I AM NOT A WOMAN, I'M A GOD.

[dcvinefcmme]

(POPPY DRAYTON, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER) Oh, is that LUDOVICA MORETTI? I heard the THIRTY-TWO year old is ENCHANTING. But don’t let that pretty face fool you, they are also VOLATILE. Makes sense seeing how they are a COUNCIL MEMBER in the SERPENTS gang. (mel, 24, any, est)

TRIGGER WARNING: internalized homophobia, blood.

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒.

name: ludovica elenora moretti nicknames/alias: lu ( only by close friends and associates )

faceclaim: poppy drayton

age: thirty-two gender: cisfemale sexuality: homosexual date/place of birth: august 11th / manhattan, nyc currently: manhattan, nyc occupation: high-fashion model ( formerly ), owner of high notes jazz club ( bar and jazz venue ) + socialite capo for the serpents

positive traits: enchanting, adventurous, intelligent negative traits: volatile, unforgiving, materialistic astrological sign: leo archetype: the heel

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘.

august 11th, 1992

not just anyone can handle being the eldest daughter of the moretti line; some days, you question if you too can shoulder the burden. and yet, with a simple toss of your hair, you're back. your first name becomes irrelevant the very moment your last is said, you and all your siblings are one unit, one mind. what the public didn't know? it couldn't have been more of the opposite behind those aged mahogany doors. dante was your father's favorite, following in his footsteps the way a dog follows at it's master's heels. and while he loved you in his own way, from the very start you were doted upon by your mother.

you did quite well in school, but it was your natural magnetism that you knew would get you far. people were drawn to you and yet, you could never quite explain why. they just needed to be near you -- no matter the cost. you had your mother's beauty and while you instantly protested this, your father's one-of-a-kind charisma ( even if some called it manipulation ). while you never denied that your nepotism gave you quite the leg up over your competition, you accept your first modeling gig at the age of fifteen at the encouragement of your mother. the rest? oh darling, that's history.

summer 2010

just as everyone does when their lifestyle is funded by daddy's credit card and a lifetime of security thanks to a prosperous modeling career -- you fly the nest by the time you turn eighteen and move to europe. you live out of hotel rooms for the first year, not because you can't afford to run through apartments like the average human being runs through sticks of gum, simply because you're restless. and yet, you finally settle down in paris.

your become one with paris fashion week within weeks of your arrival, where your status as nepo fashion royalty becomes truly cemented. it's only up from here, no?

you had always wondered if you were ever meant for love, or if it was nothing more than an old wives tale written in the fabric of time to keep women and girls complacent. in your early twenties you come to learn just how real love can be.. you were just simply never meant to feel it for a man. this doesn't stop you from questioning yourself, torturing yourself that maybe your mind was playing tricks on you, but you find your footing in your early twenties. you never quite had to tell your parents those two words, i'm gay -- simply because you made every effort to keep your lives with the women you loved ( even if they were few and far between ) separated from the moretti mess.

early 2015

[ REDACTED ]

summer 2016

it's not an easy decision to make when you decide to retire -- especially at the age of twenty-three. and yet, with all that's happened, you will be nothing if you don't. when all you've known is having everything since the moment you were born, it makes the choice for you. thus, after several years on european soil, you finally touch back down in the united states.

it isn't long before you put roots down again, this time within the life you're father had wanted for you -- but you shied away from. it comes as a shock to your family when you stand at his side and yet, you never offer any explanation as to why. as you like to say, i don't have to explain anything to you. then again, are you truly a moretti if you will not kill for your family's name? when you're not feeling the blood of the serpent's enemies running between your fingers, you begin to establish a name for yourself in a different manner: opening a jazz club. before modeling -- your first love was always music. but, a songbird's melody was never worth a father's love. when it made money, however, then perhaps the story was different.

