To Call a Crow [Open]

[Rina Vade]

Once again, Rina found herself in Crow territory.

It had actually be a while since she'd been here. The last time was when she had met the little girl, Yachiru and the two strange men. And the few times before that were to visit someone. After hearing about Marcus being the one placed into leadership of Crows, Rina had stayed away. She didn't want to bother him, but curiosity finally got the best of her and she had ventured into Crow territory without a second thought, intent on eventually finding Marcus. There was more than just curiosity driving her to seek him out. The Crows were one of the most prominent organizations in the city, and there had been many times when they'd clashed with Barker's men and lost a few soldiers. She was sure the Dragons had gone through the same events, but she didn't know as much about them as she did the Crows. On that subject, she wondered how David was doing. She had only met him briefly, after he'd rescued her sorry hide from some of Barker's troops.

It was then that she began to realize she wasn't meant for fighting.

Lifting a hand in front of her, Rina curled her fingers into a fist, only to flatten her hand out again, watching a faint mist of teal light surround her fingertips as she flared her energy. She concentrated, trying to tunnel that energy into one spot on her index finger, but ended up dropping her hand down and shaking her head, slightly out of breath. Above her, Niveus circled, swooped and fluttered, exploring the area and making friends with the neighboring birds he happened to run across. Grinning in amusement, Rina continued her trek further into Crow territory. There was no way to tell if anyone had noticed her or not yet.

Unless they just happened to feel a strong emotion such as excitement, fear or anger. Emotions like that tended to spike.

"Niv! Leave him alone!" Rina called out sharply upon seeing the raven swoop down on a blue jay. With an indignant caw, he fluttered down to her and landed on her shoulder, nearly disappearing into her midnight hair, which stood out starkly against her pale skin and light gray tank top. Tapping the crow lightly on his beak, Rina turned her aqua-colored gaze upward and gave a sigh. Searching for Marcus like this wasn't going to get her anywhere. "Let's see if he'll hear me." she muttered half to herself and half to Niveus.

Shutting her eyes, Rina dropped every mental she had and shouted Marcus's name in her thoughts.

"Marcus!!"

If he heard her or not, she wouldn't be able to tell unless he answered.

[Delilah A. Black]

((OOC: Hope you don't mind my dropping in! I haven't had a chance to thread with you before ;D, thought it might be a good time.))

Marcus would not be the first one on the scene this time; in fact, the black haired girl had already been spotted, of course, by the Crows themselves.

Any one and everyone was allowed to enter Crow territory as they pleased, so long as they made no trouble for the citizens and the Crows themselves (though there were exceptions to this rule, such as one Sidervib). That did not mean, however, that the girl was not being escorted...whether she knew it or not.

Today, though, the Crow assigned to watch over the girl as she entered the territory would get an early reprieve; The first thing Rina would notice, perhaps before the mechanic came in to view, was an intense anxiety. Then, jogging around the corner and headed towards Rina was a slightly older woman of her mid twenties. She would appear rather content in her expression.

They were actually quite similar in appearance, with their raven black hair and crystal blue eyes. Apart from a few pointed differences in their features, the main thing that would set the two apart were the plethora of scars across the mechanic's body, including one across the bridge of her nose, and her musculature, glistening with sweat. Their attire was also likely very different, with the raven haired woman armed to the teeth with knives and wearing an oil-stained gray tank-top and torn, ill-fitting jeans.

Delilah blinked as she approached someone she didn't recognize....with a bird on her shoulder. Slowing her gait, she approached with a small smile. "Good morning."

Or whatever time of day it was, Delilah was scarce keeping track anymore.

The pale, black haired woman held out her permanently blackened palm for a shake. "Welcome to Crow territory. I'm Delilah Black."

[Rina Vade]

For once, Niveus was behaving. Rina stood still for a moment, then turned to face the source of a strong emotion coming off of someone who approached her. One could only assume the woman was a crow. Their appearances were surprisingly similar, save for their attire, facial features, and the fact that Rina’s skin tone was a few shades paler. The older woman was also decorated with an assortment of scars. And while Rina was lankier in figure, the woman had more muscle from possibly years of fighting.

Offering her a greeting and a handshake, the woman introduced herself. Rina hesitated at the prospect of physical contact, but reminded herself it was only a handshake and took the older woman’s hand in her own in a firm grasp before drawing back and nodding. “I’m Rina Vade. Nice to meet you.” she replied, unable to offer a smile in return to the small one that adorned Delilah’s expression.

