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

[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?

[want_take_have]

I'm not exactly picky...but I'm thinking beer ain't gonna cut it.

[thedicearecast]

[Amelia grins a bit at that.] Wasn't planning on beer.

[She's heard her share of rumors, after all. Amelia heads to the bar, then comes back with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, all of which she sets on the table.]

You want to pour?

[want_take_have]

Think I can handle that.

[and she'll fill both glasses, only stopping shy of overflowing.

Setting down the bottle, she doesn't exactly chug hers...she's not looking to get senselessly drunk. But she drinks it fast enough to know the buzz will set in sooner rather than later]

[thedicearecast]

[Amelia watches, then carefully lifts her own glass. She's sipping hers, but it'll have the same effect soon enough.]

It's just a stupid experiment.

[want_take_have]

There any other kind?

[thedicearecast]

The ones you don't know are stupid experiments until they're over.

[want_take_have]

[she gives her an odd look] How's that any less stupid?

[thedicearecast]

It's not. It's more stupid, because you don't know how much of an idiot you're being until it's over.

[want_take_have]

Like...messing with your head?

[why does everything she learns about this place suck?]

[thedicearecast]

Yeah...no one told you about that?

[Amelia's a bit surprised, and she gives Faith an apologetic look.]

Sorry. Didn't realize you didn't know. But--yeah. It happens. They alter our memories, or make us fall in love or take away some aspect of our personality: things like that.

[want_take_have]

I guess I read about it... [but she's kept herself pretty cut off from other people since she got here. Enough that she hadn't really contemplated the effects it could have]

What the hell is the point of something like that? Other than pissing us off?

[thedicearecast]

Doesn't make you ready to go through it.

[Amelia does regret having brought it up, though.]

You got me.

[want_take_have]

Story of my life, sister.

[finishing off the last of her glass, she reaches for the bottle to pour another]

Never mind, we got plenty of things to deal with all on our own. There's a whole world still looking to fuck with us, too.

[thedicearecast]

[...Wow Faith. Amelia watches the other woman pour her second, then quickly finishes off her first. It's not a contest, but Amelia doesn't like being left behind by that much of a margin.]

No kidding. As if there isn't already enough stupidity to go around. The Malnosso decide that it's time to make everyone really miserable.

[want_take_have]

[...it's been a bad day, and she's got a higher tolerance than she'd like. She doesn't throw this one back, though. She wants to be buzzed...not out of control]

Guess I missed the memo when that wasn't the case.

[thedicearecast]

[Unfortunately, Amelia is not so blessed. But they're still starting, so she's okay.]

Not everything's bad. Or as bad. There are good things. I have a nephew.

[want_take_have]

...People actually got families here?

[somehow that was even more disturbing than the alternative]

[thedicearecast]

Yeah, some people do.

[Although that gets tricky.]

He's not my blood nephew. My housemates are married, and they had a kid. People may not think it's smart, but they can't have a family back home.

[want_take_have]

...Guess you can't really fault them for trying, then.

[thedicearecast]

You can't.

[Certainly not without getting an earful from Amelia. Wolfwood and Milly deserve to be happy, and they are. It's not right or fair they can't be back home.]

That's one of the worst things about this place. As horrible as it is, it's still the only option some people have. They don't have a life to go back to if they go.

[want_take_have]

[that gets her to take another drink]

I know that feeling.