The Dragon Prince

[quietninjakitty]

Is this for real or another internet glitch?

[beautifulterriblequeen]

“Your justice will come later.”

It’s an epithet. Another Moonshadow phrase that’s meant to cover the truth in soothing distraction.

When Moonshadows say “justice” in other situations, they mean death. Rayla says “This is justice!” as she states her intention to kill Prince Ezran.

Runaan says “Justice will not be denied,” meaning Harrow and Ezran’s demise.

Justice means death.

So when Runaan tells Rayla, “Your justice will come later,” he doesn’t mean that she’ll get in trouble for defying him. He doesn’t mean she’s got bad karma, or even that she’s screwed up.

He means Don’t die. That he’s letting her off the hook, letting their quarrel drop. Runaan’s literally telling Rayla to die another day, to not get killed doing what she’s gonna do. It sounds very grumpy and final, though. I bet Moonshadows only say this in extreme situations, if they’re being serious about it (I can see it being a great morbid phrase for lighthearted situations, too). 

And the sword slash Runaan follows his words with? Symbolically cutting ties. It looks like he’s done with Rayla. But I think he’s cutting her free of him. He’s cutting their bond, and any responsibility and loyalty she owes him is ended. Because Moonshadows are very loyal. They’ll wade in after each other no matter what.

Unless they’re freed from that obligation. Runaan has already tried to keep Rayla out of the castle and failed. She’s very loyal to him, and his mission, even if it’s partly for her own reasons. He knows Rayla’s habits. If she does a thing once, she’ll do it again. He has to go all the way to the end of the line to find something that will keep Rayla from running into the tower after him.

He took her in as a young child. Raised her as his own. Taught her his ways. Everything he knows. And now, to save her stubborn, insistent little moonbutt, he has to cut her loose, to break their bond. To turn away from everything they mean to each other. He has to leave her, just like her parents did.

No wonder Rayla looks so astonished and heartbroken when she calls after him, “No, wait!”

Except, see, that’s not the last thing Runaan did for Rayla. He bought her time to get away. I’m not sure if he’d tell the other Moonshadows about the egg, that Rayla was heading back to Xadia with it. He’d probably leave out the princes’ participation–Ezran’s freedom could be a dangerous distraction to them. But he asked, convinced, or straight-up ordered them into a frontal assault on Harrow’s chambers.

They waltzed in the front door, announcing their presence with a torch-snuffing wind gust. These elite assassins, who can dance in the trees and along the roofs and battlements with barely any effort, walked on the ground at a nice reasonable pace, straight into the humans’ defenses. They took their sweet time hacking and slashing at the human guards, killing none of them for at least several minutes, and peppering the doors with arrows from no more than twenty feet away.

The doors to the balcony were open. Runaan and his team could’ve slithered across the roofs, popped in the top of the balcony doors, and taken Harrow out before anyone knew what was happening.

But he didn’t do that. And here’s why. Rayla can get out of the castle any way she likes. But the human princes are far less agile, and they need to use the main gate. Which is guarded by several human soldiers.

Unless something draws those soldiers away. Something like a big, obvious, drawn-out, assault on the king’s chamber.

When Rayla sees the shadowhawk overhead, she looks worried, and maybe even a little surprised.

But Runaan stalled the humans long enough for her to get away with the princes and the egg. And he’s still alive at that moment. He got his kill, after all. 

And what does Rayla do next? She has the princes stop for the night. They get some sleep. But she stays awake until dawn.

(on a rock, because that’s where Runaan told her to wait, quietly)

Because Runaan told her, “If we’re not back by sunrise, go home.”

She waited. She waited for him. Even after he fought her. Even after he broke ties and slashed his sword at her.

She waited for him, until sunrise. She really thought he’d come. Her indestructible mentor. He’s never failed her before.

She tries again. But by the next sunrise, Rayla knows the truth. Runaan’s not coming.

Runaan’s justice found him. But hers will still come later. In the meantime, just like he told her, she has a job to do.

[quietninjakitty]

So I keep seeing these posts saying how Runaan's definitely gonna lose his arm in s6, but...can someone please explain the logic of that?

Now, I am terrible at keeping track of in-universe timing, but from my understanding, in the show, Runaan is coined during the dragang's climb up the Cursed Caldera/Moon Nexus. They spend the episode cutting between him and Viren in the dungeon, Soren and Claudia looking for ingredients for her locator spell, and the Dragang in Ellis' village and climbing the Caldera. I haven't rewatched s1 lately, but I think he gets coined right before the "Ezran, you have a good heart...it's super annoying" scene. That means (pretty sure) that Runaan gets coined and therefore frozen in time a few hours before Zym pulls off Rayla's binding. So, wouldn't he have the same amount of permanent side effects as she does or less since she had it on longer?

Please explain.

[no-cinnamon-for-synonym]

Just thinking about how Runaan went to the balcony and released the shadowhawk with only one blood ribbon attached instead of doing what he should have done, which is go after the crown prince and then release the shadowhawk with both blood ribbons. Runaan could have escaped, but he decided not to, instead ending the mission there with just the death of the king, knowing full well that Rayla wouldn't kill the prince. Runaan agreed with Rayla and chose to let Prince Ezran go because he believed he was innocent. He believed that Prince Ezran did not need to die. He could have shot Ezran on the wall that night but chose not to. Runaan has been Team Zym all along, he just contributed in a different way.

