11899/Late nights/Early Mornings

Late nights/Early Mornings
Date of Scene:	03 August 2020
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	Karrin makes her way over to Harry's after a very rough, and bloody, day
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy

---

Harry Dresden has posed:
Sleep isn't something that Harry takes for granted, but sometimes he is as insomniatic as anyone else and tonight is no exception. Still, not one to waste time, Harry is putting his lack of sleep to good use as he works down in his lab wrapped in the thick and well worn bathrobe he uses to hold off the chill of the basement.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
By the time Karrin was done with police reports, clean up, a medic, and her own SI write up, it was well past midnight. While she'd have maybe preferred to go home and shower first, the lacking ability to simply send Harry a text saying she was okay, just caught up in things, was annoying. Maybe he wasn't worried. He knew she could take care of herself. Besides, she really was okay, right? She was still standing and not in hospital, so she'd take that as a win.

To look at her, though, one wouldn't know. Her face has been cleaned of the blood and gray matter, as well as her throat that now has a neat little bandage across the vampire bites that could have been far worse. But her clothing? There's a lot of now rust colored, dry blood splattered across her jacket and gray t-shirt. It's caked into her boots. It's even on the holster of her gun. It stands out the most on her blonde hair, plastered to her skull where some of the blood sprayed, but there's a few chunks for something that isn't blood, but probably gray matter, if you've ever seen the stuff before. The sound of her opening the door upstairs comes a little after 2 am and her voice following a moment later as Mouse comes to greet, "Hey, buddy, no... No licking. You don't want this. Just... calm down, Buddy. You too, Mister..." She winces a bit as she shuts the door and leans sorely down to start untying her crusted boots.

Harry Dresden has posed:
There is no indication Mouse has any intention of licking that stuff off, and instead pads over to give Karrin a sniff. Satisfied she is still her, he plops down on his haunches and places a paw on her foot as if to comfort her for a moment before he snuffles and heads back over towards the couch. Mister on the other hand just looks at her from the top of his perch on the bookcase. After a casual glance her way, he turns his head indifferent to the situation and lays back down.

Harry, being down in the basement, likely didn't hear any of what was going on upstairs other than the closing of the heavy metal door signaling Karrin's return. "Bob, go over those potion ingredients one more time for me. I want to make sure I have everything on hand for these things before I start to make them. I hate loosing time and effort when I find out I don't have something in the middle of a brew." a pause, "And if you turn me to stone again, I swear I am going to smash you with a hammer. You are just lucky it wasn't permanent."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The paw on her boot is momentarily nice. Some of the strange shock and numbness softens off her features as she reaches out a hand, she did wash her hands at least, and scritches through his thick fur. "Thanks, boy... just need to get a shower. Harry's asleep?" Somehow, Mouse knows, trotting over to the lab's door instead of the bedroom. Not asleep then. "Well, guess I don't have to feel bad for waking him up." Now in just her sock clad feet, those crusty boots left near the door, Karrin pads over to the trap door and looks down, calling gently. "...Harry. I'm... back. I need to...shower."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Want company?" Harry jokes in a coquettish manner, not realizing the state that Karrin is in at the moment. "Just let me finish up down here and I will pop on up and scrub your back."

