Aranfan
Team Plasma Grunt
The best part is that there's just enough missing info and wrong conclusions that the Diamonds won't think anything of it when they clarify that no, they are responsible for the infection, it's working as intended.
Stupid Rock Lady. (Steven Universe Pearl Self Insert)
- Thread starter Tomb Spyder
- Start date
The best part is that there's just enough missing info and wrong conclusions that the Diamonds won't think anything of it when they clarify that no, they are responsible for the infection, it's working as intended.
LOG-100.
Finally, we're back on track. You can consider this the second arc complete. And yet there's so many more still to go…
LOG-100.
"Viridian, please, just listen to me-"
The snarl that escaped past my teeth was harsher than I'd intended, but nonetheless did the job of silencing my former owner, even as a few nearby spectators leaned back at the display.
"No, you listen to me. We both saw what she saw, both experienced it. We're out of time and out of options, this is what we've got left."
Turning around, I leaned over and grabbed a visibly startled Vermilion, reaching towards my gemstone with a free hand and pulling out my notepad and pen, before pushing it towards her.
"Take this, write down everything I say. The rest of you, listen up! I don't have time to explain the details properly, so you'll just have to take what you can get!"
Waiting until the crimson Pearl hastily opened up the makeshift journal, I snapped my fingers, beginning to stalk forwards, past a concerned looking Brim and visibly stressed Emerald.
"The Lapis Lazuli in the mirror, don't forget about her. Vanilla, that's up to you. Rose, Spinel is still in the garden. Find her, she's waiting for you to finish the game."
Ignoring the sound of a gasp, accompanied by hands clapping over a likely wide open mouth, I shouldered past a startled looking pair of Avians, preparing to-
"Make me proud."
"Stop! That's…that's an order."
I remained still, even as Brim made a worried noise, the familiar crawling sensation spreading out from my shoulder.
Slowly, I turned back around, before carefully brushing the hand clasped atop it aside, lips pressed together, focused as I was on not summoning forth my gauntlets.
"This isn't the way. We didn't see every single possibility, we can-"
Emerald's mouth promptly shut as I leaned upwards, and slapped her.
The following silence was deafening, but Onyx's perspective continued to roil inside my thoughts, something I couldn't possibly forget, even if I wanted to.
"You're letting your emotions get in the way of our cracking survival. Do you think I want this? That I want to go back? We don't have time to find other avenues. So stop trying to get in the way! I'm doing this because, despite everything, I actually care about you idiots! Don't you dare waste the chance I'm giving you being stupid, understand!? I'll find my way back, lie to and shatter whoever I need to, so don't go running after me and getting yourself caught, got it!?"
Unsaid was the matter of the Earth itself. It wasn't my original home, but it was the closest thing I had to a replacement. I couldn't afford to lose it. If humanity burned like in the numerous futures Onyx had seen, I'd probably break after the fact.
Taking a deep breath, I willed the worried thoughts away, pulling the mask back up as the admiral's hair wilted, face falling as I stepped away.
"Now, everyone pay attention, and no interruptions! Corruption can be cured. Not easily, but it's possible. You'll need all four separate Diamond essences, in order to bathe the infected gemstones. There's also a lost Light Prism on this world, if you take the right steps you can probably get it to defect. Aside from that-"
—
I tried not to flinch as the purple figure of the Tourmaline made her way into the room, shortly followed by an Emerald (different compared to mine) right behind her.
In another place, in another timeline, the armoured Gem had driven a halberd through my chest. Through Onyx's chest, before shattering us without a second glance.
In this one, she'd patiently waited while a shuttle had settled down next to the Roaming Eye, picking me up even as everyone else had hid within the confines of Rose's room.
From there, it was a relatively short period of a Peridot directing me through a screen to expose different parts of my lightform and gemstone to various scanners, confirming I wasn't infected with the 'disease' plaguing the planet below.
Then I'd been brought aboard, not onto the Sun Incinerator, but some other vessel, left to wait inside a holding cell until my oh so heroic rescuers arrived.
"Viridian Pearl order Sixteen B. Former property of Emerald facet 2M7G, cut 8XS. We have questions for you."
Adopting a demure, but more importantly shaken looking pose, I bowed my head.
"I-I live to serve, your stalwartness."
Nodding, the bulky Gem stepped aside, crossing her arms as the Admiral behind her moved forward and presented a small disc, a small ping escaping its sleek shell.
"Recording start. Before we begin with the interrogation proper, I'd like to ask you a single question."
I noted the sharp glance the Tourmaline sent the officer, but elected not to mention it, dipping my head in a nod instead.
"Of…of course. Please, ask me anything."
The Emerald (not mine, she looked horrifically similar, but the gemstone placement, style of hair and 'uniform' were enough to disassociate her from the oddly caring deserter I'd come to know) clicked her tongue, nodding in turn.
"Good. Did you know why your Emerald went to this planet, upon your retrieval? Do you understand why she was searching for weapons?"
Making a show of confusion, I slowly shook my head in the negative.
"I…don't know why. She seemed hurried, but any attempts to calm her down or get her to relax didn't precisely go to plan, I'm afraid. It…it was a failure on my part as her Pearl."
The green Gem stared at me for a moment, before her expression slowly softened, hand lowering slightly as the recording device shifted between her fingers.
"Then I am afraid it falls upon me to inform you that your owner betrayed the Empire before finding you. She is a criminal, wanted for desertion and direct disobedience against the Great Diamond Authority. Under normal circumstances, Tourmaline here would bring her in, and likely also bring you back to the Reef to be assigned to a new owner."
The Emerald paused, biting her lip.
"Unfortunately, we aren't detecting any hint of a signal from the Retaliator, which in turn corroborates with your story. She's likely shattered, or worse. As a result…I am legally obligated to inform you of your new status as a loose Pearl."
Glancing up slightly, I tilted my head, projecting as much ignorance as possible. Not hard to do, considering I'd only heard the term a few times during the more 'successful' timelines.
"Loose…Pearl?"
Pressing her lips together, the admiral glanced over at her purple counterpart, who in turn remained utterly silent, staring back at her until the suddenly awkward looking Gem looked back to me.
"By Imperial law, a Pearl whose owner goes against the Authority will be taken from said owner, to be returned to the Reef, or their Atoll of origin, and given to a Gem more fitting of their servitude."
She glanced down slightly, hands moving to clasp at the disc behind her back.
"However, in the event the owner of a Pearl is shattered or considered permanently lost, loyal or otherwise, the servant in question is declared loose, and thus up for adoption."
She blinked, shifting in place slightly.
"Traditionally, various Gems of a similar rank and standing to the previous mistress will approach them after the fact and propose ownership, with the Pearl accepting or declining based on how similar they are to the one she originally served. Afterwards, a Gem of higher rank will be brought in to officiate the transfer in command. The issue here, is that you served an Emerald. The only authority higher than our own is either that of a Moissanite, or the Diamonds themselves."
Carefully folding my hands in front of each other, I sent the admiral a suitably helpless look, even as she shot a quick unhappy looking glance in the Tourmaline's direction.
"So…so what is to be done with me? Will I go to you?"
Shaking her head, the officer clicked her tongue again.
"As much as I would love to keep a Gem of your quality and experience, I am needed on the Northern Galactic Front, to be assigned a new task after this operation is completed. It's no place for a civilian, much less a Pearl."
Reaching up, the Emerald brushed her hair back in an uncomfortably familiar way to the one that was likely still following my instructions back down on Earth.
Just like everyone else. Hopefully.
"No, after we confirm things here, I'll bring you back to the closest Warp hub. There's an administrative Hessonite I know of that manages part of the Crystal Confluence. She already has her own Pearl, but I understand she was a close contact of your former owner. Perhaps she'll take you in."
Whatever else she might have said, it was quickly interrupted by the Tourmaline stepping past her, armour clanking slightly as she settled to a stop, easily towering over me with her bulky frame.
"That's the legal necessities dealt with for now. First of all, do you have anything stored in your gemstone belonging to your Emerald? Datapads, reports, physical notes she might have given you?"
