15892/The Librarian: Research on Dreams

The Librarian: Research on Dreams
Date of Scene:	15 December 2023
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	Plotting and planning. Harry learns a little bit about one of Willow's projects.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Willow Rosenberg
Tinyplot:	The Librarian

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Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry is down in the lab talking to Bob. The two really are worse than a married couple,"No. I'm not making a love potion again. I remember what happened last time. It damn near got me and Susan killed."

He looks at the summoning circle and sighs,"I don't feel like dealing with Toot Toot tonight. He probably wouldn't have a lot of help on this one."

Bob scoffs and replies,"The fae that you deal with are childish Harry and you don't have the gumption to summon real help." Yup, marriage.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow decided to drop by after work, before taking off again for her other work (one of, ahem). When she sees the basement lab's light on, she /almost/ goes down to say hello. Of course, she stopped at the arguing, and tried not to giggle.

Almost.

Despite her trying to be quiet, she does have a particular giggle that was all her own. Where some people found that as they got older, the laughs became more in keeping with their age, not so Willow. She still giggles like a schoolgirl. Complete with hands over her mouth.

Sitting on the top step, she listened.

Harry Dresden has posed:
There aren't too many that can cross that threshold with Mouse prowling around. Nice of him not to warn anyone. Harry shakes his head and looks up at the top of the ladder,"Oh look. It's my favorite red head." he teases lightly and motions her to come downstairs.

Bob's glowing eyes widen a little,"Miss Rosenburg. How delightful to see you again. Please come downstairs so I can see you." Harry gives Bob a side eye and the raises a hand to take hers and guide her down the steps to the lab.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hello, Bob. I was afraid I had dropped in on a little marital spat." Her twinkle, telling any who looked at her, she was joking. Once down, she properly greets Harry that were Harry and Bob a couple, should have made Bob jealous.. Unless they had a polyamorous agreement.

No, Bob still would have been jealous.

"I know you know lots of redheads. And Bob just likes the fairer sex.. You don't like boys, do you Bob? I'm definitely the smartest one. I wouldn't say prettiest, though. Good thing I rather be smart. What are you looking for?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Once she is on the basement floor he shakes his head,"We tried that. It didn't work out." Harry comments about the marriage to Bob. When she leans in to greet him proper he meets her half way.

"I know a few yes, but you have them beat across the board." he teases her lightly,"Yes Bob likes the fairer sex. It's unhealthy level of obsession though. Be careful he'll try to convince you to seduce me down here. Believe me he could be deadly quiet to get his thrills."

Bob coughs and sputters,"Lies, all lies." he tells her.

"Just like he didn't want me to make a love potion again. That almost ended fatally last time." He gives Bob a look and the lights dim rather than another protest.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I could make you one." Willow says it with utmost conviction. "But I wouldn't say it was for love. Just a concoction that makes you feel happy, and makes you feel bold. Most likely end up with the sex of your choice in bed. Don't worry, it's not a magical sort of potion, but if you believe it when you are selling it, the person believes it. Kind of a placebo. Around Valentine's day you can't keep it in stock."

"What were you really looking for?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Shaking his head he replies,"I don't need a love potion. He just enjoys complicating things. The potion is as much about lust as it is love and I don't need tha either."

He looks over at the summoning circle again,"I have been trying to convince myself to summon one of the lower demons and see if we can figure out why everyone is getting these dreams." he explains.

"He'd learn more if he'd sack them up and get a fiend that actually knows anything." Bob mutters.

Harry picks up the rag and covers him with it, tired of his noise.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I could visit the House of Mystery. John is away, but the House likes me. Probably because I'm not a curmudgeon like John. At least she hasn't tried to send me somewhere yet. He has good tea." Willow nods to herself.

"And, without my computer, all my scrying can be done, but it isI.." She stopped. "Hrm. I wonder.. I told Sam that I really don't need the internet. But I haven't tried it without power. I can try?"

She was a little enh on the demon summoning. She hasn't a real problem in individuals, but as a race? There was the problem. Technically she was against demons for any reasons. Technically.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"That might be helpful." he agrees,"That place is impressive. There might be something to be found there." He snorts and shakes his head,"Crumudgeon. You're about the only one that doesn't call me that so I can't judge too hard."

"Scrying is different for everyone." he admits,"I have done it several times. That said, everyone has a specific way about them and that just might be how you do it. I've known Native Americans that scry by getting stoned on peyote. They succeed, but I have no idea how."

