11879/Magic Box, Magic Box.. Where Have You Been

Magic Box, Magic Box.. Where Have You Been
Date of Scene:	31 July 2020
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Willow teaches Zach about dates. Sorta.
Cast of Characters:	Willow Rosenberg, Zach Daniels

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Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Magic Box. Willow had an afternoon shift, and was bored. So she started to clean up the magic spells for 'pagans'. They really weren't too bad. In other words, she was sitting along the books, on the floor, reading.

Zach Daniels has posed:
There's a ruffle of wings and feathers as /something/ lands on the roof and makes its way over and down to the street. Okay not something. Someone. Someone in black with a baseball cap and a (thankfully closed) coffee in hand. Zach's shown up to check the Magic Box out. he's curious about it really and his curiosity knows few bounds...

So nudging the door open he looks around, and takes off his cap tucking it under an arm. "Hello? Anyone around?" he calls over.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"We're open!" Willow calls out. "I'm just over here! Help yourself, and call when you need"

Zach Daniels has posed:
"Is that you Willow?" Zacc calls over. "I brought you coffee but I couldn't find any pastries or anything. I can run out and get some" he adds and makes his way more into the store, looking around. There's so much interesting stuff here that he's not sure where to look at first but hey, he can always follow the sounds of Willow sorting things out. Though coffee and pastries sound good. "I got....I got a candy bar in my pocket and a granola bar and....a shrink wrapped sandwich?" Zach says. Nah the sandwich has lettuce in it, that's a not happening from Zach. Nope. The candyh and granola bars are more his speed...

Zach's looking around with keen eyed curiosity at everything. "So what's this place about? I mean, magic, alright but..." he says, that awed tone in his voice.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Zach! Come in, come in. Over here!" She stays on the floor. "A veritable lunch. We can make it work. And a coffee." She pats for him to stay. "How have you been? And welcome to the Magic Box. Some pretend, some real. We have to make rent, unfortunately."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach does come over and sit being careful to keep the food away from anything valuable. Coffee doubly so. "Is there a table or anything though we can have lunch at?" Zach asks with a smile. "I've been okay, been living in Hell's Kitchen and scrabbling together enough money to not get kicked out. Though" he admits unfurling his wings. "I could just fly all the time, mind..but...I like having a home with walls and a roof and a bed" he explains. "Can't sleepp while flying and falling out of trees hurts"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Nope. Just the floor. I don't think we are in danger?" But just in case, she moves a couple books aways. "There. Now we are safe."

Willow listens, nodding. "So, you have a place? You know Hell's Kitchen isn't terribly far from the apartment. You could visit? Maybe?"

She looks down at her hands. "Zach, uhm, can I ask you something? You don't have to answer it unless you want to."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach ruffles a wing, "Sure what do you want to ask?" he smiles and unwraps the sandwich and pauses with the granola bar in hand, "Which would you like?" he asks.

"Yes, Hell's Kitchen's not far from a lot of things. I could definitely come visit if you have a roof I can land on, or find a way to the floors and peek around" he adds and watches Willow with a smile. Who really neeeds tables though if they've got a floor to eat on?

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Uhm, what kind of sandwich is that? I can split the granola bar." She waits for him to decide. "How much do you like me? I mean, it's not because you're lonely, is it? Is it?"

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach peers at the sandwich a little suspicously. "It's got lettuce in it, and some cheese and ham I think" he offers, snapping the granola bar in half. "I don't much care for letuce really, mind. It's all crunchy and...and...it's all dry and it doesn't go well in sandwiches" he adds with a nudge of said sandwich with his finger.

Zach looks to Willow and blinks afew times and tilts his head. "How much do I like you? I mean...you're smart and funny, and...and you're here working and..." he says flustered and thinking on his feet. Or wings as it is. "I've taken you flying, see. I like you a lot" he says as he doesn't dip his head at all...instead he relaxes as he's had a few feathers come off his wings.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Tell you what, give me the lettuce, and half the cheese, and you can have the rest." The she takes half the granola bar.

Willow nods as he explains. "That's what I thought. Buffy thought you were into me. Something about you were lonely. I really like you, but, why would she place me with you, only because you were lonely? What about me." She frowns. "We're okay, yes?"

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach's more than willing to get rid of the lettuce and half the cheese, that gets left in the sandwich as Zach is holding his bit of it as he looks puzzled. "Wait, Buffy said that? Really? She's got no idea about me" Zach points out. "What, she thinks I'm lonely? What gives her the right to think like that? I mean do all you humans do that?" Zach wonders aloud, "I've a mind to go give her a piece of my mind. I mean is she that worried about me or something? She pointed a crossbow at me when I ran into her that first time, and her friends hate me so..."

