14330/Just Another Thursday

Just Another Thursday
Date of Scene:	20 April 2022
Location:	The Bronze, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Alexander and Buffy catch up a bit while learning fun new facts. Oh god.
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Buffy Summers

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Phobos has posed:
    "I'm gonna become the old guy that hangs out with the high schoolers." Alexander says as he sits in The Bronze, expression a little sour and his eyes narrowed as he drinks his...
    A look down at his glass as his brow furrows. Ginger ale? Sprite? What did he order?
    Shaking his head he casts his gaze across the room, resting his chin in his hand and looking a touch sour. For some people that would be enough of a warning sign. To see a distinct 'leave me alone' expression on someone's face while they're nursing a drink and yet being out amongst people? That's often bad news. Or someone dealing with their own bit of bad news. But some people don't know how to read a room.
    Champagne Sielan had become something of a celebrity at Sunnydale high ever since she survived an attack of some assailant by apparently kicking them in the bajongles. They were never found but she made a big social media splash with it and her 'brave' story. And now that she's out of the shadow of that old woman Cordelia Chase since she's in college now... well, it was her time to shine.
    "I'm going to go talk to him."
    "Is that a good idea, Champagne?" Sally Hughes said as they both sat at the table surrounded by friends.
    "Sure, what's the harm?"
    "He looks like he's in a bad mood."
    "Well yeah, he's a bad boy. That's his thing."
    "I don't know, I've seen him before, he was like... smiley and happy."
    "You don't know shit, Sally, watch this."
    And with that Champagne rolled on up out of her seat and adjusts her jacket, smoothed her hair, then strolled on over.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Having just finished off a trio of vamps in an alleyway not far from the Bronze, and rescuing a young woman who had just come from that club, the one and only--but not really cause there were two--Slayer knew she should go by there. Just to be sure there were no more of them.

She slipped in the door and glanced around. Getting a feel for the room. It wasn't a crowd she hung out wiht anymore, being they were far below her in age now. Far. It was just a few years but to her it seemed a lifetime.

She started to work her way through the crowd, waiting for that telltale alert that would tell her something Other was in the room. Then she felt it. Continuing her slow circuit of the room and slowing as she got close to the bar.

Where a very grumpy Alexander was present. And there seemed to be a girl approaching him. She took up a spot next to Alexander at an empty seat, hiding a smile as she waited to see this.

Phobos has posed:
    The young Olympian had no way of sensing the Other beyond a few small ways that mirrored his niche in the celestial pantheons. Often something connected to his family would cause an itch or a tingle, which Buffy caused neither. Though the approach of Champagne did manage to rub him the wrong way almost instantly when the High School Senior piped up as she drew near.
    "So you a perv or something hanging out with all the high school kids?" She said that in the playful way some people have, aggressively teasing to set someone off their footing so their next words are received perhaps with a hint of relief.
    Only the answer she got was a look up, furrowed brow, narrowed eyes. Hazel irises tightening and with his jaw hinging to the side he grimaces then says, "Yup."
    Which then has Champagne giving her trademark, 'I'm with a boy and he's so funny' laugh. "Hahahaha. Can I get you a drink?"
    Which gets the answer as he takes a deep breath, "Not interested."
    "Oh come on..." She starts to say.
    Which is the moment there's a slight silvery flare around Alexander's eyes. Just for a fraction of a second then gone. Blink and one would miss it. But enough to cause Champagne to freeze mid-word...
    And suddenly she turns around and makes a hasty retreat back to her friends' table, stumbling briefly into the side of another chair and apologizing distractedly to the person they thumped into.
    Sally lifted her head, "Chammy? You okay?"
    "What? Yes. Of... of course? Why wouldn't I be. Shut up." As frosty silence settled on their social group.
    Which left Alexander there to grimace again at himself and rub his eyes.

Buffy Summers has posed:
He would hear the giggle first. If he didn't look over immediately since a giggle is a giggle, he would then hear a familiar voice. "She really thought accusing you of being a perv was a good pickup line? I mean, I'm no the brightest bulb in the nightlight but even I know that's not a good opening."

