Chapter Text
BREAKING NEWS: MARIA DI ANGELO AND DAUGHTER DEAD IN FREAK ACCIDENT.
last updated: 23rd December, 2012, 10:00 pm
story by: Katherine King
BBC News, in Italy and the United States.
We have just received confirmation that seven people, including Italian singer Maria di Angelo, 34 and her daughter, Bianca di Angelo, have been killed in a freak accident that occurred seven hours earlier.
Maria and Bianca were aboard a private flight bound for the United States, returning home from a charity Christmas concert held at the Teatro La Fenice in Italy on Sunday night. According to reports (verified by the BBC), the plane was still taxiing the runway when it began storming heavily and the left wing of the plane was struck by lightning, resulting in a quick-spreading outbreak of fire that engulfed the cabin and rendered the plane virtually inescapable.
Also among the dead are Maria’s trusted flight team: Pilot, Luigi Ambrosio, the First Officer, Marco Rossi, the Flight Engineer, Lorenzo Vasquez, and the two Air Hostesses, sisters Marina and Tatianna Caparelli. For more on the crew and their online obituaries, please click here.
Maria di Angelo was born in Venice, Italy, to Giacomo and Allegra Lombardi in 1978. She comes from one of the most famous families in Italy, spanning several decades of actors and actresses, politicians, singers, socialites and even royalty.
She was married to popular 70’s actor and current U.S ambassador to Italy, Aidon “Hades” di Angelo (known for Roman Holiday, Hades Town, The Gods of Olympus) with whom she has two children: Bianca, 12, and Nico, 10.
If you’re familiar with the operas in Venice, then you know exactly who Maria di Angelo is and what a huge loss this is on the industry. Her vocal prowess and passion for the opera is unmatched, as is the all-encompassing range of her voice. For a while, after she was married, she dabbled in releasing mainstream pop hits that charted on the monthly Billboard top 100, but her Italian music were always guaranteed weekly chart toppers. I had the opportunity to see Maria live in person once before her untimely death and it was nothing short of an Angel singing to you in person, and it is an experience I am not likely to forget anytime soon.
Maria and Bianca’s bodies are expected to be back in the U.S. by Friday, following which we are expected to receive word of the funeral arrangements. However, those who wish to pay their respects can do so by signing the Condolence Book which has been opened at the St. Mark’s Basilica. Both the Lombardi and the di Angelo families have issued a joint statement thanking persons for their sympathy and grace, and requesting privacy during this difficult and distressing time. We’ll most definitely be keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.
Rest in peace, Maria and Bianca.
***
[thumbnail image: singer APOLLO sits on a tripod behind a blue-eyed blonde teenage boy standing in front a keyboard. The pride is visible on his face as he looks at the boy.
playing : “um…. Hi YouTube! I’ve uh.. never done this before, but my name is Will Solace. I’m Apollo’s son, and this is my cover of Clean by Taylor Swift from her album 1989. I hope you like it, please be nice in the comments, and subscribe if you wanna hear more of these, I guess.”
playing: Will’s fingers touch the keys for the first few notes. Apollo joins on acoustic guitar. “The drought was the very worst…”
CLEAN || T.S. Cover || Will Solace
12.78M views 20th January, 2016 #music #cover #1989 #TaylorSwift
Will Solace 6M
comments
@stilinskisgirl this kid is going places
@larrystylinsonisreal I just know somebody broke his heart
@outofstyle hey Apollo, im coming to steal ur child. he’s too damn precious!
***
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], raramanagement@yah…..
cc:
bcc:
subject: Apollo’s 2018 New Year’s Bash!
date: 18th November, 2017.
Hello managers!
You clients are invited to Apollo’s New Year’s Eve party! The party will be held at Apollo’s mansion in hidden hills and we are enforcing a strict zero press policy. We are aware, of course, that are quite a few minors on this guest list, so there will be adequate supervision and we will not be encouraging any underage drinking. We will also provide a full staff, refreshments, as well as a change of clothes for any guests who wish to remain overnight.
Kindly RSVP to this invitation at your earliest convenience so we may prepare adequate accommodations!
