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cornyregans · 6 years ago

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The Beginning of the Feud

WARNING: This entry contains mentions of death and a variety of illnesses, some of which might be triggering to some people. As such, reader discretion is advised.

Obligatory Warning Word Count: 26 words Essay & Theory Word Count: 8,654 words Obligatory Thank You Word Count: 92 words Total Word Count: 8,772 words

The divide between the Capp and Monty families is clearly symbolized in Veronaville, with both sides separated down the middle by a canal. The Monty family lives on the more rural, Italian-inspired western side, more akin to the city of Verona where Romeo & Juliet is supposed to take place. Conversely, the Capp family is located on the more populated Tudor-inspired eastern side of the river, more akin to Shakespeare’s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon.

The clear contrast between the two sides was most likely intentional, as the vast differences between the east and the west sides of the canal perfectly mirror the inability to of the feuding families to come together. Though, while we are aware of the feud both consciously through the narrative and subconsciously through the neighborhood’s design, we still cannot be sure about other factors: like the how's, the why's, the when's, the who's. While we know bits and pieces, EAxis has not revealed the whole story behind this feud, and at this rate, they probably never will. So, it is up to us to determine what we believe to have happened.

When did the feud start?

The neighborhood biography for Veronaville states that the Capps and Montys have been feuding for “generations." From this statement alone, we cannot determine a concrete place in time, but it is possible to do so if we look deeper. Both the Capp family and the Monty family are currently in their fifth generation, a generation count not even the Goths of Pleasantview can boast about when first playing in The Sims 2. The longevity of both families brings up many possibilities for when this feud may have started; however, it is actually quite easy to pin down which of the five generations gave birth to this feud that has lasted for so long.

When first playing Veronaville, a look at both the Capp and Monty family trees will show that the oldest living generation in both families is the third. When the game starts, there are three living third generation members when you combine the elders in both the Capp and Monty families. That being said, only one of them, Patrizio, belongs to either family by blood; both Isabella and Consort married into the Monty and Capp families respectively. However, a look at two of these sims’ biographies, those belonging to Patrizio and Consort, confirm that the feud began in this generation. If so, then when, specifically, did this long-running feud start? To answer that question, the best place to look may well be in the memories of both Consort Capp and Patrizio Monty.

Looking at the memories of these two sims is not as easy as it sounds, as there are clear contradictions. According to Patrizio’s memories, he met Consort, became best friends with Consort, and lost Consort as a best friend after he became a teenager; meanwhile, Consort’s memories regarding these events all seem to happen in his childhood. At a glance, it looks like the feud probably started because Patrizio took Consort’s lunch money and never paid him back. However, there are two pieces of evidence revealing a contradiction in Consort’s memories.

The first discrepancy appears when we look at Consort’s biography where it states that he and Patrizio were once “associates." When using this word as a noun, it indicates that the two were partners or colleagues in a business or at work. If Consort was a child, then there is no way that he and Patrizio could have been associates when the feud began, as a sim must be a teen or older to have a job.

The second instance, and probably the most telling, is a picture of Patrizio and Consort at what is apparently some sort of farm (possibly the llama ranch alluded to in Patrizio’s biography). In this picture, the two young men, along with a blonde female sim, are clearly teenagers or older. This observation seems to confirm that, of the two, Patrizio’s memories of the events leading up to the feud seem to be the accurate ones, and that the feud likely began specifically when they both were teens.

Why did the feud start?

Now that we have a more specific timeframe, we can work on the next question: the why. Much like with the when, the why can partly be answered by looking at the memories of both sims alongside some storytelling images. In both Patrizio and Consort’s memories, there is another sim that links the two together: Contessa Capp.

A quick look at Consort’s family tree will show that he only became a Capp by marrying Contessa (his premarital surname was “Thebe”). Despite Contessa being Consort Capp’s wife, a look in Patrizio Monty’s memories will show that he had his first kiss with her. This is further backed up if we look at the storytelling image and combining that with the information found in both men’s memories. This leaves little doubt that the woman in the picture is Contessa Capp, and the man she is making out with is Patrizio Monty, not her future husband (who was instead standing off to the side).

Another look at the memories of both men shows their friendship fell apart after they met Contessa; in fact, Patrizio’s memories show their friendship breaking down after he kissed Contessa for the first time. If we disregard Consort’s misplaced “grew up well” memory, his next memory following the dissolution of his friendship with Patrizio would be of him having his first kiss with Contessa. Conversely, Patrizio’s first memory following the dissolution of his friendship with Consort involves him getting fired from his job in the business career.

While the memories seem to provide the bulk of the outline as to the why, we should probably also take a look at Patrizio’s biography, which asks whether he will “let his grudge against Consort Capp prevent him from enjoying his legacy.” This quote from Patrizio’s biography is rather interesting, specifically because Consort’s biography mentions nothing of the sort. As a result, the game seems to be hinting that Consort is most likely the aggressor of the feud. This is further backed up in the Monty family biography, where it is mentioned that Patrizio never forgot Consort’s “broken promise.” While neither biography provides a concrete answer to either question, they do give us a general idea of what could have caused their friendship to crumble.

Comparing and Contrasting Patrizio and Consort

Despite both being lovers of Contessa Capp during separate points in her life, there are quite a few differences between Patrizio and Consort. In fact, by looking closely at each of these differences, it is possible that some of the components might help in answering questions about the feud’s origins.

By looking at the naming themes for both men’s ancestors, there is already a clear divide. Most of Patrizio’s ancestors are named for characters from Shakespeare works set in Italy, fitting for a member of the Italian-inspired Monty family. His ancestors’ names are taken from plays such as The Merchant of Venice (his paternal grandparents Bassanio and Portia), Measure for Measure (his maternal grandparents Angelo and Mariana), and The Two Gentlemen of Verona (his parents Valentine and Silvia). While all of these characters are generally of the upper class, none of them seem to reach a rank higher than that of a duke, and even then, said duke (Angelo) is really a placeholder more than anything.

On the other hand, half of Consort’s ancestors are named after characters from Troilus & Cressida, a play set in what is meant to be the later years of the Trojan War; his paternal grandfather was named after the King of Troy (Priam), while his parents were named one of the Trojan princes (Hector) and his Theban wife (Andromache). The other half of Consort’s ancestors were instead named for mythological figures related to the other half in the original source material; specifically the Queen of Troy (Hecuba), the King of Thebe (Eetion), and the unnamed Theban queen.

As a result, the biggest takeaway concerning the differences between Patrizio and Consort’s heritage is Consort’s ancestors were all inspired by mythological royalty; this stands in contrast to Patrizio’s ancestors, who were mostly just regular old nobles in Shakespeare’s plays.

Another way that Consort and Patrizio differ is in how their lineage is passed down through generations. Most families in The Sims 2 are patrilineal, meaning surnames are passed down from father-to-child. The Monty family is a case of a patrilineal family, as a look at the Monty family tree will clearly show that it was Patrizio’s father who was born with the Monty name, while his mother possessed the surname “Capitano” before her marriage. Conversely, Consort’s family is matrilineal, meaning he inherited his surname from his mother.

Even their first names happen to reflect how both sim’s surnames are passed down from one generation to the next. Patrizio’s name sounds rather similar to “patriarch,” a title denoting a male head of a family. Consort, on the other hand, is a term used to define a spouse of a reigning monarch, which symbolizes that he is not the true head of the family, rather that he is (or was) married to her.

Taking Contessa into Account

Now that we’ve gone over Patrizio and Consort’s ancestry, heritage, and etymology, our next step is looking to see how well these components match up with those of Contessa Capp.

A look at the Capp family tree will show that all of Contessa’s ancestors were named after ancient royalty. Contessa’s maternal grandparents, Cleopatra and Antony Capp, were named after Cleopatra VII Philopater and Mark Antony, two historical figures whose romance inspired Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra. Cleopatra was one of the last two pharaohs of Egypt, ruling alongside her son Caesarion from 44 BC until her death. As for Mark Antony, he was both a Roman politician and one of Caesar’s general. Her paternal grandparents, Julius and Calpurnia Caesar, were named after Roman dictator Julius Caesar and his third wife, both of whom were portrayed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Finally, Contessa’s parents, Octavius and Scribonia, were named after the first Roman emperor and his second wife.

Contessa’s name is the Italian word for “countess,” a noble title that is ranked below a marchioness but above a viscountess. While Patrizio and Consort’s names define their roles in their family’s dynamics, Contessa’s name is more of a middle ground. While her name is usually defined as being given to the wife of a count, the title of countess can also be hereditary in some cases. Given Contessa’s lineage, she would probably be more akin to a hereditary countess who rules in her own right, rather than one who obtained her title through marriage.

Comparing Contessa to Patrizio and Consort

While Patrizio and Contessa may have had more in common regarding their roles in continuing their family lines, Consort and Contessa would have been more compatible when taking their lineage, ancestry, and etymology into account.

Both Contessa and Consort’s ancestors were named for members of either ancient or mythological royalty; meanwhile, Patrizio’s ancestors were based on Shakespeare characters who were nobles, none of whom ran an ancient civilization. In terms of lineage, the Capps are and the Thebes are (or were) matrilineal, while the Monty family is patrilineal.

