#with a bit of rayllum at the end. as a treat

[raayllum]

Loyalty and Love :: A Miyana Meta

In S4 and S5, one of the most interesting side characters introduced, upon further reflection, has definitely been General Miyana of the Six Horns. Although mostly there to be a trusted confidant and sounding board for Karim, in S5 she's allowed to be a lot more active and interplay a lot more with themes the show is steadily more explicitly exploring in regards to love and loyalty, which is what I'm gonna talk about today.

So without further ado, let's get into it.

The first time we see Miyana is in the tent with Karim for Janai and Amaya's initial engagement announcement / celebration.

It is worth noting, I believe, that Karim initially didn't want to tell Janai about is concerns over her marriage, but Janai urged him to be honest with her about what was bothering him. (Talk about a catalyst for unwanted consequences). Given that Karim is clearly close to Amaya to have seen her effect on Amaya ("Well sister, it can finally be said: you have met your match... Janai, I have nothing to criticize about Amaya. I love Amaya! She is strong and funny, and she makes you happy") as well as for Amaya to consider the marriage merely "officially" making him her little brother. Miyana and Karim might've shared similar reservations and worries about the humans' continued, growing presence in 'New' Aurea, but we simply don't know enough to say; perhaps she brought muttering from the other Six Horns to him, and that was the initial seed (or the other way around).

When the incident with the architect and the Soul flame candle happens, though, Karim starts to lose his impatience.

K: This is the problem! Like all the other humans, even your wife-to-be thinks this is a joke. [...] You know what must be done. Call a Tribunal of the Six Horns.

And this is also where we start to see the political implications of Miyana and Karim's relationship. But first, a few assumptions:

Miyana is close enough to the queen to be sent to report news to her, something we see only Kazi and Gren do to either Amaya or Janai (5x07)

Janai trusts Miyana with the Sun Seed and is comfortable operating on a first name basis (5x07), particularly in Amaya's absence

Miyana leads the lineup of the Six Horns, likely indicating either senior-ship or authority among the group

Karim and Miyana have likely been together for a while, but are seemingly not wed. Janai refers to him as "kid brother" which indicates a more prominent age gap between the siblings (anywhere from 7-10 years in my experience) and does not mention Miyana when she says, "I'm supposed to criticize your love life, not the other way around" (4x02)

Either Karim and Miyana have kept their relationship entirely secret, or Janai knows but does not disapprove, and assumes she still has Miyana's loyalty due to her continued presence at camp even after Karim's exile / not helping him when he asked in 4x09. I personally lean toward her not knowing due to their late night scheduled rendezvous, but you can interpret it both ways

Either way, they clearly care about keeping their relationship secret as when he goes to her quarters in 4x08, Miyana says, "What are you doing? We shouldn't be seen together" (showing that they are both politically minded enough to be willing to stay a secret for no other apparent reason, too).

Given that Janai and Miyana have both worked as prominent generals and her close relationship with Kairm, Miyana has likely known the Sunfire royal family for some time (possibly since childhood)

Miyana is not the first to cast judgement, either, at the trial's end, with everyone else changing their fire first. (This could indicate the opposite of what leading the line did, and that she is in reality the lowest of the Six Horns, or could not be custom at all - who knows?)

After all, we know the outcome Karim wants - punishment and "justice" and that by calling the Horns, he will likely get what he wants, as he knows Miyana will likely side with his choice as well. This is supported in canon since the Horns likewise unanimously vote that Lucia is guilty even with Amaya's testimony; it is singularly Janai's decision of what she is being sentenced to that spares her.

It's implied that when Karim left the tribunal angrily, he was waiting at the wall to meet Miyana when Janai intercepted him, given that it's his and Miyana's meeting spot later than episode, and she playfully chides him for being late.

Miyana doesn't seem particularly upset herself about anything that happened at the Tribunal, even if Janai certainly didn't go with what sentencing Miyana had had in mind when choosing guilty as a verdict. She also doesn't seem super shocked that Karim is going to well, conspire to go against his sister (which is treason) but to be fair, she is mostly there to 1) establish that they're in a relationship and 2) so Karim has an excuse to say his thoughts out loud so the audience can hear them. You can, however, also read this very laid back reaction as one of well - future loyalty, as we'll soon see, but also perhaps a sign of caution, which is Miyana's most valuable trait in contrast to Karim's more impatient nature. And if the previous implications are right - Miyana and Karim both putting their political power over being open about their relationship, it would make sense that they must politically agree / have values that align beyond just "your values should match up when someone is your partner" y'know?

"These things take time." This is, of course, the last thing Karim wants to hear after learning about Janai's 100+ year plan to restore their people's peace and security, a day that neither them nor their potential children will leave to see, so he doubles down accordingly.

Miyana being more cautious/patience makes sense, too, given that she's not nearly as irate about Janai and Amaya doing well, anything, at this point as he is.

Miyana's emphasis on "Did he win?" (a focus on securing victory and hedging your bets/choices correctly) over Karim's "He did, but the point of the story is not who won. The duel stopped the war" and stopped the clash between siblings, which is ultimately what Karim wants. He never thinks that Janai will accept the duel, but that she will abdicate, leave with her wife, and they can both get exactly what they wanted, particularly since as Janai said, "I never wanted to be queen" (4x02) a perspective that has changed because of the Tribunal he urged her to call and because of her growing bond with Amaya (4x08).

So by this point in the story, we know that:

Miyana is close to the royal family

She cares about her own political values and power enough to be willing to hide her and Karim's relationship for their mutual political gain, particularly in situations like the Tribunal

She's caring, patient, and less irritable than her partner

She's cautious and plays the long game - not stepping in to help Karim in 4x09 when she sees the tide has already turned against him, knowing she'd be more valuable remaining at camp until she can make her own play

She thinks through more of the angles (such as questioning what will happen if Janai accepts the duel, which Karim never really considers as an option)

S5 doesn't really give us any new information - it just doubles down on all of these, but allows her to do so independently without Karim's own pushing. Rather, Pharos arriving and almost implicating her serves to tell her what Karim wants, even if she doesn't know why yet.

This 'demand' tells us more about Karim in some ways than it does Miyana. It shows that he misses her, it indicates that he trusts her still which this episode later proves, and it's a way to give her an excuse to see him again, which we know he desperately wants (but we're gonna talk a lot more about their final scene, just you wait) that she may not be able to take without causing suspicion otherwise.

It's also why he cries when she does show up in 5x09, because when she didn't in 5x08, he thought she'd truly betrayed him and changed sides (hence why he was maybe more angry at Janai and Amaya than he previously ever had been before, given what he'd 'lost' to them), believing retrospectively that his love had truly forsaken him.

But she hadn't. Because she betrayed Janai instead.

Karim isn't in a particularly good place at the end of season four, either, with losing his duel (but having his life spared) and his political machinations and future for his people blowing up in his face. But he's in an undeniably worse one (at first) in 5x09, having tried to legitimately kill his sister (which wasn't the initial plan in 4x09) and failed, enlisting a dubious assassin who also abandoned him when it suited her, getting his ass kicked by Amaya, his plan to heal Sol Regem and get his aid indefinitely stalled without the sun seed, losing the love of his life, and losing his mother's ring, to boot.

It is quite literally only because of Miyana that absolutely anything gets turned around and even before Miyana reveals that she's absolutely changed the game in his favour, Karim is still emotional and overjoyed to see her (and we start to see their, let's say Parallels, come to light...)

Amaya: You abandoned him. You broke his heart.

Callum: Well, some things have changed, but not everything: I would do anything for you.

Opeli: Don't you want to know what she was up to? Why she did all this? Callum: If she didn't tell me, she has a good reason. [...] Rayla, I was wrong. I waited too long. I hope you know—

In spite of less than ideal appearances, in spite of perceived or actual abandonment, in spite of apparent indifference, they've stayed loyal to one another through everything. As they clarify tearfully to themselves, Miyana's Love for him is Synonymous with her Loyalty. They are one and the same.

You might say that she would Do Anything for him. Even when quite literally everyone and anything else turns against him, she is in his corner - and makes all the difference. I dunno about you, but I kinda have to respect it.

Which, okay, yeah Miyana is loyal to Karim because she loves him. Duh. Why does this matter thematically? How does this develop one of the other major explorations / notions of the season? Well...

