Soothing the Savage Beast (Spike)

[vi]

The Unthinkable had happened! Vi hadn't seen the Blondiest of Big Bads in almost a year. And considering they had fought and in his case, died, for the cause Vi felt like a complete jerk for not at least checking in. So, as soon as she wrassled herself his address, Vi proceeded to parade her Hippie butt straight to the cemetery housing one of her favorite people. Spike was someone she not only looked up to, but for a fraction of time wanted to grow up to be. Just less boy part having and peroxide addicted. Oh, and the fangs. Those would suck. Really, Vi? Bad pun…

The night air was crisp and cool, and she happily bopped along to a tune ringing about in her head the entire way. While she had a stake tucked securely in her leather pouch, Vi was praying she didn't have to use it on anyone of Spike's sort of cousins. It always broke her heart when things came down to the Pointy end of a stake. It was so much easier to just work through everything like rational people. But fledglings don't come in rational. Something that made the pacifist cry herself to sleep at night underneath the rainbow tie dye blankie.

For all she knew, he was out. Hell, for all she knew he had someone pretty and very much everything that wasn't Her over. Doing… well, things Vi had no personal knowledge at all of. Or, goddess help her, He just did not want to see her. And it was that last thought that crashed down around her as she went to knock on the Morrison Family Crypt. Brows furrowed, a soft whimper paused her lips ringing out rather loud in the empty and still night air before the Slayer turned about on the balls of her feet to flee.

I'll just… go home before I make a fool of myself….

Pass a Note: My Quippy Cockney Vamp Friend! <3 Short but Intro-y!
Next in Initiative: Spike
Listen Check: Jax talking about the Vampy Cat and the smexy awesome of the tragic Batsu!
Equipped Items: Outfit
Credit: Jax

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[williamspikepratt]

Spike couldn’t tell why he had taken to wandering around at night so much. It was probably much safer for him to be at his crypt, or at a bar, or it was the most safe to be at Maddie’s, the one house that he could enter that Angel couldn’t. Frankly, the British vamp wasn’t completely sure that Angel was going to dust him or just smack the hell out him, but he wasn’t exactly jumping up and down at the prospect of either. Not that he wouldn’t fight Angel, he was always up for that. But to hear Angel prod and attack him using that horrid blunder Spike had made two years ago—the reason why the blond vampire had a soul—that he wasn’t looking forward to. But he didn’t want to be cooped up, even though he liked Maddie and his crypt was shaping up to be a cozy little retreat. Spike liked patrolling, even if it had been rather uneventful so far. He had seen a stray cat that he had skritched behind the ears and that was all.

So it had mostly been him and his thoughts. He had talked a little to Maddie, that nerd-tastic ginger prophet, but Spike was still troubled. Had Buffy really talked to him yet? No, of course not. She was probably worried he was going to chain her up and torture her for what she had done. And although he felt angry enough to do that, Spike just wanted to have a conversation with the Slayer. Just once, to have a true heart to heart with no fist fighting or screaming arguments involved. But to think that she had let Angelus—no, Spike wasn’t going to think on it. It would only make him angrier. And mostly, he was just tired. He wanted respite, and not quite the type that he knew Faith would give him, though that had been something else in its own way.

As the night wore on, Spike finally decided to give up. Maybe there would be something on the telly that would entertain him more than skulking around alleyways. He had gotten used to all the little shortcuts and back roads of Richmond and in no time at all, he was back at the graveyard. And there, to his amusement, was a curious sight. Violet, that little ginger Slayer, was peeking around his new home, for one reason or another. He hardly thought that Buffy was sending her sister Slayers to keep tabs on him, so the girl must have been there to talk to him or some such, perhaps ask why he hadn’t been around the Boarding house as of late. Spike continued to creep forward as the Slayer attempted to knock on his crypt’s door and halted her hand before she did so, and turned as if to flee.

What she couldn’t have expected was Spike right behind her, less than three yards away, greeting her with his hands in his duster pockets and his scarred eyebrow piqued in a half puzzled, half humored manner. Another Slayer at his door. What was he to do? Well, this one was rather fluffy and innocent in comparison to the other Slayers Spike had been in and out of contact with lately, so he supposed he could handle this in a fairly casual manner, ”You don’t have to be so shy, sweets.” Keeping his gaze level with the Slayer’s, he studied her a bit as he circled past her and stopped at his doorway. He slightly tilted his head, and to cease his pondering on her presence, the blonde vampire simply asked, ”What can I do you for?”

+++

TAGS: Violet
WORD COUNT: 613
NOTES: Totes adorbs :3.

[vi]

"Spike." His name left Vi's lips with in a happy sigh. Her grin was bright and a touch lopsided, eyes immediately softening at the sight of her friend. Ducking her head a bit, Vi ruffled the hair at the back of her neck in a quick nervous yet relaxing as they were speaking sort of pace. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him until that very moment, the last time she had laid eyes on the blond he was going up in a tinder with some tacky costume jewelry from Hell glowing like the Fourth of July. Overcome with emotion, like the tiny pixie she appeared, Vi gave in to her instinct. Rushing forward, Vi attempted to throw her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"I just missed you, I haven't seen you in forever and I was worried about my friend!" Her voice, if he let her hug him, was muffled by emotion and potentially leather jacket. Taking a step back, Vi awkwardly wrinkled her nose up, brows to match before rubbing her hands along her opposite arms. She was acting twitchy and bizarre, something she hadn't done since New York. It was just so different for her lately, the feeling of being touch starved and lonely was beginning to weigh kind of heavy on her. Something had everybody around her acting on edge, and the Ginger Slayer was having a problem coping with it.

Taking a steadying breath, she rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet; waiting for him to chastise her for the 'hugging' thing, or her actions. She felt so out of touch with herself, thoughts a mile a minute. It wasn't all Spike being well, Spike; it couldn't be denied that William the Bloody cut a handsome figure, but Vi was too caught up in her own feelings of inadequacy to be lusting after the vampire. Maybe if she didn't feel like a useless little girl in the way, she might notice the apparent smexy powers of Pratt. But that was not today. Today was Spaz. Lonely Spaz. Potentially going to be asked to leave Spaz. "Are you, busy? I'm intruding aren't I? I can just go… or tell someone who you actually want to see and spend time with, where you are? Unless they are on the way… and I should leave. Now. With my words being fail-having." Ducking her head, face falling a little, Vi tucked a bit of her hair behind her ears. "Sorry I bothered you Spike. But I'm glad you're okay. I did miss you." She murmured, before glancing back the way she came to leave him to his night.

Pass a Note: They are cute incarnate, aren't they? :hugs tight: She's totally not who he wants to see, huh? Oh, Vi...
Next in Initiative: Spike
Listen Check: Hysteria 2001
Equipped Items: Outfit
Credit: Jax

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[williamspikepratt]

Expect the unexpected was a given when you were employed by the Powers, but sometimes unexpected came in wee ginger girls hugging you. So when the petite Slayer clasped her arms around his neck, Spike accepted it, though his face was a picture of bewilderment. He certainly did know this girl—he was her first training vampire and all, but he couldn’t recall having any kind of long conversation with the girl besides ‘Good form, there’. He supposed that he just held a strange and special place in all the Slayers’ hearts who went up against the First, and that’s why he allowed the hug, and reciprocated with a gentle pat on her shoulder blade.

