Realistic or Modern &nbsp; Blackjack Temptations

Malia / Leandra

Six months ago, Malia had to keep her hands from shaking - be it from anger or nerves- at the thought of being in the presence of the Morellos. Hell, she'd lost the contents of her stomach after completing her first interview with the new Don before she was hired to be his fixer. Now, however, she'd found herself quite accustomed to being around mafia families, perhaps even too accustomed to it, and was calmly sitting on her bed in a silky bathrobe while she did some last minute cramming for the night ahead. Not only were the main players of the Morello family all gathering for an important dinner, but also those of their rivals, the Salvatores. Each family on their own was intimidating, but together... They were a deadly mix. The night practically promised disaster, so Malia wanted to be as prepared as possible.

Unfortunately, the days leading up to this dinner had been busy, and it wasn't until an hour earlier after showering that Malia was able to go through the FBI files she'd requested on the Salvatore family and their associates. Clicking through the pages of their digital files on her laptop, the brunette spent her limited time reading through those that she deemed the most crucial members. She'd started with Don Salvatore's file, before proceeding to his underboss Gregory Vietto III's. Antonio Salvatore's file was next, but from what Malia had heard about the Salvatore heir, he was more interested in women and messing around than taking over the family business. Deciding her time was better put to use learning about Gianna Salvatore, the Don's daughter and alleged hitworman, Malia skipped Antonio's file altogether. If she had time, she'd return to it at the end.

Time, alas, was not on her side, and after getting hung up on Gianna's report, the FBI agent barely had time to start reading about Gemma, the second daughter, before she had to finish getting ready to leave. Malia had been caught by surprise when she recognized the photo of Salvatore's eldest daughter, having run into her one night while out on the town. The two had hit it off, and it was a blow to Malia to realize someone she thought could be a friend, turned out to be part of a mob family. And not just any family, but the rivals of those she worked for. Just her luck. Hopefully it wouldn't be too awkward at dinner, if Gia even recalled their prior meeting. There had been a lot of tequila that night...

Malia closed her laptop and stashed it in the secret compartment she'd fashioned in the back of the closet of her residential suite at one of the Morello's casinos. The Bureau was also renting an apartment for her in a quiet suburban Vegas neighborhood so that she could safely work her case, but she'd been spending less and less time there over the last month. It was risky bringing her laptop to "Leandra's" suite, but it was password protected and hidden away. Thank goodness the days of boxes of paperwork and filing cabinets were over. It was much easier to be discreet when everything she needed was digital and in one place.

Slipping into a little black dress that cost more than she would have been able to afford on her salary as an agent, Malia assumed her alias Leandra. Loose curls, dark lipstick and some red bottom heels finished off the look, and without a minute to spare, Malia examined herself in the floor to ceiling mirror one last time. Sometimes it was hard not to be a little envious of the woman who stared back at her. Leandra's fine clothes and perfect, feminine appearance vastly contrasting the rather tomboyish attire Malia had sported the last few years in an attempt to be taken more seriously by her male contemporaries at Quantico. Not that she didn't enjoy the freedom to lounge in a pair of comfy sweatpants, but Malia was secretly finding enjoyment in her role as Alessandro's fixer.

Speaking of which... The brunette slid her phone from her clutch as she left her suite, and quickly typed out a simple text to her boss as she made her way down to the valet.

"Leaving now. Need anything for tonight? ... a bulletproof dinner jacket perhaps?"

coded by natasha.

Desert_Blossom · Apr 28, 2022

location

Salvatore Estate

mood

On Edge

interactions

Open

outfit

Gregory Vietto III

Vietto swirled the ice cubes around in his glass as he looked at his cards. It was a habit he’d picked up while gambling, though his drink of choice these days was ginger ale. His old friend whisky hadn’t graced his glass for over a month now, and likely wouldn’t as long as Vietto’s winning streak continued. Taking a sip of his drink, the young man set his cards down and pushed all of his chips into the center of the table with his other hand.

“All in.” He said simply, checking his watch. He had to leave soon anyways, so he might as well risk it all. Besides, the man sitting next to him had been stingy with his chips the past few hands, and Vietto wanted to force him into losing some money to the casino his employers, the Salvatore Family, owned. A small grin rugged at the corner of Vietto’s mouth when the man he was gambling against matched his bid. Finally. Flipping his cards over, Vietto immediately reached into the center of the table to collect his winnings. He didn’t even need to wait for the man to show his hand to know that he’d won. “Better luck next time.” Vietto smirked as his opponent cursed, angry to have lost such a sum of money. Standing from the table, Vietto tipped the House generously, and took his leave.

When Vietto had begun winning decent money from his employer’s casino rather than losing it, he had been tempted to take his gambling elsewhere. Every penny he made was potentially taking from the Salvatores' pockets. However, he justified his gambling by coaxing others to bet and subsequently lose more money to the House than they would have otherwise. Vietto also typically tipped the house around 50% of his winnings, which he figured was a fair cut for his work. Besides, gambling winnings could count as his yearly bonus.

Vietto checked his watch again as he cashed out his winnings and departed the casino. A few years ago he wouldn't have cared about being punctual and might have shown up half drunk to the evening's festivities. However, after becoming the Salvatore Underboss, Vietto had put his fuck boy days behind him. For the most part. Even if the mobster had wanted to relive some of the glory days today, the Don had instilled in him time and time again that tonight was not a night to be running late. Tonight’s dinner with the Morellos was apparently very important, but Vietto hadn’t given much information as to why... and this unnerved him.

Typically Vietto was privy to almost all of Don Salvatore's decisions and plans. While Antonio was the heir to the mafia family, Vietto was the Don's right hand man and took more of an interest in business matters. He'd grown out of his reckless ways, while Tony still had fun. Sometimes Vietto envied Tony's ability to shirk responsibility, and other times he wished that his friend would grow up a little more too. The load would be a little lighter if he could share some of it.

Not knowing the purpose behind tonight's dinner with their rivals had Vietto on edge, and he ran thought the potential reasons for the formal sit down in his head as he drove to the Salvatore Estate. Slowing to a stop as he approached the entrance gates, Vietto punched in the code and waited for the elaborate barricade to open. Once he made his way up the long landscaped driveway, he killed the engine of his Escalade and climbed out. No one was out front yet, so Vietto figured the family was still inside preparing. Walking past security with only a quick nod, the underboss let himself in as he was accustomed to doing. He'd grown up with the Salvatores, and while not blood related, considered them family. He liked to think they considered him the same.

coded by natasha.

MadiRaiCat · May 8, 2022

scroll me!

location

Bedroom

interactions

Luca

mentions

Sandro (

_amaranth_ )

outfit

Valentina

underboss

Despite her last name, Valentina Esposito had always been a Morello as had her father and his father before him. For generations, the Espositos had served the Morellos, as their liasions, their advisors, their confidants. Each was eventually promoted to underboss, the highest man in the hierarchy underneath the boss himself, also designated as second-in-command. And each happened to be a man. It wasn't until the birth of a daughter as the first-born that things changed. Giorgio hadn't planned to become a father just yet, let alone to a daughter. But when Madeline dropped that blonde baby girl into his arms and left without a trace, all it took was one look into her eyes for Giorgio to realize that she was his world. And so, he took her back to the Morellos compound and raised her among the other gang members.

It wasn't the easiest growing up with all-male role models. Sure, she learned to be tough and strong, and she could seriously kick some ass. But the more stereotypically feminine side of things? Not so much. She never learned to be sweet, kind, and caring, didn't care about politeness or beating around the bush. No, instead she was abrasive and hostile and worked her way through men like they were buffet and she wanted to try them all. As a woman working her way to the top, Valentina had a target on her back from the start. No one believed she was worthy of following in her father's footsteps, that she was strong enough to be the next underboss of Morellos. But she knew she could prove them wrong and take her place once it became available to her. She just never expected it to happen in the way that it did.