2024

even if you were never close with your father, a man who made very clear that true family was never decided by blood, you grieve him. he brought you into this world, gave you his confidence, his biting tounge. besides a lifetime of financial stability, however, you can think of very little else. even still you play the part of a perfect, all-american family, knowing one thing's for certain: even the mightest star may fall, and even the gods can be made to bleed.

something in you prefers to be at the center of it all, residing in a manhattan penthouse overlooking the city. numbers at your pride and joy, high notes continue to rise over the years -- proving that you were never just a phase in the celebrity cycle.

not that you ever needed the validation.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒.

lu is fluent in three different languages: english, italian and french. she tries to exercise her use of them as much as she can and considers it quite a gift to do so.

certainly is no stranger to designer pieces, but also takes great pride in her collection of vintage. there are at least one or more vintage or archive pieces on her body at all times, weather clothing or jewelry.

has a varying degree of relationships with her family. she struggled in her relationship with her father especially before the sudden switch following her retirement and return to the states.

just as much of a player as her brother -- if not worse. and yet, many would be shocked to know that it doesn't come out of a complete inability to feel. in actuality, she simply can't bring herself to be devoted to someone now that the serpents have their ties in her. there was a time when she could have watched it all passively, but not anymore.

UPDATE: as of october 21st 2024, ludovica has been promoted from capo to council member, following her brother's election to don.

MORE TO COME.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

click anywhere in this sentence.

[dcvinefcmme]

@griffinxgallo

LOCATION: high note FOR: griffin gallo

𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 touch and go kind of business owner, she had thrown herself into being as present as she could be following sera's death. it was easier than thinking. remembering all that happened, all that had come out. how quickly the high from the raid was dissipating. but for now, she'll engage in her newfound routine and let the music wash over her. that is, until she notices a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. " griffin. " she greets him with a curt nod, even though they're often used to friendlier pleasantries. after a moment, she eases -- realizing just who she's speaking to. " come to drink my liquor, relish in the pleasure of my company or both? " the tease is soon accompanied by a gentle nudge. " thanks for the gift, by the way. should look ravishing on my hip when the time comes to open carry. "

[dantemoretti]

closed starter | @dcvinefcmme

location: lu's place

Dante had no idea of the content of the letter Seraphina had given him but he knew it would likely send his sister into a spiral. It took a couple of days for Dante to go and visit his sister, wanting to give her some time and space to process. When he finally went to see her he banged on the door. "Lu! Let me in it's freezing out here. You better be home. I came early in the morning for a reason."

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐋𝐘, 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 soul had shriveled up and died a long time ago. and then, seraphina had died. those fucking text messages. whatever humanity she had left now, it had drowned, grasping for the surface. she had just barely woken up when she overhears a voice at her door, something she quickly registers to be her brother's. " if you yell any louder, you'll render yourself horse. " ludovica mutters in the way only a sibling has the capacity to do and get away with it. he may be the don now, but they were still blood. she had been on a high since the raid, roping zakaria right into her trap. she didn't want him dead yet. she wanted to simply weaken him -- embarrass him. remind him who the fuck he was dealing with. but now, she was beginning to realize that high would only last so long. " come in, come in. "

[dcvinefcmme]

@aspenlynch

LOCATION: ludovica's penthouse FOR: aspen lynch

" 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 looks far too empty, my dear. " ludovica hums gently, picking up the wine bottle from the table with a mischvious smile. was ludovica trying to cling to a shred of her humanity -- considering it had been sera who showed it to her? absolutely. but, she found glimmers of it when she spent time with those she trusted the most. aspen was amongst them. she had been just as angry with sera's death, perhaps somehow her presence felt vindicating? ludovica's emotions weren't quite clear, let alone if she had any at all now. her quick, unrelenting shot at zak had been a prime example of that. " tell me, how have you been? i feel like with all the madness around us, you and i have barely gotten to speak two words to each other. "

[dcvinefcmme]

@saccharinexvenom

LOCATION: her penthouse, day. FOR: lucky de la cruz.

𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 been one for the holidays -- considering the family dynamic she had grown up in. for her, it was a day to spoil her loved ones just a tad more than she already did. at the end of the day, it would never truly make a dent in her bank account. but, she would do anything to see the people she loved happy. however, one was missing. ludovica had only left her apartment to lead the raid before taking the path home, satisfied with herself. that is, until she received the box. the jewelry from dante of course was beautiful, picked specifically with her taste in mind. but then came a box that made her heart stop. ludovica had become so good at swallowing her emotions. pretending that nothing could destroy her. but then, along came her. i never would have chosen to leave you. that sentence in particular echos like a voice in an empty room, bouncing off the walls.

with trembling fingers she opens the box, not even realizing that she's been holding her breath until her eyes fall on the beautiful ring. without even thinking about it a hand flies to her mouth, as if she believes she has to hide her broken sobs in the comfort of her own home. as if someone is watching. her shoulders shake, her eyes close -- met with temporary blackness. until she can't take it anymore, and she lets out the kind of cry only a scorned woman could give. simply killing zakaria wolfe would be too easy. first, she'd show him the brink of death. then, she'd send every one of his friends and family there, until he had nothing left. perhaps she'd start with that blonde sergeant. or jason.. make good on her threat even further than she already had.

