15209/The Librarian: Park Patrol Goes Perfectly

The Librarian: Park Patrol Goes Perfectly
Date of Scene:	13 June 2023
Location:	Darlington Park, Sunnydale
Synopsis:	A discussion of many things, from memory to presents. Apologies are given for the past.
Cast of Characters:	Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Spike
Tinyplot:	The Librarian

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Buffy Summers has posed:
The park was a lovely place to visit. During the day, it was full of people enjoying the summer warmth with the bright sun above and swimming now that the water was warming up. But at night, it was far more sinister feeling. Lots of shadows and creepy spots that just felt off in the light of the moon. Which made it a great hunting ground for monsters. Since there were those few humans who seemed to have zero survival instincts or common sense (or both!) and would still cut through the park as a shortcut to get home.

Thus Buffy was on patrol. She had a bag of chips in hand and was drawing them out one-by-one to toss in her mouth and crunching loudly as she chewed. She was in her working clothes, being the leather pants and a black tank top. Messenger bag: Check. It was slung cross body with the bag resting on her right hip. All the goodies of the trade were inside it since it was getting too warm for Weapon-Concealing Jackets now.

And today, she was not alone in her patrol.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"You know - it's been much to long since I have gone out with you on patrol." With anyone for that matter. "This is nice!"

For anyone but Willow the patrols would have been a chore. For her? It was a few hours being close to her friend, and enjoying the fresh air. Well, in anytime but the winter!

As she walked alone, she was thinking about something, something that didn't have anything to do with the coming summer month, or for that matter, the patrol, school, Justice League (Dark or not). It didn't have to do with John, who, like Giles, was flitting around on the other side of the pond. "Hrm."

Spike has posed:
Given that it was both soon to be summer and he was on patrol, Spike had uncharacteristically decided to forgo his duster coat. He had left it back in the Summers Home, carefully laid over a chair. Instead, he wore a tight black t-shirt, open red shirt, and black jeans, since it was night, and he was still Spike. But he was doing what he could to not make it blatantly obvious that he was a vampire. Wearing a heavy coat in summer would have been a dead giveaway. For all intents and purposes, he was taking a late night walk with two twenty-something young women. Hearing Willow make a hrm sound, he turned to regard her, "what's on yer mind, red?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy had not been too the Summers home tonight. She hadn't felt up to dealing with her mother. So likely Spike had been hanging out with Joyce, her mother. Since they seemed to get along so well. Which was weird. Cute. But weird.

Buffy threw another chip into her mouth then offered them to her companions by tilting the bag in their direction so they could partake of the cripsy goodness if they wanted to.

At the sound, she had been about to ask the same thing. Not the same words but the same question. "What's up?" she echoed, glancing over to her best friend.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Chips were chips, and so far Willow hadn't met a chip flavour that she didn't like. ..Well, that was a lie. In Canada they had a chip flavour that imitates roast chicken. /That/ she hadn't tried. But the rest? Including dill pickles? Yes, Please!

As Spike turned around, and looked at her, een as Buffy cajoled it out of her, she began..

"I was looking at my laptop as I often do." For work; for reading and getting ahead; to play all sorts of apps (these days she was hooked on one that you matched pairs and threesomes to have nothing at the end - it was trickier than you might think!).

"Something keeps on poking me to try an old scrying. Like what is that anyways?!? Only, I think it's.. well you remember the book that Sam asked us to help him find? That one. I think it moved."

Nevermind it shouldn't be traceable this long since she had lost it. Like completely, and absolutely vanished.

Spike has posed:
Spike had deliberately left his coat at the Summers home as the last he had heard, Buffy was still living there. He would have asked Joyce or Dawn about her absence, but neither was home when he got there. It wasn't that unusual. Perhaps they made a late night run to Walmart, or went to see a movie. Plus, Buffy wasn't concerned, so he assumed that everything was all right.

