RayllaOurPride

Q) What is it about Raylla that has resonated with each of you, and what have you taken away from their journey thus far?

A) To quote what Amalia [Holm] said so eloquently about the relationship (“Raylla”) between Raelle (Taylor Hickson) and Scylla in a recent interview, “Love is hard and when you love enough, it can change one another for the better.” Scylla and Raelle’s love for each other is profound and deeper than they can comprehend. Their love is monogamous that speaks of devotion and that is out of the norm in the world of “Motherland: Fort Salem,” where the witches’ norm is that relationships are largely functional and polyamorous. Scylla risked her life in choosing to abandon her mission and choosing Raelle, which was a defining moment for their unconditional love. Because it’s true love, we believe that they will fight to come back to each other.

Raylla is a complex love story and a breath of fresh air to have a well-developed on-screen Sapphic relationship. Meeting Raylla as a couple and following their journey, we as an audience really learned a lot about what it takes to love. We have two people from difficult backgrounds that found each other, opened up, and really supported each other. Although they might still have some growing up to do, we truly believe that with their individual development, Raylla’s bond will only strengthen and as we often like to say #RayllaEndgame!

Q) When you were coming together as a group for this project, what was your main focus in forming?

A) We first bonded over the fantastic universe from the show and this spectacular LGBTQ+ representation portrayed by Taylor and Amalia. To us and many fans, we absolutely cherish seeing this relationship depicted on-screen without common Sapphic relationship troupes. And we wanted to give a very public and affectionate display of genuine appreciation to the actresses that brought their characters to life with so much natural chemistry and dedication to representing the Sapphic community.

We hope to express every gratitude to Taylor and Amalia, they mean everything to the fans. They are appreciative and supportive of the queer fandom and have made tremendous effort to interact with fans on social media, checking in on the well-being of fans, and are constantly giving affirmation and encouragement. A project like this one, we hope to also celebrate the show’s fans and Raylla fans for bonding together and forming lasting friendships.

Q) You have this amazing billboard planned in celebration of “Motherland: Fort Salem” Season 2 as well as Pride, talk about the incredible artists and efforts behind making this happen.

A) For Pride Month we wanted to celebrate together as fans and we were so fortunate to have so many incredible LGBTQ+ artists in this fandom, who were so generous in sharing their artistic work when we approached them with our project idea. We focused on radiating the message “Love Wins,” thanking our LGBTQ+ representatives – Taylor and Amalia – and ended with a positive note to stream the show.

The fans whom we approached for contributions to the funding of the Billboard – We were really humbled and moved by their trust and generosity!  There were others that we approached who decided to contribute by giving us their encouragement and support in other ways such as helping to spread the word on Twitter about our planned project: the Tweet-Anything-Raylla with #RayllaOurPride activity before the big reveal of the SURPRISE, which was the Billboard.  Our love and thanks to all who have helped and participated in one way or another.

This project is as much ours as it is theirs!

Q) Taylor and Amalia have been so supportive of the Raylla fandom, what does having them as captains of this special ship signify and mean to you?

A) Taylor and Amalia are so wonderful in their character depiction and are very thoughtful with their frequent social media engagement with the fans. For many, it’s rare to see a canon sapphic relationship on-screen and the validity they give to the LGBTQ+ community is so heart-warming and encouraging. During the hiatus of the show, they have consistently featured Raylla fan art on their social media posts and in December 2020 Taylor and Amalia gave us the famous duet of “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” which was a lovely and moving gesture. They made us feel seen and appreciated and truly, nobody could sail a ship like they do.

Q) What are you most excited for when it comes to Season 2 of “Motherland: Fort Salem?”

A) There are so many things to be excited about! The “Motherland: Fort Salem” world is still developing, and we’ve been teased about themes like betrayal, redemption and maybe even sacrifice. This signals a “slow burn” for Raylla and we would not mind a heated confrontation between the two while they worked out their issues. The individual journeys of the characters are highly anticipated, as well as Anacostia and Scylla’s unlikely and fiery partnership.

Q) Are there going to be any future initiatives and other events to celebrate Raylla and/or Season 2?

A) We really enjoyed working with and getting to know the artists and each other for this project. It was amazing to see the fandom come through and rally together to celebrate Raylla. We would love to keep the momentum going and try to earn a renewal season for the show! But, for now, it will be kept as a surprise. So, our lips are sealed.

Q) What’s your favorite Raylla scene or moment?

A) That is probably the hardest question to answer! Raylla is a Sapphic couple with a good and nuanced storyline and the actresses playing them have an incredible on-screen chemistry, which is frankly rare to see. Hence, all Raylla scenes are treasured. One thing that really highlights every Raylla scene would be the subtle gestures and micro-expressions that Taylor and Amalia depict so wonderfully. For instance, during Wedding Episode – “Bellweather Season” (Season 1 Episode 5), the subtle Raylla interlacing of fingers and the expression they wore – you could tell they wanted to have their forever together. Scylla was so smitten in love when Raelle proudly announced she was her girlfriend. It was truly a defining moment and they have never been more in love.

Q) Is there anything you would like to say to Taylor and Amalia about your appreciation for them or their characters?

A) Thank you, Taylor and Amalia, for loving and shipping Raylla as much as we do and portraying their love and struggles with such respect and conviction. Thank you for understanding and supporting the queer fandom and for taking time to interact with us on social media. The Raylla love story resonated with so many for the larger-than-life impact and provided courage for many to start living their truth. Thank you for everything and onwards to Season 2!

Q) Is there anything else you want to mention about this project or hope Raylla fans take away from being a part of this event?

A) We hope that Raylla fans remember what it is that binds us – our love for Raylla, for the show and the cast – and that together we are stronger and can achieve great things for the show – such as renewal for future seasons. We know that this project would not be able to materialize without our generous donors and the artists. And, hopefully, the fandom sees this project as a boost of positive energy during this Pride Month that helps them to feel proud being themselves.

All Questions Answered By @blondedreamboy, @AlilsBK1 and @RayllAngst