8542/Welcome to Braddock Castle

Welcome to Braddock Castle
Date of Scene:	28 July 2019
Location:	Braddock Castle
Synopsis:	Buffy Summers gets to know Brian Braddock in his castle
Cast of Characters:	Captain Britain, Buffy Summers

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Captain Britain has posed:
The sun was shining, the birds were chirping in the lush botanical gardens, and morning had come to Braddock Castle. The vast Caernarvon estate had an unexpected guest last night, and so preparations were made in the morning. There was a light tapping at the door. "Miss Summers," came an English voice, but not that of Brian Braddock. With no immediate reply, the person waited, tried again, and after the third failed attempt, the door handle moved, and a woman stepped forward, pushing a trolley with a silver dome atop it.

She was a large woman, mature woman, with a friendly face, dressed up in what amounted to a housekeepers uniform. This was Emma Collins, as Brian's valet, Niles Nestor, felt it improper for him to go into a woman's bedroom, even if the trolley contained a scrumptious breakfast. It simply was not done.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers had stayed up late the previous night, and with home so far away Buffy had somewhat grudgingly agreed to stay in the guest suite TIL morning. She was up bright and early, practicing some Tai Chi movements to calm her mind, dressed in a white tank top and black yoga pants when the maid walks in. She had been listening to calming yoga music on her headphones which would explain why she had not heard the three knocks...Or maybe she was just lost in her own world to pay attention. Eventually the woman stepped in and Buffy blinked a few times, pulling her headphones our, coming back to earth. "Oh hey, good morning! Sorry about that, I was lost in my own world..." she pauses, peering at the trolley. "Wow, he has servants too? I'. alright really.Actually I should be leaving. But thanks for stopping by.." she has fully pulls on her black and white track jacket, slipping on her sneakers and grabs her backpack next to the bed. Hmmm she sure is feeling hungry though and she peers curiously at the platter.

Captain Britain has posed:
"Oh dearie, I've been with the family since before Master Braddock was born. My name's Emma, Emma Collins," she had such a lovely lilt in her voice, the sound of a woman who had worked for many years, doing a job she enjoyed, and while she did perform certain services, like cooking, she enjoyed them, and she was well taken care of.

Removing the lid, there was a full English breakfast on display, except it was of the gourmet variety. While it contained bacon, two fried eggs, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, grilled tomatoes, with a cup of tea to accompany it, they had been lovingly arranged and cooked. The grilled tomatoes were wrapped with bacon. The sausages had been thinly sliced, with the egg yolk poured over them, with sprinkles of mushrooms and beans, and all served over top of a few slices of buttered toasted, which was a golden hue. The portions were kept to a minimum, so as not to overpower, while retaining the full English breakfast concept. Presumably Brian had a larger portion, wherever he might be.

Mrs. Collins, who had sadly lost Mr. Collins some time away, but kept her wedding ring, set the table in the guest suite, and once Buffy had taken her seat, would drape a napkin over her lap. "Not to worry, a healthy body, a healthy mind, I understand, and used to have my girlish figure, before my boys. Hard to keep it at my age." She did not look that old, maybe in her 50's, though the way she talked would suggest she was older.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers turns all the way around once the full plate is presented. "Mmmm that smells sooo good!" she exclaims as she sears herself at the table. "Okay, you know I can't possibly say 'no' to that now, right." she smirks as she gets full service, even a napkin draped on her lap. "Wow, looks like you put a lot of effort into this. Brian's lucky to have someone like you to watch over him..Kinda like a mom.." she smiles as she picks up her cutlery and gets to work on her plate, wondering where Brian is.

Captain Britain has posed:
"Ah, yes, well, I wouldn't talk about that around Master Braddock, dearie. The children lost their parents some time ago," and Brian didn't seem that old, maybe a little older than Buffy, but only a couple of years. "Terrible shame that, both of them, electrocuted like that." While revealing, largely because it was a matter of public record, they were celebrities, and so Buffy might not have reason to go snooping about it further, it was clear that Mrs. Collins had great affection for her former employers.

"You didn't hear it from me, but I've always believed that Master Brian blames himself for it, though I don't know why. Just a feeling I suppose. And here I go again, rambling on. Is there anything else I can get for you, anything else I can do?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks slowly, "Wow really? I'm sorry, I didn?t..." oh wait, she may have heard something about their deaths, but is only now starting to put two and two together. "That's really sad. I can't imagine losing family, even if it's just me, my mom and my sister." she smiles, "Don't worry, I won't say a word. I am curious why he would blame himself though, I mean, accidents happen.."

Captain Britain has posed:
"He was the one that found them, and he was late. I don't know what waylaid him, not that it matters anymore, but I think, and this is just a guess, but I think he feels responsible because in his mind, he should have been there, but wasn't for whatever reason. If he had been there, they might still be alive. Now of course, that's not how things work. We all have our time, and when it's up, there's not a lick you can do about it, so you might as well enjoy the time you're allotted."

"He's," this housekeeper had very loose lips it seemed, no wonder he didn't share his secret identity with her, "he's a sensitive boy. Takes everything to heart. So much to live up to, to the family name, to protect his brother, whose poorly, look after his sister, what with her condition and all that, and the family company. He's got a lot on his shoulders."

"I'm going to let you know something my mother used to tell me. God knows the age of every tree, and the colour of every flower. And he knows just how wide your shoulders are. And he'll never give you anything to carry that's bigger than you can handle."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sighs, "Wow, that really sucks! I mean...I'be never lost family, but I've experienced the death of many classmates and friends when I lived in Bludhaven, but I guess no one really close to my heart has really died..And I get that, you feel like you need to protect them.." she sighs, "Now I feel bad, thinking he led a charmed life, but sounds like he takes responsibility for everything.." she smiles and nods, "You're right. He's strong, he can handle it.Just wish he had more confidence in himself." and that gives her an idea, maybe.

Captain Britain has posed:
Mrs. Collins took a seat to the side, as at her age, it felt good to sit down, and Buffy seemed to have been interested in conversation. Otherwise she would have made herself scarce while Buffy ate her breakfast. "It's not something you ever do get used to, and pray that you don't. Every life matters. But, they're not really gone as long as you remember them, like the way I remember my Alec." And she touched her ring. It was nothing too fancy; just a gold band, pushing it around in a circle. Inside, there was an inscription that gently rubbed against her skin.

"If it's not too brazen of me, Miss, but Master Braddock does like to talk about you. About how full of life and energy you are. Happiest he's been since, well, since he heard about the enga..." and then she catches herself, cutting off some line of thought. Oh, she can't possibly be that cruel to Buffy, can she?

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods. "I suppose not. But, people live and people die and you just have to keep on living for yourself and no one else." she shrugs, it's brutal, but it's reality. Clearly Buffy is no stranger to death. "But I am truly sorry for him. I do believe the spirit lives on and watches us from afar, in another dimension, even if we can't see or hear them." she is about to say more but pauses when he mentions him talking of her, biting her lip in confusion, not sure what to make of it. "He does, does he?" The part about the engagement causes her to raise a brow, more curious than anything else. "..Is that so..?"

Captain Britain has posed:
"Oh yes," Mrs. Collins said, "he was asking about translating some American slang terms that he'd heard you utter, and how much he enjoyed meeting you, spending time with you, and your friends. Oh, we've heard about Willow, Sam, Spike, Kate, Kurt, Kitty, and others." She's not exactly sure of who knows whom, as she only hears about them second hand, or through the servant grapevine. No further mention is made of the other thing she had briefly raised.

"if you'd like to have a long bath or shower, I can put your clothes through a quick wash for you?" The guest room had its own bathroom and a walk in closet, though the closet was currently bare, save for a few of Betsy's old things she had left, or possibly something a girl had left who visited Brian on some previous occasion.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, "Oh it's okay, in Tai got up early and already had a shower about half an hour ago. in Tai also happened to bring a change of clothes, since in Tai was planning on working out later." she gestures towards her backpack, ext to the bed. "So. Where is Brian anyway? in Tai had hoped he might join me in Tai Chi although in Tai'm not really sure if that's his thing.."

Captain Britain has posed:
"Knowing him, he's probably reading the morning papers. He insists on reading paper editions. To him, it's just not real if he doesn't feel the paper between his fingers. After he's done, he lets us have a read. It's nice to have a touch of home over here. We get all the channels on the tele, but they're offset by 5 hours. Thank god for our PVR's."

Moving to clean up breakfast, putting it all back on the trolley, she said, "come on dearie, we'll find him together." Stepping out of the guest room, one of several, they were on a loggia, which formed the eastern side of the building and had a brilliant view of the grounds. She could have taken Buffy through the other door, but this one was more scenic. A little while in, they made a right hand turn into the building proper, where they passed a staircase, and Mrs. Collins pressed the button for the elevator, since she had a trolley that needed to be returned.

They were on the second floor, and headed down to ground level. They headed into the kitchen, where she parked the trolley. Another gentleman in butler's attire nodded his head at their approach, "Ms. Summers, my name is Niles. I am Master Braddock's personal valet." He didn't seem nearly as warm and welcoming as Emma Collins had been, but then, he was the valet, and head of the staff. While friendly, he almost seemed like an annoyed Giles, the way he got quiet and made that weird face.

"Please, follow me." He says like it's an important thing. And the man ends up leading Buffy from the kitchen, through a door, and out to the porch, where Brian Braddock was currently sitting at a table, white linen cloth. His food was gone, but the imprint of a plate and cutlery was still vaguely there. He had a cup of tea, same design as the one Buffy had been given, and he was reading what looked like a British tabloid newspaper. It was a copy of the Daily Mirror.

Setting down the newspaper on the table, there was another chair across from him, he stood up, showing off the nearly white trousers he wore, dark navy blue polo shirt, and black sunglasses. "Ah, Buffy, good morning."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks, "Oh yeah, Giles is like that, too. Me? I was never really one for the printed word. Takes too much time. I'd rather just go out there and beat stuff up rather than hear about stuff I couldn?t stop." she shrugs. "But to each their own, I suppose." she follows the woman through a maze of halls, arching a brow at Niles. "Hi! nice to meet you. Wow, I mean you kinda remind me even more of Giles, but I guess England is full of lots of stu=---errr. I mean nice to meet you!" Umm oops? she follows him through more doors and rooms, finally spotting Brian. "Well, I guess it's good to finally see you too. I mean have you seen this place? It's huge, it's like a maze, if it weren?t for your helpful servants, I'd be lost by now. I gotta say...It must be pretty cool having people waiting on you like that.."

