chicago ♔ love only knows if we'll give into fear and choose life undercover

[romanticidal]

♬ Love Only Knows - Josh Groban

WHO || Rafael, Buffy, Myri, Des, Jade [closed]
WHAT || Buffy & Myri break orders and take Rafael to Chicago to reunite him with lost love Jade. Des comes too.
WHERE || Nightscape; Chicago
WHEN || July 7th, night.
HOW || Actionspam

Standing across the street from the nondescript looking building, Rafael frowns across at the line of people entering into the fruit stand canopy.

"You are certain this is the place?" he asks uncertainly, without looking at Buffy and Myri beside him.

Comments

[romanticidal]

[ good call. ] Who is Des?

[witchwoman]

A man we met while on our mission. He... assisted us the last time we were here in Chicago.

[That's a loose way of putting it, but Myri doesn't royally screw up dancing lightly around that description (Bluff 18)]

[slay]

He's a P.I. who's been helping us out on our assignment. [ none of this is technically a lie! it simples things up a lot, though, leaving out the icky hoffman stuff. ]

[romanticidal]

I see. [ that is not a happy 'I see' voice. he impatiently looks back across the street ] Do you suspect we will have to break in?

[witchwoman]

No!

[A beat before she looks over at Buffy warily.]

...I don't think?

[slay]

It's like a 50-50. [ honesty is the best policy ok. she shrugs. ] Won't be too tough if we have to, anyway. Just as long as we don't -- [ she shifts as she mentally retraces the path she'd taken with spike. they'd talked about it enough afterward for her to remember that it stuck, but worse, she can remember the bad parts and not the useful parts. the feeling of the blood room. the way she'd attacked him. she swallows. ] Get turned around and wind up in the back rooms.

[romanticidal]

What is in the back rooms?

[witchwoman]

[Myri will have to sit on her hands figuratively and let Buffy go for it since she was with Mark and not in the club during that leg of the mission. But she's a little curious about those back rooms, herself.]

[slay]

[ she tugs herself out of her recollection and she glances over at them uncertainly. it's a beat before she musters up a hasty response. ]

Uh. Sex, drugs, rock and roll, et cetera. It's ... icky.

[romanticidal]

... That is what kind of place this is? [ he sounds s-so scandalized ]

[witchwoman]

I believe they call it a 'nightclub'

[S-so helpful]

Any word from our friend? [She directs to Buffy, meaning Des.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Which is precisely when Des saunters up, appearing behind Buffy.]

Yeah. I hear, it's "bird."

[Jokes that Myri won't get for $600, Alex.]

[slay]

[ buffy rolls her eyes at his joke, but smiles as she turns to look at him. ]

I was starting to think you'd never get here. Don't tell me that old car of yours finally called it quits.

[romanticidal]

[ don't mind the italian guy

he'll just be over here

sizing you up ]

[witchwoman]

[No wait. Myri is still hung up on that joke she didn't get.]

What bird? Should there be a bird?

[nothingsodivine]

There's no bird. [Des gives Myri a sympathetic "oh poor baby" look and then shoots Rafael a LOOK, before devoting his attention to Blondie.]

It's fine. I was stuck in traffic. Plus the flight back from New Orleans was a pain in the ass. [He jerks his thumb at PRETTY BOY.] What? Were you missing out on some eye candy since I borrowed your boy band wannabe?

[romanticidal]

[ he thrusts out a hand, expression still rather hard. ] Rafael.

They say you have a way to get inside.

[slay]

[ somewhere, peter griffin is dancing. thx des. ]

Please tell me I don't have to knock out any guards and sneak us in. It's an ugly, ugly road to go down a first time, let alone a second.

[witchwoman]

We'd prefer to keep this simple.

[Wishful thinking is so cute, isn't it?]

[romanticidal]

[ rafael doesn't seem fazed by the idea of knocking guards out, really. ] Whatever we must do, we should do quickly.

[nothingsodivine]

Fine. I won't tell you. [He grins.] If the guards take us to see Jade, it won't be a problem. She likes me, remember?

[witchwoman]

Can't we just... ask them if we can see her?

Or perhaps send a message to let her know we're here and would like to talk to her?

[Anything but fighting. Myri is tired of fighting.]

[slay]

Kinda what I was hoping him being here would get us. [ buffy nods to des. ] Wanna give her a call? [ she turns to head into the fruit stand -- into the entrance of nightscape. ]

[romanticidal]

[ except that des doesn't have her digits, dudes. none of y'all do.

rafael is right on buffy's heels, and some people flash them dirty looks when they go to bypass the giant line. ]

Perhaps a message with the doorman.

[ a large bodyguard moves to block their path from heading straight into the canopy, staring down at them, and practically honest-to-god-growling. ]

[nothingsodivine]

She didn't give me her phone number. [She did not hit him with those seven digits. Life is hard.

ALSO HEY ITALIAN GUY, WHAT R U DOIN'. It's his job to annoy Buffy by being right on her heels. He sort of parts the blonde and Italian sea and gets as close to the doorman as he can.]

Hey, big guy. We've got business with the lady of the house. Kinda wanna catch her before she goes onstage. You know the drill. I'm an old friend. Desmond Descant? Name ring any bells? Yes? No? Probably? Just call the girl and ask. [Bluff check: 13.]