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direwombat · 1 year

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tagged by @socially-awkward-skeleton for wip wednesday and @poetikat a day or two ago to share some of a wip!

taggin: @natesofrellis, @thomrainer, @adelaidedrubman, @strafethesesinners, @strangefable, @funkypoacher, @harmonyowl, @schoute, @aceghosts, @confidentandgood, and anyone else wanting to share anything they have (but no pressure, as always)

i just published ch 5 of fragile creatures and i don’t really work ahead, so everything i have for ch 6 is super rough, but here’s something that’s polished enough to share. it still needs a lot of work lmao but it’s better than the skeletons and single lines of dialogue/description or notes that are my other wips...

“So,” he sniffs. “Put any thought into how you wanna die?”

Pratt doesn’t look at him, or answer.

“No? You don’t give me any input and I’ll have to decide for you. And I gotta say, Peaches, whatever I come up with, you’re not gonna like.” He slices a piece of apple and pops it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

He watches for any reaction, but Pratt gives him nothing. Just a quick glance out of the corner of his eye. Disappointing. Jacob thought he’d be a wreck by now. “Tell you what. I’ll give you a choice,” he continues. “One of two options. Either A,” he holds his index finger up, “I crucify you. Hike you up somewhere into the mountains and nail you to some trees and leave you up there all by yourself. Someone may find and save you. Or you’ll die a slow, agonizing death.”

Still nothing, save for the bob of his Adam’s apple.

“Or,” he says, holding up his second finger. “You’re shot. Back of the head. Executioner’s style. Hell, I’ll do it myself if you want. Nice and quick. Comparatively painless. Caveat is you gotta dig your own grave first -- assuming you want one. I’m not making my men waste their time putting your body to rest. Otherwise your body’s being fed to the wolves. Might be the only useful thing you’ll ever be good for.”

And Pratt still remains a statue, huddled in his little corner of the cage. The deputy isn’t a resilient man. He bows and bends at the slightest hint of pressure. Getting him to break had been easy. But for some reason, it’s here that he’s found some resolve. If Jacob were a more charitable man, he might even find his newfound conviction admirable. Pratt has only known Deputy Rook for only a few months, yet he’s confident she’ll put her neck on the line just to save him.

But Jacob isn’t a charitable man, and he thinks Pratt is naive and a fool.

“She’ll be here,” Pratt rasps, his voice rough from pain and thirst.

Jacob gives him a look. Amused but pitying, the same kind of look one gives a child who failed entertainingly at whatever task they were attempting. “Whatever helps you get through the day, Peaches,” he says.

annnnd here’s a snippet from the charlie/paola pre-ship fic that i’ll finish someday....no paola in this particular scene, but have some fun old fashioned heist planning with charlie + the lost legacy trio

He raises his hand. Chloe nods at him. “Yes, Charlie?”

“What are we gonna do about the provenance documents?” he asks.

Sam scoffs. “Provenance documents,” he parrots. “Lookat you using big boy words.”

“Fuck off, it’s a legitimate question,” Charlie bristles. “This guy’s a scumbag, but he’s by the book, right? Technically he bought the piece legally, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Chloe says slowly, and he’s suddenly a little uncomfortable with how everyone’s eyes are on him now.

“Then there’s gonna be a paper trail. It’s not gonna matter how long we sit on it, the second we try to fence it, alarm bells are gonna go off somewhere. And if it can get traced back to us…”

“Bad news bears,” Sam finishes.

Charlie points at him. “Exactly.”

Chloe chews thoughtfully on the inside of her cheek. “Okay, so we steal the provenance documents too. Easy.”

Charlie shakes his head. “Won’t be enough. We’ll need to get the digital files too.”

Chloe pulls a face, puffing her cheeks out and exhaling heavily. It’s so much easier to steal from other criminals. Nadine frowns, working her jaw as the cogs turn in her head, and Sam drums his fingers against the counter. Then he says, “I can do it.”

“Are you sure?” Chloe asks.

Sam nods. “You’re sending me in through the front door anyways. We’ll pick up a USB or something at the airport and I’ll figure out a way to get into his office. Easy peasy.”

They all know it’s anything but, but there’s no way to hash out a more concrete plan without actually getting eyes inside this guy’s mansion.

“What do we do once we have the documents, then?” Nadine asks.

Charlie shrugs. “Find someone who can forge them?"

“Do we know any forgers in Italy?” she asks the table. Both Chloe and Sam shake their heads.

Charlie awkwardly clears his throat. “Well, there’s Miss Orsini, right?”

The silence that follows his question drags on for an eternity.

Then Sam bursts into laughter. “You’re joking, right?” he says, wiping a fake tear from his eye. “After last time, I don’t think she’ll be too keen on the idea of working with us again.”

“Naw, mate, she just doesn’t want to work with you again,” Charlie responds. He doesn’t know much about the history between Sam and Miss Orsini, but he does know that the events of the previous job working with her put him squarely on her shit-list. But she seemed to still be on professionally amicable terms with both Nadine and Chloe last he heard.

“She’s a civilian, Charlie,” Nadine says dismissively.

“One who specializes in the preservation of both digital and paper records.”

“I have seen her literally pull ink off of paper,” Sam says quietly.

Nadine sighs. “Alright, I’ll talk to her. But I won’t make any promises.”

#wip wednesday #wip: fragile creatures #brain hasn't been good for writing recently but here's some stuff

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stanleyvris · 2 years

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my absolute hottest take of all...

...i do not think steddie is that great of a ship. like I think it’s really cute and the headcanons are all adorable. but i’ve gotta say... i really did not see steddie on screen. if i’m being totally honest, I did not see the chemistry or the flirtation or even enough of a relationship to make me want to ship steddie myself.

this isn’t me hating on the ship at all! i just personally am a little over seeing nothing BUT steddie on the st tag, especially because I feel like there wasn’t even that much there to make people ship them

#do not kill me for saying this thanks #stranger things #st #stranger things 4 #anti steddie #but not really anti steddie bc i think theyre fine i just dont rlly see them #mine:post #st:textpost

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heylinhenchman · 1 year

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Selective Low Activity Jack Spicer RP + Ask Blog

First and Forepost-- Rules and Introduction.

Rule 1. Asks are welcome! If I don’t like it, I won’t answer it! Personal blogs can sends asks, and even interact in a limited manner with Jack if they would like, but I won’t making any threads with non-character entities. Rule 2. Jack is canon divergent, which means part of the Xiaolin Showdown and Chronicles series have been reimagined or re-contextualized. Respect that Jack is not ‘cowardly, (physically) weak or ineffectual’. Jack is a wildcard, easily swayed by whims and increasingly disturbed by unfolding events in his life (and like, is a teenager, for a large part of XS). Just approach him like any other character, unless you are from his series, then we can chat character dynamics. Rule 3. I love shipping. But from every dynamic (platonic; romantic; mentorship--). Jack isn’t used to people liking him further than they can use him. He’s quick to excite but slow to embrace the responsibilities of commitment of any kind (scared of rejection from friends and significant others; scared of failure from mentors and friends; etc). Rule 4. I’m an adult, and sure Jack is an adult in all post-canon content... But there’s little interest for explicit threads. Asks, art, interactions can be steamy, but fade to black will be the default for amorous threads. Rule 5. Though on the note of threads at all... this blog is taking it easy. I would appreciate many asks and I will do my best to send plenty myself. But my main intention with this blog is reaching back out to friends blogs and generally having Fun with Jack. Fun including but not limited to: Oh Ships?; Henchperson Dynamics (him serving or leading); Jack Making Friends Trials n Tribulations; Exploring Jacks vast inventory of inventions & canon divergent settings. Maybe talk about AUs. Infodumping, the good stuff. Rule 6. I have ADHD and Autism, if you want to plot instead of sending a meme (you can send any meme, whenever you want, no introduction!), you need to come into my IMs with some substance, or you will not catch nor retain my attention. We are not business partners this is not a transaction, please come into my IMs with the brunt of your personality (whether you are chipper or blunt, just be yourself). No 'hi, hello, want to rp?'. I need: INTENTION ('I like this character / this show / how you write / I saw you rp with a friend and was interested / CAN I GETA GOTH GF?') Then hopefully you can follow it up with some CONTEXT INVESTMENT (can you tell me a lil about how your character and Jack would be able to connect? do you need information from me? are you interested in shipping, adventures, casual encounters, specific genres, just wanna send memes and go with the flow?). And of course, we both need to understand the potential of me not being interested (I prioritize fandoms I recognize (not necessarily invested in) and significantly fleshed out OCs). I know it's formulaic and you don't gotta send me a paragraph off the bat. Jump in to talk bout your rp style or how you feel bout this rule first, whatever works.

