deercountry | You'll Come Back (When It's Over) || Febuary Catch-All

[Faith walks out of her apartment, a long leather coat stocked to the brim with plenty of weapons and remedies necessary for hunting. In her hands is what looks to be a crossbow, and she's currently in the process of loading a bolt into it.

Her focus is broken, however, when she sees Tara near her... porch? That's what you call these things, right? She wouldn't know, she lived in a one bedroom apartment. She raises an eyebrow, immediately a mix of confused and suspicious.]

Um. Hi? Can I uh, do somethin' for you? [If she finds out that Willow told Tara about her mentioning she felt jealous of Spike and now Tara's come to preach at her, she's killing them both probably.]

Edited 2022-02-01 04:08 (UTC)

[Now that the Ozpin business is over, Faith has taken to patrolling like she and Buffy used to do back when they were friends/acquaintances with weird tension/mutually pining. She figures that going out and hunting monsters is something that the others can do, and keeping the locals in check is for the local militia. She's a Slayer, she can find monsters in their hidey-holes.

Having said that, it's a slow night, and for now she's stopped with her crossbow slung over her shoulder, standing in front of a store and staring up at the name.]

What the fuck does Yow Ease even mean?

[If Willow had talked about these things, Tara didn't remember them. They were outside of her moments of coherency, lost in what she called her "blips". The moments her memory and control shut off.

At least for now, she was reasonable and in control of herself. She was in the driver's seat as it were. Thinking of it in those terms made her chuckle, but she was careful not to make a noise. People seemed to look at her strange whether she did it with purpose or not.

She glanced up at Faith, doing her best to smile. There was no real feeling behind it, but that wasn't Faith's fault, it was her own. Maybe. Possibly. It was hard to know. Part of her wished it was Buffy here instead, someone who could explain this sensation, having gone through it.

But in a way, she was glad it was Faith. She was outside it all, unlikely to share this with anyone, especially Willow. She was like a safe stranger.]

No, I was just looking for someone to talk to. I didn't want anyone else here, if that's okay? Or I could go, if you want me to?

[Someone to talk to? Huh. Faith's not sure how to interpret that, but it's not like she's against it. Sure, she's listened to other people lately, tried to be nicer, she might as well keep it up. She nods, slowly.]

...Nah, it's chill. I was about to go patrol, but I can go later. Not like I'm stuck on a schedule or whatever. My place is empty as hell, except, you know, all the weapons. [She gestures inside, opening the door for Tara. She's not knowingly avoiding inviting her in verbally, it's just habit.]

What'd you want to talk about?

I can go with you. [It would give them something to do while they talked. Maybe even the effort of keeping on guard and danger around them would stop any potential blips.] I've never been the best with physical exertion, but I doubt we'll have to run any.

You...you don't have to stay there alone. I think the others would let you stay at the house. [She's not sure it's her place to offer, but she doubts Faith will accept. Unless she does. If there was a problem, she'd accept the trouble, but Faith shouldn't be alone.] They let me stay and they don't know me.

[There was a genuine smirk, a rare breakthrough of...something, some feeling. But it didn't last long. Either she made it up, or it was a lingering residue of her old self.]

Um, it's kind of difficult to talk about. I...I guess I wanted to ask your blood type. It's kind of related to that. Not you personally, but mine.

Don't tell Willow.

(Dirk was on his break. Granted, every waking moment of his life was his break because he worked whenever the hell he wanted to. Still. He was sitting on the sidewalk a few feet away, a cigarette between two fingers. There weren't too many people out tonight. Not that Dirk could blame them. It was cold and shitty, but he was trying to get used to the snow. So here he was. Suffering. Like an idiot.

He had noticed the chick with her crossbow, but like, it's a usual day in Trench so he doesn't really pay her much mind beyond that. Not like she was pointing it at him. Then it would be a different story.

She is, however, talking about his shop. So, with a casual, indifferent Texan drawl:)

It's a stupid wordplay on the Japanese word 'yaoi' which is a genre exclusively about dudes who fuck dudes. (He takes a slow drag from his cigarette. He doesn't even know why he picked up this stupid habit.) It's also now a sex shop.