And should he look, there was Buffy on the stool two spaces down. There was an empty one between them. She'd left it just in case he'd proven her wrong and had invited the high school girl with the annoying laugh to sit down with him. She paused a moment to order a Coke then turned back to Alexander and scooted over to the empty seat at his side.

"I need that....thing." She wiggled her finger at his face, indicating his eyes. "Saying 'Hi I'm Buffy, I'm the Slayer' does not get the intimidation factor it truly deserves."

Phobos has posed:
    "It's called negging." Alexander explains sidelong toward Buffy then he elaborates, "Like if I came up to you and said, 'Wow you're super cute. I mean, you know, for a total retard.'"
    Which has him breaking a slight smirk as he pulls his drink closer and taking a sip. "Totally works for me, see?" Which might be a bit of an exaggeration. Though his brow furrows, "Seriously though, we need a better place for all the... you know, you Sunnydale people to hang out at. I feel so ollllld here." Which, to be fair, he is. Not older than the bartenders though, nor than some of the people who wander by. But for the general crowd... fo sho.
    "Also you totally don't get my thing. This is my thing. It has saved so many lives. It is the penicillin of my bad moods." Saving lives... but at what cost!

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Ohhh. So it brings you joy and happiness and all those good things. And that means you won't be glaring at me for talking to you," Buffy decides as she accepts her drink, sliding a few bills over to the 'bar'tender. Then she turns her attention fully on Alexander. "There's a couple of places. Actually serve alcohol. Over near the college. Being from out of town, I can understand you not knowing about them. We'll fix that if you like." She glanced out at the younger crowd. "Makes me feel old being here. And I'm not even close to being old! I mean I have a long time before I'm 30."

She sipped her drink then looked him over. "So why are you grumpy and what do we need to do to fix it? Want to go hunting with me and stake something? Or just stay here scaring away people that hit on you?"

Phobos has posed:
    Digging into the pocket of his jacket he seems to be pulling out some money. A twenty is left on the bar top though he doesn't seem to be getting up yet, though that does display... he likely intends to soon. Though once that's done he turns his attention back to her, "Yah but I feel like this place is where I'm more likely to run into someone I know."
    Though that has his nose crinkling a little. "Then again I could use that thing they call a cellphone and like, actually contact people." His expression slips toward a smirk, "But then people might start thinking I like them or want their company. And I can't have that. Need to maintain my mystique."
    He gives a nod to her and says, "Though a walk might be better. Since yeah if we stay here we might get crushed by all the women throwing themselves at me." Perhaps a little self-deprecating there. A smidge.
    "I'll tell you once we're rambling." That said he slides off his seat, but waits for her to take another sip of her drink, though he just paid for it.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Which has Buffy pulling her drink over, drawing the straw into her mouth, and proceeding to drink the thing down in several long draws of liquid. Until she finally turns and pauses, putting a hand to her forehead. "Oh shit, brain freeze. What fixes that?! Oh yeah!" And she pushes her tongue to the roof of her mouth since she's been told that was the fix.

Yet it didn't seem to be working. She does start for the door, apparently figuring he will do the same. Then partway there, she speaks. Only she doesn't remove her tongue from the roof of her mouth so it doesn't really come across clearly. "I came in oo ook or vamps. Nuttin ere." And when she realizes how useless that is, she sighs and gives up on the cure. "I had ran into vamps outside earlier so I doubt there are any still around but we'll go my usual route."

Phobos has posed:
    "You shouldn't repeat routes," Alexander offers his own insight, "Should hit the same points if they're important points, but should come at them from different angles so you don't become predictable and ambushable." Which has him nodding sagely as they wend their way through the crowd in the Bronze. Though once they reach the door and he holds it open he asks, "Is 'ambushable' a word?"
    Then it's out onto the street and the chill of the night, hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. He waits for Buffy just long enough so they can set out together before he says sidelong, "So have you had any movement on that memory thing?" He strolls along, moving past the crowd of people. A few glances are sent their way, eyes lingering on her and him.
    "It's a bit weird interacting with you like we have this shared frame of reference, when we kinda don't? Ya know?" An easy way of explaining the strangeness of what's passed for her and why it might be a little troubling.
    "Did you have a chance to catch up with your boy?" Another question aimed toward her. And perhaps signs that he's not immediately inclined to talk about what had his own mood rather sour. Or at the least, sour enough to send poor Champagne packing.

