001 - If I Keep Looking Forward I Won't Fall Back [Vault]

[purplexing]

I. The Armory
Donnie hasn't talked about the last mission. He hasn't talked much to anyone. Not entirely strange, but then nor is his preoccupation with work. At the moment he's taking a break from fixing up the armors that had been acquired during the taking of Hesaeth, working instead on more personal weapons. Or in this case, repairing them.

His staff is in pieces. Normally it collapses into something discreet enough to carry, but some of those pieces have very obvious indentations, damage sustained from the encounter with Lord Gundhir's son. The turtlekin picks up one of the cylindrical segments, holding it up in closer inspection. Repairing it would be possible although he'd likely have to reforge some pieces, but what good would it be if it would still essentially break under pressure?

...

Pushing aside an errant thought, Donnie sets the piece down, pulling out his notebook and a folded sheet of paper from within, flattening it out. The original designs for his collapsible staff, and extra notations for other additions to it. It still needs to be sturdier, but lighter too, especially if he plans to include more capabilities.

He doesn't look up at whoever approaches, only barely hearing the footsteps thanks to the mufflers he always tends to wear, especially down here where there's just so much noise. "Hey, know if there's any scrap titanium I can use?"


II. Subterranean Farms
Tucked away from the main fields and nestled in a smallish nook along the carved out walls, the little garden can easily be overlooked if one isn't paying attention to the strange, spiraling growth of vines dotted with small purple flowers that have started to crawl along the edges of the rock there. That's as far as Donnie's allowed them to grow, always taking care to trim them back before they can get out of hand.

He's rigged his own little light source here, simultaneously taking advantage of where crevices throw shadows across the space to allow for all kinds of plants to be cultivated. At a glance they're definitely more of a decorative sort than to be used for food, but he wouldn't advise eating most of these anyway. There are many flowers and herbs, and even a few types of fungi that grow within the natural rock 'shelves' of the flanking walls.

The turtlekin can be found tending to his beloved plants, removing any dead leaves, carefully watering the flowerbeds or tilling a patch of dirt in preparation for planting something new.


III. The Library
The library's become as much of a retreat as any, and in particular Donnie liked to hide away here because of how much quieter it is compared to other areas of the Vault.

He had come here to do some research but the peacefulness of the area paired with poor sleep has managed to lull him into an unscheduled naptime. Hopefully you didn't need that book he's currently using as a pillow, but be forewarned; he's a drooler.

Comments

II. Subterranean Farms

[newmemorywhodis]

Donnie's little farm hasn't gone completely unnoticed. As he works, Link comes up beside him. Crouches down, so he can get a closer look.

Not a vegetable garden, he can tell - though of course, Link still wonders if any of these plants might be useful for an elixir or as a nice little seasoning...there's lots of ways that plants can be useful.

But these are nice. He likes the little purple flowers, and reaches out to touch one.

"Pretty," he says.

[purplexing]

"Careful with those," Donnie says, not even glancing over. Not that they're poisonous or anything, he knows better than to plant something potentially toxic where people might get too nosy, but the moment Link touches one, the flower slowly folds in upon itself as though it were closing up for the evening.

The turtlekin tosses the dead leaves he's collected into a box to add to a compost heap, finally looking over at his visitor. Oh, this guy.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link makes a noise of acknowledgement, but doesn't shy away from the flower. He does retract his hand slightly however, giving it a little space to open up again.

Then Link glances up, seeing the light source Donnie's rigged up. Is it just for Donnie, or for the plants?

If it's just light he needed, maybe Link can help.

"You want [brightblooms]?" he asks, using the Hylian name for the flower as he reaches into his pack. He pulls out a small faintly glowing seed, holding it out so Donnie can see.

[purplexing]

The turtlekin tilts his head at that. He's still learning a lot of the more common names for plants rather than the things he and his brothers have called them, not knowing otherwise, but there's always something about foreign words that just make them more...obvious? Whatever, it's not a thought he dwells on for long, not when Link is showing him some wondrous thing!

"Wow...." he marvels, eyes widening as he shifts around to have a proper look. If Link's allowing him to, Donnie picks the seed from his hand for closer inspection. "Do they still glow like that when they sprout?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link allows Donnie to take the seed, and nods.

"Brighter," he says. "They bloom when you throw them."

