11932/The Portrait

The Portrait
Date of Scene:	06 August 2020
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	Karrin comes home to see the new portrait over the fireplace. Talks about feelings manifest.
Cast of Characters:	Karrin Murphy, Harry Dresden

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Karrin Murphy has posed:
Later that night, once Thomas is gone, life has settled, and Harry's back at the apartment, Karrin finally shows up. She's still not officially moved in, or even talked about it, but since the night where she caught him talking in the shower, she's been to his place almost every evening. It's just a comfortable habit by now.

She's dressed in civilian clothing but has her vest on beneath her t-shirt and is strapped in at least three places, which says she was out doing something dangerous, and not work, even if she hadn't given him a heads up. It must have went fine, because there's no trace of injury or messiness tonight. As she walks in the door, she braces for the usual shoulder check from Mister coming in behind her. "...Yes, yes... it's like you were waiting for me to get home. I know." Home, not a word she usually uses, but it slipped out. She scratches the cat fondly beneath his scruff.

Harry Dresden has posed:
One thing Karrin might notice, being that she is a detective and all, is that there is a new addition to the apartment. Above the fireplace, hanging above the mantle, is a portrait of woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and sharp features sitting on a stone bench. She is wearing a long, dark skirt and a deep crimson blouse with her head holding an arrogant tilt, the mouth a self-amused smile, and her arms rested along the back of the bench. Something about her looks familiar. Maybe it is the shape of the nose, or the curve of the chin?

Karrin Murphy has posed:
That's definitely new. Karrin blinks, staring up at the change in artwork as she pushes her boots off her heels and crosses farther into the room. She's studying it absentmindedly while peeling out of her jacket, slowly removing weapons to be cleaned before they are put away, then her t-shirt is off so she can strap out of the vest as well. Her curious frown deepens just a bit, unable to really put her finger on why the portrait looks so familiar. "...Harry? You home? Who's the new lady in your life?" She asks, mostly teasing.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"That," calls Harry from the bedroom, "is Margaret Gwendolyn Lefay AKA my mother."

Not long after the words are spoken, Harry emerges from the bedroom toweling off his hair, looking freshly emerged from a shower in his fluffy and comfortable bathrobe. "Turns out, Thomas isn't full of shit. I soulgazed him, Murphy. I saw her. I..I got to talk to her," Harry explains as his voice wavers on cracking. "Talk to her, Murph. I got to hear her voice. I..I never heard it before."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Murphy can't remember the last time she heard him so... Happy? Was he happy? Her blue eyes pull from the new art back towards him, studying his face to figure out exactly why his voice is cracking, but it definitely seems to be joy. A smile brighter, more loving, and actually not exhausted breaks across her features. It's been forever since she smiled like that as well, but seeing his face in this moment? It's enough.

"Oh...Harry..." She breathes out quietly, tossing off her vest onto the couch so she's not pressing hard kevlar into him when they next touch. It's like she just wants to divest of the constant reminders of how dangerous their lives are, even if just for this moment. She now steps closer to the picture, looking up to study it deeper now. "...That explains why she looks so familiar. You...have her nose. And jaw... And I hate to say I told you so about Thomas but... No, that's a lie. I did tell you." She grins over to him.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Walking up behind her, Harry slips his arms around Karrin as best her can given their height difference, "Yeah, yeah you did. But come on, let's be honest here...there is every possibility it could have also been a crock of shit and some kind of weird bait to sure me in to some trap of something."

Harry leans over, placing his lips to the top of her head, "All the same," he continues after a moment of contemplation, following it up with those three words that he doesn't tend to vocalize out louds.

"...you were right."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Often, their differences in height just created a lot of geometry problems in certain personal spaces. But this position was quite nice. Karrin's smile grows more and she leans back most of her weight against him, wrapping now-bare arms overtop of his. She's in nothing but a sports bra now but it's no matters, he's certainly seen her in less. Other than the pink skin and fresh scars from the Denarian claws, she's mostly healed from the messy last few weeks. It feels good to be intact, and to be leaning against him fully comfortably.

