who. buffy and faith what. the two slayers get into a heated argument. when. i have no idea. i'm sick. leave me alone. locked to. closed status. complete ( done over aim )
Faith: Time passed. She felt fleet ceaselessly, yet couldn't recall it existing. It was as if she were frozen and everything just sped up. The weight of the world was on her shoulders, now more then ever. As if it wasn't bad enough the formation of enormities on the earth existed, now she had to worry about Angelus. She nearly died the last time she encountered the malicious vampire and his inspiration seemed to thrived over the years, un-faltered. It was going to take more firepower then a spell or dreamscaping. Buffy wasn't willing to risk combining a group of slayers to stop one vampire, because he wasn't just any vampire. They weren't prepared for this kind of heat, and there were still chances Angel could be redeemed. Willow had tried her spells, failed and failed. But no one was expecting this to easy. It was different this time. If Buffy's explanations added up, Angel's soul was floating in the depths of Hell and there were treaties that couldn't be broken so easily. So, they were stuck in a rut. It seemed like hours they had been patrolling. Faith hadn't allowed any of the girls to go out past sundown unless escorted by either herself, or Buffy. It was too risky. Though this night it was just herself and the blonde. Everyone else was left to research and they were roaming territory in case Angelus decided to pop up. Though she doubted he'd make an appearance, because two slayers at once was a suicide mission. Faith paused, momentarily, creasing her eyebrows once a foul odor invaded her nostrils. It was familiar, decaying, but still fresh that proper purification hadn't taken order. "You smell that?" She could tell by Buffy's visage that she had. Leisure movements brought them around the corner to a corpse that had been barbarically abused. There was so much blood, but her face barely touched that it wasn't difficult to identify the body. Jessica. She had been one of the slayers. Faith herself was surprised she even recognized the girl, since there was so many of them. "Damn it. I told her not leave the hotel. Doesn't guardian authority mean anything anymore?" She couldn't have blamed Jessica. She was spoiled, fresh to her power and cocky about it. All the slayers felt they were ready for a fight, but they weren't. They had the power, but not the discipline or skill. It took her a moment to notice a message was scrawled in blood across the brick wall, discreet but visible. 'See you soon'. The provocative messages were getting old that it lost it's effect. "Looks like lover boy is lookin' for another showdown."
Buffy: It had been a few, sleepless nights since Angelus and Buffy had fought in the alley. Fought, of course, being a loose term. Sure, fists had been thrown, blood had been spilled, but in its entirety, it'd been a battle on who could say the sharpest, more cutting of things. Angelus, always the victor. Tonight, Buffy had promised herself vehemently that she wouldn't think about that vampire, wouldn't let him cloud her mind like every single minute of every single day. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked like she had planned. Even with Faith by her side, Buffy found her thoughts gravitating to that same vampire, and how she was so seemingly incapable of killing the bastard. It would have been better for everyone. For Buffy, for her friends, Dawn, the people they swore to protect .. they could all be victims at any given moment. And still, Buffy couldn't do it. As the two Slayers wove between the epitaphs and gravestones, neither one of them spoke. Not at first, anyway. It wasn't until a wave of stench, one that Buffy had grown used to over the years, hit them like a wave. She flinched, nose crinkling at the terrible, nearly nauseating smell. "Oh, yeah. I smell it." In a few, short movements, Faith and Buffy had found the source. Instantly, the blonde's stomach churned, and she fought the urge to vomit. The victim was one of their girls. Her face, nearly totally untouched, was tilted upwards towards the message that was scrawled crudely across the brick. Buffy heard Faith's words, but at first, she couldn't form a reply. Her throat was suddenly too dry, her tongue gummy and sticking to the roof of her mouth. "Looks like," Was all she finally managed to say. Verdant eyes were forced away from the corpse, staring down at her feet. "What are we going to do about her?"