Finally, because she is a daughter in a matrilineal family, the etymology of Contessa’s name (”countess”) works better with Consort’s (”spouse of a reigning monarch”). While Contessa’s name could work well with Patrizio’s (whose name sounds similar to “patriarch”), their lineage (her family being matrilineal, his family being patrilineal) instead causes their names to conflict with one another.

Sign Compatibility and Chemistry

A look at both Patrizio and Consort’s zodiac signs tell us that the former is a Sagittarius (with the personality of a Cancer), while the latter is a Scorpio (with the personality of a Virgo). Patrizio’s personality shows that he has 8 neat points, 5 outgoing points, 4 active points, 4 playful points, and 4 nice points. As for Consort, he has 9 neat points, 4 outgoing points, 6 active points, 4 playful points, and 2 nice points. When comparing each man’s personality, Patrizio is shown to be nicer and more outgoing, while Consort is neater and also more active.

Like her husband, the late Contessa was also a Scorpio (except, unlike her husband, she had the personality of an Aries). Contessa’s personality shows that she had 6 neat points, 6 outgoing points, 6 active points, 3 playful points, and 4 nice points. By comparing her personality to that of her husband’s, Contessa was nicer and more outgoing than him, but he was neater and more playful than her. When comparing her personality to Patrizio, Contessa was the more outgoing and active, while Patrizio is neater and more playful.

A sim’s zodiac sign impacts both their compatibility with other signs and how much chemistry they have with other sims. As a Scorpio, Contessa, like her husband, would have been most compatible with either a Pisces or a Leo, and least compatible with a Libra and an Aquarius. While Consort shares a sign with Contessa, Patrizio is a Sagittarius instead, as such, he is most compatible with a Pisces or a Capricorn, but least compatible with a Libra or a Scorpio. By looking at these figures, this would mean that Patrizio would have actually been incompatible with Contessa.

From Nightlife onward, sims can also have chemistry with one another depending on their aspirations, personalities, zodiac signs, and turn-ons/offs. Since turn-ons and turn-offs vary from playthrough to playthrough for the base game and University premades, we will be ignoring them during this essay and instead focus on the other components.

By comparing Contessa’s aspiration to Patrizio’s aspiration, the two of them would be a Fortune-Family combination, which is given a score of +17.5. As for Contessa and Consort, two fortune sims, their score would be +35.

As for their zodiac signs, Contessa was a Scorpio while Patrizio was a Sagittarius, this combination would be given a score of -17.5. As for Contessa and Consort, two Scorpios, their score would be 0 due to having the same sign.

As for the personality component, determining the overall score requires solving a rather complex equation. Luckily, since it’s such a small part of the overall score, my math-inept self will pass in trying to calculate the result (that’s not to say I didn’t try though, I did, I simply can't understand it).

By combining the scores from the aspirations and zodiac signs of each pair, Patrizio and Contessa would have had an overall score of 0, while Consort and Contessa’s score would have been +35. Again, this is without the personality and turn-on/off components, so the scores here are only tentative. However, should we take these scores into account, it seems like Consort and Contessa may have had a higher score in both chemistry and compatibility than Patrizio and Contessa.

What can Shakespeare tell us?

Shakespeare has written many a play about love, and a few of his plays tend to use a love triangle as a plot device. Many of Shakespeare’s works that focus on romantic love tend to end happily, but there are also those that don’t, such as Romeo & Juliet.

The plot of Romeo & Juliet is at the heart of Veronaville. From the name of the neighborhood to the names of the feuding families to the names of the two teenage lovebirds. Heck, some pre-programmed events in this neighborhood can be seen as shout-outs to scenes from this play. However, unlike Romeo & Juliet, how your sims live their lives is your decision; you can choose to follow the script, or you can deviate from it instead.

With this in mind, let’s look at the beginning of this feud by using Shakespeare’s work as a reference. While Consort and Patrizio are clearly meant to be parallels to Lords Capulet and Montague respectively, The Sims 2 does something that Shakespeare’s play does not, it provides some background information about how the rivalry could have started. If we look at the beginning of the feud within the context of Romeo & Juliet, and combining it information already mentioned in this essay, it is possible that the Romeo and Juliet of this particular generation could have very well been Patrizio Monty and Contessa Capp.

So if Patrizio and Contessa are their generation’s Romeo and Juliet, then who is Consort supposed to be? For that, I believe we should look at Romeo & Juliet’s neutral family, the Royal House of Escalus. Like in Romeo & Juliet, Veronaville also has a third family of its own, that family being the Summerdreams. However, the Summerdream family is missing one key element found in Romeo & Juliet, and that is a character based on the third member of the R&J love triangle, Paris.

In Romeo & Juliet, Paris is Lord and Lady Capulet’s preferred choice for Juliet’s future husband; however, there is nary a Paris counterpart to be found in present-day Veronaville. There is no other premade sim, outside Romeo Monty, that is even hinted at having any romantic feelings for the fifth generation’s Juliette Capp, nor is there is a sim her grandfather would prefer as her potential partner. The decision to exclude a character who had such a large role in the original play’s plot without even so much of a parallel sim is quite baffling, especially since there are love triangles from other plays that remain intact. That being said, perhaps the Paris counterpart was not supposed to be a part of the fifth generation, but the third.

As I mentioned above, aside from receiving some suggestions upon first playing certain lots, The Sims 2 doesn’t really tell you what you’re supposed to do to progress. When performing any theatrical work, you have a script you must follow, you know how the whole thing will play out long before the first show. In Veronaville, you get to decide how this tale of two feuding families will play out. Will your Veronaville be a tragedy like the original play or a comedy where everything ends happily?

While there is still a generation of Romeo & Juliet yet to play out, it is possible that there was one that took place generations before in Veronaville that played out quite differently from the source material. Because unlike in Shakespeare and the current set-up, it was Paris, not Romeo, who ended up with Juliet.

As I said before, Shakespeare has written many a play revolving around romance. While there are potentially numerous parallels throughout various Shakespeare plays that can be used in identifying the origins of this feud, there is one play that I mentioned earlier in this essay, Troilus & Cressida, that I believe is worth looking at in greater detail.

Much like Romeo & Juliet, there are two rival factions in Troilus & Cressida: the Trojans and the Greeks. Troilus, one of the princes of Troy, is infatuated with Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest, and the two eventually profess their love and vow to remain faithful to one another. Meanwhile, Cressida’s father Calchas has become a turncoat, pledging his allegiance to the Greeks in order to be reunited with his estranged daughter. After negotiations between Calchas and the Greeks, they agree to exchange a captured Trojan commander named Antenor for Cressida. When news reaches Troilus and Cressida, neither are happy about it; however, both still vow to remain faithful to each other while apart.

Unfortunately for Troilus, the Greek prince Diomedes also has an interest in Cressida, and he begins courting her after she and Troilus are separated. Despite her vow to remain faithful to Troilus, Cressida acts coy and reciprocates his flirtations. Eventually, she briefly hands Diomedes a sleeve that was given to her by Troilus as a token of their love, only to exchange it for her body once she decides she wants it back. The suggestive banter ends with Cressida promising to wait for Diomedes to come and sleep with her later that night. After both Diomedes and Cressida leave the scene, Troilus, having witnessed their entire exchange from a nearby hiding place, vows to kill Diomedes in combat. Later when a letter from Cressida arrives, an enraged Troilus tears it up and proceeds into battle.

While a love triangle is present in both Romeo & Juliet and Troilus & Cressida, they both play out in strikingly different ways. Romeo and Juliet both honor the vows they made to one another, to the point where both of them would rather die before breaking them. While Paris has feelings for Juliet, she never once reciprocates, and when she acts as though she does, she is instead planning to get out of her arranged marriage. Like Romeo and Juliet, Troilus and Cressida also profess their undying love for one another, however, once she is alone with Diomedes, Cressida plays along with his advances, unaware that Troilus is privy to the whole thing.

That being said, the scene between Diomedes and Cressida can also be seen as the latter returning the former’s advances for her protection due to being a Trojan woman in a Greek military camp. As a result, her returning Diomedes’ advances could easily be seen as an act of self-preservation rather than being an act of treachery. However, even if this were the case, there is no way Troilus could have possibly known her intentions, as he witnesses the scene with absolutely no context, and has to trust the evidence before him.

Perhaps Cressida tried to tell Troilus her side of the story in her letter? Though, the fact that Troilus disregards it altogether leaves its contents up in the air.

Much like how Patrizio and Contessa can be seen as parallels to Romeo and Juliet, they also have a lot in common with Troilus and Cressida, with Consort acting as a stand-in for Diomedes. Given the ultimate resolution found in Troilus & Cressida, perhaps it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to suggest the feud began after Patrizio caught Contessa and Consort interacting in a romantic manner? Perhaps Consort’s broken promise had to do with him flirting with Contessa while Patrizio had feelings for her? However, while this scenario is certainly possible, neither Patrizio nor Consort possess any memories of an affair, though I can’t say I know whether the lack of memories on either side was intentional or not.

However, should we assume that Cressida went along with Diomedes’ advances for her protection, perhaps we can look at this from another angle? Should we assume that Cressida’s allegiance to Troilus never wavered in Troilus & Cressida, perhaps Contessa may have wanted to remain faithful to Patrizio, and her decision to move on with Consort may have been out of obligation.

