#heart land ratld

[indianaclems]

Union

[princessrayaofheart]

Raya and Chief Benja are the type of people who are nice but gets really scary when you make them angry.

Mess with them and the leaders of the land of Heart will make you regret it. They're that kind of father and daughter

[shy-peacock]

Idk if you’re still taking requests for Ratld, but could you do a snippet of a Romeo and Juliet/ star cross lovers fic? I’ve been obsessed with that trope recently.

I love your writing so much. The work you put into it is phenomenal to me.😁☺️happy holidays!

Thank you! Sorry it took so long to post something. Here’s…a snippet of whatever this could be XD rated T-ish??? I guess?? Modernish (kinda reminds me of west side story era 😂)

The bell rang and students in bright white and black uniforms filed quickly out of the old school building, practically racing away from the grounds that had held them captive for the last eight hours. Eager, at last, to be done with the school day.

At least Ati was, who felt a major headache tearing through her that would just not relent. Pounding, making her mood sour as she walked the path home. Alone at first, until a familiar face began to walk at her side.

“You look like shit-“ Namaari, her cousin, commented as she found her amongst their fellow students. A shit-eating grin on her lips, clearly wanting to have some fun at her cousin’s misery now that the long school day was over.

“Fuck off-“ she huffed, “I’m not in the mood.”

“When are you ever in a good mood?” Namaari pointed out as she nudged her with her fist, “honestly?”

“On the weekends, when I don’t have to be here.” Atitaya replied, “thank God we have only one more year here and that’s it.”

“Then college.” Namaari sighed, dramatically.

“Then…college..” Ati grumbled.

College, where they either stayed in the same private academy and took some courses while they lived in the dorms they’d always known, albeit in the young adult district, or- what Atitaya wanted to do, find a college far away from Fang Academy and this boring ass town for something much better off in the land of anywhere but here.

It’s what a lot of them did.

Though Namaari was still on the fence about it.

“You decide yet-?” Ati asked, mentioning what they both probably were thinking at the moment. Her eyes focused on Namaari as they walked, watching the way her eyes fell and she shrugged at the question.

The same response she always gave Atitaya. Her uncertainty still as such since they first entered the halls of Fang Academy.

“You should come with me-…I mean, just cause your Mom runs the school doesn’t mean you have to stay here!“ Atitaya suggested, “we could actually wear normal clothes to school instead of these uniforms every day.”

Namaari chuckled. But, before she could say another word, her footsteps slowed until she had come to a complete stop. Atitaya first looking back at her cousin, then forward at the scene she had her eyes focused on. An irritation coming back strong and heavy, along with her headache, as she spot the blue and black uniforms walking ahead of them from a distance.

Heart Society students.

Even worse, it was a particular group of them that always seemed to come around just when Ati was having a bad day. The girl with blue hair, the young freshman that looked like he was eight more than thirteen, other rag tag members of their little gang walking about now that the school day had ended. The most annoying of the bunch, plenty of whom she and other Fang students had fought before with both words and fists.

It honestly couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. Ati was itching for a reason to get out her frustrations that afternoon. Spying the group from a distance as they saw them. Comments and fingers pointed in their direction, nasty glares that could kill. Some of her other fellow Fang Academy kids noticed them as well, falling behind Ati as she began cracking her knuckles, ready to go.

“They just made my day-“ Ati smirked, nodding towards Namaari, “care to join me?”

Namaari shrugged, which she apparently was doing a lot of lately.

“Nah- let’s just go…”

“Seriously?!”

“You know the cops still keep an eye out for us whenever we start gathering like this!”

“So what, I don’t see any around- do you?”

“No- but, I don’t have time to get into stupid fights with our rival school-…” Namaari stated, “they’re just some dumb lackeys anyways- their ‘appointed leader’ isn’t with them.”

Ati looked at them again, seeing that their so-called leader wasn’t actually with them. As Namaari said. Another advantage, in her opinion, since Fang’s had their leader with them.

“Come on- you have to face them!” Atitaya practically growled, “the others at Fang look up to you, what’ll it say about us if you walk away now!”

There went that shrug again.

“I’m not anyone’s leader-“

“You know that’s not true-“

“Okay- but even so, I’m trying to stay out of trouble-“

“Since when?” Atitaya laughed, playfully shoving her, “you’ve been a trouble maker since we both were kids-“

“And we aren’t kids anymore.” Namaari shot back, playfully, yet the weight of the words were heavier now. Especially as she patted Atitaya on the shoulder. “Just ignore them…I mean- remember, we have the winning score so far on account of our group beating the snot out of them a few weeks back..“ Namaari pointed out, “why risk your winning streak?”

Atitaya rolled her eyes, still wanting to fight all the same. Especially as she swore one of those rotten Heart Society kids gave them the finger.

Yeah- she was definitely gonna let them have it today.

She turned, ready to tell Namaari just this when she realized her cousin was no longer by her side. The young woman several steps down the road, making a quick right before waving her off.

“Hey! Where are you going?!” Atitaya called after her, throwing her hands out angrily.

“I told you, I’m busy!” Namaari called after, “see you tomorrow!”

“Wha-…Busy with what?!”

But it was too late, Namaari high tailed it out of there before she could shake her down and demand an answer. That, along with bombard her with plenty other questions she had about Namaari’s recent activities she got up to that had her so “busy” for not only Ati but pretty much everything else in her life. Family, friends, hell- ….even school! Her cousin’s head in the clouds it seemed, elsewhere, even when she was right before her.

A sigh tore through her, rolling her eyes.

