Just getting this handled in advance

[itbelongsinamuseum]

1
[Somebody new has taken over one of the shooting ranges at base. A fairly small girl who looks to be in her mid to late teens wearing her hair in a pair of long braids and observing proper safety protocols by wearing earmuffs to block the sound is practicing shooting with handguns She's pretty clearly a complete beginner, though, not only firing does she have bad accuracy even at the short range she's shooting at, she's observing all proper stances with the kind of uncertain focus common to people who have only just had how to do something explained. Disturb her to give advice, figure out who she is or something else?]

2

[Using the tv in one of the common rooms, Alex is watching the World Cup. One of the teams just scored and from her reaction, it's pretty clearly not the one she was rooting for.]

What was he thinking? Leaving an opening like that?

3

[One of the tables in the cafeteria has been taken over for what looks like a major research project including a big, heavy and above all dry scholarly book in German, a notepad for writing down information that's so far conspicuously empty except for various random doodles, a phone, possibly used to look up dictionaries and an empty mug with dried coffee stains at the bottom. Alex is bent over it, starting to look rather tired of the whole thing.]

Why am I even trying?

Comments

[jianai]

Ah, if only that was the case for everyone. The world is full of all kinds of people, good but also bad. The same applies to my kind - some of my kin are quite rotten.

They will be slightly harder to recognize on sight than me. No horns, you see.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

So the horns are only you? Any particular reason for them?

[jianai]

Technically everyone who is like me has them. They just tend to lose them quite fast.

It happens when they lose something else.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

There are so many things I could say here.

But more seriously, when they lose what?

[jianai]

Faith in people.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I thought it'd be something more physical and tangible of some kind. What kind of technology can even influence the body based on something like that?

[jianai]

It's a psychic effect. Your mind really is mightier than the body.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I just thought that when people die of grief or loses their hair from shock in old books it was just a silly contrivance.

[jianai]

I don't think those people had horns though, did they?

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Well, yeah, but I'm not sure why horns would be different. I mean, they were made for it. I just don't get how.

[jianai]

Ah, I'm sorry - I do not really understand the "how" as well. This is just the way things like me are born.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I guess that makes sense. There are a lot more humans and research into how our bodies work.

[jianai]

Except for a few differences, my body works like that of an ordinary human.

My kin was made to be similar to humanity, if you recall.

...

Ah, I'm not repeating myself, am I? I'm sorry, it happens sometimes.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I still don't really get what to make of all this. When were your kind made? And you never said who your creators were either.

[jianai]

I was born... about 23 years ago, I believe? Yes, that's right. But maybe "born" is not the right word. I looked more or less as I do now, after all.

My creators are no longer with us. I did not even know them personally.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

And you don't know anything about them?

[jianai]

Let's... talk about something else, shall we?

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Ah, sure, sorry about prying.

[jianai]

Thank you for understanding. I hope this didn't create a barrier of distrust between us.