#zolfwilde

[aubsforthewin]

possibly my favorite zoscar detail that i never picked up on before this latest re-listen is that they both love harrison campbell novels

i don’t remember if it’s remarked upon again past episode 167 but like…did zolf introduce wilde to campbell novels?? or did wilde already like them and he and zolf stumbled upon that realization one day??

how much bonding did they do in that 18 months over campbell novels i need to knowwww

#idk why but this is killing me #rqg #zoscar #zolfwilde

[chaotic-aro-incarnate]

Me: okay that short little vegaspete oneshot I wrote on a whim got a lot of positive feedback and is one of my highest performing fics. Time to go back to my other wips. Maybe I'll finish up that angsty KimChay fic, or the Royal AU, or the kp x aftg crossover, or finally write some Arm/Tankhun, or maybe-

My brain: write more vegaspete

Me: but I just did? And I've been wanting to write these others for-

My brain: this time make it about that Oscar Wilde quote "love is a sacrament meant to be taken kneeling" except use the original intended meaning about an act love is being given a small act of compassion when you're in a vulnerable state AND make it about the common modern misinterpretation that the quote is talking about blowjobs.

Me: ......... fuck okay *opens new doc*

#the chokehold vegas and pete have me in is unreal #I went from uhhh no thanks to ok i can kinda see it to oh? to vegas pete and the hedgehog are the only characters in the show so fast #the irony of writing this about the wilde quote is that i already wrote a fic about that quote except for the rqg fandom #and its all soft vaguely romantic but could be platonic zolfwilde about zolf taking care of wilde and finding hope in each other #meanwhile the vp oneshot has already featured vegas brutally killin dudes pete being turned on by that some mild bloodplay and knifeplay #and more fucked up things to come <3 #the rqg fic was about hope and comfort #the vp fic is about obsession and undying devotion to the point of total destruction #truly shows how you can take one thing (like the wilde quote) and create vastly different things despite having the same inspo #i WILL get to those wips i promise especially the aftg one that's been so fun to write #writing it has made me realize how insane neil andrew jean and kevin are compared to the kp characters #like im not even writing them in a dark au where they got more involved with the mafia they're all still dumbass exy players #but the aftg guys have the most fucked moral compasses and are completely desensitized to atrocities. #like what could kinn do to actually intimidate them? kinn cares too much about wanting to be good #even vegas would have no effect on them. they'd just be like 'oh great another riko good thing we know how to handle those' #he'd threaten to torture neil and neil would just stare at him like: literally almlst my entire body is covered in scars from torture #what can you possibly do to me that was done to me in like the first 20 years of my life? this is why you're a pathetic little bitch and no #one in your family will ever love or respect you. #i kinda wanna make a post of just vegas and all the times neil verbally came for rikos neck cause they fit too good

[splitting-infinities]

a dock is not a dead end

SPOILERS FOR RQG EPILOGUE 2

Zolf has a complicated relationship with the sea. And with people. And with weapons. He has a complicated relationship with, well, everything. Zolf knows he is a...difficult person. Being around him isn’t exactly a walk on water.

He gets on fine with most things and most people at first, but after a while, his path forward just ends, throwing everyone off. Nothing for him has ever been straightforward, and that tends to keep people at a distance.

Ten years after the Change, Zolf sits on the dock in Japan watching his friends make fools of themselves swimming at night. He’s having a bit of a mid-life crisis that miiiight be somewhat induced by his drink. How did he even get here? How did he somehow make friends? How did he meet people he’d want to remember forever, inking their emblems onto his very skin? How did he survive to the next day to greet them when his whole life has felt like a bunch of dead ends?

A dock is also a dead end, technically. After a certain point, you’re supposed to get the message that it’s the end of the line, right? Your next option is to find a boat or turn back. With Zolf’s luck, neither is possible, so the last resort is to jump off and hope the water’s going to catch you. If it doesn’t, at least you tried.

Zolf may not have ever taken a jump like that when it wasn’t a metaphor. But he does know a thing or two about hope.

-

Never have I ever...jumped off a dock.

Wilde levels this statement at Zolf, eyes lit with a trickster’s gleam. Surely you’ve done it, Zolf. Did Poseidon not teach you this in cleric school?