Which made them very useful when exploring dark, lightless caves. All Link had to do was toss a seed, and he'd be able to see properly again.

ii

[singlemilletgrain]

At some point as he tends to his plants, a shadow thrown by the artificial lights momentarily falls over his flowerbeds. Shu has approached soundlessly with a hefty plastic bucket held steady with both hands, dressed once again in a pair of work overalls. ...Absent the bloodstains.

"Fertilizer."

The contents of the bucket are largely unspeakable and also, frankly, do not smell very appetizing. But nose blindness works wonders, and if he can tolerate it for a minute or two, the passage of time will lessen its offensiveness. If questioned, she will murmur something about waste, bone and blood meal, nitrogen, and phosphates. If unquestioned, she will simply kneel down with a trowel and begin to apply the mixture evenly.

[purplexing]

Hands freeze for just a brief second before being prompted to resume what they'd been doing. Donnie seems hesitant about it at first, but he does eventually turn to look up at Shu.

She at least looks well, and while seeing her dressed as she is does poke at the embers of the last mission's memories, it's hard to ignore fertilizer. At least the scent isn't something he's unaccustomed to, a necessary evil, but for the wonders it does for plants. His snout still wrinkles at the first whiff, effectively chasing off the worse stench of bad memories, and he obligingly scoots over to allow Shu space.

[singlemilletgrain]

Her movements are slow. One could call them leisurely, and whether this is because she is feeling some stiffness from the wound or if this is her usual work demeanor is unclear. Speed aside, her hands are precise and practiced. The dirt is turned over expertly as the fertilizer is applied in rows alongside the plants. There seems to be a sort of internal algorithm for determining the correct amount to apply depending on the size of the plant, the relative health, the height, the fruiting, but she never hesitates, maintaining the same pace throughout.

It is obvious she is in her element, and for some time, she works in comfortable silence. ...At least, she is comfortable.

A fair number of minutes pass.

"The woman I lived with. Shennong."

She doesn't mind speaking that name here. It would mean nothing to Donnie.

"She was a sort of plant genius. While others struggled to grow enough to feed themselves, she was coaxing crops out of bare rock. She dedicated her whole life to the people of her land, dreaming of a world where everyone would be fed.

"This was what she always used for her personal gardens. There's a secret ingredient."

[purplexing]

While Shu works, Donnie watches. A lot of what he's learned about plants and cultivating them has been things he's picked up on his own, and it's only when he'd been taken in by the Corsairs that he'd learned so much more. He still helps with the farming sometimes, always eager to soak in the expertise of others. It's the same now, even if it's just watching something that looks so simple as the application of fertilizer.

It's...a tentative comfort. Among plants in his garden is his preferred space to find peace when there's no water to dive beneath, where the boundaries between worlds seem so much more defined and he can believe that nothing can touch him. It's not quite the same in the garden, but the plants don't complain and don't demand or have expectations of him. Sharing that space isn't something he's used to, as even back home his brothers had no interest in plants and left him much to his own devices.

When Shu speaks up again, the turtlekin lifts his head, at attention although part of him wishes for the silence. But he listens while Shu goes on. He frowns just the tiniest bit; what could possibly be a secret in fertilizer? Some specific type of mineral? A particular plant protein once it's been broken down?

"What?" he asks, because surely it can't be a secret if Shu's using the same formula, and Donnie makes knowing things his business.

[singlemilletgrain]

“Frass.”

She responds in her characteristic pleasant tone.

“…Bug poop.”

These two words are incongruous enough with her usual state of being that Shu glances up with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. “Collected from mealworms. I keep them in a bin by the dorms.” This had been an unpleasant surprise for a few of her dorm mates who did not read signs and uncovered what they thought was a trash can to find a massive mound of squirming worms.

“Would you like some?” She may or may not be joking.

III

[minorinasskicking]

The library is one of Gohan's favorite places to be, as well. When he isn't training his body, he's in here, reading what he can. As time has gone on, it gets easier for him to read as his vocabulary in the language grows, which just makes him crave more knowledge.

This time, though, he comes upon Donnie, currently snoozing over a book. Gohan is no stranger to that himself; sometimes a book is so dull that it just leads to him nodding off. Of course, that doesn't help with getting anything done. So he walks up and very carefully and gently taps Donnie on the shoulder.

