CHAPTER THREE ♔ heaven rain the colors down to form another prize

[romanticidal]

♬ someone like you (acoustic) - brian vander ark

WHO || Rafael, Buffy, Des
WHAT || The OT3 escapes Italy
WHERE || Venice --> etc
WHEN || June 8th
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

It's already about ten or eleven in the morning by the time Raf, Buffy, and Des made it to a hotel in Venice and got a couple rooms to crash in for a few hours, since they were running on zero sleep and a lot of adrenaline after their escape from Rome and subsequent barrage of revelations.

A few hours of rest is all they're looking for before they make their way back to London, but they're still cut off from the Knights, thanks to Iscariot taking all their phones.

When Buffy's eyes flutter open after some very, very satisfying sleep, it might take her a moment to realize that she's actually awake. Rafael's face is remarkably close to her own since they're sharing a pillow, and his own eyes are open, studying her face with a thoughtful, fond expression and the shadow of a smile on his cheek. One of his arms is still wrapped around her, and he squeezes her side when he sees she's awake and greets her gently.

"Buongiorno, carina."

Comments

[nothingsodivine]

[WOW RAFAEL. STOP BEING A SHOW-OFF. Des gets into place with a Move Silently of 21 and a Hide of 16.

He is just not as cool as Rafael. Shut your face.

He holds up three fingers with his free hand. On three, they're gonna yank back this curtain.]

1/2

[starfucker]

Don't know what's more divine than that, sweetheart.

Why the shit didn't Rafael call? I've been chewing asses left and right about this.

[romanticidal]

[ before buffy can answer, and before des can draw back the curtain, suddenly gunfire shatters the glass beside them as it comes raining through the balcony doors. like, fucking machine gun fire. reflex save of 15+ will avoid getting caught in the hail of bullets, and rafael twists aside, flat against the wall to do exactly that. ]

[slay]

[ GOD DAMMIT.

Buffy crouches instantly (ref 21), taking phone and receiver with her to duck between the two beds. She presses herself as flat as possible, suddenly inhaling and trying to cover the receiver uselessly. She grimaces—how the hell is she supposed to sell this one?

She doesn't raise her head to check on Rafael and Des yet, instead focusing on what her task is. She's seen them both in a shoot-out. She trusts them, ok. ]

Funny story! [ She laughs awkwardly. Here comes bluff 23. ] We were out on the, uh, well—the other canal, the one of the—the non-birthing variety, and we had our passports and phones in my purse, and would you believe it fell in? We haven't had the chance to get them replaced. [ Maybe she can just pretend the machine gun fire is normal and not mention it ... ]

[nothingsodivine]

[des hits the deck (reflex 19) and crawls back towards the wall.]

How the hell did they find us? [and then, louder, despite the fact that BUFFY IS ON THE PHONE:] Y'know most religious whackjobs send pamphlets. Ever tried that? Sure it sends a better message about your faith than bullets.

1/2

[starfucker]

[ that would be the time Burt got a nat 20 listen, wouldn't it ]

Either our boy Rafael had developed an intense new love of dubstep, or I hear gunfire.

[romanticidal]

[ pistolero - juno reactor

Rafael bends around the corner, unleashing five shots to try to keep the attacker at bay. One must connect because there's a groan of pain as Rafael moves back against the wall. He glances over at des. ]

They are very serious here about their check out times.

[slay]

Oh, that? That's—

[ she leans up from behind the bed for a brief moment, waving a hand at des like JESUS CHRIST SHUT UP. then she's ducking back down. ]

Rafael decided he felt rusty and wanted to hit the firing range while I called you. So, he's uh—He's practicing. [ bluff 26. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[des is too busy fiddling with the switch on his gun to cade. HE SAID NOT TO CALL BURT. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT RAFAEL'S KAWAII DIPSHITTINSSS DISTRACTED YOU.

once he's switched over, he leans a bit, pointing it out.] Hey. HEY. If I'm right, then I'm probably aiming this at your knees. I don't know how much you know about shotguns, but at this range, I think you'd learn the hard way, so why don't you put down the gun and step inside and we'll talk this out like adults.

