#and especially considering how old Caterina is

[a-gay-bloodmage]

Writing and posting Omri de Riva fic is going to be such a roulette on this Viago-loving website but it's a risk I'm willing to take

[whispersleo]

Fix her (Comic - Caterina Dellamorte)

Art by WHISPERSLEO

Okay, but what if I told you this is the hard part? What if I told you that sometimes, we victims want our abusers to heal—to laugh and smile again, to come as close to happy as they can? What if we wish we could fix them? What if I said it’s because we love them? What then?

This comic—so short—has been incredibly difficult for me to make. I couldn’t sit down and finish it in one go. And I think it shows in my AWFUL handwriting (sorry), but I haven’t stopped crying the entire time. I love these characters, and I believe every member of the Dellamorte family deserves happiness, but this one has been especially painful and personal for me. Still, I’m happy with how it turned out.

This is the part where I usually ramble on with endless author’s notes, but there’s little I can say without turning this into a trauma-dump post. So, simple things instead: Illario’s mother wears yellow and gold because I want her tied to the sun, the feeling of sunlight, warmth, and happiness. Caterina’s hair is unbound now, like her life—no longer snarled in the title of First Talon, and to show her growth in general. Years have passed, after all, and this is the first time Illario has returned home… with a six-year-old boy who shares his face, and with a new, living member of Caterina Dellamorte’s family.

For a moment, I considered portraying a flashback of Illario’s abuse—but then, first, I wondered how necessary that was after already dedicating an entire comic to that subject, and second, I remembered: this comic isn’t about Illario. It’s about Caterina. And how I deeply, fiercely believe she deserves happiness—and to be adored by her great-grandson. I almost dredged up the past again, but this isn’t about pain. It’s about Caterina finally tasting the light.

Illario doesn’t recognize this lightness in her. Her smile is foreign to him. And like @azdesertwillow said—the youngest member of the Dellamorte family will be the only one who remembers Caterina as she was before the world bent her.

Now if you’ll excuse me—I have tears left to shed.

[serensama]

A Word with Friends: Of Houses, Hearts and Hidden things

My eternal thanks to @hedwigoprah for this wonderful game and to @jenn2d2 for assisting and giving me such a juicy word to use. Thank you to @woundedsoul12 and @davrinsleftpectoral for your tags- Bless your cotton socks <3

I promise, prompt willing, the next chapter will not get away from me. Approx 1.8k.

Read on Ao3

Word prompt given: Mendacious 1. (adjective) Given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth. Additional context: Mendacious and lying have very similar meanings, but the two are not interchangeable. Mendacious is more formal and literary, suggesting a deception harmless enough to be considered somewhat bland.

---

Illario pulled at his gloves and thumbed them into his belt, taking a moment to breathe before entering the lion’s den. Villa Dellamorte. His grandmother had ordered both he and Lucanis to attend ‘family’ dinners on the 10th of every month, and they were unbearable. Even when one of them was out of town, it was still expected for the other to attend. Thankfully, his cousin had returned two days prior, and he wouldn’t have to face the old woman alone, especially with everything that had happened with Lilya. 

How he was going to survive between the antipasto and the digestif was completely up to the Maker. Knowing his luck, he’d unwittingly look at Caterina wrong and the old battle-axe would somehow kill him with a hairpin. Or perhaps just try to drown him in the soup. Illario had his hand up and ready to chime the bell when Bernardo, the majordomo of the household, answered the door. A genuine smile tugged at the assassin’s lips at seeing the kindly old man. 

Growing up, he was one of the only people who showed both he and Lucanis kindness. Well, as much as one could whilst under the employ of the First Talon. He would turn his eye whenever possible when the maids would leave leftovers in the kitchen, or buckets of water around the house when they were cleaning, just to make sure they didn’t die under Caterina’s draconian regime. He was the one who remembered that Lucanis liked churros whilst he preferred cannoli. He remembered that he liked his espresso with a slight hint of sugar, but none for Lucanis. He remembered it was Lucanis who broke the priceless Nevarran vase in the music room when they were sparring, and he who broke the window in the first-floor study playing kickball… and he remembered the amount of whips they each got for both offences.  

“Master Illario, welcome home!” he beamed, opening the door wide and bowing low. Illario stepped through the door and clapped the man on his shoulder fondly, careful not to show too much affection, lest it seem unseemly. 

“Thank you, Bernardo, though this has not been my home for many years,” he replied. Home in name only, never in warmth or welcome. It never really delivered on the word’s meaning. “How are you? Has your knee been giving you trouble? Is my cousin already in?”  

“I am well, Master Illario. My knee has seen kinder days, and your cousin is already in the main dining hall with Madam Caterina. They have been expecting you for some time,” his voice dipping to a knowing tone, eyes with a subtle look of warning. Be careful, she’s in a mood.  

He almost rolled his eyes. Of course, she was in a mood; he was, after all, unravelling her carefully laid plans for the glory of their House. He half figured she’d be happy that he was living up to her very low expectations.  

“Thank you, Bernardo.”  

He walked the halls without thought, knowing his way around the Villa from the time he and his cousins could walk. It had seemed so much bigger then, so much more than the cavernous, lonely space it had become, when there were more of them around. If he thought hard enough, he could remember his grandmother joining in on the games of hide-and-seek they played when he was barely four. The idea more than laughable now. It seemed more likely that it was Bernardo in a wig than Caterina.  

He could see the candelabra’s glow emanating from the main dining room, and he almost stopped, knowing that his grandmother would be watching him like a hawk, even more than normal. Bernardo walked ahead of Illario and introduced him, as if he were an honoured guest instead of the screw up grandson, but still- he had to play his part.  

He walked in and immediately clocked his cousin standing at the large bay window, leaning against the frame as he looked out over the gardens. The moment he stepped through the doors, Lucanis’ eyes swung to him, a tightness in his shoulders as he almost smelled the air like an animal. He wondered what he smelled- fear? Anger? The way he turned his body toward him, he knew it was neither. Lucanis could probably smell the scent of vellum, ink and dust on him. And if he could…  

Caterina’s expression did not change. She sat at the head of the table, her hand on her cane like she expected to stand up and leave at a moment’s notice. Illario gathered his emotions and made his way to his grandmother, leaning in to kiss both cheeks, just as he'd been taught. He still loathed it. He hadn't forgotten the wounds she left- on him, on both of them- yet he was still expected to press a kiss to the cheek of the woman who caused them, as if in thanks. At least the fledglings in the Capital weren’t expected to do that. “Good evening, Caterina, Lucanis. Apologies for the wait,” he said smoothly, picking up the bottle of wine that sat in front of Caterina and topping up her glass before filling his. Illario took his seat to the left of her and felt his cousin walk behind him and clap his hand on his bicep before moving to his seat on her right side. “We were beginning to wonder if we needed a seat for you at our table, Illario,” Caterina said, her words chosen perfectly, each one wielded like a blade aimed for him.  

“Now, now, Caterina, he was only 15 minutes late. He’s made us wait longer for dinner when we were growing up just because he was fixing his hair,” Lucanis cajoled, doing his best to cushion the ire that had already reared its head… and the antipasto hadn’t even been served yet.  

Caterina let go of her cane and balanced the polished handle against the edge of the table. “And where were you that was so important that you were late for our meal?”  

You will find out soon enough. 

“I lost track of the time, the Treviso skyline is so beautiful this time of year, I sat atop the Chantry for hours watching it before I realised I was starving.” Lucanis chuckled, obviously knowing he was lying. “Not your best effort, cousin, but commendable nonetheless.” Illario tipped his glass toward him and grinned. “My thanks.”  

She did not bring it up again.  

The three shared what was one of the most uncomfortable dinners they had in recent memory. The only chatter was between Illario and Lucanis, or Caterina and Lucanis, with Caterina pretending her only other living relative was magically absent. And if Illario were being honest, that suited him much better. It was not until the main course was served that she chose to look over at him, cutting off Lucanis, who mentioned that the courtyard was looking a little worse for wear and wondered where their gardener had gone. 

“He had a family emergency in Arlathan, apparently. He’s been away for the last two weeks- I thought he’d be back by now, but I suppose he’s been detained. Perhaps it is time for me to find someone new to replace him,” she said, her keen stare focused solely on Illario. “It’s strange, how some people drift out of our lives so easily… almost as if they were never meant to stay. Don’t you think?” 

Maker. His grandmother was such a bitch. If she hadn’t been his grandmother, perhaps he would have appreciated her brand of brutality a little more.

“Some departures are necessary.”

“Mm. Necessary,” she nodded, taking a long sip of wine. “Like pruning a garden is necessary. You don’t hate the creeping, flowering vine that’s grown over your fence, but you cut it anyway- to keep things where they’re meant to be, and for the health of the tree.”

Lilya was not a fucking vine. 

“Is the garden in that dire need of a trim? Perhaps Illario and I should attend to it in the meantime,” Lucanis interjected, hoping to salvage the rapidly declining mood, not that it started particularly high to begin with. 

“And sometimes, when you cut it away, the tree bleeds,” Ilario said, finally meeting his grandmother’s eyes. She laughed, a harsh, cold-sounding thing with a throaty rasp of someone who had spent too long laughing at things others would have wept over. 

