#accepted: caterina

[laureala]

AMELIA SHEPHERD

— in Grey's Anatomy 20.01 - We've Only Just Begun

You told me to say whatever's in my- I'm sorry! It's making me think that maybe Meredith isn't insane.

[magston-obsessed]

I just sat through the people choice awards bc there was a chance of seeing Catarina and Kelly. That’s how content deprived I am.

[thedinanshiral]

In preparation for The Veilguard i'll be exploring some of the companions we already have information on from other Dragon Age media. I'l start with Lucanis Dellamorte, who already had an impressive introduction in the story The Wigmaker's job from Tevinter Nights, and an implicit silent role in the short story The Wake.

Lucanis Dellamorte, Master Assassin of the Antivan Crows. Grandson of Caterina Dellamorte, First Talon of the Antivan Crows, and chosen by her to succeed her.

His cousin Illario Dellamorte whom he often works with might resent him a little for being the favourite but Illario is Lucanis' favourite to succeed as First Talon, as he's got the "silver tongue" required for the politics of it Lucanis does not.

Both of them are described as lean with dark hair and umber eyes; Lucanis is described as "the kind of man you couldn't look away from- until he looked at you".

Despite the abuse from his grandmother during training that caused him to hate her, now in his adult years he understands her motivation was preparing him for this life, and while on the job still recites to himself the same nursery rhyme she did when they were children. It goes:

One for silence Two for surprise Three for good measure Four's excercise Five for a slaughter Six for the thrill Seven means more sovereigns Eight marks the final kill

Seems it's a rhyme reminding how many extra kills are necessary/acceptable in a mission that didn't call for them? But while Illario also remembers it they don't make any other comments on it.

Focused, centered on duty, Lucanis never misses the mark. He carries multiple knives, daggers and blades he takes care of personally and carefully. Mostly seems to take contracts on Venatori and Tevinter mages to the point he's grown acostumed to their magic and can sense them pulling at/tunning into the Fade. Yes, he can sense where the Veil is thin. The way in which he senses a mage using magic is as an itch behind his eyes, or as an annoying headache. The worse the headache the more magic is being used. He can track Venatori mages by headache alone.

He's not just a killing machine, he also knows his enemy's ways, in this case knowing such a corrupt mage would have to have an artifact in use to keep demons at bay. When he found and destroyed said artifact demons crossed the Veil and destroyed the wigmaker's party. This event is what earns him the nickname "the Demon".

As good as he normally is in this contract he let his personal feelings and morals interfere and rather than fulfilling the contract he prioritized the slaves escaping and the victims getting justice in the form of vengeance, considering what the wigmaker Ambrose had done didn't make him deserving of an easy death. A Magister named Zara Renata ends the story deciding, since the Crow is now a Demon, that since demons can't be killed but controled, and Lucanis showed his weakness -having a heart - , she'll find a way to manipulate him to her benefit.

In the short story The Wake Crows Viago and Teia drag a drunken Illario back to his room after someone's funeral and by Illario's comments seems the deceased was Lucanis. Illario says they were brothers more than cousins, and now in his absence he has no one to follow. He mentions as a child one time Lucanis read a book about wyverns and became obssessed with wyverns, took him hunting and both returned to their grandmother made an absolute muddy mess. It's curious how as affected as Illario is the other two Crows seem very much not, so an alternative intepretation could be the one who passed is Caterina, their grandmother, and now Lucanis is First Talon so Illario is lamenting their relationship won't be the same, at the same time he's lamenting he wasn't the chosen one, when he bitterly says "It should have been me".

Some colorful notes sprinkled here and there: when asked by Illario what he'd do if someone sees his face and talks, Lucanis says he'd just grow a beard. Seems he did:

In The Wigmaker's job when Illario complains about not having being told the specifics of the contract it's revealed Lucanis did inform him via a dossier he wrote himself. This coupled with his childhood wyvern obssession and the rest of his personality presented in Tevinter Nights tells me he's very possibly ND on some level.

During The Veilguard reveals we learn from devs that Lucanis likes coffee and is a good cook. His writer Mary Kirby confirmed on Twitter his VA is good and Lucanis will have an accent like previous Antivan characters did (Zevran, Josephine), said he is "the sole dumpster fire of the crew" and that she wrote him "specifically to be a bisexual disaster of a human" (source). In Tevinter Nights Lucanis recalls he once found himself walking into an orgy during a contract at a party and i quote, italics included "Getting out of that had been interesting", implying he may have joined in some capacity in order to get out of it.

In his companion tarot card we see his colors are black and purple, the backdrop is a stylized design of crows and behind and around Lucanis there's a purple design that looks like a wing made of eyes.

The pauldrons on his outfit also have a design of many eyes.

The back of his outfit has a bird -crow?- design as well, with a bigger single red eye

And it's not known yet how but during combat that part of his outfit projects a pair of purple wings.

This is likely how that ability looks in combat menu

Because of the purple and the eyes motif plus learning he's known as "the Demon" has made some very excited at the possibility he turns out to be possessed by a Pride demon. But as it turns out, knowing how this Demon nickname came to be, and that he's a Crow, spies and assassins who have "eyes everywhere", plus this wings combat ability i think it's safe enough to say no, he's not possessed, he's not another Anders, if there's a Pride demon walking around looking like a man that's more likely to be Solas than this Antivan handsome man.

Another detail is the other crow motif on his clothes, i think these are rather cute

Because of The Wake some propose Lucanis died and a demon rose him back from the dead or that he's possessed by a Pride demon because purple and eyes and all that, but as i proposed back in 2020 chances are Lucanis faked his death to escape his fate as successor to a position he had zero interest in, a role that was being pushed and forced on him with absolutely no consideration to his feelings or thoughts on the matter, or he is now First Talon, reluctanctly. Considering he thinks simply growing a beard is disguise enough and now in The Veilguard we see him with a beard tells me he is in fact hiding his identity to some, either because people think he's dead or because he doesn't want to be identified as the current First Talon.

[monoclesnapple]

Bold Words For You!

Bungo Stray Dogs Chuuya Nakahara X Gender Neutral Reader Tormenting Chuuya with Situations Series Beginning Note: Inspired by a clip from Assassin's Creed 2 and Caterina Sforza. Word Count: 655 (Crack)

The Port Mafia had taken two children as captives to convince their mother to cooperate with the organization. They were taken off the street and were questioned about their parent. They were trembling like scared lambs and couldn't utter a word.

Chuuya, (Name), and some insignificant subordinates were standing in front of a house. The village they were in was small, but the community seemed fairly friendly. Albeit, not towards outsiders.

The woman they needed was on the balcony of the house, refusing to come down. She and a few nameless members were shouting at each other. This particular woman had power over this village. Someone they needed to cooperate. Chuuya facepalmed as he sighed. This was more troublesome than he initially thought.

The kids weren’t even doing much. They had just accepted the fact that their mother wouldn’t be doing anything to help them. They stood, unimpressed at the commotion. Chuuya thought about what he should do for a few moments before stepping forward and silencing his subordinates.

“All we need is for you to come with us and when all’s said and done, we’ll let you go,” Chuuya said. He really just wanted to go home and drink some wine. Smoke a cigarette after today’s events.

“How many times must I say it!? I’m not going to work with the fucking mafia, even if I get something!” The lady shouted.

(Name) lazily raised an eyebrow, their eyes darting between Chuuya and the other person. They were brought along because apparently Chuuya would need some assistance. He certainly did. He was struggling so much that it wasn’t even funny anymore. Just sad.

