State of the Cesare
Cindy asked this in her meme and I got really into it, but then my phone ate it... So I decided I would just do it up again in a more extensive manner and stick it in his character journal since a good bit has changed.
I'm really impressed by the character arc Cesare has taken, the kinds of development he has been undergoing, and just the general things he has been able to get up to. (I'm additionally pleased because canon keeps backing me up on how things have been going in Camp, knock on wood.) If I was to mentally divide up Cesare's time in Camp as if it were a book, the prologue and first arc are done. The prologue would have been the first month--just the extreme confusion and uncertainty, getting a place to stay in Canada, meeting the first few people who he's had extended CR with.
The first arc stretched from there just about through his one year anniversary. A lot of things happened during this first year that were really important--he got Camped, felt threatened by AC cast, went crazy... some of his CR shifted from antagonistic to bros, he met new people to be unsafe with. Cesare learned about his history and the idea of other worlds and timelines. The general goal he was pursuing, however, was the reestablishment of a network. He finally managed to get himself to a place where he was no longer on edge all the time from being unable to function in the way he had learned in Italy. Cesare now has people he can call on to be a cook, a tailor, a tutor, a bodyguard, a lover... It took him a year, but he managed to recreate a network that he was comfortable with, with enough people having earned enough trust for him to relax a little. I'm really proud about this. It was a lot of work and luck and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get him to this place, which would have made me look seriously at dropping him.
That said, this was not all done in a morally sound way. Cesare has been so manipulative in Camp and I love it. I don't even know what my favorite example of this would be (although getting Spain to shank for him is definitely up there). At the same time, Cesare is interested in learning to be a better ruler and that's putting a bit of a shadow of doubt on the methods he uses. Not because he really sees them to be wrong (they work, don't they?) but because people keep pointing out that there are better ways to do things. And he's trying to be open to this criticism.
The end of this arc is fairly loosely stretched right over the new year--I'm planning on having a Christmas party hosted by Spain and him (and possibly another thing for Carnival, depending on what my internet access is like) that while inspired by a couple of conversations he had about people missing the kinds of celebrations they were used to from home, also serves as a way for him to showcase his talents and do a bit of pr.
But the second main arc that Cesare's beginning to embark on has to do with the question of what he can--and what he wants--to change about his world. There's so much new information here, and so many opportunities to try to change what has been written. He has been lectured in both directions on this and is still forming his own opinion on it, although it is settling into place. Cesare wants to change his world. He wants to undo or prevent some of the things that happen to his family... and to the Italy that he knows, really. Cesare has, under most circumstances, great confidence in himself and his abilities. He wants so much to take fortune into his own hands and to reshape his world with the new knowledge he has been able to get from Camp. This is why he has been spending so much time soaking up as much information as possible, especially on topics that seem relevant to his goals and the goals of his family.
Cesare's first test of his abilities will be at the vacations that I'm assuming they will get in January. He's planning on arranging for a feast for the hungry population in Pisa, using materials and labor from Camp. It's part act of charity, part paying of a debt, and part test of what he will be able to carry out.
So... That's about where Cesare is right now! He's transitioning away from some of these older issues of culture shock and needing to network and towards dealing with problems about history and what path he should take. I'm really excited about all of this. It's been a ton of fun to play out and work through and I'm so thankful for everyone who has let me do this! ♥ It's really been great!
I'm really impressed by the character arc Cesare has taken, the kinds of development he has been undergoing, and just the general things he has been able to get up to. (I'm additionally pleased because canon keeps backing me up on how things have been going in Camp, knock on wood.) If I was to mentally divide up Cesare's time in Camp as if it were a book, the prologue and first arc are done. The prologue would have been the first month--just the extreme confusion and uncertainty, getting a place to stay in Canada, meeting the first few people who he's had extended CR with.
The first arc stretched from there just about through his one year anniversary. A lot of things happened during this first year that were really important--he got Camped, felt threatened by AC cast, went crazy... some of his CR shifted from antagonistic to bros, he met new people to be unsafe with. Cesare learned about his history and the idea of other worlds and timelines. The general goal he was pursuing, however, was the reestablishment of a network. He finally managed to get himself to a place where he was no longer on edge all the time from being unable to function in the way he had learned in Italy. Cesare now has people he can call on to be a cook, a tailor, a tutor, a bodyguard, a lover... It took him a year, but he managed to recreate a network that he was comfortable with, with enough people having earned enough trust for him to relax a little. I'm really proud about this. It was a lot of work and luck and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get him to this place, which would have made me look seriously at dropping him.
That said, this was not all done in a morally sound way. Cesare has been so manipulative in Camp and I love it. I don't even know what my favorite example of this would be (although getting Spain to shank for him is definitely up there). At the same time, Cesare is interested in learning to be a better ruler and that's putting a bit of a shadow of doubt on the methods he uses. Not because he really sees them to be wrong (they work, don't they?) but because people keep pointing out that there are better ways to do things. And he's trying to be open to this criticism.
The end of this arc is fairly loosely stretched right over the new year--I'm planning on having a Christmas party hosted by Spain and him (and possibly another thing for Carnival, depending on what my internet access is like) that while inspired by a couple of conversations he had about people missing the kinds of celebrations they were used to from home, also serves as a way for him to showcase his talents and do a bit of pr.
But the second main arc that Cesare's beginning to embark on has to do with the question of what he can--and what he wants--to change about his world. There's so much new information here, and so many opportunities to try to change what has been written. He has been lectured in both directions on this and is still forming his own opinion on it, although it is settling into place. Cesare wants to change his world. He wants to undo or prevent some of the things that happen to his family... and to the Italy that he knows, really. Cesare has, under most circumstances, great confidence in himself and his abilities. He wants so much to take fortune into his own hands and to reshape his world with the new knowledge he has been able to get from Camp. This is why he has been spending so much time soaking up as much information as possible, especially on topics that seem relevant to his goals and the goals of his family.
Cesare's first test of his abilities will be at the vacations that I'm assuming they will get in January. He's planning on arranging for a feast for the hungry population in Pisa, using materials and labor from Camp. It's part act of charity, part paying of a debt, and part test of what he will be able to carry out.
So... That's about where Cesare is right now! He's transitioning away from some of these older issues of culture shock and needing to network and towards dealing with problems about history and what path he should take. I'm really excited about all of this. It's been a ton of fun to play out and work through and I'm so thankful for everyone who has let me do this! ♥ It's really been great!