“Oh, Illario. Trees don’t bleed. They adapt. They survive. That’s the point,” she paused, watching him over the rim of her wine glass, lips stained with deep red as if she’d spent the evening feasting on his heart. “I hope you’re not… harbouring sentiment. For a vine. It’s a dangerous thing, sentiment. You know how it can cloud judgment.”

Illario bit down hard on his fork to stop himself from screaming out. “Sentiment is weakness. You taught me that.”

Caterina nodded once. “Yes. I did. And you were always a sharp student.”

The silence between them stretched on. Lucanis’ gaze flitted between them, as if ready to leap in should a dagger be thrown. Illario sipped his wine calmly and deliberately, not wanting to show any further vulnerability. She circled the truth like a vulture: never landing, but always watching, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, to tear him to shreds and then blame him for making her do it. Her words were laced with sweetness but reeked of poison. Mendacious. That’s what she was. Every practised smile, every gentle tone paired with a piercing gaze- each one a lie stretched thin over her brittle bone. “Pretty, flowering things don’t belong in our world. They wither, break, get torn apart. Better to cut them off cleanly- enjoy them and be rid of them before their beauty rots, and we forget it ever existed.” “I agree. Better for everyone when things are… clean. Simple.” Illario remembered his training; he could not allow his emotions to muddy his expression. He unclenched his jaw and loosened the grip on his cutlery. “Good. I knew you’d understand.” 

She reached out, and for a second, he stiffened, thinking she was reaching for him. He wanted to scream. She noticed his flinching and would find some way to make him pay for it. For feeling something for Lilya. For failing to hide it better. For showing her a crack in the armour she put on him. 

“I knew you’d see reason and make good on the Dellamorte name.”

She thought she’d won, that he was still hers: loyal, obedient, unquestioning. But she didn’t see it- that her lies had weight, and eventually, that weight could be used against her, to trap her. He would prove that even the First Talon wasn’t beyond the reach of the consequences she brought upon herself. Her downfall wasn’t a matter of if, but when. A blade pressed to her skin, sinking in so slowly she didn’t even realise she had been cut.

Illario nodded, eyes fixed on hers as she cut into her steak, the light red juices slowly eking out under her knife. “And I always will. Just as you taught me, Caterina.”

Softly tagging: @rookamell @hightowerqueen @mythals-whore @thedissonantverses @jukkaricity @talkmagically @kabsey @skullypettibone @brennacedria @basedonconjecture @the-sparrohawk @seaglassmelody @trash-nerd @gingervitus @the-font-bandit I can't remember who has done what, so if you have already done this, please tag me so I can read it!!! And of course, anyone else who wants to play too!!! <3

[lindira]

2 and 26!

Oooh, let's see here...

(Rook Codex Writing Prompts)

2. An entry from Rook’s journal

Today's reminders:

Send letter to Papa with the elven poetry book. Ask him if there's a safe way he can send the viola!

Ask the Caretaker to find the ball Assan lost over the edge of the island. Again.

Meeting with Strife and Irelin after midday meal.

Spirit-talking (spirit-listening?) lesson with Emmrich after dinner.

I went to Rivain with Lucanis and Taash today. I've missed the beach so much! Taash said it's weird that I love the beach but hate the ocean, but I feel like that's perfectly reasonable. Lucanis didn't say much about being there, but I could tell he was enjoying himself. When we were by the shore, I caught him just standing in the sunlight and kind of basking in it. It made my heart hurt thinking how he didn't see the sun for a whole year. I want to take him back there sometime, just the two of us. Maybe when this is all over. I don't think he's ever had a vacation in his life. I'd love for us to be able to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air and just relax for a while, especially without having to deal with Antaam or dragons nearby... Would Lucanis even know how to relax? Maybe I can coax him out there if I tell him it's to help me deal with my water phobia.

Daily reminder to yell at Caterina for how she raised her grandsons. Lucanis doesn't like the idea of me confronting her about it, but it makes me so mad. I don't know. I don't want to make things hard for him. I'll think about it.

(scribbled text below in a different hand...)

YES. SHOUT AT THE OLD CRONE. MAKE HER BLEED WITH WORDS.

(in Pa'ani's handwriting...)

What did I tell you about reading my journal, Spite? Though I appreciate your support and enthusiasm!

26. A letter to Rook from a family member or close friend

My dear little Parsnip,

Thank you for the book of poetry! I'm amazed at how well-preserved it is, considering its age. You found it in Arlathan? How has the paper not deteriorated in the ruins? As always, I love the little treasures you send back to the clan. I have been teaching the children about each artifact, including the notes you sent about what they do and the possible history of it. It helps the children stay interested when they have something tangible to hold, rather than hearing me drone on and on. Please extend my thanks to Bellara and the Veil Jumpers for their help as well.

I will try to send your viola over with one of our scouts the next time we're near one of the locations you indicated. I wish I could travel there myself. Your Lighthouse sounds incredible and fascinating, and I would love to try traveling through an eluvian. But you know how my knees are, and the children need their hahren.

So, you've been mentioning this Lucanis person more often in your letters. Is he your new partner? Is he elven? I'm guessing he's not Dalish, because you say you met him in a city in Antiva. Not that it matters too much whether he's an elf or not, but you know that it would help the clan if he was. What does he do for a living? Is he a good hunter? Let him know that if he hurts you, he will have to answer to me. I know that doesn't mean much if he's fighting at your side against our gods (please explain this to me again, because... what?), but this old teacher still has good aim with a bow and arrow. But on the other hand, if he makes you happy, I'm happy for you. Just be careful.

You've been awfully vague about what your work entails, and don't think I haven't noticed. Please be careful, not just in love. I know you're doing something especially dangerous, and if something happened to you, I don't think my heart could take it. Maybe let someone else do the heavy lifting for a while?

Be safe and don't forget to write soon.

Love,

Papa

[himbopunk]

character dialogue scenes: Lucanis and Maverick (OC)

this one could probably go in the yuvanmav longfic at some point but w/e. it'd be several chapters down and idk where it'd fit in.

Mav, a watcher inhabited by a terror demon, sometimes catches nightmares of those around them. They decide to ask Lucanis about one of his

[Maverick peers into the pantry, finding Lucanis sharpening his blades]

Mav: ...Can I ask you a bit of a sensitive question, Lucanis?

Lucanis: [Raises eyebrow] Depends on what it is.

Mav: What was your grandmother like?

Lucanis: Ah. Caterina... she raised Illario and I after we lost our parents. She was... a difficult woman, sometimes. Even as her favorite, it wasn't easy. But she is... was all we had. And we were all she had left. She loved us, but she would never let that stop us from becoming what we needed to be.

Mav: As Crows, right? Heir mentioned that she trained you herself.

Lucanis: She did.

Mav: I've heard Crow training can be... intense.

Lucanis: It is, but it was necessary. We can't afford to falter when it comes to our contracts.

Mav: Especially not if you're the First Talon. Or the kid of the First Talon...

Lucanis: Precisely.

Mav: ...Do you resent her?

Lucanis: What? Maverick, what are you getting at, why are you asking this?

Mav: Sorry, I uh. Last night, you had a nightmare. Normally I'm better at tuning it out, because it's not my business, I know that. I wasn't trying to snoop. But... we are in the Fade.

Lucanis: Your fear demon.

Mav: It's just all so loud here so often, and you sleep so little... it was hard to ignore.

Lucanis: I... suppose that makes some sense. I hadn't even considered that.

Mav: Not all demon possessions are created equal, I guess. Some of us get purple wings, and some of us... [Trails off.]

Mav: [Sighs] She was there, in the nightmare, and I just thought... I dunno. You're grieving... It's a messy process, conflicting feelings. So I'm told.

Lucanis: ...Hm. I'll ask you something in return, then.

Mav: Shoot.

Lucanis: You've never mentioned your own family before, Maverick. How did they take it when you were possessed by your demon?

Mav: I... I don't remember my family much anymore, actually. When I died, everything from before faded a bit. Sometimes all I can recall is like... watching my old life through a foggy window pane, or trying to recall a song I'd lost the tune to. It's... not right.

Mav: Maybe it's the possession, maybe that's just what happens, I'd never really had anyone to compare notes with before.

Lucanis: I don't have anything like that with Spite, but the circumstances were different. And you were much younger, no?

Mav: 11 or 12, I think

Lucanis: Maker, really?

Mav: Yeah. The good die young, I guess, or become whatever we are.

Lucanis: [Half-hearted chuckle] Hah, I suppose.

Mav: I do kind of... I remember they'd brought my dad's Mortalitasi friend to the alienage for my rites. I was terrified. And I remember... my sister. She wouldn't look me in the eyes when I came back.

Lucanis: I... am much too familiar with the feeling. I didn't know you had a sister.

Mav: Yeah, Dhia. Few years older than me... I haven't seen her since then, pretty much. I got shipped down to the Necropolis to be... studied, I guess. Watched.

Lucanis: ...

Mav: Guess I turned out alright, though!

Lucanis: All things considered, I think I'd agree.

Mav: It's... hard. Having your family look at you like you're this monster, puppeting around their dead child. But I couldn't tell them they were wrong, either, not really.

