rockypath | Duplicity IC Inbox

[When he comes inside, Faith is behind the bar, currently in the process of wiping down the bartop with a rag. She laughs at the comment looking around them. The Back Door is very much a dive bar. But it is her baby so she does appreciate the sentiment, even if he's probably just being nice.

She blinks a bit at the look of him because he did look pretty on point for a 'Jesus'. Although she's a little afraid to ask if he's literally Jesus. Her brain can't quite fathom the idea of that, so she's choosing to believe he's just leaning in very hard into the name.]

Thanks. I poured my heart into it.

Dinah sold me on it, but this [the dive bar aesthetic] is really where I'm at home anyway.

[Which he would argue was probably true for the Biblical Jesus, too.]

What did she tell you?

[She glances at the door, half-considering locking it. They shouldn't be overheard, but the city seemed to have eyes everywhere.]

Yeah, said you two were cooking up some plan. Wanted to use her cry to do it.

[He keeps his voice low; it naturally is anyway. But he's aware of the exits, ready to change the subject the moment a door creaks.]

It wouldn't be just us. But yeah, she could do a lot.

Can I get you a beer? Cause I need a beer. [She slaps the rag on the bar, wiping off her hands before grabbing a glass to start filling it up from the tap.]

I told her I'd have her back. So I mean to come too. Who else?

[He nods at the offer of beer and takes a seat at the bar]

I don't know who's serious yet. I'm taking orders from Scott.

[And so far he's content to follow Scott's lead. Scott is a professional domestic terrorist at home; he's better equipped than Jesus is to lead a group in an attack on a symbol. But Jesus has gone his own way, done his own plans, before and he will again if he thinks it's right.]

What did you do before this place?

Summers? Yeah, I know him. We spar pretty regularly. Did always seems like he was plotting something all secret like so can't say I'm surprised.

[The way he'd seemed to be cataloging people and their skill sets hadn't been entirely subtle.]

Before here? Oh, you know. This and that. Slaying vampires, demons, and fighting the forces of darkness. Pretty basic stuff. [She deadpans, but her straight face doesn't last long, flashing into a smile as she slides him a glass of beer.] I'm really good at killing stuff, basically. Super-strength, agility, and I'm pretty much a natural with any weapon you put in my hands.

I don't have his plan. [Just so there's no misunderstanding. Jesus is finding people who are interested in fighting; it doesn't mean he's in Scott's inner circle.]

But I mean to do something. The more interested people with powers we have on our side, the better.

[He sips his beer] What are the vampires like?

He does keep things close to the chest. Unlike some people who like to blast their plans for rebellion right on the network.

[Faith's not a tactical genius by any means, but she's not quite that careless. She leans against the bar as she drinks her own beer.]

The vamps where I'm from are soulless monsters. Doesn't matter how sweet of a person they were before they were turned, they'll still kill, and feed on anyone they can get their hands on. The vampires here aren't like that. Don't get me wrong, some of them are still complete assholes, but they're still different.

[They aren't for the most part completely irredeemable.]

There aren't any where I'm from. No superpowers, either. Turns out people aren't very different with or without them.

[Faith tilts her head considering him, brow furrowing a bit.] How do you mean?

[He takes a second, thinking] If someone had told me I'd be here with people who can take down a room with their voice, or create lasers in their eyes, I wouldn't have thought I'd have an easy time settling in. Working with them.

But we all just want the same things. It's comforting, isn't it?

I guess. [Faith's never really thought about it, really. Considering she's a person with powers.] I mean we are all stuck here. And we all have more or less the same enemy.

[The government that brought them here and forced them into this fucked up system.]

We do.

Some people adapt. Some people even like it here. There are things I like about this place. But I'm willing to lose them if we can get something better.

[That's the hard part, though. You only have so much control over what comes next.]

You're willing to risk all this for her?

All this? [Faith scoffs a bit, looking around them.]

You mean this bar? I built this for Dinah. I would burn it and this entire fucking city to the ground if it meant she never had to suffer one second in the Zoo ever again.

It's very likely we'll fail before we succeed. Whatever we end up doing, if it's going to make any difference, we'll probably get hurt.

[Dinah is doing it because she believes in it. So is Jesus. He's never dealt with someone who was fighting specifically for another person, instead of for a cause, before.]

I know there's a risk. I'm not stupid. And I'd definitely rather I was there to help than let her do this without me. Fuck that. If you are worried that I don't know what I'm getting into. Don't.

[Faith's no illusions about their likelihood of success, but she'll still keep trying.]

Ever since the day I was called as a Slayer, I've had to jump into situations where I might die or worse. Where people I cared about might die too. Hell, I'm already older than most Slayers ever get.

[he's convinced by the end. Still wary, the way he's wary of anyone who has a very strong attachment to a specific person, but Dinah trusts her.]

Talk to Scott. He's the one with the plan, I'm just on board helping where I can.

... What do you mean, you were called as a slayer?

I'll ask him the next time we spar. [That way it won't seem like an out-of-the-blue meeting. Less suspicious that way.]

Slayers aren't born. We're chosen. 'One girl in all the world who can stand up to vampires, demons, and forces of darkness.' A Slayer dies and another is called. Teenage girls. I got called at seventeen.

That's horrible.

[But he says it as someone who is very used to horrible things happening.]

How long do slayers live?

Most only last a few years. Getting out of your teens is a fucking miracle. I'm basically geriatric for a Slayer at twenty-three. Course, when I got called it was a bit more complicated. Buffy, she died. Drowned, but was resuscitated. That called another anyway. Kendra. Kendra was killed. Then there was me. So at least there isn't one of us anymore.

[She's just going to gloss over all the shit that came after and everything she did to hurt Buffy.]

... You mean there's only one at a time? How do they expect that to work?

Its complete bullshit is what it is. [Faith agrees.] We had Watchers, people who find us, train us, and help. But it's too much responsibility for one person. And a Watcher can only do so much.

Before I showed up here though, we actually changed things. Hopefully for the better. Pays to know a super powerful witch. Now every girl with the potential to be a Slayer now is a Slayer. There might be hundreds of us now. And now we've got a choice if we want that burden or if we just want to live our lives. Since there are enough of us now to have that luxury.

If you went back today? What would you choose to do?

Being a Slayer is really the only thing I've ever had in my life that made me feel worth anything. [Faith shakes her head.] Never really thought about doing anything else.

Until I got here anyway. With running this place. [She gestures to the bar.] So maybe I'd do something like this too. But I don't think I could ever leave being a Slayer behind completely. Not when I know I could be doing something to save people.

[And make up for her past wrongs. Not that she says as much.]

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hippie_ninja - 2022-09-29 02:13 (UTC) - Expand

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