16656/Buffy's Big Belly

Buffy's Big Belly
Date of Scene:	26 December 2024
Location:	Big Belly Burger - Sunnydale
Synopsis:	Buffy gets more than she bargained for.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Man, Buffy Summers

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Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man walked into Big Belly Burger, his boots clicking on the floor. He was desperate to use the bathroom. The smell of burgers and fries filled the air, but he didn't care. He scanned the room quickly, several people stared at him as he made his way to the counter. Trying to act normal, he asked the cashier, "Where's the little spider's room?"

The cashier, a young woman with a ponytail, blinked at him. "It's in the back. Do you, uh, need a minute?" she asked, looking at his costume. Spider-Man nodded too quickly, trying to sound casual. "Yeah, sure, thanks," he muttered, then turned and headed for the back.

When he reached the bathroom door, it was locked. Someone was in there. He sighed, looked around, and tapped his foot impatiently on the tile floor.

Buffy Summers has posed:
The bathrooms in the Big Belly Burger were not the usual fare. At least not this one in Sunnydale. Instead of two or three bathrooms with multiple stalls, catering to various sexes and families, there were two that were single occupancy. Both were occupied at the moment.

From the door to the left, there was the sound of a toilet flushing. Then the sound of water running in the sink. It was a good 60 seconds later before the sound of the air dryer, hands free, was heard in the room. Hopefully he was able to handle his business that long at least.

When the door opened, there stood Buffy Summers. She caught the door with her foot then tossed the paper towel she'd used to open the door into the nearby trash can before moving to step out and letting the door swing shut behind her. Or that was her intention. When she noticed someone out there, she moved to step aside and then froze. It wasn't everyday that one ran into a superhero outside the bathroom.

"Uhm. Excuse me." And she moved to push the door back open with her foot near the floor, to offer it to him instead of letting it just slam shut.

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man froze when he saw Buffy. His mind raced, trying to suppress the recognition. Buffy Summers of all people, why her? He knew better than to let his surprise show, so he quickly masked it with a forced cough, and adjusted his stance. "Uh, thanks," he said in a voice that was definitely more awkward than he meant it to be. He stepped forward, trying to play it cool, but he was still conscious of the mask that did little to hide his nervousness. "Really appreciate it. You know, a lot of people wouldn't be so considerate," he added, trying to sound more like a regular guy, and failing utterly. Who made that much talk with someone who was holding a bathroom stall open for them? It was as suspicious as that obviously fake voice he was putting on.

He took a deep breath as he passed by her, making sure to avoid eye contact for a split second. The last thing he needed was to give himself away with some dumb slip-up. Just get inside, Spidey, he told himself, pushing the door open and stepping inside the bathroom. He closed it quickly, making sure to lock it behind him. Once he was alone, he exhaled a little too loudly, glad he hadn't blown his cover.

Buffy Summers has posed:
As the door closed behind him, she stared at it for a long moment. She didn't actually hear the exhale thankfully. Though it would've just added to the oddity of the situation, most likely. Shaking her head a little, Buffy turned and walked away.

Her destination? The counter. To order some Big Belly Burgers to go. She ordered three burgers, all with cheese. Then fries for two and onion rings for one. Lastly a Chocolate shake, a vanilla shake for Dawn and of course a Diet Coke for Mom. Because That made sense with that meal.

As she waited for the order to come up, she kept glancing at the bathroom. Had to be someone just dressed up for....what? Christmas? Not like people wore costumes as they would at Halloween. She couldn't even imagine it for New Years, which was still a few days off anyway.

Maybe he'd lost a bet. Because why would Spider-Man be in Sunnydale?

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man took a deep breath, trying to shake off the awkwardness from the bathroom encounter. He could feel his heart rate still a bit elevated, but at least he was past the hard part. He walked out, keeping his eyes on the counter where Buffy was still standing, and slipped into the line behind her. No big deal, he told himself, keeping his head low and focusing on the menu. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the counter and gave the cashier his best casual smile, despite how out of place he felt in his suit. "I'll take one of your value menu cheeseburgers, with fries, and a Coke to drink," he said quickly.

He fumbled with his utility belt, pulling out a coupon and sliding it across the counter. "Oh, and can I use this coupon? It's for a discount, but, uh, I think it expired yesterday?" The cashier glanced at it, and then shook her head. "Sorry, it's expired." Spider-Man sighed inwardly but kept his tone even. "No problem. Just the burger then," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. #ParkerLuck

Buffy Summers has posed:
"Give him the whole meal. It's the least we can do for our friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." Buffy slid a ten across the counter to pay for the other parts of his meal. "I don't figure that outfit comes with pockets. Though if it did, that would be great planning."

