i'm alive

gianna carcone. cassidy palmeri. twenty-eight. k o v a l i. ------------------ no hope, just lies, and you're taught to cry into your pillow. but I survived.

[giannacarcone]

The fact that she had gotten the gun inside the compound without being found out and questioned was a miracle. Add on that it had been sitting in her dresser drawer, buried underneath neatly folded clothes, for weeks now without somebody deciding to snoop and find it? Cassidy should have purchased a lottery ticket. Instead, the secret that she and Emilia shared kept her up at night, bright blue hues piercing through the darkness and staring so intently at the drawer that one might wonder how she hadn’t burnt a hole through the wood. Cass knew that she would do anything for Emilia, she had known that for a while...but this was something she had never expected.

She couldn’t keep it there. Sooner or later somebody would find it and that could very well be the end of her. Of course, Cass had considered her options...a girl with a gun was powerful, but a girl with a gun right in the center of the pit of those who had inflicted so much pain upon her? She could be deadly. But what then? One gunshot and her life would be over, even if she managed to take one herself.

It was late when she pulled the gun from its hiding place and made her way across the courtyard. The light was still on in his office window - Cassidy had no doubt that Zephyr chose strategizing over sleep most nights, especially when the Kovalis were in this much trouble. Before she knew it, Cass was at his door, knocking and entering shortly thereafter. “Zephyr...I need to give you something...”

@zephyrjcksn

[giannacarcone]

ismaeldela‌:

“Really,” he says, tone flat. A sinking cold forms in his belly from her statement. Ismael cannot help but doubt every syllable that escapes her now, senses Zephyr in the distance as the puppet master. “And why’d he let you in on this?” No signs of dissent amongst the other capos has reached him. Ismael cannot envision such plans eluding him and the myriad of moles he has planted where such talks would take place. Even he has had to keep his intentions on such lockdown he has not shared it with anyone of importance. Were more than one of the men – he cannot fathom Sera means to overthrow her beloved Zephyr – aiming for the throne; Ismael would have been made aware. 

From the way they’ve been talking. He perks up then, juts out a chin. “Who’s been talkin’? Why haven’t you told me this?” The anger has dissipated, he merely wonders. Trusts that she knows the stakes now. Ismael rights her clothes, feels the heat radiate from where the blood has begun to gather beneath the skin. Morbid curiosity has him caressing the warmth. No real pressure comes from the hand, he only feeds some perverted indulgence. A look of pride. 

“Nah, we’re done with breakfast,” he says, thumbs at her chin. “You almost burned the house down, for fuck’s sake,” Ismael bellows out a laugh, deranged but genuine. Does not accept culpability. The difference in demeanour is abrupt yet true to form. Volatile to the end. He strokes her arms, caresses her cheek, needs to touch every part of her; wants Cass to anchor him. Somewhere a disconnect has been made and Ismael feels the seeds of doubt sprout. Wonders then, whether to sever her strings so no one can tug on them. “Can I trust you, Cass?” Ismael centers her in his stare, lets her see the implications behind it.

She felt small. She felt minuscule and worthless, like a bug that Ismael might crush beneath his foot without a second thought. Cassidy had cowered before men, before this man, more times than she could count...but each and every time, she still felt just as helpless. The fabric of his shirt that she had pulled over her frame was tugged back into place with gentle ease, as if the gesture was a kind or intimate one. “I don’t know,” Cass mumbled, still not meeting his glance. She didn’t want to see whatever was bubbling beneath the surface. “’Sounded like rumors, Gossip. Things that could never happen...” A cough bubbled up in her throat and she did her best to suppress it, though a short huff of air escaped from between her lips. His palm landed where a bruise was already forming and she could not help but wince.

Cassidy was forced to look him in the eye when his touch moved to her chin and she wished that she could mask her fear, her pain...anything so that she wouldn’t be showing him exactly what he wanted to see. Instead, Ismael was privy to the physical reaction she had to his words and her own thoughts, though he did not know exactly what those thoughts were. At least her mind was still mostly her own. She squeezed her eyes shut when his hands began to roam, lips pressing together tightly before her eyes opened again and the tension in her mouth disappeared. She swallowed hard. Can I trust you, Cass? If he ever truly had, he was a fool. “Yes,” she responded quietly, almost a whisper. There was nothing else she could say.

[ismaeldela]

(  BLOOD KINGDOM  ) … and there is no sweeter revenge than the death of a King 

[giannacarcone]

prcspect‌:

          His mind was being held captive, so much so that it hurt to think for himself. As if every single ideal, perspective, and unwarranted way of life was being drilled back into his head. His brain was in a mailable, oh so fragile state. He heaved another heavy breath. Suddenly the addictively comfortable couch felt like it was going to eat him alive, although the reality of that was just that his phone might get lost in it. It seemed as though keeping his relationship with Cassidy the same meant more than he thought. The mere idea of telling her what happened, even if it was a terrible, horrifying mistake, scared him shitless. His bones were shaking, rattling in his skin without any other barrier. Vinny felt weak and useless, and most of all, too far gone to be himself anymore. Assuming this was the initial aftermath of it all, he didn’t want to stick around to experience any of the other stages.

