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zomboivex · 4 months ago

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Vexting’s Official (Unofficial) Tier-List of the TKD Cast

I’ll break down my reasonings below the cut.

S-Tier

For me, these are characters that steal the scene whenever they’re in it, for me. I live, breathe, and eat this character up.

Rui Mizuki - is it really a surprise that Rui is at the very top? He has stolen my heart the first time I laid my eyes upon him. There’s something about a blond man that has ties to a deadly touch that just gets me (hello Prosciutto). But- in all honesty, I just love how deep and complex he feels, to me. He’s profoundly tragic all while masking it with an air of being overly friendly and helpful. I could honestly write an entire dissertation of this character (and I plan to). But I’ll save that for another day.

Leo Kurosagi - A polarizing character for many. I do think he gets a lot of hate compared to other equally offending characters. But aside from that, I really actually enjoy Leo. Sure, he’s an ass at times. But he really strikes me as someone who is so deeply insecure but refusing to let others know any of his weaknesses so he comes across as an asshole. He DOES do assholeish things. He reminds me a lot of younger me, as well. So biased. And yeah- I was a shit person. But growth, ya know? Anyways. Leo does have redeeming qualities. He does try to help Alan and look out for him (when he refuses to give the original copy of the case file but made a copy to give) as well as trying to make sure Tohma doesn’t take advantage of him. Not to mention making a literal app for Sho’s food truck. He DOES care. He shows it in his own way. And yeah, he’s a prick. But ya know- I just don’t see him as the worst offender (‘realistic’ or not).

Ren Shiranami - Ren is unironically fucking FUNNY. Dude is trapped in a clown world. Forced to wear the most atrocious outfits while trying to just keep to himself. He’s really trying to keep out of things and I love that for him. Also his SSR standard is my favorite standard. And he’s beyond expressive. I just love this guy.

A-Tier

This category are characters I greatly enjoy for one reason or another. They don’t quite make the cut into the S rank for one flaw or other. But, they’re still pretty solid in my eyes.

Ed Hart - He fucking cracks me up. I’m not into the whole vampire trope thing but he subverted my expectations by being the most cringe crackpot theorist I’ve ever laid eyes upon. I adore and despise him at the same time. He’s only not higher simply because it’s Ed. He just- can’t go any higher.

Yuri Isami - This newest chapter really bumped him up to top 5 territory for me. I love me an overconfident guy who’s clearly overcompensating. I won’t say anything else. But iykyk. He really shot up from like C-Tier to A-Tier.

Haru Sagara - Haru is fucking hilarious and he bounces well off of Ren. He zips about and is unapologetically a nuisance to all. Though, sorry Haru, you stay in A-Tier because you do have a few things that kinda make me go ‘hmmmmm’ for a second. And I can’t put my finger on why, just yet.

Ritsu Shinjo - One-track minded and really stuck in a single line of thinking. He’s hilariously wrong and doesn’t even realize it. I mean he’s not ALWAYS wrong, obviously. But- the fact that he’s so over-confident to the point of ignoring anything else anyone says kills me. A-Tier if only because of association with Taiga. And also his pretentious hand on chest pose that he has all the time in (most) of his cards. Get outta here ya failure.

B-Tier

These characters are one I feel positively towards but I don’t think too much on them. They’re ones that I do enjoy seeing but I don’t get beyond excited when they pop up. Still, it’s an enjoyable time, all the same.

Haku Kusanagi - I’m feeling positive about Haku but there’s still not enough there for me to push him up or down. I do like what I’m seeing, though. And I love his warding card with Rui. It’s hands down my favorite card in the entire game. In fact, I love his dynamic with Rui so far and I really hope we get to see more of them together. He’s- very similar to Rui, I feel. Only slightly different. But that’s a topic for another day.

Zenji Kotodama - Good god. First of all, he has the literal best SSR character card in the entire game. IYKYK. That shit EATS. In fact, Zenji EATS. He’s a fun character with enough tragedy to balance him out. I would feel so safe and included around Zenji and he’s honestly a great guy with killer fashion. I adore him. He’s only lower because I do want to see more of him. Truly. More dynamics. I want to hear what others thought of him before he passed.

Jiro Kirisaki - Jiro is growing on me and may see some upwards movement in the future. He’s interesting enough to keep me invested but doesn’t seem to also hog up screen time, either. He’s a solid balance of being there and present and impactful but also- not in your face about it. I am so curious about him. And because there’s a LOT of mystery there, I’m keeping him here for now. But I have a feeling he’ll see some upwards movement on this list.

Sho Haizano - Sho and I would 100% throw hands. But then we’d both laugh it off, I think. He’s a bit too passive for my liking. But I can respect a man with a good truck and passion for food. As a fellow food man, myself. Sho, you’re solid there. But wash that bandana, please. He’d be higher. But- again- his passive nature makes it hard for me to place him higher than he is.

Alan Mido - Alan is a comfortable character. He’s comfortably there. But the lack of information makes it hard to place him higher, for me. I do imagine he gives some of the best hugs, though. I feel like I need an Alan hug in my life. Truly.

C-Tier

Characters placed here are ones I feel a little indifferent towards or feel a bit annoyed if they’re on the screen (depending on the context). But they’re not irredeemable in my eyes. Just characters that I personally can’t rank higher at this time.

Kaito Fuji - Kaito, you have been ALL over this list, haven’t you? From A-Tier to D-Tier to slowly moving comfortably towards the middle. He has some amazing screen time. And has two really sick fucking cards. But the constant on-screen screaming KILLS him for me. I don’t mind the boy failure aspect. I think it has its charms. But I actually have to mute my game because of him.

Romeo Lucci - Romeo, you’re really only so low because of exposure exhaustion. You’re everywhere. He has his charms, for sure. I can see why he’s appealing to some. He cracks me the fuck up because he’s so exasperated. I’m just- also kinda sick of seeing his face is all. One day, I’m sure you’ll shoot up higher.

Jin Kamurai - Jin was solid D-Tier for a while for me but after doing my character study of him, he’s been slowly going up. I don’t care for his character trope. The cold/callous CEO(esque) son who actually has a soft spot for those he cares about. Ehhh not my type. He tries too hard to be hard and it’s- kinda lame. But- I also like this pathetic side of him that’s untrusting and afraid of being betrayed again. He has some interesting aspects so we’ll see where he winds up on this list in the future.

Lyca Colt - Lyca isn’t BAD. Per say. But I’m not a fan, at all, of his werewolf form. It just- looks stupid. It looks BAD. And I can appreciate that others like him. But that really took me out. In a negative way. Now. Lyca has some sweet traits about him. And I do teeter on liking him and hating him. So he has a chance.

Subaru Kagami - I do not trust this fucker at all. I would hate him in real life, too. He sets off alarms in my head. I know he’s an actor and it’s not really a surprise that he’s putting on an act. But something about him makes me feel physically nauseous. He’s not in D-Tier if only because he does have some nice interactions and I bet he’s a pretty crier.

D-Tier

If I placed a character here, it’s because there’s just something I greatly dislike about this character. It is a personal opinion. I don’t hate them. But until the game gives me a reason to move them up, they remain here.

Tohma Ishibashi - I can see the appeal of him to others. But he comes across as so slimy. I also just cannot take anyone serious who has their monocle pierced to their fucking ear. Or even just wears a monocle. Okay cartoon ass villain.

Lucas Errant - Stale bread. He’s the ‘safe’ option. And- again, I see why people see the appeal in him. He has cute moments. But I just find him to be a scene drainer. Anytime he’s on screen I suddenly feel myself losing interest in the game.

Towa Otonashi - Towa is interesting. I’ll give him that. But he also comes across as the type to really idealize what romance is. He just gives me major ick vibes. I do look forward to learning more about him, though. And he is very cute. It’s just that personality kinda kills it for me. Anyone who has an idealized version of someone else instead of seeing them as a person with flaws feels extremely just….. gross to me.

Taiga Hoshibami - I understand why people like him. People like unhinged bad boys who give no fucks. And good for them. Not my cup of tea. But my biggest issue with Taiga is exposure exhaustion. I’m so fucking sick of seeing his face to the point that every time I do see him I roll my eyes and find my mood instantly decrease. They better do something actually interesting with him soon because I’m really getting sick of him.

#tokyo debunker #tdb #tkdb #literally this is just my opinion #vexisshootingtheshit

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weirdowithaquill · 10 months ago

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Let's Talk About Rebecca:

Well, I said we needed to talk about Rebecca, and here we are.

To begin with, I would like to preface this with a simple disclaimer: I am in no way telling people to like or dislike the version of Rebecca found in BWBA, but instead looking into what caused such a deep disdain for this character, one that lasted long after Henry had been departed and was fuelled not by her position as a ‘replacement’, but rather by the series itself. This is not a dissertation on why Henry is a stronger character and why Rebecca should never have been introduced - that is counterproductive and, in some ways, false. This is instead something adjacent to an essay in which I will focus on how Rebecca’s flawed introduction, characterisation and tenure in the series both represents the BWBA era as a whole, but also what led to her being notably absent from All Engines Go, the reboot of Thomas and Friends. This will be followed by me attempting to redesign her characterisation and create an alternate version of Rebecca, one which in my opinion would have done far better for herself in the series.