It feels good to laugh. It feels good that Wilde can make him laugh at a time like this.

They’re sitting on the dock beside the miraculously restored Vengeance. Below them is an ocean of memory, ephemeral swirls of forest green and mountain starshine. Zolf’s time in this place is limited; he’s here on a mission fit for Orpheus.

Zolf has always known the road before him is long and full of grief. He just never expected Wilde to die along the way. To have that path closed off, seemingly forever.

So here he is, at the end of the dock, tumbling after Wilde, desperate for any chance to bring him back.

They’ve reached the end of the line, and even though Wilde is jovial and relaxed, Zolf can tell he knows this too.

Is playing never have I ever Wilde’s bizarre way of saying goodbye? He looks so much healthier here - skin no longer sallow, eyes bright and full of mischief. Wilde looks like dying was the best thing to happen to him in a while, and Zolf decides it’s best to ignore why that makes him so sad.

So instead of following the next line of never have I ever, Zolf dead ends the conversation like he always does. He jumps right into the real reason he’s here. No point prolonging the inevitable.

What he wants to say is: I know you could be happy here, that you could finally rest. But I came here to see if you wanted another path, another option. I can take you home, or be your home. If that’s what you want.

What he starts with is: Maybe we should get a drink.

Later, Zolf cradles Wilde’s head in his lap, waiting for him to wake up. The white hair will take some getting used to, but if anyone can turn it into a fashion statement, Wilde can.

When Wilde finally opens his eyes, he quietly takes Zolf’s hand.

We’re home, Zolf thinks. He feels like he’s floating.

-

It’s far too dark to be swimming, but Azu, Cel, and Hamid don’t seem to care much. Zolf, somehow appointed lifeguard, holds his vigil and watches the obsidian waves for any signs of trouble. With no one to talk to up here on the jetty, he muses tipsily on leaps of faith and the hope of those who refuse to be stopped by a dead end.

In the past, Zolf’s chances of an easy path have never been that high. But look where he is now, having taken all those jumps into the unknown.

Y’know what? Sod solid ground, he chuckles to himself as the dark sea erases the horizon line. Never needed it anyway.

#rqg #rqg spoilers #rqg epilogue 2 #zoscar #zolfwilde #writing

[commander-diomika]

I think I'm so fucking obsessed with ZolfWilde because these two aren't made for each other, they weren't meant to be together, the only reason they end up together is because of the fucked up circumstances they find themselves in.

The variables that conspire to jam two extremely incompatible people into a dedicated relationship are just so bloody interesting.

#hank talks #zoscar #zolfwilde #rqg #rusty quill gaming

[not-the-kind-you-save]

so how are we doing folks ;_;

[rqg 177: last words (part 2)]

#rqg podcast #rusty quill gaming #rqg spoilers #rqg 177 #zolfwilde #zolf smith #oscar wilde #it's so funny tagging him like. is there a regular oscar wilde tag that occasionally gets inexplicable fanart #anyway i have lots and lots of emotions #ben meredith and alexander j newall can quit any time they'd like #also wanted to draw azu and little carter but yeah my hand hurts #the little zolf at the bottom looks like ben #my art

[mango-mangoing-mangone]

An emotionally repressed character to the person that they haven’t yet confessed their love to while trying to save their life: I need you

Me: !!!!!!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

#zolfwilde #jonmartin #parker/hardison #anf for zolfwilde it ending up being a queer platonic relationship??? I love it so much

[lashititheestallion]

Been listening to the rusty quill gaming podcast, and as of episode 157 I have yet to understand why people enjoy zolf as a character

#rusty quill gaming #rng #rqg zolf #zolfwilde #rqg epilogue

[chattrash]

This is a repost but it feels like the exact dynamic between zolf and Wilde

#rqgaming #zolfwilde #zolf smith

[latenightmoth]

RQG Bingo

here is my bingo card for the finale

#this podcast has made me so sad and happy #like the whiplash i feel #we better get an azukiko kiss because we all deserve it #as a little treat #i want everyone to live but like its rusty quill #also i hope in the epilogue james ross comes back to voice brutor #hopes and dreams people hopes and dreams #rqg #rqg finale #zolf smith #azu #hamid saleh haroun al tahan #cel sidebottom #sasha rackett #AzuKiko #zolfwilde #celbarnes #kisses for everyone cos i said so

[halfofmysoulistrees]

Thread of couples costume ideas for Zolf and Wilde ready go:

Bar of soap and loofah

#rqg #zoscar #rqg wilde #zolf smith #zolfwilde

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

I like the idea of romantic Zolf/Wilde as much as the next person but the idea of Zolf and Wilde being in a qpr where they cuddle and give each other forehead kisses and trust each other completely makes me so so happy.