The images and sounds were burned into her mind. Crunching glass under her boots, light radio pop music in the background. The smell of dollar hot dogs and cherry freezes in the air. And the sight of red splatter across the glass refrigeration cases. For a moment, as Val stepped into the building, she thought it might be paint or ketchup. Anything other than what it actually was, what she knew it was. And then, she stood over her father's body, bloodied and face down on the tacky black and white tile floor of that corner store. Next to him was a busted-open bottle of cherry cola. Their favorite. The others tried to stop her, but Valentina would not let her father die in vain. And when she found that lowlife, she looked him dead in the eyes. She put the barrel of her gun to his forehead, one bullet randomly placed in the cylinder. And she made him look at her while she pulled the trigger time and time again, each time eliciting a cry. But Val didn't care. And then, he was gone.

Valentina pulled herself from her thoughts, realizing she had been holding her lipstick and staring at herself in the bathroom mirror for quite some time now. The crimson red lip paired with her black outfit of leather and chains gave off the air that she was not someone to be messed with. And that was just the way she liked it. Fluffing her hair once, Val stepped out into the bedroom where a familiar brunette man stood, buttoning his cufflinks. "Took you long enough," Lucius said, his signature smirk gracing his lips. Val couldn't help but roll her eyes, glancing over to the ruffled sheets and askew pillows they had spent hours rolling in a few moments before. "Excuse me for being a bit tired," she replied sarcastically, looking pointedly at the bed before returning her light blue eyes to him. Luca let out a chuckle and shook his head. But before he could respond, a known sounded on the door. Luca pulled it open. "The Don is looking for you both in the main hall." Val sighed and nodded, slipping her gun into one leather thigh harness and her knife into the other. "Let the games begin."

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

MadiRaiCat · May 8, 2022

scroll me!

location

Bedroom -> Hall

interactions

Val

mentions

Sandro (

_amaranth_ )

outfit

Lucius

consigliere

Just knowing that they were meeting with the Salvatore family that evening put Lucius Vietto on edge. He didn't trust that family as far as he could throw them. Their Don was a ruthless, brutal man and, in most other situations, Luca would admire someone like him. Hell, Don Morello was just the same and was a father figure of his when his own failed to live up to expectations. Growing up with a father like Gregory Vietto was rough. His mother worked long nights and sometimes days just to have enough to get by, selling her body to the city's sleaziest scumbags. And his father gambled most of it away, spending more time at the poker tables and slot machines than with his own family. They never really loved one another. But they stuck together to put on the facade of a happy family when behind closed doors, Luca was sorely aware of unhappy they truly were. If he didn't grow up as fast as he did, likely he would have died of dehydration or starvation, or some form of neglect. And his parents probably wouldn't have noticed for a while.

As depressing as that sounds, it wasn't all bad. If he hadn't grown up that way, he would have never met Sandro or any of the Morellos. He wouldn't have found his new family, a better family, a brotherhood of people that actually cared about him. From the outside, others might consider this a curse as well. After all, would he have otherwise become what he was if he hadn't? Would he so willingly have taken lives, been able to switch off and on a part of himself that was just as uncaring and brutal and cruel as the Dons of the Morellos and the Salvatores? Had that side of him always been there, waiting to come to the surface, and the Morellos gave him a way to let it out in a controlled manner, put it to work? Luca would never know, but at least now he had an outlet. And the people he hurt were in no way innocent. At least, most of the time. When he was on the job, he was calm, cold, and collected. Everything was planned down to the last second: the place, the method, the final message, and his signature song. Of course, many did fear the Reaper.

Luca was just buttoning the cufflinks of his navy blue suit when Valentina stepped out of the bathroom, looking knockout gorgeous yet intimidating in her black cocktail dress. She was another positive that came out of everything. Not necessarily their failed romantic relationship per se, but their friendship. They practically grew up together as a trio with Alessandro, forging a bond in leadership that the Morellos hadn't had before. With Sandro in charge, Val was his right-hand woman and Luca thought of himself as the left. The feelings between Val and him fizzled, amounting to nothing more than surface level. But that didn't mean that she wasn't good between the sheets, as portrayed by half of the blankets and bedding being strewn across the floor. "Took you long enough," he commented with a smirk, poking fun at his blonde friend. After all, she had been in the bathroom for over an hour now. "Excuse me for being a bit tired," Val immediately shot back, and Luca couldn't help but chuckle as images of their morning activities flooded his mind once again. But before he could answer, Giulia knocked at the door, and they were summoned to the hall to meet Sandro.

Lucius was the first to enter the main hall of the Morello family home, clasping his brother in arms on the shoulder in greeting before slipping his hands into his pockets. Val was close behind, joining them. "Don't worry, brother. We're going to be perfectly on time," Luca answered, reading the look on Sandro's face quite easily. "Besides, I don't know why you're in such a hurry to rush over enemy lines. For all we know, this is an ambush, trying to take out the Morello family when we're already down," he said stoically, knowing the loss of both the previous Don and his underboss, also known as the fathers of the two friends standing before him, was still fairly fresh. "Whatever the case, I don't trust Salvatore or his family. I will not hesitate to take them out if something goes awry," Luca continued, feeling his jacket to make sure his own weapons were securely in place while Val wore hers proudly. "So, shall we get going?"

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

apolla · May 14, 2022

.
.

These days, knowing more makes you more miserable.
Gemma went back and forth between spending most of her time in her room and barely venturing into it. When she'd lost Tucker, she'd barely come out of her room, no matter who stood on the other side. But that had been so long ago now that his dimpled face was nothing but a shadowy memory. She'd never found out where he'd gone, though she'd exhausted many options trying to find out. Eventually she'd been forced to drop it, and with every day that passed, his face in her mind grew more and more distant. Now she'd chosen to move on with her life, because what other choice did she have? She'd not only lost her lover, but the child they'd created as well, and there was a small part of Gemma that had never forgiven her father for that.

Tonight they were having a family dinner at one of their casinos, though Gemma wondered what kind of family dinner it would be with their enemies there. Though she wasn't well versed in most of the politics of the behind the scenes shit, she knew enough to know that the Morellos weren't their friends. So then, why did she and her brother and sister have to get dressed up and pretend like they were? That was the exact question she'd asked their father, but he'd just given her that look. The one that told her she was asking too many questions. So with an unhappy scoff and an eye roll, she'd turned and stomped out of the room. That had been yesterday; now the time had come. So she'd showered, taking her sweet time in the bathroom until Tony started banging on the door, disrupting her peace.

Now she'd just finished zipping up her dress, turning to inspect her reflection. Sliding her hands down the front of the dress, she turned to inspect herself from the side, tilting her head this way and that. She'd already applied her typical smokey eye makeup and had thrown her hair up, so once she'd slipped into her heels, she turned to approach her door. Pulling it open, she stopped when she saw Gianna, standing outside of Tony's door. "He's probably sleeping." Lifting her chin in the air, she strode past her sister and Tony's still shut door. Descending the stairs, she spotted Vietto, and a bright smile lit up her face. "Please tell me tonight isn't going to be as big of a drag as I think it is." She whined as she approached, huffing dramatically. "Do you know why daddy dearest is doing this?"

mostly annoyed

click!

gianna ( _amaranth_ ); Vietto ( Desert_Blossom )

carefree

@gemmathegem

nine lives

apolla · May 14, 2022

.
.

These days, knowing more makes you more miserable.
Having two younger sisters, Tony was no stranger to being last for the bathroom, but come on Gemma. Tony must have waited out in the hallway for at least twenty minutes before he gave up and went back to his room. But still, even a half hour later, the door was still shut. He gave her another fifteen before he started banging on the door, knowing she heard him even though she didn't say anything back. Sure enough, just a few minutes later, the door opened and Gemma stepped out. Steam from the hot shower she'd taken followed her, but Tony just rolled his eyes and entered, slamming the door shut behind him. He didn't even need that long in here. What the hell did women do in the bathroom that took them for fucking ever? He'd never understand.

