7874/Central Nervous Systems

Central Nervous Systems
Date of Scene:	14 June 2019
Location:	Central Park, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Mercy Thompson, Willow Rosenberg

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Mercy Thompson has posed:
It's a little after one in the morning and Mercy's out for a run....or.....rather, out for a run on two feet. She's a smart woman, and an adult and....and.....things. Mercy's pounding the trails with her sneakers, and

Mercy Thompson has posed:
It's a little after one in the morning and Mercy's out for a run....or.....rather, out for a run on two feet. She's a smart woman, and an adult and....and.....things. Mercy's pounding the trails with her sneakers, and jogging clothes, t-shirt, coat, jeans, she's no pushver to, but she's staying on the lit bits of the park and near people. Safety in numbers, as Mercy Thompson is definitely restless and on edge. She's agreed to go camping and is still all hung up on expensive stuff in Bloomingdales. That, and she's a little homesick for Montana, too. She'd dearly love to go home and see her old pack....but.....

Mercy unties her dark hair and finds a spot to sit under a light pole, just relaxing some.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
1am. Central Park. The moon is a burgeoning thing not yet at full, but promising.. soon. So soon.

Willow Rosenburg has a 9am class, and certainly should be in bed. She certainly shouldn't be out and about this late, let alone in Central Park, and even if she argued that the best time for this sort of ritual was at night under the moon, she had a perfectly good park *right. beside. her own apartment building*. Other than the fact that Spike seemed to be making it his second home, and now that Oz had her address, Willow wouldn't put it past him to be camped out in his van across the street, all mooney eyed and hoping to catch a glimpse of her.. and John wasn't any help - not that she'd asked him, because John, and..

A million and one reasons why Willow was sitting here, in Central Park, beneath a tree, with a circle scribed around her and a single candle burning in front of her, herself cross-legged, candlelight glinting off her new pentacle necklace, trying to focus herself inward enough to make this ritual go right.

Sadly, things weren't going as well as planned.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy's attention is drawn to Willow, the red hair, the candle, the scribe. Mercy looks over, gets up and walks over slowly looking to Willow. She's not stupid enough to sit in the circle...but she asks. "Hey, mind if I sit here?" she asks softly and gestures to Willow, the candle and circle, and tree. "You look like you're figuring stuff out" Mercy adds and takes a pace back, if only to give her room to.....do whatever she wants, as Mercy finds aspot to sit, a pace away and looks thoughtful for her own reasons, and a little worried, too. Mercy's got her own reasons, though.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Now, there's a dilemna. To speak up or not to speak up - Willow's mind wickedly providing the rest of the thought... 'that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind...'

Which leaves her, oddly, voicing, "Figuring stuff out. Trying to do a ritual. Not really getting anywhere." She probably should shoo the other off, but really, what was the point? It wasn't like she was managing to draw upon the things she needed to to complete the spell and draw the sacred within so that she could see the matter of her problem clearly and find the path she should take.

"Just.. Oh never mind. I guess it doesn't even matter if you're quiet."

Which was perhaps the depths of pathos Willow could reach, not even rising to a mild scold over interfering with a ritual. At this rate she'd be inviting Mercy to scuff the edges of the circle and blow the candle out.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Glancing over, Mercy nods and stays quiet, asking in a whisper, "Are you alright?" she whispers and sits back, then scurries back another pace to give her space and a time to do the spell....thingy....that she's trying to do. Mercy though nods silently to Willow. She's wondering what's going on with the witchy girl, as Mercy isn't interfering at all. Instead she's watching Willow silently, just watching or waiting. Or both, she'll speak when the time's right, there's no sense in disturbing a witch's things. Mercy's already a coyote, the daughter of Coyote himself, no need to anger a witch and get hit by karma or, or......stuff. Looking over her shoulder, Mercy looks back to Willow again. Mercy's worried about Willow....but she's not sure how to voice her worry.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow tilts her head to one side and considers her visitor rather more closely. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Not exactly taller than herself by much, unless you counted bearing, and that Marcy had in spades compared to Willow. There wasn't much about her that struck Willow as something to be wary of - not in the truest of senses, other than, well, it was 1am, and here she was, settling down to have a conversation with a stranger.