Lucanis: Mm.

Mav: Is that what you were dreaming about? With Caterina?

Lucanis: ...In a sense.

Lucanis: For months down there, all that mattered was finding a way out. And then Rook and Neve found me. Once I finally came up for air, the entire trip back to Treviso, the only thing on my mind was how she would react, the look on her face when it wasn't her grandson that returned to her, but an abomination.

Mav: You are still her grandson, though, Lucanis. You know that.

Lucanis: I suppose. But you know what I mean.

Mav: ...I do. Like, maybe even after all of it, she'd decide she didn't want you back. After everything you'd been through, you couldn't come home. That maybe she'd cast you aside.

Lucanis: Mm, exactly. And... [Laughs, quietly] Maybe the worst part is that as much as the thought terrified me... there was almost this hint of... relief?

Mav: No... I think I get it. Like, it's a blow, but you're anticipating it?

Lucanis: In a sense, but... More than that, in some way it felt... freeing?

Mav: Freeing? Like, from her?

Lucanis: I suppose. [Groans] It's stupid.

Mav: No, it's not!

Lucanis: Maverick...

Mav: Really. When we talked about my gender stuff before, you said your life wasn't your own, didn't you? It makes sense. Being disowned is awful, yeah, but it's freeing in its own way. The monster doesn't bear man's burden of expectation, right?

Lucanis: Hmm, I... suppose, when you put it that way...

Lucanis: Not that any of it matters anymore. I'll never know, now, and I can't decide if that's worse. [Sighs]

Mav: For what it's worth, I'm sorry.

Lucanis: ...Thank you.

[A long moment of silence.]

Lucanis: Maverick..?

Mav: Hm?

Lucanis: I-- no. Nevermind.

Mav: Oh. Okay.

Mav: ...You know, Lucanis. About my family...

Lucanis: Yes?

Mav: As miserable as it is, what happened, having them see me that way now and such... I.. When I think of family, I don't see their faces anymore. Their kid died, one way or another.

Maverick: Instead I see Yuvan, and Emmrich. Oh, and Sal, but you still haven't met him yet.

Lucanis: Hm...

Mav: It's... I don't know. I know Caterina and Illario had been what you had left for so long and I don't want to discount that or anything. Just... sometimes family goes beyond that, right? Beyond blood. It's the people you choose, not just the people you're born with. People like Neve, or Rook.

Lucanis: Maybe. I suppose only time will tell.

Mav: Yeah... just something to think about is all.

Lucanis: Yes, definitely.

Mav: Oh, and I'm still adjusting to the Lighthouse, but I'll try not to bother you about your nightmares again, if you want. Or anyone else's, for that matter. But, hey, if you need to talk about any of them, you know where to find me.

Lucanis: Thank you, Maverick. I'll... keep that in mind.

[minetteskvareninova]

Minette watches Medici, part 23 (Lost Souls)

-So, this is the culmination of Lorenzo's villain arch. He's fully the bad guy now. And I... Didn't hate that. The writing around that wasn't terrible, although it also wasn't exactly awe-inspiring either. My main problem with this episode is in the other half of this episode's emotional core - Lorenzo and Clarice's health complications, because the writing around that was an unmitigated dumpster fire.

-To start with, let's talk about the historical Lorenzo's health. The thing is, he has suffered from an array of chronic health issues since he was a young man, at the time thought to have been the result of gout, though I've seen modern research dispute this; Wikipedia links a paper that claims Lorenzo de' Medici suffered from acromegaly and his death might's been a result of complications from that.

-Either way, you'll notice that the IRL version is actually better written than the show one. Not only does Lorenzo launch the house of Medici into unprecedented heights despite his chronic health issues (the Handicapped Badass trope and all that), but his premature death is properly foreshadowed instead of Lorenzo suddenly starting to limp, causing doctor to announce he is dying of... Gout? Yeah, that's another thing. Gout ISN'T A DEADLY DISSEASE. You can't die from gout, you just can't. Now, it does contribute to kidney diseasses that can actually kill you, and also is a result of a garbage lifestyle (bad diet, lack of excersise, that sort of thing) that can cause other, more lethal complications. But it never kills you on its own. Like, you could maybe justify some of the inaccuracy by "well, the renessaince doctor wouldn't know any of THAT", but this still leaves us with how sudden the deterioration of Lorenzo's health is in the show and how mild his symptoms are compared to real life. Neither of which is a good change, to be honest.

-But at least he doesn't just drop dead of completely unexplained reasons like his poor wife! Like, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say Clarice died of a miscarriage, except she doesn't even bleed??? She just collapses, at first seemingly in tears of guilt, but not in physical pain... And then Lucrezia D is carrying her home? And in a few minutes (and seemingly a couple of hours at most in-universe) of screentime, she is just dead?! Did she died of broken heart or some shit?! Look, real Clarice died of tuberculosis, and I know in the show it would probably just sound like a rethread of Simonetta's death. I get that changing it to miscarriage makes a lot of sense considering that was indeed something potentially lethal back then, also Clarice had several in her life, so it's not a bad idea in principle. I also get that the writers were trying to tie Lorenzo's personal tragedy to his professional downfall. But in so doing, they rendered a powerful scene of Clarice being overwhelmed by guilt and despair over her husband's actions kinda silly by almost implying guilt and despair killed her?

-And don't get me wrong, it is a very powerful scene! I actually liked it a lot! Even the previous scene of Clarice learning Lorenzo sold their little girl to pope's failson isn't bad, especially since it retroactively gives more narrative weight to Lorenzo's previous disgust at another very young girl, Caterina Sforza, marrying a papal failson (well, failnephew, but you know).

-I am a bit miffed at the show's inconsistency around just how corrupt the renessaince papacy is. Like, at first, it doesn't seem nearly as bad as it is in The Borgias, but then Lorenzo apparently considers asking the pope to name his 14-year old son a cardinal perfectly normal, or at least nothing that a strategic match cannot fix??? It also begs the question why the fuck would the pope even agree to that considering he should still be mad about Sarzano, but okay.

-The one and only thing that I liked, nay, loved about Clarice's death... We got one last Clarice x Lucrezia D moment out of it! I know I shouldn't celebrate my girl dying, but like. Look at the pathetic little breadcrumbs they feed us shippers this season. I can't let my obsession starve to death, you know!

-I am not sure whether what Lorenzo did to poor Anna the beggar counts as bribery or gaslighting, but I guess the grey area was the point. Either way, I liked it! And I liked her giving money to Savonarola, overcome with guilt! See, I can be fair to this show, even if I am tired of it and can't wait for the final episode!

-I liked other things too, like Lorenzo going full villain mode and Piero grieving Tomasso. Even if Piero's actor... Look, Tewkesbury from Enola Holmes was 16, it's a bit more understandable if he doesn't hit every note. He isn't completely terrible in this, just... Not good.

-I only noticed in this episode that Savonarola is played by an Italian and dubbed. And I noticed, because the dub of his speech at the beginning, while passionate, clearly did not go as hard as the actor's expressions suggest he did in the original audio.

-Okay, that was exhausting. Onto the final episode!

[thessalian]

Thess vs "Old Age"

Not mine, by the way.

No, I've now actually finally found something that I actively dislike about Veilguard, and it took two and a half playthroughs to do it. I'd heard about this, but I thought it might be an exaggeration, like ... well, a lot of the things we hear these people bitching about.

It's the ageism. And honestly, not only Harding's, but the entire fucking game, when you get right down to it.

Look, as far as anyone can tell (I think data mining was involved), Emmrich Volkarin is in his 50s. That is not old. That is close to my own age. And yet Harding in particular is apparently put off as much by the age difference between Rook and Emmrich as she is by how fast the relationship seems to be going. Which ... I have a few issues with this:

The assumption the entire game seems to make is that Rook is young. Doesn't matter that the stellar character creator allows you to give your Rook an older face; Rook is a "wild, exciting young thing". Which ... sorry, but why? Hell, a few of the backgrounds rely on this; like Viago de Riva (he himself not being particularly old) having been a Crow!Rook's teacher and apparently older brother, for example. But there are going to be a lot of players who go in playing an older Rook and all of a sudden they're a "wild, exciting young thing" compared to Emmrich. Why aren't we allowed to headcanon our Rook being in their forties in peace?

I understand Emmrich being massively afraid of death, all things considered. But to want to ditch Rook (which I haven't got to yet but I am not looking forward to it) because he's afraid of "abandoning them when he dies"? It's ludicrous. For one thing, they're doing incredibly dangerous shit on the daily and both of them might die tomorrow when the literal gods they are gunning for flatten them like pancakes. Even if not ... again, Emmrich is in his 50s, and if Caterina Dellamorte can be very obviously older and still be able to brain an attacker with her own cane is anything to go by, that assumption that the life expectancy of the time is low is bullshit. Which means that, especially with a Warden!Rook who has the Calling to deal with, it's entirely possible that Rook will predecease Emmrich anyway.

Harding is saying all of this under the veil of "You're mopey and it's happening too fast!" when she gets easily distracted at the thought of Taash's legs pretty early on. It feels hypocritical as fuck unless you take it as her trying to find a way to justify her discomfort with the relationship that isn't accusing Emmrich of cradle-robbing. Then it's just gross.

