Fortunately enough for Stride’s health, both electricity and heating hadn’t been disrupted by the storm. [i]Un[/i]fortunately, however, the lighting wasn’t as lucky, and nearly all of her windows had been shattered. She had spent the night picking glass from the floorboards by candle, and, after missing a few choice pieces, out of her heels.

It had only taken one short call for the NYCD (or the New York Cryptid Department, if you wanted to be all formal) to give her a pass for coming into work today, and another for her insurance to fork over a lump of cash for the damages. After all, unless one was a mage themselves, there was little one could do to prepare for a sudden magical storm. Lawrence Kelly, the receptionist for the first, had tipped Stride off to the fact that she’d likely be assigned to the case upon her return.

To be completely honest, the idea pleased her greatly. If the storm had gotten any worse, the investigators reported, then they would have been lucky to get away with [i]just[/i] the building’s destruction. As long as the person responsible for this crime was out there, hundreds- if not [i]thousands[/i]- of innocent lives would be at stake.

Currently, however, Stride was busy preparing breakfast herself, head bobbing to the beat of “Living on a Prayer” blaring from her phone’s speakers. It was hardly a five star meal, given that it consisted solely of a platter of pizza bites and a bottle of Coke, but it would do well enough. She had just pulled the plate out of the microwave when her phone buzzed, and, carefully balancing her prize in one hand, she grabbed the phone with the other and brought it up to her ear.

[color=#BC6101]“Oh, hey, ah...Cienna, yeah?”[/color] She listened as the fairy from last night cried softly from the other end, then glanced up at the ceiling, inhaling through her nose. [color=#BC6101]“I'll come get’cha in a sec- just gotta get ready first. Hang on ‘til then.”[/color]  

With that, Stride ended the call, and, after quickly stuffing a handful of bites into her mouth, stuffed the plate and soda into the fridge and went to retrieve her mask from her room. 

[hr]

Eventually, after wading through traffic and winding through city streets, Stride drove up to where Cienna was waiting and rolled the window down. [color=#BC6101]“Alright,”[/color] she drawled. [color=#BC6101]“Where we headin’?”[/color]

[@Daemanis]