Making Connections
21st of July 2006 A.D.
"Hello, who is this?" It takes you a moment to realize that Harry does not get to see the
number calling him on his antique of a phone, nevermind a saved name.
"Molly, it's Molly," you reply, then before he can get another word in edgewise you continue. "I wanted to ask, did you get anything more on history's worst sore losers?" Maybe it's paranoid, but all the thinking you did on spying on other people's phones makes you not inclined to say any names over the phone. "I have some new powers that can help track them and if you do find them I figure you could use some backup."
"Don't worry about that," you can hear the mounting weariness in his voice. "I'll handle it and keep you informed if there's anything you can help with. An investigation's kind of like quicksand that way, if you go too fast or step too heavy you will sink right in you're a little obvious."
"I don't have to be obvious," you roll your eyes even though he can't see you.
"You're always obvious to those with the eyes to see," Harry replies quickly. "Remember when you said that magic unraveled in your hands if you tried to cast it, well that is not just your magic. I can feel the way you pull at the world and so can anyone else with a lick of sensitivity. Given we who are dealing with here I think it's fair to say they have at least two licks between them."
That is... actually a fair point, you admit reluctantly. You might be putting him in danger by your very obvious green glowing presence. If you thought that Harry Dresden was the sort of person to actually take things slow and cautious you might have even agreed with him, little though you like it. But as a matter of fact you
do know a bit about how Harry Dresden investigates, you hadn't even had to listen at doors for those bits. Mom was
more than loud enough. He is going to need someone who can parry bullets before this is done you're sure.
Lost 1 Essence
You take a sip of your Coke thinking of how to deal with it. "Like it or not I'm already involved, the guy with a love of rooftop views isn't going to forget me, no more than the Winter half of faerie. I'd like to cooperate so we don't double up on effort, but I'm going to be... looking anyway. Wouldn't you rather be there to
watch me doing it?"
Is flirty blackmail a good idea? It seems to work in the movies at least.
There is a really long pause in which you would like to think he is thinking of the flirting part, but it is probably just how to get out of the blackmail.
"And what would Charity think of this?" he finally asks.
"You would have to ask mom," you reply airily. "I always a did like the city at night you know, it has an air of
mystery about it."
"Alright, come by my place and we'll talk," he sighs.
A part of you wants to echo 'and what would mom think of that' just to get back at him for pulling that card on you, but it's not worth it just be be petty.
***
Mouse at least is unambiguously happy to see you. Sadly him jumping off the couch does send Harry's improbably sized cat, though not as improbable as his dog, tumbling which earns you a hiss of feline displeasure as Mister, you think his name is saunters off.
"So..." you start taking out your phone, "What have you got so far? Names addresses, I can do a web search on them."
"Don't take that out in here, " Harry says alarmed.
"Oh it's fine," you wave him off with what you hope is just the right amount of unconcern. "I bound a..." You are about to say 'helper kami' or something before you realize that even if his wizardly lore doesn't cover cyber-devils the Shadow of the Fallen in his head almost certainly knows enough to recognize it. "I bound a cyber-demon of the Wicked City into it, a sort of least spirit of alienation and anonymity, gave her a name and a place to stay that wasn't Hell. Say Hello Clippy."
"Hello Clippy," she replies in what is
probably a joke, her chosen avatar flickering in the screen.
"It is an honor to meet you Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, you have brushed but lightly against the threads of data, I look forward to a fruitful collaboration between yourself and my mistress ."
Harry... does not take it well, eyes widening with alarm and his hand reaching for one of his foci before he stops himself. "Molly I can't believe I have to
tell you this but demons aren't something you should be messing with.'
Lost 1 Essence
"This one is because that's how my power works," you reply. Seeing that he is about to interrupt you raise a hand. "Just let me finish OK? There has to be a reason my power draws in magic so strongly you can feel me from across the parking lot and it's not to make extra hot flames when I pull out my sword. Much like the Sith it does deal in absolutes. Remember when Mr. McCoy tested my mind and he said he had about as much of a chance of getting in while the shield was active as spoon assisted hard rock mining? Well apply that to assuring the loyalty in letter and in spirit of... ah sorry Clippy...
very minor and weak demons."
"Query? What do you regret?" your assistant asks.
"That you might feel bad over me calling you weak," you explain carefully, gotta remember demon logic.
"My pride is difficult to damage, even so facts cannot do so at all," she assures you.
All through this Harry is looking between the two of you like he's waiting for someone to pop out of a corner of the apartment and announce he is on a hidden camera show. It is a struggle not to giggle, but you manage it.
Finally he manages to get out: "How did you do it?"
"I willed it so, that's actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I can put more of them in security cameras to help stake out targets, or cars, those are valid too. We could know what they are talking about in the car and around it, not to mention if we get in car chase I can just tell the car to stop, it's line of sight."
"How many of these things can you summon from the Bad Town?" he asks looking at you really intensely.
Enough so that your laugh is as much nervous as proud, though at least you do not blush. "I don't think there is an upper number," you think about it a little more, the occult question going a ways to calming you down. "Or they might be a finite number, but it is something really large, like equal to the number of atoms in the universe so for all practical purposes infinity."
"Oh," he sinks back into the couch looking a little stunned. So it had been a 'you might be a civilization ending threat' intensity and not 'you are so pretty today Molly' intensity.
Darn.
"I'm planning to be responsible with it," you say quickly. "I'm not going to go around ordering ATMs to spit out money or anything." Though you had admittedly thought about it. That was just being through when assessing your new powers. Speaking of new powers...
"Can I keep a bottle of Clorox at your place?"
He takes the description of healing in poison a lot better than he had Clippy, though that might be just because he is still in a bit of shock over it. You're sure he will come around eventually, but you do not make the offer of a demon phone yet.
"Alright, I'll buy some of that stuff..."
What the... You cut him off. "Harry, I have money for a bottle of cleaning supplies, I wasn't asking you to buy it
for me, just if I could stash it with you." The ember of annoyance from when he had mentioned calling mom gets a little brighter. You are seventeen not seven, a legal adult in three months.
"Perhaps," Usum suggests softly at the back of your mind,
"He treats you such not because your campaign of seduction has failed, but because it is working a bit too well and guilt drives him to overcompensate."
That is a very 'demonic tempter' take on things, but on the balance you do feel a
little reassured. Still you do not want to think on it anymore. "Circling back what can I help you with?"
That afternoon you were...
[] In Harry's car outside a quiet suburban carwash you cannot believe belongs to Marcone waiting to speak to the man himself about where he had gotten those bones from
[] In a small rural county so different from busy Chicago you could not believe it was only two and a half hours drive following up on a tip Harry got from some Wyldfae about a man who might know something about rage spirits and what it takes to bind them
[] Still in his apartment, trying to make what you can of the bullet you had recovered from the gunman
-[] Write in question for Crown use
OOC: I was tempted to make the last one post-question asking but since you guys only get only one for the bullet I did not want to assume, you might have a better idea what to ask than I did.