As for the mopey ... maybe it's because you keep poking at his fear of death and insecurities about his age that the world has done enough to implant in him and don't need to be echoed by his friends, Harding? EVER THINK OF THAT?

Honestly, Davrin's got a bit of this too. He's encouraging, at least, but there's this borderline infantilisation they've got going on with Emmrich - the kind of infantilisation that happens to people deemed 'old'. Harding and Davrin both seem to peg Emmrich as someone with little to no experience, and I'm not sure if it's better or worse that Davrin only takes it to the place where he's assuming that Emmrich doesn't remember what to do in bed with someone while Harding questions the entire relationship in this slightly condescending "I know you're old and lonely and it's overwhelming when someone pays you attention buuuuuut..." sort of way.

At the end of the day, it feels like I'm reading a Reddit comment thread where people are going, "Age difference BAD!", and it underlines the fact that they expect us to play much younger Wardens than many of us are likely to actually play. They could have left age out of it, and gone with his overall fear of death - it might have been more powerful if it hadn't been about age at all, but Emmrich coping with his fear of death even when he's facing down death on the fucking regular. But nooooooooo, because the game itself has Rook coded as young, we're stuck with, "I mean, you're older, and..." when it's possible our Rook isn't, and a whole mess of ageism into the bargain.

My mother goes for older men as a matter of course, by the way. Her first marriage sucked for that ... but that was my dad, who's a bigot and an asshole. My stepdad's not quite as much older than she is but he is a fair bit older than she is. Even if they did get married at a point in their lives when a decade or so's age gap doesn't feel like the end of the world, it can work. Especially when the power balance is relatively even. Which ... Rook's technically in charge, for one thing, and for another, Emmrich's "with age comes experience" specialities are all things he picked up in the Necropolis, so most Rooks are going to be more worldly than him anyway.

Seriously, they tried so hard to be inclusive (or "woke" if you're nasty), but they missed the thing where life doesn't end at thirty.

[stcaterinamanco]

(  LAUREN COHAN  )     ⸻     new  york  is  home  to  many  people,     including     CATERINA MANCO,     the  forty one  year  old  museum curator,     some  people  say  that  she   reminds  them  of   worn mosaics, the fading scent of incense, and cracked marble  but  that  just  could  be  because  they  are  INTELLIGENT   &  AWKWARD.     cat   originally  hails  from  tuscany,    but  now  lives  in ��brooklyn.  

ciao everyone! i'm coco, this here is cat, and this is her intro! just as a warning, cat's background involves intense religious trauma so if that triggers you, please be mindful and only read if you think you're in the right headspace!

cat had a pretty average upbringing in tuscany, and is an only child. their family are very devout catholics, and it was growing up in that environment that cat developed an intense fear of demons and falling prey to demonic possession. as a result, she started to read about demons to learn their weaknesses and how best to avoid being possessed.

unfortunately this was misinterpreted by the people around them as them falling prey to demons. it was also around this time that they started to show symptoms of bipolar disorder, which was again misinterpreted.

due to these misunderstandings, her family contacted their priest who in turn contacted the vatican in an attempt to perform an exorcism.

the whole event was extremely traumatic for cat, as she was tied to a bed at several points and her cries for help were ignored. it wasn't until a second priest arrived that the process was called off and cat was put in the hospital.

the ordeal was a nationwide media sensation and cat was the source of discussion all over italy, which they were mostly shielded from while they recovered.

after all of this cat returned home but her relationship with her family was irrevocably altered, however she became very close with the second priest who saved her. through him she developed an interest in medieval italy, as that was an interest of his.

after high school she went on to study medieval history with a focus on italy, and would further specialize in the occult beliefs and practices of the time, and would go on to write her thesis and dissertation on it.

after getting her phd, she relocated to new york to work at a museum as a curator for their medieval europe department

extras:

cat no longer practices catholicism

when the priest who saved cat died she attended his funeral and was distraught

she rarely speaks to her family

she is known as an expert on the occult in medieval italy. a little niche, but she likes it. she's even been published

she takes medication for her bipolar disorder and had to receive therapy for the ptsd she developed following the multiple attempted exorcisms

wcs:

relatives of the second priest, i think it would be interesting to see cat interact with them as she does consider that priest to be family

any italian immigrants, especially if they would be familiar with cat's case

fellow museum workers, especially other medievalists, but anyone with a niche as obscure as hers (like say the culinary practices of 1930s korea) would be great

if anyone wants to do anything with cat please message me!

[shallicomparetheetolagrenouille]

2023 in books: n. 11

I happened to start this collection of short stories while reading a mediocre novel at the same time (the one I’ll post about after this) and, boy, was the quality of the writing undeniable - there was a stark difference and it was so needed after the recent disappointments (Tornare a casa and La vita segreta degli introversi).

The first story is about Caterina, a four-year-old that survives the rest of her family after a plague epidemic in the 17th century in a small village in Tuscany; since her family home is quite far from the village and she cannot find a living soul in the woods, she comes to the conclusion that she is the only person left alive in the world. She then manages to survive via accessing the remains of the orchard of her home and tending to the smaller animals, such as hens and goats. She grows up in solitude until she is about sixteen years old, when she is seen by a few village people - except, since she has kept to herself so long and the village has a had a series of misfortunes (bad weather, babies dying, even impotency of a random guy), she gets identified as a witch and blamed for it all. What got me the most, aside from the beautiful descriptions of her feelings and her life in the woods, was the fairy-tale atmosphere at the beginning of the book, which made me feel like there could actually be a non-devastating ending to the ominous vulnerable-girl-gets-tried-and-turtured-as-a-witch storyline, but alas, it was heartbreaking despite the initial serenity. It was wonderfully written and I liked all the references to the historical facts in the area of the setting and to actual treatises of the era about ‘witches’ confessing to anything just to end the tortures of the Inquisition. It just left me heartbroken and emptied of hope in humans’ decency

The second one is a happy story, thank fuck! Basically, an orphan girl gets assigned to a rich family as a servant when she is still a child, and there she grows decently cared-after. A rich, charming, handsome foreigner settles in the small town to start a mining business and starts visiting the members of the family as they are the only proper acquaintances for him - one of them is an unmarried woman in.. her thirties, I guess, as it is said that she rejected the would-be husbands her brothers introduced to her for quite a few years and was starting to lose hope in ever getting married - except she likes this foreigner and thinks she is liked in return. One day, this man asks for a private meeting and she thinks, “ah, he should have gone to my brothers for approval, first, but he is showing the respect he has for me by treating me like the mistress of the house”, thinking he wants to marry her, but what he does instead is ask for the hand of the pretty orphan girl (she is a teen by then), as he fell in love with her footprints on the sand of the riverbank and met her there and fell in love with the rest of her. The servant girl likes him, too, and accepts his offer of marriage if the lady agrees - which she does. The lady even offers to have the local seamstresses prepare her trousseau, on the condition that they use her designs for the embroidery. On a small tablecloth she has the illiterate seamstresses embroider a curse on the newlyweds and their family! But she is thwarted in the sweetest way, which I am not going to spoil - this was a really cute and uplifting and surprising story, especially considering that the cursed tablecloth actually exists! I loved the fact that we get the original inscription in the afterword and can enjoy the fact that, at least in this tale, a person’s mean spirit and vengefulness was duly contrasted and defeated! I loved it!

The tale of wind cookies! It’s such a whimsical and sweet story, I loved the descriptions of people’s reactions to the heavenly scent and how simply magical it all feels, from beginning to end

[giogiohcs]

Smartass.

Jackass.

Chapter 6

Summary: A 12 year old must survive in a brand new world, a world where the dead walk and eat the living. She thought she was all alone and she preferred it that way but unfortunately a certain jackass with baseball bat has taken a liking to her.

“Maybe if you do what I do, we wouldn’t have to worry about the undead trying to get us. It’d be easier.” Caterina stated as they walked the highways again. Negan scoffed.

“And wear undead guts 24-fucking-7? No-Mcfucking-thanks. I had to wash my ass 20 times before it felt clean, which is 19 more times than I’d like to.” Negan felt his stomach twisting remembering the undead smell that stuck on him for days.

“And besides, wouldn’t I be doing the world an ol’ fuck-you by hiding this gorgeous face? I mean the dick isn’t the only asset a man can have.” He smirked to himself and stroked his chin at his own compliments.

“I think you’d be doing the world a favor if you did hide it...” Caterina murmured under her breath. Negan stopped and turned to her with a stern stare. He bent down to meet her eyes.

“What was that, kid?” He challenged, she turned to him and they kept their gazes on each other for awhile before she started walking away.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, smartass.” He smirked and started walking with her again.

“Jackass.” She huffed, Negan grinned and placed his arm around her shoulders, which she immediately pulled away from.

“Look at us, getting all fucking mushy. Next thing you know we’ll be talking about which girlish boy band members make us gush like goddamn fucking geysers!” He joked, she rolled her eyes. Caterina still didn’t understand why he had to be so vulgar about... well about everything. She’s known him for awhile now and still didn’t know what to think of him. They made their way off the nearest exit, the entire highway and area were almost completely clear of life except for a few dead ones that were either stuck in or under a car. If you considered the dead ones “life”. Further ahead was a gas station and auto repair shop, according to the ads in a phonebook they found. They approached the buildings when Negan stopped in his tracks and turned to Caterina.

