16299/A meeting at midday.

A meeting at midday.
Date of Scene:	25 May 2024
Location:	McAnally's Pub
Synopsis:	Harry and Willow met with Hellequin to talk about hunting a monster in the Canadian Rockies.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Willow Rosenberg, Hellequin

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Harry Dresden has posed:
Mac's is busy at lunch time. There are a few customers sharing tables, but everyone is avoiding the table with the tall wizard sitting at it. He doesn't try to look imposing, he just does. The regulars know his reputation despite the fact that violence is not permitted, the wizard's office across the street makes an impression.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow never thought of the words "tall" "formidable" or "imposing'. Well, maybe when she first met him, years ago. But then again everyone was imposing back then.

Looking around the bar, she hones in on Harry, and smiling she quickly joins him - all 5'5" of her.

"I left a message for Henri to meet us here. But, who knows. Remember, lead off that you are a magic user. Don't make him tell you. He will know anyway."

Hellequin has posed:
He had other plans for the day, like attend the preview of an incoming auction at the bishopry. But a phone call from Willow had come to the store in his absence and Heloise had made it clear to Henri that he had to meet Willow. And to please not delay and remember to bring back fresh croissants.

With his marching orders in mind, Henri de Fontainebleau has finally reached the designated destination. McNally's Pub. Which means beer, excellent.

As he steps in the restaurant, Henri stops and looks around at the seated customers. Willow is quickly identified, sitting in the back with a tall man. Despite the fact that the magic stench is already annoying his nose, the Frenchman walks to the table, happy that he thought of adding some cologne to mask the offensive odor.

"Bonjour Willow," he says with a nod, "And monsieur."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Looking down at the pentagram on his necklace and the mystical sigls on the shield bracelet, he pauses and looks at her. A nod and replies,"All right. I suspect if his power is as you say he'll see the walker and there will be very little doubt."

He looks up at the approaching man and nods,"Good afternoon. I'm Harry Dresden. The wizard that lives in the building across the road." For his part, he sounds pretty serious. If Henri can see the spirit realm he will definately see the spectre of a monster in the shadow of Harry's wake. It can't hurt anyone, just trapped there as a reminder of the past conflict.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
With a faint blush, Willow welcomed Herni.

"Be nice!" Though, who she is directing that to is anybody's guess.

More towards Henri, "What he actually meant, was, he's Harry, Willow's boyfriend and partner, nice to meet you. We've got a problem you might be able to help us with."

Harry gets a head shake. "Really, Harry, he is a friend. A ..good friend?" She looks over at Henri. "A good friend. So much so, he came on to Mac's even though it stinks to high heavens for him. If he can't help us, no one can."

Hellequin has posed:
There are many things that Henri can sense, but now it doesn't take any special gift to sense some tension in the air. As if to ease a bit of this tension, the Frenchman offers a smile to the couple as he sits down facing them.

"Willow, do not worry. You are my friend, and as such, do not need fear me."

Looking at Harry for a moment, as if to appraise the wizard - who knows, maybe assessing his powers - the Frenchman adds, almost matter of factly, "And if Mr. Dresden is your friend, then he has nothing to fear from me." Then Henri pauses, and adds, "A problem, that I can help you with. Interesting. Does it have anything to do with the pestilent fumes around, that are not clearly coming from either of you."

Magic is easy to detect, like the smell of a skunk, but other infernal or demoniac entities also have their own smells. And it is quite present.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Glancing at Willow, Harry smirks a little. She doesn't finish his sentences, she writes them for him. He shakes his head with a soft chuckle and then looks back to Henri. He nods when the man says he has nothing to fear from him,"That's good to hear."

He looks around, there are a few users. Most of them are minor. There is Mac, cooking up steak sandwiches for people. He does bring three of the homebrews to the table. Mac's brews come room temperature, but there's nothing for it.

While it is greatly debated, nobody knows for sure what Mac is. Some say he is an angel or fallen angel. Others think he is some sort of fae. Either way, there is definately something mystical about him.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Nervous is a word that sums up Willow. This is the first time she has introduced one of /her/ friends to Harry. The Scoobies don't count! And the same could be true of introducing her boyfriend to Henri.

She wasn't sure if Henri would make like a big brother (or worse!) and treat Harry to the 3rd degree.

Hellequin has posed:
"Merci," Henri thanks Mac as the beers are brought to the table. He's used to room temperature brew, it reminds him of his youth, way back then. The beer is tasted, appreciated, and soon half of the pint is gone.

"I do not know what Willow told you about me, Mr Dresden," Henri finally says, "I trust her not to say more than should be said. So I will do it myself. I am an antiquarian, specialized in Medieval antiques. Weapons, religious items, incunables, and the like. If you need help with something, like looking for a specific item that falls in these categories, I can certainly help you."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry takes a drink of his own. It is very good, even if it is warm. He takes a moment to consider and replies,"She hasn't told me a lot. She did mention that you did antiquities. Judging by your reaction to the room when you came in you can sense things different than we do." he commens.

He considers for a moment and then tells the man,"So some of the more mystical sorts in the area have dreamed about a monster that I have narrowed down to the Canadian Rockies, but the thing pops up all over the place. The people that dream end up being sent to me. So I don't know much more than the thing seems to be beyond evil and needs to be removed."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
*winces*

Willow certainly told Harry more than /that/.

