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giada rosalia d'amiano forty-one | she/her | owner of bella moda council | the serpents be c a r e f u l how you play your cards with a queen in your hand

[xogiada]

giada d'amiano.

(JORDANA BREWSTER, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER) Oh, is that GIADA D’AMIANO I heard the FORTY- ONE year old is INTUITIVE. But don’t let that pretty face fool you, they are also MANIPULATIVE. Makes sense seeing how they are COUNCIL in THE SERPENTS gang. penned by ally

basics.

full name: giada rosalia d’amiano nickname(s): g, gia, ms. d’amiano face claim: jordana brewster age: 41 birthdate: may 4th star sign: taurus gender: cis woman pronouns: she/her sexuality: bisexual gang: the serpents, council  cover: boutique owner birthplace: milan, italy  current residence; new york, new york languages: english & italian & Portuguese theme song: gloria - laura  branigan

reflection.

face claim: jordana brewster. hair color: dark brown eye color: espresso brown height: 5’7 build: tall & slender, and loves her risotto alla milanese tattoos: tramp stamp from her rebellious teen years. small butterfly because her favorite aunt used to call her "piccolina farfalla" little butterfly in italian. scars: burn mark on her leg from boiling pasta

family.

mother: antonia d'amiano father: massimo d'amiano siblings: angelina d'amiano (29, adopted) pets: tba

personality.

characteristics:  intuitive, clever, quick witted, savvy, manipulative, reticent, opportunistic, passionate, loyal, dramatic, particular, innovative, honest  fears:  small spaces and off the rack couture  hogwarts house: ravenclaw passions/hobbies: designing clothes specifically lingerie for her boutique, cooking her family’s secret recipes, entertaining, shopping, watching old hollywood films especially ones starring sophia loren, playing cards and smoking cigars, supporting ac milan football club, fashion week  drugs/ alcohol/ smoking: not opposed, thing of the past/ in moderation, big vino lover / cigarettes and cigars socially   colors: classic black and white, pops of red and jewel tones. aesthetics: cigar smoke and lipstick stains, having an ace up her sleeve, homemade vino, power suits, imported issues of vogue italia, stilettos tapping impatiently, family style dinners, fur lined dressing gowns, upping the ante, sketches and 100s scattered over marble countertops, sips of espresso, focaccia to finish off the last bits of sauce, 3AM strokes of genius, a spritz of dolce & gabana, mascara stained satin pillowcases, fashion week in milan.

biography.

Giada was just a child when her father uprooted his family from Milan, Italy to New York City to join her grandfather in the Serpents gang he would eventually become a council member of. Growing up, she was the principessa, and apple of her mafiosa father’s eye. Though she was surrounded by the family business, daddy’s little girl was always thought to be just that and young Giada was kept as in the dark as much as possible when it came to his dirty work, deemed by her father a man’s business.  It was a challenge that made his endeavors all the more intriguing to her. While her mother urged her to help her with Sunday dinner, Giada found herself sneaking off to play cards and smoke cigars with the neighborhood kids. She was sharp, intuitive, and business savvy taking after her father more than mother. Quickly, she learned the ways of the streets, and the higherary of the families. Eager to prove herself, Giada used her cleverness to hustle kids and make a pretty penny. Her efforts only disappointed her parents, and the more Giada was kept away the more she began to rebel, even falling for a boy from a rival family.  Naturally, it couldn’t work and by the time Giada was 17, she was shipped back to the motherland in hopes of straightening her out and keeping her away from the family business. She lived with her Zia Teresa outside of Milan learning the ways of the old country. Her zia taught her all the secrets behind the family recipes, how to sew, tend a garden, and above all else that the most important thing in this life is family.   After living in Italy for five years, Giada returned from the fashion capital not only with renewed sense of clarity, but with a degree in fashion merchandising. She and her siblings became incredibly close afterwards, and she is the first one to invite everyone over for Sunday dinner and a round of scopa. She found love and met a person who would later become her ex-fiance. In return, her father gifted her Moda Bella, not only as a reward for a job well done but also as another distraction in hopes she would be too busy with the boutique to concern herself with business dealings.  And for a while that’s exactly what Giada did; she kept her cards close and played the long game. For while there is a queen in the deck, one must be careful how they play it.  When the D’Amiano patriarch passed, she couldn’t help but jump at the chance to become a part of the serpents in her father's honor. She started off small, offering up her boutique as a stronghold in addition to 30 percent of the earnings and eventually working her way up the ranks.  Now at 41, Giada has gambled away her chance at love and a family of her own to be dealt in at The Serpents table. She earned a spot as a council member with a hunger to keep the momentum going. She is willing to do just about anything to prove that she too can play with the big boys.

