[ visual ] | [ location: casa lehane ] if wellness is this what in hell's name is sickness

[stacked]

Faith has been in Taxon for nearly a year, now. As the date creeps up, she's been withdrawing little by little; Connor's staying in her place, sure, but he can read the vibes and let her keep her space. Even the trips to see Godric and Eric have dropped off, because there's the upswing in maturity she's working with and talking about her shit. One is a work in progress, the other isn't her thing and never will be.

So when her tablet helpfully clicks over to visual, it films Faith's lower back for a moment, the sheets tangled around her legs. She hasn't been sleeping well lately, her dreams restless and weird. So when she rolls over and sees the ghost sitting on the side of her bed, she assumes it's more dreaming.

"Don't have time for this shit." Her mutter is audible but slurred, and she rolls over, exposing the edge of her underwear. "Sleeping."

It only takes a moment for her to wake up fully, though, Slayer instincts rocketing her into consciousness. "...Boss?" She almost sounds hopeful. No response, and her expression goes shattered, nakedly heartbroken before hardening again. "What, the First wasn't enough? Back the hell off me and take off his face."

When the ghost doesn't respond she scrambles out of bed, her movements uncharacteristically jerky and awkward. "I said get the hell out of my apartment." The beer bottle that crashes against the wall has no effect, the Mayor's placid expression doesn't change, his hand still reaches out to her. "Get the fuck out, now."

Another beer bottle, and her tablet shows her face growing panicked as the Mayor crawls closer, Faith scooting back as fast as she can to stay out of reach. "You're not him." It's quiet, desperate, to herself, and the feed closes on her slamming a fist into the ground hard enough her dresser rattles and repeating it, even more quiet and desperate. "You're not him."

Comments

[ location: casa lehane ]

[faderbroderson]

Godric is at Faith's house before her tablet finishes broadcasting. It's with a silent curse that he realizes he's never been inside; he doesn't have an invitation. He knocks on the door with a bit more force than necessary.

"Faith, invite me in." He keeps his voice low and even, the better to keep Faith calm. He's never seen her panic like this, but then, he's never seen ghosts roam the streets of Taxon. Everyone has people in their pasts they don't talk about.

[ location: casa lehane ]

[sneersgenetic.livejournal.com]

Connor recognizes that voice. It belongs to one of the vampires that Faith slept with that one time he caught the broadcast and his scent, now that his near, he can now pin point as belonging to him, given that it's one of the unfamiliar ones Faith's been coated in that he couldn't quite place before. He rises from the couch and goes to the door, pulling it open.

"Hey," he says to the vampire on the other side as he steps back, out of the doorway. "Come in. I live here, so invitation's good as hers. She's in her room."

[ location: casa lehane ]

[faderbroderson]

Godric steps in immediately, sparing a moment to thank Connor very briefly before disappearing -- literally, to Connor's eyes -- into the bedroom. Without missing a beat, he grabs Faith around the waist and pulls her bodily out of the room, shutting the door firmly in their wake. It registers that Faith is clothed only in her underwear, but he doesn't think twice about it, more concerned with her emotional state.

Turning her to face him, he takes her face gently in his hands.

"Faith?" Time to ground her in reality, away from ghosts.

[ location: casa lehane ]

[stacked]

Faith blinks slowly, trying to get the image of the Mayor-- bleeding out, reaching for her (why weren't you there, faith, why didn't you fight with me)-- out of her head.

"Yeah, I--" her voice breaks, and she coughs loud and painful. "I'm fine." But she doesn't shove Godric away, even with Connor studiously ignoring them on the couch, which says everything about how fine she is.

[Visual]

[demonologist]

It's probably not his place anymore and he doubts she'll want to talk to him, but Wesley can't shake the sense of responsibility he has for Faith. They're from different timelines, and their last exchanges were less than cordial, but...she truly looked frightened and he can't ignore that.

"Faith?"

[ visual ]

[stacked]

Her head thunks back against the wall at Wesley's voice, shame flashing over her face before she can control her expression. She couldn't get lucky just this once, couldn't have gotten the one goddamn time her tablet didn't click on to share with the world shit she'd rather keep hidden.

"Wes." The tremor in her voice is too obvious for her own peace of mind, and she lets her head fall hard into the wall again, just for good measure.

[ visual ]

[demonologist]

He's so very bad at offering comfort, at knowing what to say to people who really would rather he just disappear, but he tries anyway...

"If it's any consolation, the apparitions aren't real. We don't think they are true manifestations of the people they look like."

He has no idea of who Faith may have seen but it's rattled her more than he's witnessed for a long time. He frowns at her banging her head against the wall, hoping that she's not seeking to punish herself further over something she likely has no control over.

[ visual ]

[stacked]

"No shit." Her voice lacks the usual rancor, and she's purposefully staring away from the bed, where Wilkins is staring at her like something out of the horror flicks she used to sneak into as a kid. "Never would've guessed."

