Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Speech" 'Thoughts'
Shy. Reclusive. Proud. Insightful. Caring. These were the words Stefano used to describe Bonnie with the blue eyes. It was hard when the two Bonnies were together not to call one Bonnie 1 and Bonnie 2, not wanting them to feel like they had any place over the other in his heart but Stefano was sure that if the tides were turned and he was referred to as Stefano 2 it would be a shot to the heart. Given how well he and Bonita Bonnie were getting on it was about time that he should show Blue Eyed Bonnie some affection as well.

Getting her to agree to the matter was a bit of a challenge but that was a part of her charm. Stefano felt the girl liked to keep people at arm's length but seeing her with her brother showed him a part of her he was sure she hadn’t intended for anyone to see. Despite her hard exterior, a gooey center was inside, just like his favorite candies as a child. His plan for tonight was to unwrap her once again and hopefully get her to show her true colors once again. Well, the plan was still in the works, but Stefano was sure that the hardest part (getting her to agree to see him) was already over and it would be easy sailing from here.

Looking in the bathroom mirror, he gave himself one last pep talk before waiting for his date. His outfit was peak, the venue was choice, all that was needed now was the babe to show. Scanning the crowd as he made his way out his babe-o-meter started going off almost immediately at the bar. There she was in all her glory, Miss Bonnie Blue Eyes, dressed in all black to add to her mysterious aura. She was even smoking! Something Stefano never imagined himself partaking in but if she were to invite him it seemed enticing almost. He couldn’t help himself but be drawn to her.

Making his way to her, Stefano couldn’t help but sense a small amount of sadness to her. Thankfully he knew the cure, he would offer her the best night out on the town, well Utopia, to help turn that frown into a smile. He hadn’t seen her smile often but that made it just more of a prize for him to reach for. Her voice was music to his ears as he heard the woman whisper something to herself about someone being okay with something. How mysterious! Stefano couldn’t wait to find out the answer.

" You made it!" His excitement was too much to contain as he bounced into the seat beside her. This was normally where he went for a hug or a smooch but the last time he played that game she was unresponsive, so it was better to just put those moves to the side for now and try his best to give her his undivided attention. " I am still surprised you said yes to our date," His body was already starting to sweat slightly as he struggled about what to talk about. A woman like this needed conversation that made her brain go woo, not something Stefano succeeded in but he would do his best to improve as the night went on.

Looking at her empty glass he waved the bartender over, " Another of whatever she is having. Actually, make it two." He beamed at the bartender and then returned his attention back to the beautiful Bonnie. "So Bonnie, what are we drinking tonight? You are in the driver’s seat." He asked as he made his own guesses looking at the girl’s glass. It was some sort of dark liquor, not something Stefano was accustomed to by any means used to cheap vodka and tequila back but he was nothing if not willing to try something new if it meant unraveling the mystery that was Miss Bonnie Blue Eyes.



Where: Bar With: Bonnie Outfit: His finest suit

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

Stefano couldn’t help but smile as the silent mistress started toying with his heartstrings with her sly smile. A woman like her wouldn’t have looked twice at him when he was back home but now things were different, he was different, built different even. There still wasn’t much he knew about Bonnie outside her name and that her brother also attended Utopia but there wasn’t much hinted as to where they came from, not that would know anything based on her response to such a question. Well, unless Stefano had the opportunity to spar with her people’s men hand-to-hand.

Her bringing up her family was interesting, considering he really only knew about Cass. He assumed that if the two of them were as attractive as they were, their parents must have been hot too. The bartender returned with their drinks and Stefano tried to think of something witty to say in response to the girl’s drink order. " You’re a whiskey girl? I hope the stories I have heard about whiskey girls aren’t true." He grins goofily as he took a sip of the liquor. It tasted different than the alcohol from his land, noticing that Bonnie was even sipping it as opposed to the swig one would normally take back home, Stefano couldn’t determine if this was the way back where she was from or just the way you were supposed to drink whiskey but choose to follow his beautiful companion.