[She nods. Yeah, sure, that works. She closes the door behind her with a shrug.] Probably not. A-hunting we go, then.

[She slings the crossbow on her shoulder, stepping down and walking alongside Tara. She lets out an amused huff at Tara's offer. Willow might have buried the hatchet with Ozpin and Qrow but Faith has always been considerably more distrustful than the scooby gang.] Somehow I doubt it. Don't know if I want to stay with Ozpin either, or the crow guy who got all pissy at me and Willow. Still, it's nice of you to offer.

[She feels like they must have let Tara stay by virtue of her being Willow's girlfriend. Faith and Willow have been getting along so far, but she feels like Willow's not going to advocate for her in quite the same way.

Tara's next statement is a bit of a shock, though. Faith furrows her brow and gives Tara a puzzled look. Why would she tell Faith something and not tell Willow? She was pretty intensely distrustful in their first encounter, not to mention visibly pissed at Willow for keeping a secret. Whatever, Willow and Tara's relationship drama's not Faith's issue.] Uh... vileblood. So far all I've noticed is that I get stronger if I'm angrier.

But yeah, sure, it'll stay between us. Promise.

No shit?

[She huffs a breath of laughter. She's fairly sure this is the owner, just based on a feeling.]

Doin' god's work, then. [Or the devil's, as many people tried to beat into her head when she grew up catholic. She slings the crossbow over her shoulder.] Kinda surprised nobody else built one yet, considering how much living in a post apocalyptic nightmare world lends itself to screwing.

[That statement is entirely sincere and not sarcastic. In Faith's experience, nothing gets someone going more than hunting down and murdering monsters. She takes a cigarette of her own out from the pack in her jacket and puts it between her lips. Fuck it, she can be on break too.] Light?

Edited 2022-02-04 08:03 (UTC)

Yeeeup. (While he doesn't necessarily smile at her laughter, there's something of a twitch at the corner of his mouth. This was clearly a woman of refined taste and he could respect that.

Okay, no, he actually smirks a bit at that second part.)

Someone's gotta. (Dirk thankfully never had to be subjected to religion at any point in his life, but he's read enough about it to have some serious pity for those that were.)

My thinkin' exactly. Granted, there's probably some podunk shack that sells blood-enchanted condoms or some shit.

(Faith was completely correct. He grunts, pushing himself up to his feet, and strolls over to her. He digs out his lighter and flicks it at the end of her cigarette. He cups his hand around it just to make sure the biting wind doesn't knock it out.)

Take it you're a Hunter? (With a nod to the crossbow.) That or just completely sensible.

[She scrunches up her nose at the mention of blood enchanted condoms.] See, blood-enchanted condoms just sounds like how you'd catch a boatload of STD's, magic or no.

[She inhales and lets the smoke settle before blowing a smoke ring.] Can't say I've ever been accused of being sensible. Have to add it to the pile. [She takes a moment to think.] I guess you could say I'm a hunter, yeah. Not officially with them, but I hunt monsters.

Sort of my calling, I guess. Literally.

Right? See...I'm always telling people that barebacking is the natural solution to these problems. (Dirk, ew, no. Then again, they are standing in front of the kink shop he owns, so also maybe this should be expected.) Man, now I'm picturing this place's idea of an STD.

(It involved a lot of legs and he has no idea why. It's probably accurate. He slips his lighter away and takes another drag himself.)

Reckon you don't meet too many bright people then. I don't see enough people walking around with weapons. (He's not walking around with a weapon either, but he didn't strictly need one so. Details.)

Literally? Are you a prophecy baby or something?

And on the other end, you never hear about anyone gettin' pregnant from taking it up the ass. Must be onto something. [It's almost impossible to gross Faith out with sex talk. She grosses other people out with sex talk. The idea of this place's idea of an STD nearly does it though, because she makes a face at the second part.

She's picturing something alive, and vaguely aquatic. Gross.]

