#instead of. whatever ivenci and jacobus are doing

[sun-marie]

I definitely see your point with the whole Lucanis' crush on Viago thing. I don't hate the idea of it, personally, and I figure it was a more recent thing since it seems like the houses that survived Eight Little Talons have been working together since then, so Lucanis and Viago could have interacted more since not knowing each other at all in ELT. Because otherwise yeah not only does it make the Crows seem small, it would make Lucanis seem like he was less isolated than we know he was growing up.

Which, I will say, is one reason why I kinda like that it is Viago and not some other random Crow. Lucanis is Lucanis Dellamorte. He doesn't get to hang out with random Crows. Even the Fifth Talon thinks if him as just Caterina's demon of a grandson, his reputation and status would've made it impossible to make friends within the organization, even if he wasnt physically isolated from them by being raised in that big empty villa with just Illario. (That's why he and Illario are each other's best and only friend, they're all they had.) So the only person he COULD have had a crush on is one of the few people he's had more than one conversation with and is not related to. It really reinforces just how isolated Lucanis has been his whole life, so there is that.

But on the other hand, I do feel like it almost takes away from what it says about Teia that she likes Viago. I like that Teia could easily have the most desirable men and women in all of Antiva and she wants that one for some reason. That does lose something if Viago is somehow also a highly desirable man. Also he's not that.

Anyways! Just trying to both explain my side but also agree with you because yeah you made good points there. Sorry for rambling. Have a nice day!

Yeah I mean, I can definitely see the appeal of their dynamic on paper! And I don't mean to squash the joy of those who enjoy it, especially since I think some people have done really fun things with it. I do like the idea of it happening semi-recently a little more, bc as you say part of what bugged me about it is that it seems to contradict how isolated we're told Lucanis was growing up, but it still doesn't sit great with me personally.

And yeah I agree, I think it would be even weirder if it was just any random Crow boy, it makes sense that it would have to be someone with at least adjacent rank to him. But, and this is why I say I think this links to a larger issue with the Faction Contact system, I still think there could have been other options.

After reading ELT, I was kinda shocked that the only Talons that are really featured in the game are Teia, Viago, and Caterina, since I'd assumed enough time had passed for the other Talon positions to be filled by new characters?? Like I was so expecting it to be addressed that when Ivenci was first introduced I thought he was Bolivar Nero (though part of that was me did forgetting that Bolivar was elven lmao). In general, I'm kinda baffled by the decision to only represent these three Talons and not explore how the power vacuum of the other five houses is being filled. And I bring it up here bc I think you could communicate the same thing with Lucanis having a little crush on, say, the heir of the Second or Fourth Talon seat, some Veilguard original character. That would communicate what I think the writers were intending, that a) Lucanis is bi-romantic, b) he's endearingly awkward at flirting, and c) he's relatively isolated from the rest of the Crows, without sacrificing the consistency of Viago's character.

And you hit the nail on the head with the issues it brings up with Teia's character, I think! Like I feel like it brings a lot of, maybe not freakiness but quirkiness to her character that even though she could have any man in Thedas wrapped around her finger, she wants Viago, bad. For reasons no one other than Teia can say. I find that small aspect of her character really enjoyable and it does indeed get lost, I think, if you have other characters who are into him. Especially since the player (and presumably the reader) ALSO probably like him, so in combination with Lucanis and Teia it feels like everyone and their mabari likes this unpleasant guy for. no clear reason lol. Which doesn't really feel tru to the original intent of the characters.

I always enjoy rambling in my inbox, don't be sorry at all <3 Like I said, not trying to shit on something people enjoy, this is just my take of it.