he won't sleep a wink.

Ethari snores like a lawnmower.

#built in white noise machine #truly the best couple dynamic #tdp #tdp memes #tdp runaan #tdp ethari #ruthari #the dragon prince #ruthari dynamics #tdp headcanons

[frumdyke]

dragon prince was sad who coulda guessed

#no ruthari stuff at all so mean #and janaya are together but theyre so close to dying why is this show so mean to the gays #i do kinda live the viren and aaravos dynamic though #‘surprise that vile little beastie thats been following you around is our child. now kill it’ iconic. best divorce ever

[hoothalcyon]

Ruthari + Nonsexual Kink

After reading this post by vaspider about nonsexual kink in a romantic dynamic, the wheels of my brain began to turn before finally landing on Ruthari, and not only Ruthari, but the fact that they already demonstrate some signs of nonsexual kink in their relationship.

note: I don't think they were intentionally written this way, I'm just having fun :)

The most easily noticeable instances take place in the graphic novel Bloodmoon Huntress, but it also represents their entire dynamic as a couple, so I will go through both.

Firstly, it's easy to see how well this dynamic would fit the both of them. Runaan has an incredibly stressful life or death job where he has to take the lead and do very difficult, fatal things. He can maintain this pressure for the amount of time needed for the mission to be completed, but he can't carry that weight forever, everyday. It's been said that he is the most emotionally open he possibly could be when he's with Ethari.

Which brings me to why it fits Ethari. He is a misfit in Moonshadow society, or at least in the Silvergrove. He's "not as strong as the others", he's a creator and inventor in a friend group full of assassins. I bet he would want to feel some control and power, even if only behind closed doors, but not so specific as to only in the bedroom. And what better way to feel control than consensually dominating the leader of the assassins, am I right?

In borrowing from the original post, I will highlight these key parts: "surrender[ing] control to someone whom they can trust...because in their everyday life, they have a lot of responsibilities and stress, and going into that space where nobody can ask anything from them, where they have no responsibility to make any decisions at all, is a relief to them."

And, vice versa, "for some of us, that kind of service allows us access to a feeling of power that can be hard to access in our daily life, and that feels really good."

So, now onto canon examples...

The way Runaan goes from lightly ribbing Ethari for his over the top welcoming party for Rayla before quickly changing his attitude when Ethari gets serious and says darling...

I'm 100% imagining that the use of "darling" with a serious demeanour is one way Ethari signals to Runaan that he needs him to behave/follow his lead without question 😈

2. The market scene where Runaan is all petty and acts up, causing dysfunction between him and Rayla. Ethari swiftly puts him in his place and Runaan doesn't challenge him. He knows he's overstepped, and his dom is putting him in his place. He literally shuts up and goes all doe eyed at him.

Ok, but consider that for a second. Runaan is singlehandedly the most stubborn character in the entire show, and yet, Ethari can boss him around with no questions asked. Kinky.

3. Ethari bringing Runaan his weapons. To me, this indicates, again, that they both enjoy when Ethari wields control over Runaan's actions. He is the stepping stone his sub needs to complete tasks, he needs Ethari's care and attention. Runaan could just grab his weapons himself and head out, but he waits until Ethari has prepared them, put them in a sack, and handed them to him with a kiss.

4. Ethari instantly getting authoritative and grumpy when Runaan is badly injured, and investigating with his hands before Runaan gently lets him down.

When Runaan is injured, all of Ethari's emotions come rushing to the surface: grumpiness, protectiveness, worry, affection, etc. All the ingredients that make him a good dom. He wants to protect Runaan from danger and angst. He feels helpless watching Runaan fling himself into battle, so the moment it stops, he rushes over to inspect him for injuries and tow him away somewhere safe. He is the caretaker. It's his responsibility to keep his sub safe and healthy, and he doesn't take that lightly.

But the fact that Runaan is insisting it's 'nothing' is frustrating. He needs Runaan's yellow light signals--the soft smile, holding his hand--and also Rayla distracting them, to help him cool off.

And so I'm picturing that when Runaan is injured, Ethari has him kneel (if he can), bow his horns, and take off any clothes that are covering the injury and reveal it to him before he can begin to tend to him. It's his act of submission, of showing Ethari he is ready to relinquish control to him.

And that type of dynamic, of Runaan admitting his vulnerabilities to Ethari, who will only use this information to help him heal, is immensely beneficial to them both. Runaan gets to vocalize where and how he feels wounded, and Ethari gets to have control over healing him and being the only one who knows about these wounds.

Other, smaller canon findings:

Runaan being covered in different things Ethari has made, which have his signature swirlies on them (i.e: his bow, hair cuffs, horn cuffs). Yes, the other members of the moon fam have smatterings of these on their bodies and weapons as well, but Runaan's design features them most frequently. He's literally COVERED in them. This is a visual representation of how he belongs to Ethari.

