knightsoflegend | italy ♔ a promise lives within you now

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italy ♔ a promise lives within you now

WHO || Rafael, Buffy [Closed]
WHAT || After months apart, Rafael and Buffy celebrate the end of his tour with a private trip to Italy
WHERE || Italy
WHEN || /truck drives by, blaring horn
HOW || Actionspam.

It hasn't been an easy few months, but then again, it hasn't been an easy few years. Following the night of the Grammy's, Rafael's returned to his tour, aspiring to use his concerts as a chance to try and warn people of the dangers inherent in listening to Blade and company's music, even at the risk of looking like a crazy person. It wouldn't be the first time the world thought it, alright. Meanwhile, Buffy's been dealing with the fallout of what the Mind Master did to Finnick, and by extension, Myri, trying to be there for her friend in every way she can. It would be easier for both of them if they had each other to lean on through it all, but they had to rely instead on numerous phone calls and memories of one night that finally offered them both some hope just when everything had started to seem more impossible than ever.

They also had the promise of this to look forward to: a planned trip to Italy that Rafael insisted be just the two of them, once he was finally free again. He's arranged to meet her at the Galileo Galilei International Airport in Pisa, and when she gets out, there's some Italian chauffeur guys holding a sign that says "Summers".

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ While Giulia mulls it over, Buffy takes a drink—which she nearly spits out when the question leaves that blessed child's mouth. She chokes while Nell chides her daughter, but recovers enough to set the glass down and draw a breath to collect herself with one hand pressed to her chest. ]

I — No. [ Surprisingly articulate due to an advantageous dice roll, Buffy lays down the facts clearly. ] Very big no, we're — We're not getting married. But Rafael and I are friends. [ Super convincing, as she looks to him for some kind of ?? confirmation ?? ? ? The wording is carefully neutral and present tense, careful not to exclude something beyond that and yet not making assumptions. Without waiting for him to jump in, Buffy soldiers on through it and looks back at Giulia to patiently explain. ] Don't you have friends you hope you keep for your whole life?

[ the little girl frowns, as if thinking on that question far too hard, but then pronounces decisively: "If I was a beautiful lady, I would marry Rafael." she looks up at him with a little smile, and nell tries not to laugh, as she chastises: ] You would be lucky if he would take you, with so few manners.

[ giulia's adorable comment saves rafael from having to comment one way or another on what buffy said, so he just shifts his attention down to her, leaning over conspiratorially to say: ] You are the most beautiful lady I know. But alas, I am married to the stage already.

It's true. [ Thinking about her all day and on her most nights. Badum tish. Instead of making sex jokes, Buffy opts for the more kid-friendly, ] He cries like a baby every time we try and tear him away.

Looks like you're out of lucky, preziosa.

[ he chuckles and then tries to move the conversation elsewhere for both their sakes. ] So, Buffy, what can you tell us about yourself?

[ As soon as the attention diverts to her, Buffy clams up, anxious. ]

Oh, I'm not— [ She deflects readily, flustered. ] I mean, there's not much to know, really.

[ A beat passes before she explains. ]

I came through the Veil. Pretty recently, actually. I don't remember much. [ She looks down at her food. ] Or, um, anything at all.

[ Which has mostly stopped bothering her, except for in moments like this where she realizes that there's no family for her to haul Rafael back to and giggle with. No inside jokes from childhood. No one who knows her in this way. He'd brought her here because he's seen everything she is, met all the people who matter most to her, and those bonds are important, but it's not what this is. This is something she doesn't get to have. ]

Maybe she does not remember anything before then, but that does not mean there is nothing to know about her. Buffy ... [ he glances at the kids, clearly censoring what he could potentially say to vague it up ] -- is a hero. A very extraordinary one. She helps many people, at great risk to herself.

[ he turns to stare back across at her, a private smile playing on his lips ] She saved me.

[ nell's gaze moves to buffy, studying her with renewed interest. ] ... Then I think we all owe her our gratitude, don't we? [ she reaches to pick up a bottle of wine, and pours each of them a cup. ]

[ When he starts going, Buffy looks ready to disavow the credit, mouth open, floundering for a reply that never comes, but it's the last statement that does it. She meets his eyes then, and it doesn't take much for her to realize that what he's saying isn't about the demons she's fought or the battles they've won. He's not ascribing her heroism to just ass-kicking Slayer Buffy. The kind of saving he means is deeper than that (wis 23).

It humbles her, and she softens, a smile settling in over her expression where burgeoning sadness had started to take her as she tried to recount anything meaningful about herself for Giorgio. She looks up at Nell with a thankful nod as she pours her wine. It's impossible for her to make any comment to lessen the significance of Rafael's claims because any commentary would effectually deflate his experience as well.

