16053/That thing...

That thing...
Date of Scene:	13 February 2024
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	Harry and Willow get a look and the big, bad nasty thing people are dreaming of.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Willow Rosenberg

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Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry is down in the lab with Bob. They are talking about something and there is a large mirror on the table. He has salt around it and a few sigils written on it with what appears to be blood.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bob asks reluctantly,"You don't have any of the dreamers here so how will you know?"

"I have heard the description enough times I think I can get the idea." Harry replies flatly,"Willow and I have talked about it a few times. Raven, Cassie, and Sabrina all tell the same story. I think we can get an idea what we are dealing with."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow has awful timing.

Or good timing - depending how you look at it.

Peeking downstairs, she wonders what is going on. Especially with Bob's tone. "Should I come back?" Of course she hovers between up and downstairs. But in the end curiosity won out, and she descends fully. After all, she can kiss Harry, and head out again.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Ask and receive." Harry tells Bob flatly and turns to meet Willow as she arrives at the bottom of the steps. He smiles at her and meets her to make sure she gets the kiss. After a few seconds, he steps back and tells her,"I have an idea on how to try to find everybody's favorite monster. The one you dreamed of last."

The mirror almost feels like it is a scrying magic attached to it. He turns to Bob and asks,"You feel better now?"

Bob's eyes see Wilow and he tells her,"The beautiful and forever charming Miss Rosenburg. You are looking delectable as ever."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Of course Willow blushes after the kiss. "You always flatter me, Bob. But what have I walked in on?"

Harry is definitely using a spell. And for some reasons, Willow gets the impression that she has walked in on the exact right time to be included by the sound of it. "Scrying?" By the looks of it. Of course she begins to wonder if she is a caster or the subject.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry looks at Bob, confused about something. He shakes it off and moves on,"I am looking for the creature you dreamed of last. Might as well see if we can find it and see about dealing with it. Who knows? You might get another dream."

He shakes his head and finally pushes his will at the mirror and the foci around it. The mirror almost looks like a TV with bad signal, static to start.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I didn't like it much the first time." Willow says on a whisper. Whether because she doesn't want to disturb Harry, or because she doesn't want to have another dream..

Come to think of it, couldn't she block them? And once she thought of this, the answer was *right there* in front of her. ..Interesting. So that's all she needed to do..

Of course, Harry drags her out of her reverie. Really the basics were always the same. Willow thought that was neat. When she used her computer the actual spell was the same - to the point she wasn't sure if she had to use power or the internet, really. Even though she always did. Then again, she did do scrying the old fashioned way too. Sometimes she felt the need to be intimate with the subject.

Harry Dresden has posed:
The mirror then clears and they are looking over mountains a trees. Not that looking at the scene tells anyone where they are looking. Snow would imply northern territory.

Harry focuses and tells Willow,"Keep your eyes open. If you see something with antlers. I'm moving the spell right now, so that is tricky to move and watch close at the same time and you know first hand what the thing looks like."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
That much Willow could do. She watched the vision as it played out. "The thing is, how are you getting a baseline without knowing what you are looking for?" Not that she was worried. Just none of the dreams had been seen by Harry. And furthermore, Willow had a suspicion that Harry had blocked out just such dreams as these. So could he actually use scrying when he was protected from them?

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Bob has a theory what it is, a wendigo. Lower case w. They are mostly known to be in the north and the moutains. The Canadian Rockies have whispers and rumors so that's where we start."

The scrying goes past a mansion or manor as it were,"That's where the Alpha Flight are located." he mutters thoughtfully and continues towards the foothills to the west.

It swings over the area quickly, but Willow is able to notice a deer in the nearby woods.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow as she takes what Harry has said. "So even if you can't have the dreams, you know of what they are formed of." That makes sense.

Alpha Flight. That is in Canada?

"The dreams are scattered about. The first one was down south. And you had the walk in the dreamings. Anything unusual about that? Anyway to trap you? There's a deer over there. Possibly the wendigo is hunting it?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I don't know if I can't or I just don't. I have wards, but so do you." he replies.

Bob pops off,"Maybe the creatures want a brain to give the dreams to."

The towel that covers him usually is thrown at him. It partially covers, but Harry moves back to look for the deer. Instead of a deer, he sees what appears to be a tall skinny man wearing deed skull on his head antlers and all.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"But yours are different. Your house isn't even scryable. And mine was."

Willow points. "There. A man."

