As much as Willow despised London and her family, she still felt sad to be leaving. Though one has to suppose it was inevitable. With her lack of satisfaction at being an heirress and her parents lack of patience with her disgust at all her male suitors, plus the fact that she the law was honing in on her, the beautiful Miss Rosenberg had always fantasized about escaping from her upper-class surroundings. She took in a deep breath at the smell of Paris. It smelled like... love. Kind of a cinnamony smell. As she was wandering down the streets, looking for affordable housing, she bumped into a blonde woman in a flowing red dress. "Excuse me," Willow said apolegetically. "No, it was my fault. Hello, madame. My name is Darla. I haven't seen you in this part of town before. Are you new?" "Yes. I'm actually looking to make a living here. But what sort of job would take an attractive young woman with no kind of advanced education?" "I have just the place," Darla replied.
Madame Tarot saw her fair share of women applying for her dance hall, but none had instilled this feeling in her like Willow Rosenberg. The instant Tara saw her her heart skipped a beat. She didn't need a cards to know everything about Miss Rosenberg. She could see it in her eyes. The loneliness, the uneasiness, the things she saw when she looked in the mirror. Of all the women her fabulous four ladies had brought in, none had shone quite as bright as the red-headed beauty in front of her. She glanced at the card in her palm under the table. It showed a small kitten with a ball of yarn.
"Hello," Willow said as she sat down in the soft, luxurious chairs in Tara's office. "My name is Willow Rosenberg, though most people call me Miss Kitty." A sudden flash of jumbled emotions crossed Willow's mind all at once. Why had she told this stranger that, the one thing she tried to hide to keep the law of her proverbial tail? She also felt a new feeling, like lightning, a feeling of comfort in this new woman's presence. "I have a training program set up for new dancers," Tara said in reply. "That will teach you all you need to know to dance at my theatre. Follow Anyanka on your way out. She will show you where you need to go." Willow quickly made her way out as a tall raven-haired woman scooted into the office. "Hello madame," she started, "my name is Faith." Hmm Tara thought. An American. "Your accent wouuld indicate you are from the Northeast of the United States. Tell me, where do you come from?"
"As a matter of fact," Faith replied, "I don't remember much about my childhood. I grew up in Boston, but after my parents were killed by a runaway train when I was 13, I traveled along, making my living as I could. I spent a lont of time exploring the West, but pressure started to build up so I tried for a more exotic locale. I felt Paris would be the perfect place." "Well, you look like a good candidate. Follow Harmony out and she will show you to the dance instruction area." Hmm , Tara thought. Two young beauties in my company in one day? Little did she know that these ladies were not quite as reputable as they seemed.
These are the fanciest folks I've ever seen. Faith thought as she strolled around the Cirque du Seraphim. Circle of Angels? she thought to herself. Her French was a little rusty. Big flowy dresses and pretty little faces. I won't fit in here. She walked into the room and the first thing she noticed was the redhead getting dressed up in her own feat of sewing. God she's beautiful, Faith thought as she got a good look at her. No, don't think that. It's not proper. Ah who the hell am I kidding, neither am I. Ah, you're staring! Look away!
Willow noticed the dark-haired woman blushing and replied in kind. The very same things were running through her mind. As soon as the assistants were done with her, she strolled toward her. "I'm new here too. My name is Willow Rosenberg. What should I call you?"
"My name is Faith. I don't actually know my last name. When I was little a train crashed right through our house. My parents died, and I lost all my memories. The people in town told me my name, but I never used my last name, and I guess I just forgot it after not using it for ten years."
"You don't sound like you're from around here either. What brings you to the City of Love?"
"I have some bad folks after me. Figured they couldn't follow me across an ocean."
As a matter of fact, Winifred Burkle and Charles Gunn were at that moment following her across an ocean. They were detectives revered for bringing in most of the Scooby Gang, the most infamous train robbers in the west. Daniel Osbourne, Cordelia Chase, and Jenny Calender had been caught, but Faith, the one-name leader of the gang, was still at large. "I've always wanted to go to Paris," Winifred said upon entering the city. "Me too. I'm a big dance fan. I'll start asking around, and you try and find the local police, see if they've heard anything."
"She's about as tall as me, red hair, have you seen her?" Rupert asked. "Sorry sir, can't say that I have. It's a big city, you should know," the man on the other end of the desk said. Bloody stupid police, Giles thought. They couldn't find her if she walked into the building with a name tag "Kitten". As he walked out he noticed that that Burkle woman was walking in at the same time. Bloody Hell, I thought I'd lost her. "Why Rupert, just the person I wanted to see. What exactly were you up to when you left Charles and I behind? You know we're supposed to be working together. If the Kitten and the Slayer are here, and they meet, the entire city could be robbed blind in a week. Now, I found a source who says he dealt with someone meeting the description of your suspect calling herself Kitty Fantastico. Undoubtedly a false identity but perhaps one she'll use again. Meanwhile, I have business to conduct." She walked toward the counter to arrange her own meeting with the chief. Bloody colonial, Rupert thought as he snuck out the door.
