RP Log: Alex and Willow
Characters: Alexandra Roivas and Willow Rosenberg, cameo by Dawn
Setting: Saturday afternoon, opening day at the Magic Box
Summary: Alex does a little shopping to pass the time and encounters Prescott Valley's resident mega wicca
Rating: Nothing exciting, PG? Sharp pointy objects is about it.


Alex paced down the street, meandering in and out of the weekend crowd. Prescott Valley wasn't a very big town, well, it wasn't very big at least, she supposed that implied it was just a town. Regardless of nomenclature, even a crowd of weekend shoppers and pedestrians out for lunch was only moderately crowding the sidewalk. For Alex it felt like a refreshing change of pace from the hotel room she'd cooped herself up in all morning. Saturday morning cartoons had lost most of their thrill after the age of twelve and if she had to watch I Am Legend on HBO one more time she was going to start kirking out whenever she heard Three Little Birds, and nobody wanted that.

Stuffing her hands in her jackets, Alex stopped short to avoid getting hit by a door as it swung out to let chattering teens out of a bustling shop. Waiting for the gaggle to pass, Alex glanced inside the shop and was a little surprised to see jars and candles and talismans through the crowd inside. A glance up at the sign informed her this was the same Magic Box that she had seen signs for up all over Main Street. When she'd finished playing doorman to the group of teens, Alex moved inside to join the bustle. It was a cute place, nicely sized with shelves that appeared to be stocked with everything from the New Age necessities to actual magical and mystical tools, not to mention spell bookpalooza lining the walls. A couple brushed past her with little regard for her toes and she made a decision that a brief look now and to come back when it was less crowded for a real browse. Alex moved further into the shop and stared up a few ancient looking weapons hooked to the wall, breaking up the monotony of bookshelves.

Handing over a bag, Willow grinned widely and straightened her pointy hat. Sure it was a cliche, but sometimes you had to consider what people wanted to see. Plus it was fun to wear! Today had been an interesting day. It'd been hard, especially at first, to stand behind the register and think of Anya, of the old Magic Box. She'd made the decision to keep the style of this shop similar to the old one. The area in back was larger and better organized. There were permanent protection spells cast around the room and not only did Buffy and the others train there, but Will was planning to start offering magic lessons as well.

The bell over the door jingled and Willow looked up, narrowing her eyebrows. The girl at the door looked fairly innocuous, nothing about her screamed anything different, but Will could almost see the power emanating off her. She waved towards Dawn, motioning the younger girl over. Dawn took her place at the register and Willow moved through the throng of people towards the blonde, coming up beside her. "Uh, hi." She smiled, following the woman's gaze towards the weapons on the wall. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hm?" Alex's eyes were moving from a double handed long sword to the throwing daggers arranged tastefully below it when the voice called her. "No," she replied, turning around, "I'm just looking...around." When she turned to face the redhead the black, pointy witch hat was not what she expected and she hesitated for a moment to keep her smile from turning into any sort of laughter. "Thank you, though," she said, still smiling and finally noticing the attractive face below the hat brim. "Oh," before the woman could walk away a question popped into Alex's head and she spoke up, delaying her chance of retreat. "Just, uh, out of curiosity. Is everything for sale? Like, those?" Alex indicated the knives she'd been looking at. "Or are they just display?"

Slightly disappointed at the woman's denial, Willow shrugged. It was nice to get out from behind the register, at any rate. She opened her mouth to remind the blonde she was there to help in any way, when she was interrupted. Stepping back up beside her, Willow nodded. "Everything is fifteen percent off!" She smiled, tweaking her hat slightly as it slipped down.

"Was there a specific one you were looking for? Because each one is for a different ritual, I mean they all work for other things as well, but using the right instrument sometimes makes all the difference!" She trailed off slightly, tugging at her hat again. "Or... were you just looking for the prettiest one?"

Alex wasn't altogether sure Prettiest was the reason she really wanted them. Unless sharp, sleek and...well, okay, maybe it was because they were pretty. "Actually?" She grinned and shoved her hands into her pocket, tilting her head to one side as she 'sheepishly' admitted the truth. "I guess it's mostly the pretty. But that set does have runes on it, what are they for?" If the daggers came with inherent guiding charms or something that would be preferable to the mundane kind.

Peering up at the dagger, Willow gently removed it from the wall and held it out to the woman. "Sometimes, the runes are there for extra strength, or protection." She reached up and twisted the tag around on another in the set, then smiled sheepishly at the blonde, pushing her hat back again. "These... are just for show, though."

She tapped her chin and furrowed her brow, then grinned. "There is a set over here, though, with strengthening runes on them, if you're interested?" There was a part of Willow that was clamouring to ask why the other woman needed the extra protection, what she was going to use them for, but she didn't want to scare her away.

"Very interested," Alex promptly replied, grinning at the way the red head's hat kept trying to remind her it was just too large. "Uh," after a moment she realised her sudden enthusiasm might be misconstrued and she attempted to recover by simply nodding. One day she'd figure out how to not act like a sap in front of any pretty woman that said hello to her. "Yeah, yeah." She glanced along the wall. "Are they out?"

Matching the other woman's grin, Willow ducked her head slightly, momentarily wishing she was better at reading other people. She took the dagger back and replaced it on the wall, then stepped away from the bookshelves. "Actually they're not," she headed towards the back of the shop, hoping the other woman would follow. "Our only set is in the back, but we can order you a set if they're what you want." Manoeuvring around a woman with long hair examining a crystal ball, Willow pushed open the door to the back room carefully. "What would you be using them for?" She asked, before she could stop herself.