PINTEREST I SPOTIFY | WANTED CONNECTIONS

[xogiada]

for: @dantemoretti where: moda bella

It was becoming more and more of a chore managing Moda Bella these days. Especially now that there were more important things occupying Giada’s mind. She was already busying herself up front sorting through applications of potential new manger candidates when the front door opened, and the bell sounded. “Oh, hello there Dante.” Giada greeted him, peering up from her paperwork with a raised brow and a smile she typically reserved for costumers. However, something told her he wasn’t simply here to pick out racy lingerie for a new plaything. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

[angelinaxdamiano]

Angelina knew her sister well, with the news of everything coming out, she knew what was about to come. The scene of the crime, now after the fact, looked like a bomb went off, partly because it did, but the stretch of debris was impressive. As she walked along the edge, approaching her sister from behind, she kept her eyes scanning the space around them both.

"And here I thought you would have invited me on your own free will." She tsked as she came up alongside her sister. "And yet I found myself here anyway, not sure what that says about us, like minds thinking alike or whatnot."

[xogiada]

A warped sense of pride bloomed beneath the dark mark on Giada's heart, the weight of her concealed grief lifting ever so slightly, as her irises fell upon a such welcomed sight: her sister. And god, how it was like looking in a mirror. The way Angelina carried herself and tsked at her, approached her from behind and wanted an invitation to get in on all her plotting. It most certainly brought that icebox of a heart of hers some much needed warmth.

"Just seems to me like I've taught you well, honey." Giada mused as she turned to her, snaking the heel of her boot over a blood speckled rose, snapping the head of the flower beneath the ball of her foot in a resounding yet satisfying crunch. Her perfectly curled lashes fluttered towards the crime scene, and she linked her arm with Angelina's. "Shall we make a move then?"

[xogiada]

for: @morningsmisty (natalie) where: wine bar

“No, you listen to me.” Giada spoke directly into her iphone, nose wrinkling in obvious disgust as the employee on the other end was assuring her he’d take care of the mix up. “Oh, you most certainly will. The correct arrangement will be sent to the address provided this instant. Do I make myself clear?... Good.” Giada hung up without uttering another word and placed her phone on top of bar beside her barely touched glass of chianti. Her attention fell back on Natalie, frustration plateauing as she shook her head at her. "I'm so sorry about that, honey. Had to take it. So, you were saying?"

[xogiada]

for: anyone ! (cap: 0/3) @sinnerssquarestart where: scene of the crime, evening

There were three things Giada D'Amiano knew for certain. First, women like fine wine, got better with age. Second, if you wanted something done right, you did it yourself — with your own two hands and preferably a french manicure, and finally that the road to hell was strewn with roses. Red, red roses, like the ones that littered the ruins of the Valentine's Day tragedy.

Her heeled boots skimmed the perimeter of the carnival grounds looking out upon the debris as she approached the wreckage. Through the shadows, Giada could make out what seemed to be a non threatening presence, mumbling something about how she shouldn’t be here and that this sight was for authorized personnel only. 

And oh how Giada laughed at that — a wicked little sound that carried throughout the ruins of the carnival. It was laughable; both that she had even made this far and that they thought she could be stopped so easily from crossing over the yellow tape.

“Aw," She greeted her company with an equally as wicked grin. It unfurled slowly against her painted lips. "If you wanted to get in on the fun with me you could have just asked.”

