[cardvcci]

{jacob anderson, 35, cis man, he/him, carducci #1} do you believe the rumors about LUCIANO of HOUSE CARDUCCI? a recent portrait of them reminds me of JACOB ANDERSON, because HE is so COMPOSED AND QUICK-WITTED. however, whispers have been saying they’re actually DISTANT AND INFLEXIBLE. maybe that’s why i think of CANDLELIGHT REFLECTING IN GOLD RINGS, EYES THAT SCAN EVERY ROOM, CAREFULLY FOLDED LETTERS LOCKED AWAY.

full name: luciano ettore carducci. nickname(s): luci. title: ruling lord carducci. birthday: 27th january. gender / pronouns: cis man & he / him. orientation: homosexual / homoromantic. personality: humanitarian, independent, temperamental, distrusting. languages spoken: italian, spanish, portuguese, french, english, latin, ancient greek. relationship status: unbetrothed. build: lithe. side: destra.

luciano was raised for leadership from his first babble and toddle. his childhood was not unkind, but it wasn't by any means soft. praise was earned and affection offered in small doses. tutors taught him mathematics, astronomy, history and rhetoric and he was a dutiful and highly adept student.

his father taught him to never show emotion, rarely trust others, lie effectively and how best to keep up appearances -- namely, through philanthropy. the real life lessons, he called them. he was displeased to learn the altruism was the thing that came most naturally to his eldest son. eager to please, luciano worked at the other skills just as he did his tutor work.

in a sign of great success according to the former carducci patriarch, his is not a warm or sunny disposition despite a truly kind heart buried underneath practiced coldness. he is serious to a tee, purposefully unreadable and endlessly careful. he would be the perfect gentleman if he cared one bit for small talk -- luciano can and will play the part if it's required of him, but not as much as he should.

he can come across callous and cold, purposefully distancing himself from everyone in order to maintain the facade he's worked so hard to build -- so much so that often he alienates even his siblings who can find him difficult to grasp hold of. luciano loves them deeply and would do practically anything for them, he's just ill-equipped to show it.

usually found in the company of books. has always been an avid reader and will never let that go. his personal library is possibly the most extensive in verona and he can sometimes be persuaded to let people peruse or borrow, should they wish.

unsurprisingly then, education is one of his primary areas of focus for philanthropy. the next most prominent is probably healthcare, then the arts. the church receives its fair share only as he'd be extremely remiss not to.

very well understands his family's reputation as snakes, liars, etc -- they are wholly deserving of it. in an ideal word, luciano would lead the family over onto a new leaf, but... frankly, it works in their favour and he's not certain he's bothered enough to really bring that change about at present. as ruling lord he is certainly most focused on the philanthropic side of things as it is his interest, but he is by no means unaware of any game playing.

on the topic of games, he almost views the feud as one. the origins are shaky, based on unreliable stories with all potential witnesses long gone. he was raised to hate the sinistra side and will play that part, but harbours no real animosity (unless they've given him another reason to.)

is aware, of course, that the jees have knowledge the family would much prefer they didn't and that is why he begrudgingly continues to pay them. but he is always weighing up his options and trying to find a way out of doing so that wouldn't potentially set the city alight.

wanted connections. pinterest.

an in-the-works possible political engagement. probably someone from the destra side for an alliance, but open to a sinistra/mezza too. luciano is highly reluctant to marry, but perhaps a figure in this person's life (or they themselves are ! ) is trying to wear him down and proposing the idea of a marriage arrangement.

adversary. someone who doesn't trust luciano at all, they're convinced he's the devil in velvet and the distrust is entirely mutual, as is probably the general dislike.

politically aligned. someone with the same priorities as luciano -- probably around philanthropy but also generally around politics. he is very 'radical' for the time and doesn't care who knows it. this person could be just as radical and public too, or more subtle and private with it. either way, they've much to discuss.

the one that got away. or the one that was let go. the only proper relationship luciano has ever dared to have. it was complicated, messy, but oh so real and that was absolutely terrifying. how and why it ended is open, but more than likely luciano did not want to remain so exposed. taken by alessio pelliterri.

a real friend. probably the only one luciano has. they know him best, know and understand the facade, maybe they've been trying to convince him to take the mask off since his becoming the ruling lord, maybe they accept him as he is. in return, luciano is a highly loyal and protective friend and will offer awkward pats and practical advice if they're upset. everything else pls !

