and mama always said--

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Who: Faith Lehane & training students & OTA
Where: Sparring Facility, Angel Investigations, a room on a floor of your choosing!
When: Aug/Sep Catch-all
Rating: PG-13, could increase
Summary: Faith is not handling her anniversary in Wonderland very well.
The Story:

sparring facility

[ she's going easy on everyone.

faith usually asks her trainees for an extra few punches, higher kicks, or harder throws. she makes it clear that the name of the game is to walk out feeling better than when you came in, sure. but this month she takes people at their word when they tire out, instead of asking for more.

her movement's still crisp but she doesn't hit or push as hard as normal. the threshold varies per person, a mental note in faith's head to tell her who needs her to throttle back less or more. ]

hallway, pick a floor any floor

[ she comes here weekly, to this unmarked door, but it's not her room.

when faith exits, it's with freshly-made bruises and drying blood that she hasn't quite cleaned up all the way. a sheen of sweat covers her, and she's pushing her hair out of her face like it's personally affronted her. ]

angel investigations

[ she's literally asleep on that middle round couch thing. which cannot be comfortable. wake the slayer, and choose your weapon wisely... ]

Comments

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You're literally walking next to me.

[ faith's not... yeah. oh, faith. ]

[widows_kiss]

You're the one that's looking a little worse for wear. What makes you think the scene of the crime is going to stay back there when you're here?

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[ faith is frustrated and angry enough to fully misunderstand natasha's point: ]

Yeah, exactly. So why don't you go see what happened before the mansion does its clean up act?

[widows_kiss]

Because I'm looking at you instead.

[ I's fine, she'll spell it out for you instead. ]

Plenty of evidence right here. What happened?

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Someone asked me too many questions this morning.

[ not a real threat, more like an echo of a bratty teenager that doesn't actually seem to have dissipated as faith aged... ]

[widows_kiss]

[ It makes Natasha's lips quirk, because that sounded like some flippant brush-off Clint would give her. ]

A hazard of having so many inquisitive people in close proximity who might care about why you look like you ran into someone's fist.

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Gosh, I guess I should go get myself cleaned up then.

[ faith stops at her door, and turns back to natasha, hand on the handle. ]

But hey, gives you more time to Nancy Drew someone else, right?

[ ......nobody will blame natasha for adding to the blood js ]

[widows_kiss]

[ Luckily for you, she's on a team with Difficult People. This is not new. ]

Nope. I'm quite content Nancy Drew-ing you. [ She smiles sweetly. ] Is there another person back there who also walked into some fists or was this a solo adventure?

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Yep. They need medical attention too, so you better hurry!

[ faith bares her teeth in a mocking grimace before faith turns the knob to escape into her room after waving natasha on. ]

[widows_kiss]

[ Natasha contemplates pushing - if this were Clint or one of her teammates she wouldn't even hesitate. But it wasn't, so she relents where otherwise might remain stubborn. She does, however, catch Faith's door before the other woman can shut it on her, meeting her gaze with a serious expression. ]

If you need help patching yourself up, I'm pretty handy at it. No more questions about where it came from, I promise. Or, in the future, if you want someone to punch who will punch back and not take it easy on you, I can offer that too. Consider it a standing offer, should you ever want it.

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[ the offer is a turn sharp enough to make faith stop in her tracks and look back at natasha. she nods, but her words seem to contradict the gesture: ]

I heal kinda fast.

[ she's not sure how to say that having a partner isn't the point, unless they're really committed to doing some damage. ]

[widows_kiss]

[ Natasha cocks her head, considering that. ]

So do several of my teammates.

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I got nowhere to sit but my bed, but-- c'mon in.

[ a little confidence seeps back into faith's voice; as if having no furniture is something to be proud of. and the room's about as bare as it can be. bed, trunk, a single light bulb that hangs from the ceiling. the floor's concrete, and faith hasn't thought to put a rug down. there's a shitty small tube tv in the corner on the floor-- and a duffel bag where it seems she keeps her clothes.

she waves natasha in before heading to the bathroom to jab her elbow into the mirror. the tinkle of glass follows the smashing sound as faith wipes it from the counter to the wastebasket. ]

[widows_kiss]

[ The room strikes a familiar chord in Natasha as she steps in and glances around the room with a curious eye. It looks like a dozen places she's hunkered down in to hide in between ops or when on the run. Sparse and bare, just enough within reach in case she's got to pick up and go at a moment's notice.

She doesn't comment on it, merely follows Faith towards the bathroom. ]

Do you have clean towels in here? Any alcohol?

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No towels. Booze in the trunk.

[ where natasha will also find the stakes, swords and faith's favorite axe. faith's voice echoes against the tile in the bathroom; enough to make her cringe a little before running water to splash onto her face.

it's too cold, and exactly what faith wants. (deserves, if you asked her.) ]

[widows_kiss]

[ She doesn't comment over the fact that the alcohol is easily accessible but a clean towel is not. Rather than destroying one of what few possessions Faith has allowed herself, she leans in the doorway of the bathroom to be heard over the water. ]

Do you mind if I use your closet to get a towel then? Some bandages, perhaps?

[ Some people were weird about magic. It seemed polite to ask first. ]