Captain Britain has posed:
Mrs. Collins was a little aghast that Buffy would talk about beating people up, but quickly hides her natural reaction. In fact, she mentions, "probably just another reason Master Brian likes you." Niles doesn't offer much. He is totally prim and proper, though any significant time spent with him will display an incredibly sharp wit and true passion for backhanded compliments. The man's timing was impeccable, though he wielded it like a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.

With Buffy finally getting to Brian, the actual owner of the castle, things soothed once more, with Niles leaving them be after making sure nothing more was required of him at this time. "It is good to see you Buffy, and you look great" in the yoga gear she had changed into for her Tai Chi, "no, I don't believe I have. They keep telling me that I've seen all of the rooms, but I'm pretty sure I saw a new one last Tuesday, and another one on the previous Wednesday." He was of course kidding, but yeah, it was a big place.

"Yeah, it is nice to have them, but they're more like family to me. I know I pay them, very well I'm told, but they've been with the family for years. So, Buffy Summers, what are your plans for the day. I'd offer some exercise, but might not be the best idea after a big meal. How about a walk through the gardens, dip in the pool, or just something on tele? What's your poison?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks, amused. "Oh yeah? That's interesting." she follows him some more but doesn't offer much in conversation, just glancing around at the scenery. When they finally make it to where Brian resides, she nods to Colin?s and murmurs a thanks before focusing in the big guy. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself. Although I dunno how you'd look in spandex...Ordo I?" she smiles and winks impishly. "Really? You mean there are rooms even you haven't seen? Ooh, that's pretty mysterious." she wriggles her fingers to emphasize how 'mysterious' that is. "A walk in the gardens sounds nice, not sure about the poison part."

Captain Britain has posed:
"Oh, trust me, it is a material that was truly made for you, not I." He seemed most appreciative to whomever invented it, particularly at this moment, even with her subtle hint towards his own creative tailoring. He smiled back at her, taking her in fully once more. "I'm convinced that the staff hires a construction crew every night, to knock down a few walls, and put up new ones in different places. It's like those extra charges on your mobile bill every month that no one can figure out. It's confuse and conquer I say." He gestures towards the steps, and will walk with her to the gardens, which are among the nicest in the state.

"I hope you slept well?" He asks, genuinely interested in her welfare. Soon, they'd be far enough from any prying ears that they can talk openly. Once there, he gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder, "are you trying to out me to Niles and Emma? They'd have a fit if they knew I was gallivanting around in the costume. And worry terribly about the dangers I face, we face." He corrected himself at the end.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers chuckles, "Oh I dunno, you seem to pull it off pretty well yourself." she shrugs as she follows him towards the gardens, taking everything in in stride. "Could be, maybe this place is haunted, you know, a living house, changes rooms every so often." she is not half joking. Really, she's seen some crazy stuff in her time. "Sure, I had a good rest, although I shouldn?t overstay my welcome. Of course you probably are used to having guests over all the time." The nudge surprises her and she pauses a moment, glancing up at him curiously, caught off-guard. "Out you? How do you mean?"

Captain Britain has posed:
"Well, thank you," he says, appreciating the compliment as they walk through the gardens. Passing under an archway, which has flowers growing over it from one end to the other, so much that it seems like the archway is entirely made of plants; he says that "you may be right. I've never given it serious thought, but it's possible. I don't actually spend that much time here. It's a bit... stuffy, and well, lonely I suppose." He tries to get out at every opportunity, embracing the wider world.

"But I'm glad you slept well. And don't worry about overstaying your welcome. You are welcome anytime. And no, not really any guests. My sister occasionally comes to visit; a few friends from Thames University, but no, not really. It's just I, Niles, Emma, and the rest of the staff." When he does catch her off guard by the phrase outing himself, he put a hand to his face, index and middle finger above his eye, ring and pinky finger below, mimicking a mask, "they don't know" his secret identity.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers glances up at the flowers, totally awestruck. "It's beautiful, this whole castle is amazing. I mean, sure it's big but are you ever truly alone? Seems like your house maid and even Colin?s probably, care about you. You have everything you need here, probably live like a king. I'd love to live that way.." she shrugs, "But I guess it can get lonely at times, but don't you get guests over?" she nods and smiles, "Oh don't worry, they probably thought I was just teasing you about wearing spandex in general.."

Captain Britain has posed:
"It is," he agreed that it was beautiful, "it is," he agreed that it was amazing, "I am," he said he was truly alone here, despite the people. "Some of the staff, are akin to family, but they are still staff. I employ them. Mrs. Collins is, well, she's the closest thing I have in this world to a mum, but she isn't my mum. She had a husband, has children, who have all gone off to do bigger and brighter things. I know she cares, and yet, there is still a separation. When they have gone home to their own homes, or their quarters for those who choose to reside here, I am alone."

It was sad, but factual. He knew his situation. It's part of why he initially got a place in Manhattan, though he ended up having to move out when it became somewhat crowded. "And no, I don't have guests over very often. You, well, you're the first true guest I've had here, save for Betsy, or people visiting from back home." There was something about the way he said it, but it was likely that they were all guys from his alma mater, or otherwise male friends coming to America for a visit. "Though I must say, this place suits you. I don't know, just, you look at home."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers pauses to sniff at a delicate flower, her fingers carefully stroking its petals thoughtfully. "Wow, I never thought of it that way, I guess that can get pretty lonely and in a big place like this. But Mrs. Collins mentioned something about an engagement..?" she smiles, arching a brow, "So who's the lucky girl?" she chuckles at his comment, letting go of the flower, "Oh yeah? I've never seen myself as nobility. It's a bit too prim and proper for me."

Captain Britain has posed:
Laughing, Brian shook his head, "I think you got the wrong end of the stick on that one. My sister, Betsy, was engaged for, well, must have been nigh on two years, to my former roommate," and before she has a chance to think about that one, he adds, "back when I had an apartment in the city. Took on a classmate at E.S.U. as a roommate because he was a nice guy, we got on well, and he wanted to move closer to campus. Though they broke it off recently. I don't have all the details. When they're ready to share, they will." Continuing to walk with her, "neither did my sister. She's kind of all over the place. Fashion model, socialite, airplane pilot, I think she even briefly worked for the government, probably five other roles she never told me about, or I simply forgot. It's hard to keep track. In fact, that's kind of why I was pulling for them. She really seemed to settle down, and now, I worry she'll go back to her wild ways."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers oohs, "Well that's nice. And your sister, she doesn't visit often? Guess everyone left you to continue on the legacy here. I can see how that would be a burden.But maybe some day you can find someone special yourself, maybe even settle down with a family?" she smiles reassuringly, "I mean a handsome young man like you probably has the girls knocking down his door all hours of the day."

Captain Britain has posed:
"We're very different people. Twins, but fraternal, which means two eggs, two sperm, same womb. The way mum said it, we fought in the womb, and never really stopped. And maybe," he agreed, enjoying the way the conversation was going, even if he was a little nervous. Settling down and family talk was a big step. "Just a matter of finding the right woman..." and he immediately leapt into, "though I don't envy her; with my genetics, having a family... yeah, it might be difficult to find a woman interested in giving birth to a bouncing baby Brian." He was tall and broad. "Plus, twins run in the family." There was a greater chance that any woman he had children with would also have twins.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Ooh, twins, that must be cool. I always wondered what having a twin would be like? Doesn'tsound like you're very close though." she frowns, "I'm sorry to hear that, and I'm sure you'll find someone special some day.." she shrugs, "I mean I'm not much of a matchmaker or really a specialist when it comes to dating, but I'm sure if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Don't give up, just keep an open mind and I'm sure the right person will come into life when you need it the most."

Captain Britain has posed:
"Do you have any siblings?" He asked simply, curious about her life. He had talked a great deal about himself, but what about her. "And what about you, is there anyone special in your life these days? I'm sure the lads are falling all over themselves trying to get your attention. And of course, the ultimate question. Is blondeness unmanly?" Yes, he did just paraphrase Frozen.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles and nods, "Well actually yeah..I-have a little sister a few years younger than me. But we just seem to fight a lot." she shrugs, "I mean, she's a good kid but sometimes she can get on my nerves. I suppose I should just be less protective though, I mean it's a dangerous world out there.." as for someone special, she just shrugs and sighs, "No, not really. I mean I had special people in my life but it never really worked out, got my heart broken three times when I fell hard and fast, one too recent for me to even want to be in a relationship any time soon." she shrugs, "Guess I'm just cursed in love, but that's okay, I guess. Maybe I should take my slaying more seriously and give up silly ideas of living a normal life."

Captain Britain has posed:
"I think all siblings fight from time to time. What's her name? And it is a dangerous world, especially the one we live in. By virtue of being your sister, and living here, she's more likely to face... difficulties. Unless, you want me to send her to a boarding school in Switzerland?" He grinned, but was it a joke, or was he being serious? Nodding his head about her recent breakup, "I see," he said, a bit more sadness in his voice than he had hoped. "No, I don't believe that, and I won't let you either. No one is cursed in love, well, actually, some are, but there are people who can detect curses. Willow for one. She should know how by now. But no one normally is cursed. It's just a matter of finding the right person, can be as simple as going for a walk, in a garden. You need a normal life. You have a lot of friends, and from what I hear, most Slayers don't have your kind of longevity. They probably cut themselves off, focus on the Slaying. But you have people around who care and support you. That gives you strength. You know who and what you are fighting for, and they are there when you have those bad days. That's all it is. One bad day."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods, "That's true. Her name is Dawn. She can be a real angel at times, but I guess she's never heard the expression 'Curiosity killed the cat.'" she chuckles, "You're right. I really do love her and only want what's best for her. A boarding school in Switzerland actually sounds like a great idea." it makes her smile a bit although the melancholy feeling that she is cursed to always have her heart broken doesn?t go away so easily. "Maybe..Maybe not. Things are different now that I'm in college in Gotham. We're all different from high school, and I'm trying to find my way in the world, if I can have a normal life apart from Slayerage. The gang is not as strong as it once was, and...Everything is just different.." she closes her eyes a moment, drawing in the scent of the beautiful, carefree flowers around her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn?t have burdened you with my problems." Buffy smiles faintly, "I don't think my bad history of broken hearts will ever change but it's okay, I don't need to be in any rush to find that special person right now. Or any time soon really. I just want to enjoy the present, this walk, hanging out with interesting people, smelling these lovely flowers.."

Captain Britain has posed:
"Dawn," he repeats the name, trying to commit it to memory. Dawn Summers he thinks to himself. "So, you've got a Schrodinger's sister on your hands, huh? Sounds like mine. That which you do not know or understand can hurt you. Mine hasn't learned it yet, but perhaps there's still hope for yours."

