Carla Gugino in Everyday (2010) dir. Richard Levine
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@tatikmancini
Carla Gugino in Everyday (2010) dir. Richard Levine
FOR : THE SYNDICATE ( @omertastarter ) LOCATION / SETTING : UNKNOWN WHEN : DECEMBER ELEVEN
She had known this was coming. That it was going to happen. It had always been a part of the plan, her father’s of course. Watching him as he toasted to the death of Gregory Bianchi at his own wake was surreal. This was it for them, finally. Everything Tatiana had been raised to achieve would come to a head here and now. As her father spoke, there was a tension building in the room. Tatiana’s hand had inched toward the gun she had strapped to her thigh beneath her dress - she had mastered concealing a weapon when she was very young, hiding it comfortably was easy. Her eyes remained fixated on her father as he revealed the truth of their ‘allegiance’ and then all hell broke loose. Tatiana drew her gun, standing with it aimed at whoever it was that had been across from her. There was a still silence before the first shot was fired, and Tatiana felt the impact in her left side. Through the chaos, she had seen her father collapse and she knew instinctively that he was gone - he had waited long enough to see fuck over Gregory and his family as the other had fucked him over all those years ago. With her teeth grit, Tatiana held her own piece up with her dominant hand, the other pressing at the wound in her stomach.
As voices were screaming throughout the estate and bullets were flying overhead, Tatiana dropped to her knees and swore profusely as she ducked behind a furniture piece before she found herself pulled towards an exit. Escorted out of the gunfight, she had just managed to see another glimpse of her father dead on the floor before she was rushed to transport and driven away from the property. Someone, she was sure, would pull her father from the wreckage just as they had done for her. Surely, they wouldn’t leave him there. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Tatiana’s hand shook as the weight of her gun in her hand finally slipped and she allowed someone to take it from her. Looking down at her side, she swore again. “Fuck!” Her eyes closed as she applied more pressure to the wound in her side, her head light with slow progressing blood loss. Opening her eyes, she met that of her guard before she bit through clenched teeth. “No hospital. Go s-somewhere else.” Even with a bullet in her side and blood staining her hands, she was two steps ahead. Imagine the media storm if she were admitted to the hospital with a fucking GSW. One of her hands curled into the fabric of her dress covering her stomach, grimacing at how damp it was with blood. As their transport turned sharply, Tatiana’s hand slipped on her wound and jolted the pressure she had applied. Her hand released her dress and slammed into the door. “Jesus fucking christ!”
below the cut you’ll find a number of fun facts and tid-bits relevant to tatiana evelyn keaton-mancini. this is all information that either didn’t fit in to the intro post here, or things i’ve thought about since picking tati up as a character.
carla.
Funerals… they weren’t something Carla was particularly fond of, but then again, no one was, surely. You’d have to be intensely morbid to take joy in something so troubling, but the more she thought about it, several of those she was surrounded by in the Syndicate were most likely taking delight in the Bianchi patriarch’s death. He wasn’t a well-loved man by outside of his own family and close associates by any means… in fact, he was loathed. A daunting figure in New York’s underworld. Many were glad he’d been taken out, herself included. Not that she’d freely admit it. Her facade of the concerned, doting ‘ally’ was far too important in the pursuit of keeping their underhanded dealings a secret.
The energy that was radiating off the grievers was simply nauseating. To the point where the blonde couldn’t help but sneak away when prying eyes were occupied on something else. Usually, she could stomach dark situations, often until she began to question her own sanity, but now it was as if the reasonable part of her conscience was coming out of hiding… making itself known once again as to announce to the world that behind all the makeup, Cartier jewellery and fur coats, there was a decent individual wanting to leap out. It’d been a long time since that person got some air, but Carla wasn’t missing her. The Syndicate was her life now. The remaining morals that laid within her had to be ignored.
In a desperate attempt to take a brief break from the sadness that filled the lavish home, she found herself retreating to the courtyard, a relieved breath eliciting her lips as the fresh air hit her skin. It wasn’t until she laid eyes on her wife that her lips curved into a smile… the kind that only Tatiana could evoke. “Darling.” She greeted, sauntering towards her with one hand held out for her to take. “How are you finding it?”
