13188/So Many Secrets

So Many Secrets
Date of Scene:	04 May 2021
Location:	The Bronze, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Alexander finds out there are two Slayers, but not the story of how. He shares some insight about Willow for Faith to follow up on. And he totally would've lost the arm wrestling competition.
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Faith Lehane

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Phobos has posed:
    A day off is supposed to be enjoyed, dammit. It's supposed to be a time to take time off and to indulge oneself, to do something fun or relaxing and recover from the woes of the world. And, to be fair, usually it is for the young man known as Alexander Aaron. Only this evening finds him alone, without obligation nor plan nor expectation. And what he'd have done normally would have been lounged around the Safehouse in t-shirt and shorts and just lazed the day away.
    But something compelled him to wander out, to seek what he could see of the people he had met in Sunnydale. Which at first led him to the Bronze and its charming clientele in the evening. Which in turn led him to drinking and enjoying a few beers. Which led to him meeting up with his friend Faith who was there...
    Which led to more beers.
    Which led to laughing.
    Which led to more beers.
    Which led to arguing.
    Which led to another beer... and the two of them at a table in the corner, each leaning forward with his hand in hers, their elbows stabbed into the table as they each strrrrain against the other trying for a win at a bout of arm-wrestling.
    A bout which seems like neither of them are tired, neither of them are straining too hard. And neither of them are winning.
    "Ok," Alexander says, his hand warm in her grip and his smirk crooked as he meets her eyes. "You're not a pushover at least." His t-shirt has an angry pirate kitten on it though it's black in color and rides up enough to reveal a hint of that taut bicep as he holds ground.

Faith Lehane has posed:
Considering he was a god, this was a match Faith knew she shouldn't have agreed to. Yet, he probably wasn't going to tap into any superpowers since they were in public.

She wasn't above using hers.

In her defense, she couldn't turn hers off and on like a faucet. She just happened to be stronger than she looked. By a lot. It came with the whole Slayer thing, with the big S.

"C'mon, is this all you got?" she teased, having way too many beers in her system. But she deserved a night off sometimes. Besides, Buffy and the Scoobies were around in Sunnydale so it wasn't like she was leaving the place unprotected. They had it well in hand before she came here. They'd be fine next time she left too. So tonight was hers for partying and fun.

Her own arm was toned, the muscle standing out as she strained. She wasn't bulky though. She concentrated and bore down a little to be rewarded by less than a quarter inch gained. Only for him to push right back.

Phobos has posed:
    The thing is, she was able to use her strength to maintain that position, to exert herself as she gains that quarter inch. Luckily they don't have much of an audience. Still, best to be safe. Yet if he starts to eeeeedge a little back the other direction, people won't question it too much. Since he's a good bit taller than her and of the masculine persuasion.
    So she might have bit off more than she can chew. "Nope."
    He answers her with that sly gleam in his hazel eyes even as he puuuushes her arm back toward the center. "I just don't want to damage the table. Or you." A pause, "Mainly the table."
    He leans closer and tilts his head, "If you tell me I might be convinced to buy the next round." See, a nice offer.

Faith Lehane has posed:
"You'd have to do that anyway if you want another round," Faith says, gritting her teeth a bit as he gets her arm back where it was. She hunkers in even further and puts even more effort in. "Cause I'm broke now. Unless I hustle someone to arm wrestle or play pool."

So there's that. It wasn't like she had a real job, making an honest living passing out fries with that. No, she was more a drifter and thus hustling was her claim to fame. She was good at it, at least. It kept her in a cheap hotel, one of those rent by the week places. Kept food in her stomach and all the alcohol she could want most days.

"Use your noggin. That thing under that mop of hair. You haven't figured it out yet?"

Phobos has posed:
    The young Olympian opposite her is calm and collected, but his smile is warm as he holds her hand while trying to thump the back of it against the wooden table, albeit gently so. He straiiiins a little more and is rewarded with a quarter of an inch in his winning direction.
    But then a wry laugh comes from him as he murmurs, "I'm too pretty to have to think." He waits til she looks back up and then he hits her with it. BLUE STEELE. His Fabio face which might have her reeling. Or laughing. Either/or. But whichever it is that's when he'll press.
    And perhaps gain an inch at most. "Though," He looks over his shoulder at the few people who are watching them. "If you take a dive now, more likely you can rake in the cash later." He's oh so persuasive.

Faith Lehane has posed:
It worked. Faith couldn't help laughing as he did that face with his pursed lips and intense stare. "Oh my God, don't do that. I'll start calling you Duck Lips, I swear!"

And he gains ground. Faith was not one to give up. Ever. It wasn't in her nature. She kept fighting until she was truly beaten. So it doesn't seem like she's listening as she grits her teeth. A tiny fraction back her way. "And give you bragging rights?" she scoffs, lips twisted up in a smirk as she looked him in the eye.

