1273/Caring for Karrin

Caring for Karrin
Date of Scene:	03 July 2017
Location:	Gotham
Synopsis:	Renee Montoya & Harry Dresden meet 'by accident' to talk about the recent developments. And about Murphy.
Cast of Characters:	Renee Montoya, Harry Dresden

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Renee Montoya has posed:
    McAnallys Pub. Of course, mostly filled with the sorts that are like Harry. Hedge wizards, minor spellcasters, divinators, and the like. But, it -is- a public bar. And, while certainly no hot spot, the occasional person who isn't among that category does wander in.
    Thus, it's by pure coincidence that during the lunch shift, next day after she'd left with Karrin to the precinct, Renee Montoya finds herself in the pub, eating one of the wood-stove cooked burgers, a pint of the rather fine ale seated before herself as she sits alone, working old school. Sure, she might have some technological stuff. A cell phone. Other smaller things. But Renee seems to favor the pencil and paper, for taking notes in her little book. She's reviewing them, now with a slow consideration, unmindful of her surroundings it'd seem. Lost, in the problem-solving.

Harry Dresden has posed:
If Harry isn't at home, or out working on a case, it's a good bet that you might find him at Mac's. He is a regular of the establishment, with its 13 tables, 13 columns, 13 barstools, which are all placed randomly to disrupt the gathering magics of the usual customers.

He opens the door, heading down the stairs that lower into the room as he calls out to Mac "An ale and steak sandwich, please, Mac. Stick em on my tab, and keep the ale's coming." He doesn't notice Renee right away. People tend not to be too nosy in a place like this, but it also isn't an overly large establishment. It only takes a quick look around to catch sight of the Latina Detective. There is a slight twitch of his user lip as he changes direction to walk towards her table.

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee doesn't look up. She hasn't looked up. But, she heard Harry's voice ordering. It's a quiet place, hard not to catch when people are talking at normal levels and the wood of the place, the lack of walls, due to the columns and the fans, and the small amount of tables. can lend to such voices carrying.
    She hears the footsteps approaching. "Afternoon, Dresden," she says, sounding polite enough. Maybe even sincere about it.
    "Murphy's at home. She has to get cleared for service again, but it won't be a problem for her. I wouldn't worry."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Polite? Damn. That takes some of the wind out of his sails. "Detective Montoya. It would have at least been nice to give me a heads up you two were leaving. So I didn't have a fuckin' panic attack when I came out of my lab."

He sighs, setting his staff up against the table and pulling out a seat, not bothering to ask for an invitation. "Glad to hear she is doing better, but I'll worry all the same until she gives me reason not to. It comes with the job description of being her...friend."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "You need to get more food," Renee replies in kind to Harry, dryly. There had been one cleaned pan, and an empty can of Hormel's Chili she'd managed to find that wasn't quite outdated in Harry's pantry, to make Karrin something to eat, after the other's shower.
    She adds, "I don't want to see what you have down in your basement, if you keep talking skulls in your living room, Dresden. And Karrin wanted to get it over with." Meaning, going, talking to, the precint.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry Dresden looks around the pub as Renee mentioned Bob, and gives her a look "Ixnay the talk of the Kullsay, okay? Not something to be talked about publicly. And I should have had plenty of coldcuts in the ice box? Unless Mouse has grown opposable thumbs without my knowledge."

Harry folds his arms over his chest, "And even if I would have let you into the lab, which I wouldn't have, you could have at the very least tapped a foot on the door or something."