Rule x. Uh Oh Ah I’ll Follow from Heylinfanclub if we gucci to RP.

Introductions

Mun

Murmur; They/He; 20+ y/o Pisces; 15 years o’ roleplay experience; Neurodivergent Nightmare. Original blog: @jxckspxcer & the main blog @heylinfanclub Reason for Current Blog: Too tired to switch between blogs; too busy to commit as much time to Jack as I used to. BUT I MISS HIM. SO I’M HERE.

Muse

Jack Spicer; He/Him; 15-18 (XS) & 21-22 (Post Canon) Aries; Evil Genius. Main Verse: Post-XS (19) FC: Dylan Wang / Wang He Di Current Reason for Villainy: Spite

TAGS [TBA]

Jack Spicer - file. heylin genius Good Jack - file. sweet smarts Shadow Young - file. slim shady Chase Young - file. cold blooded Monks - file. Xiaolin Losers Tech - Projects. Aesthetics - Aes. Headcanons - hc.

XS verse - v. prodigious villainy Post XS verse (main) - v. addicted to the wicked ( ^ includes immediately after XS up to XC-ish older years) Emperor Verse (post-TAT Dark Verse) - v. in the valley of the shadow of death Xiaolin Jack - v. ivory and steel Opts Out AU - v. capitalism is its own reward I WILL DEFAULT TO MAIN VERSE UNLESS SPECIFIED | REQUESTED. (main verse adjacent) Timeline / Universe Hopping .

This is my All-In-One Information Page. Cause this blog is supposed to be easy on me.

#[like if u read it all baybeeee]

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sbc-moved · 4 months

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A tag under one of your posts has me curious; how do you feel about other people who think Mario is attractive, and they see your posts and relate to them in that sense?

I am going to answer this honestly. But before I do I wanna say I love everybody. Do not let me stop you from. Talking about a character you like. I am chill and normal and so so friendly.

However.

It makes me violent. I will start biting. And I am a liar and I’m actually so. NOT CHILL. I am actually REALLY NOT CHILL and I’ve been lying to you all.

I assume you’re talking about the tag on This post this post that says ‘if you say some shit like ‘me’ I get to zap you’ (hilarious btw I made myself laugh with this one. Good tag Staci hit the showers)

And I wanna say 1. I would never zap anyone (lying again)

2. I am more so talking about people who will reblog self ship art and like. Relate it to their own relationships/own self ships, especially when it comes to Mario specifically, because I am very uncomfortable sharing and if someone were to comment on that and be like “this is how I feel about him, this is so me and him” I would literally end up in PRISON. i cannot be held responsible for what I would do (all jokes all jokes)

You are allowed to find whatever you want relatable, especially if it’s me I’m very relatable I’m very cool and everyone should relate to me (all jokes). Find whatever character you want attractive and post about it all you want. Idc. However I will avoid posts about him at all costs. Because they make me wanna rip my skin off. Woah who said that.

If I see anybody who isn’t me even sniff in his direction? It’s over for all of us. I have to do something drastic. I am very protective of my interests ESPECIALLY smb for personal reasons that I cannot get into unless we all want to talk about my DAD. Which nobody wants I don’t even want that. I hate to draw attention to it but I did make a kinda. Big long vent post about all these feelings that you CAN read if you REALLY REALLY want to.

And it sucks for everyone. It does. There are so many cool Mario fans I wish I could interact with. I’ve got a lot of regular followers that I would love to follow back, but I can’t. Because it will ruin me. It will RUIN me. I want to have cool friends with the same interests. I want to talk to people about him and gush about how perfect he is but I can’t. Because I can’t stand it. I simply can’t do that to myself. I am very fragile especially recently and I can’t. I gotta put me first (I also made a post about this also)

Anyway this got more serious than I wanted it to. I’m silly and normal. Who care. I’m fine with people who post about him following/interacting as long as you don’t come into my comments/tags/inbox talking about canon ships involving him/talking about how much you personally like him (well. You can but it’s a fine line to walk. Saying like ‘the way this game characterizes him is great!!’ Is fine. But something like ‘he’s so handsome I love him’ is NOT and will get you shot on sight. Shot by cupid NO you will be shot by STACI. Shot by me personally(JOKES. All jokes…))Once again I love everybody and I am nice and sweet and I am so friendly please stick your hands into the bars of my enclosure we keep things silly and lighthearted around here always !! >_0

#regardless of who it comes from. I’m grateful for everyone who interacts with my posts and supports my selfships ^^#sorry for all this negativity #I try not to talk about stuff like this because I don’t wanna scare anybody or ward everybody off but I just can’t help him #I just want to be a normal girl. but he’s really important to me and I just can’t help it #I promise it’s nothing personal. it’s not anybody’s fault but mine. I’m the problem #I’ve been spiraling a bit recently. maybe when I stop declining so hard this will change and I’ll be able to be less crazy about it a #all**#♡.mail box

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a-varianquirin · 5 years

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Tag Drop: Varian

Musings: I’m getting on the RIGHT side of History ( Varian Musings );

Likes: They used hot air balloons! Uh-I know how to make one! ( Varian Likes );

Fears: What I see? Isn’t fiction. It’s all real. ( Varian Fears );

Head Canons: ENouGH with THE leGENdS ( Varian HCs );

Playlist: I hate what I've become // the nightmare's just begun // I must confess that I feel like a monster ( Varian Playlist );

Aesthetic: Beakers and Burners and Cities turning to Ash ( Varian Aesthetic );

Self: I gotta clean up my own mess ( Varian );

Face Claim: Actually it’s Alchemy-not Magic ( Varian Visage );

Interactions: You know--I got time. ( Varian Interactions );

IC Blogging: I’m not sure what’s gonna happen. I might die. ( Varian Blogs );

Dash Commentary: Gotta keep track of this in my notes ( Varian Commentary );

Dash Games: Shoving myself into the Narrative thank you ( Varian Dash Games );

Crushes: Wow. You’re amazing. ( Varian Crushes );

Opens: This is a promising hypothesis ( Varian Opens );

Starter Call: Hey! That’s CHEAtING ( Varian Starter Call );

Shipping Call: The Fandom’s Favorite ( Varian Shipping Call );

Rapunzel: You didn’t give up on me // I won’t give up on you ( Rapunzel );

Lance: Most of us would be on the run // or locked up ( Lance );

Eugene: I trusted you // I think I still do ( Eugene );

Cassandra: Can we move past this // Can we be friends? ( Cassie );

Adira: How can I trust you? // I don’t know you ( Adira );

Father: I’ve made you proud // can I keep doing it? ( Quirin );

Hector: Do we know each other? // You seem familiar ( Hector );

#Tag Drop;#I’m getting on the RIGHT side of History ( Varian Musings );#They used hot air balloons! Uh-I know how to make one! ( Varian Likes );#What I see? Isn’t fiction. It’s all real. ( Varian Fears );#ENouGH with THE leGENdS ( Varian HCs );#I hate what I've become // the nightmare's just begun // I must confess that I feel like a monster ( Varian Playlist );#Beakers and Burners and Cities turning to Ash ( Varian Aesthetic );#I gotta clean up my own mess ( Varian );#Actually it’s Alchemy-not Magic ( Varian Visage );#You know--I got time. ( Varian Interactions );#I’m not sure what’s gonna happen. I might die. ( Varian Blogs );#Gotta keep track of this in my notes ( Varian Commentary );#Shoving myself into the Narrative thank you ( Varian Dash Games );#Wow. You’re amazing. ( Varian Crushes );#Hey! That’s CHEAtING ( Varian Starter Call );#The Fandom’s Favorite ( Varian Shipping Call );#You didn’t give up on me // I won’t give up on you ( Rapunzel );#Most of us would be on the run // or locked up ( Lance );#I trusted you // I think I still do ( Eugene );#Can we move past this // Can we be friends? ( Cassie );#How can I trust you? // I don’t know you ( Adira );#I’ve made you proud // can I keep doing it? ( Quirin );#Do we know each other? // You seem familiar ( Hector );

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shandian-go · 3 years

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Reflections

Happy Wednesday everyone, and hope you’re looking forward to the long weekend! I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started this group order and I’m feeling a little sentimental so I thought I’d take some time to reflect in an actual post (instead of rambling in the tags like usual). FYI this is NOT a goodbye post - it’s just me rambling to myself and there’s no important updates or anything so feel free to skip :)

So much has happened over the past year that I don’t really know where to begin to be honest. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when I first started asking around to see if there would be interest in a group order and the way this GO has grown has honestly taken me by surprise. It’s probably been one of the greatest learning opportunities of my life and has pushed me to work harder than I thought myself capable of.