Whatever Namaari was up to, she was sure her cousin would tell her…eventually.

~~~~~

An abandoned shed isn’t the best place for this sort of thing, but they manage it just fine.

Before- it was Namaari’s secret hideaway. A place she fixed up as a kid with an old couch, a few battery operated lights, some posters and plenty of splinters and busted thumbs from trying to hammer things into place. Making the shed sturdy enough that she didn’t have to worry about it caving in when she was needing space to work on homework or just simply be away from people.

Or, as she was now, make out with her girlfriend- Raya.

The pair of them on the couch she was sure was harboring mold somewhere underneath it, Namaari sitting back with Raya practically in her lap at this moment. Leaning into her while they kissed, the air thickening with more than just dust particles. Her hands exploring her curves and down against her thigh, feeling how goosebumps pebbled here as her fingertips pressed roughly into Raya’s skin. Especially when Namaari’s hand rose higher, moving under her skirt that had hiked up amidst their not-exactly-innocent movements. Just barely touching her underwear before she felt a hand take her wrist and move it back along the couch, a breathy laugh slipping out of her girlfriends lips as she pulled back.

“Over the clothes.” Raya warned, her voice teasing still as she gave Namaari a knowing smirk.

“I was?” Namaari joked, immediately sighing in defeat when her girlfriend gave her a pointed look, “I was over your underwear..that’s clothes right?”

“Sure- just like you’re on top right now, huh?” Raya playfully jabbed, pointing out what Namaari had said she wanted to do earlier when they met here in this secret place. Only for her to sink back into the couch as Raya hovered over her, melting like butter to her touch.

As usual.

“Oof-…okay, fine.” Namaari laughed, “I’m sorry-“

Raya smirked, playing with Namaari’s shirt between them.

“You can touch me all you want when you take me on a date this weekend-“ she teased, “and when we have an actual bed and the privacy of a locked door.”

“I put a brick at the door-?” Namaari pointed out, both of them chuckling at the absurdity of the comment. As if a brick was going to stop someone from walking in on them or peaking in at the broken window, “I know- I’m teasing..” she soothed, leaning up to kiss Raya then, “I’d want you to actually enjoy it- not worry about if someone was about to walk in.”

Raya sighed, kissing her back.

“I know,” she husked, “I’m hard to resist…”

“Incredibly..” Namaari said back, falling right back into it.

This had been their usual for the past year. Coming here in private, seeing each other on the weekends. No one knew they were together, Raya of the Heart Society- their proclaimed leader,and Namaari who was the Leader of Fang Academy as appointed by her peers. Both of them falling in love sometime amidst all the fighting. The popular schools, run also by each of their parents, having a negative effect on even the community as it seemed everyone had taken a side. Branding the colors blue or white- thinking one was better than the other.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Raya and Namaari had shed those colors and left them at the door, wanting to be together despite their differing connections. Their love breaking through those differences and yet being the very reason why they still hid this love away. Knowing that if anyone found out, they’d be forced apart.

But next year? Next year they at least had the chance to leave this place behind. To be together without anyone around to question the sincerity of it or remind them of what they should be.

Enemies, rivals, anything but what they were. Which was lovers, girlfriends, someday maybe even wives to one another.

They had to make it through this year, then everything would be better.

Time went by far too quickly for them that afternoon. The streetlights came on when they left the shed, the night quickly growing darker- yet giving them some extra moments together as they walked up the alley to where they’d part at the street.

Raya first, then Namaari

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Raya asked, the both of them standing close just before the opening of the alley. Knowing and seeing no one around.

“Same time, same place.” Namaari assured her, kissing her one last time before they parted. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Raya sighed, happily, before leaving her side.

Namaari watched her go, wishing she could follow her, then turned towards home. Eager for tomorrow to hurry along and get here, so that she could be with Raya once again.

.

.

.

.

.

As they left the alley, moving quickly through the night. Neither of them noticed a third shadow lurking down the path, spotting them, seeing what had happened before they left. Eyes wide, heart hammering in her chest at their shared kiss- the betrayal that rocked her to her core.

Her cousin-…with one of them.

Atitaya waited till they were out of sight before stepping out into the light of the street. She glanced one way, knowing she could easily approach her cousin and demand an explanation for what had just happened. Try to understand it, to make sense of how she could do this to not only her friends but her family!

A moment passed.

Then she moved.

Instead of following Namaari, she turned the opposite way- towards the leader of the Heart Society. A wicked idea forming as she followed after her.

(Continue???)

[iwritesmuttyfics]

HERE IS MY RATLD WIPS LIST!

Help me decide on what to work on next 💜

Virana WIPs:

Ati waited - One shot

Virana/Atitaya. Ati started crushing on Virana at 13. Pretty much Atitaya trying to convince Virana that have feelings for each other but Virana keep turning her down. It goes through from pre RATLD to post RATLD and has sprinkling of Rayaari.

Virana's Assistant - Chapter

Virana/Female OC. Omegaverse. Virana is obsessed with her pretty assistant but is useless and doesn't do anything about her feelings, just gives her gifts like a weirdo that OC waves off. Raya drags Namaari around in an attempt to get the two together (they're just friends).

Rayaari WIPs:

Size Difference - One or two shot

AU. Raya is small. Namaari is tall. Raya is aware of her crush for Namaari but doesn't think she is Namaari's type so she's content to be friends. Namaari worships the ground she walks on but doesn't push, she wants Raya to come to her when she's ready.

Roomates - One shot… maybe more

They're roommates xD The lights go out while Raya is doing her "self care" routine and she is FRUSTRATED because she walked into their place while Namaari was working out. They hang out and things get spicy. I am thinking about working on them getting together over a few chapters.

Rock!N and Pop!R - One shot

Raya becomes a pop star and leaves Namaari behind in their small town. Raya goes on a talk show and reveals their old relationship. During the time, Namaari joins a rock band and is already rising to fame when Raya reveals that they used to date. Social Media goes crazy and demands Rayaari come back.

Rice - One shot

Raya brings rice and farmers to Fang to help against their constant battle with food. She also asks Virana's blessing to court Namaari. During the celebration, Raya tells the Fang children about her ancestor, the first chief of Heart, bringing rice to Heart. Namaari in turn tells her a story of how rice came and was lost to Fang.

Namaari's club - One shot

Raya works and trains at the martial arts center her dad runs and Namaari is part of her mother's business(es). Maybe mafia ish… Anyway, the martial arts center is across the street from the coffee shop Namaari frequents. Raya follows her one day and sees her enter the club. After working up courage, Raya goes to the club.

Modern A/O - Chapters

Omegaverse. Raya and Namaari grew up as childhood friends together until Raya shows as an omega. Their parents separate them and they don't talk until they attend college together when Raya is having trouble with her math class and Namaari is the only one available during her schedule. Goes from friends to enemies to friends to lovers.

Lone Arrangement - Chapters

Arranged Marriage. Raya doesn't want a partner. She tries to convince the council of Heart elders but they insist she has one, a great partner, so they launch a tournament for her hand. She enters the fight. Namaari needs an alliance with Heart to better trade and standing for Fang. She enters the fight for her hand in marriage.

Jewel of Wishes - Chapter

There is a new jewel and new adventuring awaiting. Raya and Namaari are attending an event in Fang when the palace's vaults are attacked. They follow the attackers and find out that they are searching for a jewel of power called the Jewel of Wishes. They tell Virana of the jewel and she worries what this means for Kumandra. She sends out letters to the other lands, who return letters that their own vaults were attacked as well. On the same night.

Defiance - One shot

Raya defies Namaari and she gets tied up. This has lots of edging + multi orgasms as punishment.

Corporate Namaari - Chapters

Namaari and Raya grew up as best friends, even though they were in different grades, Namaari is 3 years older than Raya. Namaari has taken over her mother's title as CEO. She is a workaholic and her mother decides to meddle. Raya just graduated high school and got into the college in the same town Namaari is living in. Raya pursues Namaari but one day, she receives a text to leave Namaari alone…

Captured and delivered - One or two shot

Namaari has been tracking and trying to capture Raya for two years for stealing the Dragon Scroll. Every time she has Raya in her grasp, she manages to escape. Talon soldiers manage to capture Raya when she attempts to steal from one of the stands. They intend to collect on the bounty on her head and contact Namaari.

Beast of Fang 3 - Chapter 3/5 of Beast of Fang

Omegaverse. This one is totally straight forward! This chapter is about them travelling to Heart for the mating ceremony and announcing Raya's pregnancy!

After a fight - One shot… Maybe two

Raya saves Namaari. They do their normally sparing but Raya can't help but feel VERY worked up about it. During dinner, she is acting weird towards Namaari but Namaari is SHY and nervous about offending Raya further. Unable to sleep, Namaari wants to know why Raya is upset with her and sets off to her room. Outside the door, Namaari hears some suspicious noises. *eyebrow wiggle*

A/O Cave - One shot?

Omegaverse. Raya and Namaari are tracking down bandits into the mountains of Talon. They stop to let Chief Tong know about them crossing into his land. He warns them of a snow storm coming but they assure him they can get to their group in time. Of course, they don't and end up passing time in a cave. During all of this, Raya can feel the coming of her heat. You know what this is xD I kinda wanna use this as an opposite of Beast of Fang where they don't get mated and married right away.

@typethcat since you responded to my previous post, which Rayaari WIP? 🥺

I also made a discord you can join to talk about my fics or share your own stuff :3

[itsmoonpeaches]

Raya and the Last Dragon: The Importance of Water in Southeast Asia

Disclaimer: The following is from the perspective of a Filipino SEA. Please feel free to add or edit from other perspectives. There are *spoilers* below.