[grinningdevils]

status: open @sinnerssquarestart (3/4)

location: the New York Hospital

Stella opens her eyes a crack, allowing a sliver of harsh white light creep into the corners of her vision. It's a war to keep them from shutting again, the soothing blanket of sleep urging her to slip under once more. Just an extra five minutes. The thought wraps around her consciousness like a hug. She persists, squinting against the contrasting brightness. A machine beeps in her periphery and memories come back to her in pieces. The fall. The fire. But most notably, the pain. She must be in hospital she understands then, and the whiteness makes way for more colour. The blue of a curtain to her left. The silver metal of her bed railing, just out of reach. The worn, brown leather of the visitors chair, containing a figure, now sitting upright in front of her. "How... how long have you been there?" She croaks, a much more worrying thought following. How long have I been here?

[xogiada]

Giada set the floral arrangement down on the bedside table not bothering to be discreet about it. She busied herself with the azaleas, primping them into a near perfect fashion until the stranger stirred, and it was showtime. “Oh, I’m so sorry, honey! I certainly didn’t mean to disturb you." Giada pulled out one of her Oscar worthy performances, feigning an apology as she clutched her chest for good measure. “I haven’t been here long. My family does a lot of work for St. John’s...” Giada began to explain. Otherwise known as donating big, fat checks on behalf of the D’Amiano’s— a tradition Giada herself had ever so graciously taken over in the wake of his death.

It’s how she was allotted certain charitable privileges such as going room to room delivering flowers. "And we thought it was only fitting to spread a little cheer to all those affected by this terrible, terrible tragedy.” She gestured towards the arrangement striding over towards the woman. "I’m Giada. Giada D’Amiano. Detective Cardenas is it?”

[xogiada]

Until we meet again, Adeline  || Self

Some time after the explosion, Giada reads yet ANOTHER heart wrenching letter and reflects on it. This one from her beloved Adeline in the wake of her death @rcsesnoir. Aka the start of her villain origin story. tw: death, grieving, hearing voices

Louboutins with soles as red as the devil herself, resounded against the marble flooring, echoing off the vaulted ceilings as Giada stepped inside a near empty St. Patrick's Cathedral with Adeline's final words clutched to her ivory furs. She couldn't set her heels inside St. John's or attend the services — or even grieve out in the open for that matter without raising suspicion, but what Giada could do was honor her beautiful friend in her own way, and she could read that letter.

And she had.

Oh, she read that letter at least a hundred times now, each rendition fracturing her heart a little more. The fissures deepening and twisting into a silent prayer that she repeated over and over again in her mind.

if you're reading this - i have left this world... giada, i love you. in ways i never thought i’d feel again.

And sometimes if Giada tried hard enough she could still feel Adeline as the words were replayed in her mind. Still feel her beautiful friend all around her, the softness of lips pressed against hers, her final touches against her skin, and the scent of her perfume. It was her memory that propelled her forward coupled with the sound of her voice. An unforgettable sound she swore she could still hear now — clear as day, reciting the very words from the letter out loud as she strode down the center aisle of the cathedral.

you certainly can’t hear this (unless you have superpowers — which would not shock me), but i’m laughing now, because i haven’t realized until my forties just how much i’ve gotten in my own way.

But Giada could hear her; she could hear Adeline's voice all around the cathedral. Her lower lip pulled between her teeth to ward off the tears that pricked at her perfectly curled lashes, emerging as some sad sort of laugh at her lips instead. Superpowers. Only Adeline would call it that.

The prose continued in Giada's mind the further she walked down the aisle towards an empty altar, and she could feel the tears beginning to well again, dangerously close to spilling over. A hand was at her lips now, reaching the part of the letter that was her undoing.

my daughter, i hope, will be everything i never was.

Back in the sanctity of her home, she could recall the sobs those very words illicit —unabashed and shaky, each one punctuated by a stuttered breath, unsure she'd ever be able to stop. Because to Giada, Adeline was e v e r y t h i n g.

But here, out in the real world, she had to maintain her resolve. All she could do was press the letter tighter to her chest and make a silent vow in front of the eyes of the church to do right by avenge her lover & friend, honor her and her secrets, and look after Adeline's daughter. Diana would always have Giada in her corner for as long as she drew breath.

