* HIDDEN / truths ˖

[honeysnared]

HONEYSNARED : private & dependent muse blog, written by loey for coronado. please do not interact if you are not part of the group.

⋆ ⁺ ₊ 𓄼 TATIANA DU BOIS,  forty, public relations director.

[thcusandcuts]

for @honeysnared—

Barry's suit is fine.

Everything, frankly, is fine. Admission of defeat isn't his strong suit, so he tries to at least wear his discomfort like a badge of honor, or pride. Whichever one doesn't tarnish as quickly. It was one thing in his head, Coronado Eterna, but this was something out of his depth.

He regrets coming here, at least, even with the fine trays and gorgeous décor—everyone talks as if they half spit out acid when they want to say anything relatively straightforward, which was almost never. The presentation outlined schemes of historical preservation, but even Barry, with days on the field sunning himself and not thinking about politics, can see that this was bad. It at least calcified the hatred that he had for the families; it was fine for them to play the games to ruin each other, and they were all ants trampled under their boots.

So, he retreats to a plate of hors d'oeuvres with a flute of champagne by his side, making pleasant small talk to the few people that walk around him. It's not the fact that this is shaping up to be a bad night—it's the fact that this whole debacle made Leon right. Maddening!

Barry turns, seeing a figure approaching from the corner of his eye, and he smiles, forced. Tatiana Du Bois. His night just keeps getting better. "Hello there, ma'am," he says with a bittersweet edge to his voice. "You want a couple of finger foods? I have to say, the catering... or, well, the chefs do an amazing job."

[honeysnared]

tatiana isn't hungry. far from it, actually. she hasn't been all night, ever since that damn presentation, though she's now wearing the expression of someone who might be if only to avoid further conversation. the evening has unfolded in ways she couldn't have dreamed of. miserable wasn't even beginning to cut it and the stitched-on smile she's paraded from one cluster of guests to the next is beginning to feel like a mask pulled too tight. barry, at least, looks about as delighted to be here as she feels. she's sought him out precisely for that. no one would approach her if she was already occupied and he hardly radiated approachability. perfect. "any in particular you recommend?" she greets, her tone pleasant, professional, as though filing him neatly into place alongside the dozens of newspaper clippings and television spots she's combed through over the years. former athlete. a has-been, if she's uncharitable. married. in attendance alone. out of place, certainly. she's not sure how he made the guest list. and yet, here he is. her gaze flicks to the plate, then back up to him, lips curving in a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "i'll take your word for it. though between us, i came seeking company more than canapés." a pause, light but pointed. "i hope you'll forgive me if i steal a few minutes of your time?"

[dbmatriarch]

Tatiana doesn't look thrilled to be here, and much as she loves her niece, that makes two of them. She has to bite her tongue to keep from interrupting, fold her hands a little more tightly in her lap to manage the seemingly impossible task of keeping her feelings at bay. The Premier's death brings an unwelcome tension against the base of her skull... The hours of sleep she'd lost reliving those images must now tally into the hundreds. But for Georgia, it's all the more reason this event is a flaming insult.

"I didn't have much faith in the Premier, but his death was a horror, a warning. Things are changing in Coronado, Tatiana, whether the Del Bosques and the Shibatas like it or not." Her hands unfold, opening the desk drawer to her right. From it, she retrieves the invitation, tossing it onto the desk between them. "Why should we stick our heads in the sand and parrot "Coronado Eterna!" alongside them?... Alonso's ship has sailed. Pretending otherwise is a fantasy we have no business in helping them sustain."

[honeysnared]

she listens patiently as her aunt speaks as she always has. the conviction behind georgia's words is something tatiana has long admired. it's one of the many reasons people chose to listen and to follow her. whether that belief of tati's was born out of keen observation, mutual respect or that faint sense of familiar love, as far as tatiana deemed herself capable of the latter, was anyone's guess. "i won't pretend not to see your point or to share your frustrations," she starts out, her gaze lingering on her aunt rather than the envelope tossed between them, "but this isn't about aligning ourselves with the del bosque agenda. it's about perception. you know just as well as i do that public sway is a powerful tool, one we've learned to wield to our advantage more often than not. if we leave room for doubt, if we leave enough cracks for del bosque media to question our unity, we are giving them breathing room they don't deserve."

