15135/Shiver down the Spine...of a spellbook.

Shiver down the Spine...of a spellbook.
Date of Scene:	24 May 2023
Location:	The Magic Box, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Petra and Satana visit the Magic Box where Buffy and Willow are working. Words are exchanged, magical minds meet and feel each other out.
Cast of Characters:	Satana, Petra Emreis, Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg

---

Satana has posed:
The last time Satana was in Sunnydale, the interest this shop generated in her marked it as a place she would return. So once again her Bugati Type 41 (Royale) makes the trip with her driver to the town, purring through the streets, driver in the open cockpit (despite the light drizzle) and Satana ensconced in the passenger compartment.

Strangely the driver is not getting wet. That's pretty odd.

Stopping in front of the shop, heedless of the no parking sign, the driver climbs out and opens the door for his latex-clad mistress who climbs out, looking intently at the shop.

"Yes..." she says to herself. "There are people trained in the craft inside yet. It wasn't a fluke encounter."

Ignoring the honking horns behind the behemoth vehicle, she steps to the shop door, entering while her driver stoically refuses to acknowledge the honking drivers who eventually tear around the car in frustration.

The Devil's Daughter graces the Magic Box with her presence once more. You lucky mortals.

Petra Emreis has posed:
She was back in the states! Petra Elen Emrei had been abroad about the world. Study? Hunting? Perhaps a well-needed vacation? Whatever it might be, the sorceress was headed into the Magic box a few moments after the Devil's daughter made her way in.

Well, she'd heard rumors of what -might- be the Watchers operating out of a place like this. Perhaps she'd find things more useful than itching powder and collapsable flowers!

Buffy Summers has posed:
As the little ding-ding of the bell announced customers, Buffy glanced up from her spot at the counter. She was sitting on a little stool there, an older tome of some sort on the counter in front of her as she passed the time. There were a couple of other customers in the store but they were doing their own thing, one in the book section and another over near a variety of candles.

She was wearing a lovely yellow dress today, very fitting for spring. Her hair was down around her shoulders and she gave a nod and a smile to those entering. Even as she gave them a quick evaluatory look which was her determining if they were here to rob her. Neither seemed to be so she went back to sitting there. Then remembered something Willow had told her recently.

"Welcome to the Magic Box. Let me know if you need any help." See! This customer service stuff was easy!

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow actually loved the rain. Spring rain washing the dirt from the snow away.. Thunder showers in August.. The bitterly driving rain in November..

It was almost packing up time, and Willow had stopped at the coffee shop around the corner to pick up two coffees and a bag of day-old donuts that they had put out before they closed up shop. Everything in Sunnyvale closed early - not like the heart of New York. Or even Gotham. Those towns were centres of commerce (or crime, pick your chose!).

But Sunnyvale was a nice, quiet suburb that the Scoobies worked their behinds off to keep it that way!

"Hey Buffy! I thought we could flip the sign to closed, and we could go home early.. Oh!" She stood at the door, half-open as she realized there were customers. All the while, the rain was spattering the open door.

Satana has posed:
"Good afternoon," Satana says with a smile as false as a stripper's chest. "I've come to browse your little shop. It isn't inconvenient is it?" She raises her arm and looks at her conspicuously bare wrist. "It must be close to closing time," she continues, smile widening as she regards Buffy once again. "But I did travel a long distance to get here. Could I be indulged a moment? You have so many fascinating things."

She looks down at her hand where a trashy "Wiccan" (for posers) charm that was behind the counter now rests.

"Do people actually believe this stuff works?" she asks, holding it aloft, just to make sure Buffy recognizes it and where it came from.

Beat.

"And does it? Work, I mean."

Now the guileless look on her face resembles the aforementioned stripper.

Satana has posed:
"Good afternoon," Satana says with a smile as false as a stripper's chest. "I've come to browse your little shop. It isn't inconvenient is it?" She raises her arm and looks at her conspicuously bare wrist. "It must be close to closing time," she continues, smile widening as she regards Buffy once again. "But I did travel a long distance to get here. Could I be indulged a moment? You have so many fascinating things."

She looks down at her hand where a trashy "Wiccan" (for posers) charm that was behind the counter now rests.

"Do people actually believe this stuff works?" she asks, holding it aloft, just to make sure Buffy recognizes it and where it came from.

Beat.

"And does it? Work, I mean."

Now the guileless look on her face resembles the aforementioned stripper.

Petra Emreis has posed:
A step through the door, Petra was cloaked in her usual public 'look' rather than the platinum haired, scarred and silver-eyed true form. A blink, her eyes moved over the room, Buffy and Williw before settling on the latex-wearing Satana.

