11971/The Strange of Quiet

The Strange of Quiet
Date of Scene:	10 August 2020
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	A typical end of the work day. Karrin is annoyed at her ex. Harry's worried about non existent shadows. Pizza makes everything better.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy

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Harry Dresden has posed:
It's been a couple of relevantly uneventful days since the discussions of taking a much needed vacation was discussed. The most Harry has had to deal with has been a few missing trinkets, someone wanting a love potion that Harry had to deny, and a overly ambitious Troll that wanted to claim the bridge between Bludhaven and Gotham as their own and had to be persuaded otherwise.

All in all, quiet.

And that makes Harry paranoid. Whenever it gets quiet like this, something always inevitably happens and it ends up being world altering. Shadowmen with their black magic drugs, FBI werewolves, kidnapped fairy queens just to name a few, so Harry sits at his desk reading a paperback, nervously glancing at the door to his office every once in a while and waiting for the hammer to fall.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Work was frustrating enough that the extra hours she used to do? Karrin simply isn't bothering. Sure, if there was some crime spree she'd be out there, but things have been fairly quiet in Bludhaven, her ex is still breathing down her neck, and she just needed to not be there. So, the moment she's off duty, she's driving to Harry's office (assuming he'll still be there for the day) to blow off some steam. And, if he's not, she might be able to borrow another book or two without drawing too much attention. She still had the old, dusty leather tome to return anyway.

The door is unlocked, so he's probably in. She pushes it open and calls, "... I heard you do divorce cases? How about post divorce murder cases?" She's mostly joking. Mostly. The heavy letather book in her hands is slightly awkward, not really having wanted to put it away in front of him, there might be questions, but she tries to keep as casual as possible, like she's returning a library book. She heads over to his shelves to slide it away smoothly.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry Dresden lifts his eyes from the page to the door at the sound of the bell, smirking a bit as he listens to Murphy. Closing the book, but leaving his thumb in between the pages he was on, he sets the book into his lap, "That depends? Am I helping to make the body vanish? I mean, for the right fee I could pull it over to the Never-Never and nobody would ever be the wiser. What book ya got there, Murph?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...Don't tempt me. That's...dangerous to tempt me. It's probably still technically homicide. Premeditated, at this point. ... it's still tempting." Murphy mutters flatly, not even bother to hide the frustration in her voice. If there was any wonder if maybe her ex had gotten out of her hair lately, clearly it's gone and he hadn't. She finishes sliding the book onto the shelp, though her whole body freezes for a moment. Head slightly turns, staring at something that she dismisses a heartbeat later.

"...Nothing. Just... one of your old basics of magic, I guess. It's half in latin. I was sorta hoping maybe...I'd understand a bit more if I went over some of your basic stuff. Google translate helps some but...not enough." That's all mostly the truth. Not the complete one, but she didn't lie to him either.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry arches a brow, setting the book down on his desk, but not before dog-earing the page he was on. "He really must be getting to you, Murph. Want to talk about it?"

The revelation of the book doesn't really give Harry a moments pause, he just ahs and nods. "I never was very good at the Latin. I've always needed a translator, otherwise I start saying nonsense. I never conjugate correctly. Maybe if I have something like a..google it might be easier."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...He?" Murphy looks almost panicked for a moment. Guilty. How did he know? But then her mind backtracks in the conversation, to the discussion of her ex and not the strange moments in her head. That voice she knows isn't quite her own. She blinks and gives a little, almost breathless laugh, shaking her head quietly, "No... it's... It just gives him power, talking about it. Bringing that shit home with me. It'll resolve or it won't. It's fine." She dismisses almost too casually. That still might mean she's contemplating murder.

"Reasons I need to take it our of your office to read. Google works fine on my phone... as long as I'm not sitting in here. But... if you have a basics of magic book in English, I'll take that too?" She asks with an almost hopeful arch of her blonde brows. He didn't seem to mind her poking so, well, she pokes just a little deeper.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry snorts, "God I wash. If I had something like that in English my life would have been so much easier, but no. No self respecting wizard would ever write things down in such a basic language. It has to be Latin or nothing." Harry rolls his eyes to the sky, "Wizards are a pain in the ass."

Harry leans back in his chair and kicks his feet up onto the desk, "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? Sometimes venting does help. You would know, i've vented to you enough."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Yes, yes they are. I've learned that from experience." Karrin deadpans as she looks in his direction, though a crack of a smile does come in at the very edge of her lips. Looking behind her again, it doesn't seem like anyone is there (nor does he have any clients coming in) so she dares cross the rest of the way to his desk. Once there, she leans down to steal a quiet kiss from his mouth. Definitely not a friends kiss. But they'd gotten past friends a while ago, even if they still didn't really talk about it.

