12699/Following Orders

Following Orders
Date of Scene:	31 January 2021
Location:	The Bronze, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Gretel and Willow bond some more. Gretel is going to introduce Willow to a new teacher. (OOC: Supergirl was not present at this scene. She was used for emitting purposes only.)
Cast of Characters:	Supergirl, Willow Rosenberg, Tala
Tinyplot:	Temptation

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Supergirl has posed:
It was Saturday night so the Bronze was the place to be in Sunnydale. Not that they had a lot of other choices, after all. There was a new indy band on stage, sharing some upbeat music. People milled around, drinks in hand. The adults were marked to indicate they could get the alcoholic versions. The underage had to stick with sodas or water.

Out on the dance floor was a familiar face. She was on the fringes but still enjoying the music. Gretel, who Willow had met previously under an alias (which she would have to use for the time being). Leather pants, short top showing off her midriff.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had been showing more frequently because of Gretel. Lets face it, everybody she knew was either ancient (hello John!), or Buffy's gang who made her feel like a third wheel. With a soda in one hand, and perusing the crowd, she was liking the band, letting the music wash over her.

Finally, there she was! Gretel.

Carefully watching her steps Willow approached her. "Hi! You're here!" And she gave her a hug. "Isn't this band great?"

Supergirl has posed:
"Hey!" Gretel slowed, less movement but still shifting her weight on her feet as she focused on the redhead. There was a brilliant smile on her face. "I had to go out of town a few days. Just got back and was hoping to find you here again."

She reached out her hands, trying to grab Willow's and tug her forward toward the dance floor. "Dance with me?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Oops! There goes her soda! No, not up-ended, but very close! Willow was dragged out, and her soda was discarded on the side lines.

"Oh wow! Me? I.." And then Willow had to stop. She had gone places - but she really should tell them yet. After all, she really only knew Gretel used magic. She really should be carrying on about Superman and co.. yet. "I'm stuck at school."

Supergirl has posed:
Gretel was more movement, less finesse. While she could move it was rough and unrefined. Like most people without any training. "Oh? Where you going to school? What're you studying?"

Gretel had to move in a little closer to be heard over the music without screaming but it was still possible to have a conversation. Just a tad more intimate so to speak since they had to be closer.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Gotham U." Willow pretty much yelled in her ear. Where Gretel was unrefined? Willow was floating on air. Even when the music isn't that graceful! "I'm taking two official majors, but really I'm taking three. Mostly Refined Mathematics and Computer Systems."

Tala has posed:
Gretel's dancing movements slowed and almost came to a complete stop as she stared at Willow. Like the girl had grown a second head or turned into a ghost. "You are going for two majors, but really three, and they arent' fluff? I mean things like Lego Building for Credits or something in your curriculum cause that sounds way too smart for me."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Well, I have been good at computers, so that was a gimme. And Mathematics.. well, I can grok that.. and then other keep switching from.." And there Willow stops. "I'm too dumb to realize I'm chasing away my hopes to make friends, aren't I?"

Forget about a romantic partner. D'uh.

Tala has posed:
"You aren't chasing away anything. I'm just impressed you're super smart like that. Computers and mathemetics. Both seem to go hand in hand at times. I mean code looks like equations and stuff, right?" Gretel says, starting to dance again.

"So what's the other that you keep switching? I mean I know the magic stuff but I also know it isn't something you study at college. I think there are clubs though. Mostly posers. You checked them out?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Right?" For the moment Willow was gung ho about her studies. "Like two peas in a pod. I'm really sorry, like I'm cheating on them by doing it in parallel."

She thinks. "I often think of philosophy as a third one. And sometimes English. But that one seems to be such a cop out.. I keep out with my studies in both of them, just in case."

Tala has posed:
Gretel has to laugh. "So that's four majors you are working on, sort of, instead of three. Two official, two unofficial. How do you have free time? Don't you do anything for fun? Like this!" She spins around, hands above her head then dances back over to continue talking. "Let's go sit and have a drink. We need to work on your fun balance with your workload."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Suuuure.." Willow is certain she's being made fun of.. but.. in a nice sort of way? Maybe?

"It's not as bad it seems. I have a lot of down time during my jobs." Yes, she did say *jobs*. "And really it isn't hard once you put yourself in the mood. Besides, Buffy has a boyfriend, so that time isn't taken anyways. I might as well put it to good use."

And she didn't mention she had some personal issues with her parents. She felt like the only way they paid attention to her was with her grades. So she kept putting more and more grades in hopes they would appreciate her..

She winded around the dancers and finally made it to their table, and proceeded to sit.

Tala has posed:
"I get it that you like school and studying. I just don't see how you have enough time for enjoyment. I've only seen you here a couple of times so guessing you don't get much down time? What do you do for fun?" Gretel considers.

"You must get some time to work on your magic or not so much?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hrm.." What to answer her.

Willow tried to explain without telling her all the details. "A lot of my free time is spent on.. things.. that depend on my magic..?" Sort of. "I am in a couple of groups that guard and protect the innocent."

But really she didn't answer her, and she didn't have quite as much time as she would have enjoyed to learn magic.. if only because she didn't have a teacher.

