12876/Look Who's Back!!

Look Who's Back
Date of Scene:	22 March 2021
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Giles is welcomed back.. with the usual problems.
Cast of Characters:	Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers

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Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had an extra shift this Monday, and she was LATE. Almost a half hour late, come to think of it. Quickly she opened the Magic Shop, and put out the 'Welcome, Please Come In!' sign, and picked up the mail. At least it wasn't likely anybody had come in the first half hour!r
She put the mail by the cash register, and surveyed *what* she should do.. before sitting down, enjoying her coffee, and looking up Tali's hometown..

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had an extra shift this Monday, and she was LATE. Almost a half hour late, come to think of it. Quickly she opened the Magic Shop, and put out the 'Welcome, Please Come In!' sign, and picked up the mail. At least it wasn't likely anybody had come in the first half hour!

She put the mail by the cash register, and surveyed *what* she should do.. before sitting down, enjoying her coffee, and looking up Tali's hometown..

Rupert Giles has posed:
In one of those twists of Fate, the fickle thing that she is, the plane transporting one Rupert Giles had landed in the middle of the night. And so he'd taken a taxi home. And woke up bright and early, as is fairly typical of the man. Today, he had dressed in ocean colors. Deep blue slacks and suit jacket. A darker green vest that is oddly complimentary to the deep blue. And a seafoam green shirt. The tie at his throat has fish on it. Fish. Tropical fish swimming in a blue-green sea. Only the topmost portion of the tie can really be seen, and just a hint of a fish, but that hint is enough to know that they're /there/.

He had arrived half an hour early at the Magic Box, and had gone up the stairs, with a mug of tea in one hand and a newspaper in the other hand. He's sitting, currently, in the small library there, relaxing in one of the chairs next to the railing. The mug of tea is being sipped as Willow enters, the newspaper being read while he enjoys his tea.

He doesn't even look up from the newspaper as his voice drifts from the balcony above. "You're late." There's no condemnation in that British accent. There's only the truth of the observation, and a very subtle thread of amusement.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow *jumps* - in part for being late and caught out, and in part Rupert Giles was home!!

"Eeee--ooooh! Giles! Your home!" To heck with her self appointed chores, this was a cause for celebration. "When did you get back here?"

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles may well have expected this sort of reaction. It is Willow, afterall. Giles sips his tea and then places it down on the table next to his newspaper. He turns and leans on the rail so he can be seen more clearly below. And so he can see the redhead below as well. "It was late. In the middle of the night. Flight was delayed."

Giles doesn't stay that way for long. Instead, he straightens, rises to his feet, and makes his way to the step-ladder and down. He is, as might be expected, wearing polished dark brown shoes. He looks well. His dark hair holds no more grey than it had before he'd gone back to England. His blue eyes hold the same spark of intelligence and humor that they always do.

"I trust things have been well here? No buildings burnt down?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Now she beams.. well a little bit. She is still a little guilty over showing up late!

"We had to let the one girl go. She forgot to lock up the store.." More than once. "And we were robbed.. but only a little bit!' Willow didn't want him to be worried. "It was slow over the winter, as usual. But on the weekend, the first day of spring, I think we had four people in a row. It's picking up."

"Other than that?" Willow shakes her head.

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles does not seem to really be upset over the fact that the stop was late to open by half an hour. Afterall, he'd been here and if any customers had shown up, he would have gone ahead and opened up. The request, information? Brings Giles to raise one brow. "More than once, if I am guessing correctly," he says, his tone so dry it could catch fire from a single spark. The other brow comes up to match the first. "Robbed. What was taken?"

The knowledge of the spring bringing more customers, and the winter being slow, is not really a surprise, so Giles nods. "Nothing unusual other than that? What about things I would deem.. interesting?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow winces. "She forgot to lock up a couple of times. Usually Buffy was in the basement and was able to put things as they should have been." She didn't know Buffy was in the store; Buffy rarely used the front door. "It wasn't much. Just a ha-ha could I have done worse?"

As for things interesting..

"I gifted a friend a.. Well, remember the drawer full of odds and ends that we don't know what to do with, but don't feel like we can toss them out? I remembered an old painting brush that I was certain was Chinese. It was.. if I was wrong, I'll make it up out of my paycheque." Not that it is huge.

