FF/SPN: Xu Landing, 1

[vaznetti]

Part three of the crossover. I've seen plot on the horizon; I hope that this will turn out to be a good thing.

Xú Landing, 1
by Vanzetti
Firefly/Supernatural
John/Zoe, probably no more than PG

Thanks to musesfool for hand-holding and the_grynne for help with Chinese place and family names.

Earlier parts: Eurydice Settlement and Caieta Port.

Comments

[the_grynne]

You write the group dynamic so well. That's when I knew this crossover was really going right - when that dinner scene just worked like a dream.

"Hey," he says. "Ain't you the lâotou Zoe was sucking face with, couple planets back?"

*g* And of course Jayne would say something like that, although I don't know if John is technically old enough to be considered laotou.

[vaznetti]

And of course Jayne would say something like that, although I don't know if John is technically old enough to be considered laotou.

I wondered about that, but I decided that he's older than Jayne by enough for Jayne to be rude about it. And he's so much fun to write, really -- the group dynamic is what makes FF fic work, really.

I'm glad you liked it -- and thank you again for your help -- I will almost certainly be bothering you again, I fear.

[the_grynne]

I will almost certainly be bothering you again, I fear.

Hey. As long as I'm able. :)

chinese language questions

[vaznetti]

And here I am! More questions! (And btw, let me know if you want to take this to email -- I'm at vaznetti @ gmail.com.)

First of all -- does Xinwuwei sound reasonable as a place name

[vaznetti]

Poor John. To know him is (at least sometimes) to want to kill him.

Glad you liked it -- and don't worry. More is in the pipeline.

[phantomas]

again, I didn't think FF and SPN could go together, but you keep proving me o'so wrong, and I'm glad you do. Your dinner dynamics was perfect, and the glances between Zoe and mal, Kaylee's chattering ways and Jayne foot-mouth habits..and John, I adore this John of yours. Totally. Thanks!

[vaznetti]

I should probably admit that I rather pride myself on the ability to make unlikely crossovers work. So I'm glad that this continues to work for you. And the group dynamic is so fun, isn't it? It's what made the show, and of course it's a real contrast to the family dynamic on Supernatural. As we may see, in later sections.

I rather like this John as well; he's certainly enjoyable to write.

[phantomas]

As we may see, in later sections.

Better words rarely were typed :D
(and yes, I forgot all my English there)

I think making crossovers works is a matter of maintaining the core characteristics of both (or more) fandoms, and adapt what's adaptable...and in order to do so, one needs a fairly analitycal eye, I think, which you obviously have. To say, do admit it loudly, because you write it so very well.
The group dynamic is lot of fun, and yes, what hooked me most on FF when I discovered it (by chance, thanks to mentions in the flist and repeats on Sky) - real contrast to the family dynamic on Supernatural. ...now I can't wait to see your take on this!

:D
thank you!

[vaznetti]

I think a light hand helps as well, in making crossovers work. No one wants to be weighed down by explication -- those scenes where character A spills his or her life story to character B almost never seem natural. The little exchange John and Zoe have above (I spent 24 years hunting the thing... and her response) is as close as I like to get to that. And readers almost never need to know how the two universes came into contact in the first place.

As for the dynamics of the two shows -- when you think about it, the crew of Serenity become a family, whereas the Winchesters start out as a family and have to figure out how to work together.

[musesfool]

I've already told you how much I love this, but the pre-dinner conversation is *priceless* - I adore Mal and Simon telling John he can hit Jayne. And I'm glad I was able to help. *g*

*waits eagerly for the next part*

[vaznetti]

I adore Mal and Simon telling John he can hit Jayne.

And you know Simon's *very* sad that John doesn't. I suspect that the scene makes Simon about a billion times more likely to approve of Winchesters in principle.

The next part is all about plot-building. Yikes!

[gryphonrhi]

::giggling:: Add me to the list of people who love Simon and Mal going, "You can hit him; we don't mind." Fun! (Even if I dont' know SPN!) But oh, I miss Book.

[rez_lo]

"Well," he says, "I'm asking if you want to go kill some zombies with me."

Hee! Even better than "Please don't shoot my date." I love especially the way you've handled Mal here, how he subdues his alpha impulses and natural suspicion of John in deference to Zoe. The depth of their relationship comes through without any signposts at all.

[vaznetti]

I love especially the way you've handled Mal here, how he subdues his alpha impulses and natural suspicion of John in deference to Zoe.

And John does the same, or tries to. But then, one of the potential follow-up pieces to this episode ended with Mal and John beating the hell out of each other, and Simon patching them up, and the two (well, three counting Simon) of them swearing a solemn oath that Zoe must never know. I can't guarantee that this won't ever happen, even though it won't happen right now. But I'm bubbling over with ideas related to this crossover as it is.