#dante and matteo

[syncopein3d]

Shun the Light: A Friendly Review

Introduction and Format Explanation:

I've just finished reading Shun the Light by @thoughtsonhurtandcomfort. In the communities where I spend most of my time here on Tumblr, I see occasional recommendations but nothing I would call a review, so I thought I'd go into a little more detail about why I enjoyed this story. I'm still a relative newcomer here in 2024, so if I'm wrong about that, send links in the notes and I will include them here!

The reason I think a positive review might be useful to my audience is that, when people praise a story, they seldom give enough detail for me to know as a reader if I will also want to read it. These are stories I liked personally, and this means that reviews will mostly be of hurt/comfort stories with happy or at least ambiguous endings.

Ambiguous here means characters may part, or may have dangling plot threads for later, but they have survived and are in some way better or recovering. Please always read authors’ trope/warning lists before taking off into their other work. I review hurt/comfort without NSFW usually, but lots of whump writers have both h/c content and NSFW, torture, pet, slave, or other subgenres of whump. I support everyone in this community, and I don’t want anyone to be mad at them or me because you dove directly from a reviewed story into something you didn’t like or were triggered by.

This doesn't mean I disliked everything I didn't review; I read a lot of stories and can't review them all. This is just for stories that are completed according to the author (something of a rare category already) and that I thought deserved special mention.

I'll attempt some light analysis, but I won't ask authors if I'm right about their intent first, so you only get my reader impressions on it. As such, I might be wrong about some or all of how I describe a story and its lore. I don't insist on death of the author once a review is up, so authors are welcome and encouraged to comment!

Summary:

A werewolf and a vampire meet under difficult circumstances and forge an unlikely bond through various injuries and incidents.

Vibes:

I will try to refrain from gushing, since the author is no doubt tired of seeing me type rows of capital A’s on the story posts themselves. This is a very sweet and pleasant hurt/comfort story. It feels warm and comfy even in the slightly gory parts. If it’s possible to write a cozy Universal Studios Horror Gothic, it’s this right here. A lot of it takes place in the same old house and its environs, increasing both the intimacy of the story and the sense of warm familiarity. This is just a delightful palate cleanser if you’ve been reading darker material lately and want to just sit back and feel better.

Characters and Setting:

The story centers on Dante and Matteo, a vampire and a werewolf who wander into each other’s lives by accident. Both are well-intentioned, both are grieving what they lost, whether recently (for Matteo) or long ago (for Dante). When misunderstandings happen, it flows reasonably out of the difference in their ages, their circumstances, and their mutual exasperating tendency to assume the other person’s emotions incorrectly. There’s some delicious angst as a result of that.

Dante is an old soul both literally and figuratively, low-energy and depressed, without rapacity of any kind. The only times he uses a vampire mind control ability are when he is helping to care for Matteo – motivating him to get up the stairs to bed, soothing him to sleep, helping him feel better. It’s almost never for his own benefit. Matteo is not a roaring monster so much as a whipped stray, used to disappointment, expecting the worst. He has a giving heart, but he can’t believe Dante would care about him in return. This doesn’t feel like he’s being stupid in a writing sense; it feels like he has been taught by bad experiences that he has no value. I thought that was handled really well. The dynamic is excellent.

As I mentioned, a lot of the story happens in and around Dante’s house, a slightly decayed mansion where the graves of his loved ones are and which, we receive the impression, he has been haunting like a ghost for some years now. Gradually, we come to see it as more of a safe haven as the story advances, the characters and their exchanges transforming the atmosphere even though the old house remains nearly unchanged. There are brief moments in the woods, in a small nearby town, but they’re not important; they hover vaguely around the place where the characters seem to belong.

Themes (Mild Spoilers):

A lot of stories with vampires in them try to work with themes of renewal. A lot of stories with werewolves in them try to work with themes of found family. Tropes aren’t inherently bad, it’s all in the execution, and it was very interesting to see those two things collide and mingle in this.