A Closer Look at the Involved Parties

Patrizio, Contessa, and Consort are obviously the central figures of the Veronaville feud; however, much like a Shakespeare play dealing with similar conflicts, odds are this scenario also has a few secondary characters we might have missed. While Isabella Pantalone, Patrizio’s eventual wife, might be seen as a possible secondary character, the fact that Patrizio’s memories state their first meeting occurred after he lost his desk job makes me believe otherwise.

So, if Isabella’s role in the feud isn’t introduced until later, then where can we turn to find our answers? Well, a look at both Patrizio and Consort’s memories show that both men’s parents were still alive when their friendship ended. In addition, should we also assume that either one or both of Contessa’s parents were also alive at that point, it is possible that all the parents may have played a role as well.

Capps

Think back to Romeo & Juliet for a second. While Juliet is clearly infatuated with Romeo, her parents have other ideas and pursue a marriage between their daughter and Count Paris. The situation is somewhat different in Troilus & Cressida, as Calchas does not arrange a marriage between his daughter and Diomedes, but he is the catalyst of Troilus and Cressida's separation.

By looking at the scenarios found in both plays, it would not be too far-fetched to assume that either one or both of Contessa’s parents may have contributed to helping jumpstart the feud. In both Romeo & Juliet and Troilus & Cressida, it is the female title character’s parents who are the greatest obstacles to the titular couples. In Romeo & Juliet, the Capulets try to push Juliet into a marriage with Paris, while in Troilus & Cressida, Calchas is the one responsible for ultimately separating the two title characters. Since Contessa is the only female sim to be found in this love triangle, she is the most obvious counterpart to both Juliet and Cressida in this particular situation.

Now that we’re somewhat familiar with the roles Contessa’s parents could have played in the feud, it would probably be wise to look at their roles in Shakespeare’s plays. Unlike most sims, Octavius Capp’s Shakespearean counterpart appears in two separate historical tragedies: Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra. In Julius Caesar, Octavius is Caesar’s equally ambitious nephew/adopted son, though unlike Caesar, he was smart enough to hide just how ambitious he was. After his uncle-dad’s assassination, Octavius, along with Caesar’s friend Mark Antony, manage to persuade the public to sympathize with them after extolling Caesar’s virtues over his body. This results in the conspirators either committing suicide, being executed, mercy-killed, or hunted down by the angry mob who listened to Antony's speech.

Following the events of Julius Caesar, Antony and Octavius, along with another character called Lepidus, have formed the second triumvirate, though their loyalty to one-another weakened prior to the events of Antony & Cleopatra. In addition, Antony also agreed to marry Octavius’ sister, Octavia, in order to prevent future conflicts.

In Antony & Cleopatra, Octavius is portrayed in a more negative light. At the beginning of the play, Octavius and Antony, their relationship now strained, team up to fight against three pirates and cast their differences aside for the time being. However, after making a truce with one of the pirates, Octavius and Lepidus break it once Antony leaves. Though they worked together in breaking the truce, Octavius later betrays Lepidus and kicks him out of the triumvirate, leading him into a war against Antony and Cleopatra. In the end, Octavius ends up victorious and is eventually crowned as the first Roman emperor.

Unlike Octavius, whose Shakespeare counterpart appears in two separate plays, Scribonia is one of the few Veronaville sims to not share a name with any Shakespeare characters. Instead, she was named after the historical Octavius Caesar’s second wife and the only mother of his natural child. Their marriage was unhappy and ended in divorce the same day their daughter Julia the Elder was born. Scribonia ended up outliving her daughter by Octavius, though both the date and cause of Scribonia’s death are unknown.

Because Shakespeare never wrote about Scribonia, it is impossible to interpret her character traits through a Shakespearean lens. She was described as being “tiresome” and “morose” by her ex-husband, and “dignified and severe” by Seneca (a statesman and stoic philosopher). Despite these negative descriptors, Scribonia’s reputation has improved over time, as she is now seen as an “exemplary” Roman woman.

Since their daughter Contessa is already dead when TS2 begins, there isn’t much information about Scribonia and Octavius out there. However, given their historical counterparts, it is rather interesting that Octavius was the one who took Scribonia’s surname in TS2 and not the reverse. While this seems to be a thing men do when marrying into the Capp family, we cannot be sure whether the Caesars were a matrilineal or patrilineal family. Therefore, this leads me to believe that Scribonia Capp may have more importance to the overall Veronaville narrative than meets the eye. While I do plan to cover Scribonia (and Octavius) in more detail eventually, I thought it would be a good idea to point this out since it could come in handy when coming up with a theory.

In addition, neither sim appears in the memories of any living sims, meaning we cannot know which of the two predeceased the other. With this in mind, it is likely that the two were already dead before Contessa married Consort.

Finally, despite not knowing when Scribonia and Octavius died, we do know how they died. According to her ghost, Scribonia died of old age. Also, while an Octavius Capp is shown to have died of electrocution in TS3, this Octavius Capp’s cause of death in TS2 is also old age according to his ghost. While this may be a commentary on life-expectancy during Shakespeare’s time, Scribonia and Octavius dying of old age should be impossible in normal gameplay since both were adults when they died and death by old age is usually restricted for elders.

Since there is a contradiction between the ages of Scribonia and Octavius and their cause of death, this allows the simmer a little wiggle room in interpreting how they died. As for me, I tend to look at these two and classify their deaths as being due to natural causes. While this might sound similar to death by disease, I believe there is a distinction between the two. In TS2, the diseases that cause death tend to be contagious or acquired from external forces; however, the conditions that I believe could be in play for determining Scribonia and Octavius’ deaths would have been internal and non-communicable, like heart disease or cancer.

Montys

Unlike Lord and Lady Capulet, Lord and Lady Montague take a backseat in Romeo & Juliet’s narrative, as such, they aren’t really a threat to the teenage couple’s happiness. While Juliet’s separate scenes tend to occur at her family home, Romeo’s separate scenes instead focus on his friendship with Mercutio and Benvolio, at least until the former’s death and Romeo’s subsequent banishment. They’re more reactionary characters than anything, as they only seem to fight with the Capulets when provoked.

However, it gets a little weird when trying to find a similar counterpart in Troilus & Cressida. While it could be argued that Troilus’ parents might fit the mold given the role their son plays in the central romance, the king of Troy actually inspired the name of Consort’s paternal grandfather. However, in terms of Priam’s role in Troilus & Cressida, he seems to believe that continuing the war is pointless and tries to persuade his son not to fight.

Perhaps we should instead take a closer look at the characters who gave their names to Valentine and Silvia Monty. As I mentioned back when I was comparing and contrasting Consort and Patrizio, Valentine and Silvia are named after two characters from The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The titular gentlemen, Valentine and Proteus, have been sent by their fathers to Milan, both falling for the duke’s daughter Silvia upon their arrival. The duke later suspects Valentine and Silvia have feelings for one another and locks Silvia up in a tower every night to keep him away from her. Once Proteus learns of Silvia’s nightly house arrest, he informs the duke that Valentine and Silvia are planning to run off and elope. This leads to the duke banishing Valentine from court and Proteus later telling Silvia that he has most likely died. While Silvia initially mourns the potential loss of Valentine, she later goes searching for him. Valentine and Silvia don’t meet again until the end of the play when Valentine rescues her from Proteus. In the end, the duke approves of the couple, and Valentine and Silvia end the play as husband and wife.

Now that we have some knowledge of the Shakespeare play Valentine and Silvia originated from, perhaps we should see where they fit in their son’s memories. While Patrizio’s memories of when the feud started are reliable, the same cannot be said for any memories he has of his parents once the feud was underway. According to Patrizio, his father died after his son Claudio got engaged, while his mother died after Claudio got married. Since Claudio’s engagement and marriage occurred following Patrizio’s fourth “grew up” memory, this would mean that Patrizio was already an elder when his son was engaged and married to Olivia Dottore. With that in mind, Patrizio’s memories of both his parents’ are completely illogical since both of his parents died as adults.

So, if Patrizio’s memories of his parents’ deaths are unreliable, then where can we turn to find our answer? Well, I think a good place to look would be in the memories of his wife and their three children. However, similar to the case of Scribonia and Octavius Capp, neither Isabella Monty nor her children with Patrizio have any memory of either sim. With this in mind, perhaps the most logical conclusion regarding their deaths is that they, like Scribonia and Octavius, died before their child got married.

However, unlike Scribonia and Octavius, neither Valentine nor Silvia have any ghost in TS2 to help us narrow down any cause of death (Valentine does in TS3, but him dying from old age in Monte Vista contradicts what we know about him in TS2). In addition, Shakespeare's Valentine and Silvia are both alive at the end of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. That being said, Valentine is rumored to have died following his exile from court.

Thebes

When it comes to Consort’s family, there isn’t any parallel in Romeo & Juliet, but Troilus & Cressida is another story. As I mentioned above, Consort’s parents, Hector and Andromache, were named for one of the princes of Troy and his Theban wife. With this in mind, perhaps it would be a good idea to look at their roles in Shakespeare’s problem play.

In Troilus & Cressida, the two separate plots are the antitheses of one another. The A plot, revolving around the relationship between the two title characters, is the more comedic of the two. Conversely, the B plot is much more serious, building up to a dramatic battle between Hector and the Greek hero Achilles.

