Owner	Pose
Hellequin	There, the Magic Box. The man dressed in high-fashion suit stops across the street from the shop, staring at its door as if it was the actual Hellmouth. To him, this place is merely a piece of Hell on Earth, filled with all things magic and sorcery related. Nonetheless, Henri de Fontainebleau crossed the street, a prayer in Latin escaping his lips. And, contrary to what some - namely, Willow and her friends - might think, the Frenchman has manners and consideration, for he brought a paper bag full of the best croissants available in the city. As Henri opens the door, the small annoying bell announces his entry. Bells are so annoying, they might as well use a hunting horn!
Willow Rosenberg	Willow was on this week, taking over for the regular girl who was on vacation. What she wasn't was expecting was Henri walking into the Magic Box with the minimal blessing and so forth to protect him. A thought passed thought her brain: Blessing yourself was the same thing as she did with her wards. Except she didn't think Henri would appreciate that comparison. Still she grins at the fact that he wards himself. "Hi?" Willow was very careful in how she greeted him. "You're lucky! I don't work here on weekdays. I'm filling in for someone on vacation." What were the odds of that happening? She wasn't sure if he wanted to look around or talk to her specifically. "Should I flip the sign around, or let you look around?"
Hellequin	The look on his face answers her question. What is she thinking, that he's here to buy diabolical means of sorcery? There were a lot of possible curt replies crossing his mind, but, being a gentleman despite what she might think of him, Henri refrains from commenting. "Luck has nothing to do with it, Mademoiselle," he can't but finally reply. As he speaks, he raises his hand holding the paper bag full of croissants, and places it on the large table. "I knew you were here. I do not bring peace offers to random young ladies." So yes, he knew Willow was there. What's kind of strange to him - although he will not divulge this detail to her - is that he came to recognize (he would say, smell) her own magic. This the Hellequin never really experienced before - probably because most witches or sorcerers he had to deal with never lived long after the first encounter.
Willow Rosenberg	Willow might have known what he meant about a particular smell to magic. She just never thought about it when she was talking about herself. (Sorta like, you didn't smell your own home, but visitors did!) "You're going to make believe that you have powers!" She laughed hoping he would take it as a joke? "I'm going to put the 'Closed' sign out for your visit." After all, she doesn't think he would be good for costumers to see, or be seen by. Not in the least. "What did you drop on by for, today?" Really, she should have known.
Hellequin	Good idea, might as well close the shop, as it's already reeking enough without more magic users dropping by. Sometimes, Hellequin wonders if his great eagerness to dispatch the evil doers has anything to do with a hypersensitive nose. While Willow takes care of the door, Henri opens the bag and places four fresh croissants on the flattened bag. He's not really one to fuss around about plates and the like. And Henri isn't one to beat around the bush, as they say. "I want more details about how you plan to proceed, with using the coin. And to reiterate the fact that I must accompany you."
Willow Rosenberg	Ah.. yes. The rescue. And him. "Well.." Willow waits till he has a croissant before she snags one up for herself, and sits upon the desk, wriggling her legs back and forth. "The easiest way to save her is also the most dangerous way." Swallowing her bite of croissant she explains. "The history books have her dying in the witches fires, right? So, if we can time it right, I will cast essentially an illusion.." It's not an illusion, but she doesn't feel for a magic lesson right this second. "..that will make the smoke and fire seem that they are higher. Which kinda will go to everybody's thinking that she is a witch." After all.. greater fire? Greater smoke? Wouldn't it be God's Hand showing her guilt?? "And at the same time when the fire is the biggest, Nick will do his magic to whisk her off somewhere far away. She can't go back to her family or her friends. But she'll be alive."
Hellequin	Henri already ate one croissant, listening to Willow. From the look on his face, the plan seems to satisfy him. The coin worked once, so it should still work. But there are two points he must address. "Danger? What kind of danger?" Henri asks, looking - and frowning at the books in the bookcase, "I am already dead." And if Willow meant danger for herself, it's obviously not his priority. Once he's convinced that the whole bookcase should be detrayed - maybe another day - Henri looks back at Willow. "Of course, she will not be able to return to her family - these wretched sorcerers. And as for friends, they vanished like the smoke in the air. No. I have another plan." He pauses, his eyes narrowing as he adds, "We will bring her back with us."
