Raised By Wolves (2020) S01E03 V I R T U A L F A I T H

Raised By Wolves (2020) S01E03 — V I R T U A L   F A I T H

"I just want my children to be safe..."

— Mother, Raised By Wolves

Thorquill Fashion Designers!AU

Thor Odinson and Peter Jason Quill.

Not since Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli has the world of high fashion seen such a great rivalry between two highly talented iconoclasts pushing the ever evolving industry forward with their visionary ideas.

Their intense discord began during their days studying for their MA degree in Fashion Design at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London. Even as students, both of them had already shown an incredible level of skill, creativity, and craftsmanship for the trade that far surpassed anyone from their generation.

However, the positive attributes they possessed was offset by a streak of fierce competitiveness that bordered on obsession. Each believed himself to be much better than the other, and their academic tenure was fraught with snide insults exchanged in hallways, petty sabotage during studio hours, and the occasional fisticuffs outside of campus grounds.

Though they had both finished top of their class and presented excellent graduation thesis shows, everyone knew that London wasn't big enough for the both of them. Peter flew back home to the United States and made a name for himself in New York City. Thor planted his flag in Italy and became the toast of Milan. Yet despite their distance and holding court on separate fashion capitals, the international press and industry insiders continued to pit them against each other and fueled their counteraction because of their insatiable appetite for scandalous and juicy drama.

It certainly didn't help that they were both hailed in the media as the new hotshot gatekeepers of avant-garde fashion design. While this may be true, they could not be more different in terms of their aesthetics on the runway.

Thor took the culture of eclectic global streetwear and elevated it with a hyper-futuristic sensibility inspired by his enduring love for all things sci-fi as well as his Nordic heritage. This manifested itself in colorful mixed patterns, unusual silhouettes with geometric lines, and a definitive aura of cool trendiness that translated into instant cult status among forward-thinking sartorialists and A-list celebrities who wanted some eye-catching edge to their personal style. It certainly helped that part of his success can be attributed to his younger brother Loki—the perennially in-demand raven-haired supermodel with enviable androgyny—who was the public face of his fashion empire; frequently opening or closing all of Thor's star-studded runway shows plus appearing in all his slick advertising campaigns and editorial photo shoots.

Peter, on the other hand, was more interested in breaking the rules of elegance and sophistication by using renegade methods that would have made the late and great haute couturiers of the past roll over in their graves. Unlike his peers who preferred traditional handcrafted techniques to achieve their designs, he was unafraid to use various forms of technology at his disposal to transform luxury garments into exceptional wearable pieces of art that commanded attention to anyone who wore them. And what Peter sometimes lacked in star-power on his front rows as with Thor, he made up for in breathtaking showmanship with his highly produced runway shows; critics and journalists often gushing about his fantastic ability to merge performance art with his maverick garments.

Season after season, they unveiled clothes that pushed boundaries and delighted style devotees everywhere. Profitable sales reports that showed continuous growth also meant they ascended higher and higher into the upper echelons of mainstream pop culture that they became famous superstars in their own right.

But everything changed when they crossed paths once more on what is considered the Super Bowl of fashion: the annual Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The theme that year was Signals Detected: Transmissions From the Future of Fashion, and several of Thor and Peter's archival showpiece looks from past collections were singled out for the blockbuster exhibit among other noteworthy ensembles from big-name designers. As a result, they were extended invitations to attend the event.

Despite knowing that Peter had the home turf advantage, Thor refused to back down from this challenge and announced via his social media that he would be going. Peter was surprised to find out that Thor would be in attendance; he assumed his longtime adversary would skip the Met Gala given their volatile history. This was the first time since they graduated from Central Saint Martins that they would be seen together at a public function, especially one as high-profile as the Met Ball. Worse, the organizers had somewhat decided to place them next to each other at the dinner following the exhibition preview without their knowledge.

It began during the famous red carpet arrivals.

Peter showed up first and slowly ascended the iconic steps and Thor appeared just minutes after him. The photographers went ballistic upon seeing the two factious designers on the same place separated just mere steps away from each other. The noise prompted Peter to turn around and Thor to look up. The second they made eye contact, it felt like time had stopped and they both thought the same thing.

Fuck.

Thor, against his better judgment, was mesmerized at how Peter looked so rakishly beautiful. Peter, in turn, felt butterflies in his stomach upon seeing Thor look so unfairly handsome.

The blinding blitzkrieg of hundreds of camera flashes captured that moment and increased in speed when Thor walked up to the landing where Peter stood. In such close proximity, they wore similar looks of amusement mixed with uncertainty; looking deep into each other's eyes and telegraphing the same unspoken message.

Damn. Look at how far we've come after all these years...

Knowing that any sort of physical contact between them would add fuel to the fire, Thor and Peter ignored the shouts of the reporters and photographers from the sidelines and continued to make their way up the steps together in silence and close beside each other as they crossed the museum threshold.

As they passed through the receiving line and went to view the exhibit, Peter and Thor carried a riveting conversation that saw them both doing a running commentary of the curated garments on display. When they came across the gallery where their respective designs were given pride of place, their discussion turned into one of playful banter. Instead of hurling disparaging comments as they were prone to do in their youth, both men praised each other's work, harmlessly debated their signature aesthetics, and acknowledged just how silly they acted when they were still in fashion school.

