[Vault] Analysis of a Failure

[curebootleg]

Library - Information Overload

[Preme is one of the more enigmatic new members of the Vault. She seems incapable of fun, expression seldom changing from a distant frown. Mostly disinterested in getting to know other people, or engaging with her peers in general.

It's not like she doesn't have interests, though. The library has been her main focus, and she's been tearing through books at a voracious speed; sitting on the library floor, the stack of books around her slowly gets taller. Books on world history, magic, and martial arts seem to be her main focus, but there are plenty of weird non-sequiturs in there, too - cookbooks, camping guides, even fairytales for children. It's like she's trying to figure out the whole of the human condition without having to actually talk to anyone.

If someone did catch her eye, though, she has plenty of questions.]


Training Room - Grindset

[The other place he's seen most often is here. Preme wants to become strong again, and he's rapidly finding that his patience is not what it used to be.

The beastkin(?) is sometimes eager to spar, comparing his power level to others to estimate his progress, and sometimes just repeating basic katas or beating the hell out of a sandbag. On this particular evening, something snaps, and he lets out a frustrated yell and puts all of his strength into a single punch. Despite his mental image of the bag being pulverized, it just moves a little more than normal.

He looks at the gently swaying sandbag with a defeated look.]

This is a waste of time...

Comments

Library

[purplexing]

[Someone's downright envious of the speed and ease that this person's going through books. Perhaps a bit baffled, and partially wondering if she's even actually absorbing anything or just flipping pages.

The turtlekin had passed by a few times during his own perusal for books that are more of more digestible standards but all the ones he wants to read have too many difficult words, not that it's stopped him from trying. But now he's staring again because it seems every time he goes by, Preme's stacks of books only grows.]

[curebootleg]

[Preme glances at Donatello when he comes in. She's a bit hazy on the way distinctions are drawn between species here, but this one definitely isn't human.

She otherwise files him as unimportant, but as he stares, it occurs to her that she's still thinking like Supreme. If she wants to understand, she has to try to think like they did. Like a human.]

...What do you think of humans?

[purplexing]

[Oh, she noticed. Well, he supposes that's not difficult to do when there's not too much foot-traffic in here. He shifts his weight between his feet, spared the awkward moment as he's addressed directly with a question. Huh.]

They're...not all bad.

[curebootleg]

[That question piques his interest.]

In other words, most of them are?

[purplexing]

I guess it depends. Circumstantial. [It's true enough anyway, vague as it sounds.]

The ones I met prior to joining the Corsairs were mostly terrible if they didn't just plain ignore me, but then from what I've heard, that seems to be the case when it comes to Imperials in general versus...everyone else.

[He shrugs.] Here I've had more exposure to being around humans and found they aren't all cruel and actually care about more than just a promotion. They're also loud at times, rude and baffling at others, but...that's not too unlike my brothers so...

[curebootleg]

The Empire and the Corsairs. Some of them are viciously self-serving, while others will put themselves in danger to help strangers.

What makes them differ, I wonder?

[purplexing]

That's... a good point.

[Donnie frowns thoughtfully.]

I guess...it comes down to what their ideals are and who it makes things better for.

[curebootleg]

Ideals...

[Precure wouldn't shut up about what they believed in. Preme ignored most of it, possibly at its own peril.]

...Do you think that what you believe in can make you strong?

[purplexing]

I didn't know I was going to be quizzed. Do you do this to everyone or just...non-humans? But yes. I do think what you believe in makes a difference that can have an effect.

[curebootleg]

Humans, beastkin, they're all the same to me. This is something I want to understand. The source of your kind's power.

["Your kind" referring apparently to all humanoid life.]

[purplexing]

Uh-huh.

[He tilts his head.]

And...what kind are you then?

[Given that it sounds like this person isn't including themselves in the aforementioned.]

[curebootleg]

I'm no kind but my own. I was a cosmic existence with no equal, before having my power stripped away and being bound to this pitiful shape.

[purplexing]

You were a what now?

[Because whatever Donnie could have expected as an answer, that's not one of them. He blinks.]

Are...you being punished?

[That's what it sounds like anyway.]

[curebootleg]

Maybe. Yes, that's a good way of thinking of it.