Although, during the embrace, Spike noticed her skirt—not exactly what he would call appropriate demon fighting garb. For a minute, he was worried—he was a bleeding vampire, not some woman-warrior’s escort service—he was going to have enough trouble explaining why Faith had been with him so often. But that was quickly rejected as Vi’s muffled explanation of her presence was said with the innocence of a newborn lamb, every word earnest and heartfelt. Spike should have expected as such. He gave a small chuckle, ”Yeah, well… Things after the last battle… They were interesting.” With a toss of his head, the blond changed subjects, his voice becoming lighter and more conversational, ”And how’s the Boarding House treating you? Lot different from New York, innit?”

But despite his queries, the poor girl still seemed squirmy and unsure. He had honestly asked what he could do for her, was trying to make light conversation that would take his mind off things, but she seemed to have taken it as some kind of brush off. As he recalled, Vi had always been the sensitive, squishy Slayer. Spike couldn’t tell if he more charmed or confused by her reaction as she made up a whole series of slippery slope arguments. They must have been convincing her that she should leave, even if she didn’t want to.

”Hold on, Squishy.” The vamp said as he crossed his arms. She had just gone and put about a thousand words that he had never said in his mouth. He realized he might not have been acting like the most welcoming and cheerful host, but he didn’t think anything he said caused for the girl to turn tail and run. Perhaps she was still a bit frightened of him from the time they had spent together training. Or perhaps his mystique as a vampire still inspired a tremor or two in the young Slayer. In any case, Spike hadn’t been expecting company, but he wasn’t completely objecting to the idea either. Someone to talk to seemed to be something they both needed, ”It’s, ah… good of you to check on me. No bother. Really.”

”You want to come inside?” Spike opened the door as further proof of his invitation, ”I’ve done up the place all nice and pretty. All the comforts of home.”

+++

TAGS: Violet
WORD COUNT: 503
NOTES: Violet has been dubbed 'Squishy', so shall the records stand.

[vi]

It was the hug that felt so very familiar that had Vi's heart sag a little, for reasons the redhead didn't understand with the frontal, conscious, part of her brain. He hugged her like Bud, or Case, or Ash or any of the boys back home; the little sisterish friend. The pat was a type of exclamation point, and Vi felt the role she always played in everyone's life echo with a clamorous bang in her head. She could do it for Spike, in fact she expected nothing less. With stunning, sexy, gorgeous, incredibly tough and capable girls like Buffy and Faith running around; she couldn't expect anything else. Girls like her had a purpose, and it was to blend into the background and let the real stars shine. No one ever had and at this rate ever would look at little Violet Fitzpatrick. But her mentality was the same for almost two decades; Better to be Second Fiddle than not be in the band at all...

And then he called her 'Squishy'. Looking up, a sheen of tears glinting in her eyes, Vi tried very hard (and failed) to keep her lower lip from trembling. "You… just gave me a nickname. I… no one's given me one of those since I was a kid. I… I love it! Thanks Spike." The exuberant smile could not be described as anything less than beaming jubilance. Immediately, the tension washed out of her shoulders. Friends gave each other nicknames. For the blond in front of her, they were this Rite of Passage she could not believe she had been worthy of going through, let alone succeeding in it. And while it still meant she was nothing compared to the other Slayers, at least she wasn't nothing at all.

Content to let the others always matter more, Vi nodded happily as he invited her in, nose crinkling up in a quirky little expression oozing happiness. "Yes, please!" Picking at her skirt a little to try and focus her frazzled nerves, Vi started for a heartbeat with a sudden "Oh!" of exclamation. Slipping inside, she took the opportunity to root around through her bag at the same time. After digging past the stake, she fished around for a moment before coming up triumphantly with a, albeit slightly abused, package of Morley cigarettes. After living at the Summers home, it wasn't that hard to remember the vampire's favorite brand. Especially since they never seemed to leave his side. Holding them out for him, she fished about some more before pulling out a Green Tea with Citrus accents for herself. "I didn't know what else to bring, but Gem would beat me sideways if I showed up at your house with empty hands and poor manners."

Pass a Note: I'm Squishy!!! <3<3 Hell yeah!!! I LOVE IT!!!
Next in Initiative: Spike
Listen Check: Oh, Oh, Oh, Sexy Vampire by Fright Rangers
Equipped Items: Outfit
Credit: Jax

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[Deleted]

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Even though she really wished she wouldn’t, Faith was thinking about Spike at the moment. That night she’d chosen to patrol in the same cemetery of which he lived in. She hadn’t sought him out on purpose but it’d been on her way back home so she’d figured what the hell. If it meant she got to kick a little more ass than what did it matter, right? Except it did matter and in fact, it mattered quite a bit. She shouldn’t even go near him right now considering how she’d left things the other night. After they had…ahem, had their ‘fun’, she had simply peaced after sharing a tender kiss and wigging out quite a bit. It had definitely been rude and probably even confusing to the vampire.

However now that she’d been with him once, she felt herself itching for more. It wasn’t an itch that just anyone could scratch either, which was unfortunate considering that she didn’t want to see him. If he could just keep the feelings out of it she’d be fine by there were definitely feelings in their last kiss. Granted she’d had them too, though she’d never admit it. Spike on the other hand probably would admit it if he felt like it. That would definitely be bad in her opinion. Faith doesn’t do feelings; she doesn’t like them, never has, never will. They only complicate things and in the end, it ends badly anyways so really, what’s the point? Why couldn’t sex with him just have been sex?

Trying not to think about it as she strolled through the cemetery, she desperately hoped that she’d find a vampire or two to play with. She carried a stake in her hand and planned to use it if the chance came. However as she grew closer and closer to the vampire’s crypt she sadly wasn’t approached by anything other than the overwhelming feeling that she shouldn’t go there. As the crypt came into her view, she noticed something that struck her a bit as odd. Standing outside of the crypt talking to him was a girl with bright red hair, hair that she recognized. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it just yet so she got a bit closer, staying hidden in the shadows.

I’ll be damned she thought to herself.

The mysterious redhead was none other than a slayer named Vi, a slayer that she actually kind of liked at that. Well a slayer she had liked until this moment at least. There was only one reason she would be here this late at night, to party. So what would Faith do? Shit, she would crash their fucking party. It wasn’t jealousy (or at least she wouldn’t admit that it was) it was simply annoyance. Storming through the door and letting it slam behind her, she strolled into the crypt like she owned the fucking place. ”Vi, out for a midnight patrol?”

she asked suspiciously, though not trying to seem too hostile. After all she did like the girl, favoring her over most of the other slayers.

Looking to Spike quickly but not lingering, she took off her jacket and tossed it on top of a plastic lawn chair that had been in the crypt. She was definitely showing off her shirt, trying to get a rise out of the vampire. He wouldn’t get playtime with her tonight though, that was for sure. Not saying a word to him and instead turning back to the slayer, she strolled over and leaned back against a tomb near the door. ”Oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt your slumber party?”