but then, ludovica hears a knock at her door -- quickly pulling her from the darkness clouding her mind. she debates heading in the direction of the door. after eventually deciding on the happy medium of simply looking through the door, she softens as she realizes who it is. lucky. they had a moment in dante's car on the way to the hospital -- having desperately needed gentle arms as the woman she loved was dying in that ambulance. he was there. no questions asked. even now, she knew he'd never look at her differently. " lucky. " she sniffs, wiping her eyes as quickly as she can. as if she could hide her tears, especially from him. " did you know? about... about sera's gift. "

[dcvinefcmme]

Ludovica gets her presents in person, Dante first gives her the present from himself: matching diamond earrings, necklace, bracelet and earrings. There is also an all expenses paid trip for her and a friend to Italy, France, England and Monaco with fully use of the jet incase she wants to go anywhere else.

He then gives her a letter and a small ring box, telling her to open them both when she feels ready.

The letter states:

Lu, my life, my word my everything.

If you’re reading this the very thing I feared has happened. I asked Dante to give you this in case the consequences of my joining the serpents ended in my death. Please know im so sorry and I never would have chosen to leave you. You are everything to me in this life and every other. We’ll meet again I promise you that but until then please enjoy your life, fall in love, live, enjoy yourself. Do it for me, do it for yourself and everybody who loves you. The ring is my family ring that I would have one day given you as a symbol of my love, I can’t think of anybody I would rather give it to. Please try to move on, just promise you’ll never forget me.

per sempre e sempre tuo, Seraphina x

[dcvinefcmme]

@hunterxoconnor

LOCATION: high note. FOR: hunter o'connor.

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄, 𝐎𝐍𝐄 might not have been able to tell that ludovica moretti was a woman drowning in grief. but, to the trained eye, those who knew her best -- there would be signs. yet another angry glint amidst what was already there. a hair out of place. even if the raid had been successful, that she had been successful in putting a bullet in zakaria wolfe -- she wasn't done yet. better yet, she hadn't intended to kill him. for taking sera from her, she wanted to make him suffer. frankly, she didn't give a fuck how long it would take for her to do it. she would be the reoccurring demon in his life until she decided she was done with him. but, there will always be a meantime. thus, she'll enjoy a drink with a friend at her club. a former capo herself, she found herself closer aligned with them than some of the other council members may have seen themselves. the heart of a fighter was still there.

" the raid was perhaps as successful as it could have been, don't you think? " ludovica questions, sipping from her martini glass as she leans back in her seat. " they'll need to lick their wounds... which means we have another chance to strike. any ideas in mind? " ludovica listened to hunter more often than most. while the angry side of her was always ready for a battle, like many of the other capos, hunter could also be occasionally level-headed. something, while hard for her to admit, even she needed.

[dcvinefcmme]

no grave can hold my body down, i'll crawl home to her. || SELF PARA.

when my time comes around, lay me gently in the cold dark earth.

TRIGGER WARNING: blood, guns, murder, death, hospitals, blood, grief, graphic descriptions of violent acts.

ft. @missseraphina / @cfdante / @saccharinexvenom ( lucky ) / @xogiada / @zakariaxwolfe

TIMELINE NOTE: this takes place the same night as the gala event, and slightly onward.

just in case that was our last. i love you so much.

ludovica hadn't even had to speak the words aloud when her eyes darted to dante -- help me. help her, the woman i love. it's known that a feeling like this doesn't come easily to her, hell, she's trained herself enough to make sure that it doesn't come at all. but somehow, she had completely lost herself in seraphina montgomery -- and at this rate, there was no getting her heart back. she knew she had to finish the show. for giada, who she trusted and adored so much. any other time she would have run for her life -- but lucky and dante would have this handled. they'd keep things from breaking out too much. they'd get her out of there.

while she stands by the stage, clinging to the slowly taring edges of her composure -- the very moment she finishes her final line, hears her final cue in her earpiece, she runs from the stage, boots sounding against the floor in a series of dramatic thumps. the way she was running, those around her should be shocked that the earth didn't come with it. she needs to see her face. she needs to see her breathing.

ludovica searches the place high and low. every room receives the same treatment, every square inch examined. she could be anywhere. despite it being a hotel, this place was far too goddamn big. it's then she finally makes it outside, the december chill caressing her cheeks, as if preparing her for what she's about to find. the mother's touch she never knew.

it's then, she turns the corner, and her heart drops. she can hear it shatter in her ears. sera. with gunshot wounds even she couldn't ignore.

