CHAPTER FINALE ♔ darling can't you see it's now or never

[romanticidal]

♬ Astronaut (A Short History of Nearly Nothing) - Amanda Palmer ft. Zoe Keating

WHO || Rafael Giovanni, Eterna Jade, Burt Becksworth, Isabella Alessandro, Finnick Odair, Myrilandel de Tanos, Buffy Summers, Spike, Elena Gilbert, Dawn Summers, Desmond Descant, Jeanne Gar, Kat Samcelot, Mark Sandazhard, Violet Fiore, Sterling Archer
WHAT || CHAPTER ONE FINALE: Rafael Giovanni & Finnick's televised international concert debut
WHERE || A music hall in Chicago, IL
WHEN || July 3rd, 2013 [ forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

The hour is finally upon our heroes, to learn whether their crazy plan to invest in making Finnick and Rafael international superstars under Burt Becksworth's management will pay off, and keep control of NOVA Records out of the hands of Chad Becksworth and his sinister compatriots. Now, as the Knights finish taking their seats in the balconies directly overlooking the stage, the concert goes live, broadcasting around the world, to where even other members of the Knighthood in London can gather to watch.

The camera pans across the endless sea of gathered, curious fans, who shake their arms wildly for their two seconds of fame, and then zooms in on a blonde figure on one corner of the stage, where she stands ready with a microphone: Buffy Summers.

[ the action of this post will be continually propelled by the interspersed musical numbers performed by finnick and rafael. each musical number will be up for a short amount of ooc time, in which players are free to create mini-thread responses directly to that song comment. these can be for internal reflection, to make commentary to the neighbors seated in their rows, for backstage convos for those involved in the program, or for 'host' commentary between some songs by archer and kat. threads that result from these responses should be kept short and sweet, as each song is only 3 to 5 minutes long, which doesn't leave a lot of time for in depth conversations. ideally, by the time the next 'number' is posted (as a direct response to the last musical number comment), your response threads from the previous number should be considered over and done with, and you can continue anything going on in them as a new mini-thread under the most recently posted song. in order to keep track of when things are rolling on to the next song, I highly encourage everyone to please track this entire post. ]

Comments

[romanticidal]

[ it's at that time that the lights dramatically dim and an insistent driving piano introduction spools up, gather insistence as the lights bank across the stage and finally settle on a silhouetted figure who stands dramatically on the edge of a skyscraper roof that looks out over the set of a ruined urban sprawl. the music works itself up to a point and then draws back, and rafael raises his mic, his first notes incredibly haunting (sing 43):

♬ my december - rafael giovanni ]

This is my December
This is my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear...

[ he breaks away from the edge of the roof to turn and face the audience and let them get the full effect of his sexy italian features oo ahh ]

This is my December
This is my snow covered home
This is my December
This is me alone

[ across the shattered cityscape, giant flakes start to fall, as he transitions into the bridge, his voice a strong, pure note sweeping across the audience and holding them enraptured in a very different way than finnick's high energy performance not long before. ]

And I just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I take back all the things I said
To make you feel like that
And I just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I take back all the things I said to you ...

[ with a dramatic kick into the chorus, searchlights go sweeping across the stage, and it slowly becomes clear that the flakes falling aren't snow at all - they're ash. and the set represents one lone man stranded in the wake of a nuclear winter.

oh burt. ]

And I give it all away
Just to have somewhere to go to
Give it all away to have someone
To come home to

[ rafael walks the length of the rooftop, coming to a stop in the center as debris and ash fly up around him as if helicopters were flying overhead ]

This is my December
These are my snow covered dreams
This is me pretending
This is all I need
And I just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I take back all the things I said
To make you feel like that
And I just wish that I didn't feel
Like there was something I missed
And I take back all the things I said to you

[ as he sings, several projected images of rafael appear, distorted, in the broken windows of the protruding top half of the fake building he stands on, echoing his words back to him, for a very eerie effect ]

And I give it all away
Just to have
Somewhere to go to
Give it all away
To have someone
To come home to

This is my December
This is my time of the year
This is my December
This is all so clear

And I give it all away
Just to have somewhere
To go to
Give it all away
To have someone
To come home to

[ the song ends with some dramatic strings as rafael perches on the building's edge... and after a brief space of suspenseful silence when it's over, the crowd erupts into a deafening roar of approval. ]

[starfucker]

[ burt watches the performance unfold a bit before he answers myri, breathing a sigh of relief as rafael kicks its ass ] ... Air. Yeah. Maybe a good idea.

