venice ♔ oh this town kills you when you're young

[rationalizes]

♬ Shoreline - Anna Ternheim

WHO || Gar, Kat, Myri, Buffy [Closed]
WHAT || Team Failboat investigates Angelo Nassi
WHERE || Venice, Italy; Notturno club
WHEN || July 6, evening.
HOW || Actionspam; SINGLE THREAD

It's a breathtaking evening in Venice.  Lights reflect off the canals that serve as the main thoroughfares of 'traffic' and happy tourists and locals amble about the streets, shopping, chatting, or just taking in the quiet air.   It's a pleasant 70 degrees and cooling for the night as the Knights make their way to the building labelled Notturno: the venue owned by Angelo Nassi, who they've come to question about the activities of Chad Becksworth and NOVA Records, hoping for a lead that will connect back to the Talisman they seek.

Dumage elects to do some 'digging' around the city in order to find out more information on the gnoll, so it's left to the four other girls to take on the task alone.  Gar once again makes sure to warn both Buffy and Myri of the potential perils of discussing their "Shadowkind" nature: here in Italy, there's a strong amount of prejudice against non-humans, or those from another world.

The club itself is located right off the river, which they enter through a winding alley after taking a vaporetto  from their hotel.   Gar heads up to the ticket booth when they enter the lobby, but comes back frowning.

"It seems they've sold out for tonight's performance," she says in a quiet murmur, casting a look over her shoulder as patrons move past, dressed in fancywear and conversing pleasantly.  "And they said we can't get inside without tickets." 

Comments

[shootfirst]

Actually, I totally went with front row to get us closer to the stage doors. I figure when the lights go down, it'll be easier for us to make with the sneaking. [ yep, she's heading straight for some seats at the end of the front. ]

[witchwoman]

[Myri follows after Kat, pleased to see that they didn't have any sort of scuffle at the door.]

It will be dark. What should we do if we get separated?

[rationalizes]

Kat taught you how to use your telephone, I think? We can contact one another there.

[slay]

[ buffy glances around uncertainly, but shrugs and follows after kat, taking her seat up front beside her. ] Better question: what about when the actual front row-ers show up?

[shootfirst]

Routine ticket snafu. Happens all the time. Now are you gonna stop worrying and relax for a mo'? [ she checks the seat numbers, then plops down, before perking her head back up ] I wonder if they sell snacks...

[witchwoman]

[Myri takes a seat next to Kat, continuing to look around, trying to observe as much as she can before things go dark. She's quiet, but that's fairly normal for the start of a mission. So far, she's had to do some substantial healing each time they've gone out. It makes her nervous.]

[rationalizes]

[ gar just takes a seat as the lights start dropping, but she's clearly nervous about the possibility of someone showing up like buffy suggested... ]

[romanticidal]

[ ♬ VIDEO CLIP GET

An Italian announcer comes over which... neither Myri nor Buffy would understand, but they can catch that name again from the tickets: "Rafael Giovanni". At which point there's a lot of loud clapping and cheering from the obviously very enthusiastic crowd. As the music swells up, there's a dramatic convergence of lights on stage that reveal a silhouetted figure. In fact, it plays out exactly like the video. And that is exactly the song he sings.

And with a 34 performance check, it's clear after only a few minutes why the crowd seems so excited. The guy has a set of serious pipes, and what can only be described as an impressive stage presence. It's not so much that he seems to connect with the audience as he sings however, as that he seems to be singing with an intensely personal, almost intimate level of emotion.

The singer himself is about six feet tall and slim, with a wild curly head of dark hair. Kat watches him skeptically for a few moments, before slumping in her chair, apparently unimpressed with the style of music, her eyes casting about for a door that will lead to the backstage area.

Gar on the other hand, looks completely caught up in watching this guy perform, with her awesome crit fail of focus... go team. ]

[slay]

[ as soon as the lights go down, buffy all but forgets what they're supposed to be here for. because holy hell, that voice. it's hard not to get caught up and cream your panties over it. which, okay, admittedly, she does for a while there, but she shakes herself out of it when she spots kat glancing around courtesy of a focus check of 14. she looks at kat, and asks in a hushed voice; ]

You sure we can't investigate him? [ because she would really like to. thoroughly. tonight. that said, she'll actually glance around for the stage doors to be productive to the mission (spot check 16). ]

[shootfirst]

Too scrawny for my taste. [ her spot check makes it apparent that... this place is jacked and there are no direct doors that seem to lead behind stage. Maybe they're hidden or disguised or in the lobby...

but what she would see is that the wings of the stage are pretty wide open and there's someone standing back there, watching, who doesn't look like a crew member. he's probably about seven feet tall, covered in hair, and wearing what can only be described as a pimp outfit, replete with cane. oh, and he has the head of a hyena. ]

[witchwoman]

[Rover

Not that anyone here would know what that means, but that's what Myri first thinks of when he begins to sing. Rovers are said to have special magic and they are known to sing. She's wary, which helps her stay focused on their task (focus check 18).

