posted to rippers_game
Faith walked casually up the sidewalk, having to park her bike a fair distance from her destination. The magick shop. She hadn't been to visit Willow since she had returned from the States and figured that now was as good a time as any. Tossing her finished cigarette off to the side, she exhaled the smoke, shoving one hand into her pocket. She was slightly nervous about this visit, but wasn't sure why. Maybe due to the fact of the feelings that she'd started developing for the witch and things that had went down with them before she left? Maybe due to the fact that she'd come back married to Wesley? Taking a deep breath, she looked ahead, the shop finally in sight as she grew closer.
Illyria walked briskly, uncertain where she was headed since she had never truly 'sensed' the energy that surrounded Faith. It would make finding her troublesome... yet she knew she must. Nothing was clear anymore. Wesley had seen to that, confused her already troubled mind and brought forth her newly human emotions to the surface of her skin until she had admitted far more than she had wished to do. Yet, Fred's bright eyes followed the movements of the humans around her as she looked... and discovered. Pausing in her stride, Illyria knew this was not the place to kill Faith... too many mortals would see. Instead, she smiled and waved at the Slayer. "Faith? That you? Oh my God! I can't hardly believe it!"
A vaguely familiar voice shook her from her thoughts and she made eye contact with the person speaking and waving to her. Raising her eyebrow, a smirk crossed her face as she gave a short nod in greeting. "Fred? What the fuck are you doin' here? Damn everybody's here huh?" She stopped in front of the other woman, shoving both hands in her pockets and tilting her head to the side as she regarded her. "How come nobody told me you was here? Figured somebody woulda mentioned it and all."
Illyria shrugged her shoulders and swept Fred's hair away from her face. "I don't know, no one told me you were here, either!" Which was not an untruth. She had only been informed of the Slayer's presence once she had threatened the mortal Giles, and he had finally released the information she required of him. "Small world, huh? I'm... staying with Willow. Yammering away and all." Illyria pulled forth Fred's memories of Faith, then pushed them far away. Fred recalled Faith with fondness, and at the moment, Illyria only wished blood to be spilled - Wesley be damned. "Wanna get off the street? It's kinda chilly."
"I was actually just headin' to pay Red, or uh, Willow, I mean, a little visit. So, we can head there unless you was goin' somewhere else?" Faith shrugged, looking at Fred questioningly. She was surprised to find that no one had informed either of them of their presences in London. Being that they were both big players on the side of good you would think someone would have filled at least one of them in.
"Sure," Illyria said carefully, walking back towards the shop until she recalled that Wesley was still there. No. No, that would not do at all for him to witness her death. But there was a nice alley that was on the way there... As the two walked, Illyria spotted the shadows that would conceal the two forms. "Hey, c'mere for a sec, I think I see something..." She entered the darkness, knowing Faith would follow.
Wrinkling her brow in confusion, Faith narrowed her eyes, squinting to try and figure out what Fred might see in the darkness. "Hold up. It probably ain't too safe for you to just be wanderin' into the dark like that." Shaking her head with a sigh, she followed behind the woman, wondering what the deal was. Something felt off, but she figured it was just her. She'd been feeling off about everything lately. As she stepped into the darkness, she blinked, her eyes becoming adjusted as she looked around. "Wanna tell me what you're seein' here Fred? 'Cause I ain't seein' nothin'." Continuing to walk forward, her back to the entrance of the alley, Faith surveyed the area.
As she spun around quickly, Fred's form slipped from her and Illyria's tinged-blue skin took its place. Striding toward Faith with one arm extended, she reached for the mortal's neck to squeeze the life-force from her. "Pathetic being. You are unworthy of him. You hold power within you, yet you would strive to keep the darkness distant! Only wishing to control the other aspect of your true nature..." Her words were low and whispered as she continued. "One as feeble as you should not touch Wesley, let alone mate with him!" Her hand snaked around the human's throat and she smiled.
Faith turned around, the smile quickly leaving her face as Fred changed forms. Confusion flooded the Slayer's mind and expression as the words flowed from this new person. Before she could react, the hand was tight around her neck. She reached her hands up, trying to loosen the grip as the anger built up in her. "Okay...." She continued to struggle. How was someone so small this strong. She didn't remember Fred having such strength. Or being blue for that matter. Faith managed to pull free from the grip around her neck, twisting that same arm around the other girl's back, holding her firmly in place. Their faces side by side as the Slayer held Fred from behind. "Look Smurfette. I ain't sure what the hell's goin' on here. Sure don't remember Fred bein' all demony or whatever." Twisting her arm upwards to tighten her grip, Faith spoke through clenched teeth, trying to maintain her composure. Her overwhelming confusion was only making her more angry. "So, why don't we chill out and you clue me in on this little sitch? Sound good to you?"