          “There was no way I coulda’ gotten outta’ there, Cass. I swear.” His legs propelled him forward a foot or two, just enough so that there was distance between him and his friend. “And I just…” Head flipped to the ceiling in a desperate wish to God. “Fuck, I don’t know when this’ll get back to you.” The rambles meant nothing as long as he kept his dirty deed to himself. “You might not see me for awhile.” Suddenly, his fear voiced itself for lack of a better word. Unwarranted anxiety pushed onto the other with a statement such as that. No explanation, no reassurance that he would be okay in any manner of the sense. Vinny couldn’t promise something he wasn’t one hundred percent sure about.

“Will you just fucking tell me?” The phrase left her lips before she could stop it; by this point, Cassidy was a kettle that needed to scream. She immediately regretted yelling at him, immediately regretted speaking so harshly when clearly he had done something so terrible that he could not even bring himself to voice it. Her body flew off the couch and she took a few steps toward him, leaving enough distance, however, so it didn’t seem as though she was about to attack him. Even if her words and her tone implied otherwise. “Vinny--”

Before any more words of encouragement could drop from her tongue, he was speaking again. Cass’ fingers curled into fists at her sides and she stared at him, eyes searching his face as they simultaneously widened in confusion. What was he talking about? Was he on something? That wouldn’t exactly be something out of the ordinary, but Cassidy was trying to find any explanation for his erratic behavior. “When what will get back to me?” she asked slowly, taking a deep breath so as not to shout at him again. You might not see me for awhile. The statement made her freeze. Her fingers uncurled and Cass shook her head slightly. She didn’t fucking understand. What could he possibly have done that could be this bad? “What does that mean?” She suddenly closed the distance between them and laid a hand on his arm, not caring if he wanted to be touched or not anymore. “What did they do to you? What did they make you do?”

[giannacarcone]

ismaeldela‌:

Ismael feels her tenderness more than ever. Watches as cracks form in her porcelain veneer, hears the enamel edges grate together. Fevered hands cradle her skull; feels the bone below the peach-soft skin. Now and then, Ismael tests his hold and leaves her to dangle from his hands; levitates her inches from the floor. “You’re supposed to tell me ‘bout it, Cass,” he snarls, shakes her roughly in time with the words. Ismael loathes the implication of power in Zephyr’s name, apparently enough to warrant her breach of loyalty. “I ain’t tellin’ you to disobey his orders,” he speaks slowly. “Unless he asks you to keep somethin’ from me, that is.” 

The room smells burnt and he sees smoke forming on the stove. Ismael flings her by the neck, roughly sends her into the opposing wall. He wants to convey her insignificance through a twisted scowl. Instead some child-like thing peeks through – a boy whose cindered heart turns green with jealousy. The weakest core of him, that fuels the cunning animal it wears. Ismael turns his back on her, lowers the heat on the stove and slides away the skillet.  “What’d he say, about the capos?” he asks then, regains composure and turns to her, brow knotted in curiosity. 

He knows not to put much stock in whatever comes next, feels the once abiding trust crumbling as he looks upon Cassidy. The woman transforms into some strange, threatening figure for a second then flickers back. Ismael grinds his teeth, narrows eyes in ingrained mistrust. He moves toward her, touches her softly, as though he were clinging onto something familiar and safe. “You ok?” Eyes brimming in sincerity as he asks, sounds as though the damage was done by another. “Why’d you have to make such a mess?”

Cassidy lived in a constant state of fear, even if she did not actively realize it. That was what it meant to be a woman in her position. In that moment, however, time stopped and the only thing she could focus on was the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. What if this was when it all ended? It very well could be. Ismael held her in a vice grip and she had no doubt that should he choose, he could crush her skull between his hands. Ismael could do anything if he put his mind to it. It didn’t matter how many times he slipped on the mask - the man underneath was a monster.

Her shoulder hit the wall with a loud thud and from experience, Cassidy knew that it would bruise quickly. She swallowed the would-be shout in reaction to the pain and instead turned into the wall slightly, her opposite hand raising to cradle her arm. She barely registered his words as her mind churned, trying to figure a way out of this plan, that she herself had set in motion, that did not end with her dead in a ditch somewhere. She should have known this would only end up getting her hurt. Fuck, she did, and she had done it anyway. Cassidy jumped when his hands landed on her again, wide eyes snapping up to his face and preparing for whatever might come next. Why’d you have to make such a mess?

Her mouth opened, then closed. Cass could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes but this time, she did not will them away. “He thinks they might try to take his place. Shift the power.” The lie came out quietly, shakily, though whether it was because it was a lie or because she was upset was impossible for Cassidy to determine. “And from the way they’ve been talking, he might be right.” She wanted to sink through the floor, melt right into a puddle and disappear from Ismael’s grasp. “L-let me--” She stuttered, then blinked a few times. “Let me make you something to eat.”