Wilkins is moving closer, and before she can help it Faith flinches, burrowing back into the wall like she can disappear into it. Screw Wes seeing her weak and scared, screw everything but not letting whatever the hell this thing is touch her.

[Voice]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

Hey. [Big long pause.] You gonna be okay?

[ visual ]

[stacked]

That voice, Faith doesn't mind so much. Not like she's itching to let anyone in on her angst about the Mayor, but Casey's all right. He doesn't even know who Wilkins is, doesn't know about poor stupid little Faithy, so desperate for a daddy she let a demon step in because he offered her milk and cookies.

"Five by five, Killer." She's obviously lying, but hey. That's always been her thing, too.

[Visual]

[notabuymoron.livejournal.com]

Fine, if she's gonna be like that...he switches to visual.

"Good. Because I still want my knife back and I'd prefer it if you weren't all out of your mind from seeing dead people when I do."

He's done it plenty of times himself. Lied to keep people from getting too close. From seeing weakness in him.

[ visual ]

[stacked]

Casey, she is always like that.

"You're all heart, babe." Weak imitation of her usual snark there, but she's trying.

[ voice ]

[undoing.livejournal.com]

[ this is an extremely rare occasion, for angel is drunk. very drunk. he's been drinking with spike since he saw his little sister and if one listens closely enough, they'll hear the slosh of liquid from the bottle in his other hand that he's still holding. his speech is a bit slurred and more accented, as this far gone into the spell of alcohol means he's not caring about not speaking with the edge he taught himself to speak without. enjoy all that, faith. your vampire sponsor is a bit useless right now. ]

Ahh, but who does now-a-days? They don't care if we want to be seein' it, they show it to us anyway. May not be him, but it's the react-- ...the, uh, response! Yes. The response that matters.

[ voice ]

[bigbad]

'izzit Faith?

[Yeah, Angel's not drinking alone. Someone had to supply the liquor. Spike's there too, and just as drunk. There's a pause where Spike pretty much grabs Angel's tablet away from him.]

Hullo, Faith! Did you see one too? Who'd you see?

[ visual ]

[stacked]

See Faith. See Faith pause in her sheer horror to register that she's getting troll-rolled by two drunkass fucking vamps.

...Then Wilkins moves again, and the horror takes over. "The Mayor." That's all she's giving them, thanks.

[ voice ]

[undoing.livejournal.com]

Hey now, Willy. You've got'cher own somewhere. Give it back.

[ angel attempts to get it back and apparently forgets that standing requires putting one's feet on the ground instead of just sliding off the edge of the table and there's the FOMP-like sound of a heavy vampire hitting the ground. but not to worry! the tequila is okay and that's what's important, clearly. ]

[ voice ]

[fogdar.livejournal.com]

Faith, do you need me to eject someone from your apartment?

[ yes, Eric likes Faith, okay. He'd help her out. Sssh. ]

[ visual ]

[stacked]

Trying for a grin (and falling miserably short; Eric, another version of you nearly snapped Faith in half, but even he didn't get to see her scared) Faith shrugs, pointedly staring down at her knees and not at the bed. "Why, you feel like playing the hero, Fang?"

[ voice ]

[fogdar.livejournal.com]

[ he's very unconvinced, but he'll humor her. ]

Well, it's not my usual routine, but I've heard that variety is the spice of life.

[ visual ]

[stacked]

"Should stick with the classics." It's not a no, but Faith isn't the asking for help type. Or even the easily accepting it. If you want to help her it generally involves doing it no matter what she says about not needing or wanting it, and cramming the assistance down her throat with her kicking and screaming all the while.

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Faith and Buffy are not on 'rush to each other's aid' terms, so Buffy's not about to jump the gun and fly over to the apartment, considering she might not be any more welcome than the ghost. That said, having experienced the fun new haunting phenomenon herself, she's sympathetic and concerned.

"Faith, do you need help?"

[ visual ]

[stacked]

Letting her head thunk back against the wall again, Faith sighs. "Nah, B, five by five here."

Look, she's not even going to pretend she's not lying, at this point.

[ visual ]

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Up shoots an eyebrow - if Faith's not going to lie convincingly, Buffy's not going to hide her skepticism. "'Cause if this is five by five, I think the standards have slipped a little bit."

[ visual ] /threadjacks - what's a sarah post without threadjacking?

[undoing.livejournal.com]

[ this very drunk, using his accent vampire has managed to get his tablet back from spike and oh look, buffy's now on the line. ]

You'd 'ave better luck offerin' water to a man who spilled milk.

[ ...angel, that makes no sense. ]

[ visual ] a sarah post is not complete until jacking happens

[likeajoan.livejournal.com]

Behold, the glorious blank stare of what the fuck Angel.

"...was that even English?"