She was never good at showing off emotions.

Shifting slightly, she reached up to rub a finger down Niveus’s beak, not sure what to say next. She could ask the whereabouts of Marcus, she supposed. This woman had obviously been sent to either keep an eye on her, or figure out why she was here. “Is Marcus busy?” she inquired, turning her sapphire gaze to the raven on her shoulder. He was quiet, head bowed as she stroked his beak, his form nearly swallowed up by her hair.

[Delilah A. Black]

Their hands came away from each other with a slight air of awkwardness. The mechanic got the feeling that the girl wasn't quite sure about her just yet.

Delilah blinked at the question about Marcus, eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"He's not here anymore. Marcus is stationed over in Anaheim in the military zone a while after I promoted to Grim. You're in the harbour area, which so happens to be my jurisdiction...more so than everywhere else.

"Have you been in Crow territory before?" not wanting to assume she and Marcus had met inside borders, of course. Neutral territory seemed more likely, but one could never be sure.

[Rina Vade]

"He's not here anymore. Marcus is stationed over in Anaheim in the military zone a while after I promoted to Grim. You're in the harbour area, which so happens to be my jurisdiction...more so than everywhere else."

Well damn. That made things more time consuming, and possibly complicated, as she had no idea where Anaheim was. The raven-haired young woman had almost no sense of direction, either without an aura to follow or an emotion to pinpoint. Thoughts of asking the older woman if there was a way she could help her reach Marcus or get in touch with him were pushed aside at Delilah's question.

Rina blinked, taking on a thoughtful look.

"I have been before." she began, giving the mechanic a nod. "Though I haven't been all throughout the territory. I've been here maybe...oh, two times now, and always remained in relatively the same areas. It's been a while since I've been here, however." she paused, and Niveus gave a little twitter. Rina's aqua gaze settled on him for a split second, and then she turned back to Delilah as if someone had just reminded her of something. "Actually, three times. This would be the fourth." she said.

The crow on her shoulder settled back down, his beady eyes ever watchful of their surroundings.

[Delilah A. Black]

"I have been before. Though I haven't been all throughout the territory. I've been here maybe...oh, two times now, and always remained in relatively the same areas. It's been a while since I've been here, however."

The crow --the actual one with the feathers, not the gang members who had assumed the moniker-- made a chirping noise and Delilah's sharp eyes swiveled over to him to peer at the bird intensely. There seemed to be an unspoken dialogue between the two; she watched with great interest.

"Actually, three times. This would be the fourth."

Delilah nodded slowly, solemnly. Perhaps Rina could hear the steady 'click, click, click' of the raven haired woman's mind clicking as she absorbed this information. Interesting

"-Well, alas for that. But, it so happens that I need to head to Anaheim to check on a radio trasmitter. I can get you there."

[Rina Vade]

Delilah's sharp calculative gaze did not go unnoticed by the younger raven-haired girl.

"More careful." she thought to Niveus in the simplest way she could. The bird sent back half a sentence and a picture of himself not looking at her, which she easily interpreted as him trying to say "secret". "Yes." she sent him, and he fluffed up, tucking his head under one wing and feigning sleep. Rina inwardly rolled her eyes at this. That was the raven's way of telling her the conversation was over.

As Delilah spoke up that she was actually on her way to Anaheim, Rina focused the entirety of her attention on the mechanic, who offered to get her there. "I don't want to be a burden, but that would be very much appreciated." Rina nodded, attempting a smile.

[Delilah A. Black]

"I don't want to be a burden, but that would be very much appreciated."

Delilah nodded, "It's no trouble at all," she started to lift a hand to her blue-tooth hooked up to her ear.

The plan was going to be 'send one of the Tengu as escort out to Anaheim with Rina. Delilah was the First Crow, after all, second only to the Zero Crow, 'Unfettered'. She had about twenty million things to do today alone.

But as she raised her hand up, she found herself brushing a lock of hair behind her ear instead of tapping the ear piece. There was a niggling little sense that it should be the First accompanying this girl to her destination. She wasn't entirely sure what gave her this instinct, but Delilah was never one who was known to ignore them.

The mechanic jerked her head to the side, beckoning Rina to follow. "C'mon. We'll take one of the bikes. Fastest way to cut through Barker territory."

[Rina Vade]

"It's no trouble at all,"

Rina watched the older woman lift a hand to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. No wait. Was that a blue tooth? Well that explained one way on how everyone kept in touch so well. The slow, molasses-like sense of hesitation wafted from the mechanic standing before her, and Rina blinked, waiting.