(Cut lines from Finnegrin's Wake) Finnegrin to Callum: Seems to me that love's got a tighter grip on you than those chains round your wrists. So I'll do you a favour and set you free.

A slave to your loyalties.

Your loyalty? My love.

Interesting, don't you think?

TLDR; Miyana's love and loyalty to Kairm helps reinforce the "in the name of love" motivation that we increasingly see the main cast be embroiled in over the course of Arc 2, for better or for worse, with interesting implications for her history with the Sunfire Royal Family, and possible reaffirmation setup for Callum and Rayla moving forward.

#tdp #tdp miyana #prince karim #miyana #the dragon prince #karim x miyana #analysis series #s4 #s5 #arc 2 #in the name of love #with a bit of rayllum at the end. as a treat #even soren's 'dad is dead you don't have to do what he Wants anymore' to claudia like #we're Well past that sor-bear (unfortunately) #rayllum ignoring direct orders from a queen. ezran likely putting his foot down about the starscraper #LIKE GEE I WONDER. I WONDER WHERE IT'S GOING #one of my fave lil realizations of the season tbh. excited to finally write it down in more detail

[theredhairedmonkey]

Oh my god, here comes the big one!!

The closest thing to a Rayllum clip we’ve gotten so far, and man do I have thoughts:

The whole moment is a callback to when Viren and Harrow spoke about the threat of the Moonshadow assassins. To the point they even had the whole “Harrow/Ezran walks to the end of the balcony to speak with Viren/Harrow” so they’re really laying in to the mage-to-king parallels here pretty thick, even if who is helping whom is reversed here.

The vines on the castle just look like smeared paint. Could have been animated a bit better. Just thought I’d point that out here lol.

“Why aren’t you celebrating?” I realize that this is mostly just to catch the audience up on why Callum is so down right now, but I would have thought that emotionally intuitive Ezran would have caught on by the first anniversary as to why he’s so hurt by this particular day.

When Ez asks Callum if everything is ok, his first response is “Yea,” before he admits that it’s not. A subtle moment, but while Callum isn’t as closed off emotionally as Rayla, it does show he isn’t as willing to be open about his feelings as he used to be.

 Why a “pineapple” cake? Because Callum’s favorite treat is fresh summer fruit. Great attention to detail here, kudos to the writing team!!

Callum connects his birthday to Rayla leaving him, which even two years later, seems pretty reasonable. Even if he wants to move on, this was a pretty traumatic moment, so no wonder the wound is still there.

Side note, Rayla leaving Callum on his birthday was absolutely insane. Was leaving the day after his birthday so difficult? Viren was not going anywhere.

In many ways, Rayla leaving Callum does mirror Rayla’s parents leaving her in some ways (especially since young Rayla and Callum both thought that they’d be strongest together). But that moment led to Rayla developing some rather problematic traits (reluctance to showing vulnerability, perfectionism, over-dedication to one’s craft). Does Callum develop similar traits? My guess is absolutely yes.

Notice how he doesn’t ever answer Ez’s question as to whether he still loves Rayla? Undoubtedly he still does, but it just shows how much it hurts Callum to admit this out loud.

“I don’t even know if she’s alive.” Going back to Callum being unable to move on, and this is why--he is left with no closure. He has no way of determining whether he can hold out hope or not. That’s rough, buddy.

Ezran thinks Rayla is alive. Storytelling 101, this does mean she is alive. Like, that’s basically what this means. To anyone who thought Rayla was dead, while there was an astonishingly low chance of this being the case before, it’s pretty much zero now.

“She loves you too.” This kid is just dropping truth bombs left and right, isn’t he?

Side note, there were a few people who saw the teaser and thought Ez was taller than Callum now...at twelve. Seemed a bit silly to me, I don’t know, but I guess it’s good that this scene cleared that up?

Like, I think that Ez will be taller than Callum when they’re both adults, but there’s no way that he'd just jump a foot in height in two years. Best guess, he’s 5′3″ right now.

And Callum wraps this up with a manly tear. Sorry, I know this is a somber moment (and it is), but no sobbing? Not even a wince? Wow, Callum is one cold mfer now.

The moon is a waxing gibbous right now (meaning just one phase before full). I just think that’s neat.

And that’s it for now! Just (at most) two months to go. Home stretch, folks!

#rayla #callum #rayllum #ezran #tdp #the dragon prince

[captaindusk]

TDP rant

not forcing anyone to read this i just have the urge to rant about season 4

spoilers obv

don’t get me wrong i do like tdp and season 4 was alright but i just have some things to say

do we REALLY need fart jokes and characters doing floss dance in these series?

i love amaya and janai a lot i was hoping they would get together since like almost the beginning but i’m... still disappointed they got engaged this season. i mean we left off with them becoming friends with a hint of liking e/o and then boom, timeskip, and now they are getting engeged. like i just hoped we could see their relationships evolving but we went from 10% straight to 100%

i’m not... i’m not a fan of amaya’s new haircut

the way they introduced terry honestly made me laugh so much they literally pulled a whole new character out of nowhere and said he’s the boyfriend now. and i do love him, but i also expected at least a little explanation of where this character is from,.like a flashback? just them saying “oh yeah and this is how we met”. did i miss it??

and i do not understand why terry is there to begin with i mean i was pretty sure viren and claudia dont like elves...

claudia and terry are really cute but i was still worried she would drop him or like sacrifice him or something at some point...

viren was just weird the entire season. he died I GET IT. it’s cool they showed him having anxiety attack/ptsd from falling. but him just suddenly being ok with dying after 30 days? i love his character and i know he’s very complex but that felt a bit off esspecially with all the “let’s have this father daughter time while we still can” but then they didn’t have all that much father daughter moments in this season at all like did viren actually mean what he said or not?

what was the purpose of the butterfly golum guy?

my man soren really was walking in his pink pjs for half a season literally why would they do him like that. and i wish the writers would treat soren a bit more seriously

how is aaravos able to do magic while being in a magic prison?

stella the monkey didn’t do a single thing in the entire season except for saving the coins and it easily could’ve been rayla

we really didn’t get a single line of dialog between viren and soren?

i wonder what will happen with rayla's parents now and by that i mean the writers better make them most badass characters otherwise why do they even exist. rayla had runaan and ethari being her parents and we could’ve had an emotional moment with her saving runaan. i’m just not a big fan of kid characters searching for/bonding with their biological parents while completely forgetting about their adoptive parents, i hope it’s not gonna be like that

i guess i kinda liked rayllum arc. the guy is usually is the one leaving and the girl has to stay and be vulnerable and everything but it was the other way around here and it’s kinda refreshing. i can understand them both. i saw someone saying they didn’t like how callum hugged her at the end like she’s forgiven now and i disagree first of all no one said she was complitely forgiven and of course he was happy she’s alive and ok they are still friends after all and he still likes her. i guess now they actually need to talk more about whole leaving for 2 years thing. and it’s either callum accepts that rayla is a busy girl and can leave for a long time sometimes and accepts rayla the way she is or they decide it is not for them and officially break up while staying friends. i am ok with both options

#the dragon prince #tdp #the dragon prince season 4

[zimtlein]

20 questions: writer’s edition

Thank you for tagging me, @botherkupo!

How many works do you have on AO3?

63.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

722,714.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

I have written for 30 fandoms in total, but most of my (older) fics aren’t published. My top 5 in terms of length are MLB, Pokémon, BtVS, Kimi ga shine, and TLoZ.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

1: home is where your wi-fi connects automatically (MLB)

2: spark (MLB)

3: two and two (MLB)

4: twists and turns (MLB)

5: soupçon (MLB)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to always respond to every comment I get, even if it’s just a small “thank you”! I appreciate comments, and by responding to my readers, I try to show them just a tiny bit of my appreciation. I really enjoy interacting with people this way.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Phew. I love angsty endings, and I think I tend to end many of my one-shots on a bittersweet note. That being said, solace (Kimi ga shine) and and it all becomes silence (MLB), imo, have the angstiest endings. debts (Pokémon genVIII) is very bittersweet, but somehow hopeful; sanctity (Kimi ga shine) also ends in a very bitter way. treat it like a dance (Pokémon genVIII) also has a very bitter ending ... Yeah.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Hm. Many of my MLB fics are rather happy, for example spark.

