6133/Meeting at the Magic Box

Meeting at the Magic Box
Date of Scene:	07 January 2019
Location:	The Magic Box
Synopsis:	America Chavez runs into Billy Kaplan at the Magic Box while in pursuit of a dimensional anomaly.
Cast of Characters:	Wiccan, Miss America

---

Wiccan has posed:
While he's done magic that's exhausted him, it's never quite been like this! Granted, Billy also didn't sleep for a couple of days before the 'big magic' so it seemed only normal that he would pretty much crash and sleep for two solid days straight. Once he finally woke up though, he was able to drag himself into the shower, get dressed, and make his way over to get some 'real' coffee...i.e. fancy, expensive coffee...at the Magic Box. Sure, it's more magic, sort of, but it's familiar and comfortable and it's freaking cold outside!

He's still not quite fully awake as he orders and finds a table to sit at. He's found a book and is just idly and sleepily leafing through it while he waits for his order to be brought to him.

Miss America has posed:
The thing about being an EMT to the multiverse (as one of her previous girlfriends put it), is that you never know when you're going to be called away for an emergency.

Take today, for example. America had a date at one of the best Korean BBQ joints in the multiverse (no, really, they are that good). They hadn't even gotten to the pork belly when America caught sight of the telltale rainbow trail across the street, and next thing she knew, the chase was on.

There is a brief rippling in the air outside of the locale- just the vaguest of shimmerings in the air, before something that was too fast for the eye to fully discern slips out of a barely-there fissure in the air and half-flies, half slinks around the building and through its back door. An iridescent rainbow trail slowly vanishes in its wake.

The star portal is always showy- there's nothing America can do about that, and there's nothing she actively wants to do about it, because it makes for an excellent calling card. It blazes outside of the store, and the tall, young woman steps out of it with the casual detachment of someone for whom this is a daily occurrence, and the attitude that anyone who gawks at it must just not get out very much.

The door to the Magic Box opens, and America Chavez, star-spangled streetwear and all, steps into the shop, hands stuffed in the pockets of her hoodie. She doesn't look happy, she seldom does, her eyes are narrowed and she seems to be looking around the place...

She pauses, spotting a familiar figure waiting for his order. Making a decision, she walks over to the table next to Billy's and sits down.

"Good book?" she asks, but her eyes are focused on the counter and the staff taking orders, not Billy.

Wiccan has posed:
Shiny Star portals aren't usually par for the course, even at the Magic Box, and the appearance causes Billy to look up from the book in time to see the young woman stepping out of it. And then she comes and sits at the table next to him. There's a definite wariness as he watches her and answers, "I'm not really paying that much attention to it, to be honest. Maybe it is?" Dark eyes glance about the shop, as if trying to mark how many people there are and where they are generally located in case he needs to get them out of the way of...stuff. "Nice outfit," is offered honestly. Even if his is currently jeans and a hoodie under a puffy winter coat.

Miss America has posed:
"Sounds like you need to pick a better book," America says, with a hint of a smirk. "Thanks. It comes with the territory."

Billy Kaplan himself. The Demiurge. Or the Demiurge-to-be. Maybe. Multiverse was funny that way- there were versions of people she had met that looked and acted very differently across the board. Some were villains, some were heroes. Same person.

It made the whole nature/nurture debate take a whole new meaning, but the thing was that many people would find things that supported their arguments for both sides of the divide: clearly different situations shaped people in different ways in different timelines, a Temporo-Nurturalist might argue, but Ah (the Chronal-Naturalist might exclaim), you could also say that there was something substantially *different* in the *nature* of those individuals in the universes where their behavior was divergent from a more established pattern...

And then America would probably throw both of them out the window (first floor window only, and onto a nice, fluffy hedge) to get them to shut up.

But yes. Billy Kaplan. The young man who sat at the table, flipping through a book he wasn't really reading, unaware of the fact that he... or a version thereof, anyways, was responsible for her happy childhood.

"This is a cool place. My first time here. You come here often?" Inward cringe. That sounded like a pick-up line, even if it wasn't meant that way. She was trying to casually case the joint, which is not easy for someone who is more comfortable throwing punches than parties.