Before all this happened, I was living a very average, boring life - I’m not particularly talented or insightful so my fandom involvement was limited to hanging out with some friends in my little corner of the internet. As for IRL, I’ve always been surrounded by people who were smarter, worked harder, and more capable than me, so I never really thought of myself as the type of person that could take charge and shoulder responsibilities. Whenever I edited the ‘problem solving’ part of my resume, I’d have to rack my brain to come up with examples because the fact is, the challenges I’ve faced in school and work haven’t been all that special. The problems were (mostly) within my comfort zone and there was always a teacher or textbook to guide me.

That wasn’t the case at all with this GO and ever since the very first batch order, there’s been problem after problem that I had to figure out myself with no ‘how-to’ manual to follow. I don’t talk about it too much because I don't want to cause worry, but there honestly isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not trying to resolve an issue with an agent or seller behind the scenes. I remember learning about the difficulties with shipping powders in the first order and having to search for a way to ship it over. I also remember the panic I felt the first time a seller screwed up an order and the struggle to coordinate the return and exchange process. Every time an issue came up, my gut reaction was to imagine the worst possible outcome and I wouldn’t be able to relax until it was resolved. To be honest, I still get anxious whenever I encounter a problem I’ve never seen before, but it’s a bit more manageable nowadays (relatively).

My day job involves understanding how various businesses perform but as an outsider, I never really had a good grasp of what happens day-to-day because all I get to see are some finalized reports at the end of the year. It’s a bit like watching a recipe tutorial on 2x speed without actually doing any of the cooking. I knew - theoretically - how things should work but it was only when I got involved in this group order that I started to understand what it was really like being in the kitchen. In addition to resolving issues, there’s daily tasks to stay on top of, like tracking which orders have shipped and which have been consolidated, checking in with the shipping agent on packages in transit, checking for updates from sellers, checking store availability for limited items etc. etc. And when stuff arrives at my place, there’s items to sort, boxes to pack, labels to make and shipments to follow-up on as well.

There’s honestly so much involved just to keep things running smoothly and the work is far different than what I’d expect in theory. In theory, all you have to do is prep the ingredients, cook them and then make everything look all pretty on a plate. In practice, sometimes you run out of basic stuff like salt, sometimes the food ends up burnt and sometimes you accidentally knock over the plate and have to start from scratch - and you just gotta deal with it. As someone who’s only ever been exposed to the ‘after’ side of a process i.e. tasting that picture-perfect dish at the end, the change has been refreshing (and at times frustrating). And while cleaning up messes isn’t always fun, there’s definitely a sense of satisfaction when things do work out and knowing that you had a hand in making it happen.

I definitely fall under the Chinese/Asian stereotype of having had to learn a musical instrument as a kid. For me, it was the piano - which I genuinely came to love - and most of my adolescence was spent practicing away, playing the same pieces over and over again until it was ready for some exam or competition or other. I’m pretty sure this was the main cause of my perfectionist tendencies and it’s actually been handy for my day job, given the high standards and attention to detail needed to meet said standards. While perfectionism may have helped with staying organized for this GO, I think an important lesson that I’ve learned is that getting something perfect isn’t always feasible in the real world, especially when there are so many factors that I can’t actually control.

Failure - the opposite of perfection in my mind - was something I took very personally. I would often blame myself for not being able to avoid it - after all, when my fingers fumbled during a performance, it was my own fault for not practicing the piece enough and letting the nerves get to me. Failure was something I dreaded, which resulted in me putting a lot of pressure on myself to get everything perfect on the first try. Whenever I did encounter failure, a part of me would freeze up and it was always hard to stop myself from looping my own shortcomings in my head. But after dealing with so many issues for the GO, I think my mindset has changed a little - while I still get upset, I spend a little less time despairing and am quicker to start looking for a solution. I think I’ve also come to accept that the world isn’t my piano and I can’t will things into perfection with enough practice. In fact, the world will only pose an endless number of problems, but instead of getting stuck in the ‘why couldn’t these problems be avoided’, I’ve tried to shift more to a ‘how can I fix the problem at hand’ approach, and it’s actually been a pretty welcome change in my mentality.

For most of my fandom existence, I’ve spent 99% of the time on priv, emoting about whatever new fandom pit I fell into. I've mainly kept to myself because being known is a Mortifying ordeal and there wasn't much I could bring to the table anyway. However, the number of followers for this GO has hit numbers that are pretty shocking to me, and thinking about how many people might be seeing my posts is still kind of nerve-wracking. I've spent most of my virtual presence chilling under a rock so hanging out on public is still jarring to me.

Even as a lurker, I’ve seen the influence - both positive and negative - that accounts with large followings have had on fandom spaces. While I still don’t think anything I’ve got to say is all that earth-shattering (because I’m the same boring old potato as I was before), I’ve been more conscientious of the influence that I might have and it’s pushed me to think more about what I could do to make a difference. The November charity auction was my first attempt at making a positive impact and truth be told, I didn’t think it would get much traction. However, it far exceeded my expectations and I was very humbled and moved by everyone’s generosity. The Novel Club was another attempt at creating positive change - it was clear that there were barriers preventing fans from legally supporting the webnovels and I kept trying to figure out what I could do to help out. While I’m personally not behind the recent #SupportAuthors initiative, I’m so happy to see it take off and with every new Novel Club order, it gives me hope that this shift in fandom is here to stay.

These extra projects do take a lot of time though and unfortunately I haven’t been able to do more because there’s always so much work involved just to keep this GO going (pun intended). However, they’ve definitely made me realize how much good can be found in fandom and that the toxicity and drama that can sometimes spread like wildfire isn’t the only side to fandom, even if it may sometimes be the most visible. While I don’t think my projects have created change on a monumental scale, it’s so much more than what an under-the-rock lurker like me could have imagined a year ago and it’s been really inspiring.

I think I’ve joked before about how managing this GO has become a full-time job and the hours that I’ve put into it probably do add up to a full-time job by now. I’m used to working a lot of overtime anyway but it’s gotten to the point where I clock in to work on GO stuff the minute I clock out of IRL work and just...keep working until it’s time for bed. Weekends tend to be even busier than weekdays because I use them to catch up on all the GO tasks I couldn’t get to during the week, so there's not much time left for anything else these days.

This isn’t meant to be a complaint, but I’ve definitely had to push myself a lot just to finish everything on my GO to-do list, and there were many moments when it felt overwhelming. Because of how much responsibility is involved, I can’t help but worry about the GO constantly and it’s actually gotten pretty hard to take a step back and de-stress. My body has also developed the terrible habit of waking up in the middle of the night (which is the middle of the day in China) and I end up checking my phone and spending 30-40 minutes dealing with pressing issues, before falling back asleep.

Again, I’m not begrudging the amount of work involved nor am I trying to gain sympathy - I do this willingly and lots of people out there have to work much harder in roles they don’t enjoy. But I just wanted to be honest and the truth is, it’s been a really...exhausting year. While I’m fortunate in that I’m the type of person whose selective memory tends to forget the bad stuff and remember only the good stuff, it’s undeniable that running this GO has impacted my mental and physical health in ways that probably aren’t sustainable.

It’s still manageable at the moment though so we’re not quite near the end yet! But just to give you heads up, there will, eventually, be an end and I think I’ve mentioned before that this wasn’t meant to be a long-term thing anyway. I’ll stick around as long as I’m able to and will of course finish managing all existing orders before closing this GO, but at the end of the day, this was never my primary job and with pandemic restrictions lifting, there’s so many other things I’d like to learn about and explore.

Finally, I definitely don’t say this enough but thank you all so, so much for making this GO possible and for giving me the opportunity to learn so much over the past year. I know I’ve made mistakes along the way and many of you have had to adjust to a long list of changes, but thank you for your patience and understanding through it all. Thanks as well for the kind messages you’ve sent my way - I may not always have time to respond in detail but every message has lifted my spirits and I’m always grateful for the support. July will probably be another busy month given the number of packages that are expected to arrive but I definitely want to host some sort of thank you giveaway and will also try to sort through my own collection to see if another charity auction might be doable.

