InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "are you coming or going?"

buffy summers; slayer, the (goingtowin) wrote in parabolical,
@ 2009-09-20 18:04:00

Entry tags:

buffy summers, claire bennet

Who: Buffy Summers & Open
What: A bit of angest of her own, she figured it was coming sooner or later
When: Late night/early morning, around midnight
Where: Outside a demon bar
Rating: PG-13
Status: Compete as a narritive, open if someone wants to tag in.

She had, somehow, manage to contact Cells in America, but not Scotland. Buffy had explained the situation to Vi, Kennedy and Rona, and then had them contact Scotland and other cells to let them know the situation, and that no, there wasn't some evil clone of Buffy running around in LA. They seem to believe it at any rate, and it did give Buffy a piece of mind.

Word that she was in the city was slowly, slowly spreading. She had done her best not to make it totally obvious to people who were not on the network that seemed to be so popular in LA. But after a while, word did get out that Buffy Summers was back in the city. Sometimes that brought enough trouble on its own. Some demons still wanted to take down the Slayer, or at least the longest surviving one. Some probably had reason for it, others probably just wanted the bragging rights. Over the past few days she'd had multiple fights from demons who had sought her out simply because they wanted to see if they could kill her.

They were all dead. But for how long? And had Simone been right? Buffy was older, much older than many of the other Slayers. Would her speed and strength soon fail her, or did she get to keep it? Her body would eventually wear down. Would it wear down faster because of her lifestyle? Because Slayers weren't meant to be as old as she was? How long until she lost? She didn't have her army to work with. She'd proven over again that she could still beat her own girls, multiple of them at once. She was significant there.

She wasn't here. Yeah, she still had her reputation. But somehow, while her back was turned, Faith had become someone entirely new. Different. She had AI at her fingertips it seemed, even though some people argued with her. She was the boss, and Buffy refused to look at her like that. Someone she would work with, fine. But she did not take orders. But if she acted against Faith, everyone who already loved her was going to lash out at Buffy. Her psycho boyfriend already had for no reason what so ever. There was no winning her. She was stuck, trapped, in more ways than one.

After stopping in to chat with some of the locals, she got along just fine with some of them, and squish out what information she could about anything happening without seeming too obvious, she headed out. The Scythe was with her. Truthfully, she never went out patrolling without it, and when it was at the hotel, she kept it safely locked away. Even there. It was almost like she considered it her one remaining grasp of who she was. She wasn't 'Ma'am' here. She was just Buffy, the chick who had other versions here before and had been totally psycho.

Faith had a way of bringing that out in her. Though in her defence, Buffy had been right in the past.

The night seemed pretty quiet actually. Until she heard someone talking. Someone begging for their life, actually. Situation just got more interesting. Curious, Buffy looked around the corner, four vampires cornering a teenage couple.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, stepping out, the scythe behind her back. The four vampires looked at her, followed by the girl. "Please, help us." she half said in tears while her boyfriend was staring the the vampires.

Seemed the vampires didn't want to give Buffy a second glance. Maybe they just hadn't heard yet? They were about to move in on the couple, so Buffy tried again. "You know, attacking people is wrong, right? Generally frowned upon. Even if you guys are all celebrities now on MTV." she said, walking closer still. "Which, is really kind of embarrassing. I mean, MTV? No one watches that crap anymore." had it ever been good?

The more she talked, the more annoyed they got. "Lets just kill her quick, and get back to these two. One less annoying blond." one vampire said.

"Oh, you're going to kill me?" she asked innocently, stopping as she leaned all her weight into one leg. "This should be fun. Maybe you'll even make me work for it." Buffy said casually as she brought out the Scythe, twirling it slightly.

That seemed to make something click. "Slayer." growled one. "Not just any Slayer."

"Oh, so you do know me." Buffy added in casually.

"Kill her." said the one, apparently the leader, since he held back as the other three jumped.

The first one went sailing into the dumpster so she could deal with the other two. Ducking a swing, she tripped one, and then threw another back into the leader. From behind, the one she'd tripped jumped her back. Grabbing his arms, she threw him over her head, and then brought the scythe down over his head, dusting him.

The leader threw the other vampire back at her, and all Buffy had to do was raise the pointed end, and slam it into the guys heart. Two down, far to easily. Clearly they were just flunkies. The one from the dumpster went down just as easily.

"Get out of here!" she told the couple as she faced the leader. As they ran, the leader watched them go.