#I would love for it to become a canon romantic relationship #but there also isn’t representation for qprs in media and it would be amazing to see that #rqg #rusty quill gaming #oscar wilde #oscar wilde rqg #zolf smith #zoscar #zolfwilde

[ashes-in-a-jar]

I caught up to rqg!! I can officially be spoiled now 🎉

Oh boy those last episodes were intense! Body switching au, everyone unceremoniously dying and then almost as unceremoniously brought back to life

A city on a freaking bear!!

And suddenly everyone is dating each other abdjdnfkkgkgk

Needless to say it was so intense I just binged all of those episodes together at once. I just couldn't stop.

#Only hamid is alone now #Get him a happy #rqg #Rusty quill gaming #zolf smith #zolfwilde #!! #That was heartwrenching #rqg azu #That was the cutest thing with the street chess #cel sidebottom #Haha also an unceremonious get together lol #rqg liveblog

[splitting-infinities]

reasons

Then: Gentle Repose

The atmosphere in Wilde's dream is intoxicating and lovely. Candles burn with scents of mahogany and bergamot. The room is wallpapered with velvet accented flower designs. The drink in Wilde's hands is cool but not yet covered in dewy condensation. He is, in a word, happy. He is also, in a word, dead.

He stares at Zolf's neutral, carefully flat expression, wondering when exactly he fell for Zolf all those years ago.

Wilde imagines what lies beneath that stoic face. He suspects how much Zolf hides. He knows that Zolf is an iceberg, all his depth and emotion under the surface. Zolf is fine, stop asking. Sound familiar? Perhaps that's why they work so well together.

According to Zolf, Wilde is dead. Impaled. Goodness, impaled, what a way to go. Wilde always imagined death would be a bit unpleasant, but here he is, surrounded by the best parts of his life, Zolf included. He's inclined to stay if Zolf stays too. Relax, Zolf. It's all fine.

But of course, it isn't. It never is. Wilde is dead. That's hardly fine.

Zolf gives him the choice. Wilde can stay here alone, dead and gone, or he can follow Zolf back to whatever's next.

It's up to him to make the call. Of course it is. Wilde, ever the decision maker. Ever the person everyone puts their trust in. He can't keep doing this, he can't. Let someone else have a turn for once. Wilde's done carrying that weight.

He's not as good at hiding his anger as Zolf is, but he sure can try.

"Just give me a reason," he says. Please.

And Zolf finally, finally does. Even grabs Wilde's lapel to make the point. It's nice seeing Zolf's composure crack for once in his life. Wilde hasn't even finished his drink and feels drunk from the joy of it. Who knew Zolf could blush.

In that moment, Wilde knows three things.

One: that Zolf actually cares.

Two: that Zolf walked into the afterlife to come for him.

Three: that they're going on holiday, and Wilde's so happy he doesn't actually care where.

-

Now: Breath of Life

In this moment, Zolf knows three things.

One: Wilde is dead.

Two: Wilde being dead is unacceptable.

Three: He is going to do whatever it takes to bring him back, because Wilde promised him a holiday and Zolf holds people to their promises.

He is not focused on anything else. His thoughts are only of Wilde. Of not again and why.

Pressing a thumb to Hamid's forehead to heal him, Zolf muses on how many people he hasn't been able to save. He starts to think about Sasha - and stops.

Even Wilde isn't immune. Lighting never strikes twice, as the old saying goes, but death seems to enjoy striking down the people Zolf loves, over and over and over. For the second time in a year, Zolf faces losing Oscar Wilde forever.