If you’ve read this far, thanks for sitting through this very long, very self-indulgent ramble. Hope you enjoy the long weekend and take care~

Mel

#for once there won't be an essay in the tags bc the essay's all up there in the main post lol #tldr i've learned so much from managing this GO and thank you guys for giving me the opportunity to do so <3

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thewayofthemandalorian · 3 years

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keep you safe - oneshot

Pairing: (non-romantic/found family) Din Djarin & Rey Rating: G Summary: Din is hired to bring Rey to Jakku. When he finds out who she is, he doesn’t feel right leaving her where she can easily be found by her family. Word count: 1,715 Notes: I woke up with this thought in my mind and I had to write it. I haven’t seen the sequels in a while, so I take more than a few liberties here and there. Reblogs greatly appreciated! Warnings: Spoilers for Rey’s heritage, family separation, some minor canon-typical violence

masterlist || taglist form

“You wouldn’t be paid handsomely, but we have no one else to bring her,” says the girl’s father. Din doesn’t care about the money, he hasn’t cared about money in almost five years, not since he got the reward for Moff Gideon. He still does work to keep himself busy since Grogu left.

Din sighs beneath his helmet, a soft huff of confusion and mild irritation, remembering what he had said to Peli all those years ago. I’m not a taxi service. And yet, here he was.

“Why can’t you bring her?” asks Din, not knowing why - how - they are not bringing her to Jakku themselves. The man across from him shares a look with his wife, silently debating how much they should tell the armoured man. The fewer people that know, the better. The man’s wife strokes their sleeping daughter’s hair off her forehead absently as she gives her husband a subtle nod.

“It’s better this way,” the man says eventually. “It’s better that someone who can protect her takes her. Someone that doesn’t know her.”

Din scoffs to himself. Always the same level of secrecy. “Listen,” he says eventually. “If you hire me to do this, I gotta know what I’m getting myself into.” He remembers how he hadn’t known what he got himself into when he accepted the bounty for Grogu. While it had been the best thing that had ever happened to him, it was also a stressful and chaotic time, being chased and hunted down practically everywhere he went.

The man’s wife is the one to speak. “She’s in great danger from someone in her family.” That didn’t really give Din much to go on. “And it’s likely that the people following us assume she will be with us. We just want to give her the best chance she has.”

“Who?” Din has to know. Has to know what he’s getting himself into for once in his life.

Again, the husband and wife share a look. This look is more wary than their previous look. “Someone dangerous.” Din resists the urge to sigh again, knowing that this is all that he will probably get out of them. He’s about to protest, ask for more information than veiled shadows and oblique references, but then he sees the look of desperation in their eyes, the fearfulness and he knows. Knows that he is a measure of last resort and that they wouldn’t be doing this if they had no other option. Knows that it’s similar to what his own parents did, to what he did with Grogu. They want to keep their child safe.

“Fine,” he acquiesces at last and the two sag in relief.

The woman clutches her daughter close to her as she exhales a shaky breath. “Thank you,” she breathes. Din nods curtly in response as the girl’s father shakes out a meagre amount of credits and slides them across the table. “For your silence,” he says as Din accepts them. Din wants to say that even if he wanted to blab to someone, he wouldn’t even know what to say. But he holds his tongue.

“Sweetheart, wake up,” the woman says to the child. The little girl stirs, pulling her head back from her mother’s chest, blinking wearily at her parents before her father lifts her off her mother’s lap and stands her up on the ground. “This nice man is going to take you to that place we told you about. He’s going to keep you safe.”

Din looks away, not wanting to intrude on a family’s last moments together. Not wanting to be reminded of the two goodbyes he made with his own family, once as a child and then again with his foundling.

“Why can’t you come with me?” the girl asks, her voice small and afraid.

Her father answers. “It’s safer this way.” They must have discussed it before now, as the girl nods in remembrance and understanding. The girl’s mother wraps her arms around her daughter in a final hug goodbye.

“We love you. And we will see you again one day, we promise.” The two parents kiss their daughter on the forehead before sending her in the direction of Din, who no doubt looks frightening to the girl in his armour and helmet. A faceless being bringing her to her fate.

“May the force be with you, Rey,” says the girl’s - Rey’s - mother before she steps out of the cantina with her husband, tears threatening to fall from her face at any possible second. Leaving Din with Rey.

***

Rey is silent in the ship as Din pilots his way off Coruscant, charting a course to Jakku.

Something doesn’t feel right about this. It’s the same feeling he had when he was making his way to Nevarro with Grogu to deliver him to the client. Jakku is no place for a child. Especially one so vulnerable as this one. And he’s heard rumours of the kind of person Unkar Plutt is. Din has no doubt of Rey’s strength, even for a child no older than six years old, but she would be alone with no one to care for her.

No, something seems off. Before he can ask Rey if she knows anything about why she’s being brought to a harsh planet with an even harsher guardian, she says, “Why do you wear a helmet?”

Din pauses for a moment. No one has ever asked him that before. Not really. “Because ... this is the way,” he says, knowing that he can technically take it off. It would probably be more reassuring if he did.

“Oh.” She doesn’t say anything else, looking out the transparisteel into hyperspace. The streaks of stars reflect off her face.

“Kid,” Din starts. The girl looks at him. “Do you know why I’m taking you to Jakku?” He never used to be the type to ask questions. Not since before Grogu. It wasn’t the way of the guild.

Rey gives a very rote, rehearsed answer. “To keep me safe.” Din frowns beneath the helmet. I know that part, kid, but from what? From who? he wants to ask. Instead, “Are you hungry?” he asks gently.

The two fall silent again, the silence only being broken by Rey eating. It’s obviously clear that Rey doesn’t know either. She yawns and soon falls asleep. “Kid,” Din whispers. Rey doesn’t answer. Din sighs. There’s something nagging at him, something that he needs to know. There’s obviously more to the story and it doesn’t sit right with him, whatever it is. But he has to let it go, he knows he does. There’s no way of him finding out. The parents weren’t going to tell him, Rey doesn’t appear to know.

It’s three and a half days between Coruscant and Jakku. Rey is obedient and quiet the entire time. She’s scared, Din realizes. He sees the same look in her eyes that was in his eyes when he was just a few years older than her. She’s inquistive and curious and kind. And it’s entirely unfair that she should have to live a life of isolation.

He sees a kindred spirit in her, he realizes. Much like he did with Grogu. On the second night, as he’s tucking her into the sleeping cubby, Rey says, “Will you tell me a story?” as she’s settling in.

Din pauses. “I don’t really know any -” he starts but then he stops himself. “Actually, I do know a pretty good story. It’s about a bounty hunter and a magical child with a power known as the force.” Rey perks up as he begins his story.

* * *

Jakku is hot and arid and stifling and is entirely wrong for a child like Rey. Din takes his time with the landing. Rey is dozing in the passenger seat as the junkyard that he’s been tasked with bringing Rey to. The male Crolute, Unkar Plutt, something of a crime boss, stood waiting outside the junkyard.

Din powered down the ship. “Stay here, ad’ika,” he whispers to Rey before stepping out into the hot Jakku afternoon.

“You must be the Mando that’s got the kid for me,” says Plutt by way of greeting. Din’s skin crawls with apprehension. Stoically, though, he nods. The Crolute chuckles. “Palpatine will never find her here,” he says.

Din’s blood freezes. “What?” he grounds out. “Did you just say Palpatine?” The gears in his mind are going a thousand miles an hour.

Plutt realizes his mistake. “Oh, kriff. I wasn’t meant to -”

Din grabs him by the collar of his shirt. “Are you meaning to tell me that that kid is somehow connected to Palpatine? The emperor Palpatine?” His voice is lethal.

Unkar Plutt nods frantically. “He’s her granddad. That’s why her parents hired you, to keep her safe. Away from him. Not that it matters since he’s dead.”

Shaking his head, Din growls, “The Empire still has acolytes. Acolytes I imagine will soon discover her whereabouts and attempt to claim her.” He cannot, under any circumstances, leave Rey here with a potential crime boss and run the risk of being found by followers of one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy. He can’t do it. Not again.

“Deal’s off,” Din gruffs. “Kid’s coming with me.” He releases Plutt and begins to stalk back to the ship, hearing Plutt shout after him. One of his goons attempts to chase Din, but Din is quick to grab his blaster, shooting the goon before they can catch up to him.

He can hear Plutt shouting as he raises the hatch door back up. When he gets to the cockpit, Rey has woken up, likely from the commotion outside. Without a greeting, Din slips into the pilot’s seat and punches in the co-ordinates for the first planet he thinks of, Naboo.

“Where are we going?” asks Rey as they take off.

Din removes his helmet for the first time in front of Rey. If she’s staying with him, she should know what he looks like. He turns to face her. “You’re staying with me, ad’ika. For as long as you’re able to.”

Rey seems to like that, visibly relaxing and finally giving Din a true smile that isn’t nervous or shy.

“Don’t worry, kid. I’ll keep you safe.”