After showering, Tony made his way back into his room. He made the mistake of laying on his bed, nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. His eyes fluttered shut and they didn't open until he heard Gia pounding on his door, calling through it to him. "Shit." Jerking up to a sitting position, he groaned when he caught sight of the suit hanging from his closet door. Pushing himself to his feet, he crossed his room to the door, pulling it open just in time to hear Gemma's comment before she disappeared. "She's not wrong." He shrugged, turning his gaze to Gia. "Give me five." He promised her, shutting the door again. Tearing the towel off, he tossed it aside and pulled on the suit, choosing to drape the tie around his neck instead of tying it there.

When he opened the door again, Gia was still there, but he was as ready as he was going to be. "You look incredible, sis. You think dad will be mad?" He asked her, smirking as he stepped into the hallway. "Are we late?" Not even bothering to check, he nodded for Gia to follow him to the stairs. Following Gemma's path, he jogged down the steps. Gemma and Vietto came into view by the front door and Tony approached them with that same, easy-going nature he donned often. "Don't tell me. Dad's already at the casino." He guessed, sliding his hands into his pockets as he looked around at the others. "Alright, alright, let's go. At the very least, I'm starving." He gave Vietto a friendly punch on the arm before he moved to open the door, stepping out into the cooling night air. "Come on, slowpokes."

hungry

click!

gianna ( _amaranth_ ); Vietto ( Desert_Blossom )

reckless

@tonio_the_onlio

nine lives

_amaranth_ · May 21, 2022

Gianna Salvatore.

MOOD: slightly nervous
LOCATION: the Salvatore house
OUTFIT: click!
TAGS: Tony, Gemma (

apolla ); Vietto (

/*right side*/

When did Gianna become the most responsible Salvatore sibling? She had no idea but she did hate it at this point. It was always Tony who was supposed to be groomed into the future Don and she was going to lead her life the way she wanted. Of course, her pink fragrant bubble gum dreams were flying high in the clouds before. She wanted to become Mrs. Leo Giordano badly and while daddy was not too fond of her choice of a husband, Gia was determined to make it work. Until she couldn’t and she snapped. Maybe this was the breaking point not only in the kind of person she was but also in the hierarchy of responsibility. Gia was turning into the Salvatore hitwoman and everyone knew about the infamous Black Widow, only sent to handle the high profile cases. And mother fuckers trembled when the clicks of heels echoed in the hallway because they knew that if old Salvatore sent his daughter, they had pissed him off royally.

Gianna was not only an efficient and effective murderess, creative in all sorts of twisted, even sick ways. At home, she was the child who was in charge of rallying her siblings and making sure they both behaved. Not that she ran around, trying to knock some sense into Gemma or Tony, she didn’t have the time and the energy to do so. Gemma was her own person at this point anyway so Gia let her do her thing when it came to getting ready for the dinner. Instead, she headed straight for Tony, knowing her big brother could be…forgetful, to put it in a decent way. She heard movement behind the closed door and she knew, even before Gemma spoke, that Tony was doing everything but getting ready.

Tony finally opened the door and asked for five minutes but before Gia had a chance to speak, he slammed the door shut. “Stronzo.” she mumbled a curse in her mother tongue and folded her arms on her chest. When the door opened again, she offered Tony a flat look. “Don’t buy me with cheap compliments.” she growled but her lips were slowly spreading in a smile. He headed straight for the stairs then. “Stop right now, Antonio Salvatore!” she commended and forced him to stand up straight. “Is this how you want to represent this family?” she sighed and reached for his tie. “If daddy saw you like this, he would have a fit. Don’t try his patience. Not tonight. And certainly not in front of the Morellos. Please? For me?” she asked, offering a well-practiced puppy-eye look as her fingers toyed with the tie, fixing it on his neck.

The siblings walked together until reaching the hall where Gemma was already standing with Vietto. Offering a smile to the Underboss, Gia walked to him, offering a chaste kiss on the cheek as a welcome. “Dad definitely is in the casino already. I assume he has a car ready for us. Or are you driving us, hon?” she turned to Vietto, following Tony outside right after. As expected, a dark SUV was waiting for them already, windows tinted to hide the passengers. “I guess there’s my answer.” she mumbled and nodded at the driver who held the door open for her. Gia landed in the seat right next to Tony and waited patiently for everyone to get in. Her eyes finally found her sister and she felt that anxiety wash over her again. Just as always when the two were in the same room for the past few months. “You okay, Gem?” she asked gently, not knowing what else was there to say. It seemed like the Salvatore girls had lóst their spark.

/*do not remove credit*/

wagging my tail.
coded by weldherwings

_amaranth_ · May 21, 2022

Alessandro Morello.

MOOD: tense
LOCATION: the Morello house
OUTFIT: click!
TAGS: Val, Luca (

MadiRaiCat )

/*right side*/

Standing in the hallway, Sandro felt his nerves tingling. Taking another wife was the last thing he wished for, especially if it was a Salvatore girl. From what he knew about the family, there were three children. The oldest one was a boy but his informants brought him a lot of gossip, true and not. The bottom line was, the boy was useless. He didn’t care about the position, he didn’t want to be the Don and mostly, he was forced into taking his place on top. From Sandro’s point of view, the boy should not be a problem. Once the marriage happened, it would be the young Morello who would take over their businesses and his young Salvatore bride was the key to the empire. The other two were both girls but it was the younger daughter who was Sandro’s betrothed. The older one was damaged goods from what Sandro had learned. She made love to weapons before men and was quick to draw her gun. The other one was a wild child who needed to be tamed. And Sandro felt more than adept for this task.

After sending Giulia to get Val and Luca, it only took a few short moments for the two to arrive. Luca’s hand landed on his shoulder as his brother assured him it was all going to be just fine. “I’m not in a hurry to please the old man and his spoiled brats. I just don’t want to be late.” Sandro mumbled but he had to admit his sour mood was stemming from a different source. No one knew about the last will and testament the old Don Morello had left behind and even people who were the closest to Sandro were in for a surprise. Admittedly, he would be less grumpy if he could finally get a proper drink and get this whole charade over with.

“But you’re right, this might be a trap, too.” he agreed after a while and his hand wandered to his left side where his gun was idly resting in the holster. “Stay alert, you never know what to expect from that pack of rats.” he instructed both his friends and loosened his tie just enough so it would not choke him but still looked flawless. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t give them any opportunities for mockery or slander.” Sandro concluded, fixing her cuffs. “By the way, Val. You look absolutely stunning.” he smirked, smiling genuinely for the first time that day. He offered his Underboss an arm like a proper gentleman and waited for a moment for her to take it or not before heading for the door.

Dark Cadillac was already waiting for them outside with a chauffeur ready to take them wherever they needed. Sandro let the lady get in first and climbed in right after her. He couldn’t help but smile over her wearing her weapons like a badge of honor. She was better at ending a man than most of his men. Hell, Sandro was sure that she was second only to Lucius. He surrounded himself with the perfect pair of people and that thought allowed him to sink deeper in the seat as the Cadillac raced through the streets only to stop at the agreed casino a few minutes later. “So it begins…” Sandro mumbled, waiting impatiently for the door to open for them.