As a whole, Hector is portrayed as an honorable man who places his duty above all else, though he isn’t exactly the sharpest sword at the smithy. In fact, the scene that most encapsulates Hector’s fatal flaw occurs when he decides to try on the gold armor of an enemy soldier he just defeated. This disastrous error in judgment leads to him being unarmed when Achilles and the myrmidons enter the scene and kill him.

As for Andromache, she’s more of a minor character compared to her husband, especially since she only has six lines during the play, all of them occurring in the same scene. Each of Andromache’s lines consists of her telling Hector not go out and fight since she had dreams that he would die in battle. As stated above, her words end up falling on deaf ears and her prophetic nightmares come true.

By looking at Consort Capp’s memories, we can conclude that Hector Thebe died after Consort had his first kiss with Contessa. While Consort’s memories are often full of contradictions, he is the only sim who remembers the deaths of both Hector and Andromache. Given Hector’s death in battle in Troilus & Cressida, it would not be a stretch to say his sim counterpart may have died as a result of the feud. As for Andromache Thebe, her son’s memories state that she died before he fell in love with Contessa.

However, in between the deaths of his parents, Consort remembers getting a job. While this might not seem strange at first, Consort’s “got a job” memory occurs after his third “grew up” memory. Given the time frame provided by looking at Patrizio Monty’s memories, there is a clear contradiction since Patrizio’s “got fired” memory is placed immediately before he became an adult. Since Patrizio has lived more sim days than Consort when the game starts, their memories of their time together in the business career track don’t add up. However, should we compare their memories to the storytelling image, it is fairly obvious that Patrizio Monty’s memories of their time as associates are more reliable. However, should we remove Consort’s misplaced memory, then it seems as though Hector and Andromache’s deaths occurred one after the other.

Hector and Andromache are similar to Valentine and Silvia in that they too lack a concrete cause of death. Unlike either Valentine or Silvia, Hector does die near the conclusion of Troilus & Cressida, in his case being ambushed by the myrmidons while completely unarmed. The mythological Andromache, on the other hand, has been stated to have died of old age, which should be impossible in TS2 given she was an adult when she died. This leads me to believe she may have died of natural causes like Scribonia and Octavius.

Beyond piecing together their deaths, there is another peculiarity about Hector and Andromache. In Troilus & Cressida, Hector is clearly the one who wears the pants in their relationship; however, in The Sims 2, he was the one who ended up taking Andromache’s last name upon marriage. Much like in Troilus & Cressida, Andromache seems to take a backseat to Hector in mythology as well, with her only role being that of a wife. As such, this is something that always puzzled me, especially since, like the Caesars, it is unclear whether the Albions were meant to be patrilineal or matrilineal. If I had to guess, Hector taking Andromache’s surname in TS2 probably had something to do with either Troy’s ultimate defeat in the war (kind of a stretch given Thebe was sacked by the Greeks before Andromache was married), the plot of Homer’s The Iliad beginning in Cilician Thebe (again, another stretch), or so Consort and Contessa would be more compatible in a political sense (which is probably the case). However, since Andromache was the one who kept her surname upon marriage and not Hector, there may very well be some wiggle room, both in interpreting the marriage of the Thebes, and in expanding Andromache's importance to the Veronaville narrative.

The Beginning of the Feud

Much like my theory regarding the tragedies, my theory about the beginning of the feud is just my interpretation about how this whole thing went down. As such, it should go without saying that none of the information here is in any way canon to the overall neighborhood narrative.

With that little disclaimer out of the way, this is my theory on the beginning of the feud:

Though the younger generations of Veronaville may find it hard to believe, there was a time when the Capp and Monty patriarchs once called each other best friends. This short-lived friendship between Patrizio Monty and Consort Thebe began and ended during their days working as executive assistants at Capp & Daughters Corporation. The two were driven by a shared desire to succeed and often spent their breaks talking about common interests. However, little did they know, they would later find another common interest in the form of a girl named Contessa Capp.

Contessa Capp was an intelligent and popular student at the illustrious Veronaville Preparatory School. She was the student council president, a participant in several extracurricular activities, well on her way to becoming valedictorian, and the heiress to the large conglomerate where both men got their start. Given her both her appearance and her impressive resumé, it was no surprise that both Consort and Patrizio became infatuated with her. For her part, Contessa enjoyed their company and found herself interested to them both, but it was Patrizio, the more outgoing of the two, who was the one to ask her out.

Soon enough, the two teenage lovebirds formed a strong connection and would often sneak off to the Monty family’s llama ranch once their shifts ended. While there was some jealousy on Consort’s part since his best friend was going out with the girl he liked, he and Patrizio managed to remain on good terms, especially after Consort promised Patrizio that he wouldn’t tell the boss lady about them sneaking off to the llama ranch. However, Consort’s promise would later be broken once Capp family traditions got in the way.

The Capp family had been in the inner circle of Veronaville’s high society ever since they teamed up with the politically-inclined Caesars. In order to hold on to their high status and maintain control of the political sphere, the Capps and Caesars arranged a marriage between Scribonia, the only daughter of Cleopatra and Antony Capp, and Octavius, the only son of Julius and Calpurnia Caesar. While Scribonia and Octavius grew up together due to their family connections, neither was all that happy with the idea of marrying the other. As a result, their marriage was very unhappy, and the two were little more than strangers following Contessa’s birth. However, despite their differences, the two did maintain a professional relationship, with Octavius following in his father’s footsteps by becoming Veronaville’s mayor, and Scribonia taking over Capp & Daughters Corporation following the death of her mother.

Scribonia Capp became a widow after her estranged husband died from either a heart attack, or from being electrocuted when paramedics attempted to restart his heart (the coroner couldn’t figure out what killed him, and it's still a highly debated topic in Veronaville). In addition, Scribonia herself had recently been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. Not knowing how long she had left, Scribonia began looking for a suitable match for her daughter in order to ensure her business would continue for another generation. Eventually, she arranged a match that met her standards, though unfortunately for Patrizio, the suitable match for Contessa was Consort Thebe, the son of her best friend Andromache.

Like the Capps, the Thebes were a matrilineal family and members of Veronaville’s high society. As such, many of the traditions followed by the Capp family were followed by the Thebes as well. One of these shared traditions involves arranging suitable matches in order to keep their blood blue. In Scribonia’s eyes, a marriage between her daughter and Consort Thebe seemed like a perfect match, that being said, she was unaware that her daughter was already involved with Patrizio Monty.

Consort found out about his possible marriage into the Capp family while working overtime one afternoon. When he was called into Scribonia’s office, he feared the worst, but those fears were assuaged when he saw Andromache sitting in a chair in front of Scribonia’s desk. Upon sitting in the chair next to his mother, Scribonia asked one of the temps to fetch her daughter. However, Contessa was nowhere to be found in the building as she snuck out with Patrizio an hour earlier. Despite her daughter’s absence, Scribonia, ever the businesswoman, informed Consort of his potential future as a member of the Capp family. After learning he was selected as Contessa Capp’s husband-to-be, Consort told Scribonia that he had a good idea where her daughter might have been and that he would go and fetch her.

Knowing his best friend’s habits like the back of his hand, Consort set out for the Monty family’s llama ranch. Upon arriving, he began looking for Contessa and found her making out with his best friend in the middle of the ranch. Once the two teenagers ended their passionate kiss, Consort called Contessa away and brought her back to the office, leaving behind a confused Patrizio.

Upon entering Scribonia’s office, Contessa and Consort sat down in the chairs in front of her desk. Not long after they arrived, Scribonia broke the news to Contessa, who was at a loss for words. Having learned from her own loveless marriage, Scribonia told her daughter that she had time to think it over, as all potential matches must be agreed on by both parties before they can occur. After Contessa left, Scribonia asked Consort if he needed any more time to think it over as well. Five minutes had not even passed before Consort, whose infatuation with Contessa was just as strong as ever, agreed to the match.

There was no denying that Contessa and Patrizio had a strong connection, however, they spent much more time kissing than talking. Whereas Consort was much easier for Contessa to have a conversation with, he was a little on the stiff side. Contessa agonized over the decision for nearly five days, though in the end, she chose to follow her family’s traditions and agreed to the match with Consort, who she hoped she would learn to love with time. While she did have feelings for Patrizio, she would be lying if she said she could see herself marrying him. While she found him handsome and charming, they didn’t have a lot in common. In addition, Contessa couldn’t help but wonder whether her feelings for Patrizio were of love or lust.

The day she made her decision, Contessa pulled Patrizio aside before they were scheduled to sneak off to the ranch, and she told him that they couldn’t be together anymore. She apologized, stated that her decision was a family matter, and walked away, leaving Patrizio stunned and heartbroken. Patrizio did not learn why Contessa told him it was over until a party at the Capp Manor was held a few weeks later. While he and Consort were networking with some esteemed businessmen, Scribonia tapped her glass and announced that both Contessa and Consort agreed to the arranged marriage and would enter a courtship phase before finalizing the terms and agreements of the match.

Upon learning of his best friend’s courtship with his former flame, Patrizio felt betrayed. After arguing with Consort for a few minutes, their argument escalated into a screaming match. It was during this screaming match that Consort let it slip that Patrizio and Contessa used to sneak off to the llama ranch to make out, inadvertently breaking his promise to keep his mouth shut. It wasn’t long before the screaming match turned physical, Patrizio threw a glass of wine at Consort, Consort implied Patrizio’s mother was a llama, the insults went back-and-forth until Patrizio ended up shoving Consort into a chocolate fountain.

