"I don't like her, boss" Lucania let out a dry chuckle, "Do you like anyone, Carmela?" A slight smile had creeped onto her face. Not one of genuine happiness, but one of emotional protection. It was the type of passive smile one wore when they didn't want others asking about they felt-- because they themselves weren't entirely sure how thy felt. Evelina stepping out had hit her a bit harder than anticipated, apparently. Even in the short span of time she'd spent with her, the companionship had really begun to sink in. [i]Italiano inguaribile romantico![/i] Lucania's smile became more genuine at the thought. At the edge of the bed, she pulled up the dark stocking with a certain trepidation at acknowledging the realization. The light in the room was brighter than ever as the sun approached afternoon height, reflecting all the fools gold against itself into an infinite glow of hopeful, luxurious light. Lucania and Lucy had taken the opportunity to finish off the remains of the breakfast the instant Evelina had left, like two unobserved carnivores in the wild. Lucania had even needed to apply her makeup. Lucy, had taken to rolling around lazily in what was Evelina's bed-- she was like a small kitten... or a child, caught in the dilemma of experiencing an extreme sugar rush, while simultaneously being tired. Carmela, Lucania's silent, Ebony... quite possibly British, protector had only just let herself in. Words in regards to Evelina and Carmela's nature found themselves exchanged. Carmela. In a rare display. Showcased what the emotion 'sadness' or perhaps 'disillusionment?' Her normally intense eyes softened exactly half a shade, and her permanent deadpan saw both corners of her mouth turning downwards exactly 5 degrees. "You really think I don't like you, boss?" Carmela sounded hurt, the most hurt she'd ever sounded, actually-- and this was a woman who'd taken bullets for her. "N-no," Lucania pulled on the other obsidian stocking, her eyes dropped to an empathetic azure shade. "It wasn--" "SHE'S FUCKING WITH YOU CARMELA," Lucy yelled, a burrito wrapped in sandy sheets, she hummed as she continued, yelling in an off-key, but sing-song voice, "YOOOOUUUUU KNOOOWWWW LUCIIIIIIIAA LUUUUUHHHHSSSSS YOOOOOOUUUUUUU!" She slammed her head into a pillow as she finished, "God, my fucking head hurts..." "Well..." Carmela reverted to her neutral, gruff tone easily, ignoring Lucy, her attention turned towards the eldest Castalia, "I want you to know, there should be no question of loyalty, boss--" Lucania raised a hand. Standing up, she moved from the bed to the door with a quick grace, and gently laid her hand on the taller, muscular woman's shoulder. "Carmela-- there will [i]never[/i] be a question of your loyalty to me or this family. You've been my only guardian since I was wearing diapers! I trust you with my life and I care for your well-being." Lucania became quizzical, "Is everything alright? Have you even slept?" Carmela's eyes were at least 2 shades wider. "No, boss..." She gave something of a bow, before quickly opening the door, preparing for her exit. Was that... happiness? Happiness verging on tears? "Everything's fine." [center]~~~[/center] [center][i]In dusty, long forgotten corner somewhere, a balled up page, hastily ripped from it's notepad of origin lays. It is simply entitled;[/i][/center] [right][i]"lyrical ramblings"[/i][/right] [right][i](it is very clearly written in Lucania's hand)[/i][/right] [center][i]'Mark is my [s]daddy[/s] father[color=ed1c24](?)[/color], Dust[color=ed1c24](perhaps?)[/color] is my mother,[/i] [i]Dio is my very best friend.