[/color] she said with a smirk, looking down at the goodies Vi had apparently brought for Spike. Okay so not only was this a bit immature but it was also a bit obvious that she was jealous. Did she care? Not one bit[/blockquote][/color]- - - - - - - - - - - -
Tag: William 'Spike' Pratt, Violet 'Vi' Fitzpatrick
Word Count: 647
Outfit: Click here for Faiths's outfit.
Notes: Muwahaha. Love yew guys, <3.[/center]

[williamspikepratt]

”Uh… sure. You’re welcome?” The vampire hadn’t really meant to reciprocate the exuberant redhead’s thanks with a question, but it was kind of a strange reaction and he had to realize that he was staring at her for a moment before quickly glancing off in another direction. He had never anticipated anyone reacting to one of his nicknames that way. It just kind of came with the territory. Have person, person has exaggerated quality, bam, nickname. Yes, it was usually out of some sort of emotion for them, but that emotion wasn’t always good. But he saw the shine in her eyes and Spike’s alarms went off. He liked the ginger Slayer, he did, but he wasn’t too comfortable with her over-comfortableness with emotions. But then again, perhaps it was that because she was lonely, just like everyone else and that inside with a cuppa, she’d calm down and act sensible. She seemed less culled by the fact she had been invited in as well. She slipped inside and Spike came after her, but halted when she did.

When presented with the pack of cigarettes, which she got right down to the brand, Spike gave a soft little chuckle, accepted them and off into the pockets of the duster they went, ”You didn’t need to, really. Actually, Kath’s trying to get me to quit.” Every time he had brought out a cigarette in front of the little vamp, she had snatched it from his fingers and crushed it under her little Hello Kitty shoes. Not that that was ever going to happen again, ”But I don’t think that’ll be a problem anymore. Um. Thanks for the trouble.”

He was about to show Violet downstairs when, who should come waltzing through his doorstep but Faith Lehane. A puzzled expression crossed Spike’s face as the dark-haired Slayer just had randomly walked in, slammed the door behind her and interrogated her sister Slayer. It wasn’t long before Faith turned on him with some kind of bull interrogation. ”You were out of town for quite a while.” Spike mentioned, his tone flat, remembering quite clearly how their little rendezvous had ended. What exactly Faith’s problem was, he could not say, nor could he see how it connected to him. He and Vi had just been standing there, not necking or anything. And if Faith had wanted Spike to contact him or something like that, she shouldn’t have rushed out on him. Well, perhaps she was here to play cowgirl or some such and the other Slayer’s presence made that impossible. Despite knowing better, the blond vampire gave Faith a half skeptical, half sultry look, ”Would have invited you if I knew you were back.”

Yeah, the Bad Girl Slayer was off her rocker for some reason. And by the look of her garments, Spike figured she had definitely come around seeking some kind of carnal comfort. His eyes tracked Faith’s movement from the lawn chair to the tomb, not only because he was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing a bra, but because the state she was in both amused and annoyed Spike. She was going to be a handful tonight, but he wasn’t about to send her away either. He just continued to smirk at her slightly obvious behavior and jerked his head towards a doorway in the back of the crypt, ”Grab your coat, tiger. This is the mud room.”

Spike made his way past the rubble and the little pieces of furniture he had positioned around the place to keep other vamps and demons from crashing it. A lawn chair and a broken couch here and there was better than people going further into the crypt and ruining what he had put so much work into. Actually, he hadn’t had to do all the work, which was nice for once, ”Place has obviously been lived in before. Don’t know by what, but they had decent taste and a bit of cash to throw around. I had to do some rewiring, but… it’s damn posh. I could give you the tour later, if you like.”

Well, if they were both going to be here, Spike at least could try to play host as well as he could. Through the stone doorway, there was a flight of stairs that led to a small hallway, and from there was a spiral staircase that led into the parlor. Spike moved through there and into the kitchen, which was, frankly, his pride and joy. It had taken him quite a bit of time to find appliances this nice, but it had been worth it, and what else did he have to do now that he had been outcast from the Scooby Society? The vampire vaguely motioned to the stools by only looking at them, the Slayers and back again. He jumped on top of the dryer and crossed one leg over the other, saying ”Help yourself to anything you like, ladies. Kettle’s on the stove. Liquor in the pantry, there.” He realized Vi already seemed to have a drink and Faith was probably in no mood for him ignoring the tension she was trying to put out into the room, but what else was he supposed to say?

+++

TAGS: Violet, Faith
WORD COUNT: 871
DECOR: Crypt, Hall, Parlor, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bath.
NOTES: Oooh, Faithy. Vi better watch it, lol.

[vi]

The feeling of 'Not Alone' flared against her skin moments before the door crashed open. And in those precious moments, The Slayer (of the Crunchy Granola variety, thank you very much…) had a stake pulled from her purse and ready to rumble. And when the Baddie who gave the door the What-for turned out to be Faith, Vi slowly tucked her stake away in confusion. Worse over, was Faith's sneer as she verbally lashed out at the redhead. Vi had no clue why one of her idols would be so well, mean, and the cold treatment seemed put on for her benefit as it went on. She moved to say something, mouth opening once, then twice before slamming shut with a nigh audible click.

And then, she preened and flaunted her peacock feathers all over high and sundry, leaving Vi once more to blink in confusion. It was a show alright, put on just for her with an undercurrent of possession that made no sense to the hyper-perceptive Slayer. Turning to Spike, she couldn't help but blink back in slight surprise when he half-flirted with the brunette. There was… something she was missing. And this something was a Big something. A big something that apparently she shoved her useless self right smack dab in the middle of, just for wanting to see a friend.

While the Vi pre-Awakening would have crumpled in upon herself in a spineless heap, the confident KindaChosen refused to. Obviously what she was afraid of and mentioned was true, despite his protesting to the contrary. He had company coming, in a roundabout way but company nonetheless. And said company enjoyed flaunting the bralessness to a crazy sexy degree. What hurt more than any of the now countless overstimulation was how very much she was like all of the Sweetbutts back home, Wailers tended to look well, just like Miss Lehane. And they were the only ones any of the boys ever paid attention to. Little nothing hiccups like Vi got to do things like help guide them out of the boy's rooms come walk of shame time, or deal with their catty comments post-Hard Night Naughty Time.

And at that, Vi's eyes flew wide. There was sexy-complications. Whether or not the pair of them got all horizontal didn't matter, there was tension there. Obvious in the pants tension. And that left Vi feeling, well to be honest pretty shitty. And then pissed the hell off. Following Spike downstairs, she made a point of shaking her head side to side once before turning her back to Faith. Calling out over her shoulder as she headed down the stairs. "Didn't know it was bedtime for Slayers." The quip out of anyone else would have come out as a blatant baiting, but even from Vi it held a level of prickly defensiveness. Kitten claws not appreciating the lack of trust. But the double entendre for the more lecherous of minded would not be easy to ignore. And despite her fluff, it wasn't as though Vi deserved to be seen as a Little Girl.