I had tools of every shape and size, a veritable mountain of snacks, enough of Rose's tears to fill a fucking pool, a couple destabilizers, a lucky charm of feathers Brim had given me and so, so much more.
"Ah-I have this! D-does that help?"
The purple Gem firmly grasped the small (fabricated) cargo manifest I'd pulled out from my storage, glancing over it with narrowed eyes hidden behind her helmet's visor.
"...It is acceptable. Anything else?"
Shaking my head sadly, I held out my empty hands in a helpless pose.
"I was mostly there to keep track of things and sing for the soldiers. Vermilion kept hold of the physical items. At least until she…she…"
It was such an incredibly novel feeling, letting myself cry in front of Imperial Gems. Wasn't hard to force though, considering all I really needed to do was think about the sheer level of bullshit no doubt in store for me once this damned fleet left the system.
"I-I'm sorry, I-"
My attempts to wipe away the tears drew uncomfortable glances from both of my interrogators, before the Emerald let out a huff.
"Enough. Tourmaline, go to the bridge and complete the scans. The Peridots say they've spotted more of the…infected, while surveying parts of the planet that hold higher colonial infrastructure. Particularly the Warp pads. I'll handle the Pearl for now."
The armoured warrior stared back silently, right up until the admiral let a scowl fall over her features, hair practically bristling as she stood up slightly taller than normal.
"That's an order, soldier. Do not forget who is in command here."
And just like that, the purple Gem relented, gruffly turning and marching out of the room.
I let out a very much genuine sob as her green counterpart turned around, slowly letting a hand fall atop my shoulder before patting it gently.
"Make me proud."
"There there, poor thing. We'll get you home, safe and sound."
LOG-100.
"Viridian, please, just listen to me-"
The snarl that escaped past my teeth was harsher than I'd intended, but nonetheless did the job of silencing my former owner, even as a few nearby spectators leaned back at the display.
"No, you listen to me. We both saw what she saw, both experienced it. We're out of time and out of options, this is what we've got left."
Turning around, I leaned over and grabbed a visibly startled Vermilion, reaching towards my gemstone with a free hand and pulling out my notepad and pen, before pushing it towards her.
"Take this, write down everything I say. The rest of you, listen up! I don't have time to explain the details properly, so you'll just have to take what you can get!"
Waiting until the crimson Pearl hastily opened up the makeshift journal, I snapped my fingers, beginning to stalk forwards, past a concerned looking Brim and visibly stressed Emerald.
"The Lapis Lazuli in the mirror, don't forget about her. Vanilla, that's up to you. Rose, Spinel is still in the garden. Find her, she's waiting for you to finish the game."
Ignoring the sound of a gasp, accompanied by hands clapping over a likely wide open mouth, I shouldered past a startled looking pair of Avians, preparing to-
"Make me proud."
"Stop! That's…that's an order."
I remained still, even as Brim made a worried noise, the familiar crawling sensation spreading out from my shoulder.
Slowly, I turned back around, before carefully brushing the hand clasped atop it aside, lips pressed together, focused as I was on not summoning forth my gauntlets.
"This isn't the way. We didn't see every single possibility, we can-"
Emerald's mouth promptly shut as I leaned upwards, and slapped her.
The following silence was deafening, but Onyx's perspective continued to roil inside my thoughts, something I couldn't possibly forget, even if I wanted to.
"You're letting your emotions get in the way of our cracking survival. Do you think I want this? That I want to go back? We don't have time to find other avenues. So stop trying to get in the way! I'm doing this because, despite everything, I actually care about you idiots! Don't you dare waste the chance I'm giving you being stupid, understand!? I'll find my way back, lie to and shatter whoever I need to, so don't go running after me and getting yourself caught, got it!?"
Unsaid was the matter of the Earth itself. It wasn't my original home, but it was the closest thing I had to a replacement. I couldn't afford to lose it. If humanity burned like in the numerous futures Onyx had seen, I'd probably break after the fact.
Taking a deep breath, I willed the worried thoughts away, pulling the mask back up as the admiral's hair wilted, face falling as I stepped away.
"Now, everyone pay attention, and no interruptions! Corruption can be cured. Not easily, but it's possible. You'll need all four separate Diamond essences, in order to bathe the infected gemstones. There's also a lost Light Prism on this world, if you take the right steps you can probably get it to defect. Aside from that-"
—
I tried not to flinch as the purple figure of the Tourmaline made her way into the room, shortly followed by an Emerald (different compared to mine) right behind her.
In another place, in another timeline, the armoured Gem had driven a halberd through my chest. Through Onyx's chest, before shattering us without a second glance.
In this one, she'd patiently waited while a shuttle had settled down next to the Roaming Eye, picking me up even as everyone else had hid within the confines of Rose's room.
From there, it was a relatively short period of a Peridot directing me through a screen to expose different parts of my lightform and gemstone to various scanners, confirming I wasn't infected with the 'disease' plaguing the planet below.
Then I'd been brought aboard, not onto the Sun Incinerator, but some other vessel, left to wait inside a holding cell until my oh so heroic rescuers arrived.
"Viridian Pearl order Sixteen B. Former property of Emerald facet 2M7G, cut 8XS. We have questions for you."
Adopting a demure, but more importantly shaken looking pose, I bowed my head.
"I-I live to serve, your stalwartness."
Nodding, the bulky Gem stepped aside, crossing her arms as the Admiral behind her moved forward and presented a small disc, a small ping escaping its sleek shell.
"Recording start. Before we begin with the interrogation proper, I'd like to ask you a single question."
I noted the sharp glance the Tourmaline sent the officer, but elected not to mention it, dipping my head in a nod instead.
"Of…of course. Please, ask me anything."
The Emerald (not mine, she looked horrifically similar, but the gemstone placement, style of hair and 'uniform' were enough to disassociate her from the oddly caring deserter I'd come to know) clicked her tongue, nodding in turn.
"Good. Did you know why your Emerald went to this planet, upon your retrieval? Do you understand why she was searching for weapons?"
Making a show of confusion, I slowly shook my head in the negative.
"I…don't know why. She seemed hurried, but any attempts to calm her down or get her to relax didn't precisely go to plan, I'm afraid. It…it was a failure on my part as her Pearl."
The green Gem stared at me for a moment, before her expression slowly softened, hand lowering slightly as the recording device shifted between her fingers.
"Then I am afraid it falls upon me to inform you that your owner betrayed the Empire before finding you. She is a criminal, wanted for desertion and direct disobedience against the Great Diamond Authority. Under normal circumstances, Tourmaline here would bring her in, and likely also bring you back to the Reef to be assigned to a new owner."
The Emerald paused, biting her lip.
"Unfortunately, we aren't detecting any hint of a signal from the Retaliator, which in turn corroborates with your story. She's likely shattered, or worse. As a result…I am legally obligated to inform you of your new status as a loose Pearl."
Glancing up slightly, I tilted my head, projecting as much ignorance as possible. Not hard to do, considering I'd only heard the term a few times during the more 'successful' timelines.
"Loose…Pearl?"
Pressing her lips together, the admiral glanced over at her purple counterpart, who in turn remained utterly silent, staring back at her until the suddenly awkward looking Gem looked back to me.
"By Imperial law, a Pearl whose owner goes against the Authority will be taken from said owner, to be returned to the Reef, or their Atoll of origin, and given to a Gem more fitting of their servitude."
She glanced down slightly, hands moving to clasp at the disc behind her back.
"However, in the event the owner of a Pearl is shattered or considered permanently lost, loyal or otherwise, the servant in question is declared loose, and thus up for adoption."
She blinked, shifting in place slightly.
"Traditionally, various Gems of a similar rank and standing to the previous mistress will approach them after the fact and propose ownership, with the Pearl accepting or declining based on how similar they are to the one she originally served. Afterwards, a Gem of higher rank will be brought in to officiate the transfer in command. The issue here, is that you served an Emerald. The only authority higher than our own is either that of a Moissanite, or the Diamonds themselves."