[gigilaboss]

The sound of the glasses clinking resonates quietly in-between them, a dead beat, and it takes everything in Giulia not to step closer to the other woman. If it were anyone else, she would have already placed a hand on the other's arm, caressed it with soft strokes, before placing back the strand of lost hair behind her ear, but this is neither the place nor the time. Nor the person to do that with. "Hhm has it? Been a while?" She ponders aloud as she takes a finishing sip, -truly unable to remember the last time they saw each other, and looks up at Tatiana Dubois over the rim of her glass. It's the eyes, she knows. It's always been these hypnotic piercing amber eyes that seem to just see through you and which, even now, under the warm candlelights, shine as though someone lit a fire in each pupil. Giulia can't be the first to look away, it's a principle she applies with everyone, but it's even more important with a Dubois.

"Let's be careful then, or else we might start missing each other." A warning filled with mirth that leaves her curled up lips. She keeps holding that beautiful gaze even as she waives over a waiter carrying a tray and exchanges her empty glass for a filled one. Giulia has often been described as cold or closed-off, ruthless even, and she won't deny any of these, people think the years have let her grow distant and desinterested, she never married and only cared for the family business, what does she have to offer anymore? It's all too late for Giulia del Bosque, behind whom no one will stand but the shadows of her brother's crumbs. That's what they say, right? The thing is, people also seem to forget that these are nothing compared to the reality of it all, and how much these adjectives barely grasp the surface of Giulia's true nature. She still sees it all, this is still her game, and she's still a top player. And if she wants to play with Tatiana Dubois, you bet she will and you can also bet no one will stop her. "How has the night been treating you by the way," She asks, taking pleasure at the micro-expressions this particular question will provoke. "I didn't see with whom you were seating for the repas, was the seating chart to your liking?"

[honeysnared]

tatiana smiles, slow and practiced, the result of a masterclass in composed disinterest, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. the one thing she's not entirely certain she can trust herself with around giulia. her gaze is always drawn to her, like the certain magnetism radiating from the other woman's had the capability to derail some of tati's hard-earned focus. something she typically prided herself on. which resulted in the deep annoyance settled in her chest whenever the del bosque orbited around her and rattled her otherwise impenetrable defenses. that's all she'll allow herself to chalk the tension in her body up to. "i suppose absence makes the heart grow more curious," she replies mildly, amber gaze unwavering even as her fingers tap softly against the stem of her glass. she doesn't flinch under giulia's stare but something about it needles her. maybe it's the sheer nerve of it. or maybe it's the fact that she doesn't want to look away either. a power game she's forced to play despite the unease prickling at the back of her neck. it's inconvenient to say the least. she loses the fight as her gaze dips just enough to note the exchange of the glass. so calculated, so smooth. a woman in complete control. it should make her bristle. it does. "i'll try not to vanish into thin air, then," she hums, the corner of her mouth lifting into something halfway between a smirk and a warning, "but i do hear missing things runs in your family. i wouldn't want to contribute to the tradition." the question that follows should have been expected. tatiana schools her expression with surgical precision, like she can feel every micro-muscle in her face trying to twitch with displeasure and is determined to keep them all in line. her jaw seems to set a little tighter regardless. "oh, you know how it is," she says lightly, tone lined in silk and subtle barbs, "family gatherings — someone always leaves pleased and someone else leaves cleaning up." a pause. "i'll let you guess which camp i fall into tonight." she finishes the rest of her drink in one motion. "as for the seating… i make it a point to find enjoyment regardless of arrangement. some of us have to be flexible." her eyes flick to giulia's once more, sharp and almost fond, like poison laced with honey. and though she doesn't move closer, the air between them tightens. tatiana isn't sure if their little exchange was meant to unnerve her but her throat seems drier than before, despite the liquid she just downed. in fact, it has ever since the other woman has stepped into her personal bubble.

[honeysnared]

[dbmatriarch]

LOCATION — Georgia's office. DATE — Before the events of Coronado Eterna. STARTER — Closed for @honeysnared

So Tatiana had heard.

Georgia wonders if it was one of her children who'd let it slip, or maybe even Dominic himself. It hardly matters, nothing escapes the eagle-eyed woman for long. Certainly not a decision to break with protocol and ignore an invitation to attend the big insult masquerading as dinner at Villa Solana.

But she's long since learned that it's easier to hear Tatiana out rather than refuse her outright. So she welcomes the woman into her office and takes a seat, pleased to see her even under the circumstances. But she also respects her formidable niece enough not to beat around the bush. "Alright, Tati... Make your case."