Do you write crossovers? If yes, what’s the craziest thing you’ve written?

I usually really, really don’t, but a friend of mine got me to write a MLB/Danganronpa crossover, and it was very fun! It’s called deadlier than despair and borrows Danganronpa elements.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes. When the Kimi ga shine fandom was still growing, it attracted a lot of antis for a particular ship I wrote smut for. They weren’t happy with me, but I think I only received one or two comments which I deleted right away.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes! I enjoy writing smut. I mostly enjoy the emotional connection that can be expressed by physical means, and how that translates depending on the ship I write about and their circumstances. I also enjoy writing as realistically as possible - I used to feel so insecure as a very young adult because I read about all those impossible sex acts which I knew nothing about, and getting a bit of realism into my smut can be really fun for this reason alone.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

As far as I know, no.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I’ve had a fic translated into German and one into Russian, but it has been some time. I also translated some of my own German fics into English, but nowadays, I almost exclusively write English fics.

Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes! With my MLB bestie Marlyn: tell me what you want

It was so much fun. And we might want to write a sequel. Hehe.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

Oh my god. Smitten idiot / badass girl is always great.

The love square (MLB) is pretty much on top right now, along with some other ships from the fandom. I will die for Spuffy and Cangel (BtVS). Angel/Cordelia has such a special place in my heart. Clerith (FFVII) was one of the first ships I fell completely in love with, head over heels. Zelink and Zelda/Ganondorf (TLoZ) are also great. I adore the hell out of Rayllum (The Dragon Prince), and Keisara is just chef’s kiss (Kimi ga shine). Kataang (Avatar) was my whole childhood.

I have way too many ships. Yay!

What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I don’t upload stories before I’ve finished them, so every multi-chapter I uploaded, I already finished. That being said, my list of abandoned fics is embarrassingly large ... But now that I’m getting older, I’m getting better at concentrating on projects and finishing them.

What’s your writing strengths?

I think my strengths are awkwardness (I adore awkwardness!), dialogues, and getting into characters’ heads. I enjoy analyzing them from the standpoint of a writer and exploring their mindset and actions. Humans in general fascinate me, after all.

What’s your writing weaknesses?

Action scenes. Definitely. I’m almost scared of writing them, lol. And the English language in general - there are some phrases I tend to misuse, and sometimes it’s hard to find the right words for a certain situation since it’s not my mother language.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

I usually don’t do it and don’t like it too much if it has little to do with the plot.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Pokémon! I was 8 when I was concinved I could write my own Pokémon story, because I wasn’t satisfied with what we got in the main games. Sadly, I don’t have that file anymore.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Hm. I would go with these shards we picked up on the way (MLB). It didn’t get too much attention, but a lot of my own emotions and experiences went into this and mixed with my exploration of Chloé’s character.

I’m tagging @lovelycrinkle and everyone else who wants to do this!

[earthblooded]

Just a drink - Rayllum Modern AU

Rayllum - Modern AU

Rating: M

Warning: Suggestions to adult-themed content, but nothing explicit.

Synopsis: Rayla's roommate, Nyx, convinces her to take a break from work for a night out, leading to a fun night, but eventual regret.

This is a fic that's been in my head for way longer than any other fic I've written for TDP but I never really had the time or energy to write it. I still technically don't have the time to write it, but I sure did find the energy tonight.

It'll probably turn into a multi-chap fic at some point, but I'll hold off uploading to ao3 until I intend to do so

“C’mon Rayla, you work yourself to death.”

Rayla sighed, leaning away from her laptop. She wasn’t a workaholic as many people pegged her to be, she just liked to keep herself busy. Getting any work done was becoming more and more challenging with her roommate breathing down her neck. This was the fourth time she had asked her to go out drinking.

“I can’t Nyx, it’s a Sunday and I need to be up early for work tomorrow.” Rayla chewed on her lip, glancing at the time ��� 8 pm – she still had time to get some reports finished before an early night.

“Well, everyone says Sunday is the new Friday, so maybe you should just come out.”

She stopped typing to raise her eyebrow, casting a skeptical look at her friend. “Who says that?”

“People.” Nyx answered, before waving her hand dismissively, “and anyway, you need the time to chill out. You’ve clearly been stressed because you keep snapping at me about dumb stuff.”

Rayla considered this, wincing when she recalled several occasions on that same day she had been short with Nyx about housekeeping, turning off music, her poor habits... “Fine, I’ll come out, but you can’t pester me about this again for another month.”

“Deal.”

Rayla gave her a week to break that deal.

____________________________________________________

“I thought we we’re just going for drinks.” Rayla said, as they queued to get into a club.

“I think they do drinks here.” Nyx nodded, pointing to a poster for drink deals on the wall. “Look, 2 for 1 on shots.”

“You know what I mean – like beer in the local, not clubbing.” Rayla watched a group of young women staggered out, giggling. “Nyx, you know I hate this, please can we go somewhere else?”

“No was Jose. You’re going to let loose tonight and tomorrow you will thank me.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

_____________________________________________________

Heaviness was the only word she could use to describe how she felt waking up the next day, her ringtone blaring in her ear. She wasn’t hungover, she barely drank anything, but she was tired – having arrived home at ridiculous-o-clock.

Home... no not quite, she realised, as she opened her eyes. Her bedroom didn’t have stacks of canvases and paint pots on every available surface. She sat up suddenly as her eyes scanned the room, trying to identify anything familiar to give her a clue as to where she was. Her clothing was scattered about the floor, her purse and contents among them. Light cast in through floor-to-ceiling windows, adorned with vine plants wrapping around the curtain poles. Sheer white curtains hung from them.

She pulled the duvet around her shoulders, feeling exposed despite still wearing underwear. She had a fairly good inkling as to what happened but there was one thing missing...

“Oh, you’re awake!”

Ahh. This is what happened.

She was greeted by a man in the doorway of the room, his brown hair ruffled, pupils blown wide as he regarded her and his t-shirt neckline was askew revealing the pink mark she had left him on his collarbone. This along with the state of the room, painted a fairly clear image of what had happened, even to those not involved.

In his hands, he held a tray with a small French-press, a couple of mugs and a plate of some sort of pastry. He crossed the room, setting down the tray on the bedside table as he sat opposite her.

“Coffee?” He offered, pouring a mug.

“Hmm,” she smiled, accepting it. As their fingers brushed, her mind flashed to the night before – his breath in her ear, lips on her skin, hands and body tending to her needs – she shifted uncomfortably as she felt that same heat rise up in her again. “Is this how you treat all the girls you bring home?” She asked, her eyebrow raised.

“I’ve never really had a one-night stand, so no... but maybe I’ll start.”

“Oh, just the one night we’re having, is it?” Rayla said, feigning offence. She’d never felt so bold before, but with this guy, she felt comfortable.

“Not if I can help it.” he replied, his eyes landing on her lips as he leaned forward.

Rayla’s ringtone blared again and the man’s head dropped into the crook of her neck as he groaned. She laughed, consoling him by smoothing down his shaggy hair as she picked up her phone.

Nyx was calling... holy shit 6 missed calls.

Her eyes flicked to the clock in the corner of the screen – 8am.

“Shit!” Rayla sprang free from his embrace and his lips on her neck. She bundled her clothing in her arms and hurried to the door. “I’m sorry, I have to go - I need to go home and change before work.”

“Wait, what about your coffee?”

“Sorry... you drink mine. You’ll need it after the night we had.” Really not the time to flirt right now, Rayla she chastised herself, lingering by the door as she watched him rise to protest further.

“What about breakfast? My aunt always said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day.” He raised an eyebrow, in an attempt to tempt her... and it almost worked.

“I don’t have time. I’m sorry – we'll do this another time and we’ll have breakfast, okay?” He sighed, but nodded in agreement. “Great, where’s your bathroom?”

Rayla came out a few moments later, having dressed and made herself semi-presentable for the commute back to the apartment. She found the man in the hallway, a brown bag in his hand held out to her.

“What’s this?”

“You should never miss breakfast.” He smiled, placing the bag into her waiting hand. “Here’s yours, to go.”

___________________________________________________

It was almost 10am and Rayla was sat in her office, staring at the reports she had yet to finish. The ones she should have finished last night if Nyx hadn’t have dragged her away.