They walked next to Chuuya, looking up. “I respect your strong will, but is there anything we can do to convince you?” They paused before turning and walking back to their initial position. “Never mind. Forget I said the last part.”

The woman nodded and looked at the short man. “You should follow your partner’s actions. At least they know when to stop begging someone to help them.”

Chuuya scowled. “Shut up, you! You’re making this harder for everyone! If you don’t cooperate with us, we’ll just take your kids and torture them!”

The woman boldly stood on a table and rested a foot on the railing of the balcony. “Take them away! I don’t care! I have the instrument to make more!” She took the hem of her dress and lifted it.

Everyone below froze in shock. (Name) chuckled and stalked towards Chuuya, whose face was redder than a tomato. He was stuttering over his words, pressing a hand to his mouth and averted his eyes.

“Well, Mr. Strong Mafioso Who Never Backs Down, what shall we do now?” (Name) redirected their attention to the lady, who had dropped the fabric. “Bold move, ma’am! I like your style!” They clapped.

She stood proudly. “Thank you for the respect I deserve! And you, mister! Go on and take my kids, and never come back here again!” She shooed before entering her house, calling for someone, and shutting the door.

Chuuya fell to his knees and covered his head in embarrassment after lowering his upper body to the floor. He cursed to himself for losing composure and the target. His hands grabbed at his hair, tugging at it.

(Name) crouched in front of him with a smirk on their face. Knowing that they’re there, Chuuya barked, “Shut up!”

They raised their hands and leaned back. “If I knew that you would be flustered into a hot mess by a lady’s actions, I would’ve done something earlier.”

Meanwhile, the subordinates were snickering to themselves at the sight of their leader. The two kids just shook their heads and knew that they weren’t actually going to be tortured. (Name) stood again and glanced around. They commented, “We didn’t have to kidnap some kids, really. Maybe if we invited her for tea, she would’ve been convinced.”

[karolinasnovotney]

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[archoniluthradanar]

The test of a vampire : A Beauty and the Beast re-telling Part Five

The test of a vampire : A Beauty and the Beast re-telling

Marcus dei Volturi x female OC

Caterina had tried to escape her servitude to Marcus of the Volturi, but failed. Marcus explains why he was so angry with her intrusion, but tries to make amends.

Chapter Five

The Compromise

oooooooooooooooooooo

Marcus walked over to the table and smiled down at his meager but heart-felt tribute to his lost mate. Indicating with his free hand at the bust, he said, "Caterina, this is Didyme, my wife. She was killed...many years ago. The garden, I've dedicated to her. I bring in one pink rose, her favourite colour, until it wilts, then I replace it." He looked at the human. "I was not expecting to see you here. No one comes in without my permission, and it upset me seeing you here. I never should have shouted like that at you. Accept my apology, please."

"I understand, Marcus," she responded. "She was very beautiful. How long were you together?"

"She was beautiful, inside and out. Didyme had the gift of making everyone around her happy. We were together for what felt like...hundreds of years." Marcus could not tell the human it was literally that long and longer.

Caterina looked up at Marcus, saying, "Please accept my apology for running away. I was frightened, but it was stupid of me, and you did save me, so I owe you that."

"Speak no more about any of it." Marcus smiled. "At least we have worked through our misunderstandings."

"You know, my father is a farmer, so I know how to cultivate the earth and make things grow. Would it be alright if I helped you in the garden some time? After I've done my other chores, of course. And I would not mind cleaning this room for you. At least I could sweep the floor and dust the furniture. For Didyme."

He thought a moment, deciding it would give them a chance to get to know one another. And he found her offer of caring for Didyme's room touching. "I thank you for that, and I would enjoy having you help me in the garden." He led her from the room, never having let go of her hand.

Later that afternoon, Marcus asked Felix to get Caterina and bring her to the garden. He had all the supplies needed already lying on the grass.

When Caterina arrived, she smiled her thanks to Felix and walked over to Marcus. "I'm here and ready to work. What can I do?"

"Well, my dear, let me show you the varieties of roses I have here. Some, I developed myself."

Caterina perused the rose bushes, marveling at their beauty and the fragrance of the blooms. And all of this was dedicated to a woman long dead. He must have loved her very much, she thought. It explained a lot. Some people never let go their grieving. Her father had mourned her mother for a long time too.

Together they worked the beds, turning over the dirt and trimming away the dead buds from the bushes. Once, when Marcus removed a caterpiller off a branch and showed it to Caterina, she shrieked, jumping back.

Marcus laughed, and asked her if she was afraid of the small creature.

"I don't like insects of any kind." When Marcus held it out to her to show her how harmless it was, she huffed and walked back several feet. "Please keep it away."

The tall man laughed with pleasure, since he rarely laughed prior to her arrival at the castle. He tossed it to the other aside of the yard, showing her his empty hands. "It's gone, Caterina. You have nothing to fear now."

"It's silly, I know. I just hate bugs," she shivered while saying it.

The pair enjoyed talking while working. Caterina actually laughed aloud at some of the stories he related to her, finding the tall man humorous. She leaned on her rake, watching him while he worked. Was he really so bad? He had saved her from those ruffians, and who knows how far they would have gone, had he not appeared. But how had he found her?

Once they were done with the gardening, Caterina helped Marcus return the tools to the supply room in an area of the castle she'd evert been before. She washed up at a sink there, then Marcus led her to the kitchen for supper.

"Won't you stay?" she asked him.

Marcus looked down at the young woman. He felt a warmth suffuse his body when he heard her question. Did she really want him to stay with her? "I never eat with the staff, but I will talk with you later. And Caterina, thank you for helping me today. I...enjoyed myself."

Caterina smiled at Marcus, watching him as he left. Then she joined the others for their evening meal.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise, for me?"

"Yes, Now I'm going to blindfold you, so do you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you, Marcus." Caterina waited with anticipation when Marcus tied the length of black fabric around her eyes.

"Can you see anything, Caterina?"

"No, it's dark as night," she replied, reaching up to check the blindfold. She felt Marcus' cool hand take hold of hers, leading her to wherever he was taking her.

"Good. Don't try to walk too fast. Don't worry. I won't let you fall," he said reassuringly.

Caterina held Marcus' hand tightly. She had no desire to trip and embarrass herself. She heard the sound of an opening door. The air was slightly musty, causing her to wonder where he had brought her.

"This is for you," Marcus whispered in her ear. He removed the blindfold and let her see his surprise.

Caterina gasped. "Books! So many books! Marcus, where did you get all these books?" She moved among the shelves, her eyes perusing the vast collection. She would carefully remove one to slowly turn the pages, then seeing they were in a foreign language. She recognized if they were in French, Spanish, or Greek, but could not read the words.

"A lifetime of collecting," he said. "Some are in foreign languages you may not understand, but if there is something you'd like me to read to you, I would be happy to do that for you."

Caterina searched the shelves, looking for titles in Italian. Running her fingertips over the spines, she noticed some seemed very old volumes. Others looked like actual manuscripts. In one area, she saw a locked glass case enclosing what looked like actual scrolls, written on parchment. She marveled at the written word in all its forms she had come to love since she was a child.

"Well?" Marcus asked, a small smile on his face.

"I love it," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitment. They drew Marcus in, and he felt satisfaction knowing he'd done something that pleased Caterina. He left her while she ran from shelf to shelf, looking for something to read. She found several books in Italian and another in French she would ask Marcus to read for her.

