12762/Asking for Help Sucks

Asking for Help Sucks
Date of Scene:	27 February 2021
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Faith needs a favor and goes looking for Willow. Buffy arrives and instead discussion of a new butt-kicking opportunity happens. Faith is her usual 'friendly' self.
Cast of Characters:	Faith Lehane, Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers
Tinyplot:	Who's Who

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Faith Lehane has posed:
The little bell on the door announced the arrival of a customer. Usually they were pretty mundane. People curious about this sort of thing but seeing it as a novelty, not something that actually works. People that played at magic. People wanting to get some good news for a change and hoping for a sign. So many different things but it was the rare for someone who actually knew a lot about magic.

But the figure coming in the door was one familiar. Not someone who did magic. But, one who believed in it.

Faith was wearing a pair of jeans with heavy black combat boots. A red shirt that was worn under a heavy jacket since it was still cold outside.

"Honey...I'm hoooome!" she called out as she strolled in nonchalantly, glancing at the shelves as she walked past moving toward the counter.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had the shift, today. Usually, it trickled down at the end of a shift that she read textbooks for the end of her shift.

Not today!

First she was inordinately busy, and she had *just* taken out her mathematics text, when who should arrive, but Faith.

Willow didn't know how she felt about that. Still, she was pleasant - for Willow.

"Oh, Faith.. uh.. how are you?"

Faith Lehane has posed:
"Willow! Where's the hug and confetti at my return to Sunnydale? You're gonna hurt my feelings," Faith says with a grin, obviously not the least bit hurt about the lack of enthusiasm.

She gets to the counter, running a hand across the glass, then turning to lean against it. She reaches out to try to take the book Willow was reading, to see what it was. Even if she doesn't manage to take it, she can read the cover. "Wow. Math. That's sad. We need to get you out more."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Not that it is any concern of your, but I have friends! Really!" Willow felt prickly at Faith's taunting her. "In fact, I think one might be my boyfriend."

She blushed."

"And what do you know about mathematics anyway? I'm thinking of going for my Master's of Logistics. I think." She still had too many things to narrow down!

Faith Lehane has posed:
"Nothing wrong with Math. Not as fun as dancing. Partying. Dusting vamps. Y'know, all the good stuff."

Faith leaves the book alone and moves off further into the shop. This was the hard part. The part she really didn't even want to go to so she was stalling.

She hated asking for help.

"Glad to hear things are going good for you. I'll stop annoying you soon as you do me a favor."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers has had a long night, patrolling and finishing homework and while the Magic Box is close to closing up, she did have to drop by to pick up something that she had left behind in the workout room - namely her gym clothes that needed washing. So she pushes the door open, peering inside, glad to see it's still open.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow grabbed up her book, and cradled it to her chest. "What kind of favor are you speaking about?"

Faith Lehane has posed:
Faith stops by a shelf, picking up a small Kali statue that is sitting on the shelf. It's heavy and has lots of pointing bits thanks to the arms. She is about to put it back down when she hears the ding of the bell at the door.

A quick turn that way, trying to look nonchalant. Seeing Buffy, that complicates things completely. She wasn't looking for this fight. A fight, certainly. Not this one.

She flips the statue in her hand then puts it back on the shelf. "So now I have to kick your ass instead. That's fine by me. Willow, you all didn't straighten this shit out yet?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Straighten.. all this.. poop? Huh?

"Wait a minute!" Willow raises her voice, to include both Faith /and/ Buffy. "What are you meaning?" She hoped that Buffy would wait before the fight broke out between the two Slayers.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers pauses as she sees Faith. Oh joy, last time they met, she was stuck in the body of a blonde bimbo vampire.She never got to tell her that she had got back to normal since then. "Faith? What are you doing here?" she sighs. Ohhhh great.

The hostile response causes her to narrow her eyes, tensing slightly, "Always looking for a fight, aren't you? Relax, I'm back to normal...Right, Wil?"

Faith Lehane has posed:
"So you aren't the vampire bitch in B's body?" Faith asks carefully. She hasn't moved from her spot at least so there's that. No breaking up the shop.

Yet.

"Someone needs to fill me in quick before this goes sideways."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs, folding her arms, "Yeaaah, you missed that when you...Went wherever you went. I'm me, Buffy, the Slayer, the vampire Tiffany was dusted. Besides." she smirks, fingering the silver crucifix around her neck, "You dint really think a vamp could wear this without frying, do you?" Nope, no sizzling going on here.

Faith Lehane has posed:
There is a flick of those dark eyes down, taking in the cross. She hadn't really paid attention to it. But considering Tiffany hadn't worn it when she was Buffy, not to mention the other tendencies she had in that body, it made sense.

Faith looked back to Buffy's face and gave a big smile. "Good to know."

And just like that it's settled. She doesn't answer where she went during the mess. After all, she never does.

"Well, just wanted to check in, let you know I'm back for now."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"We're all ok, then?" Willow didn't want a brawl in here. She looks at them both as if to say, 'make up.. please?'.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers lets out a deep breath and shrugs. Nope, not gonna hug her or anything. Even if they've always shared a slayers bond and probably always will. Yeah, it's complicated.