Thinking about the actual question she had asked, surprised to see her so talkative out and about, he tried to think about how she would want him to respond. She had fought alongside him and Bonnie Brown Eyes in class but still had some of the same reservations he had about it. As both Bonnies had beautifully pointed out the war was bad and no good. " I preferred it over dance class but I get that we can’t be fighting every day if we are supposed to be peaceful." He sighed, looking away from the blue-eyed beauty for fear of disappointing her.

Instead of a slap, he felt her leg brush up against his, was she making a move on him? Stefano worried about the number of drinks he had before he had arrived and made a note in his brain to make sure he walked her back to her room at the end of the night. It was hard for him to process what she said at first as Stefano was more heavily focused on how cute her blush and nervous mannerisms were. He knew that she wasn’t as standoffish as she first appeared, it was unfortunately overshadowed by him finally realizing what she had said.

Looking at the girl dumbstruck he spit out the drink he was doing such a great job sipping right onto Beautiful Bonnie’s Bosom. But it wasn’t Bonnie. His brain felt on fire as he thought about what to apologize for first. "V-violetta?? That’s a beautiful name! Does Bonnie 1 know?" Stefano managed to bark out as he started grabbing napkins off the bar counter. The idea that he had been calling one of his loves the wrong name for over a month now left him feeling like a lousy lover. His mother had taught him better and would be disappointed to hear about this in his next letter.

Not thinking, he started patting the napkins against Bonnie’sVioletta’s chest in an attempt to dry off the spit from his prior reaction. It wasn’t until he felt the squishy surface that he processed the intent behind his action, " I’m so sorry!" He pleaded as he raised both of his arms up in the air to show he meant to ill will, " Please forgive me voluptuous Violetta," He looked back up at her eyes immediately realizing his mistake, " I meant Virtuous. Virtuous Violetta." He nodded violently as his hands remained in the arm.


Where: Bar With: Bonnie Outfit: His finest suit

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

It was no wonder why Bonnie would call him an idiot right to his face. Stefano had been calling this babe the wrong name for around a month now and no one corrected him! He knew he wasn’t smart but this had to be some sort of record he created for himself, not that anyone besides himself was keeping score of his misguidances but it was shameful that he could make such a mistake. Only to be followed by a bigger one by touching her breasts. It was a mistake of course but everything about him was a mistake. It just led to one final question; Why was someone like her even humoring him with a conversation?

She quickly brushed the action off, which surprised the duke even more. It appeared Stefano had completely misjudged her. He had expected a slap to the face or a kick to the groin, but instead, he was met with understanding, and it was, well, nice. He moved his arms down, back at his sides, " Thank you for understanding, I assure you I am doing my best to be a gentleman ba-er-miss." The language was getting easier for him to grasp, he was trying his best and most seemed to understand that for the most part but he still worried about accidentally offending someone.

Hearing she wasn’t used to physical affection made Stefano rather sad but unsure how he was supposed to respond. She and her brother seemed rather close even if there was some awkward distance there he figured that was just normal for siblings. His mother and father were rather affectionate growing up but he was an only child. His feet felt like they were floating on air at her last words about her not minding his touch. After kissing her in History Class, he had vowed to himself that he was going to wait for her to reciprocate his actions before proceeding any further and it seemed like she was on board. Did this mean they could take the next steps in their relationship?

" Not bad, huh? I’ll take it." He chuckled at her confession trying to tear apart any tension that was still in the air. Plus it was true. Back at his home town girls avoided him at all costs but ever since he joined the army things had started turning around for him. Had he known that babes like this would be waiting for him he would have joined way sooner. But his mother told him everything happened for a reason, all his painful moments had led him to this one.

Looking more at her face he could tell the liquor was starting to take effect. Another surprise for him to discover she was a lightweight but the red on her face didn’t lie. Was it better if he guaranteed that he was willing to go as slow as she wanted? Finishing his drink he stared intensely into the woman’s eyes, " Ya know, I can make you a promise now that I won’t make any more moves until you tell me to. A good soldier knows how to follow orders." There were no promises for what would happen after she made any moves on him but the idea of waiting for her to confirm she wanted him gave him a sort of comfort.