Dante needs someone to drag him out of his grave. Matteo needs someone to care and give him value. We morph from the two of them trapped in a slowly rotting antique, wounded and exhausted, to the two of them taking care of each other with more purpose and determination inside what is becoming their home. I would hope that, if the author writes a future story still set here, they would work on renovating parts of the house, as a metaphor for their ongoing dynamic; or burning the place down as a symbol of moving on from their traumas into a new life. But that’s just me writing fanfiction. The story is complete in itself, and I love it.

Final Comments and Recommendation:

This is a lovely, cozy story about two sad people treating each other’s wounds. That’s one of my favorite flavors of story, and if it is for you, too, this is absolutely for you. When I say I like whump, this right here is what leaps to my mind. For fellow loss-of-consciousness fans, Dante has a numbing venom that’s used for that purpose several times, so there’s lots of that here, too. I can hardly recommend this one wholeheartedly enough. If you like hurt and comfort at all, you really, really should give it a look.

My writing masterpost is here, including more Friendly Reviews!

[syncopein3d]

AAAAAAA OUR BOYS kicking my feet and pounding my fists

Are you cool if I do a Friendly Review on this now that it's complete? It's been one of my favorites and I just was always thrilled to see it update. I'd love to share it with more people.

Shun the Light - Ch 22 - A Gift

Masterlist

Author's Notes: So I'm thinking this will be the end of this particular series. NOT the end of Dante and Matteo's story!! Think of it like one book in an ongoing series. Next time I post I'll start a new series with a new title and new chapters continuing where this one leaves off. Otherwise it would just trail on indefinitely because I don't really have a set END end in sight for them. I never do, I like to always leave room for more. But I do have ideas for contained story arcs that I can group into series.

Also, re: the title - at first Shun the Light was in reference to literal light - the sun for Dante, the moon for Matteo. But as the story developed it also meant them rejecting any possible happiness for themselves out of fear/grief/trauma. And I think they've reached a place where they're letting a little light in now, so I want the next phase of their journey to grow from that.

Content Warnings: werewolf whump, poisoned, illness, fever, stomach ache, dehydration, dizziness, exhaustion, biting, drinking blood, comfort, caretaking

----

Matteo sleeps soundly through the day, but when night falls he grows restless. Overheated, he kicks off all the blankets and removes everything but his boxers. Soon he's awake, writhing with discomfort on the empty bed.

Poison still lingers in his system. It wages war on his body, and it is only because of his inhuman nature that he doesn't succumb to it. The thing that got him into this mess is the very thing keeping him alive.

Half-delirious, he tries to call for help but his throat and mouth are so dry. He props himself up on one arm and reaches for the glass of water on the nightstand. Moving makes him dizzy. The room blurs and turns upside down and Matteo drops heavily back onto the mattress. He muffles a groan into his pillow.

Please...

Matteo lifts his arm again and fumbles for the glass...only to knock it over. It shatters on the floor, spilling water everywhere. Shit. He groans again, rolling onto his back. His breathing is becoming erratic, his heart beating rapidly.

The sound brings Dante to his door. At first he taps politely and Matteo barely hears it. When Matteo doesn't respond, Dante cracks open the door.

"Matteo? Oh my god - what happened?"

The bed dips and Dante's hand settles on Matteo's heaving chest. Matteo tries to open his eyes to look at him but whenever he does the room spins. He tries to speak but is so parched he can only manage a hoarse whisper.

"D-don't feel good..."

Fingers brush his cheeks, wiping away tears. Then a cool hand is on his forehead. Matteo gasps; it's almost too cold, but he needs it so badly, he feels like he's boiling alive...

"Matteo? Matteo, look at me."

The words barely reach him through the haze of heat and pain. A sharp pang in his stomach makes him wail and claw at the sheets beneath him.

Suddenly Dante's presence is gone. Matteo whimpers and feels around for him but he isn't there.

"Don't leave," he pleads.

Hands hold his face and brush his sweaty hair from his forehead.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm getting more water. Can - can you look at me?"

Matteo forces his eyes open. Dante's face is so close he can see nothing else. His silver eyes start to glow.

"Breathe. Breathe deeply, slowly. That's it. Good. You're doing good."

A shudder runs through Matteo.

"Just breathe. That's all you need to do. I'll be right back."

