@visionbitch gets a slightly bruised ATS Season 1 starter
Faith couldn’t live in Angel’s basement forever. For one thing, the vampire didn’t really keep a lot of groceries around for the non-bloodsuckers, and the first box of donuts had since gone stale despite the Slayer making her best effort to finish the lot. All she left behind were a pair of Boston Cremes. Hah.
But that wouldn’t stop her from trying to ride it out, let the heat die down until she was ready to get back in the world again. Would she ever be ready?
She was mostly staying downstairs out of exhaustion, shame, and fear. Faith wasn’t ready to look Wesley in his four-eyes, and Cordelia... well, from what Angel had mentioned, it sounded like the bruises were fading. Nothing a little cover-up couldn’t fix. The Slayer herself was almost completely bounced back from her fight, apart from the wounded pride and bruised ego. She’d never thought terribly highly of herself- if it looked like she did, it was in the hopes that maybe someone else would love her in all the ways she didn’t. And failing that, it was just easier to make everyone hate her, though they would never have the same contempt for herself that she did. But between Sunnydale and Los Angeles, there were probably plenty of people who came close.
It was early and Angel was still sleeping (if he ever really slept). Faith crept her way upstairs, to the office, to the surface world, and immediately began rifling through the file cabinets and desk drawers in search of some spare change, maybe a credit card or something, anything she could get herself some food with. Were there any pizza places open this early? She was so engrossed in digging that when she lifted her head to spot someone else in the small space, Faith jolted and slammed a drawer shut, nearly cracking it.
“Oh, uh... hey, Cor. Sorry, I just... you’re here early.”