“Caterina, in all seriousness—“ Negan started but was interrupted.

“HEY!” Caterina jumped at the unfamiliar voice then froze. Negan smiled as he saw a figure coming out of the auto repair shop. A tall slender man with curly blonde hair wearing a t-shirt and swim shorts waved wildly as he approached them. Caterina backed up before getting out her gun and aiming it at him, the man stopped in his tracks and held his hands up with wide eyes.

“WAIT DON’T KILL ME!” He yelled.

“Woooah, kid, that’s not how we do things anymore.” Negan blocked her aim with his arm, her gaze met his eyes, in silent agreement she put the gun away. He turned to the now a little less frightened man.

“Sorry for my friend here, she can be intense sometimes but she doesn’t mean harm.” He held Lucille over his shoulder with a smile on his face.

“What’s your name?” He asked, the man smiled in return.

“David but my friends call- called me Wavy Davy, man.” His Californian accent was prominent, Negan lowered Lucille and came close to him before swinging his arm around Davy’s shoulder.

“Wavy Davy... man I am LOVING that shit!” Negan bursted out in chuckles as the two of them walked ahead into auto repair shop, leaving Caterina behind. She peeked into the windows of the gas station convenience store. The store appeared to be empty. She walked in, knelt to a self and opened her bag, she slid the last cans of food into her bag. She didn’t bother to look at what was inside the cans as it didn’t matter, as long as they were edible.

“What a beauty!” Negan exclaimed and knelt down to get a closer look at the car.

“A 1966 Cadillac El Dorado, at least, that’s what my dad said it was, I’ve always been more of surfer dude than a car dude.” Davy shrugged, Negan knelt to take a closer look.

“She’s beautiful! Almost beautiful enough to make a grown man cry, almost...” He smirked as he admired the paint job and accessories of the car.

“So what’s your name?” Davy asked as he continued to watch Negan admire his car.

“Negan, and I don’t think you’ll need to worry about wearing it out.” He laughed.

“What’s your daughter’s name?” Davy asked and Negan turned to him with a confused look on his face.

“David you think I’m Caterina’s old man? Do I look Asian-American? Because last I checked I’m as white as fucking square dancing on the goddamn Fourth of July.” Negan joked, Davy just scratched the back of his head.

“Oh shit sorry, I just assumed because you were together and... dude don’t you know what race she is? I mean how long have you been traveling together?” Davy asked, Negan scratched his chin at Davy’s criticism.

“I think we’ve been sticking together for the past week or two, hard to fucking tell with no fucking calendar obviously. And besides she doesn’t like talking especially not about herself. She doesn’t whine about a world than no longer fucking exists. She’s strong unlike some people.” He made the pointed comment at Davy then got up from kneeling and got real close to his face. He smacked the car with his hand and didn’t break eye-contact with him until Davy broke and looked to the floor.

“Are you strong Davy? How many of those undead fucks have you killed?” Negan challenged,

“I-uh... haven’t killed one. It’s wrong and they’re not dead, they’re sick people.” Davy explained, Negan scoffed, a headache was coming on. But Davy was 19 at most, Negan sighed, Davy is still a kid. He reminded himself.

“Listen Davy. Adaptation is strength. People can’t adapt, die. I’ve seen my fair share of people dying because of that and I don’t want you to make the same mistake.” Negan explained calmly but the conversation was cut off when a loud crash came from the other side of the wall from the convenience store.

[haedia]

For my Kiore Aldwir, who ends up with Lucanis, they have two ceremonies.

The first, a more traditional Antivan affair befitting someone of Lucanis' station. Planned by Teia, of course. If Caterina is especially pleased by the whole thing, it's not obvious. She's at least not scowling the entire time, so that's a win.

Normally, such an event would take place in the Treviso chantry, but with how things are still recovering from the events of Veilguard (and the bad memories tied to it), their wedding does not happen there. Instead, it takes place at one of the Dellamorte's palatial country estates, in spring when everything is a riot of blooming colors and fragrances.

Kiore's family, and a significant number of the clan, are present and though it's lavish in an Antivan style, there are Dalish elements present in the ceremony -- Lucanis wouldn't have allowed for it to be just his culture represented, even if Kiore was more ambivalent. Kiore's pleased by his appreciation for their culture, though. (Lucanis and Illario work with Nera to have Dalish-style formal wear commissioned for the clan members that will be present for the ceremony, so all that attend can do so in way that's representative of their heritage and culture but also appropriate for the kind of lavish affair the wedding of the First Talon demands)

The second, a much more Dalish ceremony, is performed at a clansmeet a year or so after their Antivan wedding (mostly because of the logistics involved in coordinating between multiple clans). Though Crow and Antivan elements are present, it's more of a traditional Dalish event.

It's also a joint event where Kiore's cousin Nera and Illario wed as well.

It happens one late spring/early summer day. The ceremony itself occurs in a forested space. It almost looks like the interior of a cathedral, the ancient trees growing tall like pillars, flanking a long open, fairly even space. The light through the canopy above could be mistaken for sunlight filtering through green and gold panes of stained glass, instead of verdant growth.

It's a hallowed space and evokes in both of the Dellamorte men the same hushed reverence that a Chantry calls forth. They later learn that the "cathedral", though not exactly the same kind of thing, does have a similar purpose. And the trees were, indeed, planted to grow in a way to create such a space. Though it's mostly used for celebrations like the wedding.

For Nera Aldwir, well, the wedding between her and Illario is the joint ceremony mentioned above. Illario, though forgiven, is still disgraced in the eyes of the Crows and as such, he can't really hope to participate in a traditional Antivan wedding (whether he ever thought he'd want one or not). He didn't even really think that a formal wedding of any kind would have happened for him and Nera. Even wanting to get married at all was new for him.

He has a bit of an emotional crisis about it: realizing he wants to marry Nera and simultaneously realizing that if they do, then he can't provide that experience for her because of his past (very bad) choices. Nera isn't exactly fussed about the whole thing, though she's touched that he'd considered it.

The joint ceremony was Kiore's idea originally. They were already going to want to do a Dalish ceremony and why not share that experience with family members that also want to wed?

The Dalish ceremony is a lot more humble and very down to earth, as one might expect, despite the awe-inspiring nature of the space. After the vows and everything, the celebrants move to a kind of glade where there's music and dancing and family everywhere you look. Kiore and Nera's extended family is large. Their dads are brothers -- the oldest two of like eight children -- and almost all of them have at least two kids, ranging in ages from late 30s down to like 10 years old.

So, in one day, the Dellamorte men get folded into a giant family -- a giant, loving, and lively family.

It's overwhelming but exciting and, in time, both Lucanis and Illario find their place in the Aldwir clan family.

As I'm debating this with my own Rook, I figure it'd be fun to ask everyone else what their Rooks that romance Lucanis did?

Did they get married? If so, did they have an opulent Crow wedding to make Caterina happy, or did they elope and have a more casual party with their veilguard friends? Did they stay in antiva or run away together?? I'm curious, what does your post game Rookanis relationships look like?

[foxstens]

ok so im 17 hours into the game and Stuff Has Started Happening

i looked up people’s opinions on it and while a lot of people agree that it starts slow a lot consider it the best or just think that it has some of the best parts of the trilogy. so i decided to try changing my approach, and instead of focusing on the things i hate, i’ll try focusing on the things i do like

and you know what. the combat is one of those things. i am not playing these games for the combat but in this one i can fight groups of guards one after the other and be fine despite having barely any health and only 5 healing substances. whereas in ac2 i’d still get destroyed if i took on 5 guards in the late-game when i had a like 30 health and 15 healing substances. idk what it i about it but being able to kick people while fighting them really helps and i’ve figured out how to block and then one-shot kill them altho i’m still trying to learn how to disarm them. 

it also has this new feature where if you hit a guy multiple times and then push a directional key you’ll one-shot the guy you hit next in that direction. that’s why taking on bigger groups isn’t a problem even with barely any health. and the fact that you can lock onto targets from way further away is extremely helpful. EXTREMELY HELPFUL. SO REALLY FUCKING HELPFUL. I CAN JUST SNIPE EVERYONE FROM EVERYWHERE THIS IS MY FAVOURITE PLAYSTYLE. oh and have i mentioned you can buy a crossbow. at first i wasn’t so sure about it bc the pistol already exists and is even faster now but its a crossbow. ITS A FUCKING CROSSBOW. IF A GUY IS TRYING TO SHOOT ME WITH A COSSBOW I CAN JUST SHOOT HIM WITH A CROSSBOW. AND IT HAS MORE AMMO THAN THE PISTOL. throwing knives who lol. i barely used them in ac2 after i got the pistol since they don’t one-shot guards but the pistol and now the crossbow do. and seeing ezio actually shoot with it and then put it on his back is amazing. so fucking cool.