Nyx. Rayla had just enough time to change and freshen up when she got back before heading to the office, but hadn’t caught up with Nyx yet.

The dial tone rang twice before she picked up.

“Oh, my gods, Rayla?”

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t have time to call you back and you weren’t home when I got in.”

“I went to work early. Are you okay?” She asked, but gave little time for Rayla to answer before she continued. “When you didn’t answer for the fourth time last night, I assumed you’d been kidnapped. Police said I had to wait 24 hours before reporting you missing.” She grumbled the last part and Rayla shook her head in amusement. Rayla felt lucky to have someone who cared so much for her, even if she was a bit ridiculous sometimes.

“Sorry for worrying you. I was with a...” she grimaced, knowing full well how Nyx would react “guy.”

Nyx squealed on the other end, but Rayla knew to hold the phone away from her ear and had prepared in time. “Tell me everything! Who is he?”

“Some guy from the club.”

“What’s his name?”

“I don’t know”

“Okay... great.” She said sarcastically. “Well, I know you never ever put out on the first night, so what happened? Were you drunk?”

“No, Nyx, I had that one tequila shot you forced me to drink and that it.” Rayla heard a knock at the door, and glanced up to see Soren wave at her through the window. She raised a finger, indicating she just needed a minute. “Look, I promise I’ll tell you everything later. I need to get back to work.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Nyx said before hanging up.

Rayla sighed – telling Nyx was definitely a mistake she’d live to regret.

“Hey Soren, come in.”

“Happy Monday, boss.” Soren said, striding in, as chipper as he always was. He was her second-in-command in their team. His up-beat attitude meant that she delegated a lot of the more hands-on work to him, while she worked on the nitty-gritty in the background. “New guy is here; you want me to send him in?”

Recruitment wasn’t something that she usually delegated to Soren – she had little faith in his judgement based on his previous hires – however, she was called away to other meetings on the day of interviews and so the responsibility fell to Soren, begrudgingly.

Rayla picked up the neat stack of documents on her desk, ready for the new recruit to sign his life away. “Yes, please – Callum, is it?” She read from the contract at the top of the pile.

Soren nodded, beckoning the new starter in. From her peripheral, she saw Callum walk into the room and she raised her head to greet him.

“Callum, sorry I missed the...” she trailed off as familiar forest-green eyes met hers. He was a lot more put together than he was a mere two hours ago – his hair smoothed tidily, the shirt and jacket concealed any marks of passion. His expression stayed neutral but Rayla saw the recognition flash in his eyes as they swept over her.

She fought back a shudder as the heat rose in her again but before her mind ran wild with memories, she realised how wrong it all was. She was in trouble.

#rayllum #tdp #okay next priority is gtte #i promise! #it's gone midnight over here though so right now imma sleep #the dragon prince #my fic #tomorrow I will work on gtte some more #just needed to get this out there bc it was driving me crazy

[depreshroom]

Rayllum Month, July 9th

**Late Prompt** (whoops)

Prompt: Modern AU

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32295892/chapters/80553262

Routine had become a part of Callum’s life ever since he met Rayla.

Everyday he woke up at about 9:00 am, sent a ‘good morning’ text and rushed to his summer job.

Everyday, he greeted Claudia---the owner’s daughter---and got started on baking the morning’s bagels.

Everyday, he made coffee after coffee for customers who enjoyed the same order---not that he minded, you like what you like. And though he was always willing to be a friendly soul, none of them were the one person he truly was waiting for.

Everyday, finally at about 3:00 pm Rayla walks in with a bright smile on her face. She greets him with a hug and a gentle kiss. Callum shares her beaming grin, always excited to welcome the highlight of his day.

Everyday, she orders a small mocha. Yet in the two hours she sits waiting for Callum’s shift to end, there’s always just a little bit left for him. ‘Treating him’, is what she calls it. He just thinks it’s a sweet gesture.

Everyday, Rayla comes home with him to cuddle up with a blanket. They watch a few movies until falling asleep in each other’s arms.

Everyday, that was his usual.

And everyday, he loved Rayla for it.

#rayllummonth2021 #hiatushoedown #rayllum #tdp rayla #tdp callum #the dragon prince

[violaswimmer]

Hopes for TDP Season 4

Yo! For those of you who don’t know I love the Dragon Prince on Netflix, I’m a huge fan of the show especially of this past season! There was so much that happened (Spoilers btw) and I have so much I want to see in season 4/future seasons! So here we go, some things I hope to see in season 4!

1. Rayla trying to understand and overcome taking a life. Whether we want to admit it or not, Rayla did kill Viren (even if he was brought back to life later). It was somewhat indirect, since Rayla tossed both of them over the tower’s edge. But she probably knew that it would be very unlike for either of them to survive, no matter how powerful Viren had become. I don’t think she will regret her actions, but I think she still feel the guilt of ending someone’s life. Especially knowing that Viren is Soren (now an ally, yay!) and Claudia’s father. 

Also that introduces a new dynamic between Soren and Rayla, who now that they are allies, will probably begin to develop some sort of friendship (hopefully). Soren would have taken his father’s life to stop him, and killed his illusion in front of Claudia without hesitation. Rayla however, actually did kill him. It will be interesting to see how that may help or hinder whatever relationship they will form. It could be that Soren will learn to respect her greatly, knowing that she will do the right thing no matter what (killing Viren to save Zym, knowing that her own life would be in danger). But he could also still view her as his father’s murderer as he deals with his own guilt at attacking his illusion. 

2. Our heroes meet the real threat, Aaravos. Everyone will know that something is up when they can’t locate Viren’s body at the bottom of the tower. I think the search for him will be spearheaded by Amaya who never trusted him and knows the danger he posses and Rayla who would want to retrieve the bag filled with coins, knowing that the bag somehow contains a collection of Moonshadow elves. Something big will definitely happen when Aaravos breaks free of his cocoon. I’m also sure that the Dragon Queen will grow concerned when she hears of the battle and someone describes to her the giant purple worm hanging onto Viren. I’m sure that will begin to jog her memory and our heroes will be introduced to the true villain of the series. 

Viren and Claudia will also be in trouble, the tide has turned and when the cocoon breaks, it’s likely that Viren will not be in control anymore. Aaravos will become the master and promise Viren (and by extension Claudia) what they want, the destruction of Xadia. Claudia may also turn towards the dark side even further, at the loss of her brother choosing Xadia over their family and at Rayla if she is to find out that Rayla was the one who sent Viren to his death. Rayla can also be blamed (at least by Claudia) for the reason that Ezran and Callum no longer trust her, and honestly being the source of the beginning to all of this. Rayla could easily become the object of her anger. 

3. Ezran becoming king, for real this time. Ezran came back to his thrown too early, being a bit naive in his attempts to be king of Katolis. I think he had good intentions which will translate to his true rule and I hope he maintains his ideals for peace having quite literally been the one (along with Callum and Rayla) to forge it. The new threat of Aaravos’s return will shake the unstable foundation of that peace, as a human (Viren) was the one to bring him back. With his new allies, and the battle solidifying his intent as king to maintain peace, Ezran will be the great child-king of Katolis. 

4. Callum and Rayla going on another journey. The Aaravos threat means that the world is going to need all the help it can get! As Ezran sits on the thrown, these two go on a journey to find answers while Callum learns more magic and Rayla helps him while maintain his safety as well as finding out what they can about Aaravos. We think that Callum is the only human to ever understand an arcanum, but perhaps he isn’t the only one. We will also hopefully see what exactly Aaravos did to deserve his imprisonment aside from using dark magic. 

5. Soren and Claudia solidifying sides. We saw Soren and Claudia make some pretty big decisions this past season. Soren knowing what wrong looks like and deciding to join the fight against his father and Claudia trying to please choosing to stay with Viren. Though this one fight did cause some big decisions it doesn’t mean that either of them won’t choose different sides later on. I think eventually everyone will be on the same side (at least briefly) when Aaravos comes into full power. He may try to manipulate Claudia and Viren into following him for a time, but I would find it hard to believe that either of them would allow themselves to be subjugated to him for too long. 