One major exception to this dynamic is when it comes to assassin stuff (unrelated to injuries).

The way Runaan doesn't mention it when Ethari stealthily steals a sip from his tea (nor when he mentions that said tea is bad, lmao).

Headcanons:

When Runaan comes back from a mission and doesn't know what to do with himself, Ethari tells him different things he can do for him, and that helps put him in the mindset of things different than constantly training, and reminds him that he wants quality time

slightly silly hc where Ethari in his workshop and he whistles for Runaan to come down and Runaan is there in a flash to model something for him or give input on a weapon lmao

#runaan #ethari #ruthari #this is MY self indulgent headcanon UwU

[sapphicteadragon]

I do wonder sometimes what made me fall in love with ruthari as much as I did, instead of rayllum. I mean, they're pretty much background characters (at least at this stage) who had a grand total of 1 minute-long scene together in the show.

And yet I love them so much that I started drawing fanart, and not just my own stuff. Hell, I even started writing a few fanfics, which even a few months ago I had a very strong aversion to.

And I think, on top of loving them both as characters, with Ethari being second only to Amaya as my favourite, the main reason is that I find it very, very comforting.

Never before in a show aimed at kids have I seen a queer couple with so little screentime have such a beautiful, tender moment together. To be handled with so much care and love. Despite having only seen Ethari for like, a minute at that point, that episode absolutely broke me.

And reading bloodmoon huntress only solidified that. We got to see so much more of their dynamic, and the amount of softness and trust and understanding between them made me feel... so many emotions.

We've seen a lot of beginnings in the show. We saw the first meetings and initial difficulties that rayllum and janaya faced. And so, in stark contrast to that, we have ruthari. A firmly established couple, who've built a beautiful life together. Not without its flaws, admittedly - especially given where they are in canon right now - but there's something about seeing an adult queer couple living out that calm, loving existence that makes me melt every time I see it. Being queer myself, both janaya and ruthari are very special to me, but ruthari more so for that reason. The dragon prince really gave us that, and I'll treasure it forever.

So yeah, just a queer ramble from a queer soul. But who doesn't love a good ramble on this chaotic mess of a site? xD

#the dragon prince #tdp #runaan #tdp runaan #ruthari #ethari #tdp ethari #runaan x ethari

[beautifulterriblequeen]

relationship pairings, or, why I think Ethari always had to be a Moonshadow elf

Remember the ancient days when Ethari was still Tinker and everyone tried to guess what kind of elf he was? Lots of us liked the Sunfire/part-Sunfire option! And then, he turned out to be a Moonshadow elf as well.

I think he kind of had to be, in retrospect.

Let's take a quick look at the various relationships that have fostered since Rayla and Callum met:

Rayla/Callum

Janaya

Lujallen

Clauderry

(and of course the cracky Viravos)

And these are just some of the ships. TDP has a bunch of new dynamics between tribes and peoples, all because Rayla decided to take Zym's egg home to his mom:

Sabah and Marcos

Zym and Ezran

Rayla and Soren

Terry and Viren

Zubeia and... Katolis?

Ibis and Zym (sorry)

Queen Janai and Architect Lucia

These relationships all formed post-eggspotting. But relationships that already existed in the show were more homogeneous. Harrai were both Katolians...

...and Viren, whose wife was from another realm, Del Bar, ended up alone.

Thematically, I don't believe Viren's divorce has anything to do with where Lissa is from. We know why she left.

It's more that having all relationships either localized or broken at the beginning of the show - thus including Ruthari, though we didn't know this yet - does give us a pretty clear worldview on how everyone was living.

They were living in pockets, in bubbles. They were all kind of hunkered for the war, sheltering in place, trusting only that which was safest. That kind of vibe is no way to live happily. You've seen post-apocalyptic shows. You've seen Fox News. Ain't no one super enjoying that existence.

But then, one person makes a brave choice, and she's backed up by people she barely knows because despite everything they do share values. They want peace. They work together, and the world of Xadia sees them do it. They drag Moonshadow footprints into Katolis and human footprints into the Storm Spire, there's Sunfire elf sparkles on human hands, and suddenly everyone is just a little bit less afraid, because they're less alone.

Their world is getting bigger, and better, and kinder, because they're blending together and taking a chance for peace.

Ruthari shouldn't be an exception to this rule. They should uphold it and match the "Before", so that whatever happens after, with each other, with Rayla, with their culture, can contrast with it more brightly.

Ethari had to be a Moonshadow elf.

