[wannabewerewolf]

Skull hoarder

[batwan-deactivated20220318]

Women of the MCU ➝ Christine Palmer

[lissabriganti]

elsiehartford​:

Elsie had always hated coffee runs. She’d done them for years — waiting in lines, parroting Caroline Solano’s intricate orders and balancing the cups as she rushed back into the office. Even after she’d slithered her way into the woman’s closest circle, the lunch breaks turning into gossip sessions and her list of responsibilities growing, the coffee runs remained a constant. No matter how below her she felt it was, after spending hours on painting the Solano family in silvers and golds for the press. 

Not anymore, though. Ever since Luis Solano died and his wife turned into a ghost haunting the Solano estate’s halls, the only coffee she grabbed was her own. Something that felt both exhilarating and right. But habits were hard to break, muscle memory kicking in the moment her mind was distracted by a text in her phone, her hand closing down on both of the cups she’d caught placed on the counter from her peripheral vision. Only when spoken to, did she raise her gaze, brow arched in a perfect half-circle: “Yes?” 

Lissa couldn’t blame anyone but Adrian for the fact he’d gone sniffing around outside of his marriage. He was the one that had betrayed her. She knew that in all rational, adult conversations, she should acknowledge as such and treat Elsie as an unfortunate side effect of Adrian’s indiscretions and nothing more. But no logic or ideologies could protect her from the searing honest hatred that ignited in her chest at even the thought of his mistress, let alone the sight. Made only worse by the jealous way her stomach turned at the woman’s beauty. When Elsie grabbed for her coffee, the lack of self awareness was all Lissa could fixate on. It was unsurprising, she reeked in every way of someone who’d never learned not to touch things that were not theirs.

“You know what, you can go ahead and keep that,” Lissa smiled. She wouldn’t drink it for ten thousand dollars cash right here and now on principal alone. The rational extended from a coffee to her husband, the moment she’d found out... you couldn’t have paid her any amount to put her lips on him again.

[lissabriganti]

lilacsolano​:

While little Sylvie was the best way to get this or any conversation going in a more positive, less aching direction, Caroline was quite the opposite. Every Solano had been going through a crisis of their own, but Caroline’s had been the most evident, painfully so. Mother was the center of her children’s universe and they all orbited around her, her moods affecting theirs. And to the youngest sibling it seemed as though each sibling was in its own part of the vast universe, emotionally aeons away from each other. A mild sense of panic began stirring in the pit of her stomach but the closer they were to the ocean, the more she appreciated the fresh salty air. How’s Caroline doing? It was a tricky question nowadays, and truth be told, it varied from day to day, even though the bad days were becoming more frequent. “Same old.” –eventually fell from her lips. To a random bystander, it might’ve seemed Lillian was deliberately withholding the information from her ex-sister-in-law but that wasn’t the case here. However, same old was simply a perfect way to put it. Lissa would understand, though. The images which might flash before her eyes were enough– the Briganti had been there at Caroline’s worst, Lissa had been one of the witnesses the moment everything’d changed. Yes, saying anything else would’ve worsened the situation, not to mention drain Lillian emotionally.

Not everything was as heartbreaking, though. Sylvie was a flicker of hope which had to be protected at all cost, the little girl was a reminder of innocence and peace and happiness long lost. “What a silly munchkin,” she remarked but with a healthy amount of affection in her voice. Lillian wasn’t a kids person, per say, but her niece had sneaked her way into her heart. With her chubby cheeks and a beautiful smile and a brilliant sense of humor. “Both? Oh wow, ambitious kid.” A beat. “I like it.” Both could be easily arranged so Lila, the cool aunt she was, made a mental reminder. In all honesty, it was a relief– with the Christmas season approaching, the little one had focused on it and hopefully hadn’t noticed how much her family situation had changed. Although, who knew what would happen on Christmas day at the Solano mansion, lord help them all. Lila selfishly didn’t voice her doubts as having Sylvie around might just save Christmas. “And you?” The blonde began in an almost playful tone. “What do you want for Christmas?” Just as Lillian thought she couldn’t be more endeared, Lissa told her she could visit her niece whenever she wanted. Taken by surprise, her feet came to a sudden halt and whatever was on her mind– vanished. “Liss– really? I’d– I’d love to see her,” a genuine smile lit up her feature, not even the mention of her eldest brother could ruin her mood.