" no..... oh nonono... " her voice becomes far more gentle than she ever thought possible, caring little about the stains to her suit. how could she think of anything else, but how the love of her life was bleeding out in her arms? a hand comes to rest on sera's cheek, caressing it gently as the tears begin to fall. she has never cried like this. not ever since she was a child. how could she, with her experience? with her family? but, none of that matters now. the woman she loved, who left everything behind to be with her -- had been caught in the crossfire. " la mia bellissima ragazza... stay with me... "

nothing or no one has ever made ludovica this desperate. calling out to a god she had never believed in, a silent prayer whispered over her lips. please. take me instead. i'll leave everything behind as long as you don't touch her. it has been so long since she'd last known what it felt like to be human again, and she could feel that part of her soul slipping through her fingers.

and then, sera starts to speak. ludovica initially moves to hush her, mouth opening to insist that she rest. she needs to save her energy, while they get the ambulance here. but as she listens to her words, ludovica finds herself incapable of speaking. only sobbing with the fire of a thousand suns.

“ lu… baby listen. i wasn’t truly alive until i met you. my world was black and white, but you made me see colour. every moment with you… it was all I ever wanted. please don’t forget… i love you more than anything. always… ”

and then, her eyes flutter shut -- body going limp in her arms. while ludovica is wide-awake, she begins mentally searching for a way out. this has to be a nightmare, one that she has to fight to wake up from. but, in the seconds that pass by, she comes to realize that this is exactly what she feared. real life. the other half of her heart is dying.

eyes soon dart upwards -- the entire ordeal occurring within a matter of seconds, but feeling like fifteen years. a hellscape she knew she could never get out of. " HELP! " her voice calls out, her scream desperate -- but also like that of a banshee. tolling death, the curse she was bound with. she couldn't even say the words to dante and lucky before but now, it falls out of her just as easily as her tears. " somebody fucking help her! " she can't die. not when they're finally on the same side -- not when she finally has her. all she's ever needed. no money, power, glory would ever be enough.

it's then she sees a figure turning the corner, a vague silhouette nearly colliding with the nearby brick wall. dante. she soon realizes that lucky is not very far behind. all sound becomes a ringing screech -- the muffled sounds of dante's voice calling an ambulance breaking through. as it arrives, she can see dante's mouth moving, even more words that broke her open. she couldn't go with her. with the emts, and the fact that she wasn't immediate family, they weren't married -- she'd have to meet them at the hospital.

would it have changed things if she had told them she had preemptively asked for her grandmother's engagement ring? that it was waiting for her back at her penthouse apartment, hidden away in her office? that she knew, down the line, she would be?

for perhaps the first time in years, ludovica couldn't even speak. all she can feel is lucky's arms around her -- sinking into him as she watches the medical personnel wheel the love of her life away. it can't be for the last time. it just can't.

the drive feels like another ten years, when in reality -- it only takes minutes. she doesn't see anything out the window, only the fabric of lucky's suit jacket as she allows her tears to transition from desperate to numb. sera was her tether to whatever humanity she had left. if she died because of this, she didn't just want zak's head. she wanted them all. ghost riders, society, whoever she would get her hands on. simply put, she wouldn't feel a single shred of guilt doing so. if she dies, if she leaves this earth -- anyone who thought she was a monster before would think she was far more than that. a demon, walking the earth. with fire in her wake.

hours later, ludovica held her hand as the flatline rang out. and along with sera, several things in ludovica died that night too. hope. joy. faith in the universe. all she was left with was anger.

her grief initially begins with simply silence. staring at the wall -- trying to make sense of it all. while some often wondered what they had done to deserve this, ludovica was well aware that she was far from pure. a sinner since birth. and yet, after all that she had endured, she thought she had paid her dues. served her time in this earthy penitentiary for all the bodies she left in her wake.

then comes the need to do something about it. with a shaken breath, she rises from her chair before making her way down the hall to an awaiting dante -- who had left to get them both coffee from the nearby dining hall. as shitty as it was, she needed it.

