Liviana was always admired for being such a good kid.She was patient, kind, caring, respectful, quiet, and, most importantly, obedient. She was smart and had a pretty face- a rare combination of brains and beauty. And she was well liked.She was easily controlled, and she never complained, cried and whined. She never threw fits like the other kids, and who didn't want an easy way to raising kids? They were a handful enough alone, never mind the trouble they caused.Liviana never was much like the other children. She was always more mature due to being held at a higher stander that just grew taller and taller, which each passing day, getting closer and closer to impossible. But Liviana never stopped striving to reach it.She did everything she could to grow- wanting nothing more than to please her parents. And the only way she knew how to do that was by putting on a convincing act, one so good that not even Drusilla and Alonso could see through. Sometimes even Liviana grew blind to wh
Liviana Castelli grew up in chaos.In a quiet house with loud people, she was raised in a constant contradiction. Being told to be kind by the people who treated her as though they had never even heard the word. Taught to behave yet watched her parents make mischief every chance they got. Hearing everyone say that humility was good- that one should remain humble, because wealth wasn’t the most important thing in the world. And it was always the same people who were more materialistic, bragging at everyone's opportunity.Being raised in that game of back and forth where everything always went against itself somehow, Liviana grew up believing that balance wasn’t so common. For a long time, she thought that any two things that co-existed were set to fight, battling for a stronger ground to stand on. Nothing was 50/50. It was 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, sometimes, rarely, 90/10. Anything but 100 percent, or the even cut of it being split down the middle. You wouldn’t think this would be too impa
Liviana was a survivor.Drusilla and Alonzo had four kids, none one of which they ever treated as their kids. Instead, they treated them like vermin, as though these poor souls that they chose to bring into the world were simply put there to steal their happiness and ruin their lives. Though things had always seemed to work the other way around.Surviving in the Santora household took an expert. It took someone who grew up in the home and knew all of its secrets. Someone who knew everything from which floorboards creaked and which employees would be willing to help them had they ever been caught in their secret shenanigans and the ones who would turn them in without a second thought. It took the children who grew up in that hell to know how to survive in it. And the Santora siblings were survivors. They learnt all there was to know- the floorboards, the employees, how to manipulate and how to deceive, how to lie. They learnt it all. But through all the skills the siblings had picked u
From the moment Tino Santora was born, he had a built in best friend. A protector, a mentor, a partner-in-crime, a confidant, a friend to last a lifetime, his sister; Liviana Castelli.The two, being the youngest siblings, had shared a bond. An understanding of what it was like trying to live up to their older siblings, being cast to their shadows and played against each other as they tried to dance and fill each step just right. They knew the pressure each other was under and just how heavy it all was. The attention that often turned to neglect the moment their older siblings stepped into the spotlight. How their gazes felt as though they were burning through their entire being every time it was their turn in the spotlight. The knowledge of simply being the backups that gnawed at their hearts, killing them with the reminder of just how disposable they really were.Their existence was meant to please their parents and be a pawn on Drusilla and Alonzo’s chess board, being used to fight
Liviana Castelli was homesick.For weeks- months, ever since the wedding when she and Blaze had left for their honeymoon, the night she was whisked away from the only home she's ever known, she had been sick. It was a longing, an empty feeling in her chest as a piece of her heart went void, being left in the house she grew up in while the rest beat for her new home, and a fresh start.It wasn't that she missed the house itself or even the people inside of it; it was the memories- the moments in time that lived there, the ones that got her through it all. They were the bones that held her up and made the house a home, and she was heartbroken to find that she couldn't bring them with her as she left and the people who had helped craft them. People like her siblings, her little brother; Tino. Livi was homesick for her brother.It was why, despite her shock and slight irritation in his impromptu visit, she couldn't help but start to cry. It was tears of relief, of joy. "T!" Livi yells, r