[insaticte]

where: cathedral verona when: after evening service with: @cardvcci

As the last stragglers filter out of the cathedral at the conclusion of the evening's mass, Indra gives in to their impulses, moving to intercept Luciano before they can think better of it. Perhaps they might've chosen a more private setting, if the opportunity had arisen, but... the Carducci patriarch has proven difficult to pin down of late, and they are not such a fool that they cannot guess as to why.

"You have been avoiding me," they say quietly, catching hold of Luciano's arm in a bid to keep him from simply brushing past, "Did you sincerely think you would be able to do so forever?"

[cardvcci]

realising his plan to exit the cathedral without further social interaction is ruined -- and by someone he particularly does not want to talk to, no less -- previously hurried steps slow to an exceedingly casual pace. at least he can take in their admittedly beautiful surroundings before the confrontation, he thinks briefly.

eyebrows raise at the hand on his arm, dark gaze dropping to focus on the physical connection for a moment, as if trying to comprehend it. "i have?" luciano questions coolly, directing his attention to indra as he stops. "i should think it would be entirely possible ; this is by no means a small city, and we have so little in common. would you not agree that we run in different social circles?"

[vivianapalazzo]

open to all { 1 / 3 }

location: a drawing room in the palazzo estate

"ghastly business, is it not?" viviana remarked with a frown, peering suspiciously through the windows at the citizens of verona below. she had only known the murdered man through mutual friends, but she had always thought his an especially pleasing countenance; perhaps their paths would have crossed one day - had his not been cut short. she sighed and shook her head. "they played with fire, and now someone has been burned. what do you think, will they learn their lesson now? or will this become an inferno that will destroy us all?"

[cardvcci]

regretting his decision to accompany a sibling to the palazzo estate, luciano rose from his seat to take up a position standing at a far window. "quite," his quiet agreement came after several beats of heavy silence, the usual cold edge to his voice grittier than usual. he cleared his throat. he'd known apollo only in passing -- the same way he knew the majority of the city. "i would venture not. centuries have passed already and it is safe to say no lessons have been learned." hopefully, though, the latter was not the only other option available.

[reticent-vampire]

JACOB ANDERSON as Louis de Pointe du Lac

[sealcdfates]

closed starter continued from here : ( luciano & alessio )

"not once...not once did you think of marriage with me?" voice soaked with melancholy, his lower lip quivering as if the words hurt to speak aloud. this had quickly become their new pattern, it was the same old dance, the one alessio always initiated and the one luciano always bowed out of. "fairytales are not always perfect," he shook his head, taking a step closer to luciano, "we could rewrite our story if you'd let yourself feel something. a beautiful, flawed story...a complete story." a hand reached up to cup luciano's cheek, lashes wet with tears alessio was trying to blink away. "why do you run from me so?" he was breathless, terrified, "what is it about me that makes you despise the thought of love?" his thumb trailed to luciano's lips, "and what of that kiss? was it nothing...just as your empty words of love were nothing?"

[cardvcci]

"not once," he repeated back, entirely sure the other could see right through the terrible lie it was. the fact of the matter was, on one gently sunlit afternoon in his own study -- alessio lounging in an armchair looking remarkably like a painting luciano had seen once -- the prospect of marriage had occurred to him for the first and only time in his life. it was usually far easier to let the voice of his father take over his mind ; sometimes, luciano swore he could physically feel a change happening as he did so, the blood freezing in his veins or his heart shrinking. "crucially, fairytales are not real." there it was, the distinct iciness lacing his tone, the flat expression sapping the warmth from brown eyes and replacing it with disinterest. he remained stoic as alessio reached for him, only blinking as warm hand cupped his cheek. "it has nothing to do with you," alessio just so happened to be the only poor soul luciano had ever loved. as such, he remained on the receiving end of his refusal. taking one long stride backwards, he gave a minute shake of his head as if in warning to the other. "a lapse in judgement, that is all. you do know that if you continue to insist on this, all that will happen is that we will continue to go round in circles and come back to where we are now. save your energy. direct it elsewhere. leave me alone."

