How do you feel about doing a kind of world building fic with some Rayamari (is that the offical ship name? idk i see it often) with your concept from the Braiding fic? I would love to read more and explore it because i think it’s just cool in general :] Idk i was just wondering since i just read the Braiding fic and one of the things that stood out to me was the lil section of Benja having kinda kumandra in his hand and things like that. Maybe raya turning to namaari for some help over an issue that she needs figuring out since she’s needing to learn how to be a chief and since namaari has more experience in it than raya due to the 6 years and stuff- now i’m just rambling sorry! I hope you have a great day
Six years is a long time. It’s a long time for Raya’s Ba to be frozen, for her to be completely on her own in life, to be pressed by the task to put the Dragon Gem back together. She knows that the girl she was when the world broke is long gone, since turned into a hardened warrior women who never really figured out how to interact with other people. Not for lack of trying, but simply lack of experience. This of course extends to learning to govern Heart- and all of Kumandra- from her father. There are six years of missing time in her education. She’s not prepared, mentally or emotionally, to be in charge of so much. It shouldn’t be her, she keeps thinking, but it simply must be.
Her Ba, on the other hand, sees her as beyond capable of the insane task set out before. He brings her with him to important meetings, the same way Chief Virana brings Namaari with her. The two of them share loaded glances and stolen brushings of hands in such meetings, each craving the presence of the other as though she will die in its absence. As Raya spends more and more time learning the duties of the role her father holds, she realizes that she isn’t ready for this kind of responsibility. She needs more time. There’s too much that she doesn’t understand, and it’s nearly impossible to choose from any infinite number of responses to a given situation.
When Namaari knocks on her bedroom door to check in, ask if she can avoid the guest room and stay here, Raya is already on the brink of tears. She doesn’t know how to answer the problem set before her. There is conflict between Fang and the other regions of Kumandra because of the held belief that Fang is responsible for the breaking of the dragon gem. It’s not entirely false, but the past is over. This new Kumandra is supposed to be about new beginnings, forgiveness, peace. Tensions are high, though, and it’s been asked of Raya to find a response to the issue.
“Are you okay, Dep La?” Namaari asks, crossing the room to sit at the foot of Raya’s bed. Her side profile, dark against the light turning her nearly to a silhouette, is a distraction which gives Raya the shortest of moments to take a deep breath. It’ll be alright, she tells herself. “What’s going on?”
It all comes pouring out of her like a waterfall. All her shortcomings, all her confusion, all her fear. Everything is frightening about the future. People will look to her with their problems, their fears, their hopes, and expect her to help them reach a good end goal. Namaari is more experienced in this than Raya, after all the time she spent in Fang being groomed to become their leader when her mother either passes or steps down. She would make a better leader, a more prepared leader, than Raya could ever hope to be. This rule isn’t something she wants, let alone something she thinks she can be good at.
Namaari’s eyes are soft when they search Raya’s, calm and warm as she is when it’s just the two of them together. “Raya, you’re going to be a great leader. You’re being too hard on yourself.”
“I just don’t know what to do! How can I?”
Then Namaari takes Raya’s hands in hers, warm and large, and squeezes gently. “Talk to me about what you’re struggling with. Maybe I can help.”
For a moment, Raya considers making something up. She knows Namaari feels guilty and shameful about what happened. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her for help in dealing with the semi-righteous anger of the other regions of Kumandra. She shrugs, looking anywhere but Namaari’s face. She knows there would be not only understanding written across her visage, but guilt and pain too. Raya should be able to resolve this on her own if she is to be a leader.
She doesn’t realize she’s crying from the frustration until Namaari tenderly wipes a tear from her cheek and cups her face.
“Raya, please. Let me help you.”
It takes a moment for Raya to get her bearings, taking deep, measured breaths to calm herself down. Finally, she says, “Tensions are high in Kumandra. A lot of people are very angry with Fang, and want to see reparations for its role in breaking the Dragon Gem. They’re relentless. I can’t figure out how to relieve the tensions without unfairly punishing Fang.”
For a long moment, Namaari is silent. It usually means she’s mulling over the options in her head, but Raya can almost feel the hurt coming off her in waves. The guilt. It wasn’t fair to ask her. Yet, she is the only person Raya trusts to offer counsel for this issue. Everyone always seems to have an agenda, but Namaari is straightforward in her thoughts and actions.
“Maybe Fang ought to issue an apology,” Namaari finally says. “We never apologized for what we did, and it would likely bring a lot of anger from a boil to a simmer.”
The solution is a good one, a perfect one, and Namaari’s role in defining it makes it more likely that Fang will actually do it. Raya murmurs thanks and leans into Namaari’s touch. She knows she can always count on Namaari to help her. She’d be a much better ruler than Raya will be. But, if she thinks of the future, she can almost imagine Namaari at her side the entire time.
Raya and Namaari with their beloved pets and animal companion
Namaari and Raya are the type to tease each other a lot about who is the better one for sure (like who is faster and such), but they’re also soft for each other’s animal companions.
I just keep on admiring her look. Namaari’s features (also Raya’s) are great. I love it. A muscular woman and skilled warrior princess whom, like Raya, has southeast asian features and skin tone.
[Image Description: A digital image of Raya and Namaari. They are kissing. Raya has her hands around Namaari’s waist and Namaari is caressing Raya’s face.]
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (2021) — Dir. Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada
It’s not about the magic, it’s about trust! That’s why it worked, that’s why we can do it too. By doing the one thing Sisu wanted us to do, what my dad wanted us to do. To finally trust each other and fix this. But we have to do it together.
namaari can simply remove her hand from raya’s shoulder the moment it wasn’t stone anymore but namaari let it stay there. then here’s raya putting her hand on namaari’s and squeezing it. these two i swear
the way they look into each other’s eyes for a long time. i just love this moment. this is really the first thing they did when they weren’t enemies anymore
