12021/A trip to the Pub

A trip to the Pub
Date of Scene:	18 August 2020
Location:	McAnally's Pub
Synopsis:	Buff and Karrin chill out at the pub and have much needed discussions.
Cast of Characters:	Buffy Summers, Karrin Murphy

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Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers was looking forward to relaxing and playing games, but in the end, she just wasn't feeling well. Was it heat stroke or something one of those darned imps gave her through one of the many scratches or bites she had suffered?

Either way, she needed a good place to cool off, and Mac's seemed like the perfect place for that. She arrives in the decidedly cooler pub, still dressed in cut-off denim shorts and a black floral halter top, sandals covering her feet, but still feeling the heat from an especially blistering day coupled with running around the back yard of the Magic Box for nearly two hours, chasing down and fighting those darned imps.

"Ugh Mac? How about a very cold cold beer? Oh and a big plate of cheese and chicken nachos, I haven't eaten all day.." she sighs as she drags herself to a nearby table to await her order.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The game night had been fun, even if Karrin's outburst wasn't discussed a single other point in time. And she did mop the floor with nearly everyone else in the game. Just concidence, surely. Now, after a full day of work, Karrin texted Buffy to check on possible drinks with the girls. She just wasn't ready to go back home to Harry quite yet and actually have the talk they needed to have. Even when the worst is over, she's still dancing around it.

So, still in her uniform from the BPD, Karrin steps into the room, face slightly sun burnt from a day on foot patrol and her hair slicked back with sweat as much as it is gel to keep the short blonde locks out of her face. It takes her no time to find Buffy, picking her way across the room and slipping into the booth near by... "Buff. You...up for drinks? You're still looking exhausted... I know that's rude as hell but...I worry."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles faintly and shakes her head. "No no, I invited you out, figured maybe a cool, shady spot would do me some good..Sorry if I spoiled the games session, y'know, wasn't expecting to have to fight an army of imps that had got loose in the store. Thought Giles had dealt with them all a couple of months ago.."

She shrugs, "I already ordered some food and drinks. Sooo..How'd things go? Did you finally tell Harry what was on your mind?" oh yes, she missed that part, didn't she?

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Oh god... You... you really were out on the couch, weren't you?" Karrin asks, some heat actually creeping up her cheeks that has absolutely nothing to do with the high summer day. She clears her throat quietly and motions to Mac for one of her usuals. She definitely needs beer for this conversation. "I'm...glad you're in one piece, and if you need me to go back with you just incase there are any others, I don't mind playing cleaning crew." She offers gently, still a bit worried about her friend but she seems to accept Buffy's reassurance that the woman is in one piece and up for drinks and dinner.

Once the beer is put down in front of her, Karrin just sides, staring down into it. "I don't know if I want to throttle Thomas or hug him. But he kept...pushing and pushing at the whole matter enough I just got so frustrated I screamed it out to both of them so he'd stop. Told Harry I love him and he probably loves me back and we'd just have to...Deal with it." A slight smile comes to follow, "...he quoted Star Wars... and then eventually said it back. So. I guess that's... Done."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks and shrugs, "Heh, no worries, I can take care of myself. It's just the, running around under ridiculous summer heat for two hours straight fighting these tiny 2 foot tall critters with sharp claws and teeth that wasted me.."

Buffy rubs a sore arm where they actually managed to bite and claw her, leaving angry red scratches in her skin. "I'm sure it's nothing even if it itches like hell.." Well..Hopefully ti's nothing. "But thanks, I appreciate the offer."

As for Karrin and Harry's love life, Buffy just chuckles again, hazel eyes sparkling with amusement. "oh. Wow! Finally he said it, huh? Well you know, Thomas isn't usually wrong about these things, I mean, he's basically a love expert. Or..Something.."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Blue eyes travel down to Buffy's arm, studying a bit longer with one of those frowns that says Karrin is a little more worried than Buffy is, but isn't going to push it. She just takes a few mental notes of what the injuries look like so she can make certain they are getting better in the future. She slides Buffy's beer closer to the woman and gives it a slight nod, "Well, drink up. Off the clock now." She reassures with a tired half smile.

