everyonelives | yes you made a little moment and you stirred a little mud

[While he's melting down the snow, she wanders off to sniff around, until she finds a snow suit she can steal so that she can actually communicate. She puts herself back on two legs and gets zipped up before returning to the open door where Parrish is clearing out.]

That looks good. I found the keys.

( still in hellhound mode, he only nods, skin incinerating around him as he finishes his task. it's a menial use of his extensive power, but a necessary one. he will give her a kiss later.

also, please keep the snowsuit. snowsuit and nothing else underneath? antarctica scientist cosplay anyone? )

[She will 100% keep the snow suit, they can have fun with that later. But she will not comment on it and toss one set of keys to Lydia as she and the rest of the exiting cryptids catch up with them.]

Can any of the rest of you drive?

[A few hands go out and she passes out the keys to those capable and then moves to help start loading people into the vans.]

( he also helps anybody who needs it, and can take a vehicle if there's one more set of keys, and if he's needed. but for now, this is about escape. )

[The keys are passed around, the drivers determined, and they all pile into the vans, heading away from the tower. As they glance back, they can see flames starting to creep along the top.

Malia glances back and sees David and Ezra fleeing for their original vehicle with a small child in their arms. No sign of anyone else. She glances back to Parrish.]

One of us should make sure Jackson gets out.

[And ... sorry boyfriend, but you're the most durable. Especially since the top of the tower looks like it's on fire.]

( he nods, agreeing. he cups her face, kisses her swiftly, and then he books it back toward the compound.

guessing it will be two or three rounds for him to meet up if he can )

[Yep, something like that. But he'll meet up with the other team while Malia and Lydia drive off to meet up with Harvey and Alexander back at the rendezvous. And since they'll probably get to the train station first, the fleet of SUVs roll up and Alexander let's out a low whistle when he sees them.]

Guess the murder turned into a rescue.

( harvey looks up, slipping his phone into the pocket of his peacoat. )

And then some.

[The cars come to a stop and the people start loading out, moving slowly into the warmth of the train station. They have some time before the train arrives. Alexander moves to help some of them settle in, while Lydia makes her way over to Harvey with a sigh.]

The top floors of the place were on fire when we left, so it's likely only a matter of time.

( Harvey hangs back, waiting for the drivers, likely one of them being Lydia, to step out. And, that she does. )

And Kirsanov?

Don't know.

[That the other half of their team is going to have to answer for.]

We just let his collection out. They were responsible for handling Kirsanov.

Hence the grand theft auto.

( he tries to get a good look at the escapees. just how interesting will this trainride back get? )

Should we ... worry?

Most of the bloodthirsty ones went in search of Kirsanov.

[Alexander nods as he loops back around after having examined all of them.

"A lot of what we have here is older, less combat-focused cryptids. They just want to see if there's anything left of their lives to return to."

Lydia nods.]

We have some resources to try and help them do that.

So does Alexander.

( and their network, too. )

Do we need to acquire them anything ... less conspicuous?

( jackets or sweaters with hoods? capes? do they have capes at this train station? will people care? )

... I don't now if we have a lot of options.

[But as they sort through the train station, trying to figure out what options they do have, the car with the remaining members of their team pulls up and they pile out of the car.

David has a small girl in his arms, and then looks over the additional people involved and his eyes widen. "Oh ... wow. This is a complication."

Lydia looks over in relief when she sees Jackson and Parrish in one piece.]

Everyone is okay?

( Ezra is flanking David, Max is sticking very close to Rusty, but not speaking, haunted. Jackson is in one piece and Parrish, though wearing singed clothes, is also in one piece, as are they all.

"We're okay," Jackson confirms, trying to find his boyfriend in the crowd, and then, anyone else he can help. Old Underground habits. Parrish takes a count of their extra baggage.

Ezra checks in with the young girl, leaning forward. )

You doing okay, sweetie?