/*do not remove credit*/

wagging my tail.

coded by weldherwings

Desert_Blossom · Jul 19, 2022

location

Salvatore Casino Entrance

mood

Helpful

interactions

Alessandro

_amaranth_ Luca and Val

MadiRaiCat

outfit

Malia / Leandra

Malia’s dark eyes kept flicking to the phone in her hand every few moments as she waited for the valet to pull her car around. Sandro hadn’t texted back, so that must have meant he had everything he needed. Or just wasn’t checking his phone. Either way, it made Malia’s job as Leandra easy. A black Porsche with red interior was pulled to the curb in front of Malia and she couldn’t help but smile. Perks of the job! In order to keep up appearances, she’d selected the sports car from an impound lot of vehicles the FBI had seized. Sure, the car had probably been used to transport drugs or commit a crime, but that didn’t make it any less fun to drive.

Thanking the valet, Malia carefully slid into the driver’s seat as gracefully as she could in the somewhat restricting dress. She kicked off her heels and dropped them in the passenger seat, preferring to drive barefoot. She prided herself on being an excellent driver, and didn’t have time for a pair of expensive heels to get in the way of her led foot. Zipping through the streets, Lia shifted gears skillfully, arriving at the Salvatore’s casino in record time. With her keys safely in the hands of a valet once more, Malia slipped her heels back on, balancing on one foot at a time.

Stepping over to the casino entrance, Malia only had a moment to inspect her appearance in the reflective windows before she spotted Sandro’s Cadillac pull up. Thumbing off the slightest smudge of gloss from her bottom lip, she turned and took a few steps towards the vehicle to wait for her boss.

Despite the look of impatience on Sandro’s face as the door was opened for him by a valet, Malia greeted him with a charming smile. “Looks like you are already in need of a drink.” She mused, glancing at Luca and Val as they exited after Sandro. She offered them both a smile as well, nodding her head in hello. “Is there anyone else you would like me to wait for to escort up?” She asked Sandro, turning back to him. Luca and Val were his right and left hand, but Malia wasn’t sure if any of the other capos would be joining tonight’s festivities as well.

coded by natasha.

location

Salvatore Estate

mood

On Edge

interactions

apolla

_amaranth_

outfit

Gregory Vietto III

The Salvatore underboss didn’t have to wait long before the siblings made their way down the stairs. The youngest, Gemma, was first, welcoming Vietto with a bright smile. He chuckled at her question and offered a shrug of his shoulder. “I wish I could, but I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep. Your father hasn’t deemed it necessary to share what tonight’s dinner is about with me, so your guess is as good as mine this time.” He replied, keeping his casual expression despite being troubled by not being kept in the loop. In truth, he had a bad feeling about tonight.

A dinner with the Morellos almost surely guaranteed someone wasn’t going to leave happy. Or worse, alive. Was this a trap? Or was Don Salvatore finally looking to pass the reigns to the next generation. Speaking of which, Tony ambled down the stairs in his typical carefree fashion. Vietto turned his attention to his friend whom he considered a brother more than anything. The past few years their paths had been diverging, with Vietto stepping up into the responsibility of being Underboss and Tony… Well Tony continued with his wild debauchery as if he wasn’t the next in line to be Don. Vietto was glad Tony was at least joining tonight’s dinner since the eldest Salvatore tended to avoid family business whenever possible.

Letting out a dry laugh as Tony commented about being starving, Vietto shook his head. “You have your priorities straight as usual Tony…” He joked as the Salvatore punched him on the shoulder. “But you’re right, we should be going.” The underboss nodded, glancing back up the stairs expectantly as Gia made her appearance right on cue.

Vietto’s hand found the small of Gia’s back as she kissed his cheek, before falling away as she walked on. He nodded at her first comment. “Yes, we’ll be meeting the Don there. He wanted to arrive early to settle some matters and asked me to make sure you all arrived safely… and on time.” He added, casting a glance at Tony as he walked out the door. “I’ll be driving separately though.” He added as Gia noticed the SUV waiting for the Salvatores. Vietto glanced at the two sisters as they made their way to the car, having a moment to appreciate their appearances now that everything seemed to be in hand. “You both look beautiful tonight.” He smiled, mentally noting that he hoped their pretty outfits wouldn’t end up marred by any blood spill between the two warring families. “And you’ve managed to look half respectable too Tone.” He smirked, nodding his head goodbye to the siblings as he strode back to his own Escalade and got in to be the follow car. “See you there.” He called as all the doors shut.

coded by natasha.

MadiRaiCat · Jul 27, 2022

scroll me!

location

Bedroom -> Casino

interactions

Luca, Sandro(

_amaranth_ ), Leandra (

mentions

None

outfit

Valentina

underboss

The Don. No matter how many times she had heard those words throughout her life, and there were many, it was still strange that they were attributed to one of her best friends. She grew up with Alessandro, laughed at him as kids when he crashed his bike, and as teenagers, attempted to give him girl advice. They trained and sparred together. Despite being six years apart, they grew up as siblings and that playful rivalry fueled their desires to better themselves. He was the big brother she never really had, and she was his little sister. If Val were being honest, she was closer with Sandro than anyone else in her life, including Luca. And then both of their fathers died brutally within such short times of one another, and it shook them both to their cores. While Valentina knew she could count on Luca to help with her physical needs and work out her feelings in that way, she could actually talk to Sandro, and reveal things she might not ever tell another soul. They were platonically good together.

So, when he was promoted to Don, it wasn't much of a surprise he took her as his second-in-command. Though there was a little bit of pushback, most Morello members were open and happy with the decision. After all, Valentina had spent her whole life working towards that position. It was no surprise she had earned the respect of the gang and her pseudo-family along the way. And though her time as underboss had been short so far, Val had certainly made that time worth it. Using her looks to gain intel and get away with things her more masculine counterparts couldn't possibly image, she made connections with those who didn't know the real demon behind the mask. If they were lucky, they never would. Since her father's death, Valentina had changed a bit, hardened to the world in the way. Who would blame her? It takes a lot out of a person to find their father in the way that she did, avenge him how she did. But the blonde regretted absolutely nothing.

She followed her bed partner down to the foyer where they met Sandro. He seemed stressed, and honestly, she couldn't blame him. While the blonde wasn't entirely filled in on the events of that evening, walking into enemy territory was enough to strain even the toughest of men. "I don't know," she commented with a sly smirk gracing her red lips as her eyes moved between the handsome men, "I kind of like the idea of a fight. I have had a chance to test out my new knife yet." Yes, Val's words were an attempt to lighten the mood. But they were honestly true as well. Stepping forward, she reached up to straighten Sandro's now loosened tie. "You don't look half-bad yourself, Sandy. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were heading for a date," she teased, not knowing the ironic truth hidden within her words. But she was about to receive that surprising news. Satisfied with her work, Valentina took Alessandro's arm and allowed him to lead her to the car. She climbed inside without a second thought, waiting for her boys to follow suit before they took off down the dim Vegas streets.

Pulling up in front of the casino, she felt her demeanor change a bit. While her sassy, sarcasm still dominated her features, a quiet protectiveness and subsequent anxiety began to push to the forefront. She subconsciously tucked her hair behind one ear as she exited the car, taking Luca's extending hand to help her out. "I don't like this," she murmured so only he could ear, noticing his nearly imperceptible nod of agreement. Before she could say more, the blonde noticed Leandra approach and she stiffened even more. She couldn't bring herself to trust the newish member of the Morellos. Something about her just didn't quite sit right with the second-in-command. Not waiting for Sandro's response to the brunette, she stepped around them. "I'm going to see if there's any trouble to get into," Valentina said with her signature smirk, shooting a glance from Leandra to Alessandro before making her way through the front doors of the casino. Almost immediately, she could feel eyes on her, no doubt assessing her revealing outfit and the deadly weapons strapped to her. But Val held her head high, exuding confidence. God pity the man who thought to cross her.

