Your World’s An Ideal.

[Mona-Lisa Carrozza]

Generally…Jobs Mona was sent on were relatively low stress. Her father had come from organized crime in Italy…and many of the family contacts still respected her and her name enough to make her a pretty damn good fence for Roxie and Tommy.

But tonight…she had run into a spot of trouble. Some lowlife who wanted to swindle her. Another man who simply saw her as a defenseless little girl. He had gotten the jump on Mona…so she was a little battered. But ultimately, Mona-Lisa had bested the fool.

In the process, she managed to rob her assailant…keep the items she was trying to sell…and not break a nail.

So here she sat…

Dressed to impress (because she never left her home looking like anything less), sitting at a bar, enjoying a drink and waiting for another contact to respond to her. With any luck, she would end tonight having sold the items AND gotten ahead with the cash she had wiped off the first guy.

”Another cosmo,” she called out, shooting the bartender a smirk and finishing off the drink in front of her.

[Kit Carson]

Kit was not the barfly type. But…sometimes, like this particular ecening, she found herself on the receiving end of expensive alcohol because a, she didn't want to intrude on her best friend and her long distance boyfriend, and b, she just spent a few hours (or an entire afternoon) trying to convince Alvin that he was SO worthy and amazing and if she didn't pay attention to him she wasn't worth his time. Kit, though, did want to remain supportive, so even though she thought his love for Ava was the most ridiculous thing…she was there to support him.

And that was what landed her at the bar.

Alvin had strolled into hers and Alice's office with the saddest look on his face. Ava had been completely unappreciative (surprise surprise) of the cake that Alvin had made from scratch (of course he did, thoughtful boy) and he thought it would work to get her attention, but…it didn't. Just like every single other time he tried to woo her. Kit could tell Ava liked the attention…she just didn't care about the person giving it to her.

And that was the worst and hardest part. Kit felt like she was in the same position as Al, with him…but at least she could call him a friend.

“Another cosmo.”

Kit hadn't noticed the very fancy lady next to her at first - Kit herself wasn't too stunning but a little prettier than her usual jeans under her ministry robes. ”Oh my gods, I haven't had a cosmo in ages,” she told the bartender, who clearly didn't care, ”I'll have one too.” Kit, a couple drinks in at the moment turned to the woman. ”You are like, so beautiful. I don't know if you've heard that today but in case you haven't, I got you.”

[Mona-Lisa Carrozza]

Mona had certainly been through the wringer today. She had gone to coffee with Gus and while it had been lovely…it had been abruptly eye opening. Gus was such a beautiful soul. He was a ray of sunshine in the dark alley she called home. And it had become clear that her fondness for him was not the same sense of fondness she had for his siblings.

And that had been a rough realization. Mona wasn’t stupid. She was never going to be with Gus Darling. She saw how he looked at his girlfriend. She knew she would never hold a candle to that bond.

And then Italy happened.

The bruising on her hip and right thigh were still throbbing but at least it wasn’t visible. But it was still a reminder that today hadn’t been one of her best.

Next to her, she heard a voice call out for the same drink Mona had just ordered. She looked next to her to observe the woman and smirked. Good taste at least.

And then she fully faced her…showering Mona in momentary praise and complement. Mona just offered her a smile. She knew she was beautiful. But it always felt nice to hear it. She didn’t hear it often.

”Her drink is on me,” she told the bartender with a laugh as he brought their drinks. ”What’s a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?” she teased, making fun of the way men would approach women alone at the bar.

[Kit Carson]

”Her drink is on me.”

Kit chuckled lightly as she lifted up her glass toward the other woman in thanks. Dark, mysterious, brooding. Definitely not the type of person she normally would chat up, but Kit really wasn't the type to make judgments like that either. But, nonetheless, it would likely be an interesting conversation to say the least.

“What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?”

Kit wrinkled her nose and laughed, shaking her head. ”Rough day at work I suppose…” but it wasn't exactly work that made her want to head out for the evening. She took a sip of her drink and swirled it around a little before looking back at the other witch. ”My friend's boyfriend is in town and I don't want to intrude. Oh and I got to spend my afternoon consoling my best friend that is in love with someone who doesn't even know he exists.” Kit sighed, taking another sip. ”Please tell me you were having a better day?”

[Mona-Lisa Carrozza]

Mona listened, sipping on her third drink of the evening. She watched the woman through glassy eyes and occasionally nodded along. She definitely could relate. Her day hadn't exactly been an ideal either.

Please tell me you were having a better day?

Mona laughed softly and looked at her companion for the evening.

"You think I'd be here if I was?" she teased with a smirk. "Buried my no good boss this morning...then went out for coffee with his son who I was certain I didn't have feelings for. Jokes on me because wow...I guess I do. Had to run out to my home country for a bit...got jumped. Thankfully Hogwarts sent me out into the world with some master class dueling skills..."