Then he's gone again. Matteo's eyes flutter shut and he focuses on breathing in and out, in and out. His racing heart calms enough to pull him from the edge of a full blown panic attack.

Dante returns quickly with two glasses of water which he sets on the bedside table. He sits beside Matteo again and gets an arm around his shoulders to prop him up. Matteo tries to do some of the work but he can barely move without help. His limbs feel heavy and useless.

"You're burning up," Dante remarks as he manhandles Matteo into a sitting position. "Okay - drink."

He holds one of the glasses to Matteo's lips and cups the back of his neck to keep him steady. Matteo drinks slowly at first, then starts to chug the cool water down desperately.

When he's finished he has to take a moment to catch his breath. He lets his head droop onto Dante's shoulder, his hot forehead pressed against Dante's neck. He tries to form words, to thank him, but with his thirst solved now all his other pains come into sharp focus. The worst of them is his aching stomach - made all the worse by gnawing hunger. It's been over four days since his last meal.

"Ah - ow -"

"What? What hurts?"

"Stomach," Matteo mumbles. "Ngh!"

He starts gently rubbing his stomach to try to relieve some of the pain. Dante nudges his hand away and replaces it with his own, moving in light, slow circles.

Matteo clings to Dante's shirt, struggling to catch his breath. Suddenly he feels a pinch on his arm. Before he can put together what it is, he's out like a light.

-

Upon waking, Matteo feels heavy and weak...but no pain. It has been replaced with a pleasant numbness. His fever broke while he was out. A gentle breeze from the cracked window feels amazing on his clammy skin. It is nighttime again; he slept for almost twenty-four hours.

Something moves in his peripheral, startling him. Matteo tips his head to the side and opens his eyes.

As his vision clears Dante's form comes into focus. He's in an armchair with one leg crossed over the other, reading a book titled Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America. In one hand he's holding a jar of blood. Every now and then he'll grimace and quickly take a sip from the jar.

Dante looks as healthy as ever, like no one ever laid a hand on him. His skin is smooth and almost human in coloration. His face is no longer gaunt nor his eyes hollow.

Matteo yawns and it draws Dante's attention away from his reading.

"Finally," Dante says, putting the book and drink aside. He sits at the edge of the bed. "I thought I might have put you into a coma."

Matteo lifts an arm and sees the fading puncture marks.

"You drank my blood."

"Yes. It was disgusting. I still can't get the taste out of my mouth." He feels Matteo's forehead. "But I think it helped."

"But won't you get sick?"

"So far I feel fine."

Even so, Matteo can't help feeling guilty.

"You didn't have to do that," he mumbles.

"I didn't know what else to do. You were in a lot of pain, looking it up would have taken too long."

"Well...I appreciate it." Matteo sighs. "I'm pathetic. First day back and you already have to be my nurse. I swear it's not usually this bad. The last few months have just been rough."

"Hm. Maybe I'm a curse," Dante says. His tone is light but there's an edge to it, like deep down he might really mean it.

Matteo nudges Dante's leg with his head. "No way. You somehow made it bearable. Usually I do this alone."

"That must be hard..." Dante traces over some of Matteo's scars. Matteo shivers and he pulls his hand away.

"No, wait - can you, um - "

Dante waits for him to finish. Matteo chews at his lip, embarrassed, wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

"Can you just..." He falters again. Instead of trying to talk, he takes Dante's hand and brings it to his cheek. "It feels nice."

"Oh." Dante looks surprised.

"You don't have to -"

"Scoot over."

Matteo does as he's asked and Dante sits on the bed beside him, leaning back against the headboard. Once he's settled Matteo leans his head against Dante's thigh and Dante cups his face with one hand.

"You're all sticky," he states bluntly. "I almost forgot about sweat."

"You don't sweat?"

"No. It's actually kind of a problem. I get overheated very easily."

"Huh. I never considered that. Guess I have a lot to learn about vampires."

Matteo falls silent, just thinking. Dante seems to understand that he needs the company, so he stays where he is. He picks up his book and continues reading, only removing his hand from Matteo's face to turn the page. Occasionally he'll even run fingers through Matteo's hair.

"Is this strange?" Matteo asks quietly after a while.

