guardian-rocket

[guardian-rocket]

Rocket felt his face grow warmer, and it was one of those times he wasn't sure if it was a fever or something else. "Hey... the only ones who know how many times you tried are you, me, your crew and Groot... well... the ol' Groot. An' I ain't tellin' em. S'none of their flarkin' business anyway whose tried killin' me unless it becomes their business because that particular person is tryin' to kill them too. And it's not like it's that unique of a thing. All of us Guardians started off at one another's throats at some point. How'd you think we met?"

His body then shivered, and he curled up his body a little tighter.

"I don't really tell 'em my business," Rocket added. He knew why he kept to himself mostly too. Knowing if he kept it to himself he wouldn't have to ever face the realization they didn't care. Just making himself useful enough to stick around and enjoy the banter and subtle moments of friendship. It kept him going, kept him from spiraling into self destructive tendencies. Letting them pretend they cared but never giving them the vulnerability to prove it.

"I think you been over thinkin' this all. Most of us were criminals... and I'm sure there's something along the lines of sayin' nothin' worth havin' comes without some risks."

Friend. Something about the word was funny, downright amusing. The idea of calling the Guardian his friend was enough to make him laugh but before even a single huff can escape him his brow furrows. Thinking was not the hare’s strong suite, at least not about the more abstract things involving interpersonal complications. He could hotwire anything from a tiny Harrow to the massive motherships containing entire fleets but if you asked him about the finer details of the motivations behind an argument? He was at a loss. There was another thing there, something cold and bitter that wraps itself around his heart and squeezes tightly for a second before he shoves it down back where it belongs.

“Would be interesting to have a new thing to try an’ not be second choice at but I know that’s already not possible. You get to be first pick at contracts, best at weaponry, first one called in to make the impossible possible… Kinda hard to keep up with it all for a hare like me. Get left in the dust wondering if it’s best to keep fighting tooth an’ claw to get ahead or give in an’ join ya… but then I’m reminded of one little thing. You already got a full dance card of friends an’ I dunno how they would take to you adding one more who’s tried killin’ you more times than I can count an I can count pretty high.”

[guardian-rocket]

"You really think so?" Rocket asked, uncharacteristically sounding like he enjoyed getting a little validation. There was still plenty of awkwardness in his his ability to relax and enjoy this sort of thing. He had made strides in his ability to enjoy himself easier but his old wounds and fear of judgement hadn't quite healed over.

"Well even so..." he added clearing his throat, "I think I've been thinking of this in my head for some time... I've been around... dancing before."

The truth was, Rocket wanted to dance, maybe not professionally or make a career out of it, but he had been to enough parties and watched enough people flailing around in jubilation that made him feel... left out.

"Just getting to dance, it's fun when it's not alone," he let Danny's paw go wanting to stop before he tripped on his own feet or ran out of whatever small arsenal of moves he had learned.

His ears perked straight up when Danny expressed interest in learning about Rocket's special interests.

"What you mean like guns, explosives and flying?" Rocket chuckled. Somehow Danny seemed far too friendly to be a guy he could imagine shooting anyone, but then again... Mantis learned.

"Whoa!"

He didn't expect that, but boy, did he enjoy it. One of his best friends was a smooth jazz singer, he was quite versed in the genre. Rocket was way better than he gave himself credit for, even if he wasn't a professional. Who needed professional choreography all the time? That was fun sometimes, and sometimes it was fun to just let loose, and feel the music take control of your body!

"You're pretty good at this one!"

Spoken with lighthearted laughter, Danny was a master of improv just as much as he was choreography. After all, that was what he grew up doing. No tutors in such a small town meant other than trying to study a dance on the weekend he got to see a movie, improv was his only option.

"And a great dance partner, might I add."

The raccoon's love of music certainly showed in movements. Danny could always recognize when someone really felt a way about something, because they would shine when they got a chance to do something they really enjoyed. The feline himself wasn't even bothering to show off the extreme levels of professionalism he could do.

He didn't have to. All that mattered was a love of music.

"You'll have to teach me about your special interest, too!"

[guardian-rocket]

"What thing?" Rocket tried to scoff, but his brittle ego seeming to crack a bit on the surface. "We don't gotta make it a thing." he assured him, not being entirely sure what that meant but he was far to comfortable and far too weak to care about image at the moment. "Unless... it's just that maybe this is just the sick clouding my better judgement but you'd probably make a better friend than an enemy, that's all," he added with an audible huff. His thumb was still running over the music player in his clawed fist, at least until he stretched his legs out and relaxed further. "Guh... although... I may not be quite sick enough to ignore how stupid that sounds, you say a word and I might need to come up with a good threat for later."