Although I love Claudia’s character, I think she’s going down a road that she can’t come back from (especially bringing her father back, presumably by sacrificing another life, and it probably isn’t another deer). She has consistently shown that she can’t adapt to the idea of elves not being monsters, and that her father may not be the person she thinks he is. He has seemed to treat her kindly (not always but better than he treated Soren) but manipulates her constantly. Making her believe that Soren is a fool (he can be but that doesn’t mean he is a fool, he has his great moments). She also seems to take his word as gospel, never challenging him even when Soren whom she cares for deeply, tried to tell her about the order to assassinate the princes. 

Soren on the other hand has to deal with losing both his sister and his father. Also he has to sit with the fact that when the moment counted, he chose to protect his king and was willing to kill (or severely injure) his father in order to do it. This is something that he will feel guilty over but I don’t think he will regret his actions. He gave every warning to illusion Viren that he wouldn’t stand by as Ezran was killed. That scene is pretty spot on in terms of Soren and Viren’s relationship. Viren has had every chance to be a better father to Soren and for some reason refuses to. He constantly demeans him and underestimates him, favoring Claudia much more. It’s hard to tell when Viren started treating Soren this way, since when their parents split it seemed like Soren liked his father a great deal, enough to want to stay with him instead of going with his mother. I also hope we get to hear about Claudia and Soren’s mother, what is her name and where did she go? It would be neat if Soren met with her again, and we got to see the opposite of the divorce. Soren with his mother and Claudia with her father. 

I’d also like to see Soren begin to learn his true value with his new group. Instead of having his ideas dismissed or mocked I’d like to see him become a really force of good will, seeing that he truly made the right decision by leaving his father. I want to see him develop more into a warrior and leader. 

6. Continuation of relationships development both romantic and platonic. Rayllum anyone? Yes, thank you for this blessing. Janai and Amaya? Beautiful, amazing, love it! Runaan and Ethari, so so good! I hope to see these relationship develop along with new friendships! Soren and Rayla, Soren and Ezran, Amaya and Rayla, so on and so forth! I hope we also get to learn even more about these character pasts, and see them grow as they encounter new challenges!

I think that might be it? For now at least! Let me know your thoughts on the season and what you hope to see next! 

#tdp #tdp spoilers #the dragon prince #tdp season 3 #tdp rayllum #tdp callum #tdp rayla #tdp soren #tdp viren #tdp claudia #tdp amaya #tdp aaravos #tdp janai #tdp thoughts

[heythatpenguinhere]

Heart

*My dearest friends (or new friends), welcome back! I haven’t written in a hot minute and I had to fix that. Surprise though, I have crossed fandoms and written my FIRST Dragon Prince Rayllum fic!!! SHOCKER. Please enjoy below my angsty, emotional mess of work and let me know what you guys think! 

To others, Rayla should have probably stopped and thought through her decision to act in the moment a bit further; her impulse to protect and defend sometimes drove her to reckless actions. This wasn’t new to her nor was it unknown. She was very well aware of this and unfortunately as much as she may want to correct it in theory, when it came down to the moment she would always choose to act; it was in her blood and DNA to do so as well. Being a Moonshadow Elf made her fit to be a warrior. Being the child of two Dragon Guards, made her destined to protect. She could not just simply ignore those things that ultimately made up who she was and she did not want to. Even if the outcome could be less than desirable, Rayla had a heart that could never just run when she could take a stand. 

That is what she was doing in this very moment. Rayla was being the courageous being she was. It wasn’t that she didn’t fear, because as the bandit’s blade cut through the air she felt the slight rush of fear, but that she was willing to push through fear for those she loved. If she didn’t, Callum would be harmed.

As her eyes scanned behind her briefly, she saw Callum still lying there in the mouth of the cavern shivering. A large usage of magic recently had unexpected consequences and Callum was sick and unable to travel. Rayla had been truly scared when he fell and even more so as he remained unconscious. The last time she had seen him in a similar state was when he used Dark Magic. And while this time he hadn’t, he had still used a large amount of energy with a small amount of rest on his shoulders. He selflessly gave of himself too much to help others. It’s something she loved about him... 

If he could give of himself to help others, then so would she. She was doing this for Callum. 

The bandit had snuck up on them as they rested in the cavern. To his credit, he was extremely skillful to have done so with Rayla’s senses and Callum’s magic and yet now he was here and threatening their safety. 

“Hand over any valuables Moonshadow Elf and no one gets hurt.” The man sneered at her, bandana covering his face. The only part of him that could be seen were his eyes, a deep and muddy yellow color. 

Rayla stood her ground, “We haven’t got any valuables. Leave now.” 

He snickered, “Those blades look mighty valuable to me.” He said nodding in the direction of Rayla’s twin blades. 

Her eyes narrowed. This man was seriously underestimating her if he thought she would hand over her blades just because he was pointing his. With a flick of her wrists, both hands were armed and poised to attack. 

“You must be stupid if you think I’ll give ya these. Now I’ll only say this once more: leave.” She said, standing tall. 

The man didn’t laugh this time and instead his eyes squinted with anger. In a blink, he was on the move. Flashes of black and silver were seen as the two squared off. The bandit clearly was older, but that didn’t mean Rayla wasn’t a match for him. With a kick to his chest, she sent the man flying backwards out of the cavern. Rayla paused for a second to examine Callum. 

“Come on Callum, please get up. I need ya here.” She pleaded with him, not knowing if he could actually hear her. 

“How unexpected. A human and an elf huh? You betray your own blood. If I killed you, no one would grieve you. If I killed him, then that’s one less human in the world.” The man said walking slowly back through the opening; his voice echoed in the cave around them. 

Rayla stood over Callum’s body in defense. “Like hell I’d let you touch him.” 

“I don’t think you’ll have a choice elf.” He said and sprung at her again. 

Their blades crashed together as Rayla struggled to keep the bandit as far from Callum as she could. She threw him back again and the two continued their battle further away from the unconscious boy. 

“How can you defend him? Humans are animals. They are vermin in this world. And yet you would protect this one. Tell me elf, are you his slave? Or maybe you just wiggled your way into his bed.” He said taunting her. 

Rayla let out a loud cry of anger/indignation and her blade successfully nicked the man’s shoulder. He groaned out loud and held onto the wound. 

“I hit a sore spot didn’t I?” He said, continuing to taunt her even while injured.

“How dare you… You don’t know anything about us thief!” She said, breathing heavy. 

“I know all I need to know. You both will die and I’ll be taking your blades and anything else you have!” He yelled and changed directions… toward Callum. 

Fear and dread filled her veins as she saw him make toward the boy that held her heart.

“CALLUM!” She yelled as she ran to intercept the man. 

Seconds moved in slow motion as both individuals made their way to the same target. Every step, Rayla willed herself to move faster. Faster than the bandit was all she had to be. 

With a few steps and her blades up, the bandit closed in on them. The last thought to cross her mind as she and the bandit locked eyes was green eyes and a goofy smile.

-

Silence. Silence was all Callum could hear around him as he stirred. The ground beneath him was softened by a blanket of some sort, it’s texture familiar to his fingertips as he moved. His eyes slowly pried open to the dim light. He could make out a rocky ceiling and cool feeling all around. The more his eyes opened, the more he could make out however. He was confused and still a bit dazed as to why he was laying on the floor and where he was. The last thing he remembered was drawing a new rune shape and casting a spell. He could recall Rayla’s worried face and words of concern as he let the words leave his mouth. After that, his world went black. 

If she was there when that happened, then where was Rayla now?

He shot up suddenly at the realization. His eyes scanned around him frantically for a sign of the white-haired elf he loved dearly. When he finally did get a glimpse of her, he felt as if his soul had left his body. Rayla stood a few feet in front of him frozen in a battle stance, eyes wide, and with a long blade running through her left side still connected to a man in black. 

How Callum was able to cast “aspiro” was a complete wonder in that moment. The mystery man in black was thrown so far into the woods that it was unknown where he ended up. It had to be the strongest version of that spell that had he had channeled in his life and he had done it in the state he was currently in. All he knew was that he had never experienced such a mixture of anger and fear in his whole entire life’s existence. 

The thud of Rayla’s knees hitting the floor awakened him out of the murderous state of mind he was in and into the horrific reality before him. 

“RAYLA!” He screamed from a place deep inside him, moving so quickly he didn’t even notice the steps he took to arrive to her. 