Though Raya and the Last Dragon has its flaws, what it did well, it did really well. Out of every cultural reference that I spotted in this film, the one that stood out the most was the portrayal of water. 

In the end credits song, Lead the Way, originally sung in English by Jhené Aiko, there is one lyric that stands out as a nod to this culture of water:

There's an energy in the water There is magic deep in our heart There's a legacy that we honor When we bring the light to the dark Whatever brings us together Can nevеr tear us apart We becomе stronger than ever

There are beautiful views of bodies of water in the movie, and scenes that deliberately look over them. But, it’s much more than that.

The geography of SEA is already so rooted with water. The lands that make up the region are either located on a peninsula and cut through with rivers, or made up of hundreds of islands in the middle of the ocean. 

So, let’s talk about water in SEA and in this movie. Below is an in-depth analysis of the cultural significance of water whether it is rain, rivers, oceans, or mythological aspects alluded to in the film.

Nagas and other myths

Let’s start with mythology because this is the basis of much of Raya and the Last Dragon. I want to first point out that this is not an opinion post, so I will not be touching much on my opinions on how the dragons looked like. (TLDR: Disney could’ve done better.) 

So many myths in SEA are connected to water besides the dragons, but let’s focus on those.

I did mention briefly about naga and water dragons in my long analysis post on the final international trailer. However, I will go in a little deeper here.

Naga The dragons in this movie are based on the SEA version of a dragon. More specifically a sea serpent or a water serpent. They don’t breathe fire. In fact, they have nothing to do with fire. Their powers all influence water (and sometimes create earthquakes). Their powers include typical influence over water, creating rain, causing winds, and shape-shifting.  They are incredibly powerful and revered. Sometimes they are even seen as deities like the Bakunawa in the Philippines. In RATLD, these nagas have a long horn at the front most prominent in Thai and Laotian versions of nagas. They are scaly and might have a kind of crown on their head, or gold jewelry around them. In most portions of SEA, nagas don’t have legs. It looks like the dragons here were partially inspired by an East Asian dragon or maybe the Vietnamese dragon. Other depictions can have them with multiple heads. Nagas also appear in South Asian culture. Here’s a quote from my initial long analysis post to add to this:

Naga are so important within SEA cultures that we have multiple places (and a river) named after them all over SEA and particularly a few times in the Philippines. 

What I can tell you is mostly the Philippine version, but a naga is a serpentine creature that lives deep in the ocean, and are often associated with water. Sometimes they are depicted as having the upper half of a woman. 

...

In the southern islands of the Philippines, depictions of naga are seen carved throughout buildings, particularly on roofs. A typical dance movement where you keep your hands curved and your fingers bent toward yourself is called “naga hands” and is supposed to be reminiscent of a naga’s graceful claws.

Bakunawa Just to highlight why nagas are so revered, I’m going further into the myth of Bakunawa. Specifically, the Bakunawa story comes from around the Visayas and Bicol regions of the Philippines which is south of the main island of Luzon. Bakunawa is said to be a giant sea dragon with a mouth as large as a lake. It lives deep in the ocean and has influence over the sea and earthquakes, in the depths of the underworld. There are a few versions of the story including that the Bakunawa is a naga that was enthralled by the beauty of the 7 moons and ate them until there was only 1 left.  In some versions the god Bathala stopped Bakunawa from devouring the last moon. In other versions, the people down below made loud noises with pots and pans to scare Bakunawa from eating it. There are also another version in which the Bakunawa was once a beautiful goddess. It is also known as a man-eater in other tales. There are similar versions of a giant serpent or dragon-like bird causing eclipses (whether lunar or solar) in other parts of the Philippines.

Rain

I can’t tell you how important rain is in SEA. It’s not that it never rains, but that it rains a lot. Much of SEA is rainforests, which is an attribute that contributes so the rich biodiversity. 

In RATLD, rain is depicted as a positive event...because it is. Raya and her friends are shown happy and laughing when Sisu makes rain. Sure, rain can be bad. Too much of it comes with typhoons and floods, but rain means a lot more than the bad things.

But enough rain means that the rivers aren’t dried out. Take the desert region of Kumandra for example. Raya goes there to the end of a dried up river. At the end when the dragons all come back, rain falls and the river is alive again. The people in that region can prosper again.

Rain symbolizes new life Now, this story I’m about to tell you is completely from oral tradition and was passed down to me by a culture bearer from from the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.  This person said that when they were young, they did not have to worry about buying food because it was always available around them. If it rained, that was a good thing because it meant that the next day when the grass was damp, there would be mushrooms sprouting that they could pick. (There is an umbrella dance coming from this region that depicts mushrooms popping up after a storm.) If it was windy from the rain, it meant that there were fruit that would shake out of the trees.   Rain also means food will grow. Staples like rice need a lot of water. Rice paddies need to be to be constantly flooded so that they can grow, and water means food whether it is in the form of rain, rivers, or the ocean. It means fresh drinking water and abundance.

Nagas and rain Remember how above I said that nagas can influence rainfall? Well, Sisu does just that in this movie. She says that one of her siblings originally had this power, and Sisu gained it because she came into contact with a piece of the dragon gem.  This adds to the positivity of rain because nagas are already so revered because of the magic they can do in the movie (and in mythology), that the people that witness it are in absolute awe. 

Rivers

Besides the ocean, rivers are the heart of SEA. From the Mekong River that runs through 5 SEA countries including Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, to the UNESCO site of the underground river in Palawan, Philippines...rivers are just part of the lay of the land. 

They are shown to be all of those things in RATLD. There are streams and tributaries that flow into mountains and underground where the dragon gem was originally hidden in Heart. Additionally, there is the incredibly long river that separates the land in the shape of a dragon that flows through all the regions of Kumandra, reminiscent of the Mekong.  Rivers are so important that there is even a region in the Philippines called Pampanga that is named after the Tagalog translation of the word “river” seen in the first part of the region’s name, “pampang.” They are the people of the river. 

There are whole fishing villages throughout SEA that are built on a river. In fact, there’s one in RATLD. 

Rivers are a source of many things, including food and drinking water. When there is a flood during wet season, the land will be full of silt, making the land prime for planting.

I don’t have to tell you how important a water dragon is at this point, but the fact that the movie chose to have that be the shape of the river is significant because nagas live in rivers too. 

Transportation This should be a no-brainer, but in case you forgot, rivers mean boats. Boats mean people will want to get around and trade. And, boat culture is so important in SEA.  There are all kinds of boats in the region from the huge deep-water kind, to the fishing boats, to thin canoe-like ones, to coracles. You can see them especially showcased in the river town in Tail in Kumandra. 

Oceans

Honestly, there wasn’t much about the sea in RATLD, but it’s important to note because nagas in and of themselves have origins in the ocean as well. 

The sea is another very important core of SEA culture. Its waters are more unforgiving than rivers, and more unpredictable. Magical, mythological sea creatures tend to be more violent here, and will only be kind to those who are kind first.

In island nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, the people rely on the ocean for so many things. Especially if they live right on the water, some can be fantastic swimmers and can dive and fish for their own food. The ocean is respected, and it is feared.

Though there is no explicit ocean in RATLD, there are elements from port cities and towns that exist including the deep-water boats. In the movie and in SEA, seafood is important.

There’s a scene where Raya and Sisu meet Boun and he offers them shrimp congee. Shrimp is a popular food in SEA, and can be seen in many dishes besides congee or any rice-based dishes. 

In the river town, we also see elements of passing fish baskets through the water after a day of fishing, and eating and buying fresh foods to cook later in a water-side market.

Irrigation

It’s pretty obvious that water is needed for irrigation, but just think about how earlier I pointed out how deeply water is utilized. Much of the food in SEA needs water to survive, a lot more than in landlocked countries. 

Rice terraces Remember rice? It needs a heck ton of irrigation in order to survive. This means a lot of rain and a lot of soil cultivating. If you take a look at the rice terraces that surround Fang, and even the picture of more overgrown terraces next to the river in the transportation section of this analysis, you can see that rice paddies are supposed to be flooded. Rice terraces are all over Asia, but there are so many of them in SEA that are ancient and still work including the Tagalalang rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia and the Banaue rice terraces in Banaue, Philippines. Honestly I could talk about the importance of rice and water for ages. Sure, rice is a staple in all of Asia, not just in SEA, but in East Asia as well. However, I would argue that it is even more of a staple in SEA.  Sure, there are noodle dishes, and bread, but rice is so ridiculously important that in the Philippines, it’s not considered a real meal if there is no rice. There is even a word for food eaten with rice, “ulam.” In fact, in the entire movie, I don’t think I can recall one eating scene in which the characters are not also eating rice with their food. Unless of course, it’s just a snack like fruit. (Maybe there was a stew only scene?) There is a scene towards the beginning of the movie when Raya asks Namaari, “Stew or rice?” when asking which she would prefer. Namaari never answers the question, but she says that it is her first time eating rice in a while. Though it’s never explicitly said, it could be implied that it is because they did not have as much rainwater for irrigation at the time. 

Protection

I’ve talked about rivers and the ocean, but I haven’t talked about water as a barrier. Though water as a barrier isn’t an infallible one, it is still important to note.