"I... suppose it could have been. I didn't think it was and, deep down, I don't think you did either. Just takes you a little while to get your foot out of your mouth sometimes. We all have our faults." She squeezes his arms momentarily tighter then, hearing his words, she gasps. Blinks. Head tilting up wards, her eyes narrow at him. "... are you... Harry Dresden? Did you get body swapped? Am I actually hearing THOSE WORDS from YOUR MOUTH?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry smirks, squeezing his arms around her in return as he leans down to place his lips on the tip of that upturned nose, "I know, I know. I'm at a loss myself. Maybe when I am some form of Dresden doppelganger. A pod person that swapped the grumpy Dresden with a happy one. I guess you just have to ask yourself, which one do you like better?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The kiss gets a wrinkle of her nose but no other protest. Karrin's still smiling up a storm which feels incredibly nice, even if it's just for a night. His words, however, draw a slightly more serious look to her eyes. She shifts around in his arms, not pulling away in any fashion so it's clear she doesn't want to escape, but she wants to be able to look up to him. Height differences make it hard, but they've done this dance before. "Hey. I don't like... either *side* of you better. I'm still here when you're pissed and being an idiot and we're drowning in Mac's ale on the couch. And when you're running out into messes because you can't stop yourself. AND when you're...Happy. It's just really damn nice to see. You... you deserve this side of Dresden a bit more than you ever get to feel it."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry Dresden makes a bit of a grumbling noise when Murphy starts to move, but relents and lets her shift positions. "I know, Murph. I was just kidding," he chuckles, leaning his head forward to look down at her with a smile. "But let's be honest here, most of the time I don't have all that much to be smiling about. We are either neck deep in shit, or we just crawled out of it and are too tired to do anything other than grunt. Trust me, I /like/ this. I just also know I have to savor it while I can because at any minute Buffy or someone will come barging in that door with some urgent something that we will have to go deal with. Story of our life, right?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The fact alone that Murphy was out tonight with her vest on is proof that they really don't get a calm evening. They're just lucky enough tonight went smoothly. Murphy wraps her arms around the back of his hips, fingernails idly trailing little circles right at the base of his spine. "...It's almost midnight. We might just...get a night off? Though, I almost feel like celebrating that. Had I know, there'd be beers and pizza here already." She's only half teasing. Finally, she sighs, sinking forward to rest against his chest, head over his heart, just completely surrounding herself with him for a few moments. "We... really need a vacation. I know that's not possible, but..." A little laugh escapes her lips, bittersweet in it's tone.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Why?" Harry asks, "Why isn't it possible? You're right, we deserve to have a night off, or some kind of vacation. Hell's bells, Murph, we put our lives on the line all the damn time, and for what? You get your ass chewed out at work, and I almost end up dead. We get nothing but the knowledge that we did a good thing for our efforts. Why can't we take a bloody vacation for a day or two?" Harry shifts his hands so one idly runs through the hair at the base of her skull, "You know me, I don't do what I do for fame and I certainly don't do it for any kind of fortune...I do it because it is the right thing to do, but why can't I take a break."

Harry pulls away just enough to look down at her, "Let's go somewhere. Anywhere. You name it, I'll take us. I can have us there in relatively short order via a way."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
That is not the reaction she expected from the look on her face. Blue eyes a bit too wide, Murphy actually takes a step or two backwards so she can really look up into his eyes. Her expression is a mix of scared and shocked, like most of her can't really believe such things are possible, or maybe he really HAS been body swapped. But it looks like him. It acts like him. She knows his body language, his face, his eyes... Her eyes frantically search for some reason he might be joking.

"...Harry..." She breathes out, head slightly shaking, "What if... What if another coin comes into the shop? Or... there is a big case put on SI's desk? Or Nick gets in trouble. He... he already is, I think, just too stubborn to ask for help. There's a thousand possibilities that could happen and... that's... why we fight."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry sighs, his shoulders slumping almost as if someone has let the air out of him that was keeping him upright. He lets go of Karrin and moves over to flop down into the couch, "But why does it have to be US that handles it? Let Batman handle it, or the Flash, or the guy that lives under the sea. Why you? Why me? Even Michael gets to have some downtime every once in a while? Otherwise how in hell does he have, what, 16 kids now? Unless Charity is doing something behind his back he has to have time enough to relax at least a little. Why does it have to be us that is constantly on the front line. I'm tired, Murph. I didn't sign on to be the world's protector, I just wanted to help find lost rings and maybe save a kid or two from a troll. I never asked for..." he spins his hand around on his wrist, gesturing widely with his arm, "...this."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Watching him flop down on the couch is hard. He's not physically aged since she met him, but he still looks older. The weight of the world does a lot to people and Karrin takes a moment to just really look. She's not coming to sit down yet, but his words are enough that she's also not fighting back about it. "You're... not... wrong." She finally starts, though her voice is full of hesitation. She doesn't have a good argument for this one and she knows it.

Slowly, she pads over to the couch next to him. She picks up her vest and tosses it on a chair instead. Her guns are still laid out on the coffee table to be cleaned before they are locked up for the night. Even standing there in nothing but a bra and jeans, she's surrounded by the trappings of a dangerous life. She collapses down onto the couch next to him. "...The last time I took a vacation was my honeymoon." Which means she has a ton of leave saved, but...

Harry Dresden has posed:
In what has become a habit, Harry extends an arm and wraps it around Karrin's shoulders to pull her in next to him. He sits in quiet contemplation for a moment, looking into the fire and watching the flames flicker against the logs. "I'm just tired, Karrin," he says softly. "I just need some rest, and I am sure that once I get an hour or two I will be ready to take another beating for 'the cause', whatever that cause may be. Hell's bells, you know me. I don't quit, even when I have every damned reason in the world to. It just isn't my nature to quit...but I reserve my God given right to bitch about it night and day."