"Hm?" Dante lowers the book.

"Is it strange that this doesn't feel strange?"

"...what?"

"I just mean - we barely know each other. But I feel really comfortable right now. Does that make sense?"

"I think so."

Dante is quiet and Matteo hopes he didn't ruin what was such a nice moment, something he really really needed.

"Maybe it is strange," Dante replies. "But we're strange. I drank your blood before I even knew your name. Normal people don't meet that way."

Matteo lets out a relieved laugh. "Yeah, good point. Nothing about this is normal."

He looks up at Dante and sees something new and wonderful.

Dante is smiling.

It's not bright like the sun but bright like a candle. It is small but genuine, and it's just for him. Matteo is the first and only person to see him smile in almost fifty years. It feels like a gift.

Matteo closes his eyes and remains tucked against Dante's side. He hears the rustle of paper as Dante returns to his reading and his hand returns to Matteo's hair. Another gift.

I don't know how I'll ever thank you, Matteo thinks, far too content to break the silence.

But as long as I'm here I'm going to try.

[dr-milfi]

“Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while, a great wind carries me across the sky.”

[knowledge-paradox]

OKAY SO

sketch of Matteo's post war life as I already have decided Marinella’s

Matteo's struggles are futile. Dante has decided his life is in France and doesn't plan to live in America any soon and asks as the letter quotes:

“My mentor promised me a good career and a wonderful boutique in France, as I have slowly realized that Italy isn't for me and well, I don't think America will be either. So here I am, asking you selfishly to change our promise, and in short:

After the war is over, if you're still alive, come with me, come live in Paris.”

scenario one : Matteo unwillingly accepts the offer, he leaves once again without any warning and sails to France, living forever with his lover as Dante becomes a famous painter and Matteo his assistant to the work, he starts wood carving as a hobby until it becomes an actual job, living a beautiful unbothered life.

On the other side, Marinella is left behind in America, alone with her husband and moving to Virginia after the discovery, they live a modest yet happy life and have children, but she will never forgive her brother for leaving her behind again.

And so, the family shatters completely.

scenario two: Matteo doesn't accept, after all he went through, after everything he won't leave the country he fought for.

He stays with Marinella and her husband, living a decent life yet remaining alone, he tries to find a wife but never succeeds, when Marinella’s husband is away he takes care of the kids and manages to catch up with his sister again.

Yet, Dante lives his life alone, regretting his choice but not changing his objective, continuing to paint, he eventually gets married and finds a new muse.

Matteo eventually gets sick and dies, close to his sister, but never happy.

[sforzesco]

like, two years ago I was doing some writing for a comic where Lorenzo de’ Medici and Francesco de’ Pazzi would’ve had a 1959 Ben Hur-Messala lovers turned bitter enemies sort of dynamic, but the Medici Family-Roman Imperialism comparatives I was working into the subtext were a lot to unpack for a story that started because I think the Medici show sucks

[josh0555]