Spike didn't hesitate when the bag of chips was offered to him. He would reach in, taking a handful, and would munch on them, transferring them to his mouth one at a top. "Thanks, Buffy," he said, swallowing before speaking. But shortly, he would be giving Willow a confused look. There was so much that he didn't understand.

"Books moving on their own, huh. Definitely shouldn't look into, it's not like that's a sign of impending doom, or anything. Probably was just enchanted by a little old witch, who only read on Sundays." Yes, the sarcasm is strong with this one.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy couldn't help giggling at the sarcastic response from Spike. "Yeah, nothing bad ever comes from that stuff."

But then she went back to that look of confusion she'd had a moment ago. "Will, I have no idea what you're talking about. I mean, I'm hoping it's just because my brain is screwed up and not because I just don't remember cause I'd like to think I'd remember searching for a book. I'm guessing this is not a self-help book we could order from Amazon or something or there wouldn't be scrying involved at least."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Augh." Willow rolled her eyes at Spike. "If you are scrying them, they do."

She turned to Buffy, and the annoyed look continues. "It wasn't an Amazon book." Like d'uh. Though if she were completely honest, she had scried most of her Amazon orders (amongst others). There was a certain form of symmetry that Willow used her magic of some things and not others. Her packages were fair game.

(What, most places had a tracking number on the packages - she just skipped a step!)

"Wait a minute.. you guys really don't know. Huh." Spike was easy - he usually didn't care what Willow was doing, unless it pertained to Buffy. But Buffy was a case in memories being locked off (so to speak) leaving her a mostly blank slate since she started university. Mostly. Somethings were as plain as days, and so far Willow had no explanation for what Buffy remembered and what she had forgotten. "It was a .. well kinda a magic book - but not kinda? We were told that the book contains a ritual that could open one of the portals to hell."

Now that she said it out loud, maybe she should have been more worried about the book disappearing then. Oops?

Spike has posed:
Spike put his hands up, showing his palms, "I'm just a simple vampire making his way through the Hellmouth, like my sire before me." Sometimes he could make references that would make Xander Harris proud. Annoyingly for the other original member of the Scooby Gang, he frequently made them when Xander wasn't present.

"A shame, I could use some help with that when you have a moment. I can talk the food delivery people into coming to a crypt, but those in little brown shorts, forget about it."

It was a delicate balancing act. Spike had to make the other scoobies think that he didn't care about them beyond the fact that Buffy liked them, while he actually was quite fond of a number of them, Willow being near the top of the list, probably just under Joyce, and above Dawn. He loved Buffy's mother, she was a good lady. And he was fond of the little niblet, but Willow, well, she was Willow. He listened, he waited, and when the obvious answer wasn't forthcoming, he asked, "which hell? Lucifer's? Hela's? That Egyptian bloke with the crook and flail?" He knew the last one was Osiris, he had the benefit of a classical education. But he wasn't sure if Buffy or Willow would recognize them.

Buffy Summers has posed:
If she didn't already, now she had Buffy's full attention as the ambling stroll through the park was halted immediately so Buffy could spin and look at Willow with slightly widened eyes. Spike managed to get his say so in and brought up even more questions before she settled back on the original situation here. Book that opened portal to hell.

"It...what?"

Her voice was a little strident on the last word and she tamped it back down. "I mean," she continued, tone back to normal. "There probably are lots of those books out there but yes, we probably should find this one and give it to Giles for safekeeping in those musty piles he keeps."

Then she looked over at Spike. "Does it really matter? Hell is hell no?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Spike's question brought a wrinkle to Willow's brow. "That's the funny thing about it. Castiel told Sam just that it was a book that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. And from what I was told, and looked up - and let me tell you this thing doesn't want to be found - it is. And how! The sect that looked at it for a really long time lost their priest from corruption due to that book."

There was a bit more..