#tdp #tdp meta #tdp parallels #ethari #moonshadow elves #tdp relationships #i know i'm forgetting at least one ship i can feel it

[raayllum]

The latest rayllum anon really got me pretty upset tbh. Like if the creators didn't "give a damn" about them they wouldn't be written like that… Rayllum has become one of the major plot points of the series and they are basically the center of each other's developments being the main characters. They are the couple with the most screentime, they got the most development of all of them, the first arc ends with the epic salvation, the first comic of the series is around them, etc etc… it's just that they are written diferently because each couple got it's thing. With Janaya and Ruthari originally being the main ones, I highly doubt it. Ruthari doesn't have a lot of screentime and I think Janaya was born after Rayllum. They have said in some interviews that they "don't write" romance and are guided by the character's feelings (I can't find them right now but I read a couple when they mentionthat, with rayllum in one of them) so I doubt that Janaya was suposed to be a main couple in the first place as no one was suposed to be a couple at all. That aside, I love how politely you respond to everyone! It's great. I just wanted to add something. If everything, the biggest fans of rayllum are the writers themselves, If they didn't care they wouldn't have made Rayla and Callum so down bad for each other, s5 is full of them for example. I think people tend to miss the fact they that are best friends who happen to be in love. Anyways have a nice day!

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if I definitely agree - while Rayllum's development or meshing as a ship may not work for everyone, how much focus their dynamic gets shows that it is one of the major cornerstones of the entire show. We once again got a season where they spent zero episodes seriously apart, while literally every other pair dynamic has been separated for much much longer and/or receives less focus.

In terms of 'planned,' what I meant by Janaya and Ruthari likely being from the show's conception is 1) the Sunfire elves have clearly always had a big role to play and Amaya's plot line has been synonymous with Janai's since 2x01 and 2) Runaan's home life (and Rayla's subsequent upbringing) were likely realized very early on, particularly as it plays into the series slow burn of the coin plot line. The show has also been very clear that a broad variety of Queer rep was important to them, so I'm sure Janaya was in the cards very early. I think the latest ship to be created for the show was likely Terry and Claudia (in that sense anyway)

Like... everyone following me presumably likes and/or ships Rayllum pretty damn hard, but I don't think anyone ships Rayllum harder than the TDP crew / writers. They're insane. I love it. And I do think like - even with shows or movies or whatever that have disappointed me, it's never, I think, that the creators behind them don't "give a damn". To me, it's usually that they just cared about other things/characters to the detriment of other things/characters, and/or didn't think about the implications of those choices. But like - creators almost always care, hence why they create, and I think that's important to honour too

#rayllum fandom #thanks for asking #gantokiotourist

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Season 4 Thoughts: Ray Edition

First of all, a disclaimer: all of these might change after I watch the season a second time, it usually takes me going episode-by-episode with full context to form a full opinion. That being said, right now, my feelings on the season are mixed. I definitely think it’s my least favorite of what we’ve gotten so far (not that it’s bad! Just less good). I’ll get into that, but I want to start off by talking about what I liked:

The animation was breathtaking. Everything was so smooth, I loved pretty much all of the character redesigns, and the scenery was gorgeous

I loved that conflict between the humans and elves didn’t end with returning to Zym to his mother, and I loved how that was explored. The show continued on with doing what it does extremely well: making sure that the conflict is never black-and-white. I always thought that both sides had valid points

(Also: Ezran’s speech deserves a point of its own because that was fantastic. You could hear his anger and pain so well as he was talking about it and his conclusion that you have to hold all your emotions to move forward was so wise. Plus it being juxtaposed by the fight with Ibis... incredible)

Janai and Amaya. Their dynamic was so wonderful and sweet and you can really see how they bring out the best in each other. They had better get married and be the best queens the sunfire elves have ever known

Terry, as a character, is fantastic. He’s so sweet and devoted, the way he sees the world is fascinating, and his reaction to killing Ibis and journey with how he dealt with it was very compelling

The whole villain (?) trio was great actually, they still all have very believable flaws and are still likable despite their actions (although Claudia less so than she has been)

TERRY CONVINCING CLAUDIA TO RETURN THE COINS. First of all, because it means neither of them are beyond hope, but mostly because we’re FINALLY GETTING SOME CLOSURE ON THAT PLOT POINT RUTHARI REUNION WHEN

Bait was a little champion. His bond with Ezran in previous seasons was cute, but I adored seeing how connected he was with Callum. And the fact that he was the final push to open Rex Igneous’s door. 10/10

Ezran subverting the whole “we will sacrifice our treasured possessions to you” trope by realizing their gifts to Rex should mean something to him. I love that it was a baked good that got him to talk. Honestly, same

