#book of boba headers | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kimageddon · 2 years

Text

A Prince of Dathomir - Q&A 100 Celebration

Introduction:

Thank you to everyone that has been reading thus far, those that have been here from the beginning, and those that have recently started this fic. That is a lot of words so I hope those that binged have enjoyed everything so far!

There are a few easter eggs that I wanna point out, some behind the scenes and inspirations I am curious whether anyone noticed.

Some may have noticed the Fifth Element reference in a blink and you’ll miss it moment during the events of the comic featuring Eldra Kaitis.

The name of Zaiya’s father is actually a hint as to who he’s related to. Temuss is a reference to a very dark film that Temuera Morrisson was a part of (and I believe was the main factor in getting the role of Jango in the first place). It was a film I was forced to watch called Once Were Warriors and was about a Maori family dynamics and featured domestic violence, child abuse and suicide. It was brilliantly done and all the actors were incredible but it was very badly triggering. The name of Temuera’s character was Jake The Muss (the muscle) and in a reference to him and his character, Temuss Fett got his name. Only one person has ever gotten that one!

Originally Jango Fett’s fate was going to be canon compliant. One line of dialogue made me realise that I had to either make him live or that Zaiya would have to babysit Boba for the rest of the story. I only realised that as I was writing the line. I had such a strong sense of Zaiya’s character that there was no way she would stay silent -- she would offer her help in that case. It made the re-planning for the future chapters a little annoying.

I have such a sense of Zaiya in my head that I can “invoke” her character and were anyone to send me questions, I could indeed have her reply or talk to people as strange as that might sound.

The “bad” chapters when Zaiya was enslaved, were inspired by a very abusive relationship that I was stuck in for 10 years. I had to dial back a lot of the details for those chapters so they are a lot more watered down than I had originally planned, but I am glad I did. I have several people that literally cried on reading them and my friends were a little bit triggered by it. For anyone that felt those chapters hit a sore spot, I’m so sorry you’ve been hurt. You aren’t alone.

D’Sarr’s name is quite clever in my humble opinion, it originates from the Marquis de Sade who was the author of the book The 120 Days of Sodom and the inspiration for the word sadist. Fitting name, I thought.

The following are questions that come from Tumblr, AO3, Wattpad, FF.net, Discord and my DMs. Questions were submitted by Summathespaceman, Corruptedmaia, @eloquentmoon, @high-functioning-fangirl473, Antex-the Legendary Zoroark, @moonstrider9904, @justalittletomato, @stardustbee and @maulslittlemeowmeow.

Thank you so so much for the questions, comments, fanart, feedback and the love you have shown to me over the last year and a half. Thank you so so much to you and all my readers, commenters and friends. You have brought a life to my life that I really needed.

About the writing/story:

Do you know where you're going to end the story or are you just seeing where it takes you?

I know there needs to be an ending and I have a lot of story to go before I am anywhere near the end. There is the Mandalore Arc, the Seige, Order 66 and Solo where we have canonicaly seen Maul and his shenanigans. I admit I don’t have a solid ending, though I do have ideas for adventures that aren’t mentioned in canon. It’s a very roundabout way to say yes and no. No, I don’t have “The Ending” set but I do have a vague idea of where I want to go.

Would Maul and Zaiya ever be able to have children given Maul’s new *ahem* appendages?

Technically yes. However I am still debating whether to include any mention of possible pregnancy in the fic at all as I know a lot of people dislike pregnancy in fics. I am one of them. If it were mentioned, I think perhaps it would be fleeting and potentially traumatic. I know someone who has pregnancy as a trauma point and so there is a lot of debate within myself as to whether I put it in at all. So technically they could, whether or not they will is another thing entirely.

Are you going to be diving into the Son of Dathomir comic for the story considering it was a Clone Wars scrapped start arc for Maul?

As weird as parts of that comic were, I do actually like it quite a bit so I think that it is important for Maul’s personal growth. And Zaiya’s too of course. So while I will not reveal the extent of what events I will be using from that comic, I can say yes, I am interested to use it as a basis of some events that might take place.

Seeing as Zaiya has been "officially" dubbed as a traitor, what sort of destinations will she and Maul retreat to?

They have quite a few places to go while they find their way, of course Dathomir is one of the first places, but once they have a ship again, they will need to seek their own fortunes. I have ideas, some scary, some more fun, and without severe spoilers… perhaps they need to find Zaiya a crystal of her own for a …certain weapon? I think that will be fun!