She leans forward to look at her three companions, noticing Gar's enthralled expression.]

Someone may want to shake Gar.

[rationalizes]

[ gar rouses herself at the sound of her name, looking embarrassed. oopsie doopsie. she clears her throat a bit as the song ends and the crowd bursts into enthusiastic applause. ]

He's very talented.

[slay]

He has company on stage. [ buffy nudges kat and points out the hyena guy. ] Who is that, and how did he not get the memo that the 70's are over?

[shootfirst]

[ kat sits up straight as an arrow. ] That's him! Angelo! [ her eyes dart around, appraising her options, and she apparently makes a split second decision, getting to her feet and slipping to the side of the stage in the darkness. ]

C'mon, while no one's watching! [ and with that she hoists a leg up and makes a NAT 20 CLIMB CHECK to scrabble her way onto the stage against the wall. ]

[witchwoman]

[Climbing? No one said anything about climbing

Yeah Myri rolled a 5?

So witness as she gets halfway up and slides back down.]

[rationalizes]

Kat! [ it comes out as a hissed, panicked whisper, but gar apparently sees no choice but to follow her, and hurries after. She manages to hoist herself up, with more difficulty than spry young Kat over there, and turns to offer Myri a hand. ]

[slay]

[ with a climb of 18, buffy vaults onto the stage easily after kat. since gar's got myri handled, buffy just keeps on going, running straight for angelo, because no one trusts kat alone with anything. buffy is +5 reckless and kat is like +20 so maybe buffy will ... buffer it ... somehow ... ]

[romanticidal]

[ and from the wings where he stands suddenly rush...

a bunch of security guards.

because seriously girls, you can't just climb on a fucking stage during a concert. 8|

and... run... across it.

the crowd can't help but notice the spectacle, considering they've quieted waiting for rafael to start his next song... and apparently he notices too. because abruptly he's saying something in italian over the mic, and he's over there grinning widely.

the toughs form a line in front of the girls, glancing skeptically in his direction... but then he very clearly makes a waving gesture towards the girls, saying something else in Italian that meets with a cheer from the crowd.

gar gapes like a fish for a moment, blinking under the stage lights, and glancing between the bodyguards, the backstage behind them, and the singer. finally, she says quietly: ]

He... he wants us to come over there.

[witchwoman]

[Even with Gar's help, Myri... struggles to get up with the rest of them, but fear not! She's just in time to see Security try to tackle them like freaking linebackers. Seriously, guys? What about these four screams DANGER to you?

But then there's an exchange and Myri is leaning in to catch what Gar's saying. She blinks and looks at the man. Obviously she shouldn't lead this parade, since she... can't speak the language, but trying to back out now will only draw more attention to them, so she takes a step forward, looking to the others to see if they're going to follow.]

[shootfirst]

.... ooookay, maybe didn't think that one through. So good. [ kat frowns, but glances at the giant guards, looking more annoyed than afraid. she sighs dramatically. ] Time to play Desperate Fangirls. Let's go. [ she starts walking that way, and people start clapping harder. ]

[slay]

[ chills creep up buffy's spine as the crowd goes silent and when she realizes josh groban is staring at them and talking to them she is sure she's going to pee herself. oh god. she turns s-so slowly to look out at the crowd, then over at josh groban, horror apparent. she doesn't look at kat when she speaks. ]

I think I've had this nightmare before. Except we were naked. We're not naked, are we? [ but then kat is walking and oh god buffy is walking too, forcing herself to keep her chin raised and let an awkward, shaky smile build. she hunches her shoulders to give a sheepish look to the megastar they now share a stage with. ]

[romanticidal]

[ rafael is waving at the other side of the stage now towards some stagehands, saying more things rapidly in italian... and as the girls come over, they approach carrying four chairs, which they set up in a line. the audience laughs uproariously as he gestures for them to sit, and then asks them something, looking at them expectantly. gar, red as a beet, says something back to him, that includes the word 'americano' and his eyes widen in a moment of comprehension. when he speaks again, it's in english, though rather heavily accented. ]

Ah! Americans! [ more laughter ] And you came all this way to see me, si? [ his eyes glint as he glances at the bodyguards, waving them away from where they're trying to hover at the edge of the stage. ] Non preoccuparti, I don't think they're going to start tearing my clothes off. [ he grins back at buffy ] Although she did have a running start, yes? [ they all bust a gut at that, and he raises a hand to quiet them, suddenly thrusting the mike towards them ]

What are your names?

[witchwoman]

[Myri just looks at the mic, brows knitted in confusion. At least he's sort of speaking her language. She isn't sure if she should give her real name, but it isn't as if she has a prepared fake one just waiting for such an occasion. She leans close (too close) to the mic and speaks softly.]

Myrilandel.

[shootfirst]

[ kat sprawls out with her legs apart, like the classy lady she is, leaning forward. ]

Kat.

[rationalizes]

[ gar gives them BOTH A LOOK :| ]

... Tricia.