Bob's orange eye-lights roll in his 'head', "Really Harry. You get to make those kind of jokes, but when /I/ make them I get threatened with violence. What makes you so special."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Ah... maybe. But... maybe best you don't see this. I'm... gonna get a trash bag." That's the first hint something is very off. Very messy. She's not even giving him a mental swat for the dirty joke. Maybe she did actually want company. With that response, she steps through and into the kitchen, needing to hunt a little for trash bags as she doesn't cook here much, but it doesn't take too long. She slips into the bathroom there, beginning to slowly peel out of the blood-plastered clothing.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Yeah, that response does cause one of Harry's brows to arch quizzically. "Murph," the wizards questions as he start to make his way up the ladder to the apartment above, "...what happened?" It isn't until his head pop up out of the trap door that his other brow goes up and a hint of concern enters into his voice, "Hell's bells, tell me that isn't yours..." all the blood he means, he isn't close enough to realize there is brain matter involved as well. "You look like Carrie at the end of that book. Worse even..."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A low, tired sort of laugh actually escapes her lips as he mentions looking like Carrie, and asks if it's hers. She leaves the doors open between the bedroom and the front room so they can keep talking, but is just determined to get most of this off as quickly as possible now. "If it was mine, I promise I wouldn't be standing here right now. They cleaned up what bit was mine. This is... a... lot of vampires. I think I...lost count how many. It was a... long fight." She recounts those vague details quietly, either completely numbed to this sort of bullshit or still a little in shock around it. She probably can't really tell herself.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Walking over to lean against the door jamb that separates the two rooms, Harry crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. "Well, glad to know it isn't yours. Out with Buffy again? Normally it isn't so messy with her. They just tend to ash and blow away. Are you ok?"' The answer should be obvious, she is standing here and talking, but Harry also knows that wounds aren't all physical. Sometimes the mental scars are the worst ones and linger with you like little red-headed Grecian-like fallen angels. "Do you want coffee, or something stronger? I can start you off with a shower beer and move onto the heavy stuff when you get out."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"I... didn't have any stakes on me. Wasn't expecting that many vampires going in, thought it was ghouls we were dealing with." Karrin sighs and shrugs out of her vest, not as bloodied as the ruined shirt but she was going to have to somehow get it cleaned too. The way she's tossing her clothes in the bag says she's probably not even going to bother washing them. All sacrificed in the line of duty. "I... I'm fine... the one that got its teeth in me...didn't last long." Her white sports bra has a few edges of stains where blood seeped through a few places. She peels out of it, dank with sweat, and undies come a moment later. She stands there nude for a moment, just her forearms, forehead, and a few other patches showing blood. Oh, and her hair. She winces as she picks fingertips through it. "...I think I still have some of him in my hair. I... need a better kit for vamps. Holy water syringes and stakes. Multiple." Her mind is in half a dozen places, jumping between disgust at the state of her, determined planning for the future, and just trying to push off the fight adrenaline high from it all. "...beer is probably good." Oh, and the fact he asked her a question she barely heard.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Normally the sight of a naked woman would arouse other thoughts in Harry's mind other than concern, but the state Murphy is in at the moment pushes those kind of things right out of his head as he grabs the bag of destroyed clothing, dragging it over to the overly large fireplace and tossing it inside. A quick utterance of 'fuego' and a motion of his hand starts the fire as he moves over towards the kitchen to get the promised beer.

"Go ahead and get in the shower and I will bring you one," he calls out over his shoulder. "...and then I will help wash that man right out of your hair. If it was a man, I shouldn't assume. You know what they say about assuming."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
This is why they made a good team. Echos of that talk with Buffy on a far more enjoyable night bounce in her head a moment. She didn't need to tell him to destroy the clothes, he just knew. There is just enough teasing from him to get her mind half off it without being ridiculous. These quiet moments alone were proof to why she drove here instead of back to her own little house, somewhere she spends less and less time with every passing week. A tired smile crosses her lips to him as she finally moves for the shower. "It was. And... the help would be appreciated. As well as the beer." Then she's turning on the shower as hot as it will go. That might not be hot at all, his hot water heater was iffy on the best of days and any emotion other than quiet calmness from him seems to make it fritz. But she'll steal a few moments of heat if she can, red running out of her blonde hair and making the water beneath her a muddy copper.

Harry Dresden has posed:
The shower, much like the beer that is handed to Murphy, is ice cold. That is the one problem with living with a wizard like Harry, hot water is usually only obtained by boiling it in a fire. Without another word Harry takes the bottle of shampoo from the little cubby in the shower, not caring if he gets wet in the process, and starts to gently wash Murphy's hair with a gentle scalp massage to go along with the removal of gore. When the hair is done, Harry picks up the washcloth and starts on the rest of her. It's gentle. Caressing, but not in a lewd way. Cleaning her from the blood and grime, all the while checking her over to make sure there wasn't a hidden wound or something that needed to be attended to.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Just as the old bruises were finally fading, there's a whole new fresh set. Wasn't that pretty much the theme of her life? Murphy shivers a little bit, but she knew what his shower was like and still came here. It was worth it just to feel his hands through her hair, getting the gray matter and blood out of that fine blonde bob. Eventually, she just leans against his hands, letting him do the work as she stands there, breathing slower than before, sipping on the ice cold beer when she remembers it's there but mainly she's letting the shower and his hands ease away the images of a very gore filled evening from her head. The only actual injury to her skin is taped over with gauze, but it quickly peels free in the shower. Two slightly ragged puncture wounds. Someone got his teeth on her, but the bleeding has stopped by now, only a little bit of her blood on the inside of that guaze. Something else to burn.

