venice ♔ to remove the stain of my love

[romanticidal]

♬ My Confession - Josh Groban

WHO || Rafael Giovanni, Kat, Gar, Buffy, Myri [closed]
WHAT || Invited to the home of the talented singer, the Knights attempt to learn more about his connection to NOVA Records.
WHERE || Rafael's villa, an hour outside Venice, Italy
WHEN || July 6, evening.
HOW || Actionspam, NO TAG ORDER

With Dumage MIA and not responding to her phone, the girls quickly got ready for an evening at the home of the exceptionally talented singer who had dragged them in front of the audience at Notturno. Gar looks nice, if subtly so, in a mid-length red dress and simple make-up (11 Disguise check which is what I use for people prettyifying up). Kat's own attempts to do her make-up when left unaided in the bathroom left her coming out looking like Rocky Raccoon, unhappily smeared in blush and metallic eyeshadows (crit fail :( ), but after the other girls helped salvage her (15), she looks really pretty, though still not wearing anything remotely close to a dress. Ever.

The girls take a ride outside of town, driving through Veneto at breakneck speeds, because someone let Kat drive (check 17). What should be an hour's journey takes them half that time, and they pull up to the impressive sight of a dual story white and red villa that all but screams luxury.

Comments

[rationalizes]

Actually, Liberace was born in Wisconsi-- [ AND THE DOOR OPENS SUDDENLY, cutting her off ]

[inevitablekungfumoves]

[ and on the threshold stands this asian man, with his tiny little sunglasses. he calmly regards them all with a look of pleasant calm, pulling the door open to reveal the opulent main hallway. he offers a polite bow of his head. ]

Welcome. Mr. Giovanni expects you.

[witchwoman]

[Myri blinks in surprise as the door suddenly opens, but puts on a smile and nods her head, offering a quiet 'Thank you' as she steps inside and takes a look around. She's not shy about her awe. Even with all the wonderful things she's seen, she's still not used to such extravagance.]

[slay]

Glad he didn't forget. [ she sizes up the obvious security guard as she steps past him and inside the house, judgy and uncomfortable, but then turns to scan the main hallway instead as she goes inside. she whistles low. ]

[inevitablekungfumoves]

[ The guard or butler or whoever he is leads them through the lobby to an archway at the end of the hallway, past what looks like expensive artwork hanging on the walls. He's silent as he moves, almost eerily so. At the archway he stops, turning on a dime and gesturing for them to enter what appears to be a bright dining room. ]

[romanticidal]

[ as they enter, rafael rises, one hand on his blue striped tie and smiles. ]

Wonderful! Wonderful! You made it. Come in! Have a seat. Si prega di!

[savemyself]

[ he's not, however, alone at the table. Another familiar face sits at the end of it, and she makes no move to rise, or smile, or look welcoming in the least. She wears a gorgeous black dress, hair swept up elegantly. ]

[rationalizes]

[ gar hesitates a moment, before smiling awkwardly at rafael and moving to a seat down at the woman's right hand side. she moves to pull the chair out, stammering out: ] I... I hope you weren't waiting very long on our account.

[shootfirst]

[ kat scoots to gar's side, leaving open the chair at the opposite end from the unfriendly woman, and the seat next to rafael. ]

Hair and make-up take eleven hundred years. Who knew.

[witchwoman]

[Myri observes the room quietly, watching as the two Knights take their seats. She takes the seat at the end of the table, opposite the unpleasant woman. It isn't that she doesn't want to sit beside the kind musician, but that she's... Well, she's nervous (what else is new).]

This place is beautiful. [She says quietly once she's seated.]

[slay]

[ oh thanks myri for shoving buffy next to the famous guy who she had been swooning over before. this is wonderful. she gives an awkward kind of flicker of a smile and then goes to take her seat beside him. ugh famous. she blatantly ignores the bitchy girl from earlier. ]

Thanks for having us. You've got a lovely home. And also slightly intimidating security.