Harry Dresden has posed:
He focuses the mirror on the man. Absently he removes the coth from Bob so he can look. The man is emaciated and yet he moves with great speed and falls upon what looks to be an indigenous woman that took a wrong turn,"That was you saw?" he asks Willow.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I think so?" Willow takes another look. "I remember feeling sad. He was needing help. I thought." She shakes her head. "It's him. He's hungry. Thirsty. And he can't get enough."

Even though he is a monster, once again Willow feels sorry for him.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Nasty looking thing." he mutters. He smiles a little and looks at her,"That's why I love you lady. You see the good in everything." he admits.

Bob looks at the mirror and the skull's eye lights widen. If he were in a person you get the impression he might be terrified.

"Harry. That is a living myth. It's a creature none believe in. None like us. The native do, but I think more because they are legends and less about first hand knowledge. It almost has to be a wendigo."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Oh Bob." Willow sighs as she says it. "*Everything* is real, don't you know. The only people who don't believe are lucky because people like me make it hard for them to believe. And that is good! We protect them."

She turns to the mirror again.

"I wonder who he was - long ago. And what are we going to do about it?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
A soft chuckle that sounds nervous and Bob replies,"Willow, you are beautiful and I wish there had been a time I could have believed." Harry scowls and drops the rag on the skull again.

Rolling his eyes he tells her,"I think the more times he sees you, the more his lust runs wild."

From under the rag a muffled sound seems to agree with Harry. He sighs and looks at the mirror again,"The lore, as I recall and as he Bob noted, they start out as a human. Then they commit cannabalism for whatever reason. The result is the endless hunger. It could have been anyone."

He shakes his head and adds,"Unfortunately, there is no known means of breaking the curse. Once Bob said it might be, we started looking into that. No cure. Either you melt the icy heart or they live on, eating the innocent."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow peeks at Bob for a moment. Was the nervousness because of her, or exactly what Harry said? "I don't think he could do anything with his lust? I mean, he hasn't a real way to inhabit a body. If he could wouldn't he find better things to do with the body than making out with me? If he could convince me."

Like, d'uh!

"I think he is the same as most perverts. All bark, no bite. They look at women rather than engage with them because they're scared. That's really sad too."

She listens to what Harry has to say about the wendigo, and makes a face. "Melt his icy heart? Really? You don't mean me.. do you?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
A derisive noise comes from the skull and Harry replies,"In his day? Bob was known for being a leacherous bastard with a good many illegitimate children. Given the opportunity, know he would take you up on it."

Shaking his head he adds,"When I let him out riding around in Mister, the cat population around the neighborhood goes up."

A sigh and he adds,"The only way to stop them is to melt the heart. No they don't survive. It's kill or it will kill. I don't like it either. I just don't find anything anywhere to suggest otherwise."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow's reaction to what is said about Bob is peculiar. For a moment, she grows very cold, and mutters under her breath, "He could try. He might not appreciate the results."

And quickly as she was chill, suddenly she frowns at Harry. "I guess? I mean vampires we stake. This isn't that different? I thought you meant kiss him, or somesuch, to break the spell. And you had decided on me. But melting his heart shouldn't be that hard?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
"He would try." he replies and leaves it at that,"I would probably kill him if you didn't."

"It is more or less undead I guess. It's a spirit taken over it or the like." he replies. Shaking his head he adds,"If that were the case, simple kiss, I'd put it up to Raven or Satana." he muses,"Vampirella. Might as well make him pay and I don't want to share those lips with anything."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"No, they wouldn't work. Most of the lore says only an innocent can break the spell. That's why it's so hard to do." Willow nods. "Undead things aren't really killing. They are putting to rest. You have to believe that a part of them wants to be free of the curse. Could you imagine not being able to die?"

She shivers.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Cassie might be, but I wouldn't bet on it. She is an Amazon though so..." he muses with a shrug,"The other two not so much. I don't know Raven well, but she doesn't strike me as the type. Satana goes without saying."

"Most undead things were dead a long time ago." he agrees with a nod,"I don't want to think about being a vampire or zombie with the kind of firepower they would inherit to go wit it."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow smiles softly. "I wouldn't allow you to be undead. Don't worry." And she tiptoes up to give him a kiss.

Harry Dresden has posed:
He leans down a little to return the kiss and he winks,"I knew I kept you around for something." he teases softly. He lets his will go and the image on the mirror vanishes. Too much looking at that thing might make them all dream of the thing.