I noticed that Obi Wan could feel like he’s "seen" the Lightsaber Zaiya used. I’m assuming he’ll eventually connect the dots. So my thoughts are how things may hypothetically go once they meet again?

Obi-Wan is no fool, he’ll figure it out eventually, though whether or not it’s too late for him to do anything about it remains to be seen. I can only imagine he will treat her much the same as he does Ventress… I do wonder how that will go for Maul? I don’t think he will like that very much, will he?

When it comes to gaining an edge over Palpatine, is it possible you could use some Star Wars Legends lore to perhaps "even the field"? Like gaining artefacts or other possible post arts that could benefit them before Palpatine gets his slimy hands on them? Thus building their power ever more than his? They are as he’d say "a rival"!

I am very careful when I craft my characters to keep them balanced and make them fit the world. Anakin is completely overpowered of course but even he cannot do everything. Palpatine has experience and he is the same age as Qui-Gon I believe. While I do think Maul and Zaiya will be searching for something to help them defeat Sidious, I need to make sure she is still at a level where she can still encounter danger and things that oppose her are still a threat. So if they do find something to help them, it will need to be very powerful indeed!

Have you any plans for Mandalore? If so, might I suggest relocating a possible Force Cadre of Nightbrothers to train there if they’re successful in showing them the ways of the Force and conquering Mandalore?

Short answer: yes I have plans for Mandalore.

Slightly longer answer: absolutely I have plans for Mandalore and I don’t want to spoil the story line but we will be spending some time there as we did with Kamino. Some of my favourite plans involve the Mandalore arc and I am very much looking forward to writing it!

I know APOD is still just at its start…do you plan to continue past certain events from Rebels?

When I first watched the fated episode, it was barely thirty seconds in before I was utterly bawling - the episode had been spoiled for me before I watched it properly - and in that moment I realised that Maul seemed fated to that place on the sands of Tatooine. That with the way he was raised and the tragedy of his life, it really only could have ended one way.

The very next moment I vowed to write a fic that’s entire purpose was to avoid that fate. The whole reason I began writing was to give Maul a choice, a real choice to avoid his fate.

Part of me however wonders if I should be cruel and have the moment arrive anyway. Have Zaiya try to save him and for it to all prove folly.

That would be terribly evil, wouldn’t it? I don’t know if I can bring myself to do it. But I do wonder.

What has been your favourite way to get inspired for your writing?

Music. As Siren was born from song so too does my inspiration for cool scenes and dramatic moments… but also the smaller softer moments too. I almost always have music playing whenever I write.

How did you come up with the idea in the first place? Have you planned it to be this long in the beginning?

I may have mentioned it before, but I had been contemplating delving into the world of fan fiction and creating a character to go in the Star Wars universe. I was hesitant but a few things aligned for it to happen.

Firstly was my rediscovery of Tumblr, second was the choice to stop taking my antidepressants, wanting to get into writing etc and all of this was floating around my mind at the time aimlessly.

Then I watched the infamous Rebels episode. I bawled all the way through it and the moment it ended I said. “HELL NO” and threw open my laptop.

I have a planning document that has all the chapter names and a short blurb with what is in that chapter. I wrote out the events from their birth to I think so far it’s til Order 66. It will go beyond that but I have yet to write a lot of it, it’s mostly in my head. I will say, I have added so many chapters as I have been writing expanding scenes etc -- and coming up with singular words that do not repeat is not easy!

-- I just counted. I have at LEAST EIGHTY FOUR CHAPTERS planned. Ant that only gets us to Order 66. At this rate, chapter 200 will be the siege of Mandalore and all that entails. My god… I am realising the depth of my insanity.

Did you start posting APOD as soon as you started writing it? Or did you build up a bit of a library before you let people see it?

I built up a few chapters, like ten or so, though I didn’t have the guidelines for how long chapters were when I started, hence some big re-writes about a year ago and why the early chapters were so short.

I tend to begin a chapter with dot points for what will happen and write it out to be approximately 5 - 7k in length, then when posting I split it into part 1 and 2. My reasoning for this was to not post big chunks at once and also so I could post more often. I am currently (at the point of writing this) two full chapters ahead and I like to be that way so that my wonderful beta reader has plenty of time to read and edit, and also so I do not have to fret if I don’t write as much in one week.

About the characters:

What character from the Star Wars universe that isn't in APOD yet would you love to write/put in the story?