"Look, if you're thinking about stealing my money, I don't have any. I have enough to take the subway home. I've got matches, half a sandwich, and sage in my satchel, and this candle here. I'm not really all that interesting, and there isn't anyone who'll pay you to get me back." Okay, that last one might be a lie. They might not *pay* to get her back, but there were likely a few who might make it a personal mission to to make someone regret hurting Willow. But that was also besides the point.

"So if you're looking for that, you can move along and find someone else. I'm just trying to centre and ground myself so that I can think and failing miserably." Adding in a low voice, "So I guess that means, no, I'm not alright."

Truly said as though not being able to ground herself were an actual problem in the way someone else might say they'd lost their job, or found out their dog had run away.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"I'm not about to rob you" Mercy says and raises her hands. "You're trying to center yourself?" she asks and looks over. "Breathe. Relax, and calm" Mercy advises. "Sorry, my sensei taught me that to center myself" Mercy adds and shakes her head. "I'm not going to step on your toes. You just got my attention is all, but if you need space I can go" she offers and looks to Willow, then shakes her head. "Actually no. I'm staying right here, I was hoping to find a responsible adult to talk to, since nobody else in this city seems to understand me" Mercy sighs and looks worried.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I know how to center myself," Willow mutters, a slight bit cranky. "It's just not working."

Of course she's almost immediately contrite, offering, "That's not your fault though. I can't make my head stop swimming with thoughts. It hasn't been this hard since..." Well, since high school. Back when all this mess began. When she was still a neophyte along this path and barely knew how to string two words together in a spell. Surely she'd grown since then? Or maybe you never really left home.

"I'm not a responsible adult," Willow offers wryly. "I'm barely an adult, and even then I still can't buy drinks legally, which seems pretty stupid if you ask me. I can vote, so why can't I drink? Not that I want to. It tastes horrible." She shudders as she says it. "If you find a responsible adult, could you let me know? I could use one too."

In this, John Constantine did not qualify as a responsible adult. Not when he wouldn't even see the problem.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy grins to Willow. "You're not missing much. I don't drink so I can't help you there. See, you're an adult. That'll work for me" Mercy nods and smiles still. "You're talking to a somewhat responsible adult. I work on cars for a living, I just don't deal with my own problems well at all" Mercy says and sighs. "Care to compare notes?" Mercy adds and offers a hand slowly. "I'm Mercedes, or Mercy. Whichever you prefer, really. I'm just trying to figure out my own stuff" Mercy says quietly, like she's unhappy about her own things she's trying to figure out.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow scrunches up her features, "I'm Willow, but which do you like better? Mercedes is pretty, but Mercy kind of sounds like something you do or give. I guess you'd probably have to be religious to really appreciate it. I'm Jewish - but only in the matriarchal sense. Did you know that? It's a matralinial race."

She makes a vague gesture at the circle, and the candle. She's already mentioned the sage. "Pagan. Wiccan, really, but my coven kind of fell apart after school." And, you know, that whole my mother went off the deep end business.

"I'm not really sure how much help I can be, but if you really want to compare notes.." Willow shrugs, asking, "In the circle or outside it?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Outside it. I'd hate to intrude on your magical space" Mercy says and takes a breath. "Okay, what's bugging me. My mother got pregnant with a bullrider. My father died three days after meeting her. I got raised by a small town group in Montana. I came here. I'm homesick. Oh did I mention I was raised by werewolves and I'm the daughter of Coyote?" Mercy asks, her words speeding up as she speaks, She then nods to Willow. "I've a feeling being homesick isn't much to be worried about in the grand scheme of things" she adds dryly. "On the plus side, I get free drinks because my father was a Blackfoot Indian. Admittedly it gets old after a while" she shrugs and looks to the circle and candle then Willow again with a smile.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Well now. There was a whole kettle of fish Willow wasn't expecting.

