Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

23rd of September 2006 A.D.

As nice as the Last Station was starting to look you are still glad to be out in the sun again, the wistful golden light of autumn passing upon changing leaves, it's tshirt weather again, but alas that won't last long. "So how much do I owe you for that?"

"Nothing," he answers, the set of his jaw making it clear that he is more than willing to fight you on this and to be fair 'homeless commune needs you to check if neighboring magic is safe for the baby' is the kind of thing thing you would expect any decent person to help with pro bono, if it is necessary. That was one of the things dad had taught you about charity when you were little, it is not given to the deserving, but to those in need and as deserving as Deborah and Almaz, Sarah and Paul, even Adam and Bones might be, there is nothing wrong with your bank account balance, nor your ability to fill it.

"You know I'm their boss now?" you ask in a flash of insight, seemingly changing the subject, but Harry does not look the least bit fooled by the circuitous route the conversation is taking. "I am in charge of making sure they don't hurt anyone, but also I see to it that they have something to eat, someplace to sleep, I pledged to get those who want it a place in the sun again. If you want to get feudal about the whole thing I am their liege lady offering protection for fealty. You helped me fulfill that duty by taking time out of your own day."

Lost 1 Essence -> Now at 8/12

"But that is my time though," he answers, a little taken aback, but still resolved.

You nod seriously. "It is, but what would you be doing with it otherwise? Not lazying around is my guess, I know what your job is like Harry, these days is feels like all I do when I see you is give you more work." With every word you allow sincerity and frustration to seep through "So please is I can't pay Harry Dresden PI for consulting let me pay Warden Dresden that he might better put those funds to good use protecting all of us."

Silence then a sigh, still not quite agreement.

Maybe a joke will help, you reason. "If it makes you feel better think of it as me paying my taxes."

"Woah there you really don't want to be giving the Council those kinds of ideas," he laughs almost despite himself.

"OK then donation in furtherance of your duties it is," you agree, then before he can get another word in you ask. "Do you take cash or credit?"

Finally Harry nods. "Alright then, but if there's anymore trouble you call me."

As you are getting the two thousand dollars out of the ATM after having been haggled down from three Harry says grimly. "Call me if there's trouble down there."

Catching the implication you look up at him, startled: "None of them are looking to make trouble, they just want some place to be safe."

"Ghouls are violent Molly..." he starts, but does not get to finish.

"Of course they are violent, they are demon scions cursed with an unending hunger. You'd have to be a saint not to want to lash out at the world for being born into that. I don't know about all of them but Sarah didn't know what she was, didn't know anything until she found Adam Bones and Lockjaw. Yeah they may not be perfect, but then neither are any of us, they deserve the chance to change and part of that is not being suspected for what they are rather than what they do."

Harry seems to come up short for answers for a moment.

"That'll teach me for forgetting whose daughter you are," he says at last.

Though the words warm you, you cannot help but notice him starring out the window a lot more on the drive back to his apartment. Maybe you are imagining things but... You shake off the urge to meddle, the man has a right to get lost in his own thoughts without you poking at them.


28th of September 2006 A.D.

Thankfully you find Rosie in a much better spirits, last month's resolve had seen her through the nausea the aches and pains and all the other discomforts of pregnancy. It helps that her mother has resigned herself to the fact that she will give birth and is 'biding her time to argue to give up the baby after she's here', at least according to Rose herself. "But I'm not just gonna just get hormonal, post partum it's called I think and and hand off my baby."

"I don't think it works..." you had been about to say 'like mind control' before a sudden wave of guilt washed over you. "Like that," you finish quickly.

In the following days you teach her more than just how to close the windows to her proverbial dream tower, simple exercises of lucid dreaming give way to understanding her own mind, her hopes and, inevitably her fears that she may better defend herself against those who would use them against her. Far more times than you like the attempts end with her crying into a tissue, or on your shoulder from the weight of all-too-sharp understanding, like realizing that one of her greatest fears is not so much being alone in the world but having to crawl back to her parents.

But in the end your friend reaches that fragile plateau balanced upon the points of fear and dread as Usum calls them, enough control to dream true night after night, though you have no way to test it against intrusion

Rosie Gains 3+9 = 12/10 Progress -> Oneiromancy ● Gained

"Finally," she sighs as she takes off the ear-muffs. "No idea how all those zen monks and the Jedi do it I was going crazy from all the sitting still and looking inwards."

"Well the Jedi mostly do it by being fictional, but if you want to talk to an actual Nepalese monk and a teacher of mine I can take you to meet them."

"Er... not sure I'm ready for anyone you take lessons from," she motions vaguely at the small mound of books with Clippy propped against them ready to take dictation.

---

Meta Vote.

Do we change Essence XP mechanics?

[] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essene raised by total XP spent

[] No, leave things as they are

OOC: I spent way too long trying to think of a vote to end this on that was not 'take Rosie to talk to magicians again', something she does not need because she crit her background roll and then I remembered the meta-vote.