Faith: A sudden deformity coiled in her stomach; as if it were a virus of sorts that couldn't be annihilated by a chemical antidote. She had a soft spot for Angel, since he helped many times in the past when no one else would, even after her charades against him. But when it came down to Angelus wasn't Angel. Nothing would ever change that. He was a monster. Unlike Buffy, she was fully prepared to take him down in the heat of battle. She surveyed the blonde's expressions, breifly, but enough to detect the anguish and regrets in them. Even after all this time, the vampire still made her weak and that why she wouldn't be able to do this. Faith didn't want to cross the line and come back mentioning she killed Buffy's ex-hubby, but their options were running low. There wasn't even a definite sign they would be able to save Angel. Not this time. "We should bury it somewhere. Get it out of sight before it draws up questions." The cemetery seemed too perfect now. Too plasuible. She gazed over to Buffy. "You alright?"
Buffy: It would be a lie to say that Buffy hadn't tried to do it. She had told herself for a month straight that at the first opportunity, Buffy would be the one to end Angelus' reign of sadism. What had happened? She'd caved. Again. She was unable to imagine his face, one that was so well loved, crumbling to ash. It was times like these that made Buffy miss the younger, more naive, entirely more innocent teenager she'd once been, the girl that had been able to shove a sword through her soul mate's chest because it was the right thing to do. That was gone, now. Right, wrong -- eventually, it all blended together in a blurry watercolor of grays and reds. When Faith spoke again, Buffy's attention once again shifted to the brunette, her gaze almost turning hurt when Faith referred to the body as it. Gently, Buffy corrected her, her voice soft, a crack somewhere in the middle. "Her, Faith. Not it. Her name was Jessica." Sighing, she reluctantly turned her gaze back to the fallen Slayer. "I'll grab her hands, you grab her feet." Buffy ignored Faith's question. Was Buffy okay? No. She was a few states over from it, but she'd never been one to spill out her emotions, serve it up on a silver platter. "We need to hurry." Hesitantly, fingers grasped Jessica's hands, and Buffy nearly yanked her hands away, the sudden sensation of the chilled flesh against her own like a burn. She didn't, however, and she waited for Faith to grab her feet.
Faith: It was a harsh reference to refer a person to. Faith still had problems of connecting on any form of relations. She thought about arguing, explaining how stupid the girl was leaving from the first place, but she knew that response could end into a brawl. Now wasn't the time to start fighting with allies when they were most needed now. It was funny how much she changed. If this was a few years back, she would of jumped at the oppurtunity to push Buffy's buttons out of pleasure. She sighed lowly, lifting her chin in the opposite direction. Air was her only source of anger management. Bending down she snatched the girl's feet and helped carry the body back towards the cemetery that was only across the street. A shovel had been conviently left sitting upright against a tree truck - likely the equipment of a gravekeeper who neglected to retrieve his inventory. It took them twenty-minutes to dig up a small grave, dump the body, and pile the dirt back on it - while any other person. it would of took longer. They fell in a deep silence for a moment, as if they were making up for their neglection by performing a small funeral. After a few minutes, Faith had finally spoke up, but barely audible. "I should of watched her..Kept a better eye on her..." She knew how reckless Jessica could be, always full of pride that could get her killed. If she would of been more persistent, took more time to make sure she didn't do something stupid, she could of stopped this.
Buffy: Oh, Buffy knew how stupid it had been of Jessica to go off by herself. How many times had she and Faith told the girls not to go out unless they were in groups of three or more? Jessica had been stupid, only because she had thought she was stronger than she was. She overestimated her own strength. Then again, Buffy could remember plenty of times that she'd done the same. It was easy to assure yourself that you'd come out on top when you had the powers and strengths of a Slayer. But the stronger you were, it seemed that you fell that much harder. With a heavy sigh, Buffy helped Faith move Jessica's body to the cemetery, which was conveniently located just across the street. Neither of the Slayers said a word as they dug the grave, gently laid Jessica into it, and covered her with dirt. Buffy's stomach knotted violently as she watched Jessica's features, once so youthful and pretty, become covered with soil. The rest of her body soon followed, and eventually, the grave was filled back up. Silence continued, until Faith spoke up, the sound out of place in the deathly quiet graveyard. "Faith, it's not your fault. We both told her not to go out, and we both could have watched her. We can't control everything these girls do. There was nothing you could have done. We can't chain them in their rooms."
