Sleight of Hand
I'm not sure I like this extra-violent side of Buffy. She's always been the hit first, ask questions later kind of girl, but what she's doing to Dawn in the name of "training" is borderline cruel. I know she doesn't trust that Dawn is actually good, or her sister, or not a Council spy, but still.
I'm even more curious now to see what kind of answers Giles has for Buffy and Faith. I'm a little worried about him since he didn't answer his cell phone when Buffy tried to call him from Montana. Who's to say the Council didn't get to him, too? Eep.
Iiiiiinteresting. Very interesting. You've set the stage for several big battles, but honestly, I could give a shit about the Mayor right now. The Council needs every inch of every one of their asses thoroughly kicked. They don't seem much like they were the ones that planted Dawn in Buffy's house, though. They seem more like they're jumping on an opportunity as it presents itself. The three sisters on the other hand, playing with fate for their own entertainment? They seem like much more likely candidates. Hmm....
You don't pull any punches when you throw curveballs into a story, do you?
So Faith dies for like a minute, but Buffy's able to revive her, but duh, it's enough for a new Slayer to be called. And then Buffy and Faith panic over near-death experiences and go at it nine times in front of the fireplace (gotta love Slayer stamina!) while they wait for morning. And then they can't reach Giles, and Joyce says the Council came by, AND Dawn is there and she's the new Slayer? What the hell?!
Oh no oh no oh no! I knew things were going way too good for them in Montana. And with such a happy moment of bliss between the two of them? Stupid evil getting in the way of the Slayers' happiness! Is Faith going to be okay? Is Buffy going to be able to reach her and save the day? Errggh!
I love how as this story progresses, Faith becomes more and more herself. She'll always be rough around the edges, but here we see her actually enjoying herself tromping through the woods, swimming in mountain lakes, teasing Buffy. She's open and honest and so unlike the angry girl at the beginning of all of this.
Did Buffy ever actually plug in that golf cart? I don't think she did. I love how she thinks this is roughing it. Silly Buffy. That cabin sounds nicer than my apartment. Can i live there?
Faith on an airplane is just ridiculously cute! And Buffy stole comics for her! Aww!
The two of them, stuck in the middle of nowhere with only each other for company, for an undetermined amount of time? This could get interesting.
Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to turn out as easy as they all think it will? Montana is a big state, but short on people. Two girls like Buffy and Faith are going to stick out like sore thumbs. Willow might be packing some serious mojo right now, but it kind of all hinges on things going exactly to plan. When do things ever go exactly to plan?
Joyce is seriously going to win Mom of the Year,I swear. She's exactly the kind of positive influence Faith needs right now and I love that she just jumps right into this,feet first, to help Buffy AND Faith.
Alright, go Willow with the mojo! That sleight of hand was a neat trick and I'm glad it (seemingly) fooled the Council assassins and the Mayor's henchvamps.
And Joyce is the best mom ever.
Woah... I hope Willow's magic is up to snuff here, because if it's not...
The image of Faith sitting on Professor Worth's couch, distraught and scared and guilt-ridden, with his hand on her back, trying to comfort her after she showed up at his apartment intent on killing him has got to be one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read. I really, really hope it isn't too late for Faith.
Oh no. Oh, Faith. This is not your only way out. This isn't any way out! This is a way to pain and death and badness and no one wants that for you. Not even you. Oh, Faith.
It's amazing how much emotional punch you pack into chapters where not a whole lot happens. This one left me breathless more than once, just waiting for Buffy or Faith to blow up at the other, watching helplessly as Faith tumbles further and further away from rational thought. I'm glad that your Buffy is much more level-headed than they let her be at this point in the series. It's refreshing to see her get over her "punch first, ask questions later" way of fucking things up. And by things, I mean Faith.
I really, really hope Buffy wakes up. Nothing that Faith is planning right now can be good.
Huh. I don't think I've ever seen a pool used for slayage purposes in fic before. Nicely done.
I'm glad Faith finally came clean to Buffy about Professor Worth. You had me worried that she was going to try and get to him on her own, and get herself killed or worse. I'm also glad that Buffy and Faith finally admitted to each other that they care about each other. Innuendos aside, even.
Good chapter!
One thing I really appreciate about this story is that you're allowing Faith to figure out - on her own - that the Mayor isn't someone to put her trust in. He is testing her and she has the wherewithal to realize not only that, but that he doesn't trust her. I like that she does her own research to figure out why some boring old college professor would need to die for the Mayor to succeed in his plans. I like that you give her her own voice in this story and let her find her own balance, rather than just taking Buffy or the Mayor's word for everything. Even if she gets the shit beaten out of her for it. :P
Oh, Faith. I want to trust you. I really do. I want to think that the Council assassins have you spooked enough that you're willing to do whatever Buffy and Giles ask of you to keep you safe, because deep down, you don't want to die. Not yet, and not like this. But the Mayor is a manipulative bastard, isn't he?