Part 1: Who is Rebecca, and Why Her Characterisation Doesn't Work:

According to the former official Thomas and Friends website, Rebecca is: “...a very cheerful and happy engine. She is painted a sunshine yellow which reflects her positive outlook on life. Rebecca always sees the best in others and enjoys helping everyone around her feel good about themselves. Despite her warm nature, Rebecca is not afraid to stand up for herself or her friends. She is a big, strong tender engine who is not intimidated by the more experienced engines on the railway. Rebecca is the number 22 engine.”

Already, there is a major issue here: her characterisation is a strange amalgamation of others, who could probably just as easily take on her roles without really breaking any of the episodes she is in. “Cheerful and happy” are characteristics held by Ryan, Stanley, Whiff, Thomas, Percy, Edward, Mavis, Peter Sam; the list goes on. There are already far too many engines whose main qualities are cheerful and happy. She is painted yellow - like Molly and Flora were, or if we go further back, like Jock, Pip and Emma were. “Sees the best in others” was once upon a time a quality unique to Edward, as well as Salty. “Enjoys helping everyone around her feel good about themselves” sounds way too close to what Emily has become in the series, without mentioning the evolutions of Mavis’ character or Rocky’s character. If we add in her clumsiness and shyness, we get Kevin and Molly respectively - and Kevin is also yellow! She isn’t intimidated nor does she have any trouble at all with fending off engines who want to be mean to her. She isn’t unique here either: Duck did this when he first arrived, and he had a much bigger and more notable impact because of how he acted when confronted with the big engines' attitudes. What all this really means is that Rebecca has already finished a character arc at some point in the past and does not need to grow further.

And here we reach the crux of the problem with Rebecca in BWBA: she has nowhere for her character to grow into - something all the other main characters have done decades ago. This is especially problematic at this late stage in the show; Thomas & Friends has been running since 1984, and almost every character they pair Rebecca up with has had an exceptionally long time to bed themselves in and grow into the space they occupy. For Rebecca to compete, and truly qualify for her status as a main character, her character needs to make its own space - and importantly, make that space bigger than as many other characters as possible. This is a running problem in the TV series post Season 7, and something that really baked itself into the show by the time the series reached CGI: the characters do not develop. The Steam Team (bar Emily) hasn’t had any real, natural character developments since the Mitton era - not any sustained over multiple seasons, at least. If we go back to the Classic series - or further back to the Railway Series - we find that the very essence of Thomas is in its strong characters and their natural growth. Gordon grows into being more humble, Edward and Henry grow more confident in themselves, Thomas and Percy mature and (to some extent) learn their limits - the list goes on. There are characters that do not grow as much or remain the same, yes - but they still have some sort of character arc where the essence of them as a character is tested.

Rebecca does not undergo character growth in the series, and her character itself is not tested in any meaningful way. Instead, she is overused and underutilised - by which I mean, she appears constantly throughout the series but is given nothing to define her as being any different to any of the characters mentioned above. Worse yet, Rebecca’s leads are easily interchangeable with any other Steam Team member, and this further complicates her. Rebecca takes trucks perfectly - like Donald or Douglas would, or perhaps Edward? Rebecca is too fast and leaves passengers behind - like Peter Sam did to the refreshment lady. And when she causes all kinds of delay, is that not like James did way back in Series 3? And she’s tricked by Diesel… like almost every single engine in the entire series, going as far back as Gordon, Henry and James were in Series 2.

Would it have been better to divide Rebecca’s leads up and give other, more established engines more spotlight? Probably. Her personality is similar to a number of others, and her introduction is basically a mix and mash of older episodes - notably the eighth series episode, Thomas and the Tuba, the tenth series episode, Seeing the Sights, the first series episode, Thomas' Train, and the fourth series episode, Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady. This really doesn’t help to define her, especially when all fans think about when they watch the episode is what other, older episode it is most like. Her subsequent appearances do very little to endear her either, both due to the lack of effort put in by Mattel to ground Rebecca in the series and the low impact of the episodes she does star in. Characters like Oliver or Duke have had lasting impacts on the fandom despite their short tenures because their episodes have high impact. Duck is one of the most popular characters in the fandom of this show, despite having been a secondary character ever since Series 5, and being practically absent from the series between Series 8 and Series 16.

Rebecca also takes up a difficult spot as a replacement for Henry, which complicates her relationship with a large portion of the fandom, meaning a lot of her as a character is questioned in relation to what Henry would have done. While technically, Rebecca was slated as a replacement to Edward, her arrival coincides with Henry’s departure, and thus for the purposes of this, we will consider her to have taken the position Henry had, similarly to Nia and Edward. Whether or not Henry’s departure from the main cast is a bad thing is an issue unto itself, which dives into character assassination and to what extent the Henry seen in Season 21 is the same Henry seen in Season 1. In either case, Rebecca’s roles could have quite easily been filled by Henry or another standing character, and her characterisation is too similar to other, pre-existing characters to make her stand out amongst her costars and their longer, more notable characterisations and character growths.

Much of this is compounded by how Rebecca was introduced and integrated into the main cast, which is clearly seen when compared with another notable case of an engine joining the Steam Team after it had been first codified: Emily.

Part 2: Rebecca vs Emily - How to Introduce a Main Character:

Rebecca’s introduction is extremely underwhelming, especially for a Steam Team member. Thomas and Gordon shared the very first episode, Edward established himself as a foil to Gordon in his introduction and in Henry’s first appearance, he is bricked up in a tunnel in perhaps one of the series’ most infamous and iconic episodes. James makes his grand entrance by crashing into a field, Percy nearly gets destroyed by Gordon and Toby tugs on the viewer’s heartstrings as we watch him lose his entire livelihood. Moving forward several seasons, Emily’s introduction includes her saving another engine from a terrible accident - and then lastly, Nia gets an entire movie to embed her. Rebecca just bumbles about for ten minutes and takes the final shed at Tidmouth.

To make matters worse, Henry’s departure is equally low-intensity. Edward at least got a full episode; Henry got a single line, used to further Gordon’s character as opposed to finalising Henry’s arc and introducing Rebecca’s. And while Gordon’s character here is interesting and new and possibly the first real growth we’ve seen from any of the Steam Team since Henry, Toby and Percy regressed into children before CGI even began; it does nothing to create a satisfactory conclusion to Henry’s arc or properly build up Rebecca’s arrival. This ultimately undermines Rebecca’s position as a primary character in the series, where she has joined far too late in the series to make an impact without dedicated time and effort being put into her.

We are expected to accept that Rebecca has simply arrived and is now a main character by the show without any reasoning behind this. There is no connection between the viewer and Rebecca to justify this promotion to main character status, and it is telling. The writers don’t have anything new or unique to say about Rebecca either and it reflects in her episodes, which are remixes of old episodes or bland and unoriginal. This is especially painful in an era when so much of the writing is like this, bar the few episodes that really manage to break through the white noise. Ironically, two of the episodes that do really stand out have Edward and Toby as main characters respectively.

In contrast, Emily is very well introduced to her position and has a long, notable character arc that plays out across both the Classic and HiT eras to cement her as a main character before making her a permanent member of the Steam Team - a journey that endeared her to fans and helped to build her characterisation to make her unique and interesting. Emily is first introduced in Season 7, where she has a strong introductory story played out against Thomas where she steals Annie and Clarabel and then rescues Oliver from a nasty accident. I’m not entirely certain, but this might be the first time that an engine takes Annie and Clarabel without asking - prior to this, Percy and Duck both got permission or it wasn’t mentioned. And after this episode, Emily does not immediately move into Tidmouth Sheds - she remains at Knapford, despite having further notable appearances across the rest of the season.

What is made apparent in Season 7 is her characterisation. Emily is brave and bossy, but kind-hearted. She doesn’t headline constantly either, instead playing off other characters and rolling into the background when needed. She slots naturally into a secondary role in this season and feels like an engine who belongs on the NWR. Season 7 introduces Emily to viewers and gives her characterisation to back up her unique appearance. Season 8 continued this trend, building on her more and pairing her up with different engines to settle her comfortably into being a proper presence on the island - notice how it’s an evolution over two seasons? By Calling All Engines, Emily is a main character by virtue of her cementing herself into the cast, and her berth at Tidmouth feels like a natural progression of her story, firmly planting Emily as a Steam Team member. By Season 11, she is being used as a primary character to bounce newbies like Whiff off of!