"Have...I misinterpreted the name 'Magic Box'?"

Knowing her luck, this was going to be just like the Hellfire Club all over again!

Buffy Summers has posed:
When Satana seemed to actually want to be helped, Buffy hopped off the barstool and walked around the counter, putting on her customer-service smile. which was the one that looked friendly but the just had that dead inside sort of thing to them that showed their souls had already been sucked dry.

Imagine if she worked in actual retail and not a shop owned by her Watcher.

As Satana showed the charm, Buffy's smile disappeared. She glanced to the counter where the item had been then back to Satana. "Some people do, some people don't." All truth. "Please leave items behind the counter where they are until purchose though." Very polite.

A glance to Willow. "Thanks, Will. I think closing early is a good idea. Go ahead and turn the sign. So no one else comes in."

Then a smile to Petra. "Not sure what you interpreted it as. We're a retail shop that carries items for your occult needs."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
At least Willow remembers her polite voice. Her polite customer voice. (Ok -when- has she -ever- forgot her polite voice?)

To Petra she blinks, before shutting the door to keep the rain out. "I guess it would depend on what you were looking for?" Of course Buffy beat her, and considering that tonight is Buffy work night, Willow shut up.

Instead, she removes the donuts onto a plate. "I just bought these. They are still good - from this afternoon! Would you care to eat some?"

Satana has posed:
Satana closes her hand over the charm and opens it again, the charm disappearing. (Should any eyes go to where the charm originated from, yes, indeed, the charm is back over there.) "I'm terribly sorry. I'm not from around here; I'm from rather far away, in fact."

She lets that sit a pregnant pause until just before someone else is about to fill the awkward silence.

"Boston."

It's not a complete lie...

"Please don't let my thoughtlessness upset you. It always makes me unhappy when people are upset with me."

Petra gets a light smile, then narrowed eyes and an appraising glance, followed by a thoughtful nod. She opens her mouth as if to say something only...

Willow puts out the donuts.

"Oh, aren't you the darling one!" she says, smiling. "The offer is very kind, but this outfit is a cruel mistress." (As is the person wearing it.) "If I so much as look at one of those I'd probably split the seams!"

Don't put images in people's heads, Satana. It's rude.

"Besides, my favourite sin isn't gluttony." Three guesses what her favourite one is. The first two don't count.

Petra Emreis has posed:
Okay, not some boutique BDSM club...probably. Good.

Approached by Buffy and the comment between her and Satana earned a raised eyebrow from the sorceress before she turned her attention to being addressed, Willow backing up the comment. Alright, she'd see if they truely had what she was after!

Of all things, she produces a small folded piece of paper before offering out towards either Willow or Buffy.

"I have a list."

No dream catchers and knockoff crystals here, the list was useful...but it was also a test. Would the 'ingredients' be recognized, would either translate any possible uses? Or was the store simply a sham?

Certainly she was getting a -reek- of magic, that would suggest she was in the right place. Magic that wasn't even her own despite the simple spell to make her look more 'traditionally beautiful' and not 'Supernatural Sorceress'.

Of course, there was the problem that there was more than one 'flavour' in the air, and not all of them were 'Good'.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Donuts. That was a distraction that Buffy wanted to partake of but right now, all her warning bells--or the Slayer version of them--were going off. And had been since the two women entered. But which one it was? No idea. She would /guess/ Satana by her mannerisms but one should never count out all possibilities.

Giles would be so proud.

"Thank you," she said to Satana even as she took the list from Petra. Which she stared at. Then looked up and offered said list to Willow. "I have no idea what half of that is. Willow is our expert on these things," she added in an aside to Petra.

Then she looked back to Satana. "Not upset. Just appreciate you cooperating. Were you looking for something specific to purchase or just browsing?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Leaving the plate near the cash register, Willow turn all the blinds down, and sits the 'open' sign to 'closed'. "Don't worry, we're just finishing today a little early. Can we help you?"

The whole time she was looking at Buffy, and furrowing her brows. Closing early /with/ customers? Buffy wouldn't have cared if it was dead. But with customers? Was Buffy trying to alert Willow - without making a scene?

Willow looked over the two customers. Both of them were slightly odd.

Of course..

Satana reeked of magic. Positively reeked. And for some reason she reminded her of Tala. But not in a good way.. Though come to think of her lessons, the more she was around Satana.. the -more- Willow was aware of the likenesses. Which gave her a strange feeling:

~But Tala was good? And this lady talks like a not-so-very-good person.~ To be fair, Willow wasn't quite there to call Satana a demon. ~Tala was good!~ *A mental stomp.* ~She was!~ Or else Willow had been taking lessons from an evil person! And that wouldn't do

Quickly she peeks at Petra.