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

MadiRaiCat · Jul 29, 2022

scroll me!

location

Bedroom -> Hall

interactions

Val, Sandro (

_amaranth_ ), Malia (

mentions

Gregory

outfit

Lucius

consigliere

Despite his handsome looks and rather charming demeanor, Lucius was entirely serious when he said he would take out anyone that even stepped in Sandro's direction in the wrong way. For a while when he was younger, he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him. It wasn't normal for someone to be so completely divided in their morals. The Luca that most knew was charming, outgoing, and playful. But when he was given an order, or someone challenged his family, his personality immediately changed. There was no more light or happiness in his features. No, he was stoic and mission-oriented, even sadistic in some ways. Those who might have witnessed his crimes saw enough to spread the rumors but knew enough not to snitch. If he could torture and take the lives of others just for the smallest bit of information, what would he do to a snitch? No one wants to be on the other end of the Reaper's gun.

Despite his darker ways being a bit separate from his regular personality, the brunette man never regretted his actions. They all deserved it in one way or another. Others might look down on him for his choice of occupation. But Luca didn't care. The only opinions he truly cared about were those of the Morellos. They were his family, not those lackluster parents he happened to share blood with. Honestly, Lucius doubted that his parents even knew what he did. He had never told him directly. But, he had a sinking suspicion they would both find out at some point in the near future. It wasn't unlike his father to borrow gambling money from the so-called "wrong people." And therefore, it was only a matter of time until the senior Vietto's name was added to his black book. Maybe not as a hitman, but most certainly as a financial enforcer. The thought caused a little turmoil in his mind. It was his job, and his father was a deadbeat anyway. So he shouldn't feel bad. But then again... he was still his father.

Whatever happened, it didn't matter. There was no use in worrying about a future that he didn't entirely know would happen. Instead, Lucius returned his focus to the matter at hand: a dinner party with the enemy. Even moreso, his brother would be there. While his father hid the existence of an older sibling from him, the consigliere did eventually learn about a Gregory Vietto III. It was sometime in high school, and when they first saw each other, it was easy to see the resemblance. It was like an instant sibling rivalry, further solidified by gang differences as well. "Alert. Got it," Luca agreed with a nod, following his two arm-in-arm friends out to their car. Despite how close Valentina was with Sandro, Luca never found himself feeling jealous. Even when they were dating, he knew things were strictly platonic between his two best friends.

It wasn't long before their small group was standing outside the casino, and Val quickly disappeared inside. Luca couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that if the blonde wanted to find trouble, it wouldn't be hard. She had a way of getting what she wanted when she wanted it. The brunette turned his stormy blue gaze towards Leandra as she approached, tilting his head curiously. She was pretty and confident, genuinely a nice person to be around though she could let loose a bit more. "Hey Leandra," Lucius greeted, offering her a grin. "You certainly look ravishing tonight." While Leandra was still fairly new to the gang, she was definitely fun to flirt with. Even if she did reject his flirtations now and again, the chase of it all was still fun. "Glad you could join us this evening. At least I know I'll have something gorgeous to look at over dinner."

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

apolla · Aug 7, 2022

.
.

These days, knowing more makes you more miserable.
Things between Gemma and her siblings had reached an all high tension, but seeing Vietto made her mood improve. In her mind, he was the closest thing she had to family right now, and she'd take what she could get. She no longer recognized her sister, and Tony was just... Tony. Never gave a shit about anyone but himself and what he wanted. There was a part of Gemma that understood that, considering she felt the same way. She did wish that things between the three of them could be like they used to be, but for whatever reason, they just weren't and Gem had to make her peace with that.

Discovering that Vietto didn't know anything behind the reasoning for dining with the enemy made a frown appear on Gemma's face, and she huffed again. "If you did know, would you tell me?" She eyed him, though her tone was teasing. It wasn't long before her siblings appeared behind her, and her expression grew solemn again. Tony seemed as easy going as always, commenting on how they should go because he was hungry. Gemma rolled her eyes, though a small smirk did appear on her face when Vietto called her brother out for having his priorities straight. "That's Tony for you." She glanced at Tony before she just shook her head, and Gia asked if Vietto was driving them or if there was a car waiting for them.

Making their way outside, Gemma saw the car at about the same time Gia did. But Gemma's head whipped towards Vietto when he said he wasn't riding with them, and she felt panic grip at her heart. "Why?" She asked him, ready to dig her heels into the ground and refuse to go. But Gia and Tony were already climbing into the car. Feeling a sense of betrayal, she followed their example, crossing her arms over the jeweled bosom of her dress as her head turned to look in the other direction, out of the other window. Even as Vietto told her and Gia they looked beautiful, she kept her face pointed in the other direction.

He said he'd see them there, and then the door shut, and she was alone with her strangers for siblings. The car started to move, and Gia broke the silence between them, asking her if she was okay. "Peachy." Gem shot back, feeling bad about her tone but only for a second. She felt her lips curl into a frown as she glanced in their direction, at her siblings sitting across from her. Tony was typing away on his phone, but Gia's eyes were on her. "What? I'm fine." She tightened her arms, twisting some in the seat that she thankfully had to herself. "I would just rather not be dining with them. Wanna tell me you're excited about it?"

mostly annoyed

click!

gianna ( _amaranth_ ); Vietto ( Desert_Blossom )

carefree

@gemmathegem

nine lives

apolla · Aug 7, 2022

.
.

These days, knowing more makes you more miserable.
Out of the three siblings, and Vietto, Tony was probably the least concerned about dinner withe the Morellos. If anything did go down tonight, Tony wasn't completely helpless, and he'd be able to defend his sisters and throw a few punches along the way. He wasn't a complete couch potato, after all. At least not all the time. He kept up with working out and training to ensure that his senses were sharp, because he wasn't completely naive when it came to the life he lived or the mafia that his father ran. Since he was supposed to be the one to take over after his father handed the reigns off, he'd been taught from a young age what everything meant and what the life of a mobster was about. Perhaps it was that reason he'd decided he didn't want anything to do with leading it.

Making his way out of the room, he started for the stairs but the sound of his full name dropping from Gia's mouth stopped him. "What?" He dragged out the word as he turned to face her, watching as she approached him to straighten his tie. "You telling me you don't like your beauty to be appreciated?" He grinned down at her, meaning his compliment towards his sister. As she worked on his tie that he'd haphazardly tied, his grin faded some at her words. "I'm not going to go in there with my guns blazing, sis." He told her, his voice softening some. "I think you need to be worrying about our dear little sister and having this conversation with her." After what had happened to Gemma, it was understandable that she was angry, but Tony had thought with time it would get better. Only it hadn't.

They started towards the stairs, and Tony glanced at Gia before they descended them. "I promise, though. I'll try to behave." His grin returned as they made their way downstairs, and he greeted Vietto by the door. "What's more important than eating?" Tony asked, wiggling his eyebrows in Vietto's direction, a clear double meaning behind his words. Snickering to himself, he started out of the door and towards the car, climbing in. Gia followed, sitting by him, and a few moments later Gemma was sitting across from them. She clearly didn't look happy to be there, so Tony just pulled out his phone to busy himself. He paused when he heard Gia ask Gem if she was okay, his eyes not leaving his screen until Gemma's last little sarcastic comment. With a sigh, he set his phone down, looking between them.

"Alright, you two, don't start." He warned, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "Just consider this a game of dress up, like we used to do. Remember? When we used to wear mom and dads clothes and pretend we were having dinner with the president?" Laughing at the memory, he leaned back in his seat, looking from Gemma's sour face over to Gia's concerned one. "Nothing bad is gonna happen tonight. I won't let it. It's just dinner, right? We go, we eat, have a few drinks, play nice for a couple of hours and then it'll all be over." Hoping his words helped at least some, he was the first out of the car when they finally reached the casino. Leaning back in, he grinned at the two girls, offering them a playful wink. "Come on. Don't make me drag you two out by your skirts."

hungry

click!

gianna ( _amaranth_ ); Vietto ( Desert_Blossom )

reckless

@tonio_the_onlio

nine lives

_amaranth_ · Aug 9, 2022

Gianna Salvatore.