"Psst. Hey, Donnie. Can you hear me?"

[purplexing]

The turtlekin's face scrunches up as he pulls his arms in closer to try and bury his face. "Mmmph...five more minutes..." he mumbles. "If this is about Raph then tell him he needs to let go so he can pull his hand out of the jar..."

[minorinasskicking]

Gohan raises his voice just a little -- they're in a library, after all. He also shakes Donnie a little harder.

"Come on, Donnie, wake up. It's almost dinnertime. You don't want to miss a meal, do you?"

[purplexing]

"Hrrgh, wha-?" Who's... No wait, that's not any of his brothers. Donnie's eyes fly open as he sits up abruptly, looking around almost startled. Where was he-?

He looks around, trying to connect things back into place while simultaneously not trying to freak out as he does so. Library- right, okay, then who'd woken him up? Blearily his eyes finally fix upon Gohan before he blinks and sighs.

"...you said dinner? Oh wow, I must have really been out," he grumbles, mashing his hand against his face as he tries to rub the sleep from his eyes.

[minorinasskicking]

Gohan glances at his watch and then grins sheepishly. "Well, I might have exaggerated just a little bit. But that just means we have more time to clean up here before dinner's ready. I can lend a hand if you'd like."

Fortunately, Gohan also doesn't have much on him. He's got a notebook and a pencil, but no library books. He'd just returned one earlier, and wasn't looking to take another out with him.

I. The Armory

[fish4science]

Angelika almost drops the box of spares and parts she is holding to stare at Donnie. She blinks twice.

And then she pulls something out of the box and yeets it at him.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! Pick another metal, and do your work with that! 'I need titanium, I love to work in an unbreathable atmosphere and to destroy every machine tool that touches my project' said nobody ever!" It seems that Donnie has touched a raw nerve with his choice of materials.

[purplexing]

Donnie's completely unprepared for an attack, and this one comes in two forms. There's no dodging whatever had been thrown at him, but that doesn't hurt as much as the sharp words Angelika hurls. The turtlekin looks stunned.

What had he done? There's nothing that comes to mind, and the accusations (???) Angelika's made while baffling are like a slap in the face. He's already been on shaky ground, emotionally, work being the only thing that helps him to not think about it. Did he do something wrong?

"I-I'm sorry! I don't... I was just asking...!"

[fish4science]

She comes up short, her hand digging in the spare parts box for another thing to throw. Then she sighs and walks over to him.

"Look, I'm sorry for yelling. But titanium is, if you will pardon my language...a fucking bitch of a metal to work with. I'm not a fan, in case you didn't realize."

[purplexing]

It shouldn't really be a surprise when he steps away from her as she approaches, still looking like some skittish creature ready to bolt.

Angelika's explanation doesn't seem to cover enough for such an extreme response as the one she'd had just then. Donnie's brow pinches, trying to work out a puzzle that hardly seems to have enough pieces to start. He shakes his head, glaring.

"But why would you feel the need to say something like that and throw things at me?!" Anger's easier to deal with, to cover up how much that had hurt. He'd thought they were friends or at least reliable mission partners. His expression falters as he reconsiders the latter. Maybe he'll hang back from missions, he's not sure if he's ready for another one...

[fish4science]

"Mmmmgh. It's gonna sound stupid..." Angelika sat down the box and massaged her temples. "I wear a lot of hats in the Vault. I've got great memory, I'm eager to learn and teach and I've sorta...wound up owing our leaders here. So I get paperwork and proposals for projects and a lot of them are just...dumb. Squeezing cucumbers to extract sunbeams to illuminate the Vault. Earthquake bombs to store the vibrations the Empire hit us with and send them back a thousand fold. Stuff that won't work, or is way too expensive, I have to turn back. And then people yell at me for not saying their ideas were worth doing. I've been wanting to yell back for a while and.."

"AND on top of that!" a little mania crept into her voice now. "On top of all that-you do realize that titanium takes dedicated alchemy set-ups to make at all? That you need to fully de-Phlogistonate the air inside a crucible, and that it's made from molten salt and acid mixed with the most carefully winnowed crystal? I've signed off to forge ingots of it and its silly how much effort it takes to make some. So if you want me to say to my boss that I've given you some titanium, you need to be Absolutely, Positively, One Hundred Percent Sure."

