Palefur had spent far too much time alone in Orion. The few that had followed her (or, really, she'd followed around) were gone now - Jay and Pebbleriver both. She spent most of her time just...looking up. Gazing at the stars. Watching the twinkling gems that she could never reach and wondering...is this right? It certainly didn't feel right. No matter how much she watched the stars and wished and prayed that they were something more, no matter how much she believed that they were something more, they simply were not. And she was left to wonder what she was doing wrong.

She wandered, useless, worthless, without anything but a hollow emptiness. She was supposed to be carrying out the mission she'd given herself at birth - to bring order and peace to everything, but all she'd done is hopelessly meow at high-above crystals and wish away her time. She spat. Stupid.

At last, she set herself down again. Without anything better to do, she looked up. In her head, she repeated the same wishes as always - Speak to me. Tell me what to do. Show me that you're listening. I'm here for you. But the crystals twinkled overhead, as if she'd said nothing at all. She remained like this for a while, the mantras eventually dying away, leaving her as just a cat, sitting alone among the blue-gray stone.

@Vargas

Kera had, thus far, failed at obtaining him a cat.

He was still looking for one, but in the "just-keep-an-eye-out-for-one" sort of way. At the moment he was returning from a meeting with his new Eye of the Overseer, an old Champion particularly good at moving fast and staying out of sight. He'd even caught a whiff of him, somewhere near here, but it wasn't Garnet Five-Seven-Nine he was looking for, not right now. That one had his own tasks at hand.

Vargas, instead, was heading toward the domiciles. He'd some idea that they were half-crumbled, or more--mostly ruined by the passage of time. But he knew that his Hand lived in one, and a couple other Gembound, and he wanted to find out if there were any additional structures suited to installing his new Eye, as well.

It was quite by chance that he happened upon Palefur: spotting her in the distance, staring at-...

Vargas paused, peering up, following the cat's gaze. ...The ceiling? She's staring at the roof? Puzzled, the Overseer lurched back into motion. Long spidery limbs jerked him toward her, and to forestall any terror at his approach (he knew that cats were new, not part of the old guard), he called out.

"You, there. You are a cat, yes? -What are you looking at? I am Overseer Vargas," he added, identifying himself with a tone of authority. And then--though he had long ago given up ay hope that any of these new spawns had numbers--he asked, "What is your designation?"

@Palefur

Palefur flinched when a voice suddenly called out to her from some ways away. She sighed. She seldom came across others these days...this was going to be as tedious as it always was, wasn't it? She turned her head, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue but she froze when her eyes met the source of the voice.

She sat there for a moment, staring at the monster that was approaching her, brain short circuiting at the sight. She'd never seen anything like him before. Nothing even close. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to think or feel or do in this situation, but the first thing her body told her was to fear him. He was large, monstrous, a predator honing in on his prey. He could snap her up with a single bite. She should be running, sprinting to the other side of the caves and hiding until she knew he was gone.

She almost did that too, scrambling to her feet, but her thought process caught up with her just in time, right as she was about to turn around. She ended up reeling back, facing Vargas as he got closer, but not running. Because if he was a predator and he was trying to eat her, he certainly wouldn't have called out to her like that. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. This wasn't malicious. This was just somebody approaching her.

A really...strange somebody.

She regained her composure a second later, neutrality passing over her expression as she regarded the Overseer. "I am a cat, yes. Why do you ask?" She glanced up at the ceiling that she'd been staring at only a few seconds before. "I was, uh, staring up at the stars. The crystals on the ceiling. I apologize, but I'm unsure of what you mean by 'designation.'" Perhaps that meant her name? An odd way of asking for it, but she gave him a small dip of her head, regardless. "If you'd like my name, I go by Palefur."

@Vargas

He didn't miss the cat's scrambling to her feet in surprise, but he didn't really notice her few deep breaths; she was so far below him (physically speaking, at least) that the sound didn't register to him as out of the ordinary at all. When she spoke, he paused, and listened, glancing briefly up at the ceiling again. And when he replied, his voice was scornful, disdainful--though in a darkly, dryly humorous way and seemingly not directed at Palefur herself.

"The caves have fallen into great disorganization during the great sleep," he observed; "and I despair of ever finding another with a proper number again. But you--you are one of the new spawn; you wouldn't have one. Palefur will have to do, for now."

With another sudden lurge of swift movement, though unhurried, he paced forward--then lowered himself to his haunches close by Palefur, if she didn't flee.

"What are you staring up at, up there?" he went on, squinting all six eyes skyward at the so-called "stars."

He wasn't sure why the quartz ever held anybody's interest, let alone one of the new spawn's; may as well ask. Perhaps she'd have an answer that actually interested him.

Then, more to the point, he swung his gaze back down to the cat and said: "What is it that you do, Palefur-cat? What purpose do you serve?"

@Palefur

Her face remained passive and neutral as she peered upwards to look at Vargas, but internally she sneered with disdain. Is he mocking me? No, perhaps not. The dry sneer in his voice didn't quite seem to be directed at her, but still, she couldn't help but take a bit of offense. It wasn't her fault, after all, if the caves had gone into repair. She quickly pushed it away. She wasn't going to fight or argue with him, she was too deep in awe to remain insulted for long.