She had misjudged the Slayer's strength - it had been, after all, quite some time since Illyria had come before a being whose strength was a force to reckon with... not since the Great Battle had she been forced to face one like this. As her arm was twisted, Illyria's foot kicked backwards toward the Slayer while her free arm reached behind her to send her fist into the Slayer's face. "I am not Fred," she informed Faith carefully. "She is long-dead. As you will be soon..." Illyria bent forwards until her momentum pulled Faith with her, sending her over her form until the two faced one another again. Her face was filled with disgust as she neared her. "I can smell him all over you..."
As she flipped over and landed facing the other woman, Faith couldn't help but be momentarily stunned at this situation. She wasn't sure what was going on here. "Okay. You ain't Fred. My mistake. Sure do look like her though." She smirked, dodging another punch, then landing one of her own to the lookalike's stomach. "And for the record? Ain't nobody dyin' here. I get it. You're wicked pissed that me and Wes got wriggly. Not sure how you smell him on me considerin' it was weeks ago, but hey...." She shrugged, raising her eyebrow. "Guess you got some wicked sense of smell or somethin'. What's it your business anyway?"
The blow to her stomach was stronger than a half-breed's would have been, and she had bested both vampires long before the Great Battle. Illyria staggered only slightly, her powers diminished but not gone as she swung another punch towards the Slayer followed by a quick leg-sweep. "You do not recognize one of the Ancient Ones?" Illyria was momentarily stunned. Had not the mortal called Giles informed the child that Illyria was here, and now the last of her kind? "I am older than time... older even, than the men who made the First Slayer, rooting her power deep in darkness." Her elbow went for Faith's face. "Wesley shall not be touched by you again." She stopped her attack to allow her words to sink in first before she would begin to go for the killing moves.
Caught off guard with the leg sweep, Faith hit the ground hard, but quickly regained her footing. Landing a kick to this so called Ancient One's stomach, she sent her staggering back a few steps. Her strength was impressive. "Can't say I know who the Ancient One's are. Wait, is that one of those Saturday morning cartoons I never got to watch? 'Cause you kinda do have that cartoony look to ya." Faith smirked as she took another blow to the face. Damn. They always go for the face. What's up with that? She again wrinkled her brow as the speech continued. Faking a yawn, Faith rolled her eyes. "Older than time, blah blah blah. I've heard this before. All you evil types sing this tune. You'd think you'd learn a new number." Dodging the elbow to her face, Faith grabbed her arm and pushed her forward out of her way. "Know all about the darkness Twinkie. Kinda had my feel of it. Turned a new leaf or whatever." Not breaking her eye contact or letting her guard down, Faith circled the other woman slowly. "And, if I wanna get bouncy with Wes, I will. See there's this whole marriage thing that says I can." Did I really just fuckin' say that?
Evil types?, Illyria wondered idly as she watched the mortal circle her. "You know not what you speak of. Wesley informed me you are an asset in the war against Cain, so the two of us have a common foe." Illyria stepped away, out of the circle but watched Faith intently. Why did she insist on putting up a fight like this? There was no love radiating from the Slayer, just as there hadn't been from Wesley. Putting that from her mind, she continued. "It matters not to me, however, since..." Illyria's words stopped as the single word Faith had spoken hung thick in the air like smoke. "Marriage." Canting her head to one side, her arms dancing about the mortal, she knew the truth of her word, yet did not understand. "Is--is not marriage a joining between two souls in love?" Her attack momentarily forgotten, her curiousity raised, Illyria simply stared.
"So you're fightin' on our side." Faith looked confused, tilting her head to the side as she watched the other. "If that's the case, then why you tryin' to take me out? Kinda defeats the whole purpose of bein' on the same team and all." The Slayer simply shrugged, keeping her defenses up in case of another lunge or attack. "And that marriage thing? More like a joining of two souls tryin' not to get murdered or kidnapped by the Sopranos we had huntin' us down." Still confused and curious, she let the look of anger slide from her face, replacing it with one of slight amusement. "Why you trippin' anyway? You got some kinda thing for Mr. Rugged or somethin'?"
"'Trippin', bouncy'... your words make no sense," Illyria replied, her plans for attack gone as she continued to listen to the Slayer. Nothing was making sense... a marriage, as far as she knew, was something that humans did when their emotions were great in terms of love -- why would someone... "Why did Wesley not speak of this to me?" she mused aloud. He had already shown anger at her for her questions regarding his intercourse with Faith; did he wish not to anger her further? Was he lying? "No..." Illyria stared at the ground, trying to piece together the knowledge she'd gathered so quickly and could not fathom why. Why. Yet, Wesley had mentioned that the Slayer was important not only to the battle against Cain, but also to the witch. Fred's features slid back into place as she decided that Wesley's... wife should speak to him first. "Wesley means nothing to me," she lied as she walked slowly out of the alleyway, unsure of her next destination... only certain that she would not be returning to the store anytime soon. Was she more human now that she knew how to lie?