[honeysnared]

tatiana settles into the chair opposite georgia's with a certain familiarity. even the tension she holds in her posture isn't unfamiliar given the circumstances. there was much to appreciate about the du bois' matriarch and any other day, she may have spared the time to list a few of those admirable qualities off. but not today. today she had to seize her opportunity to change the unchangable — georgia's mind. of course, tatiana knew it was a tough fight. once she'd made her mind up on something, her aunt was stubborn. but she could be too. if their blood relation had ran any closer, tatiana might have liked to think she got it from her. "this is the first event of its size after the premier's passing that all families have received an invitation to. no member spared or skipped, as far as its been reported back to me," she begins, skipping unnecessary pleasantries, "it would be in our best interest to show up as a united front to signal to coronado's people that the du bois' are a strong unit they can confide their trust in. your presence in particular is imperative as head of the family."

[gigilaboss]

They have been practicing this dance for a few years now, a ballet of stolen glances as Giulia will most often than not feel a pair of eyes drilling holes in the back of her head. She's used to being watched by people in all shades of emotions -admiration, envy, despair, anger- and, at first, she had thought it was the usual hatred stemming away from any Dubois relatives that colored Tatiana's staring but, with time, Giulia realized it wasn't just that. There was also something much more twisted and interesting: attraction.

Tonight is no exception. Giulia has looked up from her phone to find Tatiana's eyes locked on her. She's turned around after finishing a conversation and here she was, on the other side of the room, Tatiana Dubois staring at her. It's no fault of trying to ignore the woman and, at this point of the evening, Giulia is simply human: cocktails and a beautiful woman will be her demise, it is written in the stars. So she follows the pull, reaches the point of gravity, settles at Tatiana Dubois' side. A beat, a shift as Tatiana notices her and Giulia notices the glass ready to shatter in the other woman's hand. Lovely, what's that for? The smile stretches Giulia's lips. "Miss Dubois, we haven't had the chance to greet each other tonight, better late than never, no?" She raises her own nearly-empty glass of perlacéa in Tatiana's direction, "What should we be cheering for?"

[honeysnared]

tatiana more than prides herself on her capability to navigate social situations. to turn them to her advantage, even. knowing when to smile, when to make use of polite laughter, maybe even the brief and passing touch of an arm — it's been instilled in her, woven into her very being since she was old enough to grasp the concept of social cues. there is little that shakes at the very foundation of what she's been led to believe makes her the perfect candidate to work in her field. what some may even consider to make her dangerous. and yet, giulia was the second del bosque who threatened to get under her skin. for vastly different reasons than her nephew, much to tatiana's dismay. disdain, pressure, the imminent threat of blackmail — these were emotions she felt far more at home with than whatever this was. not that she didn't know how to name it. she refused to. "how very courteous of you to trouble yourself with greeting me," tatiana finds herself humming in reply, the smile on her lips frozen in place. none of this called for a cheers. not the former presentation, nor the doomed position she was finding herself in. "why don't we cheers to our reunion? it has been a while, after all." if you pushed her for it, she might even be able to tell you the exact date she's seen the del bosque woman last. not that it was important right now, when there was a more pressing thought looming in the back of her mind. it's impolite not to look into someone's eyes while clinking glasses. the mental reminder makes something in her gut twist but she complies. social currency is priceless, something she's been taught she cannot opt out of and thus she holds giulia's gaze without looking away as she tips her glass toward the other woman's, fingers still curled much too tight around its stem.

[dbmatriarch]

[Georgia]: You want to dignify that announcement by /staying/?

[Georgia]: It isn't on us to smooth things over for the sake of appearances after bearing an insult like that. It's on the hosts.

[honeysnared]

[Tatiana]: If we are the sole people getting up to leave in a rush, we'll look like children throwing a temper tantrum.

[Tatiana]: We cannot lose face in a moment as critical as this.

[Tatiana]: I don't like this one bit either, trust me.

[honeysnared]

⋆ ⁺ ₊ 𓄼 for @gigilaboss.

there's a tension she's feeling in her shoulders like a string pulled too tight that hasn't vanished ever since the coronado cultural preservation act had been announced. her posture is straight to a fault, her features as even and neutral as she can manage while she's surveying the room. she's already turning over a million possible retaliations, plans and exits that wouldn't leave them looking like unwilling participants when she feels someone stepping close enough for her attention to be drawn. her eyes find the familiar frame of guilia del bosque and her eyes knit together in an almost-frown before she stops herself. the glare that threatens to ghost over her features almost instinctively is kept at bay as she grips her barely sipped at glass of perlacé a little tighter. for once, giulia is already looking at her, rather than catching tatiana's gaze from somewhere across the room and she finds herself wishing for the usual distance between them to return. regardless, tatiana wills the corners of her mouth to curve into a polite — if slightly tense — smile. "miss del bosque. to what do i owe the pleasure?"