"A number?" she asked, politely, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm guessing there was once a more...organized system in place. Less chaotic." The thought gave her a bit of giddy joy that carried through the slight shock of the beast's sudden movement.

She unconsciously took a step back but didn't flee as he crouched down next to her. She was a bit grateful for it, since she could look up at him a little more evenly. She glanced up at the stars on the ceiling and shrugged. "I haven't gotten answers from anywhere else. They are nice to look at - and they are unchanging, uncaring of the messy world below. I can't help but admire that a little. But I won't be looking up anymore." Not since you are here, she thought with a quiet purr. The stars had answered her just this once - that was all she would ever need.

"Purpose?" The question gave her pause because...well, she had no idea. She'd always thought of herself as someone that did have purpose. She wanted to be important and useful but so far, what had she done? Walked around Orion, hopelessly praying to fucking rocks to give her some answers of what to do. "I don't have one," she mewed, a bitter note entering her voice.

@Vargas

Vargas's head swung down in surprise at the cat's words--at her guess that the caves had once been, "less chaotic." A grin seemed to try and twist his rigid features; she had no idea what it was she said.

He didn't interrupt her, though; he listened, curious, to the tiny being's words. And when she'd finished talking, he considered.

"Yes," he said at last, "Yes, there was another system in place. Less chaotic, as you say," and there was dark humor in his tone. She could not understand the irony. And then, to the point. "I have been looking for a cat. Of all of you creatures to spawn from these caves, cats seem to be one of the most numerous. Perhaps the most fit to survive! I wish to know you more. Perhaps I can find a purpose for you," he added.

Vargas knew, from what his Hand had told him, that cats had dominated much of the contests that had run in the caves. Physical, magical; they seemed strong, and to come in all sorts of sizes. He wanted to know how one would have fared in Hydra, though he couldn't remember any having taken part in that trial. And more than that, the thought had gripped him--Why cats-? They were, of course, new to him--but he'd have to get to know one first, to understand them better, before gauging how best to utilize their abilities.

That was part of being a good Overseer, and Vargas took pride in his work.

"Tell me of yourself," Vargas decided abruptly. "Of your past, and your present. Of your hatching, and those you have known. Of trials you have faced, and how you have bested them," and he meant any trials, though Hydra was strong in his mind. "Tell me of your abilities, and your thoughts. I wish to know you better, and then, perhaps, I can tell you much of what I know, teach you of the old systems, and seek purpose for you, and for cats."

His logic, perhaps, might have been a little difficult to follow--in ages past, and with proper context, it would have made perfect sense. But now, it might seem odd, to one with a traditional mindset: that a single being sought to understand an entire species--no, many species, grouped as one--through one individual; and that this single being sought, too, to assign a purpose, the same purpose, to each and every one of them.

To Vargas, however, it was only logical.

@Palefur

Perhaps if Vargas was of a creature that Palefur understood more, or, at least, was even vaguely familiar with, she probably would have caught onto the humor in Vargas's features. She definitely caught something in his tone, but she had no idea what was it underneath that he was expressing. Nonetheless, she foolishly ignored it, perhaps spurned out of her desire to believe that things had once been a world of order because that meant...it was possible to return to such a state.

Vargas considering finding her a purpose send a thrill through her chest, although she didn't visibly show it. She continued to regard him with a level expression, but there was so much internal relief and hope she thought her composure would crack and burst at any second. She certainly went a little more rigid and a light began to glow in her eyes. At last, her waiting and wishing and hoping for opportunity was paying off. Perhaps it was direct, but she was ready.

"About me?" She paused as she gathered her thoughts...and her breath. "Unfortunately, there really isn't a lot to tell. I haven't done anything particularly important nor have I faced any extreme trials. I hatched some time ago alongside another cat, Jay. I stayed with her for a while and we spent most of our young cycles hunting and learning from each other. I met a couple of other cats as well - Adderstrike and Pebbleriver, I believe. I participated in the Olympics, of course, the Obstacle Course, although I didn't place. And ever since then, I've been living here in Orion, surviving by myself, trying to find a purpose for myself." She sighed and flicked her tail. "I may not be as talented in magic as others, but I can talk to people. I can analyze and think well. It's not much, but it's what I have to offer."

@Vargas

Vargas listened, thinking.

A strong mind, she thinks? Analysis? Hrm. An advisor, perhaps? I've no need of one. Though, he realized--and considered--he knew little of the world, now. Perhaps someone more familiar with it could offer their advice; he was doubtful that he needed this, though.

Hmm.

He'd wanted to test the cat--to test cats, in general; he just had to figure out how best to do that. And that was his job, and what he was good at, and what he took pride in: finding a creature's strengths and its weaknesses, and prodding them both, exploring their limits. Thoughtful, a rudimentary plan forming in his mind, he began to speak.