Well, last guy I ran into got all pissy about it even though he had a scythe.[She doesn't exactly need one either, slayer strength and all that, but she likes them. Besides, when she first arrived here, Luz told her that an axe is too short ranged for this place, so the crossbows here just in case whatever she's fighting shouldn't be touched.] But yeah, something like that, I think. I'm a Slayer. It's a chosen one type of deal, one girl in all the world gets to fight the forces of darkness, blah blah blah. I get monster killing powers, so y'know.

Takin' it up the ass is underrated. (The look on her face actually makes Dirk snicker quietly. He too was the king of gross-out with this stuff. The more disgusting, the better, in his opinion.)

Sounds like a sensitive dude. (Dirk taps his cigarette lightly to knock the ash off. Much like Faith, Dirk didn't need a weapon either. They were just so fucking cool. And so was the title 'Slayer' over Hunter.)

Sounds like a classic badass tragic backstory. Does this Slayer babe have a name? (Coming from anyone else, that question might have been the cringiest thing on this godforsaken earth. But Dirk somehow makes it sound natural and not like a come-on.)

[It's not as if she brought any weapons with her. She's got her magic, but she hasn't really explored it since the blood zealots. Something about being a Vileblood. Using its magic would only make her feel even more wrong, even more decaying.]

It's not the best thing to stay alone in a place like this. Things can happen and you might want someone there. It's like...this is Sunnydale pulled into the Hellmouth.

[It was the first time she voiced it out loud to someone, but it felt good to say, especially to Faith. A person who would understand but wouldn't be Willow. Willow thought other things about the Trench.

She nodded, feeling a bit relieved that Faith shared the same blood. It made this conversation easier and Faith more trustworthy. She stepped closer, not wanting anyone to overhear, not that there was anyone around.]

Do you ever feel like the blood is wrong? That its made you w...wrong?

[Your girlfriend and all her friends were perfectly content to leave me squatting in a motel in Sunnydale even while I was fighting for them, why should here be any different?

She's a bit tempted to say that. It's not fair to Willow, or to Xander or Buffy or Oz or Cordy. Wesley, Giles, sure. But it doesn't change the fact that the only one who over offered that kind of familial comfort and safety was the Mayor. And even now, she's not sure how much of that was manipulation.]

It's a miserable hellhole, yeah. I'm not sure Sunnydale was any better even above ground, though. It just sort of... pretended to be.

[She gives Tara a concerned look at her confession. It only lasts a few moments before her expression shifts to consideration and dark amusement.] Speaking personally, I was already wrong. That's what they keep telling me anyway. But I guess I understand what you mean, yeah.

How's it manifesting for you?

Yeah, my backstory's pretty fuckin' tragic and badass, that's just scratching the surface. [.........Well, it's tragic at least.]

Slayer babe's name is Faith. [She takes a puff of her cigarette and offers her hand for a handshake.] Faith Lehane, nice to meet you, mysteriously unnamed kink peddler.

[Faith's been largely sticking to patrolling the streets, mainly because she doesn't like the sound of going insane after a hunt through the woods, but partially just because that's what she's used to.

The problem is that Faith needs to fight, it's a primal urge like any other need. She knows the difference between a slayer and a killer now, but it doesn't change the fact that slayers were born for one thing. To kill. She also brought some chocolate along that she picked up from a totally trustworthy source, just so she has one thing to scratch one of the two itches that commonly occurs after she gets violent.

So she ventures out into the outskirts, hoping for something to fight. And that's when she sees Mara fighting a monster. And more than holding her own too, Faith's impressed. She raises her crossbow and darts over.]

Yo, want an assist or is this one all yours? [It's etiquette thing, but Faith does look primed and ready to jump in anyway.]

It definitely wasn't any better aboveground, but Buffy told me once about what the Hell dimension she visited was like. This isn't exactly a demon slave camp or whatever, where we're worked until old age, but this is still pretty bad.

[And really, it's the only explanation that makes any kind of sense. Sure, Anya talked about how there were various dimensions, but this...this was the only way to make it seem more...real.]

Not that kind of wrong.

[She was meant as a defense for Faith.]

You were human, no matter what you did. This kind of wrong is like...not being alive. A decaying state. It's hard to explain.