Tala has posed:
That gets a long look from Gretel. "Guard and protect the innocent." When spoken back, Willow might get how different that sounds. "Like vigilantes or something? Or superheroes?"

She shrugs a little bit but seems interested. "Not that it's a bad thing. I'm not trying ot pry or anything. Just want to get to know more about your down time since that's where I come in." She winks playfully.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Of course you come in! D'uh. You're my friend." Willow giggles, then cocks her head a bit sideways. "Did I really sound something like that? Really?"

She thought about it.

"Can I tell you something? I'm not the most powerful, or even the most important, but I help with some people who you might call superheroes." Sort of. Did Buffy call herself a superhero?

Tala has posed:
"No doubt. Most people aren't prepared for magic. Have no idea how to defend against it. Can be used in lots of helpful ways for superheroes," Gretel agrees. Then that grin again.

"Add in you are super smart. That would be a huge help too! But just be careful. I mean, that sounds stupid. Of course you'd be careful." She giggles and rolls her eyes at herself.

"So how much do you know? I mean I know some. A little. Learning more. But I have a woman teaching me more. She's amazing. Sort of our own little coven of sorts."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Well.. The one group doesn't use me to my full extent. I guess it's because, well, compared to the rest of them I look, well, like a mouse." Willow hangs her head. "I guess they all look at me as something they want to protect.. maybe because nobody protected them. And then the other group.."

What could she say about them?

"I only get called out very infrequently. Lets face it, most people are afraid of them. Really when I am called out, they depend on my knowledge, but there is so much more I need to know. Some things are dangerous to experiment on your own. Even John was worried enough to take me under his wings. And then, before we started, he got called away."

Tala has posed:
"So not one group but two. On top of your school work and I'm guessing a job to pay for stuff unless yuor parents pay the bills? Mine are out of the picture so I have a part time job. Although my teacher helps me make ends meet. I get to stay at her place even. Then the teaching can happen. She's taught me so much. I'm learning how to build up more power."

She gets a look like she's surprised at her own thought. "I bet she'd be willing to teach you too! She's weird...but nice and her power is...well it's amazing."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Are you crazy? My parents don't have the money to send me to school!" Willow forgot to mention that several schools were happy to send her a scholarship to attend them, but they were so far away (which her parents weren't crazy about), and secondly, all these schools weren't going to accept Buffy (which she wasn't happy about). "No, I have had a job since high school."

However.. a teacher?

"She wouldn't take me.. would she?"

Tala has posed:
"She has a handful of us she teaches when she can. I'm the only one that lives there though. So I don't see why not. And if I mention you're a friend of mine, that'll go a long way. Can't hurt, right? The worst she'll say is no."

That makes up Gretel's mind for her right there. She'll be reaching out and asking. Even if Willow isn't a fan of the idea. "Who's this John person who was teaching you?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Him? John Constantine. He lives in this weird house which is alive. She likes me. I can go and read the books in her library. It's really nice." Willow tries to explain John. "He thinks he's going to h-e-double hockey sticks, and he pushes people away from him."

Then her eyes open wide. "Could you see if she is taking another student.." And stopped. Nobody, likely, had an extra student space waiting for her. "Never mind. I'm sorry to bring it up."

Forget that she hadn't brought it up!!

Tala has posed:
"That's...weird." Gretel's expressive face shifted to a slight frown. "The house, I mean. That's kind of like where I live. The place looks normal outside but inside it is enormous. I don't know if it's alive but I wouldn't be surprised. It even has like this dungeon area where she does spells and things."

Seeing that eagerness for training gives Gretel what she needed as well. She now knows Willow is hungry to learn. "I'm sure she'll take you. She doesn't work. Or anything like that. She has enough money she doesn't have to. So she just has time to do magic with us. I'll take you to meet her. Although...are you going to be okay that she teaches us all magic? Not just the white stuff."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Really? I wasn't allowed to look in rooms. Apparently, they led anywhere you could imagine. And if the house didn't like you, it could be bad."

Willow gave a shiver.

But magic..

"Umm.." She thinks about it. How bad would it be? After all, she's not saying they are EVIL.. just not good. And, besides, the force lighting which she *loved* probably didn't sit fully under the title 'good', right? It would be okay, as long she was good, right? Right?!?

She desperately wanted to learn. But most of all, she was getting tired of the 'good girl Willow' that everybody saw.

Tala has posed:
"I'm not saying she's a bad person. She's not evil or anything," Gretel says to try to reassure. "She just says there is balance in everything. There is no good without bad. No White magic without Black magic. Light and Dark. To learn one side is...what is that word she uses."

Gretel's brow furrows as she tries to remember. "Disservice to yourself. Whatever that means," she adds with a giggle. "Besides, I have to be honest with you, the dark stuff kind of makes you feel good. It's like getting a buzz sometimes. But if you don't go like psycho crazy and balance it with the light stuff, you're fine.'

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It certainly would have been easier to defeat those mages from Apokolips if she would have learned a thing or two..

"Well, it can't hurt to meet her!" Willow decided.

Tala has posed:
"That's the spirit! Definitely won't hurt. I'll talk to her tonight when I get home," Gretel promises, hiding that elation. Her master will be pleased with this.

"For now, let's hit the floor again!"