genessia | 4 Cookies eaten. [Audio for Harry Dresden]

[Harry is incredibly busy at the moment. If you won't take his word for it, just listen for the sounds of snoring coming through his bedroom door.]

[When all of a sudden a wild ringtone appears.

Harry jolts awake with a snort and a mumble, fumbling around the side table for his phone, blinking a little when he hears Ruby's voice.]

Mmffrgh...?

[Hold on, he can do better, let him clear his throat.]

Ruby? What's up?

[Uhmmm... Okay, she woke him up and she knows it. This is already awkward.]

I-uh-didn't wake you, did I?

[And yet she still asks.]

Well I was just wondering if you were free to well... I don't know, hang out for a little while?

Edited 2014-01-28 03:32 (UTC)

[She sure did and it sure is.]

Nah, it's fine, I've been trying to kick this whole sleeping habit anyway.

[He sits up, rubbing at his face. It didn't sound like an entirely cataclysmic situation but he catches the tone of worry in her voice anyway (he's a detective, you know) and sighs a little bit.]

Yeah, sure. Nothing else to do at... [he gives the clock a glance] ... twwooo in the morning.

Who needs sleep anyways? Not us, that's for sure.

[Certainly not her, that's why she's already dressed and ready to go.]

Great! hmmm... I guess nothing is really going to be open this late, but if you want we could just go for a walk?

[That just gets a grunt in response.]

Yeah, why not? Meet you outside in ten minutes?

Sounds good! I'll meet you there, don't be late!

[She'll hang up the phone and let out a sigh. She felt bad for dragging him out of bed, and was tempted to call him back and just tell him to forget about it but she really needed his help figuring this out.

She'll make her way outside and find to a bench to sit down on while she waits for Harry to show up.]

[Well, it's too late for that now. He hasn't known Ruby for long but he does recognize that she's not the type to call somebody up in the middle of the night on a whim, which mean's something's up.

And when something is up, so is Harry Dresden.]

[So, a few minutes later he's out in the cold night, drifting between streetlights in his big black coat before he catches sight of Ruby sitting on a bench and heads her way.]

This better be important. I was right in the middle of the big exam and I'm not sure but I think I left my pants at home.

[Oh no. Creepy guy in a big black coat approaching, the last thing Ruby wanted to deal with tonight was a mugger. How was she going to explain what happened to this guy to Har-Oh wait, it is Harry.]

Woah woah! If you don't have any pants you can turn around and march yourself back home!

[Luckily Ruby can see that he is wearing and pants and giggles a little before she decides it's time to be a bit more serious.]

Thanks for . I just... Well something happened and I'm not really sure what to do about it.

[It's a good thing she recognized him when she did. The last thing Harry wanted to deal with tonight was Ruby superspeeding at him with a gun-scythe like an adorable little ball of fury.]

[He grins a little before she turns the conversation serious.]

I figured as much.

[He walks over and sits down on the bench beside her, hands in his coat pockets.]

Let's hear it.

[The adorable little ball of fury has decided to spare Mr.Dresden tonight. Remember that.]

Well.

[She nervously twiddles her thumbs as she takes a moment to think about how exactly she's going to say this.

And then she decides to just wing it.]

So... We kind of found Yang, for a little. Blake did that is, except she wasn't acting like herself and Blake got hurt pretty bad...

[He will treasure every future day.]

[Blake... Blake... the dark-haired girl, he thought. He hadn't met her but from what he heard after the fight with the Uglies, she'd been front and center dealing with Big Ugly on the ground level. He frowns.]

Tell me the whole story.

[As he should.]

Well... Blake apparently found her in Attleton stealing dogs for some reason. We're not exactly sure why. She didn't seem to be herself and attacked Blake then disappeared.

[She'll pause to take a shaky breath, her hands move down to clench the edge the of her skirt.]

It's not something Yang would normally do at all, so my best guess is that Bison creep did something to her because well... he's the one who's had her this whole time.

[He listens to the story then lets out a breath of his own, leaning forward with his arms on his knees. It's obvious she's upset, as anybody would be, but she's also keeping her head on straight and trying to think it through rather than get too emotional. She was doing well, but he still got the feeling that she could really use a good night's sleep.

But that wasn't going to happen until she could at least get herself on track, which was where he came in.]

That explains why my tracking spells got fouled up. Bison's got some freaky mojo around him, it's not a stretch that that and the Archways could have interfered.

[He sighs, rubbing his face again.]

Okay, so now we know that she's alive and in one piece and she's out there somewhere running errands for Chinderella. That means our first step is finding her again. Then we drag her home, and then we figure out what's wrong with her and how to reverse it.

[As much as she'd love to get emotional and just freak out about this, it wouldn't do anyone any good at this point. Her teammates were looking to her to find the best way to handle this problem and that's what she wanted to do, she just didn't know how.]

I guess that'd make sense... It hasn't been just your tracking spells either, everything we've tried to use to find her hasn't worked.

[She nods slowly, her hands slowly move to rest on her lap for now.]

Yeah, I wish it was as easy at it sounds, it's taken this long just to find her once, I just hope we can do it again...

[Yeah, he gets it. When people are looking your way for what to do and how to react, you don't get to be emotional even if that's all you want to do at the moment. When this is all said and done, he'll have to try to make a point to mention that she was handling this pretty well.]

Well, if he's happy enough with whatever's been done to her that he's sending her out on her own then that won't be our last chance. What we have now are two options. Either we get the word out and wait for her to poke her head up again...

... Or we get proactive and hit the Archway in Everglade.

[Wait... Harry knows where Bison's hideout is!? Wait. Of course he does, he's a wizard.

...Oh and the Archway is in Everglade, the town that he's guardian in.

She'll pause as she mulls over both ideas. She wants to go in there and get Yang back, She really does.

