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]

[ 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. ]

[slay]

[ buffy is awed at first but then decides that this must just be what venetian people do all day. except not really she's just still awed and basking in this. her smile brightens and she's glowing as she looks over at rafael again -- at which point it's already mid song bc she was just amazed for that long. ]

If this is the Venice experience, I think I need a stronger word for it than love.

[romanticidal]

[ Meanwhile Rafael is half paying attention to her awe, because he seems to be watching the gondolier with a look of judgmental and amused 'SERIOUSLY'. And then he just starts laughing. At him. Directly. To the point where the gondolier STOPS SINGING to give him a Look like WHAT, and Rafael just holds up a hand, explaining between laughs: ]

I'm sorry, so sorry. It is just the way you belt Caruso, I fear we will sail into the Atlantic under the winds. [ Maybe the gondolier's English isn't so good or something, because he just looks ruefully chastised instead of offended, and Rafael sits up, gesturing to Mr. Accordion player or whatever to go again. ] More like this, si?

[ and he starts up at the chorus, singing the same tune with his ridiculous 30+ perform checks that turn the harsh operatic tones into something much much softer on the ear. (:48) ♬ Caruso - Josh Groban ]

[slay]

[ and then buffy needed new underwear. where does that even. how does he. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM. THAT VOICE.

she's gawking. she knows she's gawking and it's not even like attractive gawking (is there attractive gawking?) and she's all slack-jawed and googly-eyed and watching him in awestruck, fangirly silence as he sings and she's wondering just how the heck she's supposed to focus on this gondola ride with him singing like that.

she relaxes some and finally glances away, flushing a little at her own amazement, and then just settles in to sort of ... half-lean against him (bow chicka wow wow) as she looks out at the way the light reflects on the water like glowing orbs and he can just be her stereo forever she'd be okay with that. ]

SPOT CHECK YO

[romanticidal]

[ His eyes crinkle warmly when he catches her looking at him like that and when she leans against him, and he doesn't seem bothered, just singing away as they float through Venice, passing all kinds of people and places and drawing some attention as they do so.

Rounding one corner, they pass a tiny balcony that seems to jut off from what must be a cafe of some sort, although the overhang only allows room for one small table, where two people sit talking animatedly. A vase with a red rose sits between them. ]

[slay]

[ she's much too busy paying attention to rafael's singing and all the shiny, because she only makes a spot check of 10. ]

/ninja tags you first i guess

[postergirl]

[ Way to stay focused indeed, Buffy. It's not until they're about to round the next corner that she'd notice at least one thing because it's REALLY HARD TO MISS. Chiefly, that one of the two people sitting at that cafe appears to be Dumage. But she barely gets a glimpse of her face before a building's in the way, and she didn't even process whether she was with a man or a woman or anything about the other beyond the fact that she hadn't been alone.

Maybe she was just seeing things... ]

i feel so special

[slay]

[ when she spots dumage, buffy sits up suddenly, to the point that she's barely on the bench anymore as she tries to whip her head around and twist her body to get another look at her or the person she's with. what she does process is that it looks intimate and might be useful and has this been where she's been off to all night? her movements are sudden enough that they do a good job of rocking the gondola around some. ]

you should.

[romanticidal]

[ The abrupt movement causes Rafael to cut off mid-note, and reach out to steady her, in apparent concern that she's going to fall out. ]

Attento! Buffy!

[slay]

[ she settles back down in the seat at his urging, holding onto his arm to keep herself steady, but still craning her neck desperately. ]

Back there. There was a - a restaurant, or a building and there were people sitting on a balcony, do you know what it is? [ rafael you are now obligated to know every single place in venice. ]

[romanticidal]

[ well. he doesn't. because he failed his knowledge: local check. ]

I cannot say I remember, no... Why?

[slay]

[ it's ok she'll try the gondolier. ]

What about you? Do you know? That, uh, building. That we just turned past? [ she looks flustered because ugh she doesn't speak italian and this gondolier is probably like wtf are you saying gurl, and she looks haplessly at rafael for help. ] I'd like to go. Like really like to go.

[romanticidal]

[ yeah, the gondolier just looks at her with a big confused smile and shrugs helplessly. rafael looks between them, and then gestures to him, saying a few words and pointing up ahead to a little dock, obviously asking something. the gondolier seems (unsure) but rafael apparently talks him into docking.

he fixes her with a curious look as they make with the parking. ]

Si. Of course.

Perhaps I did not make enough for dinner...

[slay]

No! No, I mean. Dinner was great. [ her expression is all hurried apologies as the gondolier pulls the boat over to the dock. ] Really. I'll explain, I swear, I just ... really want to go see if we can find it.

[romanticidal]

[ he seems to find entertainment in the sudden flight of fancy and hops out of the boat, offering thanks to the gondolier again and holding out a hand to help her climb out safely. ]

We should be able to find it. Come, we will take the alley. [ he nods that way and starts walking backwards, going slowly for her to follow ]