[giannacarcone]

serakaran‌:

“He knew the fucking name.” Cassidy trips over herself, words fumbling about as if she hadn’t allowed herself the appropriate time to rehearse. Perhaps Sera had simply caught her off-guard, or perhaps, in a moment of logical clarity, the older woman knew that her former friend held no involvement in this matter. “He didn’t need to look into anything. She was under his thumb the entire time.” Nausea bubbled up, though she contained it. For now. “My sister has been alive and on her knees for…” So long. So fucking long that Sera couldn’t stomach the knowledge without desiring to keel over and release her insides. This world always possessed cruelty and she hardened herself to it, became accustomed to the gruesome aspects, even came to enjoy them on occasion… But this? Weakness warped itself into the image of her past with the most agonizing part being that those whom she entrusted were deliberately responsible for withholding said information. “Azra’s alive.” She says it again, as if solidifying the words into reality once more. “But she isn’t free.”

It had been a long time since Cassidy had seen Sera in a state of what could only be classified as vulnerability. It was a side that very few people knew, and for good reason - a Kovali capo could not been known to have a weakness, they had to be solid. But Cass knew the person Sera was before, and she knew that Azra was her only weakness. And Ismael had just exploited it. “It was her,” Cassidy breathed, her voice just shy of a whisper. Her mind hadn’t been playing tricks on her. She had seen Azra at the festival, and Ismael knew it. How many other times had the two women come so close to seeing each other only to be torn away? How many times had Azra and Sera been in such close proximity without even knowing the other was still alive? Her glance rose to meet Sera’s again and the other woman’s words sparked something in her; it couldn’t truly be jealousy, for Cass knew that Azra had likely received less than stellar treatment than she had herself, but it did send a pang through her chest to see Sera actually showing emotion regarding one of the Kovali girls. “No. She’s not,” she managed to state in a somewhat even tone, trying to push through the haze of confusion and shock that still surrounded her. “None of us are.”

[bloodkingdomrp]

♚CASSIDY.PALMERI GIANNA CARCONE

“ You took it all, but I’m still breathing. I’m alive.  “

✚ AGE & DOB: Twenty-eight & July 6, 1991 ✚ OCCUPATION: Exotic Dancer / Sex Worker ✚ AFFILIATION: Kovali & Associate

♛THE HISTORY♛

Cassidy completed the Palmeris’ little family in the heat of the summer of 1991, bringing her father the one thing he had always wanted - somebody to carry on the family name and legacy. Their lives seemed picture perfect - they were a small, loving, quiet family of means who mostly kept to themselves, providing their daughter with anything she might want or need. Not even Cassidy knew of the danger that lurked beneath the surface; she was, in fact, the last child to be born with the surname Carcone. Gianna Michelle Carcone was the name on her original birth certificate, and the name she learned to respond to during the first years of her life. It wasn’t long, however, before Giovanni Carcone was killed and Irena Carcone and Rafal Kovali gave her father an ultimatum: disappear or die. 

Michael Carcone and Elise D’Amaro reinvented themselves as the Palmeris, Vincent and Nicole, and their infant daughter became Cassidy. They were safe, the Kovalis claimed, as long as Michael stayed out of the family business, except to funnel them any information that he might come by through his work as a lawyer. The promise of being brought into the fold down the line was dangled over Michael’s head and, with no other options to keep his family safe, he agreed. The years passed, however, and nothing changed - his sister, his daughter’s godmother of all people, kept him at arm’s length and the Kovali organization grew more and more brutal by the day. He decided it was time to take matters into his own hands, to take down his sister and her viper of a husband once and for all. 

It was a warm day near the end of September when fifteen year-old Cassidy Palmeri disappeared. It was the beginning of the school year and the air outside was crisp, the leaves just beginning to turn. She decided to forgo the car ride home and take a scenic walk through the city, appreciating just how lucky she was to live in a place she loved with the people she loved. As fate would have it, however, that was the last time those thoughts would be accurate; the Kovalis had caught wind of the plots Michael was cooking up, and that just wouldn’t do.

The front door of the Palmeri family home was ajar when she got there, and Cassidy felt her heart drop into her stomach as it became clear that something was terribly wrong. She slipped through the front door and into the living room, where she laid eyes upon a sight that no child should have to see - her mother and father dead on the floor, blood pooling beneath them. Before she could react, a man grabbed her from behind and pressed a cloth over her mouth and nose, rendering her unconscious. 

From that day on, she became the property of the Rafal Kovali, Irena Carcone, and the Kovali organization. They kept her close, housing her in a building on their family compound where her comings and goings could be watched and recorded. Cassidy was meticulously trained and used at the Kovalis’ will, dancing at Kovali clubs and forced into the sex industry. The innocent, happy, wealthy girl was soon forgotten and a hardened, desperate young woman was now in her place. She would do anything to crawl out of the hole she had been thrown into, and most of all she craves an explanation: why her? Little does she know that the people who have made her life a living hell for the past dozen years of her life are her own flesh and blood.