"Decoration." The reply came out without missing a beat as she followed to the back room. Even her eagerness wasn't allowed to cross some lines. Then again, it wasn't totally a lie, some might consider that being nestled in a demon heart is just as decorative a place as a wall. Alex's hands remained in her jacket pockets as she walked into the back, glancing around at everything as they passed. "Is that a vorpal stave?" Her head whipped back, almost crinking her neck, as they passed a bundle of magical rods. "That's...rare." And oddly powerful for retail.

The woman's answer caused Willow to hesitate slightly as the door closed behind them. "Decoration?" She echoed. There was something odd about the blonde and her abrupt response and recognition of the stave pushed the oddness into wrongness. "Why would you need spelled daggers for decoration?" She ignored the question and tried to keep her voice light as she tugged one of the daggers off the wall, not passing this one over as easily. Pushing her hat back on her head, she resisted the urge to slip into the woman's mind. "I mean, the fake ones are just as pretty, plus they're much less expensive, and easier to get."

Still carrying on a casual demeanour, starting to contrast with the other woman's hesitance. "Some people collect art," she explained, choosing the most logical and, therefore, believable explanation. "And some antiques. I like to think this covers both those bases." Taking a step closer, Alex leaned in and looked at the dagger she was holding, impressed at the fine detail. Despite what she was claiming she really didn't have an extensive knowledge of mystical weapons. She knew a few things, more than most at least, but if the woman started asking tough questions she was going to have to think quickly. "And much more interesting than stamps," she attempted to joke, lifting her face to flash a smile.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Willow was nonetheless unable to stop herself from matching the other woman's smile. "It's just..." she took a breath and loosened her grip on the dagger, allowing it to slip into the blonde's hands. "These aren't... toys." She started, distracted momentarily as their fingers brushed. It took her a moment to get her train of thought back up and running and even when she managed to, she was sure she didn't sound nearly as cool as she hoped to. "They're..." real... dangerous... neither of those worked. For all she knew, the blonde was one of those Dungeons & Dragons nerds, and just wanted to use the weaponry for fun. Or... Willow couldn't help sweeping her gaze up and down the other woman, highly doubting that someone who looked like her had ever rolled a ten sided dice. "Expensive?" She finished, lamely.

Alex balanced the dagger in her hand, feeling it's weight and distribution as she listened to the warning. The daggers were quite nice, enchantments and power aside, well balanced and lightweight only added to the naturally comfortable hold they had. "Expensive," she tried to explain, hoping that she wasn't about to sound like a privileged ass, "Isn't really a problem." Alex took a dagger by the tip and lightly tossed it in the air, watching it spin for several rotations before she caught it by the handle. "I'll think about it," she finally said, turning the blade over in her hand for one last look over before handing it back.

"Uh, well... let us know?" At least they'd be able to keep an eye on the woman that way. Willow took the dagger back, her eyes never leaving the blonde. She shouldn't have been, considering that her best friend had been the Slayer for seven years and she'd spent the last five watching demonstrations just like that, but she was impressed. Reaching behind her, she fumbled for the dagger hooks, absently releasing the weapon and floating it back into place. She caught herself as the dagger clinked against the wall and hid a wince, hoping the blonde hadn't noticed.

"I'm Willow, by the way," she stuck her hand out, in an attempt to change the subject and stave off any questions.

"Definitely," she agreed, taking the chance to look at any other items of the collection that weren't out for public consumption. She hadn't figured out yet just how long she would be staying in Prescott Valley and an item like that wasn't the sort of thing you sent home and asked someone to pick up for you. Then again she'd only been in town for a week and had managed to make the brief acquaintance of enough vamps that sticking around didn't sound like a silly idea. So maybe there'd be time to special order souvenirs.

Turning back toward Willow, Alex took her hand and shook it, smiling at the introduction. "Alex."

Matching Alex's smile, Willow pushed her hat back again. "Are you... from around here?" She asked, curiously. They'd only been back in the area for a few months, but she was sure she would've been able to sense the other woman. Starting for the door, she led them back out onto the floor, closing the door behind them carefully. There were other customers that needed her help and across the store Buffy was looking distinctly confused, but still she lingered near the other woman.

"Actually?" Alex shook her head, following Willow again. "I've only been in town a week. I live in Portland." Back in the hustle and bustle of the main room, Alex glanced at her watch. She still had hours to kill before the sun went down. "Um. Hey, thanks a lot, for the help. Since you're so busy and all." Discussing enchanted projectile weapons was much easier. Heading toward the door Alex wondered at the attention the redhead was willing to give her clientèle when it was such a busy afternoon, she could never do retail. "Nice to meet you."

Smiling, Willow shook her head dismissively. "Oh, it was nothing." She assured Alex, following her through the customers towards the door and ignoring the look Dawn was shooting at her. "I'm Helper Girl! Er... what I mean is ... I can help you with anything... in the shop..." Pressing her lips together, Will smiled again, wanting to know more about Alex. There was obviously something about the woman; Willow could almost taste her power, that coupled with her interest in those weapons...

Willow took the time to settle her thoughts before speaking again, even though her next words were far from original. "It was nice to meet you, too. Come again soon!"

"Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box. Have a nice day!" Dawn managed to slip away from the register long enough to shove one of the actual paid employees, not hijacked slave labour like herself, into her place and hurried over to front door. "Willow?" She tapped the red head's shoulder. Willow was busy staring at the closed door the blonde had exited through moments before. With a playful smile she moved around and popped into her line of sight. "Not that I'm not happy to help customers...but if you're done flirting with browsers? I could use a little help restocking the skink root."