With that, she settled into a church pew peering up at the stained glass windows through a set of somber irises. Her features hardened as she beheld Adeline's final words deep within the recesses of her mind, the walls around her heart tightening again — ironclad this time —all high ramparts and sharp edges.

even if i will still be loving you in death — i’m sure we will see each other in the next life, and the one thereafter... learn from me. be proud of what you feel. and if you love someone, say it. until we meet again, adeline.

"I love you." Giada whispered the words against the parchment and pressed a kiss to the letter, allowing herself one more final tear before she tucked it back into her purse.

For she already knew deep within her soul that in the next life she wasn't going wherever her beautiful friend was going. She wouldn't be greeted at the pearly gates with open arms or enter into an everlasting paradise as some believed. Not even find a peaceful nothingness or oblivion as other did. She wasn’t coming back reincarnated and renewed as some more pure version either. No — not after this. Giada was going straight to depths of hell with a wicked little smile for the unholy lengths she was willing go to to get her answers. Whoever was responsible for this explosion that cost her Adeline — friend, foe, enemy, ally — was going to pay.

Because deep at her very core, beyond that immaculately painted shell she presented to the world, Giada Rosalia D'Amiano was the fiercest of gladiators, and she would have her vengeance in this life or the next.

"Forgive me Adeline," Giada bowed the crown of her head forward, voice barely above a whisper as she knelt down to the tuffet with folded hands and a refortified heart. "For I am about to sin..."

[rcsesnoir]

ADELINE KNOWS THE WEIGHT. of course she does. she's come to terms with the weight of what she feels long ago -- as crushing and boundless as it is. of course, after so long of carrying on, she’s become far too used to it. the pain is normal now. have they ever been those close? they have, but adeline had always shrugged it off. it's nothing. she's probably like this with everyone. it's for the best, after all. giada is a woman made of iorn, that much she knows. it's one of the many reasons why, quite frankly, adeline could not adore her more. at least, she thinks she can't. and then, like a meteor hitting planet earth -- she does. but yet, even she can see the hurt behind her eyes. you don't know her like i do. no one does. a sentiment she truly believes to be a blessing and a curse, having studied giada's face a thousand times over. trying to find something to keep her away. but, in a twist of fate -- she can't.

reeling. if adeline were to use a single word to discribe how she feels around the other woman -- it would be exactly that. living in a constant state of catching her breath, her heart pulsating in her ears. just waiting on the edge of her seat for that feeling to hit again. for the first time she questions -- is all of this really worth it? the fighting, the anger. not when, as the carnival rages on behind her, she can posess something as beautiful as this? even if it's a moment?

we'll always have this moment. we'll always have now. adeline can feel the tension in her shoulders ease as she listens to her speak. as overwhelmed as she is by it all -- the wedge that will inevitably driven further between them when giada has taught adeline that she has the capacity to feel so fucking much. she continues to fight the tears as they threaten to spill. but then, comes the last thing she'd ever anticipated.

the kiss. suddenly, adeline forgets how to think, perhaps, how to breathe. the crash back to reality will come. but for now, she allows herself the luxury of this moment. they've taken so many risks just to be in each other's presence again. but, how many more opprotunities will they have -- if at all? adeline can't even bring herself to move very far from her as the time comes to emerge for air. there goes her ability to form sentences. " giada... " she whispers, before she closes the space once more. she wants to live in this moment. call it home.

" .....would it be foolish to say i want more? " adeline whispers after a moment, gentle, sad laughter falling from her lips as her hands come to rest along the woman's cheeks. admiring her, as she's done a thousand times before. but, this time is different. for she knew the answer -- one could see it in her face. " i've wanted to do that for longer than you know. " some part of her, although irrational, wishes the universe could see. while the rational part is gaurded. not even for her own sake, but for the woman in her arms. then comes her smile, although pained.

[xogiada]

There was a heartbeat that existed beneath Giada's painted shell, made soft by the touch of plush lips and a slow burn that now settled deep within her abdomen. Whatever this was, it was real — very real, something Giada had been craving for a very long time. And for each and every one of those fleeting moments the Serpent queen milked them for all they were worth, deepening the kiss until reality brought her back from the heavens and back down to earth.