Zach pauses to chew on the ham and cheese and closes his eyes for a momentt and looks worried.

"Does she do that to everyone? That's a...what's it called...matchmaker? Look, i like you, I don't need Buffy assuming things about me, you know? How'd she like it if somebody thought oh she's lonely, I know somebody she could like?" Zach grumbles, tearing the wrapper off the candy bar.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I don't know." Willow munches on cheese and lettuce. "Maybe both. She thinks she has to protect me from everything. Including you. She doesn't know what I find interesting. That's a kind of sexy, isn't it?" She pauses, looking. "Then she gets whatever she wants. I don't get it."

"Mostly I feel I've been kept in high school, while she goes on and lives her life. I'm different people. One with Buffy. And the rest of my life. Probably was trying to make my feel happy. You know? 'Look, there's Zach! Why don't you take him out'"

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach shakes his wings out, "Remind me to smack her with a wing, it may...what's the word, knock sense into her. You can take care of yourself right? I mean you're not a kid though" Zach points out looking unimpressed at Buffy's antics. "See...wait do you have any coffee in here?" he asks and runs a hand through his hair. "I just...I don't get it at all. You find things interesting. Like..um...pastries, yes?" he adds withhh a smile. "Remind me to bring pastries next time?"

Sure, Zach just walk in with pastries then, why not...or at least interesting foods though.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow laughs, "You had a coffee when you came in." She leans back, using the bookshelf. "Yeah, we're okay."

She cants her head, wondering, "Do you like boys or girls, or both. Actually maybe you don't like any of them."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach grins, "Yeah I did. But notice I hadn't brought any pastries so..." he muses and looks off guard for a moment. "I could...hmm" he adds and supports himself with his wings as he watches her.

"Do I like boys, or girls, or both, or none?" Zach repeats and runs a hand through his hair again. "Third one, why? it's funny. Angels aren't meant to love, you know that...all that you don't feel, you just do what you're supposed to, but now I'm here..." Zach shrugs, chewing on the granola bar.

"It's funny, I've learned so much since I've been down here, it's like, okay I've taken you flying, I've been bought pastries by you and I've brought you food" he nods keenly and looks pleased. "It makes me wonder what the angels think of it all if they even care"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Actually, I haven't brought you anything." Willow *blinks* at this. "Sometime I will bring you chocolate chip cookies."

She relaxes against the bookshelf. "I like both. Girls and guys. Really it's the inside I'm attracted to." She nods, "Maybe? I don't know everything about angels, but it makes sense. In heaven, probably you're too busy to love, your know, romantic love. I suppose you have time now. If you want to."

Zach Daniels has posed:
"You bought me bage pastries before didn't you?" Zach asks and smiles. "See I'm looking forward to cookies yes. You any good at making them?" he adds with curiosity in his eyes. Cookies are good, too. Cookies are fine with him.

"I...don't know, I wasn't ever that involved, I was justt a face, a sword, a nameless body to throw into the fight. But yes. Personality wins over everything else" Zach says simply and looks hopeful.

"Romantic love huh? I've time, yes...no job, just fly around, get into trouble, all that fun stuff, but I have a lot of free time yes, and if I want o? You mean what I think?"

There's another munch on the granola bar again, Zach's mind whirring away.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"That's right. I'll still bring you cookies." She ponders. "Well, at the beginning, I stunk. I even put raisins in them. I don't to that anymore, I learned that! Certainly better at cookies than potions. I don't to that anymore know what is wrong with me."

Shrugs.

"You should try it. Well, if you want to." Willow puts a hand out, "You're better than that. Really."

Zach Daniels has posed:
"Potions, like you're a witch? Can't you just...I dunno...make magic cookies?" Zach asks with a straight face. He's totally imagining magical cookies now, yeah apparently coffee does weird things. He needs more coffee apparently, or at least more knowledge on witches and magic too. That'd help.

"What's the deal with raisins though? They are chewy and sharp though. I much prefer chocolate but if you ever put lettuce in my cookies..." Zach says as he moves his arm to reveal the sword in its sheath. He skipped the crossbow this time. After all, accidentally firing a bolt into the ceiling of his apartment once is once too many...nah.

"I should try loving you?" he asks reaching his own hand out. "I have time and I've want to"

There he said it. Just a fallen angel who hates lettuce, has found friends and now, apparently love? And a source of cookies and a woman who said she'd bring him cookies? Okay, first things first Zach....

"Do you like motorcycles though? I don't have a car, I bike or fly everywhere. Some days I want to fly when riding my bike but that's just not as fun as it sounds"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I've made them with chocolate chips /and/ raisins. Most people don't like them. I like them! People seem to.." And then she stopped. "Pardon? You love me?"