"...thank you. This... it's nice not... cleaning up alone." She admits softly to him, after her hair actually feels clean. She turns her head to press a simple kiss to the inside of his wrist. She was better with actions than she was words.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"No thanks needed," replies Harry as he softly smiles in response to the kiss and to the little blonde cop shivering in his shower. Once he, and more importantly she, thinks she is clean he steps back to grab another fluffy terrycloth robe, this one he uses for the shower. It will look ridiculously huge on her, but it does the job of keeping it's wearer warm. "Another beer, or something warmer like hot cocoa to cut the chill of that shower. I could always add a bit of the Irish to it."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Ice showers aren't exactly something to languish in, so Karrin is happy enough to step out once the water is running clear, looking entirely more like herself if a bit drown and shivering. "Y-yes...thank you..." She mutters, trying to pretend like she isn't actually trembling, but damn that water is cold. She buries herself deep into his robe, inhaling deeply of the fact the robe smells like him. Most of the emotional numbness is behind her now, half replaced by the fact she can't feel her toes, but that'll fade soon. "...cocoa and whiskey sounds like the best idea you've had in months." She grins tiredly up to him, but the smile is real this time. Getting all the mess off of her has helped moral immensely. She pads back out of the bathroom and to his couch where she can tuck up feet beneath the robe and curl up in a warm little ball there.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry Dresden nods, starting to move even before the word yes finishes falling from her lips. "One Irish hot chocolate coming right up. I'll even add some marshmallows."

Harry makes his way to the kitchenette and starts the process of heating up the milk for the cocoa, dropping a fair bit of real chocolate into the milk to melt instead of that powdered stuff they pass off. Soon enough he returns to the couch with a thick mixture of chocolate, whiskey, and milk, with a few little marshmallows plopped on top. "Feeling better?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
While the milk is heating, for just a few moments, Lash stands there. She's watching him curiously, maybe trying to piece together something she doesn't entirely understand. Or, distract him from the naked-other-than-his-robe woman on the couch. Either way, she doesn't say anything. She's just a quiet, hovering reminder of the things he hasn't told Murphy. Or, perhaps that of a woman who isn't near so mortal as the one on his couch. "You know...like that, she won't always come back in tact..." She calls to his back, a quiet reminder, a seed of doubt, as he moves back to the front room.

Murphy looks up drowsily from where she's curled up on the couch, smile echoing her hands as she reaches up for the spiked cocoa. "...I swear, I'm going to figure a way to make you a functional hot water heater one of these days. Maybe find a camp stove from the 1900s or something." She gruffly, mostly teases. The question of feeling better gets a slight nod. "Going to be...sore. I'll feel better when I have a whole damn vampire kit in the back of my car. But...it could have been worse."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Out of Karrin's line of sight, Harry's hand lifts up as that voice spouts off from behind him and slowly extends the middle finger before dropping back down.

"Problem with a camp stove or something like that is that I have to have it constantly going to get any benefit from it. No instant hot water otherwise, but I suppose if there is time to kill before a shower we can get something set up to warm the water." Harry comments as he makes his way to the couch to take a seat, offering over the mug. "I can have a kit ready for you before you leave here, Murph. I'll give you what I have. I'd rather you have the tools to defend yourself than wait. I can manage without till I can get them replaced."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A quiet huff comes from behind him, in the kitchen, but then goes away. She wasn't going to get anything done with the other woman here.

Meanwhile, Murphy curls up a bit closer to his side, cocoa accepted and hands warming around the heat of the mug. "Holy water in the veins... that's one I didn't know. Spike says it can be quite effective and might be a bit faster than a stake. But..." Karrin takes a moment, about to protest that she doesn't need it right now, then some thoughts pass across her features, "...I don't know if we got all of them put down or not. So... taking a few things for the car now is probably not the *worst* choice. I did pretty damn well for myself without, though." Minus whichever one latched onto her neck.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"You always do," grins Harry. "You are one of the most badass women I know, Murph, and you do it all without supernatural strength or whatever. Hell, you've pulled my ass out of the fire more times than I can count. Sure, I can't count that high, but you get the idea." He chuckles, placing a careful arm around her to pull her in closer, "I'm just jealous some other guy was necking with you. I'd have to go kill him, if he wasn't already dead."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A husky laugh escapes her mouth at the last comment. She grins, one slender brow arching up at him, "... You're a little better in that department than he was. I think your rep is safe." Karrin winks before taking a longer sip of her overly warm cocoa. That helps settle the last bits of chill in her chest and limbs, quickly warming up beneath the tuck of his arm. "...and I wouldn't have to keep pulling your ass out of the fire if you didn't have quite the habit of jumping into it. I don't know if I'm more or less worried about you having a complete kit to fight vamps, or me. But I guess you did manage a *whole week* since those Denarians without trouble. Maybe we can go for a record?" Somewhere, there is the echo of Lash's laughter.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"A whole week? Be still my heart. I must be loosing my edge if I haven't pissed someone off in a whole week." jests Harry in return. "I should go bitchslap Mab or something just to keep my streak alive."