[/i][/center] [right][color=ed1c24][i]Christ, Lucania, really? this is amateurish[/i][/color][/right] [center][s][i]We don’t need nobody,[/i][/s] [i][s]Because we've got each other,[/s] [s]Or[/s] at least I pretend...[/i][/center] [right][color=ed1c24][i]Pretend this song is any good, you must mean!![/i][/color][/right] [center][i]'Know that[s],[/s] I'll forever love you, Until the heavens[s],[/s] [s]bless us[/s] START[s],[/s] [s]with[/s] TO rain, And I'll[color=ed1c24](hold note...)[/color] forever love you, Rosemary prays the rosary for my broken heart's pain.[/i][/center] [right][i][color=ed1c24]My heart is absolutely broken over how awful my rhyming ability is! Rosemary should pray I'm not tonedeaf! Or slap me!![/color][/i][/right] [center][i](I said don't worry about it)[/i][/center] [right][i][color=ed1c24]I am worrying![/color][/i][/right] [center][i][HOOK][/i][/center] [right][color=ed1c24][i]Ahaha!! More like 'TALENTLESS CROOK'[/i][/color][/right] [center][s]'I sing a ballad aesthetic, I sing a ballad aesthetic, baby. I sing a ballad poetic, I sing a ballad aesthetic, Swing my body poetic, Swing my body hysteric.[/s][/center] [right][color=ed1c24][i]Awful, awful chorus! Come up with something else![/i][/color][/right] [center][i]I’m on fire, Baby, I'm on fire.[/i][/center] [right][i][color=ed1c24]I only like this if you set this page aflame![/color][/i][/right] [center][i][s]I love-~-~[/s]asdafdgfhfghfSDFGDGsgfdh[s]ADFRDHGJASFGDSGFDH[/s][/i][/center] [right][i][color=ed1c24]osuagUGFAuadR[s]TtoiBigIout7r[/s]65Rtyf65D65er6d56e5W$q38yg0*g&UYfD58f*[s](g76g9-H*-09H908h9pH[/s]OipihIPy^*5s43 POR QU[s]E POR QUE POR QU[/s]E DIO POR QUE ES MI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~-[/color][/i][/right] [center][i](The song continues, but the note appears to be ripped in half here, out of obvious frustration)[/i][/center] [center]~~~[/center] "Well, not just today." Lucania tilted her head, already mid conversation with her sister, "I suppose I've been thinking along these lines for quite a while. Years, even. I believe it came to something of a climax after yesterday's... more unsavory events." "AhahaHAH[b]AHAHA!![/b]" Lucy belted, "I bet you came to a real good climax last night, din'cha?" Lucania's face flushed a bright red, her eyes contrasted by dying themselves sky blue, "W-well I!" she gasped, "I-I didn't..." She stopped herself again, finding it rather odd how flustered she was becoming at things that, several weeks ago, wouldn't have even broken her exterior. "Honestly, little Lucina," Lucania said, a condescending smile plastered on her face, "I had no idea you were so... [i]interested[/i] in my sex life, you've displayed an almost eerie fixation with it ever since you came in this morning. Tell me dear... Are you... [i]curious?[/i] About women?" "Ew," Lucy wretched in disgust, "No, dude, that's fucking gross! I can barely fuckin' deal with how gross my own vag is. Sorry I ever even fuckin' brought it up with you or your new girlfriend doc square fangs. I'm just sayin' it's about time is all, sis." "I've already told you it's alright, dear sister." Lucania strapped on a pair of blue heels as she changed the subject, "Today, I've decided it's time for my thought to fuel action." Lucy's stare was one of intense strained confusion, "What?" "Achilles--" Lucania began, standing to accommodate to the new height the shoes gave her, "For years, I've allowed myself to wage a bloody conquest with little regard for my own life," Crossing the gap between them, Lucania gripped Lucy's hands into her own, "or those of others." Lucy blushed almost immediately, "Y-yeah? So