[romanticidal]

[ rafael sits again as they do, glancing over to where asian dude has settled into standing against the wall with hands folded. raf smiles a bit and nods at him. ]

Hiro's irreplaceable. I'd hate to see what this place would be like without him. [ he grants a warm smile to the girls in turn. ] And grazie, you are too kind. [ he clasps both hands together ] I certainly hope you enjoy your evening here. [ his eyes catch the other woman, who still hasn't said a word, and he seems to remember her. ] And this is Isabella Alessandro--

[savemyself]

We've met. [ a fact by which she sounds vaguely irritated. a wisdom check of 15 or above might place her accent as more than just italian (maybe a hint of spanish?) she stares straight ahead, avoiding anyone's gaze. ]

3/3

[romanticidal]

Have you? [ he fixes her with a confused gaze, that seems sharper than his smiling demeanor, as if he's trying to glean something off from what she's not saying. but he seems to quickly give up on that, grinning again. ] How much better, then!

I think... I remember all of you by name. [ he looks at them each, squinting, and then pointing one by one. ] Kat. Tricia. [ gar gives a tight, embarrassed smile. ] ... Myri... Myrilandel? [ he looks to her for confirmation ] And... Buffy, is it?

[witchwoman]

Myri is fine. [She says, knowing that her whole name can be a mouthful. For the sake of realism, I'll refrain from rolling her wisdom check, since Myri wouldn't know Italian from anything else, so she'd likely not detect anything strange about the woman's voice.

Though by staring straight ahead, that harsh gaze would probably be closer to looking at Myri than anyone else, which is making her uncomfortable. She does her best not to show it, but she shifts uncomfortably in the chair, glancing at her friends in turn.]

1/2

[romanticidal]

That's a unique name. It's not Elvish, is it?

[savemyself]

[ Isabella sharply coughs into her napkin, and then primly wipes her lips with it, cutting a gaze at the butler, and then making a snapping motion in the direction of the table. ]

Hiro -- pour the wine, please, would you?

[ he moves away from the wall and bows, moving to lift a bottle off a cart at the side of the room, and then passing between them each to pour a glass of red wine for each guest. ]

[slay]

[ buffy just gives a quiet nod of confirmation at her name and takes to shifting around awkwardly to stay out of the butler--hiro?--'s way as he pours the wine, shooting uncomfortable looks at isabella. ]

[rationalizes]

[ it's ok, guys, gar is here to not act super awkward.




is this the twilight zone... ]

So, Mister Giovanni! Have you been in the music business long?

[romanticidal]

[ he seems to not notice the topic change, glancing up at hiro and gesturing a thank you as he pours his wine. ]

I've been performing since I was, oh, four years old? Though I admit, [ he laughs, and raises his glass ] With less success then than now, perhaps.

[shootfirst]

[ kat pipes up too, sitting up straight her from her slouch when hiro reaches across her ] So why aren't you like ... mondo famous now? I mean I'd never even heard of you before. [ subtlety at its finest yes ]

[savemyself]

[ INTERRUPTING CONVERSATIONAL COW ]

A small measure of fame suits our Rafael just fine. He is perfectly happy with his audiences here. Not everyone aspires to international "super" stardom.

[slay]

Really? But, I mean, you're friends with Angelo Nassi, right? [ she takes a drink of wine, then explains. ] We bumped into him backstage at your show. I mean, he's got friends at Nova, I bet he could get you in. Try out your American audience. [ see, kat? this is what subtlety looks like. and now they can keep having a nice dinner, too. ]

[romanticidal]

We have a business arrangement with Angelo -- I am not sure I would call it more than that. [ rafael takes a sip, brow furrowing a bit thoughtfully, his eyes on the table. ] And I've spoken with Nova before. Our... interests did not align then. Isabella is right: I'm content with my life here, my fans here. [ he gives a small shrug, and looks back over to buffy, smiling slightly once more. ] After all, it seems I have some fans in America, no?

[witchwoman]

A business beyond music? [Myri asks without wondering if that seems like a question she shouldn't be asking. But it's already out there, so she may as well go for it.] Someone as talented as yourself must have other creative goals. Perhaps Mr. Nassi assisting you with those?