She kneeled in the same spot; eyes still wide in shock and mouth agape. From her side, a dark patch of purple began to grow and spread through her clothing and drip to the floor beneath. All Rayla could do was gasp; her breaths catching in short bursts as the severity of the situation really hit her. She had been stabbed, in a less than ideal spot, and was miles from the nearest town. She turned her head slowly to watch Callum racing toward her. 

“Callum…” She whispered. 

Callum’s arms were around her in seconds. 

He was shaking and his eyes were all over her frantically. They landed on the dark patch at her side and the shiny glint on the blade still embedded within her. 

“Oh God… Oh God Rayla… W-We are going to figure this out okay? You’re going to be okay!” He said in desperation. 

Her lavender eyes were moving more rapidly, examining him. He was okay. He was healthy again somehow. He was okay and he was here. He hadn’t been harmed in anyway. Her human was safe. 

“C-Callum…” She said, reaching a shaky hand to touch his face. 

Pools and rivers of tears spilled from Callum’s eyes. His usually bright green eyes were a dark and deep emerald shade. She briefly thought that even this way they still looked beautiful. 

-

Callum had carefully as possible assessed the situation with Rayla. Her wound was bleeding pretty badly and there was still the blade to deal with… She was surprisingly not in pain, but by the way she seemed out of it, he figured she was in shock. He had to make a decision and soon. Try and move her to find help or treat her here? 

His hands could not stop shaking as his fingers trailed the sides of the entrance of the wound. It wasn’t a large wound in size, but he had no way of knowing what it had damaged inside. Moving away he looked at his fingertips where spots of purple tainted his skin. He felt horribly sick. Rayla’s blood was on him, in more ways than one. 

“Rayla...why?” He said, even though he knew the answer. Because it was the very same thing that he would have done for her. He wouldn’t have had a second thought to protect her either.  

She stared at him, eyes dazed. “I love you.” She said. 

-

Callum had not slept all night. Rayla’s form lay on a bed beside him. Her light lavender-tinted skin was now ashy in color. Her pure hair was sprawled about around her. Her facial markings under her sealed eyes stood out much too darkly. Her chest moved up and down slower than he was used to seeing it do. Her abdomen wrapped tightly in bandages with a tinge of purple seen through them. 

She was somehow alive. The doctors had noted that Rayla was a fighter, not just in occupation but in spirit as well, refusing to give in during any of the attempts to stabilize her. At one point she had nearly been lost only to surprise the doctors by opening her eyes and fighting them to see Callum. 

The nurses rushed to retrieve Callum. He couldn’t erase the scene of her thrashing against the doctors screaming out his name. She was desperate to see him; to know he was okay. 

“CALLUM! CALLUM!” Her screams could be heard for miles, ripping from her throat until her voice grew hoarse. 

He had ran to her, holding her down carefully with the doctors. 

“Rayla! Rayla please you need to calm down! Rayla, I’m right here! I’m okay!” He kept repeating over and over until her panicked state calmed. She laid on the bed, breathing heavily. 

“You’re okay.” She said, finally realizing he was indeed in front of her, and her eyes rolled back. 

-

The entire day’s ordeal had left Callum heavily traumatized. Soren sat by his side, attempting to help the prince cope. Through jokes and lighthearted comments, Callum was incredibly grateful to have someone by his side. King Ezran himself was arriving soon and Callum would have a full support network to be with him as he waited for Rayla to wake. 

Watching her in her slumber, Callum could not help but reflect on their journey. From their beginnings to now, fate had somehow willed for these two souls to join up. Two very different souls, from two very different backgrounds. And yet somehow these two souls had not only joined together, but fallen in love. Their differences blended and complimented the other. Where one was weak, the other strong. They grew together and their hearts meshed together along the way, deeper if possible. 

She was everything. She was Rayla. Every word spoken and action she took, pointed to who she was and the heart she had. The same heart that had led her to where she was now. 

Breathing deeply, Callum stood up. The temptation to wallow in the guilt of her actions was incredibly strong, but after two panic attacks earlier Callum knew that he had to be strong. Rayla had made her choice to protect him out of pure and undeniable love for him. He could never ever repay that, but he could be here for her now and remain while she wakes up. 

-

Opening her eyes to the world again, Rayla was very aware of her circumstances. Her side throbbed as if confirming her actions earlier. Callum. She had risked her life to protect him. Why? She loved him. It was as simple as that in her mind and in her heart. And as relieved, emotional green eyes came into her view and she registered the weight of a hand in her own, she had all the reaffirmation she needed to know that she had made the right choice. Five digits mixed within her four were all she needed right now as proof. Her heart would always act and take a stand to protect the most precious thing in her life. 

“Callum.”

#fanfic #Dragon Prince #fandom life #rayllum #rayla #callum #rayla x callum #angst #feels

[thosefiveadoraburrs]

you think rayla is the type of girl who likes to wear dresses, make up and looking cute or the opposite?

so i definitely think she has a preference - so far it seems like there’s very little about a moonshadow elf assassin that’s “decorative”, so i think it’s safe to assume that as a kid wanting to be just like her assassin surrogate dad, she ended up prioritizing practicality over all else - but i honestly don’t think she’d mind wearing dresses/make up either. it might be a bit weird at first just texture-wise (the biggest reason i stopped wearing certain makeup products regularly lmao) but, under the assumption that cosmetics in tdp’s universe are lighter anyway, and knowing how comfortable some dresses can be, i really don’t think she’d mind! in fact, i think she’d even have fun with it sometimes, like seen in this modern au piece from the rayllum zine (by one of the character designers) - i don’t know if i’m allowed to like, mess with the preview to give a close-up here lmao so i’ll just point it out - there’s a sketch on the center-right where it looks like rayla’s been through a little makeover and she looks p smug about it, but most importantly, SUPER comfortable in her own skin.

there’s also the valentine’s day art where rayla definitely looks more dressed up, and there’s not an ounce of discomfort there - just soft joy in getting to spend a special evening with the one she loves. (i assume it’s a dress, anyway - she could totally just be wearing a dressy halter top and pants for all i know, but we all interpreted it as a dress, and it’s feminine formalwear either way so STILL COUNTS) 

all in all, i don’t think rayla’s the type of person to invest too much time in her appearance, but would enjoy dabbling in certain aspects of visual femininity, as long as 1) she’s comfortable 2) it’s practical/doesn’t take up too much time or effort in maintaining and 3) she’s able to move around (leggings under dresses so she could tie up the skirts in the event of a fight is Paramount). i honestly think we might see her in some kind of dress in future seasons, and i wouldn’t be surprised if it’s treated as not a Huge Deal. (besides, especially since being with callum, rayla is very aware that she’s cute either way lmao)

#rayla #headcanons #analysis #(again not really but it fits into my tag ok) #(and i don't wanna make another tag that tries to narrow on stuff that's more observational than anything lmao) #asks #thanks for asking! #Anonymous

[nautiscarader]

Rayllum month day 10 - scarf

(Ao3)

Rated: T (some implications)

Rayla's fingers moved through the red fabric of Callum's scarf, while she gently folded it in half, treating it with utmost care. After all, it has been hand-made by Callum's mother, and the last thing she'd want to do was to damage it. Though, as she inspected it, various stitched and patched bits of it reminded her of their adventures.

The prickly trees of Xadia's northern frozen woods didn't make their journey's easier. There was a reason travellers that had to trek through those woods could die of cold even if they started with the thickest of coats. End of Callum's scarf looked a bit like a sieve after their journey, and the young man took it as a point of honour to restore it to its former glory, and when he was done with it, he couldn't be more proud of himself.

And then Rayla had to redo every single thread when it inevitably got loose.

Fortunately though, the material it was from, the exotic goaxen, was strong enough, in the grand scheme of things it didn't make that much difference of Callum's throat. It has, however, saved Rayla's life.  

As she gripped the material, she vividly remembered when this was the only bit she could hang on to, as she was dangling off a cliff. Had Callum came to her rescue a second later, she would have plummeted together with the crumbling rocks into a chasm so deep that even with sun in zenith, she couldn't see its depth. With her palms clutching on the red material, she began the most perilous of journey up, hoping Callum would be strong enough for both of them. She remembered his grip and the wonderful feeling she was safe, though she allowed herself to breathe only when she was back on a horizontal surface, curled next to Callum, as if she was trying to ascertain if she was alive or not.