Rupert Giles has posed:
"Wasn't much," repeats Giles, tone just as dry as before. "At least Buffy was able to put things right." He sighs, a resigned sound. He doesn't seem to be overly upset. Nor even greatly concerned about it. The cause had already been dealt with. He seems to think enough is said about that and doesn't comment further on it.

However, the brush that is mentioned... At first, Giles' expression goes blank. But then when Willow mentions that the brush was Chinese... Giles reaches up a hand to rub his forehead. "That brush.." He stops, as though not entirely certain just /how/ to go on.

"That brush was a piece I brought from the British Museum with me. How do you propose to make it up? It was priceless." He lowers his hand and opens his eyes to look at Willow, expression entirely serious.

Wait. Did his lips just twitch?

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"But.." Willow was floored. It was in that drawer for ages.. wasn't it?

Now she's not sure.

"I could get it back?" Drats. She would have to explain to Zhao, and get him a newer brush."I'm so sorry..I was like fate when I remembered it. Like it jumped into my hand. I'm so sorry, Giles." And she looks it too.

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles manages to keep a straight face for a few seconds longer.. and then his lips really do twitch. Upward, into a warm, amused smile. He waves a hand. "I'm not being serious," he says, his tone holding the same amusement as it had earlier when he was on the balcony. "Really. It was nothing more than an old calligraphy brush. Neh... I believe it had the hanzi for 'hope' on it. Or something such. Maybe it was 'peace'." Giles pauses, eyes distant with thoughts. "'Prosperity?' No, that wasn't it. I'm certain it was 'hope'. Maybe it was 'beauty'." He shakes his head and looks back to Willow.

He? Looks entirely unrepentant that he'd tricked Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hope." Willow is certain about that. "Don't let your past colour your future. It meant something to Zhao."

She pauses and *looks* at him. He was joking, right? Right?? "So I was ok to gift him that?" Just to make sure.

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles thinks about this, and then turns to move quickly toward the step ladder, expression thoughtful. He climbs up to the library and looks over the shelves before pulling a mid thickness, brown leather-bound book from one of them. He flips the book open and thumbs through the pages until he comes to the one he wants.

"Ah. Was it, 'Do not anxiously hope for that which is not yet to come. Do not vainly regret what is already past.'?"

Book still in hand, he flips it closed with his finger tucked into that set of pages. He grabs his tea, and then comes to the ground floor again.

"Yes, Ms Rosenberg. You were okay to gift him that. While it was old, it wasn't worth more than sentimental value to someone. I doubt anybody would have willingly bought the thing. Come to think of it, the rest of the set might be somewhere in my house." In one of the numerous boxes of things he gets for the store. Read, junk, for the most part.

The book is sat on the counter, and flipped open, the poem he'd recited pointed out. There's more to it, and it's not a very happy piece at all. Then again, most such poetry is full of loss and regret, or pining for a missing love.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow cants her head to one side. "I wonder why the calligraphy brush became loose from the rest? I still think it's fate. Well, kinda. I don't really believe in fate. I mean the usual sorta fate. You know, like the Greek goddesses in the stories." She thinks, and reads the rest of the poem. "Do you think something rules our fates? Because I'd like to believe we have control over our life. Things can happen at the right time, but only if we allow it? Does that make sense?"

She seems to be wrangling with a thought.

"This is a sad poem, and yet, it brought happiness to my friend."

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles has to actually think about that for a few moments, a few breaths. Then he gets that look like when something has been remembered. "Ah. Someone was interested, but just in the one. So I brought that one in and that was the end of it." Clearly, he never remembered to either take that one back to its set, nor bring the set to join it in the shop.

Giles can't help a chuckle at Willow's ramblings. "If you believe in fate, you believe in fat." He considers the question, and then shrugs both shoulders. "I think for the most part, we control our own lives. I don't think it's written out in advance for us." He nods. "That does make sense, yes."

Giles nods about the poem. "Chinese poets. They tend toward the melancholy. Usually beautiful, but often sad. I think I've heard more sad Chinese poetry than happy." He leaves the book where it is so Willow can read through it if she wants. This book is such that it has the poem in Chinese, and then English. "I will see if I can find it in the next few days when I'm home and think about it."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I think it gave him hope. Maybe not for all times, but at that second." Willow allows herself to touch the book, on the Chinese side. "Like fat, huh? I think it's more like you yourself aren't predestined, but in any particular moment you have two choices." Or several! "But once you have decided the other choices fall away. You have to work to bring them back, if at all."

