14369/Aren't you..

Aren't you..
Date of Scene:	09 May 2022
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Willow finds a friend at the Magic Box.
Cast of Characters:	Willow Rosenberg, Wiccan

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Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had taken - again - the extra shift that was supposed be taken by the daytime shift. No go. It was her birthday, and she had booked the whole week off. The whole week!! And seeing as Buffy was up to it, and the other girls had exams.. it came to Willow to work.

Good thing she was able to flex her other job. And the rest.. well, she would make do. She had to!

Today was boooooring. In fact she'd finished her final essay, and looked for mistakes this morning. The rest of the day was free. Otherwise known as clean up the shelves. Boooring.

Okay, occasionally a book flipped open - like now - and caught her attention..

Wiccan has posed:
Upon his return from nearly two years abroad, Billy wanted to make sure that some of his favorite haunts were still around. It's important to know that, in this crazy world, some things remain constant...like a favorite coffee shop, book shops, and 'The Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway. Since he lived, albeit briefly, in Sunnydale while in College, he knew a few lesser-known places he could portal to without being too noticed...hopefully. If any do see, they'd notice a rather normal-looking 20-something male stepping out of a blueish-sparkly glowy portal wearing jeans and a hoodie over a 'Hufflepuff' t-shirt. The portal closes to nothing behind him even as he walk at an easy pace towards the bookstore that he hopes is still there.

Upon seeing that it is, he steps in with a big smile and looks around, letting out a happy and relieved sigh. "Yay, the shop is still here!" is said aloud...maybe to himself, maybe to the one other person seemingly in the shop.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
At first Willow was buried in the book, sitting on the floor between aisles as she was.

"I should borrow this book. I never noticed that before.. hrm.." It was a small book, easily looked over, but it talked about using your hands in one particular chapter. "Giles wouldn't mi.. oh."

*blush*

Here was a customer listening to her planning on stealing a book! Not that Giles would mind - he always did the same!

"Hi? Can I help you?"

This isn't the book your looking for.. move along.. move along..

Wiccan has posed:
Did he notice? Eh. None of his business, really, as long as the shop isn't going to close! Billy gives a little startle when he's greeted...from the floor. "Oh! Sorry! I'm just so happy you guys are still here! I'm sorry if you were busy...I don't think I have anything in particular I'm looking for, but may just look around." There's a smile though, as he moves to look at some crystals in one of the cases. "Are we allowed to pick these up and hold them?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Are you kidding!" Willow's eyes light up. "We would love you to. Too many people just pick out the pretty ones. Or the most popular ones. Please! Get to know your stones first. And don't be disappointed if your stone isn't there!"

Willow helped herself up off the floor, and dusts her bottom off. "I'm Willow, by the way. This is a good friend of mine's store. Right now he is over in England. Normally I only word in the evenings, usually Thursday and Fridays, and sometimes the weekends.. and you don't care." Blush. "Sorry."

"Can you tell me what type you're looking for?"

Wiccan has posed:
Billy grins at the answer, "Excellent! I mean, I'm guessing they've sort of been handled, so I realize there's going to be something residual, but I canusually get past that." He then blinks a little and flushes, "Don't know if you care about that..." although since she seems to understand that it's more about the looks of the crystals, maybe?

At the introduction, he offers a hand, "Billy Kaplan. I feel like I met a Willow like...years ago. It's a distinctive name..." but he does grin when she mentions when she works. "Good to know! I've been out of the country for a while and just got back, so...it's been a while since I've been out this way." But right, she asks what type he might be looking for.

"Maybe something for grounding."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Willow," she repeats. "Willow Rosenburg." She grins. "I know. Blasphemy! At least if you asked my mother! Oh gosh - please don't tell my mother!!"

She already had to erase her mother's memory when she was going to burn Willow at the stake for being a witch.

"Let's see.." Willow looked over the stones. "Most people run to the clear quartz. It's fine for the everyday things that most people want grounding for. Hrm.." She shakes her head. And she looks over the stones, turning back, constantly, at the black onyx. "I don't know why, but this one keeps calling out to you."