Once in the basement, Vi tried not to look at Spike; afraid the feeling of betrayal would read on her face, not that she had a reason to really feel betrayed. She showed up here, uninvited to see him. And he seemed put out. She was interrupting something, and the blonde was probably far too polite to say anything about it. Forgoing her tea, she headed straight to the liquor cabinet. Pouring herself a few fingers of Jack, she settled herself atop a barstool and crossed her right leg over her left. It was a Gemma move, but she didn't care. It was low, but she needed to fluff her own 'I am not Prey' feathers. In crossing her legs, Vi let the bottom of her only (and very beloved) tattoo peek out from beneath her skirt high up on her right hip and thigh. A tattoo she earned before leaving Westport. Because while she was no one's Old Lady, she was still Family to a pair of MCs. And she would wear the wings of The Freeway Banshees and The Restless Dead with pride. Something she doubted either of them expected her to have; after all why would Innocent Little Vi have a gang tat on her leg? Taking a long swig, Vi used every ounce of pride to not grimace as the booze burned it's way down her throat. The apparent Dominance Game demanded it, even though the newly dubbed 'Squishy' really didn't want to play. Or even why the gauntlet was thrown. But she wasn't going to be Prey to anyone anymore, least of all to one of her heroes.

I'm not just some little hiccup, don't treat me like I'm nothing Faith. We're Sisters…

Pass a Note: The Crunchy Granola says 'WTF'? hehe >.< This is gonna be good.
Next in Initiative: Faith and Spike
Listen Check: Still Alive by Jonathan Coulton
Equipped Items: Outfit and Vi's Tattoo (Manipulated by me)
Credit: Jax

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[Deleted]

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It was true indeed, that she had been out of town that is. She had left shortly after Buffy had gone off an screwed Angelus. Unfortunately she hadn’t been back in time to be there when he got his soul back, but had seen him afterwards. She was one of the few people he’d been talking to since he’d come back. The two were actually quite close, though his other half had tried kill her and had nearly succeeded she’d forgiven him. Unlike some others she understood that the two were nearly two entirely different people. She didn’t hold it against him just as he didn’t hold her past against her, the two had an understanding. However she’d left town to help out another slayer fighting evil in Cleveland named Alex and had only returned this morning. Tonight was her first patrol back and it didn’t seem to be going too well thus far.

”Things to do, people to see…”

she told him vaguely. She knew that being vague was probably annoying and shit, that was why she did it. She wanted him to be curious as to what she’d been doing while she was away as she was sure as hell curious about what he’d been doing. Although she knew she held no real claim to him, nor did she want to, she was a very possessive person. It may not be the most liked quality but since when did she care about being liked? She didn’t.

Giving Spike the death stare, she simply made a ‘tfft’ noise and turned away from him plain out ignoring his comment about inviting her. Being a third wheel wasn’t exactly something that thrilled her. Plus, who the hell did this little girl think she was? So maybe Faith was acting a bit ridiculous but she couldn’t help it. After all she wouldn’t be Faith if she didn’t have a temper. It was something she was known for. While she wasn’t exactly a loose cannon anymore she didn’t put up with anyone’s shit either.

Feeling the vampire’s eyes on her, she knew what he was looking at. She hadn’t worn a bra because the back of the shirt made it nearly impossible to. It hadn’t been meant for him but if he wanted to look, screw it. It gave him something to think about since he definitely wasn’t going to be getting anything from her any time soon. Did he just call her Tiger? Simply rolling her eyes she followed him and the redhead, towing behind with an annoyed attitude. She wouldn’t be sticking around for very long at all, just wanted to stake her claim and make it known. Stake what claim? I have no claim to stake!

As they headed down the stairs, Spike in the lead and Faith at the end, she noticed the little hair flip or whatever the fuck Violet had done before making the comment about slayers bedtime. She had two options; she could either backhand her, or simply laugh. Since she did consider the girl a friend, she chose the latter. With an annoyed laugh, she simply acted as if it didn’t faze her one bit. There was another way to play this game…a way that she would begin playing shortly.

As they made their way into the kitchen, she noticed Vi immediately reaching for the alcohol. ”Lucky for you…he doesn’t card for alcohol”

[/color] she said with a smirk and a light laugh. Although it was a low blow it was a lot nicer than what she would have liked to say. Turning back to Spike at that moment, she eyed him for a moment before moving closer to him. Clearly trying to make the other girl in the room uncomfortable, she uncrossed his legs and began to slip in between them. Both of her hands were on his thighs, definitely a dominance issue here. She liked Vi a lot actually and this truly was not personal, it was just a pissing match over someone she didn’t even want to date. Faith wasn’t a very logical person.

”I’m bored…entertain me?”[/color] she asked coyly, pouting her lips as her alluring brown eyes bored into his. She was laying it on thick and she knew it. Again she knew she probably shouldn’t do this as she liked Violet a lot but right now she wasn’t thinking clearly. Why she wasn’t thinking clearly? She had absolutely no clue. However she did know that she didn’t like seeing another woman in Spike’s crypt, no matter what the reason behind it. The real test was whether or not he’d return her advances. If he didn’t she would probably just say fuck it and get the hell on with her life, probably even find another boy toy tonigiht. After all she didn’t have any feelings for the man anyways.

Did she?[/blockquote][/color]- - - - - - - - - - - -
Tag: William 'Spike' Pratt, Violet 'Vi' Fitzpatrick
Word Count: 808
Outfit: Click here for Faiths's outfit.
Notes: This is fun...Vi is so cute, lol.[/center]

[williamspikepratt]

How exactly was Spike supposed to feel about this? Flattered? Annoyed? Amused? If there was something the vampire had never expected, it was a pair of Slayers (or at least this pair of Slayers) having a little tiff over, of all things, him. Or at least who got to share his company. Unless he was missing something that had gone down between the two beforehand, he couldn’t see the reason for their lightly veiled attacks against each other. And the vibe had a certain aura of the one Slayer getting her hackles up over another girl moving in on her territory and the other striving not to be seen as chopped liver. This… was strange and not something Spike was accustomed to. The only reason why he wasn’t pulling the plug on their little spat was that he found it rather hilarious. If it got too out of hand, this was his house, and he’d be damned if he’d let either girl steamroll him in his own place.

Though the surprises were nowhere near over as Vi more or less refused to look at the vampire for long and chose whiskey over the tea Spike had also offered. It was hard to tell if this was the ginger Slayer’s way of trying to prove she wasn’t just a cotton ball or if she just wasn’t as unworldly and sheltered as she seemed upon first glance. In the context though, it seemed as if she was just pushing herself to play with the rough crowd that Spike and Faith certainly belonged to. But Spike would save such judgment for later. He had no idea what Vi’s past was, nor her habits. But she was still a kind-hearted girl and Spike didn’t really want to crush her. Even though the vampire wouldn’t give up his soul for anything on the green Earth, its weight on him did create difficulties at times.

