Owner	Pose
Willow Rosenberg	Willow always was happy when she visited Italo's cafe. And not just because she had worked here. That, though, was an extra reason why. No, he was always polite, and happy, and he threw in a biscotti or half a sandwich despite Willow telling him she could pay. Mostly he was like a grandfather to her. Willow had looked up Jane threw a roundabout way. Namely: scrying, and a wee little bit of hacking to send her an email, inviting Jane to meet up. Today was that day. Sitting in the cafe near the back by a window, Willow drank her coffee, and nibbled on a biscotti (thank you Mr. Scalvezi!) and waited. Of course she had her laptop opened. Because, why not.
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane isn't sure exactly -how- Willow found her unlisted email. After all, she is technically dead and pretty much every way of contacting her is unlisted. Then again, aside from Harry Dresden, Jane hasn't had much dealings with magic. Her own condition aside, of course. Jane is dressed much less conspicuously than her usual red leather 'night job' clothes. She doesn't plan on shooting anyone, most likely. A borrowed leather jacket hangs loosely over a snug, white tanktop, not quite obscuring the double shoulder-holster rig she wears beneath it. Comfortable jeans and boots complete the outfit. She spots Willow through the window and approaches the table directly. "Good to see you again." she offers.
Willow Rosenberg	Of course, without meaning to, Willow smiles. "Hi! Oh! Would you like a coffee? Something to eat? A biscotti? Sit, sit! Oh you are probably wondering how I found you." Given that the first time that they had met there was a bunch of magic floating around. No reason to hide that. "You were at the attack on Harry. I kinda did some scrying and sent you an email. I wasn't certain that you were going to get it. Your email was.. Strange? And I know computers." And magic if she got to it. "I had a question for you. I hope you don't mind?"
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane chuckles softly, leaning forward to rest her chin on both hands. "Coffee would be great, actually." she replies. The redhead perks up at the mention of biscotti as well, giving a quick nod. "I don't get out to a lot of places like this with good food." she offers. "When my... condition... developed, I felt it was better if the world thought I was dead. Not a lot of people can track down someone who's not supposed to be there." Her wry smile returns, then. "Present company excepted, that is. So what's your question?"
Willow Rosenberg	Willow blushes, and orders a coffee, biscotti, and a sandwich for Jane. "Well, I'm trying to find out what we all have in common. The number one thing is Harry. Some of us had a second dream. Did you?"
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane makes a wry face at the question. "Willow, I didn't even have the -first- dream. Harry asked me to join him as sort of an ace-in-the-hole. When we first met, he got to see my healing factor in action and thought I'd be handy to have around if things got really ugly."
Willow Rosenberg	Really? That changes things. "So, you didn't have a wee little premonition.." Willow thought about that. "And you have yet had this latest one. Strange. I don't know how to take this.. You are quite certain.. no. Why would you bother to make that up? Uhm.." She is a bit uncomfortable with her next question. "I'm not trying to be a nose, but why doesn't Harry know you from." Then she burbles, "We're.. well, I'm trying to find a point that all of us share, and other than he asked you, you don't have one. At least not an obvious one. Were you a client? A lover? Somebody from long ago?"
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane shakes her head slowly at the questions. "Nope. Like I said, I'm just a hired gun, as it were. Except I'm not really getting paid." Does that make Jane a good samaritan? She snorts softly at the thought. Her expression turns to amusement, then. "Not a client, and Harry's not really my type. Probably. I only met him the two times, I mean. But my tastes usually run a little..." Her gaze lingers on Willow for a moment and she lets the thought hang there a moment. "... different."
Willow Rosenberg	That gave Willow a grin. "You mean like girls? No worries. I'm bi, myself. If you caught me at the right time I could have thought about it. I mean you. But I'm taken. Funny how that goes.. Unless you mean something else. Which I have been known to date. It's a long story. Suffice to say, I don't take anything for granted." Of course Willow takes a good look then. And nods. "I would have gone out with you. At least once." "But you are the odd man out. Whatever as giving the rest of the dreams doesn't know about you. Which makes me think you should talk to Harry about helping him."