Wiccan has posed:
Now that's a name he definitely recognizes. "Do you know an Ariel Schwartz? Her Bat Mitzvah was on Long Island?" Because that seems to ring a bell somehow. "Tell your mother what? That you work here? I mean, wouldn't she be happy that you have a job? I know that's what mine is bugging me about. Luckily, I managed to steer her away from ever mentioning Law School to me."

Looking back at the crystals, he shakes his head at the mention of Clear Quartz, "Not for grounding. Good for channeling, but not what I'm looking for. I have plenty for channeling right now." The onyx, however, gets his attention when it's pointed out. "That's more like it. May I?" he reaches to pick up the stone.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Ariel Schwartz! I remember her. She's married. Did you know that? My parents were gung ho that I should finish my schooling. The only thing that they weren't happy about was how I turned down the west coast scholarships and decided that Gotham U was where I wanted to go."

With her SATs she could have gone anywhere she wanted. But Buffy went to Gotham U, in order to keep an eye on Sunnyvale, so Willow followed.

"You're lucky! Sammuel Abrams wasn't so lucky!. My mother told his mother that he would make a good accountant." The way she shook her head says it was not a good match.

"Please!" Willow ushers him on. "They are open to the public to try. And when I get the time I flush them of anything untoward."

Wiccan has posed:
Billy's eyes widen, "Married? She's our age, right?" Married at 23? No. Just no. "My parents like that I'm going to Grad School, but...I dunno." He shrugs, "Well, my parents know I don't want to do what either of them do. But they've been supportive so far, so I guess I can't really complain." But then he grins, "It's good to see you again, Willow Rosenberg, after thirteen years. I remember mostly hanging out by the dessert table until the dancing started. I think my mom made me go even though I didn't really want to."

"So, Gotham U? How do you like it? I was over at Columbia and will be going back for Grad School..." unless something changes before the new semester starts at the end of the Summer.

Tilting his head as she mentions flushing the crystals when she can, he also smiles, "So you -do- know. Excellent." He has no qualms reaching out to take the onyx then, holding it in both hands for a moment and closing his eyes. A few deep breaths are taken as he seeks to ground himself, right then and there, in the magic shop, to see if the stone will help.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I know, right. Married. I think she has a son!?" More shaking of Willow's head. "I really don't hang out with them. Not since grade seven? And only because my parents insisted. They were glad I didn't stay with the old crowd though. When I showed my interest in schooling beyond highschool they kinda were glad and made me study more."

"Gotham U is alright I guess. I think if things were different and I could start it over again, I would probably go to UCLA or somesuch. Someplace that I could carry on Mathematics and Computer Science. I have to decide where I will get my post graduate degrees though. Columbia you say? Is it good?"

Is it closer??

"Of course I do! D'uh. Though no one else does. Well.." She scrunches up her nose.

Wiccan has posed:
He stays with his eyes closed for a few long moments, just taking in some deep breaths and letting his energies go into the earth...through the stone. Is it easier? Maybe. When he finally opens his eyes, they glow a bright blue for a moment before fading back to their usual brown. "Yeah, I think this one will work."

He then continues the conversation as if nothing weird happened, "A son? I can barely keep a plant alive, much less another human being. I mean, sometimes dinner is a bag of popcorn!" When asked abuot Columbia, he nods, "It's excellent and they have an amazing Computer Science and Math program. I mean, I was in the Humanities, but I knew people in the program. It's right in Manhattan, in the Upper West Side, so really easy to get around. Not -that- close to here, but there's a train, right?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I don't want a child. At least yet." To be thinking of a husband (or wife! Willow isn't picky as to the sex of her eventual partner) is something she can't wrap her head around. A son. "I hear you on the plants. I've started to grow cactuses. If they don't work, it's pet rock for me."

She nodded as he explained about Columbia. "A good Master's program?" It wasn't till final year that she decided out of her four majors what she wanted to really do. "I've only got a little bit of time to apply." If. She may have missed the deadline. Ooops?

She stands to the side to give him plenty of room. Weird.. Willow looks at him when he grounds himself, she crooks her head. "You know magic. I mean, real magic." Her eyes grow wider.

Wiccan has posed:
"Me neither. Haven't found the right partner, you know? And even then..." there are a lot of potential factors, one of which -is- the magic. Billy nods in regards to Columbia, "They pretty much have a good everything. They're technically 'Ivy League'. And I think you might be able to get in for the Second Semester if you apply now?" Maybe?