"Not...sure there is much to say. Either IA actually thinks I'm corrupt, or he's looking for reasons to set me up for a corruption case, or I'm caught up in some fucking politics I don't know. I'm this close to transferring back to Gotham. SI was busier up there anyway, really. The drive isn't... that bad." It was also a far more dangerous precinct, far busier, and where she started her career.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"So what is new?" deadpans Harry back at her when she starts talking about how IA is all over her again. "If you would be happier over in Gotham, well by all means transfer back over there. I know you moved because the commute would be easier, but if you are not happier for it than wheat is the point?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Evening kiss taken, she sinks back to perching on the edge of his desk, so she is still fairly close to him without officially settling down in his office. After all, it's late enough she might be able to drag him out for some real food soon. Her arms fold across her chest, a habitual gesture she doesn't even realize she's doing, though it's definitely a good sign she's feeling defensive about the whole thing. "...Honestly? Leaving now would feel like giving in. Like I'm letting him win. I... probably should, but he's just such a fucking... frustrating... Tool." Karrin half growls those last words. It's probably good she has no magic talent, because her phone would probably be fried.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I don't know any frustrating tools, so I wish I could offer some assistance in that but I am at a loss." the wizard deadpans again, leaning back from the kiss. "Do you just want me to set his car on fire or something? Will that make you feel better? I promise I won't do it with him inside of it. At the very least I can just go lean on it for a bit," Harry says with a smirk. "I make no promises about Rudolph though."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin's answer takes a heartbeat too long to come, part of her genuinely considering it for a moment. She cannot help but smile slightly as she shakes her head, "No... no... I mean, if you walk past his car in a *mood* one day at the computer shorts out, I certainly won't complain. But... we're better than him. I'm better than him. I shouldn't... " She sighs and unfolds her arms, so one hand can come up and idly rest against his leg. "But... we should... figure a day off. We talked long enough about it. If we don't actually put it on a calendar, I'll just pick up all the over time I can to make up for the next time I'm laid up." As is usual habit.

Where as she was previously quite interested in his shelf of texts, she's now very, very carefully not looking in that direction *at all*. In fact, she shifts her body enough on his desk that her back is completely turned towards it, like she was ignoring something. It's a subtle enough bit of body language he might miss it. But Karrin also isn't great at being subtle.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry glances from Murphy to the bookcase and back, "Why the sudden interest in what makes me tick? I mean, you have been curious before but never to a level where you have picked up a book and actually tried to translate something, Murph."

He shrugs, obviously not worried about it, more curious than anything. "As far as vacations, we agreed on a staycation right? Just hide from the world for a day or two? I can't promise I will wear pants."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...there are instances I rather *like* you without pants, you know. Even, on occasion, prefer it. And yes, just us and movies. Just need to pick the day." Murphy responds, though there's a hint of blush climbing up her cheeks. Still not the best flirt in the world, even with the man she's known a decade and kissed when she came into his office. The other question, though, she's dodging. Just a bit.

A momentarily uncomfortable look is tossed across her shoulder and she pulls eyes away from that bookshelf again. No one is there. She mentally knew... was pretty sure... no one was there. Even as those words echo in her head. Stronger here, for some reason. Maybe just nearer to temptation. "...I..." It's hard to think with something talking at the back of her head. "I just... We keep running into things from your side of the street. I never feel like I'm... ready. If I could find a few spells, or potions, or something that... Might give me a leg up... I was just thinking, is all..."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I'm just saying if I don't have to go outside, no pants." says Harry with a grin. "Woah be those that come and interrupt the holy day off, for they will be smitted down..smooted...smitten..struck down by the mightiness of no pants, for I will not deem to wear garments that day." He gives Karrin a loopy grin, and chuckles.

When she looks behind her again, the creases on his forehead deepen, "YOu sure you are ok, Murph? You look like something is going to come up behind you and take a bite out of your ass. What did you come across that has you so jumpy?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The silence that comes in response is probably enough to say that no, not everything is totally normal. But Murphy isn't certain how to describe it. Or if she's going insane. She narrows her eyes into the empty air of his office for a moment longer but then finally gives him a bit of a tired half chuckle. "...Jumping at shadows. You... ever just...hear something in the back of your head that you know isn't there but... For a moment it feels very real?" Murphy waves it off quietly and stands, walking to the edge of his chair.

"It's nothing. Let's get out of here and get some dinner. I can figure out what book of yours to fight next later and, if we're lucky, we'll remember to put Bob actually away before getting comfortable on the couch tonight." She almost got to the edge of telling him, to admitting why she feels like she's going a little insane. But thinking about dinner was a far more pleasant distraction.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry eyes her quietly for a moment, but then relentingly nods. "Alright, dinner it is. We will revisit this bit about the jumping at shadows thing later. That isn't like you."

He drops his feet to the ground and stands, moving around the desk to give Karrin a little hug before going over to the coat rack to gather his things. "What do you feel like for dinner? I'm always down for just grabbing some Burger King on the way home."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"I'm not jumping at shadows. There's no shadows there to jump at." Karrin states a little too forcefully, but she's content to leave the discussion there. Especially as her stomach rumbles just a little in reminder that she hasn't eaten since a half hearted excuse for breakfast herself. The hug is warmly returned, taking in a deep, slower breath of his scent. "...you smell good. You'd smell better with pizza on your breath. Come on. Let's go. We can do classier than Burger King. Pizza 'Spress, even, maybe..." She winks at him and leads the way out the door, letting him lock up as she hits the speed dial on her phone to order.