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane returns the grin, adding a light shrug. "Let's just say I like girls more... lately. It's complicated. You see, there's this doctor who's really sweet, but he's developed this... I think it's called a Florence Nightengale syndrome or something. But that's more than you needed to know." "Good to know I'm at least worth a one-time date, by the way. Dead girls tend to have self-esteem issues." she quips back. "And I think you're right, too. I mean, I haven't talked to Harry since all that... weirdness... happened." Jane pauses, then asks. "Do I -want- to know what the dreams are all about?"
Willow Rosenberg	"I know what you mean. Self-esteem issues abound in my life too. I promised Harry that I would squash them. But sometimes.." Willow shakes her head. "You want to know about the dream. Everyone who has had one had the same dream with very minute changes. Mostly a wendigo - sort of a large, tall, skinny, deer skull over a human head. It was emaciated. Almost stretched to thin. And it smells like absolute garbage. It was ravenous. Couldn't be sated. And some people heard Harry's name as he jumped on them. Not me. Well the jumping, yes. And then they woke up."
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane's expression softens, wry humor fading. "You have no reason to have any esteem issues, Willow, but that's a conversation for another time." she replies. And then comes the topic of the dream. Jane listens, and she slowly shakes her head. "Okay, so maybe I'm not sorry that I was the only one who didn't have the dream. You called it a wendigo? This isn't getting any less weird, you realize."
Willow Rosenberg	"Yes.. and no?" Willow explains. "I help my friend deal with supernatural creatures on a daily basis. For me, the wendigo isn't weird per se. What is weird is all of us having the essentially same dream. I figure something or someone needs to get Harry's attention. Why, though, I can't figure out. Still working on that." She scrunches up her nose. "You sound like Harry! Why doesn't anyone believe me when I tell them I have esteem issues? Why?" You get the feeling that she is utterly truthful as to having them. And if you knew her parents you might have an idea where they started.
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane tilts her head at the last, expression softening again. "You're talking to someone who was a female detective on a man's police force, Willow. I do kind of get it." she replies. "You're smart, talented, upbeat, and probably one of the few genuinely good people in the world. Not to mention being easy on the eyes." "But if someone is trying to get Harry's attention, couldn't they have just called? Or is he one of those people who doesn't believe in phones?"
Willow Rosenberg	Willow's cheeks are pinkened. "I'm not so good as you think. I try though." The other points she doesn't touch. "I think it's.. Well I don't know what or why, but I think whoever is trying to get his attention is trapped on the dream side of things. Harry must have some reason he can't be reached. Either a ward, or perhaps it's in his brain. Or something from the never-never. Or something as simple as someone fae playing around with people who he cares about." Although 'cares about' should be taken with a large grain of salt.
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane laughs softly when Willow denies being 'good'. "Listen, I'm a borderline sociopath if we're going strictly by definitions. Okay?" Jane shifts in her seat a little, stretching one leg out under the table as she leans back. "I don't know Harry well at all, but I can already tell that he's a complicated guy. I'd even venture to guess that he's more complicated than even -he- knows." Jane lifts a brow, then, her wry smile returning. "So I'm somehow not on the radar of whoever is playing these games, then. Not that I'm complaining." She tilts her head, then asks. "Are you -sure- it's a good idea for me to get to know Harry better?"
Willow Rosenberg	Willow closes her laptop as she thinks how to answer /that/. "Let's put everything on the table. I'm not worried about his past. I trust him. And when I have reason to mistrust him, I will bring it up between the two of us. I wouldn't hire you to snoop around for my edification. So if that's what you think, then.. I don't need you." So Willow is going out with Harry? Seems like. "But if you mean to find out something that can help us, that, yes, we could really use the help. Especially if right now you aren't being noticed by whatever is sending the dreams. I don't know what you can discover, but any help would be gratefully appreciated."
Painkiller Jane	Painkiller Jane lifts a crimson brow at the reply. "That's not what I meant at all, Willow. I may be a 'dead' detective, but I still think like one. I'm used to solving cases, albeit not always ones with wendigos in dreams." Her lips twitch, then, into something akin to a smile. "Sometimes when you're right in the middle of something, you can't really see clearly what's happening. The forest for the trees, and all that. If an outside perspective is helpful, then count me in. And if the solution involves a lot of shooting, you know I'm not shy about that either."