Where: Bar With: Violetta Outfit: His finest suit

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

Making the girl uneasy wasn’t something Stefano took pride in but he couldn’t help it when her flustered face was just so cute. It was like she was one of those chocolate treats from back home, hard chocolate shell on the outside but all ooey gooey on the inside. It didn’t help that she smelt so good either, Stefano wondered what it would be like to taste her again but he would do his best to remain patient.

As much as he wanted to kiss her here and now, her words and actions proved she wasn’t ready for him to do so. Once he got started he had a hard time stopping, and he didn’t want to pressure her into something she wasn’t comfortable with. So he pulled away from her face and raised one of his hands in an attempt to flag down the bartender to get another drink. It would take more than one drink for him to be taken out even if he didn’t know what exactly it was that they were drinking.

" Well then, the next one should be expected then. I am ready and willing." His face was dead serious as feelings weren’t something to joke about for him. He had no interest in pursuing someone that didn’t know what they wanted. Risking rejection in the past had only led to more heartbreak and Stefano wasn’t sure if he was willing to get his heart broken again. He had already been the butt of the joke for so many years and Bonnie was just starting to teach him that no longer had to be the case if he didn’t want it to be.

The bartender made his way over and ask him what he would like to drink next leading Stefano to shoot the girl a wink before speaking, " Well Vio-Let-a, what will it be? Another whiskey or what’ll be?"



Where: Bar With: Violetta Outfit: His finest suit

"Speech" 'Thoughts'
Stefano was still trying to dissect the fact that everyone knew her name was this all along, and they were just humoring the man’s idiocy, but still, the fact that she was entertaining him was a gift enough. But with that being said, it was hard to tell what kind of drink someone as mysterious as her would want. Part of him was telling him this was some form of test, but Violetta had to know he was terrible at those, so giving him something like that would just end in disaster.

" Dark and Stormy," He spoke to the bartender, attempting to maintain any sort of confidence while just taking a shot in the dark of what she might like. Plus the name reminded him of her. If there was Miss Mystery he would have ordered that as well to compare the two but the bartender quickly disappeared to make their drinks. Thankfully his order wasn’t too much of a disappointment as her silent smile was back to it’s normal place.

It was hard to tell if the smile she frequently wore on her face around him was a good one or not but he was doing his best to remain optimistic. After all, his optimism is what got her to begrudgingly agree to go out with him to begin with. Her next comment surprised him, though. She thought he was too good for her? The idea was laughable. " I think I misheard you, you think what now?" He tried to hide his smirk but it was impossible. The idea of someone as good as her thought of him so highly had to be some joke.

" If you are joking with me, I don’t see the punchline." He shook his head at her, " A fox like you is humoring me right? I used that word right, yes?" It was true. A girl like him wouldn’t have given him the time of day back home. Well, that was before his title. People had told him that his status would make people’s opinions of him change but he didn’t think it would be so fast. It was unfair, almost not knowing if anyone was serious, but he wanted to believe she was joking for her own means.

Someone as beautiful as her had to know it. Her slender body and dazzling eyes alone were sure to leave with her plenty of suitors and given that she wasn’t a soldier like Bonnie she was born to the title. Stefano was sure people were lining up at the opportunity to have the girl’s hand. But right now, he had hers and he wasn't planning on letting it go just yet.





Where: Bar With: Violetta Outfit: His finest suit

"Speech" 'Thoughts'
The time for jokes was over, and it was time for seriousness. Stefano had started to experience this once before with Bonnie, but their night had led to some things that he knew it was best not to mention to Violetta. This woman was finally looking at him, seeing him. He didn’t want to ruin it by talking about someone else. Even though he knew she knew about them to some extent, it was important for him to give her these private moments. She deserved that and so much more.

It was fair for her to say that they might not be the most storybook couple, given she had recently stabbed him, but that was water under the bridge. In another timeline, the two of them might have been battling against each other, and he was under a spell, so she had no choice but to harm him. In fact, it was her swift motion that led to him being able to wake up, so if anything, he should be more indebted to her! She was a beautiful woman who was just trying to get by Stefano was the one trying to drag her into his nonsense.