--- tags in reblog

#din djarin #rey #rey skywalker #the mandalorian #pedro pascal

109 notes · View notes

thinkingisadangerouspastime · 3 years

Note

Hi, first off I ship Zutara and I come in peace. I was pointed your way by a friend when I asked for people who ship kataang who are nevertheless willing to hear different views. I have lurked on blog a week and finally got up my nerve to ask how you or any other Kataang can deny that the last part of book 3 was completely Zutara but then stopped abruptly with no buildup? You can finesse tone on text so I'm not being sarcastic or bitchy, it is a serious question (1/5)

In The Southern Raiders, Katara realizes she has been wrong about Zuko. In Ember Island Players, she realizes Aang is not as mature as she thought he was, and in the finale, Katara does not care a whit that Aang is gone. I am serious and as someone who is no Aang stan but likes him, I’m actually annoyed by how little anyone cared about his disappearance. It went from “Aang’s gone!” to “Okay whatever, let’s find Iroh so he can kill Ozai.” (2/5)

Katara was all over Zuko (honestly, again not being a jerk) in the finale until for whatever reason, she wasn’t. She was giving him a pep talk about Iroh, she was going with him to Azula, she was healing him and saying he saved her not the other way around. I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic. I will grant you that Zuko would not have allowed Azula to kill anyone but I feel the point here was Zuko realizing his life was pointless if Katara was killed. (4/5)

And then literally at the end, Mai shows up after Zuko not talking about her at all for six episodes and declares herself Zuko’s girlfriend. And Katara kisses Aang after being annoyed with and by him arguably since The Southern Raiders. I get that Kataang “won” and I’ve made peace with that, but ... I can’t understand why Kataang shippers are okay with such a crap story. I swear on my gmom [sic] if they’d done this for [Zvtara], I’d be mad as hell. So I don’t understand, I really don’t. (5/5)

As always, I shall begin with a disclaimer: anon, you do not have to agree with this post. No one has to agree with this post, as it is strictly my own thoughts on the subject matter raised here! As per usual, I will not be putting this in the main tags - much less the Zvtara tag! - because I have basic fandom decency, lmao. If you (the general you, not anon specifically) do disagree with this post, that is totally fine, I simply ask that you are polite in expressing your disagreement (if you choose to do so at all! no one is expected to, lmao. i promise).

Alright. Formalities are out of the way!

I’ll admit I giggled a little bit when you say you lurked on my blog for a week, because I’ve actually talked about this subject numerous times in the past! I just found it funny you hadn’t stumbled across any posts about it yet, lol. So, as a heads up, know that I will be providing several links in this post since - again - this subject and related subjects have been analyzed a multitude of times before. I highly recommend reading them all! Mostly because I don’t intend to spend forever restating what’s been said over and over and over lmaooo. I will provide the resources, but it is up to each individual to take advantage of them.

To begin: your ask actually contains a few logical fallacies, anon! I do not mean this as shade or to belittle you - I fall victim to this issue all the time myself. Anyone who writes analyses or participates in debates does! Humans are imperfect and often like to cut corners to reach a conclusion. It is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about because - as the existence of your ask in inbox indicates - you are willing to learn more. So kudos to you, my friend!

Alright. So what logical fallacies am I talking about here? (For the record: specific definitions of logical fallacies were taken from here.)

1. Hasty Generalization.

“A hasty generalization is a general statement without sufficient evidence to support it.” Numerous claims are made in this ask that I have absolutely no doubt you believe to be true, anon, but there really isn’t any concrete evidence to support it! I will go into more detail later, of course, but let’s quickly look at one example:

“In Ember Island Players, [Katara] realizes Aang is not as mature as she thought he was…”

For the time being, I will ask but one question: from the show itself, not fanon, how do you know this?

2. Causal Fallacy

Ah, this guy. My own worst enemy, tbh! “A causal fallacy is any logical breakdown when identifying a cause,” of which there are several types. “One causal fallacy is the false cause or non causa pro causa (‘not the-cause for a cause’) fallacy, which is when you conclude about a cause without enough evidence to do so.” In your ask, you claim:

“I will grant you that Zuko would not have allowed Azula to kill anyone but I feel the point here was Zuko realizing his life was pointless if Katara was killed.”

Again, for the time being, I will ask only one question: from the show itself, not fanon, what led you to believe this statement?

“Another kind of causal fallacy is the correlational fallacy also known as cum hoc ergo propter hoc (Lat., ‘with this therefore because of this’). This fallacy happens when you mistakenly interpret two things found together as being causally related.” In your ask, you claim:

“Katara was all over Zuko (honestly, again not being a jerk) in the finale until for whatever reason, she wasn’t. She was giving him a pep talk about Iroh, she was going with him to Azula, she was healing him and saying he saved her not the other way around. I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic.”

I will ask one question: from the show itself, not fanon, why would you believe these are indicative of romance? (Consider the context the show is situated in, too - e.g. the war, Katara being Azula’s only available match in skill, etc.)

The reason I bring up the issue of logical fallacies is again not at all to make you feel bad, anon!! You were simply trying to express your point to me and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to do so. See, your ask actually presents a larger fandom trend:

Misconstruing fanon as canon.

What you have offered to me, anon, are fanon conclusions. To clarify: there is absolutely nothing wrong with fanon. I adore fanon interpretations (an example I have used in the past is Kuzaang - like, I don’t care that there’s no canon basis! I do what I want lmao!), but a line has to be drawn between exploring fanon interpretations and expecting everyone to take that fanon as canon. Again, anon, this is not your fault! It is not any one person’s fault, lmao. It is an issue of fandom as a whole, and all of us fall victim to it.

With that in mind, I will break down the different components of your ask. I will also do my best to be brief - as aforementioned, I and others have analyzed this issue numerous times before, lmao. To avoid confusion, it would be best to read through each or at least most links as they are provided!

Firstly, there are two posts I have made in the past that almost directly answer your overarching question here in this ask. Please read them prior to continuing, as I will occasionally reference them:

This post explains how Zvtara was not built up from TSR/EIP-onwards, and how their supposed “canon enemies to lovers arc” is a completely fanon construction.

This post explains the issue of the “canon Zvtara” rhetoric from rabid zkers (and you, anon, are absolutely NOT one, in case you were worried).

Alrighty. With that out the way, let’s get into it!

“In The Southern Raiders, Katara realizes she has been wrong about Zuko.”

Gotta start by saying that TSR is not about Zuko. TSR is, first and foremost, about Katara. Katara does not realize she was wrong about Zuko, because here’s the truth - she wasn’t wrong about him. Zuko did horrible things to the Gaang. Katara was not wrong to hold him accountable for that. What Katara does realize is that holding such rage so close to her chest is bad for her. This rage was not solely anger against Zuko, either; it was of course about Yon Rha, too, but it was also anger towards Kya and Katara herself. Essentially, TSR is where Katara realizes she has to forgive herself. Zuko is only one part of her journey (similar to Aang’s role in the episode, if a different end of the spectrum).

This post explains how TSR was fundamentally about Katara.

Additional resources about TSR:

This post explains Aang’s comments to Katara in TSR and how Katara herself recognized their validity.

This post explains why both Aang and Zuko were important to Katara in TSR.

This post is an extensive breakdown of Aang and Katara’s relationship within TSR.

“In Ember Island Players, [Katara] realizes Aang is not as mature as she thought he was…”

You provide no context for this claim, so I’m going to work with the assumption this is about their reactions to the play itself and the infamous kiss!

There is something important we must keep in mind when discussing EIP: the play they watch is literally imperialist propaganda. It is meant to demean the entire Gaang, and indeed it does exactly that. You mention Katara and Aang specifically, so I will recap what I have explained before about their depictions in EIP: Katara, an indigenous woman, is hypersexualized and portrayed as overly emotional (and thus “irrational”). This reinforces the Fire Nation sentiment that women of the Water Tribes are less intelligent and less suited for “responsibility” than Fire Nation women. Aang, a pacifist and the sole survivor of genocide who is also canonly the male character most comfortable with femininity and spirituality, is portrayed as a flighty, airheaded woman (this is a well-known imperialist tactic meant to emasculate the target, seeing as masculinity was often equated with power in fascist regimes; thus, they effectively belittled Aang before the FN audience). This reinforces the Fire Nation sentiment that the Air Nomads were foolish, weak people who deserved to die.

In other words, of course Aang and Katara were upset about how they portrayed in the play. It is understandable that tensions would be running high and consequently that mistakes (we all know the one) would be made.

This post explains how EIP belittles each member of the Gaang (and why the play is not indicative of Zvtara).

This post talks specifically about EIP and their portrayal of Aang and Katara.

