#and he IS a man whose heavily religious worldview comes down around his ears and who becomes just. suffused with guilt

[good--merits-accumulated]

god writing the first bits of the italian renaissance au is so gruelling. i feel like putting up a big sign on top of the text that says I PROMISE I'M NOT WOOBIFYING TODD. HE'S A GROWN MAN WHO GETS A NUANCED PERSONALITY I PROMISE IT'S JUST THAT ALL THE OTHER CHARACTERS ARE LOOKING AT HIM WRONG. PLEASE

#this post is about todd but really it applies to the whole triumvirate #besides it's a renaissance au - i'd go amiss if i didn't include SOME themes on perception/performance/political personas etc. #like. niccolò/neil is PERCEIVED as a young swaggering military captain and a ladies' man and a dandy #and IS a gentle and kind man who understands deeply his own prowess for fighting and for political maneuvering #and wants none of it #and tommaso/todd is PERCEIVED as a lamb among wolves - the most naive and innocent and vulnerable cardinal in rome #and he IS a man who is kind “in despite of” - not “in the lack of” #and he IS a man whose heavily religious worldview comes down around his ears and who becomes just. suffused with guilt #a man who discovers he has the potential for great cruelty and who spends the rest of his life retreating from that revelation #horrified by the inner workings of his own soul #and andrea is PERCEIVED as a solemn and stately young politician who's a stickler for rules and a fantastic orator #and he IS. well. yeah no that is actually pretty accurate #except for the queer streak of jealousy that ruins him in the end #also i reckon the rule-sticking gets thrown out the window around the first political assassination. #that's corruption!!!!! baby!!!!!! #anderperry #these tags got unreasonably long. my bad #tristan writes