1415/Can't Be Unseen...

Can't Be Unseen...
Date of Scene:	11 July 2017
Location:	Harry's office
Synopsis:	After witnessing the horrors of a crime scene with his 'sight', Harry tries to recover.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy

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Harry Dresden has posed:
The trip back to Harry's office is uneventful, if you call a couple of dry heaves into a plastic bag uneventful. Harry tries to hide it, but there is a slight trembling in his arms as he holds the bag close to him. He remains quiet, not talking about what he saw as he looks out the window of the Beetle, letting Karrin drive the beat up old VW.

Once they reach the office, Harry makes a straight line towards the little icebox he keeps by his desk and pulls out a Coke, popping the top of it and taking a small sip before he flops down into his chair and lets out a deep sigh as he reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
As always, when shit is really hitting the fan, Karrin has it together. No sign of her shaking hands or haunted eyes. Cool, calm driving, pausing with her hand on the gear shift to rest it on his leg in the few times she can, then back to driving. A quiet, reassuring presence of support. "It happens to everyone..." She murmurs to him gently, no judgment behind her voice. It really does happen to everyone.

Once in the office, she lets him do what he needs. Coke, breathing, making peace with his space and using the familiarity as a touch stone. SHe doesn't push him for a report or to ask more of what he's seen. It will come in time. So, insteadn, she gently comes up behind him and rests her small, strong hands on his shoulders. A quiet roll of her fingertips, digging into too taunt muscles. "Sure you don't want some ginger ale instead? First two years on the force, I always carried in the car..."

Harry Dresden has posed:
The muscles in Harry's shoulders are like cables. Constricted like someone is constantly sending a surge of electricity though them without giving them the ability to retract. The pressure of her fingers into his flesh causes a slight wince of pain on the face of the wizard, but he leans back into the kneading fingertips.

"No, Coke is fine." he finally says, almost a minute after the question has been asked, and he only seems to answer in afterthought. He lifts the can to his lips again and takes a sip, a little larger one than before, but he certainly isn't guzzling it down like he usually does.

Finally he breaks his silence, "It was bad, Karrin. Probably the worst thing I have seen."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The woman is silent for a few heartbeats and then, finally, just leans over to kiss the top of his head. She cannot do this much, considering how tall he is, but right now she buries her nose and a soft kiss into his hair. "...I love you. Remember that." She whispers, almost scared to say it too loud so that the powers of the universe will continue this ridiculous damnation of their relationship. They haven't had one easy night since this started.

She keeps massaging those fingertips into his shoulders again, a bit deeper, pushing as deep as muscle will gently allow without fully hurting him. "If you want to talk it out, talk it out. If not... we can talk about something else. It doesn't have to be right now."

Harry Dresden has posed:
The words cause Harry to smile, even if it is only for the briefest of moments. "I love you too." he says, reaching a hand up to cover one of hers, laying it gently over the kneading fingers and giving it a squeeze.

He takes another sip of the coke, and sets the can down onto the desk. "It was ugly, Karrin. For as bad as it looked normally, though the sight it was worse. So much worse." He takes a deep breath, as the memory of the room floods back into his mind. "The walls...they were waterfalls of blood. Just pouring down, and alive. The dark energy in that place was so think you could cut it with a knife. It was like someone stacked a couple hundred pound plates on my chest. Pain. Deperation...and these maggot things writhing in the blood."

He shudders, his body trembling under her fingertips as he recalls the memory again, "The body...was filled with nails. The limbs were attached to the body with leather stitches, like the ones on the mouth, and they formed some strange sick web. The mouth on the...head. It was bulging, like the girl was trying to spit something out, or swallow it..but could do neither. And there was the shape. The shadow. It was a void...like something should have been there, but not. Like someone took an eraser or marker and blacked out what or who should have been there."

He reaches up with his hand and wipes some spittle from the corner of his mouth. "I can't ever unsee this, Karrin. I have to live with this in my head....forever." He turns his head to try and look up at her, "And you. You were covered in wounds and had a nail in your head as well. I think that is they psychic trauma. God, I hope that is what it is, because then at least you might be able to recover."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
As he begins to tell the story, Karrin leans forwards and, instead of massaging his shoulders, she wraps her arms around his chest and just holds him tightly against her. It's the best she can do, embracing him, wrapping him in her protective, strong warmth. Surrounding him with her scent. Whatever she can do to center the man in front of her and rmeind him of the good things as he's stuck with this fresh scar on his soul. She turns her head again, a few more kisses burying into his hair. He's not there any more. He's safe. He's loved.