[She chatters back at him in Russian, but she seems well enough. She got through most of her tears in the rush out of the tower, probably, and is now mostly curious, looking around at the train station she's never been in.

Alexander looks over at them, before making his way closer. David gives him a wary look, before Alexander points to a necklace she's wearing.]

May I?

[David very hesitantly nods, and Alexander murmurs a brief spell under his breath. The pendant on her necklace glows, and he pulls back with a smile.]

Hello, sweetheart. What's your name?

["Irina," she says with a smile. "I'm five."]

( oh, because, sure. she knows russian. he just smiles and nods. she seems... fine.

ezra is also wary, but, relents, too. )

She's five.

( well, whadya know. )

["Yes, she is," David nods with a smile.]

You'll want to take it off when she's ready to learn English, but for now at least you can communicate. Though we need to work out some logistics - likely for her as well as the rest of these people.

[David nods, before gesturing for the rest of the group to gather together. "Yeah, let's sort that out. What are we going to do with all these people?"]

They'd look suspicious on the train, but if you can open one of those doors for us, we could take them somewhere where we can start trying to track down if they have any family left from before Kirsanov captured them.

Is that what was keeping her from communicating, or, did you turn the necklace into a translation device?

( it looks like a regular necklace.

but now for more important things.

everyone else gathers closer, harvey and jackson surveying how many they have. )

They'll need to go somewhere safe.

The necklace has a translation charm on it. So as far as she's concerned, we're all speaking Russian right now.

[Hence, why you need to take it off when she's learning English, otherwise ... the charm will do all the work for her. She's too young to understand the difference of actively speaking another language.]

The Underground has resources. If I show you a picture of the door, can you open one even if you've never been there?

[David nods. "I just need to see the door."

Alexander nods as well, before glancing back to Jackson.]

Text Annie for me? Tell her we're going to have a big group incoming.

[Then back to the rest of the group.]

It'll be easier if we skip the train. Jackson and I can go with them and we can jumpstart trying to find their families.

["That just leaves Irina," Rusty looks over at the husbands. "You know you can't take her home, right? At least not right now. Once the Inner Circle finds out Kirsanov is dead, you don't want to have anything that connects you to the murder. Plus, she's still a vessel. I know you said you had the corpse destroyed but we don't want to give them the opportunity to go looking for a loophole."]

( Incoming. Twenty - thirty formerly imprisoned cryptids. We need a full history work-up on all of them.

Max eyes the little girl, and Parrish starts to herd the rest of the group closer, letting them know it will only be a matter of time.

Ezra sighs, wanting to be able to help this girl, but knowing Rusty is right.

"We aren't that decision now. She comes with us on the train. We'll take the ride to decide where we can take her. Somewhere safe. I'm not making this decision on a whim." As far as he's concerned, he's putting his foot down.

"We can bring the network into it," he adds. "Between everyone, there is somewhere safe she can be for the time being."

He doesn't say if they should find out her ancestry. He doesn't want to know if she was bred to be a vessel and not born for any other natural reason. )

[Annie sends back a thumbs up emoji and will go rally the troops.

Alexander nods.]

If you decide to use option Underground, Lydia knows how to reach us.

[David nods, before passing Irina off to his husband, and gesturing towards the nearest door in the train station, which happens to be a bathroom but they'll just use it for the needed purpose. "Let's set up getting these people out over here."

With Jackson heading back with Alexander, Lydia moves forward to give him a parting hug. "Thank you again for coming."]

( Ezra takes Irina, cradling her from the front, her back facing out. oof, she's heavy, she's five.

Jackson gives her a patended smirk.

"What's a little subterfuge between best friends." He nods to Harvey. "You and the suit?" )

I think he's working out.

[It's still early, but things seem to be working out pretty well, in her opinion. It's hard not to be increasingly fond of a man who's willing to go to bat with you in something this messy.]

But we'll see how it goes.

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illtempered - 2024-10-16 06:02 (UTC) - Expand

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