The more dangerous decision was about Faith. She was pursuing him, at least tonight, and being nice and aggressive about it. And again, being chased was something new for Spike. He had always had to strive to gain attention from Dru and Buffy, and while Harmony was more invested in their ‘relationship’, she would whine until Spike came to her. But not Faith. Faith was a taker and a fighter, and any words Vi tried to set against her, Faith brushed off and attacked back with even harsher words. If it went any further, Spike could be selling tickets for a cat fight. And he did not want it to come to that—his house was going to remain perfectly intact. Then, of course, the dark haired Slayer changed the game, dragging him into it.

Spike met Faith’s eyes as her hands rested on his thighs and he gave a low chuckle to her request to be entertained. He had a good idea of what she was thinking, but the complication of being… entertaining was a real bitch. Well, no matter what he chose, he would be upsetting one girl or the other. Or both. Actually, wasn’t that an interesting idea? After all, Spike hadn’t asked either of them to come into his home and start throwing about whatever the hell their problems were. He didn’t want to be dragged into their little possession game. So, he decided to play to his strengths. Spike would never be good at diplomacy or plans, but he could state the truth in painful, raw ways. And perhaps that’s just what both Slayers needed—a dose of reality.

”Let’s see. What sort of naughty misbehavior do you birds normally do at slumber parties? Pillow fights? Sexual experimentations…” The last sibilant trailed off as a hiss, cut off by one of Spike’s wicked little grins as his hips rolled forward a bit into Faith’s touch, as a sign that he didn’t mind the attention. He could also lay it on thick if the mood struck. And then suddenly his mood changed ever so slightly as it seemed a light bulb appeared over his head, ”Oh, I know. Gossip.”

Before the Slayer before him could protest, Spike laced one hand across her waist and pivoted her, positioning her backside against his thigh. She could perch on his knee, if Faith was the kind of girl to do that—though she wasn’t, Spike assumed. No, this was so that she could see both people in the kitchen. Spike’s grip on her wasn’t tight, but his hand still lingered on her hip, the other hand joining it to create something of an embrace that Faith could break when she got angry enough. Tilting his head up, the vampire leaned toward the dark haired Slayer’s ear, and though his voice was soft, he was sure that the other Slayer could hear him, ”So, Faith. What do you think about Vi?” His eyes flicked ahead of him so that his gaze landed on the ginger Slayer, ”Pretty little thing, isn’t she? Sweet face, plush lips. Not like yours, Sexy, you win there, hands down. But look at the little show she’s putting on with those scrumptious legs. Mm, turns you on something fierce, don’t it?”

It was Spike’s turn to not care how obvious he was being. He figured that Vi would be uncomfortable with the physical intimacy he had with Faith, and Faith would either find his praises of Vi to be a funny half-hazing of the girl or it would piss her off to no end. Probably the latter. But Spike enjoyed playing the bastard sometimes, and with the way these two were acting, they slightly deserved any squirmy feelings they got from his twisted words, roaming hands, and unabashed staring. In fact, his eyes were trailing up Vi’s legs until they stopped at the tattoo’s edge, ”Well, would you look at that. Lady’s got a bit of ink on her.” Spike’s grin grew a bit wilder while his voice edged a bit commanding and predatory, ”Show us. I mean, it’s just us girls here, right?”

+++

TAGS: Violet, Faith
WORD COUNT: 1007
NOTES: Omg... I don't even... know where this came from.

[vi]

It wasn't so much the dig as the knowledge someone she trusted, cared about even, was twisting the dagger in her heart just to watch her hurt. Vi couldn't understand what she did to deserve being kicked when she already down and feeling pretty low as it was. But apparently that was what was going down tonight and there was nothing she could do about it. Glancing up at Faith, all she could do was smile, embodying the mentality of 'Kill Her with Kindness'. "My family's MC, babe. A couple fingers of Jack's got nothing on a Club party." She was pretty certain that Miss Boston hadn't ever seen a real outlaw biker in her life, the fact that she spent her puberty at the Clubhouse had toughened her skin more than she liked originally. But with Faith playing hard ball, apparently she needed the titanium spine the Queen of Westport insisted her adopted in all but law and name daughter earn.

And then, Faith did something that helped lock everything in Vi's world into crystal clear focus.

Chick was obviously just a Sweetbutt. Vi knew them, pitied them some days with the life they needed to lead all to get attention from any of the boys in Cuts, especially with a Chapel patch. And it was clear that Spike was no Prospect. So when Vi watched the familiar wiggle and plead of a desperate girl on her knees, Vi instantly relaxed. There were times she walked in on Case and Inara in compromising positions; hell Club parties (odd how they came up twice in so many moments) lead to drunken debauchery on a regular basis. Ash had insisted on chatting with her a few times whilst some Wailer Sweetbutt bobbed up and down during a fun game of Lollipop before she earned her damn diploma. This made sense, if cost the brunette a severe amount of respect from Vi. After all, Faith seemed like a classy girl, Old Lady material. Why she felt the need to debase herself in front of her made no sense. It was like those fights Buff and Faith used to get in, pissing all over each other trying to play Top Dog. And then, Vi internally stalled. Faith was treating her like she used to be treated. The way Faith got kicked around eventually turned her into a volcanologist murdering psychopath, so why she would pull the same thing on the nineteen year old woman made little to no sense. But it didn't change the level of sheer fuckery that was going on.

And then Spike did what they all did. Time and time again.

Pay attention to what he could get off with. It was, typical, if not a little abrupt. But again, the boys back home did it all the time to her. Because 'Vi' and 'Sex' were so damned anathema, they just didn't think about it. Maybe that was worse than being ignored, being considered just one of the guys. But then Spike had to take things to an ugly place.

He was hitting on her. For no reason other than to hurt her.

It wasn't just a lie, it was callous as hell. No one, no one had ever so much as looked at her let alone anything romantic or physical. And to have someone she trusted do it maliciously for the first time stung. Stung goddamned bad. But she wouldn't let them see her flinch or cry. That's how bullies won. And apparently the people she cared about wanted to act bullyish, which again, sucked. But she sat there, the perfect mask of 'Amused Fine' on her face. No one had cracked it in all her years around the Boys, like hell either of them would see through it. They didn't know her, that was kind of obvious now. At least she could cross off someone looking at her like she was something Female, even if it was twisted into something well, ugly. It was the perfect word for it.

Finishing off her drink with as much class as she had ever managed, embodying the Old lady Supreme of Westport, Vi just sighed and put her glass on the bar behind her. Smoothing her skirt, but not covering up, Vi just looked at both of her what she thought were Friends. "I get it. I get you want me to feel like hell. I get that you two obviously have something going on that you are working through like a pair of rabid wolves and dragging me into it for honestly, whatever reason. But you're honestly being jerks, guys. Faith, I looked up to you. You're one of my heroes. I have no idea why you feel like you need to lash out at me, but can you please stop? I get it. You're gorgeous and can get anyone you want. Why are you being all jealous and snarly at me? Because you and I both know that I'm not competition to anyone, least of all you. I came here, to see my friend. A friend I was pretty sure had someone he'd rather spend time with than me. And I guess I was right."

