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

[borrowedheaven]

I hate to say it, but have any of you considered that maybe it's better this way? [ her eyes flit to rafael for a moment, an apology hidden there as she glances back away ] Maybe that's one reason I left in the first place. Maybe whatever this thing is these people are all after should just... stay hidden.

[witchwoman]

But he loves you! [Myri exclaims without thinking or bothering to be her typically quiet self. Immediately, she covers her mouth with one hand and glances around at everyone.]

I mean... [She looks to Rafael.] You do, don't you? I've never heard a man talk about a woman like you talk about her.

1/2

[romanticidal]

[ oh

well

that's out there now then

so rafael will just hesitate a second, then take another step forward ]

Si, she is not wrong. I wish you would consider--

[borrowedheaven]

I can't. [ the words seem to pain her slightly, but she takes an immediate step backward, voice firm as she looks over at him sharply. ] I'm sorry. I get it. I-- I'm very, very sorry. But it's not fair to ask this of me. I'm not the same girl you knew, and I'm not ready to have someone else's idea of who I am thrust onto me like this.

[ her eyes move to buffy and she shakes her head slightly ] I can't leave here. I won't.

[slay]

[ buffy deflates. she gets it. she hates that she gets it because maybe if she didn't, she'd be a better knight. she'd push and she'd insist, but she's got a tug in her chest of sympathy that makes it impossible to push further, because jade just looks like she's in such pain from this. ]

... Okay. [ she looks down, fingers wringing. ] Then, this is ... [ she looks back up at her. ] This is probably the last time you'll hear from us. Or, uh, the knights you've met, anyway. [ she looks to myri, then back at jade. ]

Des was right. We're being taken off the case for not being able to get the job done. For not being able to find the talisman.

[ there's a beat. she steps forward to close the gap between them and puts a probably-out-of-line hand on jade's shoulder. ]

But, Jade -- ... Even if we don't see you again. Even if this is it. I hope you change your mind about leaving here. You're better than this place.

Hiding in here won't help you run away from whatever this is. But, maybe if you learn more, you can get some peace. [ she holds her hands up in surrender. ] I'm not saying you have to get your answers through us. Go with Des to New Orleans, or give Rafael a chance to get to know who you are now, or however you wanna do it. [ she drops her hands, stepping back. ] That's it for unsolicited Buffy advice for the evening. Promise.

1/2

[borrowedheaven]

[ ♬ Your Weak Hands - Azure Ray

jade's gaze scrapes the ground when buffy puts a hand on her shoulder, only shooting her one raised eyebrow when she makes her final suggestions as to what she should do next. ]

I'm sorry I couldn't help you more. If things change-- [ a quick glance between des and raf, almost hard to catch ] I'll find a way to get in touch.

[romanticidal]

Eterna-- [ the word falls off his lips weakly, the last plea of someone watching all of their dreams crack apart right in front of them. but he seems to recognize the resolution in her expression, and as much as it looks like he wants to move to her, touch her, comfort her, plead with her, he looks trapped in place, aware of the massive distance between them that he has no real way to cross. ]

[witchwoman]

[Myri looks between Rafael and Jade, her upset expression plainly written on her face. She wants to protest, but Buffy's already said her peace, and she knows it's the right thing to do, even if she hates to do it.

She wants to comfort Rafael, to apologize for all of this, because she feels like she failed him more than anyone else. The man saved their lives and THIS was how they repaid him? It made her nauseous.

So she just shrinks back beside Buffy. For now, there's nothing more they can do.]

[slay]

[ that awkward moment when ...

buffy looks back at rafael, a little pained. because they did this. they brought him here, dragged him halfway around the world, and it was all for ... what. getting his heart stomped on repeatedly? guilt surges through her. but there's nothing to be done, and she's just left folding one of her hands around one of myri's and squeezing. ]

1/2

[borrowedheaven]

[ ♬ Vienna - The Fray

Something in his voice apparently strikes a chord, as abruptly Jade surges forward to place a hand on Rafael's forearm, rising on her toes to lightly brush a kiss on his cheek. His eyes widen and zone in on her, and the hope that rises in them only to fade as he realizes what she's doing is almost worse than the despair that was there moments ago. ]

The fact that you held onto this for so long, came all this way... What we had must have been... [ she stops herself with a sad little smile, drawing away again. ] I'm sorry I can't bring it back so easily.

