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]

[ as the piano sinks to the ground and the audience applauds thunderously, rafael takes the mic from its stand and rises to address the audience, his expression clouded: ]

This song I wrote long ago, when last everything seemed on the edge of despair.

It is the song of an evening I will not soon forget.

[ he bows his head as the music comes up, and then looks up, singing straight up at the ceiling over the audience, the heaviness upon his heart entirely exposed now as he opens up whatever wounds he has left, delivering the most powerhouse performance of the night thus far (nat 20 perform = 52...)

♬ now or never - rafael giovanni

I watch the morning dawn upon your skin
A splinter in the light
It caught and frayed the very heart of us
It's been hiding there inside for all this time
How a sure thing winds up just like this
Clockwork silence only knows

And it's no one's fault
There's no black and white
Only you and me
On this endless night
And as the hours run away
With another life
Oh, darling can't you see
It's now or never
It's now or never

Sweeping eggshells still at 3 A.M.
We're trying far too hard
The tattered thought balloons above our heads
Sinking in the weight of all we need to say
Why's and what if's have since long played out
Left us short on happy endings

And it's no one's fault
There's no black and white
Only you and me
On this endless night
And as the hours run away
With another life
Oh, darling can't you see
It's now or never
It's now or never

You know that there's so much more

And it's no one's fault
There's no black and white
Only you and me
On our final night
And as the hours run away
With another life
Oh, darling can't you see
It's now or never
It's now or never

[rationalizes]

I... I suppose it depends on what you believe. But clerics of this world pray to the gods for their assistance and their magic... and some claim to even speak to their gods.

[notaroundme]

A lot of things that I thought weren't possible have turned out to be true since I came here.

[She's musing aloud, her eyes drawn back toward Rafael as his performance is enough to stir literally anyone into listening.]

[65]

And I still say that it seems like an inopportune time for a chat.

[that said, he joins elena in looking back toward rafael. it's hard not to look tbh.]

[rationalizes]

Well, there's a difference between a prayer and a conversation.

[witchwoman]

It will change his life, no matter how much he chooses to be involved.

[Myri frowns because sometimes it's hard being the only one to have a big bleeding heart for everyone. The crowd inside is FUCKING LOSING IT, and she turns her head towards the sound.]

It seems that Rafael is doing quite well tonight.

[shootfirst]

That's news of the good variety, huh? Means we probably won't have to keep haunting the halls of record companies forever.

[slay]

[ buffy turns to glance in the direction of the roaring crowd, then glances down. she tightens her lips and keeps quiet, because she doesn't really want to talk about rafael's jade-a-palooza. ]

[witchwoman]

No, I think we've accomplished our goal here tonight. [She says it absently while taking a step towards Buffy, placing a hand on the girl's arm.]

I'm sure it's just... songs he's had written. From before. [Because she isn't dumb. She's able to feel the strong feelings of others so picking up on Buffy's feelings for Rafael was just something that couldn't be ignored for all this time.]

[savemyself]

[ the lyrics of this song seem to affect isabella rather deeply, as if it's all from a time she remembers all too well, also ]

He is trying to reach her. And I have no doubt that he thinks it is.

[borrowedheaven]

[ it's a nat 20 performance. there's no way she can't be drawn into listening, even with her hand locked firmly in des'. her other hand squeezes around the pendant that she's still holding onto tightly, and her smile disappears as she's drawn into rafael's tale of a painful, inevitable parting. she can't look away again, mesmerized into the sense of desperate melancholy his words create, and she doesn't say anything, although she squeezes des' hand near the end. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des gives Rafael a dark look. He has a bad feeling about this, okay.

Only when Jade squeezes his hand does he look at her.] He's got one left. Any chance it'll be a Tom Jones medley?

[borrowedheaven]

I have a feeling it's gonna be another variation on a theme, actually...

[nothingsodivine]

Yeah. He's more predictable than a paternity test episode of Maury.

[romanticidal]

[ it takes a long time for people to stop hooting and hollering in reaction to that song, and rafael stands there stoically waiting for them to finish before he speaks again. ]

I have one final song before I am joined on stage tonight. It is a very special song for me... as the words were written by the person who means the most in this world to my eyes. She could not be here to hear me sing them, but I only hope that wherever she is, she understands that I know I was a fool to never grasp their importance until after I had lost her. It was then that I swore to keep them as a promise in my heart, to live by them.

Forever.

I can only hope that somehow... somewhere, she hears.

[ with that, he steps back and a particularly haunting score begins, and he fills the hall with the mournful echoes of the opening strains. (perform 51 .__. ) as he sings, he walks the length of the stage, and as he sings the chorus, he even smiles slightly to himself, as if just the reminder of these words gives him endless amounts of hope.

it doesn't take a genius to realize from his speech and the lyrics that this is the rationale he's held in his heart for going so far, holding onto this so hard.

her last words to him, and the last promise he made to her: to never, ever, let it go.