Liviana wasn’t an angry person.She was a woman all about peace. She believed in that saying ‘treat people the way you want to be treated’, and though she never actually received the kindness she gave back, she continued to give it out like candy on Halloween, passing out handfuls to each person who entered her life, if even for a moment. And though she had tried to do this with Blaze, offering him all she could - all she had - it wasn’t enough. Blaze never had much of a sweet tooth, and though she wished it was the case, Livi was no exception.It was a painful life to live, being married to a man who punished her for her mere existence when she had always dreamt of the husband she would one day have, who was supposed to love and accept her for herself- understand her in a way that no one else did. Liviana wanted a soulmate, someone who bettered her and helped her heal, not a man who looked at her broken pieces and sharpened them into weapons. And that was exactly what Blaze was doing
Liviana was a liar.She was a good liar- she lied for good reasons; for safety and peace of mind. Fibs is what she called them, minimizing the act of deception by telling herself that it wasn't with any ill intent. She wasn't a horrible person or untrustworthy- she was smart. She was careful. And she only did what was necessary for her survival. She told little white lies, which, in comparison to the lies her parents told- waving them like a red flag as they dared the world to call them out, was nothing. Compared to the rest of her family, Liviana Castelli was a saint.It was something she often had to remind herself of, as anytime she did something even slightly immoral she began to spiral, panicking as she wondered if, one day, she would turn into the very thing she fears- the person she always said she wouldn't become. Someone like her parents. Someone who lied for the simple pleasure of deception instead of doing it out of desperation.That's what Liviana was. Desperate. She was d
Blaze Castelli was a mess.He, himself, wasn’t a mess- in fact, he was always well put together. Organized and dapper, he was clean. He didn’t appear a mess on the outside, but inside... it was as though a tornado had ripped through his soul, releasing the heart he had spent years trying to forget and allowing the feelings he buried to roam free within him, pumping through his veins and fueling him with a strange flutter in his stomach.He wasn’t sure what this feeling was exactly. He was never good with emotions- expressing and at some point, he even had some trouble identifying his emotions, as well as other peoples. It wasn’t as though he couldn’t feel them, he just couldn’t explain which he was feeling. If he was angry, he couldn’t tell anyone he was angry- he would never put it into words or acknowledge the way he felt at all. Instead, he would act out. His anger would take hold of him tightly and walk him about as he threw tantrums wherever they went. He was a constant storm of
Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed, and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.
A young Liviana sat quietly, nervously, in the corner of the over-crowded room, people watching as though her life depended on it. What was she watching for? Not even she was sure. But that didn't stop her from looking.Her green eyes scanned over the crowd with caution, darting around from face to face and person to person. She watches them closely, almost as if she was waiting for something. And in a way, she was. She was looking for clarity, waiting and hoping it would find her and help her make the right choices. Liviana was waiting on her guardian angel to offer some wisdom, but it was clear her angel must have been busy, having failed to provide guidance on each instance as of late. She was beginning to wonder if she even had one anymore... maybe she quit - who knows? Sighing at the thought, she tilts her head back, resting it against the wall and allowing herself a short break. Her eyes fall shut, and for a moment, she just thinks - listens. She just is. The air was hot, thic
Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.F
The set of the three Santora siblings approaches the lively house with caution. "Is this it?" Liviana asks, stopping to stare up at the place that was practically bursting at the seams with people. She couldn't believe she was here. She never thought they would actually make it - she hoped Emilia was more reasonable, and prayed she would come to her senses. And yet, here they were. They finally made it."Yeah," Emilia mutters, a smile stretching widely across her lips as she takes in the view behind her. It was everything she could have ever hoped it'd be. It was the perfect picture - practically ripped right out of the movies. And God, she couldn't wait to join in. "Come on! Let's go!"Suddenly, the girl is surging forward and rushing up the stairs, calling for her siblings to follow her in what they could only imagine being an overcrowded, overstimulating mess. It was safe to say that Liviana and Tino were nowhere near as excited as their sister was. "Wait!" Livi calls, taking a st