He hasn't let go of the onyx...not yet. Not while he tells it to get rid of any old and not-useful energies and to focus on him. At Willow's observation, he gives a bashful sort of shrug and smile, "Yeah. I do." There's an awkward pause before he offers, "I mean, you guys do too here, right? You know to cleanse the stones and have a bunch of items and books that...I mean, they're not New Agey."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow shakes her head. "Other than me? Not really, no. I mean, the bulk of our customers are pagans, and at that, are kinda new wave. That's why I have to flush the stones regularly. Giles knows lots of things about magic, but the real items for magic aren't usually out."

And he can see, by looking, everything around the bulk of the store was pretty much to catch the new wave fanatic. Not the real magicians. Now and then if you knew /what/ you are looking at.. then suddenly it opens up for actual magic. But even so, they waited for certain people to talk to.

Softly, "I work, sometimes, with the Justice League of America." Amongst others. She isn't sure what is happening with the Scoobie's. Besides, she feels nervous about talking about them. With Buffy having her problem, it's probably better to wait. But the JLA she felt confident about.

Sort of.

Wiccan has posed:
"Is any of the real magic stuff for sale? I don't know if there's anything I need or am specifically looking for, but something might call out to me?" Like the onyx stone that Billy is going to purchase. "I mean, I get it if it's pretty much mostly for your use...and...Giles..." he just repeats the name, since he doesn't know the man.

His eyes widen, however, when she mentions working with the Justice League, "You do? That is so amazing! I mean, I've met some people involved in various groups like that...I haven't been in one myself, but...wow! That must be so cool, working with them! Or the Avengers..." the Fanboy begins to show.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Sure! We are the Magic Box! Wouldn't it be strange to not sell magic things? Or worse, only magic things? Everyone would know 'there's the witches and warlocks over there!' They really don't like us around here. They've got old fashioned notions sometimes. I mean real witches. Magicians."

Willow looks at the book that she wanted to finish, and puts it on the shelf and signs.

"I really haven't done much for them in a while. I'm not really needed on all the adventures. But I was helpful in bringing Superman back from Apokolips!" When he mentions the Avengers, Willow has to nod. "They're so dark, compared to Superman and Wonder Woman!"

Wiccan has posed:
"Well, they -have- gotten a lot of negative press for the last 400 years. And I never liked the term 'Warlock' since, one, it's gender biased, and two, it presumes the darker magics," Billy admits, "But they also haven't cared to learn more. Typical, right? Anything that isn't understood completely has to be feared." Which Billy dislikes as well. "There are several of us in Manhattan. I even met Zatanna Zatara the other day! And I've met Doctor Strange, too."

He can't help but grin when she mentions what she's done to help with the JLA, "That is so amazing! I think I might pass out if I ever met Superman. Or Wonder Woman, even. And not all the Avengers are dark and moody, surely. Maybe it's part of the act?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I don't know? I haven't met one yet." Willow thinks. "Probably? I mean Superman is down to earth when you meet him. It was really scary getting him back! After all, everyone looks to him as a source of hope! Can you imagine the world losing him??"

She shudders.

She has to agree with him about witches and warlocks taking a bad rap. "It's all silly. And now with Paganism, even more people are confused. I find it would be better to proclaim I was a mutant rather than a magic user." But when he drops Zatanna's name her eyes go wider. "See, there's someone who is not afraid of who and what she is. I got a letter from Dr. Strange once. That's as close as I've gotten to someone like that."

Never mind that she once had classes with 'Tala'.

Wiccan has posed:
"I think technically, my Birth Mother is an Avenger." 'Birth' being not quite right, but...still kind of true. "But I've only really spoken with her once or twice. And yeah, that would be like losing Captain America. I can't imagine," Billy shakes his head at that.

"I sort of have no idea what I'd call myself. I mean, I do magic...but...there might be something innate and I do sort of come from Mutants. So...it's really complicated." He'll leave it at that. "Again, I think it's just something they don't understand. It's like...maybe they can understand mutants or aliens or Norse Gods, but magic? You can't 'science' that stuff, so it's something they can latch onto and claim that it's 'scary' or 'bad' because they just don't get it." He shrugs some but grins again when Zatanna is mentioned, "Right? Total goals."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Total goals!" Willow sighs. "My mother thinks witches are bad. So over half my life I've got to hide from her. Like, literally." She bites at her lips and decides. "My beste - the reason I went to Gotham U - is The Slayer. We kill, or send back, the things that haunt Sunnydale. It's on a node essentially. So everything I do revolves around my abilities. I can't even mention the things I have done for the JLA. It's all magic."