This is the Beigoma Academy Beyclub Team from Beyblade Burst. The Beigoma Academy Beyclub is composed of 6 actors, Luis Manzano, Matteo Guidicelli, Sam Milby, DingDong Dantes, Rocco Nacino and Enchong Dee who portrayed the characters Valt Aoi, Shu Kurenai, Rantaro Kiyama, Ken Midori, Daigo Kurogami and Wakiya Murasaki. Before Beyblade Burst, DingDong Dantes temporarily moved to TV5 in 2010. But somehow, Enchong Dee has also moved to TV5 in 2010 after 10 years that he was in ABS-CBN since 1995. But Dominic Roco is not coming back to TV5 when Beyblade Burst is airing. Although, Sam Milby will be taking over the voice of Rantaro Kiyama but somehow, He took over the voice of Naruto Uzumaki in the Naruto series in 2012. Somehow, After Beyblade Burst God ended in May 3, 2015, DingDong Dantes and Rocco Nacino have moved to ABS-CBN in 2015 for their 65th anniversary. But Enchong Dee will be moving to GMA in 2015 and he will be marrying to a SexBomb girl named Sugar Mercado in the drama show FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano. When Beyblade Burst Sparking began airing on TV5 in 2017, Dominic Roco, Rocco Nacino and Enchong Dee returned to TV5 for the second time. But DingDong Dantes is not coming back to TV5. Although, Dominic Roco’s younger brother Felix Roco also returned to TV5 in 2017. However, Dominic Roco, Rocco Nacino and Enchong Dee’s contracts to TV5 will expire in March 31, 2018.  Before the group was formed, DingDong Dantes was from the old ABC-5 sitcom show Goin’ Bananas with Bayani Agbayani, Raymond Bagatsing, Junell Hernando, Redford White, Babalu, Rodolfo “Dolphy” Quizon while Sam Milby and Enchong Dee was from the ABS-CBN sitcom show Bubble Gang with Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Willie Revillame, Arcee Muñoz, Ritz Azul, Alice Dixson, Tuesday Vargas and Eula Caballero. But eventually, Luis Manzano and Matteo Guidicelli were from the PTV-4 sketch comedy show Ang TV, but somehow, They started their careers when they were children. However, They moved to ABC-5 in 1996. But Rocco Nacino has started his career to TV5 in 2005. DingDong Dantes was born in March 23, 1975 and was confirmed to be the eldest member of the group. He was known to be “The Lucky Man” due to his good luck. Eventually, Enchong Dee was born in January 6, 1980 and was known to be 5 years younger than DingDong Dantes. Unfortunately, Sam Milby was born in February 12, 1981. He was known as “The Ninja Master” just like his best friend Marco Alcaraz who is an actor of ABS-CBN from 1995 until 2010. However, Luis Manzano was born in July 14, 1985 in Paris, France. He was known as “The Azure Superstar” but not like Arcee Muñoz who is known as “The Scarlet Superstar”. Somehow, He is known to be the best superstar in the world. But Matteo Guidicelli was born in August 31, 1985 in Venice, Italy. He was known as “The Crimson Devil”. He can speak in Italian, Filipino and English influently. But somehow, He also suffers from ADHD which means if he does something that is terrible, he might go berserk and destroy everything. However, His therapist tells him to learn how to control his rage. Before he was “The Crimson Devil”, He was known as “Jack Frost” from the 2002 movie Frozen. Somehow, Rocco Nacino was born in October 12, 1988. He was known as “The Grim Reaper”. But now, It’s obvious that Rocco Nacino was 3 years younger than Luis Manzano and Matteo Guidicelli although he was the youngest of the team.

[pier-carlo-universe]

Serie C: variazioni alle gare e novità nei procedimenti di giustizia sportiva. Aggiornamenti sul Campionato Primavera 3 e abbreviazione dei termini per la Coppa Italia di calcio a 5

La Lega Pro ha recentemente pubblicato comunicati ufficiali che riguardano variazioni di calendario per il Campionato Primavera 3 – “Dante Berretti”

La Lega Pro ha recentemente pubblicato comunicati ufficiali che riguardano variazioni di calendario per il Campionato Primavera 3 – “Dante Berretti” e disposizioni straordinarie sui procedimenti di giustizia sportiva relativi alla fase regionale della Coppa Italia di calcio a 5 maschile e femminile, organizzata dal Comitato Regionale Calabria. Campionato Primavera 3: variazioni alla 10ª…

[ginogirolimoni]

https://www.meltingpot.org/2021/10/parte-a-palermo-il-processo-a-matteo-salvini-sul-caso-open-arms/

"Per ch’io mi mossi e a lui venni ratto;

e i diavoli si fecer tutti avanti,

sì ch’io temetti ch’ei tenesser patto;

così vid’ïo già temer li fanti

ch’uscivan patteggiati di Caprona,

veggendo sé tra nemici cotanti".

(Inferno, XXI, 91 - 96).