speaking of there’s still story-related stealth segments like i had to free caterina from this huge ass castle or whatever and it took so long like getting detected wasn’t a huge deal it just prevented full-sync so i tried my best not to get detected and it went really well i wasn’t 100% able to do it but i could. at some point. because i can snipe everyone from a distance. also you can still ledge-kill and kill from a hiding spot and basically all the coolest shit aaaaaaaaa it’s so cool

oh and now i can recruit assassins. which makes sense i guess like this isn’t called broterhood for nothing lol. but that’s so cool. and there’s like assassin towers and they can level up and you can also like call them to help you out i think??? idk it’s cool. and as much as i hate rome i kinda like rebuilding it like it’s helping the people and it’s really not their fault that everything sucks in their city u know lmao.  i guess story-wise the writing is fine so far like this game is basically about ezio trying to fix his mistake at the end of ac2 so that’s fine and makes sense. but holy fucking shit i can’t believe ezio is still so cool. i was like ‘why would i want to play as a 40 year old man” towards the end of ac2 but he’s so fucking cool. everything he does is just so cool even outside the cutscenes but especially during them. and every time i do a parkouring sequence i just marvel at how strong he is. the game really makes his climbing feel realistic and i can’t help it ahhh

so rn i’m a bit more open to doing some of the sidequests and trying to rebuild as much of rome as i can. bc otherwise i’ll drown in the money like heck i get so much money. im always so rich except for when i need to be. BUT ALSO HAVE I MENTIONED YOU CAN BUY BUILDINGS. as in you find a specific landmark like the pantheon and then you can pay like 40k to buy it. idk what that does but it’s a thing. a m a z i n g

still hate rome though. still not gonna bother with the feathers tho (seriously where the hek are they how have i gone 15 hours without seeing one of them WHAT THE HECK)

on another note tho i’ve figured out that i can in fact do that one move i thought i couldn’t during an assassin tomb. turns out im a fucking idiot and i was just mashing the wrong button. you don’t even have to mash you just gotta hit it once and ezio knows what to do. i feel like the parkouring is also a tiny bit better here. idk if i just figured out how to use the controls properly or if it’s actually better, but he’s less likely to fling himself in the opposite direction now which is nice. 

he does still keep running up walls when i can’t angle the camera fast enough and i hate it so much its the worst thing but. other than that it works mostly. except for when he’s committed to doing a combo with his weapon and he... falls off the building... when the enemy is already dead... i don’t know if that’s a bug or a feature and i can’t rmr if it was a thing in ac2. it’s funny tho :’)

[fabletonrp]

BASICS 

Name: Attina ‘Attie’ Trident Age: 29 (43) Character: Attina  Story: The Little Mermaid Group: The Mermaid Sisters Job: Writer, Volunteer at The Darling Home For Children   Location: Mermaid Lagoon FC: Caterina Scorsone Status: Closed

PERSONALITY

+ affectionate, loving, loyal

- bossy, stubborn, introverted

CHARACTER SKETCH  

Attie is the one who had to step up and be the feminine influence in their family when their mother died.  She’s dependable and quiet most of the time, steady and patient, and manages to be feminine and gracious to even her wilder siblings.  On the rare occasion she doesn’t know something, she knows where to look and how to find it, and she’ll remember to do it.  She’s not afraid to harp on someone a little bit when their attention to detail is lacking, or when they need to get something done for their own good, but she’s the type of person who will finish it off with a hug or a reminder that she loves them.  She loves her family with everything she has to give.  Now that everyone has gotten older, and their dad is more aloof, she has time to focus on what she wants or what she’s good at, and the answer is diverse.  She’s not necessarily ambitious, but she has goals and after losing her mother, her closest confidante, and still finding her way, she has the confidence to reach them.

BIOGRAPHY 

Attina was the child every parent wants from the beginning: precocious, observant, careful, and affectionate.  From the time she was old enough, she loved her mother and father and went to great lengths to please them.  It wasn’t always easy, because so many children followed that the mild-mannered, straight-arrow eldest was often lost in the shuffle.  The other girls were louder, brighter, faster, and more prone to trouble, after all.  She wasn’t perfect, but she was never the biggest or most emotional wreck in the family, either.  When she approached her mother – never her father because he had a whole kingdom to run – she did so thoughtfully and quietly.  In this way, as she grew older, her mother became her primary source of support and guidance.  She wasn’t out with friends, wasn’t itching to get away and explore.  She was at home, usually with her nose buried in a book.  Her imagination is how she traveled and she was content with it.

When her mother died, she grieved quietly and privately, providing support for her sisters.  She worried over her father, fussed around the house, and managed the details of that situation.  It was harder for her than she let on.  All of the emotion and stress she felt instead got poured into her determination to fill in for their mother.  Especially Ariel, as the youngest, was going to need the support and supervision.  Attie started writing, doing her best to retain the details of her time with her mother, so she could do those things.  She kept it all highly organized and, over time, found a system for doing the same with her father and her sisters.  While it’s earned her a reputation for being boring and a little bossy, and her quietness is often mistaken for bitchiness, she’s proud of the effort she put in.  She was heartbroken when Ariel left, and told her father just how furious she was with him for pushing one of them away.  It was the first time she considered leaving, considered doing something for herself, even if she was beyond the typical age to marry and start her own family.  

This new world is the best and worst of possibilities.  It isn’t what she imagined when she imagined her life after her sisters had grown, that’s for sure.  She’s been going out more, though, trying to get a sense of this place.  History, in particular, fascinates her as a topic as she’s trying to fill in the gaps between where she came from and where she’s at.  She volunteers at the orphanage and it gives her a sense of purpose, but really, she’s compiling all her study and research for a novel.  She’s good at writing things out, and sometimes she thinks she’s better with words than she is with people.  She swears, though, if any of her sisters (or her father) are here, she’ll tell them how much she loves them and she’ll never let them go.    

CONNECTIONS

Belle Bernette:  Thanks to her hours of reading and research, Attie has become attached to one librarian in particular.  She thinks of Belle as more of a kindred spirit than a sister, which is … kind of nice.  She likes talking with her and has appreciated her recommendations more than once.

Wendy Darling:  They’re not exactly friends, because Attie feels more like Wendy is one of her siblings age-wise, but they know one another from the Home for Children.  She relies on Wendy’s help dealing with the particularly difficult ‘Lost Boys’ because they are much, much different from the teenage girls she grew used to in her own family.

Charmont of Lamia: He may not be the most well-known author, but she loved his books and has read them all.  While she isn’t the type to fan-girl, she’s been straightforward with him when she sees him in town.  It isn’t all that often.  She just isn’t sure if she’s drawn to him because he seems a little lonely, like he could use some mothering, or if it’s because he’s a successful writer and so what she wants to become.

ALTERNATE FACECLAIMS: N/A

[life-love-geekculture]

Age-wise, Viago was probably too young to be a Talon when Rook was in training (unless he became Talon as a teenager which seems…unlikely).

I will throw in this, however, as another potential perspective for people’s visceral reactions between the two (apologies for the rambling ahead):

She’s Lucanis and Illario’s grandmother.

In general the Crows’ training of their fledglings is bad. No question. But that added level of intimacy makes it feel worse somehow. Head canons aside, Viago & Rook aren’t related. End of the day it is very much a mentor-mentee relationship. There’s emotional distance built into that. And while the methods are bad (and I cannot emphasize enough how bad they are) we still walk away with the impression they were done with the intent to keep Rook alive. Especially in context of the, frankly, wild amount of freedom Viago lends Rook despite his/her/their habit of jumping into situations without a plan or approval.

Caterina, on the other hand, is all about control.

This is a woman whose own children, that she probably trained the same way as her grandsons, were subsequently murdered in a bid for power. Which, in response to, she refuses to relinquish her title and immediately turns around and repeats the process on the next generation. I believe there’s a line of dialogue during the rescue mission where Lucanis comments about running around with Illario in the estate as a young child. Educated guessing would suggest it wasn’t long after or just before both boys lost their parents, any siblings they had, aunts, uncles, and were thrown hard-core into Caterina’s training program. Like, the emotional whiplash is bad enough. But Caterina made it worse because she was more concerned with holding on to power than actually protecting her grandsons.

We can tell this by her favoritism towards Lucanis. Yes, he was the son of her favorite daughter, but had she actually been interested in her family itself, she would have put much more focus on training up Illario for the role of First Talon with Lucanis working as advisor/shadow to begin with. Yes, Illario’s “plan” ultimately sucked but the instinct for playing the game was there. We have evidence from the “Wigmaker Job” that he took what he thought he needed from Caterina’s training and made up the rest as he went along. A sign of independence which likely got him tagged as a threat growing up. Lucanis, in contrast, a much more empathetic & emotional character, internalized Caterina’s “training” as an attempt to please her. A move which she would see as making him more malleable and easier to train (control).

Even when she cedes the title of First Talon to Lucanis she gives it up in name only. The one thing he is able to accomplish is keeping Illario alive (a move Caterina takes an awfully long time to support, by the way). He tells Rook point blank his grandmother is still giving orders.

Caterina is the worst because her goals and the abuse she put both boys through was ultimately for selfish reasons. Viago and Teia have much more in common with the Threads of Minrathus (also, not great people but better than the alternative) when it comes to the logic of their decisions. And the fact Caterina hides behind the mask of “oh, my poor boy” makes me seriously consider wanting to punch an old woman.

