Blood Files

She didn't sleep well. The early staffers knew it because Hank didn't smile. She passed pleasantries as always, but her normal spark wasn't in her eyes or smile. Whispers began about "last night."

Rumors circulated through the pack. Hank ignored them as she set about her daily maintenance. Dressed in her usual overall shorts, work boots, and tank top, she wrapped her long, brown hair into a rubber band. First, the slot machines were checked for tampering or hacking. She popped the back of each and plugged her meter into the slots. With a few taps, she calibrated her meter to verify the machine was still in working order.

With the window rolled down, Eric's arm dangled out the side of the car. The night's air felt good against his skin. His head rested against the back of the front, passenger seat. His skin was flushed from Harry's blood and the sex in the back seat. He struggled against smiling too much. He could see that Harry loved driving the car.

The '66 Road Runner rumbled like thunder into the parking lot not far from Harry's place. His head rolled with the turn. While mimicking contentment and cool had been his way of life for a long, long time, Eric felt it. Homesick? Sure. He planned on stealing Harry away from his precious city for a time. But for the moment, Eric was content.

He smiled at Harry.

True to his word, it didn't take Harry very long to restock his icebox and head for the Luna.  The pack was still out in full force, meaning that the club was packed.  He made his way back to Sitri's private table to talk to her and Hank.  It wasn't long before Nauti came back and sat on Harry's leg, grinning and him and Hank.  Sitri just rolled her eyes and laughed.

"We'll keep an eye out, Harry," Sitri assured him.  "Anything suspicious and we'll contact you.  Now, I believe Nauti plans on dragging you and Hank out to dance."  The red-headed wolf nodded enthusiastically and laughed.  Harry grinned and held his hand out to Hank.

"Well, if you insist," he said. 

It was late the next afternoon before the ringing telephone woke Harry up.  He grumbled and managed to crawl out from under Eric to go get it.  It was several minutes later before Harry's raised voice could be clearly heard from the other room.  "Anastasia!  You know I wouldn't make something up... damn it, I don't know where he went!"  A little bit longer, and the phone was slammed back into its cradle.  And then thrown across the room.  Again.

While Harry stripped off his wizardly attire, Eric plucked up the four plastic bags left by his door. He kicked the poor door behind him and made a note to add a few more locks to it at a later date. He walked into the kitchen. He had to dig through his memory in order to add ice to Harry's icebox. It brought a smile to his face once the new chuck of ice was in place.

The Cokes went in first. A raw porterhouse steak was set on plate for Mouse. Eric opened the largest can of tuna for the cat. He shrugged off his coat (another one ruined thanks to the teeth marks on the shoulder) and tossed it on the opposite end of the couch. He unpacked potato chips, crackers and fresh fruit.

After the phone went flying, he waited for Harry to stew a while longer. He picked up the past bag and dropped it on the coffee table. "Fish, chicken, or steak. Which would you like?"

Eric parked the Roadrunner about a block away from the Museum, not wanting the car to warn anyone of their approach.  Harry was hoping beyond hope that this would be simple.  They'd get in, stop Cowl, and be able to leave all in one piece.  He still vividly remembered the carnage from the last time he'd been here and wanted no more to add to it. 

His hopes died quickly though, as soon as they got close to the museum grounds.  Suddenly the shadows were crawling with creatures - goblins and other nasty things that were made just to give people nightmares.  Harry stepped closer to Eric and brought his staff out in front of him.  "Guess we're not sneaking up on him," he said, just as several of the creatures jumped at them.  Harry met them with a blast of force from his staff in midair, sending at least one of them crashing back into a tree with a sickening crunch and knocking two others to the ground to roll backwards.

The Road Runner rumbled to a stop in a small gravel parking lot not far from Harry's front door. He didn't want to advertise just in case anyone was watching last night from any vantage point. Eric was always caution, ever watchful, but since Harry's reaction to the room, he was a vigilant post guard.

He opened the car door for Harry, not that Harry had a chance to do it himself. Eric moved fast and wanted to move faster. He knew nothing was chasing at their heels other than time. Tomorrow night would be difficult at best. Eric wanted to meet it head on and be done with it.

"Shall I carry you?" He smirked.

The old, brick building was off the beaten path. It may have been quite the place back in its heyday, when flappers ruled the speakeasies. Now, it was abandoned with a “For Sale” sign that looked twenty years old. Eric idled the car to its large, wooden doors that hung off of old, rusty rails. He switched off the lights.