"Charles," Winifred piped in, "are you sure we shouldn't be searching more avidly?"
"Come on, we need a break. What are the odds we're in the same part of town as her anyways? She could be anywhere!"
"Exactly why we should be doing detective work and NOT going to nightclubs. Besides, that Tara woman is starting to unnerve me." She shot a look at the balcony where Tara was watching the performance. Tara ducked behind the curtain and pulled out a card, the Hunter. The card showed a man with a kitten and a crow speared together. Back on the floor Willow and Faith were backstage, preparing for their big entrance. They listened carefully for their cue. The dancing line split apart and the two glided out to fill the vacancy. "and come on," Winifred continued, as she had been ranting this whole time, "do you really think I'll enjoy can-can girls?" "Winifred, look!" Charles whispered, and pointed towards the stage. "The Slayer!" They stood there planing their move as the show finished up. As the crowd filed out, the duo slipped into a side door and crept backstage. "Look, I'm telling you, those are cops. They're after me! I have to go!" Faith explained to Willow. "Cops! How about I come with you? I'm not exactly in with the law myself." The two dashed out as Winifred and Charles rushed into to an empty dressing room. "Out that way!" Charles shouted.
"I lead a train-robbing gang called "The Scooby Gang". Those two captured my three right-hand men. They think I'm the only one left, but I've got quite a few girls spread across the country under my control. How 'bout you? What did you do to attract police attention?"
"Cat burgling. I robbed London's elite until all that was left was their nightgowns. I have a huge stash stored away in London, but I had to leave in a hurry. I take it your loot wasn't exactly packed, now was it?"
"My horde is in Boston. It's safe, but I doubt I'll ever see it again. Hurry up, we're almost out."
"Now, now ladies," Alexandre interrupted. "What's the rush? I'm sure you've got more stories to tell. Madame Tarot is quite the listener."
"Two burglars in my company at once? I take it you didn't come to Paris for the job opening then?"
"We're both on the run," Faith explained. "It seems that our respective pursuers have banded together. I found a police bulliten with our description on it. Signed by Rupert Giles, Wesley Wyndam-Price, Charles Gunn, and Winifred Burkle. They know we're here. We're sorry for bringing trouble into your theatre. We have to go."
"Yes, we do," Miss Tara responded. "As Alexandre has mentioned, I am Madame Tarot, mistriss of the cards, queen of the Old Magicks. Something is coming. A dark force has been gradually approaching us for quite some time. I fear it has arrived. I have seen into the future, and you two have a part to play. I shall guide you."
"But, the theatre-"
"Don't worry about that, my dear Willow. Lorne can handle that. It's dreadful work, managing a dance hall."
"It is time," Tara said as she approached them a few hours later. She had managed to get rid of Charles and Winifred by calmly explaining that two young women had broken into her theatre, interupted her dance line, and ran off. "You must come with me now. I've made costumes for us and everything."
And indeed she had. The four of them, Tara, Alexandre, Willow, and Faith, sped off in a luxurious Carraige towards Italy. They had changed before they left. Willow's was that of a cat burglar, like some horrible cliche. A black, form-fitting turtleneck sweater worn over black dancer's leotard/bodysuit; with black leather button-over bodice-vest (covered with a multitude of utility pockets); a basic utility belt (with suspension wire, grappling hook, glass and wire cutters, stethescope, etc,); black ballet slippers (for traction and agility); black kid-leather gloves; and black silk Zorro-style headscarve/eyemask; hair tied back in a ponytail. Between her breasts she held her good luck charm: A tarot card of "The Kitten" that Tara had given to her, a cute kitten playing with a ball of yarn. "I will want that back you know," Tara quipped. "How 'bout once we're done with our first job, you can take it back?" Madame Tarot herself had her own ravishing costume: dark burgundy Celtic beret with celtic knotwork brooch pinning twin sweptback pheasant feathers; black leather harlequin eye-mask; dark burgundy silk swash-shirt, with deep v-neckline, flared sleeves, and long cuffs; black leather waist-cincher with multible buckles; multible dark gold necklaces; black leather fingerless gloves; multible floor-length gypsy skirts in colors of black, burgundy, blue-violet, and dark gold, hitched up gypsy-style at both hips; black tights; and black kid-leather thigh-high lace-up boots, with multible dark gold ankle bracelets.
She also carries a dark burgundy velvet pouch containing a never-ending supply of tarot cards, which, besides their intended use, double for deadly throwing-stars, and shinto-priest style magic charms when placed on items or foe's foreheads. Her other accutriments include an large, oversized birchwood staff, laden with magical charms, talismens, etc, from various cultures Faith was decked out in full fighting gear. She had a sleek white jumpsuit, with compartments in the sleeves and legs for knives and other weaponry. Their basic plan was four fold: Find houses of evil, steal items of magic significance, ????, prevent the upcoming darkness. They weren't really clear on the third part. They figured they'd cross that bridge when they got there.
[This message has been edited by supermus (edited March 02, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by supermus (edited March 02, 2002).]