" they need to pay for this. " she finally speaks for the first time in hours. the evidence is clear in her horse throat, her voice crackling with every word. the crying certainly had not helped either. " every single one of them. "

she wants zakaria wolfe to watch as his little family of mice as she had once told him, falls to the ground, dead. the ghost rider clubhouse in flames. they had known the risk of sera's deception, of course they had. but gang relations were not a factor in the emotions she was feeling. while she had once been on the side of lying in wait, looking for the perfect time to strike -- this was the anger of a broken woman.

" if you won't do it, i'll do it myself. "

[missseraphina]

Many people had likely already guessed that something was going on between the two women, even though they'd kept it somewhat on the downlow it had been hidden. Seraphina wanted to scream about her relationship from the rooftops, to tell the world that they belonged to each other and now they finally could do exactly that. It seemed like everything Sera had ever wanted was finally starting to happen for her; true love, a gang that could appreciate her, a feeling of her life actually meaning something. Everything was finally starting to feel right in her life and it was all down to Ludovica Moretti, the woman who had entered her life and changed it forever, the woman Sera knew without a doubt she would never be able to live without.

Sera looked up at her soulmate and her heart raced as it did every time they were close. "I really think it was. You know what else was made for me? This one incredibly beautiful woman I know who's going to be my wife one day." Sera grinned, taking the glass of champagne as she let her words wash over Lu. It was obvious to her at least that the two of them would be together for a lifetime, Sera could never imagine anybody else touching her now that Ludovica had cemented herself so deeply within her heart and soul. She would love this woman for as long as she lived. "To us baby. I love you so much, this is one of the best nights of my life."

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 it meant, for the likes of her to feel so strongly? the violent and the damned, even if she sat atop her riches like a throne? of course she did. but frankly, she didn't care. having sera at her side would always make her stronger. she would kill for her. over and over again, if it meant keeping her safe. happy. it was true -- she remembered so vividly, a particular moment she had mentioned to sera in the hospital. she truly had looked death in the face, holding giada's hand. momentarily, she remembers the picture of her staring death in the face. was it a dream? some murky limbo? she didn't quite know. but now, she had someone waiting for her. a home. she had been nearly beaten down with the idea of family, of course caring for her own blood -- but very few others. do it all for family. family. the family. the serpents. and then there was sera, who had broken all resistances. ludovica fell head over heels.

my wife. if ludovica didn't have the senses she did, hearing those words fall from sera's lips had her eyeing the door. not waiting for an enemy, and of course not another woman. instead, it was taking everything within her not to take sera in her arms and run for the nearest chapel. it sounded so right. the moment sera gets a ring, the world will know. it will be in good taste, but even then. when it catches the light, you'll see it from space. " your wife. " she hums, fingers tracing along the back of sera's neck with her right hand, while her glass is in her left. " god, hearing those words come out of your mouth.. it does something to me. " just like so many other things that sera did or said. but this wasn't just a feeling. hearing such endearment nearly cracked her open. glasses connect in a toast before she speaks again. " i love you too, amore. and now, we fight together. " on the same side. they don't need to hide under the cover of night anymore. " good... and it's just the start. i don't know how i'm going to be able to focus, when you walk tonight. " considering she was the master of ceremonies as requested by giada, it was important she managed.

[mckinleyxryan]

A soft smile spread across Kinny's face, "Ludovica, Hi." She beamed. She always liked Lu. She was nice and a good friend. And they had shared a night of passion or two. McKinley may have lost Hayes along the way but she was having some good conversations with people. "That's a good one. Very flattering color with a pop of vibrancy." McKinley always saw the beauty in the world around her, always enjoying the scene. It's what she missed most about her sight. "Why thank you, I tried." She said with a soft laugh. "My date seems to agree so I guess I did something right."

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄 that she has a deeply icy exterior. it's learned, sure, but she was gifted with not only her mother's beauty, but her ego. and yet, mckinley is the kind of sunshine that no one can push out. under the blinds, there she would be. shining right through. perhaps she had fought it at first -- but even the women at the top knew they could never truly be alone. " you hit the nail right on the head, darling. despite my family's affiliation.. i've always been drawn to the color. " in her eyes, it was the color of power. money. " and you, of course, an angel in baby blue. " perfectly plucked eyebrows raise as she hears the mention of a date. of course, she could never help her curiosity. " your date? do tell. simply good company.. or something else? " whoever it was would be lucky to have mckinley on their arm.