[witchwoman]

Come on. [Because if you didn't know she was going with you, she's certainly making it clear now. She glances back to the others, not feeling like shouting where she's going or why. She just feels like Burt needs her more than they do right now, and she's always followed her heart in times like these. Her hand moves from his shoulder to the crook of his elbow, tugging lightly to guide him out.]

[starfucker]

[ as they push through the curtains into the hallway behind the balcony, burt pulls his phone out again and looks at it like it might bite him ]

Jesus ball diddling Christ.

[isisagent]

So uh... Katie, check this out - Here comes the Italian Stallion.

Look at that crowd! Holy shit! Ladies and Gentlemen, we're now under a flood advisory! hah hah hah

[shootfirst]

You are a disgusting, disgusting man. [ it's less accusatory and more just... statement of fact. ]

[isisagent]

I'm just saying! The humidity in here is definitely on the rise.

I mean, jesus look at them. It's like the sum total of every crowd of hormone-raging boy band fangirls all compounded into one stadium.

We might not get out of here in one piece if they start rioting, Kathy.

[borrowedheaven]

[ meanwhile, jade ignores the baby daddy drama going on, and squeezes the necklace in her hand as she watches rafael's performance with marked interest. she doesn't say anything, but she doesn't look away, either. ]

[nothingsodivine]

Even Burt freakin' Becksworth has someone. Who knew? [He turns to look at Jade and then looks at Rafael and then back to her... and then back to Rafael.] He ain't half bad.

[borrowedheaven]

[ she leans her head slightly in his direction to respond but doesn't take her eyes off the stage: ] ... This is the first chance I've gotten to actually hear him. He refused to practice at the hotel.

I can see why Burt's willing to bet everything on him. [ a beat ] And Finnick.

[bigbad]

[Spike's putting away his phone and just glowering at the stage because goddammit he's sure he could be this sexy and talented if he really tried. British accents are as hot as Italian ones, right?

Yeah, he's screwed.]

[savemyself]

[ yeah isabella catches all those negative vibes, and frowns over at spike ] What is wrong?

[bigbad]

[Wow it's almost as if she has eyes. He glances over at her, a little startled at being caught brooding.]

Nothing. Just enjoying the concert.

[graveflowers]

Underdog penguin, my ass.

[Shit though, that is fine, suddenly attracted to Italia over there. Whoda thunk.]

[watcherjunior]

Whatsit now?

[ Dawn's been quiet most of the concert, even ignoring some of the chatter around her. Oops. ]

[graveflowers]

It was a thingy... a would you rather. And he said penguin because it is the underdog. [Hope that explanation very much illuminates.] There is no underdogging going on.

[romanticidal]

[ accompanying the applause, a piano rises out of the rooftop, black and gleaming. rafael makes his way to the bench, and hushes the crowd by beginning to play, a simple but steady melody (piano 29) and then he launches into a sorrowful song that seems to carry an intensely raw personal edge that only adds to the mesmerizing quality of his voice (sing 50).

♬ remember when it rained - rafael giovanni ]

Wash away the thoughts inside
That keep my mind away from you
No more love and no more pride
And thoughts are all I have to do

Remember when it rained
I felt the ground and look up high
And called your name
Remember when it rained
In the darkness I remain

Tears of hope run down my skin
Tears for you that will not dry
They magnify the one within
And let the outside slowly die

Remember when it rained
I felt the ground and looked up high
And called your name
Remember when it rained...

