No, not in the least.She was ready to take on Lorne when she didn't know what he was. And willing to look Vamp!Munchkin in the face, even if they are too well-acquainted for her bluff to have worked. Credentials..ftt. "Do I look like I give a shit?" What are some things that Kay would try to change about how AI works? I mean, I think she'd put up a board. And bust Cordy for reading Variety at work, and painting her nails when it's slow. Maybe bring somebody down to the firing range.ETA: And she's ready to confront Angel about being a bad lieutenant, bloodsucker or not.

Willow taking magic lessons from V!Giles

For the next hour, Willow practiced catching balls. Giles tossed them at her in varying numbers, then she had to catch them and hold them as he threw more at her. The weight ranged from ping-pong balls to large ball bearings, and she was sweating at the end of it.

Giles picked up a baseball and considered, then shook his head. "Enough. Put them all in the box over there, and we're done."

Willow took a deep breath and very carefully moved the mass of suspended balls to the box on Giles' desk. The first time she'd tried this, she'd dropped everything on the desktop. There were still dents. This time only the ping-pong ball tried to escape, and she magically nudged it back into the box.

"Well done, Willow." Giles patted her shoulder. "Very well done. Here, sit down."

She dropped gratefully into a chair at the table where Giles' electric kettle lived. The water was just coming to a boil, and her very own dark-blue-with-gold-stars-and-moons mug was waiting. She watched him pour the water into the teapot with the leaves, letting her mind slow down. This was nearly her favorite part, where it was almost like those long hours in the library.

"So what's new in your world?" Giles asked, pushing the box of cookies--no, biscuits--closer. "Have you decided on a major yet?"

They settled into a nice long chat ranging from college to magical theory to whether Sunrise Grove could support an internet connection.

"We could set up a wireless hub and network," Willow said. "I don't think you have a phone line out here. You could do online banking and email, plus there's all these neat website about magic and demons and such."

"Online banking?" Giles repeated. "That might be useful."

"Oh, yeah. It's the 21st century, Giles. Geeks are cool. Or maybe not. Is there anything left in the Du Lac crypt?"

Giles sipped his tea. "Other than the Du Lacs? I don't think so. Why?"

"I found Jonathan and a buddy of his trying to break in tonight. They said they were playing a role playing game and their gamemaster told them something was in the crypt."

"Jonathan . . . he was the one with that calendar, wasn't he."

"Uh huh. I don't know his buddy that well. His name's Andrew. Tucker's brother."

"Tucker--oh, yes, Tucker. The hellhounds. Why am I not comfortable with the idea of Jonathan and Tucker's brother trying to break into a heretic's crypt?"

"I can't imagine," Willow said solemnly. "I should have asked them who their gamemaster is."

"If they are up to something, I'm sure we'll find out." He put down his empty mug decisively. "We need to modify your misdirection spell to completely mask your presence from everyone. Instead of baffling the senses, we need to change it to something that causes people to ignore you if they perceive you."

Willow bounced. "It's the Jedi mind trick spell! These aren't the droids you're looking for!

He gave her a pained but amused look. "Indeed. However, I doubt you'll find the information you need indexed under Jedis. Or, if you do, I want to know about it." He nodded towards the bookcases.

Lessons always went like this: an hour or so of actual practice, then recuperation and visiting over tea, then book time. Willow wondered if this was how the English went to school, guided by a mentor to the information but having to dig up the answers themselves. It was so much nicer than sitting in a lecture hall.

She got to her feet, studying the books. "I should start with Artoris' Compendium, right?"

"That would be best. I think you'll find Ceraso's Dream a useful next step. I really must start teaching you non-human languages."

As Willow began searching the shelves, Giles turned to the imp arm laying on his desk. She watched him out of the corner of her eye until he picked up a nearby book and began reading. Casually she went back to the shoulder bag she'd brought, pulled out a notebook and pen, then, slinging the bag on her shoulder, she went back to the bookcases. She pulled out Artoris' Compendium, then moved slowly down the row of books. As she studied the spines of several books, she pulled an old leather-bound volume out of the bag and slipped it into a gap on the shelf. She wandered back towards a work table, removing Ceraso's Dream as she went. She sat down at the empty work table she used for studying and got to work.

A few minutes later, Giles, muttering to himself, got up and went to the shelves himself. He searched them all, then tugged a slender volume off a top shelf and headed back to his desk. Willow, still watching him surreptitiously, relaxed and focused on the Latin in front of her--until Giles paused and turned to study the books curiously. He went slowly back, staring at the books, then reached the section where she'd returned the book she'd borrowed. His eyes flickered into vampiric yellow briefly, then faded back to their usual green. He reached towards the book she had put on the shelf.

She turned and put all her attention on the printed page and her notes.