♜ THE DETAILS♜

(+): Perseverant   +Courageous   +Loving

(-): Vengeful   -Conspiratory   - Stubborn

Facelaim: Ayca Aysin Turan

written by Mia | EST

[giannacarcone]

shadowyavuz‌:

Alp hadn’t meant to startle her, but he couldn’t do anything about it now other than keep a little space between them, just to make it clear he wasn’t going to hurt her.  He moved close enough that they could talk quietly, though, and as the streetlight hit her face he realized he’d met her at the Pier.  Their first meeting had been brief and superficial–he hadn’t gotten a name, much less learned anything about what she was doing there–but apparently she’d made it out alive after the bombing.  No matter who she was, he was glad to see that she was all right.

Not getting stopped was a given, when the two of them were creeping around like this, but when she asked for directions he frowned.  It was one thing to be out past curfew–but to not even know where she was going?!  Alp didn’t understand how people could be so irresponsible with their own safety.

And yet, that meant he couldn’t turn her down.  Not when who-knew-what might happen as she wandered around in the dark.  “About a mile,” he said, “maybe more, depending on where you’re goin’.”  And not a step of it was on his way.  But he nodded, moving up to take a careful look onto the street before finding it clear.  “C’mon.”  Leading the way across the street and into the next alley, he asked, “What’s your name?”  That was fair payment, wasn’t it?  A little information?

She nodded her head as he spoke, considering the distance. In the dark. With police at every turn. Logically, she should call somebody she knew to help get her out of this predicament. Ismael would scold her but he would come. Zephyr surely knew his way around those streets with his eyes closed. She was even on fair enough terms with Remington that he might come to her rescue as he had in the past when she was in trouble that had no connection to him or his chosen company. Instead, she decided to put her trust in this stranger who seemed to know the way. Perhaps getting back to the compound or Ismael’s without any Kovalis intervening would save her from being chastised later for getting herself into the situation in the first place. “Thank you,” Cass said sincerely before she began to follow along behind him. “Cassidy. I’m not usually this stupid, I promise.”

[giannacarcone]

ismaeldela‌:

Ismael searches her face through slitted eyes, near black and devoid of any warmth. He senses her pulse quicken, whilst his own slows to a steady thump – the spaces between each heartbeat a deep chasm. The fury does not dull the enjoyment he takes, those small winces and her widened stare are sources of great pleasure. The thrill has a short half-life, however, as her objections begin. Ismael realizes then, he cannot tell her truths from her lies. Cassidy speaks with sincerity, sweetness to coat every word, gives no reason to doubt her. All the while her contact with the underboss was occurring, she gave no sign of dishonesty. It lets in a level of doubt he is not accustomed to.

He releases her for a second before one hand comes to grasp her face; palm pushes up her chin as fingers burrow into the hollows of the cheeks. “You say you’ve been seein’ him– but I ain’t heard about it, so,” he starts, snakes a hand into the tousled hair on Cassidy and yanks her head back – wants to send ripples through her lithe body; wants to feel its fragility there. Ismael whispers into her ear, face barely an inch from hers. “Sounds to me like you’ve been lyin’, Cass. Can’t have it both ways.” Mouth breathes heat onto her skin as lips drag along her cheek. He hums then leans back to take her in. A grin forms on his face – disjointed and strange in the context of the moment. “I’mma need you to tell me everything,” he orders.

Her vision seemed to tunnel, the only sight in full focus being his face. Cassidy tried to look deep enough into his eyes to force some kind of genuine connection, to break through the rage that she knew could fully bubble to the surface at any moment, but he wasn’t letting her. Cass knew from the moment the instructions left Zephyr’s lips that this plan was going to push Ismael farther than she had ever dared push him before, but now it was as if she were looking down the barrel of a gun. Again. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea after all. Who would have thought?

Cassidy gritted her teeth when his hand met her face again but she tried to keep her gaze level with his, hoping that looking him in the eye would convince him of her innocence. Before she could come up with another excuse, however, he had grabbed a fistful of hair and tugged hard, eliciting first a hiss, then a loud yelp. Cass squeezed her eyes shut and a hand flew to his wrist, gripping it but not pulling lest he tear her hair from her head. She was balancing on her toes now, as if adding a bit of extra height would decrease the wave of pain that descended from her scalp. “I’m not -- I’m not lying --” Where did she find the strength to continue to defy him even while so firmly in his grasp? Her breath caught in her throat when his lips grazed over her cheek and for a moment she wondered what exactly he was thinking. What exactly swirled through this man’s mind when he had cornered his prey? “He asks for me. I go,” she pushed out in between ragged breaths, doing her best to catch his glance once more. “It’s Zephyr, Ismael...what was I supposed to do?” Saying no to anybody was rarely an option for Cassidy; saying no to the Kovali underboss would certainly land her in deeper shit than she was in now. Couldn’t Ismael understand that? 

“Ismael, don’t--” She would make up stories of the fake intimate details if she had to, but that wasn’t where she wanted that conversation to go. That would make him angrier and put her in a more precarious position. “He’s said things...about the capos, about Isek and Remington...” She spoke quickly as if the information was falling from her lips to save herself...which it kind of was, however untrue those tidbits might be. “He’s worried.”