Back in his rooms, Marcus had lit the fireplace in the ante-room. He never used it, and found the warmth of the flames strangely comforting. Caterina had asked him to read an older book to her that was about the English queen Elizabeth the First, written by a French courtier only a few years after she had died. She could read only the simple title. It wasn't very large, and she felt able they could finish it in two days.

Marcus wondered how she had come to have an interest in the woman who ruled England for nearly 45 years. Farmer's daughters didn't generally have such interests beyond their homes, and then the families they would later raise with their husbands. Marcus decided he would ask Caterina if she had any suitors for her hand. He had to know.

Hearing a knock on his door, Marcus answered it to see Demetri with Caterina. "Come in, dear."

She gave Demetri a smile, then entered the room, thanking Marcus for inviting her. "I am very interested in the book I indicated. To write about eye-witness events during that time, it just seems so exciting." She went over to the fireplace and sat in front of it, holding the book almost reverently. She handed it to Marcus, saying, "Here is the one I hoped you would read. It's in French. I kept three books I found that were written in Italian. They're in my room, if that's all right. I thought to read them before bed."

"Of course. Keep them as long as you wish." Marcus sat on the sofa, Caterina next to him. He began to read, sneaking a peek at her now and then. Her eyes betrayed her interest as she listened to the days at the English court told through the eyes of a French nobleman.

Marcus stopped reading when he noticed Caterina nodding off. "I believe it's your bedtime, young woman. We can contimue tomorrow evening." He set the book down, and helped her back to her room. By the time they reached it, Caterina was awake and able to ready for bed.

While Caterina was getting to know the man who held her life in his hands, Guiseppe had visited her home to find her absent. Her father told him she was working at the Palazzo dei Priori, a place rife with rumours of strange happenings.

The strapping man became angry. "How can you, her own father, allow her to go there, knowing the stories about missing tourists? Has anyone spoken with the people who live there? It's said they see no one. I will gather some of the townsfolk and retrieve her myself."

"No! Please do not interfere. I do not believe those stories, or I would not have allowed her to go. She will finish her time working there and be sent home soon. If you interfere..."

"Have you spoken with Caterina?" Guiseppe demanded.

Mario looked down at the floor. "Not since I dropped her off at the palazzo."

"There you are! I will go there and demand to see her."

"Please, Guiseppe, leave it alone. You may cause more harm than good."

The man who wanted Caterina for his wife reluctantly nodded. "Very well. For now, I'll wait. But if you hear anything from her, I want to know."

Guiseppe left, Mario closing the door behind him. The older man wondered himself, why had his daughter not called him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

One day, Caterina was cleaning in Marcus's rooms, when he entered to pick up some documents Aro needed.

On seeing him, Caterina smiled and nodded. "Good day, Marcus. I hope you are well."

The Volturi master glanced at the woman, giving her a smile in return. "Thank you, Caterina. I won't be here long. I just needed to retrieve something." He went to his desk and found what he came for, and was about to leave, when Caterina blocked his way.

"Marcus, I have been here quite awhile, and I...I haven't talked to my father in so long, and I was wondering...please may I call him?"

Marcus thought for a moment. She had not asked this of him, so she must be worried. She had done her job well, and he found he enjoyed her company more and more. He had to wonder if Caterina was enjoying his company. "Very well. This afternoon, I will allow you to use the phone here, and...with me listening. Just to be sure."

Caterina smiled broadly. "Oh, thank you, Marcus. Of course I don't mind you listening. I have nothing to hide. I just need to know he's fine and eating, and doing well at market."

"I'll send Felix for you when I'm finished." Marcus saw the pure pleasure on her face. When she threw herself at him in an impulsive hug, he was taken aback, but the sudden warmth in his chest would not allow him to chastise her.

Once she had released him, Marcus quickly left the room, but the warmth stayed with him even after he had reached the throne room.

"Are you alright, brother?" Aro asked, seeing Marcus with a strange expression on his face.

"Yes, I'm fine. Here are the papers you needed," he said, walking to his chair. Sitting down, the vampire still felt her arms around him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Caterina had finished her work, and returned to her room to clean up and add some makeup. Not that she was trying to appear attractive to her employer...or was she? It didn't matter, she told herself. She was going to get to speak with her father today.

Felix brought her to Marcus' rooms and then winked at her before walking down the corridor. "Enjoy your conversation, Caterina."

Marcus smiled on seeing her, thinking there was something different about her. He handed Caterina his cell phone, showing her how to make a call. It wasn't something he used often. Unlike Aro, he had no one to call, but he was glad he had it now, if only to make Caterina happy and see her glowing smile.

Caterina thanked Marcus and dialed home. When she heard her father's voice, she cried excitedly. "Papa, it's me, Caterina!"

Marcus could hear what the older man was saying.

"Caterina, my daughter, how are you?" The old man was excited to finally hear his daughter.

I'm well, papa, do not worry. Marcus, the man I'm working for, has been very kind. You have no need to worry. I am eating well, and the work is not too hard. I've made a few friend among the staff. I wouldn't even mid being here if I were free to go home every night."

Hearing that was good news for Marcus, since it let him know she didn't hate being here.

"How are you, papa? Are you eating? And how is the market? Have you making enough money? I miss helping you."

"Child, I'm doing well, and I've sold all the produce I've been able to take. It's amazing! We will be doing well for some time."

Marcus smiled. He had made sure the old man's produce was bought for the staff's meals here at the castle and paying above market price.

"When will you be returning home, Caterina? If your work has been excellent, I would think it would be soon."

She looked over at Marcus who had his back to her, as if he were not listening. "I don't know, papa. It cannot be much longer. I should go now. Please take care of yourself. Good bye, papa. I love you very much."

"I love you, my dear Caterina. Thank your master for letting you call."

Caterina hit the 'end' button and disconnected the call. She handed the phone to Marcus. "Thank you, Marcus. Papa thanks you as well." Tears slid down her cheeks. "I had better go. Thank you again, Marcus." With that, she fled his rooms, and headed for her bedroom to have a good cry. It felt wonderful to hear his voice. At least her father was well and earning some money. She lay on her bed, wiping her face with her hands. Hopefully she would be able to use the phone again.

Marcus was pleased at the call. Caterina had spoken well of him, and her father was not pushing, demanding she be released. Unknown to him, Guiseppe was at his favourite birrerie, or the local pub, fomenting hatred among the pub's patrons. He worked hard to get men to agree to join him, invading the castle and retrieving Caterina, by force if necessary.

A/N : there will be one more chapter for this story. Hope you're enjoying it. And thanks to anyone reading it.

[moviereviews101web]

The Tearsmith (2024) Movie Review

The Tearsmith – Movie Review Director: Alessandro Genovesi Writer: Erin Doom (Screenplay) Cast Dana Melanie (Glass Jaw) Caterina Ferioli Eco Andriolo Simone Baldasseroni Plot: Sometimes our greatest fear is accepting that someone can honestly love us for who we are. Nica and Rigel are ready to find it out together. Runtime: 1 Hour 43 Minutes There may be spoilers in the rest of the…

[the-lavender-creator]

could I please have some more of my favorite pathetic wet cat- I mean Toralei? Preferably something angsty. I just want her to suffer. A lot. Preferably thunder angst. If you can’t tell by now I’m a whore for thunder angst. And proud of it. Anyway. I want angst. Like a gallon of it. Oooo let me think. Okay so remember when you wrote the thunder fic and there was a line where Clawdeen was all like ‘I don’t know who told you it was bad to be afraid. But they’re wrong’. Or something like that.