But with that being said, the whole season kind of felt... off, especially in the beginning. It really took a while for the tone to find its footing. The humor felt really jarring at first, and it really switched from super dark to super light very quickly (for example, two minutes of bathroom jokes and a guy coughing up blood as he dies in the same episode). I also wasn’t really a big fan of Rayla’s plotline. First of all, her disappearance was never really explained- it pretty much alienated anyone who hasn’t read TTM, and I’m sure a lot of viewers haven’t. And the way it threw off the group dynamic wasn’t fun for me. I loved the show primarily because even though there was conflict between the characters, they still bantered and fought for each other and there were tons of moments where you saw how much they cared about each other, and that was missing here. I liked that Callum didn’t forgive Rayla right away, but I really do wish he’d at least gotten a chance to explain why her leaving hurt him and have them air that out a bit, because she really didn’t seem to get it. The fact that she never apologized or acknowledged that leaving him with absolutely no word for two years would hurt... I’m so sure she’s smarter than that. I’m hopeful that season 5 will go into Rayla’s disappearance in more detail and kind of negate this critique, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Overall, I enjoyed the season, and I think I will even more once I watch it again! It just took a while to find its footing, and I do think I liked arc 1 better so far

#the dragon prince #tdp #the dragon prince season 4 #tdp season 4 #the dragon prince spoilers #tdp spoilers #tdp callum #tdp ezran #tdp zym #tdp terry #tdp claudia #tdp janai #tdp amaya #tdp ibis #tdp rayla #tdp bait #tdp ethari #tdp runaan #janaya #ruthari #ray rambles

[that-disabled-princess]

Trope Grading

Thanks for the tag @bazzybelle! This looks like fun. I have Opinions on some of these xD

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 - don't care either way

+10 -> very enticed

nope -> if it's a hard no and you'd never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you'd insta click out of the fic if it wasn't tagged

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it's conditional.

Age gap: 0

I'm pretty meh about this one, but it depends on the type of age gap. If it's Lamb/Baz, I tend to dislike it because Baz is usually 20 whereas Lamb is 400+, so. Not great. But Lamb/Braden where they're both a few centuries old? Hell yeah, sign me up.

Codependency: 0

Eh, not the biggest fan. The whole "I can't live without you" bit puts me off, especially because I'm aspec.

Obsession/Possessiveness, jealousy: nope

No. You really gotta convince me if you want me to read a fic with possessiveness. Especially because so many snowbaz fics like this are Baz getting hit on/practically assaulted and Simon is just described as jealous. As a survivor of SA myself... just no.

Now, fics where one of them is a BAMF is a different story. Those I love.

Opposites (grumpy/sunshine, etc): +1000

I am biased because this is practically my relationship with @that-one-dingus (hi, Remi 💖), but YESSS THIS IS THE GOOD SHIT. Gimme the grumpy one being pouty with the other trying not to laugh while they cuddle. Give me the ADHDer being hyper and the autistic being Done. GIMME.

Enemies to lovers, Enemies with benefits: +9

It gets a 10 for the enemies with benefits, but not for the lovers part xD Look, as much as I like enemies to lovers, reading an actual getting together fic just isn't vibing with me right now. I just want to read the established relationships fics. Gimme all the enemies with benefits.

Friends with benefits: +100

YES. YES YES YES. GIMME THAT AROALLO SHIT.

Sex to feelings: -5

Nope. As fun as it can be, this is what most FWB fics are. I just want to read a FWB without the romance bit. Let characters be aroallo!

Fake dating/relationship: +10

This is the GOOD SHIT. Gimme all that mutual pining and friends to lovers.

Friends to lovers: +100000

ALWAYS. Bonus points if it's friends to QPPs.

Found Family: +11

Yes. One of the best tropes out there. The Carry On fandom writes this so well, Bal and Nimona are great, and the moonfam is such a fantastic example as well! I adore moonfam fics because of the found family element. (And I absolutely love how every official TDP description includes Runaan in the phrase "Rayla's parents". Because he and Ethari ARE her dads!)

Hurt/Comfort: +100000

One of The Best tropes out there. There are so many fabulous snowbaz and ruthari hurt/comfort fics out there!! This is one of my favorite tropes Of All Time.

Love Triangle: -10

No. Enough romance and fighting over the same girl. Just kiss each other, guys.

Poly, open relationships: +3

Haven't read many fics with poly relationships, but I'll read them! They can have some really fun dynamics.

Mistaken/hidden identity: +7

As a lover of Nimona, Spies are Forever, and The Dragon Prince, I am obligated to rank this one high. When done right, these fics can be FANTASTIC.

Monsterfucking: +100

YEAH. Give me ALL the monsterfucking. This is a fuckin GREAT trope.