But she's not sure if that's the right choice at the moment. Bison and his goons are pretty tough, fighting them on their home turf might not be smartest move they could make.

She'll hold back a yawn and rub her eyes. Maybe this wasn't the best time to be thinking this over.]

He's got an Archway in Everglade? We should keep an eye an eye on that for now.

[Well, he knows there's an Archway in Everglade but that doesn't mean he knows where Bison's hideout is. From what he can tell, the Archway opens up to Thailand which is not exactly a small amount of ground to cover.]

Yeah. Problem there is Bison's not as dumb as he looks and the second we put the fight on his terms, we're at a big disadvantage.

[Seems she's figured that much out already but it doesn't hurt to mention. He looks back when she stifles that yawn, just in time to catch her rub her eyes.]

And you look like you could use some rest.

I wish he was, it would make things a whole easier...

[Because man does Bison look dumb.]

Well... We could always try doing both? I can see how many of people are willing to hit the archway and keep a few behind to keep an eye out for any signs of her or his goons around.

[She'll shake her head quickly.]

Rest? me? No, I'm fine. Really, see?

[And then she yawns again. Are you convinced Harry?]

[He sure does, Ruby. He sure does.]

[He cracks a lopsided grin when she yawns again and sits back on the bench again.]

Get some rest, kid. Believe me, your problems will still be there in the morning.

[She huffs and rests her head against his shoulder.]

Why can't they all just be solved by the time I get up?

[She knows that's impossible but it'd be nice.]

Edited 2014-01-30 04:48 (UTC)

[He blinks a little when he feels her lean on him, glancing her way again, and then sighs heavily. Badass, scythe-wielding monster-slayer, but she was still just a kid.]

If I could pull that off, I would.

[But he only dealt in magic, not miracles.]

[She'll sigh, then yawn again. Her eyes were suddenly feeling very heavy.]

Mmmmm... Maybe one day...?

Maybe one of these days.

[He turns his head toward her. Yeah, she was almost out for the night.]

... We're getting her back, Ruby, I'm going to make sure of it. Whatever that takes.

[Even if that means crossing into that Archway and pulling fake-Thailand down into rubble.]

I know we will.

I'm just so worried about her, I miss her so much...

[She doesn't look up at him, but she'll over and wrap both her arms around him.]

[It's a bit of a surprise when she goes in for the hug all of a sudden. The image of her standing on the back of a fighter jet going in for the kill on a giant monster is still fresh in his mind and it isn't easy to reconcile that with the small girl he's suddenly found himself sitting next to.

But there it is, and it tears at him. Amazing as she is in a fight, she's still just a kid who misses her family. In a lot of ways monsters were easy to deal with, it was uncertainty and waiting that really got to a person.]

I know, [He moves his arm, dropping it around her shoulders to return the hug.] but hang in there. She needs you to be strong right now too.

[Ruby would would kill shot a hundred giant monsters and more if it meant getting her sister back. She could deal with that, kidnapping and mind control, that wasn't something she knew how to deal with.

She'll rest her head against his chest when he returns the huge.]

I'm doing my best, and I'll keep doing my best.

[It wasn't an easy situation to deal with. He didn't know exactly what methods had been used on Yang, but where he came from, mental magic was one of the most insidious, destructive forms of magic around. Harry had personally seen rational minds torn to bits and ruined by it, and he couldn't imagine even mundane methods wouldn't have similar effects.

Even if they got Yang back there would likely be consequences for quite some time, and she'd need her sister there.]

And you're doing good, kid. Really. A lot of people out there would have already caved after all this.

[She'll mumble and lean in a little closer against him. She can't keep her eyes open any more, but she's still up for now.]

I can't let myself do that. It's like you said, Yang needs me to be strong right now... Her and everyone else need me to keep a cool head now.

[For now. He can tell she's just about out like a light, the poor kid. Still, when she shuffles in he pulls his arm a little tighter around her.]

She does, and so do your friends. I can deal though, so don't worry about holding it together right now if you don't feel like it.

Y-you sure about that?

[She wont cry, she's too tired to start doing that right now. Her arms will wrap around him tighter though and she'll just quietly hold him until she gets too tired too do that and her grip starts to loosen.]

Positive.

[Well, that's just fine with him. If she just wants a hug, then that's what she'll get. At least up until she finally starts drifting off. He'll sit up a little then.]

Okay, kid, time to go home.

[She'll groan a little, but doesn't really move. She may be farther gone than he thought.]

...Just five... more minutes...

[Despite everything, he can't help but grin a little. Even to the stalwart heart of Harry Dresden that was adorable as hell.]

Alright.

[Careful not to wake her, he gathers the sleeping girl up and lifts her up off the bench. It was easy enough, she already didn't weigh much and the last time he'd paid a visit to the gym he'd been bench pressing in the neighborhood of six hundred pounds. He takes a second to make sure Crescent Rose is secure as well and heads off back toward Ruby's apartment.]

[She's out like a light, so Harry doesn't have to worry about her waking up as he carries her off to the apartment.

She might start to mumble a little though in her sleep.]

...Mngh... Forgot to... about Mab...

...Tell him next time...

[Wait. Wait just a damn second here. Forgot to what about who?

Harry damn near trips over the curb when Ruby mumbles that in her sleep, and ends up staring down at the sleeping girl. No. No way. What the hell was Mab doing talking to Ruby?]

What? [He considers for a second before shaking Ruby a little bit.] Hey. Wake up a second.

[She'll just shift and grumble in his arms as Harry shakes her. Her eyesbrows furrow as she groans.]

Uhhh... I don't wanna go to school today...

Edited 2014-02-18 03:27 (UTC)

4 Cookies eaten. [Audio for Harry Dresden]

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