Ugh. I wish I had time to read more before work, but I only have a few minutes before I need to leave. How did I not read this when you first posted it? Bad Kasey!
I am eager to find out how far Faith is willing to go. If she thinks she can do this one last thing for the Mayor and get out alive and sane, or if she thinks she can do some recon of her own. Be a white hat. I hope it's that second one. Oh, Faith.
Again, with the twists and turns. Faith is so torn and so lost and she's trying to make the decisions that will help herself the most, and they're going to give her nothing but trouble. The Council's assassins after her is one thing, but the Mayor, too? In my opinion, he's a worse foe to be dealing with. I can understand why Faith would want to buy herself time, but murder? Oh, Faith, no.
There's an interesting moment that I didn't want to forget about. Faith tells Buffy: "No way am I gonna put you in more danger than you already are." No matter what else is going on, Faith is concerned about Buffy's safety. It just kind of happens in passing, but I have a feeling it's going to be a big deal later.
You write Buffy and Faith so well, have I told you that? Their interplay at the motel was spot-on. I love the way you write Buffy's emotional obliviousness and Faith's guardedness. Neither one of them really gets the other, but at the same time, neither one is really willing to give any ground, either.
I love all of the twists and turns this story takes. The Council has never been trustworthy, but it's still jarring and painful to see them so casually discussing the murder of not one Slayer, but potentially two. I love that Faith isn't as dumb as she looks (she never was, but it's still nice to see it play out) and has enough self-preservation instinct to get out of the line of fire of the Council assassins. Makes me wonder, though, since she seemed so ready for Buffy to show up, if she didn't reopen the Slayer connection on purpose so that Buffy would find her easily. Maybe Faith does want Buffy's help after all. If only Buffy could handle subtlety at all, she'd see it.
As frustrating and stubborn as Faith is, she has a point. Buffy and the Scoobs really don't have anything for Faith anymore, at least not from her perspective. They barely gave her the time of day unless there was evil afoot, and even then they only called her in when they needed the extra muscle. Giles and Wesley and Joyce all failed her as the adults in the group, letting her waste away in that awful motel rather than making sure she had adequate living quarters and food and an education. The Mayor, evil as he is, makes her feel wanted. Needed. Important. Something Buffy and co. never accomplished.
As earnest as Buffy is in her attempt to save Faith, she's a fucking idiot. Faith stopped outside the Bronze. Faith was willing, if only for a moment if she liked what she heard, to listen. And instead of taking that opportunity, Buffy shot her with a tranquilizer gun?! As worried as I am for Faith's safety, turnabout is fairplay and in this instance, Faith had every right to shoot Buffy with that tranq gun to make her escape.
That kiss, though. That came outta nowhere, and it makes me wonder what was going through both of their minds in that bathroom.
Oh Buffy, shouldn't you know by now that not having a plan pretty much always backfires on you?
I love the use of the Slayer connection in this story. It's something they only ever hinted at in canon and is used so well here. Interesting choice to have Faith reacting as if she always knew the connection was so strong, and was just waiting for Buffy to catch up. I wonder if Kendra and Buffy shared the same kind of connection, and if they ever could've used it to their advantage if Kendra had survived longer.
As it stands in this story, I'm curious to see how Buffy is going to be able to convince Faith that she's trying to help her stay alive, because talking to her is about as useful as talking to a brick wall right now.
Giles, Giles, Giles. Lying to Buffy about the Council's dirtier dealings? Again? Haven't you learned by now that you can't trust a word Quentin Travers says?
The three sisters are creepy and intriguing. Toying with fate is their only form of entertainment? Yikes. I'm wondering why they'd choose now to go back on the deal they'd made so many centuries ago with the Council. Or have they been "toying with fate" for their entertainment all along?
Finally getting around to re-reading this. I know I read the first few chapters when it was fresh and new, but I don't think I ever finished it and for that I am ashamed.
This is an interesting start and definitely one that's stuck in my mind all these years later. The precognitive witches are creepy, but what is creepier to me is their subservience to the Council. It almost reminds me of a partnership Wolfram and Hart would take on. And when you think about it, the Watchers Council and W&H aren't all that different in how they operate, it's just that one revels in the idea that they're good, and the other in the idea that they're evil. Hmm...
I love that Buffy has the dream/vision of Faith while she's asleep in class. So very Buffy. And I love that her initial reaction to that dream is that she needs to do something to help Faith, even if they're on opposite sides now.