Yours respectfully,
Laurel Knight
PR Manager
***
The music is blasting loudly inside Apollo’s mansion. There’s loud laughter and chatter everywhere. This party was the biggest social event in December, and Nico told his father he wouldn’t enjoy it, but he’d insisted Nico go. Turning down an invitation from Apollo isn’t good manners, he’d said.
Honestly, Nico’s lost track of the amount of famous kids he’s seen— there are the Graces, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean and a few others, and Apollo’s own kids. There’s a kid with DNA shaped helixes waving through his hair— Austin Lake, if he remembers correctly. Then, there’s Apollo’s singer kid with the blonde hair and blue eyes that got YouTube famous overnight. Will Solace. There are a couple other kids, and their age group, around fifteen or so, seems to be the youngest.
He hangs out in the corner in the kitchen by himself, nursing a mocktail while seated on a bar stool. In his black hoodie and jeans, he feels terribly out of place, despite being born into this— the instant, inherited fame that doesn’t seem to let up; instead it only grows stronger, and it had gotten worse since his mother died. Everyone seemed to want a picture of Maria do Angelo’s kid, especially close to the anniversary of her death, so much so that his dad hired extra security around their own mansion.
”Hey,” the blonde Apollo kid, Will, smiles easily, “Can I sit here?”
”Your house,” Nico shrugs, then cringes.
He isn’t mean on purpose, he swears. It’s just his blunt personality.
The smile slips off Will’s face, but he slips into the barstool next to him, anyway. Will radiates warm, like sunshine, and Nico resists the urge to lean into his warmth.
“I wasn’t sure you would come. You…you just looked so cool in your last few interviews and I wanted to be your friend. Like really, really wanted to be your friend,” Will rubs behind his neck, “We run in the same social circles and we haven’t actually met in person. Ever. So.”
“Oh,” is all Nico can say.
”Would you like to?” Will asks, looking over at him, “Be friends, that is?”
Nico’s lost so much. His mother. His sister, his best friend in the world. And by extension his father. He can’t bear to lose someone else, so he knows he can’t let anyone in. That way he can’t lose them.
”Look, Will,” he says bluntly, trying to make his tone as gentle as possible, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sorry. Thanks for the invite to your party. My um, ride is here, excuse me.”
It isn’t a lie, technically. Jules-Albert was less than five minutes away, and for the entire duration of his wait outside Apollo’s mansion, Nico can see the hurt and disappointment marring Will’s face again and again at his quick dismissal.
It’s better to be a bad guy, he thinks to himself, Than to have another person leave. No matter how good of a friend he might have been. Loneliness isn’t so bad.
***
[ P R E S E N T D A Y]
***
BOSS BABES
you guys are NOT gonna believe what my mother is forcing me to do.
pipes is typing…..
girl spill
annababe is typing….
annababe is typing….
she’s making me fake date Percy Jackson to, and I quote, help him clean up his image.
pipes is typing…
wait WHAT THE FUCK ANNABETH—
***
PopCrave @PopCrave: #NewCoupleAlert Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase spotted getting a cosy dinner in New York last night!!
***
Variety @Variety: BREAKING: Will Solace to play Greek hero “Achilles” in brand new adaption of Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achilles”.
LINK
***
Will @solace: name one hero who was happy
[text id: a photo of a boy with blonde hair. face obscured by a book, the song of achilles]
***
APOLLO @apollomusic: @solace congratulations son. can’t wait to see you bring my favourite story to life.
Will @solace: 🩷💜💙
***
HE IS OUR ACHILLES @ogsolacestan: I knew this kid was going places.
***
from: [email protected]
bcc:
subject: Wave Music Video
date: 15th June, 2022
Dear Hazel,
Thanks for your audition!
Austin and I loved watching you dance freestyle and we would love to have you in the music video.
My team will reach out to your dad in due course, but we wanted to give you a heads up. We’re thinking to do the video in the middle-ish of next month, so we’ll have to discuss schedules, transportation and other details, but we wanted to ensure that you’ll be available for this period. As such, kindly respond to this email with your confirmation.
Best,
Apollo.
***
JULY, 2022
”Nico, c’mon, move it!” Hazel shouts up the stairs, “I have to be on set in thirty minutes!”