[romanticidal]

[ he stares like a lovestruck puppy and it's pretty clear that he doesn't know how to peel himself away and leave. ]

If there is some way to help you remember... you have my word, I will find it.

[slay]

... Would this be a good or a bad time to point out that you probably won't remember this conversation in the morning courtesy of Nightscape magic? [ she's raising her hand as she interrupts. look, it seems like something he might want to forget tbh. she's just keeping it real. ]

[borrowedheaven]

Not if you avoid the hallway into the club downstairs. There's another staircase that leads out to that balcony in the front room that bypasses it. End of the hall, take two rights.

[slay]

[ buffy is slack-jawed and then a little scandalized. ]

A bypass. Now, why couldn't we take the bypass last time? [ huff. ] Stupid ... fleeing security.

[witchwoman]

At least we'll remember it, should we ever need to return? [Ray of fucking sunshine, this one.]

[borrowedheaven]

I'd be okay with that. [ bypassing security or you guys visiting some day... is kind of unclear. ] But for now-- [ one more lingering glance at rafael ] I'm sorry... They're waiting for me.

[slay]

[ buffy puts a hand on rafael's arm, kinda nudging him into gear. ]

We'll see ourselves out. [ a beat. ] I'm sorry. I thought -- We weren't trying to make anything harder for you. I thought ... [ long pause. ] Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. [ she looks to myri and des and then turns to head back into the hall. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des nods at her and leans forward.] If I find anything in New Orleans that you might need to know, I'll give you a ring. Until then? Just stay safe. [He pats her shoulder and falls into step behind Buffy.]

Bet you were imagining that going better.

[slay]

[ she gives des a hard look for that. ] Understatement. [ it sounds a lot more like WOW THANK YOU FOR BEING AN ASSHOLE THAT'S REALLY NECESSARY. she looks at rafael, more softly. ]

Rafael, I'm -- I'm so sorry. I didn't think that ...

[romanticidal]

[ My December - Linkin Park ]

I know. [ his voice is quiet, but there's a strained quality to his expression as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, before opening them and casting one glance back at the doors retreating behind them. he lets buffy all but drag him down the hallway, looking for all intents like he doesn't know or care where they're going. ] It is not your fault.

[witchwoman]

This isn't what we wanted at all. [She manages to get out, holding herself together, even though she feels like crap about everything.] Maybe... in time... [She looks back over her shoulder at where they've been.] There's always room for hope.

[slay]

I just hope that ... that it beats never knowing. Even if it didn't work out the way any of us wanted it to, it still -- [ optimism. not helping. she just deflates. her hand rests on his back instead of his arm for the sake of comfort and reassurance as she continues to guide his poor lost self toward the stairs as they hunt around for them. ]

[romanticidal]

[ oh hey stairs

he heads down them automatically, like a robot/zombie/half...elf... but his eyes glance at her as her hand shifts to his back and there's gratitude there, even amid all the IMMEASURABLE SORROW ]

Do you think she is happy?

[slay]

[ honestly? she doesn't. she doesn't think anyone could be happy here, and jade's never appeared exceptionally so. but it's not about the truth. it's about lying to make rafael feel better. ]

I think she's where she wants to be, and doing what she wants to be doing. [ it's not technically a lie, actually. more of an avoidance. for all intents and purposes, that should mean jade is happy. but buffy just isn't seeing it. ] We saw her perform our first time here. She was ... she was incredible.

[witchwoman]

[Myri just chews on her bottom lip and lets Buffy do the talking. She knew Jade better anyway. Plus, talking is hard when you are being swallowed whole by guilt.]