chicago ♔ everybody's looking for something

[romanticidal]

♬ Let There Be Drums - Carl LaFong Trio

WHO || Buffy, Rafael, Spike, Jade. [closed]
WHAT || Buffy, Raf, and Spike return to Chicago to attempt to convince Jade to come perform with Finnick & Raf
WHERE || Airplane & Nightscape
WHEN || Tues, Nov 27th
HOW || Actionspam

[ Talk about your desperate gamble. Burt Becksworth is in great danger of losing his control over NOVA Records, which would leave all of its assets squarely in the hands of his evil cultist brother, Chad and whatever diabolical plans he has involving the Talisman and his hideous experiments. Obviously, the Knights aren't ready to stand for that, but the only way of helping Burt maintain control is to help Rafael and Finnick skyrocket their careers to incredibly heights of fame. Burt believes the much sought after Jade to be the key to that, but she's seemed very adamant about staying put in the past.

Time to find out if anything's changed...]

Comments

[romanticidal]

[ seriously, check this nat 20 diplomacy shit out, as raf saunters up ]

We know that. Do you think we'd be here otherwise? I don't think the invitations to this place offer off-hour directions. [ the guard frowns and merely grunts in reply, before moving aside. "Make it quick." ]

[bigbad]

[Wow, they really do leave a lot to be desired. Spike smirks at the guard as they past but doesn't say anything because let's face it, he'd fuck it up somehow. He is not a charismatic Italian rockstar.]

So, where's our girl?

1/2

[romanticidal]

I would imagine we could find her upstairs. She spoke last time of how the magic of this place lies in the hallway into the club, and that we might escape it by taking the stai-- [ annnd he cuts off sharply, eyes moving up one the classy white staircases curving towards the balcony above the red carpet that leads to the club entrance. ]

[borrowedheaven]

[ ♬ angel - gavin friday

and approaching the railing, in a long white flowing dress that makes her seem every bit as ethereal as they now know her to be, is jade herself, wearing a slightly amused smile as she leans over to look at the group of them. rafael'll just be over hear gaping. ]

... Should've known you'd be back.

[slay]

Yeah, well, you know us. Can't stay away. [ buffy's hands find her hips and she gives a quirk of a smile to jade, because it's like a ridiculous inside joke that they just KEEP STALKING HER BACK TO NIGHTSCAPE at this point. ] You look good.

[borrowedheaven]

Feeling more like myself than the last time you saw me. [ she pushes off the railing a bit and gestures to the steps ] Well, come on up. Let's get this over with.

[slay]

Well, since you invited us ... [ sarcasm aside, she moves to head up the steps. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike follows, looking around curiously. He's never been up this way since he didn't come last time. He's just been through the club.]

So this is the trick for keeping your memories of the place? Convenient.

1/2

[romanticidal]

[ yeah rafael doesn't need a second invitation, as up he goes, eyes never leaving her. at one point, he nearly trips on the stairs, because you should really look where you're going, bro. ]

[borrowedheaven]

Seems almost too simple, huh? But everybody who comes here comes for the show.

I don't get a lot of visitors. Who aren't trying to kill me.

[slay]

Hey! We've visited lots of times, and we have most definitely, ... probably not ever tried to kill you. [ she stops halfway through the sentence, looking to jade. because, well, memory loss. it's all just remembering what she did remember for the most part. ] We didn't, did we?

[bigbad]

No, it was me that you tried to kill.

[Whoops I guess Spike's a bit bitter because he sure hasn't held that against her for a while. But now he's pissy and he feels like pointing it out again.]

[slay]

[ she looks like that stings extra today, mostly because she knows it's coming from a spiteful place, and she just sets her jaw and keeps her expression neutral but told-off and averts her gaze, remaining silent. ]

[borrowedheaven]

Maybe not, but you're usually not bearing good news, either.

So what is it this time?

[bigbad]

[Spike glances over at the other two, then says brightly:]

How do you feel about touring?

[borrowedheaven]

You're joking. Right?

[slay]

Wish we were.

[romanticidal]

These men who were looking to control you, they are about to come into a great deal of power. And though it sounds strange, your touring with us may be one of the only ways to slow that dow-- [ abruptly, the entire ground seems to shake under their feet, as the floor is rocked with the sound of a heavy explosion below. (balance checks 14+ to keep one's feet) jade, entirely unprepared, almost goes sprawling, but rafael's arm darts out and grabs her, so she falls against his chest instead, looking shocked. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike catches himself easily enough (balance 19) and automatically looks to Buffy to see if she's okay... then glances away, annoyed at himself for even caring.]

What the bloody hell was that?

[slay]

[ balance 20. she looks mostly unmoved, just startled.

startled, and a little wounded. she watches the way rafael snatches jade up with a mingled expression of jealousy and misery, but she quickly squashes it down to deal with the task at hand. ]

If I had to take a wacky guess? I'd say somebody's looking for Jade.

1/2

[borrowedheaven]

[ ♬ Swallow (Punto Omega Remix) - Emilie Autumn

Jade stares at Raf for a moment, blinking, before her eyes scan to the balcony, and she pulls herself away, moving in that direction. ] Awfully convenient timing, don't you think?

[ As she approaches the railing to look down, shots ring out, one of which grazes her in the shoulder. She jumps back suddenly, swearing and grabbing her arm: ] Shit. You've got to be fucking with me.

i lied 2/3

[romanticidal]

[ Rafael's got his 'ready to murder things' face on as he draws his guns out and steps in front of her. ] Is there another way out? [ The look on her face dashes that hope immediately then, and he blanches a bit, before nodding sharply. ] Then we go through.

[borrowedheaven]

[ She grumbles something about 'deja vu' but nods. and then holds out a palm decisively to Raf. ] You've got two. And there's not really room for a holster in this thing. [ He hesitates a moment, but then hands her one of the guns, which she immediately and instinctively seems to check for ammo and safety off. ] Let's roll.

[bigbad]

Sure hope they're not human. [He doesn't need the headache. He lets his fangs come out, the better to terrify the shit out of people he can't eat, and nods.] Stay behind us. Takes more than bullets to kill me.

[romanticidal]

[ there's another burst of gunfire from below, followed by yet another huge explosion... this time centered below. the entire staircase seems to buckle below them. ] They're blowing the entire building. Trying to collapse the club, perhaps. [ he feels so naked with only one gun. it's so obvious. but still, he heads towards the right hand staircase, motioning for the others to stay close behind, and pops out to fire off some rounds as he moves sideways down the steps. most of his bullets fly wildly through the smoke and dust, but there's at least one direct sound of impact below.

it's impossible to see the assailants, but they must be positioned down inside the area that's blown up around the door. ]