003 - You can talk all you want, but my skin is really thick.

[want_take_have]

[Buffy - Filtered 57%]

Hey, B. [I'm back] Anything new I oughta know about Drusilla and her latest boy toy?

[/end filter]

[When the audio feed begins, the sounds of whispers and quiet murmurs can be heard in the background, though they're too distant and jumbled to pick out the individual messages.

Faith, however, can be heard clearly...and while she's not freaked out, she's definitely on guard.]

Seeing as I've been off playing civic servant, or whatever you wanna call it, does anyone wanna tell me why I just landed in the middle of a Disney movie? The talking animals were weird enough, but now I gotta listen to trees? That's just overkill.

[the sound of brush crunching underfoot starts as she turns towards the village, making her way through the trees]

I'm just sayin'...if some stuffed up pimp comes galloping through on a white horse, I'm not responsible for my--

[she trails off as she catches a familiar name coming from one of the trees, falling silent in order to listen. She moves closer to the source, letting her catch the tail end of what the trees are saying.]

"--super phallic imagery of shoving a sword through your lover's chest."

[She's forgotten the journal's in her hand, now, as she just stares uncertainly at the bark]

...Hold up. Are you telling me that--

"Well I heard that the other slayer totally has a thing for Buffy. It’s obvious she just wants to get in her pants."

[She gives a strangled noise as she takes a few steps back, caught between confusion and pure fury]

The fuck?!

[someone want to speak up before she sees if she's strong enough to uproot a tree?]

Comments

[voice]

[thedicearecast]

It's an experiment. They've made the trees loud and stupid.

[And clearly Amelia isn't happy about it. Probably due to the fact that they're saying things about her too.]

[voice]

[want_take_have]

[her voice is practically a growl] And full of shit.

[she's backed far enough away from the trees that any further murmurs are unintelligible, but they're still continuing in the background]

Re: [voice]

[thedicearecast]

[That...she can't actually agree with. And that's the worst part, because Amelia knows that some of it is true.]

If you want to get drunk, I'll meet you at the bar. [...] Be careful going through doors.

[want_take_have]

[that stops her short] What? Do they talk, too?

[thedicearecast]

No. They've been sending people random places. I've lucked out there.

If you end up somewhere you don't mean to be, let me know. I'll bring the alcohol to you.

[want_take_have]

Yeah, cool. [it's the closest she can bring herself to a thank you, especially in a casual situation like this]

I'll be there. I sure as hell ain't sticking around here.

[thedicearecast]

Don't blame you. See you soon.

[Amelia's good with it. And provided Faith doesn't end up falling victim to some other aspect of the experiment, Amelia will be waiting for her in Good Spirits.]

[want_take_have]

[she arrives in one piece, though she's gone from pissed to disturbed by the time she reaches the bar. There'd been more rumors, mostly about people she didn't know or care about, but there'd been more about her, too...ones that hit closer to home.

If she wasn't in a drinking mood when she started, she is by the time she drops into a seat by Amelia]

Tell me this place doesn't go light on the alcohol.

[thedicearecast]

[Amelia looks up, then glances over at the bar to see who's working.] Depends on which bartender you get. It'll be easier to just get a couple of bottles and refill for ourselves.

[And since Faith looks awful, Amelia will make the trip. She stands up, glancing at the other woman.] Any preference?

[ filtered voice. LATER perhaps? post-rumours. ]

[herotypical]

[ yeah. this shift is kind of mentally tiring. buffy eventually responds to that first message -- a few hours late, perhaps. ]

You mean, besides the fact that he's still an idiot?

[ filtered voice. LATER perhaps? post-rumours. ]

[want_take_have]

[she's been drinking with Amelia, by that point. Maybe not enough to be wasted, but she's certainly past buzzed.

And not exactly thinking about the filtered message she'd left right when she'd got back]

B!

[she pulls the journal over, which only results in staring blankly at the message that was left]

Say what?

[ filtered voice ]

[herotypical]

...That Saleh punk. Chump. Bait. Whatever we wanna call him.

[ filtered voice ]

[want_take_have]

What about him?

[give her a sec]

[ filtered voice ]

[herotypical]

You...asked about him? And Drusilla? And have you hit or head or something 'cause you kinda contacted me, Faith.

[ filtered voice ]

[want_take_have]

Oh...him.

[ugh]

What the hell is wrong with people in this place, anyway? I mean, people playing Good Samaritans are asking to get their asses handed to them, whatever world you're stuck in, but this place takes it to a whole new level of stupid.

[which doesn't really answer the question about hitting her head, or the more accurate something]

[ filtered voice ]

[herotypical]

[ even a self-righteous gal like buffy can't support that level of charity -- and she's the slayer who coddled two vamps. but she did kill angel when it counted. at least. ]

They don't understand our world. Some of them never will. [ ... ] And it'll get them killed.

[ filtered voice ]

[want_take_have]

Some people just gotta death wish.

[action]

[vor]

[Speaking of horses, someone has desperately needed to do this since coming back from a kidnapping. Faith will hear General Alys long before she and her rider come into sight.]

[action]

[want_take_have]

[she can't help it. She stares blankly at the approaching horse, and then turns to her (now closed) journal.] If you're gonna play that way, how about adding in a bottle of Jack?

[action]

[vor]

[He slows down as he approaches, looking puzzled.]

Sorry?

[action]

[want_take_have]

Figures.

[it's muttered, before she sighs and looks him over]

What's the news, Pimp Charming?

[action]

[vor]

Sorry. Neither. [Feeling a little odd at the height differences, he dismounts, giving the bay mare a pat.] Do you need a ride back to the village?

[action]

[want_take_have]

[she gives the horse a look before fixing him with a smirk...both for taking the title in stride and the offer] Thanks, but no thanks. Not really the kind of riding I go for.

[and, while she's not trying to ditch him, per se...she hasn't forgotten about those whispering trees, either. So she doesn't really wait for a response as she goes back to continuing down the path.]

[action]

[vor]

[Gregor says nothing. He just decides to let the horse take a breather while they're stopped, and coughs into his sleeve. That's when another tree speaks.]

I hear that girl Faith’s so angry because someone killed her parents and she’s got a whole batman-complex going on.

[He glances up, trying to find the source of the voice.]

[action]

[want_take_have]

[while he might not be able to find a source for the voice, she seems to have picked one out. Or, at the very least, she's shouting in the direction it came from]

Seriously, what the hell? Where are you even getting this crap?