Protecting from intruders SEA is separated by water. It is also a region that had wars within their own countries in pre-colonial times, and of course, when they were colonized. (Though shout out to Thailand for being lucky in that regard. It remains the only country in SEA not colonized by Europeans.)  There were wars between chiefs in the Philippines, and often they had to traverse the ocean or cross bodies of waters to get to the lands they needed to fight on. It ended up becoming a process with a lot of planning. Though SEAs are people of the water, they obviously can’t breathe under it.  Nagas here are also important because in RATLD they are seen as powerful, respected protectors. And of course, they are borne of the water.

If you take a look at the picture above, it shows that part of the movie when the water starts disappearing because Sisu disappears. As the last water dragon, her connection to the water was keeping the land alive. With Sisu gone, so was the water, and therefore the protection for the people. The Druun spirit came in with no more hindrances because there was no water to stop them. 

The power of the water and the magical energy of the water dragon really showcased itself here.

Interconnectedness

SEA used to be an interconnected region that traded with each other. Of course, not that SEA countries don’t trade now, but it isn’t at the same level as before. The borders now were created after centuries of colonialization. 

Water is what connected all the countries of SEA. 

Just take a look at the map of SEA above (in red). There is no other region of the world that’s quite like this, except maybe Oceania and around the Mediterranean. It’s relatively easy for these countries and people to trade and share cultures and traditions with one another. Manila, Philippines and the Tondo region was once one of the most frequented ports in SEA. Trade was done with China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. The same kind of trade occurred in other SEA countries as well.

Because of the history of trade over water that is rich in its pre-colonial past, SEA shares many similar cultural aspects and even similar words in languages. Though of course, though there are similarities, there are a lot of differences as well. SEA is not a monolith.

If you want to think of it this way...that Korea, China, and Japan share so many things with each other including having a history of being able to share Chinese characters (the different names including hanzi, kanji, hanja), but that each country and culture is very different...that is what SEA is too. 

This aspect of interconnectedness, yet with differences is emulated in RATLD. In the lore for Kumandra, the movie notes that all the regions were once one, but were separated after something broke them (that something being the malice of the Druun spirit). Yet, if they worked together they could become Kumandra once again. 

It is shown in RATLD that the best way to make the spicy stew that is pops up multiple times, is to add all the spices and ingredients from all the regions of the land that was once Kumandra. This showcases that just like SEA, Kumandra was once a land of incredible interconnected communication and trade.

Kumandra wasn’t colonized, but it was separated by 500 years of land. The people didn’t use the water the same way. SEA was colonized (and actually, 500 years to the date on March 15, 1521 to March 15, 2021—the Philippines was “discovered” by the Spaniards so I wonder if that was a conscious choice on Disney’s part), and broken apart. I’m sure that without European colonialization, SEA could’ve been one huge interconnected country. Or bigger countries with different dialects. 

Spirituality 

Lastly, let’s talk about the spirituality of water. In RATLD, there are no other spirits besides the Druun which is made of discord and malice created from human malcontent. Yet, the Druun cannot go near water. I don’t know the exact reason for why it can’t or if it was inspired by a piece of mythology from an SEA country, but that is significant. (If you do know the reasoning behind this, please feel free to add onto this.)

SEA is full to the brim with myths and legends of nature spirits. From spirits that live in trees, to spirits that live in the water. And yes, they are spirits. They can be spirits of ancestors too.  The way Chief Benja pours a bowl of water on Raya’s head as beads of it float into the air...it is a great touch to highlight the energy that water just inherently has in any SEA tradition.

Though it’s probably a little reaching to point this out, the fact that Sisu was said to be washed to the end of a river is so interesting when Raya is looking for her. This is because in some SEA myths the river takes your spirit to the underworld. Raya finds Sisu at the end of a river and she is made of stone, her spirit stolen until her power is unleashed again with the dragon gem. 

Floating flowers Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the movie and as it relates to water is the fact that the animators made a conscious choice to show so much imagery of characters making flowers float upon water. And of course, to use floating flowers as decoration. Characters like Raya, Boun, and Sisu float flowers that look like orchids or jasmine flowers to remember their lost loved ones. The choice of flowers is significant too. These are flowers that are native to SEA. There are flowers everywhere and that is so pretty and so accurate. To have them used as decoration floating in pools is also so nice too, because it is something that is done in households and not just in a palace. You can float a gardenia flower in a bowl of water to make the scent spread in a room, and it makes the flower last longer.

End 

I’m sure there is a lot more I missed or things I got wrong. If you see anything you want to add or fix, please feel free to write it in any future reblogs!

[useyernamesteven]

Personal RATLD Headcanon: Food

Raya and Namaari both have terrible eating habits.

Namaari's the kind of person that forgets to eat throughout the day.

She's a diligent worker and she hates leaving things half finished, whether its labor or paperwork, so often times she'll power through lunch time, tell herself "just one last thing" and then suddenly its hours later and dark out and holy crap she needs to stand and stretch and drink some water.

(I also like the idea that Fang was facing a food shortage in the beginning of the movie, which is why Namaari said she hadn't eaten rice in a while, and its just another reason why Fang needed the dragon gem. So maybe growing up hungry also attributes to her neglectfulness as an adult.)

Raya is also the kind of person who forgets to eat, but that's only because she forgets that she can eat.

Having to look after herself for 6 years and not trusting any anything she didn't forage, pick, and dry herself meant food was something hard to come by.

As time went on, she kinda just got used to the feeling of always being hungry and ignoring the sounds her stomach would make as she went about her day or as settled in for the night.

So now when she forgets to eat, its less out of thoughtlessness and more out of habit that she'll be hungry and her stomach will be growling for a few hours before someone points it out to her or she suddenly remembers that she can just go to the kitchens and get some food, no foraging or drying required.

The first time it happens Namaari and Raya are working together in Namaari's study/room and they've probably been working for a few hours or so when Namaari hears Raya's stomach start growling.

The first few times she ignores the noise, but after maybe 15 minutes of it Namaari looks up from her scroll to see Raya completely unfazed and reading over her own paperwork. Namaari eyes the bowl of fruit on her end of the table and gently nudges it in Raya's direction.

But even still, its another ten minutes of gurgling before Namaari's patience runs out and she asks Raya "Are you going to eat something or am I going to have to listen to your stomach keep talking to you for the next hour?"

And Raya's just, so caught off guard that she just blurts out, "sorry, i just forget sometimes..."

Which is how they end up talking about their abhorrent dietary habits and what it was like growing up and not knowing when your next meal was going to be and how now that food is no longer a problem throughout the lands, it still affects them today.

So now whenever Namaari visits Heart she packs a small army's worth of snacks that she will slowly work through by passing them on to Raya throughout the day.

And Raya now times her visits to Fang so that she arrives right at midday and she'll find Namaari and drag her away from whatever she's doing to eat lunch with her before they both dive back into work.

And after a bit of coaxing, and swearing on her life that no one has poisoned anything, Namaari gets Raya to try a few of the vendor foods in the Fang market. Raya's still pretty cautious of other people making her food, another anxious habit she's made over her years alone, so Namaari starts splitting whatever she's ordered with Raya to subtly show her, "see, not poisoned".

Sidenote: Namaari likes spicy/savory foods whereas Raya wants sweet, sugary food, and they'll switch between the two each time they order food to share.

It becomes a new routine of theirs that now, whenever the other isn't around to remind the other to eat something, their days feel off.

Namaari will start to lose steam and focus after lunch time and it'll take her a while afterwards to realize its because she hasn't taken a break or eaten yet because Raya hasn't come to pull her away from work and talk her ear off about literally everything.

Raya paces and wanders around the Heart palace, lost in thought as she tries to come up with a reason as to why she's feeling so unbalanced that day, and it takes a few hours before she realizes Namaari hasn't been handing her snacks throughout the day and her stomachs been growling for at least two of them.

Its a few months later, when Sisu is hanging out with Raya and Namaari, that Raya's stomach starts grumbling around midday and almost instinctually Namaari puts down her work and they get ready to leave.

Sisu asks where they're off to, and Namaari answers that they're getting food if she wants to join them, to which Sisu off-handedly says, "oh no that's cool, I wouldn't wanna be the third wheelon your little lunch dates".

Both Raya and Namaari grow bright red and have to avert their eyes from each other because oh lord, that's exactly what they've been doing, isn't it?

Sisu thinks they're too adorable and departs out the window with one last laugh and a "have fun on your date!"

[moon-spirit-yue]

Okay but I’m thinking of a slight au where everything is basically the same except the different lands each have an ancient language specific to their land as well as a modern language that everyone uses. Like Heart has their own language and so forth. The amount of oblivious Raya I could make from that is insane. Like Namaari can profess her love in Fang’s language an Raya is like “oh so you want me to get castrated”. Oblivious Raya headcanon series:

Raya, just chilling in a forest near Fang: Tuk Tuk do you think plants have feelings-

Namaari, suddenly right in front of her and speaking in the Fang language: I don’t know about plants but I have feelings for you

Raya, screeching: GIRL WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!

Namaari, grinning: oh I’ve just been hanging around

Raya, frowning: hey can you repeat what you just said? I think I actually know that phrase