Pregnancy: nope

Not a fan of pregnancy fics. Fics with kids are fun, but pregnancy itself? Not my jam.

Second Chance: +10

Absolutely fantastic. I've written some second chance fics myself. I adore these fics.

Slowburn: -7

Meh, not my thing. I have a short attention span and get bored easily lol. If it's a one-shot, sure, but long chapter fics are hard for me to sit through, especially if I'm not engaged.

Soulmates: nope

Never in a million years. No matter how you spin it, this trope is aphobic. The idea that you're missing a part of yourself, that something is wrong with you if you don't have a partner--romantic, platonic, or otherwise--is aphobic. Aromantic people exist. Asexual people exist. Aplatonic people exist. We exist. This trope is very aphobic and arophobic and I despise it.

Enough "just friends", enough "something more", enough "something missing". I hate seeing these tropes. I don't care if a friend writes it, I won't read it. Not trying to attack those who write it, but. It leaves an icky feeling with me.

Tagging @that-one-dingus @stitchyqueer @youarenevertooold @imagineacoolusername @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists @j-nipper-95 @iamamythologicalcreature @yeonjunenby 💖💖

#i may have gone off a bit on that last one but i'm loveless aromantic aplatonic and have Thoughts

[aubenoe]

TDP Moonshadow fam HC!

Since we really don't know if Rayla’s parents are coins? (i mean probably) but this one is if they don't come back

Rayla had to explain that Runaan had to do the entrance dance alone. He immediately knew what'd happened. But they each did it and she and helped him stumble into the Silver Grove, and to the forge, all while still ghosted

She couldn't look him in the eye for long during this whole time

Ethari happened to be carrying a bundle of materials up to forge when the lotus pops up in the pond. He spills them everywhere to run down to it. He doesn't believe it, doesn't understand. But the crystal is emitting a steady, bright glow. He spends days outside, waiting, because the forge is the first place he'd come to.

It's days later when Runaan appears before him, arm slung over nothing. Ethari ran to him, crying, and hugged him. They were both on the ground for awhile before he took in his husband’s weakened state.

He knew he couldn't have gotten here alone, he knew Rayla was there, somewhere

“Rayla, where are you? Runaan, where is she?” Ethari searched for her hand. Rayla was still a bit hesitant until Runaan moves her hand into Ethari’s

Runaan was a little surprised that Ethari had done the spell to ghost Rayla. But he looked at the situation from his understanding, and he would have done the same.

They go to the Elders that night to explain what has happened, and fought for Rayla to be Unghosted.

Even after that, Rayla felt a bit uncertain with them still, still thought she felt their disappointment in her. Runaan and Ethari made it a point to begin regaining her trust

Ethari puts both of them to bed for weeks

Because his ward had been on a campaign to literally save the world and hadn't slept in a proper bed for months and his husband, who he thought was dead, had been trapped in a fucking coin the entire time

The night they are reunited, in bed, Ethari and Runaan have the soul crushing talk. The “you were dead and I wanted to die because of it” type talk. Runaan holds Ethari the entire night despite his weakness and does not let go

Runaan starts spending more time with Rayla outside being a teacher, more of the father figure he should have been even as she got older

They eat meals together, like they used to. Rayla hunts now, Ethari cooks. Runaan is still on broth and soft foods at first

It's quiet at first, no one much wants to talk much of before, but it's Runaan who wants to hear of her journey

(Ethari: “You body slammed the mage off what” Runaan: little proud little terrified. Only his eyebrows twitch)

Ethari makes new Moon Opal necklaces for each of them. They all match and these ones aren't being crushed anytime soon

Runaan is touching Ethari nonstop. Curving his arm around his waist. Kisses to his shoulder. Pulling him against his chest. He did not used to show this much PDA but he does not give a damn anymore

(Ethari is having to adjust to it, his face is only so thick)

#ruthari #rayla #the dragon prince #tdp has been alright for years now but now I have family dynamics to work with!!!!!

[dragonnguard]

I’d like to personally thank @thenerdyalchemist for destroying all my productivity by ensuring that I spend my free time obsessively listening to this song (Home by Blue October) and thinking of the Moonshadow fam. It gives me all the feels of the time they spend together, the positive impact the four of them have had on each others’ lives, and the love between Runaan and Ethari, as well as the way that they all raised Rayla together.

