#zs discussion
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bursts into the room unprompted
for sanji, seeing himself as a tool for others and a (faulty) weapon in particular is something that was instilled in him by force; something instilled in him by a man who breaks and replaces his tools constantly, and blames the tools for breaking. thus, sanji sees his usefulness as contingent upon his willingness to be destroyed completely in the process of being used. he'll work at the baratie until zeff dies. he'll let himself be killed trying to protect the baratie. tell luffy to start looking for a new cook. get lost you miserable, inferior pirates.
zoro, on the other hand, made himself into a tool and a weapon for fulfilling his and kuina's dream completely by his own will. additionally, he grew up in an environment where tools/weapons were valued and painstakingly maintained rather than interchangeable and disposable. he has the same anger at his own uselessness (against random chance death, against the fallability of his own body), but he doesn't see being destroyed as necessary to usefulness. being useful is worth being destroyed for, but being destroyed is not useful.
but also, sanji can be useful in a way that will always be needed: he feeds people. he can fall back on this, even when he is useless as a weapon. we know less about how zoro sees himself outside of being a weapon. does being useless as a weapon leave him feeling empty or worthless? would being unneeded as a weapon, even by kuina's memory, set him adrift? was this already addressed and I just forgot because zoro acts so put-together all the time? one can't help but wonder
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zl fic idea
hii everyone i wrote something yesterday about an au idea i had for zolu and. i thought i'd share it here since its a bit too messy and disjointed in places to post on like. ao3 or something.
4.7k words, warning for temporary major character death but do not worry all will be fixed in due time. i'll put the rest under the cut
ok i have an idea for an au thats like kind of reincarnation but like reality displacement but like. okay just listen.
so we start at laughtale. its a couple years into the future from where we are in canon the strawhats are achieving their dreams luffy is about to find the one piece theres a big battle happening between them and the blackbeard pirates and whoever the fuck else is there idc. the rest of the strawhats are fighting the bb crew while luffy and zoro head off to find the one piece and also end up fighting black beard himself. luffy and zoro atp r like basically a thing but they never talk about it cuz theyre luffy and zoro and they kind of just exist with each other but like. theyre basically in love and everyone knows it. anyway they go off together luffy has the one piece almost in his grasp blackbeard attacks they fight its a big battle blood is shed bones are broken uumm in my mind luffy and zoro are like teaming up against bb bc his devil fruit is lowk broken and op and like ok theres gear5 too but i didnt rly consider that so lets just assume bb’s devil fruit can negate gear5 somehow or luffy exhausts it before bb is fully defeated.
finally theyre able to knock bb down and hes out and theyre both tired and worn but they DID IT and the one piece is luffys and theyre facing each other grinning ear to ear and zoros saying “you ready, king of the pirates?” and luffy laughs and goes “not just yet zoro, i still gotta-“ and then theres a spear piercing right through his chest. and in the next moment its gone.
theres a gaping hole through his captain and theres blood, theres so much blood and luffy’s still smiling like he hasnt realized it yet, like it hasnt even registered. zoros ears are ringing and he doesnt know what to make of whats hes seeing because its just not real, it CANT be.
he looks over luffy’s shoulder and blackbeard is on the ground with his hand outstretched , black energy coiling back into his form and he’s laughing and laughing with bloodstained teeth. hes fucking laughing. one moment zoro is still standing parallel to luffy and the next hes in front of blackbeard and the mans head is rolling through the dirt and gravel, wado dripping crimson, a terrible gap toothed grin still stretching the man’s cheeks.
zoro is breathing heavy, hes trembling and hes almost mesmerized by the blood pooling around a lacerated neck— then he’s remembering luffy and turning around and calling his name and he can see right through him theres a HOLE right through him and he chokes and stumbles and rushes to his side right as luffy starts to crumple to the floor . catches him and lowers him gently and doesnt know what to say.
hes still shaking but cant move his mouth and everything is muffled, the sounds from the battle outside are distant and they dont matter but what does he do. what does he do.
he snaps out of it when luffy gently calls his name. a strong “zoro,” like hes not fazed at all. like there isnt blood soaking into zoros clothes.
his brain kickstarts and he’s speaking. saying things like “youre ok you’ll be ok” and “choppers right outside i’ll just call him and he’ll fix you right up” and “you always bounce back, right captain?” and hes thinking “dont die please dont fucking die. not now, not when we’re this close please dont fucking die” and hes silently praying to all the gods he doesnt believe in but luffy calls his name again and his mouth clicks shut. luffys saying it’ll be fine, that he had fun. that hes proud to have made it this far with all of them. and those sound a lot like parting words so zoro’s shaking his head no but luffy is still smiling. hes saying that hes glad he had zoro, that he made him happy. hes saying to tell everyone he’s glad they met, that hes glad they all had each other, that he knows theyll be just fine .
zoro wants to say that luffy should tell that to them himself, when hes wrapped up and recovering and alive but his mouth is glued shut again and he feels that interrupting luffy now would be cursing him to death, like his words are the only thing keeping him tethered here, he just needs to get him to keep talking to stay awake.
he tries to smile but it comes out ugly and wrong and he feels his lip wobble so he drops it. he settles on rubbing his thumb on luffys shoulder. something to keep him here.
so he rubs and luffy talks little things until he cant anymore. until his eyes grow dull and his skin loses its warmth and still zoro rubs and he rubs.