[saccharinexvenom]

had it been obvious, the way her use of his nickname shifted his features ? for a moment, before his given name soon slipped off the slope of her tongue. lucky ... that had always seemed such a fitting name for him. from the surnames that he had been granted from his parents. to the security of the life that he could be raised within. and finally, to the woman that had been firmly planted at his side. the other half of his soul. the piece that had always been missing when he had been young. when he had been given free range of all that he had wanted. unknown that she had always been what he wanted. someone that had seen him for who he truly was, and accepted him still. that had not cast him aside for something better, something more worthwhile. yet in the end, he had tarnished that bond. that connection they had formed so intricately between themselves .

luciano ... it hung in the air. as if it were anything but his given name. perhaps a curse. and as it lingered, he became more uncertain. of whether he should go. leave her so that she might enjoy the night. with sera at her side, instead of himself. " i ... " but the words caught. within his throat, as if they refused to be spoken. if only that were the case. if only it were anything aside from lucky simply not knowing what to say. though no lie had been told from his tongue, the silence had been one itself. a lie to what the last few years had actually meant. " i'm happy for you , " he started, as he looked to the crowd. before his gaze once more returned to her. " for you and sera. i'm glad she joined us . "

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 these past few weeks had been without lucky at her side. while she had been in a state of honeymoon bliss with sera at her side -- there had been one person who she had wanted to tell about it all. how one woman had managed to take a shriveled, blackened heart and expand it three sizes -- in the spirit of the season. when she was in sera's arms, nothing else mattered. not the gang, not the war surrounding them, not the scar to her leg. but now, in this crowd -- she's reminded of it all. not only what's incoming, but just how much she misses her dearest friend. the one who she once regarded to be her better half. but then she's reminded of the reality she's been sure of her entire life. every man she's ever known or naïvely trusted, has always gone on to disappoint her. now, he was no longer the exception. she just couldn't quite wrap her head around it: out of all of the people in this world, wouldn't she have understood? tried to push him to fix it, be the man that the council deserved? even if her appointment was recent in her brother's stead, she was observant enough and opinionated enough to see through the closed doors of their meetings. the mask that the council members wore, pretending that everything was fine. that they were invincible.

" you heard me. " she begins flatly, eyes scanning his face as he stammers. even if her defenses are up for what she declares to be a good reason, it hurts to make him the subject of her venom. to so many others, it had been poisonous. even in her anger, she loved him so deeply -- she felt like she was going to burst. " spit. it. out. " and then, he does. it's not entirely odd for lucky to speak sera's name, considering he had been one of the few who knew before sera's change in guard. and while ludovica had loved before, her devotion to sera was an entirely knew being. there were the ones who deserved to speak her name, and those who did not. in lucky's case, her indifference on the matter made her stomach turn. " thank you. she looks perfect in green. " ludovica nods. sometimes, there were moments when she wondered how she had gotten here. what had changed that night in the speakeasy. " lucky... " she pauses. i miss you. ludovica had never once thought herself capable of saying those three words, believing them to be backing down. while her eyes give her away ( an uncommon occurrence ), she's initially quiet. now it's she who needs to spit it out. " you didn't trust me enough. while my love has conditions... i want you to know... it never did for you. until you made one. "

[mckinleyxryan]

Location: The Lobby Status: Open @sinnerssquarestart

Feeling someone bump into her, Kinny let out a laugh. "Oh my bad, so sorry." She said with a bright smile, always in a sunny mood. Tonight was no different. She loved getting to dress up fance and attend a Gala, she felt like a princess. "What color are you wearing tonight?"

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 brother had once been similar in their inability to commit, things were far different now. regardless, her former ways had offered her some positives in her life. the last thing she had expected was for mckinley to have broken through her facade, not romantically, but in friendship. " oh mckinley, it's you. you can bump into me anytime. " ludovica muses, a pleased smile on her face. it was rather crowded in here, with individuals in their circle decked out in their finest. and while she was well aware of this, her suit cost far more than some even dreamed of being able to shell out. " emerald green, darling. you know me, i'd never turn down the excuse to wear a power suit. " that was what they called them, wasn't it? fingers clasped to her glass as she admires mckinley's dress. " and you look absolutely ravishing, if i do say so myself. "

[saccharinexvenom]