There are a few I like, one being Qui-Gon! I did mention him in the AU story Sins of the Father and it made me really want to put him in. I didn’t think I could but then I read “Ghosts of Maul” and now I wonder if Force Ghost Qui-Gon could appear. I have no idea how but… well it’s an idea.

Another character I really like is Ahsoka! She’s awesome and I definitely plan to include her though I am not sure where they would meet, but I am working on it!

Have you created Adaji's full backstory? I loved his POV, will we get more Adaji content at some point? Maybe more flashbacks?

I definitely do want to create more around his story, as some may know I posted a little blurb about his backstory a while ago, regarding his family and his history. One day I hope to be able to include it into the story itself though I have to find the right moment to do so.

Please tell me our baby boy Savage is going to live (same with Feral)?

Alright I don’t wanna spoil exactly HOW it will happen… but I will admit that YES Savage and Feral at this point in time -- the plan is to make them survive. It hurt too much to watch them die in Clone Wars and I am going to try to keep them alive. I say try. Sometimes the story evolves on its own. :/

What character has been your favourite to explore?

I would say Maul most definitely, getting into his mind and motivations and such, delving into his past and unexplored aspects of his psyche.

Secondarily I would say Savage, because I definitely think that he deserves exploring and I have enjoyed writing about him.

About Zaiya:

What has been your inspiration for Zaiya’s evolving looks throughout the fic? I am wondering if she has been inspired by any real life cultures at all.

Ooh! I like this one! Zaiya’s looks have had an influence in the way I have studied the Nightsisters and specifically Merrin’s designs. I wanted the hair to be important, and I looked at a few aspects of warrior braids and there was an inspiration from vikings/Nordic culture that I took for her hair design I wanted her to be fierce, strong and I felt that the Norse had a very interesting hair style, they inspired me with the power it represents.

Zaiya herself in her physical characteristics I wanted her to have the physical attributes of a Polynesian woman, her nose, build etc was my inspiration, as it’s briefly mentioned, Temuss her father is similar-looking to Jango.

When did the idea of Zaiya as a character *first* come to you? For example, did you have her in your head in any kind of way before you started writing APOD or was she crafted for the story specifically?

I can’t say specifically when she came to me, she developed naturally as I began to craft a character that I wanted to be Maul’s equal. Not the same in powers and strengths, but her own strengths and powers to make up for his weaknesses and the connections of trauma and injustice etc.

I put together names from sounds I liked and I knew I wanted a ‘Z’ name, and wrote down letters and sounds, I kept coming back to ‘Zaiya’ and the feeling of her name really solidified her character and I could begin to picture her. So I suppose she began first as an idea of an equal, but once her name came into being, that was when she really solidified as a character, it was like her personality was in her name as weird as that sounds.

Please would you tell us where the idea of Zaiya's powers/her being a siren came from? Were you inspired by anything in particular, did anything spark it into life?

Music is very much a part of my life and I have music playing constantly. I personally can’t sing or play and instrument, but I have always found inspiration in songs. I can’t remember at what point I chose to make her a Siren but it was early on. I wanted her to see the Force in a way that was not described previously, and perhaps that’s due to my own way of seeing things differently but I wanted her to be in touch with the deep and mysterious side of the Force. Maul is strong with his fighting style though in his characterisation he was more physical than spiritual. To me, music ties into that, so hearing people in the Force as music, receiving songs and feelings in the Force. I also listened to a lot of songs and imagined music videos in my head and imagined Zaiya doing cool stuff and was like “wouldn’t this be awesome?”

Do the patterns of Zaiya's tattoos mean anything specifically in Nightsister culture?

So something I read of the Nightbrother markings was said to indicate their physical prowess and strength, whereas the Nightsisters in my opinion base themselves in the more mystical arts. The lines of Zaiya’s tattoos are an indicator of her power, how she has magic in her hands and feet as she walks. The squiggly looking lines over her eyes are ancient symbols that suggest she sees things differently. The multiple ‘eyes’ (the incomplete circle patterns on her hands, feet and belly) on her body give a strong root of power in her core and her extremities. It’s part of the reason Talzin keeps her close, Zaiya has always been destined for power.

If you give Zaiya an irl theme song, what would it be and would she sing it if she knew it?

I left this question for a while because I was thinking about it for a long time. There a lot of songs that I like for her, and I think I will have to settle on “What Could Have Been” from the Arcane soundtrack. She absolutely would sing it, with her whole chest. Sidious hurt of her

Some of my favourite lyrics are:

I am the monster you created

You ripped out all my parts

I am your ghost, a fallen angel

You ripped out all my parts

I couldn't care what invention you made me

'Cause I, I was meant to be yours

It could be to Maul, or Sidious or the Galaxy at large but I think that’s the song that suits her. I may of course change my mind but we’ll see.