When considering Emily and Rebecca, two takeaways make themselves known: firstly, that characters need time and effort to be cemented in the story, especially when introduced long after most other central characters have had time to imbed themselves; and secondly that characters need strong, interesting differences when compared to those they share the screen with in order to fill unfilled positions. Emily is brave and bossy, giving her a unique style that makes her work great either as the protagonist or antagonist of a story. It gives her character flexibility - she can either be the engine that the protagonist is paired up with to learn something from or it can make her big-headed and in need of being taught a lesson of her own, one which she will - in her own way - try and pass on. We don’t meet someone with a truly bossy personality like Emily’s again until Bradford, and even then it isn’t the same. Bradford is used as a comedic character, whereas Emily’s bossiness was treated seriously.

In comparison, Rebecca’s characterisation causes her to fade where she needs to shine. By being given a personality that has already been used consistently in Thomas, she fails to have a lasting impact and the abruptness of her introduction and elevation to the Steam Team is jarring and gives older viewers no reason to be interested in her. When combining this with the few defining qualities she has, it is equally hard for Rebecca to intrigue new viewers, making her feel bland and unoriginal when compared to many of the characters she shares the screen with. Rebecca is asked to attempt and hold her own against characters who have been intentionally woven together by the series for decades - and as explained above, this is not an impossible feat. It is not an impossible feat in the CGI series either, as Hiro, Paxton and Marion have all managed to stand out in an era when characters very rarely got much character building beyond their introduction. Unfortunately, Rebecca is given none of the same care, and it is reflected in how little she is used. Despite appearing more often as the seasons continue, she gets fewer leads to the point where she has an equal number of leads to Toby in the final season.

Emily and Rebecca are two sides of the same coin in terms of introduction, both first appearing in an episode rather than a movie and then becoming members of the main cast - the difference is that where Rebecca was shunted in and thus the writers were unsure how to use her, Emily’s careful character-building and integration into the series ensured she would always have fans, something that is reflected in her being given a proper conclusion to her character arc in Series 24, where she is given the number twelve and thus immortalised in the same way that Thomas through to Oliver were.

Considering the above issues, it becomes quite clear that the potential best way to introduce Rebecca and have audiences become invested in her and her story is not to simply drop her into the series, but rather to build her up slowly, similarly to Emily - which was entirely possible and plausible.

Part 3: What Could Have Been:

If we assume that Mattel was fixated on Rebecca having her canon characterisation as well as the BWBA series, there is still an entirely plausible method that could naturally build her character into the main cast, though it is underpinned by the original intent of the showrunners to have her introduced in Series 21 and replace Edward:

In Series 21, Rebecca is introduced and shown to be clumsy but kind. In keeping with the original episode, she messes up the express and gets in trouble, however she then redeems herself by rescuing Gordon when he breaks down with the express. She is shown to be clumsy but kind, and gets the lead in a couple of episodes, as well as several minor roles. Preferably, she stars in at least one episode with Thomas specifically. At the same time, audiences are introduced to Henry’s dilemma surrounding whether or not he should sleep at Tidmouth - be it cause of the Kipper, arguments with Gordon, or whatever. This both places Rebecca into audiences’ minds while simultaneously opening up the question of whether or not Henry will remain at Tidmouth. Edward leaves, but the shed remains open - this is filled by Nia.

Continuing in this vein, in Series 22, Rebecca gets a couple more episodes than last season, specifically with both primary and notable secondary characters - I’m talking Duck, Oliver, Rosie, Daisy, Ryan - characters who are popular, relevant to the series and allows the series to cement her as a main addition to the cast. This is to cement her and give her plenty of characters to bounce off and develop relationships with. Meanwhile, Henry’s arc comes to a conclusion and Henry quits Tidmouth in the last episode of the season, leaving it open. This also allows the creators to build up Gordon’s reaction to Henry leaving, showing his struggle to adapt to Edward’s absence and his simmering disdain towards Nia for replacing Edward before the 23rd season.

Finally, in Series 23, Rebecca takes the empty berth at Tidmouth, replacing Henry and kickstarting an episode - or preferably two, but this is Mattel, so it is likely to be one - where Rebecca is forced to withstand the brunt of Gordon’s anger as he boils over, being compared to Henry before proving herself. This plants her firmly as a main character, while also potentially giving her a strong reason to become close friends with Nia - who also had to deal with Gordon’s stubbornness. Henry is given a proper farewell arc as well, allowing him to gracefully retire to his secondary character status.

By arranging Rebecca’s arrival over several seasons, she is given time to fall naturally into her position and role, developing slowly and making the connections with other characters needed to cement her position on the NWR before taking centre-stage. This would also help writers learn how to write her, creating a scenario where Rebecca has a real chance of taking off as a character and potentially even getting similar stories to Emily where she is the lead main character who is used to introduce new characters - like how Emily interacted with Whiff in the eleventh season. This would also help viewers to understand who Rebecca is and get comfortable with her presence in the show before being asked to accept her as a member of the Steam Team.

However, I still feel like her characterisation is weak in comparison to other Steam Team members - as mentioned previously, her clumsiness has been done by several characters including Kevin and Percy, who is a fellow Steam Team member. Her “Cheerful and Happy” characterisation has been used by far too many characters to count - including Percy, Peter Sam, Derek, Stanley and more recently Ryan - and not even her bright yellow paintwork makes her unique in terms of the series, seeing as Molly and Flora both had similarly bright shades of yellow for paintwork back in the model series. Moreover, her leads place her in relatively generic situations where other characters likely would have produced far more interesting plotlines, such as Molly easily pulling trucks despite being built for expresses or James trying to prove he can still pull the express and getting into trouble. Based on this, a complete overhaul of Rebecca’s characterisation is needed.

Part 4: How to Redevelop Rebecca as a Character:

When designing a Thomas and Friends character, one of the first things required is a real-life basis - and Rebecca was given a very interesting and unique basis that had the potential to give her very interesting stories. Rebecca is a Bulleid Light Pacific, in particular an unrebuilt West Country Class. These were strong, powerful mixed traffic Pacifics used by the Southern Railway from 1945 until 1967, giving them a lifetime of about 22 years. They were praised for their free steaming, excellent boilers, and had a number of notable innovations for British steam - including welded fireboxes and frames, as opposed to the traditional, riveted system. The class was also well-known for their availability, being able to pull trains on almost every line that the Southern Railway had.

In contrast, the class was also very famous for their flaws. Remember, Rebecca is an unrebuilt West Country Class, which had many of the same problems and flaws as their larger Merchant Navy Class relatives. These issues would plague the three Bulleid Pacific classes to such an extent that many of them were rebuilt by British Railways in the 1950s into a more conventional design which utilised the strengths of the class while altering or replacing many of the issues that Bulleid built into the engines as he used them as a testing bed for some of his more modern ideas. In particular, the major problems with the West Country Class were:

Adhesion problems: the lighter load on their driving axles meant that they were even more prone to wheelslip than the larger Merchant Navy class, requiring very careful control when starting a heavy train - there are several surviving videos of these engines struggling to start a train due to their wheelslip.

High fuel consumption - these engines were hungry, and this was in many ways highlighted during the 1948 locomotive exchanges where the West Country Class burnt 13.5 kg/km as opposed to the 9.02 kg/km of the T9 class that they replaced - for reference, the West Country Class’ coal consumption is comparable to the Gresley A1 Pacifics prior to the exchange trials of 1925 - a number which was dropped to roughly 10 kg/km after they were modified into the A3 class.

Restricted driver visibility due to the air-smoothed casing and soft steam exhaust from the multiple-jet blastpipe. The exhaust problem was never adequately resolved, and smoke continued to beat down onto the casing while moving, obscuring the driver's vision.

Maintenance problems: the chain-driven valve gear proved to be expensive to maintain and subject to rapid wear, which was particularly problematic during the Post War period, as British Rail focused on availability rather than high quality maintenance.

Leaking: leaks from the oil bath onto the wheels caused oil to splash onto the boiler lagging. Once saturated with oil, the lagging attracted coal dust and ash, which provided combustible material, and sparks from heavy braking would set the lagging on fire underneath the air-smoothed casing. The fires were also attributed to oil overflowing from axlebox lubricators onto the wheels when stationary, to be flung upwards into the boiler lagging in service. In either case, the local fire brigade would be called to put the fire out, with cold water coming into contact with the hot boiler causing stress to the casings, meaning these un-rebuilt locomotives would have warped casings, the result of a lagging fire!

All of these strengths and flaws tell a notable story about the kind of engine Rebecca may have been in real life: an engine with extremely good power and speed, but with difficulty at slow speeds and design issues that could have dangerous and rather embarrassing unintended consequences. This is a brilliant basis for a character, and it really irks me how little of all of this characterisation gold that Mattel ended up using - while it is consistent with how they treat their newer characters, it is also a real shame. Especially considering that from all of this, it is really not hard to build a genuinely interesting character that wouldn’t feel too out of place in the Railway Series or Classic series.