Willow Rosenberg	At first, Willow wasn't thinking the way he was. "Well, it's dangerous for us, of course. And certainly the people of the time? If what we do goes wrong, they might be seen as witches themselves! We could be condemning them to a fate which they have not deserved - like Heloise." "If we do it right, nobody will be hurt. She'll be for all intents and purposes dead by fire. And the rest of them won't be seen as fellow conspirators." But it was the end bit that bothered her. Sure people /had/ come up - or down - through time. But that should not be taken lightly. "You realize, that's you speaking? Your desire, not what is the best for her. We shouldn't mess up the past. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should." Willow was careful how she said that.
Hellequin	Henri listens carefully, while eating a croissant. The witch has some good points, the most important being about Heloise's decision about it. "Oui, of course," Henri says in a low voice, "It will be her choice, to remain there, or come back with us." That might lead to an interesting discussion, since Heloise doesn't know Henri is the Hellequin. Who knows, she might just freak out - or die of fright - learning this. Leaving the other croissants to Willow, the Frenchman turns around, and walks to some display, with what could be seen as a disgusted look on his face. Hard to tell if it comes from his disdain of sorcery, or from the plan they are discussing. "As for making it look all real to the witnesses," Henri says, his back to Willow, "I could suggest a perfect plan." And then he turns to face Willow, a wicked grin now on his face. "We will put the wretched Jeanne in her place on the stake."
Willow Rosenberg	"No." Willow was adamant about that "We will rescue Heloise from the stake the way I suggested, or I will not participate. No extra people will be hurt." She stood there very.. very.. quietly. Her hands balled up at her sides. And waited for him to agree. Or to leave. -- Either or. On this? She wasn't moving.
Hellequin	Then the wicked grin turns into an amused grin on Henri's face. The man seems to be enjoying himself, despite the evil den he's in. "Willow," he says in an amused tone, "You should have seen your face." Did Henri suggest they burn Jeanne instead, just to witness Willow's reaction? It is quite possible, indeed. Besides, it is also quite possible that Jeanne's fate had been sealed some time after Heloise's death, and that the Hellequin had something to do with it. But he's not going into these details. "Very well," Henri says, with a genuine smile on his face. "Then there is only one final detail to discuss. What will be my role? You must know that, returning to this day, I was already dead by then."
Willow Rosenberg	Huh? Was this a test?? But.. Henri didn't like Jeanne?? Why would he bait her with Jeanne? He would think she wanted her safe being a witch, right? So what would he have gotten out of this? To her he could have switched anyone for Heloise and her reaction would have been the same: A flat refusal. Not just Jeanne. Anyone. Yet he seemed.. pleased? A query still on her brow, she blinks. "You still don't know who I am, what I do, do you? What my friends do? Every single day. We protect the ordinary people from having to face.. Vampires, and ghosts, and demons.. things that normal people shouldn't have to face all. And we do it with as little bleed over on the normal people. The whole thing is so that they never need to know anything in their life was upset. I'm proud of that." "People think I am bookworm, who is smart. Kinda weird. A vegetarian. At most a Wiccan. Nobody knows I do magic. They would laugh at you if you suggested that I helped out the Justice League. Or that I protected them from the supernatural. Our whole tenet is to fit in and help out without standing in the spotlight." "And that means anyone. Not Jeanna. Not Heloise. Everyone." His question is ignored for now.
Hellequin	Indeed, Willow had explained the group's purpose. Henri had even met with some of them, like Buffy and Giles. Now, he would not admit to having followed their activities. Did he? Who knows. "Well then," Henri states, returning to the table to grab another croissant, "I guess we kind of have the same role. In a way." Really? "The only difference is, I do not seek anonymity. For centuries, the mere mention of my name instilled fear in the dark hearts of evil doers. Who knows," he muses, "Maybe some were thus deterred from doing evil, renounced their wicked ways, and redeemed their soul in time." In time, as in, before he showed up to annihilate them! Back to her statement, Henri adds, "No one will know you back then, or live long enough to recognize you after the rescue. This is not a concern."