"But a girl has to eat."

Then he will feel her easing up and slowly he begins making progress toward a win.

Phobos has posed:
    She laughs and it makes his smile grow, but he presses a little more... a leeeeetle more as his arm tenses, that bicep swelling. He bites his lower lip as she starts to give ground which has him frowning a little then meeting her eyes. And he looks a little sad that he's making her give up.
    So abruptly instead of pushing against her arm he pulls her close with little to no warning, closing the distance across the table. She'll feel the warmth of his cheek against hers as he turns his head, then whispers in her ear quickly. "Slap me."
    And then he makes a loud, /mwah!/ noise and leans back laughing. Presenting entirely to the room the impression that as he started to lose he was forced to go in for a kiss to distract her. The jerk!
    Yet it might be a nice thing too. To be fair.

Faith Lehane has posed:
What in the seventh level of hell was he doing?

Faith wasn't worried about the loss. It was honest, in its way. They both knew that he could likely win this. After all, she knew what he was. So it was silly to think otherwise, even with the power of a Slayer at her disposal. And his plan was valid. She'd be able to challenge someone else later, win easily and have plenty of money in her pocket. She did it all the time. Lose a couple then go for double or nothing and boom, another week of comfort.

Yet here he was trying to make it look like she was winning, which went completely against the plan. "Fine but you owe me rent money."

Maybe it was the annoyance that he was doing this when they had it lined up and she'd be raking in the dough. Whatever the reason, she did take that shot. Bringing up her hand to slap him across the face--with a bit more power behind it than she probably should have. Not enough to actually damage him but it should sting. A lot.

Phobos has posed:
    Wincing roughly, Alex slouches back into his chair and rubs at his cheek. Then he takes a deep breath, "There, now you saved face, can still likely win a few bets, and then nobody will try that with you later. I am so smart." The way he says that it's as if he's entirely fine and convinced himself.
    But, to be fair, he just didn't like the idea of her throwing it. For whatever reason. Didn't sit right with him.
    "Besides, you're too drunk now. You need to sober up. Ya lush." Says the guy who drank with her, bottle for bottle.
    "So are you a vampire-type person? Some sort of Dhampir?" He asks, perhaps that is what she was.

Faith Lehane has posed:
"Don't make me wash your mouth out with soap," Faith says flatly as the crowd starts to wander off now that the show is over. "No vampire blood here."

Then it sinks in and she laughs, before she can stop herself. Maybe she is drunk. One minute she was slapping him, the next she is laughing her ass off at something. She didn't think she felt tipsy. Did she? Maybe a little?

"You still haven't figured it out? Stop relying on those looks. You can piece this...oh wait, no you probably can't." She realizes something, the light dawning in her expression. "Oh not cause you aren't smart enough. But because it defies what you know about the situation thus wouldn't be possible. Huh."

She takes a quick peek around as she picks up her beer for a deep swig. No one paying attention to them now. They are far enough away they can talk without being overheard.

"You know what Buffy is? Other than annoying and self-righteous I mean."

Phobos has posed:
    "Oh?" Alexander asks at first, his eyes focusing on her curiously. Then his eyebrows raise, "Oh really? Wait." He leans over and grabs his bottle and takes a drink, tilting it back for two swallows before he sets it back down with a soft glassy clink.
    "I thought there could only be one of them that it was... generational?" It was his turn to look around the room oh so subtly, though he covers it a little by catching the eye of one of the passing servers and smiling, lifting his bottle again to wiggle it as he places an order for the next round. She nods, smiles, and keeps right on working.
    Then he looks back at her, "If I was like, King of the Vampires, I'd protest that. Sounds like it's unfair. Two antitheses of your culture created with magic to destroy your people running around when prophecy only allows one? Totally cheating."

Faith Lehane has posed:
"See, that's why I said you wouldn't get there without some help. Because of the small print in the contract for Slayerness," Faith says as she sets down her bottle, sort of holding it while she talks. She's still making sure they are not being listened to.

"Most of them don't realize there are two of us yet. If I take some down, it's Slayer did it. If she does, it's Slayer did it. So they just think the one Slayer is really good at what she's doing instead of figuring out there are two of is now."

She falls silent suddenly and a moment later their server arrives with two more beers, setting the bottles on the table. She starts to gather the empties and Faith finishes off the last swig of the one she had, putting the bottle on the tray as well. Then the server was off again, leaving them to talk.

"It's not really generational. It's if one dies, another is created. Like an assembly-line of replacements." Which still doesn't explain how there are two alive.