"I don't like summoning demons either, but sometimes." he admits and looks at the circle set in the floor,"That's why we set the circle first so they can't escape or turn on the summoner."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Of course, Willow nods. Every brain was different. Of course everyone did scrying a little bit different. Or, in her case, very different. Seeing as technology and magic are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

That Willow was dating Harry, the most technophobe magician you could get, was, in truth, weird. Buy, so far they made it work.

"I'll pop over tomorrow afternoon. The House has the biggest collection of books that I've ever seen in a private collection.. Which reminds me, I can look up something I've been meaning to about The History of Angels. I have a hint. Or might."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Give the house my regards, the lord of the manor or the lady of the house as it may be as well." he advises her,"I am not sure what to look for honestly. Sure any references to cryptid types, but..."

He shakes his head and sighs,"Sabrina's insights have me pretty solid in the paranoid you are all at risk and it's somebody after me and using you all. It makes sense, then it doesn't. Why would Cassie or Vampirella have anything to do with it initially. You, Faith, Satanna, Buffy, Sabrina, and the like I can understand. That would make sense. Those outside the Scoobies initially, I don't know."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Sometimes I swear it is as simple as we are all women, and to get your attention the person who is targeting you can't touch you by direct force, so that have to hit you in another way. Girls. And they don't know which one of us would carry the weight of the dreams, so they had it on all of them. Us."

Willow shrugged.

"What wards do you have currently - that would be my first guess."

Harry Dresden has posed:
He frowns thoughtfully and sighs,"Yeah. You might be right. Civalry can be a curse in this day and age." he grumbles. She gets to see the grumpy guy for a moment there. He sighs and looks at her,"I know you can't stay here all the time, but until this is dealt with stay here as much as you can and we can go to your house and add my wards to yours. See if that stops you from having them." Sure he hates that they are all having them, but especially Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
For a time Willow thinks. You can almost see the thoughts moving amongst her brain cells, putting them into yay or nay.

"If we presume the only time I will be needing your protection is the times when I am about to sleep, plus the odd time when I may take a nap.. I should be able to do all that I normally do, except for times when I might log on. And that is easy if I add some more computer time at work and at school. The only way it would be a problem is if the sender can manipulate my wake and sleep times, so we should be good? I can write a note for Buffy."

Willow isn't aware of anything that Buffy could do to prevent the dreams - seeing that dreams were a part of the Slayers communicating throughout the years.

"Oooh! I wanted you to see my wards. This is the perfect time." Well, other then the dreams, of course. "I've added to them with various friends teaching me their wards. I am pretty impressed with how they have turned out."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"You don't need my protection..." he admits softly,"...you are plenty capable. I am just wanting you closer. I can add my own wards to yours and we can see if that helps."

See, not everyone assumes she needs taken care of. Of course, that's exactly what he wants to do, but give him credit.

Shaking his head,"I do want you here for more than just that..." he adds abruptly. Yup, he might be able to sling spells and shoot bad things, but sometimes he falls all over himself trying to make a point.

He finally sighs and nods,"Yes. Let's go look at your wards. I will add mine and we can all be wary of angels out there. Most of them get a good reputation that they don't deserve."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow smiles. "I know. I can protect myself from pretty much anything in my home. I made certain of that. The one thing I have not been able to protect myself against is dreams. Mostly because we haven't had any enemies who used dreams. And because Buffy has Dreams from the past Slayers. I haven't looked up to see if those dreams are different than these dreams magically. Till I do, it's better that I stay with you."

She giggles then, "That book was a disguise, you know. And besides, Castiel was more like John. Prickly on the outself - soft gooey insides. Unless you made him angry. But The History of Angels was just the cover on it. The scrolls that made up the book were older than the English language. But with that cover it was just another religious text amongst other religious texts. Boring. Unless you like religious texts, or you knew what you were looking for."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Nodding, he smiles and tells her,"Just want you to know I want you here more because I want you here than I think you need to be here." It's baby steps, but he's getting there. He trusts her to handle herself even if he wants to step between her and anything that might even accidentally harm her.