Wiccan has posed:
Wiccan hasn't even given any thought to possible alternative-dimension versions of himself. As it is, he knows he's weird in the whole 'creation' thing since his apparent birth-mother doesn't look more than ten years older than him and he has a twin brother that he never knew he had until recently.

Life is weird.

"If I was actually reading it, I probably would," is offered with a sleepy sort of grin which turns to surprise at the question. People really say that? "Yeah, it's cool...and it's in the neighborhood, so that's nice. And, uhm, thanks, but you're not really my type. Flattered, though," especially since he thinks he looks like dog poo today.

"But, uh...they have good mochas. Might want to grab a holiday one before they change the menu." As if the pick-up line didn't happen.

Miss America has posed:
She actually chuckles at this. "No offense, chico, but *she's* more my type." America nods her head towards one of the staff. She's a girl about her age, with an arresting short bob of hair, dyed pink. That's... Laura. Laura With The Pink Hair. Of course.

She's been here for *ages*. Practically a co-owner, she's been around so long.

America frowns slightly. "What do you think of Laura?" she asks. Because Laura Has Been Here Forever, and that's something *she* shouldn't know. She shouldn't even know her name. Which shows her that someone is trying something. And trying way too hard.

Wiccan has posed:
Well, it -is- the Magic Box...and there -are- actual books on magic on the shelves. But even in his exhausted state, Billy gets that magicky-sense that something is up. He sits up a little straighter and looks at the Star-Spangled girl at the table next to him before he follows her nod to Laura. "I didn't know her name..." and he's been here quite often. There's another glance back to the girl, "Ok, what's all this about?"

Miss America has posed:
America nods, but she needs a little more confirmation, just in case it was just her being paranoid. Because she could have seen 'Laura' in another dimension and forgotten her, until she bumped into a version of her here. "Just a suspicion. Wanna come over? It may be interesting."

America gets up and walks across to the counter, where she leans and gives Laura a rare smile.

"You must be Laura. I don't think we've met, but I'm sure you've met my friend BIlly here. He comes here all the time." America looks over her shoulder to Billy, giving him a glance before turning back to Laura.

Laura's smile is a nervous one. Her eyes are not very expressive and framed by a rather small pair of glasses that are just shy of being John Lennon 'chic', but even then the nervousness emanating from them is plan to see, even if the rest of her body language is perfectly calm.

"Of course. Hi, Billy, did you order your usual?"

It's insidious, and Billy will probably feel it- tendrils emanating from Laura's spiritual locus, reaching out, trying to tell this reality that Laura Has Always Been Her. You Know Laura. You Like Laura.

Wiccan has posed:
Billy does get to his feet and moves over to the counter with the girl, still looking a trifle concerned. That look turns into a frown when she introduces him, "I never told you my name..."

And then the reality manipulation? Aww, Hell no!

Taking a step back, there is a flick of a hand and Billy is no longer in a hoodie and jeans but in his 'costume', his hands beginning to glow with magical energy. "No one messes with my coffee shop. You want to mess with me, we take this outside."

Miss America has posed:
Confronted with a rebuff to her reality manipulation, and with Wiccan in full reveal mode, 'Laura' blanches visibly. All this time, she has been trying to hide from the pursuing America, but it's obvious that her subterfuge doesn't work on *her*. What's worse, now it seems there's a second one who is immune.

This isn't going very well.

She hops the bar with frightening ease, almost moving too fast for a human, and then she turns into an iridescent blur, zooming towards the front door.

"Stop her!" America calls to Billy, not really addressing how it is that he knows her name. She figures that Billy has a better chance of hindering the creature's progress than she does... without causing a lot of property damage.

Wiccan has posed:
"What the..." Ok, this just got weird...even for Sunnydale! Or maybe not for Sunnydale, but weird for Billy's experiences in Sunnydale! Darting to the door, his cape billowing behind him. In the doorway, however, he holds out his hands and commands, "STOP!" Hopefully it will stop 'Laura' and not everything; that's happened before. She might be moving too quickly for him to catch her; if she's out of sight, it might not work.

