15007/This Job Sucks

This Job Sucks
Date of Scene:	28 April 2023
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Willow and Buffy have a plan of action.
Cast of Characters:	Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg

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Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy had a problem.

Perhaps that was an understatement considering she was the Slayer. But in this case, she had a very specific problem. She was not great at holding down jobs because she often had to go out and be a hero. This job was the best one because Giles was far more understanding if she had to shut down the shop suddenly to go take on a nest of vampires or the like.

Only, this job was not her calling in an emotional or mental way. In other words, she went through the motions but often was bored to death.

Being one of those days, she was sitting at the counter, a magazine out in front of her as she flipped pages without actually reading. At least it had nice pictures. It was one of those women's magazines with lots of fashion and perfume ads.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow *sighed* as she walked in. "Nobody told me about marking the exams. I mean I didn't have to in the first semester." Probably because she was an add-on - going where she was needed. But this second semester she has her own class to be in charge of. "Ugh."

Before sitting down she smells what Buffy is reading, and giggles. "You? And women's magazines? The perfumes are intermingling, and smell.. uh.. uh..you know."

Terrible. To put a fine point in it.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Like crap? I think that's the word you are looking for." Which was still more tame than some of the others in their crew might use. Willow was the sweet one, verbally speaking. Buffy a step up from her. Then it just went all the way up to full Faith.

Spike and Giles were there own category as they thought words were bad that weren't and said others in a weird way. And seemed to think other words were okay to say when they certainly were not!

"We don't have anything else to read." Nevermind that wall of books over there on various magic topics. "And I found this under the counter. Do you think it belongs to Giles?" Which had her giggling at the image of the oh-so-proper Giles reading it.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Terrible, I would put it, but I guess cr.. cr.. poo-poo is probably another word." Apparently, 'crap' was too profane for Willow. (Though poo-poo wasn't!) "Why don't you read.."

And then she stopped.

There were magic books - both 'how to get him to love me' kind of books (the biggest sellers). And then there were the kind the Willow pored over. Piles and piles of them. To Willow the phrase 'We don't have anything to read' doesn't compute. Still, she tried.

"You could always surf the net. You know, like TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. Those things! Don't you feel.. dirty after you read the articles?" Because they are so NOT Buffy. Thinking a bit, she nods. "Giles. Hands down. Why? Have you heard from him?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Read the articles?"

And in that instant. Willow would learn that Buffy was not reading anything. She might have said there was nothing to read but she had used the term loosely. Because it amounted to there was nothing she could flip through and see pretty pictures. Not that she couldn't read! Buffy was intelligent, helped with research. She just...didn't do it unless she needed to.

At mention of the options outside reading, she wrinkled her nose. "Broke my phone. I need to pick up a new one after work." Buffy didn't do expensive phones. Occupational hazard of they always got broken in fights.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Ohhhhhhh." Everything suddenly put it in its respective place and made sense. "Ewww. Poor you! You could deke out and buy some magazines? I think there is a new batch with things to stab people with?"

Hey, Willow tried to keep it on the new things. Mostly to hand them over to Buffy when the mail dropped them off. She didn't have cookies as a consolation prize. "Exams are ruining my vibe." Which is something that should surprise Buffy, coming out of Willow mouth.

Buffy Summers has posed:
That did catch Buffy's attention and she snapped her gaze into her bestie.

"Who are you and what have you done with Willow?" she asked in a teasing tone. Then she sobered and focused.

"Seriously. You never complain about exams. Unless they are too easy." Which had happened. The not enough challenge thing. "What's doing on, Will?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Putting her stack of textbooks down, before grabbing a chair, Willow frowned. "You know, I love my job. Love my schooling. Love helping students out. But I don't like failing them."

Ah! There's the rub.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Failing them? I'm sure you haven't failed them in any way! Willow, you're too good at teaching to be failing at your work."

Whoops. Buffy interpreted that very differently from how it was meant.

"You can't go thinking you aren't doing your job properly because I know you and that just isn't even possible." Then something sinks in and Buffy frowns. "Wait. Or do you mean you don't like giving them failing grades? Will! It's on them for not paying attention. You shouldn't feel bad about that!"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow gave a tiny nod when Buffy put two and two together, and comes up with four.