In the water I remain
Running down
Running down

[ the lyrics break for an impressive little piano interlude, where the audience hangs on every stroke of the keys... and then rafael's powerful voice goes rocketing through the concert hall, sending chills across a multitude of spines with his mournful notes. ]

[slay]

[ buffy is the everyone else, swooning. she's not even gonna talk when she takes her seat because she's more interested in rafael's ~beautiful music~ ok. ]

[bigbad]

[Spike shoots her a look as she sits down. He sees that swooning and he is not even surprised because w o w Rafael could make him swear off punk rock if he wasn't busy being jealous.]

[watcherjunior]

[ Dawn seriously has tears in her eyes. Good thing she opted for the waterproof eye makeup tonight, because daaaaaaamn. ]

[graveflowers]

[Vi reaches over to pat her arm and drags a handkerchief out of her pocket, holding it out for Dawn to take. Yes, she has one on her.]

...I'm gonna go see what Mark is up to. [Her eyeliner is not waterproof, she needs to flee for a mo'.]

[witchwoman]

[As the song begins, Myri slips back into the balcony area to find the others. She sees Finnick chatting with Des and Jade and smiles, coming over to his side and beaming even if he didn't even notice she was gone.]

You were so wonderful.

[65]

[DAMN IT WOMAN HE'S BEEN STANDING HERE FOR FIVE WHOLE SECONDS. but he beams back p much, putting his arm around her shoulders.] I certainly tried. Where were you?

[isisagent]

If it were possible for me to be speechless, I think I might be right now.

I mean, that last guy was great... but Little Italy here sounds... better than real life.

[romanticidal]

[ raf lets the last notes of the ballad hang in the air for a moment before he rises to his feet, and takes the mic from the stand again, walking to the edge of the 'roof' and lifting a hand towards the audience in greeting, as they cheer wildly. ]

Grazie, grazie. [ he's forced to lower his hand and wait patiently a moment for them to stop hollering. ] Buona sera, Chicago!

I am very glad to be here on this very special night, and to share the stage with the most talented Finnick. [ just saying his name prompts some very high pitched screams, and oh hey, you two making out on the balcony might want to take note that people are probably looking up at him now ] ... si, si, such a wonderful artist.

You may not know, but I have come all the way here from Italia [ more screams and he breaks a smile ] -- how could you tell? si -- [ that prompts some laughter ] and so I would like to share with you a song in my native language. In English, it would be called 'Wander With Me', but in Italian, we call it 'Gira Con Me.' [ with a nod to the orchestra, the sweet melody rises, and he launches into the song (33 perform). those who understand italian (or have picked some up from him) might understand the words...

♬ gira con me - rafael giovanni

Il mondo gira con me questa notte
Piccoli passi che faccio con te
Seguo il tuo cuore e seguo la luna
Cosi' nascosta lontana da me

Il mondo gira con noi questa notte
Ahhhh, esistesse lontano da qui
Un posto dove scoprire il mio cuore
Sapere se lui puo' amare ti o no

E girera e girera
Il cuore mio assieme a te
E girera il la terra
Girera la mia vita
E un giorno lui si si caprira

[ the building he stands on begins to lower into the 'city' set below, until he finds himself able to step out into it and walk among the ruined streets. ]

Sei tu che giri con me questa notte
Sei tu che giri lontana da qui
Ma si io so che tu sei la mia luna
Qualcosa mostri qualcosa no

Ci sono strade azzurre nel cielo
Ci sono occhi e il cielo e gia li
Si questo credo cesiano le stelle
Ahhh, se potessi fermarmi cosi'

E girera e girera
Il cuore mio lontan da te
E girera il la terra
Girera la mio vita
E un giorno lui si si caprira

[ a dramatic swell of music breaks up the song and he stations himself in the shadow of a collapsed home, a forlorn and powerful staging. ]

Cuore e gia lontano
Si tu sei la luna
Potessi scoprirlo nel cielo

E girera e girera
Si girera il cuore mio
Girera il la terra
Girera la mia vita
Un giorno lui si si caprira
Un giorno lui si ti caprira