—
thats how law finds them. zoro hunched over a body that should never be as still as it is. and its really no surprise hes there, hes been gunning for the one piece since the time he could captain a ship (or a submarine) but it all feels so wrong.
zoro either doesnt notice him or doesnt care, but either way the man doesnt acknowledge law until he’s right behind him. its not like law can say anything to announce himself either, not after seeing the state of the body that zoros currently holding. the body that used to be luffy’s. hes still processing it all when the other man(the one whos alive) finally speaks.
zoro asks if hes got a devil fruit. less of a question and more of a statement, but he should know anyway since theyve spent considerable time together and hes literally seen him use it. law cant unstick his jaw so he hums in affirmation. “and you can switch stuffs’ places?” another hum. “what about time.”
that makes law pause. “what?” his voice comes out stronger than he feels.
“what about time? can you switch things in time?” by this point law has awakened his devil fruit or some shit dont sweat the logistics but hes never tried anything of that sort so he kind of stumbles “im not- maybe? ive never attempted-“ zoro interrupts “send me back”
“what?”
“send me back so i can fix this. you can do that, right.” it clicks. law would pity zoro if he didnt know any better, instead he just feels mounting despair and resignation.
he may not be crew, but he knew luffy too, he was allied with the man for fucks sake, and this just feels- wrong. he sighs, a tired, heavy thing.
“what about your crew?” its useless. zoros as stubborn as his captain, with arguably a handful more screws loose. “it wont matter. they’ll never know because i’ll make sure this doesnt happen.” he still hasnt turned around. law doesnt know what expression hes making and hes sure he never wants to find out.
hes ready to deny it, cut his losses and head for the one piece himself (hes not heartless, but if he stands here any longer and has to look at. well. he think he might never be able to move again) but then he really thinks about it. could he? would it even be possible? surely this isnt the way things were supposed to go, surely this isnt right. luffys never been one who was supposed to die just like that, like this, law knows that much. he thinks hes going to regret this, but he counts it as one last thank you for everything luffy did for him.
youre gonna owe me big time strawhat-ya. if i even remember this, that is.
he puffs a breath “i can try. i cant- promise anything but. i think we both know this,” he makes a vague, weak gesture, “isnt right.”
zoro doesnt say anything, law didnt expect him to. he just bows his head slightly and law takes that as the acknowledgment it is.
he brings his hand up, “dont do anything stupid, zoro-ya. or, at least, make it stupid enough to bring him back.”
he positions his fingers in way so familiar, but the weight of it now is nearly unbearable.
room.
shambles
—
zoro’s world shatters, differently than before, and then theres nothing.
—
he wakes up in bed, bleary eyed and a pounding headache assaulting his senses. his alarm clock is going off which only adds to the drumbeat against his eyes. he grumbles and whacks around aimlessly to shut it off. the silence lasts a moment before his eyes fly open and he jolts up, sheets pooling around his waist. luffy. where was he? where was zoro? did the crew find him and take him back to the ship? did law fail? but this didnt look like chopper’s office.
he looks around to find hes in a room hes never seen before in his life, yet he instinctively knows is his. it all feels so wrong, like he doesnt belong in his own skin. he scratches lightly at his arm. he needs to go to work.
work?
what the fuck is happening.
its like his mind is at war with itself, one truth trying to dominate over the other. he trained at sensei’s dojo. he aged out of foster care. he was a swordsman, he was the first mate of the strawhat pirates. he didnt go to college, hes working construction. he made a promise, and kuina died. kuina…died. huh. his captain, his luffy, someone he knew so intimately and who knew him in turn. hes never met someone with that name his entire life. he needs to go to work, he needs to find his crew.
he doesn’t understand what the fuck is happening.
without his permission his legs stand him right up and he moves confusedly, surely, to the bathroom he didnt know he had. his reflection stares back at him in the mirror and its him, of course it is, he doesnt know why he expected someone else, but hes also…different. he has both function of his eyes, first of all. a scar in the same place as before but its light and healed over and doesnt seem to have blinded him like it once did. his hair is green, sure, but black roots peek out from underneath the familiar shade. hes grown stubble, he should shave. he needs to go to work.
hes so confused, but his body moves like its been doing this its whole life. as far as zoro knows, it has.
he continues getting ready, mind still at odds, and makes himself a cup of coffee (in his own kitchen. his own kitchen? the state of it leaves less to be desired. sanji would surely skin him alive) before tucking into his shoes, grabbing his wallet and keys and heading out the door. he seems to live in a single room apartment, and a crummy one at that. his legs move him faster, he has to go to work, he cant be late again (again?).
his car is parked outside the building, he has no fucking clue what it is but he unlocks it all the same and settles in. he feels like he shouldnt be operating this sort of machinery. franky would know better than him how it must work. he starts it up and backs out. trusting his gut to get him where he needs to be. he should be more concerned, he should be frantic and inconsolable, his captain was dead in his arms and now hes? what? going to lay some bricks or some shit? but he finds that part of him dulled in favor of following whatever mundanity this body is pushing him towards.
