CRY FOR JUDAS [January Catch-All | OPEN]

[slayerskiss]

Who: Faith Lehane and you!
What: A slayer arrives in Trench, finds a hole to hide in and gets ready to start slaying again. 
When: Early January
Where: Around

Content Warnings: Will be tagged as needed.

I. (where judas went to die)

[It's been a few days since Faith's arrival, and for the most part she's shut herself up in an abandoned house in Crenshaw and left it at that. It used to be that she arrives in a town and immediately tries to establish herself as the toughest kid in the playground, but she's changed. Or she'd like to think she has, anyway.

She mostly leaves the house to get food, and when she does she comes back with bags full because frankly? Prison food fucking sucks. 

One night, however, she decides she's going stir crazy from being pent up like this, and even though she didn't leave by choice, getting out of prison's something you're supposed to celebrate, not sit indoors and sulk about. So she'll find... something. She wonders aimlessly through Crenshaw late at night, and ends up at the docks with a bottle of whiskey and a plate full of gingerbread cookies.  If she sees you coming she'll give a nod, but her stance around the cookies is protective. The whiskey she'll share but these cookies are hers.]

They always keep this marketplace runnin'? Figured it'd be cleared out by now. 

II. (getting equipped)

[It's been a week by this point, and she's done sitting around moping. She's a slayer, and yeah, maybe she's not a good one, maybe she's an evil heartless bitch who fucked everything up because she was rotten to the core but she's a SLAYER. And there's plenty of things that need slaying.

She heads for Prufrock, starting with the whole weapons thing. She needs something with range. A bow or a crossbow or even a rifle, though she kinda doubts this place has much in the way of firearms. Eventually, she gets kind of lost and overwhelmed, so she'll stop a stranger and ask. And that stranger... is you!] Yo, help a girl out, you know where I can find something a bit less medieval? Like, long ranged crossbows and rifles and shit?

[Or alternatively, maybe she's visiting the Gate, to get some healthy slaying practice in. She thinks these people are wimps for coming and watching the real warriors kick the shit out of chained up animals but hey, Diana told her that some level of training's required before she goes out guns blazing and starts hunting for real.

And... as always, she was more or less exactly correct, and it makes Faith feel like shit to even think about. Maybe you've been paired up with her in a team, or she's just come out from fighting, or you're both just taking a break in between fights but Faith gives you a smile and a totally chill nod from a very chill and cool girl.]  You got much experience in this? Killin' monsters n' shit?

iii. (i need noise, need the crack of a whip)

[And now she finds herself at the club. It was only inevitable. She's on night... 8? 9? And she's dancing in a crowd of people, feeling the rush of being surrounded by other people's heat and the music's rhythm bouncing against her skin. She's wearing tight leather pants and a tight fitting crop top that shows off a generous amount of her cleavage because Faith's isn't shy and she thinks modesty's a scam for virgins.

She needs to feel everything and nothing at once, because it's the only way she can silence the rage in her head and stop thinking. She does need a break every now and again, and she drops down into a sofa close to the bar that you just happen to be sitting next to and she lets out a breathless laugh.]

This place is dope as fuck. [And then she'll sort of slump lazily and turn to whoever she's next to.] You look like you could use a drink, huh? Makes two of us.

iv. (winter's mourning)

[She was just wandering about, hands in her pockets, patrolling the area for any monsters that need killing when suddenly she's gotten too close to a ritual that she had no idea about.

In a memory that's not hers, she looks around, alarmed at the new scenery.] What the fuck? Where am I?

 

Comments

Closed to Willow

[slayerskiss]

[Faith's been out and about and she's tried reading up on the creatures here and she's gone toe to toe with them in the Gate but the fact remains, she just got out of prison, she's in over her head here, and the only person she knows kinda hates her guts.

For good reason. Probably.

She enters the archives, clearly a bit out of place and out of her depth as she goes looking for Willow. And then, just like that, she's found her. She shuffles a bit awkwardly and gives a small wave in greeting.]

Yo. You got time?

[frogfear]

[It's awkward and strange seeing Faith again, but maybe a little less of a shock as Tara's arrival the previous month. Still, it's a welcome change, having people from home in town. As much as Willow thinks the world of Ozpin and the rest of the people who have become family here in Trench, it's still not quite the same.