"...And yes. I suppose Thomas is. But neither Harry nor I are near experts and it's going to take some...time. But it's done, I guess. As long as he still wants me around after. I'm... sort of dreading going hom.. " Not home. It's not technically her home, "back to his place..."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers doesn't seem overly worried, honestly, she's suffered way worse wounds like broken bones and recovered completely seemingly overnight. Let's just hope this disappears just as quickly..

Her hands wrap around the cold beer, holding it up to her face and sighing contentedly. "Ahh. This feels soooo good." Buffy smiles, opening her eyes to look at Karrin again, "Hmm, well if he said he loves you back...Isn't that good enough? Or do you think he just said it because you put him on the spot?" she frowns.

"Nah, I'm sure he feels the same way. Afterall, I'll bet simply touching you made Thomas' skin sizzle, right?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The beer truly was a godsend. Karrin scoops up her mug again and takes a long, more relaxed sip, both hands nursing around it like it was a coveted hot cocoa on a cold afternoon. But, well, probably for exact opposite reasons. "Yeah. I... I think he meant it. We both mean it. That doesn't mean it's going to *work*. Remember...I've been down the aisle twice. Said 'forever'... twice. Well, my average forever is about four years so..." Karrin sighs, a small part of her starting the count down clock now until she ruins it all.

At least the beer doesn't leave her. She takes a longer sip of it, eyes closing a moment as she focuses on the flavor and not the worries in the back of her head. "...You and Thomas make this shit look easy."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers hmms and frowns, nodding slowly. "Yeaah.." she sighs, "I know how that is. I mean, I never actually ended up marrying anyone, just..Well there was Angel, the first big love of my life. And...Well he kinda lost his soul, turned evil and tried to destroy the world. Oh and he killed a teacher and close friend of Giles.."

Buffy shrugs, "And then I had to kill him and send him to hell to save the world. Next person I met, well he wasnt in *love* with me, he was just 'having fun', dumped me after he'd had 'enough'. And..Well then there's Thomas.."

And she should be happy but she seems..Troubled by something..

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin's pretty good at reading people, especially her best friend. Brows knit, the blonde actually fully sets down her beer and slides it aside so she's got nothing distracting her from the other blonde across the table. "... Yeah. Thomas. The love expert and annoying older brother to my... Roomate. What about it? You... certainly don't look like a woman head over heels. But maybe he's not what's bothering you? Come on. Out with it. You know I'll just be annoying until you do."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles faintly, shaking her head quickly, "Oh no, I AM head over heels in love with him..Just that, well..Aside from my propensity for being unlucky in love, being a vampire magnet, and..I dunno, his club keeps him busy a lot. And in addition to that, he's always said he's not a jealous type of person."

She shrugs, trying not to seem bothered by that. "Guess sometimes I just feel lonely, wish I could see more of him..And it doesn't help that Willow's constantly telling me how Spike's soo in love with me and pining over me and all that..Not that I'm in love with *him* of course. Although we were close until recently.."

Buffy sighs, leans back in her chair and takes a really loooong swig of her beer. "Guess maybe I'm just super paranoid about a lot of stuff."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...Well. I'm your best friend, here, and also super paranoid about a lot of things, so...If you want to spill what you're paranoid about, I am a pretty good judge of 'No, that's your head being mean' or 'Yeah, life is shitty like that...'" Karrin leans a bit closer, her blue eyes softening as she looks over the woman. "What I'm saying is...I'm listening. You've heard me ramble on about any number of idiotic things. Least I can do is return the favor." She gives her what is trying to be a reassuring smile.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shrugs, taking a break from her beer. "Well..That's it. Me realizing I have an incredible guy that really makes me happy, and thinking of a hundred ways it might go wrong..And wishing I could see him more often. And hoping things work between us and I'm not making a mistake by falling hard for him."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Ah..." Karrin gives the smallest of understanding, gentle laughs. "...That... fuck, Buffy, I understand that... Too damn well." Karrin looks down into her beer for a heartbeat before she goes back to taking a long gulp of it. She'll be done before the nachos get here. Maybe that's the point. "I... sorta feel the same with Harry, I guess. Happiness is terrifying, especially when you thought you had it before." She tilts her head, studying her friend's eyes now. "Have you...told him any of this?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shrugs, "Not really. To be honest, I haven't really had a chance to sit down with him for a heart to heart in a long while. Feels like we're always in a hurry..Never get to sit down for long."