[reticent-vampire]

Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac Interview with the vampire 1.07

[cardvcci]

“   Love is surely the greatest force of all. ” (Luciano I’m so sorry but this is Mek coded )

her statement was met with a blank look, a silent prayer said that wished for release from whatever hysteria was gripping the city in the name of love. or at least for those afflicted to keep well away from him. "love and hate are merely different sides of the same coin. whichever rues the day at any given moment is just the result of the interactions between chance and context, nothing more."

[cardvcci]

❛ Ever since I was a child, I felt like greatness was in store for me. ❜ (tommaso & luciano)

"it is a good impetus to have, but i would advise you exercise a degree of caution with it." luciano saw far too much of himself in tommaso and it was out of the fear of the other continuing to grow into him that was the driving force to teach. to try and mould before all hope was lost ; impart the wisdom he'd needed to hear at the other's age. "people do not respond well to arrogance, even if it is only perceived to be such. more importantly though, you should not hold yourself to impossible standards. it is good to have high expectations of yourself, it is less so to run yourself into the ground attempting the impossible."

[cardvcci]

❛ When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I don’t have an excellent library. ❜ ( from jie )

he nodded, turning slowly on his heel to take in the splendour of his own hard-won library. "i would understand that perfectly. without this one, i should be much more miserable than people like to profess i already am." a slight smile twitched at one corner of his lips. "if you would like any help when the time comes -- whether in persuading an audience of a library's necessity, or simply with filling it, i would be more than happy to assist. an unsuitable library is just as bad as the absence of one."

[cardvcci]

{from eleonora}

“   Listen to me — just say you're sorry. ”

his back straightened like a rod, dark eyes narrowing almost in disbelief at the demand made of him. "i have already apologised, several times in fact. no good has come of it so far, and i do not imagine that will change. i have tolerated your involvement in this mess so far, but i will inform you now -- as plainly as i can -- that i will not do so for much longer if you continue like this."

[cardvcci]

❛ I’ve always known that I would marry you. Why should I feel ashamed of that? ❜ & ❛ Sometimes, you just have to let people love you. ❜ from alessio <3

"because it is wishful thinking beyond even that of a fairytale, alessio." the words spill in a slightly colder tone than he had intended, laced with a tinge of annoyance at the naivety of the notion. his belief in the sentiment was steadfast ; their story was far from that of a fairytale and that was not likely to change. "and i know that you know that."

luciano's jaw set, brows drawn into a deep frown. "i do not think that is true at all," and i do not think i would know how to, he chose not to say. "not when it will only be to the detriment of all involved. actually, in such a situation, i believe one would have the responsibility to do all in their power to prevent it happening."

[cardvcci]

closed starter for: @destinoinverona ( tommaso ! )

luciano's steps are slow and deliberate as they weave through the streets, a much needed respite from the chaos that had been the city council meeting he'd invited the young orisini to attend with him. he glances sideways at the other, dark eyebrows rising just slightly before he speaks, "you appear to be ruminating over something with such intensity that you have forgotten how to breathe," coming to a sudden stop, he levels the other with a serious look. "would you like to share what is on your mind? or shall i just spend the rest of this walk reminding you to breathe?"

[stcrbendersgcrden-deactivated20]

oh, she was beginning to have fun. marcella loved to speak back and forth like this. unsaid truths lingering on the corners of the sharper words and beneath the duller ones. "so you invite but it is not a preference. ah, so like you are made to have these thoughts. a ball- a party, that you must attend but you are not meaning to. maybe you have fun there, maybe you do not. it is not guarantee. is that a more accurate example of what it is you are thinking of in this?" the smirk was pushing further up, but it was not that same prodding confidence but more so morphing into something playful and joyous. she was relishing in this atmosphere most certainly.

[cardvcci]

he was beginning to regret having engaged at all, mourning the loss of the silence he'd been enjoying before marcella arrived. though, he supposed he was lucky it had been her and not a more unsavoury character. a slow nod given. "yes, i suppose. the things one would like to do and the things one must do are not very often the same thing. at least not in my experience. the nature of our society requires this of us." gaze slid back to the town below. "now, i have a question for you, if you do not mind."

