14637/A very unique present

A very unique present
Date of Scene:	16 December 2022
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Clint finds the perfect gift for his girlfriend, thanks to Willow
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Barton), Willow Rosenberg

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Clint Barton has posed:
Months ago - or was it years ago? - Hawkeye had been invited - he would say, tricked - in joining one of Thor's quests in New Asgard. Aside from fighting off a bunch of creepy looking dwarfs - he also forgot what they are called, so dwarves they are - the Avenger can't recall anything of interest about this. Avengers missions are usually the kind of Oh My God We Need to Save the World Again - but that one was definitely not of this kind. So memories of it went down the memory drain. For the most part, as the archer brought back a few mementos in the form of very nice looking and colorful stones.

So since /the season/ is yet coming closer everyday, and that nothing the archer could think of would make a nice present for Skye, Clint Barton decided to pocket the stones and head for the Magic Box. The archer is hopeful that Willow can certainly add a little magic touch - literally - to one of the stones, which would make for a very special gift. After all, how many Humans can claim to wear an Asgardian pendant?

As he enters the Magic Box, Clint narrows his eyes, quickly looking around. Excellent, the store is mostly empty.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
As it would happen, Friday afternoons were one of the days when Willow looked after the store. Well *occasional* Fridays. But seeing as it was the season for merriment and good cheer (Christmas for rest of you) she gladly took the whole month of December's Fridays to help out. But today her helper had to go and get her snow tires on before the worst dump of snow of the year, so she was working alone.

Probably just as well, all things considered.

She'd just finish straightening the books that had just been pawed through by a customer, when the doorbell jingled. Turning with a smile on her face, she was about to give greetings, when she noticed she had met him before. "Hi! Long time, no see. Let me guess, a spell to make your arrows hit true?"

Willow grins at her joke.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint Barton smiles back at Willow - it is always nice to deal with humans and not with megalomaniac narcissistic geniuses, gods from whatever pantheon, cyborgs, or space invaders.

"Willow! It's nice to see you, how are you doing?"

The archer walks in, toward the large wooden table by the bookshelves and leans against it, a smile on his face. Yes, it's good to be with normal people.

"You look great, I hope the business is also doing well."

As he speaks, Clint reaches for his coat pocket, making sure he does have the stones with him. And making a mental note that he forgot to bring pastries. Blah.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow beams even more at Clint's greeting. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

And then she answered his question about the store. "Well, our number one time of year is Halloween." Samhain. Ahem. "But we do brisk sales for Christmas. Lots of candles. Books. Stones. Knick-knacks. It's weird. People think that it is creepy or evil at Halloween, and yet, at Christmastime we sell the same things, and everyone wants to buy them." Of course, regular people are not included in the bulk of the customers. Because.

"What brings you here?" She makes her way to the cash register where there is plenty of room to relax - it being a desk, with room enough on both sides for a chair, if needed. "Bring up a chair and sit if you would like?"

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint follows Willow to the counter, finding a wooden chair nearby on which he sits down.

"Ah yes, Halloween, what a creepy time. With all the lunatics feeling like they can rule the world, at least for one night. And kids, kids unhappy with bite-sized chocolate bars." Another mental note: next year, go with the normal sized chocolate bars to avoid dirty looks from kids. Blah.

Once seated, Clint grabs the small velvet pouch from his vest pocket, placing it on the counter between them.

"This, Willow, is rarer than Pope's shit." As he speaks, Clint unties the pouch, revealing six small stones, more like pebbles in a variety of colors, green, blue, yellow, red and there's even one purple. The colors are rather faint, more like shades of true colors. Placed under a bright light, they seem to sparkle from bits of quartz inlaid in them.

"These, Willow, I brought back from New Asgard, last time Thor dragged us sorry lot for yet another of his quests to become Odin, hrm, or to find him, or to kill him. See if I care. Anyway, they are very rare."

The archer leans back against the chair, letting Willow admire the stones.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Actually. Everyone is unique. Therefore, everyone's poop is unique. Did you think of that? All of us produce unique poops."

Two things about Willow:

Sometimes the whole can't be seen by her, rather than the sum of the parts. Like this. Very matter of fact.

And..

Willow doesn't swear. At all. She will talk around the curse word: sugar! heck! drats! poop! but not the word itself.

"Oooo!" Immediately, Willow looks at the stones. With her mage sight to see if they were evil. Because, just because they were pretty, doesn't mean they can't /also/ be evil. "What.. where did you find them in particular?" She doesn't touch them.. yet.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Oh yeah, very unique poop," Clint replies, grinning, "But yeah, they are nice, aren't they? Got them not far from the New Bifrost, in New Asgard. Shit, they should try to be more original with their toponomy, seriously. Anyway, they are all over the place, so I thought, what the heck, a handful less of them, no one will notice."