Taking a deep breath, Vi pressed on before looking at Spike. The excited girl looking up to her idol was gone. There was a level of weariness in her eyes, and a certainty of something that came off as simply for lack of better wording Old in her eyes. The look someone has when they have a definitive belief in the World, and there was no one who had ever shown them otherwise. The pragmatic look did not fit her face, but it was obvious now that the Bubbly Spaz was a mask. Probably to keep the redhead from going so maudlin herself; a level of self-protection that kept the pain away. And clearly, that mask was cracking.

"I'm sorry you're upset. Hell, I'm sorry that this is happening in your home. But don't. Don't look at me like that when you and I both know it's a show to get a rise out of her. You, someone like you, would never look at me. I've known that since Sunnydale. Before, actually. And I don't think it's fair the only time anyone's ever looked at me like I'm even a girl was to make another one, who you obviously have something history-wise with, squirm. Just because no one sees me, doesn't mean I don't feel it. And I respect both of you too much to feel like I'm being used. So please, both of you just stop. Obviously I should go, and let the two of you work out… Whatever this is. But if either of you were ever my friends, please knock it off. I know where I fall. I've spent almost two decades being Nothing. At best the Little Sister, Cute Sweet Vi. But this is just… kind of cruel. And I thought neither of you were. So ceasefire, please, at least till I get out of your hair. I get it, alright. I'm Beneath You."

Vi took another deep breath, her nerves frazzled and her former tone bittersweet with a quiet Acceptance to it. This wasn't just out of hand, and it proved only one thing to the Slayer. Didn't matter where she was, or how hard she tried; nothing was going to change. Case had Inara (they'd been in love nigh forever, in a Buffy and Angel level of soulmates), Ash would just chew her up and spit her out; It's why she never considered her pseudo-adopted brothers. But Bud, he just wouldn't see her. Neither would the other bikers, or anyone in Sunnydale. Especially here in Richmond. She'd lumped Spike into that category too. Hell, she never even dreamed that blond would look at her when he had people like Faith and Buffy around. But this was just… This was just Needless. And she would much rather leave and have friends than stay and feel like Grade D, Second-Best meat...

Pass a Note: Vi's issues bringing the emotional request for ceasefire. Lemme know if you want me to head out and let you two chat.
Next in Initiative: Faith and Spike
Listen Check: Story of a Girl from Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog
Equipped Items: Outfit and Vi's Tattoo (Manipulated by me)
Credit: Jax

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[Deleted]

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Listening to Spike, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of game he was trying to play. The second he made the comment about sexual experimentation something flickered in her mind that told her this was going to a bad place. Perhaps she deserved for it to go to a bad place, considering what she’d done to provoke both of them. Why on earth she’d even come inside Spike’s place she had no fucking clue now? Obviously it had annoyed her to see Violet standing out of his door, asking to be let in with goodies in her hand as if they were going to have a sleep over. She didn’t know if Vi had simply shown up or if the two of them had planned it and hadn’t cared at the time. Upon seeing the girl on his doorstep, her feet simply took her inside too. A part of her had been annoyed because…well, even though she didn’t want him to be hers, she definitely didn’t want him to be with anyone else.

Now, she wanted him in the physical sense, there was no doubt about that. However she didn’t want to date the fucking vampire. That was Buffy’s thing, not hers. She hadn’t ever had a boyfriend and never planned too. Once things got emotional, they became much more difficult. However hadn’t they already gotten emotional? After all the kiss that he had given her after they’d had sex had quite strong emotions behind it, despite him probably not even realizing it or not. It had been the reason why she’d simply walked out on him. Emotions weren’t her thing other than anger and quite obviously, jealousy. She now found herself wishing that she’d never even come inside and tried to crash their little party. She should have just gone on her way and never looked back. Yet, it was obviously far too late to change her mind now.

Before she even realized that his hands were on her, he twisted her around by the hips so that she could see both himself and Vi. She didn’t want to look at Vi and the second she heard him chuckle, she felt a bit afraid to hear the words that would come out of his mouth next. As he praised the redhead and taunted the brunette, she felt a certain fire building inside of her. Perhaps it had been meant as a joke, but she didn’t care. The mere fact that he was even taunting her and egging on her jealousy pissed her the hell off. At the moment being she couldn’t find any words to speak, she was frozen as she listened to Spike. It hurt for some reason to have him treating her like this, though she understood she’d brought it on herself by her actions moments ago. Still, she definitely wasn’t pleased….

Growing more angry by the second, she stood there in awe as he asked the redhead to show off her tattoo. God, couldn’t she have just ignored all of this and continued patrolling? She really wished she had done just that. As Vi began to go off on both of them, she simply stared at her. Not only was she pissed off but now she was also beginning to feel like an asshole too, which made her even angrier. Everything that had happened tonight seemed to have blown up way out of proportion. While she knew she’d been awful catty since she’d walked into the door, she did feel like the girl was being a bit dramatic. She also knew however that Vi was a very sensitive girl and she should have known better. After all, she was supposed to be a kind of leader now for these girls. Vi was basically a brand new slayer and though she thought she was tough shit, she wasn’t, not just yet, and that was proven tonight.

”Listen, Vi ---“

she started to say, though she wasn’t able to get any words out before the redhead went off again. The words coming out of the redhead’s mouth were just so…self-loathing. Quite honestly, it was a bit annoying. It felt to Faith that the girl was nearly begging for attention. Finally, she spoke out. ”Listen sister, sorry for the cattiness. But next time stop and think. Maybe if you didn’t think so lowly of yourself, someone might look at you?”

[/color] It was kind of harsh but then again, it might just be the harshness that the girl needed. After all there was definitely a fondness in her heart for Violet and there always had been. Perhaps, that’d been why she was so comfortable with acting such way to her. Plus, Faith didn’t soften any blows neither physical or verbal. She was just Faith, and that was all there was to it.

Once Vi was seemingly out of breath, she felt annoyed, like an asshole and above all, just over all of this. It had gotten far too out of hand for her liking. She had wanted to make the girl uncomfortable sure, but she hadn’t wanted to break her god damned heart. With a simple shake of her head, she forcefully pulled away from Spike’s grasp. Yeah, she was over this. She was over him, she was done. Obviously there was no point. Plus, she wasn’t one for drama and this was just too much. Not bothering to look back at him she moseyed on over to Vi, standing in front of her. ”Hey, I was an asshole, I’ll admit. Don’t be so down on yourself, you kick ass, okay? Plus, totally a hottie.”[/color] Although she hadn’t actually said that she was sorry this was her way of apologizing. Hopefully Vi would understand that she literally never said the words ‘I’m sorry’ and take this as a sign of peace. Later, she’d make sure to spend some quality make-up time with the other slayer.

