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shinjisdone · 6 days ago

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Having Barok van Zieks be fond of you means...

[okay, so I bought TGAAC and TGAAC2 like, late spring and finished it in September and the WAY that this totally mentally okay gentleman has been living in my mind and popping in again and again like - HE IS BECOMING A PART OF MY FRONTAL LOBE, HE KEEPS COMING IN AND TAKING OVER MY MIND

so before the end of the year comes, have my brainrot because character ai is not enough anymore - GO PLAY TGAAC]

SPOILERS FOR TGAAC AND TGAAC 2 - brainrot in no order whatsoever

...having a cold Reaper be near - unwantingly so. Whether it is through glimpses of him in the streets of London, to be on the witnesses' stand in court or to work with him in the Prosecutor's office. The man is like a cold spot in a room but ever so...harmless. He means to come off as harmless, not neccesarily friendly but he wants to let you know that he doesn't...dislike you. There is no need to fear, the Reaper of the Bailey is not out to get you. He himself does not have any control over this curse...yet still, he keeps his distance in a way. Not rejecting you but keeping conversations brief and productive. Greetings ever so gentlemanly but never that of a friend. Barok fears what might happen if gets too close...

...he still wishes for your companionship, however. It's hard to stay away but he knows he must. There is a bit of relief if you are not someone who will or has been prosecuted by him but its not enough to suppress his fears. If he does get too close...you might die. Be affected by his curse and begone from this earth. He cannot let that happen. Barok only hopes you will not misunderstand his distance as hatred. It's far from it.

...if he, however, came to the truth of the Reaper, of his part of the decade-long play, he feels so much more at ease knowing he does not need to keep you at bay. It also helps if you have known each other for years and nothing has happened...as of yet. It means you are safe and while that is his first priority, he does indulge in the thought of being...closer to you. Barok van Zieks finally finding a connection with another...its sounds like a dream.

...you do get the priviledge of his protection as a highly respected (and feared) prosecutor. Any colleagues having a problem with you or you not getting something that rightfully belongs to you, he can have a quick talk to this other lawyer, secretary or inspector from Scotland Yard to respect the law, justice AND you and finally do the courtesy of their job. All it needs are some stern words and they bend over backwards for him. Barok will then inform you that all is handled - no need to question of how he did it or if it was hard (certainly it wasn't) simply take what you earned.

...not only getting protected by other lawyers but also from the common, everyday folk. Barok is scary - if it isn't for his power, then it is because he is a noble. And if it isn't that, then it is because of his reputation as the Reaper of the Bailey. And if it isn't that, then it is just for the scary look in his eyes. He knows he makes people tremble so all you need to do is call him over and he will be there, striding forward in his usual gait and looking down on whoever decided to mess with you. He will be especially aggrivated if some bafoon troubled a lady. Does this fool not have any class?

...Barok is also generally very protective. He has lost many, his entire family and if you are now so close to his heart...then well, he does get overprotective. Insisting on accompanying you everywhere, bringing his sword with him (and not forgetting his revolver again!), getting you a carriage and paying a very generous sum in order to have you be brought straight home without anyone else enter the cabin. Who knows who might enter and be in a closed off space with you when London has so many criminals? No, he won't let that happen. Barok will not lose you too and is adamant on keeping you safe as long as he gets a say in it.

...he does play the part of a gentleman very well - so well that it is hard to see his antics as 'overprotective'. He offers his arm to you when out in town, walks on the outer side of a sidewalk or staircase to keep you safe and balanced, gets between you and a stranger, helps you off a carriage, shelters you with his very expensive umbrella while getting a part of himself wet and so much more. Barok is a noble so all of this is second-nature but he also wishes to not be anything less to you. You are...precious and therefore deserve to be treated with respect and be spoiled. So its also natural for him to bow with every greeting and farewell you share, to lend you his coat in cool winters, to open and hold doors, shield you in the rain even as he gets wet to the bones. He also does not mind kissing a lady's hand though it does fluster him ever so slightly.

...he shares things with you. Trivial information about him are scarce in the beginning but as time goes on, he is fine on answering any question you have about him. He even tells you more and no longer gives short, stoic answers! It's not that he is shy...he hesitates. Having someone close is dangerous and even as the truth is revealed and he feels safer to have someone be close, Barok is not used to have someone like that. He especially hesitates about telling stories of his childhood. His family consisted only of his brother, after all.

...he shares his treasures - and by that I mean his wine. Since this act is so unusual for him to do, the great and terrifying Reaper sharing a droplet of his hallowed chalice's blood wine, it is the ULTIMATE sign that he is at least, quite, quite, quiiiiiite fond of you. He'd casually ask you one day if you'd like a glass as well as he is pouring one himself. The taste is divine and too superiour for your common folk taste buds. Additionally, he shares everyday consumption items (tea, pastries, biscuits, etc.) with you no problem. All of them are of the highest quality and it is baffling every time you taste them. In what fortune is this guy swimming in to afford such good food?! You're eating like royalty here and this is daily bread for him?! However, Barok admits that seeing you so flabbergasted at the sight and smells of his every day items is more than amusing. He hides a smirk, lets chuckles escape here and there and might tease you for a bit. Never maliciously of course. It's just...fun to see you so flustered.