"Just say the word," he offers about the boarding school idea, "can even arrange for a scholarship, say it was won in some kind of prize, if it helps." Money was not an issue for him. It's a good thing she hadn't googled him, or did a search for 'Brian Braddock Net Worth'.

"That's life, people grow, sometimes apart, sometimes closer together, but we're always growing, developing, changing, and hopefully for the better." Stopping in the garden when she gets apprehensive, he places a hand on hers, "Buffy, you are not a burden. Mrs. Collins tells me that a problem shared is a problem halved. She's a wealth of good advice, that one. And I don't believe a heart can ever truly be broken. Oh, it can be bruised, mightily, but broken, no. There's nothing in this or any world that can truly break it. It might be hurt for a while, might need some time to heal, but it'll mend. It always does. And the present... is a gift."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods and chuckles, "Yep, that's her. Guess that's at least one thing we have in common.." she smirks, "That sounds nice, although I couldn't just send her away without consulting her first. I mean, that'd be mean..Besides, I do kinda feel protective of her. She's just sixteen years old, and she seems somehow..Vulnerable. I guess I shouldn't feel like she's just a brat. I suppose I was like that when I was her age afterall. I guess I just hate having one more responsibility, one more innocent to look out for."

As for people growing apart, she just nods and sighs, "That's true..I guess Willow and Oz sure grew apart. I figured they were destined to be together, but that was highschool, and everything is different now. I suppose people grow up and find their place in the world. Wish I knew what mine was. Is it really just slaying demons, or do I have a higher calling somewhere, can I ever live a normal life.."

She shrugs, still admiring the flowers, but hesitant to pick them, not wanting to damage his garden. "Mrs. Collins seems a wise woman. And you might be right, I suppose. Still hurts like hell, but I guess there are worse things that can happen out there. All the same, it felt good while it lasted, but I hated feeling vulnerable too." His hand on hers causes her to hesitate and she frowns, pulling away quickly, busying herself with admiring more of the garden, running her hands over the line of flowers in an attempt to not make it seem too awkward, or like she was trying to be rude or something. "Not so sure I like gifts I don't get to keep."

Captain Britain has posed:
"Oh, I'm sure we have plenty in common. Both have powers, spending time saving people from the forces of evil; we're both going to university; we're both blondes, well, I am at least. These days you never can tell who's getting it out of a bottle. My sister is, was... it's complicated, but she dyes her hair purple. But she was born a blonde, just like me. My brother Jamie has black hair."

"I know it sounds like it's a joke. But if it would help you, the offer is genuine. Talk it over with her and your mother if you want, or don't, but there's no time limit on it." Having said his piece, he offered, "it must be odd for her, having a Slayer for a sister. She probably looks up to you, and tries to hide it. She wants to make you proud, that she can be tough and strong like you."

"I know you have a higher calling. We all do. It's just a matter of figuring out what it was. I was told that I'd be needed here. Some, well, you're probably the only one I could tell this to and not get a weird look. Merlin told me I would be needed here. Something about King Arthur, the Hellmouth, Avalon, demons, the Lady of the Lake, legend stuff. I don't really know what to make of it, but I'm trying."

Sensing her hesitation regarding the flowers, and seeing her pull away at the earlier touch, Brian looks at the flower. He furrows his brow, and asks, "may I?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers laughs, "What, you think I'm a fake? No, this is my real hair. I'm a genuine blonde. And that's weird. Why does your sister dye her hair purple? Is she some kind of punk?" she smirks at the thought and shrugs, "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with purple hair, to each their own I suppose."

As for sending her sister to boarding school, Buffy smiles faintly, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Sure, I can do that. No problem. I suppose it's really up to her anyway. And I suppose she probably does look up to me, in her own way. I guess I should be flattered that she wants to be just like her big sister..But sometimes I envy her and her innocent life. She thinks she's nothing special, but she is. She wishes she could be strong and have powers and be a superhero, and I wish I could just be a normal girl and be free to live my life as I please. It's ironic really.."

At mention of the likes of Merlin and all that magical legend stuff, Buffy does arch a brow. "Soo those stories are really true then? You've actually spoken to Merlin? I mean demons and darkness and evil, I get that, just didn't ever encounter the lighter side of things. But wizards and ladies of the lake..Do fairies exist too, I wonder?" she already knows the answer to that, or she should. Afterall, Buffy is starting to realize that absolutely anything is possible in this crazy world.

She glances back at him, then at the flowers and smiles slowly, "It's a bit silly, but they are beautiful.." she nods, but is quite surprised when he places it in her hair, flinching a little at the touch, feeling a little self-conscious again.

Captain Britain has posed:
"Not think, but I didn't know. And, well, there are a lot of blonde girls out there. They can't all be natural. The United States isn't Sweden. And as for Betsy, no, not punk, but..." he took a deep breath. This was such a strange story to tell, but Buffy was in the know, so it didn't hurt, plus, she'd probably heard about his sister. She was famous.

"My sister started out life as a blue eyed, blonde eyed girl, she's a mutant telepath, got kidnapped, and they swapped her mind with someone else, a Japanese woman, in the hopes to wed this insane living killing machine with her telepathy or some such. Even before that, she dyed her hair purple. And purple contacts. And loved the colour purple.

"I think my sister's original body got killed or destroyed in the process. So it's permanent as far as I know. And that's the story of how I ended up with an Asian twin." Of course, he was saying that so fast that much of it was hard to take in. He barely took a breath the whole time.

"I think fairies exist. I might have met some. Hard to tell. I really don't know the difference between elves, goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, fairies, so many of these have been merged, changed, especially in popular culture, either by Tolkien, or Gygax."

As he slipped the flower into her hair, he agreed, making eye contact the whole time, "they really are, and this one brings out the colour of your eyes."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers chuckles, "Well you know what they say about blondes. I suppose it's true mostly, a lot of blondes are dumb, but when you wake up one day and realize you have a destiny, you just can't be dumb anymore." She smiles, "Psylocke, huh. I always loved the purple hair of course, it's kinda interesting. Must really suck to be swapped into the body of a stranger though, I couldn't imagine how very confusing that would be, but at least she didn't get swapped with someone ugly or totally out of shape or something.."

Buffy smirks, trying to imagine what that would be like. She was lucky herself to be born with good looks but not everyone is so lucky, and a lot of people have to work harder to attract people. Not that she wants to attract any attention to herself at all lately.

Which makes her frown slightly, even blushing a little as he holds her gaze for longer than she'd like. She's the first to break away, feeling slightly uncomfortable as she continues to walk along the pathway. "Sure. Thanks, I guess." Buffy sighs, running a hand through her hair, feeling a gentle breeze ruffling through it. She was a girly girl once, and it reminds her of how she'd admire herself in the mirror for hours back when she was just a normal girl. The flower helps remind her of those innocent days, and it makes her frown a bit less severe as she starts to think of fairies and magic, her expression softening some. "I'd like to meet a fairy one day, I think that would be neat. I guess there can be good magic in this world if there's bad magic. It would be nice to see the light in this world instead of being stuck in the darkness all the time. I used to love reading books about King Arthur and Merlin and the Knights of the Round table. Of course it always bugged me that there were never any female knights."

Captain Britain has posed:
"I've never found that to be true. For all her eccentricities, my sister is not dumb in the slightest. I'm not. And neither are you." He returns the smile, "yeah, she's certainly not ugly in the new form. It's been years, and I'm still dealing with it. I can only imagine what she's going through."

When she pulled away again, he felt hurt, but tried not to let it show. Following at a reasonable distance, since they were still talking, he tried not to stare at her. "You've already met some good magic. My power comes from the Amulet of Right. It was, well, woven into my costume. It's magic. I don't pretend to understand the mechanics of it. Gives me power, not all of it, but gives me a bit even when I'm not wearing it." Or at least that's how he thought it worked. How little he knew.

"I'm not terribly fond of female knights. Joan of Arc was one. If not for her, we would still own France. But, that aside, I think you would have made a splendid knight."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles and nods. "Thanks. She sounds like an amazing person. I hope I can meet her someday, and I hope you can meet my sister some day too." if she notices the carefully guarded hurt she caused, she doesn't show it, although she does pause a moment so he can catch up to her. Perhaps she was being too hard on him, even if she was still reeling from yet another painful breakup.

"To tell the truth, I've always been curious about your amulet. I guess it takes a big heart to wield such power and not become corrupted. You must be a true knight, even if you don't wield a sword or wear armour." It's kind of romantic actually, and she watches him for a moment or two with a thoughtful smile but says nothing, continuing the stroll after a few minutes.

"Not a fan of female knights? Why is that? You don't think they can hold their own?" Buffy flexes her hands as she says that, winking at him with a smile. "I'd love to spar with you sometime and prove you wrong."

Captain Britain has posed:
Catching up to her, he nods, "I'd like to meet Dawn, and I'm sure you'll meet Betsy at some stage," though maybe not Jamie he leaves out. Jamie was not a well man, and back in England, under the care of Mick, the family's primary valet. Niles was promoted to run things here in America.

"Oh, I have swords, just, not magical ones, at least I don't think they are, and I used the Star Sceptre with my original suit. Oh my, why did I mention that? It must sound like the sort of thing Sailor Moon would use. And the suit, that suit, my word. It, well, we all must start somewhere." He was terribly embarrassed about his original suit.

"The most famous female knight in history is largely attributed with the collapse of the English army. Of course I don't think I can hold my own against one. Just as I don't think I can win on penalties against Germany. It's simply not done." He was deflecting.

"However, you appear dressed for a sparring match. Why don't I change," since he was wearing leisure wear, and the proper attire was of paramount importance, "and I'll happily take you up on that?" He winked at her.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, "She'd probably have a crush on you or something weird like that.." she smirks, "But I'm sure you're probably used to that sort of thing anyway." she arches a brow at the mention of swords, her interest piqued. "Oh yeah? Are they just for decoration, or you know how to use them? I've used swords before, they can be lots of fun.."

Buffy does chuckle at the idea of him using a star sceptre, and she can't help but elbow him playfully, "Heey, you can't just tease me like that and leave it at that. Now you gotta at least show me a picture."

As for being afraid of female knights, she just smirks, and shakes her head. "Well, I'm not an enemy of England so you have nothing to worry about." she arches a brow, "Really? You're that eager to prove yourself to me?" she chuckles a bit, then internally kicks herself for how awkward that came out. "I-I mean..You know..Proving yourself in combat..Well.." she coughs, "I'll be waiting here then."