"It wasn't a book though. That much I found out. First it was a collocation of treatises on hell and, I guess.." And here she frowned. "All I found out was that there were scrolls hidden in the Library of Alexandria. Until it burned. Well, people thought that it had burned and it fell out of fashion. Somewhere between that and the Covenant whisking away, it was bound into a book, with the title: History of Angels. Which you have to was kind of a great name for a book upon hell to be called."

Willow, as least, thought so!

"You don't think that the burning was because of the scrolls.. do you?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Well, Lucifer was an angel so it sort of makes sense?"

See! Buffy did read sometimes! Or at least pay attention. Since they knew of a Lucifer who apparently thought he was the devil. Kind of funny. But more funny in an ironic sort of way considering she was the Slayer, not a HaHa-That's-So-Hilarious way.

At mention of the burning being because of the scrolls, Buffy shook her head. "Nah, can't be. I mean. I don't think it would be. They had a /big/ library, right?" Willow hopefully didn't just faint away now at the other end of Buffy's knowledge, the shallow end. "There were probably lots of books that people wanted to burn. I mean, we have people still trying to do that in modern times so I wouldn't put it past them." And a wrinkle of the nose in distaste as she gave a quick wave to Spike while he wandered off to do whatever it was he did when he wasn't around the Scoobies. "People are stupid." Meaning those that want to burn books.

She considered though. "So you want to find it and add it to the lock in a box and never let anyone find it collection? Does Giles have one of those? We might want to start one if he doesn't."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow eyes widen. "I never thought of that.. Tricky! So some people /would/ have known it regardless. Which makes me wonder who thought of the name? I mean the Covenant probably, but was the priest under the book's spell already? And did it have less power when it was apart?"

No, Willow doesn't see the ironicness of asking Buffy these questions.

"But you're probably right about the fire. Who burns an entire library to hide one book? Nobody!" Except the book was always trying to get.. somewhere.

She thinks about the book, her brow cinching up. "I don't know if that would be a good idea? A whole sect was devoted to keeping it out of harm's way - and they couldn't do it. What makes you think that Giles would be better? Castiel proposed taking it up to heaven? I think - you don't think he was seduced by the book already?"

(That's the stuff, Willow. Sending yourself to the looney bin with those questions.)

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Definitely not. Castiel is not corrupted. I mean, they can make choices--bad ones. Look at Lucifer." Not that one. The one from the Bible. At least in Buffy's mind, they are not one and the same. "He made bad choices. So other angels could to."

Now she was spiraling that drain along with Willow. Though she seemed to remember she had her chips and took out another, chewing thoughtfully as she considered. Then a shake of her head. "Castiel's a good one. But is Heaven safe with other angels that might not be? I...okay, you might need to sit down for this." And she giggled at her own joke as she immediately followed up with her suggestion.

"Maybe when we find it we should burn it."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Castiel /was/ a good one. So much so, unbeknownst to the girls he was on their 'persona non grata' list. But surely if he came, with /that/ book, that would make an exception for one time? Just to take the book from him?

"Okay. He's on the good guys list." Willow shakes her head. "You can't have them both. Either it was a fire set of purpose to spirit the book out of there, or nobody knew of it, and it was found /because/ it didn't burn. The notes on it weren't very clear, but if it was found in the rubble, then burning it has no purpose."

She stole a handful of chips. "We can try though? Can't hurt."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Oh, point." She hadn't thought about that. It was in the Library and the Library burned. So either it was gone before the burning or it wouldn't burn. Which made this a lot more complicated and far more frightening.

Buffy was used to things she could stab. It simplified life.

But that brought a thought to her mind and she motioned with the chips to the point they almsot went flying. A quick moment of recovery, a sad look at a single chip that hit the ground by their feet. Then a shrug and she continued their walk as she shared her moment of illumination.

"Do we have a basilisk tooth maybe? It worked in Harry Potter!"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Five second rule?" Willow asked, even though she knew the answer.