Perhaps he was never meant to be a cleric of Poseidon at all. He wasn't one to revere the raging storms, the capricious nature of the sea, the towering tidal wave. To him, they were merely utility through which to accomplish other things. To him, that wasn't faith.

So, he channeled everything he had into grit, foundation, sturdiness, stoicism instead. Because to him, that was strength. Strength wasn't ephemeral salty sea breezes or footprints in the sand the tide would soon devour. Strength was standing up to the impossible, the grief, the loss, the evil in the world, and saying not today. It was facing the tidal wave head on.

As he gets his one chance, an opening in the battle, Zolf darts to Wilde's side. He takes a nasty hit to the forehead as his price. A concussion is worth it for this.

Wilde will be fine.

Oscar will be fine.

Through blurry vision, desperate and bleeding from the nose, Zolf strains his mind and casts Breath of Life - a delicate spell, more precious than all the gold in the dragons' lairs combined. It requires strength to cast. Grit. Hope. Faith.

With a divine glow that sets Wilde's white hair into iridescent shimmers, Zolf can tell it's successful. That, or his concussion is a doozy.

Eventually, Wilde's eyes open and his pupils into dazed focus. He puts a hand to his chest, where before there was a ragged wound. It's healed now, but the blood remains, staining that ridiculous bard's costume. Wilde looks at him in tender surprise.

Why are you surprised? Zolf thinks. I've saved you before. I'll save you always.

"Get the others out of here," he demands, "and stay safe." There's no time to say anything else aloud.

Except - before, when Zolf waded into the afterlife after Wilde like some kind of Orpheus, they had a conversation about need. About reasons. In the millisecond before Zolf throws Wilde through the door to safety, they have this conversation again, silently, with their eyes.

Last time, Wilde followed him back to the land of the living, and the two of them returned together. Stronger.

This time, Zolf called Wilde back to his side, only to send him where Zolf can't follow. Not yet, anyway. There's a monster to finish off, and Zolf may not look it, but he's angry.

#rqg #rqg spoilers #zolf smith #oscar wilde (rqg) #zolfwilde #rqg 207 #hello yes here is my obligatory 207 fic :)

[commander-diomika]

[Image ID: Screenshot of a tumblr reply from user @weareallfromearth ​​ saying “Holy shit I would V much like to know what you’d do with ZolfWilde.” End ID]

This was in response to me tag rambling that if Alex “I don’t Actually Have That Much Experience in Courtship” Newall and Ben “I just Realised I’m Too Straight For This” Meredith don’t know what to do with Zolf/Wilde, they should hand the ship over to me. 

*rubs my gay little hands together.*

I initially characterized them offhandedly as Enemies-to-Lovers but that’s not quite it, is it? On reflection I would say it’s more of an Opposites Attract situation.

Oscar Wilde, as re-imagined in the RQG universe, is a homme fatale; a dangerous, attractive man, skilled in encouraging people to underestimate him, wearing different masks, never quite being able to trust or be trusted by anyone.

There is NO personal/professional line for Wilde. He lives his work, and his work is subterfuge and interpersonal manipulation. (whether or not he started this way in his field as a journalist, or was forced to become this way by the changes in his world, is another post.) He is a person who either cares very deeply what people think of him, or is has decided that manipulating what people think of him is the way to get what he wants, and from the outside it makes no difference.

Zolf Smith does not care what people think of him. He isn’t even skilled at being kind and empathetic to people he cares about; he has no time for emotional manipulation or genuine charm. He doesn’t even have a fantastic grasp on his OWN feelings, let alone other people’s. He’s grounded, disinterested in frippery or appearances. Which is why Zolf and Wilde started out so deeply at odds with one another.

Despite the differences in the interpersonal approaches, they have plenty of common ground.

They are both deeply dedicated to a cause. They care about their work to the exclusion of all else. They are both pragmatists who have their own internal moral code, and are willing to bend or break other people’s rules in order to get the job done. They are fundamentally good people. Despite their rocky beginnings, they can respect each other because of these things.

And they might have maintained their mutually disdainful, begrudgingly respectful working relationship and that could have been the sum total... Except then the world fell apart. The Meritocratic organisation was initially compromised, then disintegrated. The blue vein plague isolated everyone and made it even harder to trust supposed allies. The Cult of Hades was on everyone’s ass making their life difficult, the other PCs disappeared off the face of the planet. Zolf and Wilde ended up in a situation where they had no one else they could trust.