uumm whatever whatever he arrives at work eventually i dont know how construction jobs work are there offices or something. idc thats not the point. johnny and yosaku are there and zoro is surprised to see them since, as far as he knows, the last time they were with each other was at arlong park which was years ago for him. but the two greet him like this is a daily occurence, like theyve been working together for years. and zoro thinks, knows, they must have. but this is good, this is great fucking news actually because until now theres been no confirmation if zoro was here alone (wherever “here” is) but now his proof is right in front of him because if johnny and yosaku are here, and they exist the same as from before, then that must mean everyone else is here too right? he clings onto this hope with both hands trembling.
nami, usopp, the cook and chopper and robin and franky, brook, jinbe and fuck. fuck, luffy. theyve got to be here somewhere, zoro just has to find them. hes not sure if they remember things like he does but hes got to try because they are his as much as he has always been theirs and they should all exist together as it has always been.
so then yeah he finishes his shift because its what hes ‘supposed’ to do but he doesnt go home. he drives around aimlessly before pulling into a random lot and pulling out his phone (theres no snail attached to it. weird.) he doesnt even know where to begin. hes not usually the one coming up with plans, he just goes where theres blood need to be shed. but no one seems to be in any danger here except for maybe himself, and its not like he has his swords anyway- shit. fuck did he still have wado? he must have right? he knows there was a kuina that existed here too, he knows because he remembers. and she, well she wasnt around anymore so he must have wado. he must. with shaking fingers he pushes that aside for now, though barely. he needs to find luffy, but he wouldnt even know where to start. luffy could probably find the rest of their crew by simply wandering around and happening upon them, thats how he did it before. but zoro has no idea where he’d be, he doesnt even know where he is. nami or robin would be a good bet to at least form a plan, but he wouldnt know how to find them either.
is there even a coco village here? would robin still be part of baroque works? he needs someone who has a defined location that he could google or something (what the hell is google?). usopp would be at syrup village right? shit. is there even a drum island? these are all too broad, he needs something specific. specific…..a place with an identifiable name, somewhere smaller that would be easier to stake out…
a lightbulb goes off.
fucking shit he thinks. of course. of fucking course it would come down to the cook.
he types in “baratie” to his maps and a location pops up, just 27 minutes from where he is now. he hasnt eaten yet either, so he figures thats killing two birds with one stone. he taps the address, backs out of the lot and drives.
(if it takes him nearly an hour to get there thats nobodys business but his own)
he pulls up to the building about a quarter after 7. it seems packed enough already, but if memory serves him right then that was just par for the course for baratie. he parks, gets out and locks his car, then shoves his hands in his pocket and resigns himself to another oncoming migraine hes sure to get upon interacting with the man hes certain is waiting somewhere inside.
the tables are full, the host tells him, he slips a 20 from his wallet and suddenly (of course) theyre more than willing to serve him.
he gets settled in a far and somewhat isolated booth and a waiter comes up to him, but he cuts the man off as hes introducing himself and says “you got a blonde working here? stupid ass side part with a weird eyebrow? goes by sanji” the waiter looks shocked and put off by his rudeness but quickly collects himself and says “we might. depends on whos asking” zoro snorts “just tell him hes got someone who wants to talk to him,” he cringes at this next part, tries to smile but knows it comes off as a sneer. hes not sure if he still has conquerors haki wherever he happens to be now, but he tries to channel that energy the same way he would if he were in battle and says “tell him im a fan.” the waiters eyes widen, in fear or surprise zoros not sure (most likely a mix of both) before he nods and scurries across the floor, weaving in between patrons and coworkers alike until he disappears behind the double doors to the kitchen.
zoro sits with his arms crossed and skims through the menu out of boredom and impatience. its a couple minutes before he sees a familiar head of blonde hair emerge from across the way. a smile climbs onto his face despite himself. sure, the guy annoyed him to hell and back and their…friendship (if you could really call it that) was a tumultuous one, but it was good to see someone familiar nonetheless. he schools his expression before the blonde can spot him. a few moments pass before hes standing right in front of zoro, his stupid suit primped and pressed as always, and a cautious look on his face.
“you asked for me?” his tone is the one he only reserves for men who he deems not worth his time. zoro grits his teeth but says “yeah, theres something ive gotta discuss with you.”
hes never been one for tact, forever blunt unlike his swords.
sanji quirks a brow “i dont plan on talking about anything with anyone unless theyre a paying customer” zoro feels his eyebrow twitch but grabs his menu nonetheless and points to a random item without looking “i’ll have this then, and whatever booze you got.” sanji leans in to see what hes pointing to before his one visible eye widens and a grin slowly overtakes his previously unaffected face.
he speaks condescendingly. “wonderful choice sir, coming right up.” before zoro can get another word in he grabs the menu out of his hand, spins on his heel, and marches back to the kitchen.
zoro clenches his fists and does his best not to grind his teeth into a fine dust. no matter where they are or what displacement in time the fucking curly brow never fails to be absolutely insufferable. at least this way though, zoro knows its him for real.
its another 20 minutes before the shit cook reemerges from the back with a platter and a mug in his hand. he steps up to zoros table and places the plate and cup down in front of him with a smug look. zoro has no idea what the fuck hes looking at on his plate. he doesnt have time to question it before sanji plops down in the booth seat across from him, disregarding all previous faux-professionale and asking “so what do you want” zoro tears his eyes away from his plate and looks into sanji’s, trying to convey as much emotion, as much urgency as he possibly can.