Keeping her pace to Buffy's (even if Buffy's was toned down to accommodate Willow), thinks about the basilisk tooth. "I don't know? I would have to research it. It could be a myth, done in Harry Potter's world. Sometimes the books and movies slip in real stuff though. It's worth a look.""

"Speaking of which, do you remember the gift I got you for Yule-Christmas?

Buffy Summers has posed:
There was going to be no five second rule on a path in a cemetery. There were limits for Buffy. If it was the floor at the house which they kept scrubbed all the time? Sure, she probably would've. Gross as that might be.

She giggled at the question. "Of course I do! It was...Oh wait." And her face fell. "I'm guessing what I remember isn't probably from this last year? It was that sweater. The pink one that is super warm and fuzzy. I love that sweater." Indeed she had worn it on a weekly basis in the winter, it seemed like.

"But since my memory is all fubared, that wasn't last year, was it? Wait, no that was last year." A furrowing of the brow. "But before that was the fancy picture frame that switches the images. The one in my room." The one she had gotten from Willow during their freshman year at college.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow shakes her head, and shakes once again. And continues to shake it, while her features grow solemn. Then, concerned."Something about /this/ doesn't sound right." She has said that Buffy had been acting like she was stuck in highschool - but that was a comment, not reality. And yet, the conversation over the Christmas present seemed to echo Willow's statements to Molly. "You are joking, right? Like 'haha fooled you'?"

Willow doesn't /really/ mean Buffy was joking. After all, there was something wrong, and they hadn't figured it out yet. In fact, it was as much Willow's fault as Buffy for not attending to this mystery. Though, Willow hadn't pushed Buffy up till now because she was giving her room to adjust being back (or some such).

But, maybe it was time.

"I gave you a magic item for Christmas. A clear crystal that when you use it, it becomes attuned to you, and protects you. Do you remember seeing that in your room when you unpacked everything?"

Willow had made them for her friends. All the same, until they attuned it to them.

Buffy Summers has posed:
At the question about if she was joking, Buffy shook her head negatively but didn't say anything as Willow had continued. Didn't sound right? That didn't surprise her at all. Because nothing had been right for years now. It had been over a year since she lost her memories. And that was of approximately two years, from what they had been able to determine. Thus her freshman year of college.

She still needed to decide if she was going to go back. She'd been poking at it but not committed. Focus, Buffy!

They had tried to find anything that might've had something to do with her memory loss. Tried a few spells. Dug in Giles' musty old books. Everything had been done that could be and it all led to dead ends. Thus for now, Buffy had sort of shelved it. She needed to focus on the now, continue taking out monsters, pick up the pieces. Though once in a while they poked at the memory issue as they were doing now.

At mention of the crystal, Buffy gave a little nod. "Actually, I found it in my messenger bag. Had no idea where it came from or what it did so I took it out and put it in my room. Top dresser drawer. In the midst of the socks so it doesn't get broken." She tilted her head curiously. "Protects me against what? Like physical attacks?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Okay. There was a place that they could go from and figure out what the mystery really was. If not today, then perhaps they would see what next steps needed to be taken.

"Good." For Willow she had a moment's worry that the amulet had been lost. Most people wouldn't know what they were looking at, but some folks, some bad folks could use it, and use it against them. "They all were made the same, until you used them when needed. They were.. are.. amulets of protection."

And here Willow blushed.

"I didn't know what to make them against - we have so many things that we could use them for. And a few friends wouldn't have the need of the same kinds that you needed. So I made them special. It's a generic amulet that you set it when you are needing it, and it protects you from whatever that thing is. The only thing I couldn't address is the time it protects you. It seems to be tied in to what you have it protecting you from. Beating someone up with your fists would be the longest, but protecting you from a demon might be only a well placed strike on you and then it would be gone."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Oh wow! I'm glad I didn't throw it away."