Illyria walked briskly, uncertain where she was headed since she had never truly 'sensed' the energy that surrounded Faith. It would make finding her troublesome... yet she knew she must. Nothing was clear anymore. Wesley had seen to that, confused her already troubled mind and brought forth her newly human emotions to the surface of her skin until she had admitted far more than she had wished to do. Yet, Fred's bright eyes followed the movements of the humans around her as she looked... and discovered. Pausing in her stride, Illyria knew this was not the place to kill Faith... too many mortals would see. Instead, she smiled and waved at the Slayer. "Faith? That you? Oh my God! I can't hardly believe it!"
A vaguely familiar voice shook her from her thoughts and she made eye contact with the person speaking and waving to her. Raising her eyebrow, a smirk crossed her face as she gave a short nod in greeting. "Fred? What the fuck are you doin' here? Damn everybody's here huh?" She stopped in front of the other woman, shoving both hands in her pockets and tilting her head to the side as she regarded her. "How come nobody told me you was here? Figured somebody woulda mentioned it and all."
Illyria shrugged her shoulders and swept Fred's hair away from her face. "I don't know, no one told me you were here, either!" Which was not an untruth. She had only been informed of the Slayer's presence once she had threatened the mortal Giles, and he had finally released the information she required of him. "Small world, huh? I'm... staying with Willow. Yammering away and all." Illyria pulled forth Fred's memories of Faith, then pushed them far away. Fred recalled Faith with fondness, and at the moment, Illyria only wished blood to be spilled - Wesley be damned. "Wanna get off the street? It's kinda chilly."
"I was actually just headin' to pay Red, or uh, Willow, I mean, a little visit. So, we can head there unless you was goin' somewhere else?" Faith shrugged, looking at Fred questioningly. She was surprised to find that no one had informed either of them of their presences in London. Being that they were both big players on the side of good you would think someone would have filled at least one of them in.
"Sure," Illyria said carefully, walking back towards the shop until she recalled that Wesley was still there. No. No, that would not do at all for him to witness her death. But there was a nice alley that was on the way there... As the two walked, Illyria spotted the shadows that would conceal the two forms. "Hey, c'mere for a sec, I think I see something..." She entered the darkness, knowing Faith would follow.
Wrinkling her brow in confusion, Faith narrowed her eyes, squinting to try and figure out what Fred might see in the darkness. "Hold up. It probably ain't too safe for you to just be wanderin' into the dark like that." Shaking her head with a sigh, she followed behind the woman, wondering what the deal was. Something felt off, but she figured it was just her. She'd been feeling off about everything lately. As she stepped into the darkness, she blinked, her eyes becoming adjusted as she looked around. "Wanna tell me what you're seein' here Fred? 'Cause I ain't seein' nothin'." Continuing to walk forward, her back to the entrance of the alley, Faith surveyed the area.
As she spun around quickly, Fred's form slipped from her and Illyria's tinged-blue skin took its place. Striding toward Faith with one arm extended, she reached for the mortal's neck to squeeze the life-force from her. "Pathetic being. You are unworthy of him. You hold power within you, yet you would strive to keep the darkness distant! Only wishing to control the other aspect of your true nature..." Her words were low and whispered as she continued. "One as feeble as you should not touch Wesley, let alone mate with him!" Her hand snaked around the human's throat and she smiled.
Faith turned around, the smile quickly leaving her face as Fred changed forms. Confusion flooded the Slayer's mind and expression as the words flowed from this new person. Before she could react, the hand was tight around her neck. She reached her hands up, trying to loosen the grip as the anger built up in her. "Okay...." She continued to struggle. How was someone so small this strong. She didn't remember Fred having such strength. Or being blue for that matter. Faith managed to pull free from the grip around her neck, twisting that same arm around the other girl's back, holding her firmly in place. Their faces side by side as the Slayer held Fred from behind. "Look Smurfette. I ain't sure what the hell's goin' on here. Sure don't remember Fred bein' all demony or whatever." Twisting her arm upwards to tighten her grip, Faith spoke through clenched teeth, trying to maintain her composure. Her overwhelming confusion was only making her more angry. "So, why don't we chill out and you clue me in on this little sitch? Sound good to you?"