Rayla's eyes noticed the tiny golden thread running along the scarf's length, and she smiled, wondering if Sarai knew how important that ornament would become in the future. They needed it, the last step to trap Aaravos in an alchemical prison forever, and in his stupidity and hubris, he stripped them down from any sort of metal. He unravelled gold from Claudia's ornamental mage clothes, but never thought a scarf would undo his plan.

And then, it surprised no one when a few years later, the same scarf was tied around hers and Callum's hand when they got married, even though it clashed horribly with other colours of their clothes. But no one cared about that, especially when the two kissed for the first time in public as husband and wife.

- Er, Rayla? - Callum asked with slightly worried voice, as he watched his wife fondle his scarf for an unnaturally long time - Are you gonna...? - Oh yeah, right. - she came to her senses - I was just... reminiscing.

She took the scarf, folded it in half again, gave Callum a kiss before she tied it around his head, blindfolding him.

- Let's add a few more memories to it, shall we? - she asked and straddled him, pressing her body against his.

#rayllum #rayllummonth2019 #nautiscaraderfics

[raayllum]

some of the questions & answers i was most interested / validated by from this interview between The Reel James and Aaron Ehasz

INTERVIEWER: He used dark magic again, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it?

AARON: Yeah he did. He did what he had to do, and he saved her. Like I don’t know what would’ve happened if he hadn’t made that decision when he did. 

INTERVIEWER: Another wonderful moment in S5, well actually several moments, something that I and so many of the fans are asking for, which was just having more Rayllum this season. And Aaron, you delivered, sir, because I can tell you - I was putting together a compilation video and they are like five, six, seven genuine Rayllum moments. Was that something intentional? Did you always kinda knew you were gonna do that in S5?

AARON: I thought people were gonna hate us. I-I’m glad people feel that way, cause we - we were very distinctly decided let’s focus on rebuilding their actual relationship as friends and as trusting people who care about each other and not build the romantic part. So I thought people were gonna be like “No kiss, what?!” and it turns out people actually respond to the genuine connection and reconnection that happened between Callum and Rayla this season, and that makes me really happy. 

INTERVIEWER: Yeah, I think we all got a little bit of closure too, with that scene with Amaya and Rayla in the Great Bookery. They’re having that conversation and it sounded like Amaya was gonna tear her head off, and then she ends up saying she sees “a lot of me in you” and I think that’s such a mature moment. I was wondering if you could kinda talk through that cause that ended up being one of my favourite scenes of the entire series, because it was just so much more mature than I ever expected it to be.

AARON: Yeah, I mean, it’s something we knew we were gonna have to grapple with from more than one side [...] Amaya’s also this super protective aunt who saw what happened and saw how hurt her nephew was, so it’s just great material and also they’re both such strong characters, so seeing them kind of go at it a little bit, but also each show some vulnerability was just really delightful, and it was a great opportunity. Sometimes you find those scenes that are almost [...] but yes the time between Rayla and Amaya, it was just a joy finding the drama and the humour in their conversation.

INTERVIEWER: [Rayla and Callum] have their Han Solo - Princess Leia moment where Callum looks over to Rayla and says, “Rayla, I just want to tell you--” she says “I know.” And I’m like whoa! Hold on. So I’m guessing he wanted to tell Rayla that he loves her, or he forgives her?

AARON: Some combination, but I think he’s seeing in that moment - you know, you have those moments where you’re hurt by someone and they come back, and they wanna be welcomed back or treated warmly or something, and we all understand this, and instead of... Part of you wants to be warm and normal again, but you’re a little cold, cause you’re waiting for them to do whatever they need to do to process the wrongs that you perceive that they did to you. Like we have those moments in our relationships all the time and they’re hard not to do. Part of it is you’re standing up for yourself and all this stuff it gets complicated. And I think to some degree in that moment, Callum recognizes, like, he’s kept these walls up and maybe he’s hoping she’d do the work to get through them, and in this moment he’s regretting that the walls were up, maybe. And trying to tell her, you know, that - cause he, he thinks that’s it. Like they won’t have time to process, and maybe he... So, I dunno, I agree it’s a sad, beautiful, lovely moment. 

INTERVIEWER: Do you see a world where they actually have that ‘sit down and have a conversation’ about “here’s how I felt, Rayla, when you left for two years” and “here’s how I felt when you came back” and “you gave me the cold shoulder” or do you think that was enough closure? They can move forward from now?  

AARON: Um, what do you think, do they have more to talk about? 

INTERVIEWER: Yeah, I think they do.

AARON: Yeah, I agree. They have a lot more.

AARON: [About the “I hope you know--” “I know”.] He’s regretting that he’s held the walls up to protect himself and not given her a chance to make things up to him more easily, and not express to her that he missed her, that he still... 

INTERVIEWER: Was Callum using dark magic in a way to darken and make it easy to be controlled by Aaravos next time? Or was it just a convenient way for Callum to get free and safe his friends on Finnegrin’s boat?

AARON: Yeah I don’t think so. I think, Callum recognizes correctly that using dark magic somehow is creating some vulnerability in him that allows Aaravos kinda more access in a way to controlling him or be inside him in some horrible way. The fact he recognized the risk and vulnerability of using it- that it poses to himself but he took that on anyway because he felt like he had to to save Rayla.

AARON: The wait for S6 will be similar to the last gap [between S4 and S5], slightly less or slightly more. We’re concurrently working on S6 and S7 right now. 

#rayllum #tdp #the dragon prince #aaron ehasz #cast and crew #interviews #youtube #5x04 #5x08 #arc 2 #s5 spoilers #tdp spoilers

[imactualfandomtrash]

•||Rayllum||•The Other Side Of The Fence

This One Shot is a weird idea I came up with, which is inspired by the video on YouTube, Being Pretty, but hey, that is what happens when you stay up late.

"Why can't everyone be treated equally?" The young boy thought to himself as he walked though the forest, kicking at a stone.

The contry was devided into two, the pretties, and the freaks.

The pretties were the people who looked normal, acted normal and played their roles. The father's would go out to work to provide for the family, the mothers would stay at home and clean, cook, take care of the children and the children would play and have fun, one day replacing their parents when they get older.

They, are pretty.

However, there were people who weren't like the pretties. These people, we're different, they were ugly. They were freaks. These people looked different, acted different, and didn't go by the rules. The freaks break the rules, they don't fit into this perfect system, into society. These people were sent to the other side of the border, not allowed to come back.

A young boy by the name of Callum, was a pretty. He lived in a wealthy home with his step dad and his younger brother with a loving family and had a few friends. Even with all off this, Callum knew things. He knew that one day, he'd be sent to the freaks side.

Why? Cause he knew he was to smart. While everyone stayed and did as they were told, he questioned things. He questioned why the pretties and the freaks should be separated. He questioned who actualy rules the contry. He questioned what was on the other side of the fence, or the border.

He was, as some like Verin would like to call him, exceptional.

Callum knew that having a label like that, ment he was probably going to be taken away. He didn't fit the countries image of perfect. This contry was all one big machine, and every person was a clog. They are all ment to work and make the machine work, and if your a broken or damaged clog, your thrown away and forgotten.

So, Callum tried to fit in. He wouldn't ask questions and take whatever information was given to him without question. He didn't want to be taken away. He didn't want to be a freak. He wanted to be pretty.

As Callum walked through the woods, he looked down at his mask. That Danm mask that everyone must wear. It looked at him, with its happy grin and happy eye's, staring up at him.

Once you hit 13, you get a mask, to show that you are a pretty. Callum hated it. He hated wearing that mask. He felt like putting it on, he was hiding away himself and being a new and different person, and he hated it.

Being alone and taking it off was one of the best feelings in the world for him.

As he walked, Callum looked up from the mask and looked around. "This dosen't look familiar" he mummbled to himself as he looked around the forest. It was at this momont, he knew, he was lost.

"Oh no, I can't be lost. I shouldn't have been so lost in thought" Callum scolded himself as he hit his head in frustration. How could he have gotten lost so easily?

Callum scanned the area and looked around, trying to think of which way to go. "I'll just go straigh" he mummbled as he continued onwards, hoping to find something like another village or a road.

However, that didn't happen, and instead, he came to something eles. A fence.

Callum looked up at the large wire fence. It was probably 10 feet tall, barbed wire at the top, and under the wire fence, was cement, clearly to prevent someone digging under the fence.