“luffy needs us. and we have to find him” whatever the cook was expecting him to say, it definitely wasnt that. the other man regards him more warily now, looking him up and down with a tense frown before replying “i dont know what the hell youre talking about. and i dont appreciate being mocked or having my time wasted” he goes to stand up but zoro grabs his wrist, yanking him back down unceremoniously.
he blinks before rounding back on zoro, flaring his nostrils in a way zoro knows means hes about to get himself in deep shit “oi, what the fuck do you think youre-“ he doesnt let him finish “im not mocking you. this isnt some stupid prank or whatever youre thinking. and despite how much i would enjoy punching your teeth in right now im not looking for a fight either.”
the cook still looks affronted but seems to actually be listening. zoro continues “look, i dont know what the fuck is going on. i was at laughtale with you and the others, with luffy, and then i woke up and now im here and i dont know how but this is all wrong. its all wrong but i need to find luffy and fuck, i cant do it alone. i need your help to find him. find everyone.” the blondes eye is wide, but he blinks and its gone. he looks more tired than zoro has ever seen him
“im not paid enough for this shit. i dont know why i even-“ he looks like hes getting ready to leave again but zoro is desperate at this point so he blurts out whatever he thinks will convince the other man hes not bullshitting.
“we met you here, at the baratie. me and nami and usopp and luffy. luffy busted through one of your walls so your old man punished him by making him wash dishes. i dont, i dont know what luffy said to you, or how he convinced you to join us, but he changed your life like he did mine. we sailed together, and we had each others backs no matter how much we got on each others nerves. you were our cook. i was our swordsman. luffy was our captain and youd do anything to help him, i know you would, same as me. youre a pervert and an asshole and a damn annoyance, but youre strong. i could still kick your ass though” if the cook’s eyebrow could go any higher hes sure itd be clear off his forehead by now.
“and you- your dream. you wanted to find the all blue.” he stalls there, engine sputtering. zoro doesnt know what else to say, so he snaps his mouth shut.
the blonde is still gaping at him like a fish, but he mouths the phrase “all blue” like hes been searching for it his whole life, like he always knew but just never had the words.
he blinks.
then he blinks again, rapidly. there are tears pooling in his eyes. his mouth flaps for a moment before he seems to finally be able to push out words.
“you- zoro?” he sounds small. he sounds hopeful. zoro grins.
“yeah, yeah its me.” sanji stares at him a moment, then looks around, as if hes seeing everything with clear eyes for the very first time. zoro figures he might as well be.
“holy shit. holy shit.”
zoro laughs, a rough thing. theres a ball in his throat that he cant seem to dislodge. “nice to have you back, curly brow” sanji’s gaze snaps back to him before he scowls and tries wiping away the tears that are now streaking down his cheeks. its useless though, it seems they cant stop. zoro laughs again at the sorry state of the asshole in front of him, this time more full and genuine. he feels so relieved he doesnt know what to do with himself.
“yeah yeah, whatever dick head.” sanji grumbles. zoro quiets down, glances away, lets him have his moment. “fuck, mosshead, im still on the clock and you unload all this on me? how the hell am i supposed to finish the rest of my shift?” his words are sharp but he doesnt sound angry at all. in fact, when zoro turns back to look, hes smiling.
“you remember now though, dont you?” he has to be sure.
“what does it look like, dumbass? think im tearin’ up cuz of pollen or some shit?” the cook rolls his eye. theyre both silent for a moment, trapped in their own heads, before he speaks up again. “so, what now?” zoro doesnt even have to think before he answers “we find everyone else, obviously.” “well no shit, but how?” zoro glances to the side. “i was hoping youd figure that out” sanji stares before bursting out laughing. zoro scowls and hunches into his shoulders.
“of course!” sanji cackles “of course your dumbass wouldnt know what to do! you probably just typed in the most recognizable place you could remember and hoped one of us would be there!” zoro doesn’t answer, because yes thats what he fucking did, but it worked didnt it? he doesnt see whats so funny.
“fuck you.”
he wants nothing more than to bash that smarmy mouth in, but the familiar egging settles something in his soul. sanji gasps a few breaths before calming down, now wiping tears from his eyes for a completely different reason.
“alright alright, well lets figure this out then, yeah? we figure out how we got here then we can figure out how to get back right? simple enough”
zoro nods, “law was-“ he stops. remembers dull eyes and clammy skin and wrong wrong wrong. he shakes his head, “no, no we cant” sanji looks at him confused.