“I'll smile if I want to I'm not afraid, gonna flaunt it too What a glow when you're living true

I'm living for the right now I had a few friends show me how

I can't wait to see what's around the corner I can't wait to soar

Baby, I lie awake and I watch you sleeping Thinking it's the little things that make a home Like dancing in the kitchen in the pale moonlight

Only care in the world is that our kids are all right Daddy loves momma and momma loves him Tomorrow we get to do it over again

I feel like I'm gonna win And I'm as proud as I've ever been 'Cause I'm surrounded with some good friends yeah

We found Our home Something we can build for years

I'll be there to wipe your tears An anchor when in doubt An ocean when in drought

We aim for it all We lift up these walls To make this house our home”

#also if you are feeling down on life #its the little things that make it worthwhile #just like its the little things that make a home #whats one small thing that made life worthwhile today #as always im weak for the moonshadow fam #ruthari #you betcha that line about an anchor when in doubt fits my ruthari dynamic

[themistdragon]

Runaan cannot speak romance at all and always fumbles when trying to do something romantic with Ethari. Luckily, Ethari is such an easygoing person that he doesn't mind at all when Runaan’s plans eventually go awry.

Runaan: *holding the burnt remains of a cake he tried to make for Ethari’s birthday*

Runaan: :(

Ethari: Awe, you made me a cake? That's so sweet of you darling, I appreciate your time and effort. How about we clean up the kitchen together, and we go out to our favorite Moonberry Surprise bakery?

Runaan: :)

#they are one of those couples who just enjoy each others presence #no need for fancy stuff #aka my ideal relationship #tdp #tdp headcanons #ethari #runaan #ruthari #ruthari dynamics #ruthari reunion

[anarmorofwords]

Anna! <3

Okay but I noticed something odd in TDP

So Runaan and Ethari basically adopted and raised Rayla right?

So I noticed when Rayla saw Ethari again they had a similar dynamic to that

Rayla felt betrayed because Ethari helped cast her out but later after he told her the other elves didn't give him much of a choice they then had a more daughter-father relationship especially with him helping them on their way

But also I noticed that with Runaan and Rayla it was really different. Especially because he seemed so kind of (I don't want to say cold but basically that) it just didn't seem like they had the same connection Rayla did with Ethari, which was just so odd to me, especially because Runaan even said he would kill Rayla if he had to in order to complete their mission

Idk I just found that odd 🤔

This isn't really a theory I'm sorry 😅

HELLO LOLA SORRY FOR TAKING FOREVER BUT YESSS

I've been thinking about this so much when I was watching - their dynamic was a riddle to me

still is, actually

i have a couple theories:

a) one is that Runaan is simply someone who has difficulty showing emotion, that's just the way he is, and maybe parenting is also intimidating him

b) wasn't it implied that elves (or at least moon elves) follow bery strict rules and aren't allowed to be very open/emotional etc? maybe that's how he was brought up and he just doesn't know any other ways, especially when it comes to children

c) an extension of the above could be the classic "she can't be too soft, it's for her own good", aka he sees that Rayla has a good heart, and despite loving her, worries it's gonna endanger her/others. so he assumes she needs to be pushed (not a good thing from today's psychology's pov, but idk, maybe the elves don't have many psychiatrists)

those could be combined in "Runaan himself grew up in this environment, and so he not only internalised this sort of attitude towards people at large and that way of parenting and feels the need to uphold his warrior image, but also is simply a person who isn't good with feelings"

other than that... I don't know. it really caught my attention, but I didn't find a definite answer to it. hopefully it'll become clear I. the future seasons tho.

also, I guess it's important to know that we don't exactly know what the dynamic between Ruthari and Rayla's parents was, right? and how old exactly she was when they "died"?

maybe it's that Ethari assumed a role of her oatent, while Runaan became more of a mentor?

#tdp #the dragon prince spoilers #the dragon prince

[theredhairedmonkey]

Do you think that Callum might kinda become for Rayla what Ethari was for Runaan? Like, use his magic to create special items for Rayla to use in battle?

I don’t think Callum would become a craftsman like Ethari—enchanting objects or smithing magical artifacts seems to be a different skill than casting spells. While Callum might learn some basic craftsmanship, mages don’t seem to be engaged in the same work that we see Ethari doing.

But to your general question—would Callum be like the Ethari to Rayla’s Runaan—I think that, while there are some parallels between Ruthari and Rayllum (I’ve pointed one out here), I don’t think Rayla and Callum’s dynamic is simply a Ruthari 2.0.

In 3x03, through the flashback with Runaan and Ethari, we see that their character traits seem to line up pretty well with Rayla and Callum, respectively. At the time “Ghost” takes place, Rayla is quite a bit like Runaan, while Callum more closely resembles Ethari--he even has a similar scarf to Callum’s!

I think you can draw that parallel here, but if you look at the direction the story goes from here, it’s a bit more complicated.

In fact, I didn’t realize this imagery before writing this, but…there does seem to be something suggested by the mounts that Rayla and Callum each choose to ride.