Same old. That bad, huh? For all her anger that Luis had insisted upon splintering his son, rather than take his faux-daughters mercy; she was relieved that she did not live with the guilt of causing the emotional demise of the once radiant Caroline Solano. Then again, if she had gotten to hold him as he fell asleep rather than hear her son spatter his brains up the wall, maybe she would still have some shred of herself remaining. Even now, for all her rage she held for her estranged husband, she knew she would too be a ghost in the Solano halls if something like that were to happen to him. It wasn’t fair, none of it had been. “I miss her.” A hollow sentiment. They all missed her.

“I’m going to have to rent out a stable somewhere,” For all the love Lissa had for Lila, she knew not to mention her real estate endeavors. Lila might love her, but Adrian was her brother. Lissa could never be certain that their secrets would remain between them. Especially not if Elijah came to light. “There’s no cramming a Freisan into a two bedroom apartment.” She’d only just managed to talk the girl down from a Clydesdale. “Me? Lila, I don’t need anything, you know that,” She mumbled embarrassed. “A nice dinner between us sometime, that’s all I want.” Lissa had never accepted gifts well, with the exception of Adrian. She’d so often got him trinkets and gifts that they’d grown like ravens, bringing little surprises to one another with nothing but excitement. But that had been a long time ago, or at least it felt as thought it was.

“Of course, really. I haven’t meant to keep her from you– from any of you. I just... I don’t know how to be around it... all,” She almost managed to catch it on her tongue, before it slipped into the air and couldn’t be taken back. The well known but unspoken truth that Lissa was not gracefully neutral about her impending divorce. “It’s still really embarrassing. To see you all and know that you know. I know she’s been around more––” Please stop, she begged her brain as it paraded her thoughts straight from her throat. “And it hurts and all, but mostly it’s embarrassing. I don’t want Sylvie seeing me like that.” She finally got a hold on the leesh before she could say it. The truth was that she’d rather hack that woman’s hands off than think about them anywhere near her daughter.

[lissamockblog]

taod incorrect quotes; 1/??

[lissabriganti]

milonavarro​:

where: outside in the streets of LA

Being on edge from the actions of his brother, that he supported, Milo was hitting the cigarettes a little harder than usual. Feeling the smoke in and out of his lungs made him relax a bit from the tension he was feeling. All he wanted to do was protect his son but how the hell was he supposed to do that if a fucking war broke out cause of Victor? Victor deserved it though. It was obvious that he killed Isla. After his cigarette was finished, he tossed it on the ground before crushing it with his foot. 

Looking back into his pack, he realized that he had just smoked the last one. His fucking thoughts must’ve been distracting him to even notice. “You got an extra cigarette? I have no idea where the nearest drug store is.” 

For all the handbags Lissa owned, she kept her basic black chanel in frequent rotation and had done so for the past four years. If you rummaged, you’d likely find at least one receipt that dated back as far. She was a clever woman, how many clever woman had cluttered bags full of things their over-anxious minds warned they might someday, somehow need. She still carried cigarettes for Adrian’s men, though she’d looked at the gold pack at least a dozen times and deliberated on throwing them away. She liked to be adored, she liked that the Solano family was surrounded by people who cared for her beyond their pay grade. Sometimes, that loyalty could be bought with just one cigarette and a soft smile at the right time. The smallest of gestures that they were appreciated in the subtlest of ways. She no longer had a need for that rapport, but she still carried them nonetheless, always waiting for the right opportunity to finally dispose of them.