[sealcdfates]

this was heaven. this was all he’d wanted. just to be in luciano’s divine presence and, oh, how he’d missed it, how he’d ached for it. the man he’d grasped for in every dream, the man who had his heart in the palm of his hands. all those soliloquies and declarations of love alessio had longed to spill from his lips, to wrap around luciano like a steadying embrace, like something that might finally make him feel whole. no, there was no chasm alessio wouldn’t dive across to be with luciano. and how he wished luciano would catch him, would keep him beneath his ribs and hold him there forever. alessio wouldn’t have to think about the years of heartbreak he’d endured away from luciano, he could stay there until the end of his days and never spend another from the only one he’d ever love. if the cosmos had brought them together once more, then surely the clouds themselves were holding them. and then he caught a glimpse of it, the walls that luciano had so meticulously built around himself came down, if only for a moment. alessio saw the pain that had buried its way into luciano’s brow, the agony that afflicted him was palpable. and, rather naively, alessio thought himself to be the one who could heal the hurt. in alessio’s mind’s eye, luciano’s heart was a beautiful star that had imploded and he could be the cure. he could remind luciano of his worth.

with a hand over luciano’s heart, alessio gripped at his shirt, fingers grasping for all he wanted in life. the pain that soaked the other’s voice threatened to engulf alessio and he could only imagine that luciano was drowning. why could alessio not be his salvation? and he could not bear it, he could not bear for luciano to feel any guilt or shame. “you do not have to earn anything when it comes to me,” his voice trembled, fingers delicately stroking luciano’s cheek. “you can fix me," his voice a whisper, desperation laced every syllable. his lips brushed against luciano’s skin to catch the tears that fell, nose nudging against the other’s. "you did not deserve to be handled so carelessly, so cruelly by those who were meant to love you," alessio's touch ghosted across luciano's features, his thumb imprinting upon the lips he knew so well. "you were mishandled and it is unfair." the blood beneath alessio's skin boiled at the very thought of luciano being treated poorly, but he drew a trembling breath and steadied himself to the moment. "might i be able to mend you? can my love please be your remedy? you don't have to be whole...i'm not asking for that." even in the bloodshed, even in the ruin, even in the great war, luciano was all alessio reached for. “you make me happy, luciano. you,” brown eyes met the pair that fate had bound to his, the force enough to knock the breath from alessio's lungs. “do you regret it? do you regret me?” the question had echoed in his mind, carving its way into his every thought. had alessio been a mistake? alessio's hammering heart buried against luciano’s for him to keep. he was laid out before luciano like wreckage and the only salvation was his embrace. alessio's hand claimed luciano's back, splayed across it as he held him in a tight embrace. "no, no. it doesn't have to end in heartbreak," he tilted luciano's chin up, "how can you speak of melted wings when you are carved from marble?" when luciano's hand found his waist, a shiver ran up alessio's spine. a sigh fell from alessio's lips they read the sacred language he and luciano had created for themselves. he took luciano in like the air he needed to breathe, breath uneven and heavy as his tongue brushed against luciano’s if only for a moment. he felt greedy between the racing beats of his heart and the fingers that gently dug into luciano's waist. his body was flush against luciano's and he could feel every heartbeat from the other's chest. 'this has to be the last time.' the words punched his stomach, and all he could do was shake his head. it couldn't be. "i love you, luciano. i will spend my entire life fighting for you, fighting to hold your heart,” lips traveled to luciano's jawline as he murmured, “and i swear i’ll hold it so carefully, luc. so carefully.”

[cardvcci]

confusion flickered, then engraved itself in exhausted features. luciano felt pretty certain that alessio could probably hear the cogs of his brain turning -- faster and faster, trying desperately to make sense of the simple but utterly alien words. 'you do not have to earn anything when it comes to me'. they rang around his mind like an alarm for several minutes and all he could do was blink, fingers remaining curled firmly into the fabric at alessio's waist. he hoped it didn't come across the same way it felt ; like he was clinging to a raft for dear life. finally, he pushed his way through the fog of confusion and gave a firm shake of his head. "no, i cannot," steadying himself to capture alessio's gaze, he bumped his forehead against the other's. "and neither did you. it is because i loved you and ruined you that i cannot allow myself to try again. i can tell you with some confidence that i will only do the very same thing again," a momentary pause, he cupped alessio's face and stroked his thumb along his cheek. "and i do not want that for you. i do not want you to have to fix me and regardless of what you say, you should not want it for yourself either. you are worth so much more than that. i hope you know that."