Namaari, blushing and getting a lil more bold speaking in Fang’s language: I’m in love with you

Raya, gasping in outrage: YOU THINK IM A WHORE?!

Namaari, confused: what no-

Raya, scowling: YOU DO! THATS WHAT YOU JUST SAID! UGH, TO THINK YOUVE SUNK SO LOW THAT YOU FEEL THE NEED TO INSULT ME IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

Namaari, in distress: RAYA THATS NOT-

Raya, flipping Namaari off as she gets on Tuk Tuk and rolls away: FUCK YOU NAMAARI

Namaari, sighing wistfully: ah if only-

Taglist: @faithfulwarrior-og @isitbussinjanelle @tigerlillyruiz @ratld-sideblog @anywhere-but-here-plz

[sapphic-yearning-lesbian]

*Breaking* Tradition  (RATLD-October Prompt)

An AU where Namaari didn't try to steal the dragon gem.

Timeline: Twelve year old sapphics 

Warnings: none

I will upload it to A03 eventually.

"I don't understand." 

"Ohhh Raya, why the curiosity," Benga asked, raising an eyebrow. Namaari had wandered off with Virana, so Raya used that moment to approach her father.

"Ma once said when I find the right person, I have to gift them what is most valuable to me. If they accept it, then I get to live happily ever after with them. Meaning Namaari and I will be best friend's forever!" Raya yelped as she brought her hands up to her hair, removing her hair cuff.

"Raya..." Benja whispered as he didn't know how to tell his daughter that this tradition going down for several generations doesn't apply to those of the same sex. "Maybe not right now!" He managed to say.

Raya nodded before tilting her head to the right, grinning up at her Ba.

"So I'll get my happily ever after with Namaari?" She squealed.

Benja couldn't help but smile,"I hope so, Dewdrop." 

Benja meant this sentiment, hoping that as Raya grew, the people of Heart would learn to accept a new adaptation to their ancient traditions. As who was he to tell Raya who to love! Or who she could be best friends with!

He couldn't help but chuckle as he ruffled his daughter's hair, completely undoing its neatness. "BA!" 

Raya pouted as her Ba slowly ran his hands through her hair, trying to fix it. 

No matter how many times he brushed his fingers through Raya's hair, it wasn't as tamed as before, but he tried his best to settle it. No sooner had he finished had Raya handed him the hair cuff, which he happily placed back on her head.

---

"YOU DID WHAT?" Virana whisper-yelled at Namaari, who was smiling up at her.

"I gave her my Sisu necklace." 

"Namaari...You just broke tradition," Virana exhaled, running both her hands through her hair. This is her nervous tick; not many people have seen her do it. 

"It's okay! My child will still receive it," Namaari stated. 

Before gifting the necklace to Raya, Namaari knew she would eventually need it back to pass it down to her heir. This is an ancient tradition in Fang! And she wasn't about to break it; however, she's adapted to her convenience.

"You can't hand down a family heirloom if it's not in your possession," Virana said, pinching the bridge of her nose, frustration her prominent emotion.

"Raya is my friend right now, but eventually, she will be my wife," Namaari said with a smile, Virana's eyes widening as a small smile formed on her lips. "Raya could easily hand it down to our heir."

Viana nodded as she didn't have the energy to argue with the sapphic her child was becoming. "Did you tell her that by accepting a gift worth so much of value, you two are now engaged?"

"No...But--" 

"NAMAARI" Raya screamed from across the hall, running towards Namaari, her Ba close behind.

As Raya reached Namaari, she pulled the hair cuff off her hair once again before grabbing Namaari's hands placing the cuff on the palm of her hand.

Benja stood a few steps behind, smiling. He caved after a few minutes; he couldn't say no to his daughter. The tradition is important to him, but his daughter is even more so; he'll handle the repercussions when they arise. For now, he'll enjoy the loud giggles and smiles from the girls.

Virana made her way towards Benja. Their eyes connecting as they both slightly bowed their heads towards the other, both of them being fully aware of the traditions they had just allowed to be broken. Even so, broad smiles appeared on their faces as they realized that the segregations of the lands would soon demise if their daughter’s got together, making the breaking of their ancient  traditions less critical. 

Benja exhaled as he was consumed by a sense of relief, "Time to make some new traditions."

Virana nodded, "I agree, but I believe we should leave that to our daughters." Her eyes went back to the girls who were now sitting against a pillar, holding hands while making each other laugh. "They'll make sure of that."

--

I owe credit to someone for inspiring this; however, I have no idea who they are. I've scoured my archive and my likes but to avail. If you know who originally came up with this concept, please comment their @ below :)

[luminescentauthor]

random fun RatLD hcs

you came here for RatLD shitposts and that’s what you’re gonna get!

SPOILERS AND LOTS OF THEM BELOW THE CUT, IF U HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET PROCEED AT UR OWN RISK.

I refuse to post about this movie without acknowledging the cultural significance of the first SEA disney princess and I will continue to do so until people on this website start remembering that this movie is about amazing cultures and trust and overall a WHOLE lot more than just the sapphics (as great as they are.)

anyway, so, headcanon time, my dudes!

The Next Adventure

Talon is a total mess after everyone gets un-stoned. (Ok so just for posterity, my marvel fan brain just went “un-snapped” on instinct and I hate it here.) The two chiefs are fighting for control, and Noi, being a baby, is not really in a position to help (unlike Raya, Naamari, and Tong.)

As such, the crew has to go undercover in Talon to try and, you know, stop the chiefs from destroying their people with their infighting. Tong insists on coming. Naamari happened to be in Heart and gets dragged along by Sisu and Raya, complaining the whole time, but everyone knows she doesn’t mean it. Boun also shows up and exactly no one is surprised.

During this misadventure, Noi’s mother names Tong as Noi’s godfather/honorary uncle/whatever, undercover Naamari and Raya go “noooooo, we’re not the princesses of Fang and Heart, what on earth are you talking about???” on at least five separate occasions, and the crew discovers that Noi inherited her sticky fingers from her very clever mother. She’s basically a grade-A spy and thief but she’s also just like, genuinely a very nice woman.

Rayaari!

Raya and Naamari take a long time literally just figuring things out and reconstructing their friendship, because really, as much as I love sapphics, there’s also a whole lot of messy there, and because these are my headcanons, they work out their problems and have a healthy friendship for a couple years before any romance happens, because that’s how Real Life works and I don’t believe in ignoring those Pretty Important Things in fiction.

They do eventually start a relationship, but they take their time. A bit into it, Benja accidentally mentions that Raya told him she liked Naamari when they met. Naamari’s like “ha you did?” and Raya goes “BA NO.” Then Virana immediately says “oh yes, Naamari also liked her, she didn’t stop crying because she thought Raya turned to stone for like three days” and Raya goes “you did, hmm???” while Naamari turns bright red.

Before they start dating, as their feelings grow, they start calling each other “dep la” more and more and everyone is just kinda of like “oh my GOD just date already???”

Eventually Raya and Naamari get married and become the leaders of Kumandra. No I Won’t Change My Mind.

Unification of Kumandra

The unification of Kumandra felt a bit shoehorned, and I suspect the nations aren't united under one leader(s): it's more that they're now becoming close-knit again. Perhaps they have a meeting council of all their leaders that makes decisions that affect the whole land, otherwise that probably becomes a thing at some point.

When Kumandra eventually becomes totally unified, the capital of Heart (which I believe is on the island we see on the map of Kumandra) eventually becomes the capital. It still has five provinces/states, though.

Fang and Heart

Heart and Fang help each other out a lot with recovering from the “most of our people got turned into the statues” stuff. Heart has more resources, but most of its people have been stone for 6 years. So the two states/countries are both capable of different things.

Of all the kingdoms, Heart and Fang have the most to rebuild: Fang’s only standing city was destroyed in the finale of the movie, while Heart has been growing over for six years. Sure, Spine’s been stone for a while, and some of Talon’s docks and water ships and whatnot collapsed when the water vanished, but it’s still significantly easier to repair than “six years of overgrowth and rot and rust” or “literally the ground collapsed underneath us and wow um I don’t think that’s reparable.” So they really team up to fix it, and the others help them a lot.

The actual leaders stay in their capitals to lead until things have calmed down a WHOLE lot, so Raya and Naamari travel around Kumandra on their parents’ behalf a lot, and wind up going between Fang and Heart a lot to establish diplomatic relations and also to help with rebuilding.

Over this period, and while doing diplomatic meetings later on, Virana and Benja come to realize that the other person is actual quite decent. There’s some mess and distrust because of Virana’s thing with the Dragon Gem, but it eventually gets worked out. (Virana’s reaction is “yes that’s fair. In my defense, I was trying to do what I thought was right for my people, who were starving, but Yes, That’s Fair.” Benja’s reaction is “honestly if your people were starving from famine and you thought the Gem would help, that makes more sense.”) After a while, they become pretty good friends.

And suddenly Raya and Naamari regret everything. See, Naamari mentioned that both parents make terrible jokes. The girls are Suffering. Help them.

Sisu loves the bad jokes. Sisu also makes bad jokes. Raya and Naamari are silently dying.

It’s silly, but I like the idea that 3-4 years down the line, Virana and Benja consider getting married just for political reasons (alliance and all that) (they’re not actually interested in each other, it’s just practicality) and Naamari and Raya, who are not dating but are definitely in deep for each other at this point, are immediately like “NO. NO. DO NOT MAKE MY CRUSH MY STEPSISTER. DO NOT.”

Virana and Benja (mostly Benja) tease them by “considering” it for a bit longer, but they don’t, since they talked about it and both kids are uncomfortable with it. (”They like each other, don’t they?” Virana asks dryly. “Ohhh yeah,” Benja replies.)

Music? Music!

I was listening to a youtube mix this morning and “Too Far Gone” by Hidden Citizens popped up and it just reminded me of Raya’s attitude towards Kumandra at the start of the movie. Also it’s just a beautiful song.

“Knife in my Back” by Alec Benjamin is Raya @ Naamari before they figured things out, change my mind.

Other Stuff!