Callum walked closer to the fence. He's never seen this before throughout his time wondering the forest for years.

Suddenly, he herd something, the sound of bushes moving coming from the other side of the fence. Judging by how loud it was, it was close. Callum looked to the other side of the fence, and sure enough, something was moving in the bushes.

Callum didn't know what to do. Should he run? Should he see what it was? Was it a person? And animal? A terrifying beast?

Callum's questions were answered when the mystery on who was in the bush came out.

It was a girl. Callum stood there, looking at her with suprised. A girl? What is she doing on that side. The girl seemed equal as suprised, but she also had a look of anger and fear on her face.

"Your a pretty I'm assuming, judging by that mask in your hand" the girl spoke with disgust, pointing towards the pretty mask in his hand. Callum looked down at the mask in his hand.

"Oh this thing, yeah, it's a mask everyone has to wear" Callum spoke as he tossed the mask aside, tossing it to the ground. A suprised look came across the girls pale purple face. "You threw it away?" She questioned him, as if he had tossed a million gold coins away.

"Yeah? So?" Callum asked her, not understanding why she seemed so suprised. "That's your mask, if your caught without it, you'd be in a lot of trouble" the girl told him.

"I know that, but I hate it. I don't like wearing a mask. I don't like wearing something that hides the real me" Callum spoke saddly as he sat down on the grass, crossing his legs.

The girl sighed as she did the same. "I understand how you feel. Having to fake who you are just to fit in? I rather be a free freak then a brainwashed pretty".

"Wait, your a freak?" Callum asked with suprised. The girl rolled her eye's. "DUH, can't you tell!? The pale purple skin, the white hair, the horns!?" She spoke as she pointed to her horns.

Callum didn't know why, but he found her quiet funny and chukled a little.

"Even with that, I wouldn't have thought you to be a freak. Here, they always say freaks are like animals or have weird mutations, and things like that" Callum explained to her.

"Us freaks are nothing like that. The most you will get is having a different skin colour and horns. We also don't act like animals, well most of the time. If something happens between a soldier and a freak, like a fight, all hell breaks loose" the girl explained to the boy befor her.

"Must be tough, living there".

"It is. You never know if you go to far and get yourself shot" the girl spoke saddly.

A few momonts of silence passed between them.

"Anyway, on a less depressing topic, let's talk about ourselves. I'll start, my name is Callum" Callum spoke. The girl smiled a bit.

"I'm Rayla".

"Rayla? That's a really nice name" Callum replied. He thought her name was really cool and nice for a freak.

"So Callum, what brings you here to the fence of the border?" Rayla asked as she crossed her arms, waiting for his answer. "W-wait, this is the border!?" Callum asked with fear, standing up quickly.

"I shouldn't be here. If I'm caught, I'll be thrown in jail, or worse, sent to the other side" Callum told Rayla in a panicked tone. She rolled her eye's and chukled.

"Relax. If this place wasn't safe, do you really think I'd be here? If a freak so much as goes near this fence, their punishment is death. So relax, this place is safe" Rayla spoke calmly, trying to calm the boy down a little.

Callum took in her words. She must be right. Usualy, there are patrols along the border, but from what he could see, no one was around. Why would they be this deep into the forest?

Callum took himself a momont to calm his nervs before he sat back down on the grass. "I got lost".

"What?".

"I came here cause I got lost in the forest. I wasn't paying attention and ended up here. So why did you come here?" Callum asked her, still feeling embarrassed about the whole getting lost situation.

"Well I honestly don't know why I came here. Probably because I want to get away from my home every now and again" Rayla explained to the boy as she looked up at the sky only to see it was starting to darken.

She sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt off her. "Well, it was fun talking to you Callum, I really enjoyed the chat" Rayla spoke to him. Callum also got up.

"H-hey if you want, we can meet up here again tomorrow? Only if you want to that is?" Callum suggested to the girl on the other side. She turned to face him and smiled. "Sure. 7pm. See you then Callum. Goodbye" Rayla spoke as she ran off with lightning speed, disappearing into the bushes.

Callum stood there for a momont, processing what had happened. He had talked to a freak, but he didn't see her as one. If anything, Callum saw her as just another girl, just being labeled as a freak.

Again, Callum found the system unfair. Why should someone be labeled a freak for looking a little different. For acting different. For being different. It was unfair. He hated wearing those danm mask that hide you away and make you nothing more then a faceless person with no identity.

Callum walked over to his mask and picked it off. He hated that mask with every bond in his body. He hated hiding himself just to fit in. If he was to be labeled a freak just for being different, then so be it.

#tdp #the dragon prince #the dragon prince rayla #tdp rayla #rayla #tdp callum #the dragon prince callum #being pretty #rayllum #rayla x callum #au

[raayllum]

What do you think of kallura?

thoughts under the cut, bc as said in my BYF it’s one of my notps—that being said, anyone who likes them by no means needs to unfollow me. you can like the ship was much as you want, i just really, really don’t and well… here’s why under the cut:

simply put, i don’t like how keith treats her. he wants to leave her behind, and even though we know that it was a somewhat rational decision, so was shiro’s (they need her to power the castle and move around the galaxy, info about aliens, etc.) even if his decision in going back for her was displayed as irrational and emotionally driven. simply put, when someone you love or really care about is in danger, you do not act rationally. think of how keith would have reacted if his brother, shiro, had been taken.

i also thought the way the galra arc in s2 was handled was incredibly poor and messily constructed, with little room for nuance. allura, a black woman, is always seen as wrong for being defensive against her oppressors, who keith, a white male, belongs to. you can see how the race and gender of the characters didn’t help matters of an already complicated dynamic/social issue to portray either. that, and i’m still pissy that keith never said almost anything about trying to reconcile to her on his end.

but most especially that we never got to see coran’s side of things. it was another thing that left the whole arc with a bitter taste in my mouth. like, why not have given allura’s piece in that arc to coran? not only would it give him some depth, some of the weird race-gender dynamics would be gone, allura would already have an arc of learning to trust the galra with the blade as a whole, and coran is shown in canon before the galra keith plotline to have stereotypes about aliens (ie. the uniloo race, from “space mall”). allura is not.

it was one of the reasons why i liked, how even though the elves and humans have a much more grey relationship with each other, callum still apologized for what humans did. he didn’t say, “not all humans are like that.” he was never prejudiced against rayla for being an elf, and even if she was a bit towards him as a human, perhaps at first, none of that mattered. he was straightforward, sorry and personal while also not inflicting personal guilt upon his shoulders, and helped rayla open up to him further.

the other seasons didn’t help much. shiro chose keith as a successor, ergo keith is supposed to be a support for allura while she tackles everything—the loss of a friend/teammate, keeping everyone else afloat, creating the coalition, coordinating with the blade, and then becoming a brand new paladin—all by herself. keith ruins her diplomatic dinner and never apologizes. allura tries to convince keith not to leave, he says he doesn’t want a lecture, and ultimately doesn’t listen to her.

all their interactions just seemed hostile, or argumentative for the most part. one of the reasons i like rayllum is because while they bicker, they care deeply about each other, and it’s always obvious. they always admit when they made a mistake, and always work to make sure the other person is okay. they can tease and laugh at each other, they have a great understanding of one another’s insecurities (rayla too, knows what it’s like to fail at the one thing you’re supposed to be good at). i think their relationship is very beneficial for each other’s arcs.

keith and allura’s is not. their arcs are almost never intertwined, and the series rarely connects the emotional beats of their separate stories together. often times when allura is going through a particularly hard time, shiro is too, and in s3, the perfect opportunity to show keith and allura growing closer, we don’t see anything.

so yeah. i don’t like them. i do think they’re a pair that has merit in fanon though, although i still think they function better as friends than lovers. so yeah, they’re a pair of characters i like in fanon, platonically, because their dynamic in canon, regardless of its nature (platonic, romantic, etc.) killed their relationship for me, unfortunately.

if you want more details on my views on voltron i’d check out my “vld critical” tag at @shiroallura, and even more so, my project over at @voltron-fix-it-fic in which every single character’s relationship with everyone else is revamped, improved, and developed.

hope this answers your question! :)

#thanks for asking #antikallura #vld #anonymous #dragons rambles #non tdp