Opportunity asked and she felt suddenly unprepared and unwilling to relinquish the useless box, even if it would give her bag valuable free realestate. “The doctor in me says no,” She answered, despite her hands busy opening the zip. “But I’d only throw them in the trash regardless,” She completed, passing the pack over. “Keep it. I’ll save you the walk.”

[lissabriganti]

rcmannavarro​:

location: literally any antique furniture shop

open starter.

It was to be expected that the city was on edge - even months after the deed was done. Roman liked to go against the grain, the path less travelled was where all the opportunity laid. Any Tom, Dick, and Harry could be consumed with the whispers on the streets but that shit would kill you quicker than a bullet. His fingers thumbed a price tag on a particular lamp. He might have no need to worry about money (ever) but one didn’t get rich by blowing all their money on stupid shit. It was a Tiffany lamp, circa the 40s. Taking out his phone, he snapped a photo. It was a lovely piece but he wasn’t quite sold on it. There was room for a new bar cart in his office that he needed to prioritize. “That lamp is truly a diamond in the rough. I’d recommend it, if you’re going to get anything.”

Lissa found hope in furniture stores. The self soothing revelation that she could morph her environment completely, that she was privileged enough to do so. That if one day she found the powdery blue of her master suffocating that she could afford to come home to any colour in the world with only a phone call. Antiques were another guilty pleasure. Relics of home. The Briganti Manor must’ve had half a forest contained in its finishings alone. Old, rich woods and pieces from all over Italy. It had been a sudden and stark transition to move among Solano’s, in more ways than one. Now that she had her own apartment to furnish, she began gravitating back to what she had once known, her father’s taste ran deep. But she wasn’t Adrian Solano’s wife in anything more than name these days, and a surgeon’s salary was chump change to an empire, she needed to be more stringent with her spending. Which meant no grandiose lamps, nor the gorgeous table it sat atop.

“It’s gorgeous,” She agreed. Roman Navarro had sent flowers after the death of her father-in-law, a kind enough gesture that had not been expected of him. It would not sway the hardened hearts of most people that kept the company of the Solano’s, but Lissa wasn’t a mobster, for all of her associations. She was just a woman and it had been enough to earn a disarmed smile from her at his unprompted advice, even these months later. “But I could buy an audi for that.” Though the car would be worth a fraction of it’s price once she drove it off the lot, antiques tended to appreciate with time she supposed. “Not quite your colour?” She asked gently, arching a soft brow as she looked between the colour of his shirt and the stained glass of the piece.

[dailywomen]

“I’ve discovered as I’ve grown up that life is far more complicated than you think it is when you’re a kid. It isn’t just a straightforward fairytale.”

[lissabriganti]

lilacsolano​:

Nothing about this current situation was easy. Or fair, as a matter of fact, to any of them. Their lives were so intertwined; Lissa Briganti wasn’t just some random woman her brother had introduced to his family coming home from college but practically a sister. Growing up with two older brothers had been challenging and as much as Lila liked it, there were times when it’d been just as aggravating. Especially around the time she hit puberty and consequentially became more sensitive. She sought comfort of a female friend– or a mentor. Either way, someone who understood and wouldn’t scrunch their nose in disgust once she brought up feelings. Caroline had never had been as open-minded and fun as Lissa either. Perhaps they hadn’t been bound by blood but at times, Lissa understood her better than any of the Solanos. Something Lila could never erase from her mind, no matter how royally her brother had screwed up. “Me neither,” Lila replied shortly. Truly, Lila rarely showed up at her family home anymore. Her own sign of protest, possibly or her way of expressing disgust with the current situation. After THE separation, all rules dictated Adrian’s sister took his side and left Lissa behind. Well, those rules are completely idiotic. Once more, Lila decided to defy them, as long as Lissa would let her. Sure enough, she had given Lissa some space to adjust to her new life and she had no idea how comfortable the other would be because, well, Lila would always be not only Adrian’s sister but also one of his closest associates in the mafia business. “Sounds good.” Gelato always seemed to be a good idea, ever since they’d been kids, sweet and innocent. It’d eemed to fix any situation, why not give it a try this miserable afternoon too? “How is Sylv?” The most important question Lila could ask, of course.

