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

[slay]

[ buffy's familiar with the feeling, so with a wis check of 17, she shudders it off as it creeps up in her neck. she stays focused on the task at hand with concentration 16 and nudges rafael a little to keep him moving, back to the left of the stage in the direction that they'd found jade before. ]

I told you she sings. [ she glances up at the stage in a passing way, looking not entirely comfortable. this isn't her favorite place. in fact, this is her least favorite place. the sooner they get upstairs and away from the raving crowd, the better. ] Maybe not as classy as your venues, but she also doesn't know Angelo Nassi.

[ she's uncomfortable, and her speech is a little on the dismissive side because of it. she's tense and twitchy and just generally eager to get upstairs and get this over with, and it's written all over her body language. there's no spike here to nearly beat to death if she loses it again. des could take it (and probably deserves it), but he's also just a guy, and then there's the explaining, and the -- and mostly she just hates not being able to trust herself not to spaz out. ]

[romanticidal]

[ ♬ In the Dark - DJ Tiesto

There's a sort of dawning comprehension in Rafael's eyes, as if something has clicked into place, and as if he's not very pleased with whatever it was. He follows along towards the back hallways, passing by buzzing club patrons at the tables, laughing and drinking and looking expectantly at the stage.

The sound is muffled slightly as they make their way to the back hallways, towards the antique golden elevator where the red vested attendant stands. Yep. Same guy from before. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[DES LOVES THIS GUY.]

Would you believe that damn light is still on the fritz?

[Bluff check 11... Which is ridiculous, considering he's not even trying. That's what being charismatic gets you.]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ HE'S ON TO YOU THIS TIME BUCKO. But he also... doesn't seem to recognize you or Buffy. Funny how that works... ]

Light?

[witchwoman]

[Myri is still a bit overwhelmed, so she will just be standing uncomfortable in the back. This sort of thing is just not her forte, okay.]

[slay]

[ convenient. she and spike didn't make the best impression.

it's a weird feeling, honestly. it's like ... she remembers talking to the others about what happened. she remembers talking about the elevator and her and spike's absurd attempts to get up it and all the rest of it but she doesn't remember doing it. and yet it all feels eerily familiar, like deja vu except ... she really did do it before. but it feels like it was someone else, like it wasn't real or half-remembered.

yeah. definitely wishing she'd stuck to her never coming back here again plan. she side eyes rafael to remind herself that it's worth it, it's worth it because she's doing it to help someone.

besides. it was going well so far. maybe they wouldn't even feel the absence of spike all but getting his fang on to intimidate the elevator operator into acquiescing. except for that whole not feeling the absence of spike business, because could she possibly get distracted thinking about him more?

she shook it off. ]

Friends of Jade. We're going up.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he's still as flustered and indignant as ever. ]

You can't just go up there. Names?

[nothingsodivine]

Desmond Descant. Trust me. She knows me. [Charisma check: 23. If you were a woman, your underwear would be across the room.

Or if you were gay, but it would also be significantly less attractive for you to throw your underwear.]

[slay]

I'm Buffy. [ she says it with a stubborn, authoritative edge that ... is completely undermined by it being buffy. yep. she deflates in an almost pouty way, letting out a sigh and jerking a thumb in des' direction. ] We're with him.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the man smiles abruptly, looking a bit chagrined ] Ah! Mister Descant, of course. She has said if you were to come, to show you up. [ rafael noticeably stiffens beside myri at that one, but he follows the gang in as the man opens the golden elevator doors and gestures them inside. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des takes this time to lean back and whisper in the direction of the rest of the gang.] I am a god.

[Or he just made an impression on Jade, but pfft. He likes being annoying.]

[slay]

The godliest. [ she says it with some sarcasm, giving him a narrow look. oh well at least they're going up yay being filed into the elevator. ]

[romanticidal]

[ She's So High - Tal Bachman

As the elevator lurches into movement, Rafael ignores Des' posturing, eyes scanning upwards, his breathing seeming to visibly stop as he keeps his gaze fixed on some invisible point above as if he can see her. ]

[slay]

[ buffy finally keys into rafael's silence and distraction, and glances over at him. she nudges him lightly with her elbow. ]

You okay?

[romanticidal]

After all this time... I do not know if I know what to say to her.

[slay]

I don't think she'll be expecting you to come bursting into the room with a Shakespearean monologue. Or ... you to come bursting in at all, for that matter. Speechless. Kind of the order of the situation.

[romanticidal]

She deserves more. An apology... [ he's cut off from explaining that though, as the doors ding open, revealing the hallway full of doors. ]

[slay]

[ buffy looks like she's interested in an explanation until the doors slide open and she's effectively distracted and WHOO LET'S GO she heads on out of them and into the hallway to lead the way. let's try not to knock any doors in this time guys how's that for a resolution. ]

[romanticidal]

[ A Thousand Years - Azure Ray

Rafael's eyes trace across the many unmarked doors, and fall upon the only double set, with its heavy rose wood, and golden handles. He stops there, staring, as if he knows without anyone telling him, that this is the place. ]

[witchwoman]

[Trailing quietly in the back, Myri watches Rafael carefully, concerned for him. When he stops, she looks to the door his eyes are on. It seems as good a place as any to start. She steps up beside him, looking up at him with a gentle smile.]

Would you like us to wait here? At first, at least?

[romanticidal]

[ Rafael shakes his head firmly, squaring his shoulders. ] You have come with me this far. I have the both of you to thank for this chance - why should you not see what it yields? [ And he grasps the handle, pulling it open. The door swings inwards, and reveals an empty sitting room. There's a rug dividing the room leading from this door to the next, and a few sparse end tables line the walls, which are covered with gilt framed mirrors. The rug is green and silver, and worked with images of the moon going through phases, each moon shape wrapped in vines, leading up to the full moon right before the second set of heavy wooden doors. Very familiar to two of you...

but no jade in here. ]

[slay]

If you're sure. [ she follows after him, because really it's his call if privacy is the order of the day or not. unsurprised to find the sitting room empty, she heads up to the next set of wooden doors, rapping her knuckles on it in a quick knock, and then turning the knob to open them up. ]

[borrowedheaven]

[ jade sits at the little bureau across the room, fiddling with her hair. she turns her head at the sound of the opening doors, eyes falling on buffy. her gaze registers surprise and mild caution upon noting the other girl. ]

[witchwoman]

[Myri follows Buffy's lead, taking in the room as the doors open. Her interactions with Jade before were very minimal, but she does recognize the woman. She gives a silent nod before looking over her shoulder to Rafael.]

1/-

[borrowedheaven]

[ myri would see that they're in a large bedroom, centered around an emerald and oak canopied bed. jade doesn't look ready for any kind of performance, but she looks just as lovely in a simpler style of dress, like the day they dropped her back off here. she rises as they all hover there in the entrance. ]

Should I assume something's happened, with you all showing up here? What-- [ her words cut off as her eyes slide past the girls.

♬ Stay With Me - Danity Kane ]