"I just wanted my coffee...why won't they let me have my coffee?"

Miss America has posed:
For a moment, time crystallizes into a perfect and still vignette. It is then that Billy can see the true shape of 'Laura'- a being made of iridescent light, but very little that is solid. Even though it hangs frozen in time and its luminiscent borders are frosen in mid-float, it gives the impression that it is always flowing, always in motion.

"Good job, chico." America walks up to the creature, as everything else starts moving again. The command managed to get it right and froze only the being... after a moment or two of confusion. "Now we can-"

"HEY! What are you doing to Laura?"
America whirls around. The employees look very agitated, some of them looking almost hostile, "You can't do that to her! She's been here...like, forever."

America raises an eyebrow and looks at Billy. "This could get ugly."

The employees, all three of them college-aged guys, step out from behind the counter. They are not armed, but they certainly seem hostile.

"Whatever it is you're doing, cut it out and scam-" the tallest of them says, beginning to approach the duo.

"You wanna Hammertime them as well? I've got to concentrate to take care of this pest." America mutters under her breath.

Wiccan has posed:
Wiccan holds one hand out towards 'Laura' and seems to be prepared to throw out another spell but he turns to America. "Why are we attacking Laura? What has she done? I mean, besides use magic, but...that's what the coffee shop sort of -does-." He looks to the guys around his age and offers, "We're not doing anything to her, just trying to get some questions answered."

Back to America, "I don't know who you are, but you can't just come in and start attacking people. I mean, sure, you can, but you won't be seen as one of the 'good guys' if you do."

Miss America has posed:
"Nobody's been attacked. Yet." America points out, and gestures with her thumb towards the entity. "Okay. First lessons first."

She walks over to the entity, and looks at Billy, "This is a dimensional parasite. They exist in a dimension that is sealed off-" she was about to say 'Like the parallel', but realizes that this Billy would not get the reference, and stops it- "Which is good, because in the rare occasions that something punches a hole in it long enough, one of these gets out. They start inserting themselves into other dimensions, try to re-write reality to that effect. Eventually, that doesn't end up well. I'm one of the people in charge to make sure these guys don't overstay their welcome."

She crosses her arms. She is being unusually patient... but that's because Billy is Billy.

"Now do you mind if I send the reality-glitching parasite home? Your friends will still believe this is their dear darling bosom buddy until I put it back in its pond. Then reality will have a chance to heal... or at least that's what y--- the sorcerer supreme told me."

Wiccan has posed:
Wiccan doesn't tend to be very rash so the explanation and patience is actually appreciated. "Sort of likea virus in a computer?" He actually lifts off of the ground to float a little closer to 'Laura', "Really?" Back to America, "Raven or Dr. Strange told you that?" Since those are the 'Sorcerer Supremes' he knows in this reality.

There's another look to the college guys who seem ready to defend Laura. "You won't kill her, will you? I'll try to hold these guys off, I guess. Just...don't go randomly hurting, ok?"

Miss America has posed:
"-A- Sorcerer Supreme," America corrects. Raven was sorceress supreme? Interesting, that bore investigation. "It is somewhat like a computer virus, I guess. "

When Billy capitulates, she nods, "I won't kill anybody. Not my style. Just hold the fan club for a moment."

rThe tattooed stars on the underside of her wrists begin to glow with a blue-white light, which also emanates from her eyes. A second latter, America sets her foot down and a star portal appears before her, shimmering and glowing with blue-white light.

"Here we go."

For a being made apparently of light, there does seem to be some matter, as America grabs a hold of the glowing figure. A swift kick, and the blue light shatters, leaving a star-shaped hole in reality that is a window to another one.

It is hard to say what, exactly, it is, outside of a mass of swirling colors and barely-defined shapes. The young woman doesn't wait, with a forceful shove she sends the creature careening through the portal and seals it behind it with a well-placed punch.

And then there is a strange feeling. Like reality just got all...scrunched up, and then expanded again with relief.

The clerks, being detained by Billy, blink when this happens, and then... they fall to the ground, unconscious.