Captain Britain has posed:
"A crush, on me," he said, managing to sound incredulous. Okay, there had to be something wrong going on, for him to be able to confidently and honestly sound like he wasn't used to being hit on by girls. Then again, he was English. Perhaps British women weren't as forceful as Americans?

"But no, I mean, yes, they're hung up, but they're real, used by my family. I took fencing at boarding school, so know how to handle myself, but for the most part, they remain in storage or on display. Still, they are as sharp as ever."

He chuckles at the playful elbowing, but doesn't pull away, quite the contrary, "oh yes I can, if you want to see that, you've got to earn it. I am glad that you are no enemy towards my homeland. But yes, I suppose I am eager to prove myself to you." He took her comment at face value, and answered in kind, which probably only added to the awkwardness of it. "Come with me?" he suggests, and leads her back towards the castle.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, perhaps noting the doubt in his voice. And the playfulness in her own tone comes around, in spite of her reservations. "What's wrong, not used to girls hitting on you? Wow, I mean, you really are a stiff upper lip, arent you? I guess you can't help it, probably the strict way you were raised, all alone in this castle and all." she grins as she peers up at him, her smile playful, eyes twinkling.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I would have loved to practice some sword fighting with you. I guess these days most people just prefer guns over old fashionned weapons. Me? I still use stakes and find them pretty handy. Although lately, it seems not all vamps can be staked.."

"Gotta earn it, huh? And what exactly do I gotta do, hmm?" hmm maybe she doesn't want to know. Maybe she's pushing him too far. Except sometimes, Buffy likes to have a little fun, and teasing and flirtation come to her naturally. Bad habit perhaps. She just nods following him towards the castle.

"Right behind you.."

Captain Britain has posed:
"You're hitting on me," he repeats, toying around with the idea, his face contorting for a moment in contemplation, before broadening to a warm smile, as he found that he liked it. "Well, thank you Buffy. I suppose I am, but, the feeling is mutual, even if I might not be the best at showing it."

"Someday you'll have to see my home in England, especially the armoury." She'd probably love it. "Don't worry," he lead her back into the castle, through a corridor, and up a flight of stairs, then another corridor, until they were at the master suite, his bedroom, "please, give me a moment," and he headed towards the walk in closet, which he closed, but not all the way. Perhaps it was intentional, to see if she'd peek, or perhaps it was accidental, either way, there was a gap.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks slowly. Dammit, she didn't mean to flirt with him, it just kinda slipped out! But she doesn't want to go down that road again, not so soon, even if..He's kinda sweet, and...."Really? I was...Is that how it came out?" she frowns a little, stopping in her tracks. "Sorry about that..I can be a real idiot sometimes.."

Buffy sighs softly, spending the rest of the walk through the castle in awkward silence, not sure what she can say or do to make things less uncomfortable. Not sure if she really should. When they make it to his bedroom, she peeks in, then lets out a breath. "Oh. Um...Yeah, don't mind me. I'll just be out here.." she laughs nervously, glancing around the room as he changes, although occasionally she'll peek towards the crack, but only briefly, looking away again. Stop that, Buffy!

"Wow, this room is like..Fit for a king.." she laughs nervously again at the irony. Waay out of her league. Not that she should even be thinking that way.

Captain Britain has posed:
Her coming on to him, and his accepting of it, somehow resulted in an awkward silence. This was a strange place, but Brian was reasonably certain that there was a Chinese proverb about it. He remained in the walk-in closet for a few moments, eventually, the door slid open to reveal... red.

And boy was there a lot of it. He wore what appeared to be a red suit, some kind of Kevlar, militaristic form, moulded against his skin. It showed off his proportions, which were impressive, while still appearing to be a uniform of sorts. The only thing was it was so very, very, red.

His boots were thigh high, and a darker blue, the same shade as the Union Jack. On his legs, he wore red pants. His belt was red. His top was red, long sleeved, with a yellow lion taking up the majority of it. There were two straps around his arms, so he could store his sceptre, or a shield behind his back, much like how Captain America does. A silver necklace was draped around him, with some kind of gem in the centre, or rather, an amulet.

His arms were also red, but around his wrists, he wore bracers in a Union Jack pattern, and blue gloves that matched his boots. His neck was covered in red too, but the lower portion of his face was blue, while the nose and forehead were mostly red, as he wore another Union Jack over his face. There were two eye slits. His blonde hair stuck out over it, and he carried a golden spectre.

"So," he said in his heroic voice, "what do you think?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Annnd the awkwardness continues! Buffy looks quickly away as he steps out..Totally in red..And somehow managing to pull it off without looking goofy. Actually she kind of likes it and she smiles a bit shyly, even if it does show off a lot of his rather impressive physique, which makes her blush all the more.

"Oh! That's....A lot of red..Which makes me redder..Which would look ludicrous on anyone else but you.." she laughs nervously, struggling to find the right words to describe it. "I mean...Wow. Is this what you consider casual workout wear? Can you actually *breathe* in all that spandex?"

Captain Britain has posed:
"Oh, no, this isn't spandex, or workout wear. This is what I originally wore to fight crime." Yes, he says that with a straight face, or rather, a face that is currently hidden behind a mask. "Well, most of it. The amulet and sceptre no longer have their power. It was poured into my new suit, somehow. I can't really explain... because I don't really understand it all. Hang on," and he wandered back into the walk in closet, this time forgetting to close the door quite as far. He still closed it, but left more of a gap.

A few minutes later, he came out wearing a far more stylish and modern look, white, not leather, but some military grade looking fabric pants, with red and blue accents. His torso was predominantly red, but it looked more like body armour, again with red and white accents, wearing a stylised version of the Union Jack. His shoulders were red, with the lion there, but much smaller than before, his biceps and forearms largely blue, before fitting into white gauntlets with red accents. He still had the straps over his shoulders, but these were brown. And instead of wearing his helmet, he carried it in his right hand. All in all, it was an impressive look and a damn sight better than the original. Then he placed the helmet over his head, completing the look.

"And this, Buffy, is what I wear whilst saving the world." He seemed to be a lot more confident in that outfit. And did his voice somehow sound even more refined?

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks. "It's weird, I never even considered wearing any sort of superhero costume or adopting a superhero name. I'm just Buffy. In jeans and a t-shirt and leather jacket." and occasionally tight black leather pants. When she's feeling frisky. Which is often. Sometimes. Maybe. Occasionally? Okay, whatever..

"Wow, that's sooo cool. A magical amulet, an enchanted suit, huh.." she cant help but peek a little as he darts back into the closet, but pulls away quickly. "Stop that Buffy, that's soo not cool.." she scolds herself quietly, patiently waiting for him to re-emerge.

This new outfit is way more flattering, and makes her blush all the more and feel all silly and fluttery. "Wow. Impressive.." she hides it well behind her smirk, hopefully, as she folds her arms, casually leaning against the wall. "Soo how many more..Costumes do you have stored in there? I mean, I really like this one though. But I'm still wondering what you're gonna wear when you get your ass kicked by a girl."

There's that flirty lilt to her voice again, winking playfully at him. Dammit.

Captain Britain has posed:
"Yes, but you make jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket work." He agrees, though he doesn't object to her wearing leather pants, or yoga pants.

During one of the times Buffy peeked in on him, Brian had been shirtless, having his side to her. If he saw her, he hadn't let on. Surprisingly for someone in the industry, he showed no signs of dermal issues. His skin was positively flawless, if a little on the pale side. He could use more sun.
"Well, I have a Flynn Rider costume, but that's not really what I imagined you had in mind," he called out as he disappeared back into the walk in closet. Having a conversation through the ajar door, he said, "comes from my favourite Disney film, Tangled."

A few moments later, he would emerge wearing navy blue sweat pants, a little on the tight side, but that had as much to do with his height as anything else. Besides them, he had white socks, black and white Adidas shoes, which looked like football shoes, except they lacked the cleats underneath, and a white t-shirt, which bore the flag of England, the red and white cross, over his left breast, and the number 6 on his right. If she got a look at his back, it would say 6 on the back, with Braddock in block letters, though it was just a t-shirt, nothing official.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, wandering around the main room a bit longer, peering at this and that as he speaks. Of course she does catch a glimpse of a little too much flesh and looks away quickly again, feeling self-conscious, wondering if he got that physique through magic, or just a lot of working out, or both.

"Flynn Rider? Like, the guy who rescues Rapunzel in Tangled?!" she laughs, a little too loudly at that thought, "I mean seriously...WHY!? You just FELT like dressing up as him one day, or you're secretly an anime cosplay fan!?" she finds the idea rather..Cute, actually, given how very serious and straight arrow and square he seems to be. Does he ever have time for real fun.

"I mean, that's kinda..Cute, I'd love to see your costume one day. I'd love to check out an anime convention myself. Maybe dressed up as Sailormoon or something. Who knows?" finally he emerges and she smiles, giving her nod of approval. "Well that looks more..Normal."

Captain Britain has posed:
"I wore it once when I visited Disneyland Paris. They had an event where you could dress up, and if I was going to, I decided I would go as my favourite character. I just wish I had, had a Rapunzel to go with me."

"Yeah, he's the guy who has the wanted posters, but they keep getting his nose wrong, and fights Maximum with a frying pan lent to him by Rapunzel. Okay, I'm very much losing whatever street credibility I might have had, aren't I?"

"You could see it, but I thought you wanted to kick my arse, was it?" He grinned to her, "though Sailor Moon, really, that would be something. I'd be honoured if I could be your Tuxedo Mask?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers oohs, "Disneyland huh. That's cool. I went a few times as a kid. Before my parents split up. I miss those days. But you know, we should dress up some time..I'd love to try my hand at cosplay, even if it's a little odd.." she chuckles a bit, "'My' Tuxedo Mask, huh...I mean, I guess it's just dressing up so.." she shrugs and smiles. "I always thought having a knight in shining armour would be pretty romantic. Guess it was never meant to be though.."

Captain Britain has posed:
"I'm guessing you went to the one in L.A.?" Growing up in Britain, he visited Paris, or Orlando, but rarely Los Angeles. It was just too far, and smaller than the one in Orlando in any event. "Sorry to hear that about your parents. I lost mine... a few years ago." He admitted to her.