Carefully folding my hands in front of each other, I sent the admiral a suitably helpless look, even as she shot a quick unhappy looking glance in the Tourmaline's direction.
"So…so what is to be done with me? Will I go to you?"
Shaking her head, the officer clicked her tongue again.
"As much as I would love to keep a Gem of your quality and experience, I am needed on the Northern Galactic Front, to be assigned a new task after this operation is completed. It's no place for a civilian, much less a Pearl."
Reaching up, the Emerald brushed her hair back in an uncomfortably familiar way to the one that was likely still following my instructions back down on Earth.
Just like everyone else. Hopefully.
"No, after we confirm things here, I'll bring you back to the closest Warp hub. There's an administrative Hessonite I know of that manages part of the Crystal Confluence. She already has her own Pearl, but I understand she was a close contact of your former owner. Perhaps she'll take you in."
Whatever else she might have said, it was quickly interrupted by the Tourmaline stepping past her, armour clanking slightly as she settled to a stop, easily towering over me with her bulky frame.
"That's the legal necessities dealt with for now. First of all, do you have anything stored in your gemstone belonging to your Emerald? Datapads, reports, physical notes she might have given you?"
I had tools of every shape and size, a veritable mountain of snacks, enough of Rose's tears to fill a fucking pool, a couple destabilizers, a lucky charm of feathers Brim had given me and so, so much more.
"Ah-I have this! D-does that help?"
The purple Gem firmly grasped the small (fabricated) cargo manifest I'd pulled out from my storage, glancing over it with narrowed eyes hidden behind her helmet's visor.
"...It is acceptable. Anything else?"
Shaking my head sadly, I held out my empty hands in a helpless pose.
"I was mostly there to keep track of things and sing for the soldiers. Vermilion kept hold of the physical items. At least until she…she…"
It was such an incredibly novel feeling, letting myself cry in front of Imperial Gems. Wasn't hard to force though, considering all I really needed to do was think about the sheer level of bullshit no doubt in store for me once this damned fleet left the system.
"I-I'm sorry, I-"
My attempts to wipe away the tears drew uncomfortable glances from both of my interrogators, before the Emerald let out a huff.
"Enough. Tourmaline, go to the bridge and complete the scans. The Peridots say they've spotted more of the…infected, while surveying parts of the planet that hold higher colonial infrastructure. Particularly the Warp pads. I'll handle the Pearl for now."
The armoured warrior stared back silently, right up until the admiral let a scowl fall over her features, hair practically bristling as she stood up slightly taller than normal.
"That's an order, soldier. Do not forget who is in command here."
And just like that, the purple Gem relented, gruffly turning and marching out of the room.
I let out a very much genuine sob as her green counterpart turned around, slowly letting a hand fall atop my shoulder before patting it gently.
"Make me proud."
"There there, poor thing. We'll get you home, safe and sound."
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LocalCatHybrid
Now I am become floof, the floofer of floofs.
- Location
- You know where...
- Pronouns
- Il/Lui
Oh boy, Virri's gonna kill and replace that Emerald, ain't she? Or maybe a local Peridot, though it'd be harder to fake it.
LOG-101.
She's so fine, watch how fine she gets. Aka: Viridian changes. For the better or the worse is up for debate. Also it's really fucking weird typing out 1-something something instead of 0-something something for the chapter number now lol.
LOG-101.
There was something to be said about just how easy it was to fall back into an old routine. Granted, I had the benefit of being able to perfectly remember my time spent on the Retaliator, so maybe I was better off there compared to most people.
"Soon may the Diamonds come~"
Reaffirming my position as a reliable and sweet Pearl had been almost trivially easy. I'd been given some leeway considering the situation I'd been 'rescued' from, but the Empire nonetheless demanded perfection, so I'd thrown my traumatised mask aside and picked up an older one, more suitable for my new surroundings.
"To bring us facets and starlight's hum~"
Going back to singing and dancing aboard the bridge of a warship was…something. I could practically perform on autopilot at this point, however, which left me time to think. A lot of time, considering performances for Gems could last hours at a minimum.
"One day, when the shaping is done~"
Which in turn led to what part of me had somewhat been dreading. Self reflection.
"We'll take our leave and glow~"
It wasn't hard to look back on things and see where it had started, especially when I could recall every detail. Every thought. Every feeling.
"Oh yes! Soon may the Diamonds come~"
From my initial flight from the Retaliator, all the way to now, I'd been running on some mixture of panicked flailing and loose planning. It was chaotic. It was messy. It worked.
"To bring us facets and starlight's hum~"
Right up until it didn't. I'd gotten it into my head that the Empire, at least for a while, wouldn't visit Earth. Perhaps the arrival of the cruiser I'd served on had expedited that process, but nonetheless I'd figured I still had time. Time to solve all of the immediate issues at home. Time to get the Crystal Gems to sort their shit out, so that they could focus when trouble inevitably came knocking.
"One day, when the shaping is done~"
Well, trouble had come knocking, and we'd been damn well flashbanged by it. Caught out in the open. Unprepared. It was even indirectly my fault as well, if some of the visions were to be believed.
That damned Peridot…all because I'd tried to keep a bit of common decency, a bit of morality in saving someone's life, for fuck's sake. Well, I'd avoid making that mistake again, at least not without some contingencies in place.
So…yeah, a rather large part of me was still utterly seething at the fact I'd needed to give myself up. That out of the countless potential futures Green Onyx had witnessed, this one had the best odds of Earth surviving. Of the Crystal Gems maintaining their status as shattered. Of the Retaliator avoiding the scrapyard, and its crew avoiding Harvesting. All for the low low price of sending me back to fucking square one.
"We'll take our leave and glooow~"
Well, that was perfectly fine. It was fine because I was going to play it smart from now on. I'd escaped the Empire once. With nothing more than a single starfighter no less. I could escape it again. And this time, I'd make sure Gems never had a reason to visit Earth. Humanity would flourish and have their own FTL capable warships by the time the Empire returned, if I had anything to say about it.
"Resplendent! I didn't know the Reef had been teaching Pearls new songs!"
I took in the applause from the rest of the bridge crew with the grace expected of my station, before turning to regard Emerald (still not mine, oh good Stars it was the Vanilla situation all over again) with a demure smile.
Idly glancing at the Tourmaline that had practically rooted herself to the floor next to the green Gem's command throne, I bowed my head slightly, lightform sliding into posture type twelve, pattern seven, my shoulders lowering a little as I breathed out the 'effort' of singing the song.
I'd noted the way this particular admiral enjoyed me whenever I looked like I was feeling 'safe.' Perhaps she saw herself as a saviour of some kind, victoriously returning home to the Empire, lost damsel in tow. Perhaps she just liked to see Gems looking more relaxed when outside of combat. The specifics didn't really matter, so long as she liked me.
"Ah, I'm afraid they don't, your radiance. I merely had an…extensive amount of time to myself while stranded on that horrible planet. So I took the opportunity to think up some new ones while waiting for rescue!"
The statement drew a suitably impressed nod from the officer, one hand rising to cup her chin as she turned to glance at a nearby screen.
"I'd act surprised, but considering what I heard about you before…well, everything, I'd say that's par for the course at this point. Good show, Viridian. You can go ahead and take a break for now, perhaps some of the gunnery crew could do with some cheering up or something."
Acting out a short curtsy, I began to make my way towards the door leading out of the bridge, only to pause as the Sun Incinerator's captain called out from behind me.
"Oh, you should also be aware that we'll be reaching the Crystal Confluence soon. The rest of the fleet will arrive later, since they just can't keep up with my dear ship's engines. Regardless, we'll open communications with Hessonite once we exit the Warp and get you squared away. Can make my report to Yellow Diamond after that, hopefully we can get a blockade set up or something…"
Pretending like I hadn't heard the last of her mumble, I merely let out a pleased affirmative and continued onwards.
—
I'd visited the Confluence before, while serving under my previous owner. And yet the sight of it still managed to draw my attention from a nearby viewport as the Sun Incinerator passed through a throng of cargo vessels lining up for inspection from the local security flotilla.