Now onto the kiss. As everyone knows and no one has ever disagreed with, Aang was wrong to kiss Katara. Point blank!

But what people do misunderstand is Katara and Aang’s feelings regarding the kiss. Given your above quote, I assume you believe Aang kissing Katara supposedly made her realize that Aang wasn’t as mature as she once thought. On the surface, this seems like a logical conclusion! But digging deeper reveals… well, there’s nothing that indicates this conclusion at all. Even jumping ahead to the finale, when Zuko has doubts over Aang’s return, Katara demonstrates her faith in Aang (although of course she’s nervous - I won’t deny the obvious, lmao) as she says, “Aang won’t lose. He’s gonna come back. He has to.”

In other words, nothing in canon suggests that Katara believes Aang is immature because of what happened in EIP. She still trusts in his return, as she did even before she knew him (and arguably is more confident in him now, given the 60~ episodes of them growing closer). Furthermore, when Aang does disappear, Katara doesn’t have an outburst about how “immature” it was for him to “run away again.” The viewers know Aang didn’t run away, of course (fans who insist he did are not worth arguing with, anon - they don’t understand the show, rip), but that is a luxury the rest of the Gaang is not afforded. And yet even though Aang has vanished off the face of the planet, Katara still believes he will save the world. If anything, that signifies the utmost confidence in his skill and maturity!

To go back to the kiss itself, this post explains the true source of Katara’s conflict in turning down Aang (hint: she says it herself in the episode! you know, the whole war going on) and why the EIP kiss did not sink Kataang’s relationship.

Additional sources about EIP:

This post explains how the EIP kiss was resolved through narrative parallels.

This post explains how the EIP kiss is so often blown out of proportion.

“… and in the finale, Katara does not care a whit that Aang is gone. I am serious and as someone who is no Aang stan but likes him, I’m actually annoyed by how little anyone cared about his disappearance. It went from ‘Aang’s gone!’ to ‘Okay whatever, let’s find Iroh so he can kill Ozai.’”

As I already touched upon, Katara didn’t need a soliloquy to emphasize her connection to Aang once he disappeared. She trusts that he will return. She says so herself. I guess I just don’t understand how you got from Point A, Katara has consistent faith in Aang, to Point B, Katara and the rest of the Gaang didn’t care about Aang’s disappearance. It’s honestly a bit more like Point A to Point Z, lmao! If you would like to expand on your logic here, I would love to hear more!!

There are a few specific aspects I want to note about your rationale, though. You argue the Gaang moves from ‘Aang disappeared’ to ‘let’s find Iroh,’ but the Gaang actually went from:

1. Aang disappeared!

2. They search the entire island for him.

3. Okay, they couldn’t find him, so they track down June and have her try to find Aang.

4. June says to them, “No, I mean he’s gone gone. He doesn’t exist.” (And she clarifies to Sokka that she doesn’t mean dead, either - she means Aang has totally blinked out of their world.)

5. Only after all of this do they decide to track down Iroh.

The Gaang cares immensely about the fact that Aang is gone, and you could actually argue they waste time by trying to track him down. They don’t give up until June essentially tells them that some Spirit World shenanigans were involved. Even if you don’t think they reached that specific conclusion, I have to ask: What else were they supposed to do? They were told Aang didn’t exist! How are they supposed to fix that?

Well, they can’t. So they do the next best thing: they find Iroh, the man who knows Ozai better than anyone and is also one of the most talented firebenders in the world. In my opinion, that’s a very logical step to take.

I’ll be blunt here, lol: in my opinion, nothing of what you listed in your ask is inherently romantic.

Okay. I am going to assume you’ve read the first two posts I linked earlier (“Zvtara did not have an E-L arc” and “the ‘canon’ Zvtara of rabid zkers has issues”), because I do not intend to rehash everything they contain, lol. Consequently, I presume you realize by now that there was no canon romantic interest between Zuko and Katara.

And as I always say, just because there wasn’t a canon romance doesn’t mean people can’t take fanon routes! Of course they can! That’s the entire point of fanon! But fanon is not canon, and I am strictly referring to canon in my discussions.

You claim Katara was all over Zuko, which in itself I don’t think is an accurate assessment, because she doesn’t really do anything with Zuko outside the three points you bring up (other than the June gag, which I addressed in one of the aforementioned linked posts). So I’ll go ahead and break down each instance you provide!

1. “[Katara] was giving [Zuko] a pep talk about Iroh”

Katara asked Zuko if he was okay. She asked him if he was genuinely sorry. She reassures him that Iroh will forgive him. That’s… all. Not to diminish the significance of this conversation, but it’s not exactly an intimate, romantically-charged discussion (unless fanon-ized). But on that note, let’s tackle the canon significance of this moment!

Katara knows firsthand the challenge of forgiving Zuko. And she knows that Zuko understands how hard it was for her to forgive him (note: Katara’s anger was totally justified, and anyone who disagrees is probably a rabid Zuko stan lmao). She also recognizes that Zuko is terrified it will take Iroh the same struggle to forgive him that Katara went through. This scene is not related to romance at all. It’s about compassion. It’s about Katara and Zuko’s friendship having progressed, slowly but surely, to the point where she’s not afraid to extend empathy to him anymore (seeing as the first time, beneath Ba Sing Se, did not go so well; you know - Aang died and all). It’s about Zuko recognizing his own fallibility (and the audience recognizing how much he’s grown). He questions how he can even face his uncle after all he’s done to the man, which is a far cry from his entitled attitude in TSR, where he demanded to know why Katara didn’t trust him when everyone else had forgiven him.

To make this moment, this moment about Zuko’s relationship with his uncle who is all but a literal father to him, this moment of vulnerability, of guilt, of remorse, of growth, to claim this powerful moment is about a nonexistent romantic relationship? In my opinion, that is incredibly reductive to what this scene is supposed to signify. And again, there is nothing wrong with people exploring such a possibility in fanon, but in canon? Nah. It doesn’t track.

2. “[Katara] was going with [Zuko] to Azula”

Don’t forget that at first, Zuko planned to take on Azula alone. He doesn’t request Katara to accompany him until Iroh tells him that he’ll need help. As such, Zuko’s immediate agreement with Iroh is reflective of his personal growth (Book 1 and 2 Zuko would have argued and insisted he didn’t need any help). It also demonstrates, however, that Katara was not obsessively on Zuko’s mind. He doesn’t choose Katara until Iroh points out that Zuko will need assistance in taking Azula down. This means that Zuko’s choice of Katara to join him is a tactical decision, not an emotional one. And by all accounts, it’s a damn good decision! Zuko witnessed firsthand beneath Ba Sing Se a) how powerful Katara was (e.g. that wave after Aang died) and b) how Katara was the only one who could take on Azula*.

Of course, besides the fact that Katara was the only match for Azula, who else was Zuko going to choose? Sokka and Suki, while talented in their own right, were no competition for Azula. Toph, while the greatest earthbender in the world, was needed to metalbend the airships. Katara was the only (and the best!) option.

Also, on their trip to face Azula, the only thing they talk about within their three lines of canon conversation are Azula and Aang. Not exactly a romantic flight, lmao.

*Zuko never saw Aang fight Azula on the drill.

3. “[Katara] was healing [Zuko] and saying he saved her not the other way around”

Actually, this is what the transcript says:

Zuko: Thank you, Katara.

Katara: I think I’m the one who should be thanking you.

You’re right about how their lines refer to them saving each other, but you posit it as a romantic moment, when the lines are actually pretty straightforward. Zuko thanks Katara as she heals him from the partially-redirected lightning strike, and Katara thanks him for trying to redirect the lightning away from her and in doing so saving her life. In terms of canon, there’s nothing romantic about this, lol! (Which I talked about extensively in the E-L post, if you need to reference it again.) The reason being is that you have to take the show itself into context when you do analysis. If there was no canon romantic buildup between Zuko and Katara, why would these lines in canon (not fanon! fanon is free rein, lmao) be interpreted through a romantic lens?

Well, they wouldn’t be interpreted as such. Plain and simple.

“I genuinely don’t get why this isn’t seen as romantic.”

Because looking through a canon lens, they aren’t romantic. That’s all. You are of course welcome to view them as such through a fanon lens!! It’s just about recognizing the line between canon and fanon.

“I will grant you that Zuko would not have allowed Azula to kill anyone but I feel the point here was Zuko realizing his life was pointless if Katara was killed.”

I asked earlier what content in the show itself led you to believe. I have wracked my own mind, and I cannot think of anything that would point to this conclusion. Zuko was in Katara’s good graces for 5 episodes. That’s 8% of the show. Not exactly a lot of time for Zuko to start believing his life would be pointless if Katara was killed, is it?