She had misjudged the Slayer's strength - it had been, after all, quite some time since Illyria had come before a being whose strength was a force to reckon with... not since the Great Battle had she been forced to face one like this. As her arm was twisted, Illyria's foot kicked backwards toward the Slayer while her free arm reached behind her to send her fist into the Slayer's face. "I am not Fred," she informed Faith carefully. "She is long-dead. As you will be soon..." Illyria bent forwards until her momentum pulled Faith with her, sending her over her form until the two faced one another again. Her face was filled with disgust as she neared her. "I can smell him all over you..."
As she flipped over and landed facing the other woman, Faith couldn't help but be momentarily stunned at this situation. She wasn't sure what was going on here. "Okay. You ain't Fred. My mistake. Sure do look like her though." She smirked, dodging another punch, then landing one of her own to the lookalike's stomach. "And for the record? Ain't nobody dyin' here. I get it. You're wicked pissed that me and Wes got wriggly. Not sure how you smell him on me considerin' it was weeks ago, but hey...." She shrugged, raising her eyebrow. "Guess you got some wicked sense of smell or somethin'. What's it your business anyway?"
The blow to her stomach was stronger than a half-breed's would have been, and she had bested both vampires long before the Great Battle. Illyria staggered only slightly, her powers diminished but not gone as she swung another punch towards the Slayer followed by a quick leg-sweep. "You do not recognize one of the Ancient Ones?" Illyria was momentarily stunned. Had not the mortal called Giles informed the child that Illyria was here, and now the last of her kind? "I am older than time... older even, than the men who made the First Slayer, rooting her power deep in darkness." Her elbow went for Faith's face. "Wesley shall not be touched by you again." She stopped her attack to allow her words to sink in first before she would begin to go for the killing moves.
Caught off guard with the leg sweep, Faith hit the ground hard, but quickly regained her footing. Landing a kick to this so called Ancient One's stomach, she sent her staggering back a few steps. Her strength was impressive. "Can't say I know who the Ancient One's are. Wait, is that one of those Saturday morning cartoons I never got to watch? 'Cause you kinda do have that cartoony look to ya." Faith smirked as she took another blow to the face. Damn. They always go for the face. What's up with that? She again wrinkled her brow as the speech continued. Faking a yawn, Faith rolled her eyes. "Older than time, blah blah blah. I've heard this before. All you evil types sing this tune. You'd think you'd learn a new number." Dodging the elbow to her face, Faith grabbed her arm and pushed her forward out of her way. "Know all about the darkness Twinkie. Kinda had my feel of it. Turned a new leaf or whatever." Not breaking her eye contact or letting her guard down, Faith circled the other woman slowly. "And, if I wanna get bouncy with Wes, I will. See there's this whole marriage thing that says I can." Did I really just fuckin' say that?
Evil types?, Illyria wondered idly as she watched the mortal circle her. "You know not what you speak of. Wesley informed me you are an asset in the war against Cain, so the two of us have a common foe." Illyria stepped away, out of the circle but watched Faith intently. Why did she insist on putting up a fight like this? There was no love radiating from the Slayer, just as there hadn't been from Wesley. Putting that from her mind, she continued. "It matters not to me, however, since..." Illyria's words stopped as the single word Faith had spoken hung thick in the air like smoke. "Marriage." Canting her head to one side, her arms dancing about the mortal, she knew the truth of her word, yet did not understand. "Is--is not marriage a joining between two souls in love?" Her attack momentarily forgotten, her curiousity raised, Illyria simply stared.
"So you're fightin' on our side." Faith looked confused, tilting her head to the side as she watched the other. "If that's the case, then why you tryin' to take me out? Kinda defeats the whole purpose of bein' on the same team and all." The Slayer simply shrugged, keeping her defenses up in case of another lunge or attack. "And that marriage thing? More like a joining of two souls tryin' not to get murdered or kidnapped by the Sopranos we had huntin' us down." Still confused and curious, she let the look of anger slide from her face, replacing it with one of slight amusement. "Why you trippin' anyway? You got some kinda thing for Mr. Rugged or somethin'?"
"'Trippin', bouncy'... your words make no sense," Illyria replied, her plans for attack gone as she continued to listen to the Slayer. Nothing was making sense... a marriage, as far as she knew, was something that humans did when their emotions were great in terms of love -- why would someone... "Why did Wesley not speak of this to me?" she mused aloud. He had already shown anger at her for her questions regarding his intercourse with Faith; did he wish not to anger her further? Was he lying? "No..." Illyria stared at the ground, trying to piece together the knowledge she'd gathered so quickly and could not fathom why. Why. Yet, Wesley had mentioned that the Slayer was important not only to the battle against Cain, but also to the witch. Fred's features slid back into place as she decided that Wesley's... wife should speak to him first. "Wesley means nothing to me," she lied as she walked slowly out of the alleyway, unsure of her next destination... only certain that she would not be returning to the store anytime soon. Was she more human now that she knew how to lie?