She crossed her arms and made a point of staring directly at Donnie. "That stuff is not for tinkering around with because you had a Neat Idea. I'm sorry I yelled and threw C-clamps and bolts at you, but I'm really tired and you're not the only smart guy who wants something around here I've had to deal with today!" Her voice wobbled a bit at that last.

Armory

[relentless_sentinel]

After that latest Planning phase, Nephenee's down a lance. Sure, she got her best lance back, but she's never been one to just toss one to the wayside...more options is better. And her starter lance has had it bad...she's never had one shatter on her before!

So she's come down to the armory, looking to see if it can be repaired, or at least if it can get a new head on it. Worst case, she'll have to just weigh it down properly to use as a quarterstaff...honestly with the damage to it, that's probably the best option.

As she comes down, she spots Donnie, and wonders to herself if he might be able to help with that. But before she can greet him, he asks her about...something called 'titanium'? She blinks in confusion.

"Uh...sorry, Ah don't e'en know what that is."

[purplexing]

"Huh? Oh, Nephenee!"

Donnie looks over at her with a lopsided smile. "It's a type of metal Lighter than steel and offers about the same durability."

His smile drops as he looks at the segments of his staff with a sigh. "I'm going to have to remake this, but I've been wanting to add onto it anyway. Not sure how soon that's going to happen though," he admits, picking up a couple of the pieces to begin reassembling them. It won't compact because of the dents in some of the pieces, but it's still a weapon. He traces one of the marks with a fingertip.

"A-anyway, did you need something?"

[relentless_sentinel]

...Huh, she would love her some of that metal for armour......Right, don't get distracted by how neat that'd be, Nephie.

She looks over the odd staff pieces and frowns, unsure of what to make of it. "Ne'er seen somethin' like this 'fore," she admits, crossing her arms as she studies it. But while she hasn't seen this sort of weapon, gears are turning - Add onto it? The segments makes her figure it's meant to go together, but she's never seen that in a weapon before...

But, she's also here on a mission, so she'll come back around to asking about the odd segments. Otherwise, she'll get horribly distracted. "...Yeah. Ya ain't the only one who needs somethin' remade. Wanted your thoughts." She reaches back to unholster the long cloth-wrapped bundle on her back, and unfastens the cover, revealing...the halberd she's been using since he met her, but its head has been very thoroughly shattered.

Holding it out to him, she explains. "She got broken on a mission pretty bad. Ah don't think this steel is as strong as back home, or maybe it's just not as strong as back home. But she's dangerous to try to use like this. Ah'm thinkin' it's probably better to jus' break off the head an' weigh it down on that end to be used like a quarterstaff?" It's already balanced for having an axe head, so unless they're going to really go messing with it...she figures just a double-weighted stuff is best. "Whatcha think?"

[purplexing]

Donnie can see her puzzling over it. He laughs weakly, picking up the pieces to slot back together so she can see- it's nothing new really, but the staff he'd been using. "When I'm not using it I keep it collapsed. These parts all slide in, it ends up being about this long when the staff is compacted," he says, gesturing with his hands. "It took a beating the last mission, so now they won't slide in."

Looking at Nephenee's halberd he can place it pretty quickly. After all, it's unfortunately difficult to dislodge the images of that thing lodging into guards or accompanied with a spray of blood. Can't really judge there anymore, can we, Donatello? he thinks, his snout wrinkling as he tries to push away the thoughts of the most recent mission.

"Take a lot to actually break something like that... But then..." He glances at his staff, wondering if it would have held up against another direct blow from that stupidly huge greatsword. "Let me see," he says, holding his hand out for what's left of the halberd. It wouldn't be difficult to remove the rest of what was left of its head from what he can see.

[relentless_sentinel]

"Huh...never heard o'somethin' like that. Sounds real handy, though."

Donnie, do you need to talk about stuff more? You know she's good for it. She can't guess what's going on in his mind, but she senses something's off from that wrinkle. Or at least guesses at it.

Nephenee hands over the broken weapon, frowning. "Never had one break like this...but then again, Ah normally don't go 'round smashin' door hinges, neither. Wonder if it jus' wore out from all blows it's been dealin' an' takin'." To be fair, she's used to far stronger metal and weapons, and the Wishblade is enchanted to not break. "So the dents are preventin' the staff from collapsin', huh? Need some help bendin' the metal?"