“How’s Caroline doing?” Lissa managed. Truthfully, she’d thought about putting her pride aside a thousand times to reach out to the former matriarch. Caroline had been Lissa Briganti’s mother far longer than her own ever had, she felt it only right to try and soothe the hole Luis left beyond the curt greetings she’d given dropping Sylvie off. But each time she held the phone, the anger seeped back into her veins. Caroline had given Elsie the in she needed to the Solano family and while she held no punches in the regard that she’d come to loathe her husband for what he’d done, she knew an opportunistic snake when she saw one. She slithered by her mother-in-law’s feet, right to her marital bed and while she was obligated to one day forgive Adrian for the sake of the daughter they shared, so she wouldn’t grow to dread every birthday, graduation, wedding and any other significant event she would need them both for; she truly didn’t need Caroline’s companionship anymore. It was only stress and heartache. She would nod and greet, but Lissa didn’t know if she could ever really be content around the woman again.

They began to stroll towards the pier, awkwardness felt like a shackle on Lissa’s ankle, screeching as she dragged it behind with every step. “She’s doing good. Christmas has got her bouncing off the walls these days. Santa this and that.” Christmas, another sore spot. Sylvie wanted to spend it with daddy, and Lissa regretfully agreed. She supposed wine and a bath alone would be her substitute this year. “Want’s a horse and an iphone.”

“You know, if you wanna see her–– any of you, you can always text or call. Adrian too... I just... I don’t think I need to explain to you he’s not as stable as would be ideal.” She felt a lump forming in her throat and decided to leave her explanation at that. The thought of Adrian day drinking alone in that big, awful home... It’s what he deserved she supposed, but it still made her want to cry.

[lissabriganti]

phoebemarques​:

Phoebe was on a walk with Matteo. Pushing him in his stroller as she walked through the park, she held various one-sided conversations with her son as he just cooed in response to hearing his mother’s voice. Phoebe had a book she wanted to read and a chance in environment would be good for her; she couldn’t stay cooped up in her home forever, even if she felt safest within those walls. 

She approached a bench, with a woman situated there with her very large and intimidating dog. The blonde eased the pup and shifted down on the bench to make room for Phoebe to sit. “He’s a handsome man,” Phoebe complimented, taking a seat. She ensured Matteo was settled and comfortable, before she pulled out her novel. 

Looking over to the woman she joined, Phoebe noticed the various documents on her lap. Seemed like real estate listings. “Wanting to move?” Phoebe asked. “Not to pry, but looking through real estate listings is sort of a hobby of mine,” she added. Zillow is one of Phoebe’s most visited websites; her desire for escape, she was sure, fueled her interest more than anything else.

“Think’s he’s a lot tougher than he is,” Lissa lied goodnaturedly. Sylvie called it her ‘doctor voice’. That calm, reassuring sort of lie that spilled from her so naturally in times of stress. Eventually, it had bled into other parts of life too and become second nature when communicating honestly felt like too much work. Most days felt like too much work lately, as a result, Lissa spoke predominantly like a checkout girl on her last legs; life just kept adding more coupon hoarders to her queue. 

“Look’s like I’m not the only one with a handsome man though, huh? He’s beautiful.” Lissa had wanted more children, she always thought she and Adrian had so much time left, even though she was getting older, the years were still on her side. Adrian, not so much. “How old?”

She glanced down at the listings once more, offering a polite nod in response. “Not sure yet,” She admitted. “I’ve been thinking on getting something out of the city, my daughter–– She saw my riding pictures from when I was younger, absolutely begging for a horse these days.” It was the least she could do she supposed. She’d broken up her family, if Sylvie wanted a Friesian mare to plug the hole, Lissa would oblige. She could do with the quiet herself. But she wouldn’t put a dime into a property that Adrian could track down. If Lissa finally took the plunge, the ranch would be somebody else's name. Far from Solano meddling.