It really did exemplify the sheer scale at which Gems operated at, the fact that they considered an entire rogue dwarf planet to be little more than a waystation between more developed systems. From here, I could trick myself that I was in Star Wars or something, considering just how much the hollowed out world looked like something resembling Coruscant.
Well, if entire continent sized chunks of it hadn't been visibly removed and filled with gargantuan hangars, at least.
"Must be good to see a proper Gem controlled world again, huh?"
Turning to regard the source of the somewhat nasally voice, I gave the Peridot across from me a nod, even if she likely didn't see it, hunched over as she was picking away at the exposed wires of some kind of panel.
"It's…It's good to be home."
It really wasn't. But the technician didn't know that, and so she simply gave an agreeable nod as three of her free floating fingers merged together, a spark escaping them as she began welding something together.
Turning back to stare out the viewport, I gave the Confluence a few more seconds of my attention, before sighing and walking away.
I still had a bit of free time left before we docked, after all. Meaning I could probably fit in at least ten to twenty minutes of crying my eyes out and screaming into my hands inside a nice supply closet I'd found before I was called back to the bridge.
Old routines. So easy to fall back into.
I'd already planned what facts to give to anyone I spoke to upon landing. And with how quickly rumour had spread of the accursed 'lithoplague' (as Emerald liked to refer to it, at least, though I'd also heard some of the other crew jokingly calling it rockpox in what might have been an attempt to lessen their unease) after I'd brought it up during my interrogation, well…
While I hadn't gotten to witness their half hearted investigation in person, rotting in a borderline cell as I was, from what I'd heard, everyone planetside had more than done their part in acting out our little play for the Empire. Which just left my role in things.
Good. So long as everything went according to plan, no one would want to so much as enter Earth's solar system, much less land on the planet itself by the time I was done fearmongering the place. And if the plan failed?
I was a Gem, in form if not in spirit.
Truly, I had nothing if not time on my side.
LOG-101.
There was something to be said about just how easy it was to fall back into an old routine. Granted, I had the benefit of being able to perfectly remember my time spent on the Retaliator, so maybe I was better off there compared to most people.
"Soon may the Diamonds come~"
Reaffirming my position as a reliable and sweet Pearl had been almost trivially easy. I'd been given some leeway considering the situation I'd been 'rescued' from, but the Empire nonetheless demanded perfection, so I'd thrown my traumatised mask aside and picked up an older one, more suitable for my new surroundings.
"To bring us facets and starlight's hum~"
Going back to singing and dancing aboard the bridge of a warship was…something. I could practically perform on autopilot at this point, however, which left me time to think. A lot of time, considering performances for Gems could last hours at a minimum.
"One day, when the shaping is done~"
Which in turn led to what part of me had somewhat been dreading. Self reflection.
"We'll take our leave and glow~"
It wasn't hard to look back on things and see where it had started, especially when I could recall every detail. Every thought. Every feeling.
"Oh yes! Soon may the Diamonds come~"
From my initial flight from the Retaliator, all the way to now, I'd been running on some mixture of panicked flailing and loose planning. It was chaotic. It was messy. It worked.
"To bring us facets and starlight's hum~"
Right up until it didn't. I'd gotten it into my head that the Empire, at least for a while, wouldn't visit Earth. Perhaps the arrival of the cruiser I'd served on had expedited that process, but nonetheless I'd figured I still had time. Time to solve all of the immediate issues at home. Time to get the Crystal Gems to sort their shit out, so that they could focus when trouble inevitably came knocking.
"One day, when the shaping is done~"
Well, trouble had come knocking, and we'd been damn well flashbanged by it. Caught out in the open. Unprepared. It was even indirectly my fault as well, if some of the visions were to be believed.
That damned Peridot…all because I'd tried to keep a bit of common decency, a bit of morality in saving someone's life, for fuck's sake. Well, I'd avoid making that mistake again, at least not without some contingencies in place.
So…yeah, a rather large part of me was still utterly seething at the fact I'd needed to give myself up. That out of the countless potential futures Green Onyx had witnessed, this one had the best odds of Earth surviving. Of the Crystal Gems maintaining their status as shattered. Of the Retaliator avoiding the scrapyard, and its crew avoiding Harvesting. All for the low low price of sending me back to fucking square one.
"We'll take our leave and glooow~"
Well, that was perfectly fine. It was fine because I was going to play it smart from now on. I'd escaped the Empire once. With nothing more than a single starfighter no less. I could escape it again. And this time, I'd make sure Gems never had a reason to visit Earth. Humanity would flourish and have their own FTL capable warships by the time the Empire returned, if I had anything to say about it.
"Resplendent! I didn't know the Reef had been teaching Pearls new songs!"
I took in the applause from the rest of the bridge crew with the grace expected of my station, before turning to regard Emerald (still not mine, oh good Stars it was the Vanilla situation all over again) with a demure smile.
Idly glancing at the Tourmaline that had practically rooted herself to the floor next to the green Gem's command throne, I bowed my head slightly, lightform sliding into posture type twelve, pattern seven, my shoulders lowering a little as I breathed out the 'effort' of singing the song.
I'd noted the way this particular admiral enjoyed me whenever I looked like I was feeling 'safe.' Perhaps she saw herself as a saviour of some kind, victoriously returning home to the Empire, lost damsel in tow. Perhaps she just liked to see Gems looking more relaxed when outside of combat. The specifics didn't really matter, so long as she liked me.
"Ah, I'm afraid they don't, your radiance. I merely had an…extensive amount of time to myself while stranded on that horrible planet. So I took the opportunity to think up some new ones while waiting for rescue!"
The statement drew a suitably impressed nod from the officer, one hand rising to cup her chin as she turned to glance at a nearby screen.
"I'd act surprised, but considering what I heard about you before…well, everything, I'd say that's par for the course at this point. Good show, Viridian. You can go ahead and take a break for now, perhaps some of the gunnery crew could do with some cheering up or something."
Acting out a short curtsy, I began to make my way towards the door leading out of the bridge, only to pause as the Sun Incinerator's captain called out from behind me.
"Oh, you should also be aware that we'll be reaching the Crystal Confluence soon. The rest of the fleet will arrive later, since they just can't keep up with my dear ship's engines. Regardless, we'll open communications with Hessonite once we exit the Warp and get you squared away. Can make my report to Yellow Diamond after that, hopefully we can get a blockade set up or something…"
Pretending like I hadn't heard the last of her mumble, I merely let out a pleased affirmative and continued onwards.
—
I'd visited the Confluence before, while serving under my previous owner. And yet the sight of it still managed to draw my attention from a nearby viewport as the Sun Incinerator passed through a throng of cargo vessels lining up for inspection from the local security flotilla.
It really did exemplify the sheer scale at which Gems operated at, the fact that they considered an entire rogue dwarf planet to be little more than a waystation between more developed systems. From here, I could trick myself that I was in Star Wars or something, considering just how much the hollowed out world looked like something resembling Coruscant.
Well, if entire continent sized chunks of it hadn't been visibly removed and filled with gargantuan hangars, at least.
"Must be good to see a proper Gem controlled world again, huh?"
Turning to regard the source of the somewhat nasally voice, I gave the Peridot across from me a nod, even if she likely didn't see it, hunched over as she was picking away at the exposed wires of some kind of panel.
"It's…It's good to be home."
It really wasn't. But the technician didn't know that, and so she simply gave an agreeable nod as three of her free floating fingers merged together, a spark escaping them as she began welding something together.
Turning back to stare out the viewport, I gave the Confluence a few more seconds of my attention, before sighing and walking away.
I still had a bit of free time left before we docked, after all. Meaning I could probably fit in at least ten to twenty minutes of crying my eyes out and screaming into my hands inside a nice supply closet I'd found before I was called back to the bridge.
Old routines. So easy to fall back into.
