13356/Raiders of the Magic Box

Raiders of the Magic Box
Date of Scene:	23 May 2021
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Spick nicks Giles' stuff. Willow helps.
Cast of Characters:	Spike, Willow Rosenberg

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Spike has posed:
Spike's coat was badly in need of repair, and since he didn't know any witches or wizards who seemed willing to help him, he was trying to take matters into his own hands. To that end, he snuck into the Magic Box in the middle of the night, and began looking for a possible solution. Trouble was, he didn't know what he was doing, so he had to turn on some lights, which could be seen from the street. He was smart enough not to turn on the overhead ones. But he had turned on a few reading lights as he looked through books. He was also considerate, not because he respected Giles or anything, but because he didn't want to make it obvious that anyone had been here, so when he does take a book or anything, which he later learns he doesn't need, he would do his best to put it back where he found it.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had spent the weekend with her parents, only they were getting on her nerves. Which is something new to her. Normally, she did anything and everything she could do to make them proud of her. In fact, she came over to announce that she got a actual real life job.. and then she realized.. she couldn't tell them about it.

Bummer.

Finally, tonight, she had enough and went out for a walk. A really long walk. She was just walking by the Magic Box, when she noticed a light one. Then two. And then three.

Curious.

She looked into the windows and at first couldn't see anything.. So she opened the front door (quietly!) - she had a key - and snuck into the store.

Spike has posed:
Spike was towards the back of the store, a pile of magic books open up, looking very much like an old fashioned Scooby research session, except this one was a one man show, or one vamp show. The problem with coming in through the front door, was no matter how quiet, it had that darned bell attached, so even if Spike were distracted by his research into missing the sound or scent of her arrival, that bell rung once the door was opened, alerting him to her presence. Looking across the store, Spike was seated, his coat draped over the cashier countertop. He stood up, "Oh, it's you..." he recognized her, then narrowed his eyes, "shouldn't you be in bed, and in Gotham?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Rats! Found out by the doorbell!

Willow blushed. "I could have silenced it you know." But before she could do that, she should have remembered it first. "Maybe I was just checking on you! And what are you doing here?" She neglects to say why she was here, even though he asked her first. "Shouldn't you be out on patrol with Buffy, or hanging around at a bar. Something like that?"

Spike has posed:
"Aw, you were worried about little old me?" Spike pretended that she actually meant to check on him, rather than checking on the disturbance at the Magic Box. "I'm touched." At the mention of patrol, "she doesn't want me patrolling right now. I'm still recovering from my injuries." And besides, every time they've been alone together of late, there has been drama. Lots of drama. "Say, you're a witch, and a damn good one, how are you with leather?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow's mouth opens and shuts. Where did he get the idea that she was checking up in him? Boggles.

But the bigger concern was his blatant (to her eyes at least) saying she was a great Witch. (Unless he only meant little w witch, which as a wiccan she was. See? Got it? Good.)

"Don't patronize me. Nobody thinks I'm good." At least, *that* good. As for leather.."I don't believe in wearing leather." D'uh. Vegan here. "Why?"

Spike has posed:
"Oh, come on, you're great at the magic stuff," yes, Spike was absolutely a novice with it, less than a novice. He knew it existed. He had seen it. He had actually helped with magical stuff, but more a, do this, in this order, with help, and it works. "How do you feel about others wearing leather?" He looked to his prized coat, which currently sat on the glass countertop, a hole in the back from when a piece of rebar was shoved through it, and him.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow crinkles up her nose. "I guess as long as you aren't getting new stuff, it's alright?" He would have to pick one of the few things she had conflicting issues about. And she knew how much he loved his leather.

She thought about it. "You know, it should be an easy repair." She'd never tried it. Heck, she put buttons on the old fashioned way. But in theory..

Spike has posed:
"I've had this coat for more than a quarter of a century," Spike explained. It was incredibly well made, and of immense sentimental value, not just because of who and how he obtained it, but all the memories over the last 26 years. "Call it an item of historical significance if it helps. Like a listed building. Bugger, they don't call it that here. Um, historical building perhaps?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had really a thing with fur, that was undeniable. But leather? On one hand, it was animal coats. Not good. But on the other hand, if they were going to eat them, shouldn't they use the coats too? The leather?

"Can I see it?" Really she wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she did know she had to look first.

Spike has posed:
"Of course," Spike said, and gestured with his hand to how he had strewn it over the glass countertop, hole in the back facing upwards. It wasn't that big, but it was a hole. Rebar had gone through it, Spike's back, and out the other side. It looked bad. A leather worker probably could patch it, and it was good that it was black, but it would always be noticeable. Matching 26 year old leather was going to be hard too. But magic, that was a different ball of wax. "Couldn't been worse, right?" He said, feeling sad about the state of his prized coat.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow picks his leather jacket up, and frowns. It wasn't huge, but it definitely was a hole.

"I wonder.." She fingered the hole, back side, and front. "If it could grow back.." And suddenly she had an idea. "See instead of sewing it, convince the edges to go back to their original places.."

And as she explains it, she convinces bit by bit the leather to 'grow' and merge with itself.

Spike has posed:
Spike watched, not really sure what she meant, but she was bringing his coat back to life, in a manner of speaking. "Growing leather, that's a new one on me. Do I have ta feed it a nice bit of grass every now and then?" He didn't mean to make light of it, as he watches it seem to close in on the hole, ever so slightly, bit by bit. "You are a cracking witch now, aren't ya." He was smiling.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It worked! It really worked!

Needless to say Willow was chuffed. Just a little bit to finish in the middle.. she took her time to finish and then it was done. The hole wasn't anymore. "I think it's done?" It was too simple.. wasn't it?

She held it out to him.

Spike has posed:
Spike accepted the coat held out to him, running his fingers over the hole, or where it had been. He couldn't tell a difference, even with his vampire sensitivity. He would again run his hands over the inside, feeling the opposite end. It was as if it had never had a hole in it. "Yeah, yeah! Thank you Will," and he leaned in, hugging her, he was so excited. Of course, when Spike rapidly embraces someone, they often scream. Hopefully that didn't happen. It was a quick hug, and he would slip it on after, "how do I look?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was embarrassed a little bit, but she was happy for him.

After his hug, she wondered, "We're good then?" She knew she couldn't stay mad at him. Especially when she knew that it really was none of her business. Buffy was a big girl. She had to trust her to make the right decisions, especially if she wanted the same in return.

Spike has posed:
"We've always been good for my part." He genuinely liked Willow. She wasn't irritating like Xander, she didn't look down upon him like Giles, she didn't joke about staking him, a rarity in the Scooby Gang, and she was just a nice person. If he didn't have the chip, he'd bite her in a minute and make her a vampire. She'd be great to have around for eternity. "Thanks for mending me coat." Of course, Spike still wanted to be with Buffy, and Willow didn't approve, so there was always going to be tension, unless of course she came to her senses and realized that Spike was the better demon.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow really didn't dislike Spike. She didn't dislike anyone. As for Buffy and Spike..

If Buffy was with Spike she would have defended just as vehemently as Buffy and Thomas. Buffy was her friend. Buffy loved Thomas. Ergo.. She felt sorry for Spike, she really did, but she had to stick up for Thomas.. even though there were some.. idiocracies.. in that pairing that Willow wasn't too fond of.

Besides, Spike held her secrets.

"I'm glad." And she smiles.