“we cant go back,” zoro presses, “not until i fix things. i promised i would” the other man seems to pick up on his panic and his mood dampens, becomes more serious. “promised what?”
zoros never been one to sugarcoat, but now he wishes he could find a way to soften the blow hes about to deal. he inhales, pushes the breath out. says, “luffy died, sanji.” the fact the hes actually using the other mans name seems to fly right over his head in favor of the first part. “what?” zoro huffs, is he really gonna make him say it again? “luffy di-“ sanji interrupts, angry now, fists clenched and whitened from the pressure “i heard what you said. but what do you mean.”
he doesnt want to have to tell sanji what happened, doesnt want to talk about it at all, wants to slice it up into small enough pieces that it very well may have never existed.
he told law the others wouldn't have to know, that he would make sure of it, but he's realizing now just how unrealistic that is. as much faith as zoro places in his own abilities, he's aware he's only one man.
and, he figures, if there's anyone i can trust enough to share a burden heavy as this with, might as well be the one who's strength i'd count on just as much as my own.
sanji cant help if he doesnt know what went down once they got separated at laughtale, so zoro sets his shoulders, clenches his fists, prepares himself like hes riding into a battle he knows he has no chance of winning—hes the first mate for fucks sake—and resigns himself to filling the other man in on every horrible detail
by the end, the cook looks much the same as zoro feels, pale-faced and shaky. he runs a trembling hand through his hair and clenches his eye shut. “fuck mosshead, thats…” he doesnt bother finishing, and zoro stays silent—already knowing just how much of a shitty situation it is that theyve found themselves in.
—
(btw the reason sanji was so smug about what zoro randomly chose on the menu is bc its one of their most expensive dishes. even upon regaining his memories he still makes zoro pay it cuz hes an asshole like that. business is business 😁)
uuummm i dont feel like detailing the rest basically my idea is that they work together to try and track down all the members as well as law, since hes also a part of this. i dont know how or when or in what order but i do know finding luffy would come last. so yes its zolu but for a majority of it more in spirit than anything. maybe i can throw in some luffy pov of him living with ace and sabo . he knows something is off but cant place his finger on what. he knows something is missing but hes got his brothers with him so what else could he possibly need? etc etc. you get the idea
#devil fruits don't work like this but don't sweat the logistics. just read with your heart not your head#it starts off rough cause im kind of just rambling about my ideas then the more i go the more it just turns into a fic#let me know your thoughts in the comments or my inbox or whatever i love discussing stuff hehe!!#as you all know im an artist first and foremost but sometimes my ideas get a bit too big for my current drawing skills so i write them down#so heres that#one piece#zolu#theres no guarantee i'll ever like. srsly continue this but i rly rly like it as a concept im invested LOL#and i have a few ideas on how the rest of the crew would be found that ive discussed w friends#so perhaps if i find motivation and can outline. an actual plot progression and clean up this first part...#well who knows... XD#also im not a zs truther in fact my insta followers r well aware of my. certain feeling on the ship#HOWEEVVEERRR i do think zoro and sanji have such an interesting unique and important dynamic/relationship#that i enjoy studying outside of a romantic lens#anyway ive spoken enough . pls enjoy! or dont thats fine as well
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something very baffling is happening to me and it's called one piece dreams
#at the HEIGHT of my r*nkaza hyperfixation i was not dreaming about it at all#i dont think i got any actually.#but at this stage ive had at least 3 op dreams. two were vaguely zo/san but this one wasnt#what in the world...... i never got anji dreams either =^((((#context: I DONT GO HERE???#ok wait went back to check one was Definitely zs#THIS one. imagine u are luffy and this is possibly a modern setting but idk?#and u call out to a teenager on a skateboard (for a rope??????). except that teenager pulls a gun on u#so u kick the gun out of their hands and beat thr shit out of them.#anyways not with the teenager but there was discussion of haki#which is interesting because frankly i dont know how haki works.
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BTS of #RWRBMovie: 'z' in your last name
TZP via HOLA:
Clifton Collins Jr., who plays my father in the film, was amazing. I knew of him. I’d seen his projects, but we’d never crossed paths before. And then we met and we just got along, thick as thieves. And he’s like an OG Mexican from Los Angeles which was so colorful. He made it feel like there was family on set. Same with Matthew being Puerto Rican. Their influences help you get into that vibe, and then you do the scene and it’s wonderful. You really bring that accuracy to it.
There’s a line in the film when Alex and Henry are in Paris, and Henry asks him a question about his mom’s campaign, and Alex starts telling him about his father and his abuela coming to the States. The line is something like “If you’re an immigrant in America and you have a ‘Z’ in your last name, there’s a lot of people in positions of power that don’t look and sound like you. I’ve been given the opportunity to be someone in the world that my father didn’t see when he was growing up.”
As someone with two ‘Zs’ in his last name (laughs), that was a tough scene for me because I had to be there as Alex and not as Taylor. It was very emotional to think of my family and what they went through to come to the United States. Even though they came here a long time ago, you still think about all of the people that are coming to America today and about all of their stories.
Alex realizes that his father didn’t have any role models growing up and now he’s a congressman. That fuels his fire to be the change. That was so exciting for me.
From NYT:
For both Zakhar Perez and the director, the character Alex’s biracial identity was particularly meaningful. López grew up in Panama City, Fla., with his Puerto Rican father and Polish Russian mother, while Zakhar Perez is of Mexican, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent and was raised in northwest Indiana, where he said there was only one other Mexican family.