♬ never let go - rafael giovanni

I can't understand it.
The search for an answer is met with a darker day.
And we've been handed these moments forever.
But I'm reassured there's another way.
You don't have to close your eyes.
There is room for love again.
Ease the pain to realize
All that love can be.
Forced apart by time and sand.
Take a step and take my hand.
And don't let it go.
Never let go.

Broken, once connected,
We were so strong and so blessed in a simple way.
So don't let me go it alone.
Turn your head up to the sky.
Nothing down below but me.
Face the truth to realize
All that we could be.
Torn apart by rage and fear.
Hold onto what brought you here.
Don't let it go.
Never let go.

[ and he turns up to face jade's balcony once last time, pouring all of that conviction into his words, in one last heartbreaking line. ]

Turn your head up to the sky.
Nothing down below.
Don't let go.

[borrowedheaven]

[ ♬ the harold song - ke$ha

again, jade's eyes don't break the stage as he performs, but there's something different about the way she doesn't seem to move a single muscle as the words sink in. and as the song nears an end, the expression on her face alters slightly, and her brow crinkles slightly... and those who are close can make a spot check (14+) to see something very strange: her eyes flash suddenly with a shimmering light, for only the space of a moment, and then the pendant slides from her loosened grip and falls to the floor, shattering.

she shakes her head very slowly, her other hand slipping out of des' as she seems to almost be seeing what's around her for the very first time. her breath catches as she stares down at the stage. the whole world seems to turn for her on the multitude of sudden emotions packed in one whispered word: ]

... Rafael?

[notaroundme]

{(Spot 16) Seeing as she's sitting right next to her, Elena sees something odd out of the corner of her eye, and she'd swear it was a trick of the light were it not what happened next. Elena's brows furrow, and she hesitantly speaks.]

Jade? You okay?

[nothingsodivine]

[Des's nat 20 spot check is so intense that he's actually dumbstruck.

He did it. The motherfucker did it. Which Des had told him to do, so he can't be that livid about it... except he is actually very livid. Angry enough to choke the bastard with his goddamn fancy microphone cord. As soon as she says his name, he stands up abruptly and buries his emotions in a deep dark hole again- where they belong. He should have known. This is why he doesn't get involved. He doesn't get the girl.]

You're up next. He probably wants to see you.

[bigbad]

[MEANWHILE ON THE OBLIVIOUS BALCONY, Spike scoffs.]

No, really, mate, let go.

[But he's surreptitiously wiping his eyes. Shut up he's really good.]

[savemyself]

[ it's alright, spike, isabella looks teary eyed too ] He does not know how.

[isisagent]

[Archer sighs as the Italian Stallion belts out another sad tune]

Well Violet, his seat at all future Archer House events just opened up, if you're interested.

[borrowedheaven]

[ despite the fact that she told him to lead the way, jade ends up yanking his hand along down the steps, although she clearly has no idea where she's going. it's easy to tell how anxious she is to reach her destination, but she does spare a look back over her shoulder at him as she points in the direction she thinks leads to the stage and waits for his confirmation. ] Desmond, right? [ she looks almost proud to remember that much, although it sounds all wrong, considering she hasn't called him Desmond since he corrected her the first time they met at nightscape. ]

[nothingsodivine]

Descant. [He nods grimly and just keeps allowing himself to be dragged. He might as well be the world's most sullen teddy bear for all the effort he's putting into this. He just wants to get Jade where she needs to be and maybe punch Rafael's scrawny Italian face in.] No one calls me Desmond.

1/-

[romanticidal]

[ onstage, for those watching while burt comes out and speaks to the composer, rafael looks on, clearly anxious, and it's possible to watch the emotions play out on his face as he seems to realize what's happening: she's not coming out after all, and there won't be any duet. he looks very tired suddenly, the weight of disappointment finally bearing down entirely, and when the music comes up, he lofts his microphone, taking a deep breath and opening his mouth as if sing the first words...

but he's cut off by a pure, entrancing voice from above, as jade appears at the top of the steps. in the gentle lights of the stage, she looks every bit the angel in the white dress she wears. (perform 53)

♬ for always - rafael giovanni & eterna jade ]

I close my eyes
And there in the shadows I see your light
You come to me out of my dreams across the night

[ rafael turns to look up at the sound of the voice, and his expression is nothing short of pure amazement as she begins descending the steps. in fact, he almost misses the fact that it's his cue, his microphone coming up mechanically, and he sings as if in a daze, lost in staring at the vision above. (perform 49) ]

You take my hand
Though you may be so many stars away
I know that our spirits and souls are one

[ a small smile accompanies jade's line as she continues down towards him slowly ]

We've circled the moon and we've touched the sun

2/-

[romanticidal]

[ as if drawn forward by magnets, rafael begins moving up towards her as well as they sing together, their voices complimenting one each other flawlessly: ]

So here we'll stay
For Always
Forever
Beyond here and on to eternity
For Always
Forever
For us there's no time and no space

[ and they stop, a few steps apart, as rafael sings his line with a sense of wonder ]

No barrier love won't erase

[ her smile seems to widen at the words a little, as she sings encouragingly: ]

Wherever you go I still know in my heart you will be...

[ and he reaches out his hand to her, which she takes as they sing in unison ]

With me