"Forgot about that. Happens a lot with this. When they wake up, they'll forget the whole mess about 'Laura' and will remember things differently. Adjustment shock or something like that."

She smirks and looks at Billy Kaplan. "I'm America." She holds out her hand.

Wiccan has posed:
"Gaah! Pillows!" is blurted out as the guys fall unconscious there on the ground. Now they'll at least land on some pillows so they don't split their heads open or wake up with concussions. It's the little things.

Taking a moment to consider what he just witnessed, Billy then takes the offered hand, "Billy. But...you seemed to already know that." There's a tension as if he's waiting for her to try and hurtle him through one of those glowy stars as well.

Miss America has posed:
"Knowing things makes what I do easier." She turns around and walks over to the front door, flipping the OPEN sign to CLOSED.

"Half an hour or so and they'll be up." She reaches into her star-spangled shorts and tosses a bundle of cash onto the counter. It's probably too much.

She walks behind the counter and looks down at the drink they were making for Billy. "I hope you like coffee with coffee and a side of coffee. That's all I know how to make."

Wiccan has posed:
Wiccan follows America back to the coffee shop and frowns at the other patrons and co-workers who might have also been knocked out. Maybe they got pillows too? This is too similar to what he just dealt with for him to be particularly comfortable about it. He'll finally set his feet back on the ground and look at the the coffee counter and the woman behind it, "Just toss in some chocolate and caramel syrup and it should be fine, but...who -are- you?"

Miss America has posed:
"I'm Miss America. Chavez." She shrugs as she adds the chocolate and syrup, "Thought I said that?"

He looks up and smirks. "Right. We're doing the thing. Alright." She slides the drink over to Billy. To her, a cafe full of dozing patrons is the most mundane thing she's seen today.

"I help keep the multiverse sane, or what passes for sane around here, which seems to be just short of disappearing up its own butt. I also sometimes help out." Like with the West Coast Avengers in that other dimension. Because Kate Bishop never knows not to take on more than she can shoot at. She got it from her mentor.

"And if that's not satisfying enough, then, I guess you could say I'm a warrior princess in perpetual chosen exile from home who goes around kicking ass."

She takes a sip from her own coffe and says, "So I'm Xena, then." She pauses. "Was that a show here? I lose track sometimes."

Wiccan has posed:
Wiccan takes the coffee but still doesn't look entirely convinced of anything. "Where were you when Nightmare was putting the entire planet to sleep?" Maybe he shouldn't have blurted that out immediately, but there it is. "Xena was a show when I was a kid..." it might have been in reruns then already. "But why now? And how do you know me? Was Laura really that terrible? I mean, compared to some of the other stuff that goes on here?"

Miss America has posed:
She takes another sip from her cup. " 'Laura' was a fluke. I was having downtime, but I was in the neighborhood. "

She shrugs, "As for where I was? There's only one of me, and a whole multiverse of you guys getting in trouble. I've helped save the Earth loads of times. Usually not the same Earth." She waits and sees if Billy can glean the answer to how she knows him from her answer.

Wiccan has posed:
"Of 'us guys'?" Billy lifts his eyebrows at that. "Or do you mean people in general?" He also nurses the super-sweet coffee concoction that he had America make for him but he does pause at the mention of different Earths. "So that's how you know me? From these different Earths?" Now he has so many questions!!

Billy might need a little more explanation, but he's not at all unintelligent. "So you were hanging out here when you figured out Laura needed to go back home?"

Miss America has posed:
The young woman actually givers him a smile, or as much of a smile as she usually gives, when he figures it out. "I meant people who are all over the place. Like I said, I'm the only one." She finishes sipping her coffee and sets the mug down. Being born in the Parallel, a reality outside of reality, had its perks. She didn't have to deal with running into annoying alternate versions of herself.

"I wasn't hanging out here, Billy. I was in the middle of a date. She's a med student, and we were having Korean." She walks out from behind the counter, "About ten dimensions ago. Maybe if I hurry, I'll still be able to catch up."

The heads towards the door, "Say hello to green thing for me. See you soon, Billy Kaplan."

And she walks out, and a few seconds later there is the blazing light of a star portal.