WELL TIME TO FIND OUT! So! I’m obviously gonna blame Raterina- Oop I mean Caterina (no I don’t. Im lying) anyway. Let’s say Raterina shows up to check on her daughters progress. Idk like a literal queen leader of the were society would. Make sure the school is up to her daughter’s standards and all.

Well you guessed it! Theirs another storm! Except this time Toralei can’t slink away to her room with Clawdeen. Cause her mom is here! And like. The boo crew is too. And the group hadn’t been like. Officially told Toralei is scare of thunder or anything. But like. They kinda just. Know from past experiences. (Like the origin fic) and just other times toralei has been on edge specifically during a storm. And they might make a comment about it whenever toraleis being especially mean, but they never like truly make fun of her for it. Cause that would be so unlike monster high.

Buuuuut Caterina notices Toralei’s clear discomfort with the storm and immediately berates her. Probably very loudly and meanly. Basically shaming the fear out of her. Probably some stupid high class talk about how rulers don’t fear sounds or what not. Emotional manipulating bullshit on how it’s weak and bad to feel. That stuff.

And like. Toralei was already on edge and now her moms berrating her for it. So she’s probably a good five seconds from crying. And the Boo crew has seen all of this and they all kinda unanimously think ‘Ok. We don’t really like toralei but we all agree we don’t like her mom much more’ so they all kinda burst into action. Half of them slide in to defend Toralei. The others secretly create some distraction. And then once Raterina is thoroughly distracted, that’s when Clawdeen slides in and slips away with Toralei unnoticed. Where they deal with the storm together. (Oh and Clawdeen of course has to stare very clearly that everything toraleis mom just said was utter bullshit and fear is not weak and Toralei is not a weak monster for feeling it).

Famn. That was long. So sorry about that. Did I mention I love thunder angst?

you of course don’t have to write this. I just thought it would be a fun new part of the Toradeen series (featuring the boo crew somewhat accepting toralei as their own and defending the fuck out of her)

Much love! Thanks for putting up with my rambly prompts! ❤️❤️❤️

This one was originally meant to apply to my Furious Fur and Calming Claws series, but I decided to do something a little different! (Also, please send future prompts to my writing blog @vwritesawholelothm!)

Many thanks to @hodgepodgeoffandoms for beta reading!

Fandom: Monster High (Cartoon 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Toralei Stripe/Clawdeen Wolf, Minor Cleo de Nile/Frankie Stein Characters: Toralei Stripe, Clawdeen Wolf, Catarina Stripe, Frankie Stein, Lagoona Blue, Meowlody (Monster High), Purrsephone (Monster High), Cleo de Nile, Draculaura (Monster High), Headless Headmistress Bloodgood Additional Tags: Thunder and Lightning, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Catarina Stripe is a Bad Mother, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Childhood Memories, now that i think about it this is basically the plot of Descendants lmao, canon is a mere suggestion at best

Summary: The talisman owed to Catarina Stripe pops back up when Serena Wolf's daughter finds her way to Monster High. Like mother like daughter, Toralei takes it upon herself to snatch the pendant right under Clawdeen's nose, to present to her mother in a bid for love.

How fitting that her means of stealing involves inspiring a certain love, as well.

[mr-bas00nist]

Goodbyes

Vittorio x Male Reader

Summary: This is where it all started, you and Vittorio having a blast as usual but something gets in the way between you two. This is where you said goodbye to your best friend.

No warnings accept crying (A/n as a Sicilian person who know Italian I’m thrilled to be writing for an Italian man)

You breathed in heavily slowly looking around the large manor. “Ready or not here I come!” You shout with a giggle. You look around trying to figure out where to go first. You decide on the dinner hall. You quickly look around moving the lavish chairs carefully looking for Vittorio under the grand table. Not there. You continue down the hall stopping at the bathroom and looking inside not there either.

You continue your journey searching the halls and rooms up and down until you come across the library. You quietly giggle slowly opening the door. You hear breathing and you assume it can be no one else other than Vittorio. You continue to creep around and you see him entranced in a book sitting against an oak shelf.

You smile to yourself. You bring your hands up than you launch them at him. You begin to tickle his stomach making his eyes go wide. He soon begins to flail around in a fit of laughter and excitement at your actions. “fermati per favore pietà!” stop please mercy! He shouts laughing.

You finally stop your torture watching as he wipes unshed tears out his eyes. “vinco Vittorio!” I win Vittorio! He smiles looking up at you as he takes your hand. You help him back to his feet making him grin. Before you two can even get to anything else you hear Vittorio’s father shout.

“Ragazzi!” Boys! You and Vittorio look at each other with confusion written on your guys expressions. You both walk to the grand door of the library. You open the door holding it for Vittorio. "Prima le signore." Ladies first. He rolls his eyes with a smile walking to the main hall.

You both stop to see Vittorio’s father and a soldier speaking. The soldier was clad in tough leather that no one could dream of ripping.

You start to walk down the stairs as Vittorio soon follows. You guys stop at the bottom. Vittorio’s father gives a hardened look to both of you. “English for the man, understood?” You both nod looking at the man.

He stiffly turns towards you looking at you carefully. “He’s the one we needed.” You quirk an eyebrow. “Huh? I don’t understand?” You say. “Your parents have nominated you for the war, child.” Your eyes go wide as do Vittorio’s.

Vittorio vigorously shakes his head no holding onto your arm tightly while you can do nothing but stand in shock. “No, no way!” Vittorio shouts tearing up. You finally regain your control of your body back. “I- do I have to?” You ask concerned.

The soldiers gaze softens for a split second before it his mean look comes back. “Yes, whoever has been nominated whether it be for behavior, skill or even if we don’t have enough soldiers. No matter the age. It is mandatory.” You we’re 15. You had no business whatsoever being on a battlefield whether it be for better circumstances.

You look behind you to see Caterina, Vittorio’s mother with a sorrowful look on her face. “Come, you need to pack your bags.” The man speaks sternly. “No! He’s not leaving!” Vittorio shouts angrily. Caterina speaks up looking at Vittorio. “Mia cara, per favore, non urlare.” Please dear no yelling. She speaks softly.

Albert looks you in the eyes with a sad look on his face. “You have to go.” He pats your shoulder as you look up at him. You sigh shakily while nodding. You begin to walk towards the soldier as Vittorio stands there in shock. “Hey, you can’t just leave me!” Vittorio shouts at you with tears streaming down his face.

You stop in your tracks trying not to breakdown. “Torio..” You look at him in the eyes walking up to him. “You have to let me do this.” You stare at him in the eyes. “non voglio essere solo di nuovo per favore non lasciarmi....” i don't wanna be alone again please don't leave me…. He speaks softly.

Vittorio always had a rough time making friends which is probably why you leaving is not gonna make it any better. “Vittorio please.” You didn’t wanna make it any more hard on anyone than you needed to which is why you refused to cause a scene.

If Vittorio was this heartbroken just by you agreeing so quickly you couldn’t imagine what’d he’d be like if you started begging not to be taken. You breathe through your nose trying to be strong infront of him. “Voglio che tu prenda questo.” I want you to take this.