Familiarity breeds contempt, but maybe if the contempt is already there, it builds Something Else. Wilde was stripped of his magic in a way that made it much harder for him to keep people at a distance and (pardon the pun) project the illusion of the debonair playboy. Zolf would have had the chance to see through Wilde’s masks, and get a better understanding of what parts of Wilde were a calculated tactic, and what was his genuine self.

Whatever betrayal transpired that gave Wilde his scar and hardened him, Zolf was privy to. He was either there and saw it happen, or he was close enough in the aftermath to see Wilde properly vulnerable for the first time in their friendship. Hell, maybe Zolf was the one who rescued him and patched him up. That was a chance for Zolf to realise that this insufferable man is a friend who he cares about deeply. At this point, he’s cared for awhile, but has been too wrapped up with his own spiritual difficulties to have space to admit that to himself.

And Wilde, oh Wilde, he’s desperate to be seen and known and loved, but he’s never allowed himself. He’s never felt SAFE to. He doesn’t let people get close, treats every conversation as a battle to be won. His safety and his power lies in being admired, but never loved. So even as trust and fondness for Zolf blossoms within him, he won’t for a second allow himself to hope that the fondness is reciprocated

With all that out of the way, this is my version of events.  

Wilde is a slut (affectionate), and Zolf is gray-ace, so if there’s any bridging of that gap in terms of physical intimacy, it has to be from Zolf’s side. Giving canon a tender massage into place, that first instance of Zolf grabbing Wilde by the collar changes. (This happens on the Vengeance after Zolf has taught Wilde to steer the ship). Zolf drags Wilde down to say “I’m glad to see you perked up.” That moment now involves a whiskery kiss on Wilde’s cheek, and the man would be absolutely FLOORED by it.

I’m talking slow-mo glittering lights as Zolf stomps off blushing, unsure what just came over him; Wilde touches his cheek in bewilderment for a stretched moment before realising he’s completely agog, and he let go of the wheel for a dangerous length of time. Every interaction, every moment they’ve spent together over the last two years is flashing before Wilde’s eyes and a new context is being applied rapid fire. I’m talking the italacised oh kind of moment.

(on top of Zolf being witness to The Betrayal, throw some other moments of almost-intimacy into said flashbacks. I’m talking late nights, Zolf doing his gruff-yet-kind caretaker thing, cooking for Wilde, maybe sharing quiet and rare downtime with Zolf reading a Campbell novel on a couch in Wilde’s office)

Wilde is realising, “Oh this is allowed, oh this is reciprocated, this is possible.”

And of course they don’t talk about it, because what’s a slowburn if they immediately go and TALK about their feelings? No, the kiss goes completely unremarked upon, and Wilde continues to needle and tease and get under Zolf’s skin, except now with an added warmth in his eyes because he finally gets it. He finally understands that Zolf cares, that Zolf loves him, he’s just not the kind of dwarf that knows how to express it.

And Zolf, frustrated by feelings he can’t express but is beginning to understand, can hear the undertone of “haha, you looooove me,” shining through Wilde’s deliberate antagonism. They continue their time on the Vengeance just a little easier and closer to one another.

And we continue on to the death/resurrection arc, and Wilde’s spirit pushes for Zolf to open up about his feelings, because if not when he’s literally past death’s door, then when? When Zolf finally manages his “I need you,” it’s like a dam has broken for both of them. The second collar-grab and “We’ll go on a holiday or somethin’,” is now followed by a full kiss on the lips, not particularly erotic but passionate, (it’s the epitome of kissing someone to shut them up) and Wilde makes a surprised and delighted squeak that he would be glad he can’t quite remember when he returns to land of the living.

Once returned, Wilde might not remember everything that his spirit said or did, but he remembers the kiss. The comfort and ease that the two of them share in 179 (Eat Drink and Be Merry) is there, only instead of the two characters still being in a place of questioning their feelings for one another, it’s been answered.

Whether or not this relationship is sexual in nature is kind of up to you and what kind of fan works you like to read/write. I think there are wonderful scenes to be written an explored in many directions.