We can guess based off how long it took the crew to get from Tail to Fang even with side adventures (I think it was 3-4 days max, I wasn't totally paying attention) that one can navigate from one end of the river to the other within a couple days even in a boat like Boun's, and the royal families probably have even faster modes of transportation. (I.e. Naamari got from Tail to Fang in a couple days, then to Spine, then beat the crew back to Fang. On land.) Therefore, unlike I was originally thinking, it's actually totally realistic for the crew to be visiting each other once or twice a month.

It's even more realistic for Naamari to crash Raya's place on a weekly basis, since that's probably like six hours on cat at max.

I don't know what the cats are, so I will be calling them saber-cats until someone corrects me.

TUMBLR JUST MYSTERIOUSLY STOPPED ACCPTING MY "E" KY HLP I HAV TO US COPY PAST

Wait I think I fixed it. Crisis averted! Sorry about that.

Because Naamari is in Heart half the time, Virana visits quite frequently too. It’s not a long trip, anyway.

Virana is not straight (haircut) but I can’t decide if she’s a lesbian or what. She doesn’t have a spouse and never did. Only those Virana closely trusts know who Naamari’s dad is. Naamari does know and she’s met him, because Virana figured she had a right to. He and Virana never had a relationship, Virana just sort of needed an heir and a trusted personal friend offered to father the kid.

Tong’s wife is a total badass and instantly fits in with the crew. She and Noi’s mother quickly become very close friends.

Noi and Tong’s kid also immediately get along. As in, they constantly throw things at each other while giggling madly and both love the Ongis, and -- are they whispering to each other in that corner?? They might be conspiring to take over the world. Who knows.

Noi learns how to talk and becomes about 5 times more chaotic. Everyone is Regret (except Tong.)

[indianaclems]

Diwata (Diwa), General of Heart

Inspirations :

I didn't manage to draw the haircut as well as I wanted ''I wanted to draw her hair in movement to show that she is a dynamic person ultimately it looks like she has shaggy hair but I promise to improve to give what I had in mind. 😖

I noted that in the concept art Heart has an army but we never see it in the film so I wanted to correct that. I imagine that Diwata could be a young general loyal to Heart but who has resentment for Fang and in particular Namaari. if raya appreciates her general, this is not the case for her hostility towards Fang and his girlfriend. I think she must be as tall as Raya. (is it me or are Heart's women small? 😅) she is devoted and has unwavering loyalty to Heart, somewhat chaotic and strategic, she is nonetheless a formidable fighter. Namaari is probably once jealous of the proximity between raya and Diwata.

[princessrayaofheart]

Raya being an excited little bean

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (2021)

[rayaandthelastdragons]

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine and ratld came up and I was just discussing what it means to me. It sounds sort of dumb but representation matters so much. 

1- growing up with a relatively obscure name you never expect to see your name on anything. Whenever I would go to a touristy location I wouldn’t even try to find my name on a keychain or mug because I knew for a fact it wouldn’t be there. So when the poster for ratld first came out and the name RAYA was in big bold letters I was ecstatic. It isn’t the same spelling as my name obviously, but at the time I kept hearing it be pronounced like my name. It sounds so minuscule but it means the world to me to almost share a name with a freaking Disney princess.

2- Raya and all the characters in ratld are pretty racially ambiguous. Yes, they all take inspiration from South East Asian culture, but you can’t point one character out and go “oh that one is Vietnamese”. Again, it sounds so minuscule but as a very racially ambiguous person who also has South Asian descent I could see myself on screen in a way.

3- theres also the small nods to Indeginous cultures which was done so well. I really like and appreciate how they built the land of Kumandra and they show so many aspects of Indeginous spirituality (or at least aspects that I see in a way that relate to my spirituality and reconnection with my culture)

4- even though Disney is a coward, the gayness is pretty strong between Raya and Namaari. So having a movie that from the get go meant so much to me also have so much lesbian representation makes my queer heart so freaking happy.

Anyways, these reasons might sound dumb to most but it makes the movie mean so much personally

[shy-peacock]

October 4th: Villain

Day 4/31 of RATLD-OCTOBER!

Protect the Dragon Gem at any cost.

That is the way of the people of Heart. From a young age Raya knew of her role in her family’s history. It had been beaten into her brain since before she knew how to walk. Her Father instilling the traditions in her that she would one day pass onto her own children.

She trained, day and night, to fulfill the role he set for her. Harder than anyone before her. Raya exceeding her Father’s expectations again and again.

When at last her Father told her that she was ready, washing the water of the Sisudatu over her head, Raya felt a newfound strength burst inside of her. Knowing she had arrived, her loyalty to Heart and to the Dragon gem cemented then into her mind.

Her Father invited guests from across the land. A way to “come together”, a promise that threatened to undo them all if they stepped a single toe out of line. The air was tense, mistrust clear from everyone’s face. Her Father’s hand came upon her shoulder, encouraging her as she skimmed the crowd. Finding someone she could relate to, who would connect with her on these experiences. Raya then saw a girl belonging to Fang, whom she went to specifically. Inviting her into their home with a smile and a kind touch of her hand.

Her name was Namaari, the sight of their newfound friendship sent a wave of relief through the people of the other lands. Easing them, opening them up to the idea of creating bonds with one another. Raya even received a gift from this girl, a dragon necklace of Sisudatu herself. The act touching Raya so deeply that she nearly felt bad for what was to happen next.

Nearly.

She offered to take the girl to Sisu’s gem, looking back only once as they excitedly left to get an approving nod from her Father. His own mission near completion as Raya set about finishing her own.

They came across the sacred grounds, depositing their shoes at the door. Namaari was so entranced by the gem that she did not see the way Raya hung back behind her. Nor did she catch the glint of the knife that was hidden away inside Raya’s clothes until it was too late.

A cry pierced the air and the waters ran red. At the end of it, Raya stood watching her work. Hands shaken, chest heaving, feeling sick until her Father placed a hand on her shoulders.

“Well done, dew drop.” He said with pride, “now..comes my favorite part.”

On cue, Namaari’s blood lurched and instead of drawing away from the Dragon gem, it now flowed towards it. The Gem consumed it, rippling a sickly reddish blue color until it was completely red all over. Namaari’s body began to quake and in a single flash of light, it was gone.

Another sacrifice to the Dragon Gem, keeping it alive and thriving.

This time by the hands of Raya.

“You’ve made Sisudatu proud.” Her Father spoke, “and with the additional prisoners we’ve collected..we will have many sacrifices to offer her, giving Heart the prosperity it needs.”

Raya nodded firmly, a wicked smile on her lips as she stepped completely into her role. Her mission, to Heart and the Sisudatu, complete at last.

For now.

[rainwalker-dragonblade29]

Loyal Brave and True in the RATLD context.

I remember seeing an Amv of Raya on this song... and I put this in one if my comments (in the replies to be exact). I went back to these thoughts and the very wonderful interaction with a fellow human who was very generous in the reply to my four word comment. They are a very wonderful person and I thank them for this. They shared their interpretation and I shared mine.

Here's what my headcannon is like:-

"War is not freedom, over my shoulder I see a clearer view"

- Kumandra was divided and the lands were at war ( said in the trailer), wars which resulted in the loss of lives,of loved ones. And having traveled all the lands she would have seen good people and bad people and broken people. The world they live in is dismal. And every time she looked back to see someone in stone, maybe at first she wouldn't think much but as she later realizes that this all happened because people were divided.

"All for my family, the reason I'm breathing everything to lose."

-she's not having much hope but she doesn't let go of the little she has. She is looking for Sisu in the hope that the last dragon will know what to do. She's doing it for her people, for her father, for the ones she called family. That's the reason she's so relentlessly fighting. She searched so every river for Sisu. There were hundreds and she was no where and at the last one it all came crashing down for if  that didn't work, if Sisu wasn't there then she doesn't know what will. And searching hundreds if rivers maybe there was a time when she wanted to give up but her relentlessness keeps her on her path, she's doing this for her ba, and if she fails all will be lost even though she has already lost more than she could afford to lose, love. But even in the end she decided to take the first step even when it was hard , even when she wasn't ready for a leap of faith so big, she did it for those she loved( her Ba) and those she had grown to love( her team and new found family)because that was the only way to save all.

"Losing is easy, winning takes bravery. I am a tiger's fool "

- it is easy to shut oneself up and build those walls up high. It's easy to just give up on trying to fix the world because the amount of courage and trust it will take to do will be oh so hard to build but so fragile and easy to break. Winning will take bravery. But this doesn't refer to just fighting the Druun but also her quest for Sisu. Giving up on such an impossible task could have been easy but staying and never swaying from  that path and never giving up will take all her courage to continue. Who is trying to fool? Is this task of finding Sisu, of saving the world even possible?

"Out in the open, no one to save me, the kindest of whispers are cruel "

- She has lived out in the wild, on her own, ever since she was a child, a child who was learning and needed to be protected. She learned to protect herself because only she could. No stranger would come to her aid, they were all untrustworthy. And those who could were gone. And if she saw even a shred of what is good it will all come crumbling over because she would be turned on and deceived like it happened with Namaari, like it happened when she tried to trust. The other people were not to be trusted, the world was broken.

" Cold is the morning, warm is the dream,  chasing the answers till I can't sleep "

- her search is relentless. She is desperate. There are hurdles and ordeals which make her cold while the memories of those she fights for warm her heart. She's not giving up even if it's not easy to go on, she won't stop. She's chasing the answers to where Sisu may be, or how she will defeat the Druun, how she will find a way to trust again, determinedly and desperately because that's all she can do at the moment, keep going ahead.

"Will I be stronger or will I be weak when you're not with me"