Now that would've been a real tragedy. But Buffy had to smile. "What a great idea for a gift. You really are the best."

Then she considered the ramifications of it. "So I need to get it bubble wrapped and put back in my bag. When I found it in there, I figured I had to have it for a reason. I just kept forgetting to ask if you might know why." She shrugged apologetically. "Good to know the limitations. Does it protect you from bad dates though? And I don't mean the fruit," she added hurriedly.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
For a moment Willow still was blushing, and to be fair, almost wincing anticipating Buffy's response. When nothing comes - in fact, she was the recipient of praise, she relaxed.

"Probably I wouldn't use it for that! But it's yours. You can use it however you want to. You have to be careful, though! Not to set it off at the wrong time. I tried to make it simpler to use, without setting itself off anytime. Do you have any idea just how much I fiddled with that very thing? Lots. That's how long I took. So much so that I wasn't sure it would be finished in time!"

Then, quieter, "I'm glad you didn't throw it away. I thought of you when I made them. Even though our relationship was iffy by then."

Buffy Summers has posed:
And that caught Buffy's attention more than anything. She frowned a little at mention of how they had been. How she'd been apart from her best friend. It didn't make sense to her mind. At least, not now. It had to have made sense then. There was a reason.

It was something they hadn't really tried to talk out beyond the basics though. So Buffy considered. "I still don't get it. I mean, you're my best friend. I do know that sometimes as people grow up, they will grow apart. And sometimes when people get in relationships, they will spend more time with the new person and neglect old friends. I never thought that would be the case for me. Or for us."

She paused, to look Willow directly in the fact and make sure this was conveyed properly. "I don't know if that's what it was. If it was just me being a bad friend, of it was something else, I can't even guess what was going through my head then. But I can say this. We now have insight that it can happen, as it apparently had. So we don't do it again. We avoid it. Make sure not to make the same mistakes a second time. What was that thing? Sisters before misters?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
As they walked further Willow thought about the whole situation but she made a comment.

"I was really hurt that you had chosen Thomas over me. But that was my own problem. I think that what hurt me the most is that you replaced me. Not just with Thomas - though I still have to shake my head at that choice. All your friends were new. And.."

Here she blushed with embarrassment, looking down at her feet. "I even thought of dating Spike to get your attention. I stole from the blood bank. And got drunk with Spike. All sorts of things."

"I'm sorry."

Buffy Summers has posed:
"You don't need to apologize to me," Buffy protested. "I don't know what the story was. I don't know why I chose them over you. I must have had a reason. Something in my head. I would like to think I wasn't just that inconsiderate."

A drop of the gaze then Buffy shrugged. "I can't keep second guessing. I just need to continue forward. I need to be certain that I don't dwell in the past but I do need to try to set things right with everyone. Because now people I guess I was friends with in between, I've kind of turned my back on too? Damn. Maybe I am a bitch."

And she made a little face. "I don't want any romance and I didn't want give Thomas false hope, that's why I sort of cut him off. Especially since it makes no sense to my brain."

She pursed her lips and looked at her again. "Spike huh?" A little hint of a smile. "He is hot. But don't you ever tell him I said that. He's...grown on me. I think he is a good guy in there some where. I learned about his history a while back. Long story." She waved a hand to dismiss the story. "So...if you want to pursue him, go for it!"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow stopped and canted her head, "He is hot, isn't he? Unfortunately things didn't click - even if we were going to pretend. He's got it bad for you. And, I don't know. There's a couple people I might try to date, but no one makes me swoon. Not even you. Though I guess you would be up on my list to try."

Not that she shows any interest other than a 'what if' sort of scenario.

"I've tried males. I tried females. I don't know. Something is missing right now." Willow giggles, "You are a beach. Sometimes. And other than these past few years, to me you never were. We'll just have to go on, and like you said, this is a learning experience for us both. You - you need to count on friends - new ones and old ones. And me - I've got to depend on my own self more often."