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

[witchwoman]

[Myri's cheeks heat up as she catches on to what everyone thought was happening.]

Oh no! No, he was just showing us the grounds. Your horses are beautiful. Even if the bird isn't that fond of us.

[slay]

[ buffy will just be over here with kat in not feeling obligated to explain themselves to dis bitch land. she rolls her eyes a little because COME ON THAT QUIP WAS WEAK, ISA, and then looks at kat. ]

Remind me to look into learning a foreign language if we ever get back to -- [ the castle. oops. she fixes herself. ] Uh, home.

1/-

[rationalizes]

I'm sure I can teach you. [ gar mumbles to buffy, before gesturing back to the garage ] Why don't we just ah... continue our tour then?

2/-

[shootfirst]

Before we all get beaned by the bird.

3/-

[savemyself]

[ isabella narrows her eyes at myri's remark ] What is wrong with Sorto? [ she goes to stick her head back in the barn ]

4/4

[romanticidal]

Nothing, Bella, nothing. Go see if you can calm him down, no? [ his comment is clearly meant to keep her from sticking around, for whatever reason, and she shoots him a Look but disappears into the barn, and he wastes no time in steering them over to the next building, where he pulls open the door and holds it for them each, reaching around the corner to flick on the lights.

there are several vehicles here, but one that draws the eye... and one he makes a beeline for. ]

My pride and joy, eh? What do you think? [ And for the 2nd time in a few months, they get to see a classic Corvette in all its glory - this one an orange 1969 model. ]

[witchwoman]

[HEY KAT. Remember that time Myri got sick to her stomach when you drove? Yeah, when people get stoked about cars, she gets a little green in the face. Good job.]

I think I prefer the horses. [She says quietly, swallowing thickly.]

[slay]

[ buffy eyed myri at that, and though she agreed, she didn't say it. if she was being honest? never really got the whole guys and cars thing. she'd said as much to des, but she was deciding to be more on the side of tact gal with rafael at least. ]

Shiny. I'm sure it makes a great deal in the way of manly revving noises.

1/-

[shootfirst]

Help, I'm having hideous flashbacks to our least favorite Private Eye.

2/-

[rationalizes]

[ wow gar will try to be nice at least, guys ]

It's very impressive, indeed. [ but she's on team horses over horsepower too, so she'll just glance back out the door the way the barn was. horsies :( ]

3/3

[romanticidal]

[ hey, buffy, guess what, your american sarcasm apparently doesn't translate very well, and as rafael glances between the ladies, he apparently decides that was a real compliment, or something. he affixes her with a crooked smile and gestures at the passenger side door, looking hopeful. ]

I can show you?

[slay]

[ flatly, to kat; ] And now I'm joining you. [ at least rafael was 100% less likely to try and give running commentary on her lack of love life, or her ... unrequited love life or ... whatever.

she drums up a gradual, wide smile and fixes it on rafael. ] I ... Sure, why not. [ she shifts a quick look around at the other girls and then steps forward to pull on the passenger door handle as delicately as possible because it's so shiny and super strength.

and let the record show her willingness to go along with the excellent plan of car ride alone with the strange foreign man in a strange foreign place at night has nothing to do with the fact that he's famous and also has a nice smile. nope. ]

[romanticidal]

[ His smile widens automatically at her lack of hesitance and he gestures to the door. ] I'm afraid it only seats one passenger... but in the meantime, if you would all like to ride, or have Hiro show you to your rooms, I am sure he or Isabella would be happy to help.

[ He swings around to the driver's side as he says so, tossing them a wave as he climbs in. ]

We will try not to be too long.

[witchwoman]

[Myri opens her mouth to protest, but thinks better and closes it, looking to Kat and Gar. She doesn't like letting one person go off on their own, but she knows Buffy is capable of taking care of herself. Plus, without Rafael around, they may be able to take a look around and see if there's more to learn.

Yeah, Myri can be underhanded. It comes from running for most of your life.]

Be careful. [She says with all sincerity. The last thing she wants is Buffy hurt somewhere and not to be able to find her.]

1/3

[savemyself]

[ The moment the Corvette goes peeling out of the garage, Isabella enters in a flurry of skirts, eyes wide, demanding: ]

Where did Rafael go?

2/3

[rationalizes]

[ Gar looks a bit flustered, whirling around to face Isabella. ] He and Buffy simply went for a er, spin, I do believe, perhaps about the block?

[savemyself]

They did what? [ She sounds insanely scandalized, and goes stalking towards the garage door entrance, swinging out to watch the car vanishing. And then starts speaking rapidly in angry, angry Italian, apparently cursing from the way Gar's flinching over there. ]

[witchwoman]

I'm sure they will be back soon. [Myri offers.] He said we were to... have a look around until they returned. [Yeah that bluff check only hit 10. She's not the greatest, but she wants to buy them time to regroup or something.]

[savemyself]

[ Apparently, she's so distracted and irate that she doesn't even question it for a second, although she affixes them all with a clearly disgusted expression. ]

He did, did he? [ She raises a hand to her temple in a gesture of exasperation, waving a hand dismissively in the direction of the house. ] Go bother Hiro, then. I am not his babysitter.

[ She turns around to watch the car pull around the house entirely, narrowing her eyes and muttering something else in Italian. ]

[witchwoman]

[Myri nods and steps back, glancing at Kat and Gar before turning to head back to the house. This is an opportunity she doesn't want to lose time on.

She waits until she's out of the garage and stable area completely before speaking, and even then, she keeps her voice low.]

Perhaps we leave Hiro to his other duties? [OBVIOUSLY, but she doesn't want to say anything too incriminating. She's paranoid, okay.]

1/2

[shootfirst]

I'm all for snoopage. Beats hanging around on Animal Farm.

[rationalizes]

I can't say I expect to find much evidence that would assist us, however... [ she hesitates ] It does seem... odd, don't you think? Just how welcoming Signor Giovanni has been...?

[witchwoman]

Perhaps it is just his custom? [He keeps mentioning that they are American. Even if she doesn't really get what that means, it clearly doesn't mean he is as well. Different people act differently, Gar.]

I was thinking that perhaps he has a... library or office? A computer? [She looks at Kat. She's watched her Knight research enough to know that it's a decent place to start.]

1/2

[shootfirst]

I like the way you think. They don't do things that differently here. There's got to be at least one place wired in this house. [ She gets to the back door and puts a hand over her eyes, pressing up to the screen to make sure the coast is clear before yanking the door open ] Anyone asks, we're looking for the bathroom.

[rationalizes]

[ uncertainly: ] All of us?