...Barok has no problem to spare small fortunes for you. No matter if it is for accomadations, needs or even gifts. If you need a ride home, he will pay for a carriage. Haven't eaten yet? Do join him for lunch. He likes that one fancy restaurant and their steaks quite a bit. He sees you with a bent umbrella and a few holes on it? What on earth - hold on, just wait here. Allow him to share his umbrella with you as you go straight to a shop to get you a better, bigger and newer one. You can't be walking like this in London and its often moody weather. He will never ask for repayment but if you do insist, he is fine with getting payback through other transactional means. (No, not like that) Want to express your gratitude for the umbrella? Finish a report for him if you please. You admit you can't cover the cost for a fancy meal? Just eat each crumb off your plate and he is happy. The carriage rides' prices has increased and getting on is a luxury for you now? Ridicilous, just make sure to go straight home and not to dilly-dally. He paid for you to get home safe, after all.

...he enjoys getting you gifts - but rather subtle ones. Useful tools are his go-to. Any other fancy and sentimental item could be...obvious for his affections of you. He is a cold man with a colder reputation but equally shy. He would not know what to do with the stares and questions from all around him if they saw the Reaper handing out flowers or chocolate or jewelry to the one person he cares for...quite a bit. So, any tool that you need and might come in handy are something he keeps in mind. Barok is a good listener and keeps little info dumps from you in the back of his mind. A high-quality pen with ink that dries quickly - you won't get any smudges this way anymore. Or how about gloves that actually keep you warm in winter? Yes, it may be tailored specifically for you and the material is pricey but still, do not pay it any mind. It gets tricky and risky if the gifts go into the direction of coats or shoes, items for your hobby and such. It means he cares, cares very deeply for your well-being to be safe and healthy and warm in this foggy town and he cares deeply about your happiness that he just gets you something to add to your joy. Anyone else will immediately raise a brow at this suspicious behaviour and Barok is in no mood to deal with any of it.

...he ends up slipping and calling you by a pet name. Never, ever has the Reaper of the Bailey ever made such a grave mistake. It just slipped off his lips, rolled down his tongue and he noticed only too late. He tries to play it off, be cool, collected and calm as always but he will end up thinking about well into the night. It's such hard proof for his fondess of you that it could be used in court, used against him. There's no denying anymore and if you do question him, ask him what he means - he cannot deny it. Barok cannot lie to you. You, who has...wormed your way into his dead heart someway, somehow and he cannot even be mad at it, as vexing as it is. Of course, he cannot ever tell the truth but will ask if it bothers you. If yes, he will return to using your usual name with the slightest hint of disappointment. If not, then he will be caught off guard and reaffirm, again just to be sure, if he then keep calling you that. It's...oddly relieving that he can...indulge in his affections for you even by simply calling something different. Something that fits the person he sees with his own eyes.

...the pet names do not vary though. In the beginning he was polite but distant by using your last name with the usual formalities. After considering you a good friend does he use your first name. But Barok is old-fashioned and has never had anyone else be so close to him again since ten years, so he sticks to the things that come naturally to him, the first thing that comes to his mind. 'My dear', or just 'dear', come to mind and are the safest and most direct way for him to put his feelings into words. The most he'd go (and that is a dangerous territory!) is 'my dearest' - its symbolizing you as the closest person he has and that is...heart-racing as well as nerve-wrecking. He cannot do that, let alone go so far as calling you 'love'. Many use it the term affectionally but platonically, but it is still too damn close for him. Too powerful of a word for his heart to handle. Either simple terms or calling you by your name.

...Barok shows his affections through stiff actions. The most he'd go with his words are his terms of endearment and maybe reaffirming how important your bond is to him, but that is it. Gentlemanly actions are expected of him as one of noble blood, so he does not link them to his affection for you. Neither does he hold your hand when you do not need to be guided or embrace you simply because he wants to. It's inproper and why would he do such a thing anyway? Him, Barok van Zieks, being so...soft? But if you introduce him to it, then, well, he has no choice but to accept them, no? If you ask him to hold your hand because you are in need of support or to feel less alone, then he will hesitate - his gaze drifts elsewhere briefly - before he ever so gently takes it. Barok holds it without much force, will not squeeze it but will do as asked of him. The last thing he wants is for you to believe he wouldn't go miles and miles of hell for you but all these actions are slightly unfamiliar and more uncertain for him. The closeness is flustering but he is more so worried he might do something wrong.

...his hugs are tender and unsure, his eyes avoid you, and he holds his breath. If you wish to be held, he will do so. If you want a shoulder to cry on, he will always be there. Any troubles you might have, he will listen and find solutions. But he is ever so uncertain if he can...make you feel safe. Protected, happy, cared for, loved. These worries are the first things he thinks about and the closeness and what it could mean, second. But with the way you might feel, the warmth emitting from you, your scent, the way you look at him, the way you smile, the way you say his name, it might break him. It all feels so loving and warm and wonderful and he does not know what to do. Is he allowed to bask in this? In you? May he go so far and just...accept all of this, no matter how scary it is? Everything of it he enjoys and it comforts him but it is all so terrifying and the last thing he ever wants, the last thing he could ever wish for, is for everything to go wrong and for him to lose you, too. Will it happen if he just lets himself be as fond of you as he wants?