[giannacarcone]

prcspect‌:

          Not one god had their eye out for Vinny. He was lost, hurting on the inside. It’s only a shame that he couldn’t experience the same pain on the outside to even things out, to bring a sliver of harmony to his chaos. At a surface level he could be fine. But deep down were cracks in his soul which could not be mended. He wouldn’t and couldn’t be the same person he was before all of this, not even if he willed himself to. Cassidy had to be the first person he told. Some kind of cruel fate, or irony, made it so. A person whom he didn’t want to see him in a bad light; he was a horrible person. That’s what it came down to. Nothing more, nothing less. He didn’t deserve to be alive, breathing on Earth when a child was dead by his hands. A kill with a gun is supposed to be impersonal. With a possibility of no evidence left behind if you made off with the weapon. Guns worked, they were efficient. Yet it felt so sinister, and hit so close to where his heart laid. Vinny was never supposed to experience a kill like that— but he had. 

          His chest heaved in and out, over and over again. “No.” There had never been anything he wanted to say less. Confrontation to begin with was a tall order; whatever confidence he usually embodied to help him through it had evaporated into thin air. “You don’t wanna know.” Never a more serious moment, he couldn’t bring himself to stop the usual combining of words he fell victim to. Because the last thing he was thinking about was himself. It was all the kid, and how he was going to break the morbid news to his friend. Would she even stay that, keep that status or run? He didn’t know. “Cass… you— you really don’t wanna know.” He grimaced with such ferocity it made his eyes water. A familiar hand in his, sat on an even more familiar couch, no level of usual comfort could hide his overwhelming discomfort. Vinny had to face fact that there might not ever be a reprieve from his well deserved suffering.

They were a strange pair, sitting there side by side and hand in hand on a couch inside the Kovali compound. Neither of them were supposed to be there, neither of them should have ever been exposed to the type of evil that  were the very building blocks of those walls, infecting everyone inside. Now Cassidy began to question, as she did every once in a while, all of the things that she didn’t know about Vinny. Where should he have been right at that moment? Cass could have been any number of places - in the middle of a busy work day, on a plane en route to some fabulous destination, sitting down to lunch at a nice restaurant with her mother. Somewhere normal doing an activity free of suspicion and malintent. But she wasn’t.

His hand grew heavy in hers and Cassidy began to feel his tension seep into her own body. “You need to tell me,” she insisted with as much strength as she could muster, trying(and failing) to catch his glance. “Vinny, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” There was a slim chance that she could help him if he did tell her, but she wouldn’t know until that moment came. “Whatever it is, you’re going to be okay. You’re safe, and I won’t tell anybody if you don’t want me to...” She was beginning to sound desperate, her anxiety pushed to the forefront. “Please.”

[giannacarcone]

catdemir‌:

Catalina was running late with an appointment with a friend of hers who happened to be the same who she had gone to for her prior appointments once she realized symptoms of depression had begun to creep into the back of her mind. After a few muttered mentions of PTSD, she forced herself to return on a weekly basis in order to help process the nightmares and flashbacks that continuously haunted her. However, she was pulled from her tracks when she spotted multiple people crowding around a newsstand. 

Dark hues furrowed momentarily as she stepped forward and stood behind a petite girl in an attempt to peer over her shoulder. The headlines seized her heart momentarily, letting a shaky exhale escape. “Sorry,” she immediately muttered once she had realized that she had invaded the other’s space. “I wasn’t trying to hover over you, I was just reading the headlines.” The woman spoke softly as she stepped back. Letting her eyes dart around, she attempted to find a way out of the crowd but it seemed they may have been swallowed him momentarily. “Sorry, they’re pushing me in.” The woman grumbled in an attempt to shove herself back against those who were attempting to find out the latest news after the mass deaths in their city.

People began to drift over to the stand, pulling magazine and newspapers from their spots as they searched for text that applied to them. It was actually nice to see, considering so many people were usually buried in their phones; honestly, if Cassidy’s phone didn’t have restrictions set on it, she would probably have her face to the screen as much as possible. Her eyes quickly scanned the article, taking in the details of the mayor’s event, and she couldn’t help but imagine all of the things that could so easily go wrong. It was difficult to be optimistic about the city’s leader’s promise to make changes when she had seen firsthand just how difficult it was to put a stop to any of the crime that ran rampant through the streets.

After a few moments, Cass got the uncomfortable feeling that somebody was just a bit too close. She threw a glance over her shoulder to find a vaguely familiar face, though she did not know it well enough to place the woman. “It’s fine. Do you want this?” She was about to offer the paper to her when both women were jostled, putting Cassidy on high alert. Being pushed in crowds never led to anything good for her. She tossed the paper back towards the stand and turned to squeeze through a few people, gesturing for the other woman to follow as she cleared a path.

[giannacarcone]

serakaran‌:

Were she a stickler for the rules like the rest who held control over Cassidy’s ongoings, it perhaps should have risen hackles to witness her catching up on the latest news so blatantly, but Sera was not the rest. She never had been, that much was clear to her now. Sera, I don’t know what Ismael told you. It’s enough to warrant the taller woman’s firm clasp of her former friend’s upper bicep as she tugs her away from prying eyes and lingering ears to the space behind the news stand. “What did he tell you when you asked?” 