-this refers to her father. He had always been there but now in this new world he is not. And Raya even though she had grown into a hardened independent fierce woman still had that unprotected and scared child hidden deep within herself. In a world where she has to struggle to survive and be the one to take the first step, it is hard to do without those she loved. She's doing it alone and may question her strength to take on her world, when she's trying to find Sisu, when she's trying to trust again to save everyone, she worries if she can do it without her father's encouraging hand on her shoulder and consoling voice saying "you can do this".

"Who am I without my armor, standing in my father's shoes, all I know is that it's harder to be loyal brave and true "

- all these years being alone, she had put on a hard shell, what was she in this world without it that protected her inner scared child. How can she let it down and learn to trust once more, for she has gone so long with it, to do  what her father once tried- Kumandra. Standing in her father's shoes trying to build a better world...it's hard and she could be betrayed, it could all fall apart. Its hard to be loyal brave and true to her cause.

And as for the chorus,

"Should I ask myself in the water? What a warrior would do? Tell me underneath my armor, am I loyal and true. "

- asking herself what she's doing in the reflection of her sword, she was raised to be a warrior first. Is it a noble thing that she's doing to fight a useless battle? Is she being loyal to her father and people, brave to her cause and true to her heart on this journey?

(I can't seem to put this idea behind me... :) )

[rai-jin-andro-jin]

Intimacy: An Aromantic, Queer, Storyteller's Perspective on Raya and Namaari's Relationship in RatLD

Ok, I know people have lots of opinions about Raya and the Last Dragon. (Please go watch it if you're able to, it's fantastic.) I'm not here to step on any toes, nor am I here to deny that Disney has work to do on openly queer representation. But I wanted to give my opinion on the subject because I've already seen some thoughts flying, and I've got my own too.

Note: potential Raya and the Last Dragon spoilers ahead!

Now, I'm here for queer women. (I'm so here for queer women that I'm queer for them.) I love Raya's depth, design, and arc. I love Namaari's depth, design, and arc (and oh my god, her face shape). I love the way the narrative treated these warriors: like warriors! I could talk all day about how this movie is such a brilliant step toward treating women as people on screen.

But I'm here to talk about the queer aspects.

Any queer person watching that movie saw a couple of baby gays. Anyone saw the tension between Raya and Namaari as adults, their distrust for one another, but also their recollection of how close they once were, how close they could have been, how similar they actually are, but they both don't want to admit it for one reason or another. I think that tension is done beautifully.

I also want to take a second to remind everyone that romantic attraction is not necessary to make something queer.

Sure, maybe you could view their interactions as having romantic undertones. I don't think that's necessarily wrong, but I also don't think that the movie needed a romantic subplot to work. The subplot was platonic, even queerplatonic. The subplot was about Raya learning to realize how similar Namaari was to her, in all the uncomfortable ways Raya wasn't ready to admit. Raya wanted to remain focused inward; she wanted to protect her goal from destruction, she wanted to bring her Ba back. And she didn't want to trust anyone again. She didn't feel like she could, and she didn't want to try, especially not with Namaari.

And yet, during their interactions, there is a sense of intimacy. No doubt, over the six (6) years after the gem broke, Raya and Namaari have run into each other on several occasions. It seems like they still know each other well enough to banter mid battle. Raya knows Namaari well enough to be able to easily "push her buttons" and distract her. There is an intimacy here that strays easily into frienemy territory. It has the potential of being romantic. It also has the potential of not being romantic at all.

And, as someone on the aromantic spectrum, I want to reiterate that romantic queerness is not the only queerness. Aromantic affection, queerplatonic affection, allosexual aromantic affection — all of these are valid and real queer identities and queer expressions.

So, while I agree that "Disney is a coward" and that queer people deserve genuine, wholesome, and healthy representation in movies — I also want to emphasize that you can remove romanticism from the equation and still retain the queer narrative (or, what we the audience read as a queer narrative).

(I personally think there is nothing straight about these two characters, but I also respect the possibility that cultural norms and expectations can change how queerness manifests, or what is even considered queer. I'm a white person from the USA; the way I read or express queerness may not be the same as the way someone of Southeast Asian descent would read or express queerness. That topic in itself is worthy of an entirely different mega post. But that is very important to note.)

Furthermore, I want to add that while, again, seeing Disney explicitly tackle a queer relationship on screen would be so amazing, I also don't think this particular narrative had room for it.

Raya and the Last Dragon has a beautiful story filled with strong cultural tradition and Southeast Asian communal values. Love for one's community and family is especially important, as the writers have expressed, and this value was purposely woven into the narrative as a centerpiece.

Disney has a long history of making that centerpiece romantic love. Movies in general, Disney included, have a very long history of using romantic love as an easy subplot. It is such a common thing to do in the industry.

Stepping away from that norm is a breath of fresh air, in my opinion. And I'm not saying that because I'm aromantic and I "hate romance"—I don't, by the way, and I'll show you why.

I have written romance in fiction for a long-ass time. I love writing it. And in my (self-proclaimed) professional opinion, adding romance into Raya and the Last Dragon would have been really forced. I don't think the movie needed it. It would have been narratively unnecessary, and the catharsis we received regarding the mending of Raya and Namaari's relationship was more than enough. Any romance would have been extra, and, more importantly, would have been distracting from the actual main theme of the movie. Remember, the takeaway from this movie is communal trust: building bridges to unite families and communities of people. This narrative values familial and communal love first and foremost. (This is not to say that romantic love can't intersect with familial, communal, and platonic love, but I'm making the distinction here because the story writers intended to make this distinction, too.) Putting communal love first also does not devalue any romantic or queerplatonic love that might exist under that umbrella — but that's just it; communal love is the focus here, and I'm glad the writers made the decision to keep the focus of the narrative grounded and organized. It keeps the story from wandering off in too many directions and becoming confusing. It keeps us from having too many loose ends. And it keeps the runtime from being too long — or worse, it saves the narrative and all it's subplots from feeling cut short.

And here's where I jump into my main gripe. Yes, Raya and Namaari have chemistry. At the very least, when they met as kids, they formed a nice first bond: they had a lot in common, they related to each other on several things, and they had empathy for each other. That's a good foundation for a lot of things: friendship, queerplatonic relationships, romantic relationships, business partnerships... What I'm saying is, they had a good beginning. But it was just one day. And they were kids.

They were both kids who were vulnerable to the opinions and desires of the adults around them.

Namaari was influenced by her mother to betray Raya in order to gain the Dragon Gem (ultimately to give her people the prosperity they lacked). Before coming to Heart, Namaari likely saw Raya and the people of Heart like her mother/chief did: Heart was rich solely because they hoarded the magic of the Dragon Gem, and they would lie and say the Gem didn't give them prosperity only so they could continue to hoard the gem.

Raya was influenced by people in her village too, though we don't explicitly see those influences. When her father mentions that the other lands are on their way to Heart, Raya immediately believes they are coming with evil intent. When her father asks her what she knows about the other lands, Raya lists qualities about each land that portray them in a dangerous light. She views them explicitly as enemies and outsiders, people to fear and distrust in order to maintain her and Heart's safety and prosperity. Namaari included.

When Raya and Namaari meet, there is a lot going on under the surface of their interaction. Certainly, they are both kids; part of them likely has a natural urge to trust and connect with each other, as they eventually did that day! But clearly, especially for Namaari, there still exists a level of distrust and divide. Perhaps because Raya had the influence of her father, who encouraged her to see the other lands as friends rather than enemies, Raya's guard was lower than Namaari's. It's doubtful Namaari had that kind of influence, as her mother consistently displayed distrust for other lands, and focused more on the protection of Fang's people. Namaari clearly experienced quite a bit of internal conflict during the time before her betrayal of Raya, trying to balance her own desires for connection and friendship with her desire to please and protect Fang. Having a connection with Raya at all, especially a deeper connection (rather than a false pretense of connection), was likely not the intention of this subterfuge plan. Connecting with Raya likely felt good, but it also felt like a betrayal of Fang; a betrayal of Fang felt like a death sentence, especially since not obtaining the Gem would mean that Fang (according to Namaari's mother and the people of Fang) would likely perish. Namaari chose to resolve the conflict by returning to what was most familiar and comfortable: distrusting Heart for the good of Fang. For Namaari, it likely didn't dispel the discomfort of knowing that she betrayed a friend, someone who felt so close and genuine, someone who was just as obsessed with dragons as she was (which seems like it was rare for Namaari, and thus valuable). But her choice to betray Raya did, in Namaari's mind, save Fang, a strong value instilled in her from birth.