Moving onto a happier topic, "well, I wouldn't wear that getup for just anyone, you know. But for you, yes, I would gladly dress as Tuxedo Mask. A knight in shining armour would be romantic you say... wait just a minute," and he pretends to head back to his closet, before turning around, and laughing, "nope, don't have a suit of medieval armour. I don't think they ever made a suit that would fit me. People were shorter back then, much shorter."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods, "Yeah, that's the one. Although, I didn't really lose my dad, he and my mom just got divorced when I was really young. So I didn't see much of him. And lately, my mom's been pretty ill soo..." she sighs, "I guess I worry a lot about her too. The idea of losing your family is a little frightening..Morseo than the friends I lost, many of who ended up becoming vamps and having to be killed.." but it's not something Buffy wants to think about or dwell on too much.

She's grateful for a change of topic and she smirks a bit at the thought of Brian dressed up as Tuxedo Mask, the epitome of Knight in Shining Armour. "Oh, really? I mean, I would have thought that someone as traditional as you would have a shiny suit of armour first and foremost. I could totally see you in that.." she chuckles a bit. "Couldn't you get one custom made?"

Captain Britain has posed:
"I suppose," and he was considering it. There were people who made suits of armours for movies, like A Knight's Tale, and he could arrange for one to be made to his specifications. It was the sort of thing that one could do, had they the financial might, and the inclination to see it through. He'd make a call later about it. "I'll look into it." If it will put a smile on Buffy's face, it will be well worth the investment. Plus, now he wanted a suit of armour.

"But, didn't you want to and I quote, kick my arse?" Leading her on through the castle, down towards the basement, where there was a gymnasium and training area set up. Once in, it was a very modern facility, w Once in, it was a very modern facility, with weights, a boxing ring, training mats, and, was that an underground pool in the next room? Some heavy excavation must have gone on. Was he planning on training an army or something? The place was huge.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks, "Heh, I think you would look quite dashing in a suit of armour, Sir Knight!" she attempts an English accent as she says that - although it's probably not very convincing - and finishes with a dramatic sweeping bow. She would very much like to see him in armour, for whatever reason..Of course, that's for another day, and for now, she follows him through hallways, down towards the basement, where she is quite amazed and impressed at the incredibly large and well thought out gymnasium. Forget the secret room in the magic box, this place is incredible!

"Wooooow....." she gapes in awe, walking around and poking at this and that. "This is......Just wow...I could spend hours, even days down here." she chuckles, "I mean if it was my own place. No wonder you're so..Buff.." she smiles, feeling self conscious again as she says that..And wondering if she ever really *could* 'kick his arse. Maybe she's underestimated him.

Captain Britain has posed:
"'twould be my pleasure, m'lady," he replied in an actual English accent, making no comment about her attempt. "Though I will have to see about finding an armoursmith. Something tells me there's an app for that." They do live in a modern world, after all.

But as she seems thoroughly impressed with his workout area, he just watches and follows her, "come by, anytime. Mi casa es su casa," or my home is your home. "You do seem to be fond of my things, my home, my uniform, my gymnasium, but how does she feel about the man himself?"

Did he just refer to himself in the third person? Though he did it with a smile and a flirty tone. And he was heading towards a training mat, not seeming to do any warming up, which was either a very good, or a very bad sign. "Want to make it interesting with a friendly wager?" He offered her the chance to set some terms for their sparring.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers chuckles at his response, utterly impressed by his genuine (and kinda sexy, though she would never admit it), British accent. Because who doesn't find British accents sexy? Really?! "Hmmm, that's a good question. But hey, if they have castles, why not weaponsmiths?"

Buffy is caught off-guard when he points out her complimenting his amenities, pausing as she bites her lip, "Umm..Well, I didn't mean it that way. It's not like I'm just impressed with your riches, as if all you are is your money and wealth and impressive gadgets. It's not like that at all..Although to be honest, I kinda thought that's all there was to you at first. But I guess you've already proved me wrong."

How does she *feel* about the man? That's..A little too personal for her right now, and Buffy would really rather not go there at all, not with her heart as tender and broken as it is right now, but..."Well..." she glances at him sideways, trying to hide her smile, eyes sparkling a little in admiration of him. "You seem like a nice guy...I guess? I dunno.."

Her eyebrows quirk at the 'friendly wager' bit. "Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?"

Captain Britain has posed:
Damn, she was so cute when she bit her lip like that. She had to know that her pouting was compelling, didn't she? And now she was keeping in the dark after he had tried to get some clarification. His heart skipped a beat while waiting, listening to her, watching her glance this way and that. She had to know what she was doing. "A nice guy, from what I've heard, they finish last. Not really my style." He was trying to be brave, to be arrogant, but it was a bit of an act.

"Oh, there are so many things we could wager. Loser has to give a back rub to the winner? Loser has to dance for the winner whilst singing the Lion Sleeps Tonight. Or how about something a little more simple, the winner gets to pick a movie and we can watch it together?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Yess, she is cruel, toying with him like this. But it's totally his fault, tormenting her when her heart was already tormented enough as is. "Oh yeah? So you're not a 'nice guy' huh? Mister Stiff upper lip, mister square, can do no wrong, because ~It would not be proper!~" she does her best fake English accent again, failing miserably as she teases him with that somewhat flirty smile of hers. Does she know what she's doing? Suuuure...If ya say so.

Buffy is a bit surprised at what he chooses though. "Umm seriously, that's the best you could come up with? Pick a movie? I mean, that's hardly tormenting. I thought you'd insist on something super awkward like a romantic, candle lit dinner by the lake or something.." which would just make her die...But would actually be rather nice. Except, she doesn't want to go in that territory yet.

Yes, let's just leave it in that vague 'friendzone' instead. Hopefully. "Alright then, if you insist, I'll just have to make you watch some cheesy romantic flick with me." Her favorite, really.

Captain Britain has posed:
Brian is something of an easy target when it comes to such efforts. He's been trying in vain to hide the blushes, the glances, the looks, but he was into her, she knew it, and so did he. What he wasn't certain of was how she felt about him. Though she had flirted a bit, that wasn't the same. He knew his sister flirted with people she had no interest in, so he was trying to be careful.

"Ah, but you must remember, James Bond is English too, and so is Eggsy Unwin, and I have very little in common with either, but still." Yeah, he hadn't thought that one through. But he was trying.

"No, it was not the best I could come up with, but I didn't want to go too far, too quickly. I mean, would a candlelit dinner be of interest, or perhaps a moonlight skinny dip in the pool, what about a game of twister?" Yeah, even when he was trying, he was still pretty tame, very reserved, on the border of prim and proper.

"If I win, we're going to watch Wimbledon." He offered up, which was about a tall blond English tennis player and a blonde female American tennis player, finding each other over the course of a tennis tournament both were competing in.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers can be a bit of a flirt from time to time, but usually reserves sustained flirtations for those she has a genuine interest in - not that Brain would have any way of knowing that.

"You know, I've always liked James Bond, he was pretty darn sexy..And very proper, although he didn't respect the ladies much. Didn't care much for that part of him.." she frowns, "If it weren't for that, I could see you as James Bond easily.." Buffy smiles a little as she says that, a little less teasingly perhaps.

"Well, I appreciate that, I wouldn't want to think it was..something serious. Or anything. I mean, not right now, anyway.." she considers her words carefully, not wanting to hurt his feelings, although she knows there's a possible 'something' there too. she smirks and shrugs, "A cheesy romance movie seems harmless enough, that is, if you're not too black and blue to sit up and watch it after I beat you up." Buffy grins and winks again, a teasing tone to her voice.

Captain Britain has posed:
Brian was still getting to know Buffy, even if they had met months ago, there had been some time between encounters, either because of this or that, but he was rather enjoying the sustained flirtations he had been receiving, and was doing his best to keep up.

When she mentioned how darn sexy James Bond was, Brian immediately adopted his best Connery Bond impersonation, "The name is Braddock, Brian Braddock. A martini, shaken, not stirred. Governments change. The lies stay the same. Well, I like to do some things the old-fashioned way." He was listing off a few quotes from the great spymaster, doing his very best impersonation, which was actually rather good. Every man of a certain age has practiced their James Bond. It was a time honoured tradition.

Things were taking an interesting turn here, and he nodded along, in agreement about taking things slow, "I love cheesy romance films. Hugh Grant is the absolute master, though Judd Law, Paul Bettany, and many, many others did well in the genre. Do take it easy on me. I wouldn't want to find sitting with you on the couch to be painful." He winks, toying with her. Though there was a genuine interest, would he win, or would she. He was fighting at a disadvantage, since he didn't have his amplification suit.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks, quite impressed by his impersonation. "Seriously though...One of these days I gotta actually try a martini.." forget that she is technically underage, not that it ever stopped her from trying to have fun in the past.

But back to business. "I mean lately I'm not a huge fan of rom-cons because they're sooo darned unrealistic, but it's nice to imagine a happily ever after could really happen.." she shrugs, "I did like Hugh Grant, although don't watch enough British comedy to know many others. Perhaps you can suggest some good ones?" although what the heck is she getting herself into, flirting with him and getting tricked into a...A date? She frowns, surely one cheesy movie wouldn?t hurt?

"I mean seriously, you're built like a tank and you're afraid of ME hurting YOU?" she just laughs a bit nervously. Because honestly, it's more likely that Buffy is the one to end up with broken bones here.

Captain Britain has posed:
"We can add that to the bet," as if this was still a bet, "and have martinis with the rom-coms." In his eyes, she was old enough. But there were different rules back home. And over here, she was barely underage. Not that he knew her birthday yet.

When she starts talking about how unrealistic rom-cons are, he takes a moment, pausing, looking a bit to the side, and does a pretty good American TV announcer voice, "in every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer."

"Rejoice, my son, for thou hast chosen the Amulet of Right o'er the Sword of Might! Therefore, let there be beauty and strength -- power and compassion -- honour and humility, mirth and reverence -- within you... Captain Britain."

"Coming in 2027," he's putting so much emphasis into every word, "from Disney Studios," pausing between each segment, "and the Writers of Bill and Ted Face the Music," he grins towards her, "comes the story of a superhero," he begins walking around her, "and a super romance." He's still doing that corny accident, "For the Slayer, falling in love can be hard..., but it can also be..., enchanting." And then, the title would be, "Captain Britain and the Slayer, Christmas 2027."

And it's a miracle he managed to get through it all. "I'd be happy to show you some solid British comedies. Sure, some of them are a bit dated, but they're rather funny."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks, "Oh yeah? and what happens if I win, I get to choose the movie and watch you dance around in your Flynn Ryder costume?" she grins wickedly, arching a brow when he does some movie impressions. The first one sounds oddly familiar somehow..The last one with the Christmas movie attempt does cause her to bite her lip nervously. "Nope,don't think I'be ever heard that last one before.."

But enough joking around, time to fight! Buffy has been stretching the whole time they were talking, warming up her muscles and preparing to fight someone she is not sure she can beat..She begins to circle him now, eyes narrowed and focused as she searches for an opening, dropping down into a defensive stance..