"You..." Her voice drifts off as she settles into thinking on this. So far no real indication that she should be throwing up the protection spells and wishing Buffy were here to save the day or anything. Then again, they could be a tricky lot - Coyote in particular. As much into mischief as Raven.. and gosh, Willow, pull it together, this isn't helping.

"I know a werewolf," Willow says cautiously. Which probably settles her firmly into a category of non-responsible adult mostly by virtue of normal people don't go around making such claims. Then again, Mercy was making such claims so maybe in the grand scheme of things they evened one another out.

"My best friend is The Slayer, and my mother tried to kill me because I'm a witch, but it really wasn't her fault. I accidentally turned one of my friends into a rat and I haven't figured out how to turn her back. My mentor drinks like a fish and smokes and everyone asks if I'm sleeping with him, and ewww. He's old and stinks. And my old boyfriends both showed up at the same time after being gone out of my life and they both want.. I don't know what, but I can't think straight and I wish they'd stop."

Which was a lot more than Willow intended to say at all, leaving her rather flushed, and sheepishly apologizing, "I guess that was a lot about me and not so much helping you. I bet it's not so much fun having to pretend around people when all you're wanting is people who are like yourself so that you can be you instead of someone else."

Which might be why she blurted all that out - it was exactly how she was feeling. Only for different reasons.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy is quiet then grins. "See. Being homesick isn't the biggest problem. Okay. You're best friends with the slayer. Your mentor lives in a beer barrel. Your exes showed up?" Mercy asks summing it up. "So.....here's my advice" Mercy says and leans forward and smiles. "Figure out which one you really want, which one makes you truly happy" Mercy points out. "Then again. I'm in my early 30s and haven't dated since high school. So" Mercy points out, "Until a few days ago, mind" Mercy adds quickly. "So let's see...Bboth your exes me back. Well" Mercy says and unties her hair. "Tell me about those exes, maybe that'll help me figure things out" Mercy offers. "See. My boyfriend's a tall guy and works at a club as a bouncer" she nods, not naming names, but.....she's hoping Willow can put two and two together then smiles. "I would call my father in on this, but....." she says. "I don't know how much help Coyote would be. Now that just makes me want to do it more for curiosity's sake" she says and looks amused. Then looks worried.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow is still totally glossing over the fact that not once, but twice Mercy has named Coyote as her father - if only because that would really add a level to this conversation that she isn't sure she's ready to face. Then again, it could merely be she is so mired in her own misery that she hasn't fully parsed the other. Whichever reason, she's not backed the truck up to dwell on the 'your father' business so much as Coyote is vaguely in the vicinity of involved..

"That's the thing," Willow says, "What if I don't want either of them? I mean, I'm still figuring out myself. I like them both, but how do I even know if I like them that way when it's all hey Willow feel this, and hey Willow feel that, and hey Willow I'm back so aren't you ready to pick up the pieces like I was just existing till they came back instead of actually, you know, living my own life and enjoying it."

There, she'd said it. What Willow had found, with the boys gone, and the constraints of high school gone, and Buffy on walkabout, and Willow finding herself embroiled in tasks outside the Scooby gang, was that she was liking finding out who she was.

"Oz is all.." Willow sighs. "He's like a puppy dog." Now there's irony, all things considered. "And Spike is just as bad only not as worse. He's breaking my heart, though. Only I know he's who he is and he's no better. John would just laugh and say why even decide."

She makes a passing go at mimicking his accent, "What's the worry, luv. Why not have them both? Ain't no rules against that that I know."