She smiles when he mentions looking for the rest of the set. "That would be wonderful!"

Rupert Giles has posed:
As Giles hadn't seen the event in question, he really cannot say what emotions there were at the time. But he can't help a smile for Willow. He sobers, then, and shakes his head to her words. "Not really. Even if you've decided, those other choices are still there. It's only after you act on one of them that the others become invalid. But, at that point, new choices appear."

He thinks about those brushes, the set of them. "I think... it's in the basement. A vaguely remember seeing the other brushes in their protective bags hanging on their stand there."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers yawns a bit as she opens the door from the basement workout room, having decided to get in some training before some afternoon classes at college.

Still dressed in her green yoga pants, white tanktop and matching green track jacket, she's got a towel wrapped around her neck and is sipping from a bottle of water as she steps into the main lobby of the Magic Box.

She spots Willow first, and hey, that's Giles! Buffy breaks out into a smile as she steps towards them both. "Hey Will, Giles~! When did you get back? It's been forever!"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow blinks and listens to him repeat what she said (she thought; she just skipped a few steps!). She was going to say something when Buffy showed up.

"Oh, Hi Buffy.." Apparently everyone was early today except Willow? "If you could please look, Giles, I would be in your debt. Oh! I could bring you cookies?"

(She would bring them anyways.)

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles reaches for his tea and leans a hip against the counter as he sips the still hot beverage. "Buffy," he greets, apparently unperturbed at her appearance from downstairs. "Last night. My flight was late so I called a cab. It has been forever, but I'm back for awhile at least, now."

His blue eyes shift from Buffy to Willow and there's a smile there around the edges. "You bring me cookies anyway," he points out. "But yes, I will look. If I don't forget, I'll look later today. Will that work?" He sounds more amused than anything else.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers grins at Willow. "Heh Willow, how's it going? Ooh did you bring cookies?" her eyes light up. Because she always brings cookies. Her hazel eyes shift towards Giles next, smirking. "Welcome back, Giles. It's good to see you again..Not that things went to hell while you were gone..Actually.."

Buffy chuckles and shrugs, "I guess..A lot of crazy stuff happens, but that's pretty par for the course." Where does she even start with all the craziness?

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Rats? She'd been found out!

Willow giggles. "You found me out!"

And when Buffy mentions the possibility of cookies, she has to shake her head. "I was late for my shift. Sorry." Otherwise she might have brought some for the customers, seeing she didn't know that Giles was back. "Maybe next time?" Maybe.

Rupert Giles has posed:
As it is revealed that things did /not/ go to hell in his absence, Giles raises one dark eyebrow. "If nothing went to hell, then what /did/ happen?" His tone is dry. It's almost as though he simply knows something noteworthy happened. He has to nod about crazy stuff, though. "Ineed. Crazy stuff tends to happen around here quite frequently. Nothing was destroyed though? No innocents died?"

"There's always time for cookies next time. Or one of us can go get some." There's a thought. He lets out a long suffering sigh. "Now I want cookies."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, wriggling her brows at Willow. "Alright. Next time. I'm counting on you, don't let me down!" she teases. To Giles, Buffy just shrugs and sighs.

"Okay, when I said 'nothing went to hell' what I *really* meant was, 'things went to hell repeatedly but we still managed to save the day!'" she draws a deep breath as she tries to remember the last time he was in town.

"Okay let's see..Brian went back to England shortly after you left. I'm surprised you didn't pass each other or something. Um. There was this secret group of vamps trying to take over the city but we dealt with them..I got bodyswapped with a vamp who tried to sacrifice me to a demon-worshipping cult, Dawn got kidnapped several times and became a total klepto, thanks in part to Spike who left town and now hangs out with a cat loving socialite in Gotham..Someone stole a chumash shield which we still haven't located, there is now a god of fear, and a creepy ghost guy out to kill all my supernatural friends..Oh and I'm dating a vam--err..Interesting guy.."

Maybe not the best time to mention she's dating yet *another* vampire, even if he's not of the blood-sucking variety.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Ok, Willow did have two cookies wrapped in cellophane (bad Willow! not very earth conscious). Her face immediately showed her guilt. "I guess you can have one, and Buffy have the other?" And immediately began to look in her satchel.