"A book is a disguise? That doesn't complicate things at all." he muses with a shake of his head,"I am glad you met a decent one. Most all the angels I have encountered were unpleasant to say the least. When you get too deep into religions, things get a little tricky for me. I know enough to be dangerous to myself."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"It isn't a religious text. It was a spell that could open a doorway to hell, or close it. It wasn't to be in the demons' or angels' care. At least from what I was able to glean. The thing is, the spell is sort of sentient - or became that - to the point that once it hid itself away in case, now it looked for people that would open the door. From there it wasn't as clear. I think the book wanted to have someone that it can control? But I can't be certain. I mean, you would have to have a little bit of magic to use it? There is a ritual to perform it. But I've got almost the complete set. With the wards in my apartment they should be fairly safe."

Willow is careful about the way she talks about the ritual, and the various components.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Opening the door to Hell. Seems like a really brillian decision." Harry mutters softly and shakes his head,"A spell able to hide itself is interesting. Maybe we should let Bob look at it. Don't give him permission to do anything other than look."

He nods and adds,"Another reason for a second layer of wards that you can lower and raise with a quick thought, but that isn't set by you so anyone trying to figure that out is just left wanting."

"That book starts to sound a lot like the Denarius coins. A lot." he muses,"They don't tend to hide, but rather make themselves tempting and desireable."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Two problems with that. First we haven't got the book. The book isn't what it was before.No one that is speaking of it knows what it is called now. I will get back to that."

Apparently, Willow has much more to say upon that.

"The second part is Bob would be horrible to read it. The book mesmerises people. Or talks to their dark sides. Or convinces them that they would be better at holding on to it. Whatever it takes to get to the target. We don't know who that is. And most of the time the book is passed around without the owner being aware of what they have. That's one of the ways it bypasses most scrying devices."

"A couple of years ago I had a lead on it. The best that we could ascertain was it was on the west coast, up in Canada for an auction. Then our lead went cold."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"The book would be a must." he agrees,"It would be tricky without it. If it's got that sort of sway maybe it should be locked up someplace we don't know where it is that it can't be found." he suggests.

"That being said if it wants to be found bad enough it will be. Surely by now you hear the coin talking from under the lab. Lasciel would probably rather have you take over and let her rule you if she can, as opposed to being ignored by me."

He shakes his head,"I woke up one night sleep walking to the lab. I woke up because I couldn't sleep walk the ladder. After that I made it harder to get to the coin and Bob is on passive watch. She can't reach him."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow nods with wide eyes.

"Sam said the head of the cult that was keeping it in secret, and safe, was turned by it. He was an undead priest with. All of the usual ways we would fight them didn't work." *shudder* "We were going to give it to Castiel to put it in heaven. As far as I can tell, the book seems to be more on the evil side. Which is weird, seeing that demons and angels can't read it. In fact, without being handed the book, the odds aren't very good that they would notice it at all. At least that what the lore on it is. And there isn't a lot. It is good at keeping its secrets."

Harry Dresden has posed:
He frowns thoughtfully and hmms,"I am just trying to think of anyone or anything that we could use to get more information. The White Council and I are on speaking terms, but I don't trust them enough to bring this to them."

He frowns thoughtfully and mutters,"I wonder if Thomas and the White Court might have something. Probably not. It seems like this is an outside of the box sort of problem."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Castiel didn't have much on it. He asked John. Who then asked me to research it.."

Willow shakes her head.

"It was as if when trying to researchit, as long as you went for it with deliberation, the less you found. I found some on a research paper in the Library of Alexandria. They had a blurb on the book - which wasn't a book at all, but rather scrolls. But that wasn't very helpful. We knew then it could be scrolls. The scrying that I did seemed to confirm that it was in pieces again."

"I've gotten a few blips. Then nothing. Until something reminds me. I wonder what it was this time. Hrm." She frowns. "You could try?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
He nods, listening to her explination,"All right I agree not showing it to Bob. That would be bad. That said, he is a source of information. Almost limitless." he suggest.

"He might be able to point us in a direction. I agree he doesn't need to see it." he suggests. Listening to her description, he finally nods,"I could try to scry for it too. I could potentially get Toot Toot and his sort to look around, but they might try to hide it deeper."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow stood up on tippy toes and wrapping her arms about his neck, kissed him, "That would be helpful. And I can look into the House's library when I go over tomorrow? Yes?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
He leans forward just enough for her to kiss him. He smiles against her lips and tells her softly,"All right. I will do some looking and consult the spirit of intellect about the infromation you have given me." he replies,"Have fun at the house. It really is an impressive place."