Anita Sarkeesian, feminist who interpreted media under a feminist lens. She did a series about video games and she was the subject of targeted harassment. That was the start of gamergate
Minor correction, the start of gamergate was based around a different reporter, Zoe Quinn, but they were both absolutely violently threatened over their involvement in video game criticism and development. A hate campaign was started by Quinn's ex-boyfriend when he wrote a post falsely accusing them of dating video game journalists in order to receive positive reviews on their own game, Depression Quest, which led other bad actors to accuse all women in the industry (Zoe identified as female at the time) of perceived sexual immorality. Anita Sarkeesian's brilliant Youtube series Tropes vs Women in Video Games (which everyone should watch, right now) sparked a particular nerve for criticizing popular games of killing and/or victimizing any important female character (there is a CHILLING bit that borders on ludicrous where she describes the plots of a seemingly endless parades of games as "In [title], [male player character's] wife dies, and you then have to rescue [his] daughter."). That series did actually make a huge change in the industry, especially when touted by progressive legacy developers like Tim Schafer (Monkey Island, Psychonauts), who went on to expand hiring in his company to front women and minority voices, but the shift didn't really show for a long time and echoes of the sexism that plagues the industry at its core are still rampant.
In all seriousness, if you live in the US and you aren't familiar with the misogynistic harassment these people in the game industry faced during Gamergate, you need to watch this series right now.
This was the beggining of the current form of the US fascist movement and it underpins the entire thing about it to this day. If you live in the US and Gamergate isn't familiar to you, you're missing critical history to understanding US fascism. I'm not joking even a little bit here, you will understand modern United States fascism so much better if you are familiar with Gamergate.
Not an exaggeration. Gamergate led directly to the redpill/incel movement, which white supremacists exploited and colonized. Not to say that most of the white men in those movements weren't already racist to some extent, but that wasn't an active part of their politics until white supremacist recruiters came along and convinced them that the women ruining their videogames were part of the conspiracy to destroy the white race.
That's a very brief summary but you can go back step by step over the past decade and see how they did it.
Alecto's reboot story keeps going on! I don't want to wait any more to post this chapter, as it features one of her very best friends: Micah, our lovely elf created by @only-slightly-terrified. Also, thank you so so much to her because she was my [much needed!] beta-reader!!
And what could be better illustration for them than this wonderful art I got from @tommieglenn?
Small snippet after it! Read the chapter on AO3
āYouāre smarter than I thought,ā Micah confessed, both cheeks full of olives. āI thought you were mad, or worse, that theyād catch us. Iām sure if that happened and he found out, Viago would call me stupid.ā
Viago. A name Alecto knew well. Micah sensed her curiosity. āHeās promised to be my mentor, you know? Thatās because heās realised how incredible I am,ā he added proudly. āWhen I marry him, Iāll tell him youāre very clever too.ā
Alectoās purple eyes widened, making her look like a little frog. āWhenā¦ what?ā
He nodded firmly. āHis father is the king. Iāll be king consort and weāll live in a huge castle, and everyone will have to suck up to us if they donāt want me to have their heads chopped off.ā
Micahās determination was endearing, so much so that Alecto even felt a twinge of envy. If only she had a dream to believe in, but she couldnāt bring herself to think beyond next week.Ā
i admit i am getting wary whenever people vaguepost about a fandom being 'full of drama' because a lot of people seem to use 'drama' as a synonym for like. discussions of bigotry and bias in media. which is so very much not the same thing and it hurts my head to see it conflated with shipping wars and headcanon discourse.
Oh, I want to ask so much about alternate love interest :3 (in case nobody have yet asked same things, of course^^) So :3
Alecto and Emmrich
Valeera and Viago
Arabella and Makal Damas :3
(I have weakness for winter criminals X)))
Alecto and Emmrich - @doctormur
This is so so so interesting!! I've intentionally left this couple for the last one because I have a lot of ideas.
First things, in the Cuervolecto universe, Alecto is training with Emmrich because she wants to improve her magic AND see the spirits (Spite, but also Sammy's own demons).
But if we want an alternate universe... Is a weird pairing, but it could be a succesful one indeed. Alecto would be fascinated about necromancy - not offended, like Lucanis, about someone "undoing" their work - and even more about using the power of the dead. And I can see Emmrich enjoying how passionate she is about living life fully, enjoying everything. Plus.. he will be the one who makes her feel at peace, and his delicate manners will do her a lot of good. And there's Manfred, of course, Alecto will love him a lot and release her goofiness with him.