“Inside is a sewer gate that he used,” Eric said. He turned to see Russell walk out of the shadows. “I have a shirt for you, Hank, to help with tracking. Russell here’s for back-up.”

The club was busy, the way that it always was as the full moon approached. Not only was the pack prowling the grounds, but there were spectators from all across the state that liked the feel of anticipation in the air and wanted to watch the spectacle in a place where they felt like they'd be protected. From her vantage point on the balcony, Sitri allowed herself to curl her lip up and growl quietly at them all. There were times when the wolf wanted nothing more than to hunt and one of the hardest things about being the Alpha was controlling that urge.

She was distracted, though, when the busy floor parted around two tall men as they stepped up to the bar. Harry would have never gotten that response by himself, but Eric at his side made even the regulars take a step back. Nauti was sitting on the bar, her legs swinging back and forth as she greeted Harry and then pointed up to where Sitri was standing on the balcony. Then the red head looked steadily at Eric for a long moment before smiling. She looked up at Sitri and nodded, which made Sitri smile. For the vampire to get any sort of reaction at all out of Nauti was telling. That it happened to be an affirmative reaction didn't actually mean anything good, but Sitri took it to mean that she didn't have to worry about another war just yet.

Once Harry was breathing deep and even with a slowed heartbeat, Eric slipped out from under the covers. He dressed fast, patting down pants pockets until he found the charm Harry gave him and his cell phone. Once outside, he assembled his phone as he lifted into the air.

From Ludwig's, he found a shirt in the dirty clothes that looked like his. It was blood free and lipstick free, so hopefully the wolf won't become confused. His human found a plastic bag for him. Then, it was quick flight to Fangtasia II. The outside of the bar blended into the brick face of the buildings around. The neon sign had been hung while he slept. Eric rolled his eyes as he walked through the front door.

Becky met him at the door. As they walked, she gave him a run down on the construction of the day. Opening night date had not been altered. Eric thanked her and asked her to call Ludwig's assistant. He showered, changed clothes, and called Pam. Thankfully, Shreveport was quiet. He asked about Bon Temps, but Pam just clucked and hung up.

Eric smiled.

After thirty minutes of paperwork, Russell arrived. Eric called him into his office and explained the situation. Eric watched him very carefully. At times, Eric wondered who Russell's maker was. He was a small man, mousy, who wore glasses out of habit. He looked more like a CPA. He should wear a bow tie to complete the look. Considering he was Ludwig's second in command, Eric saw very little option other than asking him.

If he betrayed Ludwig to Cowl, this could backfire badly. Eric stared as he shared bits of information. Russell reacted as he should. Either he was the best liar in the world or he wasn't a betrayer. Eric gave him the address to the warehouse that had the sewer grate that Cowl last used. He said to meet him there.

As he walked out the door, Becky handed him a plastic bag with a foam container. Eric thanked her. She asked if it was standard protocol; if he didn't check in by the next dawn, make the appropriate calls. Eric nodded.

Back to Harry's. He shed his black leather coat and tossed it on the couch. He set his dinner down on the table. In the bedroom, he paused a moment to stare at the lump under the bed.

It had taken Harry most of the night to finish the wards and the spells on the ballistics vest.  By the time it was almost dawn, Harry had collapsed on his bed, face down on the blankets.  He was still shirtless, but hadn't even bothered to get rid of jeans since Eric had left.  Mister was waiting by the front door, sitting patiently and waiting for it to open so he could go back inside.

With a few more hours to sunset, Eric opened an eye. For a moment, he didn't know where he was until the scent hit him. Not since coming to Chicago had he slept so hard or deep - something he needed desperately. He pressed his face into Harry's pillow and inhaled. He groaned and stretched. Despite what he wanted, Eric climbed out from under the covers.

He made the bed. He dressed in his leather pants with goblin-spittled holes. As he dug out his cell phone to re-assemble, he walked into the living area. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he passed over the rug to the basement. Eric stopped and looked at the rug as he dialed his phone. He walked to door and found that he couldn't push his way through to it.

Of course, Becky picked up the phone at the club just as he let loose with a string of curses. He apologized and gave her instructions for the day. He had to reassure her a few times that he was all right. She more than once offered to "get the gang" and come rescue him. Eric asked her to pick-up what he needed and leave it outside Harry's door as close to sunset as she could.