[dbmatriarch]

[Georgia]: You're dangerous enough as it is, Tati. Can't have you amassing Dom's secrets too, or else none of us will stand a chance 😱

[Georgia]: Yes, enjoy the food while you can. I have no doubt they'll find a way to make you all bring it back up, whatever they intend to say.

(14 minutes later)

[Georgia]: I've just seen. I want you all out of there.

[Georgia]: I'm serious.

[honeysnared]

[Tatiana]: It will leave behind a sour impression if all of us depart in a hurry.

[Tatiana]: But trust I'm attempting to see to it that we make a smooth exit as soon as a feasible opportunity presents itself.

[dbmatriarch]

[Georgia]: You're such a smooth talker, Tati, really, it's a wonder anyone ever manages to say no to you

[Georgia]: ... I think there's a medal I'm missing out on, somewhere 😜

[Georgia]: Fine, fine. No gossip. Tell me the sobering facts, then. I imagine they'll be making some kind of an announcement before or after dinner.

[honeysnared]

[Tatiana]: And yet you seem to manage just fine.

[Tatiana]: Is there a course on charming you into agreement I am missing out on? Remind me to ask Dominic how on earth he did it when the moment presents itself.

[Tatiana]: They're getting ready to address us. Give it a moment.

Several minutes pass until the all to familar 'Tatiana is typing...' appears. And disappears. And reappears to disappear again. The message is much too short when it does come, alluding to the fact she deleted her first few drafts.

[Tatiana]: We might have to call an emergency family meeting.

[unmarkt]

She almost smiles—almost. Tatiana, if nothing else, is a bold woman. An undoubtedly respectable trait, however, Fumiko doesn’t care much for people who network. Especially when it’s a du Bois. “That’s quite a gracious offer,” she starts, “but my family and I prefer to let our work speak for itself. I think you would agree, as well, that banking needn’t look… glamorous.” The word is a fine substitute for sloppy, and Fumiko punctuates it with a polite smile of her own.

[honeysnared]

"indeed" tatiana replies, the corners of her mouth curving just enough to register as a smile, "though in my experience it's important not to forget that a quiet voice can get drowned out if not maintained well." she tilts her head slightly, gaze steady. "but silence can be a strategy too, of course. a rather smart one, so long as it's not mistaken for absence." a pause, then lightly, as if an unimportant afterthought. "even banks have to issue statements every now and again, don't they? feel free to remember me if you ever find yourself in need of an extra set of eyes if you're ever stuck... on your words, of course."

[misflung]

“I’m charming all around; it’s preternatural,” River grins, though his little smart aleck schtick is cut through with curiosity—and maybe a little concern. Has he dabbled with the du Bois women in the past? Sure, a bit… but he hasn’t faced any massive consequences (yet). “Am I not just the right amount of a headache, though? Doesn’t the rest of me make up for the trouble?” The answer will surely be no, so he quickly follows it up with, “And I haven’t been cut off from anything.” Because that’s a good save.

[honeysnared]

"preternatural," tatiana repeats, tone contemplative like she's trying the word on for size. "interesting choice. i was leaning toward persistent." she takes a slow sip of her drink, gaze unmoving. "you're not cut off," she allows, cool but even, "but i'd tread carefully before assuming immunity. we've both seen what happens to charming headaches when they overstay their welcome." there's a glint of something sharp beneath the civility. still, her lips curve into a smile that softens the warning just enough. "anyway. enjoy the evening, river." and despite the pleasantry it almost sounds like a warning. she might as well have said i'm watching you. "it would be a shame to waste the suit."

[glittergab]

Tatiana can't know. She wouldn't be speaking as she was if she did, but it's a testament to her seeming boundless omniscience and soul-aligned profession that even in ignorance she says the right thing.

It's enough to nudge Greta's spine a little straighter and direct her grin back out into the solar storm of camera lights, matching them brightness for brightness. Part older sister, part teacher, part keeper of the keys, there's always an impulse with Tati to acquiesce, though the threat of discovery doesn't hurt either. Tatiana is grittier than Angie, subtler than Salem, more universally perceptive than Greta's mother without the sunny sheen. It's a relief sometimes, to be spoken to and seen clearly.