Yep, his hand was on her arm. She didn't make it up.

"Zach? I don't understand?"

Zach Daniels has posed:
"I was asking what you mean by if you want" Zach says backpedaling quickly mentally. "I was asking if that's what you were meaning, what were you saying if I want to what?"

Nope not even his wings can get him out of this one. "Uh...let me reword that. I like you. You are smart, and funny, and you're not a kid who needs protecting right? You can make your own decisions and Buffy can't matchmake for you, right?" he asks. Great, start dodging the question like you're dodging weapons Zach. or something. Circle back around to it once Willow's clarified things.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Okay. Back away from the immediate problem, and listen. At the least, she should have time to think what to say.

"What do you mean? I mean, I am those things. I think? Maybe. Kinda.. But we don't decide who we love. Really we don't.. do you? Or.."

Did he love her, and this gave him a chance?

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach's eyes flicker for a moment like he's pleased. "You are. You did say though something about trying, what was all that about?" he asks and makes a face at the idea of chocolate chips and raisins in the same cookie. "I'd just pick the raisins out and throw them at people I don't like" Zach admits and nods keenly...like it's an every day thing to toss food he doesn't like at people. It's not.

Zach falls quiet, just listening to Willow as he's trying to sort through his whirling and churning mind

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Well, I meant you should find someone to be with. And just let the other things happen. If you force it, it doesn't feel natural, and eventually breaks apart." Willow sits amongst the books, and smiles. "It gets complicated by all the kinds of love there are. Like me. I love you, but I don't think I *love* you. Definitely not yet, and maybe not ever. See?"

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach nods, "I think I get it, so there's all these types of love? I mean...I'm gonna sound corny but I'm way behind on all this and I learn from those movies that are on TV all the time" he admits, staring at his hands. He just admitted to getting ideas of love from cheesy Lifetime (et al) movies. Oh no...this is a great start. "See, you're making this easy to understand though I think. So rule 1, don't believe all those Christmas TV movies right?" he asks..and this time he cracks up laughing.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"No!" Willow gets the giggles. "Never, *never* believe them. But they're great to watch when you're down. Mostly they're nonsense."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Willow giggling has Zach joining in, "So you're saying that's not how people are? But I've seen those decorations! i've seen them...and I've seen people ice skate. how do they stay upright? I'd fall over instantly" Zach protests. Wings or no wings. "Yeah I fly. I fall over on ice skates. I can't drive a car to save my life. Go figure" he admits. "It's why I prefer my bike, really. That and I look cooler on it...

See, Zach, vain to a point or...

"So you're saying don't believe movies? Aw, but...but...they are fun"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Of course! There's lots of fun things in movies. But that doesn't mean we should base it off of reality. They're different. They are fun! Some are." Willow shakes her head. "But sometimes they take a problem and blow it up and we can laugh. Or cry. Or whatever."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach nods slowly. "But...I like movies. I only get the basic channels in my apartment so my choice of movies is very, very limited" he offers with a sigh. "I need...what was it...one of those DVD players and a lot of movies. Actually no. I need a better apartment" he says and checks the time on his phone. "See I shouldn't leave till we finished lunch though"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Tell you what, I buy you one of those. A house warming, okay!" Willow seems pleased. "And I'll chip in for pizza. A deal?"

Zach Daniels has posed:
"Deal" Zach grins, "Admittedly you've not seen my apartment yet. it's a run down one in Hell's Kitchen next door some crazy older woman who doesn't like me much. But you had me at pizza" Zach grins. "Just no fish on pizza or lettuce and we're good, okay?" he smiles and ruffles his wings.

"I don't much like lettuce" he shrugs and nods to the sandwich. "Example there"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"You can have whatever you want on your half of the pizza. I like cheese, no meat, and sometimes vegetables. And no fish. Blah." She has definite opinions on her pizza. "All apartments look about the same. Sometimes the little old lady is replaced with an old man. But pretty much, they are all the same."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach grins, "Sure, but no fish.It's just...ew" he groans. "Okay mine's got a busted out window, a light bulb with no shade, it's in a cheap and run down bit of town, and I never ever use the stairs when I have wings and I'm afraid to turn the stove on. But you're right. I could use a much better apartment if you're going to get me a housewarming gift mind" Zach nods keenly.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow places a kiss on his cheek. "Deal. And I have to clean up here. Saturday? I think I have it off. It's a date."

Zach Daniels has posed:
Zach grins and arches his wings at the kiss on his cheek with a grin, "I'll be waiting" he nods and looks to the shelves. "Yeah it needs dealing with but..." Zach offers. "I could fly back with a broom or somethingg?"

Though he does pause for a moment and take a few steps and takes to the sky once out of the door. There he goes