Tatiana considered the ramifications of Gregory’s death as she excused herself from present company, having conversed with various members of the ‘inner circle’ as they discussed exactly what this meant for everyone, not just the Bianchi’s. The Mancini Administration were in a precarious position and they would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity it presented. It was only a matter of time before someone capitalised on the tension wrought throughout the families and their people. Why not them? Of course, now wasn’t exactly the time. It was a funeral, after all. And she had to keep up appearances, that of a close family friend. If she hadn’t upheld the charade since she was a child, Tatiana might have found herself buckling under the pressure. Instead, she thrived on it.
Filching a chute of champagne from a passing waiter, her third of the afternoon, Tatiana found herself in the courtyards strolling through the garden path. She had already offered the family her condolences, not entirely empty as she would have liked. They had lost their father, after all. She wasn’t unsympathetic to their grief. Tati simply didn’t care that he was dead.
The sound of her wife calling for her draws her attention and she turns, glass held delicately between her fingers as she smiled - an inevitable action familiar to her, whenever her wife is near. “My love, there you are.” She greets in turn as one hand reaches for Carla’s, a subconscious reaction that mirrors her wife’s. Fingertips curl in to the palm of Carla’s hand as they are drawn to the other and Tati’s sighs, a very subtle roll of her eyes that she knows only the other woman could recognise. “Tedious,” she expels on a breath as she links their fingers, and Tati shook her head. “I understand they’re mourning but jesus christ. I would like nothing more than for this to be over.” As she spoke, Tati’s eyes averted to their surroundings, appreciative for the privacy afforded them.
angelo.
This was their new reality. This was his new reality, being in charge. It was exhausting having to exchange pleasantries with everyone who showed up. His instinct was to keep glancing down at his son, who barely had an idea of what was going on around him. After telling his wife he’d be right back, Angelo headed out the back door. He just needed some fresh air. His hands were in his pockets as he ran into Tati.
"Not hiding.” He insisted, “Just taking a break. It’s hard to be nice for fucking hours on end,” He was strong, he’d be fine. It wasn’t like he wanted to cry, he just wanted this shit to end so that he could get back to work. “Thanks for coming. We all appreciate you and the rest of your family.”
“Who said anything about you being nice?” Tatiana’s brow rose in query as she recognised her unexpected company as Angelo. She had always known her role, since she was old enough to understand what it was her father did, and the secrecy about his agenda against Gregory. Their families were supposed to be close, and in a way Tati supposed they were. But she’s had years pretending she didn’t have ulterior motives when it came to the Bianchi family - so if the lines had become a little blurred over the years, well. It was unavoidable. “I’d say, given the circumstances, acting like an asshole at this time is forgivable.” A smirk forms as she walked closer, joining him at his side. “It’s certainly the only time I’d let you get away with it.”
Tatiana’s smirk becomes intentionally softer as she shrugs lightly, reaching out to brush his shoulder in a comforting gesture before she turns to walk by his side. Her phone vibrates in her hand, but she silences it with a swipe of her thumb before she slid it in to her pocket. “Wouldn’t you do the same for us?” It’s posed as a question but she doesn’t expect nor need a response. “So other than your waning patience... how are you?”
joceyln.
Slipping away from the rest of the event was very much needed, third glass of tequila is cradled between digits as she wanders aimlessly through the garden. Even though there was a chill in the air she didn’t mind it, the painted faces and hollow condolences inside were beginning to get to her. She’d never been one for crowds of people with largely undesirable motives, even at a funeral you could tell some people were business as usual. As if this was just something on their day planner. She wouldn’t admit it to herself or her captain at the precinct but being undercover had worn her down, defenses were beginning to crumble and she was becoming to invested in the safety and wellbeing of the Bianchi’s opposed to using them for intel.