"I mean, I know here.." She taps at her head. "That the grades belong to them and them alone. But somewhere in my heart.." She taps her heart. "I just feel so bad for them." Which probably tells you how she dated a demon, and put herself between too many creatures to count, to give them one more chance. "It sucks."

Which in Willow 'speak' sounds like a curse word instead.

Buffy Summers has posed:
That is a very harsh word from Willow. Sucks. This was serious.

"All you can do is give them the tools, Will. Teach them the information and if they fail, that's that. They get what they work for. If I know you, you have the door open all the time to your office and are trying to tutor those who try? And they pass, don't they? We are not responsible for the choices of others."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I guess so.. Angel kissed me."

Which might be the REAL problem. Willow still wasn't sure if he meant it, or if it was a joke.

Buffy Summers has posed:
That was not expected. It sort of came completely out of the blue. And left Buffy staring at her for a moment. Then a moment more. Then followed by a slow blink.

It wasn't that she had any right to comment on what Angel did or did not do. It wasn't that she had a problem per se that he might be interested in Willow. It just...didn't seem like Angel.

She shook her head a moment and tried to refocus. "Is that...a good thing?" she asked Willow carefully.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I.. I don't know?" The unspoken word was 'yet'. "It didn't seem.. Angel *Angel*.. you know? It was almost like a play by play. I mean, it was partly my fault for agreeing for the date. But sometimes people do strange things - especially with me. I kind of thought that we would have a moonlight picnic, and.. I don't know. Talk? Talk about you. I mean that's what most men really want when they say 'Come out Willow..' They really mean, 'Come and give me an edge on talking with Buffy so that she will pick me'."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy listened, closing the magazine and tucking it back under the desk where she found it. Without ever taking her eyes off of Willow. She waited through the story and then frowned at the end.

"That's not the truth, Willow. There's been plenty that talked to you without any interest in me. Nick, Alexander, Oz! It's not just people using you to get to me and if they do, then you should tell me so I can punch them in the face." She thought of Spike. "If I haven't already," she added.

But she had to consider this now, really think about it. "If Angel is interested in you, that's great. I don't mind it, if that's why you were worried about. But just...be careful? He can't find happiness. Not...true happiness. Or..you know."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow rolls her eyes. "For the most part. And none of them stayed in the end. Other than Oz.." Who she did have a convoluted relationship with. "When you returned, they stopped coming around. It's like said, you are the glue that holds everyone together, and you're not you.. sort of."

"Besides, I know Angel isn't a good match. I mean, for me. None of them really are. It's just using me to get at you that I have trouble with. If I haven't caught their eyes after how long?" Willow took a long hard stare at Buffy. "What do you think would have changed by now? I've started looking around."

And here her brows furrow. "Maybe I should go on a fast, only not from food. From relationships." She forgets that for a time she went out with Pietro. Or else she notices the difference between then and now.

Either way, she continues. "It was weird to say that least."

Of course she doesn't mention the mystery man that she met here. Once again, she somehow blew it.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"I think we both need to go on that fast. I don't really have a glowing history on relationships either," Buffy said. "The only one that was halfway healthy turned out to be cursed. Literally." A roll of the eyes. "Everything else has been not so good for me."

She leaned on the counter a bit, watching her bestie closely. "I don't think Angel is trying to get to me through you in this instance. But just not sure what to say."

A shake of the head and she gave a little body shimmy as she shook it all off. "We just need to join a convent. Become warrior nuns. I saw a movie about that!"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
A giggle escapes Willow. "I watched that too! Except didn't she have a boyfriend?"

More to the point, though, "Maybe it's who we are? We.. well.. I guess I could have a normal relationship - but I couldn't talk with them about the Scoobie. At least in the beginning. You, though. You are tied up with Fate. You'd have to turn your back on everything to have a normal kind of relationship."

Or live the life that spies do: Lying.

"You know? It's too bad that you didn't kick it off with Sam. Well, I guess Dean too. You two made a cute couple."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"I still think you should've been with Sam. You're so much alike. Maybe that's my problem with Dean though," Buffy says with another little shrug. "We were too much alike. Both sort of chosen ones dealing with monsters. Though Sam had that element too."

She propped her chin on her hand. "Eventually we'll both find someone. And if we don't, we always have each other. I mean, not romantically. You're cute and all but not my type." She winked playfully, just being silly. Since they both knew where they leaned romantically and they were just the best of friends.