[lissamockblog]

ADRIAN & LISSA; link in source

(01) she will always hate me - james blunt

i never meant to hurt you, it’s just something i do. i  guess it’s not a good excuse. and she will always hate me, no matter what I say. and there is no mistaking, the love is gone.

(02) $ting - the neighbourhood

you say that you love me, but you act like you don’t. you used to adore me, laughed at all my jokes. don’t take this the wrong way, you put me in harm’s way. when we had our first kiss, it was your favorite thing and you weren’t lying when you said it would sting. don’t take this the wrong way, you put me in harm’s way.

(03) nothing inside - machine gun kelly

it’s been a long time since i was young and she was the first face I was looking to call mine. she said it’s alright, had a couple of drinks and i got issues we can fight about all night. i did this all for you, look what i turned into. she looked dead into my eyes and she saw nothing inside.

(04) before you go - lewis capaldi

i fell by the wayside like everyone else. i hate you, i hate you, i hate you, but i was just kidding myself. our every moment, i start to replace ‘cause now that they’re gone, all i hear are the words that i needed to say. when you hurt under the surface, like troubled water running cold. well, time can heal, but this won’t. so, before you go, was there something I could’ve said to make your heart beat better?

(05) dreams - gabrielle aplin & bastille

like a heartbeat drives you mad, in the stillness of remembering what you had and what you lost. and what you had and what you lost. thunder only happens when it’s rainin’. players only love you when they’re playin’. say women, they will come and they will go, when the rain washes you clean, you’ll know. you’ll know.

(06) gravity - sara bareilles

oh, you loved me 'cause i’m fragile, when I thought that I was strong. but you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone. set me free, leave me be. i don’t want to fall another moment into your gravity. here i am, and i stand so tall, just the way i’m supposed to be but you’re on to me and all over me.

(07) bang bang (my baby shot me down) - 2cellos & sky ferreira

bang bang, he shot me down. bang bang, i hit the ground. bang bang, that awful sound. bang bang, my baby shot me down. seasons came and changed the time, when I grew up, I called him mine. he would always laugh and say, “remember when we used to play?”

(08) when the party’s over - billie eilish

but nothin’ is better sometimes, once we’ve both said our goodbyes. let’s just let it go, let me let you go. quiet when i’m comin’ home and i’m on my own. i could lie, say i like it like that, like it like that. i could lie, say i like it like that, like it like that.

(09) as it was - hozier

and tell me if somehow some of it remained, how long you would wait for me? how long i’ve been away? the shape that i’m in now is shaping the doorway, make your good love known to me. just tell me about your day. just as it was, baby, before the otherness came. and I knew its name, the drugs, the dark, the light, the shame.

(10) are you with me? - nilu

'cause i’m starting to think that i never actually had you. you’re not in the dark, but far from the light. and I need to know now, are you with me? are you in or are you out? are you with me? are you drifting through the doubt?

(11) so cold - ben cocks

oh, you can’t hear me cry, see my dreams all die, from where you’re standing, on your own. it’s so quiet here, and i feel so cold. this house no longer, feels like home. you caused my heart to bleed and you still owe me a reason i can’t figure out why. why i’m alone and freezing while you’re in the bed that she’s in i’m just left alone to cry?

(12) half a man - dean lewis

i was wrong to say i loved her, i was wrong to think I’m right. but when i told her it was over, my darling i had lied. i’ve been running from my demons, afraid to look behind. i’ve been running from myself, afraid of what I’d find. but how am I supposed to love you, when i don’t love who i am? and how can i give you all of me when i’m only half a man?