I still want to mention I had in mind a timeline where Alecto turns evil, in a way that ressembles Cersei Lannister, not crazy at all but pure selfish and cruel if needed. I roleplayed her a bit this way, but left things undone because *reasons*. Still I loved how things were going with her, it felt quite natural, so to say. If we put Emmrich in this equation - his lessons -, it could include indeed necromantic magic, high level alchemy and things that go BOOM
Thank you so much for your questions!!!!! I love thinking about the What if's
(2/3) Oh, I want to ask so much about alternate love interest :3 (in case nobody have yet asked same things, of course^^) So :3
Arabella and Makal Damas
@doctormur
Second of three!!! This one was VERY unexpected, but as Bella works frequently in Tevinter, this could happen indeed
Things being said, Bella is a bitch. The bad kind. She only pays attention to herself and the very few people she cares for, and due to her kind of work (seductress) she does not usually get involved with her targets
And Damas would be one, for sure, probably for getting information instead of killing him (or not). But Damas is an important and clever person, head of the Threads, and for sure he would let her get closer but not too close without a background check. And he somehow would know who she is, and most importantly, what she is.
Maybe they could have a fling, a codependant one. They agree to have fun together, but none of them would reveal anything they would consider confidential. They both are using the other, and they know.
But in the end... Arabella would not save him. She considers Elek a better leader, a lot smarter than Damas is, so if he unfortunately gets caught... Well, those things happen. I somehow imagine Arabella watching him being ambushed by the Venatori. Looking at a safe distance. Turning her back to him... And leaving.
[if you have seen the 1st season of Spartacus, I see her leaving exactly like this:)
"A runaway and an unexpected ally" is the title of the 2nd episode of Alecto's story reboot!
10 yo Alecto is fed up of punishment and bullies, so she has decided to run away as she previously did from the orphanage. Or, at least, so she thought, until a certain someone caught her.
Snippet after the cut, read it in AO3!
She had been patient. More or less. But now, after almost a year, Alecto had come to the conclusion that there was nothing she could do to improve her situation. If she was docile, things would go badly, but fighting back hadnāt exactly improved matters. Consumed by rage most of the time, she was terrified by the mere idea that, in a moment of weakness, some demon might take hold of her, turning her into an abomination. The whispers were tempting, of course, and promised her a revenge that would exceed her expectations. Almost ten years old, and with no proper training in any of the Circles, Alecto knew she was easy prey. She could think of only one way out, and it was the least honourable: to escape.Ā
She might have been a child, but she was fully aware that if she were caughtāwhether in the midst of her escape or afterwardsāshe would not live to see adulthood. She also knew she could trust no one; sheād never deluded herself on that point. That was why, despite the anxiety that filled her, Alecto had spent weeks observing the place and its potential weak points, the patrol routines, everything that came to mind. And, above all, waiting.Ā
The opportunity came on a day when the weather was particularly foul, with a downpour so heavy that not even the guards at the entrance wanted to patrol the gardens. Having not slept a wink, upon hearing the fourth chime after midnight, Alecto decided that her moment had come. She made her way through the great hall in complete silence, as quickly as she could, using chairs and tables to hide behind whenever she heard a noise. She was wearing nothing but the clothes on her back, but she would manage. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought sheād be discovered, so she quickened her pace even more. Going out through the front door would be suicide ā besides, she wasnāt sure she could even open it ā so stealing a key from the servants was quite simple. Her hands were shaking so much she couldnāt manage to slot it into the keyhole.
āCome on, come on,ā she urged herself in a low voice, trying to calm down. āYou just have to open this bloody door.ā
āAnd stop making such a racket, donāt you think?ā The voice startled her so much that she had to stifle a scream, all the more so when a pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to turn round, pressing her hard against the door.
Oh, I want to ask so much about alternate love interest :3 (in case nobody have yet asked same things, of course^^) So :3
Valeera and Viago
@doctormur
[will answer the three pairings dw!
Valeera is younger than Viago (about 8-10 years more or less!!) so in the beginning, he will see her as just a know-it-all kid, possibly not taking our Leera seriously.
That will make her go crazy, in a bad way. Valeera has a hot temper, so she will see him as a stiff and arrogant man, plus she does not matter what is his bloodline - actual monarchies are nothing for her. She will be angry at him. Possibly yell.
Aaaand with a bit of time maybe Viago will notice she is really a bookworm and pay more attention to her, respecting her need for learning. Surely he'll end up asking for advice and ancient alchemy, and she will end up trusting him and... Well!
Plus, Viago is not fond of parties. Imagine both of them in their living room, with the chimney lit, studying and comparing notes.