Other times though, it's inconvenient. This is the first instance where it's been dangerous. She's seizes the cavernous hole left behind by Salem and disappears into it. Greta already possessed the foresight to account for her own gaps– what's an inconspicuous gap compared to a gorge? She's learned from the best after all. A du Bois shouldn't be caught slacking.

"Like I said, I'm being good." It's not even a lie, it's the truth, the plan. "But she's up to something. Always is. You know it."

[honeysnared]

"she usually is," tatiana concedes, voice even but not unkind. her gaze sweeps across the floor beyond them. she's not searching for anything exactly. just clocking exits. regarding everyone's movements. then, her gaze drifts back to greta. "but so are you." for a beat, it's unclear whether it is meant as praise. perhaps a joke, even. a playful nudge passed between cousins. between something closer than that. or perhaps it's a quiet warning. her smile is all poise and polish when it returns, easy and public-facing as she takes a half-step away. "just remember who taught you." and she doesn't wink but the way she tilts her head comes close. perhaps she's teasing after all? there's little time to ponder or interpret as she moves, hand nudging greta's arm gently as she passes, part affection, part reminder to stand straight. another flash of the cameras and her hand drops as she slips past, surely intending to survey the actions of someone else, make sure everyone was behaving. another piece moving elsewhere.

[tjdelbosque]

'You'd be surprised how quickly adoration curdles into expectation.'

"Is that experience talking?" He cuts in smoothly, softening the interruption with an expression that could, in another life, have passed for innocence. "I couldn't possibly imagine that anything curdles when it's in your vicinity." His mind travels back to the corpse in the warehouse where they'd last met... Except men, apparently.

There's an uncompromising truth to Tatiana's statement, however, about how quickly applause can turn into a witch-hunt. It's why social power, the kind that depends on a validating public, has never interested him. A liability, as Fumiko might say.

But Teodósio struggles to maintain his sober expression when she remarks upon the currency of love. The judgment in her eyes is so transparent, he can't leave it alone.

"Perhaps I need a little more love before I'm able to judge..." There's a protracted beat before he slips into the role Tatiana clearly expects of him, owning it without a trace of compunction and a gleam in his eyes. "... Failing that, I wouldn't say no to more power."

[honeysnared]

"careful," she says lightly, taking a drink off a passing waiter's tray without glancing at him, "you say things like that around the wrong kind of company and someone might actually try to give you both." her gaze lifts to meet his again, sharp and unreadable, as if she's assessing which part of the statement tempted him more. "though i suppose that's the benefit of not needing applause to stay in power. you can afford to be honest." a pause, just long enough to be intentional. "or reckless." reckleness was a luxury tatiana herself couldn't afford. ever, really. but certainly not around him. she fights the instict for her lip to curl in displeasure at the thought, instead taking a small sip, eyes never leaving his. "let me know which one this is, so i can plan accordingly."

[misflung]

“Ouch,” River presses a palm to his chest and frowns, “I’m capable of behaving; we already talked about this.” But not to the extent of her dear cousins. In his defense, Greta can hold her own against him. Nora, on the other hand… it makes him wonder how much Tatiana knows about him and Nora. But he’d rather think positive thoughts. “Wanna bet on it? If I behave tonight, I’ll…” he trails off, “…I don’t know; I’ll think of the reward after I win, yeah?”

[honeysnared]

tatiana hums, entirely unimpressed, though the corners of her mouth twitch like she might be amused. "you're charming when you lie," she says, tone dry as a desert martini, eyes flicking to his hand over his heart, "almost convincing. but we both know almost doesn't cut it." then, as he mentions betting, she leans in just slightly, all polish and poise and quiet threat. "careful, river. last i checked, gambling debts to du bois women have a habit of compounding interest. especially when the wager's undefined."

[unmarkt]

Fumiko knows a thing or two about cleaning up messes—not that she’d ever let anyone, especially a du Bois, be privy to that information. “It’s quite impressive, the work you’ve done for your family. Really, your family’s… entire body of work, so to speak. It seems as though I can’t drive through La Paloma without seeing an advertisement related to Du Bois Media.” Fumiko keeps her brows lightly raised, and with only a ghost of a polite smile intact.

[honeysnared]

tatiana returns the smile with one of her own. polished, placid and almost certainly sharper than it looks. "we do have a way of keeping ourselves in view," she says smoothly, "but i'm sure you understand the value of visibility. especially when the right eyes are watching." she lets the implication hang for just a breath before adding, with cool civility, "of course, if you ever find yourself in need of coverage, the family business is always open to consultation." and the thought is almost amusing enough to make the smile on her lips appear a little more genuine.