Chapter 4
Buffy managed to crawl out of bed, get Dawn started for school, and do a few rudimentary chores before it neared time for the start of her shift at the Palace. She decided to swing by the Magic Box on her way to see if she could catch Anya for a little chat, at she neatly tucked her work clothes in a duffle.
Just walking in the bright sunshine put a little more spring in her step as she strolled down the street towards her destination. She was positively cheery by the time she walked into the magic shop and was relieved to find it empty of both clientele and Scoobies. OK, Buffy, perfect timing – this might work.
How could she get Anya talking on her topic of interest without letting the cat out of the bag about why she wanted the information? Subtlety had never been her strong suit and she doubted today would be the start, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Buffy blew out a breath and approached the counter.
“Hi Anya,” she said brightly, “how are the wedding plans going?”
Oh, bad move Buffy, now she’ll talk about flowers and seating arrangements all day, divert, divert Oh, I know…
“Anya, I was wondering, as your bridesmaid, do you want to stay at our place the night before the wedding – tradition and all.”
“Oh, that’s sweet of you to offer Buffy Are you afraid that Xander and I will copulate before the event and bring bad luck to our marriage?”
Sex has entered the conversation, that was quick.
“Well, I know that you and Xander have been, well, not saving yourselves, but don’t you think its more romantic to cut back before the actual ceremony? Maybe make the wedding night more special? Hey you could even do a role playing game – you be the blushing virginal bride and he could be the fumbling first-time groom “
OK, not subtle at all, but it’s out there, lets see if she’ll take the bait.
“That’s a very clever idea, Buffy – it might add some romance. However, I do not wish Xander to be too fumbling, a girl’s wedding night should be filled with many orgasms. But Xander likes the games, I’ll suggest that to him.” Anya replied seriously.
“So you guys play games as lot?” Buffy cringed slightly when she realized what she’d said. Oh, great, look like a perve now, Ms. I don’t have a man fishing for details of her buddies’ sex lives.
Fortunately, Anya was on one of her favorite subjects, Xander and sex, so the fishing expedition drew some results.
“Oh yes, Xander enjoys games, he gets very excited by them and they result in many happy orgasms for me.”
“Um,” Buffy tried to look mildly, yet not too weirdly interested. “You know I’ve never played games like that, Riley wasn’t into it – how does they work?”
“Oh Buffy, you’ll find a man who will play games with you, you’re a very pretty girl, you just need to put yourself out there more. Perhaps you’d like some tips for your next orgasm-friend – maybe then they’ll stay longer?” Anya looked at Buffy inquiringly.
Ouch. Buffy wasn’t sure Anya realized the slam, though she suspected she did – there was a little glint in the ex-demon’s eyes. But she was finally getting where she wanted to go, the down and dirty details on Role-Playing 101. She just wasn’t sure this was what she was after for her tentative love tryst with Spike, but as Anya appeared ready to tell all, she’d know soon.
“Well,” Anya beamed, “first you need to find about your partner’s like, dislikes, turn-ons, etc. That way you’ll know how to excite him and he can then reciprocate by pleasing you. For instance, Xander really enjoys my nurse’s outfit that is very tight, short and shows much cleavage. The last time I wore it,….”
Buffy vaguely zoned out as Anya gave a slightly ex-rated account of Xander’s reaction to the outfit and the resulting sexual acts that resulted. As Anya concluded the story, Buffy delved a little deeper.
“So you just wear an outfit, you aren’t really role playing, like being the characters and stuff?”
“Well, not entirely. We have some games that are more complicated. When we play shiver me timbers, I’m the damsel in distress and Xander’s the big bad pirate who ravishes me. We both wear costumes, but there’s more than that. We don’t use our real names – he’s Captain Nighthawk, the dread pirate, and I’m Miranda, the beautiful and wealthy daughter of an English lord, who would never look his way. We have a whole story, I got it out of a romance novel I was reading. Miranda grew up on the same estate as Nighthawk, and he was her first love, but as she grew older, she left him to pursue a wealthy husband in London, because he was just a poor peasant lad. So then he becomes this wealthy pirate, but he’s actually a secret agent for the Queen, so he’s really a good guy and actually very rich, so he kidnaps Miranda to save her from a horrible marriage but he makes her think its for ransom. Buffy?”