Buffy Summers has posed:
If she noted the lack of answer, Buffy didn't let on. Sometimes people just didn't want to get into it. Sometimes people did. Considering they were practically strangers now, it made sense not to want to open up. At least in her mind.

She turned to head down the street then they would take a left at the next corner, moving away from any sort of population. At mention of her memory, she'd made a little face. At mention of her boyfriend? That face got worse.

"No on any ideas about the memory yet. Talked to Giles and he's looking into possible spells and things that might cause it. Being what I am, he figures it would have to be a doozy of a spell if that's the case. I did manage to talk him into staying where he is since we do have those wonderful cell phones and computers to allow us to reach each other." Perhaps a little dig at Alex's own words from earlier.

"I met Thomas. He seems..okay? Not familiar. I got the feeling he genuinely cared for me. But I explained I needed space. He wants to have dinner so we may do that but then he wanted it to be at his place instead and I wasn't comfortable with that. I mean, I know he isn't human. But I don't know everything he can do with his powers and I didn't feel okay just going to the place we used to live together and pretend like everything was hunky-dory."

Phobos has posed:
    A slight twitch of his lips is seen, then he offers. "You should have Giles chaperone." The dinner with Thomas even as he strolls along, hands in his pockets and his gait steady. Though after a moment he seems to realize that he's moving a little faster than normal so eases into a casual step, slowing down just a touch.
    Then his smile broadens a little, "Or I could come along, could have it at Denny's. They make good eggs." And then he gives a nod as if coming away with a true win for strategy about relationships. Which, however, has his thoughts wending their way back around to other things.
    Until finally... he answers one of her initial questions. "I'm feeling a little sharp since my significant other is away." He looks down the street and then seems to settle more into Buffy's wake, letting her lead the way since it's her path to take. "Farther than normal." A pause then he adds, "I think. So it's a new thing. Has me stressed, which is... a thing I rarely feel. So I'm dealing with that."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"I don't want Giles to feel like he has to run back over here just cause I'm having a situation. I'm a grown up." Which sounds like a child insisting that fact by her tone. Or as if she's not really sure if she's right. "I can adult. I am all about adulting."

She grins at the idea of Denny's. "He wanted to do this dinner at his place with all my favorite foods and wine. I don't even like wine. It taste like bad grape juice." Which has her pursing her lips. "I guess that is what it is though huh?" Then a shake of the head. "Anyway! I asked him to send my stuff to my Mom's house and that we would do dinner somewhere public when the time comes. I haven't even gone to the club he owns where I apparently work. Worked. Cause no. I am looking for a job now," she adds.

When they fall silent and he provides input into his situation, she gives him a sympathetic look. "That has to be rough. But she'll be back. And then you have your reunion and everything is all better. Absence and fondness something or other."

Phobos has posed:
    "Ehn, it's more just... alien." A look at her sidelong is give, "I don't really feel fear. I think it manifests differently in me. Like anger? I'm angry at the situation, and if something happened to her I'd respond with a lot of anger I think." Which has him tilting his head to the side as he chews his lower lip. "Never figured I'd have to worry about this sort of thing but here we are."
    And as he elaborates that little bit then he just lets it drop as he shifts gears instantly, focusing on her issues. "As for your boy..."
    He tilts his head to the side, "Worked at his club, doing what?" And the way she mentioned wine and her not knowing he has it brings him to say. "You know, I mean..."
    A hand lifts slightly and then uncurls to the side, "I know like nothing other than what you've told me and what little I've interacted with the guy. Which, yah, he was quiet. Very shy it seemed." Then he shakes his head, "But if you told me there was some sort of mind shenanigans going on with someone, and that a 'friendly' seductive demon thing was hanging out too and everyone sort of just accepted him..."
    He tilts his head to the side, "I'd sorta be leaning toward the whole... oh obviously it's the mental manipulator castin' spellz on people."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Huh." That was in regards to the situation with his girlfriend. And not feeling fear. Being the god of that emotion, it sort of made sense. She was still filling (refilling?) in the blanks about him after all. "I wouldn't think it would make you angry but I guess if you can't feel fear, it sort of fits it would be channeled into some other emotion? And that emotion is focusing on if something goes wrong instead of if something goes right. I don't know how you can change that viewpoint really," she says apologetically.

