Owner	Pose
Buffy Summers	Patrol had gone well enough though Buffy had just been going through the motions. She'd not really found anything though. Which was unusual. Most nights, there was one vampire or a singular demon at least. Yet tonight, all the usual haunts had been quiet. She knew she shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth--which really was the weirdest phrase in the world--but it felt like Sunnydale was paused. The calm before the storm? Maybe. She had no idea but she didn't like it. She opened the door to the apartment she shared with Willow, having needed a few things from her room before she'd head back to her mother's place. Joyce had been suffering a lot of headaches of late, prompting Buffy to spend more time at her old home to help out. Having just come from patrol, she was dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans, a tank top in red, and a pair of boots with no heel. Her messenger bag was slung cross body style since no jacket meant she needed somewhere else to hide all her tools-of-the-trade. She sighed as she entered, automatically scanning the room as though she though Willow might be there on the couch with her laptop watching the newest show she was into.
Willow	It was dark in the apartment. And then, with a flick of Willow's .. Dark Willow's fingers.. there was suddenly light around where she sat. "I knew you would come here. Hello bestie." Her tones were acerbic. "Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. The wards are all mine. The glyphs? Mine. Funny we didn't expect a situation where we would have to ward against one of us." Dark Willow was.. almost calm. Almost. Someone about her was different though. Then again, Buffy hadn't seen this iteration of Willow. Oh, yes, she's seen hints of it, but not in full bloom. But if she had? She would find something off.
Buffy Summers	Buffy immediately went from starting to relaxing to full tension in her spine. She did her best not to make it obvious but she was standing a little taller so it might be noticed. They definitely had never planned on having to block the person that set the wards and glyphs. Thus, being the owner, she could manipulate them at will. Something they might need to fix in the future. If they could get Willow back from the deep end. "I wasn't sure if you'd be here or not. Just came to get a few things. Unless you came by to give me the book and ritual items so we can dispose of them?" Her tone was conversational. THe last questions was in a lighter tone, as though it was such a silly thing to be keeping them. Buffy had already searched WIllow's room after the episode with the book and been unable to find the ritual items. Which meant WIllow was keeping them somewhere else. If she was the bestie. The fact Buffy didn't know where they were was a testament to their friendship.
Willow	Dark Willow laughed, a short evil chuckle. "The trouble is, there is no way to prevent to owner of the wards from not being able to cross them. Each and every ward is based on the magic of each individual who places them. Now, the guests did have a few which almost gave me some trouble.. except there was enough of the original Willow to pass. It's slightly more convoluted than that, but.." She spread her hands wise, as if to say, c'est la vie. "As for the ritual items? They are safe. As is the Book. Funny though, you should mention the book. Nolan did something. Would you like to know what?"
Buffy Summers	Nolan? Buffy hadn't even realized he was back. He had periods where he disappeared, something in his life or something relating to his powers/calling that drew him away. Though he did always come back which was good. She just hadn't been aware yet. Him running into this version of Willow? That did have her curious though she tried not to seem too eager when she responded. The tone remained as if they were just buddies chatting about their days. She could only hope the book was far away and maybe without that influence, Willow would be able to come back to herself. "Oh? Good to hear he's back. What did he do? Hopefully he was able to help and resolve this so we can get back to normal? Me slaying, you doing all the heavy lifting with the magic and research."
Willow	Her eyes narrowed. "The bastard stopped the Book from seducing me. For a while. Already it whispers to me. Every hour is more audible. As for Nolan?" Here Dark Willow laughs at herself. "I was trying to use the Book without the ritual items to be prepared. The universe thought that that was a joke that must be played." "No matter." She brushed aside the idea of a joke with her hand. "The thing is without the voice of the Book nattering in my ear, the question I have is.. who has the power. The Book or me?"
Buffy Summers	"If you are asking my opinion, I think it's a little bit of both. You have always had the power. You just never trusted yourself with it. But that book has helped draw you over to a path I never imagined you would be on," Buffy stated seriously as she moved further into the room. Not too close, not threatening, just entering instead of hovering with the door at her back. The wise would notice it gave her more room to maneuver as well, should this all go sideways. "Dracula kept talking about you. Had met with you. I am wondering if he may have done something to help you embrace your power--but perhaps without allowing your conscience to remain. If that's the case, you have to fight what he's done. I wish I could give you my powers, the ability of a Slayer to block the mind control, so that you could push his influence out." A pause, a slight tilt of the head. "Or were there other influences as well? Secrets you kept?"
Willow	Dark Willow smiles. "Ah, Dracula. The poor thing. He thought by nudging Willow onto this path that she would be enamoured with him, bordering upon hero worship. He thought that he would be able to sup with her blood. Foolish thing. After all, below the Willow curtain was me. And I wasn't about to bow down before him. Though I do have to thank him. Without Rack, the transition might have been longer, or not at all." She switches her position to look at her nails. "Tell me. If you believed that Willow was powerful, then why didn't you encourage her before now? You have to admit, Willow was so wrapped up in insecurity, she would have done anything for your love." It was a fact that Willow was a scholar to get love from her parents. And with the Scoobies she shrank to let the other shine. Because.