(13) hurricane - tommee profitt

i can feel your heart hanging in the air, i’m counting every step as you climb the stairs. it’s buried in your bones, i see it in your closed eyes. turning in, this is harder than we know. we hold it in the most when we’re wearing thin. coming like a hurricane, i take it in real slow. the world is spinning like a weathervane, fragile and composed. though i am breaking down again i am aching now to let you in.

(14) exile - taylor swift & bon iver

i think I’ve seen this film before and I didn’t like the ending. i’m not your problem anymore, so who am I offending now? you were my crown, now I’m in exile seein’ you out. i think I’ve seen this film before so I’m leavin’ out the side door.

(15) unfucktheworld - angel olsen

i quit my dreaming the moment that i found you, i started dancing just to be around you. here’s to thinking that it all meant so much more. i kept my mouth shut and opened up the door. i wanted nothing but for this to be the end. for this to never be a tied and empty hand. if all the trouble in my heart would only mend, i lost my dream, i lost my reason all again. it’s not just me for you, i have to look out too. i have to save my life, i need some peace of mind.

[lissamockblog]

i love you. i’ve always loved you.

[lissabriganti]

lilacsolano​:

Lissa Briganti. The light of Lila’s life. Not just Lillian’s– Adrian’s, Henry’s, Elijah’s– all of Solanos’. This current misery made it all the more clear as without her, life was gloom. Although the youngest Solano hadn’t expressed it much or maybe enough, she really appreciated her ex sister-in-law. Lila loved how loyal she had been to her family, how good of an influence she was on Adrian– all his god-forsaken life–, how good of a mother she was to her niece. God, she truly had been taking her Lissa and her warm presence in her life for granted. Perhaps all of them had made the same mistake.

Lissa was spooked. Lila sensed it right away– she’d grown up with the woman and they didn’t have to be the best of friends for Lillian to know some of her reactions. Thus, Lila’s expression softened and she put on a gentle, genuine smile. “Hello, Liss.” A beat. “It’ll be weird if we make it weird.” Lila said decisively, even though the blonde herself had some doubts. Nevertheless, she was determined to spend some quality time with Lissa. “I’m in the mood for something sweet. What do you say? Should we treat ourselves?”

If she thought about it even a moment too long, Lissa knew she could tear up even days later at the genuine nature of Lila’s smile. Her nerves dissipated, if only for a second, just to know that she hadn’t been entirely replaced. Lissa loved Lillian, she loved them all. Lila was six years her junior and with no sisters of her own, the Briganti daughter had doted on her soon after they met, eager to be around feminine energy after only brother, only enough to feel like a second father at times; so truly, Lissa never felt as though she really had siblings until she had been sent to the Solano’s. The sisterhood that ran between Lila and herself was deeper than Adrian. You were wrong to doubt her, she scolded. It’s still early days, I’m sure Elsie won’t stop at Adrian and Caroline. She knew better than to believe herself irreplaceable. Look where her husband had ended up with thoughts like that.

“You’re right, I’ve been meaning to call. I just... I don’t, well, I don’t come by anymore, even for drop off’s so it’s been hard catching you,” The awkwardness returned to her belly, knowing it was a weak excuse for the lack of text, but what could she say? What once was just sheer grief keeping her aloof, she now had the guilt of kissing Elijah plaguing her, especially on the nights she stared at her email, waiting for some sudden notification that would return her divorce papers and know that the final nail had finally clamped the coffin shut.

“You know, I could go for some Gelati by the pier, I haven’t been in–– god. A while.”

[lissamockblog]

[lissabriganti]

Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes And if I bleed, you'll be the last to know.