As he speaks, Clint leans forward to look at the pebbles more closely.

"Got them months ago, kept them at the Mansion. Jarvis didn't notice anything fishy about them, so I guess they are just what they seem, nice pebbles."

That said, Clint leans back again, adding, "I'd like to have one made into some pendant, or something, y'know."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow listens to his story, and nods. "But, why me? Wouldn't you rather use a jewelsmith?" Unless there was something about the stones that would make them harder to form as a pendant..

Then her eyes went wide! "You mean like a lucky charm?"

Clint Barton has posed:
A large grin appears on Clint's face, almost like the Cheshire cat.

"Exactly! Well, my girlfriend doesn't really need anything. Heck, she has me, what else could she want?" The archer laughs at that, "But seriously, I want something special for her, as special as she is. So yes, I thought the stones are nice, but they would be even better if there could be some addition, a protection charm or something."

On that, the archer thinks for a moment, before adding, "I'm not into magic and all that jazz, but hey, who doesn't need extra protection?" Beat. "And no, don't answer /anyone that is close to you Hawkeye/

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hee!" Willow giggles. "I had forgotten that you were like this. You superheroes have big egos!" Mind you she forgets that some of them do not. Even more so, as a member of the Justice League of America, Willow was, technically, a superhero too.

"I can see what I can do before Christmas. How close can I push it? And tell me about her, so that I can make it like the Pope's poo - did I use that correctly?"

Clint Barton has posed:
Laughing at that for a moment, Clint fakes being hurt, "Ego? Qui, moi? When was the last time you chatted with Thor, or Stark? Those are egos on an intergalactical level."

But Willow's second question elicits a more serious answer. And reflexion.

"I know I'm last minute, so whenever you can, really. It will be unique and rare, like the Pope's poo, yes, by the stones themselves. Maybe just a good-luck charm, or an engraving on one of them, would be nice. I just don't know which one, which color. Of course, purple would be my choice, but this isn't about me. I know she hates pink - see how smart she is."

Then the archer pauses, thinking for a moment. What to say about his girlfriend?

"She's strong, resilient, incredibly smart. Night howl. She knows everything computer or internet related, which is why a computer wasn't an option for a gift. Anything motherly related is also a definite no-no." Beat. "Or fatherly related even. Oh and yes, she loves sex, but again, who wouldn't with me as a partner?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow thinks she has an idea. "How about.."

"You are braver than you believe,
stronger than you seem,
and smarter than you think."


She waits for his reaction, before explaining it. "I could mark it magically in binary code on one stone, so that she would always know what you thought of her, without anyone knowing about it."

Willow was also a computer genius. Clint had inadvertently brought the stones to the person who could make this happen. The binary code.

Clint Barton has posed:
The idea of such words coming from him, seemingly puzzles the archer for a moment. He's no romantic, no mushy guy. His own notion of being extra romantic is to have a candle on the diner table, and maybe have it lit. What Willow suggested sounds like a poem, and well, the archer isn't the poetic kind. All his ex-s, not living in Texas, could vouch for it.

But again, this is not about him, but about his girlfriend. It's true that she seems to feel insecure at times, while he's certain she can always do the impossible, and did many times. But since he's no shrink either, Clint never thought too much about it.

But again, what Willow suggested would be perfect. As a reminder that his girlfriend should never doubt herself, of her abilities and inner resources.

With a nod, Clint can't but admit that Willow has a very good suggestion. "I love your suggestion! Could you add /Never doubt yourself/? With that, all that remains is to pick the right color. I'm partial to purple, but would green be best?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Yours is much better than mine! Would you like to record your voice saying that as well?" Willow likes his idea! "Green, or purple. I'd say purple if it reminds her of you." She begins setting out the idea in her head. And it wouldn't be very hard for her to do. Definitely before Christmas!

Clint Barton has posed:
A recording? That would be even better! Ah, what a great idea he had to drop by and talk to Willow. The more he thinks about it, the more Clint thinks the gift will be perfect.

"Recording. And then, she could hear it by, hrm, I dunno how, but I'm sure you do know. And I trust you on that detail."

That said, the archer remains silent for a moment, thinking of what to say. Of course, what they came up with so far is excellent, but at the back of his head, another version is emerging.

"What do you think of this, a kind of one-liner to say it all." He then clears his voice and says, "Always believe in yourself, as I always believe in you."

Right, so there is an once of romantism in the archer it seems.

"But if the first version is best, I'm fine."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Perfect." Willow really thinks his idea is better by far. It's more in tune with him. "Your version speaks from your heart. And sounds like you. I'll engrave it in binary for the off and on switch, so to speak. And the best part of it will be your voice! Le sigh."

Willow was a romantic. and live for these kinds of things. Now if she could find a partner for herself? That would be even better!

"Leave me the stone, and come back in three days, after supper." When she will be working again.