Turning around, she began to walk towards the doorway that led back into the parlor so that she could leave. On her way out, she stopped and looked to Spike with an annoyed look on his face. ”Tonight, we definitely established that we shouldn’t be around each other. So let’s just not be”[/color] she said, still pissed off from his taunting. With this she turned cheek and headed out of the crypt, never looking back once. She had no clue what the other two would do with the rest of her night, nor did she any longer care. She was over it, and done with Spike. Heading on home, she had a couple drinks and fell into a much needed slumber.

Yeah, she was done.[/blockquote][/color]- - - - - - - - - - - -
Tag: William 'Spike' Pratt, Violet 'Vi' Fitzpatrick
Word Count: 1,112
Outfit: Click here for Faiths's outfit.
Notes: She is sooo over it. Her and Vi definitely need bonding/make-up time, lol.[/center]

[williamspikepratt]

There it was. Spike, being who he was, wanted to get to the truth, and now it was laid before him. It wasn’t pretty. The truth never was. Well, where to begin? First you had Vi. The sweet girl he had basically just used as a tool. As her weary eyes met his, he didn’t flinch or blanch. Spike merely kept his eyes ahead, his expression blank as the words poured out of the little Ginger. She had more mettle than Spike expected her to have, a kind of frail assertiveness. But if Spike pressed any more on her, any confidence she had would probably snap, and as Faith was soon to say, the girl obviously had her fair share of inner turmoil to work out.

Faith wrested herself from his arms, as Spike knew she would. That was how these things worked. Bad situations happened and Spike was the catalyst that tipped them over the edge. The results of his spiteful behavior was not quite as he expected, but they were close enough. Everything in disarray. Crossness and shame all around. Before she left, the dark-haired Slayer said everything to the younger Slayer that could be said. And it was her place to say it. It seemed as if the two women warriors would recover. They hadn’t crossed the line Spike had, so it made sense that it would be easier for them to reconcile. Spike was used to being on the outs. Hell, he hadn’t really been in contact with too many people from the Boarding house before tonight and he’d been just fine. But it did feel like a knife to his gut when Faith made her last comment. What the hell? The words sounded like she was blaming them both—which would be fine, since they both had done their part in wrecking the mood. But then, she couldn’t even deal with what had happen. She just let it drop. Whatever drove her to her jealousy snit in the first place, it evidently wasn’t strong enough to deal with all of Spike’s jagged edges and caustic actions. He wanted to scream after her that it was fine, that if she hadn’t wanted to play rough, she shouldn’t have bothered.

But he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with her. He just felt the cut of her words and let them sting him. His eyes had fell away to the floor long ago and stared at some non-descript point until he couldn’t hear Faith’s footsteps anymore. She was gone. Actually gone. Spike slowly let himself slip from the dryer with a silent exhale. Violet was still perched on her seat and though Spike didn’t look at her, he dug through a cupboard and found a pilsner glass. He filled it with water from the fridge and set it before her. He didn’t really care how much Vi could drink or how much she was planning to drink, she was still a petite woman and needed hydration with her liquor. He didn’t know if it would come off as an apologetic gesture or more patronizing, but he had done it without thinking too much about it, so it didn’t matter. Really, what could he do or say to make the situation worse? Well, he knew plenty of ways, but in the end, a bad situation was a bad situation. He picked up the empty shot glass and moved it back to where his shallow kitchen sink was.

”So, now we all know. Veneer’s worn thin and all the ugly little bits came out.” The words came low, dark and quiet as he washed the glass with care and set it back in the liquor pantry. With Faith gone, he didn’t need to put up his not-quite-an-act of debauchery. It was a strange sort of defense that he only had a little idea of why he had it. But, what now? Pick up the pieces with the remaining Slayer? Drink himself into unconsciousness and forget this whole thing ever happened? Well, no. Although he felt drained and guilty for what he had done to the girls, the truth still felt better to Spike. Made him calmer. Or maybe that was the guilt weighing down on him. Or maybe it was Faith wasn’t here to wind him up and drive him crazy. In any case, he snatched up the bottle of whiskey and began to drink straight from the bottle, making his way to lean against his laundry machines again, ”Don’t say you’re surprised, dear. You know what I am. Or at least, now you do.”

Now settled against the dryer again, he set the bottle down, not even sure if he wanted to drink. Bloody hell, that was a bad sign, wasn’t it? Instead, he just pulled off his coat and set it down behind him, not exactly sure if Vi wanted to make her leave or if she was staying, waiting for an apology. Even if he did say it, would it necessarily mean anything? No, Spike would keep his silence for a little longer; let the girl make her move.

+++

TAGS: Violet
WORD COUNT: 853
NOTES: You know something's gone down when Spike can't even have his whiskey.

[vi]

As soon as she finished speaking, everything got tense. First of all things, mid-ramble she had cut Faith off. And when she came out with the zinger about the possible reason for her not being noticed by anyone, Vi balked. Up until now, it hadn't seemed from her perspective that she was thinking lowly, just practically and realistically. Her life, up until Spike decided to turn all and sundry upsie-sideways, had been a study of the repetitive. See Good Looking Boy. Crush on Good Looking Boy. Have Good Looking Boy be interested in Pretty Girl. Be a Friend to Good Looking Boy and hope he'll see her. Walk in on Pretty Girl and Good Looking Boy screwing. Watch Good Looking Boy and Pretty Girl crash and burn in a relationship. Be told by Good Looking Boy how glad he is to have a Friend like her. Rinse. Wash. Repeat. It was a vicious cycle of 'never enough' that she could honestly admit was becoming a touch bitter. But she didn't know what else or how else to be. Because when she did try and act sexy or confident she heard a whole lot of 'Trick put some damned clothes on!' instead of 'Hey Beautiful, come here often?' and it did some apparent (now) damage.

And then Faith wriggled out of Spike's grip, seemingly irritated at him and her both. Her side she could understand, but why the Dark Slayer had a crabby towards the blond didn't make too much sense. Thirty seconds ago she was pretty convinced she was about to watch them go to town. Now, everything had changed. And the only variable was… Her. Vi immediately felt a stone sink low into her belly, followed by a curl of nausea and anxiety. Without meaning to, she had dragged her issues allover her friends. Friends who she was barely close to now; and probably was going to stay that way. She had gone off and said things that she didn't even have the guts to tell her family back home, yet she had no problem flaunting her screw ups like a banner in a parade and it made her feel so absolutely ashamed. They didn't need this, and it was certain that whatever she said had put a rift between the pair of them. A rift she didn't think would ever go away.

Damnit…

When Faith came over to her, Vi looked up with large doe eyes, expecting to be slapped or worse. But then, when she said what she had to Vi felt her heart lift a little. It was the best Faith came to saying sorry, and it meant a lot from one of her heroes to here she not only kicked ass but was apparently part of the Lehane Dubbed 'Hotties with Superpowers'. To her knowledge, that club was limited to just her and Buffy, and the redhead Slayer gave a weak but brighter smile up at her. Before the woman started walking away. A different flavor from each of them; the blonde, brunette and redhead, and the fact that she could make light like that after feeling so down was a big step in the right direction. And then Faith turned to Spike and the slight mood lift fell again. There it was, proof that things went to hell but in an outside voice kind of way. It held a weight of finality that Vi felt in her bones, moreover when the door above resounded with a firm and echoing close.