[boltscutter]

starter.               dante de angelis and serena alderidge.

the city loomed out underneath dante's feet as he took in the view from his 83rd floor office , business phone pressed firmly to his ear as his other arm found itself laid across his chest . ❛ thank you senator owen , i'll pass your well wishes onto my father . he'll be pleased to hear you've made the correct decision . ❜ the sound of the door didn't interrupt him , only caused him to turn and hold a finger in the air at the sight of serena walking through the door . ❛ yes , i will . please speak to my assistant if you need to reach me again . goodbye . ❜ in one swift motion he hangs up and steps over to his top desk drawer . from it , he picks up another phone and tucks them both into his jacket pocket , and a watch that he swaps with the one currently on his wrist . finally swinging his gaze back to serena , it was evident to dante she had something on her mind . ❛ what's wrong ? ❜

[spaceny]

mo's dynamics tag dump !

[syncopein3d]

From @thoughtsonhurtandcomfort 's Shun the Light part 11, found here.

This line really hits me hard. Just right here, where my heart should be.

[syncopein3d]

AAAAAAAAA I LOVE THEM SO MUCH girl you are not being indulged you are indulging the REST OF US this is my CANDY right here.

Shun the Light - Ch 20 - It'll Grow Back

Masterlist

Author's Notes: I can't believe I'm 20 chapters into this thing?! How did this happen!? ilu all for indulging whatever this is <3

More Matteo POV for now but Dante will get a chance soon

Content Warnings: vampire whump, beaten, bruises, broken ribs, mouth/tooth whump (very brief), blood, werewolf whump, illness, stomach pain, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, angst, emotional whump, mutual caretaking

----

"Are you real?"

Dante tugs at Matteo's sleeve like he's checking to be sure. Matteo sits cross legged beside him.

"Oh, man, how hard did they hit you? Yeah, I'm real."

He touches Dante's hand, intending to hold it, but Dante pulls it away with a hitched breath and holds his face.

"Ow..."

Matteo watches in horror as Dante takes one of his fangs between his fingers, wiggles it a few times, and then pulls it free. He turns his head and spits blood into the grass.

"What the fuck?" Matteo whispers.

"It'll grow back," Dante mumbles. He tucks the tooth into his pocket and leans his head back against the wall of the building.

"What were you doing here, anyway?"

Dante shrugs. "Just...decided to take a walk. What about you? I thought you left town."

"Oh, um. No, not yet. I've just been hanging around I guess."

"Oh."

Dante won't look at him. Most of his injuries are hidden by his clothes, but if the bruising on his face and arms is any indication the rest of it must be pretty bad too. When he tries to sit up more he winces and curls an arm around his ribs. Matteo reaches out to help, but thinks better of it and pulls his hands inside his hoodie sleeves.

"Will you be able to get home?"

"Why do you care?"

The bitterness in Dante's voice catches Matteo off guard. Already fragile after everything he has endured, it hurts like someone pressing on a bruise. Hot tears begin to spill down his cheeks. Matteo hangs his head and tries to keep himself together.

"I care," he insists quietly. He knows Dante has no reason to believe it; he's the one who left, unprompted. "I just do."

Dante is silent. Then his hand comes to rest on Matteo's arm, firm but gentle. Matteo peers up through his wet lashes. Dante is finally looking at him.

"I'm sorry," Dante says, his voice and expression considerably softer.

Matteo creeps one hand out from inside its sleeve and hesitantly touches Dante's. When he doesn't pull away, Matteo loosely laces their fingers together.

"I'm glad I got to see you again," Dante says after a moment.

Matteo wipes his face on his sleeve and takes a deep breath. "Me too. I was actually, um. On my way to your place."

Dante's eyes widen as much as they can with one partially swollen shut.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I wanted to ask you - "

Just then the front door to the bar opens and a noisy group walks out, laughing and rowdy as they make their way to the car. Both Dante and Matteo turn from their headlights and wait for them to pull away.

"It's not safe here," Matteo decides. He stands without letting to of Dante's hand, giving it a gentle tug. "Let me help you get home."

"...okay," Dante cautiously agrees.

Matteo helps him to his feet. Dante groans and holds his ribs again, almost collapsing, but Matteo keeps him upright.

"There we go...I got you..."

He puts his arm around Dante's waist and pulls Dante's arm over his shoulders. Minutes ago Matteo could barely support his own weight and was about to give in and find somewhere to rest for the night. Now he finds the strength somewhere within himself to stand up straight, carry his backpack and support Dante - which is easier than he expected, likely because Dante looks like he hasn't been eating much either.