I'd already planned what facts to give to anyone I spoke to upon landing. And with how quickly rumour had spread of the accursed 'lithoplague' (as Emerald liked to refer to it, at least, though I'd also heard some of the other crew jokingly calling it rockpox in what might have been an attempt to lessen their unease) after I'd brought it up during my interrogation, well…
While I hadn't gotten to witness their half hearted investigation in person, rotting in a borderline cell as I was, from what I'd heard, everyone planetside had more than done their part in acting out our little play for the Empire. Which just left my role in things.
Good. So long as everything went according to plan, no one would want to so much as enter Earth's solar system, much less land on the planet itself by the time I was done fearmongering the place. And if the plan failed?
I was a Gem, in form if not in spirit.
Truly, I had nothing if not time on my side.
Last edited:
Miles "Sparkz"
Less edgy than before
- Location
- Lithuania
Viridian:
Random peridot: Okay just watch out for the wailing ghost.
Viridian: ... this sounds familiar.
Unfortunately I was taken from it. That is not good. Excuse me, I have a task in the supply closet I just must keep.
Random peridot: Okay just watch out for the wailing ghost.
Viridian: ... this sounds familiar.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Was that song a modified version of The Wellerman?
LOG-102.
Tweaking slightly because I've got commissions to write but the SU mood has bit me like a motherfucker since we're past Earth now.
LOG-102.
It wouldn't be a lie to say that I was…surprised, by the reception our little away party received upon exiting the Sun Incinerator into an almost behemoth sized hangar.
Word had apparently gotten out that Emerald was returning from her mission, and before I'd even taken a few steps forward to follow the admiral in question, what felt like thousands of Gems began cheering, an almost physical wave of sound hitting me as I awkwardly tried to keep myself from hiding behind my temporary guardian.
"Good to hear, isn't it? Most of them must have worked harder than usual to get away from their duties to be here."
I glanced upwards slightly, favouring the officer with a small smile.
"They must surely be glad to see you back from your assignment, your radiance."
Whatever I'd said, it apparently was enough to cause the green Gem to blink, her expression contorting in amusement as a snicker of all things escaped her.
"Me? Well, I'd sure love to think so. But no, I suppose you wouldn't be aware of the ah…reputation, you developed during your absence."
Blinking right back at her, I couldn't help but tilt my head curiously, a sinking feeling creeping up my gemstone as I noted parts of the crowd seemingly growing even louder upon the admiral stepping out of the way to expose me entirely.
"...Reputation?"
—
Apparently, I had become a celebrity throughout certain parts of the Empire.
Somehow.
Which was…utterly fucking horrendous, considering the plain and simple fact that I was a Pearl actively planning to flee from said Empire, but at the same time…
Well, I could think of more than a few ways to leverage my newfound fame to use, so long as I was careful about it.
But regardless of whatever options had just presented themselves to me, I didn't have much time to ponder them, focused as I was on looking impeccably pleased at being back in 'friendly' territory while keeping up with my escort.
Our journey through the Confluence mostly consisted of a winding series of internal pathways alongside a singular jump through what I recognised as a Warp junction similar to the one I'd witnessed back on Homeworld, which in turn allowed our group (that being Emerald, myself, the Tourmaline and a few Quartz guards) to dodge most of my…fans.
Yeah, that was still weird to think about. Enough that part of me was still caught up with it even as we passed through yet another automated door, finally emerging into what I idly identified as a meeting room of sorts.
I got as far as noting the large, almost map-like table dominating the center of the chamber before I abruptly locked eyes with a lithe figure that had been standing near the door, and promptly froze.
"...Viridian?"
My name was uttered by two voices, and yet for all that the Hessonite practically demanded attention, I couldn't help but continue to stare at the almost painfully familiar form of one of my old Batchmates.
"Sixteen J."
I wanted to say more, but practicality won out over sentimentality in this case. Rather than ask questions, I merely gave my fellow Pearl a polite nod, and quickly turned to follow Emerald, stopping just at the edge of the table and instead locking eyes with the Hessonite, who spared me a surprised glance before warily regarding both Emerald and the armoured tank pretending to be a Gem behind her.
"I-It's ah, it's Glitter now! Actually."
I noted the change in designation down mentally, but kept quiet as both of the high ranking Gems in the room turned to glance at the self named Glitter, the sound of her mouth clacking shut practically deafening in the ensuing silence.
Then Emerald was turning back towards Hessonite, casually tilting her head back towards the door.
"Apologies for the abrupt visit, but…perhaps your Pearl could occupy Viridian while we talk? She's just been retrieved from a rather unfortunate situation, which is part of why I'm here actually. Could probably do with a similar caste to interact with for a while."
The golden-red Garnet glanced at me with a curious expression for a second, before slowly nodding.
"I…concur. Glitter, take your fellow Pearl out for a walk. Don't stray too far. I'll call for your return when I finish speaking to the good admiral here."
The yellow servant Gem didn't hesitate, immediately lurching forward and grabbing my wrist with an "at once, your radiance!" and pulling me out of the room.
—
"You're back! I can't believe it!"
Staring back at my significantly cheerier counterpart while she tapped away at some kind of tablet carefully grasped in her hands, I thought about how to respond, even as we idly made our way down a winding hallway leading to…wherever she was leading us.
"Neither can I, if I'm being honest. It was an…experience, getting here."
A shitty one. I wanted to go home. But that wasn't possible just yet. And likely wouldn't be for a while.
Still, regardless of what I might have thought about the situation, my old Batchmate thankfully couldn't read minds, and so instead just began gesticulating at the air as she spoke, whatever she'd been typing up on what I now realised was a communicator of some kind presumably complete as it was quickly returned to the safety of her gemstone.
"It's just-everyone heard the news, right? There was a huge mess a while back, when we got word that you'd been stolen from your owner by organics of all things!"
I nodded along, plastering on a faintly grossed out expression.
"Terrible things. Covered in feathers and squawking all the time. Can't say I miss them."
I missed them.
"Oh it must have been horrible! But a lot of Gems volunteered to help get you back, you know? You…you've gotten really popular because of it all. Especially here in the Confluence!"
The golden Gem brought up her hands, awkwardly rubbing them together.
"I…I'm sorry it took so long for you to get rescued. Please don't tell anyone but-" She leaned forward, voice lowering to a whisper as she glanced around worriedly. "-I did my best to help speed things along. Spread a few rumours here and there. Well, mostly I just told Fuchsia-oh but you wouldn't know her yet and-"
She went silent as I raised a hand, her eyes locking on to it before moving to stare at my own as we slowed to a stop in front of yet another door, this one failing to open automatically for whatever reason.
"Thank you for helping, Glitter. I appreciate it."
I tried my best not to think back to my time in the Reef as the Pearl blushed, cheeks turning a shade brighter as she mumbled something that might have been an affirmative.
Fuck, it was like we hadn't even left.
Instead of commenting on it, I just crossed my arms and glanced at the barrier blocking our path forward, looking it up and down.
"So…where do we go now? This looks locked."
Still mumbling, my fellow servant merely stepped forward, bringing up a hand and rapping her knuckles against the shining metal in a distinct pattern for a few seconds.
Another moment passed, and right as I was about to question whether something was supposed to actually happen, the door slid open, yet another Pearl warily glancing at us from behind it, only for her blue eyes to widen as she presumably realised what she was looking at.
"C-come in!"
Quirking an eyebrow, I glanced at Glitter, only to see my Batchmate already moving forward, stepping past our long haired counterpart and waving me along.
Taking a breath, I gave the uncertain looking Gem a quick nod, which only seemed to make her even more jittery, before following Glitter inside, the sound of the door shutting behind us causing me to tense just a little, before relaxing.
Suffice to say, whatever I might have been expecting as we strode further in, it wasn't what seemed to be a small storage room with at least a dozen other Pearls all sitting along shelves or standing around whispering to each other.
And as all those bright eyes turned towards me and the whispers ever so abruptly stopped, I could do little more than repress a groan as I realised I'd just walked into the equivalent of a Stars damned pit of snakes.
"Is that her!?"