Both men were brought into Scribonia’s office following the party fiasco. Their boss did not hold back when she scolded them, pointing out how they made fools of themselves in front of several esteemed businesspeople and members of Veronaville’s high society. Consort ended up getting docked a week’s pay for his actions. Patrizio was not so lucky, as he found himself fired from his job, both for the damages he incurred by pushing Consort into an expensive chocolate fountain, and for sneaking off to make out with her daughter at his family’s llama ranch. After Patrizio and Consort poked each other for a while, Scribonia called security to escort Patrizio out of the building before any of her possessions could be damaged.

After he was escorted out, Patrizio ran into Contessa as she was on her way to see her mother, leading to an awkward conversation between the two. However, as soon as Contessa tried to explain her rationale in agreeing to marry Consort, Patrizio stormed off in a rage.

Patrizio’s firing did not go over well with the Monty family at all. Valentine and Silvia were already unhappy that Patrizio’s relationship with Contessa didn’t work out, as they both found her very charming. Valentine was also angered upon learning why Contessa stopped coming by the ranch and why Patrizio was out of a job. A few weeks later, Valentine and Silvia ran into Hector and Andromache while out at the Veronaville Market. Despite Silvia and Andromache’s pleas for them to stop, the two men soon engaged in a shouting match that quickly turned physical. Unlike the altercation between their sons, Hector and Valentine’s fight ended up turning especially ugly, and both men later died due to their injuries.

After the deaths of Hector and Valentine, the whole neighborhood started picking sides (usually depending on the side of the canal they inhabited). Valentine’s widow, Silvia, contracted a cold not long after her husband’s death that eventually turned into an awful case of pneumonia. She died ten days after her diagnosis. Hector’s widow, Andromache also did not live much longer after her husband’s death, as she ended up dying of respiratory failure. As for Scribonia Capp, she lost her battle with cancer before the marriage between Contessa and Consort was finalized.

Consort and Contessa, who found comfort in each other following the deaths of their mothers, eventually fell in love and agreed to the terms in their wedding contract, later marrying in a lavish ceremony at the Capp Manor. After becoming the new CEO of Capp & Daughters, Contessa ushered in a new golden age for her family’s company with Consort by her side.

While Patrizio didn’t succeed in the business track, he found much more success in the culinary career thanks to an aspiring chef named Isabella Pantalone. The two ended up forming a strong bond, eventually marrying and opening a restaurant together. Patrizio used the tools he learned from his time at Capp & Daughters to make the restaurant a financial success, while Isabella, a master chef in the making, created the finest menu Veronaville’s west side had ever seen.

The hostilities did not end with the third generation of both families, as the next two generations had their own share of Capp and Monty rivalries. That being said, most of the negative interactions between the families following the marriages of both couples were mostly restricted to verbal arguments and name calling. Thus, Veronaville had a reprieve from the violence that, until the tragedies, was referred to as the darkest period of the neighborhood’s history.

Final Thoughts

While my theory may not include every element we went over in the essay, I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. In all my years playing The Sims, I’ve realized that everyone’s interpretation will inevitably diverge at some point. With that in mind, I have a tendency to suggest alternative points-of-view in these entries in case you’re trying to come up with ideas of your own.

Much like my theory on the Veronaville tragedies, my theory about the beginning of the feud doesn’t completely follow in-game logic, though that’s probably inevitable given the lack of information EAxis provided us with. However, as I looked at some plays and some historical tidbits, I began to get a clearer picture of what I believed the catalyst of the feud could have been. Obviously, the love triangle played a part, but other than that there wasn’t really much to go off of, leading me to come up with scenarios inspired by Shakespeare’s plays and other relevant sources. While I could have only written about the feud by looking solely at the three central figures, I felt that it wouldn’t be right not to include some other relatives into the mix as well. After all, the neighborhood biography stated that the Capps and Montys had been feuding for generations, not just Consort and Patrizio.

This topic has been in the works for over than a year, and I’m glad that I am now able to share it with all of you. As usual, I try to look at this topic through a Shakespearean lens, and I try to incorporate other relevant sources (in this case, some history and mythology) when neither Shakespeare nor the game can answer all of my questions. Given the lack of any concrete answer on this subject, there are many interpretations out there, and yours may be completely different from mine as a result. But regardless of any differences, we might have in our interpretations, I hope that mine was at least enjoyable to you.

Thank you so much for reading this essay and theory! If this is your first time reading one of these, I hope you enjoyed and will consider coming back for more in the future. If you’ve read one of these before and if you’ve liked and/or reblogged any of the past entries, I seriously cannot thank you enough. The reception that this project has gotten so far, especially the essay on the tragedies, completely surpassed my expectations. Once again, thank you for reading, and I hope you’ll come back and read more of these.

#patrizio monty #contessa capp #consort capp #veronaville #sims 2 #sims #veronaville vault #scribonia capp #octavius capp #valentine monty #silvia monty #andromache thebe #hector thebe #isabella monty

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comesatimecomesashadow · 18 days ago

Text

charlotte sometimes *ೃ༄

｡⋆˚࿔°‧ part ii . .

pairing *ೃ༄ il capitano / fem goth reader

fic type *ೃ༄ one-shot, angst, fluff, comfort, pining, slowburn.

cw *ೃ༄ yandere themes, mentions of stalking, reader has family drama but nothing too serious ( in this chapter ).

summary *ೃ༄ living as a recluse for the better part of your life, you'd grown used to the solitude of your daily life. however, when you catch the eye of the fiercest harbinger in teyvat ー the solitude you had grown accystomed to, dissipates.

note *ೃ༄ i know a few of you have been waiting for this capitano / goth wife reader to come out & im so sorry it took so long for me to finally post something but this got to be way too long so i decided to split it into multiple other parts. on to of that, i'm going to take a break from this fic because i wanna write for some other characters, hopefully this will keep y'all fed till later...

｡⋆˚࿔°‧ word count . . ! 7k+

masterlist *ೃ༄

In the dreary scenery of Snezhnaya, falling snow is a commonality. It falls, and falls.. And falls. Relentlessly, the particles allow themselves to be carried by the incessant howling winds — whispers of the never-ending winter. Amidst the bone-chilling iciness is where you reside.

Though you are protected by the four walls you call ‘home’, the cold attempts to penetrate through the curtain-covered windows and through every nook and cranny of your home. Inside of your quaint cottage in the outskirts, there are two stories standing tall and lacquered mahogany paints the stairs and floors of your quaint residence. Renaissance-esque paintings are hung up on the walls, giving life to the once-barren sides of the cottage. Those paintings, handpicked by yourself, tell silent stories of longing and yet at the same time, a fulfillment of oneself.

It is a melancholic feeling, you think.

Your home is decorated with trinkets; A candelabra at the corner near the front door, the porcelain angels that sit on your bookcase in the living room, pencils that litter your desk upstairs, plush pillows that sit atop your resting place — your home might not be lavish nor ostentatious, but it is yours. It is a thing you protect, a thing you keep hidden underneath the layers of the flesh of your heart.

The first time you learned the difference between a house and a home, you were young. A fledgeling, barely.

You try to not let your mind drift to that place often.

It is not a good thing to reminisce about.

Here, in your warm kitchen surrounded by the aroma of sweet baking, is better. The ringing of the timer pulled you away from your thoughts of tomorrow. For tomorrow, you were to visit a grave. It had been a few months since she had passed, but you still visited her at least once a month. She was like a sister to you, despite her endless teasing and her (sometimes) infuriating way of wording things, she was still your dearest friend.

She always liked your cookies, you remember.

‘You know,’ she would begin, ‘i’ve never been a fan of cookies, but these are amazing.’ The smile on her face as she ate cookie after cookie, sitting at your table as if she were just an ordinary person. Though, you guess, at that time she was exactly that to you. It was not that her title meant nothing to you, but when you grew more comfortable with her — going as far as to let her into your home regularly — she was ordinary.

Perhaps that is why her death hurt all too much.

‘She met her fate in Inazuma..’ The words that the Tsaritsa herself spoke to you on that day were etched onto your mind. ‘The others,’ she said, referring to the other ten of her elites. ‘-Will be at her funeral. I will inform them of your presence beforehand, should you attend.’ You did not attend that day, but the day after. When it was just you and her in solitude — like when she would come over to your quaint cottage and eat cookies on the kitchen table, ranting to you of her work troubles.. That day, it was hard to be the rock you had trained yourself to be.

The cookies were left to cool on the kitchen counter for a while. A faint meowing could be heard, followed by the sound of tiny paw-steps on the ground. You turned to see Mittens. Mittens too, was yours. He was a feline with black paws and the rest of his fur was white, except for the black skin of his nose. Mittens had been your companion long before you had made a home in this cottage.

The first time you met him, you were chasing him to get back the piece of bread he had taken. He was skinny and frail, the fur on his back was ratty and there were patches without fur.

How cold he must have been..

Despite the solitude you had grown accustomed to, it was nice to have a companion. Since taking him in, Mittens’ fur had grown to be fluffy and clean, no more tangled patches and bare spots with raised bite marks. He was an agile feline who curiously lingered around you at all times.