"Willow?"

"Hm?"

"Willow."

Bracing herself, she looked up slowly. Giles stood over her, the book in his hands. The stern look was back on his face. "Y--yes?"

"This book is warmer than the others. As if someone with a higher body temperature than mine has been handling it. And the only other person remotely likely to have been handling these books is Spike. Did you borrow this book without my knowledge?"

She knew the look on her own face was answer enough, but it was still several moments before she could nod. Even human, Giles' annoyance was frightening. Now, though . . . He even glanced away for a moment before he spoke.

"Willow, how many times do I have to tell you, there are things in this library that will devour you if you're not careful. You cannot just take any book that catches your fancy and start rummaging around in it." He glanced at the title of the book. "'Guide to the Higher Planes.' Well, it could be worse, but not by much. Did you try to open a portal?"

"Yes."

"Did it work?"

"No."

"What happened?"

"It didn't look the way it was supposed to according to the book, so I didn't let it open all the way."

He nodded. "At least you have some sense."

"I was careful!" she flared. "I knew it might not work, so I only opened up a viewing portal, just the way it says to in the book. You didn't do that when you opened the gateway to Sqaon."

"That was because I went over every syllable of the incantation with someone who had actually been there." He pinched his nose, only missing the handkerchief and glasses to have the classic Giles pose. "Willow, I don't deny your power or your talent. I'm only concerned about your caution. There are spells in the 'Guide' that open portals to places that despise human life, that are inherently inimical to humans. Even a viewing portal can attract the attention of things strong enough to break through into our world. Please, don't do anything like this without guidance, please."

She sighed and nodded.

His frown deepened. "Willow, I want your promise. No portals without me there to help."

"I promise," she muttered, glaring at the table.

"All right. How are you coming with the, um, Jedi mind trick?"

"I think I've got the basic parameters worked out." She pushed her notebook towards him.

He read her notes and nodded. "Excellent, I think you've got a working model there. Work on that, and the next time you're here we can fine tune it. You might want to have it handy when I do the demonstration I was thinking of."

She perked up. "Demonstration? Of what?"

"Some of the things that live on the other sides of portals. A summoning."

"A summoning? Ooh, of what?"

"That will have to wait. Until then, work on your new spell."

Willow tried to glare at him. "I know what you're up to. Scold Willow, then give her a present to make up for it."

"Would I do that?" Giles smiled very faintly, then went to put back "The Guide to the Higher Planes" before going back to his own work.

Oh, I love that muchly, Erika. I had to stifle laughter too -- don't want to wake the small spawn.

Ahem. More Connie. Please?

Thanks. Munch crushes on people he doesn't trust all the time....most people just call us "women" but Lilah is a special case.

Deena - must add magic word...

Ahem. More Connie. Please? Now!

Connie, I really loved that. Giles and Willow always did have a special bond.(And the Munchkin is not writing this so I don't mean porn)

Aileen Wuornos: Munch and Lilah, probably stuck on the freeway...

She even smelled expensive, subtle but pricey in a “Postman Always Rings Twice” kind of way. I was going to have to watch my step...objectivity and all that happy crap.

But as my brain was thinking that, my mouth said “That’s a lovely scent you’re wearing...my ex-wife used to wear something like that.(Hey, it’s not a lie...exactly. I’ve had three, who remembers?Maybe she’ll find my pathos endearing.)

Lilah laughed, hard. Usually, that is a much better sign for me from a woman, but this was too harsh. “I doubt it. I had this made at a perfumier in Paris. Three hundred dollars an ounce. There’s an orchid extract in it. It works beautifully with my body lotion, don’t you think?”

Bitch. Making me picture her naked. Of course,I was, but she knew that and rubbed it in. Adding insult to lechery if you ask me...very dirty pool. (If you take one thing away from these interviews, remember that.) And the only parts of me worth $300/ounce clenched when she said “extract”.

”How can you live with yourself, spending that much on vanity? That could probably feed a family for three months.”

”You know, I’m not even sure I believe in conscience, but if I did, I’m sure it’s not sucking the blood out of stockbrokers. And I don’t have these kinds of conversations with the help.”

“Do you always tell the help what you have on under your clothes? Because I may be a monster, but I’m also a man.”

"You can't compare my satisfying my place on the food chain to whatever your people are up to. My instincts tell me this smells of something different than pressed orchids. As far as the brokers, I'm only finishing the job...their jobs took the life out of them a long time ago. A guy's got to...eat. To live, I mean."

"Mmm." She was driving me crazy not paying attention. If it would've helped, I'dve stood on my head right in the middle of La Cienega. Love, lust, hate, fear, I get, especially with the vampire thing. But indifference, what can I do with that?

But indifference, what can I do with that?

Insight! Munch has to die before he gets insight!