Buffy Summers	Rack. That was a name she hadn't heard. She had no idea who it was or anything else about the person. Were they male, female, something else? Were they also a vampire? Servant of Dracula maybe? Questions she would need to ask the Scoobies. But that last caught her completely off guard. "What?" No witty remark. No flippant joke. Just a stunned moment followed by utter confusion. "I've always encouraged you. From when we in high school, where I made sure you knew just how important you were to the group and as my friend. To college and you becoming a member of the damned Justice League! I've bragged about you to others and told you how amazing you are." Course there was that missing time and, according to what Willow had told her, Buffy hadn't been there for Willow as much during that time. But she had been since--whatever had happened. Which she still didn't know. "Anytime I need something magical, I go to you first. Back when you first started, sure, we went to Giles, but not anymore. "As for my love? You've had that since high school. You're my best friend and you mean the world to me. That statement that she would do anything for my love is gaslighting because she always had it."
Willow	Dark Willow snorted without comment at first. Mulling that idea around her brain. Finally she spoke. "Perhaps? But Willow saw it another way. You were the Slayer. She was.. not. She was a self taught witch who did not have the gumption to stand up and take her place beside you." A fact that was emphasised during Buffy's strange period at university. "Did you know, without the ability to tell her parents you were the only one she felt comfortable with being herself - her magical self? And we all know what happened." She carried on. "Rack was someone that Dracula turned her on to. He showed her what she was capable of with letting him ride the edges of her power. But by that time, Willow was too far gone. Or, at least, she was riding the edge of letting me in." "Willow was at fault, you know. If she would have been able to mesh her two parts together.. but she couldn't. And now? Why should I let her back? Really. We are much happier with this arrangement."
Buffy Summers	"YOU are much happier with this arrangement." And there was now steel in that town. Everything was adding up now. Rack was someone that Dracula introduced her to, someone that dealt with magic. While she might not know the details, the fact that Dracula did the introduction to know it was bad. All bad. ""I do not believe that Willow is, with you usurping control of her and forcing her--what? To sit and watch as you use her body like a puppet? Or do yo have her locked away in your brain like a cage?" She frowned but continued before she could second guess herself. "Willow had no reason to feel that way. I always encouraged her and told her how great her magic was. And it just grew as the years passed. She was always the smartest of our group, outside Giles. And honestly, there were times she got him back in line when he wasn't thinking straight. She's just that amazing." A pause. "When we went to college, how you are describing? Is how I felt with Willow. She fit in so perfectly while I felt out of place. She excelled while I struggled with classes. I mean, she was teaching classes during high school for God's sake! How could she not ace classes like they were nothing? She taught me something that I remember from that first semester, before my memory goes blank." A narrowing of her eyes this time as she regarded the dark haired Willow in front of her. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." She let that sink in. "And since I know that Willow wouldn't consent to me making her feel that way, I do have to wonder if someone was in there whispering words in her mind to tear her down. Like you. Hearing it from her own head would make it so much more difficult to fight."
Willow	"Me?!?" Here Dark Willow snarls. "She kept me in the deepest, darest nethers of her brain. Never allowing me to be free. She was too afraid of being something more human. More alive. She was too afraid that if she let me out, she would be unable to control her baser urges. Why do you think I am evil, hrm?" "Because." And here she spat out the truth. "Because she gathered all her untoward urges and bottled them up. She created me. She did!"
Buffy Summers	"I feel like it was something else." Buffy didn't back down, didn't withdraw. Her tone remained conversational though. She didn't want to push things too far thoughs he certainly would deal with what she had to. Or so she told herself. This was still her best friend, beneath the black hair and prickly attitude. Somewhere in there. "A split personality is born from trauma. That much I did learn before I even went to psych class," she added because it was important that she share it for literally no reason whatsoever. "And there is no doubt there's been lots of that in our lives." Especially since she came to Sunnydale. Something Buffy didn't say outloud but she knew it was true and that feeling of guilt was crawling under her skin now. She moved on quickly. "How about this? I get the book and the ritual items. Tuck them away somewhere safe, since I can't destroy the book. Allegedly." She was not giving up on that option. "Then we see if you are still here after the fact. If you are, I'll buy your reasoning. If not, you are nothing but a snake oil salesman lying through your teeth."
