sonny  couldn't  answer  him.  he  wasn't  wrong.  she  was  always  there  for  everyone,  but  never  got  the  same  in  return.  it  wasn't  like  she  was  asking  for  something.  she  never  wanted  anyone  to  feel  like  they  owe  her.  however,  it  didn't  feel  like  she  had  any  true  friends.  her  cheek  leaning  against  his  touch  as  brown  hues  flickered  up  at  him.  “i  don't  know  how  to  look  after  me.”  she  admitted  quietly.

it broke tony's heart to witness just how much effort sonny puts into others, only for it to be a dead end street. "let me TEACH you." his tone was a whisper, matching her much softer one. he wanted to speak directly to her from the heart. "because you're the one person in this world i believe to truly deserve it the most."

                                    for   a   moment,   vidya   simply   stared   at   his   outstretched   hand.   blinking   once,   twice,   before   realizing   she   was   meant   to   take   it.   her   fingers   slipped   into   his   with   a   soft,   hesitant   touch,   and   she   offered   a   small,   apologetic   smile.   ❝   vidya.   ❞   she   replied,   voice   quieter   now,   as   though   saying   her   own   name   aloud   might   anchor   her   to   this   strange   reality.   ❝   vidya   chennai.   ❞   she   glanced   around   as   he   had,   still   searching   for   something   (   anything   )   familiar.   nothing   came.   only   carriages,   chatter,   and   a   sky   too   bright   for   her   liking.   ❝   it’s.   .   .    quite   unlike   anything   i’ve   ever   seen.   ❞   she   murmured,   more   to   herself   than   to   him,   before   lifting   her   gaze   to   meet   his   again.   ❝   though   your   offer   is   most   kind,   mister   hanlon.   i   should   like   to   accept   it,   if   only   to   make   sense   of   where   i   have   found   myself.   ❞   a   faint,   uncertain   smile   curved   her   lips.   ❝   bridgerton   manor,   you   said?   i’m   afraid   i’ve   never   been,   but   it   seems   i   have   much   to   learn   about   this   place.   .   .   and   time.   ❞

"vidya chennai. it's a pleasure." tony gave a small bow of his head in her direction, looking down to see a glove-less hand. perhaps she lost them in her journey— perhaps an opportunity to find them and return them to her PERSONALLY. he pocketed that idea in the back of his mind and kept on with their conversation. with the sound of her tone, tony looked at her with a sense of mild amusement. it was almost as if she was as unsure of her current situation as he was. "well, i wouldn't consider myself much of an EXPERT, but i would be happy to try my best." he bent an elbow her way, as a common gesture to invite a woman's arm through. "if you'll allow me, miss chennai."

"What the fuck are you doing? Getting into a drunken fight like a teenager," arms crossed as she awaited the answer.

it wasn't like him, she was right about that. he's usually much CLEANER with his conflicts, having been slapped on the wrist quite a few times for it in the past. but it was just one of those wrong place wrong time situations, at least as far as silas is concerned. "you know me— always gotta keep you on your toes." is all he says in response, a smirk spreading on his lips. even after all the passed time, he still liked pushing dottie's buttons. "thought you said you got RID of that shirt." he added as an attempt to segue the conversation topic, cocking a brow up inquisitively.

"i don't want to kill you," his tone is soft, but almost tender, as if his words alone could erase the fact that he'd kidnap her and brought her here, to his secluded cabin in the mountains. "and i'm not going to," assures her, frame resting against the doorframe as dark hues stay focused on her figure. "but you need to think about what you did, you did a horrible thing that you can't take back, yet you went on with your life as if nothing happened. — and you didn't even trust me enough to tell me, do you realize how hurtful that is ? " lets out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head in disappoval. "but you're gonna do better, i'll teach you how to be better. "

mallory's eyes darted from left to right to try and see if she could identify the area this cabin was in, but to no avail. she was trapped. her hands flew to her pockets— EMPTY. "how did you," she starts, but she has a sneaking suspicion that she doesn't want to know how he managed to pull the wool over her eyes. you did a horrible thing. SHIT, did he see what happened back in that mini-mart? she could've sworn she was discreet with her getaway— though she was in a slight panic, seeing as it had gone sour. him knowing that that was her can pose as dangerous, but she wasn't about to give up the gun just yet. her face scrunched in his direction at those last words he spoke. "so, you kidnap me, sedate me somehow, bring me out into the middle of NOWHERE and claim you want to teach me to be better? what makes you think i need the teaching?"