Buffy thought she had the idea, actually a little more than she wanted to know, but had one final question.
“So you’re like completely the other character while you play, right? How do you end, I mean, besides the sex? How do you know when you’re done?”
“Oh well, I know we’re starting when Xander gets out the eyepatch, but sometimes we plan to play. So I’ll tell Xander before he leaves for work that Miranda needs rescuing that night. Then he can get all worked up all day and I know we’ll start as soon as I get home from work. So I’m Miranda when I walk in the door. I know we’re stopping if we use our real names. It’s fun, perhaps if you go to the Bronze with us, we can find you a guy to play with Buffy. Anya paused, contemplating, Though it’s probably not a first date activity if you’re looking for a long-term relationship – it’s a lot more fun when you know and trust the person you’re playing with.”
“OK. Well, thanks, Anya, when my life gets a little saner and not so busy, I may try finding a guy – I envy what you and Xander have.”
“Well, thank you, Buffy, and I’ll take you up on your offer to stay at your home before the wedding. I think Xander and I may try that game on our honeymoon.” Anya quickly dismissed her as a customer and potential source of money entered the shop and Buffy exited the Magic Box, feeling like she had some ideas to work with.
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Buffy, strolled along the street, mulling over the conversation. A few of Anya’s comments were a little unnerving – like knowing and trusting the person, and finding out what the guy liked. Well, Spike liked her, she knew that, and he’d do pretty much what ever she told him. And not to be All About Buffy, but this was really sort of her personal reconnect with life therapy. Spike would get the side benefit of being with her, which he clearly enjoyed. That could care of that aspect. And she certainly knew him well enough, he’d been hanging around for years, and she definitely had the knowing in the biblical sense down. But trust, that was a can of worms best not opened. Besides, who needed trust. She was stronger than Spike and he knew it. She could keep him under control. Buffy picked up her pace so she wouldn’t be late for work, again, choosing to ignore what she knew Anya had really been talking about.
Instead she focused on the parameters. The key to this whole little scheme was to establish boundaries and keep them. In character, she could let him be loving, out of character, back to the usual. That way Spike wouldn’t get ideas that she actually had feelings for him or anything crazy like that.
She needed to concoct an scenario, one that Spike would not be tempted to confuse with real life. She skipped along through various scenarios. She wanted a romantic vibe from the couple she picked – something maybe from literature, or some movie. She pondered some possible pairings. Romeo and Juliet? She cringed – way too many Angel overtones there. Harry and Sally? (She just loved that movie ) She dismissed it, Spike was unlikely to be able to get into the character of a somewhat neurotic political consultant, or whatever Harry was in that movie. Scarlett and Rhett? Somehow, that one seemed to fit, maybe a little, but where would she find a hoop skirt?
Wait, her dream, that was the answer. She would be Guinievere and he could be Lancelot Medieval knight, lady of the lake, yadda, yadda. She thought Guinievere was with King Arthur too, maybe, at some point, but she wasn’t entirely sure. Oh well, it didn’t matter – he was Lancelot in the dream. She wasn’t really all that up on those legends, but she suspected Spike was, so she could play off him as they went along. She was pretty sure they were quite the romantic pair. He should love that – being British and all. She giggled, proud that she had figured out an appropriately fantasy based romance for them to play out.
Now, how to bring this up with Spike? Somehow a letter, tucked in his crypt door, seemed appropriate to start the game. That would be a nice touch. She’d outline the little scenario along with an invitation and see where it went. She could always run away if it looked as thought he wasn’t going to play by the rules. She had become something of an expert at that in the recent past.
Buffy bounced excitedly, she had found the answer. She could revel in his love, connect with some deeper emotions and feel alive again, but he’d be fine, because he’d know it was all a game. Now, she needed to work on her little letter.