"Yes tesoro it would be foolish, very very foolish." Her lashes fluttered open, acknowledging the danger of it all. It certainly was foolish — a hopeless endeavour even — to allow Adeline so close and encourage the proximity. They should have been showing restraint like they always had, respecting boundaries at the very least, and yet here they had landed themselves, under the cover of night, throwing caution to the wind and entangling themselves in one another as if it was the natural thing in the world. And it should have been had the stars been written differently.

"But you know I always like a little risk." There was a lightness to her words now, a fleeting moment of what could have been gleaming through her eyes before a sad sort of smile fashioned upon her lips, and she pressed her forehead to Adeline's.

"And no matter what happens," Giada continued, breathing in a long slow breath. A kaleidoscope of their long history flashed through her mind as she shut her eyes and exhaled. From gallivanting through Europe as young women to the prose that sustained them, and everything in between that led them to this very moment here and now. Her eyes fluttered open after a beat, and she kissed her one last time, a tear dotting the corner of each iris. This was good-bye.

"You will always be my person, Adeline."

[dantemoretti]

Dante knew before he offered her the position that they would work well together, in fact she was likely one of the only members of the council he could see himself working well with besides his sister. Nepotism already got him into the role of Don, appointing his sister as he second might have been a step too far. "Hmm an activity I'm sure you're more than used to."

[xogiada]

Her smirk was just the right balance of coy yet shameless, a warped sense of pride blooming beneath her Dolce furs. For Giada D'Amiano was certainly known to have broken a heart or twenty back in her day, a reputation she wore like armor. "And I suppose I could say the same for you." Giada mused before nodding towards the booth attendant to secure the plates for the game. When they arrived, she wrote the name of an ex in long, loopy cursive lettering. "His was my favorite to break.”

[nicoxmacavoy]

Something about this conversation made the hair on the back of his neck stand, something wasn't right. The words that came off her lips had his mind falling apart. "No." He pressed his lips together and shook his head. There was no way, they weren't like that, it wasn't like that. She wouldn't do that to him, right? "There is no way. What would she even do with my story? It's nothing." But he knew. It knew exactly what it would do. The mystery, the long-awaited truth would be out there and even after all these years people wanted to know what happened to him, what went on in that basement. His story wasn't just a story. No. It would be the story of the year, the leak of a lifetime.

[xogiada]

All Giada could do now was humph at his question and shrug a little bit, canting her head to the side with a knowing set of chestnut irises. Giada certainly wasn't expecting to be believed. She was the newly minted Serpent second in the middle of a gang war with his man's very organization after all. For all he knew, she was just trying to toy with him and ordinarily that would have been correct. Giada absolutely loved her grudges — tended to them and watered them until the opportune moment presented itself and right now was that moment. However, her intent wasn't malicious this time. For Giada also saw the value in networking, and perhaps doing him a solid would pay off for her in the long run.

"Ask her yourself then." She countered, allowing the notion to linger for beat before continuing. Whatever the gory details of his past were, Giada was bound to read about them soon enough. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

[rcsesnoir]

ADELINE KNEW IT WAS fate. written in the stars, as the eloquent might say. and while she is normally amongst them — her mind, at this moment in time, won’t allow her to be. that giada would continue to ascend — shatter any wall that stood between her and the success that adeline had always believed she deserved. giada deserved everything good this world had to offer. she could see it now — shards scattered all over the floor, with the woman standing victorious on the other side. as beautiful a vibrant as the day adeline had first met her. but now, frankly — adeline was terrified. the things and the people she loved were falling between her fingers like grains of sand, and she wasn't quick enough to keep them.

but, in all honesty, did any of them matter more than her?

she could see it in her face -- giada knew their time was up. or, if you looked at it a hair less pessimistically -- limited as could be. the thought nearly ripped adeline's heart from her body. but then, giada gets closer. adeline, while ordinarily strong, is nearly instantaniously rendered dizzy. she can hear the voices of her society bretheren in her ears, don't let the serpents sink their teeth into you. with their venom. they bite. adeline is no stranger to the serpentine tounges, the words they weave. how sometimes they write stories just to make you feel special. if that's what giada is feeding her -- she doesn't want it to stop. even though she knows that when the sun rises, it will have to. and she must come out unscathed, even if she knows it's only pretend.