You take something from around your neck handing it to him. It was a golden locket that had a circle in the middle. He opened it to see you and him inside on his birthday. “I have numerous items from you but I’ve realized you don’t have anything from me. Please Vittorio take it.” You grab his hand placing the locket inside.

That was all he needed before he broke down. He sobs gripping your hand tightly. You quickly pull him into your arms shushing him. This makes him cry even harder. You try your best not to let the tears flow out but they do.

“Come now.” You give Vittorio one last smile before walking out with the soldier. Oh how he was gonna miss you.

[icanttalkimhavingacrisis]

Caterina

“You have a beautiful name.” The little girl stopped playing with the flower in her hand. “It’s so… different.” “I hate my name.” The little girl stated firmly. “Who names their kid Lilith?” “It suits you.” The other girl tilted her head. “It has a melody to it - Lilith.” She mulled the word over again, laughing ever so slightly. “It’s beautiful, just like you!” “I think yours is prettier, Caterina.” Lilith smiled, placing the flower crown she had spun upon the other girl’s head. “Catty. It suits you too.” Caterina smiled.

The girls had known each other as long as they could remember - and they knew this place a day longer. The Valley is what they called it - though it was not such, more so a clearing in a forest. It was a peaceful place, a beautiful one, filled with the widest variety of flowers - asphodel and heather, and yarrow - and, of course, lily of the valley. There were not many trees within the clearing, save a young hawthorn, and there was not much for water, save a singular, babbling brook. There were no other people in that clearing, not ever. Just Caterina and Lilith - Lilith and Caterina. They did not remember who they were before they met - they did not care for the past too much. Nor did they care for the future - no. To them, the only thing that mattered was the present, and the other girl, and the love they shared.

The girls spent all their lives there, in The Valley. No one ever entered it from the outside world, and they dared not ever leave it. The Valley was all they needed, with its never ending summer and its quiet birdsong. They spent all their days there, just the two of them - reading and telling stories, chasing each other and playing games, swimming in the brook, singing and climbing the hawthorn’s lower branches. They slept under the stars, naming the constellations whatever it was they fancied. One fateful day, Lilith found something that did not fit The Valley - a violin.

She looked at it, puzzled. It held within it some strange beauty - she couldn’t quite place what it was. She picked up the instrument, and plucked at its strings. She had a strange sensation - that she had seen it before. That she knew what it was. She ran quickly to share her discovery with Caterina.

The two marvelled over the intricate beauty of the instrument, caressing its strings and playing with the bow. Lilith took the violin in hand, and placed the bow on the strings. She pulled it across the strings and sound emerged from within the little wooden thing. The two fell silent in awe, and Lilith understood - she was meant for this wooden contraption - and it was meant for her.

She devoted herself to the study of that little violin, and Caterina spent her time watching her in wonder. When Lilith learnt to play songs, Caterina would sing them, and The Valley sang along with her, harmoniously, and the animals of the forest would listen silently. When Lilith played dances, Caterina would revel in them, swaying along to the sounds the little wooden box produced. Such beauty was held within the little violin, and The Valley learned to accept it as a part of it, and it became a part of The Valley.

And so, Lilith and Caterina grew older, entering the storms of adolescence. They never fought though - their love for each other was stronger than anything that age threw at them. Lilith studied the violin, and Caterina studied The Valley. Both girls loved The Valley - but Caterina needed it like air. She craved a closeness with it that Lilith did not understand. So while Lilith sat under the hawthorn, either reading or practising the violin, Caterina ventured further and further into The Valley, becoming more and more one with its essence. For she was born in that clearing - she grew in The Valley - it was hers as much as she was its.

A distance grew between Lilith and Caterina. Lilith became more and more certain in the world around her, and grew a silent longing for the world outside The Valley, for a world full of music, full of violins and other instruments. And Caterina grew less and less present - more spirit than girl now, she had no care for anything besides The Valley. And then came one fateful night - a night that would haunt both the girls for as long as they would live - the night they lost each other.

Caterina had grown restless. She was wild - like the wind in her hair. She was free - like the birds in the sky. She wanted to be that which she had always been destined for - a part of The Valley, connected to it in life and death. Lilith too, had grown restless, her fingers pressing at the strings of her violin with a newfound passion. She was lost to the music - entirely and whole. She did not see Caterina walk up to her - for her eyes were closed. She did not feel the gentle kiss Caterina placed upon her forehead, she was too preoccupied by the music that flowed from her hands, like the purest gold. The Valley trembled in anticipation of that cataclysmic event - that which it knew had to happen. Caterina climbed the old hawthorn tree. She felt the tears stream down her face. She understood - Lilith would never love her the way she loved her. Lilith was devoted to her music. She understood - she would never love Lilith the way she wanted to. She was devoted to The Valley. She understood, finally - she could never truly be a part of The Valley. Not while she lived. She fell.

Lilith awoke from the grip the music held on her, to see that Caterina was gone. She wept over all she had lost, over what could’ve been. Over what should have been. As she wept, a fog covered the clearing, and the never ending summer succumbed to the darkness of autumn. She heard a whisper in the wind. She heard her Caterina. “Bury me,” she whispered. “Beneath the tree we would climb when we were young.”

And so, she did. And for the first time, Lilith remembered a world outside The Valley. And for the first time, Lilith left the forest. For she was not born in that clearing - Caterina was. And now, Caterina had become one with that place she had loved so dearly. And Lilith was left alone, with the doubts and the guilt of that which survives. She would never truly return home - for home was dead to her. And she discarded her name - that which Caterina had loved so deeply.

[hiddenqveendom]

pls tell me more about fiorella ❤️

omg ofc!! sooo, i will likely ramble on about her so i will leave a short little intro on her and the full rant under the cut. 💜

—fiorella dondarion:

main pairing: aegon ii targaryen

house: dondarrion of blackhaven

war affiliation: the greens

spouse(s): ser weslar westerling; lanse tyrell iii

nickname: the storm flower

trope: the silk and the sword

inspired by: caterina de lurton ( deus salve o rei ), brice ( deus salve o rei ), caterina sforza ( medici ), & ippolita sforza ( medici )

brief(ish) bio:

fiorella dondarrion ( born fiorella storm ) is the bastard daughter of the ruling lord of house dondarrion by one of his wife’s wet nurses. her birth caused quite the stir at blackhaven, with rumors claiming that lady dondarrion attempted to smother an infant fiorella in a fit of rage. all of this ongoing drama resulted in her being sent to the capital to be fostered by ser criston and his bride doranah at the knight’s father’s behest. still, this was not exactly the end of fiorella’s woes, as the pair struggled to bond with her in spite of having no surviving children of their own. plus, she was somewhat ostracized by those around her for being a known bastard child. it wasn’t until she was legitimized and became a companion of queen alicent’s children that she began to earn more respect from those around her. prince aegon in particular was said to have been fond of her from the very start. the two were both lost souls pushed to their limits from an early age. thus, they were able to bond over it. aegon found in fiorella what he felt he had no were else; solace. knowing such, fiorella was successfully able to win a young aegon’s heart. the targaryen prince originally wished to marry her, but was pushed to marry his younger sister, helaena, to keep the bloodline pure instead. in order to keep the dondarrions on their side, the greens initially considered betrothing her to aemond, but eventually got away with marrying her to off to an ally of the crown, the older weslar westerling. due to this, she was able to remain in the capital and close to aegon. neither fiorella or aegon were happy within their marriages, but were able to make do by becoming each others lovers in secret. there was a lot of secret rendezvous and passing glances between the two. nevertheless, it wasn’t super difficult for those close to aegon to notice the way he looked at fiorella. by the time the dance commences, fiorella has become aegon’s most trusted ally. it’s believed she had the largest influence on him, often fueling his erratic actions. in truth, she had a way of manipulating most of those around her with her innocent demeanor. however, behind that mask was a thirst for power and the respect she was robbed of as a child. that was her main reason for enamoring aegon, not love. fiorella loved the idea of what aegon could offer her more so than him as a person, whereas he loved the unconditional support and acceptance she had to offer. in spite of all of these efforts though, she is never able to officially wed aegon, even after helaena’s death. instead, she was wed to lanse tyrell iii after aegon perishes. he is the only spouse she had surviving children with.

