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

[romanticidal]

[ his lip quirks as if with a secret joke, and then he's turning down another road and oh hey look they're like practically on top of the city already. how fast was he fucking going. ]

I would like to see that, actually.

[slay]

I - I'm not really sure if I should be ... [ she interlaces her fingers and holds them in front of her in a little awkward gesture as she tries to articulate all the reasons she doesn't love that plan when the chief amongst them is apprehension at her own abilities. ] Vacation, and all.

[ a beat. she gives as much truth as she can. ]

It's just ... When I was training for this job, there were some accidents. During training stuff. Ever since, I've been kinda ... hit baddies only. As a rule.

[romanticidal]

[ there almost seems to be some level of appreciation in his eyes when he looks back at her. ] Too much woman for them, is that it?

[slay]

[ that gets a laugh out of her, and she loosens up, reassured at his understanding. ]

Guess so. Apparently none of them got the 'don't underestimate based on small packaging' lesson. [ she side eyes him at that in a teasing way. ]

[romanticidal]

[ he chuckles again, as he starts searching out a parking spot ] I have seen some truly terrifying small packages before, perhaps.

[slay]

[ as he starts slowing, she looks around, all but sticking her head out the window to get a better look of where they might be going. ]

Ooh, terrifying, just what every girl longs to be called.

[romanticidal]

I thought you may be tired of hearing 'beautiful' by now. [ said oh so casually as he pulls to the side of the road, and turns the car off, sliding out without waiting for a response.

oh right welcome back to the most beautiful place in the world. ]

[slay]

[ s c r e a m s. no she's not really screaming but she does still at that and slowly turn to glance back at him, caught off guard with the edge of a flattered smile combo'd with a slack-jawed look because he sure really just said that.

she sets about climbing out after a pause, shaking her head. oh, boy. you're in trouble, girl. she looks up and around at the city, a distinct sense of awe about her at the way the lights along the canal brighten everything and make the gondolas look like they glow.

good thing she probably doesn't know that's sewage water they're glowing in. ]

Speaking of beautiful ...

[romanticidal]

[ I Remember - Damien Rice

He watches her expression over the top of the car, smiling lightly, and then nods towards the walk, which leads in in the direction of said beautiful canals and into the heart of the actual city. ] This way.

[ He turns an appreciative eye to the view as well, though there's a touch of something almost wistful and sad in the way he gazes at it all ] They say Venezia holds many secrets, but that that is part of what makes it so alluring.

[slay]

And all this time, I thought the allure was all the cute italians. [ she shuts her door and follows after him down the walk, tucking her hands into her pockets. ]

[romanticidal]

We can carry our own mystery, as well. [ A little smirk, and he leads her over a tiny bridge, as they pass canoodling couples and old men drawing and a couple with a tiny daughter falling asleep on the mother's shoulder. All of whom are completely human - basically everywhere they go. ]

[slay]

[ if it weren't for the warning brigade talking about shadowkind rights, and angelo earlier that day, she might not have noticed. but as it stands ... ]

Is one of those mysteries like how come there's no Shadows of any kind 'round these parts?

[romanticidal]

[ he almost seems to pause for a moment in his step before pressing on, his voice a tiny bit harder as he replies: ]

That is no mystery, I am afraid. Italia is not very welcoming for those who are not born human.

[slay]

Yeah, but for there to be none here? [ she glances over at him, noticing the change in his voice. ] ... Unless they're the ones that can pass for human, I guess. It's just weird, I mean, I know Nassi said that it's bad, but I didn't think ... [ she shakes her head. ]

[romanticidal]

[ a tiny beat ] You spoke to Angelo?

[slay]

[ WHOOPS. ]

Uh -- Did I say - ? [ she clears her throat. ] Uh. Yeah. Yeah, we bumped into him backstage. Just for a second, though. [ all technically true. ]

[romanticidal]

He did not mention anything. [ there's an obvious veil of suspicion there ] You spoke to him about Shadowkind?

[slay]

Uh, yeah. You know, we just heard all that stuff about Italy not being kind to the Shadowkind types, and then he was here, so it ... it came up. [ bluff check 14. she gives a dismissive laugh. ] Politics. Quickest way to kill a conversation. I wouldn't wanna talk about it if I were him, either, though, so I guess it was kinda on the insensitive side.

[romanticidal]

Nothing he is not accustomed to, I am sure. [ he looks down, stuffing his own hands in his pockets ] The government seeks to pass many laws limiting where Shadowkind might live or work. And they are far from the only ones who try to drive them out.

[ He looks back up at her, and there's something in his face that has been entirely absent during the rest of their time together - a sort of grounded reality that seems far from the smiling, carefree star at dinner. ] As I said. Venezia holds many secrets. [ He pulls to a stop on the bridge and turns from her, gesturing to someone below and shouting in Italian. When she looks down that way, it's clear he's summoning a gondolier who was just untying his boat. When he looks up again, the smile has returned, banishing the darkness that seemed to have creeped in moments prior. ] Our chariot.

[slay]

Maybe Venezia isn't the only thing here with secrets. [ she says it in a quiet, thoughtful way as she watches him and it's unclear if she means him on account of that look on his face, of herself. but, the gondolier does a good job of interrupting, and buffy's expression lights up a little as she glances down at him, then back at rafael. ]

You don't really mean ... [ with a burgeoning excitement, she hurries down to the edge of the bridge, to the tiny dock (which is really more of just a staircase) that the gondolier is pulled up to. ]

[romanticidal]

[ if he heard her semi-aside, he doesn't say anything about it. ] Of course. I promised the true Venetian experience, no? [ he follows her, still smiling, still casually with one hand in his pocket as he hails the gondolier. they have a short exchange in italian, and rafael presses some money into his hand and then gestures to buffy to step in to the gondola first. ]

[slay]

[ she climbs happily into the gondola with the help of the gondolier, taking a seat on the padded bench and scooting into a comfortable position to wait for rafael to join. ]

[romanticidal]

[ he comes and settles beside her, shooting her another smile, but not saying anything, as the gondolier pushes off and the boat sways slightly beneath them. ]

[slay]

You know, I, um. [ she glances over at him once she's basked in the pretty for a moment. ] I should really thank you. You've been so gracious and done so much for us. [ and still not given them any information that they need on nova you son of a bitch. ]

[romanticidal]

[ funny how that works isn't it. ]

You need not thank me, as I said. It is my pleasure, to have your company. [ he leans forward and hands the gondolier another euro or something, and the boatman smiles and nods and then idk someone has an accordion somewhere abruptly, that's literally what kept happening when I was in Venice so it can sure as hell happen in fiction.

and he launches into a boistrous rendition of Caruso with hilariously overblown vocals and all. ]