[ 2 ] video;

[skennen]

[It's been quite some time since Connor has posted to the network. Besides his busy schedule keeping him from using the tablet more casually, he's been wary of leaving messages 'out in the open', so to speak. Who knows what scheming Initiative members and Templars might be watching?

But desperate times do call for desperate measures. He chooses the video option even though he still thinks there's something decidedly off-putting, maybe even dangerous, about recording your face on these window machines.

His hood is up and the background suggests he's on another roof.]

Are you all so concerned about your possessions that you would overlook murder?

[Someone's furious. Someone's beyond furious. (The United Earth and the Initiative might as well be made up of a bunch of Charles Lee's right about now.) There's a good bit of venom in his voice and at times he simply yells, half at the tablet, half at the city around him.

Needless to say, this wasn't what he was expecting to return to when he came back from his recent Outlands trip.]

The Initiative have made it very clear that not only do they intend to relocate us, but they mean to leave their own people behind to die. The excuse I have heard is that they have not the power to save them.

A bold-faced lie if ever there was one.

I have seen you all in battle. I have seen your weapons and how the spirits put inside them have transformed them! I have been witness to your power, the magic you use! I do not doubt the Initiative themselves are weak and useless, but the people they have enslaved to fight for them are strong! You are strong! Will you turn your back on the Exiles now, without making the slightest of efforts to lend them aid?

All I know of these bombs the United Earth uses, I have learned here. Perhaps it is true the city cannot be saved, but we must do everything we can for its people. I propose we take the Exiles away from this land. The United Earth may be out there, but the world is large and they cannot be everywhere. We find the Exiles a safe place, somewhere hidden, then we make our own plans to put an end to the threat that is the United Earth.

[Connor shakes his head, gestures off at the city, a snarl baring some his teeth.]

Help me. The people must know the truth. They must have the chance to save themselves or otherwise be saved. It is wrong to tell them nothing, to leave them to their deaths and run off to some... some fort on the moon! A fort the Initiative have wasted no small amount of our time building, it would seem!

[He isn't even trying to wrap his head around the whole moon deal. Everything is mad here, always has been, always will be. He pauses briefly to breathe and glare off at something in the distance. Probably the Hold.]

I hear the Initiative are trying to convince everyone they will change this through use of their machine, but I ask you: what progress have the Initiative actually made toward reversing any of the United Earth's crimes? How many of its leaders have they sent us to kill, either in this time or the past? What steps have we taken to undermine their power, to cut into their resources, to hinder their plans? Has anything we have been told to do really helped?

A whole world was lost because of the United Earth. Have we made it so that that did not happen? No. We have built a fort. On the moon. It is almost as though the Initiative knew this attack was coming... and rather than send us out to ensure the United Earth's plans did not come to fruition, as they say they will after we are moved and their people suffer terrible, needless deaths, they prioritized the construction of their fort.

To what end? And what pointless missions will they send us on next in lieu of action that might better the situation we all face?

You need only look around you for proof of what I say. What changes do you see? Ten months I have been here and the city and its people are the same. The United Earth are as powerful as they have ever been - or at least as powerful as they need to be to win this war and ravage this world and other worlds further.

Do not buy into the lies the Initiative and their blind supporters tell you! It is not right, what they would do. It will never be right again, not if they have their way in this matter!

[A hiss, somehow that much more vehement than the rest of his message, and not particularly meant for his fellow Transports-]

You do not leave your people to die!

[Huffing and sneering, he looks away one last time.]

Help. Please. Meet me at the apartments if you will. We must move swiftly.

Comments

private; video

[hyanaimne]

[two can play at the hood game. Hers is up, but for her, it's mostly because she's trying to hide the bruising on her face. Badly]

Is there not something called a . . . "blast radius"? [she sounds almost as if she's reading off something] Will you be able to get them far enough away from that?

private; video

[skennen]

[As angry and upset as he is, Connor does falter briefly at the video response. He thinks nothing of the hood, but he definitely notices the poorly-concealed bruises. He swallows down the urge to ask after her well-being. No time, not now.]

I... I do not know. The explosives we had in my time were much simpler. Barrels of gunpowder used to excavate mines or clear away debris.

[It almost pains him to admit his ignorance on the subject, but he can't allow himself to be waylaid by uncertainty. Not when so many people need him.]

What I do know is that I intend to try. I will take as many of them as far away as I can, if there is a chance they will be spared.

technically not here

[vaccination]

[Holy shit. It's that guy she met a while back, and he's pretty scary when pissed. But he's also got some valid points. Or at least makes them sound valid.

She's not going to say anything, already set on leaving as soon as possible, but she'll remember this.]

not here solemn nod

[skennen]

[Gotta watch out for those bear men, Ellie.]

audio

[controlledvariable]

Did you listen to anything I said?

[She doesn't want to go through this again, but they don't need someone making a mess of things, especially not by stirring up the Exiles.]

audio

[skennen]

[There is the slightest derisive sniff before he speaks, though he does readily switch over to audio.]

The spiel about how we must come to terms with the fact that hundreds of thousands of innocent people will die and we should trust the Initiative despite their many failings, despite their taking such a tentative, backward approach to this war that we are now all faced with this?

You are beguiled by their claims and you spout their words well, but that does not make what you said any less false or ignorant.

video;

[freewoman]

[Amen, brother.]

Here, here.

video;

[skennen]

[There's a face he's happy to see. As happy as he can be to see anything in this case, anyway.]

