directart

[directart]

She was raised to be admired. Molded from a young age, poised like one of the faceless mannequins dotted around her family's store, a sculpture upon a grand pedestal. That's how she is even now, sat on one of (too) many sofas in the lounge of this grand palace they call home; the physical manifestion of their heavy legacy. Yet, as of late, she wonders if the clinical, untouchable formality of Casa Del Bosque is indicative of something else, of the sophisticated cold war that their marriage has devolved into.

She's heard rumblings that the Council's numerous requests to meet with him have fallen on deaf, unwilling ears; it's bound to happen when she works so closely with the Culture & Heritage Chancellor, already a close and personal friend of hers. Luciana suspects her husband will soon realise that; whether he will care, is something she's unsure about.

"Yes." Her agreement is clipped, neutral, and entirely indifferent, but any moment of consesus between the two is rare these days. "But we can't let the curtains fall for too long either." Whose to say the next shot won't be levied at one of their own, after all?

SETTING: whilst the city erupts in bitter fury, casa del bosque continues to breathe in stillness. the chandeliers still glistened and the silver still shone. along the hallways, the ghosts of eight generations watch from their portraits. they listen to the news playing inside the private lounge. their verdict can be heard in the silence. @directart

The television screen turns black. Rafael stand besides the drinks cabinet, one hand on the edge like he might pour something and then thought the better of it. The last static of the late night broadcast echoes in the yawning space between them. Only the slow tick of the grandfather clock in the corner can be heard, as if time is passing by waiting to be blamed.

This is how it’s been: a fine line separating them, their shadows dancing along its narrow spine. Above them, the sun decides whether they draw closer or drift further apart.

An assassinated Premier, a missing Vice -- but it's their names on placards. Her face remains unreadable, unyielding. He wonders if she knows he’s not taking any meetings with the High Council. “The longer they delay the election is better for us.”

[directart]

who's luciana's favorite and least favorite kid 🤨

monarosa is her favourite, hands down. it's totally obvious, and she does absolutely nothing to hide it. with regard to her least favourite, it's unfair to say it's elena since there's only two of her kids currently here and in play, but ... if the shoe fits, i guess? [in reality, it's most likely the disappointment skeleton—]

luciana is the kind of woman who never had a chance at being good at the act of mothering, but who does try all the same. she grew up in a family where reservation was key, praise was rare and affection was used as a tool, so she strives to not replicate that, but it very much varies on the child and the circumstances.

there's a plethora of reasons as to why her relationships with her daughters are so starkly contrasted. elena is the firstborn, the heir, and as such she 'belongs' to rafael, to the family, to the surname. luciana was only 24 having her, inexperienced in motherhood and still finding her footing as a del bosque. they have a somewhat classical mother/eldest daughter relationship, and the below quote is very much applicable to the luci/lena dynamic:

often father and daughter look down on mother together. they exchange meaningful glances when she misses a point. they agree that she is not bright as they are, cannot reason as they do. (this collusion does not save the daughter from the mother’s fate.)

whereas with monarosa! she's the baby, the youngest. luci was older, in her thirties having her, and far more experienced both in the role of mother and del bosque matriarch. furthermore, they're mirror images—both similar and dissimilar. causing chaos in the classiest of ways, always elegant, twins almost. luci knows that her daughter is a little soft, and she wants to try and preserve that, even if she does know that it will only end in disaster later on down the line—but it's a kindness that she wouldn't show any of her other children, encouraging that sort of weakness in them.

[directart]

LET'S PLAY!

Pry into Luciana's life ...

Spiders: Does your muse squish bugs or put them outside?

Snakes: Would your muse ever keep an unusual/exotic pet?

Blood: What’s the worst injury your muse has ever had?

Laugh Track: What is your muse's favorite genre for entertainment?

Mirrors: What is your muse’s least favorite thing about their appearance? Their favorite?

Tight Space: Does your muse have any phobias?

Tick-Tock: Does your muse ever feel that they’re not living up to their own potential?

Crowds: Where is your muse's home away from home?

Death: What does your muse consider the worst way to die?

Needles: Does your muse have a strong stomach?

Ghosts: Has your muse ever seen something they couldn’t explain? Do they believe in the paranormal?

Curses: Does your muse believe in good/bad luck? How about karma?

Deserted Islands: Name 3 things your muse couldn’t live without.

Unrequited: Has your muse ever had a one-sided love?

Falling: What does your muse think about falling in love or commitment?

Number 13: Does your muse believe any superstitions?

Wannabe: When your muse was a child, what did they want to be when they grew up? If they aren't, what stopped them? If they are, how do they like it now?

Change: What was a turning point in your muse’s life?

Mindfulness: How does your muse practice self care?

Lucid: Describe the last dream your muse had. What about the last nightmare?

Enrichment: Does your muse have a hobby? Do they want a new one?

Elephant Graveyard: Is there a district or a place that your muse actively avoids? If so, why?

Gears: What's something that makes your muse explosively angry?

[directart]

This early morning ritual of theirs is one that she holds dearly close, ever-appreciative of her youngest, her little counterpart, her mirror image. Where Mona fiddles with her fork, though, Luciana sifts through paperwork and sheaths of photographs, double- and triple-checking the minute details of this upcoming exhibition. There is never any room for imperfection: personally, professionally, familially. Her husband may have momentarily misplaced his sense, but there will be no lapse of judgement as far as the Del Bosque matriarch is concerned.