Studying the other’s features, she already senses her own jaw tick over just from memory alone. Their reunion. The implication of Zephyr. Having to leave her sister once more as she did not possess the capability to free her. “I just saw her yesterday. At Ismael’s office.” Such revelation comes through gritted teeth, already preparing her body against the onslaught of another betrayal. Cassidy had to know, after all she was caught in the same web. “She’s alive and has been this whole time. You’re telling me that you never ran into her on the same circuit? Not once in twelve years?”

“Sera--” She couldn’t help but squeak when Sera’s fingers dug into her arm and yanked her to a more private space in the very public park. Why was this happening? What was so important that they had to do this here? Cassidy pulled her arm from Sera’s grasp and her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the older woman. “He said he didn’t know the name. He shouldn’t have, I know, he wasn’t there. I just could have sworn that I--” She stopped herself again, not wanting to cause Sera any more pain. Perhaps Ismael had looked into the name after their conversation and decided to use it to torture Sera. It wouldn’t be out of character. He had been right, after all...it was just her mind playing tricks on her, seeing somebody important to her who wasn’t truly there. That day had been a mess.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he would look into it, I didn’t know he would try to--” But then Sera spoke again and Cass felt like she had been struck. I just saw her yesterday. That wasn’t possible. Cassidy hadn’t actually seen Azra. Would Ismael really go so far as to find someone who resembled her just to push Sera over the edge? Of course he would. “That’s not...no you didn’t...” From the look on her face, however, she could tell that Sera was telling the truth. Whatever discord there was between the two women, this was not something she would lie about. This was not something she could lie about. Nausea bubbled up in her stomach and Cassidy tried to form a coherent sentence while Sera rained accusations upon her. “But I don’t...how has she...” All of the other girls they knew back then were gone. Azra was gone. There was no way she could have survived when so many didn’t...but then again, Cass had. Sera had. “No,” she whispered, barely able to push out the single syllable. “I don’t understand.”

[giannacarcone]

serakaran‌:

Perhaps the news of Irena’s revival might have resonated more fluidly were Sera not caught in the grips of her own spiraling life, every face passed as she stormed into the compound barely registering as she sought out one in particular. But he wasn’t there. The precise individual who should have been able to soothe the ache in her bones became the one who caused it and with nowhere else to turn, she left in the same whirlwind through which she arrived and headed for Lincoln Park.

She couldn’t breathe. When had the sensation become so difficult? Why did the weight of betrayal by so many within her close circle resonate akin to heartbreak instead? She’s walked close to the zoo by this point, lost within her own thoughts before yet another ghost from a past the capo has worked to forget now stands mere feet away. “Cassidy.” The name spills from her lips before she can stop it and proceed onwards without confrontation, but she has to know. How deep did this conspiracy against her run? “You need to tell me something. Right now. And if you lie to my face, I swear…” Former bonds would become severed permanently, forgiveness had never been Sera’s strong suit. 

“Did you know about Azra?”

Cassidy. She immediately jumped when she heard her name called, her first thought being that she had been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing...and she kind of was. Cass had mumbled something about going on errands and while she could easily lie her way out of why she had stopped at the stand, no Kovali would be happy about her catching up on the latest news. The person she saw when she turned around wasn’t Ismael, or Isek, or Remi, or even a nameless soldier from the compound...it was Sera. And she looked like a mess. “Sera. Hi. I was just...” Cassidy paused for a split second to try to formulate an excuse in case she was about to be scolded, but the other woman began speaking again before she could utter another word. Cass’ eyes widened and she slowly slid the newspaper back into its spot, stepping away from the stand as people began to stare in the pair’s direction. 

She was not expecting to hear the younger Karan sister’s name, especially not from Sera, especially not when Cassidy had just broached the subject with Ismael days prior. Had he said something to Sera? “Sera, I don’t know what Ismael told you...” she began, trying to figure out how he might have twisted their conversation into something that could upset the other woman. “I saw someone who looked like her at the festival...I asked him if he knew anything about Azra... It was stupid, I know, I shouldn’t have said anything...”

[giannacarcone]

shadowyavuz‌:

Alp should have known better than to get distracted.  Between the increase of police and soldiers on the streets, the gangs, and whatever the hell Jasper’s deal was–he still had to figure that out–Alp had more than enough reasons to be cautious.  But he went to the garage to quit thinking about everything else, and tonight, at least, it’d worked.  He’d gotten caught up getting Layla standing on her own wheels again, and the impact wrench must have drowned out the alarm he’d set for 8:30, because by the time he even thought to check how much time had passed it was 8:55.  There was no way he’d be able to drive home before nine, and in the car he’d be an obvious target–and he couldn’t risk getting pulled over.  He hadn’t seen any sign that he’d been identified from the Festival, yet, but he wasn’t going to give the police any reason to be suspicious.