“I’m coming, Hazel!” Nico responds, in that irritating way only an older brother could. He grabs the keys to the Benz from the tray on the second floor.
Their father is nowhere to be seen, but she can see Persephone tending to her little garden opposite the driveway in the sweltering heat as they both slide into the car.
She shouts, “Hey, Seph! Nico’s taking me to shoot Austin Lake’s music video, we’ll be back by three!”
“Have fun!” Their stepmother calls, turning to wave lightly at them.
”Excited?” Nico asks, once they’re on the highway.
”Yeah,” Hazel nods, “I.. when I was younger I never though I’d be able to make a living from all those dance lessons my mom made me take, but it’s good that they’re finally paying off.”
Nico hums in agreement, saying nothing. Sometimes, Hazel wished she knew how to better connect with Nico, but something she’d learned about him early in their relationship was that he isn’t a big talker. And if he did speak about something, it would be to someone he trusts unequivocally. She understood why it was important to have friends they could trust, given who their parents are, but sometimes she wished Nico trusted a bit easier. After all, he didn’t really accept her as another sister till she turned thirteen, but even then… he’d never told her everything about his family… before.
They pull into the venue quietly. Nico, in true Nico form, stands quietly aside by the Catering staff as Hazel is whisked away into hair and makeup. As she leaves her brother, Hazel silently wishes him good luck.
***
Unavoidable social interactions, Nico thinks, always seems to happen to him at the worst times. One minute he’s standing around waiting for Hazel, the next minute there’s this almost hyperactive blonde man standing infront of him, blinking in amazement. And to his utter shock he knows this man. Apollo. Near legendary musician. Then he’s whisked into said man’s arms for a hug as he says, “Nico! How lovely to see you! You must remember my sons, Will and Austin?”
Nico nods because yes, he does. As a matter of fact, he remembers his first and only embarrassing interaction with Will all too well, and he remembers that less than two hours ago, he and Will were staring each other down, preparing to fight over the only available space in the studio’s car park.
If Nico weren’t angry, he would have taken the moment to appreciate the courage of Will and the impressiveness with which he glared at him through his own windscreen.
”Ah yes,” Nico coughed lightly, “We met at your 2018 New Year's Eve party, right?”
”Yep, that was me,” Will retorts with a tone so deadpan that even if Apollo didn’t have an inkling as to the fact that they had met before, he knew now.
”What are you doing here, anyway?” Nico asks, shaking his head.
“I’m featured on the song,” Will says, frowning.
“Dude, the genre is Afrobeat,” Nico’s jaw can’t possibly drop further, “What are you doing on it?”
”We thought we could make an updated version of his song, kind of like the vibe Selena and Rema had going on in Calm Down.”
”Ah,” Nico, ever the genius, mutters.
”What are you doing here anyways?” Will asks, with a sneer, “Cause we sure as hell didn’t invite arrogant pricks who think they’re better than everybody else.”
”What? I don’t…” he trails off, eyes narrowing, “You can’t possibly think that’s the way I am.”
”You’ve done nothing to correct that perception—“
”Now, boys,” Apollo says, almost nervously, stepping between them, “There’s no need for this to get messy, is there?”
”No, there isn’t,” Nico says, certainty clear in his voice, “I’m just here to write my songs and wait for my sister. But if some people decide to be rude, I can do that elsewhere.”
At Will’s questioning gaze, he rolls his eyes and replies, “Not that it’s your business, but The Song of Achilles producers contacted me and asked me to write the OST for it.”
”Wait, wait, wait, you mean, the song of Achilles producers as in the movie that’s coming out next year?” Will asks, holding his hands in a ‘T’, the universal time-out sign, “You write music? I thought you’re an actor!”
”Yeah? To all of your questions?”
”Well, well, looks like we’re gonna be working together on this one a while, sunshine,” Will mutters, dejectedly, pulling out his cellphone and clicking on a link.
”Fuck me,” Nico mutters.
”Ditto.”
Attached to the link is the article of Will’s confirmation that he was going to play Achilles.
Apollo laughs loudly between them.
***
do you listen, do you hear me
at nights, when i call to you in my sleep
i know i have to let go, set you free
but i still pretend things are the way they used to be…