15768/Seeking the wisdom of Bob.

Seeking the wisdom of Bob.
Date of Scene:	04 November 2023
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	Willow came by to talk to Harry and Bob. They agree to mentor and train her more in areas she isn't as familiar with.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Willow Rosenberg

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Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry lowers the wards long enough for Willow to come in. He sets them back and after Mouse gives her a few slurps, Harry indicates the open trap door in the hallway. He has a Mac's microbrew in one hand open. The other holds a closed bottle and he offers it to her.

"You sure you want to talk to him? You know he's a pain for the fairer sex. Make no mistake he's going to come on to you like a drunken prom date."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
This time she was ready for the beer. Of course there wasn't Satana making her nervous.

Alcohol + decreased time + seductress = one drunk Willow

"And besides.." Willow popped the top off her beer, "What can Bob do? Not much! Besides, I can try my responses before I try them on somebody else."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry smirks a little and heads to the ladder. He clmibs down and waves his hand over the candles, pushing his will out with the words,"Flicum biccus." Several candles hop to life,"If you say so." he tells her with a soft laugh.

He removes the cover from the skull and says,"Wake up Bob. Someone nicer than me is wanting to talk to you. Be smart and she might stay nicer than me."

The eye sockets of the skull glow to life and after a moment a sleepy sounds voice says,"Really Harry. You abuse me so. I was enjoying a dream about Lady Wraith, a beach, and whipped cream."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I can come back another time?"

Willow doesn't mean it. Still she trudges to the steps and tales her own sweet time going up them. "Then again, who *knows* when I will be back to visit. It could be months. Even years. Siiiiiigh."

Yes. Willow was playing it up. And how.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Some people's kids." Harry replies playfully about her saying she might not be around again anytime soon. Clearly teasing.

Bob's focus moves to Willow and he ooo's softly,"The beautful Wicca that doesn't know how strong she is. Almost as strong as she is beautiful."

Harry rolls his eyes and looks at Willow with a 'told you' look. He glances at Bob and shakes his head,"Bob. I know it's difficult, but check your libido."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Do you want me to visit? I mean I'm not a Lady Wraith.. Come to think of it, is that her name, Wraith, or is that her subspecies? I'm sorry that I woke you. Though, I didn't know that skulls needed sleep?"

"Harry told me I could come and visit you. I've got a question for you, though, how come you think I am strong? I'm tiny! Well, normalish. I feel small. Compared to Buffy. Though, she is smaller than a regular hero." Willow smiles.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Bob settles a little and replies,"Of course you can come to visit." His voice still dripping with innuendo,"Lady Wraith is Lara Wraith. Thomas is her half brother. They share a father, Thomas and Harry share a mother."

Harry shakes his head,"She is a succubus like Thomas and not nearly as well behaved." he explains,"Sexually aggressive and predatious on a level with one you and I entertained Halloween night." No names given.

Bob makes the throat clearing sound and tells her,"As I was saying. Your size means very little in the long run. Harry is just abnormal in that way." Harry's eyes roll and Bob continues,"There is Yoda, speaking of size mattering not. It's accurate." Who knew Bob could cite Star Wars?

"Regardless, you have the power inside you, you just haven't tapped it yet. Maybe Harry or someone more qualified could help you." Bob comments. Harry snorts and shakes his head.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hey! You quoted Star Wars. Neat." Willow comes up to Bob again. "One of my favourite spells is Force Lightning. Don't tell Xander. He thinks it is bad, and he scolds me for using it. But gee, so far I only use it on bad guys. Besides, I don't really have another offensive spell."

She looks at Harry. "You mean, you could have taught me?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry shakes his head and tells Bob,"You're stretching Bob. I admire it, but still stretching." He doesn't say what is stretching, but instead tells Willow,"I would teach you if you want yes. My ways are considered pretty primal and messy. Lighting is effective. I could teach you to use Fire against the vampires."

Bob coughs and tells her,"If you are selective in teachers." he snarks off. Harry reaches for his blasting rod and points it in Bob's general direction in warning. The eye lights in the skull shrink a little and the attitude stops for a moment.

Harry would never because Bob is invaluable, but once in a while you have to remind him who is boss.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It's just a little thing - substituting lightning for flames. But in truth? Willow hadn't made the switch. She probably could do it herself now that she had realised she /could/ do it. In fact.. there were other littles tweaks that would make her spell repertoire ten times better.

Willow stood there agape.

"You mean.. oh. And, I could.." Pause. "And it really wouldn't.. I could.. And all this time?!?"

Yes. She just had a breakthrough. Courtesy of Bob and Harry.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry shakes his head and assures her,"Ask around. I am not the best mannered of teachers." He walks over to another shelf and takes down a grimoire of sorts,"This might open your mind on how to use fire and ice the same way you use lighting. Lighting is valuable, make no mistake. Fire is better for the vampires and ice can be used directly or indirectly."

Bob clears his would be throat and tells her,"Harry is barbaric in his thinking and manners, but he would be able to help you to tap into your potential." Wow, an actaul compliment,"Of course if you apprentice with him I would be at your absolute lovely disposal." Helpful? Bob? Really? Seems suspect.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Wait a minute.

If she played her cards right, she could score *two* teachers with differing approaches. Of course, it would have been better with neither one knowing about the other. And let's face it, Willow was a crummy liar.

He offered though. He knew about Satana. If he had something against her teaching Willow - wouldn't he have mentioned it?

"So.. You're telling me you want to be my teacher? Bob is a witness. Aren't you Bob?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry nods and the eyes in the skull light up,"I heard him. I just know you are in for a hard road. Still, he is as good of a teacher around here as you are going to find around here, especially with me helping." Humble Bob isn't.

Harry rolls his eyes and sighs,"I will help you yes. If you were more of a beginner I would tell you not to learn from anyone else. You aren't a beginner and you are an adult so you have to make those decisions for yourself."

That is about as blunt as he will be since she is an adult and already a practitioner,"Just be mindful of making deals with her. Like a fae, she might make you live to regret it. She might not. I think she genuinely likes you so there's that."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow nodded slowly. That was her one and only warning. After that she was on her own.

"That's fair." She went over the entire warning. "Can I ask you? You will always say what's on your mind when I ask you? I can ask that of you, seeing that you're a friend."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Bob coughs and says,"Harry isn't known for his restraint my dear."

Harry gives Bob a scowl and then looks back to Willow,"You be straight with me and will be with you. Sometimes you won't like the way things are presented, but I will tell you things as I see them."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"To tell the truth, I've gotten too stuck in my ways. I mean, I don't like it when they hold my hands, but I've gotten used to it. I've got to change or be Willow with her handful of innocuous spells, you know: Scrying. Warding. While everyone grows up."

Willow holds out her hand for him to shake.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry decides there is enough Bob for the time being and moves a racy novel next to the skull and then covers the skull with the rag as usual. He turns his attention back to Willow and tells her,"Hubris is an easy trap to fall into. You have to continue to get better or you are getting worse. I will get in the way of something I know is going to kill you, that's part of it, but something that might cause you pain...that's a teacher."

She looks at her hand and then reaches his out to shake hers,"It's a deal then?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I'm not growing. At all. I mean, my former teacher, Tala, showed me more about potions. And then she went away. I've been futzing around and getting.. well, I think I've close. And what you said made me think. I still would like a teacher? Up to now, other then Tala, and may be Mr. Constantine, I've only been a solitary practitioner."

With an extra inch of contact, Willow grasps Harry's hand. "It's a deal." And shakes it.