Then a ditzy looking pink Pearl with one of her eyes taken up by a gemstone was pointing at me, the entire room being filled with the usual noise of a gaggle of Pearls getting excited shortly afterwards.
Ugh. Gossip city, so good to be back…just what exactly had gotten me so popular around here anyway?
Yet another thing to look into once I got the chance, I supposed.
LOG-102.
It wouldn't be a lie to say that I was…surprised, by the reception our little away party received upon exiting the Sun Incinerator into an almost behemoth sized hangar.
Word had apparently gotten out that Emerald was returning from her mission, and before I'd even taken a few steps forward to follow the admiral in question, what felt like thousands of Gems began cheering, an almost physical wave of sound hitting me as I awkwardly tried to keep myself from hiding behind my temporary guardian.
"Good to hear, isn't it? Most of them must have worked harder than usual to get away from their duties to be here."
I glanced upwards slightly, favouring the officer with a small smile.
"They must surely be glad to see you back from your assignment, your radiance."
Whatever I'd said, it apparently was enough to cause the green Gem to blink, her expression contorting in amusement as a snicker of all things escaped her.
"Me? Well, I'd sure love to think so. But no, I suppose you wouldn't be aware of the ah…reputation, you developed during your absence."
Blinking right back at her, I couldn't help but tilt my head curiously, a sinking feeling creeping up my gemstone as I noted parts of the crowd seemingly growing even louder upon the admiral stepping out of the way to expose me entirely.
"...Reputation?"
—
Apparently, I had become a celebrity throughout certain parts of the Empire.
Somehow.
Which was…utterly fucking horrendous, considering the plain and simple fact that I was a Pearl actively planning to flee from said Empire, but at the same time…
Well, I could think of more than a few ways to leverage my newfound fame to use, so long as I was careful about it.
But regardless of whatever options had just presented themselves to me, I didn't have much time to ponder them, focused as I was on looking impeccably pleased at being back in 'friendly' territory while keeping up with my escort.
Our journey through the Confluence mostly consisted of a winding series of internal pathways alongside a singular jump through what I recognised as a Warp junction similar to the one I'd witnessed back on Homeworld, which in turn allowed our group (that being Emerald, myself, the Tourmaline and a few Quartz guards) to dodge most of my…fans.
Yeah, that was still weird to think about. Enough that part of me was still caught up with it even as we passed through yet another automated door, finally emerging into what I idly identified as a meeting room of sorts.
I got as far as noting the large, almost map-like table dominating the center of the chamber before I abruptly locked eyes with a lithe figure that had been standing near the door, and promptly froze.
"...Viridian?"
My name was uttered by two voices, and yet for all that the Hessonite practically demanded attention, I couldn't help but continue to stare at the almost painfully familiar form of one of my old Batchmates.
"Sixteen J."
I wanted to say more, but practicality won out over sentimentality in this case. Rather than ask questions, I merely gave my fellow Pearl a polite nod, and quickly turned to follow Emerald, stopping just at the edge of the table and instead locking eyes with the Hessonite, who spared me a surprised glance before warily regarding both Emerald and the armoured tank pretending to be a Gem behind her.
"I-It's ah, it's Glitter now! Actually."
I noted the change in designation down mentally, but kept quiet as both of the high ranking Gems in the room turned to glance at the self named Glitter, the sound of her mouth clacking shut practically deafening in the ensuing silence.
Then Emerald was turning back towards Hessonite, casually tilting her head back towards the door.
"Apologies for the abrupt visit, but…perhaps your Pearl could occupy Viridian while we talk? She's just been retrieved from a rather unfortunate situation, which is part of why I'm here actually. Could probably do with a similar caste to interact with for a while."
The golden-red Garnet glanced at me with a curious expression for a second, before slowly nodding.
"I…concur. Glitter, take your fellow Pearl out for a walk. Don't stray too far. I'll call for your return when I finish speaking to the good admiral here."
The yellow servant Gem didn't hesitate, immediately lurching forward and grabbing my wrist with an "at once, your radiance!" and pulling me out of the room.
—
"You're back! I can't believe it!"
Staring back at my significantly cheerier counterpart while she tapped away at some kind of tablet carefully grasped in her hands, I thought about how to respond, even as we idly made our way down a winding hallway leading to…wherever she was leading us.
"Neither can I, if I'm being honest. It was an…experience, getting here."
A shitty one. I wanted to go home. But that wasn't possible just yet. And likely wouldn't be for a while.
Still, regardless of what I might have thought about the situation, my old Batchmate thankfully couldn't read minds, and so instead just began gesticulating at the air as she spoke, whatever she'd been typing up on what I now realised was a communicator of some kind presumably complete as it was quickly returned to the safety of her gemstone.
"It's just-everyone heard the news, right? There was a huge mess a while back, when we got word that you'd been stolen from your owner by organics of all things!"
I nodded along, plastering on a faintly grossed out expression.
"Terrible things. Covered in feathers and squawking all the time. Can't say I miss them."
I missed them.
"Oh it must have been horrible! But a lot of Gems volunteered to help get you back, you know? You…you've gotten really popular because of it all. Especially here in the Confluence!"
The golden Gem brought up her hands, awkwardly rubbing them together.
"I…I'm sorry it took so long for you to get rescued. Please don't tell anyone but-" She leaned forward, voice lowering to a whisper as she glanced around worriedly. "-I did my best to help speed things along. Spread a few rumours here and there. Well, mostly I just told Fuchsia-oh but you wouldn't know her yet and-"
She went silent as I raised a hand, her eyes locking on to it before moving to stare at my own as we slowed to a stop in front of yet another door, this one failing to open automatically for whatever reason.
"Thank you for helping, Glitter. I appreciate it."
I tried my best not to think back to my time in the Reef as the Pearl blushed, cheeks turning a shade brighter as she mumbled something that might have been an affirmative.
Fuck, it was like we hadn't even left.
Instead of commenting on it, I just crossed my arms and glanced at the barrier blocking our path forward, looking it up and down.
"So…where do we go now? This looks locked."
Still mumbling, my fellow servant merely stepped forward, bringing up a hand and rapping her knuckles against the shining metal in a distinct pattern for a few seconds.
Another moment passed, and right as I was about to question whether something was supposed to actually happen, the door slid open, yet another Pearl warily glancing at us from behind it, only for her blue eyes to widen as she presumably realised what she was looking at.
"C-come in!"
Quirking an eyebrow, I glanced at Glitter, only to see my Batchmate already moving forward, stepping past our long haired counterpart and waving me along.
Taking a breath, I gave the uncertain looking Gem a quick nod, which only seemed to make her even more jittery, before following Glitter inside, the sound of the door shutting behind us causing me to tense just a little, before relaxing.
Suffice to say, whatever I might have been expecting as we strode further in, it wasn't what seemed to be a small storage room with at least a dozen other Pearls all sitting along shelves or standing around whispering to each other.
And as all those bright eyes turned towards me and the whispers ever so abruptly stopped, I could do little more than repress a groan as I realised I'd just walked into the equivalent of a Stars damned pit of snakes.
"Is that her!?"
Then a ditzy looking pink Pearl with one of her eyes taken up by a gemstone was pointing at me, the entire room being filled with the usual noise of a gaggle of Pearls getting excited shortly afterwards.
Ugh. Gossip city, so good to be back…just what exactly had gotten me so popular around here anyway?
Yet another thing to look into once I got the chance, I supposed.
Yellow Thoughts. (By YodaMorpheus7)
Greetings, my fellow Americans. I have produced a second Yellow Diamond™ interlude, and this time it has been edited by Spyder himself so it is extra official. Enjoy. Or else.
---
Yellow Diamond sighed, rubbing at her eyes. More reports. Always more, more, more. Crush a situation under your heel? Four more take its place. Yellow truly was feeling the loss of her pearl.
Thinking of her, the Diamond sneered. The incompetence of the Reef was a staggering thing to behold considering its reputation. It was always "the damage was more extensive than we realized" and "we need specialized equipment" and "we're giving our utmost effort, my Diamond". Worthless, the lot of them. What even was the point of the facility's existence if it couldn't even do the single thing it was designed for?