This post explains the improbability of Zuko having a crush on Katara within canon.

This post explains how Zuko’s racism towards the Air Nomads in TSR and the finale is, well, exactly that - racism (and not a sign of a crush on Katara).

And, of course, as has been said a million times, Zuko taking the lightning for Katara out of romantic interest would completely undermine his redemption arc. Since it has been said over and over and over, I will be brief: Zuko taking the lightning is significant because it is a selfless act (one of his only in the series), and it directly parallels his selfish act of choosing not to intervene when Azula killed Aang with lightning beneath Ba Sing Se. This moment demonstrates Zuko’s growth, how he has learned to accept unconditional love from Iroh and the Gaang and Mai and even Ty Lee and sure, even from Appa and Momo, too. To make this moment of pure selflessness about a nonexistent romance? To force a fanon romance in replacement of canon redemption and canon platonic significance?

Such a decision speaks wonders about a person’s priorities, in my opinion, as well as how amatonormativity impacts them.

Furthermore, Zuko’s choice cements Katara’s position as his surrogate sibling, as she is Azula’s primary foil. Zuko chooses the sister who heals over the sister who harms. I won’t go too much into it here, because it has already been talked about extensively before! Thus, I offer you this post that explains how Zuko and Katara - in canon - are positioned as surrogate siblings as well as Azula’s role in this matter. I also offer this post that lays out through screencaps how Zuko and Katara - in canon - treat each other like family.

Additional sources about the final Agni Kai:

This post in part discusses fanon misinterpretation of the final Agni Kai and why such a lens is not true to canon relationships.

This post explains why the final Agni Kai is not intended to be romantic.

This post explains how the final Agni Kai is primarily about Azula and how reducing it to be a big Zvtara moment is detrimental to both her and to Zuko and Katara themselves.

“And then literally at the end, Mai shows up after Zuko not talking about her at all for six episodes and declares herself Zuko’s girlfriend.”

This point could probably get a post of its own, lol, but fortunately I and others have already written a few! I will link them below - first, however, I question your choice of “declares.” Technically, yes, Mai does say outright that it doesn’t hurt how the new Fire Lord is her boyfriend, but your phrasing implies Zuko resisted her proclamation. When… he doesn’t. In fact, he embraces it, asking if that means she doesn’t hate him anymore (read: he asks if they’re back on good terms again). Zuko clearly doesn’t have a problem with the girl he loves wanting to be with him again - so why do some parts of fandom so adamantly insist he does? (Not you, anon - I am referring to the rabid fanoners, lol.)

Also, regarding how Zuko hasn’t talked about Mai for six episodes, we’ve gotta be realistic with this assessment in terms of canon:

1. It was the crux of the war. They were either going to live or die. There was no time for romance at this point! Sokka and Suki weren’t professing their love on the battlefield, lmao, so it’s not exactly strange that Zuko didn’t bust into a monologue about how he missed Mai. I think they were just a little bit distracted by the possible end of the world, lol, and all that jazz.

2. Zuko probably thought Mai was dead. He knows what Azula is like. He knows his sister doesn’t have time for people who get in her way (Aang can testify to this, lmao). So can you blame him for not wanting to think about how the girl he loved had died (to his knowledge) to save him?

You gotta cut the kid some slack, lol. Anyways! Additional sources about Maiko:

This post breaks down the notion of Maiko and “deserve.”

This post rationalizes through a canon lens why Mai’s arrival at the palace surprised Zuko.

This post is the mother of Maiko metas, explaining in tremendous detail why their relationships works, is relevant to canon, and was well-implemented for what its role was.

“And Katara kisses Aang after being annoyed with and by him arguably since The Southern Raiders.”

What in canon has led you to the conclusion that Katara was annoyed with Aang? What specific moments from TSR to the finale made you think Katara was annoyed with Aang and remained annoyed with Aang? Are there any, or are you thinking about fanon interpretation? (Canon vs fanon strikes again!)

In TSR, Katara explicitly thanks Aang for understanding her perspective. Nothing there is indicative of annoyance (and as in the links provided earlier, she was not angry at Aang/Zuko/etc. so much as she was at herself. well, she was a little bit angry with Zuko, lmao). In EIP, Katara is understandably angry at Aang’s decision to kiss her, but Aang completely backs off, and we see in the part 1 of the finale that there are no hard feelings or weird tension between them. Katara in fact actively expresses concern for Aang after Zuko sporadically attacked him when she demands of the firebender, “What’s wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!” Even when Aang and Katara do butt heads later in the episode as Aang tries to think of a way to defeat Ozai without killing him, Katara doesn’t stay frustrated. Like I said - when she and Zuko are flying to Azula, she demonstrates her unwavering faith in Aang through her belief that he will return. So… where is the annoyance that you feel was present?

With all this mind, i.e. looking strictly at canon, Katara wasn’t annoyed with Aang during this time. Thus, Katara kisses Aang because she loved him. Because he backed off and gave her the space she needed to make a decision about if she wanted to be with him (hence Katara being the one to initiate the kiss). Because the issue was never about if she reciprocated his feelings (they both knew they loved each other) but rather it had to do with the war. At the end of the finale, the war is over, and there is nothing that prevents them from being together. Simple.

This post explains how Katara’s feelings for Aang develop throughout the series (and were not neglected, as rabid zkers like to claim, for some reason? again - you are not one of them, anon).

This post also covers Katara’s interest in Aang throughout the series.

“I can’t understand why Kataang shippers are okay with such a crap story.”

I mean, you definitely don’t have to ship Kataang. It may not be your cup of tea, and that’s totally okay! But as the above links demonstrate, Kataang was a fantastic story. It was well-implemented into the narrative from Day 1. The soulmateism is unparalleled!

Also, it’s worth noting that A:TLA itself was essentially pre-written. The writers knew how the story would end from the get-go, including that the show would end with Kataang. A few Zvtara gags were thrown in to add a sense of “who will Katara choose?” drama as the show aired, but Zuko and Katara were never planned to end up together. One reason so many newer fans are fine with Kataang from the start is that there’s no tension of waiting a week for a new episode when you can watch all 61 episodes straight through on Netflix, lmao. It’s even more obvious now than when A:TLA was airing that Aang and Katara will end up together, if that makes sense. (Although I talked about this in the E-L post linked earlier, so you probably understand this point already, as it was explained in detail there!)

All of this is to say that Kataang is not a “crap story” in terms of writing (again, personal taste is a different matter) because it was woven in from the beginning and had powerful narrative significance! (Kataang represented numerous complementary components of the series, such as yin and yang, push and pull, air and water, Oma and Shu, etc.)

Now. If you really and truly want to understand why Kataang shippers like Kataang, anon, consider reading some Kataang fanfics or exploring some Kataang headcanons. I read fics involving Zvtara more regularly than you might think, lol, because… well, it’s just a ship. I understand the appeal of romantic Zvtara and I can actually appreciate it when it’s well-written! I’m sure if you’re willing to put in just a little legwork (you don’t need to go the whole mile, lmao - ‘tis just fandom), you’ll realize why people like Kataang, even if it isn’t exactly your thing. You have the range, anon!! You got this!

I hope I managed to answer your questions, my friend! As always, you do not have to agree with anything I have said here. It is totally fine if you and anyone else disagrees! Everything above is simply my own perspective on the matter. Thank you for taking the time to read my response and all the different links I provided! I hope it has expanded your understanding of the subject at hand!

#i spent all day writing this lmaooo #TWO WHOLE HOURS SPENT COMPILING LINKS #amy answers #anon #amy analyzes

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omg-imagine · 3 years

Text

All We Are

Pairing: Johnny Silverhand x female!V

Summary: V is jealous after Johnny’s date with Rogue, which leads to an honest discussion about where they both stand.

Words: 1.7k

Warning: spoilers for Blistering Love side job, a little angst

A/N: Requested by an anon. This may be a bit different than what you were expecting, but I was in the feels™. Hope you still enjoy :)

Also, can we please talk about how adorable he looks in the gif??

The long drive back to the apartment was silent; the utter stillness in the car weighs heavily on V’s mind. Hands gripping tight on the steering wheel, she tries to ignore this unsettling ache she has, not allowing even an ounce of thought to pass. Though she chalks it off as a side effect of the pseudoendotrizine, this strange, hollow feeling of hers continues to stir deep inside, burning, burning and burning.

And so, she switches on the radio and focuses ahead on the stretch of road winding down the North Oak hills, the approaching lights of Night City glowing brighter against the inky skies. A fresh breeze flows into the open windows, dulling the tension for a moment.

