16211/Dark Willow: Catching Up Amongst Friends

Dark Willow: Catching Up Amongst Friends
Date of Scene:	21 April 2024
Location:	Fontainebleu Antiques, Yonkers
Synopsis:	Willows drops by at Fontainebleau's to chat, with a lot of concerning unsaid.
Cast of Characters:	Hellequin, Willow Rosenberg
Tinyplot:	Dark Willow

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Hellequin has posed:
It is just after lunch time, but the Fontainebleau Antiques is rather quiet. No customer is currently in the store, so the owner, Henri, is unpacking yet another shipment of precious and rare medieval items. While there are still some deadly weapons here and there on the walls, the glass showcases are currently full of the most exquisite and genuine medieval jewelry. Of course, most are religious items, still there are secular items of undying fashion.

In the background, the music isn't Gregorian chants, but a soft atmosphere music with birds chirping on a soft music.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow had heard through the grapevine that Henri was back. And no matter how she wanted to stay away, her warring psyche had different ideas.

She tried to make it a time when his store wouldn't be busy. For reasons. Mostly because she couldn't guarantee that the part of her who stood up to Dracula wouldn't be back. And she knew /that/ Willow would be a problem.

So far, she felt like her usual self.. ish? These days 'usual' was quite different from herself a year ago.

Walking into his store, she peeked, looking to see if he was around. "Henri? I brought pastries?"

Hellequin has posed:
As the door opens and Willow appears, Henri turns her way, a smile on his face. Most would enjoy the smell of pastries, but for him, the pervasive smell of magic comes first. Tilting his head for a moment, he considers Willow, finding that the her usual magical effluvium seems to be stronger and positively on the stench side. That said, the Frenchman doesn't dwell to long on this detail, putting it on the fact they he hasn't seen her for a long time.

"Ah, bonjour Willow!" Henri greets her with a smile, his hand inviting her to step in. "It has been a while, come in, I am glad to see you. I will start fresh coffee."

As he says that, the antiquarian walks straight to the door, ready to turn the CLOSED sign as soon as his friend has entered.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
*phew* Maybe this was going to be a friendly visit? Henri was smiling! Now to keep herself in check. No magic. No usual behaviour. No putting herself against him.

pleaseohpleaseohplease

"I would enjoy a fresh coffee. I remembered you having a better coffee maker then the bakery! These are eclairs, fresh from the oven to await people coming home from church." Being Jewish by race had its own advantages, and this was one of them.

"How is your wife? Has she found her feet yet? It's hard to learn a whole other way of living." She follows him to the back.

Hellequin has posed:
The sign is turn over in the door, which is also locked so no customers come to annoy them.

"Yes, people tend to stop for a treat after mass," Henri mentions, as he leads the way toward the backstore. "That is why it is called breakfast, to break the fasting that one should be doing before mass, every morning." This history lesson done, the antiquarian reaches the small backroom, and proceeds to start a fresh batch of coffee. Indeed, his is the best model of Italian coffee machine.

"Have a seat," Henri invites, "Heloise is doing very well. And she has found the clothing stores. See?" On saying that, he points at himself, wearing a perfectly white shirt with a burgundy tie, black pants, and brand-new shoes. "She is adapting very well indeed. But tell me about you? How are you doing?"

As he places a plate on the small table for the eclairs, the Frenchman locks eyes with Willow. Did he notice anything unusual? Maybe, maybe not.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"She has good taste." Willow wouldn't know good taste from bad if you looked at her, what with her bohemian skirt, Birkenstocks, and loose fitting t-shirt. You could say it was because she was a poor student, but really she /liked/ her clothes the way they were.

Willow put a strand of hair back into place behind her ear, only to have it escape immediately. A black strand of hair, as wide as her thumb.

"Me? I'm finishing up my Master's degree, and looking at Doctorates. Make mine with cream, please!"

Hellequin has posed:
And cream it will be for her coffee, and for his. It is still early enough for a cafe creme after all. That done, Henri brings the fresh coffees to the table, and sits down, facing Willow.