the sensible approach might have been to lie -- something luciano had never had any problem with before -- insist that he very much regretted their former intimacy and wished only to put it behind him. but he could not bring himself to do it. pathetic. "i regret only how it ended. i regret that i chose you... but only because i should have known it would end as it did." with the slightest of smiles, he let out a tiny bark of laughter. "had i picked someone lesser and that i loved less there would be no problem, but i had to be greedy and pick the best person i knew." sometimes, he questioned whether it was more that he wanted alessio ( an undeniable truth ) or that he wanted to be alessio. or at least more like him -- a beacon of undying warmth, sensitive to his own but also other's feelings, the kind of person people wanted to share their thoughts and days with and not a shadowy figure lurking in the background to be avoided. he envied deeply the relationships alessio had with others, there was nothing to be found that could mirror that in his own life. all thoughts came crashing down as the air left his lungs. he thought briefly about breaking away to sufficiently catch his breath, but the familiar soft sensation of alessio's lips on his only drew him in deeper. he would let himself drown if need be. a soft, involuntary moan escaped parted lips and he pressed himself ever closer, grasping at every expanse of alessio's body within reach. "please don't say that," whispered hoarsely, head tipping back to rest against the wall. "i know you would, but i cannot give it to you, and i cannot promise the same in return. i have already broken yours once and i will not see myself do it again. all i want is you to find someone who will look after it, and you, in the ways that i am not capable of." hand rose to cradle the back of alessio's head and luciano ducked to bury his face in the crook of the other's neck, breathing in the comforting scent. after a moment of silence, he pressed his lips to the side of his neck and mumbled against the skin, "i am sorry that i love you too. mostly, i am sorry that i cannot love you in the ways you deserve."

[sealcdfates]

closed starter for : @cardvcci location : the foyer of the carducci estate, near midnight

shoes in hand, rosalia took each step down the long staircase with care ( she didn’t remember the staircase being such an odyssey ; perhaps it was the late hour, or the knowledge that she really ought to have been in bed ). aiming to remain as quiet and stealthy as possible, she took a sigh of relief as she hopped from the last step onto the floor of the foyer. leaning against the railing, rosalia slipped her shoes on only to hear someone clear their throat behind her. “rats,” she muttered before spinning on her heels to flash her brother an innocent smile. “luciano,” rosalia hummed, “are you alright? surely you ought to be resting.”

[cardvcci]

at times, luciano wondered why on earth it was that his little sister even bothered trying to keep up the pretence that she could sneak around the estate and remain undiscovered. he had lost count over the years of how many times they'd had this precise interaction. he descended the stairs silently, keeping several steps behind -- clearly, he'd mastered the art the younger had yet to -- and waiting patiently for her to notice his presence. "rosalia," name uttered back to her, brows rising just a tad. "you needn't concern yourself with the degree of rest i require." slowly, luciano closed the gap between them and hovered on the step immediately above. "it would seem you and i have very different definitions of an 'early night'," a pause, then he continued casually, "that is what you claimed to be having just this evening, no? perhaps we should take the time to reconcile our meanings with one another. so that we are on the same page, so to speak."

[stcrbendersgcrden-deactivated20]

oh, that was a spike in something there. was it a bold read? likely, but marcella was a bold individual. especially when it came to matters like this. even so, she had prodded too deep for now. there was a line. she'd just have to keep toeing if to see what it was that was going on inside the other's head. "no, of course not my lord. would never want to do something like that. not at all," it is said with palpable irony. she would love to speak all night, though in circles was not a preferred method. the smirk played on her lips as she looked at him, "you would prefer something direct. something weighs on you then, my lord yes? you ponder the delicate balance out loud. means you would like to talk about it in some form. even if i am not the preferred person."

[cardvcci]

electing to ignore her sarcastic agreement -- though he was hesitant to even call it that -- luciano narrowly avoided giving in to the temptation to roll his eyes. he turned then to face her, arms folded over his chest and one leg crossing over the other at the ankle as he leant back against the railing. "almost always," a nonchalant to her first suggestion. certainly, he had to give it to marcella that he appreciated candour. he took note of the smirk, his own expression unchanged and revealing nothing. "it does not necessarily mean i would like to talk about it at all. it is an invitation, perhaps, to do so, but not an indication of my preference."

[losingbenni]

JACOB ANDERSON as Louis de Pointe du Lac

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (2022) 1.01 - In Throes of Increasing Wonder…