“Matthew and I talked a lot about the mestizo journey,” Zakhar Perez said in a video call before SAG-AFTRA, the actor’s union, went on strike. “Being part Mexican, part lots of other things, I don’t want to say you’re forgotten, but in today’s world, it’s like, you’re either this or you’re that. There’s nothing in between. I’m kind of a cultural chameleon.”
“As a young Latiné queer man, I never read something that centered someone like Alex,” López said, echoing his star. “If I had been presented with this character when I was in my late teens, early 20s, it may have changed how I thought about myself.”
From Windy City Times:
Was the part about having a Z in your last name personal or the book?
ML: It was personal. That was about me and Taylor. It came from a conversation that Taylor and I had when making the film.
From Metro Weekly:
Alex has a line about grow ing up in Texas as a kid with a last name that ends with Z, which is I guess something else you can relate to, Florida style.
ML: And Taylor Zakhar Perez also. Taylor and I talked about that scene a lot as being something that we both understood. My aunt Priscilla Lopez is a beloved, beloved stage actor. She was in the original cast of A Chorus Line. And there's a story that she tells about Mandy Gonzalez, who was in In the Heights with her, and Mandy once told Priscilla that Priscilla made it okay for her to be someone with a Z in her last name. And that was a thing that Taylor and I spent a lot of time discussing as well. It was important to me that that scene be in the movie. There was never a chance in hell that that scene was ever getting cut.
From Teen Vogue:
TV: One of my favorite parts is when they’re in Paris, and Alex talks about being a young person of color coming up from Texas and not seeing anybody who looked like himself or his dad in politics, and Henry’s response to that simply being: “I’m learning.” I don’t know if you were in the theater for that one, but half the crowd was like, awwwww.
ML: Yeah, I was for that.
TV: I’m married to a white man, and I was like, that is the perfect thing a white man can say in that situation.
ML: I’m married to a white man, too. Speaking as someone who is a person of color married to a white man: that’s like the ultimate thing you ever want your white boyfriend or husband or partner to say. That’s it. “I’m learning.”
ML via THR:
There’s a scene in the movie that is very much me, which I gave Taylor after they’ve had sex for the first time. They’re there in pillow talk mode, and he tells Henry about what it’s like to be the son of an immigrant with a Z in your last name. It was really important to me to talk about growing up with a Z in your last name and even just how our names are pronounced, the spellings of our names sometimes if you have Latin ancestry. To have to answer for your name has always been something for me that I struggled with until I stopped struggling with it. So, I needed to put that into Alex’s story and when it came time to shoot that scene again, it was something I didn’t have to explain to Taylor Zakhar Perez. He got it instantly. The only thing that I did screw him up with is like, “We’re going to do this [scene] as a oner, and we’re going to do it as a top shot that starts in a wide shot and comes all the way down to your face, and we’re not going to leave this scene until you get it right in one.”
#rwrb movie#rwrbedit#red white and royal blue#rwrbsource#taylor zakhar perez#matthew lopez#alex claremont diaz#tzp#*#rwrb bts#rwrbbts#my gifs
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please tell me about sanji knowing about being zoro's bounty poster, omg.
so this one started on the big zosan server (there's a whole fun conversation on it in uh, zs-discussion or sth iirc) and i stole it... most of what i have of it is 1k worth of writing that i word-vomited out in a competitive sprint against three in an ohwrite room (possibly one-sided, i think i may have only caught up because three was multitasking/busy... but hey, that 1k+ presence was certainly motivating)
well, basically the concept is that sanji becomes a fan of zoro when he gets posted in the news coo lol, like really deep in– cuts-out-and-collects-all-the-photos-of-him deep, fantasizing/day-dreaming-about-dating-him deep, which becomes a problem when the guy SHOWS UP obviously. plus, sanji's like immediately disappointed when zoro is not like this version of him sanji's built up in his mind. never got around to taking a stab at writing the next parts, but they would be a mix of sanji being crushed by reality of zoro & sanji actually realizing that zoro has a lot of dreamy qualities that sanji does like, y'know culminating in the realization that oh sanji IS in love with the real zoro that he's gotten to know 🥺 (maybe i should try to continue this haha)
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Random rant, but I'm just wondering why Zack Snyder's Justice League keeps being referenced in media as shorthand for a toxic male space? I dunno about you, but I wrote hashtags, watched the movie on Max, got my DVD, and stfu. All of the people I follow on Twitter and Tumblr from fandom days have moved on to other things: other fandoms, reviewing films, discussing other media.
A lot of the leaders of the DCEU/ZS fandom were women, like the women who put together and hosted JusticeCon. I don't know the demographics of the fandom, but if there are more men than women or non-binary folks, then it's not like that's unusual. Most geek fandoms have more men, like Star Wars, Marvel, and any major video game. And there are infamous contingents of those fandoms who are misogynistic and racist. But for some reason, the DCEU/ZS fandom has become shorthand for a toxic male fandom.
I remember when the movie first came out, I thought people were finally empathetic. People were saying they were glad Zack got his version out after being mistreated following a family tragedy. They said the movie was pretty good, surprisingly good. They were relieved that the fandom would stop campaigning on Twitter.