[vibingouthere]

I think a lot about what E.R. Fightmaster tweeted back in May of 2022, "It is important that we [queer people] see ourselves [on screen], our potential and our joy." They, as well as Caterina Scorsone, have discussed at length why queer relationships and characters on television are not just nice to have but necessary—how genuinely healing that can be for (young) queer people to see.

And yet...

For a show that touts itself as socially aware, Grey's continues to be unfairly malicious toward their queer ships and characters, both past and present, during a time when (young) queer people desperately need the exact opposite. Additionally, I have witnessed these continued misalignments breed more hatred and bigotry amongst so-called "fans" than I think anyone is willing to admit to. Amid all the cruelty coming from the U.S. government (and internationally), all the fear-mongering and hatred being thrown at anything remotely non-heteronormative within our culture, and the waves of canceled queer TV shows, this is not what anyone needs. Grey's is a melodrama, yes, but its queer characters carry a disproportionate amount of that burden given their consistently relegated position within the overall narrative.

I've tried to be patient. I could recognize that the Grey's writers had a lot to juggle with Ellen leaving, Kelly leaving, Krista leaving, and introducing the new interns all in one go. And, despite it all, I still believe this might end well for Kai and Amelia... But I really can't keep doing this to myself.

I have loved this show since I was 15. It helped me in accepting my sexuality and then, through Kai, my gender identity, too. I have made incredible friendships thanks to this show. But if something doesn't change soon (and I mean soon) I might be done. This is not the joy E.R. spoke of, it hurts too much; this is not the potential for which queer people are destined—we deserve better.

[archoniluthradanar]

The test of a vampire : A Beauty and the Beast re-telling Part Four

The test of a vampire : A Beauty and the Beast re-telling

Marcus dei Volturi x female OC

Caterina makes a deal with the Volturi master Marcus as to her duties while she hopes the length of her servitude will be short.

Because it would be difficult for a human to harm a vampire, I switched this to have Marcus help Caterina with her wounds, unlike the film where Belle helps the Beast with his.

Chapter Four

The Escape

oooooooooooooooooooo

Caterina quickly walked the streets of Volterra after leaving the castle she was being forced to work in. Escape had seemed impossible, so she'd accepted her fate, hoping Marcus would appreciate her hard work and let her go home soon. But an opportunity appeared and she took it. It was illogical since he could find her, and possibly do something terrible to her or her father. But one doesn't think logic in such situations.

Once she reached the main street, Caterina searched for her father. Hopefully, he would be at the market selling his produce, but after looking at every stall for almost half an hour, she knew he was not here. Either he had come earlier and left, or never came. It may have been a harvesting day, she couldn't remember. Now her only option was to find someone who would let her use their phone.

She stopped at a nearby store, and asked the cashier if she could make a call with their phone. The cashier was friendly enough, but explained it was store policy not to allow anyone to use the phone. She tried to ask at other shops, but after having been burned by that request by others, policy was no one was allowed to use the phone. Perhaps if she went to the police, they might help her. What would she even tell them? And what if Marcus, being a wealthy man, had influence in town. Who was she to override that. She was just a farmer's daughter and no one of importance.

Tired, Caterina sat on the edge of a fountain and sighed. Why had she left? This was so stupid. She would be found and sent back, and perhaps end up under the control of a man now very unhappy with her. Tears flowed, her thoughts on her father. Papa, I made such a mistake.

The sun was beginning to set, dusk arriving without her noticing. Many of the vendors's stall had closed, the sellers having gone home. Stupid girl, she berated herself. It would be dark soon. Walking home would be out of the question now. She should admit defeat, and go back to the castle. Maybe if she asked nicely enough, she might implore Marcus to forgive her and let her come back. She wondered what kind of punishment she would receive. His temper had scared her into fleeing after all, so it was just as much his fault as hers.

Before Caterina had executed her escape, Marcus had realized he had not seen her all day. He had to sit in on several trials earlier, so he'd assumed she had cleaned his rooms first, and when he had returned there, he saw she had. He left for his office, where Marcus was expecting to find her, but she had already cleaned there as well. He checked the kitchen, where the chef told the Volturi leader he had seen her there for lunch with all the other staff.

Deciding to return to his rooms, Marcus passed through a side corridor and noticed the door to Didyme's room open. He entered the room to find Caterina inspecting his beloved wife's marble bust and the single pink rose from her garden. When he had lost his temper at the unwanted intrusion, Caterina did what he had hoped she would never do, look at him with abject horror and fear. When she ran from the room, he instantly regretted his harsh words.

It had been far too long since Didyme's death. His curse meant nothing to him from the first day he had met his future mate. An eternity with her was not hell. It was a heaven he never dreamed of. Now she was gone. And Caterina was missing as well.

When it was discovered she had not returned to her room, he decided she must have taken his outburst to heart, and was hiding somewhere in the castle. He had to find her. It was far too dangerous here for one lone mortal.

When Marcus left the kitchen, he went in search of Felix. The guard had oddly become the human female's friend. He might have seen her and knew where she'd gone off to. Marcus was slightly jealous at the ease with which Felix had cultivated a friendship with the girl. How did he do that?

Finding the guard, Marcus asked if he knew of the whereabouts of Caterina.

"No, Master Marcus, I haven't seen her since early this morning. Perhaps Demetri knows."

Marcus checked with the coven's tracker, who also had not seen Caterina.

"Master Marcus, should I see if she is here? She might have gone outside." Checking for the tenor of the human, Demetri detected a lead out the back doors into the drive. Then she had gone outside. He and Marcus sped to the back of the castle, exiting through the rear doors, but she was nowhere in the garden or in the gazebo.

"She's left the castle grounds," Demetri said grimly. He and Marcus left through the back gates, going into the village. Demetri easily followed the trail the human had left.

Marcus wondered what made her take the extreme solution to run off. He realized the way he had exploded at her must have frightened her. She did not belong in Didyme's room, but he never should have shouted at her. It was getting dark out now, and he worried for her safety.

By now, Caterina had begun the walk back to the castle, feeling utterly dejected. As she headed down an alley of closed shops, she noticed a small group of young men standing at the end of the alleyway. Caterina turned around to go back the way she came, but hearing footsteps behind her, she knew they were now following her.

She went from a fast walk to running, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling hard enough to tear her shirt. Then someone blocked her way.

"Where are you going, pretty thing?" He reached up to play with her ponytail, then tugged on her earrings. "Are these worth anything, sweetheart?"

"Have you a purse?" another man asked. "Maybe you have some money you could share with us."

Caterina spun around, trying to find a gap she could run through. She started to scream, but a hand covered her mouth.

With a sudden jerk, Caterina was tossed to the ground, her face scraping against the cobblestones.