Finally, she motioned with her head to follow.

"C'mon. We'll take one of the bikes. Fastest way to cut through Barker territory."

Rina did so, and Niveus uttered a squawk of indignation when her movements were to quick for his liking. "Oh, hush you." she muttered to him under her breath, and he gave her a hard look before turning his steely gaze elsewhere.

[Delilah A. Black]

The mechanic would stride briskly through the rows of housing and businesses made from re-purposed shipping containers. Citizens were milling about, bartering goods and services from whomever was working, or else selling their goods to the Crows for 'vouchers' that would pay for materials as opposed to trade. Several men and woman hailed the female Crow with a cheery 'hello' or 'good morning' or, if a soldier, a salute, which she would return while walking.

It wouldn't be long before they made it to the Crow's Nest, a set of military barracks that consistently were running exercises and patrols through the area. Instead of heading towards the main doors, where everyone seemed to more or less be coming and going from, Delilah took a left hand path to a large, tin shed attached to the main building. Upon walking inside, Rina would perhaps find the place to be a garage, with rows of dirt-bikes and a handful of panel vans parked within. Delilah picked out one of the bigger two-seater bikes and wheeled it back out the doors.

She slipped comfortably into the seat and kicked the engine into gear with a backwards kick of her boot. Sliding forwards slightly, the mechanic left enough room for Rina to get on with her.

"Ready?"

[Rina Vade]

It was apparent to Rina that Delilah was very well-liked by everyone in the territory; citizens and soldiers alike. The younger dark-haired girl took to visually exploring the grounds, observing with interest at the way they had set up a sort of bartering system. Finally, they approached the Crow's nest, an area she had actually never entered, despite having been in the territory before. She didn't actually expect to enter through the main doors, and wasn't in the least bit surprised when the older woman led her to what was a sort of garaged. With her hands stained black, Rina had assumed she was a mechanic from that alone, and this only proved her thoughts.

Rows of dirt bikes lined the inside of the shed, and Rina's sapphire gaze was drawn to a particular one as Delilah went in search of a bike. Hearing the mechanic return, Rina tore her gaze away and shifted her weight in a slight sign of unease at the prospect of more physical contact. "Get over it already." she told herself, nodding at Delilah's words and sliding onto the seat behind her. She looped her arms around her waist loosely, mentally instructing Niveus to follow from the air. The crow squawked and fluttered to the top of the open door in front of them, waiting for them to get moving.

Rina gave the bird a scowl. He was laughing at her.

She was never a fan of being in close proximity to other people - it made emotions from others that much more difficult to ignore - and Niveus knew this. He was amused at her predicament. Rina sent the bird an image of a hawk descending upon a blackbird and he stilled, looking away. He understood the message; behave or else. "Ready when you are." Rina spoke up, turning her eyes from the bird to look ahead over Delilah's shoulder.

[Delilah A. Black]

Delilah nodded brusquely, politely pretending not to be aware of the strange interaction between the girl and her Crow. She revved the engine and the bike sped off with a sudden jolt, kicking up dust as they sped out of Crow lands and into Barker territory.

[OOC : Next post belongs to GM, Rina, so please don't post till he does ;D ]

[Marcus Prasad]

Mathmatically, the chances of two young women on motorcycles passing through enemy territory that stretches almost the entire length of California is nearly zero. Taking back roads and abandoned streets would only boost the percentage up by a single digit number considering that all it would take would be one Barker solider to hear them going by.

Now truth be told, security had been lax enough in the past as to allow such a small unit to slip by unnoticed, but after numerous incursions into the red zone, Brutal punishments had the effect of making eyes and ears sharper.

The call came in an hour or two after the women's uneventful entry into the land of monsters. Unknown contact, mounted. Commands response?

Send the Interdiction team.

Mounted on supped up Crotch Rockets, clad in black padded Motorbike one piece uniforms
And imposing black helmets.
Before long, Delilah and Rina would hear the distant roar of Six supercharged bikes hunting after them......

[Rina Vade]

Rina knew they'd been spotted long before there was an indication of the fact. Niveus, who was flying high above them had seen the team of six as they took off in pursuit of Rina and Delilah, and has immediately sent Rina an image of what he saw. "Delilah, we have company." the younger raven-haired girl said into the mechanic's ear. A split second later, the rumbling of the motorbikes could be heard.


OOC - Short, I know. My muse isn't cooperating. ><