They reach one of the graveyards and she turns automatically to stroll down the main path. It just seemed idle wandering unless someone knew who what she was. "Bouncer I think? Maybe bartender. I didn't really ask him directly. I found out from other people." Maybe she should've asked but since going there to try to work seemed odd considering the circumstances, she would stick with option A of finding a new job. Thankfully her mother had let her crash on the couch for the time being. As her old room was otherwise occupied with storage.

"I don't know about that. It is something Willow and I wondered about that first night. If something could've been done to me. But if he had manipulated me, why stop now? I lived with him, worked with him, even had his promise ring apparently." There is no such ring visible on her left hand now. "If it worked for years, it makes no sense to stop now. Then the other side would be maybe he didn't want to be with me anymore so erase my memory. But if that was the case, he wouldn't come to me and pretend he knew me. He'd just let me go on with my life."

She shrugged a little and paused, glance off between headstones. When she realized it was just a stray cat moving there, she continued their walk. "So the possibility of a spell is real but I don't think Thomas would be behind it. Just doesn't add up."

Phobos has posed:
    "So something may have changed..." Alexander looks thoughtful as she advances the possibilities and the details that may have happened. It's enough to get the gears grinding in his mind as he considers the possibility. Shaking his head after a time, "Hard to know for sure."
    He tucks his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket, still looking a bit pensive. "Could be a third party for sure, but perhaps something of their magic interfered with the established magic. The existence of new magic doesn't rule out that there may have been old magic in play."
    Tilting his head to the side he looks at her askance, "Just if you tell me there was an explosion at a factory and the guy who was working that night has a history with the IRA and was a bomb specialist in the military then..."
    His hand gestures again to the side, "Well, I'm gonna look at that guy first."

Buffy Summers has posed:
That had her brow furrowing up as she considered. If there was some sort of spell involved and another spell interfered, could it break the spell and have a side effect? "Maybe."

And with that, she sort of dropped that. Because she wasn't sure she wanted to think about it. "My gut says he didn't do it. Hopefully between Willow and Giles, we can find out if there was magic at all. If there was, then we figure things out after the fact. I do need to learn more about these White Court vampires. He explained some but I need to know how to fight them if it comes down to that type of thing."

Phobos has posed:
    "Seems to be a lot of different kind of vampires," Alexander comments as they walk, strolling along the walk and lifting his head to look down the street. Nothing beyond a few couples strolling, a car rolling down the street now and again. No clouds in the sky for now though with the large cities so near few stars as well.
    "So enough about your stupid problems, back to me." He says with a wry half-smirk, glancing to see if he got one out of her as he says that. "See, that's negging too." There, she has been given more insight.
    "But yeah, I need to stop going to the Bronze while sort of half-looking for you people but not like 'actually' looking. Since I don't have a habit of asking people to hang out. That seems weird." Which really shouldn't be, since he has had friends in the past, but perhaps not quite in the same way. "I more sort of float along and let people invite me to things."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Yeah. Emotional vampires. Lust specific apparently." That is just too much to even start digging into. So she shifts.

"Negging." Buffy considered then shook her head. "Why does that feel like a bad word? I'm going to have to google this later cause I think you are making it up. You just want me to start saying it and embarassing myself. I'm on to your games."

They make it out the other side and turn onto the next roadway. This time she heads to the left. Still at a leisurely strol for her pace. Thankfully he had slowed his own down. "Consider yourself always invited. Simpler that way. All the formality stuff is lost on us." Like calling and arranging things ahead of time or the like. "The only reason to call is to figure out where we are at to meet up. Now Willow is harder to catch between classes and work and everything else she does but she's always up to hang when she can. I just have some classes but not a lot of them. Seems that is something else that changed in the last few years."

She glances as a few cars pass then looks over to her companion again. "So what's it like being a god?"