Then Buffy was looking him over. From head to heel and back up again. "No, definitely no pockets. WHere would you hide them in that material?!" Then she held up a hand. "Don't answer that. I don't need to know." She added another ten on the counter. Enought to pay for his entire meal.

"Though are you really him or you just his number one fanboy or something?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man blinked at Buffy, a little thrown by her sudden generosity. "Uh, thanks," he said, trying to keep that fake voice. When she mentioned his lack of pockets, he couldn't help but smile under the mask. "Actually, I've got a couple of pockets," he said, tugging at the sides of his suit. He pulled on the fabric around his hips, but when he reached inside, both pockets were empty. "See? I have pockets. Very big pockets. Filled with air."

Leaning forward, Spider-Man placed his gloved palm on the counter. Instantly, his hand stuck, and he used it to raise his entire body off the ground. "Yeah, I'm his number one fan," he said, letting himself drop back down. "Just a really, really dedicated one. Guess that's why I carry all his stuff. He probably wants it back, now that I think of it." He smiled under his mask, hoping she wouldn't press any further.

Buffy Summers has posed:
"As long as it's just the suit and not his underwear, you're good."

Buffy giggled at her own joke then smiled as her bag of food was passed over the counter. Then the teen behind the counter took the money to take care of Spidey's order before passing the change back over to her. Buffy jingled the change in her hand and smirked. "Change would probably not make it long the way you normally travel. Wonder how hard a quarter would hit someone from thirty stories up. Though I don't want to find out. I suspect it would be bad."

There was a drink carrier passed over with the bag of goodies she'd already received. "Well if you do happen to talk to Spider-Man, I'm curious what business he might have in Sunnydale. And will more people in tights be showing up?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man raised an eyebrow at Buffy's joke, and then gave a small chuckle. When she mentioned the quarter, he tilted his head, considering her question. "Well, a quarter falling from the top of a skyscraper like the Empire State Building would reach a pretty high velocity, but it wouldn't be deadly. It would definitely hurt, but the air resistance slows it down enough that it wouldn't be fatal. Now, a ballpoint pen? That could do some serious damage if it hit someone in the right spot." He paused, and then added with a grin, "Definitely hospital-level stuff."

He shifted his weight, "As for Spider-Man, well, you know," he gave a quick exaggerated winked, "he might be looking into something strange going on around here." He leaned in a little, lowering his voice. "There's been a weird uptick in, uh, sudden neck ruptures in Sunnydale lately. Might be just a coincidence, but he's kind of into solving mysteries, like the Scooby Gang."

Spider-Man glanced around the restaurant before adding, "And as for other people in tights, well, I wouldn't hold my breath. But you never know. Sunnydale's got a reputation for strange things happening. Anyway, thank you a lot, and enjoy your burgers."

Buffy Summers has posed:
Buffy had checked out somewhere around air resistance or ballpoint pen, she wasn't sure which. Not that she wasn't listening. Just she hadn't expected such a detailed response and it had her staring at him somewhat blankly. It wasn't beyond her understanding but those sorts of details were not things she'd be able to quote off the top of her head. Thankfully he moved beyond that all pretty quickly.

SNR was a known thing in Sunnydale so she wasn't worried about that part. Though she was sure it hadn't increased recently though perhaps people were starting to talk about it again. It seemed to make the rounds every couple of years, people would come poke around, interest would die and she'd be left to do her work.

Then he said the two words that had her eyes widening ever so slightly and her heart thumping more loudly in her throat. "Scooby Gang?" Why did her voice sound like she was boy going through puberty: A little too high and cracking on the second word. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Scooby Gang?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man, shot Buffy a quick grin through his mask. "Yeah, you know, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby, the Mystery Machine crew? They solve mysteries, chase monsters, and then all pile into that van for snacks. Classic stuff." He paused as the counter worker handed them their orders. "Or were you too cool for Saturday morning cartoons?"

Buffy Summers has posed:
The light bulb went off and Buffy had to laugh. Only it was a little bit of a weird laugh. That almost forced sound with a tinge of mania. "Oh! Them! Haha, yeah, I've seen them. I just didn't register it. Not like I was watching them last weekend or anything. Too funny. Mysteries. Scooby Gang. Though if you like them, never ever watch that lying piece of trash they titled Velma. Cause it is Not Scooby Doo. At. All."

She grabbed her stuff and turned as well to exit. The drink tray was balanced in one hand, the bag gripped in the other. Thus she would be using her back to push open the exit door as one does.

"Maybe I'll see you around if you're in Sunnydale for long. Be safe out there."