He called Pam for an update before disassembling the cell phone. He paced the house. He peeked in the cabinets Mouse didn't object to him inspecting. He looked for something to read and ended up with some old papers. He stretched out on the couch. He read while he waited.

After having passed out for several hours, Harry woke up face to face with a vampire that was wrapped around him surprisingly tightly.  Harry wriggled to the side until he could get free of him and then rolled out of bed and gingerly made his way to the shower.  Half an hour later, he was dressed and tightening the wards on the trapdoor to the lab and his front door, and then heading out.  Outside he paused and looked longingly at the Roadrunner before climbing into the Beetle. 

Afternoon traffic was light, so it didn't take Harry long to make it to the Bella Luna.  He leaned on his staff as he went in, the collar of his duster pulled up to help hide his neck.  Nauti was at the stage, setting up and humming to herself.  She waved at Harry, watching him intently as he walked towards the bar.  Harry smiled and then turned to the bartender.  "Are the twins in?"

Harry had been up all night, conferencing with Bob and trying to work out as much of a map as he could of Undertown, so it wasn't entirely surprising when kind of passed out on his couch, several books open and laying on his lap and chest. Mouse was guarding the door by way of laying in front of it, making sure that it wouldn't open around his huge bulk.

Harry whistled to himself as he walked through the club, pausing long enough to throw the woman that was on stage singing a salute.  The redhead winked at him without interrupting her song, causing Harry to grin and shake his head.  He made his way out of the club and stopped in the parking lot, the empty bottle still in his hand so he could return it to Mac later.  Harry leaned on his staff and waited.

He walked through the doors behind a group of bar-hoppers ready for their next good time. He took a chair at a table near the corner; not directly in the corner, only near it with no one behind him. He slouched into a comfortable position with his long legs spread stretched out. He studied the room first, noting the nice decor and decorations befitting it. He watched the people and picked out the regulars easily enough - those that were comfortable in the presence of the werewolves.

When the waitress came by to take his order, he courteously asked for a moment to decide. He waited and watched. When she returned, he asked if he could please speak to the owner. The waitress's face turned worried but she quickly walked away.

Eric waited.

Sitri was at the bar, making her rounds and making sure that she was seen by everyone that needed to see her. Some regular patrons got a small smile. Sitri didn't smile for real until she saw her sister bouncing on her toes and talking to one of the bartenders. "Leave him alone, Hank," she chided gently, bumping her shoulder against her sister's. "He needs to work. Anything interesting tonight?"

He looked like the dead in the soft glow of the street lamps - the pretty dead. Eric talked on his cell phone with one hand resting on his hip. He nodded. His blond hair appeared white in the lamp light. He paced, but stayed on the sidewalk outside the gated drive.

He pushed two buttons on his cell phone before slipping it into his jean's pocket under his black leather coat.

Eric stared up at the ceiling of the elevator. As its cabled pulled the cabin upwards, it rattled back and forth in the shaft. He sighed heavy enough for his black, leather coat shoulders to lift and fall. The light flickered before the brakes squeaked, metal on metal. As soon as the doors opened onto the fifth floor, he slipped out with great speed.

He sauntered down the hall until one of the doors read, "Harry Dresden – Wizard." On any other day, he would smile. But he was in Chicago; he wasn’t making a social call. With his pale skinned knuckles, he knocked on the frosted glass.

Blood Files

Chicago's been my town for years now and I've made sure that everyone knows it. If you mess with Chicago, you're messing with Harry Dresden, Wizard for Hire. Of course, now that the vampires have come out officially, that's gotten a lot more difficult. The werewolves weren't far behind the bloodsuckers and now there's all sorts of things out there that want in on the Bill of Rights. Meanwhile, the White Council and the Wardens are busier than ever before trying to keep the peace. It's not just the supernatural community that needs protecting now. Now it's the whole world and I'm Chicago's only Warden. Chicago is my town, and if you come here you'd better be prepared to follow the rules. A supernatural role-play, think True Blood meets The Dresden Files, just opened over at InsaneJournal. Set in Chicago, the game welcomes original character as well as supernatural characters from television, books, and movies. Moderators will approve all characters. Please check out the rules and regs, along with character applications, before applying. This will be an adult role-play so mature players wanted! Sort through the Blood Files. Links Main Community | Out of Character (OOC) Community

Blood Files