what about it? I-idiot!" she snatcher hand away and jumped back onto the bed. "I've been like Achilles. Fighting for Helen, bloodily, without strategy, using only the obvious, most base of tools at my disposal. Relying on money and my Id. That we haven't already felt the brunt of what the Winged Guardian's have at their disposal is amazing. I've committed nothing short of an act of war..." Lucania's voice faltered, "Because of a childish inability to let go... my own ego..." The younger Castalia, scooting to the edge of the bed, wordlessly hugged her sister. And for a moment, the pair stayed perfectly still like that. Lucy was the first to break the embrace, jerking back fast, "Alright, but nothing gay." A laugh escaped Lucania's lips, "Right... even after the shower you still smell like liquid distilled in a septic tank..." They'd fallen back on the bed. Lucania stood, finishing her sniffling before continuing her address, "Things are changing, Lucy. And I'm going to need your help. Lucy gave a lazy scratch to the back of her head, further strengthening her bedhead. She smacked her lips and looked through lazy eyes. "What'cha need?" "You. In Serenity." "[i][b]WHAT!?[/b][/i]" "Lucy, calm down." "[i][b]NOO!!![/b][/i]" Lucy stood, pacing the length of the room, she held a hand to her head as the hangover increased the strength of her migraine, she lowered her voice, "You want me to go back there? With the cazzo ti cazzo fat bastardo?" Lucania sighed, "It's not ideal. But Russel is about to become too dangerous. If everything goes well, I should be in Tas by tonight, I need someone to keep an eye on things back home for me." "You got fuckin' people!" Lucy scowled. "I need someone I can trust." Lucy stared at the ceiling, thinking of alternatives, "Why don't you send fuckin' Diane?" "I am." Lucania shot back, "She's going with you..." Lucania eyes shot to the side as she murmured, "Although, I do hope she'll prove herself a better guard for you than last night..." "I don't need a fuckin' guard!" Lucania grinned, "So you'll go?" A bitter, exasperated sigh was Lucy's comeback. She knew she couldn't get out of this. With Lucania, you could never get out of deals like this. She always needed her pawns in certain places at certain times. Even if those pawns were drunken failures. "I'll fuckin' go..." Lucy whispered, "But I don't need no fuckin' Diane!" "Ohhhh, I know, sweetie. Don't think of her as a guard... just think of her as... a traveling companion! Two heads are better than one, after all." Lucania hummed, eyes gold with the glow of victory. [i]That didn't last long[/i] Carmela burst into the room, a slight glint of alarm in her eyes. The type of alarm that spoke 'Boss, we got a bit of a situation,' or something like that. But deadpan and Briton. Out of the corner of her eyes, Lucania caught Lucy's slowly growing devious grin. "He's here..." Lucy said, her voice imitating one of those evil mastermind villains from an Old World midnight science-fiction double-feature. Lucania tilted her head in response, confusion painted all over her face. Lucy smirked, "Just think of him as... a traveling companion..." She failed at imitating Lucania's voice through her slight slur, "Two heads are better than one, after all..." [center]~~~[/center] [center][i]The brother of 'lyrical ramblings' sits nearby, singing an even more discordant tune...