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

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?

[savemyself]

Signore Nassi provides a venue for Rafael to perform, no more than that. [ her tone clearly states that she's attempting to cut off that line of questioning sharply. ] Large companies like Nova seek to exercise a great deal of control over their artists. Here, Rafael can do as he pleases: meet his creative goals, as you say, without worrying about cultivating an image to satisfy someone else.

[rationalizes]

You spoke with Nova? [ gar directs her question directly at rafael, in hopes that isabella won't butt in with an answer again. ] Who did you speak with?

[romanticidal]

[ there's a very very small beat, almost imperceptible, before he replies. ] A man named Dirk Smitland. He... no longer works for the company, however.

[slay]

And as a big fan of said creative goals, lemme tell you, way happy for that. Just wondered why you wouldn't pursue a little more American exposure, [ a beat, she gives an awkward look and clarifies, ] professionally if you've got the connections.

But, hey, if this Smitland guy was gonna totally bulldoze your creativity ... I completely understand. Still, you never know; I mean, with him gone, maybe the company's, uh, interests have changed.

[savemyself]

The company's artists spend more time on the front page of the tabloids than they do making music. That has not changed.

[inevitablekungfumoves]

[ oh look hiro's bringing in the food now to break the tension.

it's pasta.

is that racist ]

[romanticidal]

[ rafael accepts his plate and whips his napkin onto his lap. ]

I certainly do not mean to disappoint my fans in America, but ... it is not a decision I have made easily, I promise you. And it means so much to me that you have come so far to see me despite this. [ he pokes his fork through his pasta, then glances across them again. ]

Tell me. Where in America are you from?

[witchwoman]

[Oh look. Geography! Something Myri doesn't know anything about. She's going to pick at her food and keep quiet right now.]

[slay]

We hopped a plane from New Orleans when we heard you were performing. [ the fewer lies she has to keep up with, the better. ] Have you been? [ as the food gets served, she looks briefly up at hiro gratefully. ] Oh, thank you. This looks great.

[romanticidal]

I cannot say I have: my trips to America have been very few and very far between.

And you have been to Italia before?

[shootfirst]

Nope. Totally first timers. [ yeah, she'll just be digging in wildly over there, but ask between bites with her mouth half full ] This Smitland guy, what happened to him?

[savemyself]

No one knows. I believe he went missing, and was never found.

[witchwoman]

New Orleans is a wonderful city. I think you would enjoy it very much. [She adds quickly, trying to continue to appear as an adoring fan, but it's easy to act such a way about New Orleans. It is a place Myri would definitely recommend.]

[But when Smitland's fate is revealed, she covers her mouth with one hand.] How unfortunate. [Myri says, looking concerned towards Rafael, in hopes that he might elaborate.]