He pauses for a few moments, moving over to get his food from the bar, before heading back to the table. "How is she doing, since you were the last person to see her? I wish you would have at least taken Mouse with you."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Ah. Right. Ixnay. Renee nods, and obliges the ixnay request, "You going to sit down, or, just stand there like you're arguing about a parking ticket with me?"
    She finally closes her pocket-sized notebook, tucking it into an inside jacket pocket, and the pencil goes with it. She then turns her attention to the burger, "She's Murphy," Renee says, mildly. "She can deal with shit. That's probably one reason I got assigned to be her partner." Renee doesn't clarify exactly what that reason is, but, Harry can probably guess Renee means that she can handle shit too. They're a lot alike, in many fashions, Renee, and Karrin.
    "She won't forget. But, she's not going to let it stop her from being who she is. Or, affect what she does. And, Chief ordered a 48 hour watch on her. She's fine."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Sliding into one of the seats, he lifts and takes a bite from the steak sandwich in front of him. He washes it down with a sip from his ale, and sighs. "I know Karrin, Detective. I know her better than you do, and certainly I have known her longer. We have been through a ton of shit together, so I don't need you telling me what she can or can't handle. I know." He probably didn't mean it to come out as harsh as it did, but sometimes worry leads to quick and tempers get the best of the overly tall wizard.

"I'm glad tho hear she seems to be at least doing ok from her ordeal."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee finishes her bite of burger, her eyes moving to read Harry's expression, as well as listen to his words. "Mmmm-hmmm," is all she says, to Harry's little explosive tirade in defense of his friendship with Karrin. Or, whatever it is. "If you know, then you wouldn't have asked," she points out with a very small, lopsided twist upwards to the corner of her lip. She stares at him a long moment, to let the point sink home, before she nods.
    "She has to be cleared. Then she and I will get back to work, full force, on these murders."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry Dresden grumbles, slowly wizard is slowly. "I asked how she was doing, not if she could handle it, Detective. Being able to handle shit, and being ok at a moment of time are two very different things. I can handle being sick, but still end up puking my guts out into a trashcan."

He takes another sip of his ale, probably a longer pull that would be normal under other circumstances. "Once she is cleared, i'm sure 'we' will be working on these murders. What you are dealing with isn't human, as far as I can tell. At the very least I have to assume she 'cleared' me in your eyes, since you aren't sitting here dangling handcuffs in my face or anything."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "I can get them out, if you like," Renee shoots back, without missing a beat. "They'd look awfully good on you. They'd go with your other bracelet." Yes. Renee noticed that the other night. And, quite possibly caught a glimmer of it beneath the sleeves of Harry's duster. It would appear that Renee, perhaps, has a bit of a bite to her in the sarcasm department.
    "She confirmed what you told me, yes. And, we got the full story at the precint, once she'd gotten cleaned up, and some food in her."
    Renee considers Harry longer, "I'm glad you don't take things so personally." That's probably about as good as an apology as Harry is going to get from her. Whether Renee is bad at apologies, or feels her actions were justified in the line of duty? Well. That remains a mystery.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry smirks, "Wouldn't be the first time I wore a pair, as you are aware. Hell's bells, I should just wear some as a normal fashion accessory. Then when I am walking around with a broken pair on my wrists, it won't be as suspicious. I should make a focus out of them for some type of restraint spell."

He seems to ponder that for a moment as he takes another long pull of his ale, finishing the bottle and motioning over to Mac for a new one.

He scoffs, a genuine smile coming to his face for a brief second, "If I took getting accused, arrested or threatened with being arrested personally, I wouldn't have the relationship I have with Karrin now. Stars and stones, she chipped my tooth once, and I am still dating her." Well, if Montoya didn't know already, she would know soon enough about Harry and Karrin. "I lived with the threat of having my head chopped off for decades. Now that...that I am still bitter about to be honest."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee hardly seems surprised about Harry and Karrin. Either she already deduced it, or Karrin had told her previously. Either way, she takes a deep pull of the ale, giving it a second, surprised, and maybe even pleased look before taking a second, slower sip. "Suppose I'd be bitter too, if someone was headhunting me. I'd probably track them down, and beat the crap out of them. And then throw them in prison for life. Maybe Arkham."
    She notes, "Damn good ale, here. Might have to come here more often."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry smirks a little, "It wasn't a person, it was an organization. A whole organization. I'm good, but I am not that good. I'm still young compared to a lot of those wizards, and I have a lot to learn to even be on par with them. As powerful as I am, I don't have the control or power they have. Not a chance in hell I would be able to stand up to one of them in a fight, let alone all of them."

