chicago ♔ i wish you could see | how apart we've all grown

[lawofsurvival]

WHO || The Failboat, Rafael Giovanni, Isabella Alessandro, Hiro, Jaka, Burt Becksworth, DA of Chicago [closed]
WHAT || The trial of Rafael Giovanni
WHERE || Chicago courthouse, Chicago, IL
WHEN || Friday, Nov 22nd  [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam

The big day has finally arrived.  As media coverage rises to a frenzied fever pitch, Jaka's final preparations are completed, and the team assembles to head down for the trial of Rafael Giovanni.   

Large crowds are gathered outside, some of whom tote signs condemning Rafael as a murderer, others pledging their support and love for the singer.  Police officers keep order, and hold the crowds back as the stars are led up the steps and inside the courthouse.  

They'll have some time to convene with Burt and Jaka in a private room before the trial itself begins.  Unfortunately, Jaka still hasn't shared the change in plans that he and Des discussed in private... 

Comments

[selfrevelation]

[ out in the hall, mr. gray waits in his impeccable suit and shiny shoes for them all to spill out before turning slowly to regard them. ]

... Ah. Excellent. All of you.

[bigbad]

[I just realized that Spike's only met Orlando Bloom!Grey, not David Anders, so I guess he just figured out that Des and Buffy acting sketchy after a random dude stared at Buffy meant other people probably couldn't see him (wis 18). If he'd done worse he was going to just be stalking Buffy so it's all for the best.]

What do you want?

[slay]

Phones work too, you know.

[ but she's out here and she's listening. that's ... something. ]

[selfrevelation]

I came to witness the trial. We're rather ... invested in its results. [ he glances over towards spike, giving him a once-over that leaves it unclear whether or not he's judging what he sees there ] How do you feel, regarding your chances?

[nothingsodivine]

Yeah, that's why you gave Rafael that envelope, which he's not gonna need. [He crosses his arms over his chest.] The case is locked up.

[He doesn't have to deal with the Grays or Linda. Or so he thinks. And damn if he's not smug about it.] You boys and Linda can have pissing contests over something else now.

[selfrevelation]

[ he gives des a canny i know what you did last summer staredown ] We thought you should know, whether you believe the trial to be 'locked up' or no, that you seem to be laboring under a bit of a misconception concerning what would occur should you accept our assistance. Regarding... Linda.

[bigbad]

Do enlighten us, then.

[Wow, Mr. Gray, we don't need this love polygon to get anymore complicated, stop ogling Spike.]

[slay]

What do you mean misconception? 'Cause, uh, seemed pretty clear at the bridge. Seal means you get a foothold. If you do, she does. What's to misconceive?

[selfrevelation]

Not quite. When one of us acts, the other is granted greater freedom, yes. However, the point of making these... shall we say bargains allows us - or them - to sidestep that entire messy business.

You might say that because you promise to do something in exchange for what we offer, that you balance the deficit that would be otherwise created. The matter becomes entirely self-contained.

[nothingsodivine]

Except I ain't interested in helping either of you, so where's that put us? [He squares his shoulders and decides it's perfectly reasonable to get in Mr. Gray's face. I'm not even rolling an intimidate check here, because lbr, it's not gonna work.] You don't act, she doesn't act. We act. Where does that put you?

[selfrevelation]

[ yeah he doesn't budge, or look v impressed ] I am not quite certain what we ever did to invoke such hostility: obviously, we will not force you to make any decision. However-- [ and he leans in all the closer to des, so that they're almost nose to nose, with implacable calm but some kind of disturbing i-know-what-you-did-last-summer-with-jaka look in the back of his eyes ] I do hope you know what you're doing. [ there's the tiniest emphasis on you there, to make it clear that he means you're single-handedly putting everyone in jeopardy by going behind your team's back, des. ]

[nothingsodivine]

I don't know about them. [He jerks his head towards Buffy and Spike.] But I know I've got enough bad blood with her that anyone playing anything close to the same ballgame she's playing, opposite sides or not, endears me not a bit.

[He doesn't flinch away from GRAY IN HIS FACE.] I know what I'm doing.

[slay]

[ buffy all but cuts des off with how quickly she jumps in to consider it. her fingers are playing with the collar of her shirt, and she looks distant - worry and doubt reflecting in her eyes and her choices of words. ]

What would we have to promise to do?