She laughed, taking another heavy swig of her drink before shaking her head.

"Sounds like an episode of Un Posto al Sole..."

She sighed and set her drink down before holding her hand out to the woman.

"Mona-Lisa..."

[Kit Carson]

The woman's response caused Kit to smile a little… She had a point. If she had a good day she likely wouldn't be there at all. But here they both sat, two strangers with eerily similar problems. Oh how the world worked…it was definitely a bitch.

”Good Merlin what the absolute fuck,” Kit looked at her almost deadpan, but there was some serious disbelief and a bit of sadness in her expression for the woman. ”Are you okay? when the bartender came back she gestured to another drink for the other woman. ”She deserves it, and the absolute world,” Kit told him, the bartender just looking at her with a raised brow before moving on.

”Christine. Well. Kit. My parents named me after a demon car,” the young woman let out a soft, scoffy laugh at the thought…she hadn't thought about that in years. Her parents had been dead for some time. She extended her hand to the woman before adding, ”Mona is pretty. Italian?”

[Mona-Lisa Carrozza]

Good Merlin...

Mona smirked at the reaction. When she really sat down and let herself think about her life, it became clear to her how crazy it all was. Her dad had been involved with a rather reputable company back in Italy...then he had packed them all up and moved to the UK after the fall of said company. He had spent years proving loyalty and usefulness to the Darlings. His sweet, beautiful baby girl could have been a prized little mafia wife to any of the Darling sons but instead, she chose to enter the life herself. Much like Roxanne, Mona-Lisa was not the sit still and look pretty type.

Her boss had spent the entire year and half she had worked for him bribing her and trying to get her to agree to a sexual relationship with him...and now he was dead. That was one weight lifted. Now she worked for Roxie and Tommy. Tommy much preferred being out in the world...so she hardly saw him. And Roxanne was everything Mona would ever want in a boss. A badass, beautiful babe in a position of authority and power. Mona was happy to be the guard dog at the end of her leash.

The woman ordered up another drink and Mona laughed before looking back over to her. She was cute...probably a little naïve in the world...but cute.

Christine. Well. Kit. My parents named me after a demon car.

Demon car...That was certainly an interesting concept. Mona just nodded in understanding as Kit shook her hand. And when asked about her own name, Mona just smiled.

"Correct..."

She sighed before she continued, her fourth drink of the evening set in front of her.

"The Mona-Lisa...da Vinci's masterpiece...a woman of beauty and grace. A calm stare and a mysterious smile."

She rolled her eyes. Her parents had thought for sure that they would marry her off to one of the Darlings...When the marriage selections had happened and Mona wasn't named...they sort of gave up on her and let her do what she wanted. If only her father knew that Mickey had been trying to save her for himself, too selfish to give her to any of his boys.

"Funny how our parents try to choose who we'll be through something as simple as a name...how often they're just wrong."

[Kit Carson]

Kit was having a hard time wrapping her head around everything that her new companion was saying she dealt with during the day. Being in love with someone who was in love with someone else was hard enough, but then being jumped and having to attend a funeral all on the same page? Yeah, Kit felt like a whiner honestly - the only thing she'd done was work and watch her love pine over someone else and cry about being rejected for what felt like the hundredth time. He'd never see her in the light that he saw Ava Blackthorn and that really hurt, honestly...and as much as she tried to move on...she just couldn't. There was something so magnetic about Al and...ugh. He was perfect.

Kit smiled as the woman recounted her name, and she nodded as well. "Your parents predicted your beauty." Kit let out a small sigh. Her own parents weren't even married, so she was given her father's last name. And...they thought it would be funny to name her after a car, because her last name was Carson. And then it had to be a demon car with an obsession with her driver. Sounded stupid familiar...and she hated it.

"Funny how our parents try to choose who we'll be through something as simple as a name...how often they're just wrong."

"Parents have a lot of hope for their children," she said, softly, spinning her glass on the bar top before lifting it to her lips and finishing it, motioning to the bartender for another. "My parents gave me up when I was just born, and were murdered, actually. Drug deal gone bad or something, I don't know. I don't...I don't really care." she said, staring into the empty glass in her hand before looking back up at Mona. She didn't like thinking about it, because it brought up her own slip when she'd gotten in with Tommy Darling back in school. He'd gotten her into a spit of trouble that, again, just like every other time, Alice and Alvin had picked her up and brushed her back off. She owed them the world, really...

[Mona-Lisa Carrozza]

Your parents predicted your beauty.