"How much farther?" A young Liviana questioned, trailing behind her siblings and dragging her feet with her dread. "I thought you said it wasn't far-""Because it's not," Emilia insists. "It's just up ahead.""Are you sure?" She asks, unsure of herself as well as her sister. Emilia didn't seem to know what she was doing, and it scared Liviana. Why did she agree to this?Emilia huffs, nodding. "Yes, Liviana. I'm sure," she says. "Just trust me, alright? I know what I'm doing."Did she? Liviana couldn't be sure, and she wasn't sure she wanted to stick around to find out. Was this really worth it? She didn't think so. "You know," Liviana clears her throat, skipping a step to catch up to her siblings. "It's not too late.""Too late?" Tino echoes. "Too late for what?""Too late to turn back-"At this, Emilia comes to a halt and whips around to face her sister. "Go back?" She asks, her eyebrows knitting together as she asks, "what do you mean turn back?""I mean that it's not too late to ba
Young Liviana sat quietly on her bed, her head hanging low in her hands as her mind spun. What was she doing? What was she supposed to do?Her mind was running in circles, replaying those dreadful conversations over and over again and forcing her to face the questions she hated to have to answer. Which one of her siblings would she stand by? Emilia or Ben? Who did she trust more?The thought alone was upsetting, and she couldn't bring herself to answer it. How could she ever choose between the two? They were both her biggest protectors - in their own ways - and she needed them. How was she expected to pick a side and betray the two people she loved most in the world? It was an impossible decision, and she couldn't wrap her head around it. Emilia or Ben? Her sister or her brother? Her head or her heart?"Fuck," she curses, eyes squeezing tightly shut at the sharp pain she feels shooting through her temple. The question itself sounded difficult and painful, but it felt worse than she
Liviana stood thoughtfully before her mirror, examining her reflection closely as she slowly put herself together.It started with the makeup - her sister's special touch, as Emilia insisted they must look their best - though her version of the best varied from that of their mothers. She had never worn a mask so dark.Next were the clothes - clothes she would never call her own, as she couldn't even call them comfortable."Do I really have to wear this?" She asks, pulling at the bottom of the short black dress in a poor, pointless attempt at making it longer. She had never worn anything so small. "It's basically a shirt-"Emilia rolls her eyes from behind the girl, calling her dramatic. "It's not that short," she disagrees. "And besides, it's pretty.""It is kinda pretty," Livi doesn't deny it, muttering to herself about how nice it looked. "But it's too short, Emilia. It's not for me, okay? It's too... different.""Different is good!" Emilia argues. "It's, like, the whole point, Livi
"Livi?"The girl nearly shrieks, settling for a gasp as she pulls her bedroom door shut in a rush. "Dad!" She greets, spinning around to face the man. "Hi!""What are you doing?""Nothing," she says, frowning. "I'm not doing anything. Why do you ask?""You seem... different," he says. "Odd. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?""Yeah, mhm," she hums, offering the man an unconvincing nod. "I'm okay- everything's okay! There's nothing to worry about here, dad."He hums, eyes raking up and down his surly daughter, and she could practically feel the suspicion in his gaze. It was almost as if he was trying to look into her soul. "Well, if you're sure-""I'm sure," she swears, mustering up the most convincing smile she could as she assures him that she was alright - everything was fine."Good, good..." he trails, clearing his throat. "Listen, about dinner-""Oh, you don't have to... say anything," she says, her smile fading to something more tainted. "It's fine."He furrows a brow. "It is?"
"Are you... serious?"At the awkward question and the meek voice it's spoken by, Ben glances up from his spot on the bed and hums. "Serious?" He echoes, unsure about what she was muttering on about. "About what?""Mom and dad," Liviana reminds, asking, "are they really that bad?"Ben sighs, attempting to offer his little sister a careful answer. "They're, uh... complicated.""Complicated?" Livi repeats, joining her brother on the bed with a frown. "I don't... I don't understand. What are they?"Ben only grows all the more confused by her questioning, and his lips tilt down in a frown of his own. "What?""What kind of people are they?" She presses. "Mom and dad, I mean - are they good people or... are they bad people?"He hums. "Well, that's a good question, kid," he says, voice soft as he offers his sister a thoughtful look. "What do you think they are?""I think..." she trails off with a sigh, nervous.He's quick to pick up on the traces of anxiety lost in her tone - seeping into her