Phobos has posed:
    "Different," He answers her as he walks. At first he had been lost mulling over her answers as she spoke to him. Though he did sort of grin at her conclusion about negging and nodded a little bit that indeed he might have been having her on for a time.
    Yet what draws him back into the conversation at the end is asking him what it was like being... divine. "I wasn't always. I was... semi-normal until I was ten." A look at her sideways as they walk, his head tilting as if to say silently 'it's complicated'. Though he does continue, "Then there was some craziness, and when I came out of it on the other side I was Phobos."
    He works his lower lip thoughtfully while he strolls, reaching the edge of one of those small dog parks that gave just enough grass and a handful of trees for dawgs to do their business and meet other dawgs. He pauses to lean against one of those waist high brick walls that is used partially as a planter as well.
    "So I remembered what it was like to feel fear then. I remember what it was like to feel weak and small. My dad made sure I knew how to take care of myself even at that age, but when we came back. It was different." Then he lifts a hand slightly and touches his brow, "And now and again I would have the voices of other beings who were Fear. Or Phobos. Squawking in my head."
    Which has him holding up a hand, "And I know, I know. Could be I'm just going crazy right?" He tilts his head to the side, crinkling his nose a little. "I thought that too, since a lot had happened by that point. Only I found out they knew things only they could know so it's not insanity. So hey, small favors."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"So you were taught to fight and stuff since you could walk basically?" She had the feeling that was right. Being son of Ares, she didn't imagine he was coddled and given a safe place when he was upset. It would be a man that was the embodiment of war trying to figure out how to raise a child to the best of his ability. There was no doubt John loved him. She'd met the man. He wasn't as terrifying as one would think by his other name. Yet, in battle? He was frightening to behold. Thankfully, they'd been on the same side.

Outside the jacket incident.

"At least you had a head start to it all. Some sort of idea since you knew what your father was. It didn't come out of the blue like a lightning bolt."

She leaned against the wall herself for ease of conversation. "I was normal. Like normal normal. Human. Went to school, was a cheerleader, was more worried about my status in the school than in what I might want to do with my life someday." She glanced off toward the park but her mind wasn't there. "I was fifteen when I was approached by my first Watcher. When he told me what I was, I asked if Elvis talked to him cause obviously he was mental."

Phobos has posed:
    The response is first just a nod, then he tips his head to the side slightly and adds, "Yeah, for a time I had no idea that was any different. When I started going to school I was all, 'so hey, what knives and guns do you guys like the best?' and I got sent home immediately."
    "I learned best not to tell people how many seconds it takes for a person to bleed out if you cut their femoral artery. You know, kindergarten things." Which shows perhaps he wasn't entirely at ease with knowing what his life was, knowing that it was atypical, but then it did go a long way into preparing him for life.
    Which is when he says, "Then again, if I didn't have that upbringing... you know maybe Natasha wouldn't find me quite as compelling? So I should probably thank him." And for his ability to handle himself.
    But then she relates her own way of handling and dealing with things which has him smiling. "You know, since I met you, part of me wondered what you were like back in high school when you were insufferable." His lips twist wryly, "Since I know you likely were. I'd just be amused to see. I'll be sure to ask all your friends when I see them."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"If you ever met Cordelia, that's what I was like. Course, you tell anyone I said that--especially her--I'll kill you." Said in that teasing way of friends, not an actual death threat. She didn't kill friends. As long as they didn't try to kill her first, of course. Even if they did, she still would try to find some other way. But would she be able to make the tough call if she didn't find another way? Not something she wanted to think about.

"But I was self absorbed in every sense of the word. Dating the hot football player. Shopping at the mall. Talking down to people like I was so much better than them." She shook her head a little. "I can't recognize that in myself anymore after coming here, meeting Willow and Xander. Giles is the best watcher I could've gotten."

She glances over to him. "I didn't think about that. Must've been a mix of you were the cool kid who knew the stuff and the weirdo who knew the stuff. I see why you tried to hide it. But that can't have been easy."