Like now.

Mittens nudged your hand as you reach out to scritch at his head, a slight smile on your lips. The candlelight that lit your kitchen made it smell of lavender and created a warm ambiance. In here, there was rarely any cold that seeped in through the windows, or maybe that was just you since you naturally ran hot. Sometimes, you even went outside to stand on your porch and relish the biting ice-cold temperatures.

But only sometimes.

That time was not now. Or rather, you wished it not to be. The feeling of someone watching you, however, sent a cold shiver up your spine. Like spiders running along your arms and crawling up your shoulders, the stare was felt. You looked around, your eyes surveying for any peering eyes — yet none could be found in this dark night. Mittens meowed as you took your hand away and moved to close the navy curtains, if there was someone watching you, they certainly couldn’t now.

It was uncomfortable, that feeling of knowing eyes are on you. For the past few days, you began to feel that feeling often. It lingered when you turned a corner in the inner city. It lingered when you shopped for necessities. It even lingered on those cold nights you stole for yourself; When it was just you and the cold of Snezhnaya. Those nights had been yours, yet now it felt as if something, or someone, had intruded your spaces of solitude.

For a moment, you corrected yourself.

For it was not the fact that you felt the eyes on you, that made you uncomfortable. No. It was being seen that you despised. Like a shadow, you wanted to go unnoticed, unfelt, unacknowledged.

It was safer, being invisible.

Nowadays, though, you feel naked. As if something has violated your careful isolation. This feeling, this crawling feeling, was invading. It would have done some good for it to have been a visible stalker of some sort because at least then you would have been able to confront them and make it go away. You would have been able to put a stop to it and reclaim your solitude.

But alas, you could not fight something you could not see.

The cookies were sealed in a transparent bag with a thin, red ribbon around the top and then tucked neatly into a black box. The black box had crimson accents upon its sides. You chose it for her.

Her grave, you correct yourself.

Anyway, you left the box on the kitchen table, beside the three differently sized candles that sat in the middle of your table. With that last task completed, your feet carried you up the stairs and to your comfortable, warm bed. Mittens trailed behind you, running towards the bed once he realized it was time to sleep. He jumped towards the bed gracefully and kneaded at the foot of the bed before making himself comfortable.

With a kiss to Mittens’ forehead, you allowed yourself to slumber.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

“Do you happen to have these?” The young girl held up a picture of a specific set of paints. From the look of them, they were imported. Esthene inspected the picture in her hands a little more before handing it back to the customer. “I’m not quite sure, but I’ll check in the back for you.” with a courteous smile, she excused herself from her presence and headed towards the storage room.

This shop, despite being an art supply store, was not as colorful as its purpose suggested. The walls were painted in a dark auburn, the floors were of lacquered mahogany wood. There weren’t many decorations apart from the spectacular artworks on the wall and the beige curtains that were pulled apart and tied at the ends of the two windows at the storefront. The absence of clutter gave way to a sense of coziness.

You appreciated it, atmospheres like this were ideal to you.

In your hands was a clipboard. Your eyes scanned over all the supply boxes, or rather, their labels. Your position as manager of the shop often required you to take a look at the inventory and make orders according to what was needed. A newly hired employee, Esthene, came up to you to ask about the paints.

“Those, I believe, should be in the far right corner of the shop near the paint aisle. But if there isn’t any, I’ll unpack the new ones.” you told her. Esthene smiled and thanked you before returning to her post. She was new to the shop but a bright person nonetheless. Her hair was a dusty blonde color with fair skin which had freckles peppered onto it. Despite her inexperience at the beginning, she proved to be a good asset to your team. She worked fast and was quick to find solutions.

An accomplished feeling settled in your chest as you turned your attention back to the labeled boxes. It was a small help, but a help nonetheless. Despite your dark outward appearance, you quite liked helping others. It often gives you a sense of fulfillment. It was something your employees greatly appreciated about you.

You always gave more than you took.

You were generous like that.

“Are these the ones you’re looking for?” Esthene accompanied the young customer to the aisle you’d directed her to.

“Yes! Thank you!” the young girl nodded and picked out the medium-sized jar of paints she wanted. Afterwards, Esthene rang her up and the girl placed a bag of mora on the counter as payment. “Keep the change!” she said after Esthene handed her the items in a paper bag. You thought for a moment how bright she seemed, with her ‘thank you’s’ and smiles. You hoped she would keep being that way for as long as time allowed.

It was a sad thing to have that joy ripped away.

You headed towards the counter after checking the time on the clock; Closing time. As you emerged from the storage room, Esthene had flipped the sign to the ‘closed’ side of it, signifying that the shop was no longer taking customers. The shop wasn’t one of those big outlets with tons and tons of shelves. You liked that about it because it meant there would be more peace and quiet within the shop, even on work days like today.

“Closing time, everyone. Let’s get this done quick, alright?” All four of your employees nodded and got straight to work. You helped fix up the storage cabinets as well as put items that had been misplaced back in their designated area. After the sweeping, the mopping and the wiping was done, you handed everyone their paychecks and bid them farewell. You were the last to leave.

After locking up for the night, you began on your way to your dear friend’s grave. The cold air made it so you could see the breath that escaped your lips whenever you exhaled. In your left hand, was the box of cookies you had prepared for the occasion. In your opposite hand was your purse, which carried a book among other things. Your intention was to read it at her grave under the light of the mausoleum she now slept in, she often loved hearing you read to her.

‘It’s entertaining when you do it. If I were to do it, it’d sound monotonous.’ she told you once when you had asked her why she preferred your reading over her own. You smiled at the thought. Her grave was just a few blocks away. Your friend had been buried in a secluded sanctuary, one dedicated specifically for her. The Tsaritsa, in her kindness, allowed you to keep visiting her.

Though you chose to not worship the archons like most, you were grateful to her for her generosity.

It would have been devastating had you not been allowed to see her after the funeral.

Even if you weren’t seeing her face to face.

You got off of the wagon and bid farewell to the kind passerby that had driven you here. The cold bit at the exposed skin of your face, but you cared not. You approached the building and it was then that you began to feel the all-too familiar feeling of being watched. You looked around, scanning the area for the culprit, but as always, you found nothing. You grumbled and shook your head dismissively. Without any more hesitance, you walked into her grand resting place.

There, as you walked in, lay her gravestone. A pyro crystalfly was frozen in place where her head should be. You shook off the feeling of annoyance from being watched and found the peace within yourself to smile down upon seeing her resting place. Your fingers caressed the top of the marble coffin, it was cold. Though, you couldn’t feel it due to your gloves.

“I’m here, again..” You spoke, as if she could hear you. “I wonder if you tire of me, Rosalyne.” A chuckle escaped your throat while you leaned against the marble structure that carried her coffin atop it. The cookie box was placed beside you and you searched for the book in your bag. The only light that seeped in was the moonlight, which you could barely see in. So you lit a few candles for better lighting.

It was moments like these that you were grateful for the pyro vision you possessed. The time was spent with you reading classic gothic literature to Rosalyne and enjoying the cookies you had prepared while you sat there beside her grave. Of course, you knew she could not hear you, but it was nice to believe that she could.. Somewhere out there.

After about an hour, you had read a total of four chapters from the book. You decided to stop there and gather your things, it was getting quite late and you still had to walk from here to your cozy home. Mittens was probably missing you and waiting at the door for you to arrive, knowing him.

You stuffed the box into your satchel along with the book and told her goodbye. With that, you took your leave and were exposed to Snezhnaya’s cold winds again. It would be difficult to flag down another wagon.. You let out a small sigh and began your walk back to your cottage, at least the pyro vision you kept would help you keep warm.

The feeling of being watched was gone. But you kept thinking about it. It was a feeling you just couldn’t shake no matter how much you tried to do so. Your brows furrowed in thought as you walked underneath the snow and streetlights. It was only when you bumped into a man’s shoulder that you snapped out of it. “..!” your eyes widened and you immediately apologized to the man while crouching down to collect your satchel which had fallen upon impact.

But the man was faster.

“I apologize.” he said as he collected your satchel before you could reach it. He handed it back to you but your mind had gone blank after setting your eyes on the man.. Who had a black void for a face. He was draped in a fur coat of immaculate creation — you noticed — and accents of gold and silver which only served to accentuate his regality even more.

There was only one figure in Snezhnaya who was famous for his face — or his lack of one.

“..Ah. You’re..There is no need for you to apologize, the fault lies with me.” you bowed your head a little, it made you anxious that his vision was directed at you.

You hated being seen.

The familiar uncomfortable feeling of being watched returned. But this time, you knew who exactly it was that was looking at you. “Are you alright?”

On instinct, you replied, “Yes, I’m alright. I was only lost in thought, forgive me.” The chains of his helmet clinked when he nodded. It was hard not to act so formal when The First was standing in front of you, focused on you.

“May I ask what you are doing out so late?” His voice was clear, in this wind it was always a little hard to hear. But him? His voice was as clear as still water. You found no reason to deny him an answer so you nodded.

“I’m currently on my way home, Lord Harbinger.” The words felt foreign on your tongue, but there was no telling what he might do if you were to disregard his status. You had heard the rumors and frankly, you did not believe them. But it was hard to not feel intimidated when he towered over you like this.