Faith: There was such disappointment in herself that she couldn't eliminate, eben by Buffy's reassuring words. She felt guilt; useless. How could this have happened? Was it not enough that she warned the girls over and over how dangerous Angelus was? That if he saw the oppurtunity to strike, he wouldn't hestitate. "Yeah, whateva'. She should of listened instead of goin' out with her head far too up her ass." She done her best to brush off the emotions, because she despised the vulnerability to an extent that it had lead her into situations that implied her as a cold-hearted bitch. "We have bigger problems on our hands." She wasn't going to sugarcoat things for Buffy, because for a month she had ignored the factors and shut her mouth. Now it was going too far. "Someone's gotta take down Angelus. As bad I want Angel back, too. It ain't goin' to happen this time. You said it yourself. Angel's gone. His in Hell and somethings tellin' me demons don't except magical gifts from peppy redheads." Or that's how Buffy was telling it. All because some girl named Justice wanted a boy toy - though she shouldn't judge since she had tried to do the same thing, once upon a time.
Buffy: After years of being around Faith, one would think that Buffy would be used to just how cold Faith could come across by now. A pointed, sideways glance was sent in Faith's direction when she brushed off Jessica's death, saying the girl's head had been 'too far up her ass.' Leave it to Faith to say something so cold. Instead of arguing, Buffy only shrugged, and listened to the rest of the words that poured from Faith's lips. The very moment that Angelus' name left said lips, Buffy's attention was on high-alert, eyes darting instantly to find Faith's own darker, doe ones. "I think we can get him back." Even Buffy knew she was only lying. Hell, she'd been lying to herself for a month. Angel was gone, suffering in hell because of a moment of untamed greediness on Justice's part. "Willow is going to keep trying, and maybe if we --" Words drifted off, not really knowing where Buffy had been going with it. "I thought I could kill him. I tried. But I can't do it again. I killed him once, and I won't do it again." Soft gaze suddenly became narrowed. "And neither are you." Before Faith could open her mouth to argue, Buffy spoke up again. "Angel was one of the only people that never gave up on you. When I wanted to beat you into a bloody pulp that time I came to Los Angeles -- it was him that stopped me. If we kill Angelus, there will never be a chance of Angel coming back. Right now, the chances are slim, but there's still a chance."
Faith: "A chance?" How could Buffy still be this naive? She knew Buffy wouldn't be able to kill Angelus, but now she was denying her of the efforts? She wasn't surprised, but it was such an irrational way of reacting. "For what? Angelus to rape you again?" She noticed the shock in her eyes, the utter anguish and confusion. Buffy hadn't told anyone about the incident, or at least no Faith - but she dealt with these violations too many times to be able to detect when it's happened to someone. "That's right. I know what he did to you. I've been violated too many times in my life. And I see it in your eyes. The hurt..The violation. You goin' to give him a chance to do that again? To the other slayers? To Dawn." She used such necessary emphasize with her sisters name. She had to know the danger in all of this. Angelus was a more of a threat these days then he had been years ago. He'd given up on childlike antics and was heading into the real pros. "Or are you too incentive to care just as long as there's a chance to get your boy back?" She didn't want to be this cruel, but every bit of it was necessary. She had to open Buffy's eyes, because obviously the blonde was too reluctant, too. "Look, I don't want lose Angel, too. But some times you have to face it. His not coming back, B."