What are the odds? Two individuals coming at the same time? No way!

(The odds were very good. To bad the Willow didn't have a lotto for later tonight. She would have won!)

"Ahem. Buffy. Would you like some help?" Siddling up to her. "I am? I mean.. I am!" Flashing a smile.

Satana has posed:
"Well," Satana says to Buffy, eyes torn from the donuts, to regard the young woman with ... well, it's predatory, that face, but ... it's more than that. Her eyes seem to be measuring Buffy in all dimensions and bringing predatory satisfaction to her face before the eyes reach Buffy's and pin her there, as if she is staring deep into Buffy's soul.

Which seems that way because she likely is.

"So many interesting people..." she murmurs. "This shop seems to never disappoint."

Shaking her head she says in a louder voice, "Well I always hold out hope for heart of the basilisk ..." The magically sensitive will feel SOMETHING stir--and it's absolutely NOT from the side of weal--when she says that. "... but actually imbued amulets and trinkets are always interesting. Herb packages with belladonna picked under a blood moon would be nice, if you've got it? I'm always up for a pearl necklace..." She looks over the women. "...but this isn't the crowd."

She winks with a wide grin.

"Oh, and tomes of demonology, especially those purporting to have the True Names of ..."

"... You know, I might have one of those donuts after all if the offer is still open?" She turns to the plate and grabs one, taking a little nibble.

"Yes, these are still quite capable of leading souls to damnation."

She says that final word with such joy!

Petra Emreis has posed:
Who was the dangerous one? The woman in latex? The Dark haired woman in a leather jacket and dark jeans asking for occult items? Honestly? Well it was very much anyone's guess. Of course, Satana's predatory look and outright request into demonology doesn't really pass unnoticed...but it wasn't inherrently sinister on its own. After all, she'd been in single digits of age when that had been her enforced bedtime reading.

Still, stealing donuts? Truely evil. Clearly.

Whatever Petra was? It wasn't a demon, but that wasn't particularly helpful as the list of obscure items and random from a 'Canary's feather' to essence of violet to an obscure petrified root. Not exactly just popular passing Wicca.

"I was hoping you might help me find as many of these things as you can...but if you'd like to help..." she pauses, gesturing to Satana first as she didn't know her name yet.

"She did arrive before me."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Demonology. That's..." And she frowned a little as she considered. "Can't say we probably have the level of book you are wanting. And honestly? Probably for the best. Some things people shouldn't dabble with."

Because it always made more work for Buffy. Though at least sometimes the pictures of them in the books was 'actual size' and that worked out when she had to go kill the things later. Just a stomp of a boot heel instead of a big brawl and a soak in epson salt bath later.

The list was given to Willow so she could help Petra properly. As she handed over the list, there was a moment of eye contact between Buffy and Willow. A moment of nothing yet everything. A glance to each of the two customers that had just entered then back to Willow. The silent message that there was indeed something up here. She just didn't know what.

As the other customer who had been browsing walked toward the door, Buffy quickly moved over to open the door to let them out before closing and locking it again. After a quick, "Have a great day. Try to stay dry." Which is when she saw the car. The car that was not the norm for this neighorhood. Or town. Really, was that normal anywhere?!

Then back to Satana as she shook her head. "I know we have belladonna. Not sure if it was picked under a blood moon," she added as she tossed another glance to Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow nodded as Satana read down her 'list'. "We don't carry.. we could attempt to.." Nodding - filing it away. Then..

*blink blink*

That's odd.

"What would you use a pearl necklace for? We don't carry those here." The 'pearl necklace' joke went over her head.

As for Petra..

"Some of those things we would have to look out for." And some things Willow doubted they could find - at least not easily. "You know we don't generally have new customers! It's very strange." Was it a full moon? Some oddball religious ceremony? "What do you need? We might as well get your list too."

Wait a minute!

"Uhm," She turns around to Satana and *stares* at her. "*What* are you going to do with a book such as that." Notice, she didn't say that they didn't have it. (Even though the really old books were Giles', and lived in his library upstairs under lock and keys!) "Not a lot of people ask for such particular books." Although Satanna could have been more precise if she'd wanted. Much more precise.

Out of the four women, Willow was beginning to realize that she was outclassed.

Satana has posed:
"It's oh so exhausting to control demons with raw power," Satana opines after another nibble of the donut and some sounds of satisfaction and general body language that would not be out of place in a naughty movie. A very naughty one. "Knowing the True Names lets you bind them and command them with so much less difficulty."

