voice, un: endsoftheearth

[earthy]

[It takes Terra a little while to report to the network. He knows he needs to — he can't just keep this information to himself — but he's not really eager to talk about what happened.

He finally just forces himself to sit down and turn on the device.]

... Hello. I'm Terra. I've never put up one of these messages before. If I do something wrong, let me know.

[With a deep, steadying breath, he gets on with it.]

I tracked down another one of the... 'M' people. She told me a couple things that I think might be important.

Uh... For starters, this 'M' group is apparently pretty big. She claimed my catching her wasn't going to stop anything, that there are too many of them... out there somewhere, I guess, carrying on doing whatever it is they're trying to do. Maybe she was just bluffing. Or maybe we're going to be dealing with these people for a while...

Anyway, then she went on to mention their leader. 'The guy at the top of all this.' I thought it was that Shady Man... S-8, but no, it's someone else. She didn't know his name. Said he's really into birds, though? And that he looks like a... normal person.

She told me that this leader has a hideout but that it moves around a lot. Moves around constantly... is what she said. It was in the Theatre District here in Olympia last, but she was sure it had already been moved again...

[He trails off at that and keeps quiet a moment.]

That's about it. All she would tell me.

[Another pause, this one a bit longer than the last.]

Her name was Gnome.

Comments

audio | un: c.fraser

[nineteenfortyfive]

Are you all right, Terra?

[The information can be handled by those better equipped to deal with it. Claire's a healer, a nurse, and so she's not about to go hunting any hideouts. But she can make sure the people who do are okay.]

[earthy]

Claire.

[Her question catches him off-guard and he has to think for a second, but then he knows what to say.]

Yeah. I'm okay.

[He has to be.

Claire is a healer, though. Maybe he can confide in her a little...]

She was so... confident, at first. Really sure of what she was saying and doing. Right up until I told her I was turning her in to Ashti. Then she just... panicked. I haven't seen someone that scared in... a while.

[nineteenfortyfive]

Where are you right now? Do you have a moment to stop by the Sanctuary?

[He might say he's fine but she's not convinced.]

[earthy]

Just outside the walls.

I could stop by. [He misunderstands.] Did you need some help...? I know a lot of people have fallen ill... and I heard it's only getting worse for them. My magic's still useless, but if you need an extra pair of hands...

audio | un: catalyst

[badgerlock]

What happened to her?

[earthy]

She... chose to end her own life, rather than face Ashti and the Guard.

[badgerlock]

I see.

More's the pity.

[For all he understands the sentiment.]

[earthy]

Yeah... Have you been searching for these people, too?

audio | un: blake

[jettisons]

[And Bellamy, as usual, is all business.]

I ran into a couple of women in an alley. They were talking about what the M tattoos meant, mentioned a "little bird" said something about the symbol meaning something to the higher ups "before all this". There were footprints leading into the brick wall at the back of the alley. If there was a door back there, I couldn't figure out a way of finding it.

[earthy]

[Terra appreciates Bellamy's approach very much right now.]

Before all this...? [Some interesting new information. Interesting but confusing.]

It seems like there's a lot more going on in this place, with these people, than we thought... Do you remember where that alley was? Was it in the Theatre District? Or somewhere else?

[jettisons]

Not far from the market, to the south. I could find it again if we need to, but if there was anything there, I bet it's gone.

video; un: manbun

[song_of_ice]

There was someone that did something similar in the entertainment district. He was constantly on the move and eluding guards.

The theater is at least a place where we can begin looking for signs of him.

[earthy]

Huh. Sure sounds like the same guy... Or it could just be another one of his lackeys.

Searching that district is a good idea, though. If they're moving in a hurry, they might be leaving things behind... Clues to where they've been, where they're going, what they might try next...

[song_of_ice]

I don't think it is. I had to catch him and bring him in. Unless he got away again?

If they leave quickly, something will be overlooked in the move. We could search together? You said the theater was where he was last?

voice, un: x crow x

[unpromising]

[ Responding to this feels pretty strange given his name is the same as a bird's, but... whatever. ]

The guy on top looks like a normal person? What's this Gnome look like, then?

[earthy]

[The crow name is a little strange... And then Terra knows another Refugee here who has a hawk for a friend. He's not the least bit suspicious of either guy, but he is starting to wonder just what is it about birds???]

She looked like a 'normal person', too. Like a... human person? I figure that's what she meant when she described him, as well.

She also said she had a husband. I got the impression he might look different.

[unpromising]

[ birds are cool... they are the coolest. they also don't know how to use doors... ]

Husband must've been the rat, then.

[ The one Jeanne Alter was talking about. Qrow isn't insinuating that Gnome's husband was ugly. ]

You alright?

VIDEO | diana

[wondie]

Was. Meaning, she is no longer.

( it still wearies her heart, even knowing what this woman was involved in. )

So it is a matter of finding the location before it moves again.

[earthy]

... Yes. She's gone. It all happened so quick. I tried to heal her, but...

[He stops himself there. It's easy to get mired down in those thoughts, but they really aren't helping anything or anyone.]

I guess that's what we're going to have to do. Find their latest hideout, get to their leader before he can get out. Can't imagine it's going to be easy, though. Gnome made it sound like they really move around a lot... and to all different places. Olympia, Wyver... Who knows where else?

[wondie]

I'm sorry.

( watching a life slip from a body was an unsettling thing. Diana can tell it has him rattled, and she doesn't blame him. for all her training, watching life fade doesn't feel any easier. )

It sounds to me as if such a thing could only be done with magic. Perhaps we can use that as a lead, if we understand how this could even be accomplished.

audio;

[hannya]

You kill her?

[earthy]

No... No, I caught her. I was trying to take her to Ashti and the Guard. She... started to panic when I told her I was turning her in. Then she... ended her own life.

[hannya]

[He scoffs.]

Coward's way, huh? That makes two of 'em, if the other guy is tellin' the truth. Sounds pretty cultish.

Voice | Un: Inquisitor

[heraldsdawn]

[ There is something of a sigh on his end. He's pleased to hear they got more information but still frustrated over the lack of more. It couldn't be helped though. ]

At least we have more to go on. I just wish we could find out the motivations of this group. What drove them to attack.

Still, a lead is a lead. You did good work, Terra.

[earthy]

Something personal would be my guess. Someone wronged them in some way... or... I don't know. Gnome acted pretty strange. She started crying at one point, but then she was laughing at the same time...

[The memory of catching her threatens to replay in his mind's eye again. He takes a second to force it down, and then can only repeat himself-]

I don't know.

[It doesn't feel like he did good work, he wants to argue... but no point in that. Better to try and focus on what to do next.]

Work's not done yet. We gotta find this leader. Then we should have some better answers... Maybe a means to stop the group, too.