Lean

“Can’t a guy steal some warmth without it bein’ a thing? You said it yourself. Nice to not be at each other’s throats for a second and have a chance to breath.” His tone was a little snappy but there was no bite behind it, not really. More of a sense that the hare was trying to save face during a moment of mutual comfort. These sorts of things didn’t come easily to him but here, now? In this moment he had to squint a little less than usual to see the brighter side. Blackjack gives another scrunch of his chin against the top of the Guardians’ head as he curls in just the smallest fraction closer.

[guardian-rocket]

[guardian-rocket]

Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014-2023) dir. James Gunn

[guardian-rocket]

/// The funniest thing to me about Rocket having an earring in Rivals is that I had an RP once where Rocket got an ear pierced by Remy. So at least in some verse my muse of him has had one and it's been in some of my art. ///

[guardian-rocket]

A quick and dirty RP policy guide

Tagged by @antvnger

Bold all that apply to you and your blog. Italics if you’re on the fence about something. Feel free to add anything I may have missed in the appropriate category, or recategorize something that is in the wrong place!

My blog is _______

Open to all - Semi-selective - Selective - Moderately Selective - Highly selective - Exclusive - Only going to RP with mutuals - Mostly going to RP with mutuals - Indie - Affiliated with a group - Spoiler free - Spoilers tagged - Spoilers mostly tagged - Not spoiler free

I will RP with ______

Any fandom - Most fandoms - Only preferably fandoms I know - Only people in my fandom - OCs - OCs with no fandom ties - OCs who are related to/know my character in their backstory - Only one version of any particular character   - People who have the same muse as me - People who do not have a rules page - Multimuse blogs  - People in RP groups - Indie RPers

When RPing, I like to use _______

Paragraphs - Shorter forms of text -  *Action* - Icons - Gifs - Gif icons - Formatted text- Whatever my partner is using - My own style regardless of my partner’s reply

I will ship with _______

No one - Anyone - Chemistry - Select ship - OCs - Others of my own muse  -Crossovers with characters from different fandoms - Only one version of a particular character - One person in my main verse - Multiship - One main/canon ship within my main verse

My blog WILL contain ______ in it’s content

Fluff - Angst - Gore - Violence - Smut - Blood -Torture - Shipping - Death - Dark humor - Cheating - Assault

I will follow ______ back

Everyone - Only some people - Most people - Only people in my fandom - Every RP blog - Only people I actively wish to RP with - People who do not post a lot of OOC - People whose posts I am comfortable with on my dashboard - Most RP blogs

To RP with me, you should _______

Any of these -> Follow back - Answer an open - Message me OOC - Message me IC - Make a starter - Answer my starter - Send in a meme - Like a starter call - Send an ask as a starter

Other:

I practice reblog karma with memes - I expect reblog karma with memes - I expect/prefer my rules/about to be read - I usually read the rules/about before following/interacting - If you follow me, I would like nsfw tagged - I expect all smut to be beneath a read-more - I am a multiverse blog - I am multi-muse - I do not wish for my OOC posts to be reblogged - I do not wish for my threads to be reblogged by those not involved - I expect post length to be matched - I expect icons/gifs to be used in a reply if I have used them - I don’t expect post length to be matched, but I will try to match yours - I am patient when waiting for replies and expect the same courtesy

[guardian-rocket]

☆ put this star into the inbox of your favorite blogs. it's time to spread positivity !!!!

I'M THE FAVORITE????

[guardian-rocket]

Rocket's Core Aesthetic

go to pinterest (or Google if you don’t have Pinterest) and type in [your muse's name] core aesthetic and create a moodboard using nine images.

Tagged by @antvnger Tagging whoever sees this and hasn't been tagged 🦝

[guardian-rocket]

Tagged by @antvnger

Last song: Ride Like the Wind - Christopher Cross

Last book: Robot Dreams - Issac Asimov

Last movie: Tootsie

Last show: Seinfeld

Last search: Swing vs Jazz

Favorite color: Blue maybe also pink

Sweet /savory/spicy: Savory

Relationship status: It's complicated. (Not complicated, just a busy raccoon)

Looking forward to: No work, good times with friends.

Current obsession: Enjoying the little things. Trying new foods, meeting new people, appreciating the good parts of life.

[guardian-rocket]

/// my tablet I use for art seems to have gone out of commission last night after years of service. I finished a drawing last night and lately I've noticed it's actually oddly slow... and since it's been awhile since I last factory reset it, I decided to back up my art and give it a quick reset, hoping it might resolve the issue. Unfortunately now I can't set it up as it freezes and won't allow itself to be set up again. it freezes and won't respond to anything. ///

[guardian-rocket]

♡     𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗬    𝗙𝗢𝗥    𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡-𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧     ♡

❝   @guardian-rocket  ily  your  Rocket  so  much!  You  understand  his  motivations  and  mannerisms  so  well  and  I  love  interacting  with  you!   ❞

[guardian-rocket]

𝅘𝅥𝅯 Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back 𝅘𝅥𝅯

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 2023, dir. James Gunn

[guardian-rocket]

WHEN DO YOU GAZE AT YOUR SOULMATE?

when they don't know you're there

you want to see who they are at their core. your love smiles for you. they put on a brave face. they tell you off when you're out of line and they encourage you when you know your mistakes are piling up. they're the one who is always there. but there are moments you catch them unawares and that is when you watch them. you want to see the expression their face takes when they aren't being brave for you. you want to see how they smile when it isn't designed to lift your own burdens. you want to see what they say to everyone else. how they talk about you. how everyone else encourages them or if they let anyone be there at all. you want to see what is underneath it all so you can prove that's who you love. the parts of them they try to hide. the parts they think you don't already know and adore.

