Adventures on the Holodeck 15
Captain's Log: March 22, 2017

Harry Dresden's Office
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      NOTE: Harry Dresden is a copyright creation of author Jim Butcher. This photo story is noncommercial fan fiction and not licensed for sale. This story is narrated by Harry Dresden.


      The day started like any other day for Chicago's only Professional Wizard. Gwendolyn came by the office to collect a favor that I owed her. I had not received any consulting work from the Chicago Police Department, and my ledger was already in a iron lung. Some Private Investigators make a good living. I was not one of them. Unless a good job came along soon, I would be helping my dog and cat eat their food.


      In walks this knockout redhead wearing an expression of equal parts curiosity, worry, and fear. Don't even ask me how she managed that. She cradled some kind of flower in one hand, but had trouble holding on to it. The second time she dropped it and picked it up, Gwendolyn bounced up out of the desk side chair and greeted her.

      I was already standing, so I pretended to shuffle some paperwork in the filing cabinet. I half hoped that the redhead would drop her flower behind her and turn around to pick it up again, but the Fates cheated me out of that simple pleasure. She dropped the flower in my client's chair.

      Gwendolyn formally introduced herself. The redhead, Feodora, had a High English Accent with a slight Russian overtone. She said that she modeled for a photographer and that they were doing a feature on the Chicago scene. He disappeared right under her nose at McAnally's Irish Pub. The yellow flower was left in the last place where she saw him standing.

      Gwendolyn asked to see the flower in order to identify the species, but I warned her not to touch it. The Fae have used pretty flowers to lure unsuspecting people into bargains. In a round-about way, that was how I came to owe Gwendolyn the favor.

      I could sense a faint enchantment on the bloom. That might be why Feodora had a hard time holding on to it. Before I could cross the room, both Gwendolyn and I were stunned. We stood like waxwork figures. I could see Feodora trying to talk to us, and growing more worried by the second.

      As it turned out, the enchantment was only meant to stun its victim for a few moments. We snapped out of it about the time that Feodora started slapping my face to wake me up.


      We investigated further at McAnally's. "Mac" McAnally was not in his usual spot behind the bar. I questioned several of the pub's patrons without getting any answers. We made our way to the back corner, where two aged wizards were locked in battle over a never-ending chess game. Without looking up from their game, they related that a Summer Court Faerie contingent was 'working the patrons' at Mac's to lure some away to Tír Na NÓg, clearly in violation of the Unseelie Accords. (McAnally's has been designated "Accorded Neutral Territory".) The aged wizards had been stunned, but apparently rejected because of their advanced ages. After you get to be over a couple hundred years old, nobody wants you anymore.


      I tracked the Summer Court Faeries to a forest (youTube example), then to a graveyard (youTube example) where a hint of frost lingered on the top of one of the grave markers. Closer inspection revealed it to be Maeve's signature marking. To anyone 'in the know', it was the magical equivalent of a flashing neon sign.
      I found Maeve snickering under a veil and outed her to the Summer Court Faeries. They were shocked to discover Maeve's treachery. Maeve, under the cover of a glamour, had tricked the Summer Court Faeries into invading Accorded Neutral Territory. This was another of Maeve's attempts to start a war between Summer and Winter. I firmly warned the troupe of their violation, but asked that they not confess their mistake to Titania, lest that war begin.
      Maeve argued that Mac and the mortals made a conscious choice to follow the troupe to Tír Na NÓg. I disagreed. Since Maeve was here out of season, I gave her a taste of hellfire to remind her. She scampered through a Way into the Nevernever just before the blast hit her, leaving a wicked laugh behind.
      Mac was thoroughly displeased with himself. He thought he should have been wiser, and that he should not have fallen for the ruse. Fearful of wrath of Queen Mab, the real members of the Summer Court Faerie troupe returned everyone immediately.


(from another Holodeck set)
Mac's place always looks bigger on the inside than it does on the outside.
      Time does not pass in Faerie (the Nevernever) the same as our real time. What was only minutes for me turned out to be six hours of our time. Feodora was tending bar and running the kitchen. Most of the other customers had left.
      As it turned out, Feodora was somehow immune to the effects of the flower, except for the fact that she kept dropping it. I had Toot-Toot carry it off to a safe location after bribing him with a pizza. Now that we were back at McAnally's the Chicago photographer bought us all some of Mac's Specialty Dark (served warm) and a steak sandwich. As it turned out, that was the favor that Gwendolyn wanted, so everybody came out good in the end.


      With our thirsts quenched and our bellies full, we meandered back to my office. Feodora launched into a long-winded explanation of how she came to Chicago on a visit with her regular photographer from Toledo.

      They stopped in at the Field Museum to see Sue. Feodora's regular photographer was recognized by a local photographer, who asked if he could 'borrow' her for an afternoon to do a shoot.

      Feodora went on and on about how these guys carried on as though they had known each other their entire lives. They almost ignored her once they got to McAnally's and finished the shoot there. That was when this perky little nymph handed her that flower to show them.

      Gwendolyn reminded me that I still owed her a favor, since I did not pay for the food and drinks. I asked her to consider our little adventure as payment. Feodora laid a few bills on my desk, enough to cover this month's rent. Then she suggested that Gwendolyn model for the Chicago photographer, who had been drooling over her since they met.
  

      I did not create these background models. The fair use agreement does not specify that the source models be listed, but other DAZ users might wish to get some for themselves.

DAZ models used are:
Private Eye Office
Private Eye Props

The rest of my DAZ galleries can be seen here.


      If you look through the User Galleries you will see many pictures that are more well done than I have produced. Still, it is a fun hobby!
  



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