"thank you for not 'blowing a fuse'." elena both teased and genuinely thanked valeria, before softly smiling. it definitely didn't go unnoticed how protective valeria was whenever the two of them were together. it made elena feel not only cared for, but safe. from the second she was disinherited, she essentially was also disowned by her parents — with her siblings all over the world, elena was out here on her own. "i mean, i-i wouldn't have minded drinking a regular lemonade, but i don't want you... like, leaping over the counter to defend my honor. you know, this would be one of the tamer things people have done to and/or around me, hm?" she spoke, leaning against the nearest wall.

cue a small eyeroll from her, leaning his head back on the wall. "it's gonna stay that way because i'm around, for sure. you gotta stick up for yourself and not settle. own your shit. even if it's just lemonade." valeria put matter of factly, taking a few sips of her drink and beginning to people watch. she was always speaking her mind, perhaps that was her downfall. to BRASH for the public to take. the way she saw it, it gave others the sense of what you see is what you get. no bullshitting. but below her harsh exterior, though, something BOILED at the idea of what those horrible things others had done to her were.. it was a cruel curiosity that she knew would upset her, so maybe it was a conversation for another day. "bad news is i don't think i'm gonna come here for drinks anymore. that bitchy barista's got dagger eyes towards me that have i'm gonna poison your next drink written all over it." her hand gestured over her face, drawing an invisible circle with a line through it. "so you better enjoy that strawberry lemonade while you got it."

“You look like shit,” she spoke when he finally stepped through the doors.

the call itself was ballsy, he KNEW that, but dottie was the first person he thought of. he still had her number memorized, even in his buzzed state. that should be alarming, but he didn't have the energy to start unpacking that. when she stepped through the front doors, his eyes immediately looked over the outfit she was wearing, stifling a small chuckle. her comment was definitely warranted— he was sporting a nice bruise on his right cheek and a split lip to match. "nice pajamas." silas retorted, peering over at the guard near them to see if they were going to FINALLY let him out of the cuffs. he gave them a good jingle against the chair arm he was cuffed to as a 'helpful' indicator for them.

                                    vidya   blinked,   momentarily   disoriented,   the   swirl   of   unfamiliar   gowns   and   polished   shoes   making   her   head   spin.   she   straightened   as   best   she   could,   forcing   a   polite   curtsy   despite   the   suddenness   of   the   encounter.   ❝   i…   i   suppose   i   am.   ❞   she   admitted,   her   voice   soft   but   steady,   betraying   just   a   hint   of   nerves.   ❝   i   seem   to   have…   misplaced   myself,   though   i   cannot   rightly   say   how.   ❞   her   eyes   flicked   to   his   with   cautious   curiosity,   studying   the   unfamiliar   gentleman   before   her. 

a light chuckle passed tony's lips, watching her intently as she spoke. his eyes then darted around the nearby area to see if a caretaker or escort could've been looking for her. but there was NOBODY. how strange, to let a pretty woman such as herself to be left on her own. "this town this time of year can be quite hectic, so i'm not the least bit surprised. i could show you around, if you would like." he offered her once his eyes returned to hers, seeing as she looked a bit FLUSTERED. "i'm anthony hanlon, i'm in town from york." he extended a friendly hand in her direction, wanting them to be properly introduced. "i assume you're in town for the soirees at bridgerton manor?" tony asks, selfishly hoping he was interacting with one of the picks of the litter. a QUITE beautiful one at that.

Marcos Diaz || 1x07