Basically, the story is split into two parts.
The first takes place during Italy’s Years of Lead, a period marked by political violence and unrest the protagonist has just been released from prison with one clear objective, avenge the death of his friend, a well-known activist whose murder is treated almost like an open secret the protagonist already knows who is responsible, but the killer has disappeared without a trace.(He fucked off for political refuge or whatever) To get closer to him, he takes a job working for one of the killer’s relatives, hoping to uncover information about where he’s hiding. The complication is that one of those relatives turns out to be an old classmate of his someone he shared a deeply difficult and complicated relationship with, the second part explores their past. During World War 2 Italy controlled Libya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, and Albania. Some Italian officers and soldiers stationed in Eritrea had children with local women and later brought those children back to Italy after the war. The protagonist is one of them. Growing up as a Black man in post-fascist Italy is harsh and isolating, and his school years reflect that reality. That’s where he meets this classmate: someone who outwardly represents the image of the “ideal” Italian man, except for a disability that leaves him marginalized as well.
Despite their differences, both are treated as outsiders in different ways. The protagonist is drawn to the contradiction of someone who, in theory, could have had everything, yet is still powerless and dependent on him. Their relationship becomes intensely toxic, built on mutual resentment, dependence, and constant power struggles, all deeply tied to race, ableism, and social status. I am still unsure of their dynamic i just want it to be toxic but overall it's about wanting a connection with someone
In the present timeline, the protagonist reconnects with this former classmate in hopes of using him to track down the killer. But as they fall back into old patterns, he begins to realize he may be trapping himself in the same destructive codependency they never truly escaped.
Yuh tell me your opinion also send me name ideas
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I like the premise and setting! It's very detailed and unique. You might already have this in works, but I'd love to know further about the relationship between the MC and the dead activist, and have political ideologies foregrounded and complicate the story (and possible the relationship with the classmate). Maybe fascism for instance? To have the characters embody those beliefs and have them tested through their relationship would definitely make your story even more interesting (it already is).
p/s: idk why but the very first thing I thought about when I read the first few sentences is pasolini's mysteriously unsolved death.
Pasolini is actually the inspiration for the activist death! Well him and che Guevara during the years of lead there were a lot of acts of terrorism specifically in north Italy from both sides of the polical spectrum so i want to explore that too
oh can I ask you sth abt pasolini over DMs on mangago? since you're italian, and I'm curious abt pasolini
Sure I can't promise you I'll know everything tho
dude thats insanely good, the research is great the time period allows for pretty good imagery and allegories. italy was also booming with mining industries at that time, if im not mistaken.
i think its a good idea to research popular names in the 60s in italy, but religious names are always Timeless.
It's hard for me to choose really popular Italian names because I'm Italian and i know like 40 people in real life with those names so i think I'll go with less popular ones for the mcs but for the side characters imma just use whatever.
Idk Oliver, Benjamin,Liam,Adam,Noel,Otto
But it’s a good story it’s sounds good!!
Babes we are in Italy...I need Italian names
Ohh sorry I thought any name would work
There’s always the super traditional, Catholic names (ex: Micheal). Some other SUPER Italian names are Gianmarco, Rocco, Antonio, Luciano, Rosetta, etc. I would watch some older Italian films for more name and setting ideas. For example, Roma Citta Aperta takes place in Rome during the Nazi occupation. It actually started filming two months after the occupation ended, so the city is how it would’ve looked then. It also just an amazing movie, so worth the watch.
THANK YOU I will check out the movie, i really like old movies
But where's the smut (joking )
It sounds pretty cool, i dunno much about history but this sounds pretty interesting, also the fact that they're two kinda oppressed groups.
Read a just slightly similar story, but it was about like difference in social class and miscommunication, it was toxic at first, like reall bad, they split but then with time, they experience the world and come to understand each others circumstances, which made the story pretty good by the end and it was happy seeing them back. So i just see your story similarly, not same, just like similar.
I'm bad at names so can't suggest haha. But pretty good concept
Oh there will be smut
Bruh Mangago deleted like half my comment. I wanna know the name of that story I like angst
Haha dw i was joking
It can be a hit or miss, i really love it but some people absolutely hate it
'My beloved oppressor', it's not a dark romance btw, and it's a bit dark towards the beginning
WAIT I LOVE THAT STORY
Oo that's good haha, i really love the story too, one of the first stories with such heavy themes and so i absolutely loved it.