16491/Dark Willow: Homecoming

Dark Willow: Homecoming
Date of Scene:	19 August 2024
Location:	Harry Dresden's Office, Kingston Falls
Synopsis:	An unsettling visit from Dark Willow has Harry starting defensive plans for things to come. A hard blow to both, time will tell how things go.
Cast of Characters:	Harry Dresden, Willow Rosenberg
Tinyplot:	Dark Willow

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Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry was out of town on whispers of something very powerful and evil in Utah. The idea there might be a chance at a coin from the Denarians can make even the most jaded of wizards abandon common sense for the opportunity to remove another piece of the demon possesed money.

Like most pursuits in this angle, the chase was one of untamed water fowl and no real connection. That isn't to say that he didn't find something bad. There was definately something bad out there, but a tale for another time.

Molly had called him and told him there might be trouble for her family, so Mouse went to stay with the Carpenters. Mister is stayed at home, but Thomas came in to take care of him. The cat is prowling around somewhere in his palace, but who knows where?

Harry dispells the wards when he arrives and walks into the office. Locking the door and resetting the wards he mutters tiredly,"Honey. I'm home." Not that he expects anyone to answer, it's just something people do sometimes.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
It was dark, except for the moonlight streaming in the window.

'Honey..'

Harry's voice echoed through the empty apartment - at least he thought it was empty. He would have been wrong.

A fizzle of magic, and there was light.

"Hello, Harry. Took you long enough. Or should I say, 'Oh honey! I missed you! Dark Willow nearly spat her disdain. "Did you ever really like that? Honestly?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Even through someone is in here, he doesn't go into offensive straight away. There are only a few people that can get past the wards and none of them are a concern as a general rule.

Worn and ragged, Harry looks down the hall in the direction of the magic and the light. He lets his head turn to one side a little like a dog hearing a weird noise. He blinks once and studies her for a moment,"Sorry. The nearly immortal, damned near unkillable Navajo 'mythical being' proved a little more difficult than collecting a Denarius coin." The disdain isn't missed and it does cause him to be defensive almost instinctively.

"As for the other. It would be nice I suppose, but not necessary with the right partner." His eyes narrow just a little and he adds,"I'd ask how you are, but I'd say you're annoyed in general."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
She's sitting on a chair. Relaxed.

This is Harry's house. One that she was allowed into. Past the wards. Even beyond that. As Harry's amore, partner, and student (at times, though less so these days), Willow was allowed into his private *inner* circle. One that he didn't allow many into.

She shared a soul gaze, even.

"Not annoyed. Just.. I keep seeing her life, and I don't get it. She should have had power. And yet, she rumpled it up, and shoved it under a pillow, never to be touched.Who does that? You don't. Power is power. You use it, or else it uses you."

Harry Dresden has posed:
The crease in his brow eases a little and Harry nods,"All right." He walks over to the desk and takes out a bottle of something amber and probably high proof alcohol.

He takes out two pastic cups and pours them each a littel bit of the bourbon, there is the label. He closes it and sets it on the desk. He settles on the edge of the desk and considers her words.

He takes one of the cups in hand and swirls the liquid,"If I ignored my power it would eat me alive from the inside until it, in all likelihood, blew me up." he comments. He thinks for a moment and adds,"She has the power already. Just a question of touching it. Sometimes, right or wrong, someone hides from that. Uses just enough to keep it from blowing up inside. Power is power like you said. Ignoring it doesn't change that."

Probably he isn't fully caught on to what is going on, but like a detective he tries to study out the situation.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Dark Willow takes the second glass of bourbon. Downs it. And asks for another.

"Oh. She had the power. It was oozing out of all the places where she shoved it. How else would I have been able to wrest it from her? She had it, but didn't know how to use it. Oh yes, at times, without knowledge of how she had done it, she used it. Poor dear. if only she realized that putting rules on didn't stop it. Sooner or later I ?was always going to break free. Only this way, I get to be in charge."

She shrugs.