"You have it in you to be even greater than Clara or Amara combined." She means it, too, setting down dog-eared pages to focus her attention solely on Monarosa for now. There aren't many who exist within these hallowed halls that could say she would do the same for them. "You can do anything you put your mind to, my love."

She remembers what it was like, having that weight press down upon you, the shadows of those who came before you, the unwillingness to part from this world without leaving your mark on it. She was a little younger than Mona when she felt it—and far less altruistic. Her philanthropy is guided by her desire to maintain the family's control, to extend it even further. She worries, sometimes, that her daughter's good heart bleeds into dangerous naivety. "Which of the people do you want to help? The poor, the sick, the workers?"

SETTING: CASA DEL BOSQUE, EARLY MORNING, MID APRIL @directart

the clatter of cutlery against the finest porcelain, more familiar than any song, marks the near end of the morning feast, though, if one were to glance down at monarosa's embelished plate, they'd asume it's just beginning; the food's barely touched, one piece of luscious grape rests jabbed on a golden fork, while the last tendrils of steam abandon her imported tea.

discomfort, like a firm hand, presses at the back of her elongated neck, accelerating the irregular beats of her heart. before her mother, it's too late or rather impossible to pretend, even as silence stretches just between the two of them at the family table.

"i want to do something for the people, mom," the blonde begins without lifting her gaze, grasping for words yet coming up with nothing, dry mouth opening and closing like that of a fish gasping for salt water. "something good. i wish to be like clara, or grandmother amara. i just — " refuse to be weighted down by nothingness. "don't know where to begin."

[directart]

She catches sight of Elena in the periphery of her vision long before she acknowledges her: if it were something urgent, she surely would have called. Besides, this exhibition was not going to organise itself, and she's too close to the finish line now to just drop everything the moment her eldest deigns to visit.

It isn't easy, having dedicated herself to the redirection of Coronado's cultural narrative—toeing the line between the preservation of classical masterworks and techniques, and the promotion of controversial modernists. Here, the walls are lined with canvasses and murals, Rococo next to Expressionism, with the odd cluster of cubism here and there.

Sometimes, Luciana bemoans the fact that nobody in the family seems to understand her goal with the Foundation, Monarosa aside: but then, perhaps that's to be expected of her little mini-me.

"Yes, I think so." Hands clap together as thought to punctuate her answer, finally turning to face her, shallow smile pasted on. "What brings you 'round, darling?"

closed starter for @directart, at a gallery.

It's late, and she is unannounced. By the time Elena arrives at the gallery she isn't even sure why she has come.

She lingers at first, keeping out of the way as Luciana works. Here, her mother is both director and silent partner to the artwork lining the walls. From her spot near the doorway, Elena is just a spectator trying to see through different eyes, trying to understand what the other has dedicated her life to.

The truth is, she has always lacked the vision for artistic pursuits.

She hardly wants to interrupt, but takes a few steps forward at last, arms folded across her body. "All coming together?"

[directart]

WHO AM I WITHOUT THIS WEIGHT ON MY SHOULDERS?

a dependent + private writing blog for luciana del bosque, affiliated with onecoronado, as written by meg.

full name: luciana del bosque, née arrazola. nicknames: none if you want to remain on her good side. rafael will sometimes be able to get away with one, but only sometimes. age: fifty-nine. born: 5 november (making her a scorpio). occupation: director of the del bosque arts foundation. hometown + residence: coronado on both counts. identity: female, she/her, heterosexual. height: 5'9", never seen without a pair of heels that give her several extra inches. affiliation: del bosque. inspirations: peggy guggenheim, catherine de medici (reign), miranda priestly (dwp), madeline usher (tfothou), more tba. aesthetics: the perfectly manicured nails of an iron grip, pristine smiles and perfumed barbs, and the staggering weight of a legacy left squarely on your shoulders.

INFO:

she may not have been born into the sphere of power and influence that she currently occupies, but she certainly is not going to let it crumble to the ground anytime soon–not on her watch.

though she has not been an arrazola since her very early twenties, theirs is still a legacy that she keeps lit in her heart—among the wealthiest in coronado, they operate one of the most elite businesses on the island, and have done for decades, building it up from the modest boutique it once was many (many) moons ago.

the current matriarch of the del bosque family, she funds experimental artists and unconventional projects. her galleries display works that challenge traditional tastes. she hosts exhibitions mixing established masters with unknown creators, forcing old money to notice new ideas.

luciana watches her husband’s dismantling of their family legacy with swelling horror. each calculated retreat of rafael's represents the betrayal of eight generations, the work that his family so painstakingly made.

while maintaining the same public façade of perfection that they have always adopted, behind the scenes she exerts power in the one domain that is entirely under her control; the cultural institutions throughout coronado. she promotes controversial artists and art forms; these provocative exhibitions and funding decisions hide a methodical campaign to maintain and exert del bosque influence through more alternative channels.

the dinner parties she throws are intended to gather traditionalist family members and like-minded allies, planning counter-strategies against rafael’s reforms.