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Language:
English
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Published:
2025-04-13
Words:
477
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1/1
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4
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Garbled

Summary:

To have one's name upon your Vital Instrument was a testament of many things: the level of connection, of strength, of trust, of pride. To not have it meant many more: distrust, resentment, lack of acquaintance, a lack of self-actualization, even a way to limit one's potential.

So Zanka had not paid it much thought when Jabber's claws held no name. In retrospect, he had been a fool for carelessly dismissing it.

(Zanka doesn't allow himself to ponder over the garbled name emblazoned over his Lovely Assistaff.)

// Set during Zanka and Jabber's fight inside the Trash Beast.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Zanka wasn't stupid. He knew that writing your name upon your Vital Instrument brought out its potential to its fullest— cemented it as an extension of yourself. Has seen the potential Rudo brings in the objects he touches, each with an engraving of his name. The process itself is not something physical, it is more of the acceptance of one another, the merging of ugly truths and honest outlooks. Of leaving each other bare for the world to see, unrestrained.

 

(Zanka doesn't allow himself to ponder over his own Vital Instrument, of the garbled name emblazoned over his Lovely Assistaff.)

 

Stupidly, naively, he hadn't thought much about Jabber Wonger's Vital Instrument— the man was deranged, simple as that, so Zanka had thought the lack of name in his claws was simply the lack of shared experience and growth, a disconnect to its Instrument as he seemed to have with sanity.

 

A touch of his claws and you'd become a victim to his toxin. Zanka had promised himself he would not fall for it again. As always, he pushed himself to be better; he thought he had figured it out. Stupidly, naively, he thought he could take on Jabber with his newfound experience. Was confident he could stand up to the man's sharp claws. Even with the new tricks Jabber had revealed, attempting to strike Zanka by flinging the corrosive toxins, Zanka thought he could win, saw it as a tangible thing.

 

He had been a fool. Had inadvertently underestimated Jabber's potential. But someone with a fighting style as reckless and violent as Jabber did not survive this far on pure luck. He should have known better.

 

When Jabber springs out from the rubble, invigorated by the thought of finally being able to fight for real, his name is displayed on the surface of his Vital Instrument, now let loose of its restrains and allowed to unveil its real power.

 

(Zanka doesn't allow himself to think of his Vital Instrument, of the ropes that wrap around where pole meets fork. He doesn't think of the garbled name, or the dull bumps in the inside of the forks that are harmless.)

 

The Raider coaxes him, urges him to reciprocate the motion, encourages him to stop holding back.

 

(It's not that simple. He wishes it were. It's not that easy.)

 

Zanka is just an average joe. Just a man with a stick. And with just that, he would make sure to put up a fight, would make sure to match Jabber's genius.

 

Zanka is just an ordinary man —just like his stick, just like his talent, just like his Vital Instrument.

 

Now more than ever, he is aware that this was a death or life situation. He launches himself back into battle with all his might.

 

(He doesn't stop to ponder over the garbled name displayed on his Lovely Assistaff.)

Notes:

At this point these are all ramblings fueled by my brain's obsession and me chasing my own thoughts through the veil that is exhaustion (been sacrificing some sleep to write... no bueno after a loooong day)... oh well ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ ).

My headcanon, now after this up here is that... Yeah, you know what. Riyo and Zanka's instrument are similar to Jabber's more compact claws. but, perhaps, not so much as a willing thing as Jabber is, but more of something intrinsic/extrinsic, given by the names I am not able to read as clear as with other Instruments (skill issue, maybe hahaha). I really do think that Zanka still has not shown his hand entirely (all of this fueled by Jabber's expressed interest in him, mind you). Zanka's Jinki also has me squinting my eyes in disbelief because yeah, sure, it's a sasumata and maybe the sharp spikes are pointed outside instead of outward because Zanka doesn't want to hurt people, much like Riyo was holding back(?) when fighting Noerde. But we are shown that it can hurt that which it holds between the 2 prongs. So anyway, imma stop rambling in lieu of catching some zZzZz.

Hope you enjoyed! one day I will break free of the "No dialogue" tag, I swear (｡•́‿ •̀｡).