Cute. Mona smiled softly as she sipped at her drink. Mona knew she was beautiful. She had been a bit of a looker her entire life. She remembered her later years of school...how many boys she had turned down. She'd never had a boyfriend before...she'd never really been interested in it all before. Sure, she was hooked on her boss' brother but that was a pretty recent development and she was sure she could turn that around...learn to look at him like a brother in the ways she did with his siblings.

It would just take time.

Parents have a lot of hope for their children.

They certainly did and too often their children failed to meet those hopes. She listened as Kit explained her parents and their fate. Mona felt her brow furrow slightly. That story sounded familiar...she wondered for a moment if it was one Mickey had bragged about when he thought that sort of stuff would make Mona more eager to crawl into his bed. But she didn't dwell on it.

"Sometimes our parents are just...in our way. You seem to be doing fine without them."

Perhaps that was a bit cold. But Mona was a bit jaded in the way of parents. After having a childhood where she was spoiled and doted on...and then sort of being left out in the cold once Mickey Darling didn't choose to give her to Tommy or Gus. Yeah, she wasn't exactly the biggest fan of them right now. But it was okay. She would show them. They were out of her way. Mickey was out of Roxie's way. They would take over in no time.

And Kit...Mona just had a gut feeling that things were going to work out for that lady.

[Kit Carson]

Kit really liked this woman. She was so...relaxed. Calm. She'd been jumped not hours before and here she was just chilling at the pub like it was an every day occurrence. She was beautiful, clearly knew it, and acting like being in love with someone who was in love with someone else was a totally normal part of her day and didn't seem to be dwelling too hard on that, either. Kit felt like a...what was the word. Not adult? The way she whined about how Alvin didn't deserve the treatment Ava gave him and how he needed to figure it out or listen to them...ugh. Perhaps there was a skill or two she could pick up from her dark haired companion, who brought her back to reality with the topic of her parents.

"Yeah, probably," she said, finishing off her drink and sliding it toward the inside of the bar so that it could be refilled. "So tell me about mister lover lover," she teased, rolling her eyes. Mainly because she didn't understand how men could be so oblivious. Just look at Mona. "What makes him worth it, y'think?" Perhaps hearing what Mona had to say about her man Kit could figure out what it was about Alvin that left her pining day after day. Sometimes she didn't understand, but she just...accepted it.

[Mona-Lisa Carrozza]

Mona didn't click with people often...especially not women. Not for lack of want...she wouldn't mind having some female friends. But too often, they just wrote her off as too intimidating or too domineering. But Kit? Kit seemed to be able to hang and Mona really liked that. It didn't feel like they were forcing anything. They were just two ladies having some drinks and talking.

So tell me about mister lover lover.

Mona laughed...probably the first real, full laugh she had laughed in ages. She'd never called Gus such a term. But the follow up question made her sigh. What made Gus worth it?

"He's just...different than the other guys that usually try to grab my attention."

Her eyes rolled slightly at her own implied irony. Gus never tried to grab her attention. Was that part of it? Tommy had made his passes at her...all of it put to a stop by Mickey who wouldn't dream of letting his sons corrupt his perfect little doll. Dane was never there. But Gus? Gus was there and just...never seemed to notice.

"He's good...I don't know."

Her eyes turned to catch Kit before tilting her head.

"And your guy? Why is he worth funding the vampire den tonight?"

[Kit Carson]

Just as Mona was considering how she didn’t usually click with people - the only person that Kit had really been able to be friends with that wasn’t a guy was Alice. Kit just…women just usually rubbed her the wrong way. But Mona? Mona was chill. Kit didn’t know her story and she didn’t seem super keen on explaining every detail, and maybe that was part of it too. It wasn’t a pity party. Girl got jumped and just…went to the bar and had a drink. She didn’t cry about it. She didn’t beg for attention. She was sweet, and Kit wouldn’t mind getting a drink with her again.

“He’s just…different than the other guys that usually try to grab my attention.”

Kit smiled at Mona’s roll of her eyes. She knew the feeling. It was hard to explain something you just felt deep in your bones.

“He’s good…I don’t know.”

”Sometimes that’s the best reason,” she said, taking another sip of her now filled glass. It was her what, fourth one now? She was feeling a little buzzy, and when Mona turned the question on her, she couldn’t help the dramatic sigh that escaped her. ”He’s…also good - too good. His heart is so big and full of gold. He is a little misguided but he always has the best intentions. And…” she took another swig of her drink, a larger one this time. ”that girl he’s in love with does not deserve an ounce of his attention. She just takes him for granted,” she said, pursing her lips slightly. Al, who’d affectionately called her Kitten since first year. Al, who baked birthday cakes that probably ended up in the trash can rather than eaten. Alvin, who convinced his younger brother that they were twins even though they were two years apart. Alvin, who was the world’s best uncle to his nieces. What wasn’t to love?