TL;DR Viago may be an asshole, but Caterina was willing to put her family through hell for her own personal ends.

I have to say, while I don't begrudge anyone for it and anyone is absolutely free to have their own headcanons...

I am mighty confused by the vitriol people have for Caterina...And not for Viago? (Or Teia, but she's charming enough to get a pass, Caterina and Viago are both the stoic type, which is why I'm confused about the double standard)

Crow!Rook confirms their training was torture as well in banter, and it is understood that you're Viago's protege and were supervised by him, which gives very similar vibes to Illario and Lucanis being trained by Caterina.

And hell, if anything, he'd know and approve of any torture taking place to train you properly. In fact, I think given how much of an overachiever he is and how big the chip on his shoulder is, a potential Crow!Rook, as his "favorite", would be subjected to even worse kinds of training than regular fledglings.

But that's a headcanon, the fact continues to be, Viago is as much a Talon as Caterina is, and does what he thinks is best for his house, which involves torturing their very young recruits to make sure they are ready for the job they must do, which is not an easy one.

So why is Caterina a framed as a child abuser and Viago everyone's dream parental figure for their Rook? I am powerfully confused about this.

(If you hate Caterina because of her obvious favoritism towards Lucanis, please have a fantastic day and ignore this entire post, cuz you do indeed have a point, but this post is not about that.)

[godsandvillainsrpg-blog]

AURORA GIORDANO twenty-five ♱ socialite + benefactor ♱ giordano

“I used to be a girl, a naive and innocent girl who believed in fairytales and happy endings. But while I was waiting for my white knight to slay my dragon, he abandoned me, and let it devour me instead. And now the princess has become the monster.”

WE ARE PLAYING A GAME OF EMPIRES

From the moment this blonde-haired principessa entered the world, she was the apple of her father’s eye. Aurora’s personality matched her name – she was enchanting, light, and insatiably alluring. When she walked into a room, all eyes were on her and her alone. There is not a person alive whom she could fail to charm, and she used these charms accordingly. A seductress in her own right, she learned that a woman has two tools primarily at her disposal: her beauty and her wit. And luckily for Aurora, she had both in droves.

Amidst the darkness and havoc of her family and its most notable hobby, Aurora was the beacon of light. As the fourth child, she was born just in time to evade all other child responsibilities; Franco was meant to follow in their father’s footsteps, Giuliana was their mother’s study in constructing the ideal femme fatale, and Salvatore was slated to be the rebel with a heart that beat for anything that went against their family. It made Aurora a breath of fresh air, a girl without restraint and without expectation. It was a freedom that could not go unnoticed – in how she spoke, the way she carried herself. Aurora was love and light, innocence with only a touch of danger. And it was this touch that made her so incredibly enthralling.

Objectively, Aurora has always been quite a foolish girl. Since her youth, her head has always been in the clouds, and her thoughts consisted of nothing concrete, only frill and saccharine; or, so it appeared. But that was what made Aurora so bewitching. Though she seemed naïve, there was a glint in her eye that spoke to a darkness untapped. How could she, after all, be a Giordano and not bear the same wicked taint of her forefathers? Though she appeared as lace gowns, sunshine, and lilted laughter, there was a hint, however subtle, of something else lurking beneath the surface.

Unsurprisingly, nearly everyone who met her acquaintance fell under her spell, finding themselves intrigued by her. Her father’s gentility combined with her mother’s seduction were a precarious combination. Over the years, Aurora had countless suitors. Girls practically begged to be considered within her inner circle of friends, while men young and old made no secret of how enraptured they were with her. She was a girl straight out of a fairytale, much to the chagrin of her overprotective father and brother, as well as her reluctantly envious sister. But like all tales, hers too would soon endure its own dark spin.

Despite her popularity among men, Aurora seemed to have little interest in romance. At least, romance in real life. She spoke of it often, an idealized notion of love, prompted and nurtured by her love of classic novels. Perhaps she had poured so much into the idea that nothing in reality could ever meet her perception, or perhaps she was genuinely terrified of how her brother and father would treat any man she gave her heart to. These thoughts, though, all slipped away the moment she met Christian. Finally, it made sense; she had been waiting so long because this was her destiny, and he was her one true love. Christian was practically family, a brother to Franco and a son to Cassius – it was perfect. He was handsome, clever, and irresistibly charming. She had always fancied her life as a fairytale, and Christian was her perfect Prince Charming. He fed into her ideals, and she allowed herself to believe it.

Many have blamed her innocence and naiveté for her failure to see the warning signs – but it was not. It was love. Aurora had reserved it all her life, and poured it out for him. Anyone else would have noticed his preoccupation with the family business. Although Aurora herself never cared much about its inner workings, her moral compass was guided by her father, and whatever he said or did was gospel. But Christian pressed her for more. After a while, when she spoke, his eyes did not match the tone of his enthusiasm. But, most importantly, she should have noticed the stolen glances across the room to her sister, the ones that lingered just a second too long to mean nothing.

But Aurora was happy and in love…and it blinded her. After several months of courtship, Christian made a huge display, an elaborate proposal that fulfilled every fantasy she had ever imagined. He moved from doting boyfriend to doting fiancé, never failing to lavish her with attention and love. Everything, every minute detail, had been arranged seamlessly for the day. For months she had worked tirelessly to bring to life her most perfect wedding day. And as she descended the aisle toward the man she thought would be her future, her everything, she could not imagine a moment more blissful than this.

But this bliss would be short-lived.

Before their hands could even meet, before her father could declare he would be the one to give her away, the church doors swung open. Though it replayed in her mind like a twisted movie reel, in the moment it was so surreal, dreamlike. How could she have not noticed the absence of her sister? Another in a long line of self-deceits, she would soon learn. Giuliana, like herself, was dressed in white. And when she saw the smug look resting on her fiancé’s face, confusion subsided to something much, much worse. To say the moment was heartwrenching would be an understatement so enormous it was unjust. The vows of her sister and her love were met with a chorus of her heartbreaking wails while the crowd watched in utter disbelief. Then and there the world watched as Princess Aurora’s fairytale crumbled down around her.

For weeks, she was practically comatose. She refused to eat, could not sleep, would not even leave her bed. Eventually, however, denial gave way to something much, much worse. All that time, Aurora played back everything, every little moment, everything she had missed. She was more than humiliated, more than angry – she was heartbroken. And it was this state that unleashed the darkness that lived within. She was mad with fury, her innocence ripped away, and now the princess had become the monster.

Revenge was all she could think about, and she has since lived and breathed it. She was blindsided, crushed. The girl she was fell away, and in her place a beast with only one desire: vengeance. It was a being her mother was only too happy to nurture and to feed. Aurora lived with one single solitary goal, and that was to wreak havoc on the man she loved and the woman who robbed her of happiness. Betrayal left her broken, but the thirst for retribution has rejuvenated her. She is a woman built from wreckage, and like a phoenix she will rise from these ashes and make her betrayers pay for their sins.

TAKE NO PRISONERS, LEAVE NO SCARS

LOVE If love was patient, Aurora would wait for it. In her mind, it would have to be perfect. And when Christian showed up, she believed her waiting had meant something. They made a wonderful pair, suited for each other and crazy in love. Little did she know, to him it was all an act, a game that would end in ripping her heart to shreds. When the truth surfaced about his lack of affection for her, it sent her into a rampage. After all, what better fuel for revenge than love? And if she was fated to never recover from his infidelity, then he would pay.

LEGACY Growing up, Aurora loved each member of her family deeply. She was closest to her father, Cassius, who never failed to feed into her princess ideals. Vita, on the other hand, had little practical use for her until her untapped potential bubbled to the surface. Now her mother has taken a special interest in her, bidding her inner demons to come out and play. Like her father, Franco has always felt especially protective of Aurora, and of all the siblings, the two of them are by far the closest. But the truth about Christian has sent them both in a tailspin of sorts, bringing out their worse sides – or best, depending on who you ask, as it seems they may finally be of use to the family legacy. Salvatore has a soft heart that Aurora has always appreciated and loved, though her latest development would likely put them at odds. Her baby sister, Alessia, has always kept her somewhat at arm’s length, though it has only ever been Aurora’s intention to protect and love her. Stefano has always been a particular favorite of Aurora’s. The two share in wit and charm, and now that she has a vendetta of her own, he could not be any more eager to help her along the way. The same, however, cannot be said for Caterina, who does not hide her disdain for Aurora. She thinks her weak, but soon she will see that she is no more. Finally, there is Bella, the girl who has always been her solace and confidante. The two have always had chameleon souls, of sorts – until now. Aurora’s new path will inevitably create a chasm between them, but it is a price she is willing to pay.

ALLIES Aurora has many friends, but allies? She has never needed them. All of these years, Aurora has been detached from the family business – but no longer. Katya has always been a close friend of Aurora’s, and she is now her connection to the crime ring. Aurora has no plans to join its ranks, but she refuses to let them take vengeance on the Lefevres without Aurora having any part of it. Another close friend with connections to the ring is Oliver. Perhaps, once upon a time, she would have admitted to having a bit of a crush on him, though she knew that their situation was doomed at the outset. Now, though, love is completely out of the equation. He may be infatuated with her, but he is also a lifeline of sorts to her, and one she intends to use. While he supports her agenda and has offered to help in any way possible, he is also the only link she has left to the girl she once was, and only in his presence does she ever get glimpses of who she used to be.