He turns his head and leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek, "You should take a vacation. Sitting at home recovering from on the job injuries does not count."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A short laugh comes in response to that, "Work sure thinks it does. Especially when I can't really explain *how* I got the injuries. But nothing's been that bad this year. I have a few days." She mutters thoughtfully, her initial panic response slowly wearing off into actually considering the proposition. She tucks a little closer under his arm, getting very used to their comfortable position on the couch. If his place could handle a DVD player or TV, it'd be perfect for movie watching. Still, it's not so bad for chatting.

"You... do deserve a rest. How many times have I begged you to take it a little easier? You're only mortal too. There's only so much a body can take..." She's quiet a moment, "And I already get the mass amount of hypocrysy here so I'm just gonna... stop."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry shrugs his shoulder and leans back into the couch, closing his eyes, "We rarely get what we deserve, Murph. You know that. But at least I have you with me, so that makes it all worth it."

There is a gagging sound that comes from the coffee table as two pinprick lights come to life in the eye sockets of the bleached skull residing there. "Oh please get a room. Will you two just bone and get it over with....but there, on the couch so I can watch. By the way, Karrin, nice bra. Very form fitting. You can just about make out everything."

Harry peeks an eye open and stares at the skull for a moment before closing them again, "Careful, Bob. You're lucky I am in a good mood, I can't speak for Murphy."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"I'm in a perfectly good mood. I'd like it to stay that way, so..." And with a very precise, well angled almost kick, she pushes Bob's skull off the table at an angle where it rolls across old rug beneath the closest bit of furniture. All that Aikido has to be good for something, and knowing kicking angles is one of those things. "...IF... we were to... consider doing such things, you are NOT welcome to watch. And whose to say we haven't already?" She teases the skull, but her pale eyes are definitely momentarily, murderous.

"If we go on vacation... and it's still IF... we are not bringing him. He can have a nice vacation in the cool basement, right?" The tone of her voice is warming to the idea, however. She settles back against his side, her work with the skull done and no need to quite get dressed yet. Even if she's blushing. She's definitely sort of blushin. Probably why he got removed from the table so quickly.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Hey, hey, hey!" protests the skull as he is kicked under the chair, "Oh, come on! You can't just leave me under here!"

Harry sighs, rolling his eyes as the skull continues its protests but tuning them out for now. "Oh of course. Maybe I will just go put him over on Thomas' nightstand, I'm sure that will keep him entertained for a while," smirks Harry. "I, uh, got a look at him under the gaze as well, you know. I should probably ease off on him, he doesn't have it easy. He really doesn't have a choice."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Oh, we'll get you eventually. Depends how quiet and good you are. Can't reinforce bad behavior with more attention." Is Karrin Murphy treating a centuries old spirit of knowledge like a naughty toddler or puppy? Yes... Yes she is. But he voice is more fondly annoyed than truly angry with him, if that sooths any intellect-spirit wounds.

Her fingertips come down to give his leg a gentle squeeze before the pad of her thumb just lingers, tracing lazy circles there. The comfortable touch and affection which had just become routine in their loves by now was certainly not platonic, but one of the few things that can actually get her to just *relax*. "I know... He doesn't, and he hates it. After he and I talked... I won't say I understand it all. I don't. But I get why my best friend is seeing him and I want you two to have each other. If I didn't trust him, I'd be fighting every inch of the way against both those things."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"It's not pretty, Murph." Harry says with a sigh. "Imagine if you will a mirror, and on one side is a human, and the other a demon. The demon's arm is reaching out through the mirror and grabbing the human's arm, trying to pull the human in and it is a game of tug of war...that is pretty much what I saw. That's his struggle. Somehow I have to help him with that, I don't know how but somehow."

Bob gets another passing glance in his direction, "You shut up. What Karrin and I may, or may not do, if not for your consumption. Hell, if you had just kept your yap shut we wouldn't have known you were there."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A slight shiver runs through her as she takes a moment to consider it, deep down actually reflect on it, and she lets out a slightly shaking breath. "I won't say I ever really understand, but it sounds like hell. And he's fighting through it to *not* turn into that. I think it means... well, I don't know if you can help him inside his head, but having a brother who cares, is out there doing the good work, practically leading by example? It's gotta help. He's had the vamp side of his family forever and still turned out like this. Let's see what can happen when he has not sexual predators for family and friends." Karrin smiles at the thought. She truly seems to like the man, even if their conversation was a mess of discomfort.