*le sighs*

"Technically, all magic users are linked to a bloodline. I mean, we're not all related, but it's kinda a mutancy of its own. If you can do both.. wow!" She wait a minute, and then asks him, "Who was your birth mom?"

Wiccan has posed:
Billy realizes a little too late that maybe he's not supposed to talk about his birth mom in relation to himself. "Uhm. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say. It's really weird," understatement. "Are we? Linked to a bloodline? Like...how? This is the first I'm hearing of this. It's not a Salem witch thing since my birth family is recently from Europe..." but there were 'witches' there too!

Families are always complicated. "My parents don't know. My adopted ones. As long as I can keep them knowing, the better. I don't know how they'd feel about it, but I'm guessing not great."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow catches his worry. Quickly she smiles, "Don't worry. It's none of my business." And she changes the topic.

"My mother found out, and it wasn't good. Like it really wasn't good. I.. I had to erase her memory kind of bad. Now we talk about school. Where will I go to next. Food. The weather." She laughs quietly. "She doesn't approve of where I have gone to for school. She doesn't approve of my veganism. Doesn't approve of my sexual partners. The usual."

Wiccan has posed:
Wiccan's eyes widen when Willow mentions that she had to erase her mothers' memory. "Whoa...oh...wow. I mean, yikes." He continues to wince when she mentions that her mother doesn't seem to approve of anything. "What's wrong with Gotham U? And what's wrong with being a vegan? I'm sorry." There's a slow, one-shouldered shrug, "My parents are ok with who I've dated. I've been really lucky that they basically outed me before I could out myself to them and they've been really supportive and open."

Would they be so with his magic? Who knows? "I'll probably have to tell them about the magic someday. I'm sort of putting it off as long as possible."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Nothing's wrong with it.. except with my SAT's I had offers from the best schools in America. With Scholarships." Full ride scholarships. "Even Oxford in England. And I couldn't say the real reason, other than my friend staying here, because this was the only university that she got into." Willow shrugs. "Now.. I don't know where to go next."

When he brings up his parents, and his sexual preference, she grins. "Lucky. Not that I am afraid of outing myself to my parents." After all, she was open about it with her friends. "I'm bisexual. Right now I don't know if I'm dating anyone."

Yet she is wistful. "I wish I could tell my parents. But they're so blinded about the real world."

Wiccan has posed:
"Ohhhhhhh," Billy nods, "Gotcha. Well, Columbia might mollify them some? I mean, it -is- an Ivy League school...and apparently undergraduate degrees don't really matter anymore anyhow. I bet that would get them off your case with that, if you decided to take that route. And I'd be there, I mean, it's a big school, but you can say you know someone. And there's active LGBTQIA+ activism and pretty sure there's at least one Pagan club. I think I went to it and...well, they're sort of like the crystal displays here. They like that sort of stuff, but don't really go into actual magic. More...self-manifestation stuff."

He can't help but grin a little, "You don't know -if- you're dating? So it's sort of a 'are we friends or more' sort of thing?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"He's been busy for a long time now. I have been afraid to ask him. It happens." Willow makes a face.

As he goes on about Columbia she gets very interested. "It's not as good as MIT, but.." The more she hears about it, the more she likes it! "It sounds perfect, actually! Say how you like to have supper sometime?"

Wiccan has posed:
Billy points out, "It's not as -narrowly-focused- as MIT. And MIT isn't Ivy League. Most people don't really know or care that it was a football designation, but now it's apparently 'the best'...even though, football." But he grins, "Pretty much every department there is excellent. Lorenzo Da Ponte, the guy who wrote operas with -Mozart- was the first Professor of Italian there." As if that's important.

But in terms of the dating thing, "You should ask. Then you won't be wondering, right?" The offer for dinner gets a confused look for a moment, but he then shrugs, "Ok, sure!"