He settles back into the couch, letting out a slow sigh as he starts to relax himself. "As far as a vamp kit, I have magic to call on if I need it till I can get supplies back, and getting supplies back shouldn't be to much of an issue. The only thing that will take any real effort is the holy water, and I can just call Forthill for that."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...We...really need to get that man a steak dinner or something, one of these nights." Karrin's relaxing by inches into his side, the night entirely too late now and they'd both be better off for going to bed, but the little blonde still seems far too awake to even consider it. Hours of police report after an hour long firefight will do that to almost anyone. So, she sips at her cocoa, occasionally munching on a melted marshmellow, as the whole world stablizes itself.

"...and don't even *think* about it. I need at least another week off to actually let these ribs finish healing and maybe we could both catch up on sleep. Hell, if you really want to face down some trouble...you know what you should do?" She turns blue eyes up, waiting for him to look actually curious about. "...go catch up with your brother. Finally. I think the sting of the punch has finally worn off."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Karrin can feel Harry's body start to tense with the words 'Hell, if you really want to face down some trouble', knowing where that train was going to come into the station. He sighs as she finishes the sentence, "Yeah, yeah... I'll get around to it. It's not like he rushed over to tell me, so he can wait." His words sound venomous, but she can tell they lack the spite they once did.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
That tension is enough to make her frown. Karrin sighs deeply, staring down into her mug for a moment, "Hell, if there was any doubt you two are related, your mutual stubbornness has completely erased that." She grumbles. She then shifts out of his arms just enough she can turn to fully face him, the front of her calf drawn up against the outside of his thigh. "Look, Harry, I know that... I know he really didn't do that in the best way possible. But he's your brother. He DOES care about you... that's half the reason he waited so long. He didn't know how to say it. Didn't want you to... completely abandon him for being a monster. Neither of you is perfect. But...life... it's short. Ours is, at least. Especially with this lifestyle." SHe's about to say something more, but her lips abruptly shut. Thomas' words about being honest over other things echo too closely to what she's been saying. She looks back into her cocoa instead.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Taking in a deep breath, Harry lets it out slowly, "Yeah. I know, Karrin, I know. I'll...go talk to him. Sometime. Soon...ish. I promise."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"He's... a better guy than I gave him credit for. Or maybe just that much of an observant smart ass, but... Thank you." A slightly cracked smile crosses her lips as she looks back up to him, studying scruffy features for a quiet moment. "... I've watched you spend so much of your life alone, Harry. Pushing people away because you're scared to get close and sometimes just oblivious to what is in front of you. I...just don't want you to lose this chance."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Well, my track record hasn't been the best with people I care about. Dad died, Elaine tried to bind or kill me, Justin tried to kill me, Susan I almost got killed...you have almost gotten killed. It's not exactly a glowing track record here for people I care about," Harry says with a lift of a shoulder in a lazy shrug. "Hell, I didn't even know he was my brother and I almost got him killed. I guess I should have suspected by that alone," he smirks. "Besides, he's waited 29 years, a couple of more days isn't going to hurt."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
That just makes her smirk, "I have never been anywhere near *almost killed*. I'm tougher than that and you know it. Besides, you've tried plenty of times in the past to keep me out of it and I keep running in. So, Dresden, don't you dare put me on that list. I'm not going anywhere." Though she gives a tired half laugh at the thoughts, some strange understanding in her eyes, "I... get being trigger shy, though. Considering I've a habit of getting people killed or sticking around long enough that they hate me enough we're in divorce court..." She shrugs and tucks herself back in against his side, "I know it's not easy. Just... still will probably be worth it. And he's not going to cramp your space trying to follow you around like a puppy. You're gonna have to go to him this time. I'll send some beers along for the two of you. Then it's not having a heart to heart but drinking beers with the boys. That's easier, right?" She nudges his ribs gently with her elbow at that.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I said I'll talk to him," sigh Harry, leaning his head back against the couch and letting his eyes close for a moment, "I'm just not looking forward to it...because if I am going to prove to myself he is my brother, I am going to have to soulgaze him...and I really don't want to."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
One last sip of her cocoa, killing the mug and feeling far more warmed for it. Perhaps even a little tipsy, the blood she did lose and exhaustion making a good shot of whiskey enough to do plenty to relax her. Now, without a mug in her hand, she shifts one arm down to wrap behind his lower back and turns her head up to press a light kiss against the side of his throat that he's nicely bared to her. Just quiet, comfortable affection, even as his mind is running circles. "...Is that really the only way? Can't you... I don't know, verify that his amulet is real? Or maybe just get a DNA test? I...have no clue what vampire blood like his his like..."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"It's the only way I would know for sure. Amulet could be faked, and since I can't exactly go do a DNA test for myself any results could be suspect as well. The only way I know of to be positive to me would be to soulgaze him. Even then I am not sure I will get the answers I am looking for, but he can't hide or manipulate anything that way either. Any other way and there would be too many moving parts to place faith in it with one hundred percent accuracy." The wizard sighs, a smile coming to his lips as he feels hers press to his throat. "Also, his blood is pink. So it might raise some suspicions."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Another gentle kiss is given to the side of his adam's apple, before she just lets her head tuck into the crook of his shoulder. The exhaustion is finally starting to creep in, all of her warm, languid, and clean right now. It made such a large difference. Karrin exhales slowly through her nose, some suspicion still behind her breath but she doesn't debate him on it immediately. "...I'd say you could maybe just...Trust someone, you know? But...He's a vampire. Trust is... hard to come by with humans, much less those that could fall in the monster category. If...if you really think you need to? Then do it. I think you'll be surprised what you find... maybe even pleasantly so." Did Karrin sound almost fond of the man? Something had changed her mind on him...

