FF/SPN: Xinwuwei Docks, 2

[vaznetti]

Blessings against the Thunder
Xinwuwei Docks, 2
by Vanzetti
John/Zoe, ensembles
PG
Many thanks to musesfool and rez_lo for beta-reading.

Previous parts:

Eurydice Settlement
Caieta Port
Xú Landing, 1
Xú Landing, 2
Xinwuwei Docks, 1

Comments

[gryphonrhi]

And I got to the last three paragraphs and *really* laughed! Lovely fight, too, and so perfect! Thanks, dear!

[vaznetti]

Oh good -- I know that if a fight can get your approval, then it's not too bad!

And yes, I can't really let the characters fool themselves too long. John, in fact, is the king of the stupidest plans ever. Really.

[gryphonrhi]

::blinks:: Dear god. Are John's plans worse than Mal's?

And yeah, the fight, and the reactions to it, worked beautifully. {{hugs}}

[vaznetti]

I had to answer this right away, because, yes. In the second-to-last episode of the season John comes up with a plan that is so catastrophically bad that I can barely describe it. (And OK, he's in a tough position, but this is, hands down, the worst plan I've ever happened across on television, and I watched Farscape and XF.) This is a plan of such compelling badness that it's almost a thing of beauty. There is no way in hell or out of it that a plan this stupid should ever work, and yet he very nearly pulls it off -- that's the marvelous thing about John.

(The short version -- it involved double-crossing a demon by substituting a totally non-magical weapon for the magical weapon the demon actually wanted. Like it wasn't going to notice? It's a demon!)

[vaznetti]

I think Dean will manage to console himself, along the way.

I really loved the look at John through Mal's eyes.

Oh, I'm so pleased, because that's one of my favorite bits -- John and the ship and the way Mal sees them, and yes, they really are more alike than you'd guess. Which is probably why they ended up hitting each other.

And I'm having far too much fun writing these to give up now.

[merrycontrary]

I can't decide which is better - Dean teaching River to scam or John and Mal's inevitable knock-down-drag-out.

Actually, that's not true, because my mind is full of future trouble Dean and River could get into (and out of) together. But the meeting of gruff but lovables was pretty darn good too.

[vaznetti]

Actually, that's not true, because my mind is full of future trouble Dean and River could get into (and out of) together.

I feel that there should be more of this, don't you? I mean, really, the sky's the limit. Although I have a certain fondness for the Mal-and-John scene, as well. As you say, it was inevitable.

Thank you!

[iseult_variante]

Oh my GOD, I love this more than reason. I love that Mal's started the punching almost before he notices, and I love how matter-of-fact they are about it. Heh. Also, I like that you got at both how Mal and John are similar AND how they're different. Yes.

The Dean and Mal POVs = happy happy me.

River is ALWAYS awesome, and oh, Simon.

I'm rambling on, but just so you know I love it, and could ramble on and on and ON about how good it is. YAY!

[vaznetti]

Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I had a lot of fun writing the scenes (except for a few places I was pulling out my hair to find the right words, but that always happens) and I'm glad that they worked out.

Also, I like that you got at both how Mal and John are similar AND how they're different.

Yes! I wanted to get that.

River is ALWAYS awesome, and oh, Simon.

Simon really wishes that his father had been more like John Winchester. Presumably at some point he'll realize that life with John is not exactly a walk in the park, but he can't forget how his own parents basically abandoned him and River.

[iseult_variante]

Oh, OW. Geez, I hadn't thought of that. Oh, Simon.

[cofax7]

Oh, Mal and John Winchester. What a combo. And I adore Dean teaching River to play pool. Heee.

[vaznetti]

Oh, Mal and John Winchester. What a combo.

I think the technical term there is "accident waiting to happen."

As for Dean and River -- really, it makes a perfect kind of sense.