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[windycitywizard]

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[SEPT 18, AFTER THE MARCO THREAD]

[blurspot]

[Reira has known for a while where Harry works, and while he's generally not allowed to stay there long, it's enough that he's been able to visit in the past. It's hardly a place for children, but the staff are familiar enough to know that if a small tiny wendigo is coming in, the boy isn't so much lost as just wanting to possibly ask something.

...What walks in this time is not likely expected. While his bear isn't nearly as soaked through as he is, Reira himself is a sopping wet mess, no matter how many times he's shaken the water off his thick fur. Puddles soak the floor around him despite the sky outside being cloudless and clear, Reira's nose occasionally twitching as a droplet of water comes off of it.

He walks right in, and without so much as a word, starts looking for a familiar face. There is no talking now. Only the great need to get dry and warm Right Now.]

<action>

[windycitywizard]

[When Reira enters, Harry is at the bar, back turned and busy mixing a drink, but almost as soon as he comes around to deposit the concoction in front of a customer, he's loping out through the flap and skidding to a stop next to the sopping wet child.]

Holy Moley what happened to you squirt?

[It might not be easy to answer that right off the bat though, considering how fast Harry is bustling him through a door in the back wall and down a narrow hallway to the staff room.]

[soft_focus]

[A lot did, honestly. The boy makes no protest as he is herded away, simply sniffling and shivering despite his immunity to the cold.]

...

...fish lied. [It might just be him, but one could almost read some anger in those words... ...though the few scratches on his shirt (his sweater after all, is yet being repaired) lend to what he means by 'fish'...]

[windycitywizard]

Fish...? Well, maybe later I'll make you a tuna sandwich or something so you can stick it to that whole branch of the animal kingdom. But for now, hang tight a second while I find something to dry you off, alright?

[Harry disappears back into the narrow hallway, where his progress can almost be tracked by the sounds of stomping from one storage room to the next, interspersed by the somewhat quieter sounds of shuffled crates and clinking bottles.]

[soft_focus]

Mnh... [Reira doesn't really have time to realize what Harry meant by all that, which is a shame since he would have very openly said 'no, no fish'. But all the same. He'll stand and wait, occasionally flicking his ear or tail as water drips off.] Okay...

[windycitywizard]

[It doesn't take too long for Harry to return, but when he does, it's with a large canvas bag slung over his shoulder.]

Sorry kiddo, all I could find were bar towels, so this might take a bit. Don't worry though, these are all fresh from the cleaners.

[The bag drops with a muffled thud, and Harry fishes out two large handfuls of the thin-but-serviceable cloths, handing one to Reira.]

Once we've got you dry I'll see about a hot cup of tea or something to warm you up, sound good?

[blurspot]

Brrr... [He just nods, taking one and rubbing his face down as he sniffles.] T...Tea please... [Tea sounds nice. Especially really hot tea. Thanks.]

[windycitywizard]

[Well first thing's first, Harry takes a series of towels to Reira's hair, and once that's as dry as it's going to get, he deposits one more on top of the little guy's head for good measure.]

Alright, now I'll head back out to the bar and see about scrounging up some tea. Use as many of those as you need in the meantime, and once you're done, [Harry motions to opposite corners of the room, the first with a coat rack holding his battered leather duster, the other with a worn old canvas couch] you can grab my coat and bundle up on the couch over there.

[And at that, he bustles out the door again with a concerned glance over his shoulder. Once Reira's settled in, Harry decides, it's time to figure out who this liar of a fish is.]

[soft_focus]

Yeah. [He's going to be running through as many of those towels as he can, shedding his shirt while he's at it to at least dry his upper body. Disadvantage of being almost totally fur covered--it takes an age to get dry.

He manages to get down to 'slightly damp' by the time Harry returns though, and he will indeed find the wendigo curled on the couch in the coat.]

[windycitywizard]

[When Harry returns, it's with an over-sized mug in one hand, string from the tea bag still dangling down the side, and a spoon and a fistful of sugar packets in the other.]

Here you go little buddy. It's nothing fancy, but it's hot, and I don't know how you like it but I brought plenty of sugar just in case.

[soft_focus]

[Fine by him really--fancy is the last thing he wants, and there's a relieved sigh as he takes the tea. He doesn't even bother with letting it cool; it might sting his tongue a bit, but he'd much rather hot tea over being wet and cold right now.

...One sip though-] Umn...

[Anddddd holding that mug out.] S...sugar please...

[windycitywizard]

[He can't help but grin as he hands over the spoon and tears open sugar packets and dumps them in the mug until Reira signals him to stop. The little ewok really knew how to play Harry's paternal instincts.]

Anything else I can get you while we wait for you to dry out?

[soft_focus]

[Hoooh. There's a nod when he's ready again, reaching out for the mug and taking it back to drink. As he sips, he just shakes his head however.] J...Just cold...

[If this is what he gets, this is what he gets, he figures. Hot tea makes everything better though.]