What she says is both true and likely terrifying given the confidence Satana radiated in the first sentence.

"At any rate, very few shops like this have anything I don't already know the name of, so it's probably not worth scrabbling for if the books are arranged haphazardously in a set of locked cabinets kept away from the prying eyes of the public." And is she pointing ... upstairs?

"I'll settle for the belladonna now, though I'll have to test if it was taken under a blood moon first, naturally. Don't worry. The test is hardly ever fatal!"

There's amusement in her eyes at that last sentence. And a smile that doesn't reach them. The eyes that is.

Buffy Summers has posed:
At the question about the necklace, Buffy's eyes widened and she felt the urge to slap herself on the forehead. She very quietly murmured to Willow, "Ixnay on the ecklacenay. We'll talk later."

Then she was looking back at Satana even as she went to get the belladonna as suggested. It was put on the counter and she waited to see if there might be more added. "One really shouldn't play with demons. They are a nasty sort. Best to just leave them alone. Stick with less volatile things. And I'm pretty sure we don't have a book like that. If we did, I'd feel irresponsible selling it."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I know what to do with the names." For some reason, Willow is *very* calm when talking about demons. Too calm? "As for the books, I can't give you the ones you probably want."

Oh, between Giles' books, and The House of Mysteries library (which was ever so much more the Giles' collections.. Willow had done quite a number on many topics. That's how she figured out how to do the amulets, which were blank until you decided, for Yule gifts years ago.. They didn't last, and the amount of protection varied on what they were used for, but they were powerful.

Whatever had happened to them? Hrm..

She shakes her head. "If I say that the belladonna was harvested under the blood moon, it was." Willow is firm on that. She knows her stuff.

While Buffy gets the Belladonna, she excuses herself.

Petra Emreis has posed:
Annnnd both Buffy and Willow took it in their stride. Either she -didn't- know that the random collection truely was tracking spell components, warding ingredients and more...or she did and it was perfectly normal for her. Either was interesting.

Talk of demonology books and the obvious follow-up questions, even Buffy's reaction had Petra crossing her arms under her bust, but the outright candid answer from Satana made her blink and tilt her head before she speaks in her faintly 'Queen's English' accented tones.

"You're not joking."

Perhaps she'd have to try and meet this Giles another night....which would help if she knew who she was actually looking for. But what can you do when you're going by word of mouth?

Satana has posed:
"Why would I joke about such serious matters?" Satana asks Petra, tilting her head and frowning a little. "I have professional interest in such matters." Out of sight of Buffy and Willow, directing her head to ensure it, Satana stares at Petra. The sclera of her eyes turn pitch black. The irises and pupils, to make up for it, turn red. The red of flames. Of particularly deep red flames. And then in a trice, so fast that it might cause a normal person to wonder if they'd seen it at all, the eyes are back to their normal amber, though an attentive observer might notice the little pinpricks of flame deep inside the pupils.

Satana winks, then, and turns back to the others.

"If you do find a book with the True Name of Markuk Kurios' daughter in it, I would be willing to pay for that with more than you can likely comfortably envision."

The car outside attests to immense, splashy wealth. (The body inside attests to different splashes, but that's for another conversation.) "For now I'll just buy the belladonna. I have a jukebox to repair."

Jukebox. Wha...?

Buffy Summers has posed:
A jukebox. That was...not what she had expected to hear. But Buffy wasn't going to ask questions. She finished ringing up the belladonna, which apparently would meet her requirements and no fatalities required to test it per Willow's words, and passed over the little bag with the item inside.

"Thank you for your business. Do come again. But perhaps less dark arts and a bit more light?" Just a suggestion of course. Somehow Buffy knew it was falling on deaf ears.

Then she moved to ring up the few things they had that would fit the needs for Petra. "We will keep a list of both your other items and see if we can find them." IF Willow and Giles said it was safe to do so of course.

Petra Emreis has posed:
Demonic gaze, demonic wink?

"How would you like to get a drink?"

More thank just a rhyme, but there was probably some strangeness to it being a response. Either that, or Petra was a rather forward if not blunt flirt. Still, she nods, gesturing to the list she'd handed over. "My number is on the bottom, if you'd like to call me miss...?" she leaves the option open for Buffy to introduce herself, if she chooses to. Of course, one might swear her number -hadn't- been on the piece of paper originally, but maybe that was simply a trick of the memory.

"It was a pleasure to meet you and Willow. I shall be in touch."

And with that? She was headed for the door!