Turning to Spike, Vi watched as his eyes stayed locked on the floor like a beaten dog. Immediately, she felt her heartstrings tug firmly; again when he sighed and then grabbed her glass. She rotated in her chair, awkward angles and all to keep him in her sights while he fetched her cold water from the fridge before he washed and put away her glass. It was sweet and kind, a moment that had once more her heart lifting with a sweet song that ended on bittersweet notes. His voice was a rumbling constant, his words making her chest leaden with empathy. He was miserable, because of well… all of them to be frank and fair. Taking a long sip of refreshing water, Vi once more felt herself go out to him as he snatched the bottle of whiskey and drained it straight from the source. And then, came his own self-deprecating tones, growled out from someone who obviously thought they had not a soul in the world in their corner. The pair of them might not have been 'in love' with each other, but something about Faith leaving had snuffed out a bit of his light. And with each tender care he took with her and pang he suffered through, Vi's brows knit and eyes shined over with tears. How anyone could not see the pain plain on his face was beyond her. But the redhead didn't have a clue what to do.

Double Damnit…

When he settled against the dryer, coat off and clearly waited for her next move; Vi's mind was made up. Not so much the actions, but at least her intentions. He needed comfort, more than her. But not the kind that would leave him feeling cheap or empty. He needed companionship, but not something that was selfish or fair-weathered. And the fact that the vampire had let so much of himself truly show to her was a testament to a few things; the depths of his current despondency and the level of trust he had in her.

"Spike…" Her voice came out soft and warm, with a level of compassion that sang out to the room's only other occupant. The empathy was tangible, not sympathy for that would be arrogant and quite frankly not Vi. But the comfort was there, and that was all that mattered. Pushing up off her chair, Vi wandered over to the Englishman with tears teasing her lashes. It was obvious twice over that it was shed for him and not her own feelings of inadequacy, as she tentatively reached out to cup his face in her hands. She moved to smooth a thumb over his jawline before pressing a featherlight kiss to his right cheek. Worried he'd shove her off and giving him plenty of opportunity to do so; Vi gently wrapped her arms around his neck to encase him in a warm hug.

"It's okay."

Pass a Note: I didn't want to godmode, so feel free to have him pull or push her away. But I wanted to at least say what she intended. <3
Next in Initiative: Spike
Listen Check: Alegría from Cirque du Soleil
Equipped Items: Outfit and Vi's Tattoo (Manipulated by me)
Credit: Jax

[/i][/size][/center]

[williamspikepratt]

The remaining Slayer was remarkably quiet as Spike shambled about his kitchen, not really saying anything to his quasi-confession, though he felt her eyes trailing him wherever he went. By the time he had decided that the whiskey bottle should stay where it was and was still waiting for the little redhead to do something, he recognized that something else had gone wrong—that something he had done had emotionally charged the little thing again. He could see some kind of tension in her form and Spike found himself going back over his actions to see what could have upset the girl again. But then Vi spoke his name, and it was obvious that somehow, she was trying to calm him, bring him back from the edge of despair. He remained rather still as she rose from the kitchen stool, and came to him.

To tell the truth, Vi was scaring the hell out of him. Her soft teary eyes confused Spike, mostly because it seemed like she was sad for him and not herself. He had just terribly abused her and here she was, feeling sorry for him. How the hell did Spike have this power to treat Slayers like crap and yet they always came back for him and forgave him? And he felt the terror in him rise ever so slightly more when Vi’s hands slowly settled on either side of his face, but he still was frozen, his eyes showing his uncertainty about where this was going. Could it be that his first inclination was right and that somehow, sweet little Vi was a master emotional manipulator waiting for the right moment to bag whatever she wanted? And as the girl’s thumb ran over his chin and she leaned in, Spike could feel his breath hitch, an ingrained reaction from a simpler and more innocent time as William. Not sure as to what he could do or what was happening, he was ready to pull away when Vi’s lip’s landed on his cheek. What was this barmy little girl all about? It was like she was too pure and adorable to be real, especially as a part of Spike’s universe, and it both consoled and bewildered him.

And when her arms moved around his neck in a hug, Spike continued to be at a loss and quiet as houses. She told him it was okay, but he couldn’t really say he believed her. Did she somehow understand the emotional currents of the bizarre exchanged that just happened better for some reason? Well, perhaps her sensitive and turbulent relationship with her own feelings allowed her to see other people’s emotions more clearly, like Spike’s inability to tell a lie well let him see the truth where others could not. And so, he let himself relax a touch, not pushing the young Slayer away, but not moving for a moment. He just took the embrace as it was meant to be, a sign of friendly affection to soothe him. With a kind of trembling sigh, he finally reached out to push her flaming locks away from her face and gently passed a thumb over each of her eyes to brush away the tears that were pooling and threatening to run down her cheeks. Had this been a different time and a different girl, perhaps the Big Bad Spike would have leaned down for a kiss, tried to seduce her and empty out his pain by using her again. But everyone had gotten enough bruises tonight, so Spike wasn’t about to set up another drama by following his baser urges. And, in this moment at least, Violet made him feel oddly… paternal.

Instead of anything untoward, the vampire tenderly took Violet’s wrists into his own hands and broke her hold around him. Slowly returning her hands to her sides, Spike began to speak, ”Let me tell you a story, sweetheart.” He paused for just a moment, wondering if he was about to do the right thing. But he forced himself to look at the Slayer straight on and continue, ”There once was a boy. He was a naïve little thing—a well-meaning, but simple headed poet. He lived with his mother, whom he loved very much, and the rest of the world thought he was worthless. No one saw him as anything more but an asinine, gibbering idiot. They denied him love and respect and he was told that he was beneath everyone he ever encountered. And then that man became a monster. Lots of strange and horrible things happened, and yet one day that monster fell in love. And he tried so hard to make that girl love him back, but he never got it. He was still seen as the lowly creature he was. But he kept trying, did everything he could, and one day, the girl saw him. Not in the way he thought he wanted, but they truly saw every bit of each other and knew each other completely. And more curious yet, the monster became a hero by frying up inside a pit.”

His grip on her wrists finally released and he just let the words sink into her for a moment, what they meant, the emotion behind them. Spike wanted her to reflect on that for a moment until he could bring up the ‘moral’ of his tale, ”So I don’t know what you mean by ‘Someone like you.” Fact of the matter is, I’m no different than you, Squishy. I don’t know what you can take from that, but maybe it’s worth something. An apology of sorts, even.” He looked towards the whiskey bottle again, sorely tempted to start sipping away at its contents, but refrained. Clearing his throat, he made one last remark, ”You don’t get to tell Faith any of that. Or Buffy. Especially not Buffy.” Spike finally put the small caveat on his small speech, his tone sounding a bit petulant and embarrassed at the same time. ”But I hope it helps you somehow. And… I don’t think you’ll hurt me with it. So that's why you get to know.”

+++

TAGS: Violet
WORD COUNT: 1022
NOTES: Spike's adorable is showing :3... Don't tell him that, though.