Still, it's complicated. They are not friends, and Willow has reservations given their history, but she's not unwilling to try?

She can't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise when Faith approaches her in the Archives. She returns the wave with an awkward one of her own, and gives her a little smile, setting her book aside.]

Oh, hey. Uh, yeah, sure. I'm not busy. What's going on?

[slayerskiss]

[Faith drops down on one of the chairs nearby. At least it seems Willow's just as awkward about this as she is, which... considering how cool Faith could act when she was still not-quite part of the Scooby Gang and how quiet but judgy Willow could be, it's probably a surefire sign that they've both changed a lot in their own ways.]

Well... [God, Faith hates asking for help. It's cool. She's changed. Angel would say the fact that she's even attempting it is a good sign, meanwhile he wouldn't ask for help ever.] I'm uh, fresh out of prison. This is all a bit of an adjustment, and I've tried to do some reading on it but I'm... not like, great with all that book-learning junk. I got better in prison, when there's not much else to do but, you know.

[She's rambling off topic.]

Basically, I'm a Slayer and I sorta... need to know what it is I'm doing, I guess?

1

[onekindsoul]

[Unfortunately for Faith the person she stops on the street is also a cookie fiend. She doesn't quite realize how protective Faith is being of them, because she's too focused on the cookies themselves.

It takes her a second to notice she's been asked a question but when she does her gaze will go shoot right up.]

Uh-Yeah. For the most part. People here tend to develop some really weird sleep schedules. So I guess the storefronts have just sort of adapted to that.

[slayerskiss]

[She nods. It makes sense. She does furrow her brow at Ruby glancing at the cookies because those are hers, thank you very much, but...]

You're eyeing the gingerbread like it's a long lost lover. [She considers. Is giving over a cookie a stop on her road to redemption. Probably not but it's like... something?

Something. She sighs and picks one up, handing it to Ruby.] Knock yourself out.

[onekindsoul]

I mean- I wouldn't call it that. But it has been like a really long time since I've had one.

[Like a couple hours tops, but that's a long time for someone like Ruby.]

Seriously? Woah! You are have made it into my top five people around here. Sorry Glitch.

[Under the bus her other friend goes. She happily takes the cookie and happily chomps down on it.]

Mmm Fhank uuu foo mufh

[And she doesn't even have the decency to swallow before she talks.]

III

[imaglyphwitch]

[It had been some time since Luz found herself alone at a club. The last time that had happened, really happened, it was month where she couldn't sleep, and she had nothing but burnable energy. This time though? Faith's need to feel and not feel was actually pretty accurate for Luz.

She had expected to see someone she knew here, since clubs were usually occupied by the older people that weren't exactly in Luz's circle. Faith, however, she was pretty sure was new here, so she was likely not IN a circle herself].

Didn't think I'd see you here, Faith! I can barely hear myself think!
[Which was good].

Oh, sure. Can they make a Shirley Temple?

[slayerskiss]

[Oh hey, it's that girl. Luz. She didn't recognize her at first but she smiles in greeting.]

Look who's talkin', kid, I'd have thought you were a little young. I guess they don't really care about that stuff here.

[When Faith was Luz's age, she was absolutely sneaking into clubs, but she also wasn't drinking Shirley Temples. Faith looks at the bar.] How about we go check? Sure they have a coke or something even if they don't.

[imaglyphwitch]

I am a little young. I like to live dangerously.

[Compared to the last month, this is so the least dangerous thing that's happened to her. You don't almost get made into Swiss cheese at a Farm so that you could go to some place and have some barkeep try to kick you out because she might have a drink.

Not that she would, of course. Luz still didn't get the whole deal of alcohol when it tasted so vile].

Aw, but I like how sweet and bright it tastes.

ii.

[retsuden]

[ Sasuke had come to observe the fights, to learn about the ways that people trained in this world and debate if he would partake in them himself. It felt like it should have been a no brainer; monsters were looked to as universally bad and fighting them to grow stronger and harness a killing technique against them before going out into the wild would be a wise move.

But there was something about it all that reminded him too much of the Coliseum, something that left him watching the monsters and wondering if all of them were so bad after all. He'd bailed on his own fight because of it and had been taking a step back, trying to regain a sense of rationality about it all, when he hears someone talking to him.