Firstly, based on the high coal consumption and severe maintenance and wheelslip issues, we can suggest that Rebecca is a bit clumsy and worries about how others perceive her. Her class was large enough for this to be less apparent back on the Southern, but perhaps she was one of the worst for it, so she was teased mercilessly - and so after having moved to Sodor, she fears how the other engines will treat her. To cover for these insecurities, Rebecca acts standoffish or gruff, wanting to keep the other engines at a distance so they can’t find out about her flaws and tease her for them - already very different from her original characterisation, but far more interesting as it makes her one of the few new NWR engines to actively try and push both steam and diesel engines away. Furthermore, her excellent steaming abilities and fast speeds in service could translate into Rebecca being somewhat reckless or a speed demon, wanting to use her strengths to both hide her weaknesses and as something she enjoys. Rebecca has an air-smoothed casing, and it may help her feel the wind better at speed, like Spencer with his streamlining. Quite simply, by using her basis as a starting-point for her personality, building up character-traits from strengths and flaws of the class, we can construct an interesting and different characterisation that draws people in, similarly to how the Reverend Awdry did with his eight famous engines. Better yet, it means that once the other characters crack open this more standoffish side to Rebecca, we can still see the kind and clumsy Rebecca from the TVS, but it feels more natural and rewarding to go through a journey to get there and if it’s directed only to her close friends, while also meaning that we the audience can still see her gruff side when dealing with unknowns or characters she dislikes.

There is also the fact that by considering her class basis, show writers can find interesting stories or take other issues with Rebecca’s class to incorporate into her personality. For example, the low-visibility created by the air-smoothed casing could translate into eyesight problems for Rebecca that she tries to hide because she fears engines would tease her for them, potentially culminating in Rebecca passing a red signal and getting into a crash. Maybe she doesn’t like fire or hates the works because of bad memories, meaning Rebecca hides any mechanical faults until they cause her to break down on the main line.

By building her character around her class basis, we can develop an alternative personality for Rebecca that naturally stands strongly around other engines - especially as there are very few other Southern Railway engines on Sodor who could see Rebecca’s gruff and cold attitude as the defence mechanism it is. It also gives Rebecca a strong connection to Henry, who acted practically the same when he first arrived on Sodor to hide his steaming problems, making him sympathetic to Rebecca and opening the two up to a long-term arc that ends with Henry having helped Rebecca grow into the happy, cheerful and clumsy engine from the series before leaving. Her recklessness could translate into a rivalry or competition with Gordon, who is far more responsible and meticulous with his express due to his experience and the pressure that has been put on him.

However, this is not the only way to build a better characterisation for Rebecca, the other option being to make Rebecca into a foil for other main characters.

Part 5: Rebecca as a Foil:

The other way to build Rebecca’s character into something that flows naturally with the other, previously introduced Steam Team members with making her more unique and interesting is to build it around the concept of the foil character. A foil character is a character who contrasts with another character, typically contrasting with the protagonist - a strong example of foil characters are Edward and Gordon, or Thomas and Diesel 10. Rebecca could quite easily fall into the position of being a strong foil character to the three big engines, more specifically James and Gordon, who are without a solid foil character to be contrasted against since Edward’s departure. In BWBA, when Nia arrived, she was considered to be closer to Thomas and Percy than Gordon or James, leaving them without a natural opposite. Rebecca has all of the strengths and weaknesses to fill this role.

For the first option, using the personality the series gives Rebecca, we get the following scenario: Rebecca arrives on Sodor and is both an express engine and a mixed-traffic engine. When she arrives, instead of fumbling her first Express badly, she succeeds, and James and Gordon become worried about their status and jealous of her high speeds. Remember, prior to the codification of the characters into one or two jobs by CGI, James was a common replacement for Gordon on the express, and having his role as secondary express engine threatened would be a major blow to his ego. Worse yet, Rebecca likes pulling trucks, and is thus both similar but also a complete narrative opposite to the pair. Other engines like her for her kindness and helpfulness, even if it does get her in trouble when she doesn’t get her own work done on time - which Gordon and James exploit to make rude remarks about her.

Already, Rebecca is a natural foil for Gordon and James, being similar enough for viewers to compare one to the other while also being different enough that her positive traits are highlighted against their negative ones.

Then, Gordon could discover her hidden clumsiness and wheelslip problems, exploiting them to cause her embarrassment - something that has previously happened to James and when Rebecca is reprimanded for the resulting incident, he remembers his own struggles with wheelslip. This makes him more sympathetic to both Rebecca and the audience, and places him on a path towards apologising to Rebecca for how he spoke to her - while Gordon enjoys having the express to himself again. This could follow naturally towards an endpoint where Gordon gets his comeuppance and Rebecca is accepted into the Steam Team, having been a natural foil to both and developed close character relationships based on how she is positioned in contrast to Gordon and James. The series then progresses to seeing Rebecca act in opposition to the pair, as well as trying to one-up them, being either the protagonist or antagonist depending on who the hero of the story is.

The second option is to use the character made for Rebecca in the previous part - the one built out of her basis and its issues - to turn Rebecca into a strong foil to Gordon and Henry, as well as potentially to Diesel or Thomas. This would begin with Rebecca arriving and acting recklessly with the express, being a speed demon where Gordon demands professionalism due to his experience. This startles CGI Henry, who is also not a fan of recklessness and places her at odds with them but also potentially makes her interesting to James, who is himself quite reckless. Furthermore, Rebecca’s standoffish behaviour and grandstanding alienates engines like Thomas or Percy, while being very similar to how Gordon, Henry and James acted during their younger years, forcing the three to be confronted with how they used to act, reminding them of their old selves (BWBA is so obsessed with flashbacks and dream sequences, so this would be a good opportunity for them to use classic series moments to help flesh out all three and Rebecca here).

This could build into Henry recognising the traits he used to hide his insecurities before he was rebuilt, helping to shift how the audience sees Rebecca and giving Henry an arc where he helps Rebecca learn to trust other engines and accept friendships - though notably not Gordon and James, who she sees as being the most likely to make fun of her. This helps Henry gain his classic series confidence back, giving him a boost to stand up and tell the Fat Controller that he wants to move, as well as the confidence to push back against Gordon when the big engine gets angry about the change. The series then follows Rebecca as she argues with James and Gordon, with engines taking sides depending on the episode - including Thomas potentially absolutely hating Rebecca due to his alliance and friendship with Gordon.

Finally, Rebecca’s actions and attitude could help spur Diesel into recognising some of these negative traits in himself, finally ending the character arc that was attempted with Springtime for Diesel.

Both of these options really focus on taking these established characters and growing them using Rebecca’s characterisation and unique position as the new big engine at Tidmouth, while also building off of Rebecca’s character strengths to make her stand out as unique too. Remember, Rebecca is the same size and strength as Gordon - the series hasn’t seen a NWR engine of comparable size to Gordon since Hiro was introduced, and he was neither an express engine nor a candidate for the Steam Team, so he was never a credible threat to Gordon. And before Hiro, the last engine of that size was Murdoch right the way back in Series 7, who never made it beyond the model series era. Rebecca has a real potential to be this threat to Gordon, being the first engine of such size introduced in almost a decade - she can pull express trains as well as Gordon while showing up James and being mixed-traffic and versatile like Henry. This is what irks me - Rebecca had everything going for her before she debuted, and got none of it.

What is even more painful is the fact that there are an infinite number of ways to further develop and build her character or other characterisations to give her that take inspiration from the source material while still being fresh and interesting - for example, what if Rebecca’s clumsiness came from her being a static exhibit, possibly one at a children’s theme park which would explain the bright colours. She could be so kind and cheerful as a way to handle the pain of watching her siblings be scrapped - something that she could bond with Oliver over. The point is that Rebecca had and still has potential but needs a lot more effort put into her than what she got in canon.

Part 6: Characters to Pair off with Rebecca:

This brings me to my final core part to this long, and slightly ridiculous dissertation: who to pair Rebecca up with to best build her character and insert her into this universe while feeling natural and potentially giving them some more screen time and character dynamics outside of their usual social circles.

For this, I decided not to look at Gordon, Henry or James, seeing as they got a lot of consideration in the previous parts, where they were core components of building up Rebecca’s character while also naturally removing Henry from the Steam Team. The following ten characters are engines who I feel would be some of the most interesting to pair up with Rebecca earlier on in the series, to help her bed into the series and give a wide range of popular or interesting characters for viewers to connect her to:

1: Rosie: Rosie is a USATC s100, a class that worked at Southampton when Rebecca would have been in service! These two potentially have history, and even if they don’t, Rosie would be one of the first engines to realise why Rebecca is acting so standoffish and breaks through to her, seeing as she would have known the class from her younger days. Maybe they become confidants once Rosie manages to break through Rebecca’s facade? Maybe Rebecca decides she prefers Vicarstown and we go back to the Classic-era ensemble cast? The opportunities here are great, and it has the potential to give Rosie some real backstory too!