[/i][/center] 'Diver[color=ed1c24][i](*Y*&Y*&[/i][/color]sum [s]is my daddy, Ser[color=ed1c24][s](*Y*&H(UIHJIuguiojbhoi[/s][/color]enity's my mo[s][color=ed1c24](O*Y&*Y[/color][/s]ther, Bull[s][color=ed1c24]U*(Y(*Y(*y98yh[/color][/s]ets are my very [s][color=ed1c24]I(*TY*&Y*&Y[/color][/s]best friend. Heaven is m[s][color=ed1c24]*&T*GHI(UH*IUHh[/color][/s]y baby, mafi[s][color=ed1c24])(Y(*Y*((8y789ygh[/color][/s]a’s her father, Immor[s][color=ed1c24]^T^&GIuhiuiuhuih[/color][/s]tality is th[s][color=ed1c24])(*U(*Y879y98y[/color][/s]e end. Ple[s][color=ed1c24]*(TY*UH*GH)*(UH[/color][/s]ase Know that I'll foreve[color=ed1c24][s](*Y&*Y)*(Y*()[/s][/color]r love you Until the heav[s][color=ed1c24](T&**&TY^&RUH[/color][/s]ens, bless us, with rain I'll fore[s][color=ed1c24](&T&^FGOUIGHYGUI[/color][/s]ver love you Rosemary pray[s][color=ed1c24]*&RGYUGUHBUH[/color][/s]s the rosary f[s][color=ed1c24](*Y*&GHUHJgvTYf%&F67%RF[/color][/s]or my heart's p[s][color=ed1c24](*Y*&Y[/color][/s]ain. (I s[s][color=ed1c24]&^R&TFIHUH[/color][/s]aid don[s][color=ed1c24]#$%F[/color][/s]'t wor[s][color=ed1c24])*(Y*(&*Y*&[/color][/s]ry abo[s][color=ed1c24]657[/color][/s]ut it)' My c[color=ed1c24][s]#RRRR[/s][/color]loth[s][color=ed1c24](*YUGHYGIHHUIGU(HUI[/color][/s]es still sme[s][color=ed1c24]^F&6f[/color][/s]ll like y[s][color=ed1c24]*&T^[/color][/s]ou, And[s][color=ed1c24]8y89yhg[/color][/s] all the re[s][color=ed1c24]SW#$R[/color][/s]cords sa[s][color=ed1c24])*Y(*&Y*&Y[/color][/s]y you’re sti[s][color=ed1c24]&T*G*[/color][/s]ll young. I pr[s][color=ed1c24]*&T*&GHYG^&t87T6T98Y9[/color][/s]etend I’m [s][color=ed1c24]UG*&[/color][/s]not hu[s][color=ed1c24](*YY*[/color][/s]rt And go about thi[s][color=ed1c24]Y*Y87uuu[/color][/s]gs new world like I’m havin’ fun. [s][color=ed1c24]oi89g56u78i87o98o989oet crat54y65y65yzy e(68(y*7tvery Foioridakkiuoiuoy uioouioight, uoiDropIUHGGYYRR it li^&R^i87o&R&T*T(ke &F&FG&6fit’s hiouioiuo65R67Got wi*(Y&*T^&FYF^fthout pale moo(*Y*()Y)Unlight.[/color][/s] Grand [s][color=ed1c24]OpelHIOHIHUH*(Y*&Tra BoIUoUYIYUIUYIth, weIYUI're fee*Y)*Y*)Y*yliug aIUIUYIll rIUYIUYIighUYIUYIUYIYt,[/color][/s] Rosemary'[s][color=ed1c24]*&Y*&T^&^TYs sw[s]$&%*(^GGUIF^&T[/s]ayin’ sof&*TY*&G&^Gtly to her hea&^&G^&G*UHrt's delig)(U(*Y*Y^&f6dfyugvht.[/color][/s] An[s][color=ed1c24]5465757[/color][/s]d [s][color=ed1c24](*^*&TIJKnow![/color][/s] [s][color=ed1c24]ThHFGHFHFa6576575$#%$fefrev)*^*&TY*GYYer lovT&^TO8e yo&*(Y*&*()hu[/color][/s] [s][color=ed1c24]I'FDGRTY56ll f$#$E67R9t6978G8orever l(*Y*&Y*&YovGH*&G*g8he yo()*U*(&Y*&yhu[/color][/s][/s] [center][i](The writing is incomprehensible, towards the end lyrics are merely scribbled out from the page entirely with angry, ruby red pen strokes.)[/i][/center] [center][i](Lucania was very clearly not happy with this final product, the result of her first foray into song writing)[/i][/center] [center]~~~[/center] Lucania made her way down the backstage staircase, seeking whatever commotion was occurring in the golden room. She could hear screams, and as her heels clacked against the concrete staircase, she could feel the tension as she approached whatever the problem was. Had the winged Guardians sent a direct retaliation? No... Lucy seemed fairly certain of what was happening here. Whatever it was, it wasn't as big as war against the pigs. Not yet. The jeers and Italian curses seemed directed at a single troublemaker. Whatever the man had done, it would-- Walking into wide view of everything going on in the main view, the first thing that caught her attention, instead of the cries, was the embrace of two women sitting off of their own. Lucania could feel her eyes becoming just the slightest hint of lavender, and more than a hint of jealous jade, before she tore them away. Walking slowly into the group of lowly Castalia mooks raising something of a ruckus at what appeared to be one man. Wearing sunglasses. [i]Priorities![/i] A suited man with overly slicked hair and a big, bent nose approached her out of the commotion, he sported a rather bloody hand with a fresh and nasty looking hole in it. [i]Lovely.