[She frowned.]

I keep having...blips. I say or do something and not know I did it or said it. Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I kind of come to.

[The difference between a human and a predatory animal is, in Faith's mind, almost nothing. Even Buffy had more fangs than molars, no matter how much she might think she's above it all, she was a huntress who took just as much thrill in snuffing out life as Faith did. Faith was human, and that makes it worse. She was a hero, and that makes it worse. That makes her worse, and deep down, deep to her core she knows there's nothing anybody could have done to save her.

She was fucked from the start. And if that's humanity, maybe being human is overrated.

But she looks at Tara, her brow furrowed in concern.]

...And that's been going on since you arrived? [It sounds more like brain damage, or a curse, or... corruption? That can't just be her usual state as a vileblood.]

No. They started around...December? I think? Time is hard to keep track of. They just have been getting worse over time. People are noticing more and more. I get lost sometimes...figuratively and literally.

[She clenched and unclenched her hands, wringing her fingers nervously. Fidgeting was better than stuttering.]

That's...not the only thing. There's a problem with my blood magic.

[She gestured to her clothing, the large bundle of layers she wore and the gloves that covered her hands.]

You probably noticed all this? If...if someone touches my bare skin, there's um a problem. I think I infect them or something? They start to feel what I've been feeling since I was brought back...from the dead.

[...Well, that's new. Mostly. She's... definitely concerned now, her frown deepening but understanding. This is a lot.

She can surmise, from everything she's observed about Willow and Tara's complicated new relationship, that she probably shouldn't tell Tara that Willow told Faith that Tara was having this argument before she'd apparently even told Tara that Faith was here.

She blinks in surprise at that last part. Everyone's fucking dying, huh.] ...You died, huh? And what they feel is just... what you constantly feel?

[She tries to put herself in Tara's shoes and wonders what it would be like to infect people around her with the sheer depths of her anger, with the numb loneliness she feels on a constant daily basis, with... any number of things. It's awful. Especially if she couldn't touch, find that escape from the empty echoing void of rage and grief within.]

That's pretty heavy, huh. [Her words might seem casual but her tone is actually pretty somber, empathetic even.]

Good to meet you, Faith. (He gladly takes her hand, giving it a firm shake. He wasn't too used to shaking hands yet, but it was easy enough.)

The mysterious kink peddler's name is Dirk Strider. (What a fucking top-notch namesake to live up to. Kink Peddler. She just about made his year with that one.)

Are you interested in the merch? (A thumb over his shoulder towards the sex shop.)

I'm sure fighting monsters all day leaves a lady tense.

I've made do without it for now, but maybe later.

[This girl has no trouble getting laid.

Dirk Strider... she can't tell if that's the lamest name she's ever heard or the coolest. Maybe both.]

Well, you've heard the basics of my very tragic and very badass backstory. How about yours?

Edited 2022-02-16 18:32 (UTC)

Whenever you want, doll.

(Yeah, he could fully believe that. Girls weren't his thing, but she's pretty enough that he knew other guys (and girls?) must love her company.

Definitely both.)

Nothin' too fancy. I'm a genetic clone. Was put on a version of earth where humans were wiped out by aliens. Lived alone in the middle of a flooded Texas. No fancy destiny around just paradoxical bullshit and some weird-ass video game.

(There is absolutely no normal or smooth way of explaining Homestuck ever.)

Man, if that's your idea of nothin' fancy I'd hate to see what draws out the suit and tie. Jesus christ, that's even more sci-fi than that space travelling angry red guy.

[It does sound depressing, though, spending all that time on your own. Faith would go mad if the only company she had growing up was herself. Then again, her actual family might have been worse than nothing.]

Is it any sort of comfort if I tell you that Earth sucked pre-apocalypse too?

You'll Come Back (When It's Over) || Febuary Catch-All

Where's Your Mother? | Closed to Tara (Early Febuary)

I'm Not Angry Anymore | Closed to Dirk Strider (Early Febuary)

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cw for nsfw conversation

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It Was A Bad Idea | Closed to Mara

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