But now, it seems like that temporary good will has faded, and people are back to making fun of the fans, and by extension, the movie. Making fun of the movie is, at the least, mean. Considering the circumstances that destroyed it in the first place.
Waiting for a year when no one references the movie or its campaigners. A lot of us moved on. You can too.
#Go get obsessed with a piece of media and let it take up all your brain space#Sorry for throwing SW under the bus again#dceu#zack snyder
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This is a long one just my thoughts.You can really see how important Challengers is to Z her circle is really pushing it as well. I really hope it does well . I’m not worried about it critically because everyone who has watched it seems to have enjoyed it and Luca is respected with critics. Commercially I think it can do well too but something struck me as I was reading comments on that it will be on imax . Most comments were to the effect of ,for what to see Z (something rude) on the big screen. It made me wonder (since we know that that scene will not be that intense particularly on Z part) was marketing it in the trailer the best idea. It did generate some buzz and record views when it first dropped now it does get some discussion but not as much. On the other hand some reviews really praise Zs performance and the boys as well as the sequences of the final tennis Match plus they put promos during tennis matches etc. That end of it gives me the impression that it’s a deep character study and also will appeal to those who love tennis and even could be award worthy. So to me the marketing is contradictory it could be a plus and catch both those looking for a more serious tennis movie and the threesome crowd. But from my perspective it seems the threesome part is taking most of the focus for GA which could hinder some other demographics . We know the actual premise but will that be clear to someone who just watches the trailer.Anyways to be fair the people doing the marketing and trailers are smarter than me but I am just wondering.
Mmm honestly I have read the script and I dont think this is awards worthy, in my opinion the marketing is aimed to be commercial which it is. i think it’s gonna do well commercially, the threesome part is done to generate discussion and while some comments are nasty I get the thought behind it
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i need to say something insane so im less likely to forget to draw it later
you know how i am always depicting zoro and sanji being romantically interested in each other like this?
I need you to know. CRUCIALLY. that this coexists in my brain with Usopp and Sanji being besties like this
sanji x usopp shippers i think youre so fucking valid and bigbrained but 1) i am a sucker for Usopps cute thing with Kaya and 2) i think acting gay platonically is mankind's greatest achievements.
i think Sanji being shoved totally out of his comfort zones both romantically and platonically (so he has to actually consider his honest feelings and not just keep imatating ideals) is great and his dumb ass deserves it.
I think Zoro being a bit of a fucking weirdo about expressing affection because he's always cared way more about learning how to swordfight flawlessly than learning how to operate by normal social conventions is fantastic.
I think Usopp bonding with Sanji over them both being Pretty Sweet Guys is fucking super epic because Usopp gets to see a bit of himself in this badass strong fighter guy he looks up to, and Sanji gets to see a bit of himself in this kind smart ambitious guy he admires.
do you see my grand vision . take my hand
#adddna#1pc#1pc discussion#zs#i guess lollll#by the way usopp is bisexual. (luffy voice whoa hes bisexual i didnt know that!)
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Discuss!
#star wars#poll time#star wars characters#a-z#x#y#z#number#xi'an#yaddle#yoda#zam wesell#ziro the hutt#zorii bliss#zuckuss#clone trooper 99
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I feel like. Even adult Gen Zs sometimes just don't have the concept of like. Flat out not telling people shit about themselves online.
I'm not even talking about privacy and internet safety things. I'm saying they don't have to know your stance on every online discourse.
People don't need to know if you're proship or antiship the moment they lay eyes on your blog. They'll find out in time or catch your vibe if they follow your personal blog for long enough. And if you runs a gimmick blog then they never need to know.
You're also not beholden to answer every ask. Don't want the controversy? Delete it! Want the discussion without doing it in public? Here's a script "Anon, I don't wanna publish your ask, if you'd like to discuss this you can ask off anon and I promise to answer in private".
We should all popularize not saying shit in public. That was a good time.
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It's hard for me to put my exact point across in small format. In terms of defending, I only ment on here from deranged anons,stans in terms of his and Zs friendship. It's worse than nasty behaviour added to the fact he green light a fucked up response from his publicist 🤢🤢
Not sure I’m getting your first point.
As far as Z is concerned the besties/friends/not besties/not friends convos were exhausting and tired (to me) even before he did his bs on SNL.
I stopped entertaining them then and don’t plan on ever discussing it again. When I say I’m cool on someone I mean that. Not interested in dragging it or focusing over the negative things he does moving forward in any shape or form.
The line between stan and anti is very blurry. I am neither.
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Writing and the reviewing/editing and changing everything to American English spelling, and then doing everything else without editing and using my English spelling - do people (particularly those who have English as a second language) find that confusing or is language just evolving to have two variations of some words?
Defence and Defense - a discussion around the spelling of these words almost came to blows at a dinner with friends recently.
Apologise, neighbour, humour... Keep your Zs and I'll keep my Us and Ss.
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Are we so bored that we’re discussing Zs assistants workout regime 😭
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Teen Squad as things I've heard and my friends and I have said
Ash: What if I lick the candle?
Shantae: Do not lick the candle that's on fire!
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Laharl: What's the marrow bone again?