"Fuck, Harry... we shouldn't have asked you to do that. Don't. Not... not again. There are other ways, traditional forensics. Not scarring your... soul. I'll write it down for Montoya and, even if it never goes away, you never have to think about it again." It was a lie, because they were still on the case. He'd have to go back there, no doubt. But hopefully not tonight. She rubs her fingertips up and down his chest, trying to find something more to say. But then he comments about her and she stiffens against him, just a bit. Not what she wanted to here. "... I've taken my hits before. It'll be... fine." She murmurs flatly.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry shakes his head. "Nobody asked me to do that, Karrin. I did it of my own volition. It's what I do, remember? It's why you called me to cases like that, so I can gather the information you can't."

He takes a deep breath, "Traditional forensics aren't going to be of any use when it is something like this, and we both know it. It might help identify a perp, but it won't be able to prepare you for what the perp might be ready to do. At least now we know that it was binding of some sort, and one with a human sacrifice. It was something nasty, and knowing that is at least going let us try and prepare a way to stop whatever it is, when we can figure out what it is."

He manages a brief smile. "I know, you are just trying to look out for me. Like I try to look out for you...but remember how mad you got when I would try to 'save you' from the things you didn't know? You can't save me, Karrin. I already know too much. As for you, I know you have. And I know you will. It just reaffirms to me you need to take it easy, as much as you don't want too."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Those words are enough to make her grunt a little disapprovingly, but she cannot disagree. He is RIGHT. Karrin just doesn't like it. She squeezes his arms and chest once more before gently letting go enough she can come around to his front and perch herself on the edge of his desk, looking down to him from her slightly higher perch. Well, to be fair, that probably means she's looking eye to eye with him. Tall bastard. She looks gaunt, despite having put the weight back on. Maybe it's just the reflection of what he saw in his mind's eyes.

"Fine... but I'm not letting you do this alone. Renee said to bring me along and I can handle it. I... I don't want to take it easy. It makes it worse. Just sitting there, alone, waiting for something to... crack. I don't know. Hell, half the reason I came here instead of going home was because if I stayed alone all day, I'd be driving back to Arkham to ask them for another dose. ANd I know that's... bad. I know I shouldn't, no matter how much it feels like I need it. But... I need to keep myself busy. Distracted." As she talks about needing it, that slight tremble comes back to her hands. Addicted. Maybe that was that nail... Addiction.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Now it is his turn to reach out and take her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Good. I don't want to do this alone. I never /wanted/ to do it alone, Murph. Back when I didn't tell you things it wasn't because I didn't want to tell you. I never wanted to Lone Ranger it, but I needed to keep you safe." He sighs, "We already had this conversation. Long and short of it is, I never wanted to do it alone. I'm not a hero."

He gives her hands another squeeze, nodding. "Then we will keep you busy. If not with work, well...I can think of other ways to occupy our time." He manages a playful wink, half-hearted as it is given the day they have had.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
They have had this conversation and, from the look in Karrin's eyes, she's done hearing it. She looks down at him, about to protest, to say something, when he offers something she'd much rather hear. For a heartbeat or two, she pauses, giving him that look that says she's deciding between slugging him or jumping him. How much trouble has his mouth gotten him into this time? Finally, one blonde brow slowly arches and a slow, somewhat hungry looking smile crosses her lips.

Then, somewhat abruptly, Karrin Murphy is not wearing a shirt. Sitting there in just her jeans and black lace bra, her expression is now all sensual challenge. "Mm... other ways? I'm open to suggestions. See how inventive you can be..." But it doesn't take her long before she's leaning over him, kissing with the hungry sort of fire of a woman who is in love, is glad to be alive, and desperate for something that feels good. It's almost too passionate, too strong, pinning him back against his chair. Before too long, his desk is going to be cleared off one way or another. Hopefully one of them remembers to lock the door.

Harry Dresden has posed:
The abruptness of the removal of her shirt causes Harry to blink once in a bit of surprise, but once the initial shock is over Harry's mouth curls up at the edges into a smile. "Oh, Murph...me? Inventive? Do you know how long I have thought about this?" he says as he reaches his arms up to pull her into his lap, hands moving quickly to her back as he fumbles slightly at the clasp of her bra and removing it. "Long enough that I have plenty of ideas on how to keep you occupied." He leans in to kiss her deeply, his lips pressing hard into hers as he removes restrictive clothing, shrugging out of his coat.

Lock the door? It's just a good thing Harry doesn't get much business because that is the last thing in his mind.