She makes a face. "Except he's not the one dealing with them. And what if I wanted, say - you. Or Buffy. Or anyone else. I feel like they both think we're back in high school and that this is what love is, only it isn't." More face making. "Why are people so stupid." Only by people, she means boys.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Don't you ever" Mercy says, full on finger wagging now like Willow's a naughty child. "Ever. Ever do that accent again. That....was painful" she admits then cracks up giggling. "And my respons was totally and utterly kindergarten level" she admits between giggles, then shakes her head. "Though that's a point. Both is only legal in a few states" Mercy points out with a serious look. "Hey, to be fair high school's just a horrific time in our lives. Guys are....well...guys. They think with the head below the waist. Then they get annoyed at being called out on it" Mercy adds and folds her hands neatly in her lap. On cue, Coyote steps over as Mercy sighs. "I didn't even...I never summon....how'd you...?" Mercy asks as Coyote cants his head. "I heard you clear across the park. Take them both and show them you love them" he says with a smile then a wave as he disappears into the trees. "Wel that was helpful" Mercy says watching the trees for a moment then to Willow. "That was so amazingly helpful. Coyote shows up when he thinks he can be funny. Thankfully, it's few and far between" she sighs and grits her teeth. "Now he's heard our conversation. Great. On the plus side, he's not got that look in his eye. So I doubt he'll do anything too bad. If he does, I'll just tatttle on him to Raven and Wolf" Mercy says with a wicked grin. "So. Willow. Tell me bout these boys, you were in school with them? Ah" she sighs, gesturing for Willow to explain if she'd like to.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow makes her John face when Mercy starts talking about the little head below the waist. "Boys are stupid," she reiterates. "Like sex is all there is. And why do they have to complicate things anyway.."

She'd go on, and correct Mercy about the legalities of both, only they aren't alone any longer, and this time the small hairs on Willow's neck and arms rise and prickle along her flesh in a not-quite warning of their divine visitor. "Raven would agree," Willow hestitantly offers. "Wolf is more sensible. Staid." Loyalty and family were his traits. Not quite honour, but close. She allows herself the luxury of pondering just what such a tattle would incur. Only momentarily, though.

"That's the thing, though," the petite witch sighs. "They think loving them means I want to do things or be with them. They don't get that it can be just.. loving them. They're both my friends. And they're both important. I just don't know if that means I should have to give them more."

It's a sigh that invites a second. "I don't even know what to say about them. We were just finding out about who we were back then. All of us were having our lives changed in such big ways. I think we were doing what all kids do, and trying to find reasons and meanings, and it was okay, but if we met tomorrow, I don't know that we'd be anything to one another. And them trying to make me be that same person is making me not want either of them. Not even as friends. It's just too much to have to always be fighting the stupid."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy grins. "Hence why I'd rather tattle to Wolf. Raven's just as much trouble as Coyote" Mercy sighs and nods. "I hear you. I love my old pack, but I don't want to sleep with any of them, you know?" Mercy asks and shakes her head. "So I've a thought, but I don't know if you want to hear it" Mercy says gently, understanding Willow's predicament. "I'd say" Mercy says gently, "I'd say gently looking conflicted. Mercy has her own way of dealing with things. "I was going to suggest" Mercy says gently, feeling awful for Willow, "I'd say figure out who you want. I don't know but maybe staying away from both of them and figure out who is worth keeping as a friend" Mercy offers. "I mean, okay, I'm prying but I'm curious" Mercy says gently, "I mean, they both want you, right?" she asks. "There's a way to fix this" she says softly. "I'm all for figuring this out, but....there's a million ways to sort this, right? I'm rambling" Mercy says gently. "My mind's all over the place" she says and looks worried.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow tries, but fails to follow the conversation as Mercy lays it out - which is pretty impressive, given that Willow can be the queen of unfinished sentences and diversions and distractions in a story. In the end, though, Mercy is given a confused look.

"I don't follow? How am I supposed to know who I want if I don't even know that I want someone? Why do I even /have/ to want someone?"