For the first time in my existence, I faced defeat, and this is my punishment. Trapped in the form of my enemy, as weak as any of them, with nothing to do but try and understand why I lost.

[purplexing]

Huh... Guess that goes to show you that even unequaled cosmic existences can meet their match...

[Fascinating. And weird. He's not entirely sure how that all works but it helps setting boundaries by things he does understand. There's just maybe the smallest of a snout-scrunch at the implication of people being weak.]

So this is you trying to understand, then. But...are they really weak if they've managed to best you somehow?

[curebootleg]

That's the real mystery. I could feel their weakness, easily shrug off all their attacks, right up until the moment my back was to the wall, fighting desperately to survive. What happened? What changed?

That's what I hope to figure out. Maybe I don't know what strength or weakness really mean.

[purplexing]

From what it sounds like, you're defining strength in terms of physical capability. That's part of the fault. Strength comes in many forms, and where one might fail in one field, they may excel in another.

Training Room

[relentless_sentinel]

[Preme's not the only one in the area, given this is one of Nephenee's normal hangouts as well. But as she's walking towards her room, the Sentinel isn't expecting to hear that sort of yell. It sets her nerves and instincts on edge, and she carefully peaks into the room, halberd at the ready (nevermind it's unlikly a threat, the caution's automatic), and spots the...bunny person? How many Laguz (or not) are around here...

Carefully, she enters the room, still some ways off from the person. Her voice is a bit quiet as she speaks.]

I-is...everythin' alright?

[curebootleg]

Of course not.

[There's still anger in its voice, but it doesn't seem like it's going to vent it at Nephenee. No, it's more angry at itself.]

How long does it take to become strong? This body is so pathetic, I can't sense any improvement at all.

[relentless_sentinel]

[Well, she'll take not getting yelled at, but something stirs in her. How long, indeed?]

W-well, it takes time an' hard work, an' everyone's different. What are ya lookin' to do, fightin'-wise?

[She notices the bit about "this body", but 1) It can wait, and 2) She's not sure if she translated that right in her head. (And relatedly, is this a guy or girl? She's not sure...maybe a really pretty guy like one of the Heron Laguz?)]

[curebootleg]

Ideally, I want to get back to a level where I could destroy the empire myself. However, I'd be satisfied with even one percent of that.

And yet, after exhausting myself training, I don't feel even one percent stronger than I was before.

[relentless_sentinel]

[...Huh. The way Preme's saying that doesn't sound like an empty boast. Which...leads to lots of questions. Well, one thing at a time.]

Your body's gotta build itself up after trainin'. Heard back in the guard that it's important to do a few different things each day, not jus' the same. Not sure why, jus' that's what folks said. But it won't be overnight.

[She doesn't know the science of it, and, frankly, neither do her peers. They just know it works better this way.]

...Uh, ya said ya coulda taken on the Empire by yourself...are ya some sorta...[What was the word here for a divine being...ah.]...deity, back home? Or some sorta hero?

[curebootleg]

Deity? No.

[So this will take, what? Months? Years? Decades? Centuries?

So be it.]

Maybe something more like a monster.

[relentless_sentinel]

[Maybe surprisingly to Preme, Nephenee...doesn't seem to be surprised or taken aback by that statement. The soldier just looks at him for a moment in thought, her expression softening.]

...Think a lotta us been called monsters...Ah've fought beside some back home, too.

[Murderers, monsters...she can't recall all the things she or they were called, or what all of some of her eventual allies had done.

Stepping forward, she shoulders her polearm, and offers her left hand to the other Corsair.]

Ah'm Nephenee.

[curebootleg]

[Preme looks down at her hand, then back up to her. What's she supposed to do, shake it? Why?]

...Call me Preme.

[relentless_sentinel]

[Huh...maybe hand-shaking isn't a thing on Preme's world? She pulls it back and tucks some hair behind her ear in a small, nervous tic.]

Preme, huh? That's a nice name.

[This place sure has all sorts, but she's not judging. It's just very interesting and confusing.]

Um, do ya mind if Ah ask who you're stationed with? Ah don't recognize ya...

[Not that that means anything really, but she's pretty sure she hasn't seen them on the ships? Maybe?]