2: Salty: Salty also worked at Southampton when Rebecca would have been in service, his class having been introduced in 1962, giving up to five years’ worth of potential overlap. Though it’s less likely the pair would have crossed paths, Salty would still know a lot about the West Country Class. He could potentially even float the idea of her getting rebuilt like a number of her siblings, which would add some real-life facts to the series! It would also be interesting to see Rebecca avoid Salty because she doesn’t want to be exposed by him - remember, she was in service at the end of BR, and really wouldn’t trust diesels based on what they did.

3: Thomas: Thomas’ class also worked at Southampton when Rebecca would have been in service! However, Thomas would not have personally been at Southampton which means the connection is a little looser. Instead, he could have heard about them from a sibling, or maybe Stepney? Imagine Thomas being really excited to meet this new engine who he’s heard all these positive things about and then it’s this standoffish, grumpy engine who Gordon says is dangerous at speed. It would make for such an interesting dynamic and we could see the cheeky and blunt Thomas from the early series again!

4: Oliver: These two both made it through the darkest days of BR and survived, and both are also very proud of their achievements - these being Rebecca’s speed and Oliver’s bravery - which could make a scenario where the two hype each other up, much to their own detriment. It would also be interesting to see how Toad would fit into this, seeing as Rebecca is quite reckless and Toad would be opposed to such a thing - and could create a really interesting dynamic where Oliver is forced to pick which of the two he believes during an episode. I can see Oliver being someone Rebecca trusts due to their shared experiences, and it gives Oliver some spotlight.

5: Emily: Emily was what Rebecca is - an express engine with wheelslip issues who is considered to be one of the best engines of their time. Emily is also an engine who has some issues with CGI-era characterisation and could really do with being revitalised, so why not work with it? Emily tries to be nice and kind with Rebecca, only to keep hitting brick walls and reverting to her old, bossy ways to try and force the new engine to do what Emily wants - bonus points if this is held as being the right thing to do in that situation! It could also play into her getting her number, maybe by rescuing Rebecca from an accident she got into?

6: Sir Handel: Sir Handel is another engine who desperately needs their characterisation revitalised, and Rebecca is a great chance! Sir Handel considers himself an express engine, and meeting Rebecca puffs him up as she regales him with tales of her speed. This plays into Sir Handel’s cockiness and he gets himself into trouble - and then he decides to get payback in whatever way possible, and we see the reverse of the situation where Sir Handel’s stories get Rebecca all fired up and she gets her own comeuppance. This would not only reintroduce Sir Handel, but also could set the foundations for Duke to return, with references to the MSR.

7: RWS Flying Scotsman: I specify RWS Scott because I want the kinder, more humble version we got in the RWS to the version we got in the CGI era. Seriously - this engine has just been saved from scrap and given a second chance and his first action is to antagonise his only living sibling? I want him trying to be a voice of reason to Rebecca, seeing as he is uniquely placed to know the consequences of wheelslip - something he also has; as well as recklessness - Scott was the first to officially hit 100mph, so he knows a thing or two! Even more, Rebecca might look up to Scott, based on his fame, though his stories may lead to her being more reckless!

8: BoCo: Remember I mentioned that the West Country Class caught on fire? Imagine a story with that, with BoCo (a Class 28 infamous for catching fire) as Rebecca’s foil. It could begin with BoCo backfiring and Rebecca making fun of him for it due to her disdain for the diesels who replaced her class before she suffers a similar fate when her boiler lagging catches fire and it’s BoCo who has to help her get her train home. It would be a great way for Rebecca to learn that diesels aren’t all bad, as well as giving her someone new to be friends with - and it would reintroduce BoCo! This could also help draw Rebecca down the branch to meet Bill and Ben…

9: Molly: Overtly shy Molly and secretly shy Rebecca who covers her shyness up with aggression would make for such an interesting dynamic! I can imagine Molly gathering up all of her courage to speak to Rebecca only to be shot down (unintentionally) and then never want to talk to Rebecca again, and it’s only when Rebecca realises that the bigger engine tries to hunt Molly down - possibly with hilarious consequences. This idea would really work well if you popped in Mavis, who would want to help Molly and stand up to Rebecca. It would also be interesting to reintroduce Molly, especially with Mattel wanting more gender equality.

10: Mike: This would be a case of grumpy, standoffish Mike versus standoffish-to-hide-insecurities Rebecca! These two would be about as productive as a house on fire. Literally! These two would naturally bump heads in the worst way possible, and it would create incredible comedy and infinite story potential. This would be even better if you added some inferiority complex on Mike’s side, based on the fact he’s never seen an engine this big before - seeing as Rebecca is the only engine of this size able to visit Arlesburgh. They would rile each other right the way up the wall and it would probably never get any better.

To conclude, Rebecca had real potential as a character - she had an iconic basis, good timing for her introduction and the role she was aiming to fill in many ways needed to be filled; Henry’s character assassination had made him hard to watch for a long time, and moving him out of the spotlight to give writers some time to rehabilitate him was long overdue. It’s just a real massive shame that they managed to fail so badly. By failing to properly plan and develop Rebecca, Mattel created a background character that they tried to have fill a major role that she simply was not able to fill. There were many better choices in the show to take Rebecca’s role, not least of all Molly - a yellow tender engine who was shy and a bit clumsy. By neglecting to properly integrate Rebecca into the series and then giving the show writers very little personality to work with, Mattel ensured that Rebecca would be a BWBA-exclusive character, an engine who never managed to gain half of the popularity of other characters who had comparable runtimes. Engines like Murdoch, Molly and BoCo have far better legacies than Rebecca, and it comes down to how they were treated by the series. All three were introduced with something that made them unique, be it through their interactions with other characters or through their own unique characterisation. Rebecca is a grim reminder to people developing characters for stories - especially characters being added later in the series to a cast of strong, notable and even iconic characters - that these late introductions need a lot of effort and carefully designed arcs to make them viable and allow them to become embedded into the series alongside those they share the screen with.

Rebecca is one of those characters who is enough of a blank slate that it is easy for people to project onto her. In some cases, this is useful to a character’s legacy - Fergus, Molly, and even Smudger all have been remembered far more fondly by the fanbase than their limited appearances ought to warrant, however this is mostly because they were given a strong enough personality by the show that these projections had preexisting characterisations to connect to. Rebecca was given far too little, and in redesigning her character, I feel like I’ve gained a new understanding of just how far Mattel had pushed the show prior to its cancellation. By expanding the series to include new characters from around the world while also demanding episodes with new, untested characters back on Sodor, the writing team was rushed to complete episodes with a plethora of new faces that had no substance to back them up. There was no chance for these foreign engines to become anything meaningful while Mattel demanded enough new characters to fill an entirely different series, nor was there time for many of the characters back on Sodor to develop meaningfully while the writers scrambled to try and create far too many new characters from scratch.

And it was the characterisations that suffered for it.

Once again, this was not an attempt to convince people to like or dislike the version of Rebecca found in BWBA, but instead look into why Rebecca as a character failed to stand up against the other Steam Team members or even many of the more notable secondary faces found in the TVS at this point in the series. This can be boiled down to comparisons to her predecessor, a lack of effort from Mattel to give Rebecca a chance to develop and the decision to use cliched characteristics to create a version of Rebecca that never was going to capture many viewers’ imaginations. This was also an attempt to redevelop Rebecca into someone that can be used by the fandom to rehabilitate her image, or at the least to point out what went wrong and what could have been done to fix it. Maybe someday Rebecca will get the redevelopment she deserved, or perhaps she will be left to the annals of Thomas history, becoming just another footnote in the ever-expanding list of characters who couldn’t stand the test of time.

Thank you for reading.

#weirdowithaquill #thomas the tank engine #railways #ttte #ttte rebecca #very long post #very very long post #ttte analysis #we do not like bwba in this blog #ttte emily #ttte henry #ttte gordon #ttte james #fix-it for rebecca #7600 words later...

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askviktor · 2 months ago

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Hello, sir! Apologies for being so formal and a little Piltov (haha), but I figured it appropriate since I wanted to give my regards to you.

For a while now, I have been working day and night to develop the proper technology to improve prosthetics, to provide neuron-to-muscle technology in said prosthetics. This requires both neuroscience and another discipline in which I’ve not yet found a name for. It is a study I’ve found little to no research in, leaving me to be the one to splice all the information together. It involves human biology as well as movement and mechanisms. Perhaps it would be called … bio … mechanics?— I’m rambling! Please excuse me, I go on when I am excited.

There are sparse opportunities in Zaun for heavy research and upper education — you and I both know how it is! As such, I have scoured Piltover’s archives (I even have a ‘library card,’ woohoo! Although I do think the attendant is breaking a rule or two by allowing that—), and I can feel a breakthrough coming soon! As I near the conclusion of my preliminary studies, I wish to thank and commemorate you for your contribution to a paper I reference heavily in my dissertation. Don’t be modest! You have no idea how much your research has aided in my efforts.