Whispering, she admitted, "I told him about some of your other stuff. About your deal with god. How you are eternal. And that you can sense the mystical nature of some things. I told him when we met, you wanted to kill me for being a witch." Well, it was true.

"He is trustworthy, Herni. He's seen my soul." She reaches across and squeezes Harry's arm. "We really could use the help."

Hellequin has posed:
It is with a raised eyebrow that Henri listens to Harry's explanations of what is happening around. Did he sense it on his nightly tours over the city? Maybe.

"A monster is quite a generic description," Henri finally states, "I know Humans that fit this description. Do you have more details about it? Either way, if it is infernal or nefarious, it falls under my field of activity." Permit to kill would be more accurate, but details are left aside for now.

Pausing, the Frenchman glances at Willow, frowning just momentarily, as if to say that they will need to talk about this later.

"You see, I also have a sideline, as you call it. None that I have chosen myself, but still fulfill after all this time. If you ever heard of the Wild Hunt, this would give you an idea. I can detect magic and infernal very easily. Travelling to the Rockies tonight and hunt down this monster would be no problem. Besides, my hounds are getting hungry."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"What we've come together to decide is it something called a wendigo. A person that committed cannabalism and now it is an undying monster with a constant, never ending hunger for human flesh." he explains.

"It is all in theory at the moment, but it is the strongest theory. It hits all the important areas." he explains,"I have learned a lot of lore, but the locating of it has been...complicated. The location spells are all over the map as it were."

The mention of the Wild Hunt flickers recognition in his eyes. Clearly he knows exactly what that is,"The idea of hounds is appealing."

Hellequin has posed:
The Frenchman listens attentively, drinking some of the beer as he does so. By what he's hearing, this could become such a fun hunt!

"If I recall correctly, the Wendigo is also a North American pest, that First Nations mentioned often in their stories. There might be some truth to it after all. If you need to consult the early missionaries' mentions of it, I can certainly find some. The French ones, coincidently, might produce more information on the legend as they travelled further into the country then".

That said, the beer is finished and with a hand waves at Mac, another one is ordered.

"Those you talk about, who saw them in dreams, I do not suppose that there is any material, physical, proof of its presence left behind? I am asking, because my hounds could use it to track the monster. On Earth, and across the continent if need be. They are amazing hunters."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Mac brings over two steak sandwiches as well as a fresh brew for Henri and Harry. Draining the last of his, Harry nods and thanks Mac. Extra fried potatoes for Willow she is known as a vegetarian in the house.

A nod and he replies,"That is what I have been getting yes. I would be glad to hear more if you have something to add. How to kill it seems to bounce around a little, but most things say you have to burn it. Melt the ice within as it were. Still..."

A shake of his head and he replies,"Nothing like that no. They were just dreaming and came to me to tell me about it. Most of them dreamed of dogmen down in Mexico. Chupacabra first, the dogmen came along after."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Harry wouldn't have trusted you if I didn't!" Willow knows that she took some liberties, but she didn't know how else to get the two of the men together. And frankly? She wasn't sure if she took much longer what 'Willow' would be.. well.. Willow.

Then she shushes as Harry explains the problem.

Hellequin has posed:
"There is no harm done, Willow," Henri replies reassuringly. "I trust that you did what you had to do. And by the look of it, this will be very fun chase."

That said, the Frenchman man grabs the steak sandwich, nodding in approval.

"Dogmen now?" Henri says, looking almost giddy in expectation, "I will certainly do some research, especially to know if a good old long sword can rid Earth of this calamity. Now, if it requires more magical means, I will not be able to provide this. Who knows, when we locate it, then we can find out what will work." Henri pauses, then frowns in thoughts, "I can go to the Rockies as soon as the sun goes down, but something tells me that you two might want to come along."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry nods, listening while the other two talk for a moment. He takes a bite of his own sandwich and chews happily. He nods when Henri mentions the dogmen,"We put the dogmen down, studied one. The chupacabra were interesting, but a little over matched by the dogmen. They were tough and I am glad we don't have to deal with them again."

He takes a drink of his brew and thinks it over,"If you want to go and scout. I want to see if we can get more help. Maybe give us a day or two. No promises it won't be just the three of us."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Finally Willow grabs up her snack.

"Mmm.." She swallows her potatoes. "If you want I can come. Except I would hold you down. But maybe you can scout for us? Narrow it down?"

Hellequin has posed:
"Excellent. Yes, I will go have a look, try to locate it." He pauses, grinning, "I promise, I will not kill it without you." Though it will be interesting to impose self-discipline if so.

"I will also drop by a friend in the Vatican, who has access to the Archives. It is always fascinating the records they have in there."

At the mention of travel, and Willow's offer to join them, Henri thinks for a moment, reaching for his vest pocket. He knows that his friend is not very rich, while he does not even know what to do with his money. A credit card is then placed on the table in front of Willow. "Of course, you will come. Here, I do not need airplane nor hotel, so use this for your expenses. Let's meet once I have patrolled and that we have done more research on the matter."