So he’d left the Charger at the shop and set off on foot, sticking to side streets and shadows and using whatever cover he could find.  He was just coming through an alley when a woman ducked around the corner into it, and at first he froze–but the brief glimpse of her silhouette before she hid had suggested civilian clothes, not a uniform, and the police car that drove by a moment later explained her sudden appearance.  So after a moment, once the rumble of the engine had faded and he’d listened for footsteps, he warned, “If you’re goin’ east, there’s another at the end of the block.”

A figure approached from behind and Cassidy nearly jumped out of her skin, a hand flying up to cover her mouth so that she wouldn’t scream and reveal herself. The man had appeared from out of nowhere and she quickly gave him a once-over to make sure that he wasn’t a cop. Then again, anybody could be a plain clothes cop, but he seemed like he was trying to avoid them as well.

She wasn’t good with directions. Cass had grown up in the city, but she took nearly the same routes every day and when she wasn’t walking to and from school or to a friend’s, her father’s driver would bring her to and fro. Add on that she hadn’t truly roamed freely in over a decade and cardinal directions did nothing for her. His sentence finished with “at the end of the block,” however, which made things a bit easier. As the man came closer, Cassidy realized that she recognized him. From the party on the pier, perhaps? That night was still a bit fuzzy, the only memories she really had figured out all filled with fire and smoke. “I...I can’t get stopped,” she confessed quickly without offering any further information. “Do you know how far it is to Lincoln Park? Can you help me?” Putting her trust in a near-stranger was not something Cass ever did, but at this point in time, she didn’t have any other options.

[giannacarcone]

Remington couldn’t help but smirk as she bit out the words he’d just spoken. He’d been entirely sarcastic, but he knew the words hit the mark they’d intended. “He makes you something, though.” He meant that in every sense of the word, though he let her continue instead of interrupting. Remi put his chin in his hand, glancing at Cass now after setting his drink down. He rose an eyebrow at how defensive she got, though that was expected. “And neither are you – though I guess that’s up for debate, now. Are you listening to yourself or should I record you and play it back?”

Looking away, he huffed out a laugh, “You and me? I don’t think you know enough about me to say that. But your intentions aren’t that innocent. If they are, then you need to re-evaluate yourself. You can use him just as much as he uses you. It’s not my fault you haven’t figured it out yet. But hey, what would I know.” Remington finished off his drink again, pushing the glass away so he didn’t refill it. Already he was feeling a mild buzz, and he wanted it to wear off sooner rather than later. Wouldn’t be good to be caught entirely off guard. He looked over at Cassidy again, studying her features for a brief moment before he looked away, “Irena keeps you around for some reason, so just because you think you’re his, you’re wrong. Figure your shit out before you go around claiming you just want to stay alive.”

“No he doesn’t.” It was an instinctual response, spoken before she had time to think it through. Cass was drifting into the space where she knew that everything Ismael did was wrong and was able to think such things without trying to convince herself otherwise. That was sanity breaking through, common sense, but that way of thinking could easily get her killed. Like many others, Cassidy had been taught to listen and obey, to push any thoughts or feelings she had out of her head. Because they didn’t matter. She had a job to do. “I’m something without him.” That wasn’t a sentence she could ever voice in front of Ismael - no, to him she was a constant damsel in distress, always in need to his presence and instruction. And more often than not, she found herself completely caught up in that web.

“Sorry,” Cass mumbled mere seconds after the outburst, setting her glass down and averting her eyes. She really didn’t want to argue with Remington - not at the festival and not anywhere - but it seemed to be all they were able to do as of late. You can use him just as much as he uses you. Her glance shifted back to him then, his words reflecting thoughts that she had already had. Thoughts that had led to her putting herself in another devil’s hands as recently as a few days before. She wasn’t, however, about to lay everything out on the table for Remington. “Yeah, and now Irena’s in a coma.” Something that did bring Cassidy a fair amount of joy, but also left her with more uncertainty than she was used to; if Irena never woke up, would that mean that Cass would be disposed of? Was Irena keeping her alive for a specific purpose or was it all just a game? Did she need the woman more than she knew? Cassidy sighed and reached for his glass, scooping hers up in the process. “I think there’s some shit you need to figure out too. Hate to say it, but we’re more alike than you think.” She flashed him a tight smile and stepped away from Remington, moving to clean the glasses so they would be ready for more customers.

//END

[giannacarcone]

emiliakovali‌:

Death. It seemed to follow her close behind these days, the cold wind blowing through the city. When the bombs went off on the Pier, she’d been convinced that maybe it was going to be her last night. She’d seen the breath of life escape an injured woman, nameless as she died in the youngest Kovali’s arms. By sheer luck, she managed to escape… but Death would cling to the shadows, never far away. It’d knelt at her side every time a failed call to the paramedics came through, the scene eerily quiet and bathed in red light. Chest compressions on a missing pulse, the police bringing out an ominous body bag. Maybe it was something horrible to get accustomed to… but in every occasion, Emilia had never been the one bringing its ugly face forward. No, she served as a healer in each aspect. Getting people out, doing her job, trying to get out alive. Until now.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the body. From the crimson red blood that began to pool under the lifeless man. The gun clattered to the ground and the youngest Kovali barely heard it fall. Her ears continued to ring, you did this, you killed someone. The air in her lungs felt like it burned, gun powder choking every sharp inhale as her heart tried to beat out of her chest. Emilia. The name sounded foreign to her, eyes remaining on the man. Who was he? Just a man doing his job, or someone consumed by hatred for her family. Who had she wiped away in the massacre… Emilia couldn’t bring herself to look at Cassidy, the thousand of thoughts culminating in a single sentence. “I had to do it-” For herself. For Cassidy. Though could something as petulant as murder ever be excusable.