"You made me miss my breakfast." he said, looking back to Buffy. "Guess I'll just have to eat you." always with the same threats, as if he could. This vampire was stronger than the other. It wasn't long before she actually found she was in a real fight. This one wasn't a beginner. She wasn't worried, but he was good. She made a cut with the Scythe, and instead he dodged, grabbed the handle, and then shoved, causing Buffy to slam against the wall, and pinned her there.

"What's the matter Slayer?" he asked, as she struggled. "Losing your touche? Losing your status to the Rogue Slayer?" he said, breathing out so slowly. "This isn't your city, no one cares about one more dead blond. There's so many of you now." he said with a laugh. "In fact, killed on just a month or so back in New York. She was so-" that was one of her girls he was going on about. Buffy would never know her name, or who she died with, or why she died. But she was dead. One more Slayer. And what did it matter? There were more for them now. Except it made something it Buffy ticked.

With a bit of a grunt, she threw her strength forward, and drove the vampire back, her Scythe ripping free. Her foot slammed into the vampires knee, causing him to drop, and then the metal came, slashing into his head. In seconds, he was dust, and Buffy was left alone, looking at his ashes as they blew away. For a moment, all was silent.

"Don't screw with the blonds." she breathed, before looking down. This wasn't her city.

Shaking her head slightly, she let the Scythe drop to her side, before heading back. Maybe she needed a bath, and then bed. This city was getting to her.

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lonestarclaire
2009-09-21 12:32 am UTC (link)

Claire had seen the fight, more dead blondes. Yeah yeah, she'd heard it before, they'd underestimated blondes and then some had even died bloody. It had been their own fault for biting her.

Maybe it was a disturbing way to think. Maybe she was starting to think like a fighter and not a kid, but was that so bad. Its what Meridith had been teaching her before she'd come here. Not to ever get complacent. And she never would. Not anymore. Last time she'd done that Sylar had gotten into her head. Litrally.

As Buffy turned to leave the ally Claire turned into it and looked the woman over.

"You hurt?" she asked calmly. She wasn't AI. She'd made that perfectly clear to the bitch-in-charge. But no one was getting hurt where she could do something about it and make them okay. That would just be pointless.

"If you're hurt I can help. Apparently I have to stop letting them hurt me to win"

Stupid Spike, and she couldn't really even say he was wrong. Anyone would agree with him. But it was a valid tactic in her mind. Though now she figured, as far as patrols went she wasn't answering to anyone.

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goingtowin
2009-09-21 12:41 am UTC (link)

She hadn't been expecting anyone. It showed up much the vampire had either shook her up, or pissed her off, she hadn't even heard anyone coming. Slightly startled, Buffy tensed slightly as her gaze shot up and she stopped in place. But when she saw who it was, she relaxed. Claire. One of the Claires. The blonde one who had left AI shortly after Buffy had arrived in the middle of a moral battle.

She blinked, and then looked at her hands, as if expecting to see blood. "I don't...think so." she reached up to her head, but knew she wouldn't find anything, not even a bruise. She'd been hit harder than that with more powerful things.

But that wasn't really what she was concerned about. Looking up at Claire, she watched her for a moment before cutting right to the chase. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked. Because the last thing she needed right now was people knowing that this whole place. The city, the situation, Faith, was really getting to her.

Maybe it hadn't been obvious, that would have been nice. But she had to be sure, because right about now, her facade was all she was holding onto. There were other things to worry about. Like how teenage girls were on the streets, cutting themselves open to heal people. Buffy understood they made the choice, and that the Claires healed, but it still seemed so...wrong to her.

There were other things, like the question of who was taking over AI. Of where everyone fit it. There was other drama, and while she was focused on her stupid worries, other people didn't have to be.

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lonestarclaire
2009-09-21 12:49 am UTC (link)

Claire had sort of expected the question, and yes, she'd heard enough. Loosing her status to the Rogue Slayer, was everyone obsessed with stupid Faith? Even the vampires. What was so good about her anyway?. The fight was one she probably could have helped with. It had been one of those situations where she probably should have, but she hadn't wanted to get in the way. Buffy was pretty well known for the kickass. If she'd been in danger then yeah, Claire would have helped, but she wasn't. And she wasn't injured, the vial and syringe she always carried by habit now could stay where they were, the question at hand though would require an answer.

"I heard a fair amount. But I'm not about to bring it up if you don't want it brought up, everyone has something and even an apparent 'kid' should know better than that."

"Is this where you're patrolling?" she asked casually, wondering had Faith scheduled Buffy in, she'd tried doing the varying thing but that bitch covered her bases. She was good at her job. Thats why Peter had chosen her, now if she'd only stay to that job and not act like the Queen of Everything things would be good.