“I see.” He didn’t say anything else after that which left the two of you in an awkward silence. This is why you preferred to stay to yourself. Small talk was a nightmare.

You bowed slightly, awkwardly. “If there is nothing else.. I will continue on my way home. Is that alright?” Your vision shifted from your feet to the black void that covered his face.

The Captain stayed silent for a moment, it seemed that he had something else to say but decided against speaking. With his silent nod, you quickly made yourself scarce from his presence. Your walk was brisk and quick in the hopes that he would let you leave without a word. Authority in Snezhnaya wasn’t ‘harsh’ but you’d rather not get involved with any governmental affairs, especially not with the Tsaritsa’s elite.

You sang a solemn lullaby to yourself while you walked home. It was stupid, but it made you feel less alone during the journey home. The feeling of being watched subtly returned whenever you turned a corner but no matter how much you looked back to check if there was anyone there, you could see nothing.

Thankfully though, you made it home that night safely.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

About a few months have passed since that night and your life went as usual. You clocked into work, clocked out of work, visited Rosalyne once a month with cookies in tow and led your quiet life with your quiet feline at your side. Everything was supposed to be normal.

Key word: ‘supposed to’.

Yet as of late, there have been more than a few instances that weren't normal. Ones that could not be counted as simple ‘coincidences’. For instance, following that small interaction with The First; He has begun to appear in places you usually did not expect him to. One of these encounters happened at a craft shop you often frequented. The shop was run by a nice old woman and her two grandchildren; It was a quaint business in which you often went to pick up supplies to mend clothing or to merely admire the unique fabrics.

One wintry afternoon, when the streets were bustling and the sun was shining, you walked into the shop only to learn from Mrs. Yachka, the nice old woman, that the esteemed Captain of the Fatui Harbingers was in her very shop. With your curiosity piqued, you subtly made your way to the back of the shop to where he was stationed. When your eyes landed upon him, he cradled a sample of silk fabric in his claws. His claws, that no doubt had taken lives during battle, were now being used to inspect a delicate piece of silk..

‘How strange.’ you would think to yourself, a placid smile forming upon your lips absentmindedly. You subtly walked to his side, pretending to look at the fabrics. Your eyes were glued to them but all you really wanted to do was gauge his expression.. from his body language of course. You deemed The First to be a reserved man and so, you thought to engage in conversation first, but he beat you to it.

With a sharp yet calm tone, The First uttered a statement to you. He let down the fabric, allowing his hand to disappear into his thick and white, winter fur coat. “It’s you.” he continued, “The woman who was visiting Rosalyne.”

Upon hearing his words, you drew a blank before the memory of your first encounter with him flashed in your mind. “Oh. Yes, that- That would happen to be me.” You felt oddly sheepish, realizing that this was how The First, The most honorable soldier in all of Snezhnaya, remembered you. “My name is ______. I understand that this is our first formal meeting, Lord Harbinger.” The title slipped from your tongue easily, yet now it was without the tone one uses to speak to a figure of authority — it felt strange to hear those words sound so .. non-fearful.

“_______.” He muttered, as if to test out how your name felt on his lips. “You may call me Capitano. I believe you were in a hurry during our last encounter.” The black void of his face peered down at you, though you felt it less imposing than the previous time it had been directed at you. Maybe it was accredited to the way the sunlight peeking through the shop’s windows made him seem ethereal-like.

You kept a small smile, “Yes, I was in a hurry to get home that night. It was late.. ” After a moment of silence, you remembered what it was that you were even speaking to him for. “Do you come here often?”

The chains on his mask clinked as he shook his head slowly. “No. I heard in passing that the fabrics here, at this establishment, were one-of-kind. There is a banquet to be held soon and the Tsaritsa has requested my attendance.” Your eyes drifted to the rolls of fabric on display.

“Are you looking for something specific or only browsing? I know this shop quite well and it would be an honor to aid you — if you’d like, that is.” You weren’t sure if it was because of his status or the oddly warm environment around the two of you, but something made it easier for you to extend your kindness to him when you barely even knew the man.

Not that it was a bad thing to be kind to strangers.

It was just peculiar how willing you were being when you usually preferred to keep interactions with others short or to have none at all.

“Which would you recommend?” His sight was once again on the display racks, away from you. This action made you feel at ease due to your inclination to not maintain eye-contact, even if you couldn’t exactly see his eyes. Mrs. Yachka watched the two of you mull over the decision. She felt less intimidated now that you were keeping him company. Of course, it wasn’t as if she was scared of the Harbinger. It only caught her off guard since it was unusual to see a decorated soldier like him at her quaint shop.

A few minutes had passed by now and you bit your lip while thinking. “-I also believe there was this navy shade of velvet that I found quite pleasing during my last visit. It should be around here..” You stepped around the aisle and made your way to the other side, the tall harbinger following after you. When your eyes landed on it, you reached out to hold it. “I believe this would do nicely and the shade suits you well, too.” Your eyes drifted up to he who was now reaching out to hold the cloth in your hand.

After The First inspected the material, the clinking of chains was heard while he nodded in approval. “Very well, I will trust your judgement as you seem to be well-versed in this area.”

A quiet laugh escaped your lips while you pressed your fingers to your lips softly, “I’m not an expert, that would be Mrs. Yachka at the front. I am merely speaking from experience.” You could not see it at that moment, but The Harbinger’s expression had softened. Your humility was something refreshing to him.

Afterwords, when the Harbinger was done speaking to you, he went to Mrs. Yachka to request a shipment of the navy velvet fabric. You weren’t privy to the details of the conversation due to the fact that you had been shopping when he placed his order, but when you were done with your little errand, Mrs. Yachka informed you that the Harbinger had paid a handsome amount for the fabric despite the price being significantly less than his payment.

You were in awe at the amount, but then realized that for a man of his status, the purchase must have been no big deal. You wondered for a moment what it would be like to have that kind of money but quickly moved on from it. After a lively chat with Mrs. Yachka, you returned to your home with the sewing supplies you’d been looking for.

Following that happenstance, The Captain appeared to you once more about three weeks after your formal encounter. This time, it took place behind your cottage. Well, not exactly behind it. See, your cottage was stationed in the outskirts of the city. This meant that while you did have your peace and quiet, you were also subject to witnessing the training of the Fatui just a ways away from your backyard.

The land was barren, as always, and vast enough for soldiers to train. It was no surprise to you that the Fatui’s armies would train there and it was certainly not a disturbance since they were far away enough to not cause you any trouble. However, you did not expect it to be Capitano who was leading the platoons behind your cottage. It wasn’t a strange thing to see the soldiers training, but in your years of living in that cottage, it was the first time you had ever seen The First leading them. Usually it was a highly-ranked Fatui Member that took care of the Fatui training.

Though, seeing as he was rumored to be the most skilled fighter in all of Snezhnaya, it wasn’t all that strange. Maybe it just felt that way due to the fact that you were acquainted with him more than you should have been.

The snow was falling outside, softly landing on the ground like a bird’s fallen feathers. It was as cold as always, but the fire at the hearth warmed the four walls of your home. Mittens nudged your leg as you were sat on the couch in front of the hearth, mending an old maroon skirt of yours. The feline jumped at the sound of abrupt knocking at the front of your door. Your brows knitted in slight annoyance, wondering who decided to interrupt your precious tranquility. At around the third series of hard knocking a sigh left your lips as you got up to check who it was. To your utter dismay, it was one of the people you least expected (or wanted) to pay you a visit.

In the seven years that you had called this cottage ‘home’, she never once had come. Nor did you want her to, for she was the woman who made your childhood an inferno. Without a second thought, your hand flew to the handle to shut the wooden door closed. But alas, she was quicker. With her foot wedging in between the door, she maintained an opening — access to you.

“What is it that you need?” you tried to speak normally, but the underlying anger was prominent in your tone.

“Need?” Your older half-sister, croaked. “Couldn’t you at least invite me in for a cup of tea? It’s the least you could do after what-”

“I have no desire to speak of past events.” You made sure she felt the authority in your voice. The wounds from your past had long-since been healed and you had no intention to allow her to pick at the scars.

You would not allow her to desecrate your home.

“We don’t have to talk about that, but I have to see you.” she said, her moss-colored eyes boring into your own.

“You’ve seen me,” you said, “Now go, Yessenia.” You observed her sharply, gauging her next move. She seemed as impatient as ever and the way she was carrying herself, you could tell she was the same woman from before. Not even time could change her. You looked upon her clothing through the small opening and just by examining it for a few minutes you could tell that the wealth she once boasted of was gone.

Unfortunately, she had no intention to leave. Yessenia sighed and pleaded with you and despite your heartstrings being tugged at, you refused to open the door an inch more. “Please, you’ve no idea how horrible everyone back home is doing — The situation is dire..” Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. “Our mora stretched thin and without your help, i’m afraid we might be thrown to the streets, like trash- please! Have you no compassion for your family??” The tone in her voice sounded desperate.

Your mind screamed at you to refuse her entry.. but your heart, soft as ever, crumbled upon seeing her so distraught. You could clothe yourself in all the shades of black there were, but your heart could never be so noir as to turn someone in need away. What did it matter that she was unforgiving at one point? Maybe she has changed, maybe. With a heavy sigh, you opened your door to her and allowed her into the four warm walls you called home.

