Brave Face - Beth Rowley / Under the Weather - KT Tunstall / The Moon and Me - Tom Baxter / Tonight the Streets Are Ours - Richard Hawley / Long After Tonight Is All Over - Julie Rogers / Donβt Say - Gabrielle Aplin /Β Indestructible - Robyn / Stay Awhile - RΓΆyksopp & Susanne SundfΓΈr / One Night with The Valet - Tennis / Loving & Free - Kiki Dee / Rainy Days andΒ Mondays - Carpenters / GoinβΒ Back - Dusty Springfield / The Worldβs Strongest Man - Scott Walker / A Different Corner - George Michael / Iβm a Better Man (For Having Loved You) - Englebert Humperdinck / Every Night - Paul McCartney / Love Song - Lucy Rose / Rambling Man - Laura Marling / Love Letters - Ketty Lester / Emotions - Brenda Lee / Solitaire - Andy Williams / Goodbye to Love - Phoebe Bridgers / If It Wasnβt For the Nights - ABBA / Love Is A Losing Game - Amy Winehouse / Chasing Pavements - Adele
Today is the last day of Barris Winter Festival! There will be a grace period until Saturday, January 28, where we will be accepting late submissions, but after this we will be closing the AO3 Collection and no longer reblogging submissions here, so that we can compile the masterlist of all submissions we received over the past four weeks!
Thank you everyone for your contributions so far- Iβve loved seeing them all and spreading the Barris love with them ππ Letβs finish out strong!
A/N: Happy Barris Winter Festival! I'm about to be cranking these things out about as fast as I can, given I waited so late to get started (blame school starting up again and the nightmare leading up to that), but I will be answering all four prompts before the Festival's end! That said, no warnings for this piece! I hope you enjoy!
Summary: It's a few days before Thomas and Richard's first Christmas together, and Thomas is worrying about how to make it perfect for them. Richard makes an attempt at showing him the ways it's already perfect.
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There was always a first for something- this is something Thomas had always been acutely aware of. But when it came to a first Christmas spent with someone, the first gift you got for that person, the first year you would begin to build traditions with them, that was a far more important first than many others. As it stood, this was to be his first Christmas with Richard, and he was feeling more than a little nervous. Theyβd managed a little tree for their cottage, and had been putting up some other various decorations, but he still felt a strange sort of pressure to get it just right- all of it.
Unbeknownst to him, heβd been muttering about some of this as he hung ornaments on the tree, the words indistinguishable from each other under his breath- but that wasnβt really what tipped Richard off as he laid out a bough of holly across their mantel. No, that wasnβt what did it. Just the fact that Thomas was muttering at all was enough to get that point across. He let out a soft hum as he watched and listened, trying to figure out what exactly was wrong. When that effort proved to be fruitless, he sighed and said, βThomas, whatβs bothering you?βΒ
Thomas had apparently not been expecting this, as he started and dropped the ornament in his hand, cursing quietly under his breath as it hit the ground and shattered. βGreat, that was just what I needed,β he snarked, which was just another sign to Richard that something really was wrong. Heβd dropped the habit of being nasty these days, but it always reared its head again whenever he got too stressed out. This led to further muttering, though this time he could make out what it was Thomas was upset about. The ornament, of course. Still, that was clearly only a symptom of the underlying issue, which Richard still intended to fish out from him.
He walked over to where Thomas was now trying to pick up the broken pieces of glass, and knelt down with him, taking his hands to distract him from this task for the time being. βThomas,β he said, his tone more gentle this time. βWhatβs going on?β Thomas looked up at him, and he shifted the way he always did when he didnβt want to answer, usually for fear of how Richard would take it. He sighed, and began to gently rub the back of Thomasβs hands with his thumbs to try and soothe him. βI canβt help if you donβt tell me.β
βI just liked that one,β Thomas muttered. When Richard lifted a brow, skeptical at the idea that heβd told the whole story. A little more shifting, and the truth came out. βI donβt want to mess this up.β Ah, there it was.