Ygritte. Will you help?

video; open

[senseandcecilbility]

[Kevin has listened to the other Transports' speeches from the quietness of his own room. He had already made up his mind as soon as he heard about the imminent attack. He does not know anything about nuclear missiles, but...]

I cannot allow them to meet such a cruel end. Where I come from they...they are my people.

[Or close enough. He is their guardian.]

audio/private

[maddeninghatter]

[ He's skeptical; but having experienced Kevin's powers first-hand... ]

Can you do anything?

video;

[skennen]

This must be especially difficult for you, then.

[They may not be his people, but he can definitely sympathize... and on more than one level.]

What will you do?

voice;

[taijiya]

[There's no point in saying 'yes you're right,' is there? You can argue philosophy all you want and never get anywhere.]

Are you saying you have a plan?

voice;

[skennen]

I have enough of one.

[A reassurance with some confidence behind it. He's never much been one to come up with the most comprehensive plans, but he believes in his abilities and in the abilities of those who have already agreed to help.]

[video;]

[pixieboots]

...Why didn't I think of that?

[ He sounds a little bit in awe. ]

[video;]

[skennen]

[That catches him off-guard. So much so, he's still staring when he starts his reply.]

I would not know.

[A beat.]

... Were you thinking of something else?

[Voice - Private]

[deadlybanker]

[Giovanni was torn on this. On the one hand it was a very impassioned speech, given with such fury, and he could find little to disagree with in it... but on the other assassins were meant to work in the dark to serve the light not take center stage. He rubbed at his temple before deciding on a way to respond. ]

Gather as many as will listen and we will try to get them to safety.

[It was better to act to save people than to mice words over techniques right now, hm? ]

There is a small grouping of boats near the shore line we might be able to liberate for this cause.

[Voice - Private]

[skennen]

[He really does struggle with that hide in plain sight, work in the dark, Assassins are meant to be quiet and precise tenet - though, in his defense, at least he isn't loudly telling everyone about the Brotherhood and Templars.

... Yet.]

It will be done.

[He is, in a way, relieved to have Giovanni's apparent support in this.]

Do you know if the boats are guarded well? How much assistance will you require taking them?

[voice] 1/2

[anotheryosuke]

[He keeps his voice down, even though there's really not much of anyone around to overhear and the guy already yelled for the entire network to hear. It makes him a little uneasy, but what can you do?

More importantly--]

Wait, wait, I know time is of the essence or whatever, but... Where're you gonna go? I mean... [a deep breath] I wanna help, but I don't know this place all that well.

2/2

[anotheryosuke]

[His voice gets a little more serious, suddenly.]

Look, what I do know is, if you're serious about getting 'em out of here, we've got to get them away from the island. As far as possible. Across the ocean, I don't know. You, um, don't want to be anywhere near one of these bombs when they go off. You really don't.

video

[outliving]

[ They're not my people is the first thing that comes to mind, and he nearly says it, reconsiders. ]

People will gladly overlook a lot things. But who would be stupid enough to listen to the Initiative and think they're telling the truth?

[ he's scowling; a natural look on him, if there ever was one. ] If they're abandoning their own, it's only because we're the more important assets to them. [ Not an uncommon thing, and he's sure his Order would do the same.

A beat. ] Outside the apartments, then?

video

[skennen]

I cannot say I know why anyone believes them trustworthy. They will not even be honest with their own people as they leave them to their deaths and still some Transports would insist they only ever speak the truth to us. It is a foolishness I am not sure I care to understand.

[A sore spot, to be certain - but on to the point.]

Yes, outside the apartments.

Not here

[lazyinlove]

[No response to this, but yep. He saw it.]

Yes good come camping

[skennen]

[Get a move on, scrawny friend of Giovanni.]

video;

[scinlae]

[ she'd private this if she remembered how, but you know what fuck it. SHE DOESN'T CARE IF ANYONE SEES HOW MUCH SHE GIVES NO SHITS. ]

So you will not flee like the rest of them, Connor?

video;

[skennen]

[Privacy, who needs it!]

No... Morgana, I will not. Will you?

video;

[givetheslip]

[This actually goes a long way toward earning Connor forgiveness for the whole squashing thing. Not all the way, but pretty far.]

I will be there.

video;

[skennen]

[And this just might be the first time he's seen Maria and not had some variation of oh, it's her or Templar be among his initial thoughts.

After a brief, hesitating pause, he nods firmly. That is surely an appreciative nod.]

I saw you spoke with the Initiative member.

voice

[unholy_rebirth]

[Ugggghhhh Thereth is waffling so much on this. She's not sure if she can leave the natives behind - it reminds her too much of the Scourge, too much of Theramore - but she's also not sure if Connor's idea is viable.]

Where will you go?

voice

[skennen]

Across the water to the south or the southeast, to the continent beyond it. I believe we would reach the nation of France first. Or what was once the nation of France.

[He's a little rusty on his European geography.]

[video]

[onen]

[This right here is the face of a very proud mama.]

What shall I do? We will need food supplies. I have snared some rabbits but we will need more.

[video]

[skennen]

[He averts his eyes from the tablet.]

There is no time. We will have to hunt in their territory.

[As far as he can tell, there are no good options here for what she can do to help. He would almost prefer to see her on the sky ship, but he can't trust the Initiative with his mother's life. For all he knows, this moon fort may be just as dangerous as what they're facing here.]

I will send the first group of Exiles I gather with you. Take them south and keep them hidden until we are ready.