Well you know i gotta ask! Alecto x Nyx >:)c @nyx-de-riva
I've spent a couple of days thinking about this!! For some reason I see them having an affair, but not a long lasting relationship (or at least, they think they will not last š). Both of them are chaotic, Nyx a bit more irreverent and Alecto cannot be tamed in any way, so Viago will keep them as far as he can if our lovely Talon wants to keep his own sanity.
Though, they can have fun together. A LOT. And Alecto will always be intrigued about Nyx's magic
The problem with having OCs is that sometimes you wanna read about your little guy being in situations but unfortunately he is YOUR little guy and no one is gonna put him in that situation but you. Tragic.
I present you with Viago de Riva (with the only biblically accurate hair). Still to be coloured, but I already like it very, very much, what a beautiful man he is. I imagine that this might be something he wore to the Lago di Novo Talons meeting.
His attire is very loosely based on victorian and regency fashion. The boots he wears in the game stayed, they look quite nice here. And the walking stick is based on the description from Eight Little Talons.
Softly tagging: @woundedsoul12 @serensama @kabsey @himluv @juniper-and-dragonthorn @cravingcoconutredbull @hedwigoprah @blightedcrow @madamemortem @slothquisitor @jenn2d2 @wolfmoonwildflowers @blackwall-my-tiny-husband @serstolas @serialsforbellara @sandcastlekings @handsignals @chaosherald @seaglassmelody @jukkaricity @davrinsleftpectoral @tevivinter @dread-red-queen and everyone else who wants to play š¤
Please keep in mind that tags are for fun, you don't need to do anything. If at any point you want in or out of the list, just go here.
Distracted as we are, I keep on working [with the precious help of @adhd-riddled-crow!!] in our Modern Alternative Universe: Music AU for Cuervo & Alecto.
Titled "Crows left of the murder", will take us to the alternative modern future where ye olde Thedas is far and our two favorite crows are trying to find their place in the musical industry
Every chapter will have the name of a song related to it [somehow], and a cover & the original will be linked so people can listen to it, too
First one? "You can't always get what you want" [The Rolling Stones]
Full work on AO3!
Short snippet!
A dark-haired, tall man with a circumspect expression pushed the alleyway door open so hard that it hit the wall. The noise snapped her out of her thoughts more abruptly than she would have liked, but he seemed so flustered that Alecto didnāt protest. In fact, she was almost certain he didnāt even notice she was there.Ā
She looked at him curiously. Tall, quite handsome, dishevelled hair that only added to his charm. He seemed frustrated, and not just because he was rummaging through his pockets for a lighter that refused to be found ā that much was clear from the unlit cigarette held between his lips. Alecto smiled faintly out of pure empathy and stepped towards him, her own lighter already on.Ā
āThanks,ā the stranger grunted as he inhaled to ignite the embers.Ā
She gave a nod and leaned back against the wall, tilting her head back.Ā
They stood there like that for a couple of minutes, with nothing to be heard but the sound of cars on the avenue and the patter of rain against the alleyway bins.Ā
āA shitty day?ā she finally asked. The silence didnāt make her uncomfortable, but perhaps letting out some of that pent-up anger would do them both good.
āA bloody shitty day,ā he declared, without looking back at her. He didnāt seem upset, but rather exasperated by the situation, which encouraged Alecto to keep talking.
This is both a WIP and a non-WIP! I've decided to rewrite Alecto's backstory fully [the one she is not with my permanently loved Velasco from @adhd-riddled-crow] as I did not find my work as good as I wanted to.
So... Here it is, the prologue. A young Alecto being found by Adriano Arainai, just a child trying to survive on the streets
Read the Prologue [and the work itself!!] on AO3
Just keep in mind... Alecto will not be Rook š
Like a hawk, he grabbed the wrist of the reckless creature who had dared to undo the knot of his bag; perhaps it was time to let the thief know that stealing from a Crow was one of the worst ideas they could possibly have. As he turned, ready to break those bones, he found himself staring at a scrawny youngster, her eyes wide with shock at being caught red-handed. Surprise made Adriano hesitate for a second. That was all she needed to shake off her captor and bolt with her loot, blending into the crowd.
The Master Assassin cursed his own stupidity for letting himself be tricked like that, but that thieving scoundrel wasnāt going to get away with it. She was skilful, there was no denying it, but she didnāt seem particularly familiar with the market, unlike the gangs of street urchins that populated every city. A couple of times he got so close he thought he might catch her, but just as often she would suddenly turn and slip through his fingers. The third time, however, she wasnāt so lucky. The alley came to a complete dead end, and Adriano smiled to himself as he saw her stop and turn towards him, catching her breath with some effort and a hint of terror in her violet eyes.Ā
āNice try,ā the man acknowledged with a chuckle as he approached her, ābut you should have chosen your victim more carefully.ā
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