The walk itself is far from easy. Matteo is weak and malnourished. If he moves too quickly he gets dizzy, and still gets shooting pain in his stomach out of nowhere.

But he refuses to complain. He blames his labored breathing on being tired, his tense muscles on the recent transformation. When he stumbles he blames a root or a rock.

Dante is struggling too. He might try to suppress the sounds of pain, but Matteo can feel him tremble and wince. He wants to say something encouraging, or make a joke to lighten the mood, but needs all his energy to stay focused on taking one step at a time.

Soon the woods around them become familiar. Matteo even catches a glimpse of a faded and frayed strand of yarn around a tree trunk.

"We're getting close," he pants. "Just...hang on..."

His vision spins. Before he can fall, Matteo grasps a branch and closes his eyes, swaying on his feet. He grasps Dante's shirt tightly and just manages to remain standing.

Dante presses close to his side, now supporting him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Matteo takes a series of deep, tremulous breaths. "Just tired. Had a rough moon."

Dante hesitates. "You...could have come back for it. If you needed somewhere to be. Someone to - " he trails off, and Matteo's mind fills in the blanks with longing. Someone to take care of you.

"I couldn't do that to you," Matteo says quietly. He leans his forehead against the branch he's holding onto. "I don't want to be a burden."

Dante doesn't respond right away. Matteo kicks himself for saying anything. This isn't the time for his self pity, they both feel like shit and Dante needs to be home before sunrise...

"Matteo...you were never a burden."

The words don't sink in right away. He has to let them echo in his head until they settle and take root. Only then can he lift his head and look at Dante, whose tired face is so sincere, his gaze unwavering.

How could he even begin to explain what it means to hear that? Words fail him. His throat is dry and tears brim in his eyes but his face breaks into a smile.

Dante responds by tightening his arm around Matteo's shoulders.

"Come on," he encourages. "We're almost there."

Matteo straightens and takes a determined breath. He once again bears as much of Dante's weight as he can and continues walking, eyes fixed ahead. The sky has gone from all deep blue to a hazy gray glow on the horizon and he is determined to not let a drop of sunlight touch Dante.

What awaits Matteo at the house, whether he'll be able to stay or not, whether they can salvage what they had started to build or will have to start from scratch, he doesn't know. He's nervous but cautiously hopeful.

And maybe it's okay to hope. Just a little.

[italian-lit-tournament]

The participating authors for the Italian Lit(erature) Tournament: the general list + a google form to add other proposals

Podesti Francesco - Torquato Tasso reading Jerusalem Delivered to the Estensi court

The start of the Italian Lit(erature) Tournament (first edition) is getting closer, but first I want to post the general list of the authors partecipants.

The principal issue is that every literary canon is constantly changing, with more critical studies over the years. I've thought about it, read and searched, and the solution I found has two parts:

I will take the principal authors from this list, which in turn is based from the studies of Gianfranco Contini and Asor Rosa. The list is too long and many names are only chronicles and essayists, so I'll chose the principal ones, trying to balance between north/south Italy and male/female authors (taking into account that many authors that we study are men). As you will see below under the cut, the list is already pretty long, doing some math the challenge will be 2/3 months long.

Still, I recognise that this isn't 100% unbiased and fair, so I opened a free and quick google form when you can add a maximum of two authors that you don't see in the list. This considerable limit is to avoid having too many names - if in some answers I see more than 2 names, I'll take into account only the first 2 listed.

IMPORTANT! 👇

After much thoughts, I also chose to don't include living authors or authors death only recently (before January 2023). The reason is simply to avoid potential issues in the community, like bashing between fandom or admirers of some specific author, or going too far like offending some people near the author still alive or recently deceased. Maybe if this tournament will end well, a second edition could be made next year and maybe with the addition of living authors! (I'm already thinking to do an italian or european cinema tournament in the future but this is still in the draft).

Under the cut, you will find the list of the authors already part of the challenge, name-surname with the surname in alphabetical order. If you don't see a name that you want to see, use the form to add it!

edit: I added the ones from the surbey so far, all in italics. There are names that have been sent but already on the list.