The gala dinner was quite an interesting affair not only because Thor and Peter were pleasantly surprised by their seating placements, but it was also gossip fodder for the other celebrity guests and socialites who surrounded and observed them. Eyebrows were certainly raised when the two designers tuned everybody else out and kept up their conversation peppered with gentle laughs, amused snorts, and looks of intense longing when either of them deigned to interact briefly with their table mates or the attending wait staff.

When the party began in full swing after the dinner service, that was when Peter and Thor gradually began to lose themselves to each other; tipsy enough from the champagne they drank to feel really good but sober enough to be fully aware that they were about to make serious headlines if their sudden attraction towards each other became public.

But they didn't care. Not anymore.

All that mattered to them that night was to wipe the slate clean and make up for years wasted on hating each other the best way they know how.

Fast forward to the final show of the Spring/Summer 2030 calendar.

The worldwide fashion press is abuzz with the highly anticipated debut of Thor and Peter's first collection together since deciding to join forces, merging the brands they have built into one esteemed fashion house that they named AD ASTRA, and officially decamping to Paris Fashion Week to present their designs. What they unveiled that fateful day would become a massive game-changer for the multi-billion dollar business of fashion.

The show was titled Second Skin, and the pair unleashed a wide variety of garments that literally created themselves on the body using ultra-advanced bleeding-edge nanorobotics courtesy of Stark Industries.

It had all the best hallmarks from their respective strengths: Thor's penchant for outrageous techno-futurism and Peter's command of jaw-dropping theatricality. Loki was the sole model of the entire presentation from start to finish, and with every striking pose that he performed, the programmable nanobots on his nude body would not only change in shape and size, but also in color and surface texture. The results not only looked like it used real fabric, but also had the feel and fluidity of premium designer textiles that felt comfortable on the skin and moved in sync with the body.

Best of all, it had the durability of industrial-strength armor and was imbued with innovative features such as self-cleaning functionality and powered by solar energy, thereby making Second Skin™ utterly sustainable and environmentally conscious.

The reaction from the audience in attendance was akin to a star going supernova.

Needless to say, the rest is fashion history...

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"Just so you know, I'm still the better designer than you, even if we're together now."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah."

"That wasn't what you said when I fucked your brains out last night at Tony's after-party in Versailles."

"Hey! Anything we say during sex is not admissible. Ever."

"Sure, Peter. Whatever you say. Regardless, I still love you."

"I love you too, you fucking dork."

Thorquill Beach!AU

Thor Odinson and Peter Jason Quill both love being in nature, living for adventure, and chasing thrills.

As a result of their lifelong interest in the great outdoors, they grew up to pursue careers that suited their passions: Thor founded his own apparel business that centered on a nomadic lifestyle, while Peter became a successful freelance photographer for several top travel magazines and publications.

Fate and circumstance brought them together when both men met for the first time at a hostel in Greece while on separate vacations. Their attraction was immediate when they bumped into each other in the communal dining area.

And it was here when they also heard of an urban legend circulating among the global backpacking circuit: a secret beach on a remote tropical island inhabited by an elite community of international travelers who shared a deep dislike of the commercialization, gentrification, and cultural destruction of tourist locales.

Believing the rumors to be true, Thor and Peter teamed up and took on the seemingly impossible challenge of finding this supposed hidden beach resort populated by vagabonds who hate beach resorts. Their search led them all the way to Thailand, where they managed to get concrete evidence of the existence of their journey: a map mysteriously slipped under the door of their room while they were staying on the Khao San Road in Bangkok.

The map presented an illustrated rendering of the Gulf of Thailand where it marked the location of the beach on one of the many scattered islands. On the corner of the worn, folded paper was a name presumably from the person who delivered the map to them: Thanos.

With the map in their possession, Thor and Peter began preparations to make their way to the destination that has eluded so many of their peers with wanderlust inclinations.

Through sheer force of will, the intrepid pair managed to overcome countless obstacles and actually succeeded in their goal: the beach was real, the people who lived in it did exist and were kindred spirits, and life on the island was exactly like the rumors had described it: heaven on Earth.

Of course, Peter and Thor celebrated their arrival by having sex on the beach on their first night.

But little did they know that their new life and burgeoning love amidst turquoise waters, white sands, and verdant greenery would be threatened by the gradual unraveling of secrets and intrigue from their fellow beach community members on the verge of splintering into various factions and allegiances; some of whom are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their precious little secret from the rest of the world at all costs...

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From: quill@starlordimagery.com To: odinson@hammerandaxe.com Subject: beach life

Thor,

I still remember what you told me the first night we arrived on the island about parallel universes, so here's something for you.

We both said and did things we regretted, and we both carry scars from the choices we've made. Choices that we could never take back and changed us in ways we could have never imagined.

I hope that wherever you are right now, you still believe in paradise despite everything we went through during our time on the beach, the good and the bad.

But now at least I know paradise isn't some place you can look for. Because it's not where you go. It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something.

And if you find that moment... it lasts forever.

XO

Always your Star-Lord,

Peter

CATHARSIS ca·thar·sis /kəˈTHärsəs/ (noun) the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

Raised By Wolves (2020) S01E02 — P E N T A G R A M