MOOD: slightly nervous
LOCATION: the Salvatore house
OUTFIT: click!
TAGS: Tony, Gemma (

apolla ); Vietto (

/*right side*/

When it happened Gianna didn’t know but she and Gemma were surely not the tight close sisters they used to be. It was making the brunette extremely sad but what was there to do? It took more than one person to fix the damage between them and Gemma seemed like she wasn’t in a mood to deal with it. Every step Gia took towards her felt like she was pushing Gemma even further away. And then, Gia was away from home a lot, mostly dealing with the family business. After her escapades with her ex and the rebirth she had experienced, everything changed for the older Salvatore daughter. The family was rich, possessed many luxuries, but time was usually not among those. It was what hurt Gia's every attempt to make peace with Gemma. There simply never seemed to be enough time to spend with her little sister. Dad always had another task, another assignment for her to do, another bastard to torture or a target to remove. The former Salvatore princess was now a regular soldier in this mafia war and she took her duties seriously.

The longer she worked as her father’s most efficient hitwoman, the further she was from the princess that she used to be. Colors in her closet were replaced by black as it hid the blood the best and the sweet perky smile, the real genuine one, was less and less often seen plastered on her face, replaced by a murderous smirk of a black widow. Men trembled with fear when she entered the room, even men twice her size. No wonder even her family was having a hard time recognizing her.

It was difficult even for Gianna herself to sometimes step out of that ruthless cruel murderess role but tonight, she was trying to be both. The killer and the sister. With a soft smile, she spoke to Gemma. The youngest Salvatore snapped her reply back at Gia but judging from her tight posture and the way she squirmed in her seat, Gia knew she was everything but fine. Nobody was fine tonight. Some major shit was happening and not even the closest people to Don Salvatore knew what this spur of the moment idea of dining with the Morellos was all about. But Gia didn’t say anything, just nodded and offered Gemma one more soft smile before the car arrived. “Just so you know. No, I’m not excited. But I do have your back even if you don’t believe me.” she said just as Tony called at them from the outside. “I do love you, Gem. Please believe at least that.” she added and reached for Gemma’s hand, giving it a small squeeze before leaving the car.

“I think dad is inside.” Biting the inside of her cheek, Gianna regretted not bringing more weapons. “You have your gun on you?” she whispered to Tony, hoping he would say yes. Gia reached inside her bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, not wanting it to be too obvious she was waiting for Vietto to join them. There was strength in numbers and she knew exactly that the new Morello Don brought his own people. And having the exact person who helped her to become who she was now was a huge advantage in her eyes. “You two can go in if you want to.” she smiled at her siblings, taking a long drag from her slim cancer stick. “Let’s get this shit show over with before someone draws the first blood.”

/*do not remove credit*/

wagging my tail.
coded by weldherwings

_amaranth_ · Aug 9, 2022

Alessandro Morello.

MOOD: tense
LOCATION: the Morello house
OUTFIT: click!
TAGS: Val, Luca (

MadiRaiCat )

/*right side*/

Way too many thoughts were whirling inside Sandro’s head as he and his closest friends and co-workers, for the lack of a better word, got in the car with him. His father certainly fucked him over with his last request. The last will and testament were taken extremely seriously and Alessandro would have been the shittiest son and even worse Don if he chose to ignore it. His father decided it was time for the Morellos and the Salvatores to bury the hatchet and apparently, his son and one of the Salvatore puppies were the key to it. Arranged marriages sounded awfully medieval, especially the whole peace offering motif in them but he had to do it if he didn’t want to throw a muddy ball of disrespect and shame on his family name. And while he also knew he should have told Luca and Val what the whole dinner plan was about, his surly mood and prideful nature didn’t allow him to admit he was tricked into a marriage, so to speak.

“I assure you there will be plenty of opportunities to give your new knife a test run, Val. Tonight is not one of them.” he growled in his own annoyed way but he would never admit that most of his annoyance now came from that stupid nickname Valentina seemed to adore. How the fuck was he supposed to look like a respected Don if his second-in-command called him Sandy? He had told her too many times to stop it but the more he repeated himself, the more she used it. Sometimes, it seemed like pure spite and if they hadn’t grown up side by side, becoming thick as thieves, he would have thought she was just being a mean prick to him. However, tonight was not the night for jokes and both his friends were soon about to find out why Sandro was so bitter.

Getting out of the car, Sandro reached for hisd jacket and buttoned it elegantly. The whole piece fit him like a second skin, like it simply appeared on him that way. Such was the delicate tailor job of Italian masters. Leandra approached the trio and Sandro smiled at her, realizing he had forgotten to text her back. “Evening, Leandra.” he nodded and looked around, his gaze resting on Val as she spoke. “Me neither. As I said, be ready for anything but keep the knives hidden. If someone draws weapons, let it be them. If we only react to provocations, then it won’t be our fault.” Sandro murmured quietly to everyone around him. His eyes followed his right hand as Val decided to check out the surroundings and he held his breath for a moment. Come on, man. She’s a big girl. She can handle herself.

“No. No, Leandra, no one else is coming. It’s just us for tonight.” he told her and scoffed slightly over Luca’s flirting. “Never miss a chance, do you brother?” he grinned, punching Luca’s arm a little. However, his smile soon turned sour as he noticed a car stop nearby and the Salvatores pouring out. “Let’s go. Might be to our advantage if we appear before Salvatore’s rug rats do.” he spoke silently to Leandra and Luca and started walking towards the door. He really didn’t need conflicts right away and a part of him hoped the old Salvatore was going to do the talking. Cowardly as it sounded, Sandro didn’t want to be the one to tell one of those girls she was going to marry him. God knew, maybe they would take it better from their father. Yeah, sure. Who was he kidding? He was already fed up and very much sure this was not how his father imagined things. It couldn’t be.

/*do not remove credit*/

wagging my tail.

coded by weldherwings

Desert_Blossom · Aug 11, 2022

location

Salvatore Casino

mood

Nervous

interactions

Alessandro

_amaranth_ Luca and Val

MadiRaiCat

outfit

Malia / Leandra

It was strange, Malia thought to herself as Sandro instructed the small group not to draw their weapons first, how desensitized she was to such a speech already. She’d assimilated into this world of mob families, hits for hire and gunfire easily. Perhaps too easily. And if that didn’t make her so good at her both her jobs, she’d be worried about her morality.

The brunette just nodded simply in understanding when Sandro finished, knowing that if she did have to draw her weapon that would probably be the end of her undercover stint. It wouldn’t be Leandra the fixer pulling any triggers, but Malia the FBI agent. As Lia watched Val disappear into the casino, she hoped everyone would play nice. Lia told herself this was because she hadn’t gotten a chance to avenge her family yet, but truth be told she hadn’t made much headway on her original goal yet. Particularly because she rather liked Alessandro Morello, Luca and Val, though she did not get the sense that the feeling was mutual with the latter, and didn’t want to dig too much and find out any of them were directly involved.

Luca’s flirtatious greeting broke Malia out of her thoughts and she rolled her eyes playfully as she turned to him. “I’d be much more flattered if you hadn’t already used that line before, Luca…” She teased, an amused smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “But thank you.” For a moment Sandro seemed to loosen up, grinning at Luca as he punched his consigliere in the arm for his shameless flirting, and Malia hoped his improved mood would hold out… but no such luck.