Tagged by @antvnger Tagging @celestialmantdonna

[guardian-rocket]

"Alright, here goes nothin'," the raccoon warned, giving his shoulder a quick roll and cracking his neck to one side as he prepared to put his money where his mouth was. Rocket was many things, but a professional dancer was not one of them, despite this he did make up for what he lacked from his general interest in music, athleticism and what he learned on his own through observation.

As the music picked, something with a bit more swing than opera, Rocket decided to throw caution to the wind and gave it an honest effort of some of the things he picked up over the years he spent with the Guardians, and after warming up with some footwork, to the beat and a sway in his hips, he grabbed Danny's paw and invited him in to join in the more upbeat dance.

"Oh yeah, don't think I'm doin' this alone," he quipped as he dragged the cat into his dance.

Genre wise, Rocket seemed to gravitate towards something more along the lines of improvisational jazz dancing, movement more focused on the feeling of the music than anything choreographed. He did get into it too, the music just did something for him, and Danny seemed to have that very same love for music he did. Something that made you feel good.

"It depends on the dance. Some dances, it really is all in the hips!"

Some people could gyrate their pelvis to incredible lengths, isolated movements. That was a huge, popular thing in some parts of the world. Yes, Danny studied dances from all over the world, so that should he ever perform them, he could be as respectful to the culture as possible. Rocket caught his interest. Of course he really wanted to see what the raccoon could do.

"If you insist."

He turns, and changes the record that was playing delicately. Soon, something more high energy, something more upbeat was playing. Something exciting, with a great beat to it. This was the kinda music Danny was more accustomed to dancing to. People always praised him for his incredible improved choreography, but this wasn't about him right now.

He wanted to see what Rocket could do.

"Show me your best stuff, don't hold anything back!"

It was as simple as feeling the music in your soul, no matter what genre. Your feet, your arms, your torso, it would all follow suit in a beautiful form of self expression. That was how he learned to dance so professionally, with no tutor back in Kokomo. He practiced, he stumbled, and he fell constantly. But all those failures paved the way to great success.

[guardian-rocket]

reblog to give your mutuals a djungelskog

[guardian-rocket]

Rocket for once wasn't overthinking the gravity of social norms or personal agenda, but simply just enjoying the moment. Every movement he made seemed a little rigid only masked by calculation and quick observation. It was clearly something he was putting an effort into learning, but maybe it was how often he saw Groot, Quill and Mantis dancing around he might have been secretly taking notes, let alone it wasn't as if this space raccoon hadn't seen his fair share of professional dancers when galivanting around the galaxies. Observation was one of his strong points, after all.

The question made Rocket grin, and he look to his feet a moment before looking upwards, feeling a bit sheepish at the suggestion.

"For dancing, I may not have a ton of experience... but I heard dancing's all in the hips. I'm just not sure it applies to opera."

There had been a number of times where he overheard Quill giving unsolicited advice on how dancing worked, and despite everything that's the main source he had for taking any sort of real notes, and even though Rocket was saying he hadn't done much actual dancing, he was also lying, because in the privacy of his own apartment/workshop he had not only actually danced quite a few times, he even would record it just wondering how stupid he actually looked doing it, always hard-deleting it soon after his review too just to ensure it didn't get into the wrong hands and get used in some sort of blackmail attempt.

"Though if you really wanna see me cut a rug, let me switch out the music and I can show what I got."

A light chuckle.

The stumble was carefully caught. He'd dare say this was more fun than dancing with random fans. Maybe because it was a more personal situation, rather than being in front of an audience of other fans who were bawling over the fact they weren't the ones who got to dance with him. When you were treated more as an object, well, the glamour of fame wasn't always everything it was built up to be.

No mistake, Danny wouldn't have chosen any other career. But everything had its downsides.

"Really? Well, then I'm honored to be the first to have the honor of a dance!"

It filled his heart with joy, not only that Rocket was having fun, but that there was something special about being the very first to dance with someone. Dancing was something to be treated delicately, even when you were doing high energy choreography. It was a form of art, expression.

"Maybe you can show me the kinds of dances you like to do. I could learn something new!"

His movement paused, the feline's emerald eyes reflecting his gentility.

"Unless you want to keep going like this."