I rejoiced when I found an article dating around ten years ago from Heimerdinger’s eighth-semester internship. Does this sound familiar at all? The publication focused on ideal gas thermodynamics and a gaseous entity’s behavior due to– agh, I will write pages if I continue. You and I both know it was far more involved than what I am describing! Enthalpy, entropy, the like!

The study helped me immensely with choosing mediums, establishing measures for the average Zaunite’s mobility based on the density of the gas— I refer to it often, as my work relies heavily on how the remnants of the Grey impact Zaunites. It intrigued me especially because one of the prime controls were the fissures of Zaun’s upper end! Zaun being mentioned in one of the Academy’s published journals? I could hardly believe my eyes! I deduced that only a Zaunite would have such a hand in that! (Apologies to any Piltovs reading this, it’s just that many do not concern themselves with the air quality and the body’s –specifically a Zaunite’s– reaction to it. You understand!)

You were marked under ‘et. al,’ can you believe that? I spent ages researching the names further within the piece, every name traced back to Piltover save for one, which was only a letter … V. ‘Who is this V?’ I thought, and after a rigorous (VERY rigorous, you’re quite elusive!) search, my investigation has led me to you! Pardon my pertinacity. It took many conversations with Piltovs in which they referenced a ‘Vincent with the leg’ who worked for Heimerdinger years ago. I then found, or rather, cornered Councillor Heimerdinger, who is an easy Yordle to find if you pretend to drop papers around every corner of the upper-levels buildings! I asked him who Vincent was– sans the mention of ‘with the leg,’ as I couldn’t help but feel that comment was a bit mean-spirited. He responded that your name was in fact Viktor, that you have long surpassed what his courses had taught, and are now working on Hextech! Hextech! A Zaunite, working on Hextech! I couldn’t believe it. I said it out loud, to which he politely corrected himself and elaborated on the fact you are one of the founding members. I was ecstatic! Hextech! What serendipity that the man who contributed to a journal I hold in high regard and am using as a primary reference point for my thesis is such a prolific inventor. FOR HEXTECH! AND A ZAUNITE! Excuse the caps.

In my excitement, I told many back home of your position, and … ah, well, that ‘I’ll see it when I believe it’ viewpoint remains as strong as ever. However, it may be for the best that I fell on deaf ears. After much consideration, I came to understand why you would choose not to attach yourself to Hextech. Such is the blight of a Zaunite. Alas, we shall see where Zaunite scientists head, you and I. May we be more than ‘et. al!’

All in all, my kindest wishes and highest regards to you. Best of luck in your endeavors, you … oh, and Jayce, of course! How could I forget the Man of Progress? (No sarcasm intended!)

P.S. I say with the utmost respect, I hope to see your contributions come our way in Zaun!

My friend, I have received letters before. Pleas for funding. Petitions for approval. Veiled attempts at favor through flattery. But not this. Not like this.

What you describe, the vision, the fusion of mind and machine, of biology and movement, is biomechanics. The word itself may be young, but the discipline has always existed, hiding between the seams of anatomy and engineering. And if no one has yet named it properly, then perhaps you shall be the one to do so.

Your tenacity is... remarkable. I never thought anyone would dig that deeply into the old thermodynamics publication, let alone trace it back to me through half-scrubbed initials and whispers. You are correct: I was the “V.” And you are more correct still that no one else in that room gave much thought to the Grey.

You see, data gathered from the fissures? That was my contribution. They saw it as background noise. I saw it as the very condition of Zaunite life.

You say my work has helped yours. But now it is your work that helps me. To hear that someone, down in Zaun, is building, fighting, learning, not for glory, not for patents, not for approval, but for people… it is more than I thought possible.

Hextech… yes. It is a beacon. But it is also a fire, and fire consumes. You, on the other hand, are constructing something from the ashes.

May you never again be "et. al." May your name appear in full. And may it be one that others cite, years from now, with the same awe and determination you’ve shown here.

I pray that the environmental Hextech devices that Jayce and I have been developing reaches you and the rest of Zaun. You may have noticed construction of late on the ventilation system; it is being refitted with Hextech technology to better filter the toxicity.

I wish you all the best in your endeavors. Please, feel free to reach out for supplies, information, or any other support you may need. You know where to reach me.

#arcane viktor #viktor lol #viktor arcane #viktor league of legends #askviktor #arcane #viktor #ask viktor #arcane roleplay #arcane rp #viktor rp #viktor roleplay #viktor rp arcane #viktor arcane rp #viktor arcane roleplay #arcane rp blog #arcane ask blog #arcane league of legends #arcane lol

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sycamorelibrary754 · 10 months ago

Text

Booked for the Day

Summary: During a visit to the New York Public Library, Yelena experiences an unexpected encounter that leaves a lasting impression.

Pairings: Yelena x Female!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 4.3k

Warnings: None?

A/N: Thanks to @yelenasdiary for helping me with a couple of the details.

Yelena adjusted the collar on her faux fur coat as she walked alongside Steve down Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Energy filled the bustling city, and the trees were beginning to showcase the beautiful colors of autumn, painting the streets with their vibrant hues.

"Remind me again why I'm here, Rogers?" Yelena asked, her steps slightly lagging behind the super soldier.

"You dozed off during the briefing. You're lucky I didn't tell Fury," Steve replied, finally coming to a halt.

Yelena tilted her head and raised one eyebrow, a faint smirk on her lips. "I'm not exactly an Avenger," she remarked, her Russian accent giving each word a sharp edge. "What's Fury going to do? Give me a demerit?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said, gesturing towards the facade of the New York Public Library. “Notice the Marble Lions atop the two pedestals? They're called Patience and Fortitude," Steve pointed out as they made their way up the steps.

The widow paused and ran her hand over the smooth marble sculpture. "Let me take a wild guess," she said, "You were here on the day the library first opened?"

Steve chuckled. "Oh, come on. I'm not that old."

Yelena shot him a pointed look, prompting him to continue.

"I was here during the Great Depression when Mayor La Guardia gave them the names 'Patience' and 'Fortitude' to symbolize the qualities he believed New Yorkers needed to persevere through those tough times," he admitted.

"Mhmm," the blonde responded as she playfully tapped Steve's cheek. "That's what I thought.”

Stepping through the library's entrance into Astor Hall, Yelena couldn't help but be awed by its magnificence. The meticulously crafted white marble columns and majestic staircases evoked a luxury reminiscent of a bygone era. The pair ascended the stairs and walked through the McGraw Rotunda into the Rose Reading Room. Exquisite arches adorned the space, while the sprawling half-moon windows bathed the room in gentle, natural light. A stunning mural depicting the endless expanse of the morning sky floated across the ceiling. Steve began leisurely perusing the shelves, taking in the titles and carefully searching for his next read.

What are you looking for?" Yelena asked.

"Hmm," he pondered, pulling his brown leather notebook from his coat pocket. "Bruce mentioned To Kill a Mockingbird, and Clint suggested 1984."

Yelena reached for the notebook. "Are you seriously planning to read all these books?

“Absolutely," declared Steve as he snatched the notebook back. "I want to know what I missed under the ice. Besides, haven't you ever heard of broadening your horizons?”

“Back again, Steve?” A warm voice behind the pair suddenly said.

“Hey, Y/N,” Steve said, embracing you with a hug, “Yeah, I've been on a roll lately.”

"I see you've brought a companion with you this time," you remarked, locking eyes with the blonde.

"Yes, this is Yelena, Natasha’s sister. Yelena, this is Y/N. She's the Chief Librarian."

"Nice to meet you," you greeted, offering your hand to Yelena.

"Pleasure's all mine," Yelena responded, grasping your hand. Your soft and delicate touch contrasted her scarred and calloused hands from a lifetime of combat.

"Do you need help finding something?" you inquired.

"Not at the moment, just looking around," Steve replied.

"I'm only here because America's ass is, in fact, an ass," Yelena exclaimed. "Ow!" she yelped as Steve nudged her in the side.

You smirked and suppressed a chuckle. Just then, you noticed a queue forming at the circulation desk – familiar faces from NYU returning to continue their dissertation research in the archival collections.

“Okay, you know where to find me if you need anything, Steve. And Yelena, it was lovely to meet you,” you said as you smiled and walked away.

Yelena's gaze lingered on you as you returned to the cluster of students. Her eyes, a piercing shade of green, seemed to track your every move as you rejoined the group.

Hey," Steve said, snapping his fingers in front of the widow's face. "No cursing in front of the Chief Librarian."

“Oh, please,” Yelena retorted. “You would be mad if I cursed before a teddy bear."

"I'm going to take a look around," he began, glancing at the shelves of books. "How about we rendezvous here in an hour?"

"Eye-Eye Captain Swear Jar," Yelena replied, giving the Super Soldier a mock salute.

"I understand now why Nat never wants to take you anywhere,” Steve deadpanned.

*^~^*

While Cap continued to browse the shelves, Yelena decided to explore the rest of the library. True, the blonde was no bookworm, but the building was too beautiful not to admire.