The betrayal hurts Raya a lot more openly. She sees Namaari firstly as a potential friend, a connection. Raya was taught by her father to value connection with others more than preemptively distrusting them in order to protect herself. This is likely why we see their interactions mostly from Raya's perspective. Namaari's behavior is very conflicted in intention, bouncing back and forth between deception and genuine connection, and trying to balance those two in a way that remains faithful to Fang and herself. Raya, on the other hand, is fully genuine for this interaction, save for maybe a couple moments of brief, minor hesitation. But, that hesitation is short-lived and the desire for friendship ultimately wins over for Raya. She fully trusts Namaari (to the level that she is able to, given that they just met that day), up to the moment the betrayal occurs. She is blindsided, and in response, she also returns to the comfort of her original views (before her father tried to teach her to trust the other lands). This decision to abandon the friendship is not comfortable at all for Raya; it is forced. She must do it to protect not only her land, but ostensibly the world. She is fighting between protecting her "clan" and protecting outsiders. She is struggling to view other lands as part of her clan/community, and Namaari's betrayal only solidifies Raya's eventual choice to mistrust others completely. Once her father dies, so does Raya's trust. To her, (misplaced) trust caused the downfall of the world, and more importantly, the death of her Ba. And to her, that betrayal is embodied and personified by Namaari. Namaari becomes a scapegoat and a punching bag for all that went wrong with the world, and this is a consistent mindset Raya has throughout the movie, until it is openly challenged by Namaari during the climax. Raya is comfortable in an "us versus them" mindset; it rids her of blame and responsibility for her actions, her role in problems. She, like Namaari, chooses to believe that everyone else is to blame for her downfall, while excluding herself entirely from that equation.

It goes without saying that these characters are well-written. Their emotions, motivations, and actions are complex and whole. I could (clearly) write analysis for days about these two. But here's my point.

Romance is only a potential part of their relationship at the start, no more. It is budding at best, and not fully realized or invoked. It is not ever made explicit or agreed upon. And the foundations of trust between these two, for a massive portion of the movie, are severely damaged. Any intimacy they had as children is put on hold, if not destroyed. They only trust each other as far as their blades reach, and as much as they've crossed paths during the six (6) year time-jump (enough to banter, manipulate each other, and predict each other's strategies to a degree), and and no further than that. Where they left off, they still have a connection, even while they don't trust each other with their deepest values. This foundation is clearly not enough for either of them to warrant a more intimate relationship, be it in the shade of romantic, queerplatonic, sexual, sensual, or otherwise. If it was enough, they would have done so already. Their closest intimacy is for the purpose of evading each other's attacks and maneuvers in order to get the upperhand. Their main goals are not each other, even though they both likely desire deeper connection, like they once had as kids. That childhood connection was genuine; no one is arguing otherwise.

But, by the climax of the movie, these two are not in a position of full, deep trust and connection. At the climax of the movie, when the Gem has finally been restored, their relationship is effectively back at the beginning, right where they left off as kids: budding and new, unsure yet hopeful, and with initial chemistry. That may read as potential romance, potential queerplatonics, potential you-name-it. But it is still potential, not active, not existent in the moment. They still have work to do in terms of building a deep relationship. Trust is a first step — one of many, many more steps. They're still working on the friendship and trust by the end — they just reunited as peoples from different lands, and as old ex-friends. They're relearning to see other lands as friends and not enemies, and that includes the way they see each other. They've come a long way, no doubt, and they still have a long way to go before they're remotely deep friends with established trust. They're effectively rebuilding that damaged trust by the end of the movie.

I mean, seriously. Expecting a full on romantic relationship, or even the explicit beginning of one is a massive stretch. Like, did you watch the movie? They have a lot of things to work through and talk about together! I don't care that they worked together and sacrificed themselves to save the world together. That's step one. Step one going well does not equal the kind of deep intimacy seen in romantic, queerplatonic, or deep platonic relationships, especially not the kind of romance that some audience members expressed they wanted to see from the movie. Did we forget that a genuine, hurtful betrayal happened? Did we forget that a betrayal happened very early on in the relationship? That sort of behavior doesn't scream "healthy relationship," and Raya and Namaari's subsequent reactions to said betrayal and following said event don't scream "consent to intimacy." Like, sure, they were both kids when it happened, especially Namaari, who was partially manipulated into that betrayal. But being young doesn't dilute or negate any of the very real trauma and pain felt by either of them, nor does it take away autonomy and responsibility for actions. She may have been manipulated and taught an incomplete view of the world, but Namaari also made that choice to betray Raya herself, no matter how mis- or un-informed she was about the world at the time. She still made a decision that hurt Raya, and in the process a lot of others. That can't be glossed over if we're talking about the formation of genuinely deep bonds. If the movie had made Raya and Namaari explicitly a couple of any kind, I strongly believe that any romantic, queerplatonic, or any other type of intimate social behavior would have made their relationship and conflict-resolution come across as forced, rushed, inauthentic, and unearned. Gestures of romantic intimacy especially tend to imply (in narratives that want to portray a healthy romantic relationship) a sense of depth, bond, and trust that is developed over long periods of time, marked by continuous and explicit efforts toward mutual trust. Raya and Namaari might have cultivated genuine trust for each other, but they lack a history of that trust that would realistically allow for a believable and genuine romantic/queerplatonic relationship at the level of harmony most "romance-lacking" audience-complaints demand. Raya and Namaari are not at that point yet. Rushing them there doesn't make that bond authentic, nor does it create healthy and realistic queer representation, much less healthy romantic/queerplatonic/intimate representation in general. Furthermore, rushing that sort of thing on-screen and portraying it as perfectly healthy perpetuates pre-existing, unrealistic, and unhealthy ideals of romance, human intimacy in general, and amatonormativity. Preliminary trust is not enough to give someone access to you in totality. We shouldn't portray that idea to kids, and this movie is careful not to. Trust is an ongoing process, and teaching kids that intimacy is developed over time and through consistent respect and communication is paramount. I seriously wish this movie had existed when I was a kid. I wish I had learned what this movie teaches. Romance isn't the answer to everything; it's not the highest form of love; and it's not the highest form of queer representation either. The highest form of love is the kind that is genuine and realistic and respectful.

Plus, on the subject of amatonormativity, I want to restress that queerness is not defined by romance. No one is made queer by their queer relationships, or even their visibly queer relationships. No one is suddenly not queer when they're single. Raya and Namaari can still be queer representation without ever having a romantic, sexual, or even queerplatonic relationship. Does Disney still have a record of cisheteronormative-flavored cowardice towards positively portraying explicitly queer people on screen? Absolutely. But I also don't think the answer to cisheteronormative amatonormativity is queer amatonormativity. Queer people are still queer, regardless of their relationship status, and especially regardless of their romantic orientation. Queer people are queer by virtue of existing.

TL;DR:

This should be more than clear: I'm of the strong opinion that both Raya and Namaari are queer. I don't think any of my regular readership will disagree. But forcing a romance (or any sort of deeper, unearned intimacy) onto this particular relationship and narrative only has the capacity to muddy and ruin this valuable and beautiful storyline and it's themes. Such a careless choice perpetuates some very harmful and prejudiced cultural norms regarding love and it's expression, and such a choice runs the risk of directly teaching children to view the world — to view their relationships — in a limiting, destructive, and isolating way.

I wouldn't change any part of the way this movie portrays Raya and Namaari's relationship. Every ounce of their interactions: from their words to their body language, facial expressions to actions, motivations to desires, conflict to resolution — they all make sense and are fully earned in this movie.

Yes, they'd look super cute together. Yes, it would likely be super cathartic for my gay little heart to see them kiss. Yes, they have the chemistry and potential for really meaningful and fulfilling growth and intimacy down the line. That is kind of the entire message of of the movie: potential; growth seen as a process made up of steps, the first being the catalyst towards making that potential a reality.

Raya and Namaari are a queer-coded microcosm for the rest of their world. They are one of many microcosms teaching a lesson about the importance of valuing and developing communal, cross-border trust.

Please stop yelling at Disney to make them kiss. They're together in a way that matters just as much, and they're together in a way that, for once, doesn't make romance the highest and truest form of intimacy. Write your fanfiction, enjoy them as a pairing, write letters to Disney and tell them we deserve explicit and normalized queer representation (because we do). Do what you wish, and do what makes you happy! Enjoy your queer pairings! I encourage you! I implore you!

But please, please, please don't discount the importance, validity, and power of the connection they do have. This connection is no less intimate and no less important than romance, sex, or anything else. They don't need romance to be queer, and they don't need any label at all to be a beautiful, realistic, and healthy portrayal of human relationships, queer or not.

And for the record, they are very, very gay, and nobody, not even Disney, can change my mind.

[moon-spirit-yue]

Okay so one of my many ratld headcanons is that after the gem broke Raya stayed in Heart all by herself for like three years and used the prosperous land to eat, drink, and train so that she would be strong enough to find a solution for her ba being turned to stone. Naturally, a lot of people would try to get some of Heart’s resources since the place was abandoned (or so they thought). So now I imagine 12 year old Raya terrorizing anyone that tried to take things from Heart and spread rumors that Druun took over so that no one tried to go to Heart and she totally succeeded.

Fang soldier: cmon let’s take all this jade quick- *sudden screeching*

Different Fang soldier: hey man what’s going on- *is cut off by getting caught in a trap*

Raya: *is pretending to be an ancient monster to scare off the soldiers*

Fang soldiers: *running away while sobbing*

Raya: nice work Tuk Tuk gimme some shell