Richard pulled Thomas over to sit with him on the sofa, and once heβd succeeded in that, he asked, βAlright, what is it youβre afraid of messing up, love?βΒ
It was like a flood of words after that. βThe whole bloody thing,β Thomas said. βIβve never even done any sort of Christmas with just one other person before, and now Iβm trying to get the tree right, and Iβm trying to figure out exactly the right thing to get you, and how weβre going to work around what the House is doing for Christmas, if weβre going to have our own meal here somehow or if weβll manage with them, if thereβs anything Iβve forgottenβ¦β He paused finally, and let out a small sigh. βI just want to be sure it all goes right.β
His confession was met with a small, comforting smile from Richard, who chuckled softly. βDarling, you have nothing to worry about,β he said affectionately. βChristmas is already going to be perfect, if only because we get to spend it together this year.βΒ
Thomas levelled him with a disbelieving look. βIβve already broken an ornament and I havenβt figured out what exactly our Christmas is even going to look like,β he said. βI mean, you just heard everything I still have to do- itβs clearly still a bit of a mess, donβt you think?βΒ
βProbably,β Richard allowed with a chuckle. βBut even if it ends up being a messβ¦ I just need you here to make it a good Christmas. Iβd be more than happy with that.β
His words earned a small smile from Thomas, who chuckled softly. βAlright,β he said. βWellβ¦ Iβll probably still worry about it. But Iβll try not to as much.β He looked down at the broken ornament, and he sighed. βThatβs still a shame though.β
Richard looked down at the broken ornament thoughtfully. βYes, it isβ¦βΒ
Christmas soon came, and that night, after theyβd returned to their cottage from Downton Abbey, Thomas and Richard sat down together to exchange gifts. Thomas had gotten Richard a lovely pair of cufflinks, a pair of silver moons, which Richard had loved as soon as he pulled them from their box. Thomas was proud of how happy Richard had been.Β
Richard had likewise gotten Thomas something he was sure to appreciate: a brand new pocket watch, engraved with the current year- the year of their first Christmas spent together. He was still admiring his new pocket watch as Richard got up and slipped out of the room, and he frowned slightly as he looked up at him. βWhere are you going?β he asked.
βIβve just got one more thing for you is all,β Richard answered him.
βWhat- something else?β Thomas repeated incredulously. βWhat happened to one each? I thought we said we didnβt have the finances for much more than that.β
βSomething came up that I couldnβt let slip by,β Richard defended. βAnd it didnβt cost me anything, donβt worry.βΒ
He returned with a small box, which he handed to Thomas as he sat with him again. Thomas looked up at him curiously, then down at the box. He was half tempted to give it a little shake and see if he could figure out what was inside, but he decided just to cut the suspense and open it instead.
What he found inside the box was a little star ornament- the very one heβd dropped days before and broken. It had clearly been repaired, and he looked up at Richard with wide eyes. βYou had it repaired?β he asked in surprise.
βWellβ¦ I went ahead and repaired it,β Richard answered. βI know you liked it quite a lot, soβ¦ I thought it might be a nice gift to fix it and return it to you.β
Thomas smiled softly at him, and reached up to cup his cheek. βItβs a lovely gift,β he said. βBut if Iβm being entirely honestβ¦ the greatest gift Iβve ever received is you.β
If you've enjoyed this fic, please feel free to check out my masterlist!
Thomas Barrow & Richard Ellis, and eclipses as a harbringer of change
Everything related to the moon is automatically related to Richard Ellis, right?
Eclipse is defined as an obscuring of the light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the observer or between it and its source of illumination. Here we will discuss lunar and solar eclipses with astrological meanings and real-life eclipses that happened closely to canon.
An eclipse of the sun happens when the moon moves between sun and earth, blocking out the sun's rays and casting a shadow on parts of earth. Total eclipse happens when the moon covers the sun completely. Lunar eclipses happen when earth positions itself between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow across the moon's surface.
For Barris Winter Fest's this week's theme, change and new beginnings β¨οΈ @barris-event-blog
The Sun & The Moon π
Sun's path is the unifying symbol in astrology, since the other planets orbit around it. The sun is therefore related to what is ideal, fixed, relatively permanent and unchanging. It's also related to power, to kings and queens, to powerful or famous people, to rulership and governance. It also has been associated with ambition and purpose, and it represents clarity and direction.
