elnysa | voice, un: endsoftheearth

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voice, un: endsoftheearth

[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.

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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.]

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.

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.]

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...

No. I could use a bit of fresh air. [Not entirely untrue. She's hardly stepped outside since this all began, busy tending to the sick.] Would you offer me some company?

Oh. [Well, that makes sense. She's probably been cooped up in the Sanctuary for days... Anything he can do to help.] Of course. Give me, uh... ten, fifteen minutes, and I'll be there.

[That, and she's not sure how stubborn this one is. Sometimes people take caring as coddling--the younger they are, the worse it can be. Best if he thinks he's doing her a favor.]

Wonderful. I'll be outside.

[Squinting a bit in the daylight, but outside all the same.]

[Terra replies with a quick-]

See you soon.

[-and then he's off the network and on his way.

True to his word, about fifteen minutes later, a young man approaches the Sanctuary and the woman standing outside it.

Terra's definitely looking a little haggard these days, with dark bruises under his eyes and the skin tight over his cheekbones, but this 'mission' he's been offered has revitalized him some. His gaze is sharp and intent, and only a hint of tiredness seeps into his posture when he stops a short distance away from Claire.

He musters up a small, polite smile.]

Claire.

[Claire's seen better days herself. Long hours and watching over patients are things she's done plenty of times before, but it feels different, here. This is a part of something bigger and something they're currently powerless against. So, maybe that's why she's out here, too--she might not be able to do much in the long term for the sick, but she can check in on a young man that's trying to do his best.]

Terra.

[There's a path around the edges of the building, towards the back, where patients might be allowed to walk if they're well enough. Claire motions to it.]

There's a nice place to sit over here.

[He glances toward the path she points out and nods again.

It might not be a very long walk they're going on here, but he offers a bent arm, anyway. His Master taught him both magic and gentlemanly manners.]

So, how have you been? I didn't think to ask on the network and I should have...

[Manners go a long way with Claire. She takes his arm with a nod and a smile, leading them along the cobblestone path. It's relatively smooth, at least. No need to trip up anyone recovering.]

You're all right. [No offense to be found here.] I'm... tired, but I think we all are. You've had a long day or so, it sounds like.

Ah. We're probably all going to need a good rest after we've gotten through this.

[The corners of his mouth tug down in a little wince. He trains his eyes on the path ahead.]

I guess it's been a long... couple of days.

Would you like to talk about it?

[Precisely why she asked him here.]

[Terra hesitates at that. He doesn't suspect she invited him here out of concern; rather, he believes this is just a natural turn in their conversation...

A natural turn he wonders if he might have avoided somehow.

Still scrutinizing the smooth cobblestones, he starts to shake his head. Except then the head shaking ends in a shrug. No... or maybe...? He's never been any good at talking about any of his troubles.]

I've had long days before.

[Longer days, even. Like... one or two.]

[That short of a stroll and a bench appears, the sitting spot Claire must have meant. She lets go of his arm to sit, attention entirely on him as he speaks.]

Maybe so, but you've likely witnessed some difficult things lately. [Like what he posted about.] I know we hardly know one another, but I'm a good listener. These things shouldn't be kept bottled up.

[His arm falls back to his side as Claire sits. He stays standing there beside the bench, looking anywhere but at her. Part of him would like nothing more than to excuse himself and take off to... somewhere. Maybe the Station this time. But he agreed to keep her company. He can't just run off so soon.]

I don't know what to say. [He finally admits, softly.] She took her own life.

And that wasn't your fault. You understand that, I hope?

[Maybe the most important thing to establish, even if he does find an excuse to leave. Someone needs to say it to his face.]

[Terra turns his head away slightly. He's quiet again for a few long seconds, trying to find the words to tell her that she's wrong. That it was, like so many other things, his fault.]

I should have tried talking to her more... I was thinking too much about getting her to Ashti. If I'd talked to her more, if I hadn't told her I was turning her in...

She made her decision. [A pause as she considers. Might as well ask.]

How did she do it?

[His hands curl in and out of loose fists. With the utmost reluctance, he takes a seat next to her.]

I'm not sure... exactly. She... bit off her own tongue.

Bit off her tongue? And then she...?

[Baffling. She turns in her seat a bit to face him more, brow creased.]

Then she... passed away.

[Therein lies his confusion. He can't claim to know a lot about tongues, but it didn't seem like it should be a severe enough wound to take her life.]

I tried healing her, but the spell did nothing...

It's... possible that she had some sort of poison or capsule under her tongue. [Frank had plenty of stories about the L-pill, she knew, but didn't care to share them. Claire understood enough from the little he said and what she heard.]

Which meant she went into this with that in mind. It just happened to be you there, in that situation, but it wasn't because of you. She made up her mind long ago, I'd bet.

[Terra's brow furrows as he thinks that over. Poison being involved in some form would explain a lot... He's not so sure Gnome intended to put an end to herself all along, though.

He nods, anyway, and lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.]

[She leans over a little to tentatively put a hand over one of his.]

I'm sorry you had to see that. You tried your best. You were trying to find us answers.

voice, un: endsoftheearth

audio | un: c.fraser

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