As Sandro’s expression soured, Malia glanced over her shoulder to see what was troubling him. A dark car had pulled up to the curb a few spots back and sure enough, as Sandro suggested they beat the rival Don’s children to dinner, Gia Salvatore stepped out of the vehicle. For the first time that evening, Malia’s stomach fluttered with nerves. She wasn’t sure if the eldest Salvatore daughter would remember their night of tequila shots and dancing, but if Gia did then Malia prayed she hadn’t let anything slip in her intoxicated state. It was bad enough that she worked for the rival mob family, but if Gia had any inkling of who she really was…

Malia turned back to Sandro and Luca, postponing any chance for a reunion a little longer, and once more nodded at her boss’s suggestion as he headed for the door. “Right…” In need of a distraction to stop her mind from jumping to the worst conclusion, or maybe just in need of comfort, Malia slid her arm around Luca’s. “Come on, don’t want you getting lost…” She joked, following after Sandro with Luca beside her. “… or distracted by one of the waitresses.” She added with a knowing grin as they walked through the entrance of the casino and were instantly welcomed by the chimes of slot machines, bright lights and scantily clad women. “Hopefully you don’t bruise easily.” She teased, brushing the wrinkles out of Luca’s suit sleeve where Sandro had punched him with her free hand.

coded by natasha.

Desert_Blossom · Aug 13, 2022

location

Salvatore Casino

mood

Keep cool

interactions

apolla

_amaranth_

outfit

Gregory Vietto III

Vietto may not have been a Salvadore by blood, but he considered Tony, Gia and Gemma more like siblings than the half brother he did share blood with. Blood was just about the only thing he and Lucius shared, other than a mutual hatred, a penchant for getting themselves involved in mafia matters and the apparently strong genes of a deadbeat father. The two brothers, though birthed by different women, so closely resembled one another that they were often mistaken for the other. They’d only been in the same room a handful of times, never without words or punches thrown, and tonight was going to be another one of those times. Hopefully with the Dons present they could manage to be on their best behavior, but Vietto was still not looking forward to it. That was one of the reasons he’d decided to drive separately from the Salvatores- he wanted some final moments to compose himself before the family reunion. Much to Gemma’s apparent chagrin.

Keeping his qualms to himself, the underboss just smiled apologetically at the youngest Salvatore. “Sorry Gemma, boss’s orders.” He replied, technically telling her the truth, just not all of it. “With the three of you traveling together, I’m security detail…” He explained, leaning down to her for a moment to whisper, “but don’t worry, the ride’s not that long. I’ll see you there.” He offered her a wink and with that, the Salvatores and Vietto got into their respective cars as they headed for the casino. It was rare that all the siblings were together these days, let alone in the same car, so for safety purposes someone had to watch out for them. If their car was compromised, Vietto would be able to provide backup and protect the people most precious to the Don… and to him.

The Underboss arrived at the casino shortly behind the Salvatore’s car, but he had to idle in the driveway, waiting for room at the valet curb while other vehicles were unloaded. He clocked Tony hopping out of the car before sticking his head back into talk to his sisters, and spied Gia hop out next. It was no surprise that Gemma would be the reluctant last one out and he grinned a little. She was a firecracker. His grin faded however, as his gaze moved to the cars further up. There, with the new Morello Don and a brunette was Lucius. Great.

Sure, Vietto knew that his hatred for his half brother largely stemmed from his hatred for his father, but that didn’t lessen it any. The thought of spending an evening playing nice made Vietto want to drink, and his gaze drifted over to the glove box where he kept a flask of whiskey. For emergency purposes only, of course. He was one month sober, but it was so tempting just to take off the edge. Sighing, he pulled out his lucky coin, turning it over in his fingers a few times. Heads I’m good, tails I drink… He thought to himself, flipping the coin and catching it in his palm. It was of course heads up, it always was. Vietto just needed an excuse to exercise his self control.

Finally a space along the curb opened up, and Vietto pulled forward to the valet. Lucius was nowhere in sight as he got out, but Gregory knew that wouldn’t last long. Tossing his keys to the valet, Vietto strode over towards Gia, forcing his grimace into an easy smirk. “Need a light?” He asked, spotting the pack of cigarettes in her hand.

coded by natasha.

MadiRaiCat · Aug 14, 2022

scroll me!

location

Salvatore Casino.

interactions

Luca, Sandro (

_amaranth_ ), Leandra (

mentions

The Salvatores.

outfit

Valentina

underboss

Valentina was the type of person that always marched to the beat of her own drum. She very rarely let anyone get in her way without some sharp words or a fight. She was independent, confident in her choices, and unapologetically promiscuous. For most of her life, these traits had worked well for her. Despite being the daughter of an underboss, she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth in the gang. No, she constantly had to fight for everything she wanted. Whether it was using her smarts, her looks, or her fists, she didn't care. But, if she were being honest with herself, Val enjoyed the chaos of it all, strived in it even. Some thought she would fail and, when she didn't, they would say that it was because she was sleeping with Luca or Sandro. While the latter most certainly wasn't true, the blonde knew her worth and didn't take any of it to heart. And now she was the underboss. So the joke was on those motherfuckers that thought she would fail.

Valentina paused a few paces inside the doors to the casino, icy blue eyes scanning the floor. Several people sat at various slots, gambling their money away without a care in the world. A little ways towards the back of the casino, a group of older, stoic men sat around the green velvet of a green velvet poker table. They smoked cigars and drank what was probably expensive scotch from their highball glasses. Val immediately knew that they were the elders of the Salvatore gang, the ones that had survived the crime life long enough to practically retire from it and reap the benefits. These types existed in every gang and were among the most respected in the hierarchy, rivaling even the top in command. For the most part, they deserved the revelry they received. But they were usually the ones that looked down on Val for being a woman soldier in the gang, and so she tended to have rocky relationships with them. The blonde made a mental note to stay clear of that table. The last thing she needed was to overreact to some sexist comment and risk whatever truce Sandro was planning with this dinner.

At first glance with the way she was dressed, Val wouldn't be surprised if some of the male flirty looks sent her way thought she was a call girl. But, she did get the satisfaction of seeing that look change as soon as one man caught sight of the blades strapped to one thigh and her trusty 9mm pistol on the other. Though she was skilled in hand-to-hand combat, the blonde underboss always felt safer when she had her weapons with her. As much as she hated to think about it, her job title came with a target on her back, perhaps moreso given that, to those that didn't know her, she probably seemed like the weakest link of the Morellos command. The one that was easiest to take out and send the whole operation crumbling. But those that thought that didn't know her or her reputation well. "Ma'am, y-you can't bring those in here." A timid male voice caught her attention, and Valentina turned to find a nervous young man, probably no older than 21, standing behind her. He pointed at her knives with a slightly shaking hand.

"Oh, these?" she asked, pulling one out and twirling it against her fingertip, "These are harmless, don't worry." Taking a step closer, she leaned in to whisper in the young man's ear. "Unless you know how to use them." Stepping back, it was clear her words had shaken him a bit. But, that entertained the blonde, more than it probably should. "Now, dear. Where can I find the Salvatores' dining room?" A look of confusion crossed his face before realization settled in followed by more fear. "Take the elevator to the penthouse floor and it's the last room on your left." Catching the familiar sight of three brunettes entering the casino from the corner of her eye, Valentina offered the young man a charming smile and replied, "Thank you, dear." Though he had absolutely no chance with her, more for his sake than hers, Valentina always found it fun to slip in a subtle flirt whenever she could. She left him standing there dumbfounded as she crossed the room to her friends. Slipping her arm back into Sandro's, the blonde simply said, "Penthouse floor, last door on the left. Limited exits, so we better be careful."

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

MadiRaiCat · Aug 14, 2022

scroll me!

location

Salvatore Casino.

interactions

Val, Sandro (

_amaranth_ ), Malia (

Desert_Blossom ).

mentions

Gregory.

outfit

Lucius

consigliere

The outward personality of Lucius Vietto was the one people tended to be drawn to. He was charming and playful, generally an all-around outgoing guy. He was confident to the point of arrogance now and again, but that generally didn't deter people. He made friends easily, though most of them had no idea who his alter ego was. The dark, cold, and cruel side of him that had no problem tearing the life from someone and watching it drain from their eyes. That part of him existed in a morally grey area, one that he consciously didn't like to enter if he didn't have to. In some ways, all of these things made him a better consigliere, a better advisor to Sandro. While Val liked to use promiscuity and alcohol to get her intel, it was easier for him to just simply make relationships and subsequently ask. Against their better judgment, informants were fairly open with their intel when it came to Luca, most likely due to his charm and persuasive powers. Like that modern-day Lucifer from the TV show, minus the whole "King of Hell" thing.