Sighing, Yellow leaned back in her throne, bringing up the next report. Ah. The latest batch of hostile organics. Recently some of her vanguard fleets had encountered a particularly resistant strain of the damned flesh beasts; a four-eyed militant race that (if she was correct in her basic knowledge of their inferior language) called themselves 'Chosen.'
Yellow interchangeably called them 'vermin' or 'organic Species 528,' depending on how official the communication was.
Though brutal and thuggish, this galactic stain's extremely direct and aggressive fleet tactics left little room for fine maneuvering or ploys. Simply slugging it out with superior firepower and technology was the optimal strategy according to the few Sapphires Yellow still had access to, considering most of the seers loaned by the Blue Court had been promptly reassigned.
And speaking of, Blue herself was being incredibly petty these days, preemptively denying Yellow resources and Gem support at every opportunity. Perhaps she had been upset by their little spat, but this? It was freshcut behavior at best.
Couldn't her counterpart put aside her emotions for the bigger picture? No, of course she couldn't. At least while she was sulking in her palace she wasn't out there, bungling another disaster into existence with her attempts to 'help.'
(Part of her almost made a small comparison to Pink, before that rogue thought was ruthlessly squashed.)
"Hm."
Just as Yellow was about to tie up her orders for the assembly of what would hopefully end up being the 528th's extermination fleet, she received another priority alert. Naturally, the Diamond pulled it up, seeing that the codes attached indicated it was for the 8XS situation. The Emerald she'd selected to hunt down the traitorous admiral, 8XZ, had finally returned. With luck, she had finally captured the…
Yellow paused, eyes narrowing slightly as she backtracked, reading over several lines again at her typical blinding speed.
What in the Stars was a lithoplague supposed to be? And on Pink One no less?
She was at least familiar with the concept of plagues, viruses and other diseases. Organic Species 136 was one such example of where the things came in handy. The aquatic infestation had stymied every fleet and army sent to subdue them, and yet fell so easily to the myriad diseases Yellow had ordered her peridots to manufacture upon learning of the organics' weakness to contaminants in their oh so precious water.
It had been yet another example. Just more proof of the Authority's perfection, and its duty to spread it wherever they could.
But, a plague that affected Gems? Such a thing was…concerning. Nevermind borderline impossible, according to all known levels of science.
And yet as she read more of the details regarding the disease, the more that little scrap of concern began to feel validated. A brief flare of irritation sprung up as she read that 8XS had fallen prey to it; her plans for a lengthy and carefully organised trial to terrorize the uppercrust into compliance and save some level of face for Blue was nothing but dust now.
The Diamond leaned back from the report, musing on what the possible cause could have been. Perhaps this had spawned from the Cluster, or it was maybe some sort of rebel weapon? Those defects had performed all sorts of utterly unprecedented tactics, back then…
Eventually, Yellow's eyes narrowed. Perhaps it was created during the first and last time the three remaining Diamonds stood together as one. She still remembered it vividly, drawing forth her deepest essence, commanding it to wipe the treasonous waste from the surface of that superfluous mudball.
And yet perhaps she had failed to account for Pink's absence. Instead of destroying the gems, maybe it had transformed them into these contagious creatures?
After all, the attack was inherently incomplete. A vital component had been missing when they'd fired it off.
But then again, nothing had felt complete since Pink had been shattered.
That planet…the youngest of their quartet had been the only one who had truly appreciated Yellow's hard work. Even back in Era One, as it was now called, Yellow was always the hardest-working, the most efficient. Blue and White had at least seen to their duties, and Yellow had had no need for praise…but Pink in turn had always been amazed by most of her elder's creations.
The way that her fellow Diamonds optimized planets, turned barren wastes into centers of culture and production. The youngest of them had been so awed that she'd wanted it for herself (as she naturally should have, befitting of her caste). And yet when Yellow had finally given it to her, it had ended in the worst possible way.
Her fists clenched, teeth grinding together slightly at the thought.
The worst possible outcome…all because of that filthy organic-lover Rose Quartz. What right had she, a lowly soldier, to murder her rightful sovereign? To treasonously turn her blade from the imperfection beyond the Authority's border and towards the very origin of all that was right and good? And worse yet, to succeed in committing the atrocity, to forever mar the history of the Authority for her own selfish purposes?
No, no…complete annihilation was too good for Rose Quartz! Yellow was glad that they had inadvertently spawned this plague, reduced that damned wretch to something befitting one of the base creatures she so loved, fit to crawl in the mud and dirt like the other-!
The Diamond was abruptlystartled refocused by the sound of breaking material.
Ah. She had crushed the armrests of her throne. The crystal spilled between her fingers, falling from her hands before slowly drifting down to the floor. Quietly, Yellow Diamond contacted the maintenance department of her palace, one hand rising to interact with an awaiting holographic screen. Something that her Pearl would have managed, had she still been here.
"...My throne has been damaged. I require a repair team whenever one is available."
"Of course, my radiant Diamond. What manner of damage has it sustained?"
"Its…construction was too weak to resist my grip; ensure that it is more robust next time."
"Of course, my Diamond. I will send a cadre of Bismuths to repair your throne as soon as possible. Estimates suggest no more than two cycles."
"That is acceptable."
As Yellow closed the line, she rubbed at her eyes again, holding back another sigh.
She hated this…this weakness that Rose Quartz had bestowed upon her, but it was the Diamond's fault for giving into it. She needed to be more vigilant. Blue had become less than useless as of late, and the less said about White, the better. As the sole remaining Diamond ensuring the Authority's continued expansion, she had to be focused. Anything less was dereliction of duty.
Yellow firmly ignored the voice telling her that her remaining counterparts had abandoned any notion of duty a long time ago.
Besides, for all the problems that Pink One had caused, the Cluster was due to detonate very shortly. But she wanted-no, she needed to be sure. Frowning slightly, the Diamond drew up a new document on her holo-display and began to draft an order to scout potential Gems for a small, disposable survey team.
She was nearly half done with the work when she realized the potential problem inherent to her plan; the lithoplague would doubtlessly spread to the greater Authority should she send a team unprepared. And, Yellow begrudgingly admitted to herself (and no one else), the Cluster was a personal project, not one relevant to the Authority at large.
Suffice to say, she was unwilling to divert research teams to develop proper protective equipment at this time. Not with most of them busy working on some sort of countermeasure to make up for the deficit in essence production following Pink's…absence. Perhaps at a later date.
Bringing up a hand, Yellow swiped at the screen, acknowledging the 8XS report before sending the 528th fleet their newest orders. Two problems dealt with. Millions more to go. The Diamond permitted herself an ever so brief moment of stillness before she turned to the holo-display's neverending list of reports, ready to move on to the next.
---
Yellow Diamond sighed, rubbing at her eyes. More reports. Always more, more, more. Crush a situation under your heel? Four more take its place. Yellow truly was feeling the loss of her pearl.
Thinking of her, the Diamond sneered. The incompetence of the Reef was a staggering thing to behold considering its reputation. It was always "the damage was more extensive than we realized" and "we need specialized equipment" and "we're giving our utmost effort, my Diamond". Worthless, the lot of them. What even was the point of the facility's existence if it couldn't even do the single thing it was designed for?
Sighing, Yellow leaned back in her throne, bringing up the next report. Ah. The latest batch of hostile organics. Recently some of her vanguard fleets had encountered a particularly resistant strain of the damned flesh beasts; a four-eyed militant race that (if she was correct in her basic knowledge of their inferior language) called themselves 'Chosen.'
Yellow interchangeably called them 'vermin' or 'organic Species 528,' depending on how official the communication was.
Though brutal and thuggish, this galactic stain's extremely direct and aggressive fleet tactics left little room for fine maneuvering or ploys. Simply slugging it out with superior firepower and technology was the optimal strategy according to the few Sapphires Yellow still had access to, considering most of the seers loaned by the Blue Court had been promptly reassigned.