As she stops eyes close for a moment while she inhales the frigid December air, only for her silence to be interrupted by a female voice. Eyes snap open as she turns to look at the culprit, instantly recognising her from intel at the precinct that and they now ran in somewhat similar circles. “ I was just about to leave. “ She remarks as she pivots on heel to walk back inside. Feet come to a halt as she offers a question, chuckle passing by lips at the words while she turns back around to face the woman. “ That obvious huh? I suppose I should work on my hiding skills. “ Ironic seeing as she’d managed to snake her way into one of the biggest crime families in New York.
“You’re not the only one who needed air.” Tati exhaled a breath of quiet laughter as she slid her hands in to the pockets of her dress, phone still firmly held in her right as she drew her elbows in at her sides. Truthfully, she couldn’t wait to get the hell out of here. Not only was pretending to feel sympathetic about Gregory’s death exhausting, considering she didn’t actually care that he was dead and gone, but the atmosphere inside was truly stifling. Of the families currently in power in New York City, Tatiana was the oldest of the heirs. Abdicating her position to her brother didn’t change that. And it was strange, for her, considering the supposed closeness of their families. She was ten when Gregory bested her father. Tatiana grew up with him as a prominent figure in her life, all the while raised by Alfonso with her brother to one day overthrow him. Talk about complicated. To the rest of the city, and to present company, Tati had to be seen grieving the loss of a good, close friend. “I could hardly fault you for trying to escape the wake when I’m doing the exact same thing - if it’s any consolation, had I not had to deal with work, I probably wouldn’t have seen you.”
“- we haven’t met, have we?” Tatiana would surely remember if they had. Perhaps paths had crossed at some point during dealings between the families over the past few months, but their positions within their respective businesses didn’t call for anything more than glimpses here and there. Removing her left hand, Tatiana extended it to the other. It was only polite, and she had a public reputation to uphold. “Tatiana, but only my father and my wife call me that -” there’s a brief moment where she pauses, averting her gaze momentarily, as if considering her words, and her small smile became something a little more charming as she looked back at the other. “-well, only when I’m in trouble.” Which wasn’t as often as she makes it seem. Shrugging it off, she waits for the - she can only assume, soldier - to accept her offered hand before she clarifies. “Otherwise, I’m Tati.”
ainsley.
The solemn affair that was Gregory Bianchi’s funeral was something out of a Fitzegerald novel. Truly opulent wealth, with the unmistakable whispers of a disingenuous nature. Everyone from the inner circle, their associates, and their enemies flooded into the immaculate home. Ainsley didn’t know which was more disturbing; the heartbroken expressions on some of the most fearsome people in New York City, or the smug expressions barely hidden behind a condescending apology. Whichever way, she had gravitated away from the crowd. Although the Davenport’s had always put their loyalties towards the Bianchi, the Davenport’s themselves were not as tightly knit. She could not help but question, then, what were to become of them? The Bianchi’s had each other, but Ainsley… All she seemed to have was the riches that came with the name, and the likeness.
She lingers towards the courtyard, fingers trailing along a Cuban cigar from her father’s humidor. Cut and primed, she’s about to light it when a figure takes up the iron seat beside her. “Care for one?” Ainsley extends the second cigar from her purse, before her eyes watch the horizon. Finally, she exhales a puff, as she mulled over the predicament. “One can’t help but wonder who’s next to meet this fate.” Ainsley whispers pragmatically.
Crossing one leg over the other, Tati shifted on the seat, tugging the hem of her black dress further down her thighs as it threatened to rise with her position. Leaning back, she glanced at the offered cigar with an air of contemplation. “I’ll admit, I’m tempted,” she said with a small, amused smile before she shook her head, hand rising in a gesture of rejection. “Thank you, but we would be at my funeral if my wife found out.” She uses it as an excuse, because Tatiana has only ever done what Tatiana wanted to do, and Tati has never wanted to smoke. But blaming it on Carla was something of a joke. The idea that Tatiana could be afraid of her wife was about as believable as her genuinely grieving Gregory’s death - not that anyone other than her family would know she was, in reality, quite pleased. Instead, she raises her other hand where she held a glass of something alcoholic. Tati didn’t know what, nor did she particularly care. It was strong and it didn’t taste like shit and she needed it to get through this whole affair. “I’ll stick with... whatever the hell this is.”