the space grows smaller. and her heartbeat gets faster. as she touches her, adeline believes she might die right then and there. she's been swallowing what she already knows to be true for months now, that giada always has her attention. in every room she enters. she has adored her, with everything she has -- for the longest time. " i suppose you're right... " she whispers, taking her in for a moment. even if she stayed just like this, she could sustain herself forever. while adeline is always comfortable making bold moves -- but this time, she's much more tentitive. because she doesn't quite believe this moment is even real. " giada... " she whispers, coming to realize just how real this moment is as her nose grazes hers. " i can't lose you again. "

pause, as she allows the touch of her flesh to be more than just a graze. her fingers now come to rest along the back of the other woman's neck, knowing this will be all she'll have left. hopefully, only for the near future.

" i can't lose you again. "

[xogiada]

I can't lose you again. The words slithered up Giada's spine and tightened, coiling around each and every vertebrae as her silence lingered and stretched into the cool winter air, expression softening. For once in her life Giada, didn't have the right words —  breath hitching instead because she knew she couldn't promise Adeline what she was asking, or reassure her that everything was going to be okay. The stakes were too high and the risk too great.

God, how she wished things were different. Longed for it. That the price of her promotion didn't come at such an expensive cost. That they could run off to some city together: Milan, Tokyo, Paris, drink expensive champagne as they pleased, and never look back.

It was her heart that squeezed now, not only out of her heartache but something deeper. The vulnerability she had just shown Giada was a treasure, something she would hold on to —cherish, and not take for granted. Not ever. Her chestnut irises lowered, tracing a path from where her hand rested then back up to contours of Adeline's features as if to commit them to memory. Every lash, every curl.

"We'll always have this moment, we'll always have now." Giada finally spoke up, her voice quiet, just above a whisper, while a hand traveled from beneath her chin lingering at her chest for a fleeting moment before settling on Adeline's other hip. It was an intimate gesture, a silent understanding of time and place and need. Her body seemed to move of its own accord now, melting into Adeline's touch at her neck. There was electricity under it that propelled her forward. Whatever haphazardly placed wall she had built crumbled under the weight of her desire, her need to make the moment count.

And so, Giada didn't waste whatever fleeting moments they had left, at long last pressing her lips to hers. Because Giada would have Adeline, if only for one more night.

[nicoxmacavoy]

Giada's words had Nico turning his head. This was all new information to him. "Oh? What happened?" Nico asked, interested in what she had to say. Vittoria hadn't mentioned any of it which had him slightly on edge. The further she spoke, the more uneasiness boiled in the pit of his stomach. He kept saying she was to good for him, could this be it? The shoe to drop? He was so hopeful. "What are you talking about?" Nico questioned as his body got noticeably more tense. "Just come out with it, don't talk in riddles."

[xogiada]

"Oh, honey." Giada began, shaking her head at the poor sap. Her intuition told her the man actually did care for her ex-friend which is what made this all the more difficult. It wasn’t even bitterness that motivated her now —  or gang affiliation. It was something else. Something she didn’t see coming that seemed to bond her to this scruffy fellow, some sort of strange kinship she couldn’t exactly put a manicured finger on. They were both victims of Vittoria's games.

And so, Giada drew in a long breath and cut straight to the chase. "She's playing you. The only thing Vittoria is after is a story. I don't know your story, but if you have one, that's what she wants."

[andremichaux]

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (2014 - 2020) ⏤ When are we going to Paris? Oh, whenever you want. But let's just make sure we get a flat with a view of the sacré-coeur. Even if it's outrageously expensive. Hmm. Oh, that's not a problem. I've got Sam money. [Both laugh]

[rcsesnoir]

@xogiada

[dantemoretti]

Giada has always been a calming presence both in the Serpents and in Dante's life. Being by her side calmed him at least slightly, although he didn't know how long the feeling would last. "That'll do for now I suppose." He sighed, eyes falling on the booth. "I made the right person my second, nobody else would be able to convince me not to kill anybody tonight."