He looks over to Faith, tilting his head slightly, before giving a small shrug. ]

... Sort of. Do you?

[slayerskiss]

Vampire slayer. [She points to herself.

She also helped the monsters at a few points for personal gain and self destruction, but that's unimportant.]

Feels a bit grotesque, doesn't it? Chaining somethin' up and then killing it for the crowd's pleasure.

[retsuden]

[ He almost asks if she means like in the storybooks, but he's learning that a lot of this place has things that he thought previously only existed in stories. So he just nods, like meeting vampire slayers is an every day thing for him. ]

Mm. I suppose we're meant to justify the action because they're deemed evil and in need of disposing. Even if we don't know who's labeled them as such.

iv

[eudaimonikos]

Oh - oh, geez. You startled me.

[Faith finds herself in the living room of a small house. Most of the walls are brightly painted; for some reason, one corner is entirely dominated by paintings and sculptures of clowns. It's terrifying. There's seven people standing around, one of whom is Michael, and one sitting on the uncomfortable-looking couch, who is also Michael.

Couch Michael is the only one to acknowledge Faith's entrance. He stands, glancing between her and the others.]

This is a memory of mine. And before you say anything, I didn't perform the weird memory ritual. I'm not really sure why this is happening to me now.

[The other Michael steps down into the main area, looking concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Right as rain, Mikey my boy!" a short blonde woman responds. She's standing between Michael and his companion and the others in the room, like she's the leader of that little group. "So, Chidi and I are gonna go to the Bad Place. Trust me - " she says in response to Chidi's alarm. "I got this."

The present Michael just grimaces a little and plops back down on the couch. Here it comes. Geez, listening back to it, he can tell she's mad right away - why didn't he notice that the first time?]

Also, this wasn't really one of my finer moments.

[slayerskiss]

[Faith crosses her arms and lowers her guard. Okay, she can work with that.] Right... so it's like, a shared hallucination. Trippy.

I won't judge. I've got a lotta not so fine moments myself. [She looks at the blonde woman and raises an eyebrow. Huh. She likes her attitude.] She's pretty cute. What's her name?

[eudaimonikos]

I've been sucked into a few, in the past couple weeks, but they were other peoples' memories. [....] Not...entirely dissimilar to this one, though.

[Like all of the memories he's experienced have kinda been afterlife-themed? Is that normal? Anyway, this is all sort of embarrassing and bad in retrospect. Still, watching Eleanor insist with a smile on her face that they call the train, Michael can't help but smile a little himself.]

That's Eleanor. She's like my human twin. God, she's good - I was stupid to try this shit with her. We're too much alike. Oh, those are our other friends. Chidi, Tahani, Jason, Janet.

[He indicates each of them as he names them, notably not even bothering to introduce the man that his past self is standing with.]

And I'm Michael.

I.

[bookerlesigh]

[ booker's found himself at the docks driven by similar intention - a bottle of whiskey, getting out of the house for a little while. sometimes he's gambling, sometimes he's wandering the forest - but the night is clear and the sound of the waves is less nauseating than it can be at times.

the cookies are of no interest to him, but he meanders over, encouraged by the nod. seemed like most people here didn't mind company to enjoy the misery, and he's not about to break that tradition now.

besides, sometimes it's nice not to drink alone. pretend like he just might be normal. ]

Hit and miss. Bar in town that's always open, but they haven't run out of whiskey yet here.

Mind company?

[slayerskiss]

Well, that's good. It'd suck if the Bar closed.

[She scoots over from her seat, and nods.]

Knock yourself out, man. [She pretty much immediately assumes he just wants to sleep with her, because really, most guys do so it's good to be prepared. But hey, filling the silence doesn't sound so bad. She'll just have to figure out if she feels like it, if it comes to that.] What brings you out here?

III

[metoikos]

[Kassandra's attention turns immediately to the stranger that's dropped down onto the couch, a tension edging it's way into her jaw. She was still very, very out of her element in Trench even months later, but bars and clubs were something that even someone from her time could understand. A place to unwind, to blow off steam, to have a few drinks...yet even still she was alert for possible dangers. That even included strangers in clothes obviously designed to draw the eye, though Faith's laugh sets her a little more at ease and she visibly relaxes.