The rhythmic click of her shoes reverberated through the hallways, accentuating the pristine white Vermont marble floor. The grandeur of the architecture brought back recollections of the imposing Houses of Parliament and political palaces she had once covertly infiltrated during her time in the Red Room. It had taken a while, but she was gradually becoming accustomed to the freedom she now enjoyed. Moving through the building based on her own merits, she no longer had to skulk around every corner with a gun in hand and a knife strapped to her thigh. Soon, the joyful sounds of children's laughter filled the air and reached her ears.

As she followed the sound, the blonde turned around a corner and poked her head through the double doors into the Children’s Room. It was full of small white bookshelves and desks. A colorful animal mural decorated the walls, adding a cheerful touch to the room. Suddenly, Yelena caught sight of you once again. You were kneeling before two young children—a boy and a girl—pointing to five old stuffed animals in a glass case.

"This is the real Winnie the Pooh?" The little boy asked with wide eyes.

"It is!" you replied with a smile. "Christopher Robin's Daddy gave him Winnie the Pooh for his 1st birthday."

"Cool," the boy said softly, clearly in awe.

"And look, that's Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, and Tigger," the little girl chimed in, finger-tapping the display case.

"That’s right! You must love Winnie the Pooh," you said, impressed.

"He's our favorite Disney character! I like it when he gets the Honey Pot stuck on his head," she giggled.

"Well, then I have a special book for you two," you said, bringing your hands out from behind your back to reveal a small tome.

"The House at Pooh Corner," the little boy said slowly, sounding out the words.

"Thank you so much!" The little girl exclaimed.

"You're so welcome," you declared.

You watched the children race back to their parents, joyfully clutching the book. As you steadied yourself to stand up, a ring-clad hand suddenly appeared.

Without hesitation, you clasped Yelena's hand and pulled yourself upright. "Thank you," you said gratefully.

"Your words to those children were sweet," Yelena remarked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"First grade is when kids take an interest in reading. I try to make it as fun and engaging as possible for them," you shared.

“Looks like it’s working," Yelena remarked, gazing around the Children's Room.

"Is this your first time visiting the Library?" you asked. "Steve's a regular, but I haven't seen you here before."

"Yeah, unfortunately, I don't get much time to read," Yelena replied, nervously playing with her rings.

"Understandable," you nodded. "I guess being an Avenger keeps you pretty busy."

"Oh, I'm no Avenger," Yelena dismissed. "I'm more of a... Freelancer. I show up when I'm needed.”

"Well, I'm happy you showed up today," you said with a smile.

Wow, your eyes were stunning. They sparkled with the most mesmerizing Y/E/C color, and Yelena couldn't help but be captivated by them.

"Um, excuse me?" a tiny voice suddenly piped up, interrupting her thoughts as Yelena felt a gentle tug on her coat, diverting her attention away from you.

Looking down, she saw a young girl with curious eyes staring back at her. Her golden curls reminded her of her own at that age. The little girl spoke softly, almost mumbling, and stared down at her scuffed shoes, making it difficult for Yelena to catch what she was saying.

"What was that, sweetheart?" Yelena asked gently, crouching down to the little one's eye level.

"I said, are you an Avenger?" the little girl repeated, a hint of shyness in her tone. "You have the same shape on your belt buckle as The Black Widow," she pointed to the unmistakable red hourglass on Yelena's belt.

Yelena's gaze lingered on the intricately crafted belt buckle before she looked back up at the little girl standing before her. She had forgotten she was wearing it. Her fingers instinctively traced the contours of the hourglass symbol. It was a piece she had up-cycled into an accessory, a subtle nod to her journey and a means of reclaiming her narrative.

Yelena paused, struggling to find the right words. "Sort of," she finally managed.

The little girl leaned in, her eyes wide with curiosity. "How many bad guys have you fought?" she asked eagerly.

You quickly interjected, "Oh..."

But Yelena gently placed a hand on your arm. "No, it's okay," she reassured you before returning to the little girl. "I've fought many bad guys," she whispered with a small smile.

Her eyes sparkled. "I want to be just like you when I grow up."

“Oh, my,” Yelena said, taken aback. “Well, if you treat people with kindness and always try to lend a helping hand, then you can be whatever you want.”

The little girl stood there, awestruck, and whispered, “Wow.”

Yelena continued to converse with her until her mother called her from across the room. Yelena stood and looked at you, a grin plastered across your face.

"Now, who's the sweet one?" You remarked.

"Let's just say that when I was her age, I wasn't spending much time in the library," Yelena conveyed as she rose, wearing a solemn expression.

Your brows furrowed as you contemplated her words. "Everyone's journey is different. What's important is that you’re here now.”

Yelena nodded thoughtfully. "I do whatever I can to help girls reclaim their freedom," she explained, carefully selecting her words to convey the essence of her work in liberating widows, "In more ways than one."

Impressed by her dedication, you responded, "That is amazing, Yelena."

“Sometimes I feel like it’s not enough,” she confessed. “There are always more children who don’t have anyone to protect them, just like me when I was small."

"I understand,” you said, looking around the room. “Not everyone understands that the library represents their freedom. For so many, it is their only safe space,” you sighed. “I wish we could help everyone, but that isn't always possible.”

In a fleeting moment, the world around you seemed to fade away. Soon, the realization of the time broke the trance. "I need to head back to my office for a meeting. Care to walk with me?"

"Sure," she said, running a hand through her short, freshly cut blonde hair.

As you both strolled through the magnificent building, you eagerly shared captivating details about the library’s 113-year history, collections, artwork, and the exquisite spaces often rented out for weddings and galas. You spoke animatedly, and your enthusiasm for the place was evident in every word. Yelena followed you back into the Rose Reading Room, where you had filled her mind with enough information to dominate a New York Public Library-themed game of Trivial Pursuit.

"Yelena, there you are," Steve called out, holding a small stack of books. "I'm all set. Are you ready to head home?"

The thought of leaving was the last thing Yelena wanted to do as she wrestled with the uncertainty of when she would have the chance to see you again.

“Sure,” Yelena reluctantly replied.

As you bid farewell to both, you warmly hugged the super soldier, saying, "Happy reading, Steve." Turning to the blonde, you smiled and added, "Yelena, don't be a stranger.”

"I’ll do my best," she promised.

Yelena sighed quietly as you left, but Steve couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.

"What's so funny, stars and stripes?" Yelena asked.

Steve raised his hands in defense. "Nothing at all. I swear."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she said as she walked out the door.

*^~^*

No, Tony. Absolutely not," Pepper said firmly as she walked into the lounge. Tony followed closely behind. The clinking of dishes was in the background as the team enjoyed their dinner.

"Come on," Tony cajoled. "You know there's no better setting for a gala than the compound."

Pepper folded her arms. "Except this isn't one of your 'The Sun Rose Today' parties where you all get drunk and try to lift Thor’s hammer. This gala marks Stark Industries' donation to New York City Public Schools, and I'm not sure the Chancellor of Education needs to see you doing the Macarena in one of your suits.”

"Ok, fine," Tony reluctantly conceded, "But let it be known that the Macarena is a time-honored classic."

Pepper rolled her eyes at Tony's comment before addressing the rest of the team. "Any ideas?"

"The Rainbow Room?" Sam exclaimed.

"Too formal," Pepper replied with a smirk.

"The Algonquin?" Bucky suggested with a shrug.

"Too old," Nat said, shaking her head.

"The Highline?" Kate suggested with a hopeful look.

"Too precarious," Wanda interjected with a concerned tone.

“The New York Public Library,” Yelena said from her seat at the end of the table.

Every gaze suddenly fixated on the blonde, as if she had been invisible until that moment.

“The Library is beautiful. They often rent it out for galas or weddings. I'm sure they'd love to host a Stark Industries event that benefits kids,” she said, glancing over at Tony, “Even if it meant he had to show up.”

"She's right," Steve nodded in agreement. "We were there today, it would be perfect."

"I’ll make some calls. Thank you, Yelena," Pepper said with a smile.

"Don't mention it," the widow remarked.

Yelena picked up her plate and headed towards the sink, with Steve following suit.

As they rinsed their plates, Yelena noticed Steve's smile and asked, "What now?"

"Nothing," he replied with a grin.

*^~^*

Despite her best intentions, Yelena felt overwhelming guilt as two months passed without her fulfilling her promise not to be a stranger. A continuous string of high-stakes missions and an unexpected journey to London with Nat to free a widow had left her with no opportunity to visit the Library. Nonetheless, her thoughts frequently drifted to you while in the field, a sentiment she would never be comfortable admitting. This inner conflict contradicted her rigorous training – maintaining constant vigilance, staying focused, and never letting her guard down. Yet, her sister was quick to notice the change in her demeanor.

Therefore, Natasha was inevitably concerned when Yelena failed to arrive at their designated extraction point on time. She was about to call Maria to ping her tracker when the blonde rounded the corner, a Harrod’s garment bag thrown over her shoulder.

“Where have you been?” Natasha asked, irritation present in her tone. “We said 0200.”