Phobos has posed:
    "But!" He says as if to cut off that line of inquiry, he instead redirects it in another approach by telling her, "Other than that, it's..." He lifts his chin a little, "A sense of arrogance I suppose? Like I feel like no matter what happens I can handle it in some form."
    He nibbles on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully then adds, "Like I know there are things out there that I probably wouldn't be able to, but I feel sort of like I will. Or Fate will step in. But Fate also can just mess with you if it feels like it. But I didn't have that confidence I suppose. Though that could have come from events maybe. Just feels like a different way of the world."
    Then he scritches his chin in reflection, "Beyond that... being a god means you have a shitty family that likes to mess with you." Another pause, "Being a god also means that weird things are going to happen to you and you just start to accept it."
    A slight smirk is given to her as she might realize then that she was one of those weird things. "And being a god means if someone gets you to say 'Oh God' under a moment of intensity or duress then it means something."
    Which, for some reason, has him half-smirking.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"First. No."

Buffy pushes up from the wall and puts out that Stop signal in the form of a palm held in his direction, like a cop directing traffic or a Supreme wanting to reiterate the words to their song with a hand motion. "Second. Ew. And No. Third, I do not need to hear about any of your intense moments thankyouverymuch. We are not that good of friends." Then she pauses. "Or I don't think we are. Are we?"

Then a rapid negative shake of her head. "Doesn't matter. I guess I can see it under duress like if someone is in a fight or something but not sure it would matter if they don't know you are a god and thus they are sort of talking to you or maybe not you but someone else that they believe in and..."

She pauses. Takes a breath. Continues. "And lastly. I am not weird."

Phobos has posed:
    "Oh /that's/ what you fixate on? Look here Buffyface, there were no connotations in that comment save for the ones you carried with you. And lemme tell you now, you sidled up to it with your own luggage cart." Which has him smirking right back.
    He laughs then shakes his head as he looks away, "But I /mean/," The young Olympian says as he remains leaning against the wall, his hands spread behind him to hold him upright as he murmurs. "That when you are told you're a god over and over, those small phrases and things take on significance. Like I still say things like, 'aww jeez,' just since it's so ingrained. Or I'll catch myself uttering a prayer of 'please god make them shut up!' forgetting that... well yeah. So you see it takes on added significance. Whenever it pops up I have to check myself."
    Then he makes a face, "Also since Zeus has popped up at times to say, 'Yes, you called?' and that's never fun."

Buffy Summers has posed:
She refused to be embarassed. But that was where her brain initially went when considering people calling out 'oh god' randomly. She had thought he was going to say it was easier than remembering a name so yes, she'd gone right into that gutter. "Fine fine." She waved a hand since he was right. She did that. Not him. But she still was going to blame him so it didn't matter anyway.

The idea of saying god enter statement here and his relative popping into the living room had her giggling. Until she looked at his face. "You're serious?! Oh my go--" Nope. She stopped before she said that word and her eyes went wide. "It's everywhere," she whispered suddenly. Thinking about the many times a person might use that word and think nothing of it. "So on top of having to watch your tongue, you have them showing up like for holidays and things too? Although you said to mess with you."

Phobos has posed:
    "Yeah, and to be fair we celebrate Christmas, since my dad didn't want me to miss out. Though he also said it was originally because of him that the holiday even exists which..." Shaking his head, Alexander makes a face, "I have no idea if it's true or not. Then again ultimately he thinks everything is about him."
    Which might amuse various and sundry people considering how self-centered Alexander has been considered at times.
    "But yeah," A nod is given, "I have had..." Shaking his head slowly, "Uncles, grandparents, cousins, aunts, all show up randomly and almost always after I've said something like that or been thinking it. Then again that might be my own thing. So there, that's why you be careful and why saying 'oh god' has more significance."
    He waves a hand to the side as he looks away.
    Then a glance back, his cheeks color slightly, and finally his honesty forces him to admit. "And ok, the sex thing too. Shut up."

Buffy Summers has posed:
She was going to have to pay closer attention. The good news? She likely had used it a lot in her life. She had never had a god just randomly appear to answer it. So not being in the family likely had her safe from his situation.

To think of Olympians just randomly appearing because of a muttered phrase or even a thought? It was kind of horrifying.

But when he shifted and added that final, she burst out laughing. "I knew it! Acting all high and mighty with me! Oh go..." Nope, she managed to stop again. "Your girl must be a saint. Cause if one of you were to say that word and then one of your family members show up when you're... y'know. Nope. Don't think about it. Don't want to know. I'm going to continue patrolling and you are welcome to tag along if you promise to drop this subject."