ENEMIES At the top of her list, without question, stands Christian and Guiliana. Christian broke her heart, but it is Giuliana who bears the majority of Aurora’s wrath and hatred. Even as a sister, the two never got along, though it was entirely Giuliana’s fault. Aurora could always sense the other girl’s jealousy; it radiated from her. Still, she never expected this. Now she does not even consider the girl her sister, and wants nothing more than to see her pay for her crimes against the family, against her. And whether that payment be in humiliation or in blood, it really makes no difference to Aurora. Lucien and Celine, though, also make the list – this was their master plan, after all, and she will break them just as they had a hand in breaking her.

THE REST She may not lack for protective male figures in her life, but that does not stop Stavros from keeping a special look after her. In the days following the incident, he was the one who stood watch over her door, not even allowing her family access to her until she gave the okay, an act for which she will always be eternally grateful. It is difficult to get information about the Lefevre family without an insider – and so Aurora has devised one. Valencia is not the brightest, and as it turns out, she is easily manipulated and seduced. The problem is that she worries Katya, her partner in drawing information from Lucien’s daughter, will lose sight of the ultimate goal.

AURORA is potrayed by LILY JAMES. She is currently UNAVAILABLE for auditions.

[sillyanimegamingroad]

The History and Future of Yahoo!

Yahoo once was all over the internet. We are going to discuss about history and future of Yahoo Inc. There was a time not too distant when Yahoo! It was the company that seemed to be able to do everything and everyone . At the end of the last century there was no one to cough, but despite having a fantastic future before it, Yahoo! it has been relegated to a shadow of what it was.

The fault, eye, is only Yahoo! The company did not stop making blunders in critical decisions that would have turned it into a tech giant perhaps bigger than any of those that exist today. But again and again, raised the option, on Yahoo! they always chose the wrong one . Here are the great mistakes of a company that could have been much more than it is.

A company that was everything in the late 90s

Jerry Yang and David Filo, the founders of Yahoo!

In 1996 Yahoo!, which had created one of the first Internet directories – the forerunner of search engines – became a public company. The company began creating parallel services (Mail, Messenger, Groups, Responses) and its value grew in an astonishing way in the following four years, and from that initial market value of 848 million dollars it went on to be worth 125,000 million in the year 2000. He had so much money that he became the star of the dot-com bubble. In 1999, it bought Geocities for $ 3.6 billion (they would close their doors 10 years later without achieving anything ) and Broadcast.com (does anyone remember it?) For a whopping $ 5.7 billion. One of the worst acquisitions in history.

Decisions like those were not the most appropriate, but the worst was yet to come, because after the explosion of the bubble those big errors of Yahoo! began to occur. Let’s see the five most notable that decided the future of Yahoo wrong descision.

Don’t buy Google for $ 1 billion

Yahoo!

Larry Page and Sergey Brin had barely started their search engine when in 1998 they offered AltaVista to buy it for just $ 1 million. They wanted to continue studying, but AltaVista was not interested. Nor in Yahoo !, where they wanted people not to find what they were looking for and go to other websites (which is what Google’s search engine did until not long ago ), but to stay on their platform. Yahoo! He ended up using the Google search engine on his own platform and decided that the best thing would be to buy from Google. Terry Semel, the then CEO of Yahoo!, was negotiating for months, and was outraged when Brin and Page rejected the $ 3 billion purchase offer . They asked for 5,000 million, an offer that they considered much more reasonable.

Semel flatly refused. Yahoo! bought Inktomi, a search engine, for $ 257 million, believing that would be enough to put his searches where they deserved. They also bought AdWords competitor Overture in 2003 , but it took a long time to get it up and running and let Google license a key patent for that platform that would allow them to dominate the market in the long run. They believed that that was enough.

They were wrong.

Do not offer more on Facebook

Something similar happened in 2006 when they rightly saw the potential of Facebook ( others had already seen it as well and tried to acquire Zuckerberg’s company) and tried to buy it for 1 billion dollars according to the book ‘The Facebook Effect’, by David Kirkpatrick. It wasn’t a bad deal, especially considering Facebook was two years old, about 9 million users, and $ 20 million in revenue. Facebook investors thought the offer should be accepted, but Zuckerberg made it clear in a meeting with the team that they were not going to sell. In fact Yahoo! he did not keep his offer: after poor results in the second quarter of that year, they decided to lower their offer: now they were offering $ 850 million . If Zuckerberg wasn’t initially convinced, he was even less so now.

Hire CEOs who failed to raise the company

Marissa mayer

The list of top managers of Yahoo! it’s a list of big failures. The last one starred Marissa Mayer , but in reality she is the latest of a few very unprofitable signings. Carol Bartz, hired in 2008, was succeeded by Tim Morse, who would eventually be replaced by Scott Thompson in 2012 . This manager lasted 130 days at the company, announced a restructuring with the layoffs of 2,000 people, and earned $ 7.3 million (not bad) after being fired and replaced by Ross Levinsohn as interim CEO, who would soon be replaced by Mayer. Before all of them, before all those disastrous strategic signings, there had been an even worse one for the future of Yahoo! Terry Semel , who had spent 24 years as a director of Warner Bros., had been hired as CEO in 2001 to turn the company into a multimedia content giant. The comparison with Eric Schmidt, ex-Novell and ex-Sun before signing as CEO of Google, is remarkable. Semel focused on an area that allowed Google to take control of everything that Yahoo! he was destined to dominate. It never did . Some call Semel the worst CEO of an internet company in history.

Still, it must be said, Semel managed to multiply the value of the company’s shares by seven, but his many mistakes doomed the future of Yahoo.

Decline Microsoft’s offer to sell

In February 2008, Microsoft offered $ 44.6 billion to Yahoo! to buy it and thus turn the binomial into a true competitor for a Google that increasingly dominated the market. The price of $ 29.40 per share was 62% higher than the stock the day before. There had previously been an offer that Terry Semel had rejected in January 2007. He was offered $ 40 per share and Semel rejected that price immediately. Neither the second was the charm, nor the third. The negotiations caused Microsoft to increase its offer to $ 33 per share, but on Yahoo! they wanted $ 37 , which led to the withdrawal of the negotiations . The value of Yahoo! it would continue to fall irrevocably from that moment on.

By the way, that bad decision was accompanied by another almost equally bad: Microsoft ended up reaching a collaboration agreement with Yahoo! that allowed Ballmer to get everything he really needed from Yahoo! without having to spend the fortune that would have been spent buying it.

Don’t take advantage of the Flickr purchase

Ficker

Flickr was founded in 2004 by Stewart Butterfield and his then-wife, Caterina Fake. Neither of them expected it to be as successful as it was, but millions of people signed up for a service that glimpsed the relevance of photo sharing and publishing platforms. One year later Yahoo! made what was probably the best acquisition in its history, and bought Flickr for $ 35 million . The platform had many ups and downs and although in 2013 it received a series of important improvements, it never managed to recover its initial brightness and did not know how to adapt to the mobile environment. Curiously, the same day that they announced that Flickr impulse, the purchase of Tumblr by Yahoo! for $ 1.1 billion ( while Facebook bought Instagram for $ 1 billion, compare ).

The purchase never worked and it ended up leaving this blogging platform in financial irrelevance: Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, recently bought it for an amount that was rumored to be only 3 million dollars .

In Gizmodo they related the story of this particular failure that was one more face of the failures of Yahoo! In Internet. Flickr could (should) have become what Instagram is today , but it never did.

Yahoo! facing a dark future (except in Japan)

The number and magnitude of the errors of a company that had everything to remain an internet giant but whose course has been disastrous in recent years is surprising . As early as October 2006, the director of Yahoo! Brad Garlinghouse exposed the problems the company faced in his famous ‘ Peanut Butter Manifesto ‘. Nobody paid any attention to him. Paul Graham, a famous investor, would delve into the wound in 2010 with that ‘ What Happened to Yahoo ‘. Deviating from search, not acting quickly in the advertising segment (having ballots for it), not making the appropriate acquisitions (or sales) and that mismanagement of its CEOs has ended up turning Yahoo! a shadow of what it was. There are more major mistakes: clever participation in Alibaba was followed in 2012 and 2014 by the sale of part of those shares. Not to mention the daunting security holes that compromised the privacy of millions of users.

Yahoo Japan

The company was bought in 2016 by Verizon, which paid $ 4.83 billion for most of a company that less than a decade earlier could have sold for 10 times as much. At verizon at least they have known, as Matt Mullenbeg of Automattic praised , to hand over the future of Tumblr to a much more appropriate company to make the most of it.

Those oversights have cost a Yahoo! that only survives with the brilliance it once had in Japan , where Yahoo! Japan operates independently and has managed to become an absolute benchmark for Japanese users. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned for those who now rule the future of a Yahoo! that it is more difficult than ever to compete with the current market benchmarks.

Also Read: Top 5 unsuccessful services on internet

The post The History and Future of Yahoo! appeared first on Technoeager.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3lwteFF via IFTTT