Rayla’s mount is a Shadowpaw, a creature known for having a “protective and familial nature.” Many have speculated that this was Ethari’s mount.

While Callum’s is the Moonstrider, notoriously stubborn, solitary, and far more difficult to tame. Many have speculated that this was Runaan’s mount.

I think the symbolism here is that, while Rayla learns to become more comfortable in being vulnerable and accept the softer, gentler side within her, Callum learns to handle the wilder and more ferocious side of learning magic and being a mage.

And indeed, Rayla has always had Ethari’s gentleness, especially when comforting Callum and trying to comfort Ezran.

While Callum has always had Runaan’s fierce determination and a kind of steely resolve that says “no, you move.”

Soren: "Woah! Slow down there, step-prince. The king's pretty busy right now, trying not to, you know, die and stuff."

Callum: You’re not stopping me.

These layers underneath each character are what @beautifulterriblequeen has described as “very Moonshadow” type of traits.

But while Rayla and Callum have these layers within them, the former was more comfortable bottling up her emotions while the latter prefers to avoid being in the thick of the action. 

However, S3 pulls both of them out of their comfort zone. Rayla is forced to confront her inner turmoil.

While Callum has to put himself front and center against Viren’s army of darkness.

Leading up to these moments, we have the best parallel between Rayllum and Ruthari. We all know the one—the soft hand gesture on the other’s cheek.

Runaan and Rayla are letting their love know that, while they may not survive, they care deeply about their partner, and hope they will remember them should they not return.

And, at least Ethari is willing to stay behind, watch over the lotus flowers, carrying the torch and hope that his husband returns, but at peace with at least having a memory of Runaan with him.

But Callum…

…utterly rejects that peace. He is not content with settling for just a memory of Rayla. He crushes the pendant, much like Runaan does in 1x01.

In prior seasons, he was more comfortable letting Rayla run off while he remained behind. But not this time. He’s not going to leave her behind, and in the end, Rayla decides she won’t stand alone anymore.

“We should decide together.”

Callum and Rayla develop quite a bit in S3—he grows into Runaan’s fierce resolve while she learns Ethari’s emotional depth.

And this development is on full display during the Battle of the Storm Spire. While Callum fends off waves of Viren’s soldiers, Rayla tries to comfort Zym. She had to overcome her instinct to always jump into the midst of the action, taking on Callum and Ezran’s usual role of remaining behind to watch over the Dragon Prince and keep him safe.

Runaan once told her that her heart wasn’t hard enough to do “whatever it takes,” but moments like these that help show why her soft heart is actually what makes her stronger. Her emotional connection with Zym pushes her to sacrifice herself to protect the dragonling.

And when Rayla was willing to sacrifice her life for Zym, Callum was willing to sacrifice his for her. He’s learned to take initiative, to not second-guess or figure out whether there’s something he can do.

When Rayla had them dive hundreds of feet off the Ambler, Callum was amazed and wondered how she learned to do that. Turns out, Rayla had no idea—she just went ahead and did it, figuring out the how on the way down.

Callum takes that lesson to an absurd level, diving down thousands of feet and figuring out a rare and complex form of magic on the way down. He proves to himself that he doesn’t have to be content with hoping and waiting the love of his life will be fine—he can just go ahead and save her himself.

So, it’s not that Callum and Rayla enter Ethari and Runaan’s shoes respectively, nor that there is some kind of role reversal at play. Callum and Rayla each learned how to incorporate Ethari’s kind nature and Runaan’s assertiveness, without repeating either of their mistakes.

Ruthari is such a beautiful couple, and both Ethari and Runaan have many positive qualities. But neither Moonshadow elf is without his flaws. Runaan’s adamant refusal to see the conflict from his enemies’ eyes became his downfall.

Ethari’s gentle nature tethered him to the Silvergrove, caring deeply about Runaan and Rayla but unable to actively protect either one. 

Rayla and Callum end S3 with a better understanding of themselves. Ralya realizes that she has Ethari’s softer side, while Callum recognizes that he has Runaan’s more daring side. 

When they stand before the Dragon Queen, neither one stands behind the other. They stand side by side.

Because that’s how they’ll face whatever dangers lie before them—together.

#callum #rayla #rayllum #ethari #runaan #ruthari #moonshadow fam #moonshadow elves #ezran #tdp #the dragon prince #soren

[beautifulterriblequeen]

What's your favorite thing about writing elf husbands?

Trope wise? Domestic bliss and hurt/comfort are right up there. I’ve had my own husband for over 18 years now, so I’ve got the whole domestic bliss thing going on, and it’s just. it’s the bomb, okay. 