"I'm here now. Relax, sestra," Yelena replied as she swaggered onto the Quinjet.

"What's in the bag?" Natasha inquired, springing up the ramp after her.

"I had to do some shopping," Yelena responded casually, trying to brush off the question.

"What's in the bag?" her sister persisted, reaching for it.

"Nothing that concerns you," Yelena retorted, stepping back out of reach.

Nat gazed at her with a skeptical expression, a single eyebrow arched in challenge as she uttered, "You think I can’t take that bag from you?"

Yelena locked eyes with Natasha, weighing the option of a physical altercation before letting out an exasperated sigh and handing it over.

“Ah, what have we here?" the redhead mused as she deftly extracted an elegant white dress from the bag, her whistle expressing her admiration. "I take it this isn't for some formal undercover operation?"

Yelena confessed, "It's for Sunday's Stark Industries Gala at the Library. I want to look nice, okay?”

"Ah, I see," Nat murmured, a knowing look in her eyes as she delicately placed the dress back into its garment bag. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain Chief Librarian, would it?"

Yelena feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're suggesting."

Nat raised an eyebrow, a sly grin playing on her lips. "Whatever you say, Lena." She deftly punched in a sequence of buttons to power up the Quinjet. "But here's some news for you – Cap mentioned that she's confirmed for Sunday's event."

Yelena nodded, a flicker of excitement dancing in her eyes. "Good to know," she replied calmly, though a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

*^~^*

Yelena hurried across the crowded New York City sidewalk, her eyes fixed on the ornate doors of the New York City Public Library. As the clock struck 7 PM, she reached out and pushed open the heavy oak doors, stepping into the serene interior. This was one occasion for which she was determined to arrive on time.

The Parahélios Monstand white dress clung to her curves in all the right places, its V-neckline and flowing design accentuating her figure. The thigh slit hinted at the floral tiered skirt peeking out from underneath. Her entire outfit was highlighted by a stunning Valentino Clutch and graceful Fiorellini Gold Glass Heels, giving her a welcomed boost in height.

Adjusting the backs of her Starry Woven red and black earrings, she spotted the team mingling with the New York City Public School Board, but no sign of you.

Yelena heard a familiar voice behind her. "She'll be here soon.”

The widow turned, only to be met by Steve standing with his hands folded behind his back. His impeccably tailored tuxedo garnished with a white pocket square.

"You know, I can't remember the last time I turned around, and you weren't there," the blonde groaned.

Steve chuckled. "You should be thanking me. Who do you think suggested to Pepper that Y/N attend this soiree?"

"Yeah? Well, let’s wait and see how the night goes before we declare you Cupid," Yelena quipped.

The evening began with a cocktail hour. Guests were treated to champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Then, everyone journeyed into the Rose Reading Room, setting the stage for the night’s festivities.

The Renaissance-style oak tables were now adorned with rich green tablecloths, each impeccably set with votive candles and white anemones. Overhead, twinkling lights recreated a breathtaking starry night on the ceiling, casting a mesmerizing green glow throughout the room.

The blonde reached the head table, where the rest of the team was already gathered, and found her designated seat. As she perused the evening's menu, you suddenly appeared.

"Yelena!" you exclaimed. "It's so good to see you. And look, we're seated across from each other. What are the odds?"

Yelena glanced down to the end of the table where Cap was sitting, and he responded with a smooth thumbs-up, causing her to roll her eyes. You looked beautiful in an elegant Navy floor-length short-sleeved evening dress. The textured floral rosettes and scintillating sequin accents immediately caught the blonde’s attention.

“Yes, it is truly a coincidence,” Yelena said as she sat down. “It's good to see you, too. I’m so sorry I haven't been able to revisit the library. Working with this group of misfits…”

“Oh, please,” you replied, waving her off. There is no need to apologize. I’m just happy that you’re here tonight.”

“I am, too,” Yelena said, silently thanking the evening lighting for concealing the growing blush on her cheeks.

Dinner was a delightful early fall vegetable salad and succulent braised short ribs. The gala's aura provided the perfect backdrop for a captivating conversation between you and Yelena. As you both immersed yourselves in the discussion, the blonde remained oblivious to the subtle glances exchanged by the rest of the team. Meanwhile, Natasha discreetly snapped a photo to share with Melina and Alexi.

As the speeches wrapped up, Tony and Pepper took the stage, presenting a check to the Chancellor of Education. Soon after, you and Yelena mingled with other guests in Astor Hall, where delectable desserts and lively music awaited.

Amidst the festivities, you spotted the New York Public Library President motioning for you to join him. Yelena's expression fell as she realized you would be pulled into work-related conversations and networking.

"I'll catch up with you later, Yelena—duty calls for me this time," you said with a playful smirk.

"No problem, see you later," Yelena replied with a casual wave.

"She's cool," Kate Bishop whispered. "Think you'll ask her out?"

"Think you'll notice that you're wearing two different earrings, Kate Bishop?" Yelena deadpanned.

"Dammit," Kate muttered under her breath.

Yelena laughed and strolled off, leaving Kate flustered.

*^~^*

Yelena wasn't usually one to hit the dance floor, but the elegant vibe, refreshing drinks, and company made her let loose. After begrudgingly joining Kate Bishop in the Bunny Hop, she finally sank into a chair, letting her blonde hair fall loose and kicking off her heels to give her feet a much-needed break.

Looks like you had quite a night," you teased.

Yelena shrugged. "You'd be surprised. This is nothing compared to a typical Stark Gala."

"Is that so?" you asked, arching an eyebrow. "I'll have to get the inside scoop from Steve."

"Mrs. Stark mentioned that you were the one who suggested holding the gala here. Thank you for thinking of us. It makes a difference for us to have all of you here."

"The library is incredible. It was the least I could do," Yelena replied with a gentle smile.

A warm feeling tugged at your heartstrings and reflected in your eyes. After a long, contemplative pause, you gazed deeply into her eyes, and finally, with a sense of urgency, you uttered, “Come with me.”

Yelena's expression turned perplexed as she slipped back on her heels and followed you out of Astor Hall. The distant sounds of the party grew quiet as you ascended the stairs to the third floor and made your way down the hall of supervised reading rooms. Finally, you stopped in front of Room 319—The Pforzheimer Collection.

Yelena whispered, "Are we even allowed to be up here right now?"

"I am," you said with a sly smile. There's something I want to show you," you said as you pushed open the intricate mahogany door.

"This room is a sanctuary for English romanticism," you explained, delicately retrieving a first edition from the shelf. “I want to read you something from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte`.”

Placing the book on a pedestal, you began to turn its pages with reverence, searching for a particular passage. As you did this, Yelena observed you closely, captivated by your presence. Your enchanting Y/E/C eyes scanned the words on the page, just as they had done countless times before.

Your eyes lit up as you found the passage you were looking for and read aloud: "I am no bird, and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."

After carefully absorbing every word, Yelena finally found her voice and spoke sincerely, "That was beautiful."

You nodded. “It’s the moment Jane finally realizes years of being treated like a thing, an object without feeling. Here and now, she declares her independence and fierceness of character.”

"Ah, that sounds familiar," Yelena remarked with a wistful smile, her gaze shifting downwards to the intricately patterned floor beneath her feet.

“It reminds me of you, Yelena," you explained, gently closing the book. Writers have poured their hearts out for centuries, trying to capture the essence of courage. But you? You embody courage in every step you take. You fought for your freedom, and now you do the same for others. That is beautiful.”

With her eyes locked on yours, Yelena leaned in gradually. Before you knew it, your lips met gently, like a delicate touch of a bird's wings gliding through the air. Your hands went to her hips as the blonde's arms wrapped around your shoulders. The kiss was unhurried, intense, and filled with intention.

You paused to catch your breath as you pulled away. "I think we should head back to the gala," you giggled—a warm flush creeping over your cheeks.

“In a minute,” Yelena smirked, caressing your cheek as your lips met again.

*^~^*

Three months later

Follow me this way," Yelena called, her voice carrying through the soft, falling snow as she led three young girls up the New York Public Library steps—a path she had taken with many newly freed widows over the last three months. Behind them, the iconic statues of Patience and Fortitude stood guard, adorned with festive holiday wreaths.

With practiced ease, Yelena guided the girls through the door. They gazed in awe at the grandeur of the white marble columns and staircases of Astor Hall. You greeted Yelena with a gentle kiss as they enter the Rose Reading Room. After introductions, you do your best to make your guests feel comfortable.

"We'll be happy to show you around whenever you're ready," you assured the girls.

“Why are we here?" One of them asked curiously.

“You’re free to make your own choices now,” Yelena reminded them proudly. “And the library represents your freedom.“

Come on," you said warmly as you gently took Yelena's hand in yours. "We'll show you.”

#yelena belova #yelena belova x female reader #yelena belova x you #yelena belova x y/n #mcu #the avengers #fluff #yelena boleva x reader

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