Captain Britain has posed:
"Sounds fair, but if I win, I get to pick the film and watch you dance around in a Sailor Moon costume. We'll get you one if you don't have it." He returns her grin in kind. He continued circling her. The matt under feet was firm, but under enough pressure, would give way and begin to cushion, a sort of high tech play on memory foam, but one specifically designed for incredibly strong metahumans like Buffy and himself.

With her adopting a defensive stance, either he had very little in the way of fight strategy, or he was something of an arrogant fighter. His stance wasn't defensive, but instead seemed to have a swagger to it. As if he were totally confident in his own abilities. And yet, he did not throw the first punch. She would have to do that.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers blinks slowly, "Wait, seriously? You want me to wear that ridiculous mini skirt and buns?!" dammit, now she really has to win! She continues to circle him, but doesn?t just rush in headlong, or at least not mindlessly. Buffy does charge in with a series of rapid punches at his mid section, although most of them are feints as she dashed past him and to the side and while he is hopefully attempting to block or dodge the punches, she ducks down low, attempting to foot sweep him, using her comparatively diminutive size to her advantage.

Captain Britain has posed:
"I think you would look rather fetching in it," he winks at her, not really wanting to dress up as Flynn Rider for her amusement. He had to win this one to avoid that fate. More so by the fact he had shown off his original costume, so she was already ahead, having seen him wear something funny.

Does he allow her to get in those punches to his midsection, or was she too quick for him to block. It was a tough one to call, as it was easy, but was it too easy? He was curious about how much she could dish out, and playfully batted a few extra hits. "You're a bit smaller than most of my opponents. Quicker too," he commented, as he danced around. He had pretty good footwork for a big guy, jumping over the foot sweep. But so far, he hadn't thrown any punches, just feints.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers is equally reluctant to go about dressed like jailbait in a too-short mini skirt, with oversized bows and fluttery girly things. She may have been a girly girl once, but she's grown past that since, and prefers a darker, sexier (and more badass) look.

"Yeah, I get that alot. People like to overestimate me, just because I'm not tall, as if height has anything to do with skill." she smirks, "That's usually stated moments before I annihilate them, one way or another." She's not sure how to handle Brian though. He's big, but not ungainly. A bit too sure of himself, but quick and apparently more agile than he first appeared.

Okay then, time to put a bit more force into her punches. She doesn't bother going for any of the feints, and focuses instead on circling him slowly, darting in and out with a few feinted punches before following up with an actual jump kick aimed at the mid-section, with a bit more force behind it, before she darts to his side, working on the corners rather than attacking directly from the front. Yes, she is quick, and a lot stronger than she looks too, when she wants to be, although she may be pulling her punches just a little as she attempts to gauge his strength.

Captain Britain has posed:
"Height has nothing to do with skill. But remember, height has nothing to do with skill." Just as Buffy can be skilled despite being her height, Brian can be skilled despite his own height. It was still early in the sparring match, and it could very easily go either way.

The jump kick to his mid-section hits, and he staggers back, but not as far as he should have. He obviously had some extra things going for him. He went for her while vulnerable, but already she was going to his side, trying not to attack from the front. "Buffy, you're pulling your punches. Don't. Hit me as hard as you can." Okay, that did not bode well. He said that with way too much confidence.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, turning around to face him again. "Yeah, seems that way. Guess I underestimated you at first too. Not like I'll make the same mistake twice." she brings up her hands again, tensing, ready for anything.

"Seriously? You're not wearing your suit..You really want me to stop pulling my punches? Well, okay, if you insist. But I trust you'll do the same in return.." she's not sure what his upper limit is without the suit, but he's already surmised that he possesses some sort of residual strength even when out of the suit. Who knows, his strength may still surpass her own..

Still, Buffy needs to gauge where he falls on the spectrum, and so she puts a little bit more strength into her next attack..Rushing into him with a more powerful - but still not full strength - flying sidekick this time, quickly following up with a low footsweep to mix it up a little. Again, she is quick, darting to the side to stay clear of his long legs as much as she can.

Captain Britain has posed:
"Looks are always deceiving," he offers up as she tenses, preparing herself for anything he might throw at her. But he was still being cagey. It had to be deliberate at this stage. He must have been trying to wind her up, to see just what she can do. "Wear a magical suit long enough, and it starts to rub off on you. I do all right without it." And really well with it.

So far, he's not felt tested by her strength, but her speed, yep, that ones a definite advantage on her part. Not so much that she was that much quicker than him, but she also had shorter limbs, less body mass, even if he was moving the same way she was, he had farther to go. So while he managed to deflect the sidekick, the footsweep gets him this time, sending him down onto the matt, flat on his back.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers arches a brow at his comment. Indeed, he was one the defensive for some reason, and she was eager to see what he might throw out at her. "Nifty. Maybe I should try one of those sometime."

She grins and winks as she circles him, pausing only briefly to let him get back to his feet. Of course, if this were a real fight, she'd have leapt on him and staked him by now..And she has to wonder if he *let* her knock him down.

"C'mon, quit holding back, show me what you're *really* made of! I HATE it when people go easy on me!" she makes a face, cocking her finger at him to urge him on. "Or are you too chicken to face me without your fancy little suit?"

Captain Britain has posed:
Having been allowed to get back up, and being told to quit holding back, Brian decides to go all out. He goes from having fun with her, almost egging her on in how little he was giving, to becoming a ferocious fighter, using his strength, his speed, and his cunning. He might not have been wearing the suit, but he still had a number of abilities, which he thought were residual.

He throws a flurry of blows, a left jab, a right hook, kicking out at her, he's having to fight downwards, as is often the case, but the man does have one huge advantage on her. He had incredible reach. She has to get through his reach to hit his body, while his arms stretch out in a very pronounced wingspan. While he fought, he was utterly silent. Quips during combat were evidentially not this forte.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers is ready for him when he leaps to his feat, and adjusts her stance accordingly. It's not like she's unused to fighting opponents larger than her, although he is considerably larger than she is used to. It makes it harder for her to dart in and out and counter his attacks more effectively.

But his larger size also makes it easier for her to see most of his jabs coming at her, and she manages to dart to this side and that, bringing up her hand to block most of the jabs although one or two of them hit her, causing her to stumble back a little.

"Now, that's more like it!" she grins, beckoning him on with a wry smile on her face, aiming for a series of low kicks before back springing out of the way. Given her smaller size, she's more likely to successfuly hit him lower down, ducking under his high blows if she times it just right.

Captain Britain has posed:
Buffy had been holding her own well in this fight, and making Brian look bad. Trouble is, she made a tactical error in thinking that going low was a good tactic for fighting Brian. He did have surprisingly good footwork for a man of his size. While some of the blows did connect, not enough of them, and there wasn't enough power behind them. And then, as she kicked out, he managed to catch her leg, pulling it abruptly up, forcing her to relent, or go into some kind of quirky superheroic gymnastic pose. "Gotcha," he called out.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers narrows her eyes, gaining a bit more confidence as she darts in..But it seems she has underestimated him again, and made an error that might be fatal were this a real fight. "dammit.." she mutters, but she's not about to give up! Instead, she attempts to kick him with her free leg..Which may just be a gamble as if she fails, he'll probably hurl her to the floor with both legs, which could be quite painful.

Captain Britain has posed:
And what a fail? It's a good thing this wasn't a real fight, as Brian manages to catch the other leg, and now holds her upside down by both legs. "Quite the predicament, isn't it Buffy?" He kind of liked seeing her upside down like that. It was funny from a certain point of view.

And she was hardly heavy. He could do that all day. But she had other ideas, and reached for the backs of his legs, and tugged, trying to unbalance him. He tried to regain his balance, at one point holding both her and him up on one foot. He didn't want to see her get hurt. So as she tried to get free, he did his best to make sure that she didn't get dropped on her head, or worse, go flying uncontrollably.

When he finally did lose his balance under her countermeasures, he guided the fall in such a way that she had a soft landing, making great use of the Englishman on the ground to break her fall. "Shall we call it a draw, m'lady?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers grits her teeth, having aimed to unbalance him and pull him down with her..Which seems to have at least partly worked. Unfortunately she goes tumbling down with him in a rather awkward pile, from which she hastily attempts to untangle herself from, turning around to face him the right way round, straddling him most awkwardly.

"Phew, you don't give up, do you?" she smirks, "At least this means I don't have to wear a tacky sailormoon outfit, right?" she hasn't even broken a sweat, but she is breathing lightly by now. But more than that, Buffy's ego may have been hurt a bit, having been defeated so quickly, and feeling like he only allowed her to drag him to the ground with her.

Captain Britain has posed:
The fall was awkward, though it did result in her straddling him, so he wasn't about to complain about that, even if it was unintentional. "There are more than 170,000 words in the English language, and never have heard 'give' and 'up' in reference to an Englishman. I understand each word individually, but together, they make no sense in this context."

"And, perhaps it means that you have to wear the tacky Sailor Moon outfit, and I have to wear the Flynn Rider one?" If they had both lost. After all, by the terms of the bet, only a winner would escape punishment. Technically, both would suffer the penalties in a draw. He hadn't broken a sweat either. Reaching up, to pat one of her free hands, "you're wonderful, you do know that, right?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shakes her head. "Who says I'm giving up? Although it looks like we're at a stalemate now.." she rolls her eyes, but smiles a bit, climbing off him and offering him a hand up. "Okaay, fine. I'll dress like a silly magical girl crossed with a cheerleader..But you get to dress up as a...Tacky thief? I guess?" as for the compliment that makes her blush, she tries to shrug it off with a nervous shrug and laugh. "You're hilarious. I mean, where the heck are we gonna dress up like cartoon characters anyway? Some random anime convention?" of course there are probably tons going on all the time. Might actually be fun if not weird..

Captain Britain has posed:
"I think this is why the hundred years war took so long. We wouldn't back down, and neither would the French. They got over that mindset..." Another joke at expense of the French. It must be an English thing. But when she agrees that they'll dress up, he grins, "shouldn't be that bad. I'd bet money that you were a cheerleader. Beautiful, smart, funny, you had to be a popular girl in school, I just know it." And they have cheerleaders in American schools, unlike back at home.

  "Well, we could dress up here, or your apartment, or walk through Sunnydale dressed like that. But yeah, probably not appropriate. I'm sure there's a convention coming soon. We could go to the next convention on the calendar? It's only a Google search away."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shrugs, "Well, I dunno, I mean, I've never been the kind of girl to surrender, if I can help it. I can understand why neither side wanted to back down. Afterall, who wants to be a big loser? That's no fun.." she smirks.