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry doesn't question this new found Thomas support from Karrin, it's late (or early depending on how you look at things) and he is just as exhausted as she is. "Maybe," he retorts, "maybe I will, or maybe it will just rip open a gigantic wound that has scabbed over in the last 30 years. Only one way to be sure. Just remember, if I end up a blubbering mess of a wizard I was being manly doing it in the first place."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Harry... I promise you. You are always manly whether you are a blubbering mess, a fire throwing pyromaniac wizard, or being a stubborn ass over even minor inconveniences. It's just your charm." And her arm around his waist squeezes a bit tighter before she drowsily begins to uncurl from his side. "...Does a big tough man feel up to tucking into bed? It's well past any sane hour even for stubborn fools." She's including both of them in that statement, her smile wry and tired.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry chuckles at the request, making the effort to pull himself out of the soul-sucking couch before leaning down and picking up the smaller cop, cradling her in his arms. "As you wish."

He pauses for a moment, getting his balance before he starts for the bedroom door. "You know, I don't do this for just anyone. Matter of fact I think the last time I did this, you had handcuffed me to you and I was running from a giant scorpion. I think I like this way better."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
That was NOT what she expected, being scooped up off the couch like that. If she was a bit more awake or had a bit less whiskey in her, she'd probably be swatting at him to put her down. But a little bit of spoiling was nice, and after a man cleans brain matter out of your hair, letting him be a bit of a big tough guy is allowed. So, Karrin shifts her second arm to wrap drowsily around his neck and smirks, "I could take or leave the giant scorpion, but I was perfectly justified in those handcuffs and you were being an idiot." Another drowsy laugh escapes her lips, "...Good times, right?" SHe's only being half sardonic there.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry lets out a little snort as he lowers Karrin to the bed, robe and all, and pulls up the thick downy comforter up to her neck, "Right, and also goes to prove that there were times you did almost die...so nyah nyah!"

He grins, moving around to the other side of the bed and stripping down to his sweat pants before crawling in next to her, "Get some rest, Murph. I'm sure more things will likely try and kill us in the morning."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
He gets the biggest roll of her eyes as he manages to prove, yes, she has had a few close calls before. "Stubborn. So... damn lucky you're pretty." Karrin mutters to him, tugging him in closer for just a moment, her head turning to give him a proper, full lipped kiss. One of these nights, they'll have the energy to do something other than just collapse into sleep in bed. This was not the night. Kiss finished, she steals one last one to the corner of his mouth and sinks back into the pillow that has pretty much become her's over the last few months. "Sweet dreams, Harry... maybe we can hold off the killing until...afternoon." A gal can hope. With that, she's sinking off to sleep in a matter of minutes.