[ it betrays, not for the first time, her fearful uncertainty that this plan won't work. that they won't be able to get rafael off, and she can't stand to lose him - more than that, she can't stand the thought of losing des to iscariot if they screw this up. so their options are give cthulu a foot in the door, imprison rafael and enslave des to iscariot, or enslave themselves to the grays - who they don't even truly understand. but can they really be worse? ]

[selfrevelation]

[ gray turns his head to look at buffy for a long measured moment. ] The promise would be Rafael's. In return for guaranteeing the best possible outcome of this trial, he would swear to some day repay this favor, should we require his assistance. He would be asked to do nothing that ran counter to his morals, and the situation would be beneficial for many people - himself likely included.

You might say that it is through these bargains that we can lessen the amount of potential influence that the... others, those such as Des' personal shadow, can exert in the future. Should events transpire that would require our interference, we can avoid directly doing so by the use of agents such as Mr. Giovanni. The balance is maintained - we do something for him, he counters it by doing something for us, and in so doing, rectifies some evil in this world without tipping the scales towards our adversaries.

[bigbad]

You know, I think I missed the part where we established you lot are definitely the good guys. [Spike crosses his arms, scowling at Gray. All this bargaining sounds right shifty to him. It's not really his call, but he doesn't feel like relying on some strangers who claim they can help in exchange for some mysterious favor is necessarily any safer than just doing things for themselves.]

[slay]

I won't let you make him kill for you.

[ like you'd think the wise choice would be to take this offer to rafael, but no. buffy is not going to let it get that far because he might just take it and sign himself up for assassinpalooza and buffy isn't letting him do that. she is not going to let him contract himself into something that he's tried to get out of before, particularly when he's so incapable of seeing a way out that he'd tried to kill himself the last time they'd seen these shifty fucks. ]

I don't care how helpful you think you can be, he is not your weapon. He is not your tool. He is a person, not something for you to use.

[selfrevelation]

I should hope it wouldn't come to that. Usually our requests are hardly so... extreme.

[nothingsodivine]

I'll give 'em this much. They're better at the sales pitch than Linda ever was. [He shrugs. At least they're asking. He may not like any of this at all, but it's not his choice. If they don't make good, he still has a back-up plan with Jaka. They don't have much to lose, really.] It's Rafael's call. I won't be the one forcing his hand, though.

[selfrevelation]

It certainly is his decision. But I'm aware that he values and respects your opinions, and that he'll likely turn to you to help him in making his final call.

It is not important to us to acquire the future assistance of Mr. Giovanni, so much as it is for us to see him walk free today. But if we wish to ensure that without granting ... her more leeway, we cannot do it for free, so to speak. Keep that in mind. I would love nothing more than to see you succeed on your own - without our intervention. [ a glance to des ] We know Rafael to be innocent. Trying to secure his freedom by destroying the honesty of his actions...

[ he shakes his head ] It cannot come to good. [ with that,he turns on his heel to leave. ]

[slay]

Maybe it'd be better if we kept this to ourselves until the trial's further along. [ buffy waits until gray's gone to say it quietly. she looks to des for support. ] If things look bad, we can let him make the call.

[nothingsodivine]

It's bad enough. Wouldn't it be better to have him make the call now? [Gray's pointed look at him has made him wary- like he knows something he doesn't. His once unwavering confidence is starting to show some cracks. Maybe he didn't do the right thing at all.

Or maybe they're stuck between a rock and a hard place.] Before we have to asspull in the middle of a crisis?

[bigbad]

If it's some sort of magic fix-all it shouldn't matter when we bring it out, should it? Probably should just leave it up to Rafael.

[slay]

Do you remember the bridge, Des? Do you really think he's in a position to be making these decisions right now if he doesn't have to? I realize this ... insanity plea thing is supposed to be a crock, but we need to face the facts that the only reason we have hope of pulling it off is because Rafael is still a little unhinged from what happened. He's grieving, he's desperate, and I really don't think telling him that some - some - preternatural whatchamacallits want him to owe them one.

[bigbad]

[H o l d u p. Spike probably didn't need a nat 20 wis check to put together BRIDGE + UNHINGED + GRIEVING, but it sure helps. He catches Buffy's shoulder.]

He tried to off himself?

[nothingsodivine]

[WELL, HE TRIED. But mostly right now, he's glaring at Buffy.]

Nice one, Blondie.