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goingtowin
2009-09-21 01:02 am UTC (link)

Great, so she'd heard. Though she said she wouldn't tell. Wouldn't tell? God, she could hardly hear herself think. What was this, high school? Jealous of Faith all over again? Buffy offered a weak smile, shaking her head. "You're what, sixteen, seventeen? That's older than me when I started....this." she said, holding up the Scythe. When she was called. "I don't think you fall into the 'kid' category anymore." not if you did this every night. Claire wasn't a Slayer, but she was still out here. Her kid days were long gone.

Buffy looked toward the bar and shrugged. "This is where I've decided to patrol." which was a basic hint to say, no, she wasn't following anyones orders. Faith and Buffy had yet to try and cross that line. Would they ever? Buffy had no idea. Maybe if they kept tip toeing down the line of Buffy being what she was, the slayer, and helping out all on her own, they wouldn't have to. It probably wouldn't go over well.

"Talking to some guys inside." she said, motioning to the door. "Just to see if there was anything new or interesting." but there was no potential end of the world threats at the moment. At least none that she'd picked up on. Just your basic demons, and some kitten poker. Which still weirded her out. "I decided to leave after the bags of kittens came to the card table."

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lonestarclaire
2009-09-21 01:13 am UTC (link)

"Right so it must just be some people saying kid"

People. Person. Whatever. Claire had a lot more time for Buffy, she wasn't completely insane for one thing. People said Sam was the problem. Oh no, it was Faith. But they'd figure that out eventually. Or she'd keep being a controlling bitch till everything blew up in her face. Claire just really hoped no one got hurt cause of it.

And Buffy wasn't really following orders either.

"Its a good place to start. I decided on here too" she confided in the same tone as Buffy had used. Same rule applied, just, she supposed, for different reasons.

"The kittens are gross though. Have to admit. I've had the arguement with Spike more than once. And me and my sister rescued a whole bunch not so long ago. Still haven't told him that part. Like at all." she added with a grin. "He would get stroppy and talk about profits"

She hadn't seen Spike in a while, remedying that would be good.

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goingtowin
2009-09-21 01:22 am UTC (link)

"People are going to say kid for a long time." she said, stating it in a matter-of-fact way. She heard it, for ages. Maybe the last time was before her mother died. "I didn't shake it until my twenties." as much as her mother had said she realized Buffy wasn't a kid, and that she had a job, Buffy knew her mother still, in some ways, saw her as someone she needed to protect. "You learn to ignore it." or just bitch about it in the best ways. "Though any slayer, at least any smart one, would keep their mouth shut on that. We're hardly ones to talk."

Buffy smirked slightly, picking up the double meaning. That shouldn't make her happy at all. But part of her was okay with the fact that Claire had done with she had to. She left. Claire had that option. If Buffy left it would be because she couldn't handle it, because she was too power hungry. Claire could do what felt right. Buffy respected that. "It's pretty dead, besides the gambling. Guess the action's outside." which she had just found out.

She had been planning on going back, but now, maybe she shouldn't? Or maybe she should, because she knew Claire could take care of herself. While she had this desire to invite herself to come along on Claire's patrol, Buffy knew how much that would piss her off it someone did that to her. She knew it would annoy Dawn, and Dawn was her little sister.

"Probably shouldn't either." she said with a grin. "That's exactly what he'd do, and then we'd all have to suffer and listen to him go on. I don't think it's worth the pain."

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lonestarclaire
2009-09-21 07:48 am UTC (link)

It seemed understandable enough. "I guess its something you just have to shake on your own right. The kid label. I'll deal I guess." Learning to ignore, or bitching about it. Constructive bitching mind, that was something she could easily do. And she liked Buffy even more when she said what she did about Slayers. Smart ones. That was obviously the difference.

"I guess any smart Slayer would" she added, and returned the smirk saying nothing else about it. It didn't need to be said.

Claire was still patrolling. And who knew, Maybe Faith would send someone to cover her and Buffy's ground. Again. She wouldn't put it past her, but given that they were both here.

"You finished your route?" she asked casually "There's a graveyard a block over, I was gonna just take a pass through it, just to be sure, I mean if you wanted to do it...."

Suffering with Spike's complaining. Now there was something she was fast getting used to.

"Its really not, he gets confused at me and my talk of kitten rights"

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goingtowin
2009-09-21 06:06 pm UTC (link)

She smiled slightly, tilting her head to the side. "You'll shake it eventually. Everyone does." and sometimes she missed it. High School, even if you were a slayer, was more simple than running an entire slayer army from a foreign country. Or running the offensive team at AI.