"All right. Then I will tell you of the time before," he said, looking down at Palefur. The rigid hide of his face held no expression; his six eyes blinked, unevenly. "Long ago, there were Masters; many masters. They were tasked with many things; to train, to nurture, to test. The caves held purpose," he added, and his tone held a lamentation, as if in wistful desire for what had once been. "Myriad creatures were created. Tested. The successes were put to use. Working to smooth the operations of this great engine," he went on, gesturing about. He meant a metaphorical engine, of course, but it wasn't quite clear, from his near-rapt, roof-ward gaze. Then he looked back to Palefur. "Or to fight our enemies."

He paused.

He was still a little unclear on the whole "what the hell happened to the Spire?" thing, but he felt no need to inform the little Gembound of that.

After a moment, he continued. "...The Masters are reawakening. As have I. Where before they kept Overseers, to enforce their will in their absence, to manage the things too minor to see to themselves, the Overseers have long slept. And now I am back; and it is time for a return to those ways."

He paused, studying the cat--studying her gemstone, her fur color, her shape. Was her mind truly so keen as to be useful to him?

A test, perhaps, was in order. "So tell me, cat, you who hold your mind as your great strength. Let us say that I--the Overseer, intent on restoring order and authority--want to instill respect in all of those lawless creatures who have sprung up in the silence of our absence. You know them, perhaps, better than I; how would you go about this? Thus far, it seems that only killing them, harming them, will do. They rebel, unknowing of what came before and unwilling to subjugate themselves to what must be." He studied her again--wondering what she might say. Would she side with the creatures of the cave? Did she have some great insight to offer? It was an idle question, more than a plea for help; a test to see just how her mind might work at it. Perhaps she might studiously chip away at the issue, piece by piece, with logic; or maybe some vast revelation would occur to her.

He was curious as to what, if any, her response might be.

@Palefur

Palefur listened to Vargas carefully as he spoke, absorbing the information like water to a sponge. She drank the information eagerly, and considered each piece in turn. When Vargas paused, she took the opportunity to ask her first two question. "I see. And...these Masters, you say they were tasked with keeping the caves running like an...engine." Huh. I don't know what an engine is. "If you'll allow me a couple of questions...who tasked the masters with these things? And what was the purpose of this engine?" Perhaps it was the simple purpose of survival, to thrive in these caves. But there had to be a more eloquent purpose then that - after all, she was surviving fine on her own. Unless, of course, there was some threat or things were drastically different, more dangerous, in the past.

During the second pause, she stayed silent, straightening up a little bit as Vargas's gaze raked over her body. Evaluating her. Her usefulness. I can be useful. I'll help create this change. Because she'd always watched the stars, the unchanging lights above, for something to happen. And they'd brought him here to her - it was an omen, of course. An omen that she should accept this opportunity. That the time to create the change, to start her work, it was now.

She didn't respond to Vargas's question immediately, her mind beginning the whirl as she thought about how, exactly, she would enact the change she desire...or, really, the change that Vargas desire. If those things were even so different. She'd been thinking of this question for a long time, trying to formulate where to start. But killing?

Hmmm...

"I think," she started, carefully, hoping that this was not too bold, "that you may be going about it in the wrong way. Things like this don't happen so quickly, especially if the system you wish to bring back has been gone for such a long time. It is only natural that these lawless creatures will fight back - it is their way of life, after all, to be free. They've been alone without Masters and Overseers for so long that they think they own the caves now and they'll do whatever they can to keep it to themselves. We aren't used to having powerful overlords, nor are we used to having any systems or, uh, engines. By killing and harming them, you only instill yourself as the bad guy and they'll do nothing but fight harder against a common enemy. The cowardly ones, perhaps, may join you only out of fear, but power with fear is a fragile power. As soon as they think they can beat you, they'll fight back once again. No, you need to make them both fear and respect you. You need to make a good first impression, to show the creatures that it is better for them to be compliant in the old systems rather then what they have now. You need to get under their minds and change them before you can start putting old systems back into place. It's the only way I can see it working."

@Vargas

Vargas listened, half-interested, half-distracted by the scents and sounds of Orion. He was never one for talking, not for very long; and Palefur's explanation was rather drawn-out.

Vargas was a cunning brute, but he was, underneath it, still a brute.

"I have not been 'going about it' at all, yet; but your words are a start. And tell me; how would you make the creatures of this cave fear and respect you, both?" He sounded patient enough; truth be told, he already had his plans in mind, and they were nothing all that complex. Though, that being said, Vargas was not so rigid and inflexible a creature that he couldn't incorporate new ideas--assuming Palefur had any worth noting. "How, specifically?" he pressed.

After he'd spoken, he wound his mind back to Palefur's own questions.

"Who tasked them-? Why, the Creator, of course?" he answered, and peered, baffled, at the cat. Do they not even know their own Creator-? he wondered, and a flicker of worry ran through him. Just how long had things been in such disarray..? "And the purpose was to serve him," Vargas added. "To serve the Creator--and to fight! To fight on his behalf." The big Overseer seemed briefly pleased, as if by ancient memories; his tail lashed along the stone behind him, in a great and sweeping arc, not unlike that of a cat remembering a mouse.

@Palefur