“Thank you,” she wiped her eyes and held your hand close to her chest. She was dressed in commoner clothing. Gone were the frilly dresses made of silk and the heavy faux furs she once donned. “You’ve been doing well, I can see.” She looked around your cozy, clean home. Without a reply, you guided her to the couch where you once had been.

“What tea do you like?” Mittens entered the kitchen adjacent to the living room alongside you, his purring long gone.

“Do you have peppermint?”

“Yes,” your replies were curt. Of course, you agreed to hear her out but you were still on guard. Her actions would tell if she had truly separated from her old self. After a short time, the kettle whistled and you meticulously prepared two white mugs of peppermint tea. Again came that feeling of being watched — it had lessened as of late, but it wasn’t completely gone.

You chalked it up to the adrenaline you were experiencing due to Yessenia’s unexpected arrival.

“I can see you still enjoy the darker things in life,” Yessenia commented, a slight giggle at the end of her utterance.

“I do.” The mug was handed to her; you took your place on the couch afterwards. The feeling of warmth and coziness should have settled in by now but the anxiety from just being around her did not leave you.

Yessenia accepted the mug and was now drinking from it. She was pleased with the drink, her relaxed expression said as much. “How long have you lived here?” She looked towards the paintings, to the fireplace and the little porcelain angels that sat atop the structure.

“In the same month I left that house; About seven years now, I believe.” Mittens jumped onto your lap and made himself at home there, much to Yessenia’s surprise.

“That cat.. It’s the same one from the alleyway? From when we were kids?” her emerald eyes widened slightly at the prospect. Clearly, she hadn’t expected you to take in a stray cat.

“His name is Mittens.” you clarified. “But there are more pressing matters than my home and my companion. You had something you wanted to speak to me about, did you not?”

Yessenia seemed a little dejected at the change of subject, but she continued nonetheless. “Yes, I wanted to speak to you.. About mom.”

“Your mother? Please elaborate.” At the mention of that woman, you became stone-faced. You had hoped that after leaving, you would be leaving that family behind too. But to your utter dismay, that was not how it turned out to be. The painful words that woman directed towards you either under her breath or to your face had left you with scars that took years to heal. If you could, you’d shut your ears and disappear from their memories.

But you had a heart.

Yessenia gazed down at the liquid in the cup, her expression downcast with her lips in a frown. “She isn’t doing so well, the business is failing and her health is not what it used to be. Brother and I have tried everything to help with the finances but nothing works, the sales keep plummeting..”

A dull clink was heard the moment your cup was set down. With crossed arms and furrowed eyebrows, you let out a sigh. “..I assume you want my father’s money. Is that what you’re asking?”

Her green eyes shimmered at the mention of your fathers savings. Before he had met his end, your father left everything to you in his will. The love you had for your father was like nothing else and you hated to see him so enamored with a wicked woman who only degraded you in your childhood, sans his presence of course. However, it seemed that he realized his mistakes and the impact they had on you, which you believe led to him only naming you in his will. Not his second wife or your two half-siblings — you.

It was unknown how he died, but there was a fire and you assumed that that was the cause. After his funeral took place, a lawyer traveled to your home to inform your step mother and half siblings that his life’s savings were to be transferred to you upon your eighteenth birthday. You hadn’t used them all up, you were wise with it. With that money, you’d get yourself a nice cottage in the outskirts and afford to have your beloved feline taken care of. After those two things had been settled, you pretty much put the rest of the money into a savings account.

After all, your father had been a rather successful doctor.

“Well, you see..” Yessenia began. She went on and on about her mother’s condition; Mentioning here and there that they had gotten themselves into debt that they could not afford to pay. “I hope you know that this is not how I would have liked us to reunite,” Yessenia held your hands in her own. “Sister, please. Her condition is dire.”

Following that moment, you sighed and slipped your hands away from her. “Allow me to see her and assess her condition; I’ll make my decision afterwards.”

Yessenia’s brows furrowed and for a moment you could see those same ire-ridden eyes from your childhood — though they were gone as soon as they appeared. “Do you believe me to be a liar? Is that why you’re asking?” Her words were sharp and reminded you of when the two of you were children. When she would tease you and blame you for any mishap.

“No,” you matched her sharp gaze. “However, I have no reason to believe this is even true. I have not seen your family in almost seven years now, how do you expect me to trust you?”

Yessenia sighed and placed her cup down on the table. “Very well. I shall take you to see her in a week’s time. Is this arrangement fine with you, sister?”

A curt nod signalled the end of the conversation between the two of you. She was gone in a matter of minutes; as soon as you watched her figure get smaller and smaller until she disappeared into the fogginess, you closed the door.

Or well, that is what you would have wanted to do.

Before you could retreat back into your warm sanctuary, you felt the presence of someone else near you. Again, the feeling of being watched surged up inside you. You were sick of this paranoia; So much so, that you were just about to close the door and call it a night. The wind and fog obscured your vision so there was nothing you could do, it wasn’t like you were going to spend the whole night searching for a culprit that may not even exist.

That was, until you saw a tall figure in the distance. A small gleaming sheen of blue seemed to be staring at you, but you knew not what it was. With your brows furrowing in confusion you walked out to your porch leaving the door closed so your feline wouldn’t venture out and get sick. “Who’s there?” You spoke loud enough for them to hear, but the wind was howling and the snow around you was making a ruckus with the way it swirled and fled. Before long, you were surrounded by the blizzard, unable to see the figure. Only your house was in a distant view. “This was stupid,” you muttered to yourself while you bunched up the fabric of your skirt to walk through the thick snow. Maybe it was because your vision wasn’t the best while in the snow-storm, but you bumped into something — someone. Slowly, your vision was brought up to see none other than the familiar mask of The First.

“Ca..pitano?” The words were hard to get out with your teeth chattering every few seconds. Maybe you should’ve taken a thick coat before venturing out to find that figure with gleaming blue lights… But then you would have likely lost them in the storm. At least now you could confirm what your stalker looked like.

“______?” The confusion was evident in his tone. With not a moment to be spared, Capitano slipped off his thick coat and wrapped it around you. ‘And they say chivalry is dead..’ you thought to yourself as you adjusted to the leftover warmth within the coat. “You’re far from home. Why?” The Captain questioned you while he escorted you back home. You wondered if he could see better than you, given these conditions.

More importantly, you wondered how exactly he knew where you resided.

“You know where I live?” you directed your vision back to him, curious as to what his answer would be.

There was the sound of chains clinking as he nodded. “I personally scouted the area before the training commenced, it would have been unwise to do so.” Your vision shifted from you to your home which was now becoming clearer and clearer to see. His answer wasn’t anything peculiar so your suspicions of him possibly being your stalker were slim to none. “However, you’ve yet to answer my question. Why did you decide to walk in this blizzard? I’m sure you know how detrimental that could have been to your health.”

“I’m not fragile, I can take care of myself.” You slurred your words a little because of the cold that bit at you. “But if you must know, I..” Should you tell him about the stalker? He was one of the harbingers.. Maybe he could actually help you with the situation? You hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I went out on a walk to clear my head.”

“In this weather?” the harbinger questioned, his voice sharp yet seemingly concerned. Soon enough, the both of you reached your cottage. It didn’t take long since you had not walked too far, thankfully. Still, the cold was troubling you. Your pyro abilities made your body less susceptible to the cold, but Snezhnaya’s winter was nothing like a normal cold.

You nodded and turned to face him once the two of you arrived at the steps of your cottage. “Yes, It wasn’t this bad when I first stepped out. I’m deeply sorry to have troubled you; I know a man such as yourself has more pressing things to take care of.” The Captain’s vision lingered on your figure. The way you shut down his line of questioning clearly indicated that you were concealing something from him. However, he also understood that the two of you were not so close for him to demand answers of that sort from you.

So with a subtle sigh, the Captain allowed you to take off the coat he allowed you to wear. You offered it back to him; Looking at him now, he had a lean build, it contrasted what you had initially thought of him. Without his coat he seemed less imposing — but the mystery surrounding him remained. He seemed much taller, if that was possible, now that you were face to.. Chest, with him.

The Captain’s claws subtly brushed over your fleshly hands as he accepted his coat back. He grunted while adjusting it around himself, it seemed there was something he wanted to say. Without a moment’s hesitation, the Harbinger cleared his throat. “If there is anything at all that ails you, do not hesitate to notify me.”

You blink once.

Then twice.

The words failed to come out of your mouth; Who would have thought that a simple sentence like that could leave you speechless? Now, you were not one to have your head in the clouds about every single man who showed you kindness. Nonetheless, when a man like the Captain — who is revered, not only in Snezhnaya, but all throughout Teyvat and who is the pinnacle of regality and unrivaled strength — His kindness would leave a simple woman like yourself, in awe.

“I.. -Yeah, yes. I’ll make sure to do so, Capitano.” you stammered. After giving you a nod of acknowledgement, he was off to the training grounds. Slowly, you crept into the safety of your home. Your eyes wide with confusion and a newfound excitement? With his kindness shown to you in these past few occasions came a plethora of questions.

If his encounters with you were not coincidences- Did it mean that Capitano had intentionally gone out of his way to seek you out?

You chuckle. “No, that would be stupid..”

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