A moment of tranquility that ends far too soon, yet it was a moment V’s at least grateful to have.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Johnny points out, the gruff baritone of his voice piercing the air. “An enny for your thoughts?”

Kicking his feet up on the dashboard, his aviators glint in the silver moonlight, making him appear impossibly more obnoxious than he usually is. He acts as if he’s not aware of the recent thoughts plaguing V’s head, but perhaps that truly was the case. If it were, then she would be surprised— Johnny often invades her mind, poking and prodding at things he shouldn’t be. For a while, she assumes he knows.

“Just tired,” V replies monotonously. Her answer was far from a lie; she really was tired. Exhausted, even. All she wants is to collapse into bed, pass out, and hope that for a few short hours, she can forget about today, about everything.

“Huh,” he breathes out, and V spares him not a single glance. “Pretty sure somethin’ was up. You’ve been actin’ weird since we left the drive-in.”

A chuckle rumbles through her chest. V still finds it unusual for Johnny to act so… concerned. Almost caring, if she had to be honest. She’s noticed a change in him recently, which became apparent after their conversation in the oil fields. He’s a lot softer now, sometimes sweet, both in his own unique way, of course. As if his rough edges were slightly smoothed out with sandpaper, enough that they no longer cut and make her bleed.

V would often catch him staring when he thinks she’s not looking. She also doesn’t fail to miss the small smile that creeps across his face as she talks. And in those passing seconds that lasts an eternity when the relic malfunctions, Johnny was there to offer her comfort. He’d kneel down to the ground while she coils in agony, whispering promises that this will all be over soon. That one way or another, they would get rid of that goddamn chip slotted in V’s head and ultimately save her life.

Life. Life has a funny way of unraveling itself. Fuck, this all seems like a cruel joke the universe is playing on V. Fate is rarely kind to her, a sad fact she’s accepted over the years. Never would she have imagined that after experiencing the pain of heartbreak and loss, she’d find herself falling for someone at the worst possible time.

And that someone is the imprisoned digital ghost of a rockerboy-turned-terrorist studying her from the passenger seat.

But V’s adamant in denying it. Her life was too fucking complicated for this right now.

“Are you capable of shutting the fuck up for two seconds?” V bitterly snaps, the hands on the wheel clenching stiffly as her jaw. “You got what you wanted tonight. Finally got your dick wet after fifty years, so leave me the hell alone, would’ya?!”

She doesn’t mean to act on her muted anger, but it manages to get the best of her. V knows why, and because of it, she crumbles. She crumbles like the walls she’s built around herself. Like the facade she’s been hiding behind for the past couple of months. Because underneath the dirt and grime, V was just a poor, tragic soul, more worried about losing the man she couldn’t have than her awaiting death.

“Really think that’s what happened?” Johnny asks, pushing his shades up to his head as he shifts to sit up straight in his seat.

V grits her teeth, eyes remaining locked on the road. She had woken up an hour or two after Johnny took over, finding her lips still warm, still swollen. Her hair was tousled, and she had been stripped off of most of her clothes; the scent of Rogue’s perfume lingering on her skin. She didn’t need him to recount; it was all clear to her what had transpired. It was what she agreed on to make him happy, a date with the Afterlife fixer and whatever it could lead up to.

In the end, V regretted it, not because Johnny used her body to sleep with someone. But because even after the rollercoaster ride, the dog tags, the private concerts, and the heart-to-heart they had at his gravesite, she still wasn’t his. He was too hung up over Rogue, and she couldn’t blame him. Having shared a lengthy history, there was no doubt Johnny wouldn’t snatch up the opportunity to win her back.

But then where does that leave V?

“The fuck is wrong, V? Don’t make me figure it out by myself.”

Biting the edge of her lip, she ignores Johnny’s latest question and contemplates swallowing an omega blocker. She doesn’t even care that he’s threatening to search for the truth without her permission. Choosing not to do so, he keeps pressing on regardless, and V was getting pissed off. When he doesn’t stop, she loses her temper and slams on the brakes, the Porsche coming to a screeching halt on a dead street.

Huffing, V pulls over to the side, shutting the car’s engine as Johnny is left bewildered by her actions. Peace and quiet. She yearns for peace and quiet, and the pills would do the trick in an instant. Her hand reaches for the bottle in her jacket pocket, the pounding of her heart echoing in her ears. Popping the cap open, she turns her head to the side, unable to help herself. She sees the tenderness etched in his features, a wordless plea shining in his dark eyes.

“V… Tell me.”

V’s gaze slowly falters, her consciousness at war with itself. The storm of anger in her calms, yet she needs to know what her next move is. She’s always been terrible at this sort of thing, dealing with her feelings and shit. Growing up in the streets of Heywood, she’s learned how to shut people out and keep them out. Biggest rule she had imposed on herself was to never, ever fall for a choom, but this time was different. Despite him being a mere figment of her imagination, she feels safe around Johnny, appreciated and content. The two understand each other on a level nobody else has done. They’ve been through literal hell and would only sink further into it to find a way to survive.

A chrome palm comes to rest on V’s cheek, the sensation oddly warm, oddly familiar. Her attention flickers back to Johnny as he strokes her weary face. His touch was delicate, movements careful and controlled. He treats her as if she were porcelain, afraid that his metal hand would cause her to crack. V exhales deeply, relishing the feeling she’s longed from the moment she had broken that dumb rule of hers.

“Go ahead,” she mumbles, giving Johnny consent for him to read her mind. It only takes a second, maybe even less. V half expects his shit-eating grin to make its appearance. She couldn’t forget how cocky he was, and she thought this would certainly rub his ego.

It never comes. Instead, Johnny’s lips turn up into a genuine smile, one softer than the way his black hair falls to frame his face. V swears she was floating; this doesn’t feel all that real to her. It couldn’t be real. But as the first faint slivers of sunlight appear on the horizon, she starts to believe that she isn’t dreaming nor hallucinating. She was still very much wide awake.

“Didn’t know you were the jealous type,” Johnny quips as he leans closer. “You had no reason to be jealous, princess.”

“Why not?”

“Nothin’ happen between Rogue and me,” he clarifies, his fingers pushing back her locks. “Yeah, we made out a little, but I couldn’t go through with it. Wanna know why?”

V nods.

“’Cause I realized that ship sailed a long time ago. We’re too different people now; she’s got her own life, while I got mine sittin’ right here.”

“Johnny…” she murmurs his name as he brings up his other hand to cradle her face. “I wanted to have what you and Rogue had, minus the shitty things you did. But I could feel how much you loved her, how you basically worshipped the ground she walked on. Then I thought, can’t compete with her. She’s a livin’ legend, a badass. Meanwhile, I could be dead the next minute or two, either by this fuckin’ relic or a bullet.”

“Trust me, V, you wouldn’t want that,” Johnny returns, resting his forehead against hers. How could he feel so real? “What you and I have is special. Ain’t felt this way before, not even with Rogue or Alt. Like I said, you’re the fuckin’ closest to me. These feelings you’re afraid of? Shit, I have them too, and I’m fuckin’ terrified. But knowing that you’re here and we both share them, it makes things a lot less scary.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Johnny laughs softly. “Gotta spell it out for ya, huh? Well then, here it goes; V, I love you. I don’t throw that word around randomly, but know that it’s what I feel whenever I think of you.”

V doesn’t waste a second longer. Her lips meet his for a kiss that is gentle and bruising, all at once. They hold one another close, their grasps taut so that the other wouldn’t slip away, not wanting to lose what they’ve gained. Time goes by, ticking in the background as they kiss again and again, but to them, it’s slow, nearly everlasting.

And when it was over, when they finally had to part, they were breathless, panting.

“Love you too, Johnny,” she murmurs into his skin, tone dripping with affection as he hums in response.

Night melds into day, and the city comes back to its fullest life. V kisses Johnny a final time before driving back to the place she calls home, even though she’s found her true one in his heart.

—

Permanent Tags: @penwieldingdreamer @keandrews @feminine-machinegun @fanficsrusz @thehumanistsdiary @flaminasteroid @rowserein @unaspiringwritings @planetkt @breakthenight @baphometwolf666 @rdjloverxxx

Johnny Silverhand Tags: @silverse @overheardatthecontinental @meshlababy @ataraxydreams @ineedpeetalikehekneadsbread @savsselfinserts @the-bottom-of-the-abyss @donakamark

*If you would like to be added to the taglist, feel free to send me an ask or DM!

#johnny silverhand x v #johnny silverhand #cyberpunk 2077 #johnny silverhand x reader #johnny silverhand fanfic

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