whynot: etc: oh deer (outrageous!)
Las ([personal profile] whynot) wrote2009-03-21 04:34 pm

That Which Burns. X2/Avatar/Captain Planet. John, Zuko, Wheeler. PG.

'Pineapple Express' is the gayest thing I've seen since 'Merlin', holy shit. My heart swelled ten thousand times and I nearly peed my pants laughing. Bromance is the new black and Seth Rogen is its unlikely poster child. Is there Pineapple Express fic?!

I have no explanation for the following.

That Which Burns
X2/Avatar/Captain Planet. John, Zuko, Wheeler(/Linka!). PG.
Excerpts from a nonexistent X2/Avatar/Captain Planet crossover starring some boys who control fire and their quest to understand themselves and each other. They probably fight crime, too.


After years of the "fire is a weapon, but not a weapon weapon" philosophy, Wheeler doesn't know whether to react to John and Zuko with fear or relief.

+

Zuko inspects the ring and lighter, frowning. "With these?"

+

But that's just it: John can't call up the fire whenever he wishes. Instead, he throws their own fire back at them, without mercy and with almost delight.

+

Bobby's eyes and grating optimism, but with fire dancing off his fingertips.

+

Sometimes they practice late into the night, the fire flashing from their hands to fan upwards to the stars. Sometimes at the last moment, Zuko's fireballs would veer wildly off-course and head straight back for him. "Stop that!" he'd yell at John.

John smirks and shrugs. "Suck it up."

+

"So," Wheeler says, "Zuko says the power of fire lies in the breath. You know, the air."

He sees Linka try not to smile. "Of course. Fire needs air."

"Well, to a certain point."

"It depends on how big the fire is," she continues. "The wind puts out small candle flames, but it feeds big fires. Fire and wind together can destroy much."

"What if they're careful?" he muses.

Linka smiles. "How big is the fire?"

+

"That's exactly my point," John says. "Take away the ring. Take away my lighter. What do you have?"

"That doesn't mean we stop fighting," Wheeler protests.

"What's a soldier without his weapon?"

"There are other weapons, man."

Wheeler may remind him of Bobby in the best of ways, but John would choose Zuko any day. Zuko at least gets it. Wheeler fights like someone who will never have to fight alone. Well, sometimes you are alone, and sometimes you have to fight, so you better know how the hell to fight alone.

+

They like to practice on the beach. The hunks of glass that have formed from melted sand lie scattered like fish scales across the shore and the sunrise would reflect off them, multiplying the light of dawn.

+

"Why would you be hunted?" Zuko asks, and his indignation is soothing to John. He wonders what it's like to live in such a world: to feed off the sun, to have the clout of numbers and hegemonic legitimacy behind you.

"The thing is," John says, "you hunt them back."

+

John's firebending is as impassioned as Wheeler's is predictable and well-intentioned. Zuko doesn't know which to pity and which to envy.

+

"Fuck you guys," John spits out. "I'm not some 'this could be you' sign for you to parade around."

+

Out of the corner of Wheeler's vision, he would see John eyeing his ring.

+

"But just because you trust them," John is saying, "doesn't mean you're supposed to be with them."

"I don't know, man," Wheeler says.

Zuko says nothing, but meets John's eyes over Wheeler's head and doesn't quite smile.

+

"Yeah, true," John says, "but we all remember what happened to Prometheus, right?"

[identity profile] odditycollector.livejournal.com 2009-03-21 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
This is *adorable*. (Although that is probably not the *actual* theme, I am sorry.)

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
Haha, there is no theme except 'excitable boys playing with fire!!' Thanks!

[identity profile] meritjubet.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
You have a Jem icon! <333 and while I only know two of the fandoms (Captain Planet and Avatar) this was an interesting read about the different ways you can fight fire with fire. And the crack XD

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 07:26 am (UTC)(link)
omg I loooooove Jem. It was my favorite when I was wee! I'm only halfway through season 2 of Avatar, and I kind of... can't stop wanting to know what happens next. Sokka is <3 and the Azula/Mai/Ty Lee thing is superawesome.

Writing this made me think of other element match-ups. Like, maybe Aang offers Linka a ride on Appa, and she freaks out at first but then she gets into it. Katara and Gi would totally be BFFs. ALSO: Wheeler and Sokka as the incompetent competent duo of constant bickering and broyay love?

[identity profile] tacks.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 12:57 pm (UTC)(link)
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS FIC

That Elton Grass (http://community.livejournal.com/pineappl_xpress/17116.html)

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
SWEET, thank you. Their bromance is so epic!

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
John and Zuko OTBFF of firestarting and youthful restlessness!

[identity profile] lettersandliars.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
oh my god, the crack <33

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2009-03-22 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll get to real Avatar fic at some point maybe. ALSO:
1) omg turtleducks!!!
2) Aang about to go into Avatar mode when Appa gets kidnapped and than Katara just PULLING HIM INTO HER EMBRACE UNTIL HE IS BETTER omg <33333
3) Zuko is ridiculous uberwoobie

[identity profile] lettersandliars.livejournal.com 2009-03-23 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Zuko is such a woobie, the daddy angst is magnificent.

[identity profile] zempasuchil.livejournal.com 2009-11-06 08:38 am (UTC)(link)
HEY THIS IS AWESOME.

I was avoiding your avatar fic because I want to avoid spoilers and whatnot and then I went looking and GIRL, I LOVE THIS. How come all you want to do is make crossovers with Zuko, huh? XD Anyway. What an AWESOME idea! I do not know the Planeteers but I know John and I know Zuko and they are just their perfect selves here. The image of the scales of glass on the beach at dawn = wow. That's a staying image. Zuko being perplexed at their little tools is funny, and their jealousy is almost painful, and this passage:

Wheeler fights like someone who will never have to fight alone. Well, sometimes you are alone, and sometimes you have to fight, so you better know how the hell to fight alone.

DEFINITELY made me feel like crying about them. <333 oh man, Lass, you do it every time <333

[identity profile] twoskeletons.livejournal.com 2009-11-06 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
I kind of just have a soft spot for boys burdened with high expectations and daddy issues, okay?! Clearly all these boys should just hang out and maybe make an emo band about it. Arthur and Zuko already have the emo hair for it anyway XD.

Confessions of a lazy writer, I kinda felt like maybe this fic could've been longer and thicker, but I was like, who the hell is gonna read crack crossovers of Captain Planet/Avatar/X-Men.

Thanks very much, Z <3

ps: my solstice fic is being annoying again, so you might receive an email from me about it so uh, heads up? :D?

[identity profile] zempasuchil.livejournal.com 2009-11-06 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
believe me, I am all for hangin'-out crossovers :D especially if hanging out entails an emo band, hahahaha

I hear you, I feel like a lazy writer allll the time. "it's just fanfic" is no excuse to be sloppy or impatient.

I would yet again delight to receive an email from you about this fluff-monster <3