"But these are good news indeed, congratulation! Have I known this, I would have had a graduation present for you." Henri frowns momentarily, maybe thinking about a suitable present he could find in his store. As far as he can see and sense, a blessed rosary would be in order. Or something less Catholic maybe.

"What about the store you were working at, you know, that stenchy neat little Magic Box? Anything /bad/ happened there lately? I mean, it is bond to beacon to the malevolent."

Which would also explain, if it is the case, the disagreeable odor of magic that is starting to make him wish it was sunset already. Mental note taken to go check on the Magic Box later on.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Perhaps a little less Catholic.

*nods*

"I really didn't make up my mind till recently. I am probably going to do straight maths." Maybe. She wavers on that daily.

As for the Magic Box. "Buffy has most of my shifts now. She needed the job, and I was a TA at the University, with all my expenses paid." She shrugs. "Things have been quiet on the supernatural front lately. Unless you couldHarry - oh! He's my boyfriend. You wouldn't like him.. well you would, he doesn't have tech around him. But he does magic, too."

"We are going to check out this churchyard though. That's interesting?"

Hellequin has posed:
So this boyfriend does magic too. Interesting, but this doesn't exactly explain why the stench keeps around Willow if it comes from that guy. It seems that he will have to do some spot checks on his nightly watch, just to make sure that his friend is fine.

"I have cleaned a cemetery not far from here, a few nights ago. But of course, they keep coming. Which is all fine with me, it keeps me busy, even somewhat relevant." He pauses at that, enjoying an eclair and coffee.

"I have changed, or adapted, my ways lately. I have realized that to remain alive, sometimes, might be worse than being dead. And ah, most of them agree with me." That said casually, matter-of-factly, as if he was talking about rats or some other pests. "I might seek you and your friend, at the cemetery, where I show you how exactly."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I don't think it needs cleansing?" Then again, there were undead buried at the attached cemetery' Not too forget the maintenance shed was actually a prison, at one time, for an undead priest who had escaped.

No. Willow figured it was better to keep that information to herself.

"I got a card from there. I think it was an invite? It's my theory. I mean it has no name, just an address." She smiles and can't her head. "You want to come? It might be nothing. And I was going to invite Buffy and Harry along as well."

Hellequin has posed:
Henri takes the time to finish his coffee, seemingly enjoying the presence of his guest. Which he does, despite a mounting concern about her well-being.

"By all means," the Frenchman finally replies, "No need to give me directions, I will find you." Yes, or let his ethereal doggies find her track. "Just let me know which night. With recalibrating my scope of intervention, my /dance card/ gets filled pretty quickly."

He laughs at the mention of /dance card/, where his presence is needed at nights for a wider variety of situations.

"Of course, if it's a public event, organized by some group, I will have to remain at a distance."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow giggles at the dance card.

Then, almost immediately she sobers. "It is an abandoned church. No one has visited it for years and years. The best that I can find is the church is paid for, well, forever. A maintenance company looks after the graveyard periodically."

She worries at her lower lip.

"We believe that the woman who invited me lives there. Under the church."

Hellequin has posed:
Henri raises an eyebrow at the mention of someone woman living under a church. This is quite unusual. Deconsecrated church to boot. Where is the world going?

"Living there, or /unliving/ there? This certainly raises my curiosity. Do you have a name for this woman?"

Then he goes to get a second cup, returning at the table, standing - almost looming - over Willow for moment, before sitting back down.

"I have a phone now," he states, grinning, "You can call me whenever the visit is scheduled. And well, if you go there and find nothing, then maybe I had to intervene. I will try my best to roam elsewhere until you have a chance to go. I would not want to ruin your outing."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow thinks, her brow furrowing up.

"I haven't met her, so I can't say? She says she is of an Order that keeps an artifact hidden?" Really, Willow needs to bone up on this, before visiting. "At least I haven't heard back about anything else. For all I know, it isn't true."

Yeah? right.

Hellequin has posed:
Then it's all set. Henri will wait for the details about the visit.

"Excellent, then call me when all is set." Then he reaches for another eclair, since they have to be eaten when fresh! Of course.

"Next time you drop by, call in advance, Heloise misses you a lot and I am certain she has much gossiping to do!"