Before he had met the Morellos, Luca wanted nothing more than to get out of Las Vegas and never return. He would have avoided the city and the lackluster memories it held as long as he lived. But, all of that changed when he met Alessandro and the rest of the family. They gave him a job to do, money to make, and justice to serve, even if it wasn't always the common definition of "justice." His consigliere job was his way of changing his future, of making up for all the shitty things his father had done, both to him and to others, to better the Vietto name, for atoning for his father's transgressions. Being in Vegas gave him a sense of purpose. But, the familiar sounds and smells tempted to pull him down a path of thoughts of his childhood. It had been a few decades, but he still remembered it all so clearly. As clearly as he remembered the look on his father's face when he told him he was leaving, that he didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Out of nowhere, he heard his voice in his head, reminding him that he was worthless and would never go anywhere in life, truly following in his father's footsteps.

It had been a long time since he had even thought about that. But now, he was content with his life, and the third-in-command of one of Las Vegas's major crime families. So, his father could be dead for all he cared. Shaking those thoughts away, Lucius couldn't help but grin at the responses his flirtations had elicited from both Alessandro and Leandra. "When a girl looks as good as she does? Absolutely never," he responded to the former, a playful grin gracing his lips. Turning that smile to the brunette woman, he added with a wink, "Well, what can I say? I've flirted with you so many times, I used up all my greatest hits." Hearing Sandro's words, he quickly turned his gaze towards the dark cars that pulled up to the curb, narrowing them as a familiar face exited one. It belonged to his older half-brother who bore the name of their father.

At first, Luca didn't quite understand why Gregory disliked him so much. Hell, they looked so similar that he couldn't even deny what he was told when his half-brother originally confronted him. But now, the latter used that to his advantage and dropped Luca's name instead of his own in whatever bad situations he found himself in. The brunette consigliere had to fight off angry dealers and johns more than once because of how much they looked alike. But, he took some solace in the looks of realization on their faces once they realized that he wasn't the Vietto they were looking for. At the end of the day, Lucius didn't need a biological brother. No, he was content with the one he had in Sandro. And so he turned his blue gaze back to them. Lucius felt Leandra take his arm and grinned down at her. "Fine, fine. I've already decided you'll be my fun for the evening anyway," he said with a smirk, "And trust me, I can take the pain." Ever the flirt, Luca led Leandra inside behind Sandro, pausing only for Valentina to join them when her words elicited an annoyed sigh from him. "Great. I love being caged in. I hope they know who they're dealing with."

♡design by neon reverie, coded by uxie♡

apolla · Aug 22, 2022

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These days, knowing more makes you more miserable.
In another life, Gemma would have taken comfort in the presence of her siblings. After all, it was all three of them who were on the way to have dinner with the enemy, not just Gem. Even though Gemma wasn't involved with all the politics of their lifestyle like her siblings were-- or at least Gia-- she knew very well who the Morellos were. What they did. They were a rival family for a reason. The Morello name was enough to make Gemma shudder, especially after everything she'd been told and heard through the channels. Gem did pay attention to some details, despite what people thought. Maybe not all the correct details, but she wasn't completely clueless. Like obviously she knew Tony was supposed to take over after their father, but he clearly wanted nothing to do with that, and Gemma knew there was a reason. This life took a toll on people. Like Gia.

Tony cut in before the snark war could really start, even though Gemma seemed to be the only one interested in said war. Gia's face remained pleasant, though Gemma kept that sour look on hers, even though she could feel a smile trying to form at Tony's memory. Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Gemma just shuffled further down in the seat. They finally arrived at the casino, and Tony was the first one out. Scoffing at his threat, she just rolled her eyes in response, not moving from the seat. Gia started to leave next, though she paused before exiting. Gemma didn't withdraw her hand from her sisters, and she felt a slight pang in her blackened heart at the heartfelt words. She knew that Tony would make good on his threat if she didn't move, or even if he didn't, Vietto would likely be able to sweet talk her into moving so she finally slid out of the car as well.

Her eyes immediately darted to Gia as she leaned in close to Tony, narrowing when she saw that. Immediately the sour bitch was back, and she shoulder bumped Tony on the way past him. "What a dynamic duo you two are." She sneered, glancing over at Vietto as he joined them. She could use a cigarette herself, but she wasn't about to stand out here and be on the outside looking in, especially not with her own family. "See you losers inside." She didn't look back as she started for the door, just gave them a half hearted wave over her shoulder. Ignoring everyone around her, Gem strode into the casino like she owned the place-- which, in a way, she did. The smell of smoke, liquor, and a faint twinge of sweat mixed with many different perfumes hit her nostrils as she stepped inside. She had some time to kill, so she strode off in the direction of her favorite machines.

mostly annoyed

click!

gianna ( _amaranth_ ); Vietto ( Desert_Blossom )

carefree

@gemmathegem

nine lives

apolla · Aug 22, 2022

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These days, knowing more makes you more miserable.
Tony frowned a little bit when his talking about how they used to be as kids barely got a reaction out of his sisters. Sighing dramatically, he just settled back in the seat and stared out of the window until they got to the casino. Since he was by the door, he was the first one out, but he was quick to turn and grin back in the car. Threatening to pull his sisters out by their skirts wasn't an empty threat, and he knew they would both know that. Pushing himself back out to a standing position, he turned and surveyed the entrance to the casino. It was definitely the nicest one they owned, which told Tony alot. Whatever their father was up to, he wanted to impress the Morellos in some way, and just the thought made Tony wrinkle his nose. It was a disgusting show of power to him, but then again, what else was new?

Shaking his head, he turned his head to the side when he heard Gia's question. "Of course I do." He scoffed, almost as if the notion that he wouldn't was ridiculous. Smirking at her, he glanced up as Vietto joined them. He asked if Gia needed a light, and Tony was just opening his mouth to say he could go for a smoke as well when he suddenly jerked forward. His head whipped behind him, but he both heard and saw Gemma walking towards the casino entrance. He blew out a sharp breath instead, watching as she disappeared inside. "Someone should really hire a bodyguard for that girl. Before we know it, we're all gonna go up in flames." He turned to look at the other two, reaching in his pocket for his own pack of smokes and a lighter. "If she's not plotting our deaths already."

Smirking, he lit up a cancer stick and then winked at the other two. "Catch yall in a little bit." Blowing out a steady stream of smoke, he headed inside. The bright lights and pulsating music from the speakers made him forget for a moment why he was here. Just because they were about to have dinner with the Morellos didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun beforehand, right? He made his way to the bar, ordering a double whiskey and coke. He turned and looked around at the people having a good time, a slight grin appearing on his lips. Places like this made him feel alive, though it wasn't just the gambling. Tony just liked being around people, he liked feeling as though he were on top of the world. A few moments later, with his drink in hand, he headed for the floor. With his eyes everywhere at once, he wasn't paying attention like he should be, so he bumped right into someone. "Shit, sorry-" He turned his eyes on them just as he set his hand on their waist, though he stopped dead when he saw who he was looking down at.

hungry

click!

gianna ( _amaranth_ ); Vietto ( Desert_Blossom )

reckless

@tonio_the_onlio

nine lives

_amaranth_ · Aug 25, 2022

Gianna Salvatore.

MOOD: sour
LOCATION: the Salvatore house
OUTFIT: click!
TAGS: Tony, Gemma (

apolla ); Vietto (