They couldn’t stay here, not with the gunfire still present at the festival. If he hadn’t acted alone, then someone else would be coming to finish the job. Pure adrenaline shot through her veins, her body shaking as she finally looked at Cassidy. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, forcing down the evident panic attack that was trying to swallow her whole. “We… I- we can’t...” Each gulp of air shook her to her core. “We have to go.” 

The gun fell from Emilia’s grasp as if in slow motion, the sound deafening as it hit the ground despite the noise that continued on around them. In seconds, both of their lives had changed more than either of them knew. Somehow some sort of intuition kicked in and Cassidy managed to place herself between Emilia and their would-be killing, trying to shield the younger girl from viewing the consequences of her action, no matter how noble her intent. Even as she did so, Cass knew that the image would never leave her. When Emilia spoke she sounded far away, small, weaker than the woman who had just pulled the trigger seconds prior. She was scared. Cassidy’s hand finally took Emilia’s and she slowly nodded, trying to figure out what to say, how to make this better. She couldn’t. “I know you did...I know...” More than anything Cass wanted to thank her, but there wasn’t time. They couldn’t stay there.

Cassidy shakily rose to her feet, pulling the other girl up with her as she did so. Emilia’s hands were still held tightly in her grasp when her attention fell on the gun again, discarded on the ground. She had seen enough violence, watched enough people offed for not covering up a less than legal action taken by the Kovalis... Cass let Emilia’s hands go and crouched the ground again, doing her best to avoid looking at the body as she scooped the weapon off the ground. She didn’t know what the fuck she was going to do with it, but she wasn’t about to let it be traced back to them. Emilia had suffered enough. Cassidy tucked the gun into the waistband of her shorts and pulled her t-shirt down over it, just as she had seen Ismael and Zephyr and countless others do hundreds of times. It seemed to weigh hundreds of pounds as it pressed against her skin, the implication of what had just happened physically resting on her lower back.

She turned back to Emilia and pulled the girl to her, wrapping her in a tight hug that seemed to last forever. There had always been a pull between them, something that seemed impossible to define, but now the two young women shared a terrible, unforgettable experience that would bind them together forever. Cass finally released her and took her hand again before taking a few steps back toward the pandemonium. “Come on. I’ve got you.”

//END

[giannacarcone]

diazthespy‌:

Irena Kovali was awake and Isabel had never been more terrified. The matriarch was quite fairly a woman of legend and one who had no patience or time for people as low as Isabel. Fair enough, giving her position in the association and her cover as abandoning the Kovali as few knew of her transition to the Faction. After the festival, however, there was bound to be word spreading and she needed to know how many were aware of the news. She pulled her hat down a bit lower to shield her face, hiding both from prying eyes and the few rays of sun peeking down from the clouds. As luck would have it she spotted a familiar face only a block away and trailed them from a distance until they slowed. 

It was easy enough to catch up at a casual pace and slip up beside her, eyes lowering to survey the newspaper as she picked up a copy for herself. A quick skim revealed what she’d already gathered from the news stations playing on constant repeat in every cafe in the city. “Don’t bother, just more confirmation that the Mayor is trying to purge the city. Empty threats they can’t follow through on.” She kept her eyes on the paper but spoke only to Cass, keeping her distance and remaining casual to anyone possibly watching. It was a relief to see anyone she recognized at all who remained friendly, let alone Cassidy, someone she had not seen for years. 

Cassidy was in her own world, thoughts swirling as she did her best to process what she read. It seemed silly for the mayor to call a town hall meeting...why would they want to gather a large group of people in one place when chaos ran rampant through the city streets? She knew that neither organization in play wanted anything to do with the regular citizens of Chicago, but they didn’t. More often than not, Cass marveled at the stupidity of people who were supposed to be in charge. She was just turning the page when a voice piped up from beside her, startling her out of her isolation. “I don’t know about that...” she began, unwilling to blindly agree with a stranger; there was always a chance that somebody was waiting to reel her in, catch her in a trap that she wouldn’t be able to climb out of. With Zephyr and Ismael both pulling strings now, Cassidy was jumpier than ever, try as she might to conceal it. The voice sounded familiar, however, and Cass looked over to peer at the face partially hidden by the brim of the hat. This woman was familiar. Why did this keep happening? At least Cassidy was ninety-nine percent certain that the blonde beside her was not a ghost. “Isabel?”