In contrast to the symbolism of the sun, the moon has traditionally been more closely related to the realm of impermanence, as it is constantly waxing and waning. As servants, Thomas and Richard work in an industry of the past, but the world around them is changing constantly. Like Richard says it, "Fifty years ago, who'd have thought man could fly?".
The moon's method of illumination is more subtle, relying on reflected light. Indeed, the moon symbolizes things such as our inner feelings and desires, our shadow self, and things that we are yet to discover about ourselves. "When you're like me, Mr Carson, you have to read the signs as best you can because no one dares speak out" & "You just need to be a bit more circumspect in future, Mr Barrow".
Solar Eclipse π
With all of this in mind β in an eclipse, the moon covers the sun. The moon, within all of its own symbolism, represents Thomas and Richard's relationship (the crescent fob as a promise of seeing each other again). The sun represents the status quo: Richard having a stable position requiring some kind of ambition to acquire and Thomas having his life center around serving the ruling class. But when they met, the moon covered the rational sun. Richard helped to sabotage the royal visit and Thomas slammed the door on an earl's face, both betraying the rich and famous. "It feels good to be two ordinary blokes".
The sun is also sometimes seen as a ruler judging us from above, and shadows (outside their many negative meanings) are seen as protection. What happens in the shadows is Turton's and kisses hidden in plain sight.
Eclipses are known for being major harbingers of change and often align with exciting new beginnings and twists of fate. Total solar eclipses are a rare event, but sometimes all the celestial bodies are aligned for true love to happen, perhaps?
June 29th, 1927 π
On June 29th, 1927, a total solar eclipse was visible from the British mainland soil for the first time in 203 years. R.A. Marriott describes: It caused nationwide excitement which included mass population movement to the towns, villages, moorlands and offshore waters of Wales and the North of England, and severely tested the countryβs transport and communication systems.
Blue line displays maximum eclipse path. In York, 99.40% of the sun was covered at 5:24 in the morning. Downton Abbey would have experienced almost a total eclipse.
Railway companies encouraged people to travel to experience the eclipse. Though anyone who travelled might have ended disappointed. Totality only lasted 23 seconds, and very few were lucky too see it because of the cloudy weather. Sylvia Seeley writes:
The narrow belt of totality, only about 28 miles wide, swept accross England in a line to include parts of North Wales, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Thousands upon thousands of spectators were gathered at various centres in the line of totality, from one side of England to another, only to be greeted on the great day with a drenching and hopeless dawn of impenetrable clouds.
The royal visit is set on July 20thβ22nd, 1927*. So around a month before Thomas and Richard met, a rare cosmic event symbolising change and new beginnings took place. π I would assume at least some of the residents of Downton Abbey got out of bed early enough to stand outside in dark and rain. Did Thomas bother, I don't know. Richard probably was still in London, experiencing much the same. Or maybe he was already on the Yorkshire tour, with some Giggleswick luck? The summer of 1927 is one of the rainiest on the record, by the way. Since it was perfectly sunny for the parade in Downton, I'd expect the clouds cleared everywhere the king step foot in.
Wet and depressing athmosphere also mentioned in the final page of Dorothy L. Sayers' 1927 novel Unnatural Death:
As the gate clanged open to let them out, they stepped into a wan and awful darkness. The June day had risen long ago, but only a pale and yellowish gleam lit the half-deserted streets. And it was bitterly cold and raining.
βWhat is the matter with the day?β said Wimsey. βIs the world coming to an end?β
βNo,β said Parker, βit is the eclipse.β
*This is debatable, I think! The month July as far as I know comes from Edith's line about giving birth in March. It wouldn't be a big stretch to think the movie was actually set in June. I do like the eclipse better as an omen for a twist of fate, but if you'd like to think them going eclipse gazing right after the visit, it's technically possible!
Dancing Partners π
If you had asked me just a few days ago, which one, Thomas or Richard, I would associate with the sun, I would've said Richard. But I've got it all wrong! Obviously the guy standing in a dark street talking about moonbeam fairies is the moon.
