Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

22st of July 2006 A.D.

The drive home is cramped and uncomfortable, you had thought about summoning Black Rider... but well 'fleeing the scene of a crime in the car of a missing person' probably is not what you are looking for tonight, however nice it would be to have some space to process everything that had gone on. Judging from the weary silence that descended over all five as Hendriks rolled on into the night. Lydia of course is easy enough to understand, she had lost her father as all but a voice in the back of her head and now has to face a world filled with all manner of horrors who like Capricorpus would like nothing better than to use her. As for Matthews sitting ramrod straight in the passenger's seat you can well guess that employee induction in the service of the Winter Court is something of a shock.

But what is Gard thinking? What is Harry?

You had started all this thinking you could hold back something of what you can do, keep an ace in the hole, instead you had ended up revealing powers that you did not even know you had, understanding of things you are not even sure you want to know. Well no, that last bit is a lie, you do want to know, but much like your lack of a reaction to killing Katrina something tells you you shouldn't want to know what that ominous title was.

"I don't suppose you have prestidigitation do you?" you joke weakly just to get someone talking.

"Huh?" Harry looks up. At least he doesn't seem to have any trouble meeting your eyes.

"Arcanos reference, minor utility magic that doesn't do anything in combat..."

"I've played Arcanos Molly and no real magic doesn't work like that," he cuts you off with a tired smile. "What do you need it for?"

Harry Dresden had played Arcanos. Plus two on the nerd scale, or maybe that is a plus five. I wonder who he plays with... Do they have room for one more? You had not played as much of it over the last year, but you could dust off Yara Slvertongue, bard extraordinaire pretty quick you recon.

"To get rid of all the blood," you explain, getting back to the matter at hand. Nevermind that your shoes are soaked in it from the ritual assist, it turns out decapitating someone is really messy. On the one hand mom will be relieved that most of the blood isn't yours what with that bullet bouncing off your skull, but you would really rather not explain how you got this much blood down your front. Sure you could probably conjure something to fix your clothes, but you really need a shower too and you are not the only one.

Thankfully Gard had been listening in and John Marcone's largess extends to getting you all a shower

Hendricks drives you to Executive Priority Health, some kind of posh gym at the Madison Hotel. You're not sure why Harry thinks it isn't appropriate for you and Lydia... then you get a look at some of the trainers who seems to be universally cheerful and very pretty young women and the patrons who all seem to be wealthy older executives, without much of an interest in working out to judge from their waistlines. It's that kind of 'gym' then, another thing not to mention to mom.

All in all you have to admit the fancy bathrooms beat Harry's single shower and the shampoo selection is a lot better too.

Lost 1 Essence -> Now at 3/12


That is how you end up in the front lawn at home in fixed up clothes with no stains and smelling of green apple shampoo rather than blood and worse. The moment the door creaks open Cindy launches herself at her grandfather, hugging him tight and babbling all sorts of questions. You wonder how many of those he will answer, how many of them he can afford to answer. As mom deals with seeing to her new guest you ask Lydia quietly: "Do you want to stay here while you fix up the wards at your place?"

She blushes, all the more obvious against her pale cheeks. "I don't want to impose..."

You rolls your eyes. "You're not imposing, we have a guest bed."

Sneaking a peek at Daniel she explains: "It would be really awkward."

Just got to meet the parents in a rush to fight evil necromancers then end up staying over the weekend. Yeah you can see that.

"What does your father say?" you ask a little gingerly. Can she talk to him all the time? Does she have some way to 'hang up'? you wonder, but do not ask.

"That it's my choice and he's not gonna try to backseat drive my life, it would probably be safer to stay here, but there shouldn't be anymore big guns from the bad guys in town."

What do you do?

[] Argue that Lydia should stay at your place, awkwardness and all

[] Agree that she should just go home, she's plenty able to look after herself for a few days

[] Write in

OOC: The essence use was from using the tool charm to clean up various items.