Re these prior musings / promises but speculation regarding the secret scene possibly being Claudia murdering Sir Sparklepuff got me wondering, so... let's talk about Rayla, Claudia, and symbolic to non symbolic notions of suicide.
Tw because this will mention / does talk about cannibalism, suicidal ideation, and suicide in passing. If you're not comfortable reading about those things in more detail but you still want the gist of this meta, scroll down to the TLDR that will have a couple sentence summary of the idea.
With that out of the way, let's get into it.
For a while now, I've been interested in the metaphorical mechanics regarding Rayla murdering Viren in 3x09. As we all know (even if Aaravos 'pretends' otherwise in 4x04), Rayla did successfully kill the man, retroactively achieving her earlier mission of killing a king of Katolis because he was responsible for both the death of the Dragon King and because he'd killed Zym (which Viren was in the process of doing).
However, Rayla kills Viren in the most Rayla-y of ways, as she does so without her assassin blades, while acting as the Last Dragonguard, and in a way that means killing Viren is not just an act of protection or revenge, but also something that meant sacrificing (killing) herself.
And this felt notable to me, since unlike either of the brothers, Rayla hasn't killed anyone else. Ezran would've burned people alive with dragon fire if not for immunity spell, and Callum blasted plenty of people off the side of the mountain and presumably to the Storm Spire. But Viren was the sole blood on Rayla's hands, even if the narrative has Claudia (and we'll get to her in a minute) resurrect him. Her one act of murder being something that also, as stated, required her to sacrifice her whole person, and is also in line with her assassin training: "I am already dead."
When Rayla rebuttals Ezran's assertion that "[You spared him] because you knew he was a person, just like you," you can read Rayla's assertion of "That shouldn't have mattered, I had a job to do," solely as her talking about the guard's personhood... but you can also read it, I think, as her dehumanizing her own personhood. She is a weapon and he is the target and that's all that should've mattered.
We can tether this thread all the way up to season four with Rayla's refusal to murder Callum, but put a pin in that, cause now I want to talk about Claudia.
Much like we can read Rayla's attempted dehumanization as twofold, I also think we can read Sir Sparklepuff's mimicry of Claudia as something with multiple layers. The first and likely most obvious one of course is that Sir Sparklepuff mimicking Claudia in earlier episodes is to setup later that he is her (magical, technical?) half-brother and one of Viren's children. Kind of like how we had Ezran and Zym mimicking each other in mid-S2 to set up their mental/emotional bond later that season.
And this implied connection likewise loops back around in the finale when Viren simultaneously refuses to sacrifice Sir Sparklepuff for his own survival while also lamenting that he's led (sacrificed?) his own daughter down a dark path (and perhaps regret that he sacrificed his son once, too).
Arc 2 has also ramped up Claudia's willingness to destroy herself further for the "good of her family" (and her own desires that often steamroll over theirs) in having her take on more and more animalistic forms when doing dark magic, blurring the lines between her de-personalization of magical creatures and also herself.
This reflects dark magic's cannibalism motif quite well, as Claudia carries on metaphorically cannibalizing her own body throughout most of s4 and especially s5: refusing to rest from Terry, using her own blood in spells, etc.
This all reinforces that while dehumanization was something Rayla struggled with for both her target(s) and to a lesser degree herself, it's something that Claudia has only continually excelled at. And we know, thanks to S4 with Rayla walking away from the drake in the woods ("We can't save everyone") that she's gotten better at it as well.
But what does this all have to do with symbolic suicide? Well...
If the secret scene is what a good deal of us have been speculating / that Claudia is covered in Sir Sparklepuff's blood in the teaser trailer, then: if Sir Sparklepuff is a stand in for Viren's innocent, made to be an asset, processing learned behaviour child - if he is a stand in for Claudia - then through killing him, Claudia is symbolically killing herself.
Now, there's no doubt in my mind that Claudia isn't viewing things that way, but we also know just how much she's willing to ruin herself for the people around her first hand, and how persistent that characterization has been: "Are you okay?" "You're going to be better now. That's all that matters." While Claudia also has some selfish, twisted self-preservation in there as well (she cannot or will not cope with the fracturing of her family, even when she really probably should), the self-destructive tendency that's led to her S6 spiral is well established.
This attitude of "it doesn't matter what happens to me, so long as other people are okay/safe" is something we see for many characters, of course, but I think is best embodied in Rayla's continual, emphasized thread of sacrifice / her tendency towards subtle but consistent passive suicidal ideation regarding her own safety and her own wants/desires.
R: Don't worry about my hand. The egg is all that matters. / It doesn't matter what happens to me. / I have to go after [Viren]. / It's agonizing, but I know our mission comes first.
This is important regarding her and Callum in regards to the possession plot line. As long as Callum is Callum (not possessed, or she has reason to believe he's still in there), Rayla likely won't be able to bring herself to kill him. This is from an emotional / characterization standpoint, of course, but from a thematic standpoint, we can see where it stems from Callum and Rayla continually being each other's main connection to their sense of identity.
As long as Callum is Callum ("you're the destiny is a book you write yourself guy"), he's worth saving. As long as Callum is Callum, she can be Rayla ("Rayla's brave. She saves people" / "Rayla. My name is Rayla, and I'm going home"). As long as she's Rayla, he can be Callum. Because if Callum isn't Callum, then he's dead, and if he's dead, she can kill him. And if Rayla kills him, if Callum is dead, then she won't be Rayla anymore. Because to literally kill Callum would be to simultaneously symbolically/emotionally kill herself.