Wilde allowing himself to enjoy sex for intimacy and closeness instead of using it as a tool/ Zolf not being one for sex but Wilde’s never slept more soundly than when he’s being held in Zolf’s arms/ Zolf realising that the unfamiliar feeling he’s been struggling to express is the desire to rail Wilde til he cries/ Wilde realising that if his partner doesn’t want it from him, he’s actually quite content without sex/ The two of them being mean, antagonistic bastards to each other while fucking but Make It Kink (of the trusting and RACK kind). There really isn’t a single bad interpretation.  

So really, I’m not doing anything different with them other than reading between the lines, giving canon a little nudge, and sticking the landing. This isn’t to disparage the concept of queer platonic partners. (I’ve got one!) or to talk shit about Ben or Alex (I DO respect their craft).

It’s just to say I find these two characters , and everything they’ve been through, PAINFULLY romantic, tropey, and delightful. I’m looking forward both to how Ben and Alex play the QPP, the fanworks I’m gonna read and hopefully write, and the inevitable tragedy that you KNOW Alex is gearing up for.

#zoscar #zolfwilde #RQG #rusty quill gaming #zolf smith #RQG Oscar Wilde #hank talks #rqg podcast #rqg meta #feel free to reblog #and to talk to me about it

[avocadohass]

Zoscar beauty and the beast au, that's it, that's the post

#rqg #rusty quill gaming #zoscar #rqg zolf #zolfwilde #rqg wilde

[klauztrooph]

Hi, I come once again to share a dream, product of falling asleep listening to RQG and my eternal obssesion with TMA.

So, Jon, Martin, Basira, Tim, Melanie, Zolf, Wilde, Azu, Hamid, Cel and Barnes are part of an organized resistance against an alien-plant invasion. There are some missions which I don't remember but then comes the last stand.

It is in like a events venue with a lake and a topiary maze, sometimes is snowing and sometimes it is not. The army is around sheltered in a barn, waiting for the aliens to land. They need the lake for something and they need an special plant that Martin is asigned to protect. Its just a little blue flower and he puts it into his coat.

People start walking throught the maze, having last moment conversations. Zolf is walking with Wilde and Cel sees them and says that they are happy for them. Azu, Hamid, Tim and Basira are talking, getting ready for battle in the center of the maze. Jon and Martin are sitting inside the barn, waiting. I see Martins POV and he is scared, he thinks this is his last chance to tell Jon how he feels, and remembers Barnes telling him that there are somethings that shouldn't wait, but he can't so he chooses to keep close to Jon and protect him, even if Jon has powers and is more than capable to protect himself.

The aliens attack and everything becomes blurry. The resistance is loosing and the aliens reach the lake. Turns out, in the botton of the lake there is an eldritch fish that is like a weapon/lord for the aliens. They start pushing the resistance into the maze, they know the flower is there and they are ruthless. Many die.

Martin, Jon and Zolf are fighting, Zolf is angry because they killed Wilde. Suddenly the aliens know Martin has the flower and Jon Knows this and tries to push Martin into the center of the maze, where the other fighters are standing their ground, but Martin won't leave without Jon. In the end Zolf and Jon sacrife themselves so Martin can escape.

He reaches the center of the maze crying and chased by the fish that is tearing apart the earth to get there. Martin sees the maw of the fish open to swallow him. There are rows of sharp teeth along the fish throat. Tim, Azu and Melanie attack the fish but suddenly everything turns black.

On the edges, I know they all died, but something in the way Martin died with the flower triggers something and Martin becomes a gigant lizard/dragon? And fights back, killing the fish.

And suddenly we are back at the beginning, Jon is sitting with Martin in the barn, waiting and Martin thinks again about telling him how he feels. He considers send him a text message so at the end he can read it, but Martin knows now that Jon wont be there at the end to read it. He has to make something to change the end of the battle and save everyone. So he goes into the lake, turning into the dragon again.

And I woke up.

#this was an amazing dream #cinematic and everything #sometimes i was me #but i was sick and Barnes was taking care of me #the magnus archives #rusty quill gaming #dream #major character death #a little horror #fish #i don't know how to tag this #aliens #martin blackwood #Jonmartin #zolfwilde