As for anything else Mercy might be suggesting, it hasn't hit Willow yet.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy shakes her head. "I was saying" Mercy says and raises her palms. "That you got two people that want you, right?" she asks with a smile. "There's a lot of ways to deal with this. You could just be friends with both and see where it goes. You could date one and hurt the other, you could date both. Or...." Mercy says and gets a look in her brown eyes, the look that says 'I got an idea'..... "Or you could play matchmaker for them both, find them someone who makes them happy and then you find somebody who makes you happy" Mercy offers and nods. "I mean, you're a witch, you got candles, you drew up a circle" Mercy adds and nods. "Not that I'm suggesting a love spell.....but....." Mercy shrugs, "Just throwing it out there as another idea. Besides, I sensed your magic from across the park. You are a powerful witch, Willow" Mercy says and nods with approval. "I'm not sure if asking the spirits or deities is a good idea....see how helpful my father was. Admittedly. Trickster" she says and looks somewhere between worried and entertained. "See, you don't have to leap in bed with both. But." Mercy says softly, "You got a million ways to solve this. Look, I'm not a people person, I'm a mechanic. Give me a car, I can fix it. IGive me a tricky situation, I'm out of my depth" Mercy says and sighs.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
There's a nose crinkle from Willow, "It's not really nice to make spells that manipulate people." Even as her brain wakes up and suggests that a love spell couldn't be all that bad, could it? Weren't they just utterly innocuous? Only, Willow also knew that as much as one might not intend harm with such a spell, the potential was there.

"Maybe I'll just -- wait.. in bed with both of them?" Willow gives a guilty little jump. "Even if I wanted to - and I don't - why is it that people keep suggesting that?"

People being Spike, who likely suggested it because it was a scenario that at least got him into bed with her, and well.. she guessed Mercy, now. "It would be easier if I were a car," she complains. "And I'm not powerful. Why do people keep saying that, too?"

Willow, it should be noted, had been spending time with folks at the Justice League lately. It hadn't left her self-esteem flying, even if when push had come to shove she'd been rather vital in the rescue of Superman. However, in typical Willow fashion, she just didn't see it. Yet.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy shakes her head and looks woried. "I didn't say y a love spell. There's a big difference between asking the spirits, and doing a love spell." Mercy nods wisely. Mercy's much, much better at fixing cars....but she's been around enough people to figure this out. Mercy though shakes her head and sighs, "Just.....be careful, okay?" Mercy asks and looks to Willow with a worried and yet serious look. Mercy's been keeping her head down and doing her thing with wrenches, tools, and parts. Still though Mercy's definitely worried about what Willow meddling with love spells would do. She just......doesn't see it ending too well mind, love spells are dangerously tricky things. But.....

Shaking her head Mercy smiles. "I'm just saying" she sighs, "Just....ya know.....I feel you, you're not sure what to do, I know how that is" she says gently.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"You brought up love spells first!" Willow protest. "I wasn't going to do one. With my luck it would turn out like my potions." She shakes her head emphatically. "No. Definitely not. They're bad enough now. I can't imagine if they were ensorcelled on top of it."

"Girls are so much easier," Willow says with a sigh. Mostly because she didn't have one of those in her life at the moment either. "It's okay. I don't think I was really looking for an answer, but thank-you for listening."

Her candle is contemplated. "I suppose I end things here and head home. I still have class early in the morning. A make-up course for one I failed."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Nodding, Mercy takes off her day pack and steps behind the trees, coming back on four paws dragging the day pack with her clothes in it and wagging her tail at Willow, as if agreeing. She reaches a paw out to Willow then cants her head as if contemplating what Willow was saying. Still, Mercy looks amused as much as a coyote can, scuffing the ground with a paw. Maybe they're both right, though....Mercy's contemplating that as she rubs her nose on her foreleg and yips at Willow, then flicks an ear.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow carefully extinguishes the candle, thanking the spirits for their attendance, and breaks the circle, freeing all to return as it was. When Mercy returns it seems to her she's to carry the pack, so she does. "Okay, but it's a long walk from here. But you can take me to the subway. Then I'm probably good to go."