Any chance we can get hints on how she’s gonna be with Ezra in Rebels?

Gooood question! I know they will have to meet, but also Rebels era is not going to be the same for Maul as it is in the show. There will be a lot of differences. Without any spoilers, I think she will find this little Jedi very interesting. I can tell you that she will find C1-10P (chopper) very very fun.

I remember seeing an Art of Zaiya dancing, and to me it really looked like a Tribal Fusion Bellydance sort of dance since I'm a dancer of that style myself, and I was wondering if you had any specific song in mind for Zaiya dancing. I'm always looking for new music to dance to 👀

You are correct! That was indeed my inspirations when I was researching the dancing and the way I thought the Nightsisters would move. One video I watched was this one: https://youtu.be/XWDRdJ6O4cY

I included the link for those that may not know exactly what Tribal Fusion is, but this is more or less my inspiration, I don’t know if it is a specific song I can share, but I do have the playlist that might have some fun tunes on it there.

How did you come up with Zaiya’s character and design?

This is similar to the above questions but I will elaborate. For Zaiya I looked at the Nightsisters and knew she would have to look like them, but I also wanted her to be a bit different - hence the Mandalorian father - so Zaiya has a more solid frame and muscle and a tummy, I always include that when I draw her. I also liked the idea of tattoos over the eyes and I had seen a makeup look with an upper black lip and I loved how expressive it was. I wanted her to stand out like Maul does, but in her own way. The eye was something that I thought of after seeing that one episode of Rebels where Maul drinks the Nightsister potion. The imagery was so cool and I took elements of what was already there in the lore of Star Wars. I may have also taken a little inspiration from Danerys from Game of Thrones with the way she carries herself.

The braids were inspired from Nordic tradition and the women in good standing in the society and have intricate lore about their hair. Also Danerys had some cool braids too, so I was definitely inspired.

Thank you

For those of you still reading, thank you! I cannot say it enough! Thank you, thank you!

I wanted to go into a bit more detail about the origins of this fic.

I had never seen Clone Wars until about 2018/2019 and a boyfriend had me watch it. I was liking it alright… then the Maul episodes happened. And he talked. He had like two or three lines in the Phantom Menace. It wasn’t until I heard Sam Witwer’s buttery voice and Maul in that very pretty animation that my brain decided I was going to latch onto it and make it part of my personality.

In 2020 that relationship fell apart and I moved out on my own for the first time in about 15 years.

I was in a bit of an odd space. As I mentioned above, a few things had to align and one of them was my decision to stop taking medication. It was a trial period of six weeks initially to see how I felt about it. It was around then that I began writing. I had the time as I was only working part time and I spent the rest of the time planning, thinking and just pouring my reviving creativity into this.

I have never had a project that I have done for so long before. Usually I would write other stories and then it would trickle off, and the passion would wane. With this however, it just kept going.

I poured my life into it, my trauma and everything that hurt. But apparently I made Zaiya likeable. Not just to the characters, but to you. All of you that keep reading to find out what angsty or wholesome thing she might do next.

This has given me so much validity, acceptance and just a sense of love that you guys all like my work. You like the ideas I put on the page, even with the typos, the errors that crop up and my nonsensical rambling in the notes.

So, sincerely, to all of you. Thank you. Here’s to another 100 chapters!

Get ready for Chapter 100 to drop! You are all in for a treat! I saved the tasty spiciness for the special

The List of Tags: (If your name is crossed out then check your settings! Tumblr is not letting me tag you!) @two-black-leviathans @fallenrepublick @eyecandyeoz @ashotofspotchka @littlepossss @octupus-on-the-moon @justalittletomato @mach-opress @mustluvecho @nahoney22 @leotatombs @eloquentmoon @the-chains-are-the-easy-part @maulslittlemeowmeow @misogirl828 @alwayssnivellus @stardustbee @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @bacarasbabe @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @rain-on-kamino @herbalina-of-yesteryear

Wanna be notified when I post my next work? Join my tag list

#chapter 100 #q&a session #tumblr milestone #fanfic milestone #a prince of dathomir #star wars #darth maul #darth maul fic #darth maul x oc #maul fic #nightsister oc #kima answers

33 notes · View notes