Dante Alighieri

Sibilla Aleramo

Vittorio Alfieri

Cecco Angiolieri

Pietro Aretino

Ludovico Ariosto

Matteo Bandello

Anna Banti

Giambattista Basile

Giorgio Bassani

Cesare Beccaria

Maria Bellonci

Pietro Bembo

Matteo Maria Boiardo

Giovanni Boccaccio

Giordano Bruno

Dino Buzzati

Italo Calvino

Andrea Camilleri

Giosuè Carducci

Guido Cavalcanti

Carlo Collodi

Vittoria Colonna

Gabriele D'Annunzio

Giacomo da Lentini

Caterina da Siena

Alba de Céspedes

Cielo (Ciullo) d'Alcamo

Edoardo De Filippo

Federico de Roberto

Grazia Deledda

Umberto Eco

Beppe Fenoglio

Marsilio Ficino

Dario Fo

Ugo Foscolo

Veronica Franco

Carlo Emilio Gadda

Natalia Ginzburg

Carlo Goldoni

Antonio Gramsci

Francesco Guicciardini

Tommaso Landolfi

Giacomo Leopardi

Carlo Levi

Primo Levi

Carla Lonzi

Niccolò Machiavelli

Alessandro Manzoni

Giovanbattista Marino

Giovanni Meli

Pietro Metastasio

Eugenio Montale

Elsa Morante

Alberto Moravia

Anna Maria Ortese

Giuseppe Parini

Goffredo Parise

Giovanni Pascoli

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Cesare Pavese

Francesco Petrarca

Luigi Pirandello

Angelo Poliziano

Luigi Pulci

Salvator Quasimodo

Gianni Rodari

Lalla Romano

Amelia Rosselli

Umberto Saba

Emilio Salgari

Jacopo Sannazaro

Goliarda Sapienza

Leonardo Sciascia

Matilde Serao

Gaspara Stampa

Mario Rigoni Stern

Italo Svevo

Antonio Tabucchi

Torquato Tasso

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

Pier Vittorio Tondelli

Giovanni Verga

Giambattista Vico

Renata Viganò

Elio Vittorini

Giuseppe Ungaretti

[knowledge-paradox]

AAAND WE GOT DANTE DA GENOVA!!!

some silly stuff

-hes got a german background

-grew up in a french family

-his back is really fucked up (from beating and for his bad posture)

-doesent fight in the war

-doesent have a real surname

-matteos boyfriend basically (idk why I put that twice)

-loves 'La Divina Commedia' (ironic isn't it)

[lil-gae-disaster]

Fredericks relationships to all the other amrev ocs - overview

Just note that I'm jus writing down what I remember, so if I forgot someone, pls lemme know! :D

Without further ado, let's get started

Jonathan - friend, later lover

Hamilton - close friend

Catherine - close friend, later considered older brother

Joseph - enemy, later considered little brother

(@hamalicious-soup)

Giles - drinking buddy

Claudia - post war friendly

Carol - fun uncle/father status

(@papers-pamphlet)

Marko - friend

Abe - older brother figure

(@ruemzip)

Nicolas - oldee brother figure

(@rae-unbeloved)

Augustus - aquainted/friends

(@ixis-stuff)

Benedict - maternal cousin

(@kwilooo)

Dante - maternal half brother

Matteo - friend

(@paradox-complex)

Frances - friend, one sided crush on her side

(@laurenshamiltonjr)

Jay - aquainted/friend?

Jaques - friend

(@almaprincess66)

Augustus - paternal cousin

Charles - aquainted/friend?

William - minimally aquainted

Henry - drinking buddies

(@unicornsaures)

Mabel - friend, later brother status

(@marsfingershurt)

Anna - gossip buddy

(@schnitzelsemmerl)

Adele - gossip buddy

(@imobsessedwiththeatre)

Fabienne - close friend

(@potatosneevees)

Remy - friend

(@somewhereinthewoodsalone)

William L. - friends, nearly brotherly bond

Conan - enemies, occasionally friendly

(@half-eaten-baguetteee)

Zephyr - older brother figure (?)

(@cacaobeans)