#baroksfacescar ask

[van-zieksy]

So, a post I saw about wine barrels reminded me of something I've been contemplating and I would love to see your opinion on it. If things were different and Barok's life had never fallen apart (his family is still alive, no one calls him the Reaper, etc.) do you think he would still have all those wine barrels in his office? Or were those a result of his grief and need to control something in this life? Would something else take their place? I'm curious to know your thoughts!

Hello baroksfacescar,

It’s always good to hear from my favourite scar in the world. ;-)

Lord Barok van Zieks is a very meticulous person, or as others who try to tease him – like Kazuma or Iris – prefer to call it: anal. Rearranging the wine barrels in his office is just something he does because it’s exactly as Kazuma says: he hasn’t found the perfect way to arrange them yet (and he probably never will, because there simply is no perfect system). Why does Barok even care so much about such a seemingly minuscule matter? We first need to reflect on who Barok is in order to answer this question.

Barok is ten years younger than Klint, which is a pretty significant age gap. As a result, even when Barok was just a child, he has lived in the shadows of his big brother – the heir to the Van Zieks estate – who had already accomplished so much in life because he had age on his side. Young Barok has been a wonderful person in his own right, but he was too focused on Klint to see it. The result was that he subconsciously searched for something that he could excel at. Something that needed him. Something that wouldn’t be able to thrive without him. Barok is also a lover of all things beautiful. He’s always perfectly dressed, with lots of attention to ornaments and intricate details. He carries himself with dignity, every movement, every gesture carefully orchestrated. His office is neatly arranged; everything has its place. Even the bats have their own designated area, which they are only allowed to leave when heading out for the night to do their batsy, nocturnal things.

When our young lord was introduced to his family’s vineyards, it became love at first sight. Here he had found something that would not only complement his meticulous, perfectionist nature, it was also something that would allow him to tweak it to his own liking and turn it into something truly beautiful. The vineyards provided him with the peace and the serenity the hectic life in London full of social obligations could not offer him. He didn’t mind socialising, but he always preferred being alone with his thoughts, which is also why he’s well-read. He went on to compose his own fine wine brand and found an artisan who would create his gorgeous chalices. Had his family not owned vineyards, it’s quite possible that his passion would have turned out to be something entirely different.

After his family’s death, Barok turned to wine as a safe haven. When he’s alone in his manor, he sometimes drinks more than he should, sadly. Even in court, where he fills his chalices up to seven times, he sometimes overindulges himself (unless one of the defence attorneys is not doing their job properly, then he tends to crush them instead). But alcohol just doesn’t affect him anymore; he’s so used to it. He tries to re-live those moments of tranquility from a long gone past, but of course they will never return. Yet every time he finds himself strolling through his vineyards, hand-picking his own grapes for his special creations, he is able to regain at least some of his strength.

Due to his very particular nature and issues with trust, London’s famed prosecutor would never entrust anyone else with the task of arranging his barrels. What if someone did something unsavoury to them, maybe even tried to inflict harm on him (as has happened before when he was poisoned)? Something so precious is only allowed to be touched by him. Re-arranging them is his way of meditating after a hard day at the Old Bailey. He keeps some of the barrels in his office so he has access to them while at work and because it allows him to unwind before returning home to his big, lonely manor. A headcanon of mine is that he even neatly arranged his own books in his own grand library at home. Yes, he even rearranges them every so often because how does one properly arrange books? By alphabet, by author, by genre, by year of release…? It’s a never-ending task.

Barok would drink less had his life turned out differently, but he would still be as anal, ehm meticulous, about his wine and arrange his own things. The only difference between Barok pre-trauma and present-day Barok is that the arranging of his barrels affords him the chance to momentarily forget about some of the sadness that is plaguing him. What’s more concerning to me is that this man is able to lift approximately 270kg – or 600lbs – all by himself. He claims to be no demigod, but something just doesn’t seem right about that. No wonder he’s an Adonis.

With my kindest regards,

Zieksy

[kajira-kreations]

Hiya, so one of my pals over on @drawn-with-passion have me as a volunteer to do a get-to-know-me post in which they were got tagged at by @van-zieksy (hope you don't mind).

Here's a get-to-know-me post:

1. Favorite Color:

Royal purple 💜

2. Currently reading 📚

@baroksfacescar's newest fanfic, "Beauty in Every Kind"

3. Last song I listened to 🎶

Disco Dad by Landon Burch

I recently got hooked on the Future Funk genre after listening to some Daft Punk tribute mix last year. It was up on my recommendation on YouTube and I just happened to stumbled upon it! I eventually got hooked! If you love a fusion of EDM with a hint of Japanese oldies funk, this is the genre for you!

⭐ Fave Future Funk artists are: Night Tempo, Macross 82-99, Mikazuki BIG WAVE, Desired, Vantage, AnTgry, and Sui Uzi

4. Last series I've watched 📺

The newest episode of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series!

Yes, I love love LOOOOOVE Star Wars!!! ❤️

I didn't like the series at first growing up cuz I thought it was such a nerdy franchise even my brother's and cousins try to get me into it...until I got hooked on an episode of Star Wars The Clone Wars in 2012, and the rest is history.

5. Last movie I've watched 🎞️🍿

White Snake 🤍 🐍

I'm not a movie watcher as much anymore...but I just have to give this a go! I also love the Wuxia genre and donghua (MDZS, SVSSS, Thousand Autumns, and Legend of Exorcism)

Yes, I'm aware about the Netflix sequel, Green Snake, but I still haven't seen that yet! But hopefully will later.

6. 😋 Cravings at the Moment 😋

Nothing at the moment...I already had my fill of burgers and fries awhile ago.

7. Currently Working On 🎨

- As some of might know (or not), I'm also a fan of Transformers. I am currently working on a Miko Nakadai fanzine. I'm just starting off by designing logos and banners for the zine's social media pages.

The zine has a Tumblr for now: @tfp-miko-zine

- Aside from that, a rather large fanart of Clone Force 99 from Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Will post the piece soon as well as some prints for my shop and some process pics. It's my first time drawing the crew together and a huge group illustration OMG LOL

- And a personal painting that is kinda overdue that I'm supposed to create for my former boss.

I'm gonna taaaaag:

@baroksfacescar 🍷

Okie-dokie! That is all for now!!!

Don't be afraid to ask me some Q's too and I'll do the best of my ability to respond!