She quiets, as Buffy takes the conversation to what has been going on.

Rupert Giles has posed:
"Ah," says Giles, nodding with the word. "That is as I had expected. Hell, but saved." He nods about Brian, and then shakes his head. There was apparently no passing. He listens to each thing in turn, from secret group of vamps, to Buffy bodyswapped, to dawn kidnappings and apparent thievery? To the shield, the god of fear, and a creepy ghost guy. "You're dating another vampire?" Sorry, Buffy. He caught that slip.

Rupert Giles then backtracks a little bit. "Wait. Chumash shield? And it hasn't been found?" He rubs his forehead and mumbles under his breath. "Oh my. This could be bad." Apparently, the shield is more important than yet more vamp dating!

His attention turns to Willow, and he reaches out to rest his hand on her shoulder if he's allowed. "Those are your cookies, Willow. I appreciate the offer, but I'm not taking your cookies." Afterall, there are bakeries in the greater New York area, right?

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow still feels guilty, despites what Giles says. The cookies sit in her hand. "O.. kay?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers bites her lip, looking a bit guilty. "Um...Kinda? I mean, at least he's not the bloodsucking variety, and yeah, he *does* have a soul, so that's a good thing..Right?" yeah..Buffy's just a freak who's only attracted to vampires, and surrounds herself with vamps, werewolves, witches and zombies. Yes, zombies!

"Right, we never found it, although I have my suspicions about who stole it. Some superpowered feline ex of Spike's. I've searched high and low for her, but no luck so far. And I did some research on that shield, if it's damaged or the charms are broken, it could unleash some pretty dangerous spirits.." she shivers, "As if we don't have enough trouble with a vengeful ghost traipsing around town, out to hunt my friends.."

When Willow offers the last of her cookies, Buffy shakes her head. "It's okay Wil, I mean, that's pretty generous and all, but you only have two left, you should keep 'em for yourself. Besides.." she steps towards the candy jar on the counter and pops a scotch mint in her mouth. "This'll get me through til lunch at least."

Rupert Giles has posed:
Rupert Giles snorts a laugh. "Good thing, sure." He doesn't sound entirely convinced! He lowers his hand and glances over to Willow. He lifts his tea cup. "I have my tea. I promise, I won't die of hunger for awhile yet." The tone is gentle. He lifts said tea and drinks another sip of it.

Back to Buffy, he nods. "What vengeful ghost? You are right. We don't need dangerous, and probably also vengeful, spirits on top of that. Explain the vengeful ghost. What friends is it hunting?" He hasn't moved from his spot leaned against the counter, seeming to be perfectly comfortable there.

His eyes do go back to Willow. "What about you? Researching anything interesting lately?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had to admit she wasn't making a lot of progress - with school, two jobs, Justice League monitor on weekends, and the Scoobies when they called.. "I gave everybody a special amulet for Solstice day.. They were celebrating Christmas. It's supposed to protect them for a tiny bit of time from.. well.. anything."

As for Hellequin..

"The vengeful spirit is after me." Too bad she did not make one of those amulets for herself! Well a one time chance.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods. "Right! I still have mine, i've been lucky so far and managed to get out of many scrapes without it. But yeah, it should come in handy with this crazy hell clown running around.."

"Right, calls himself 'Hellequin', claims to be working as the hand of God or something, hunting down only evil creatures, but he sure has a twisted sense of good and evil. Tried to kill Willow, promised he'd come for Angel next. Probably Spike and Thomas too. I need to warn them..And uh, Zombie-girl too.."

she yawns a bit, and has been pretty busy herself. "well, I gotta head to school soon but, maybe you can find something on this hellequin guy? There's gotta be a way I can harm him.." Because y'know, Buff is all about the kicky punchy, and would prefer to leave the research up to Giles and Willow if she can.

Rupert Giles has posed:
"That's a good amulet to give. Thank you, Willow." Giles blinks at the confession of the vengeful spirit. "That is not good. Why is a vengeful spirit after you?" He pauses to glance to Buffy as she fills some in. He looks thoughtful as he listens. He nods. "I'll do some research." Giles straightens from his lean now, and steps away from the counter. "I'm going home to see if I can find anything useful in my library there. Be careful," he says, fixing his blue eyes on each of the two women in turn. He turns then, and heads to the back of the shop to gather his jacket and head out into the alley behind the store.