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Desmond: I need my Zs..
Tulip: You need your za za?
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Ash: Mi historia era bonita bueno.
Tulip, who was forced to study a lot of langauges: YOUR HISTORY IS BEAUTIFUL GOOD?
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Sora: Please tell me that's a bb gun.
Arle: It's a water gun filled with lemon juice. I suggest you put your lanky legs to use.
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Shantae, pointing at SMG4&3: Historians would call them Political Figures. Modernisms would call them gay.
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Arle: Wait, so you were homeschooled?
Tulip: Were my glaring parental issues not enough evidence?
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Shantae, Ash, and Tulip: *in-depth discussion about Tulip's new machine*
Sora: Finally, all flavors of neurodivergency.
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Arle: *bites Shantae's shoulder*
Shantae: Why?
Arle: The voices.
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Ash: So you do have your license, right?
Tulip: ..
Shantae: You do have your license, right? Right, Tutu?
Tulip: *rolls up the windows*
Shantae: TUTU?
Tulip: *locks the doors* You're in it now, birches.
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Arle: DID YOU USE SUGAR INSTEAD OF BAKING POWDER??
Sora: MAYBE??
Arle: GOD DAMN IT, SORA!
Desmond: Why are the pots sticky-
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Teen Squad: *staring at a flooded road as rain pours down*
Others: *slowly look at Ash*
Ash: In my defense, I didn't think Buizel was capable of this.
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Tulip: I'm too white for spice..
Laharl: We can fix that.
Shantae: Don't.
#ash ketchum#shantae#arle nadja#laharl#desmond the basketball#kh sora#avatar: tulip#the teen squad#incorrect quotes
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(I am thinking about that ask someone sent me about loving my Louise stuff on her again, and just HAVE to write about her again. This one’s for you anon (and me bc I can))
Kerry let Louise in first, the sound of the TV playing echoed through the Villa. The kids had come first, spending two days with just V and Kerry, and Louise came after her job was done. The old couple had started to get along a lot better, both suspecting it had to do with whatever magic V put on them.
Kerry carried her bags through the Villa, dropping them off in the guest room before coming out to find his ex wife smile. She pointed over the couch and the sight warmed Kerry’s heart.
Kim was rested on V’s chest, sound asleep, and Ted was laid on the other couch, also asleep but curled up in what suspiciously looked like the shirt Kerry had been missing since their last visit. He and Ted were getting there, slowly but surely.
V had been forced on bedrest by Vik after a particularly nasty job, and what better time to spend time with his kids than now. The term ‘step kids’ had been dropped a while ago, not that Kim ever called V stepdad. Ted still called him V, but had also dropped the stepdad term when talking about him.
V looked up and smiled, Kerry leaning over the couch to kiss him and then Kim’s forehead. Louise ruffled his hair with a small smile as the exes went to discuss dinner plans for that evening, Kerry staying V was on bedrest so preferably take out.
“Can we get sushi?” Ted asked, appearing on the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes. He came and sat next to Kerry, not commenting or saying anything. Kerry just smiled and shrugged.
“I could do sushi, Lou?” The conversation was so.. mundane. Compared to a Rockerboy lifestyle with a Merc husband and Model ex wife, the topic of dinner caught Kerry off guard.
“Oooo is that sushi place we liked still open?” Louise asked, sipping from a glass of wine. Kerry nodded sitting back, his arm going around the back of the couch.
“I don’t think V has ever tried it, surprisingly for a guy who could live off of Sushi. Would Kimmy like it?” Louise nodded, that was that. Sushi for dinner it was then.
Kerry had went ahead and ordered, knowing Kim would be hungry when she woke up and V was probably starving. She woke up right when it got there, happy as can be that V let her sleep on him. She scurried off to say hi to her mom while Kerry set things on the table.
“Well hello there, was starting to think you’d be trapped under a 10 year old forever.” Kerry said, pressing a kiss to his husband’s cheek.
“I couldn’t move her, and with Ted also asleep it was nap time apparently. Caught some Zs myself.” He said, eyes lighting up at the sushi in front of him.
“Well hello there.” Louise smiled, seeing V finally up and around. V’s eyes lit up a bit.
“Hey, how was the flight?” He asked, sitting to not put too much pressure on his leg.
“It was fine, heard you got into a tussle.” Louise sat next to him, the two talking while the kids got ready for dinner.
The rest of the evening was a dream, they watched TV until the kids went to bed, then went outside to smoke and talk, V explaining what he did to his leg while Louise told him to be more careful. Kerry forgot that Louise and the kids wouldn’t be used to having a Merc around, they didn’t live here after all. But the family was healing, and V was to thank.
#babies#I wanna hug the Eurodyne kids so bad#cyberpunk 2077#the Eurodyne family#kerry eurodyne#cyberpunk kerry#cyberpunk v#male v#kerry x v#kerry eurodyne x v#kerry#ker x v#male v cyberpunk#vax eurodyne#kerry eurodyne x male v#kerry x male v#v x kerry#v x kerry eurodyne#male v x kerry#Louise nordin Eurodyne#cyberpunk Ted and Kim#Kim Eurodyne#ted Eurodyne
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