[a beat.] And if you're not convinced, just think. I could be aiming high.

1/2

[starfucker]

A public firing range? Yeah, cuz there's a field day for the paparazzi from the guy who shot his girlfriend.

[romanticidal]

[ the firing halts and after a long beat, raf tentatively looks out, gun up. A hail of bullets whizzes past his ear and he ducks back inside. ]

Snipers. On the far balcony. Now may be our time to go.

[slay]

Go? As in go-go? [ we're leaving? she ducks back down to answer burt. ] You're right! Totally right. I should have done more to convince him not to. We will just ... leave right now. I'll get him away from anything firearm-shaped, you just focus on getting us that ride to England.

[nothingsodivine]

[GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, LINUS.

des jumps to his feet, moving along the wall towards the door.]

I definitely said calling Burt was a bad plan.

1/2

[starfucker]

I wasn't born yesterday, sweetheart, but lucky for you I'm not in the mood to fucking argue. I've got a private jet in Milan. It's about 3 hours from Venice. I'll text you the address and they'll be ready by the time you get there.

[romanticidal]

[ raf also heads for the door, opening it a crack to peer out, and then signalling that the coast is clear. ]

[slay]

[ bless you, burt. buffy does a tiny fist pump of relief, shutting her eyes, and then hurries out; ] You can't text someone without a cell phone. Email it. We'll find a computer to use. I'll make it up to you! [ she hangs up quickly, then scrambles out from between the beds, towards the door. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des shoves his way in front of Rafael.] Age before beauty, Fluffy. [Also immortality before... people who die permanently if shot with enough bullets.]

If they drop me, just keep running. I'll catch up.

[So confident, Deschan. He checks his gun to make sure... the fiddly bit is still on SHOTGUN. He's gonna fuck up some bitches.] Might buy you some time, anyway.

[romanticidal]

That does not mean you should do it on purpose. [ HARSH LOOK. DON'T GET ANY IDEAS, DESCANT. rafael looks back, training his gun on the window and firing off a few shots to cover for buffy getting to the door, and then he nods for des to start down the hall. ]

[slay]

[ she ducks to the door and slips out after des since rafael is covering their asses with suppressive fire. she's pretty ok with just letting them handle the shooting unless such a time comes that they're close enough for her to destroy someone. ]

The goal here is nobody dropping. I don't wanna have to carry your corpse to Milan.

[nothingsodivine]

The idea was not having to. [he's just saying. but whatever. the noble sacrifice play doesn't work here. he's just following along after buffy.]

Are we sure these guys are even Iscariot? Snipers don't seem like their thing. Not when they've got...

[anderson.... which he is not gonna say because he is not invoking that beetlejuice shit.]

[romanticidal]

Anyone might have been watching the palazzo - I know that they had attacked it once before. I have made many enemies in my time.

We are going to Milan?

[slay]

Burt has a plane at a private airport.

[ and rafael has already explained what buffy's only theory might have been: this is more reminiscent of their last trip to his place than any iscariot attack. thanks, italy. ]

It shouldn't be hard to shake these guys on the way, right? [ and maybe steal one of their phones so she can check for burt's email ... ]

[nothingsodivine]

Of course he does.

[he rolls his eyes.] Y'know, you really have got to put the kibosh on pissing heavily armed people off, Fluffy.

[they are never ever ever getting out of italy.]

[romanticidal]

I was hoping they might have been put off by the evidence that Eterna was -- well, you know. [ probably shouldn't go around discussing this confidential shit in a hotel hallway ] But it seems not everyone was so convinced. [ down the steps they get, and rafael puts his guns inside his coat pocket as they make it into the lobby, and gestures for des to HIDE THAT SHIT ]

[slay]

[ and suddenly it occurs to buffy that they are the reason most hotels don't take cash. she looks a little sheepish on the way out, keeping step beside her boys. she has no guns to holster, yo. ]