Above her, Marcus and Demetri had pulled her attackers away from her. Bodies were tossed against the walls of the alley. Blood splashed onto the stone street as sharp teeth pierced soft flesh, tearing into the throats of every one of the molesters. In minutes, all five men were dead.

Marcus flashed to Caterina, who had fainted. He bent down and gently gathered her in his arms. "Demetri, clean up this mess."

The tracker nodded. "I'll return as soon as I'm finished. I'm glad we found her, Master Marcus. I hope she's all right."

Marcus sped back to the castle, returning the girl to her bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he went into her bathroom and wet a wash cloth with warm soapy water. He pulled the desk chair to the side of the bed, and carefully moved locks of her hair off her face. She has so pretty, even when unconscious. He had been furious when he saw what the young men were doing to her, and the possibility of what they might have done, made him want to rip them apart.

He gently washed the grit from her skin, noticing the scrape marks. Peering down at her face, he wondered what she would say to him when she came to.

While he continued dotting the wash cloth over the abrasions, Caterina's eyes opened. She looked up into Marcus' face, seeing an expression of worry. "Am I still alive?"

Marcus smiled and nodded his head. "Luckily, we found you in time, and as for your attackers, they...ran off."

"We?" she asked, wincing when he touched a sore spot on her face.

"Demetri helped me look for you as soon as we noticed you were gone. I will let you rest for now, Caterina, then we will talk about you running away. Perhaps you'd like to shower and change clothing. Those mongrels tore your shirt, but I will replace it." He bit back his fury once more, but smiled down at her. "And before you protest, it will be my pleasure."

Caterina winced again, but this time it was not pain that had caused it. She was ready for her punishment, however. "Yes, sir." When she saw him rise from the bed, and start to leave, she said to him, "Thank you, Marcus."

He graced her with another smile. "You're very welcome." Then he left her alone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After Caterina had showered and dressed, she sat at the desk, waiting for Felix to take her to Marcus' rooms. What was he going to do to her? What would he say? What would she say about her ridiculous hope to go home.

It wasn't long before Caterina heard the expected knock. She ran to the door, yanking it open to find her tall friend standing there. "Oh, Felix, what have I done? Is Marcus very annoyed with me?"

Felix looked down at Caterina, feeling actual sympathy for her, but only he knew running away was a hopeless effort for the human, now that Demetri had her in his mind. She would not ever be able to escape him and his tracking abilities in future. But Felix hoped she never tried. Master Marcus may forgive her once, but would he again?

Caterina grabbed Felix's hand. "I'm scared. Do you think if I apologised and promised never to leave without permission, he might let me try again. I will work very hard to please him."

Felix admired the human's courage, but couldn't help teasing her. "How will you try to please Master Marcus, Caterina?" He raised an eyebrow at her, his meaning clear.

Her eyes went wide and she slapped his chest. "Don't you start!"

Felix pulled back and laughed aloud. "Master Marcus is not that kind of man, Caterina. You can trust him. Now we'd better go." He raised a pointed finger at her. "Remember, be contrite."

Caterina held her hands together, walking beside Felix until they reached Marcus' rooms. He let her in and waited outside the closed doors.

Once inside the ante-room, Caterina saw Marcus sitting at his desk. She stood, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

"So, you're still here. I expected Felix to report your room being empty," he said, not looking up from his ledger.

"I'm not going anywhere again, Marcus."

"Come over here by me." Marcus set down his pen, waiting for Caterina to stand beside him.

Slowly walking across the floor until she was inches from her employer's side. She took Felix's advice, and stared at her feet, saying nothing.

Marcus looked up at her. "Why did you leave?"

Unable to come up with a good excuse, Caterina told Marcus the truth. "You frightened me when you lost your temper. I'm sorry for intruding in that room. It won't happen again."

"It had better not." he repied a bit harsher than he'd intended. You should not have run away."

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't frightened me!" she said, biting back her annoyance.

"You should have not been wandering around going into rooms you had no place!" Marcus said, raising his voice higher.

"You need to learn not to frighten women!" Caterina retorted. Then she felt bad and lowered her voice. "One other thing. Thank you for saving my life."

Marcus turned to gaze at the human. "You're...welcome." He rose from his chair and taking Caterina's hand, led her to the sofa. When both were seated, he asked her, "If I let you continue your work as you have been doing, will you swear not to run away again?"

She looked up into his warm chocolate-brown eyes, raised her hand, and smiled. "I swear. I will not run away again. I'll do my work as ordered." The smile disappeared. "Until such time you choose to relieve me of my duties...and let me go home."

Marcus drew back. Always, she was thinking about leaving. They had not spent much time together, but he wanted to remedy that. "When you've finished your work tomorrow, I would like to take you back to the room where... I want to explain why I was initially upset at you for being there."

"All right," Caterina replied. 'You don't have to though..."

"I want to explain to you. Just have Felix bring you here when you're finished with your work tomorrow. Now you'd better get some supper while the Chef is still here. Then go to your room, get some sleep."

"Thank you, Marcus." Caterina got up and walked to the door, but then she stopped and turned back to her employer. "Have a good evening."

When she exited the room, Felix gave her a look of mock surprise. "You're still alive! And I assume he did not beat you."

She smacked her tall friend again. "Will you stop? Now take me to the kitchen at once. That's an order."

He gently took her chin in his hand and bent low, whispering in her ear. "An order, is it?

She patted her ear, trying to get rid of the slight tickle that sent goosebumps down her arm. "Please take me to the kitchen, Felix? I'm hungry."

How he wished he could throw her over his shoulder and speed down the corridors. But no, it was up to Master Marcus to reveal their existence, when the time was right. "Well then, let's go." And he led her to the kitchen, all the while asking her about her attempt to flee and what had ensued.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Caterina began her chores, wanting to get done as soon as possible so she could meet with Marcus and see what made that near-empty room so special.

Felix was waiting at the door of Marcus' office. "How did you know I was done?" Caterina asked him.

"Telepathy," Felix said in reply. When he saw Caterina roll her eyes at him. "All right, I heard the vacumn shut off. I know that's the last thing you do when you clean."

"Hmm, smart. Will you help me return my supplies to the supply room? Then let me freshen up before taking me to Marcus' rooms?"

"I'm beginning to feel like your servant," Felix scoffed.

"Ha ha. Please then?" she begged.

"Oh, all right, let's go," he said, picking up her heavier items. When they had done that, he took her to Marcus' doors and again stood guard while waiting. This time, however, Marcus told Felix to go, since he would be showing Caterina around. Felix nodded and left, but not before giving Caterina a wink of reassurance.

Marcus held out his hand to her. Caterina looked at it, debated in her mind, then placed her hand in his. She felt how cold it was, so cold, but she let Marcus lead her down that corridor. They stopped in front of the same doors she'd found open that night.

She turned to Marcus before they entered the room. "In my defense, the doors were not locked or I would not have been able to go in." A stupid excuse, she knew. "I realize I should not have been checking doors to see if they were locked anyway."

"It's in the past. I am bringing you in myself this time." Marcus turned to look at Caterina. How unlike Didyme she was, yet this human might be the key to his current affliction.

A/N : Just an FYI, Felix is taking the place of all the transformed characters like Mrs Potts, Lumière, Cogsworth, etc... He is her friend and confidente, and not her future lover. They just get along really well.