Some of the the Sun's traits, like positivity and confidence, I would hand over to Richard. But other than that, he reminds me of the moon. The moon is hidden, and then it isn't. Slowly we see more of it, one part coming out of the shadow after another, but then it starts disappearing again, and we doubt if we ever knew him at all. He can quite literally fool you with his voice, and seems different every time you look at him, adapting into every moment gracefully. As said before, the sun represents clarity. I wouldn't call Richard a lunatic, but his actions may seem... more on the side of the moon, sometimes.
Thomas might not always be the sense of reason either, but he has some of the sun's traits. (And he likes the sun!). In the movie, unlike the subtle moon, he says openly what he means with an expressive face. Mr Ellis β the Moon β is certainly more circumspect (or so he says!). The sun is symbolic of action and intesity, while the moon is of passivity and thought. Our Sun's slamming doors and dancing and getting upset about it, but both times Richard's been there to listen and mysteriously solve things.
Sun and moon being in love relies on the concept of opposites attracting, and I actually see Thomas and Richard as quite similar. And I do keep seeing Richard as the sun too. (With many moon-like qualities in Thomas as well). I'd love to hear your insights if you have them!
The sun and the moon being romantic partners is not my idea. Legend says that they have always been in love, but that they could never be together, because the moon rises at sunset and the sun just at dawn. Eclipse was created as proof that there is no impossible love.Β In 1844, Jean Jacques Grandville published a drawing of the sun and the moon kissing during an eclipse. A french film from 1907 with sexual themes shows a romantic encounter between the sun and the moon during an eclipse. Some have seen it as an early example as homosexuality in film.
And not to get too meta, but! The most important thing when we think of the relationship of sun and moon is that the moon reflects the light of the sun. We know only very little of Richard, and so many of our own headcanons rely on what we think would be fitting or interesting for Thomas. Thus we only see the moon in the sun's light.
Lunar Eclipse π
In astrology, the moon is the banner bearer for things that come to be and pass away. Canonically speaking, Thomas' and Richard's relationship didn't last a very long time. It is sad, but I think something positive I got from the break-up it's maybe the thought that good things don't have to be forever. Like a total eclipse happens rarely and doesn't last a long time, it can be a life-changing moment.
While solar eclipses often bring new beginnings, lunar eclipses are more likely to bring about sudden endings, conclusions, or powerful changes of heart. That way we could think solar eclipse as a symbol for the start and a lunar eclipse as the end (or an unpermanent distruption) of their relationship.
Lunar eclipse is less of a spectacular event too. The moon either darkens or turns reddish or brown colour. They can be viewed by anyone on the night side of the earth and they can last nearly two hours, so they aren't as rare as solar eclipses. On average, a total lunar eclipse can be seen from any given location every 2.5 years.
Total lunar eclipses happened four times in a row on June 15th, 1927; December 8th, 1927; June 3rd, 1928 and November 27th, 1928. (Total lunar eclipses often happen in a row. Before this group, the latest was in 1924 and the next in 1931). Only the second one, December 8th, was visible from the UK, and it was a blood moon (the moon turns red).
Assuming The New Era takes place in '28, these happened around the start and end of Richard and Thomas' relationship. Eclipses are always about change. June 1927 β November 1928 is a period of huge change in Thomas' life, all about self-discovery and finding himself, which the moon is related to.
Until We Meet Again π
A large partial solar eclipse was visible from Los Angeles in 1930. This newspaper article from California which I thought was funnily fitting.
And if that prompted to change his mind or if he never went, there were plenty of chances to go eclipse-gazing with Richard later. In York, June 30th, 1954, 80% of the sun was covered, October 2nd, 1959, 20% of the sun was covered, and February 15th, 1961, 90% of the sun was covered.
Thank you for reading! π
Links π
1. astronomy: more about solar eclipses, more about lunar eclipses, june 29 1927 in york, june 30 1954, october 2 1959, february 15 1961, april 28 1930
2. astrology: solar eclipse symbolism, eclipse meanings, sun symbolism, solar eclipse meanings
3. eclipses in art, solar eclipses in the uk, lunar eclipses in the 20th century, seeley's text (would recommend this), vintage photos of people eclipse-gazing
4. couldn't find where the newspaper article is from but i got it here
5. unnatural death & l'eclipse du soleil en pleine lune (watch here)
2087
origamiaround
dededos
kianamaiart
tangentwithtanner
germansingergirl
turnnoffyourmind