"And you. You didn't try to show her the truth. One might say you enjoyed having an innocent instead of a real partner. You felt good that someone, like Willow, chose you. Wanted to be near you. As though some of you sins could be washed away because of her."

She lifts a brow as if to say, 'Am I wrong?'.

Harry Dresden has posed:
He studies her as she takes the drink and requests another. He pours it as he considers her words. She is right about most of them. Willow had the power, it was a matter of her realizing it and accepting it.

His brow furrows and he replies,"Did I put a gun to her head and throw her into the fire the way I was? I didn't. I had a partner and accepted how she wanted to work. I showed her things that probably helped her lose herself to you." he admits.

He takes a drink of his own, starting to get things lined up as far as personality change,"If I forced my partner to do things what she didn't want to do, what sort of partner would I be?" He swirls the drink and shakes his free hand, pins and needles most likely, arm resting on the chair.

He lets his eyes focus on her since there is no threat to a soul gaze. More to the point if it never tries to start, he knows he's not dealing with a doppleganger,"I was glad Willow chose me yes. I won't apologize for that. My love lift has always been less than stellar and you know that since you soul gazed with me. As for my sins, those are mine and a right good thing I don't have any belief that there is an after life that I'll have to answer for them."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"No afterlife?" Dark Willow puts her legs up on the chair, half lying there. "Willow believes in one. Some sort of one."

She shrugs again.

"You wanted her to choose you. You needed her too. If she could look past you, then maybe you could too. The funny thing is, she always could see both of your sides, and she loved them equally." The bourbon was stirred around in her plastic cups.

"The problem was.. she couldn't see herself that way. Isn't that funny? And because of it, it left the door wide open for me to take the reins."

Dark Willow smiled evilly. "Now we play by my rules. Tell me, aren't you curious what I am like in bed? I've often wondered what you would be like without that thin coating of civility you take when you are with her."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Willow believes in God despite being a witch. That's her call. Not for me to say." he replies and takes a drink of his bourbon.

His face is a little grim and he shakes his head,"Yes I wanted her in my life. No I can't look past my own history even with her in my life." he adds.

There is a look of relief when she says that Willow loved both sides equal despite the crazy that seems to be happening in the office right now,"I wish she could see herself that way. Probably would have made that book less tempting to take."

No accusation, just a simple statement. Considering her words he raises a brow and replies,"Now...I don't think she'd love either side of me if I took you to bed. Anyone would be curious. I have taken my life into my own hands even in that respect. Thin civility is what it is."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Pity. You do know I could coerce you. At least put up a damn good fight.." Dark Willow smiles slyly. "Might change your mind?"

Of course, he finally mentions the one thing that had driven Willow over the edge: The book.

And not just any book. The book that had the spell for opening the Gates of Hell. In order to have the Heavens (theoretically) open wide in the Last Days, the opposite needed to be true as well. There were gates of hell. And then there was the Gates of Hell.

This book was that.

A low, throaty rasp of laughter erupted from Dark Willow. "Ah. The Book. It called to me. Why? Did you want it for yourself?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
"You could try." he agrees and shrugs. He takes a drink and then tells her,"I've been resisting the advances of Thomas' white court half sister for several years. You know what they are capable of. I am just not sure about you yet. There might come a time..."

That would sting Willow, but that might be true and it just might be something to keep his dark companion guessing. When she mentions the book he shakes his head,"I heard the call too, but it never called to me so much as called in general. I wanted to keep it from falling into the wrong hands, but no aspirations. Plenty of red in my ledger. No reason to add more."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Hrm." Whether Dark Willow was answering Harry about the White Court, or the book, is not cl

"Do you know it only talks to those who will get it what it wants, and then when it is where it should be, it's silent." She pulls her lips around her teeth. "It's where it belongs. Finally it has a master who is worthy of its secrets."

Harry Dresden has posed:
He finsishes his drink and studies her. She's his lover for sure. The eyes meeting didn't trigger anything. Still, she doesn't sound anything like the Willow he knows and even loves on many levels.