Looking down at her now empty cup, she nods sagely.]

Yes, I suppose so. [Eyeing Faith again, she waves down a passing server]

Another for me, if you would. And one for my new companion. Whatever she'd like.

[slayerskiss]

[Faith grins. She'd noticed the tension, and it's not like she can't relate. This place is a lot, even coming from someone who spent a year in the worst town in the world. But this much she knows how to do.

She turns to the server.] Scotch. Make it a double shot.

Real sweet of you, I gotta say. I was just about to get you one. [She relaxes against the sofa.] I'm Faith. You?

I

[entreats]

[ It's weird. These evening walks aren't anything new to Ange, she's been going on those ever since showing up here. But whereas she usually tries to stay out of other people's way, prefering to not interact with them, right now she can't help herself.

Even as she sees Faith standing there. Such an odd figure, standing at the docks, with a drink and.. cookies? Like she's having the weirdest possible late night picnic.

It's the kind of figure Ange usually would raise an eyebrow at, but otherwise leave alone. But now, when Faith is speaking up to her, Ange finds herself naturally speaking back. ]

Well, maybe they're banking on people showing up late with drinks and cookies.

[ There's a faint dry edge to Ange's words - which seem to match her pokerface. But there's something casual about the remark, rather than full on sarcastic. Like she's keeping the situation light by joking around with that odd tone. ]

[slayerskiss]

[Faith chuckles.]

Well, I'm glad I could be someone's "customer base." [She raises the whiskey, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if she wants any.]

So, what brings you out here in the dead of night, then? If not the promise of cookies and alcohol, I mean.

IV

[survivalthroughhate]

[The memory Faith finds herself in is from a galaxy far, far away. It starts off with a demonic-looking man approximately the size and shape of a small tank telekinetically choking a helmeted warrior in the air as they enter a large throne room. He throws the Mandalorian across the room towards the throne where a tough-looking man with a shaved head is at.

From behind the yellow Zabrak come two others, completely hidden by his bulk until they come into view. The one in the back has fair hair and purple eyes, maybe in his late forties or early fifties. But he's not the one the focus is on. The first is Maul, red, full of fury, and dramatic as fuck as he challenges the leader of the band in front of him to one-on-one combat. Though the group could easily overwhelm the trio, given they are unarmed and vastly outnumbered, they don't. Instead, Maul's weapon is given to him, and with a roar that sounds more like it should be coming out of a lion than a humanoid being, he begins to fight Pre Vizsla.

The real Maul stands off the the side, regarding the memory with a satisfied smirk on his face. This is one of his better memories from his galaxy overall. Everything had gone according to plan during this time period. Much as some did here in Trench, Vizsla had seen Maul as little more than a dumb animal and his brother Savage as just a brute. How wrong he had been.

When he realizes someone else is there, Maul glances over. There's pleased note in his voice.]

Enjoying the show?

[slayerskiss]

[If he's expecting her to be offput by the show of violence or rage, she's not, she just crosses her arms and looks him up and down.

That's one of the weirdest looking demons she's ever seen, and that's saying something. But whatever, she's not demon racist. It's an interesting match with plenty of push and pull. She's not the killer that she used to be but she can still appreciate a show of skill.]

It's alright. The swords are pretty wicked lookin'. Guessing you win this one?

ii

[expiera]

[The short-haired woman she catches with her query is clad in habit-like robes and carrying a bag in her gloved hand, expression blank and seemingly heading somewhere with firm purpose. She doesn't appear armed, but whatever she's carrying, it doesn't smell or give off a great vibe. She blinks at the question however, indifference easily melting into mild surprise at the callout, almost as if waking from a trance.]

--Ah, of course. [Crossbows are still somewhat medieval, aren't they? But that's not really an answer, so--] Have you tried asking at the counter of "Shape of Blood", miss? They don't have everything out on display here, the weapon shop does take custom orders too.

[slayerskiss]

[She glances at the bag a few times, but seems content to mostly discard it. Her business. Can't be too spicy if she's as catholic as she looks.

'Miss'? That's a new one. She doesn't particularly like it.] Uh, you can just call me Faith.

Where is this place?