[lissabriganti]

One could be forgiven for thinking that the most expensive thing they might rob from Lissa Briganti this morning was the Birkin on her arm. A sixty thousand dollar bag was a smart guess but it was the large black shepherd at her feet that had set the Solano’s back almost a hundred thousand dollars, four years prior. A lot for a dog, by any means. But security dogs don’t come cheap, especially not dogs like Frank. When Sylvie had been four, Adrian’s opportunism had begun to surface. While Lissa had been rifling through her handbag to sort out the valet, her daughter and toddled off, chirping to every stranger she’d encountered in the half a block she’d managed to make before Lissa had frantically yanked her from the sidewalk into her arms. Syvlie had been unharmed, thankfully, due to the right people being on the street that morning and Lissa’s quick action, but it planted dread in the bottom of her gut that had only been amplified when a month later someone had attempted to pull her into an escalade off the street. Lissa had not been the woman who could deal with constant surveillance of even more eyes on her and Frank had been a one time payment verses another salary and no dental insurance needed. He was an extra set of eyes, if Sylvie wondered too far, Frank caught up to her, either rounding her back to her mother or father, or barking until they acknowledged him. Certified to go almost anywhere with Lissa, she felt better to know that she had at least one guard that couldn’t be deterred with a more lucrative payroll.

The dog bristled as Lissa looked over the documents on hand. A slew of printed realestate listings, some interstate, others just out of the valley. She’d been to visit another property this morning, finding it as cold and unmoving as each before it. Her mouth was set into a tight frown, five bedrooms? What use did she have for that? It was only her and Sylvie now. Frank stood, puffing an irritated breath out as his tail thumped against Lissa’s leg, pushing himself between her and the form suddenly blocking her sunlight. It didn’t matter if he’d seen you every day of his life or for the very first time, Frank would treat everyone with suspicion, especially when Lissa was distracted. She put a hand between his shoulder blades gently and the dog dropped back to his haunches between her feet, though he continued to stare with those big, watchful amber eyes. Liss’ shuffled to make more room on the bench when she realised she had been hogging the last available. “Don’t mind him,” She assured neutrally.

[lissamockblog]

[lissabriganti]

i wanted nothing but for this to be the end. for this to never be a tied and empty hand. if all the trouble in my heart would only mend... i lost my dream, i lost my reason all again.

[lissabriganti]

lilacsolano​:

OPEN STARTER. LOCATION: streets of LA TIME: around 8 pm

A light overcoat hid the gold sequin evening gown Lila had chosen for the fancy gala one of her mother’s socialite friends was throwing. Lillian’s mother, Caroline was feeling a bit under the weather– was what every other guest heard when asking about her. The truth was, Caroline was having one of the worst days since Luis’ death, she could barely get out of the bed so Lila had to step in for her. And she did so, brilliantly. The youngest Solano had chosen a perfect outfit to compliment her figure and a matching set from Tiffany’s to match it. She was life of the party as always– as it was expected of her, sweeping each and every one of those snooty faces off their feet. None of them, however, gave her anything in return or sparked her interest– not a single intellectual conversation was initiated, not a single attractive person was there– so the blonde decided to ditch the dinner– just because she could, even before foie gras was served. Not ten minutes later, on one of the most buzzing avenues in the city, she spotted an intriguing face and a smirk instantly found its way to her red-painted lips. “Join me for dinner,” she called out, her tone as light as it was made it clear she wasn’t exactly asking. “My treat.”

Like a deer in headlights, Lissa’s knee’s locked at the sound of her sister-in-law’s voice. Soon to be ex sister-in-law, she supposed. Lissa had known her most of her life, she knew the Solano’s better than the Briganti’s by now. Severing from Adrian had been difficult, removing herself entirely from the only family she’d truly known had been like removing a limb. And these days, she hardly knew where she stood. She imagined she’d be an immaterial thing by the time the assistant had her way. Slithering into her nest, feeding on the hatchlings she’d nursed like some foul reptile.

“Lila, hey,” She offered tentatively, feeling unsure on her tongue. Was this a ‘we were sisters, I’d still like to be’ dinner, or a ‘please take back my brother’ dinner, or a ‘I plan to torture you for as long as you’re polite enough to sit there’ dinner? All she’d wanted was a drink, a night with Sylvie at the sitters so she didn’t have to rely on Elijah for company. She hadn’t anticipated a Solano ambush. “I mean, if it’s not too weird or anything.”