Phobos has posed:
    "That's weird," Alexander says as he listens, head bobbing a little and then his eyebrows rise as he seems to just accept it. "But ok."
    And as quick as that his world view is adjusted, set back to normal with this new information taken and classified. Still he does seem to mull something over, but doesn't give it voice. Instead he takes up his bottle and takes a sip before setting it down with a clink.
    "So how have you been doing otherwise of late?" He glances sidelong at the waitress as she passes by and nods his thanks before he looks back toward Faith.
    "Have you found a boy to afflict yourself upon in your own inimitable wicked manner? Or are you just running around enjoying the attention." Which is fair, considering that they both get the occasional glance now and again from the various people there in the Bronze.
    Then he adds with a smile, "And hey, how is Willow doing lately?"

Faith Lehane has posed:
If he wants more information, might be something to ask Buffy. Faith isn't sure it's her place to tell that tale. It works out though when he doesn't press though she can see he's still trying to piece it together before he moves on to other things.

The first question gets a wicked smile and a shrug. "When I get the itch but none worth keeping around. Get what I need then take my leave and go back to my place to get my beauty sleep." No one goes to her place. That's dangerous. It was always the other way around if she opted to share time with someone.

The other question has her smile fading and she shrugs as she moves her beer closer. Not taking a sip yet, just closing her fingers around it and fidgeting with the bottle a little. "She was fine last time I saw her. Same for Buffy. I don't spend a lot of time with them. I know something weird happened the other night with the eclipse but I wasn't around for it. Was over in Gotham following up on something when it happened and found a few beasties were brave enough to come up despite it being just an eclipse."

Phobos has posed:
    Shaking his head, Alexander gives her a look that might almost be admonishment, as if this were a sitcom and he was just about to give the catch phrase, 'That's Our Faith.' and cue the audience laughing as the screen freezes and credits roll. But from him in the here and now just looks like he's smirking. And then he rolls his eyes.
    But then matters roll on to Willow and he nods, "Did I tell you she summoned me once?" He turns his chair a little so he can sit back against the wall, resting his arm on the table as he curls fingers around the base of his new bottle. "Was at my apartment with my significant other and all of a sudden, I wasn't."
    He then takes a sip of his beer and adds, "I was in some magical ritual place and she had a weird Russian friend who didn't wear shoes whom she was doing magic with I believe."

Faith Lehane has posed:
"Wait what?"

That catches her attention and she leans in a little even as he has settled back comfortably. "I wasn't aware she had a friend she did magic with outside her college friend. Or someone like Giles." She bit the inside of her cheek as she considered, not placing the description either.

"And why did she summon you? Was this other woman trying to trap you or something?" Being out of the loop did this. Left her flatfooted and trying to play catchup.

Phobos has posed:
    "They were making sure she could do it, and I could understand the need to. If something was going down she'd want to know it was possible rather than rely on it in bad time." He lifts a hand to scritch a fingertip against his cheek and then uncurls that hand toward her as if not having all the answers.
    "Still, it was... not a pleasant experience. I'd prefer not to repeat it. But I think things have calmed down with their scary clown crisis so I'm probably not needed as much." He crosses one foot over his knee and still seems at ease there in his chair opposite her.
    He takes a sip of his beer and adds, "Still. No idea who her friend was. I haven't seen her before."

Faith Lehane has posed:
"Doesn't match the description of her friend. So I'm at a loss on that one. I'll have to ask her about it. I'm sure it's nothing bad. I mean, it's Willow," Faith says with a shrug and a smile as she picks up her bottle and takes a sip of the beer. She sets it back on the same spot, lining it up with the condensation ring that had been left on the table.

"First, can't even imagine being summoned. Bet your girlfriend hated that. How did you even explain it? Unless she knows what you are but even then. Second, I still never got the story on the clown thing. I was trying to figure out if killer clowns are real and something we fight last time it came up. Like from that old movie."

Phobos has posed:
    "She knows," Alexander says in reply, and then his lip curls, "And yah she hated it." Which might still be an understatement since he could see the murder in her eyes when he had returned and she had rushed around the house with a pistol looking for him.
    "I told her life with me would be a bit weird, but she told me it would be ok since she's really only dating me for the free cable we get at my apartment." His head bobs a little as he offers that white lie, for some reason it amuses him even as he takes another sip of beer.
    "But you're around here more often than I am. Maybe check in after her, ask her about that friend since I can't be everywhere at once." His lip twitches. "Though I'll ask after her next time I see her."

Faith Lehane has posed:
"I suspect you are around more than I am. I don't really play well with others so I tend to wander off. A lot," Faith admits as she picks her beer back up again. "But I will check in. Ask some questions. Find out who the mystery hippie is."

She takes a swig and looks around the room. "Looks like the pool table is clear. Think I'm going to go hustle up my rent money. Catch you next time, Alexander."

And with that she is rising to her feet and heading for the table in question, staggering a bit as she does to make it seem she's had a bit too much to drink.