The person you trust most in this world is the one you jostle to get your spoon out of the drawer in the morning because he’s sassily standing in the way and he knows it. You give his hip a nudge with yours, he kisses your hair, you move on to the next thing, no words need to be said. You just be vibing with your other half. You know what every little gesture means because by now you’ve literally done them a thousand times.

I’m also pretty decent at patching people up--not squeamish, cool in a crisis--but my husband is usually a very stubborn patient, so I rarely get to do it. One time, though, he drove himself straight home from the middle of flag football because he’d hurt his hand pretty badly, and he just rushed right in to me, literally crumpled to the floor in pain next to me, held up his injured hand and said, “I need you.” And yes, I dropped everything to help him, but oh my god. I just about ascended. He came to me! Me, when tbh he could easily have gone to the urgent care center (and like, yeah). But no. He picked me. I was legitimately moved. And then I patched him up and made him tell me the story of how foolish he was, because a girl’s gotta get paid, amirite? (he was fine btw--that time)

It’s a really good trope, okay? *fond wife noises*

When I write Ruthari, I end up taking a big scoop of how it feels to be married this long and putting that into my writing, even if they’re just meeting for the first time. The way it feels to be married this long is very different than the way it felt to be married only 10 years, or 5, or just 6 months, or just be engaged, or just start dating. Every stage feels really different. Knowing someone this long, knowing I can trust him, knowing he’s right there, or that he’ll come if I need him, it’s ridiculously comforting. So I imagine it’s how Runaan and Ethari feel when they think about each other, only moreso. Moonshadow trust is hard-earned. But they’ve had 15 years or more to learn to trust each other. They’ve earned it, and they lean into it, and it’s there for them. Their faith in each other is rewarded.

Yep, they can still make really bad mistakes and screw up and totally blow things. They’re not perfect, either separately or as a couple, but they’re in love and they genuinely do their best. I vibe with that, too.

My favorite thing about writing the elf husbands the way that I do is that I don’t see anyone else with this exact perspective in their fics, and so I feel like I’m able to offer another facet to the jewel of their relationship and maybe make it sparkle in a different way.

I’ve never had an otp before. Never saw my relationship in any other pairing let alone myself And I’ve consumed a crapton of media. But here they are, in this cute little Netflix cartoon. Sure, I have other traits in common with each of these elves separately. But together? That dynamic? That tenderness that’s aged like a fine wine? I have no choice but to stan.

#asks #my writing #ruthari #runaan x ethari #writing

[raayllum]

So I’ve always really loved this scene with Harrow and Sarai from 2x05

and I have also really loved this scene between Rayla and Callum in 3x01

in addition to the parallel between them, which is the solidarity, support before facing a scary foe, and most of all, the interlaced fingers handhold. Which is interesting to me because while many characters show hands throughout the show, they’re the only characters and only two couples to get the interlocked fingers treatment thus far (here’s hoping Janaya and Ruthari join them someday!)

But thinking about these two scenes together made me realize that the dialogue Sarai says applies even more to Rayllum than I already thought, not just in terms of Rayla and Callum’s general dynamic, but also in the moments immediately preceding and following the 3x01 handhold

for both Rayla and Callum, as she rebukes his offer to follow in Sarai’s footsteps by ensuring their safety at the expense of his own and instead takes it up on her own shoulders, only for Callum to immediately turn around and save her right back. They’re both able to take care of their brave idiots - and I think that’s really sweet

#idk why i got capitalization halfway through just go with it #rayllum #harrai #parallels #2x05 #3x01 #arc 1 #canonsix #the royal family of katolis #mini meta #little details #analysis series #technically?? #analysis #tdp #the dragon prince

[tennelleflowers]

Here's a TDP-related question to help you not spoil SCB! Can you expand more on your thoughts about Rayllum? Also, what do you think of Ruthari? I noticed you didn't talk about them in your last TDP episode of Drawing a Blank!

I like Rayllum! The lead up to it was quick (you could argue too quick) but I’d much rather we get the “will they, won’t they” question answered sooner rather than later. 

What I’m mostly interested in is how the writers are going to handle the dynamic between Claudia, Callum, and Rayla now. We got to see a bit of Claudia and Callum’s crushing on each other with Rayla acting a bit jealous, so now that the dynamic has completely switched it’d be great to see what comes from that. Granted, there’s much more pressing issues Claudia has to deal with now than her crush.

I know this is supposed to be about Rayllum, but I just can’t help but feel for my poor girl Claudia, girl is isolating herself around bad people <:( She needs friends like Soren does. 

(But who am I kidding, I love the drama!)

Ruthari is great! I choked up at their kiss, had a mild panic attack when they showed the half submerged lily metal thing, and I will cry happy tears when they (hopefully) get to reunite in the future. <3

#tdp #dragon prince #rayllum #claudia #callum #rayla