He strokes his jaw thoughtfully and asks,"So it belong with you. Now it doesn't speak. You're the object of desire of a book? I am getting that right? It chose you? The book."

This isn't disbelief. Maybe he is repeating things to see if the Willow he knows is still lurking around or maybe he's just trying to see what this new Willow is about.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Oh, please. Trying to make me angry over the Book."

Dark Willow finishes her drink, and right herself, before getting up and pouring herself a third one.

"The Book needs a wielder. Period. Without that, it is merely writing on a scroll. An intelligent scroll. With certain other peculiarities. But a scroll, nonetheless. Think of it this way, God, angels, demons, and the like can not hear it, or find it, unless it is placed in their hands. It is invisible for all intents and purposes. Can you not appreciate the power in that one Book? And it chose me."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Do you think if I were trying to make you angry it would be that difficult. You've seen my result of spitting into the eye of a bridge troll taunting vampires in the middle of a fight. Give me some credit."

He gets up and goes to the ice box to grab a bottle of Pepsi and then back to the desk,"So you're telling me you have a book that gods, angels, demons, and the like can't find it. The book chose you then? Is that what you are saying?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Dark Willow laughs, a low, husky laugh. "I know you, Harry. I'm not afraid of you."

The bourbon is swirled in her plastic cup. "It probably would have tasted better in a teacup." She shrugs. "Willow tried to tell you. All of you. About the book. It's an old book. Scroll matter of fact. From way before the library of Alexandria. It was thought to be burnt then. It's an old scroll."

Again, She shrugs.

"The scroll exists for one purpose, and one purpose only, to be able to knock down the Gates of Hell at the end of time." It should be easier to follow the steps from the present time to the end of the world as being a time that was foretold. And equally easy to follow the steps to realize if the scroll was used beforehand, the end of time would be precipitated before the armies were ready.

In other words, this scroll was neutral. Until it wasn't.

And over the thousands of years the scroll had become aware.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Probably as well you aren't. You're still wearing the face of my girlfriend. The steadiest one I have had in years." he replies with a frown.

He listens to the comments about the scroll and about what it is for. The end of the world is lightly mentioned and he raises a brow thoughtfully,"So are you thinking about setting things off ahead of schedule then?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
That's where Dark Willow paused. She hasn't an answer. Yet.

And yet she felt confident within herself that there was nothing that would be a real problem. The earlier weilders of the scroll - for it really was a scroll, not a full fledged book - weren't worthy of the power written within.

But she was.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Either way, it isn't your problem. It's beyond you."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Call me crazy." he replies flatly when she makes the comment about him wanting to know,"Maybe I'll make sure the rest of the people I care about are in the Never Never or something. Find some place new for them to live after." He takes a drink,"I wasn't aware my life or death wasn't my problem. Getting pretty sure of yourself aren't you? I should just lay down and die because you decided a book rules you and you get the fun of killing everything."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
*chink*

It wouldn't be a real crack for quite some time. Perhaps never. But the foundations were laid.

"Harry. Sweet, sweet Harry. You are not going to get me that way. Pity. I thought you would try declarations of love, or some such. Seduction. Tying me up. Anything but that." Dark Willow sighed. "Now I am bored. Really I would have thought you might have kept me busy for longer."

Downing the last of her bourbon, and setting her cup down, she crosses over to him, and runs her left palm along his right cheek. "Au revoir, mon petit choux." And leaning she kissed Harry, on the lips, very lightly.

Harry Dresden has posed:
A kiss. Something once desired more than anything. Now. It's tainted. He listens to her words of course. He doesn't bother to waste his breath on a retort about how she expected him to act other than to snort softly,"Guess you are still learning."

When she kisses his lips he just watches her. This one hurts for a lot of reasons. Then he watches her leave the office and off to wherever she might be going next. As much as he might want to sleep he sighs and goes to he lab to collect things. This isn't his Willow anymore, she is a different sort of dangerous. So within the hour he has a few things and one unhappy Mister in the Blue Beetle and moving things to a fall back position to start planning for what comes next. First stop, the house of a Knight of the Cross.