He takes a pull from his fresh bottle and nods, "Oh, yeah. Mac has the best home-brew around. You won't find better. I'm just glad he caters to the supernatural community. Makes coming here easy, but I would suggest maybe leaving your cellphone outside. In here, it is likely to fritz out."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "I've got enough on my plate. I'll let you do the Wizarding," Renee mentions, without a jealous bone in her body of Harry's Super Fantastic Awesome And Reality Altering Cool Wizarding Powers <tm>.
    She considers her next question, then asks Harry, "So. You work with the Bat?" Curious, more than accusatory. And the question is phrased it seems more personal, than business, at least, as far as Renee's concerned.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry snorts mid pull, threatening to cover himself with ale from the nostrils before he manages to choke it back and swallow. "Work with the bat? No. No, I don't work with that self-righteous asshole." Harry sets the bottle down, and picks up a napkin to wipe at his nose, "The one run in I had with him, he was trying to tell me he knew better about a cursed object than the guy whose job it was to track down the coins. Wanted us to give it back to him instead of lock it away in a vault so nobody could get to it. The guy threw one of those damned bat shaped things at me. No. I don't work with the Bat." He pauses, folding his arms over his chest again, "I know Karrin does, or did. I don't think he has spoken to her since the whole coin thing."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee merely nods, once. She'll have to ask Karrin about the 'whole coin thing', and doesn't mention if she's met, or seen the Bat before. Certainly at some point she had to. But, she doesn't press the issue any further. It's no secret how protective Batman is of Gotham. "Just curious," she says. "You never know who his agents are, around here."
    She finishes off the ale, then exhales, and rubs her eyes a little bit. "I'll call you if I find anything else out, on the murders," she tells Harry. "Probably, in another week."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"If you don't, I'm sure Karrin will." says Harry with a roll of his shoulder, taking a sip of ale. "She usually calls me to consult on this type of thing."

"As far as the Bat is concerned, don't get me wrong. I appreciate what he does for the city, and if he ever came to me for help...help that I would actually want to give him anyway, I would likely do it. Just, I couldn't give him what he wanted. I can't just hand over cursed objects just because he wants it, you know?"

Renee Montoya has posed:
    Renee exhales, "Don't you guys have some - team or something," as she pinches the bridge of her nose. But it's a rhetorical question, she already knows the answer. "Just, try to play nice. It's hard enough with half the police force trying to arrest him, and his crew." And most of those? The dirty cops. But not all.
    "If it makes you feel any better, Karrin told me that she thought your place was the safest in Gotham City. Which is why she came to you. And didn't call in, at first."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"If there is a team, I'm not on it. I don't have any super secret decoder ring or anything." Harry says with a shrug as he lifts the bottle to his lips again. He takes another swig, then uses the bottle neck as a pointer, gesturing at Renee, "Oh, that reminds me. You're damned lucky that I had my wards deactivated, which is a very rare thing. Usually I put them back up as soon as I walk back in the door, but I had you and didn't know where things were going. Had you and Karrin left without letting me know, and they were activated? Let's just say it would be bad. My place is safe for a reason. If, or when..likely when..you come back by, don't just try to walk in and out. It could be...explosive."

He glances at his watch, pursing his lips. "Damn. I need to get going."

Renee Montoya has posed:
    "See you later, Dresden. I'll tell Karrin you're pissed at us for not knocking on your basement door." The last, apparently, is a friendly quip. She's probably not going to say that. Maybe.
    But then Harry is warning her about the wards. She nods, once, frowning, some. Even though she knows Dresden means well, the idea of him having that kind of - power - over someone in his place doesn't sit too well with her. Just the idea of it. "Remind me not to visit your place very often," she says back, still in a quip. "See you."