Now of course, some of this is already differing wildly.
If Claudia is going to kill Sir Sparklepuff, it makes the most sense for it to have already come to pass in 6x01, whereas Callum and Rayla's plot line would only come later on in the season. Claudia will presumably succeed at her symbolic suicide, but that doesn't mean she's not still worth saving / unable to be saved in the future (perhaps by her family). Rayla will probably fail at her symbolic suicide and succeed at sparing herself through sparing/saving Callum.
However, it's an interesting symbolic thread and potential foil contrast, and I thought it was worth pointing out. I hope you think so too!
TLDR below:
Due to Claudia's parallels to Sir Sparklepuff, if she kills him it holds a layer of her symbolically killing herself. In contrast, Rayla's symbolic suicide would be in killing Callum, as that would destroy her own sense of identity/life. For Claudia, this means likely being saved later by her family, and for Rayla, this means likely sparing Callum and herself simultaneously, thereby saving and sparing both of them.
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Waughh this bedpost is also an ART!
Had this idea right after getting out of the shower and I knew I needed to draw it. Have a funky bug that turns you into a pooltoy! x3
Tried to be at least a little realistic with how it works, but also I don't know how anything works so this is probably insane. But that's fine because a beetle that turns you into a pooltoy is insane to begin with.
Look my vocabulary is needlessly large and I like using big words so any chance to use extravagant wording will be seized.
Transcript under cut because it's probably too long for alt text
Pool Beetle (Piscīna mordere) Often found in dark, warm areas by bodies of water. Pool sheds and Pool chests are common nesting spots. They are territorial, and will bite if disturbed. Their bite, if not treated within a few hours, will eventually lead to the growth of a hard, white tumor. Often described as "reminiscent of a pooltoy valve". A Pool Beetle infection site will spread outward over several days. Infected skin will acquire a rubbery texture, and often take on a bright color. Scientists are unsure of the purpose of this. Perhaps to serve as a warning to others of the victim's species. Other symptoms of Pool Beetle infections include feelings of lightheadedness, loss of appetite, lockjaw, loss of mobility, hydrophilia, and (in rare cases), protrusions resembling animal-like features. These include tails, horns, snouts, wings, and prominent ears. Though the symptoms are not inherently fatal, should they go untreated for approximately 30 days, further symptoms are likely to develop. These symptoms include loss of cognitive function, loss of bone muscle and fat density, and loss of vocalization. For all intents and purposes, the victim is rendered near identical to the common inflatable pooltoy. Scientists are still debating the evolutionary advantage to the Pool Beetle's defense. If you suspect you have been bit by a Pool Beetle, don't wait. Contact your local hospital immediately!
This informational flyer is brought to you by Squeak Quarentine Unit EPSILON ALTO K
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I miei occhi non ne vogliono sapere di dormire. Sono stanca, ma loro insistono sul rimanere aperti, come se darmi qualche ora di sonno sia uno sforzo immane. Riesco a sentire il mio corpo ricattarmi in quel modo che solo lui sa fare “Se dormi adesso ti faccio svegliare dopo le tre di pomeriggio” forse a sto punto meglio non dormire. Però sono stanca. Sono stanca di guardare porno sul telefono, stanca di leggere, studiare, mettere in ordine. Vorrei cadere in un sonno profondo per anni, diventare un vegetale. Talvolta mi viene ancora voglia di lanciarmi dal balcone, così mi rinchiudo fortissimo nelle coperte, per evitare di seguire quel pensiero. L’altro giorno A. mi ha detto che ha iniziato a farsi del male per superare lo stress dell’università e mi sono sentita gelosa, perché è tornato il mostro del “non sei abbastanza malata, non lo sei mai stata, sei solo una stronza in costante ricerca di attenzioni” ed è vero. Lo siamo tutte, cazzo siamo così sole, l’idea di qualcuno che stia lì a consolarci e capirci h24 è oro puro. Vorrei tornare a provare qualcosa, perché in questi giorni non provo più un cazzo. Sono tornata a non sentire più nulla, cuore di sasso, sporca, stupida, svogliata. Forse è il caso che mi rinvoltoli nelle coperte, perché a forza di analizzare i miei pensieri mi è venuta voglia di buttarmi di nuovo di sotto o di dormire abbracciata a qualcuno (che non ho, quindi si risolve masturbandosi), ed opterei per quest’ultima.
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Just saw your thing about your bday ! Honestly anything with da boi Leo Valdez ? Bonus point with it has smut ? 👀😏😩
Love all that you write <3
thank you babes!!!!!!!! <3333
been thinking about being stuck with Leo during quarantine?? like after the obvious oh jeez this is really bad we need to start working from home frenzy you get really bored after two or three days and a few more days pass and you realize you can just absolutley fuck eachother stupid as much as you want and no one can tell you not to so you just end up bored and horny together all the time
as you finish up a zoom call without your camera on obvs he'll just be right behind you feeling you up and trying to distract you and as soon as the meeting ends you are SO getting your guts rearranged, you drink whipped coffee after he spent an hour going down on you and when you kiss him you taste yourself and espresso on his tongue, fucking against the counter or kitchen floor while your third attempt at baking bread cooks in the oven and tiger king plays forgotten in the other room, laying together late at night totally fucked out and showing each other funny tiktoks on the recently downloaded app and scrolling past dancing videos and outer banks edits and checking the shipping on your amazon packages you're waiting on before you fall asleep in each others arms
quarantining with Leo but make it horny and fun and era appropriate <333
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