Willow Rosenberg	"I would know." Willow looks over to him. "Good isn't good because someone sees you. It's deep within you that the principles begin. If I only cared because they would know - that it really isn't good. Not really."
Hellequin	For a moment, Henri de Fontainebleau seems to hesitate among many options. Rolling his eyes, replying, or leaving. Finally, he opts on replying. "Willow," he says, "As much as I can appreciate the lecture on good intentions, with the subtle hint of reversed psychology - yes, I know what psychology is - you must remember that I did /not/ chose my role. I did not chose to appear in such form or way as I appear to the masses of wicked souls at night." And then, the Frenchman seems to be refraining from laughing, "If I had a choice in the matter, I would have modernized my, hrm, garde-robe and mean of transportation. Leather, yes, I would have loved a leather jacket and a motorized cycle. Helas, I have no say in it."
Willow Rosenberg	"I'm telling YOU so that you can understand ME." Willow shakes her head. "For a man of God you don't worry about the other person, do you? There are lots of people who are evil. I mean peeking your head outside the door anyone could be evil. You wouldn't know it. If he looked like a normal person, you would let him go." "Yet, because I wear a pentacle.." She doesn't. "I'm evil. And you don't know anything about me. Don't you see that as weird?"
Hellequin	There is like a muffled sigh coming from Henri, just before he proceeds to eat the croissant he had in his hand. "My role," Henri explains as best as he can - or as best as he understands it, "It is /not/ to save souls. Everyone is responsible for their own soul; it is not my role to worry about people. I am merely the instrument to punish those who decided to ruin their souls by dabbling in the dark arts." And then, the Frenchman starts to look genuinely annoyed, as he adds, "I /know/ that you are not evil," he states, marking his words and leaning just a bit forward (not exactly in her face) as he adds, "If you were evil, you would have been burning in Hell the minute I saw you." That said, Henri turns his back to Willow, again, maybe to return to a calmer state. "YOU are not evil, although you DO use magic. As I explained to you before, I am unsure why my arm was held back. It was, that is all. So be His will."
Willow Rosenberg	"That I can't explain." Truly she couldn't. Then again Willow was not on a first name basis with most of the gods. (Good grief, trying to explain /that/ one to Henri? *Shudders*) "I just.. " And she stopped. This was going nowhere. "I figure we want people to watch the burning.. not look away. It's like I said, dangerous. To have everyone look where the magic.. act.. is going to be.." And then Willow nodded to herself. "It all depends /how/ much you care to be seen."
Hellequin	Crossing his arms over his chest, Henri nods, probably satisfied to change the topic and gets back to the original one. "The burning happened after sunset," the Frenchman explains, "I will be around, from a distance. No one has to see me, if everything goes smoothly as planned. I do not care if I am seen or not, as I mentioned, being seen is part of my role. If you think it would be dangerous or counterproductive for me to be seen, then I will not." In other words, the Hellequin will be around in case something goes wrong, but basically will follow Willow's plan.
Willow Rosenberg	"I need to think about it." Willow explains. "The greatest magicians weren't real ones by the strictest sense. They learned to distract people by getting them to focus on something almost right *there* without actually looking at the real magic act." "Illusion it's called." David Copperfield. Doug Henning. Siegfried and Roy. Penn and Teller. Criss Angel. To name a few.
Hellequin	Henri nods again, all traces of anger or else long gone on his otherwise nice features. There are still two untouched croissants on the bag on the table, and even if he could eat them in a blink, he's not touching them. They are for Willow. Stepping back with a nod, and glancing at the sun going down outside, the Frenchman nods at Willow, in a departing gesture. "If a distraction is needed, I confirm that my sudden appearance is usually quite distractive." He grins at that. "I will let you think about it, and also do some thinking on my side," he says, walking to the door, and turning the OPEN sign. "At some point, we will want to talk to the minstrel and see if he is still willing to help."