Willow	"Oh, my dear. Do you think that I am so stupid to fall for that? Besides.. You can't use the book. How do you expect to put it somewhere safe? You do know that you can't use the book? Correct? Trying to finagle the spell won't do you any good. And doubly so if you are ensorcelled to try to get the book for someone else." Dark Willow arches an eyebrow. "Perhaps the Abbess? You realise she has power, but not like me. She pretends to be an old woman, cursed to watch over the book. Yet, somewhere she lost her humanity - so to speak. She was using you. At least I can say, with absolute certainty, that I didn't stoop so low." But, she could have if things were different. And she still had the book.
Buffy Summers	"I knew I couldn't trust her. The tea." Buffy nodded because she knew that was a true sign of evil. Not drinking tea. Drinking tea was fine. But forcing it on others to the level of the Abbess? Which, in truth, was like suggesting it twice so not really forcing but Buffy had her own view of the world at times. "You're right. I can't use the book. I can't destroy the book. So wouldn't it be safer to have it in my hands then? And being a Slayer, it probably can't influence me the same way." Maybe true, maybe not. It was worth a shot!
Willow	"Let's pretend." Here, Dark Willow left her seat, and paced. Most likely to make Buffy feel uncomfortable. "Say you took the book away from me. Supposingly I willingly handed it to you. What makes you think that there aren't people like me who will try to abscond with it? What makes you think you can drown out the book's calling for people of power to allow it to be used?" Rounding about, "Wouldn't you feel more comfortable with it in my possession. After all, I have no intention of letting it go. And what make you think that if I let you take it, I wouldn't turn around when you weren't looking and take it back into my possession?" All the while ignoring the fact that the Book wants to open the door - the BIG door - to hell, and bring on the Apocalypse.
Buffy Summers	Buffy fought the urge to get to her feet as well. Keep that calm demeanor. She just followed Willow's movements as she paced, head tracking to keep pace. "I have no doubt there are people that would try. But I would have it somewhere safe. Where they couldn't find it." Because she had an idea in her head, one she wasn't going to share with this Willow. Hell, once this was all over, could she share it with the other one? Don't think about that. Focus on the now. "To answer you directly, no. I don't feel comfortable at all with it in your possession. While I do believe you have the power to keep it should someone try, I also don't think you can be trusted not to use it. And if you were thinking logically, you'd realize that too." That concern in her eyes now shows clearly. "I feel like you have been influenced. You can deny it, say you were always there and Willow kept you down. But I would like to prove which one is true. Is it just you were always there or the book helping bring you forward, with a few whispers from Dracula and perhaps even others to do so?"
Willow	Dark Willow stopped. And laughed. "You think that?" More laughter from her. "I was always there. Your little Willow was so worried about me. You helped me. Whether it was on purpose. When you turned your back on Willow, it brought me closer to the forefront than I had ever been. Willow was torn. Breaking the connection to me further, wanting to be bad and strike out at everyone. While she tried so hard to be everybody's little innocent. She thought people only would like her if she was good. And yet, the innocence drove everyone, ultimately away. Except when they needed her." "Oh, yes. I watched it happening from the shadows. Do you think that Dracula could have made this.." And here she swept her hand over her body. "..if it wasn't in place before? I will tell you something, Dracula can only work with what he is presented with. That's the thing with evil. It is always in you."
Buffy Summers	"Of course. All people have the capacity for good and evil. All have those urges in them, but most have the morality not to act on those urges." Thank you first semester Psych 101! At least she remembered that much of her college years. She still needed to decide if she was going to try again. After all, it wasn't like she had a lot of prospects for a future career so it likely would be a waste of money for someone like her. "If that's the case, then giving me the book wouldn't be a problem." She let that hang in the air a moment before continuing. "You not wanting to hand over the book to me lets me know that it is involved somehow. Prove me wrong. Give me the book." It wasn't going to work. Willow kept going in circles, too obsessed with her personal pain to move past it. Or perhaps the influence of the book on this was causing it. She had no idea but she had to try. Because she didn't want this to go to the next steps. Though, at this point, other than taking the book, had this Willow done anything wrong?
Willow	"Enough!" Dark Willow barely contains her anger. "You are never going to get the Book from me. It's mine." Around her, the shadows began to swirl. "I have had enough. You aren't caring about Willow. You only care about getting the Book off of me."
Buffy Summers	"You would see it that way." Buffy didn't move. She wanted to. She wanted to dive over, grab Willow, beg her to stop this insanity. But that would give fuel to this version of Willow and she knew it. She couldn't be weak with this one. It would just use that, manipulate it. Or so she believed. Maybe she was wrong. She'd think about it later. For there would be a later. She knew that her love for Willow was the only reason she was holding back. Yet, there it was. She couldn't hurt Willow. Could she? If it came to that?
Willow	For one single, solitary moment the face that looked at Buffy was eerily reminiscent of Willow. She opened her mouth to say.. .."Sorry.." And she was Dark Willow again. Disappearing with shadows. And slowly the shadows eeked away, leaving behind the apartment, as though nothing untoward had happened. But Buffy knew better. Oh, how she knew.