So she quietly and modestly accepts the praise, inclining her head in a slight nod to Rafael. ]

A toast to our new friend. [ giorgio raises up his glass, and rafael is the first one to lift his own over to clink against it, still locking eyes with her, even as he murmurs the words after giorgio: ] To Buffy.

[ Taking her own glass, she raises it and glances between them all appreciatively, floored by the genuine warmth there. But she got a hella good will save so she's holding it together really well and not letting on that this is probably the most touching moment of her life that she can actually recall.

She takes a modest sip from her cup and clears her throat. ] How, um. How often do you guys get to see each other? [ Since it's been three years and he never mentioned them she feels the need to ask ok. Also she is super eager to change the subject. ]

[ nell's smile turns a little sadder, her eyes flicking to rafael as she drinks ] It used to be every summer that he would come visit with Isabella. But we know that these last few years have not left him much time.

[ As soon as that comes out, Buffy can't help but blame herself. Though her smile remains in place, the glow steadily fades from her eyes. She sets her glass down on the table, dropping her head slightly as she lets that sink in. Rational or not, no matter how wrapped up he was in this from the moment he met Jade, she can't help but feel like it all rolled to a boil when she came into his life.

Things hadn't been easy before that, maybe, but easy enough that he'd at least been able to find time for what amounted to his family. She can picture it too easily, all of them sitting around this table with Isabella where she sits now. Not the kind of thing one traditionally thinks a person needs saving from. Her stomach knots. ]

I'm—I'm sorry. I … [ Want to run, if she's being honest. Want to bolt and submerge herself in guilt and recuse herself before she brings some untold horrors into the Rossis' home as well. But she forces herself to stay rooted to her seat instead, not quite meeting anyone's gaze. It would be easy to get to her feet, to find the bathroom or run out to get some air. To retreat inward, particularly given that he's coming back to them only after spending the better part of a year away from her. She makes a different call. ]

What I mean is … I'm glad that's changing. [ She forces herself to lift her gaze again, focus on that. She turns her attention to Rafael, to think about how happy and carefree he looks here instead of how she feels responsible for keeping him from it. ] Everyone deserves to be able to spend time with the people they care about.

[ rafael watches her carefully, apparently anticipating that she'll have some reaction to that. there's a bit of relief in his eyes when she says that, however, and he continues to focus on her as he adds: ] If anyone is familiar with how terrible I am sometimes with making time for those I should when things fall apart, it is everyone here. But you are right.

I hope that is changing. [ it's more than an idle hope, clearly. there's something of a promise in his words, a vow he's making to himself and all of them. ]

[ She exhales some form of relief when he picks up there, and though it doesn't wholly quell or really mitigate her uncertainties and the hand she believes she plays in it, it at least distracts her. So she jumps to quip a deflection all her own. ]

Me too. Not that we're not wholly supportive of your commitment to the stage.

[ the clink of silverware fills the air for a moment as rafael studies her, and then finally tears his eyes away to wrap up a forkful again, hovering it in the air as he adds: ] I think, perhaps, there are some things to which the stage must come second.

Yeah, otherwise you wake up one day, and you're applying for AARP, and you realize you spent your life as one of those workaholics who — This is ... not helping. [ She taps her fork lightly against her plate like the chime will act as a buzzer for her blabbering. ] So what do you guys do? [ She looks at Giorgio and Nellethiel in turn. ]

I'm afraid what you see is what you get, with us. We run the vineyard, raise these terrors... [ he reaches over to tussle pietro's hair ] We keep things pretty simple.

Sounds like more than a handful to me.

[ She smiles down at the kids. ]

In fact, I think it's really incredible.

It works for us. We try not to draw attention to ourselves here. You understand.

Wish I didn't.

[ It's said with an apology in her voice. She may be Shadowkind, strictly speaking, but of the variety that's harder to pick up on as long as she's not bench pressing a car or talking about the Veil. She's also human, and as such, feels some kind of responsibility woven in with the way the humans of Italy treat their citizens. ]

Are you safe, out here? [ Worry colors her expression as she looks to Nell. She thinks of Sarandis' labs, what they did to Spike and Myri, and how Italy's not so terribly far from that in the grand scheme. ]

For the most part, it is safer than the cities in every way. We have had the occasional band of farmers who decide they wish to take the law into their own hands, but I've scared 'em all off. Learned how to handle a gun from Rafael, just in case.

Good. That's good.

[ It doesn't wash the concern away entirely, but at least it's something. ]

I mean, not that you had to learn to— But that it's better here.

It helps that neighbors are few and far away.

Makes sense. [ Said in a quietly thoughtful voice. She looks over at Nell. ] Still. It's really brave to stick it out here, to come back and make your home where you want it to be even with everything that they're doing to make this country unwelcoming.

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