"He's got a point, Bob. You made your own bed on this one and now lay in it and think about what you did." Still teasing, her blush has mostly died down by now, though her cheek is a touch warm against the side of his chest. "...so. Vacation. Do we go...tonight? Just pick up and disappear somewhere? Leave a note and go? Where... where WOULD we go?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry is quiet for a moment, thinking. "I don't know. I mean, if we go somewhere I am sure we will have to let at least Buffy know so she doesn't think we were taken by something in the middle of the night. As for where? Wherever you would like. No place is really off limits, I can get us anywhere easily enough via a way. I hear Tahiti is nice?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...Tahiti? Isn't that some...code phrase on a weird TV show? That's not a weird place." Karrin is teasing, mostly. Even as they consider the vacation, she's starting to tense up against him. There is something base terrifying to Karrin Murphy about going on vacation. Or maybe it's going on vacation with him. She's trying to fight it, but he knows her breath. Knows her patterns and even the feel of her next to him. She's more scared of this than she is when they're planning potentially lethal missions. "...maybe we just...start with a cabin...Somewhere. Or, at least, this continent. Niagra Falls?" Even her voice is tense. But she's trying.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry Dresden lets out a soft sigh as he feels that tension start, placing his hand on her back to start gently kneading her shoulder, "Hey. We don't have to go if it really bothers you that much, Murph. I was just venting, I'm over it now. We don't have to go anywhere. I can always just lock us in here and get a good book. It's ok, really."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
She didn't even realize she was doing it until his strong fingertips find that shoulder and Karrin just feels the knots. They are probably partially from facing off with the Punisher, but a lot of it is this conversation. Her jaw sets and, gently, she pulls back enough she can look up to his eyes again. Her expression is still slightly knotted up, tension in her forehead and a slight pinch to her eyes, but she's not giving into this fight or flight response. A weird laugh comes a moment later. "You know... Everything in my head says this is the place to start a fight. Easier to not...do the scary thing because I made you mad and clearly we'd be shitty at this vacation thing anyway so we just don't do it. But... I don't want to do that, not to *you*." Which is a better sign than both her marriages. "But you're *right*. Just because I am scared to stop -- really stop -- even for a few days, doens't mean we shouldn't. Hell, probably means we really *should*."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry shakes his head, "I'm not mad, Karrin," he says softly to her, a small smile playing on the edges of his lips. "Worried? Maybe, but not mad. You've seen me mad, is anything on fire?" he jokes with a grin. "I'm perfectly fine taking a staycation, we can just rent a big screen TV from one of those places...get the insurance so it is covered for when it inexplicably shorts out, and watch as many movies as we can till it goes kaput. Hell's bells, if I am relaxing maybe it will even last through the night. Se start small, just take a night. Unplug the phone and lock the door. Hell, I'll even see if I can't get an illusion to veil the door."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Confusion is the main emotion on Karrin's face for a few moments. A strange and heavy talk which didn't turn into a fight? Yeah, she's confused. This is not how relationships work in the world of Karrin Murphy. She's quiet for far more seconds than is comfortable, something short circuited in her brain as she fights the instinct to really run away now. This was too good. Too nice. Something was wrong. She keeps searching his face, waiting for the catch and not finding it.

"... My head keeps telling me this is a trap. I know it's not and I have... no clue how we got here. Or how we keep staying here. Because one of these days I'm going to fuck this up and I really don't want to. Even if I don't really know what this is. But... staying in sounds... Nice. Movies, and sleep, and maybe actually boiling that bath. That sounds like a... start." A terrifying, too good to be true start.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry nods with a smile. "Alright, I'll let you pick a date so you have time to prepare yourself to do absolutely nothing, because springing that on you without any notice is likely to send your system into shock," he jokes, his grin ever widening. "And Karrin, I guarantee if anyone fucks this up it is going to be me, I am pretty sure their is nothing you could do that would fuck this up. Hell, you've arrested me, twice, among other things. I've had to deal with you and Kincaid. Short of you walking off with Batman, I don't see what you could do...and even then I probably would just wait for you to come back because I..." So close, it's there on the tip of the tongue. "Well, I am a romantic." Yeah. That's it.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Blue eyes just slightly roll to the ceiling as he mentions Kincaid and Batman, but she also doesn't deny it. Karrin's never been hidden about her dalliances. But the end of his statement is a lot more than joking. Her eyes snap back to his, almost expecting him to say it. To make that leap for both of them. But, much as she's dodged it so many times, he does too... "I... almost thought you were going to say something else." She whispers, strange smile on her lips. "Well, Mr. Romantic. You haven't fucked it up yet either and... we actually managed to have a good evening. So, let's go find the bed before the universe fucks it up for both of us." She can't say it either, but she can lean over and up, into his lips for a rather deep kiss. Something that says a lot of things she still doesn't have words for. With kiss broken, she forces herself off of the couch and back towards his room. If she didn't, Bob might actually get his show.