"Soo. Back in town, huh.." she walks along to behind the counter as she talks, searching for something. "Soo, how long you planning on sticking around this time? Or is this just a pit stop?"

She smirks, glancing over at Willow and shrugs, "Well. We're not at each others' throats. Guess we're good. For now. Besides, we still have one last thing to to do prevent Tiffany's friends from summoning anymore demons from their little magic graveyard circle.."

A blonde brow is arched curiously towards Faith then, wondering if she'll be sticking around long enough to help out even..

Faith Lehane has posed:
That gets a laugh and another smile. Not a nice one really. There is an edge to it. Something slightly feral there just beneath the surface really. "You know me, B. It's always just a pit stop."

She shrugs and starts her circuit around the room again, flicking a gaze over to Willow. This didn't quite work out as planned. She would have to bide her time.

"Just sometimes the pit stop takes longer than others, y'know? I might be around for some fun and games. What's the story?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers ignores the laugh as she vanishes from view for a moment, searching the draws under the table for something. Aha, there it is, her Gotham U hoodie. The really nice warm black one with gold writing that fit her rather flatteringly. She slips it over her t-shirt, already feeling the chill from outside, before standing upright, stretching a little.

"Yeaaah, I know." she shrugs. "Well..Remember the girl who swapped my body with her's in the first place? The vampire, Tiffany? Well, seems she was part of a cult of demon worshippers, who acquired some measure of power in exchange for a human sacrifice."

She shrugs, not bothering to mention how very unreliable she finds Faith. "Anyways, I suppose this happened after you left the last time, but we managed to kill the last demon they summoned but the cult worshippers fled..And, there have been lots of rumours recently that that place is..I dunno, haunted? A lot of violence keeps happening there, alot of attacks. People going mad and killing other people. I dunno, but I figure it has something to do with the place. Maybe strong ley lines, and the magic circle they made there out of runes and tombstones? Probably means there's a lot of bad energy flowing around there still."

Buffy pauses, taking a breath, rolling up the cuffs of her hoodie as she thinks. "So, yeah, I think Willow would be able to get a better reading on it. But if I'm right, there are probably still ghouls hanging around that graveyard too. Which means, we could always do with the extra muscle."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow frowns at the mention of ley lines and 'hauntings'. Yes, she would have to see this place. And preferably before the Scoobies made their way to shut it down for good. She made a little note: check the ley lines in the area.

Faith Lehane has posed:
"So magic, ghouls, cultists and possibly a demon if they manage to call another one." That about sums it up from what Faith heard there. "Sounds like my kind of party!"

She starts toward the door. "Let's do this."

Because of course in her mind, if there is something to kill they should just go do it. Nevermind planning. Recon. Getting an idea of what they are walking into before just putting themselves in danger. Not really her style.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods slowly, eyes sliding briefly towards Willow. Right, she should definitely check it first but.."Of course, we gotta be cautious, or we'll get caught up in the same trap that others have. Willow, you should probably check it out before we make a move, but I don't want you going alone, not with those ghouls out there. Faith, have you ever checked out the gym in the basement here? It's got some nice weapons..We should get in a practice sessions or two.."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Weeeeell," begins Willow. "I can certainly check it first, like remotely.." That what her laptop was for. Scrying. "And get what we would need for an attack?"

Sure, she really was hoping to look around, but really, it wasn't necessary.

Faith Lehane has posed:
"Oh my God, B. Really? Cautious. That just means slow. Taking up time sitting around with your thumb up your ass instead of out there dusting some vamps or killing something that needs to be dead."

Faith shakes her head, glancing over to Willow then back to Buffy. "If you want to practice, we go there and kick some ass now instead of training. Otherwise, I got better things to be doing."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods to Willow. "Right, do some research on the area, and that ruined church. It must have some connected history right? And Faith.."

Wait, what? She sighs. Great, there she goes again.."Seriously Faith? Weren't you listening at all? people who came there went mad, attacked each other. You wanna end up like them?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow took out her laptop and proceeded to use it.. it maybe (or maybe not!) it is connected to the internet, but she's not telling! And she begins her looking up the place where they all were going to in a few days.

Faith Lehane has posed:
"I heard you. But we're Slayers, B! If the two of us go in, I bet we're immune to that shit. And if not..." That smile goes dark again as Faith looks Buffy in the eyes.

"Then we find out which one of us is better."

Then that moment is gone and she's just smiling like normal as she walks toward the door. "You still got my number." Maybe. "Ring me when it's time to go kick ass."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers rolls her eyes, "Looks like you haven't changed at all. That was actually an invitation for you to come practice here whenever you like and since I've been strapped to a bed for more than a month, I could use the..."

She groans as Faith is already headed for the door. "I mean seriously! Why do I even bother? Guess we can't really count on her afterall.."

Faith Lehane has posed:
There it is. Those words that sting. Faith is at the door with her back to them when it is said. No reflection so they won't see. Her face shows the pain for an instant, a moment of weakness. Then she takes a breath and shoves it down, back with all the pain deep inside.

She looks over her shoulder with that grin again. "We'll see. If I need some practice, I may show up here. Thanks for the invite." There, she said thanks. Like a polite person and stuff. "I got stuff to do tonight though." And then she's out the door.