Buffy: How had things gotten so far out of control? It was almost like moving to Cleveland had been the catalyst to the explosion. One thing that happened after the other, a series of events that had managed to change everyone's lives forever. And now, it seemed like things were rising to a crescendo. Or maybe that had happened a month ago, on the night that Angel had first lost his soul. "There's always a chance, Fa-" Sentence didn't even get the chance to complete, before Faith mentioned something Buffy had made damn well sure not to tell anyone. Hell, she hadn't even told Dawn. Green eyes widened, and the space between her blonde brows stitched. Instantly, Buffy reeled back from Faith, as if she had been burned. Spinning on her heels, her back was turned to the brunette, and her attention rested on a gravestone, but she made no move to actually walk away. Of all people, it was Faith that knew about the things they had actually done to her. Sure, Buffy had told her loved ones that Angelus had done a number on her, but she hadn't dared go into detail. Faith could see it in her eyes, apparently. Surely, it wasn't that hard to see past the hard exterior Buffy had been sporting, right down to the shattered remains of a woman that had been dead for a month. When Faith brought Dawn into the mix, Buffy cringed, but the expression went without detection for Faith, since Buffy was turned away from her. "Shut up, Faith." Voice was low, a warning if anything. "You don't know the first thing about me. And you of all people don't get to sit there and judge me." Finally, Buffy turned, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Now, however, they were tears of rage, maybe even humiliation over having someone know what had happened. "This isn't some random vampire we're talking about. It's Angel. And I will get him back. Do you know what he'd do to you if you tried to kill him, Faith? Do you?" She stepped forward, her voice lowering even further. "You don't know the half of what they did to me. And you don't want to know. Go after him, and I guarantee he'll show you." But what if Faith was the victor? What if she managed to turn Angelus to dust? Then Buffy would be personally responsible for kicking Faith's ass.
Faith: Faith felt that chasm between boundaries and trespassing - but playing it safe wasn't going to resolve the issues. She noticed all the different visages that etched ob Buffy's expressions, changing like a swift metamorphsis between guilt, shame, anger, confusion - before they all rolled into one. She held these exploits for an entire month, but hadn't yet ot perfect them. She would of even bothered with the bladed truth if tonight's occurrence hadn't provoked the utter recognization that was aboustely necessary - despite who it would piss off. She knew Buffy wouldn't be able to handle it. Not when it came to Angel. She prepared herself for the backlashes, but hadn't flinched once. "I don't care. But I'm not gonna let him hurt these girls. Jesus, B. Do you even care about any of them? Here you're whinin' about poor Jessica and her stuck-up tood. But you could of stopped it. You could of stopped all of this." She shook her head lightly, defiant wild eyes staring back at her - challenging her. "And you're wrong, B. I do know you. I wasn't lyin' when I told you were just like me. Now more then ever. Maybe back then that sweet-and-innocent girl wasn't just an act, but now I can see it. You're becomin' just like me. If not worse." She wasn't trying to push her buttons, but she wasn't pulling back enough not to. "Instead of grown' a pair and doin' the right thing - practicing what you preach - you rather think about your own selfish reasons." She smirked at an epiphany. "Or maybe it's more clearer then that. S'been awhile since you had a good itch, and maybe you liked the scratch. Hell, can't blame you - I bet Angelus has lots of tricks up his sleeves he ain't sharin' with the class."
Buffy: If Faith continued pressing buttons, she might find herself with a bomb on her hands. For a month, all Buffy had been able to feel was grief, humiliation, and a great sense of loss. Now she was so enraged that she wasn't quite sure what to do with all the anger that boiled beneath her skin. "You obviously don't know me Faith. I am nothing like you. I will never ever be like you." Now, Buffy was spitting the words, each distinct syllable coming out in a violent hiss. By now, fingers clenched into fists, fingernails digging so hard into the flesh of her palms, that she could feel blood. "You want to know why, Faith?" Blonde head canted to the side while her eyes bore into Faith's darker ones. "I'm not a murderer. I'm not a whore. You might be batting for the good guys now, but those kinds of things don't just go away. You'll always be a murderer." Faith hadn't spared Buffy's feelings, so why would she sugar coat anything? Buffy had thought she knew what rage was, but when Faith finished her rant on a note about Angelus, she absolutely seethed. "S'been awhile since you had a good itch, and maybe you liked the scratch." Mouth fell open in complete, and utter shock at the audacity, and ignorance of the words. "How dare you?" She shook her head violently. "You think I liked what they did to me? You try being chained up for twenty four hours, having blades tear at your skin until you don't know much more blood you can lose, or having two people rape you until you can't even scream anymore because when you do, they only get off on it. You do that, then you come back and tell me how much you like that fucking scratch." Buffy glared a long moment, before shaking her head once more, and moving to walk past Faith. "I'm done with this conversation, Faith." It had been a long time since Buffy had trembled like this from sheer rage.