chicago ♔ i wish you could see | how apart we've all grown

[lawofsurvival]

WHO || The Failboat, Rafael Giovanni, Isabella Alessandro, Hiro, Jaka, Burt Becksworth, DA of Chicago [closed]
WHAT || The trial of Rafael Giovanni
WHERE || Chicago courthouse, Chicago, IL
WHEN || Friday, Nov 22nd  [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam

The big day has finally arrived.  As media coverage rises to a frenzied fever pitch, Jaka's final preparations are completed, and the team assembles to head down for the trial of Rafael Giovanni.   

Large crowds are gathered outside, some of whom tote signs condemning Rafael as a murderer, others pledging their support and love for the singer.  Police officers keep order, and hold the crowds back as the stars are led up the steps and inside the courthouse.  

They'll have some time to convene with Burt and Jaka in a private room before the trial itself begins.  Unfortunately, Jaka still hasn't shared the change in plans that he and Des discussed in private... 

Comments

pre-trial (ota).

[romanticidal]

[ in a spare room, the group waits to be invited inside the courtroom, and rafael sits in a chair near a window, staring out of it. gar paces nervously, kat plays with her tablet distractedly, and mark stands against the wall, arms folded. isabella watches everyone with wary eyes, and hiro stands emotionless near the door. burt flaps his jaws non-stop to jaka, who is mostly ignoring him. ]

[graveflowers]

[ vi is sitting and stress eating, plowing her way through a bag of chocolate chips. but she'll actually share today, so get the goods while it lasts and before she has to hide them again. ]

[witchwoman]

[Myri has been keeping to herself, watching everyone but not really talking to anyone. It's like she's spending most of her energy trying to juggle her attention between them all. She hangs back near Mark for now, trying not to show just how nervous she is right now (and failing pretty spectacularly).]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des is lingering near Isabella. When did those two get so buddy-buddy? Though since he's about as disgruntled and anxious as she is wary, it's not really that buddy-buddy.]

[notaroundme]

[Elena moves to stand on Mark's other side, looking between the him and Myri as she does so with a rather forced smile. She's too anxious to feel any genuine happiness right now, but she's pretty sure the rest feel similar.]

[slay]

[ this is a painfully awkward atmosphere here and buffy will not be the one to break the silence. she, instead, moves to stand near rafael and rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ]

[bigbad]

[Luckily we've got Spike here to make everything worse. But less silent, at least.]

Maybe we'll get lucky and the jury'll be full of women and gay blokes.

[65]

[finnick is doing his best to keep a low profile, and is currently lurking near vi. mmm these chocolate chips. they aren't booze, but they'll do. he rolls his eyes in spike's general direction, but doesn't give enough of a shit to actually use his words.]

1/--

[romanticidal]

[ rafael looks at the hand on his shoulder, and his gaze travels up her arm to meet her eyes. there's a weary gratitude in his eyes, but also a grim determination that makes it clear he's ready for this to all be over - one way or another.

he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze, ignoring spike's comment. ]

[selfrevelation]

[ across the room, into the door frame steps a familiar figure that only a couple people in the room can see (*cough*spikebuffydes*cough*). his eyes rest on rafael for a long moment, before he lofts his eyebrows at buffy with an inscrutable expression.

seconds later, he detaches himself from the threshold and steps out into the hall again slowly. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[He may have been raising his eyebrows at Buffy, but Des is the only who uncurls himself from his sulk and heads for the hall.] I need some air.

[slay]

[ you make this so difficult, mr. gray. she's holding onto rafael's hand as he leaves, which means she needs to ... find an appropriate way to take away the steady comfort she'd just offered oops. she withdraws her hand slowly. ]

I - Just remembered, have to ... [ coming up with excuses is really hard when you're buffy and don't think you can just leave without one like des. ] Recording devices! I forgot they weren't allowed, so I'll just - Bye. [ she glances around the room with a shifty look and then quickly exits after gray and des (bluff 21...). ]

[bigbad]

Let me help you with that.

[(bluff 24) He heads out after the others. Wow it's amazing these people have high bluff scores after that incredibly unsuspicious mass exodus.]

[witchwoman]

[Myri watches the three leave with a concerned crease in her brow. But that's really just her permanent state right now. She doesn't really think its odd f them to leave. Turning to Mark, she nudges him gently.]

Do we know how long we'll have to wait. [Not that Mark necessarily knows more than she does. She just hates the silence.]

[selfrevelation]

[ out in the hall, mr. gray waits in his impeccable suit and shiny shoes for them all to spill out before turning slowly to regard them. ]

... Ah. Excellent. All of you.

[bigbad]

[I just realized that Spike's only met Orlando Bloom!Grey, not David Anders, so I guess he just figured out that Des and Buffy acting sketchy after a random dude stared at Buffy meant other people probably couldn't see him (wis 18). If he'd done worse he was going to just be stalking Buffy so it's all for the best.]

What do you want?

[slay]

Phones work too, you know.

[ but she's out here and she's listening. that's ... something. ]

[selfrevelation]

I came to witness the trial. We're rather ... invested in its results. [ he glances over towards spike, giving him a once-over that leaves it unclear whether or not he's judging what he sees there ] How do you feel, regarding your chances?

[nosdacariad]

[ mark watches the others go out with a furrowed suspicious brow, as if he doesn't totally buy spike's excuse in particular, but myri distracts him from following and he glances over at her ] Can't be much longer now. Just, uh, ready for this to be over.

[nothingsodivine]

Yeah, that's why you gave Rafael that envelope, which he's not gonna need. [He crosses his arms over his chest.] The case is locked up.

[He doesn't have to deal with the Grays or Linda. Or so he thinks. And damn if he's not smug about it.] You boys and Linda can have pissing contests over something else now.

[selfrevelation]

[ he gives des a canny i know what you did last summer staredown ] We thought you should know, whether you believe the trial to be 'locked up' or no, that you seem to be laboring under a bit of a misconception concerning what would occur should you accept our assistance. Regarding... Linda.

[bigbad]

Do enlighten us, then.

[Wow, Mr. Gray, we don't need this love polygon to get anymore complicated, stop ogling Spike.]

[slay]

What do you mean misconception? 'Cause, uh, seemed pretty clear at the bridge. Seal means you get a foothold. If you do, she does. What's to misconceive?

[selfrevelation]

Not quite. When one of us acts, the other is granted greater freedom, yes. However, the point of making these... shall we say bargains allows us - or them - to sidestep that entire messy business.

You might say that because you promise to do something in exchange for what we offer, that you balance the deficit that would be otherwise created. The matter becomes entirely self-contained.

[nothingsodivine]

Except I ain't interested in helping either of you, so where's that put us? [He squares his shoulders and decides it's perfectly reasonable to get in Mr. Gray's face. I'm not even rolling an intimidate check here, because lbr, it's not gonna work.] You don't act, she doesn't act. We act. Where does that put you?