She raised a brow at Ainsley’s next comment, her head tilting with subtle intrigue disguised as quiet contemplation before she lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug, her eyes drawn from looking at the other beside her, to gazing ahead of them. “I suppose we won’t know until it happens.” Everyone died eventually, be it from natural causes or otherwise. No one lived forever. Tati raised her glass to her lips, swallowing a mouthful of liquid fire, the burn in her throat oddly satisfying. “I can’t say that I’m totally surprised though. I think we’ve all made an enemy or two over the years, it’s par for the course in this business. Maybe Gregory just had one too many.”
unfortunately for everybody i will keep doing whatever i want
OPEN STARTER FOR : OPEN ( @omertastarter ) LOCATION / SETTING : BIANCHI ESTATE DATE : DECEMBER ELEVEN, TWENTY-TWENTY
Their presence at the wake was ironic, and Tatiana found herself secretly amused at the thought that were it not for them, there wouldn’t be a wake to begin with. Though she would never express that, especially here, of all places. She wasn’t an idiot. As she wandered from room to room, observing those in attendance and conversing with whoever saw fit to engage her in casual conversation, Tati found herself outside : escaping to a secluded area of the Bianchi estate where, naturally, her phone would vibrate with a call. “Fuck,” she swore under her breath as she removed the cell phone from the pocket of her dress, swiping ignore with a roll of her eyes. She couldn’t turn it off completely. She had a business to run, after all. But Tati had also specified to her staff and the board that under no circumstances bar a catastrophe should she be contacted. It was a funeral, for gods sake. Gregory’s, sure. But even she wasn’t so cruel as to work at a wake - well...
Sending a text message to her assistant to ensure they spread the word that Tatiana was unavailable, period, she found her eyes drawn up towards a figure seemingly alone in a corner of the garden. Evidently, she wasn’t the only one who had needed a break from the sombre atmosphere inside. “If I had known this spot was taken - - -” she cuts herself off, gesturing vaguely in their direction as she approached. Tati raised a brow, her eyes briefly flitting around their surroundings as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you hiding?”
viola.
Viola’s skin was crawling as so looked around the room. There were too many people in her father’s home, something that had her on edge, not only because Gregory was gone, but because whoever killed him could be in this room. The woman was exhausted, sleep having been elusive for the past week. The weight on her shoulders felt like too much but her face was stone hard, barel any emotions showing. This was not the time to allow herself to be weak, to feel the pain left by her father’s absence, by her family torn apart. This was the time to be strong and Viola was a Bianchi. “Thank you for coming,” she said, barely looking at the person who walked near her. It was like the woman was on auto-pilot, so many people coming up to her to pay their respect that she found herself repeting the same words over and over again.
.
It was evident to Tatiana that Viola was running on fumes, that she was simply going through the motions and of course, it was to be expected : she had just lost her father. Though Tati couldn’t say that she was mourning Gregory’s death, for she certainly hadn’t been surprised when the news broke - for various reasons, obviously. At the very least, she had to keep up appearances : and appearances dictated that she play the part of a friend and ally paying her respects. “Of course,” she expressed as she joined Viola’s side, her hands poised above her naval, elbows bent at her sides, a chute of champagne held delicately between her fingers - untouched. Tatiana glanced to the right, her brow rising : she had already given her condolences, there wasn’t much else she could say on the matter as far as Tati was concerned. Apologising for her loss, be it genuine or empty, wouldn’t ease her grief. “He would have haunted us all if we hadn’t.” There’s a hint of a smile in the corners of her lips, an attempt at putting the other at ease. Whether her humour was appreciated or inappropriate at the time, could anyone really argue he wouldn’t find a way? God, she hoped not.
[ carla gugino. female. she / her. fifty. ] wanted dead or alive is tatiana keaton-mancini. they are a media mogul who have been in new york city for fifty years. they are affiliated with syndicate and serves them as an associate people say they are ambitious and charming but their enemies would say they are possessive and cunning. they are described as heels on hardwood floors, the city skyline, floor to ceiling windows and fresh brewed coffee.