[quietninjakitty]

I love this so much

[quietninjakitty]

In the In-Between: Chapter 6

Lain's perspective from inside the coin.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[quietninjakitty]

Last Words, Chapter 2

After Rayla’s parents tell her about the Dragonguard, her mother writes a letter

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[quietninjakitty]

I watched the live-action remake of AtLA, and I have to say, it works great as a supplement and a few laughs, but if you haven’t watched the animated film, it’s not going to make a lot of sense. I like the Kyoshi backstory and the added depth in Sokka and Suki’s relationship, and while I didn’t love seeing Bumi like that, it is nice how they let being in a leadership position during a war change him instead of being the happy-go-lucky kid Aang remembers. Impressive effects. But it really, truly is a tragedy how they barely even glanced at the Cabbage Guy! He’s one of my favorite parts. :((

[quietninjakitty]

For those of us who weren’t able to go to the last few events (I don’t remember what the name was. Some kind of convention?) or log in to Geekend Week, is there a place where we can see the updates?

[heretherebebookdragons]

If you are a fan fic writer and you're alright with people making fan art of your fic, reblog this 💚

[quietninjakitty]

Random Coin Theories

Tiadrin was coined first, and the last thing she remembers is the horrified look on Lain’s face. ^^^ Lain thinking that Tiadrin’s dead until Rayla addresses her in season 5

Viren didn’t take the coins out of the bag once until he showed them to Runaan. Lain and Tiadrin’s first glimpse of the world in months was of their best friend chained up. They weren’t aware the other was there.

When Claudia shows Rayla the coins in Umber Tor, they all recognize her immediately, but they’re reluctant to believe their identification is correct. Tiadrin and Lain think that she’s about to get coined. When Rayla talks to the coins, they answer even though they know she can’t hear them. They always tell her they love her, they’re proud to her, and to be safe. Sometimes they add one of those quiet but desperate please’s after they’re back in the bag.

Whenever Rayla has them in the bag, all three are going into full parental worry mode, despite their best efforts. They all have a grasp on the idea that, if Rayla is talking to them, things are quiet (at least for her). That means that any time she doesn’t, things could be going horribly wrong, and she could be in terrible danger.

^^^ The sigh of relief they all breathe when they hear her voice again. And the desperation and fear as she puts them back in the bag. Everyone experiencing extreme parental guilt that, not only are they helpless to keep her safe and/or comfort her, they’re relying on her to save them, something that no child should ever have to deal with. Being aware enough to tell that it’s Rayla, but not being able to see where she is or what’s going on.

Runaan’s the only one who knows they’re in coins and inside a bag. They heard Rayla tell Callum about the coins and admitting how much it hurt her. Everyone forgot they can’t communicate with the outside world and tried to comfort her the best they knew how, before remembering a few seconds later and begging whoever was with her to make her feel better.

Everyone debating with themselves about whether it’s actually Rayla they’re seeing, some sort of trick of the spell, or they’ve just finally gone insane.

The first time they can actually see the other coins. The immense relief that the others are really okay.

Rayla doesn’t know it, but every time she talks to the coins, she’s pulling her family out of whatever nightmares usually take place and giving them a much-needed reprieve.

Tiadrin and Lain’s frustration with the fact that they spent 7 years at the Storm Spire, and the day they’re supposed to get to go back home, they get coined. And now their daughter is right there in front of them, and they can’t talk with her, can’t hug her, can’t make sure she’s okay, can’t comfort her even though she clearly needs it.

[quietninjakitty]

Why is Rayla’s cape torn in the screenshot?

[quietninjakitty]

I don’t know how to do the little screenshot thing, so I’m just gonna describe the scene.

When Ezran is telling Kasef about Zym in Season 3, the focal point shifts at a weird point. When Ezran says “with the help of an elf named Rayla”, we see that one advisor (the one who brought Kasef to Viren). For most of that time, he’s listening with a fairly neutral expression. But when Ezran says Rayla’s name, that changes. Not when he’s saying she’s an elf. When. He. Says. Her. Name. I don’t know about you, but I feel like that means he knew it previously.

Why does he know her name?

[quietninjakitty]

“…This girl was as keen-eyed as her mother (Lunabloom: A Silvergrove Story).”

Me, thinking about how this normally-observant girl was so excited to be home and show Callum around that she didn’t even notice that the crowd of people around her had no faces.

🥺

[quietninjakitty]

Callum, about the timeskip: Were you safe?

Rayla: Your version of safe or mine?

Callum: Mine.

Rayla, quietly, knowing how Callum will react: ...No. Not once.

Tag me if you use.

[valtsv]

"do you seriously think you're above the rules" the stupid ones yeah

[valtsv]

if you want me to follow the rules you have to make sure they're not stupid. this isn't a difficult concept to grasp.

[quietninjakitty]

I’m legit so frustrated right now. When season 4 came out in November, I wasn’t supposed to be home until 6 (couldn’t stay up and watch it. Thursday, remember?), and I managed to get ~3:30 by skipping my after-school engagement. Now, the entire maternal side of my family is going on a vacation to Pomme de Terre (A lake near Springfield, MO), which, in case it wasn’t totally clear, has no Wi-Fi. I leave two days before season 5 drops. Two. Days. And the earliest I can hope to get home is 1-2 pm on August 1st.

If season 6 comes out, and I can’t watch it either right away or immediately after school, I’m. Gonna. Scream.

[quietninjakitty]

Since star elves are first elves, are star dragons first dragons?

I don’t have the background knowledge to answer this question. My sources are the show, the graphic novels, and the official tdp website. (I have the novels for the first three seasons, but haven’t read them in a while.)

Thanks for the ask (really), but for future reference, I’d appreciate questions that I’m equipped to answer, if that’s alright with you.

Maybe some moonfam speculation or hc’s?