[xogiada]

"This is why we'll work so well together." She concluded, an obvious smirk gracing her features as she led them towards the booth. If Dante was the head of the Serpents then Giada was now the neck, and the neck not only supported the head, but could get it to turn — even if only slightly, and in small calculated steps, like for the duration of smashing dinner plates. "Now, I think it's about time we break some hearts."

[averyxhart]

The wheel had her attention, but Avery pulled it back to Giada with a nod and a small laugh. "I'm happy to follow your guidance. I'm a quick learner." She knew she would be a sucker if someone asked nicely for something, but was that really a bad thing at a carnival like this? Would anyone care if she handed out something extra? "Yes, he did a really good job. We had a very nice dinner." She smiled as she talked about the date. "Did you have a good one?"

[xogiada]

"I'm so glad you two had a lovely evening. Mine was perfect. Just me, a bottle of chianti, and some Sofia Loren classics." Not to mention the expensive jewelry she purchased for herself earlier that day — a little Valentine's Day tradition hers. The gifts now adorned on her wrists, glittering beneath the carnival lighting as the final spin began to wind down. Giada eyed the wheel next gesturing towards it for a brief moment before she turned back to Avery with a knowing smile. "Looks like it's showtime, honey."

[luegootravez]

Jordana Brewster by © Tina Turnbow

[rcsesnoir]

ADELINE HAS HER WAYS, of learning information. everyone did, in this city. perhaps that was how all of their secrets had tumbled straight into the wrong hands -- everyone was always listening. but, as dire as it was to know exactly what was happening in their line of work, there would always be certain information that would strike you. the kind that would feel like an arrow to the chest. giada d'amiano. second in command. before, when she was just in the council -- there was some distance between her and the damaged the serpents had inflicted on the people she loved. the people that had opened their arms to her when she was a broken version of herself, with a daughter to raise. was that how she rationalized it? allowing herself to care so deeply for one of them? and then came the fact that she had been avoiding the woman like the plauge. going so far as to turn the other way when she was near. as much as it felt like torture, it was better for the both of them. wasn't it?

her exhale is sharp. how is it, every time she speaks, that her defenses begin to lower? it causes her eyes to flutter shut for a moment, in a feeble attempt to center herself. " i'll be fine. i always am. " this is a lie. she should have seen this coming. where they'd inevitably pulled so far apart that their bonds would snap. even if, deep down, adeline knew she would always try to fix them again. even if it killed her. when a person has woven their way into every fabric of your being, when they're entangled in every fiber of your skin -- it's destiny. no matter how much it hurts. " i suppose congratulations are in order. " it's unknown if she's excited or shattered by the news. perhaps a fucked up concoction of both.

you've seen this coming. you've seen this coming.

if that's the truth, than why does it hurt so much?

[xogiada]

Ah, there it was. The inevitable. Her promotion. Her ascension to second in command. The next stepping stone to giving Giada everything she's ever wanted. It was the very fabric of her being —  at the core of her rebellious nature, an ode to the little girl who never fit her mother's mold and wanted nothing more than a seat at the table even when the world, when her father told her no. Who would Giada be if she didn't accept the promotion? Not the woman Adeline got to know over the years, the one Giada poured herself out to in letter after letter, sharing the most intimate pieces of herself.

And the worst part was: it still changed everything.

Giada simply stood there for a moment, breath catching as she gazed upon her friend unable to bear the hurt in her voice. Her determination to remain strong for Adeline fought back the chills that threatened to twist up her spine at what was bound to come after all this, heart clenching at her words. Though short and concise, they told Giada everything she needed to know, everything she needed to come to terms with in her new Serpent era. The dangers that seemed worlds away when Giada was merely just another body on the council were now magnified and at her very doorstep. They would not hesitate to collect should she be found out.

"And I suppose," Giada moved forward, closing the space between them. A hand snaked forward and rested on the curve of her hip, the other at the base of her chin lifting it to look her in the eye. "If we only have tonight, we make it count."