"Yeah, how'd you guess? Was it the hair or the high kicks? Or..Something else?" she shrugs, "I guess I was like your typical pretty, popular girl back in the day, all into boys and makeup and parties. And yes, cheerleading too. I guess life was simple back then, and fun. Sometimes I miss that life."

As for conventions, that just causes Buffy to smile a little. "Well...It would be something different I suppose. Although it still seems rather ridiculous. I mean, not like I have anything against ridiculous." she does give him a little wink, squeezing his hand ever so slightly before letting go.

"However, we can save that for a rainy day. Soo...About that movie..I could do with something relaxing honestly..Y'know, some popcorn, some wine..Some candlelight.." it's hard to tell if she's serious or joking at this point.

Captain Britain has posed:
"You don't like to back down, and neither do I. This shall prove most interesting." Still, it was a situation he was eager to explore. "Although, I do think I could envision losing to the right person, under the right circumstances, might be fun." He gave her a wink at that.

"Just a hunch, though all of those lent themselves towards it. It can be simple again. Just a matter of finding balance. Slay demons by night, school by day, and spend time with friends in between." He was wondering if she still had her uniform, but didn't ask.

"Different can be good. It can be a lot of fun. I'd like that, spending a rainy day with you, and dressing up in some ridiculous garb. But, for now." He slipped an arm around her, tentatively, but trying to direct her towards the stairs up, "popcorn, wine, and candlelight sounds wonderful. Shall we?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers arches a brow. "Is that so...Please don't tell me you weren't going easy on me back there. I hate when people go easy on me.." she does smile a bit thought, somewhat amused at something.

"Yeah yeah, I know all about balance, at least.." she sighs, "Well, I guess on paper it makes more sense than reality. Sure, I can do all that, but when I look at the future, can I really have a career, a family?" she shrugs and laughs, "Sorry, I'm thinking too hard again. I could really do with some chillaxing though.."

Different can be good, and fun. Although she's not sure what exactly she just signed up for. Buffy hesitates a bit at the arm around her shoulders, though doesn't shrug him off just yet. "Sounds a little odd but I'll wing it. As long as the movie's not too cheesy.." she smirks. "Soo what were we watching again?"

Captain Britain has posed:
"No more than you were going easy on me," he diplomatically points out, having been pretty sure that she wasn't going all out against him for the vast majority of it. "And I'm better with my suit, of course." He leaned into her, leading her up, and through the castle.

"Buffy, you can have anything you set your mind to. I believe it. Now you have to believe it. Make it happen. Make it real. A journey of a thousand miles... and all that. Now, if chillaxing is what m'lady desires, then chillaxing is what she shall have."

He led her into what must have been an entertainment room, as there was a truly massive flat panel television screen that descended from the ceiling. It sort of rolled, bendable technology by the looks of it, and when it was finished, it was taught. The room had a couch at what must have been optimal viewing, as well as some side chairs, and a table in front. To one end, there was a bar, with a microwave, dishwasher, fridge, cupboards, and other associated things.

"As neither one of us won, I'm not sure who gets to decide, but since I do have it how about we give Wimbledon a try, and after that, have a look for the one you'd have us watch if you won? A double feature." He went over to the kitchen area, "now, if I were a bag of popcorn, where would I be..." after a few minutes or rummaging, he found it, put it in the microwave, and hit power. Next, he selected a bottle of wine. A few minutes later, and he'd head over to the couch to join her.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers hmms and nods. "Well...I suppose that's true, I needed to know your limits, but I'm starting to think I wouldn't stand a chance against you if you HAD used full strength. Not that it would have stopped me of course. I mean, I'm used to fighting enemies that are stronger than me. Afterall, where's the challenge if they're not?" she grins.

"That's true, I've never let anything stop me before...Except trying to live a normal life, I suppose." she does smile a little self-consciously at the 'm'lady' part, still painfully aware of his arm around her shoulders. Which she should probably shrug off. But is feeling oddly comfortable that she leaves it as is - at least for now - as she follows him towards the 'entertainment room' Which like most other rooms in this castle, is huge.

"Wow. I guess you don't have any small rooms in this place huh." the couch looks comfy though, and she settles on it, feeling a bit peckish now. Buffy may not be terribly big, but she does have a fairly high metabolism it seems. "Wimbledon, huh. Guess we could give it a try. And after that, maybe we could go for a little Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or something?" she grins, always a fan of martial arts films, even though a lot of them are quite unrealistic.

Captain Britain has posed:
"When wearing my suit, I am in a higher class." Of that, there was no doubt. He was closer to Thor and Superman than Buffy and Spider-Man. "But without, we're probably a fair match. Not sure who'd come out on top if we both went all out. I hope we never have to face each other for real. And your iron will counts for a lot. It's the same reason that the sun still hasn't set on the British Empire," meaning that 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, somewhere, the sun is shining on a British possession.

Sitting beside her on the couch, possibly a little closer than he should, he hands her a glass of wine, while setting the bowl of popcorn down in his lap, and retaining a second glass of wine for himself. It took a bit of effort to carry two gasses in one hand, but he had just about managed it. An impressive feat. "Rom-Com first, then action? It sounds good to me." They were in for a calm, peaceful, and relaxing night. A rarity in this industry.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods and sighs as she considers that. "That's interesting. I mean with all the higher level super powers out there, it kinda makes me wonder what I'm needed for, really. I mean, people like Superman and Wonder woman could probably easily decimate all the vampires in the world with one swipe of their mighty hands, and I could just go retire and be a normal girl.." she bites her lip, pondering that over. It kinda makes her feel useless in a way, even though she's fighting hard to do her best and not feel useless.

Buffy pulls her legs up to her chest, hugging them close as she ponders her thoughts to herself, mostly wondering what her true purpose in the world is if it's not to fight demons when others could easily get the job done more efficiently than her, but..

The interruption of something as commonplace as a movie. A cheesy rom-com does cause her to smile faintly, as she closes her eyes, leaning her head against the back of the couch. She's aware of his nearness although wary about responding to it just yet.

"Sounds fun..Let's see where this leads." her response deliberately vague. The movie? Or..Something else..?

Captain Britain has posed:
"In all the world, there are so many higher level, Superman, Hulk, Thor, those types, and there are people who oppose them. They are people, just like us. They live lives, do their thing, and try to do what's right when they can. But they can't be everywhere."

"If Superman is fighting some monster from space, he can't be there to help Sally from the vampire that would bite her. He's indisposed. At every level, from Superman, right on down to a concerned citizen pointing out a dangerous pot hole, everyone is doing their part to make the world a better place. You are needed. You do good. This world of ours needs every good person it can get."

"If you ever feel that way, just remember, you were there to save that person, to help, to do something and leave the world in a better condition than when you found it. Every action, every step, is just part of the journey."

She was apprehensive, closing herself off, the knees in her chest being a dead give away, and yet, she said she wanted to see where it lead. But did she mean the movie, or something more?

Buffy Summers has posed:
"You know, I never really thought of it like that.." she smiles faintly, nodding at his logic. "I mean, I guess if you can protect people, even if you can't move mountains, doing what you can with what you've got is the most important thing, right?" She sighs, brushing an errant strand behind her ear. Yeah, Buffy seems tense, real tense tonight, but maybe she'll relax in a bit.

The wine is accepted gratefully and she relaxes in her position, leaning back against the sofa, bringing her legs down on the floor again. "Mmmm, this wine tastes really GOOD!" Buffy smiles. "But of course, you probably have your own personal winery to serve you hmm?" there's that impish smile and wink again as she sips on her wine, a little too quickly, perhaps all too eager to relax and not feel so anxious all the time.

"But you know, I guess I've always been a somewhat reluctant hero. It's alway felt like a chore, like an unpleasant thing that I'm stuck with but I don't want to do. I was always too eager to pass on the buck to someone else, anyone else...But I guess you're right. There have been many times when I have saved lives, and I've thought, if I wasn't there watching them, protecting them, they might have died..Maybe I can make a difference in the world, even if It's not the moving mountains. And maybe it's enough. I guess it kind of feels good when you think of it in that way."

Captain Britain has posed:
"Every bit helps," he added, glad that she was getting it, even if she was a bit tense, to put it mildly. Perhaps the wine will help, not that he was trying to get her drunk or anything. "Nah, this one's from Australia," not even terribly old, but then age, like origin and price, had very little to do with wine taste. Wine connoseurs were routinely fooled in blind taste tests, which was an open secret in the industry, much like 'professional' wrestling.

The impish smile and wink are infectious, with Brian's cheeks turning a slight shade of red at the attention. "I didn't ask for this life either. I was near death when Merlin and his daughter, Roma, came to me with an offer. Amulet of Right or Sword of Might. I chose the amulet, and became Captain Britain... and incidentally didn't die. It's complicated. But I even tried to give it up to my sister for a while, but, it's my responsibility... I kind of wish she had kept it. My costume covered up way more of her than her current one does. It's magic, so re-sized itself for her."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers hmms and nods, feeling the wine course through her body, making her feel warm and comfy. "Hmm, I don't drink wine much, but I really should. This stuff is ~really~ good.." she smiles, glancing at the bowl of popcorn in his lap, pondering if she should reach over or grab it or....

"Huh, so fate called you too, hmm? And how did that feel? I mean now adays..Have you accepted your fate, or does it still feel like a burden sometimes? Has it stopped you from living the life you want?"

Captain Britain has posed:
Brian starts the movie, Wimbledon, which is about a tall, older, journeyman tennis player named Peter Colt, who is played by Paul Bettany, and was invited to Wimbledon despite his low world ranking. In the women's competition, Lizzie Bradbury, played by a young, petite Kirsten Dunst, is one of the favourites. The romantic comedy is based around that. It's rather cute and endearing, with some good humour, and the two main leads have great chemistry with one another.

"I'm glad you like it. Let me know if you'd like some more." The rest of the bottle was still on the table, so she could pour some herself as well. "I moved more than five thousand kilometres because of it. If I haven't accepted it by now, I don't know what I'm doing." He made a small joke, "er, but yeah, I've grown into it. It's an honour, a duty, not all fun and games, but, if I weren't Captain Britain, I would never have met you. Popcorn?" Yes, he immediately went from one to the other.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers sits back and relaxes some more as she settles down to watch the movie. She's started to lose interest in rom-coms after her own rather sad love life, but it's kinda fun to imagine that everyone lives in a happy fairytale world where everything works out in the end. It makes her smile a little, and she's always loved sports, maybe it's the competitiveness of it all.