FEATURING    ›     luciano & ludovica ( @dcvinefcmme ) LOCATED AT    ›     holiday charity gala

there had been no avoiding it. the moment that would come where they were forced to see each other. when they both had properly healed, and returned to the world around them. the physical pain had subsided, the wounds in his leg healed ; yet the emotional damage had still lingered. like a mark against the organ that beat so rapidly in his chest. there had been so few times in his life where he had been nervous. yet, as he found himself stood before her, he could feel the way his palms seemed to sweat. how his skin crawled with all that had been said, and left unsaid. " i can go ... if you want me to . "

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐋𝐘, 𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 just been excited for all the prep leading up to sera's debut as one of them, but it had been a much needed distraction since her argument with lucky. in the passing weeks, between keeping the hordes away so she could have some solace with the woman she loved, slowly returning to overseeing the floor at high note and the physical therapy appointments -- she sought little time for other social engagements. thus, she stops thinking about it. when lucky's presence is inevitably made known to her, it feels just as fresh as it had in the hospital. she misses him, if she's honest. but ludovica moretti does not simply fall back into the same patterns as before, with her tail between her legs. especially over something so distinctly venerable. " did you plan on saying something to me, lucky? " ludovica questions, brows furrowing. the real question is, will it be another lie? perhaps she's being a hair too guarded than she truly needs to be, but if you are raised in giovanni's household -- you do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, especially not twice. " don't just stand there. spit it out. " after another moments pause, she softens, her temper becoming only a touch more controlled. " you have agency, luciano. stay or go if you please. " while ludovica is never the kind to explicitly tell someone to stay, this is the closest one might get.

[dcvinefcmme]

@missseraphina

LOCATION: the plaza hotel. FOR: seraphina montgomery.

𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄 that the people around them had been suspecting something for a long time -- but their appearance together would certainly confirm what most already knew. that ludovica moretti was a taken woman. not only that, but seraphina had always been meant for greater than the ghost riders. what was it ludovica had once called them? mice? it still rang true. even if they were pretending nothing was wrong -- she knew what was happening. the were scuttling around the gala, trying to make sense of what was going on. like mice, running from the snakes that would soon swallow them whole. ludovica had opted for a more tasteful number -- nothing to extravagant. she had wanted sera to be the one that everyone looked at. even when ludovica strayed to speak to someone, she just couldn't rip her eyes from her. " oh amore, i just can't get over it. green was just made for you. " ludovica hums, holding out a glass of champagne. " cheers, my darling. to ruling this city -- together. with nothing and no one standing in our way. "

[dcvinefcmme]

LUDOVICA MORETTI: THE GALA.

never one to miss the chance to talk, of course ludovica said yes when asked to mc this year’s fashion show. nor has she ever been one to turn down a low-plunging power suit.

on the arm of the woman of her dreams and her serpent queen, @missseraphina

[dcvinefcmme]

Wish I could build me a cute apartment One-bedroom right where your heart is Inch of space feels broken-hearted Across the bed feels way too far and

@missseraphina

[missseraphina]

"You don't have to wait for me, I'm here I'm yours. Until the day I die. Ti amo tanto. Sei il mio tutto." Sera said in her best Italian accent. She'd been waiting until the perfect moment to show Ludovica that she'd started to learn a bit of Italian, she wanted to do something cute to surprise her girlfriend with. The plan had been to leave it as a surprise for a while longer until she was more fluent but it seemed like the right time. "The second you're out of here we're going to spend as long as possible in that bed. I'm going to need days to show you how much I love you, to write the songs on your skin with my tongue so you never forget them, never forget me."

[dcvinefcmme]

𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 by just how easily she crumbles under sera's touch. she, one of the most powerful women in new york, bows for no one. to feel such devotion was once poison in her eyes. it had been what lost her francesca, one of the many things that lost her belkis -- but she can't help but wonder, what was truly so bad about falling? because when sera looks at her, she renders the rest of the world silent. the drone of the machinery that had been nearing her to a headache becomes nonexistent. all she hears is the sera's words. her breath. and then, the words in her native tongue. she could die right there. her hands cup sera's cheeks as her nose grazes her own. " love used to feel like drowning to me, sera. " she whispers. fighting for air. clinging to every second on the surface. " but hearing you say those words, in my family's tongue.. i wonder if i've been drowning my entire life until you. " she initiates another kiss, knowing full well that if she had the choice to come up for air, she wouldn't. " forget you? sera... i don't want to remember anything else. " not even this life, what she and her brother had been born for. " i will need my rest after all, no? we can certainly ward them off for a couple days... "