Now, her hands were covering her gorgeous blue eyes, but why? Stefano was sure she hadn’t done anything wrong. This was something he remembered doing when he was a child, trying to hide away from the rest of the world. Thinking about it would have been humorous to think about given how large he was, but this was Violetta. There was no reason for her to be this upset. Still, Stefano was left speechless, unsure of what to do to help her feel better.

His impulses were telling him to hold her close, but was that what she wanted? The only physical interaction that had happened between them was when he had licked the blood off their lips, but there was a mutual silent agreement to not bring up the events that happened in history class that day. But he couldn’t help it; Stefano wanted to be closer to her, to help her hide if that’s what she wanted.

Stefano had just started to stretch out his arms for her to come in when she opened her eyes. Did she really think he was going to run off somewhere? The bar was so unbelievably low that Stefano couldn’t comprehend it. " Of course I’m here. Did you think so low of me that I would just leave you alone here?" His insecurity was getting the better of him here but the duke wanted to prove to her that he was someone that you could rely on. The idea of her needing him was something he never imagined wanting, but the blonde wasn’t willing to let her go.

Standing up from his seat, he attempted to close the gap between them even more, " Come here, I’ll help you hide your tears." He whispered, his arms still outstretched and ready for her. It didn’t look like she had been crying but Stefano was sure she was a cute crier like Bonnie was and had no need to hide anything. But an excuse to hold her was not something he was going to pass up by any means.






Where: Bar With: Violetta Outfit: His finest suit

"Speech" 'Thoughts'
The pressure of her hands closing holding him against her was all Stefano needed to affirm he was doing the right thing. He wasn’t much of an expert in dealing with upset women but his moment with Bonnie had taught him a thing or two, he doubted what Violetta wanted was for him to start stripping. Through this conversation he was learning the true differences between the two. He preferred these moments where he got to see their true selves over their tough exterior.

The temptation to cut tension with a joke or small comment was strong but the urge to find a way to actually help was stronger. There had to be something he could do to assist her self-doubt. Unless he was somehow the cause. Had he broken her heart all those times he had called her the wrong name? How could he claim to love her when he didn’t even know her name? What a fool he was.

Thankfully her words cut the silence, allowing him to wrap his arms around her more securely. It wasn’t him that was a fault for her tears. Or so she claimed, Stefano wouldn’t put it past her to lie in order to protect his feelings. Her whisper was hard to hear over the music in the bar, but it was enough for the blond to understand who was truly at fault here. Rubbing her back, he listened as best as he could while brainstorming what he could do to show her he wasn’t planning on going anywhere.

Her hands released from his back as she gave her final confessions, something Stefano hadn’t been expecting at all. The conversation with Bonnie had led him to understand they were all under some form of pressure but hearing Violetta admit to the same was unbearable. He wasn’t ready to let her go until he knew he could help shoulder her burdens. Her laughter was something he could recognize immediately as a matter of coping and masking. He was the expert of hiding your missteps from others in the form of comedy.

It was what was said after her laugh that left Stefano taken aback. ' Next in line for what now?' The equation was simple and only meant one thing but if she was a Princess what on heaven’s plane was, she doing here with him? Crying in his arms, for what? There was no way Stefano could ever understand the pressures someone of her standing was under. It was hard enough for him to understand when she was a potential duchess humoring him, but a princess. It just didn’t make any sense.

" D-did you say, next in line?" Stefano’s arms became rocks as they stayed firmly on her back, as he was scared to move them anywhere else for fear of upsetting a ******** princess. Any misstep would surely result in him losing his title. He was ill-prepared to deal with someone of this caliber. Sonia and Pascha were his friends but only because they came from the same region as him. Violetta was someone who had swept him away from the very moment of their meeting. It shouldn’t have been a surprise she was a princess, but it was.

Gods, there were so many better things he could have said. Why was he so concerned about her title when it was her that he cared about? How swallow of him to treat her differently because of it. ” Even Princesses have bad days; you’re allowed to be upset. You’re allowed to feel stressed. Keeping it in will just lead to something negative building up inside you." His arms loosened up around her, letting them fall to his side so he could just focus on her upset face, this wasn’t the place for them to have this discussion. " We should go."







Where: Bar With: Violetta Outfit: His finest suit