"Funny, kinda hits close to home, wonder if that's just a coINcidence?" she waggles her brows at him rather suspiciously. Buffy is careful not to drink TOO MUCH WINE because she knows how she tends to get when she does. In fact, she should really fill up on food..Except that it's in his lap. Which would be awkward since she'd have to lean over. She just kinda..Stares thoughtfully at the popcorn bowl for a few moments, pondering how to grab it without awkwardness ensuing. Which often tends to happen in these sorts of situations.

"Well that's cool, how long have you been playing superhero then?" she shrugs, at his admission of how they met. "Well I suppose you could be right there."

Captain Britain has posed:
"I don't know what you're talking about," he says with a completely straight face about a movie featuring a proper English gentleman and a witty, sarcastic, snarky American girl, both being blondes, both being finely tuned athletes, before he has to break into a smile at the similarities to their own situation. The main difference being that in this one, Kirsten Dunst's character is the rich one. He drinks the rest of his wine, pouring another glass, before munching on some popcorn.

"Are you sure you don't want any popcorn? It's buttery goodness, although, I'm reasonably certain that is a trademark, and there is nothing buttery, or good, about it. I like the taste, though, probably not too good for us."

"I've been heroing for a few years now, some back home, some out here. It's proven interesting. I might not have said this once, but now, I wouldn't have it any other way." And when he said that last part, he looked straight into her eyes.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Suuuuure you don't." she retorts in a singsong voice, blue eyes sparkling as she leans over to grab some popcorn from the bowl, a stray strand of blonde hair trickling down to barely brush his arm as she does so, almost teasingly so. She quickly grabs some popcorn, shifting back to her spot on the couch, a respectable amount of space between them but not too much. They're not strangers, but they're not like...Super cozy or anything.

"Well that's good. It's always nice when things worked out. So I guess your trip out here wasn't in vain afterall.." she pauses as he stares at her, feeling a bit self conscious again, breaking contact first as she reaches for some more wine. Which she really shouldn't have because she's had quite a bit already. Really shouldn't. "Mmm. Wine and popcorn. Guess that's a new combination, huh. Usually it's wine and cheese. Does it count if it's cheesy popcorn?" she laughs a bit nervously now.

Captain Britain has posed:
For his part, Brian just grins at her, clearly pleased with the singsong voice she was speaking in. She was just so darned cute when she wanted to be, or was it natural? Did she know how she came off? "I don't think I have any cheese flavoured popcorn, but we do have cheese. A wide variety." And, perhaps a little too eager, he got up off the couch, setting his wine down as the movie played.

He headed over to that bar area of the room, rummaging around in the drawers, before pulling out some cheeses, and some meats, which he promptly chopped. His two glasses of wine weren't affecting him, at least not enough to hinder his hand eye coordination.

A moment later he came over with a Charcuterie and Cheese board. He settled back down into his seat, maybe a little closer than before, "besides, this'll help absorb some of that alcohol." He was worried about her, figuring with her build, she couldn't take that much of it.

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smiles, "Seriously. I was only kidding...I mean, I do like cheese though, especially those super sharp ones. How's it go again, if it's soft it's French, and if it's hard, it's from England?" personally she liked the softer cheeses the best but Brian, being a hardcore Brit may take that the wrong way.

Glancing at the cheeseboard then back at him, she can't help but smirk a bit. "You're afraid I'll get drunk and start hitting on you, huh?" somehow she finds that amusing, although she takes a few chunks of cheese to nibble on, because secretly, she's afraid of the very same thing.

Captain Britain has posed:
"It's a rule of thumb, though soft cheeses are now made in England, and hard in France. They make whatever the market wants." As he pointed out what was on the board, it was mostly a mixture of English and French cheeses by the names, for example Red Leicester, Cheshire, Cheddar, and Ticklemore were all English, meanwhile the Brie, Camembert, and Munster were French, while the Jarlsberg was Norwegian. Though there were meats as well, mostly Italian, for example Prosciutto, Salami, Mortadella, and so on.

"No, it's not that. But I am concerned for you, Buffy. If you do start hitting on me, I want you sober enough that I can reciprocate while remaining a gentleman. One does not take advantage of a drunk girl. Especially one who can beat me up."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers ooohs. "You really know a lot about cheeses. Wow." and that makes her hungry as she peers at the cheeseboard, and tries a few of the cheeses and salamis. Which actually taste really nice when mixed with the wine. "I guess why they always stick wine with cheese, and not popcorn." she chuckles, finding herself somehow shuffling a bit nearer Brian as she inspects the cheeses.

"I suppose this was all part of your noble upbringing, hmm? Learning how to be a proper gentleman, all your social graces, all those fancy silverware uses, and...Cheese terminology." she's enjoying teasing him it seems.

Although the last comment makes her redden a bit, stopping her in her tracks. "Oh. Well. That's awkward..I mean, I guess I'd better not get drunk then...Haha!" she laughs a bit nervously, biting her lip again as she decides to focus a bit more on the tv, although watching a romantic comedy that reminds her of herself and Brian just makes things all the more awwwwkwaaaard.

Captain Britain has posed:
"That's how we do it back home, but I figured, when in Rome, do as the Romans do." Meaning, if an American wants wine and popcorn, try wine and popcorn. He did like and notice that she had shuffled closer to him, to better get at the goodies on the board, no doubt. "Silverware is easy. As long as it's been properly set, you work from the outside in. Although I did eat at a restaurant recently where they had not set the silverware properly. It gave me pause." And it was not a cheap restaurant either.

And then Brian had to go and do something truly unexpected. With Buffy still sober, as near as he could tell, and growing more anxious and awkward by the moment, he did the one thing he had been thinking of all night, and had hoped it might calm her down. He leaned in, as if to kiss her, except he didn't go quite the entire way. It was something he had learned long ago. Close 90 to 95% of the distance, but allow her to travel the last 5 to 10. But would she?

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers smirks, finding this all very fascinating. "I mean, most of the time I just eat my food with my fingers. I couldn't imagine eating a burger with a knife and fork, not to mention having to memorize the purpose for like, 20 more."

She sighs a little, shaking her head as she works on some more popcorn, deciding not to drink anymore wine for the moment. Because she really should NOT get drunk tonight. "I guess people in England are just super fussy and stuffy. I mean, no offense! Just..It seems so very strict..Is everyone like that over there? Watching your ps and qs?"

And then he goes and does THAT, which brings back terrifying memories of the last time someone did THAT and let her start to fall hard and fast for him, only to suddenly pull away and break her heart. Still..Her heart beat quickens, caught up in the moment, and she closes her eyes, feeling his breath on her face, reaching out to caress his cheek as she leans in and..

"I..Can't. Not again. I can't get my heart ripped out again. It hurts too much, even if I DO like you.." she pulls away quickly, hugging her arms as she stares at her glass of wine. Dammit. "I'm sorry.." she murmurs.

Captain Britain has posed:
Shaking his head, Brian explained, "Buffy, no one eats a beefburger with a knife and fork, unless they are pretentious prat." It was curious that he called it a beefburger instead of a hamburger, as is the case in America. "But yes, we can be stuffy. It's part of the reason I enjoy it over here. It's so much more casual, friendly, relaxed."

But then he had to go and do that, and she pulled away, rejecting him. Still, he did not look crushed. Rejected though he may be, he had a look of concern on his face at her reaction. "I'm sorry, I misread the situation. But you have nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong. Do you want to continue the movie, or shall I call a cab. Either way, I want to be clear that it is your choice, every step of the way, and I mean to apply no pressure here. There is no wrong answer."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers shakes her head. "I'm sorry, it's not you. I mean..You're a really nice guy, and I'm really attracted to you. Heck, if it were different circumstances, I'd be all over you right now, but.." she sighs, "I just need some time to think things through, let my heart heal up before I throw it out there again. I guess I shouldn't have come on so strong, that was my fault, losing myself to my feelings instead of doing the responsible thing.."

She looks crushed, but she doesn't want to leave his rather pleasant company either, but it's not really up to her, is it? "I suppose my being here will just make things awkward and uncomfortable now, wont it?" Buffy laughs a little, wringing her hands in despair. Way to go, Buffy..

Captain Britain has posed:
He regards her as she pours her heart out, listening to every word, nodding his head along the way, and trying to make sense of her body language. He was no expert, but he was doing his best. "I am very attracted to you, too, obviously." He began, trying to establish that their feelings were mutual, even if she was in a somewhat shaky situation right now.

"Please, take whatever time you require. You have my word that I will not attempt to kiss you again, until such time as you, how did you put it, are all over me? Should it happen, it will be your decision. Should my circumstances change in the meantime, I will of course let you know. But you did not come on too strongly. I like strong women." He winked at her.

Reaching over, he rubbed her shoulder in a comforting, but platonic motion. "It's okay. Don't worry. I understand. I am not hurt." Disappointed, maybe a tiny bit hurt, but he was hiding it well. Placing a hand on hers, as she wrings them in despair, "Nothing is ever awkward and uncomfortable unless the people involved decide it to be so. The way I see it, I'm having some lovely cheese, delicious cured meats, and fine wine, with a friend, while watching some films. To me, that's a wonderful evening. I hope it continues."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy Summers nods silently, not liking feeling vulnerable, nor letting anyone else see her vulnerability. She's supposed to be The Slayer, the invincible one..At least, before she made it out into the big wide world, she WAS the strongest woman out there. Now..Buffy is feeling pretty damn weak, both physically and emotionally. And it hurts, knowing that she's falling apart because she can't handle such tender emotions as love.

His words are a bit more reassuring and she nods wordlessly, still searching for the right words that could make things okay between them again. "I know..Thank you.." she laughs, "Well, I'm glad you like strong girls, I guess I'll just have to wipe my tears and carry on, can't let the past haunt my future forever, right?" well, Buffy is hardly crying right now, but she is certainly feeling weak and vulnerable, and hating every minute of it.

When he touches her hands, she doesn't pull away this time but grasps his in hers, squeezing them tightly, and not letting go, not yet anyway. "I really am enjoying spending time with you, you know..And this movie is..Kinda funny, and I've never seen so much cheese in my life!" and boy could she do with more wine..

Captain Britain has posed:
Sensing her current state, after holding her hands for a few moments, Brian does something that could be misconstrued as putting another move on her. But there's something about the way he does it, the body language, the placement of his hand. He is very careful, but he puts an arm around her, giving her a warm, welcoming, and platonic hug. "It's okay. It's going to be all right. And there's more if you want it." He said the last part with a notable smirk in his tone.