[scotsq]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒: Closed started for @princessedevalois​​​ 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Mary’s chambers at Hampton court. 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: November of 1559

The Queen sits in almost total silence save for the occasional panting from her Scottish Greyhound, Atlas who rests on a purple cushion at her slipper covered feet. The good lady Seton has prepared her mistress for bed early tonight so that she might spend the hours alone and collect her thoughts before meeting with her uncles in the morning to discuss the rapid decline of her dear Francis’ health. Her bath of oils and scented rose water did quite a bit to alleviate the stresses of the day that pertained to the matters of Scotland, but now there is an even GREATER issue settling within her mind; one that she would much rather ignore. 

The last thing that the Queen should like to think upon is her husbands fate which no child of God could ever dare to predict. Letters from the King’s office at Chambord which were intercepted by her mother-in-law and later delivered to the consort’s chambers detail a sickening account of her husband’s conditions that worsen with each passing day. Mary knows that he wails for her, she is certain of it. Her stomach tightens at the thought of him agonizing over his pain without her, Caterina, or Elisabeth there to offer him some form of comfort. It pained her to leave his side to make the journey to England, but she did so to show the power players on the world stage that their reign as King and Queen of France and Scotland is stronger than ever. Desperately, she needs the world to believe it so that she herself might also see some truth in it.

Only after staring at the missive in her hands regarding the most recent update on Francis’ condition does Mary decide that she will cease to fret over her sweet princeling’s suffering this night. Instead, her restless mind drifts to the holy mess of the happenings at the Tudor court. Today marks a week that England’s sovereign along with chief members of his family have been away from the court — their absence inspiring a litany of venomous RUMOURS in place of the truth. The twitterings of the French retinue suggests that the King and his lady mother are both abed with the pox. As a gentlewoman of the utmost grace and diplomacy, several letters were written at her behest by her secretary’s hand to be sent to William’s office wishing him good health and requesting an audience with His Majesty upon his return. Despite their differences in faith and Mary’s hotly disputed blood claim to his throne, she does not wish him any ill will. With her own husband’s health waning as it is, Mary believes it to be in poor taste to mock the health of another anointed prince even if she does think him to be somewhat detestable and nothing more than a PRETENDER to the throne.

As the Queen rises from her cushioned chair to make her way over to her desk, her attention is immediately claimed by the entry of her page who bows before her. 

“Your Majesty. Her Highness, the Princess Elisabeth is requesting entry.” A slight nod of her frizzy auburn head is enough to grant her beloved sister-in-law access to her apartments. It was at times like this when Mary needed Elisabeth the most to help calm her nerves and distract her from the horrors that her mind could conjure. 

“Lis, my sweet one” Mary begins, her arms that were previously folded to keep her ermine fur robe close to her chest now opening to greet her sister with a hug as she approaches. When it comes to Elisabeth, Mary knows that she needn’t behave like the queen of anything. There is no room for protocol when one is so near to the heart. “Was it not a mistake to accept England’s invitation? They treat us to an execution in our early days and now we are meant to speculate on the whereabouts of our hosts.” Mary adds, the flames of frustration flickering wildly in her blue eyes. “Tell me, have you any news regarding the Tudor king? I was told that he and the Dowager are not long for this world. I suppose we shall see in time if this tale has merit.”  

[notherefortheanonhate]

Okay but the way names are used in Goncharov (1973) especially for Katya? 

When she arrives in Naples, the passport officer calls her ‘Signora Goncharova’, after a bit of prompting. She’s here to be Goncharov’s wife, and this is the role she’s used to playing. The passport officer mangles the pronunciation, and originally this is played as a moment of levity in a movie that sorely needs it, but as you get further, you realize what Scorsese was saying; that she’s not Goncharova, wife of Goncharov. 

Mario also calls her Signora Goncharova, but only to Goncharov, only to taunt him by the fact that he was near Katya, trying to provoke him to no avail. To Katya herself, he feigns ignorance of Russian naming conventions-- he calls her Goncharov. She doesn’t correct him. It’s a scene that really draws the parallels of Katya and her husband, and belies the fact that Goncharov is itself a title. Killing the head does not kill the body, and there will always be other Goncharovs to carry on. It also briefly imagines a world where Katya herself is the titular Goncharov-- and why shouldn’t she be? She’s just as ruthless, just as calculated, just as ready for battle as her husband, and she’s been dragged into it just the same. The fact that Mario, claiming ignorance, only calls her Goncharov between the two of them is an acknowledgement, however tacit, of this. 

Goncharov himself calls her Katya, even when he’s angry. When he’s in a good mood, he almost talks down to her, with his ‘little Katya’. They have been together for years. In a way, claiming her diminutive nickname is a way for him to reconnect with his own childhood, his own vulnerability. But at the same time, it is a way to control her-- to put her down. To him, she will always be little Katya from the streets of Moscow, even if he himself has outgrown being Vanya, and grown into being Goncharov. She is not a threat to him, but neither is she a true partner. 

The differences between her pronunciation when she introduces herself to Sofia and Sofia’s name for her are subtle, but there. She is Yekaterina, whereas Sofia uses a more Italian Caterina. You can actually see Cybill Shepherd purse her lips and let it slide-- one more person mangling her name. But Sophia Loren plays it as a joke, an opening into friendship, and later a claim. When Katya is speaking with Mario later, she corrects him not from calling her Goncharov the way she did with the passport officer, not to Yekaterina as she corrects Andrei when he gets too familiar with her, but to Caterina, rolled ‘r’ and all. She has taken Sofia’s claim and accepted it, made it hers.

[sayitaliano]

a few questions about these verbs…

i was just in italy and it seems like they use “buttare” for so many things that it confuses me on the true meaning?

Mi tolgo- cosa significa?

also is Badare used commonly? i’m reading vincent van goghs book right now (circa the 1880s) in italian and it’s used a lot for “take care” but i’ve never heard or seen it in my italian lessons/heard anyone use it

Ciao!

Buttare - "to throw", in general. You probably have heard us saying: butta la pasta! = "throw" the pasta! (into the water so that it cooks) buttare (via) la spazzatura = to "throw" away the garbage buttare via = to throw away buttalo! = throw it away! slang: come butta? = what's up? Cannot think about other examples atm, so if you have please send them. It depends on the usage (slang or fixed sentences + "common" usage)

Mi tolgo - "I remove from myself", or "to take off one's own clothes/something" (mi = from me). Infinitive reflexive form: togliersi. Examples: mi tolgo i vestiti = I take my clothes off mi tolgo (di mezzo) = I go away (lit.: I remove myself (from here): beware cause it may be used as "to k*ll" in certain situations like thriller books/movies, especially as "togliere qualcuno di mezzo") mi tolgo un dubbio = I remove a doubt from myself (by spaking/doing something) toglimi un dubbio... = tell me... (as "tell me the truth" or better "tell me if I am right or wrong *as I think this*") idiom: mi tolgo un sassolino dalla scarpa = to get rid of sth, especially something emotionally annoying (lit.: to remove a pebble from your shoe)

Badare - take care think about "badante" which is how generallly we call people that take care of elders in our homes. "Badante" translates as "someone who takes care". As a verb it's probably not so common but yes it's used (despite probably more in some Regions than others). It is also used as "to pay attention": bada... = pay attention/be careful (there's also an old song: Bada Caterina by Carmen Villani) In this acception I think it's also common in signs that tells you to pay attention to something that may be not safe or in formal things, like "badare alle controindicazioni" = pay attention to the contraindications