Buffy didn't know what Faith thought of Claire, but if given the chance to think about, she was sure the other Slayer would realize that Claire was no more a kid than they had been when they were her age.

She considered the offer, bed seemed nice, but the buddy system was something she pushed these days. "Two people are better than one?" she offered. Otherwise she'd let Claire take it. It was her route, she doubted anyone trained by AI was going to let something slip.

Buffy made a face, shaking her head. "I guess to a vampire, it would be the same as us talking about Oreo Cookie rights."

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lonestarclaire
2009-09-23 12:21 pm UTC (link)

She wasn't sure that she would if she was honest, not the way some people were treating her and not with someone there that would always always be older and wiser than her. But she'd deal. She always did.

"I'd like it if you came along on patrol with me, she offered again, it was also likely Buffy had knowledge and tactics Faith hadn't and so Claire thought it wouldn't hurt to learn from her however she could.

"Oh don't get me started on the weird that is Oreo's. They have no rights!" she joked and stepped, walking in time with the blonde Slayer.

"Spike and his kitten poker though, to each their very weird own. I mean look who he's dating, or not dating, or whatever is with him and Harmony!"

She was not jealous, she wasn't jealous, at all. That would be dumb. Because Spike was Spike, and saw her like a kid, just like everyone seemed to. Difference was he didn't always treat her like one, irregardless of what he thought

"I was gonna do that graveyard and maybe a block or two more then call it a night, what do you think?"

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goingtowin
2009-09-24 07:31 pm UTC (link)

"Sure." she agreed with a nod. "I could always go for hitting something more." it would probably be better than trying to go home and fall asleep, which would just turn into tossing and turning while she glared at her ceiling.

Buffy nodded firmly, "To true. The only right they have is to be delicious, and go good with milk." past that, they were at others mercy. It was their own faults for being so yummy. She took note of the other girls height, and decided she got instant brownie points for not making her feel short.

Buffy winced slightly, shaking her head. Did Claire not know it was an act? "You think they're together?" she tried to ask casually. If Spike said they weren't than he believed it. How it even happened, Buffy had no idea. How anyone stood in the same room as Harmony for more than five minutes was an even bigger mystery. God, she really wanted to stake her.

She'd be jealous if she didn't know how much Harmony annoyed him. Or maybe she was still jealous. Was she always going to be like that? The jealous ex-whatever it was she was.

"Graveyard is always a winner in my books." she said with a nod, agreeing. "Maybe someone will crawl their way up tonight." though they were always the easier. The newbies who had no idea how to be what they really were.

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lonestarclaire
2009-09-25 10:57 pm UTC (link)

"Its oddly thereputic. And I'm not a Slayer but I'm pretty much some kind of defensive player of the year. They get distracted killing me and you get all Slayer on them. It could be a good combo"

Faith had some weird thing about not using her abilities like that. Probably cause she was friends with SBC or whatever. It was stupid. It wasn't using resources. But then Faith and good decisions didn't go together.

"...She thinks they are. I have an idea of whats actually going on and to be honest. I know she's an evil vampire or whatever but its sort of cruel. He should tell her."

She hadn't missed the wince and it bothered her slightly, she knew about Buffy and Spike too, the basics anyway, but that wasn't happening here, was it?

"Graveyard it is" she finally said, ready to move off the topic of Spike. He totally seemed to have a thing for blondes though. Might be a point in her favour. Or maybe he and Buffy would hook up again.

Hitting things, Hitting things was a plan.

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goingtowin
2009-09-26 09:26 pm UTC (link)

"They don't actually...kill you though, do they? Because I don't want any sisters coming after me." that would be bad, very, very bad. Speaking as someone who had a sister, she herself would be pretty pissed. "I know you heal and all, but you can still fight, right?" because if she didn't, and she was patrolling, Buffy was going to have this nag to teach her to right.

She tried to see it as cruel, she did. But the fact that she wanted nothing more than to kill Harmony made that very difficult to do. "I have no idea." she said with a shrug. "Though she did warn me to stay away from him when I first got here. Which was really sort of amusing." Harmony was a vampire, yes, but she wasn't a fighter. She had her minions who followed her because...well, actually, Buffy had no idea why. If she was ever faced against Harmony, she'd still fight her best, but she was pretty confident she'd win.

"Great." she said, twirling her Scythe in her hand. "So how long have you been here and patrolling for?" she asked, as they headed toward the graveyard.

After this, she decided, instead of heading home, she was going to take a walk over to Spike's club.

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