rescue mission, part ii. [attn: liz, andrew, jess, jamie, vesta, etc.]

[Jacqui]

There's a murder of crows sent on an errand late at night.

Paid handsomely in trade no doubt for their services as deft feathered messengers, secrets spilled into the frosty air outside a dingy, run down motel on the outskirts of Denver. They settle in trees and peck, tap-tap-tapping at glass. The flutter of spiritual wings circling and landing and seeking out a certain Chakravanti.

The message is a flurry of squawks and mutterings and echoes that spiral and build and then emerge, the impression of it, the shape and sense of it: Frozen-one-who-sought-and-changed found in the heart. Safe. Safe(ty)?

Tell.

Alexander was found. They were safe.

[OOC: So since Ginger is dead (#RIPGinger), this is Kiara's way of ensuring the news gets out that Kiara and Andrés have Alexander. I figure once Nicholas and (presumably!) Pen are aware, they can tell whomever needs to be informed and so on, like a chain of whispers, you dig? :

Serafine also knows where they are, which is a motel on the outskirts of town. It's been warded to high heaven so is secure.

Diceage for Crow-gram below:

Kiara
[Summoning Crow! Hey buddy, got a job for you. I'm thinking Diff is gonna be at least 7 for outskirts-ish of town. - 1 Taking her Time, - 1 Quint and what the hey, we'll add in some WP. I think we need 4 suxx.]

Dice: 3 d10 TN5 (1, 6, 7) ( success x 3 ) [WP]

Kiara
[And once more.]

Dice: 3 d10 TN5 (7, 7, 9) ( success x 3 )

Kiara
[*squint* I think that should just about do it.]

Andrew
Witnessed!  *stamp*

Kiara
[Merci!]

Edit: That second roll should have been Diff 6, derp. But either way, I think it's still enough suxx!]

[Andrew]

This is not the most dignified spirit visitation Nicholas Hyde has had in his life.

There are trees that steeple in over the top of his house, one of which bows in beside his bedroom window.  It is here that the flock alights and finds him (thankfully asleep: this could have been worse), tap tap tapping at the glass until he stirs and begins the slow climb back into wakefulness.  Which ends up, of course, not being that slow when he notices a half-dozen dark birds perched outside his window and staring in at him, at which point all he can manage is a sharp oath: "Fuck!"

Hopefully the flock is inclined to be patient as he fumbles in the dark for clothes, and as he comes to the window and opens it (it sticks twice in the frame: old windows) he peers out at them through the screen.  Long enough to hear the message.  Found in the heart.  Safe.

And perhaps there is this sigh of relief he breathes then, that for now all will stay quiet a little longer.  Perhaps, if Pen has woken up (of course she has, with all of their chatter) he exchanges this look with her then.  "Thank you, Crow."  He does not make further requests of the murder, not tonight.

Passing the news along, though: that's going to wait until the morning.

((Just to avoid a bajillion small infodump scenes, if you want your character to know about this feel free to say they were able to meet with Nick briefly.))

[tithe]

A sharp oath, and Pen opens her eyes. They are dark as the room is dark as the house is dark as the night is dark as everything is dark because the only light is whatever half-light comes in from outside. As her vision adjusts and drowsiness falls away, she watches Nicholas get dressed, watches him stand framed stark in the open window speaking to some Thing she cannot see, hearing some Thing she cannot hear -- just echoes and darkness and when the cold night air gets to her she sucks in a lungful and props herself up on her elbows.

Nick gives her a look. Pen's face is half-in-shadow, hair tangled and very high. He thanks Crow, shuts the window, and Pen has read the relief in the shape of his shoulders. She pulls herself out of bed, and says, "All's well and fair?"

Most of the passing on of news will wait until morning. 

But Pen gets out of bed and goes into her study in order to touch base with Sera, Dan, and perhaps Richard. When she returns to bed, she teases Nicholas about getting dressed for the black and gleaming many eyes of the Murder, wondering at its modesty and its delicacy, whether it would have blushed, etcetera, etcetera.

And maybe she falls back asleep. And maybe she tries and tries to sleep, until, giving up, she goes into her study to work instead.