[/i] Lucania sighed internally, she recognized the man. 'Man' was a term she used loosely to refer to the skinny and frail Tommy "Big Devil" Castalia. Her cousin, technically. He had inherited absolutely nothing from Leoluca, except his odd blue eyes. Except, even in that aspect, Leoluca's held a cold, distant air to them, that commanded respect. Big Devil just looked like he was about to start crying. All the time. "Heeeeeeeeyyyyy, it's mah fookin' cousins ova here!" He said, in between gasps of the pain brought to him by his new found orifice. Lucania's eyes filled with disinterest, she crossed her arms, addressing 'Big Devil' in proper Italian, "Quello che è successo, Tommy?" "Fookin' cazzo bum-faced fuck stabbed mes!" He looked down at his sleeve, "Eyyy! Cuz, we's both fookin' bloody sleeves now, ahh?" "Destra." Lucania sighed, bile rising in her throat, "Perché?" "Eyyy, I don't fookin' know! He comes over alls jabronis an just fookin' steals mys sunglasses, see!" "E tu lo lasci?" "Wells... I means... you's wasn't there! Yous don't know how it went down, see!" "Egli si avvicinò. Manifestatisi. Tu lamentò... Ora sei stato pugnalato. Ma invece di lui accoltellato indietro... Mi chiedi di coinvolgere me stesso. No?" Tommy's eyes went straight for the ground, "W-wells, yeas, I guess that's how it played out b-but..." "Tu sei un fottuto bambino!" Lucania threw her hands in the air. He really was like a fucking baby. Who lets themselves get stabbed, and then does nothing about it, while the man who stabbed you literally sits several feet away, brandishing your stolen property. Lucania summoned rage in her voice as she yelled at the jeering associates and made men. Not one of them with enough gumption to challenge someone who spilled the blood of family and stole on their own turf. With red eyes, Lucania shouted, "Siete tutti cazzo bambini!!" The room fell silent. Taking a glass off of a passing barmaids tray, Lucania poured the alcohol on Tommy's injured hand. Soliciting a scream to break the silencio. Lucania sighed, addressing Tommy in his peasant tongue once he quieted down once more, "I'll handle it." She said, already walking towards the bar, followed by Carmela and her Tommy gun, "Go upstairs, Tom. I've got a doctor friend who should be back soon, go keep an eye on Lucy for a while..." The coward excitedly turned tail and practically ran upstairs, "Youse got it, lady boss!" Lucania calmly strolled to the 'bum-faced' man's location. He seemed to be waiting for her. He was certainly rough in appearance. No doubt years melded by Dust doing... whatever it was he did. Lucy seemed to think him some private guard, but he looked more... storied than that. Most private guards looking to get hired didn't typically impale the hand of their employer's cousin. As she neared, she considered the possibilities. He could simply be a drifter like Evelina, or a Motum spy, or perhaps an assassin? His power was... moving trash? [i]Perhaps he's simply an old Dustlands Immortal who wants to break bad?[/i] Lucania sat adjacent to the man. She didn't look at him, not directly, and she didn't care if he was looking at her. Lucania merely let the silence build between them, touched only by a distant jazz in this dark corner of the bar. Breathing in the vaguely oaky smoke in the air, Lucania sighed. She spoke first. "So... Lucy sent me a thief?"