And speaking of, Blue herself was being incredibly petty these days, preemptively denying Yellow resources and Gem support at every opportunity. Perhaps she had been upset by their little spat, but this? It was freshcut behavior at best.
Couldn't her counterpart put aside her emotions for the bigger picture? No, of course she couldn't. At least while she was sulking in her palace she wasn't out there, bungling another disaster into existence with her attempts to 'help.'
(Part of her almost made a small comparison to Pink, before that rogue thought was ruthlessly squashed.)
"Hm."
Just as Yellow was about to tie up her orders for the assembly of what would hopefully end up being the 528th's extermination fleet, she received another priority alert. Naturally, the Diamond pulled it up, seeing that the codes attached indicated it was for the 8XS situation. The Emerald she'd selected to hunt down the traitorous admiral, 8XZ, had finally returned. With luck, she had finally captured the…
Yellow paused, eyes narrowing slightly as she backtracked, reading over several lines again at her typical blinding speed.
What in the Stars was a lithoplague supposed to be? And on Pink One no less?
She was at least familiar with the concept of plagues, viruses and other diseases. Organic Species 136 was one such example of where the things came in handy. The aquatic infestation had stymied every fleet and army sent to subdue them, and yet fell so easily to the myriad diseases Yellow had ordered her peridots to manufacture upon learning of the organics' weakness to contaminants in their oh so precious water.
It had been yet another example. Just more proof of the Authority's perfection, and its duty to spread it wherever they could.
But, a plague that affected Gems? Such a thing was…concerning. Nevermind borderline impossible, according to all known levels of science.
And yet as she read more of the details regarding the disease, the more that little scrap of concern began to feel validated. A brief flare of irritation sprung up as she read that 8XS had fallen prey to it; her plans for a lengthy and carefully organised trial to terrorize the uppercrust into compliance and save some level of face for Blue was nothing but dust now.
The Diamond leaned back from the report, musing on what the possible cause could have been. Perhaps this had spawned from the Cluster, or it was maybe some sort of rebel weapon? Those defects had performed all sorts of utterly unprecedented tactics, back then…
Eventually, Yellow's eyes narrowed. Perhaps it was created during the first and last time the three remaining Diamonds stood together as one. She still remembered it vividly, drawing forth her deepest essence, commanding it to wipe the treasonous waste from the surface of that superfluous mudball.
And yet perhaps she had failed to account for Pink's absence. Instead of destroying the gems, maybe it had transformed them into these contagious creatures?
After all, the attack was inherently incomplete. A vital component had been missing when they'd fired it off.
But then again, nothing had felt complete since Pink had been shattered.
That planet…the youngest of their quartet had been the only one who had truly appreciated Yellow's hard work. Even back in Era One, as it was now called, Yellow was always the hardest-working, the most efficient. Blue and White had at least seen to their duties, and Yellow had had no need for praise…but Pink in turn had always been amazed by most of her elder's creations.
The way that her fellow Diamonds optimized planets, turned barren wastes into centers of culture and production. The youngest of them had been so awed that she'd wanted it for herself (as she naturally should have, befitting of her caste). And yet when Yellow had finally given it to her, it had ended in the worst possible way.
Her fists clenched, teeth grinding together slightly at the thought.
The worst possible outcome…all because of that filthy organic-lover Rose Quartz. What right had she, a lowly soldier, to murder her rightful sovereign? To treasonously turn her blade from the imperfection beyond the Authority's border and towards the very origin of all that was right and good? And worse yet, to succeed in committing the atrocity, to forever mar the history of the Authority for her own selfish purposes?
No, no…complete annihilation was too good for Rose Quartz! Yellow was glad that they had inadvertently spawned this plague, reduced that damned wretch to something befitting one of the base creatures she so loved, fit to crawl in the mud and dirt like the other-!
The Diamond was abruptly
Ah. She had crushed the armrests of her throne. The crystal spilled between her fingers, falling from her hands before slowly drifting down to the floor. Quietly, Yellow Diamond contacted the maintenance department of her palace, one hand rising to interact with an awaiting holographic screen. Something that her Pearl would have managed, had she still been here.
"...My throne has been damaged. I require a repair team whenever one is available."
"Of course, my radiant Diamond. What manner of damage has it sustained?"
"Its…construction was too weak to resist my grip; ensure that it is more robust next time."
"Of course, my Diamond. I will send a cadre of Bismuths to repair your throne as soon as possible. Estimates suggest no more than two cycles."
"That is acceptable."
As Yellow closed the line, she rubbed at her eyes again, holding back another sigh.
She hated this…this weakness that Rose Quartz had bestowed upon her, but it was the Diamond's fault for giving into it. She needed to be more vigilant. Blue had become less than useless as of late, and the less said about White, the better. As the sole remaining Diamond ensuring the Authority's continued expansion, she had to be focused. Anything less was dereliction of duty.
Besides, for all the problems that Pink One had caused, the Cluster was due to detonate very shortly. But she wanted-no, she needed to be sure. Frowning slightly, the Diamond drew up a new document on her holo-display and began to draft an order to scout potential Gems for a small, disposable survey team.
She was nearly half done with the work when she realized the potential problem inherent to her plan; the lithoplague would doubtlessly spread to the greater Authority should she send a team unprepared. And, Yellow begrudgingly admitted to herself (and no one else), the Cluster was a personal project, not one relevant to the Authority at large.
Suffice to say, she was unwilling to divert research teams to develop proper protective equipment at this time. Not with most of them busy working on some sort of countermeasure to make up for the deficit in essence production following Pink's…absence. Perhaps at a later date.
Bringing up a hand, Yellow swiped at the screen, acknowledging the 8XS report before sending the 528th fleet their newest orders. Two problems dealt with. Millions more to go. The Diamond permitted herself an ever so brief moment of stillness before she turned to the holo-display's neverending list of reports, ready to move on to the next.
LOG-103.
In another timeline, Emerald and Hessonite might have been gay together.
LOG-103.
It was weird, being back. Especially in a position where everyone was paying attention to me, rather than the other way around. It threw me more than a little off-kilter, honestly.
"And like oh my Stars it must have been just terrible right? Being away from the Empire and everything?"
Idly inspecting the pillow I'd been handed to sit on, I nodded along to the pink Pearl's comment (firmly ignoring the mental dissonance of her seemingly valley girl accent), even as a few other voices gave their agreement to the question.
It had been less than an hour since I'd promptly been pulled into the local Pearl gossip club, and I'd learned a few things since then, some bits of information proving valuable, others less so.
"Is it true you taught the rest of your Batch while Nacre Three gave you private lessons?"
"No. Glitter can probably explain what happened to the rest of the Batch. I did get taken aside to learn about things that would better suit my Emerald though."
One of the most obvious things I'd learned was that they were all barely better than my old Batchmates at the Reef. Constantly tripping over each other for attention, badmouthing their fellows in order to make themselves (and their owners) look better, and more. Secrets were treated like weapons and currency, and everyone here seemingly had nothing better to do besides trade and attack respectively, whenever they weren't running around on errands for their owners.
"Did you ever get brought in to serve as an example for the Atolls? We had a Pearl like that show up once, she was this brilliant hue of white…"
"I've never visited an Atoll, so I can't say I have, no."
It was how I'd learned that 'Viridian' as a colour was actually trending in terms of Pearl production, apparently. My fame was a mixture of things. Like the fact someone in the Reef (I could guess who) had apparently been working very hard to promote my general existence.
That I'd belonged to a previously prominent admiral had only helped in that regard, making me a household name in some circles when it came to Pearl aesthetics.
"I heard a rumour that you spoke to Yellow Diamond's Pearl! Is it true? Is it?"
"It is. She was nice. Very adept at her work as well."
"Oh my Stars that's amazing!"
Combined with the Diamond essence freighter debacle (an interesting thing to learn about, from an Imperial perspective) which in turn had somehow turned into a volunteer effort to retrieve an 'abducted' Pearl belonging to a well respected Gem (again, before she'd gone rogue) and I was apparently the closest a Gem of my caste could actually get to being a celebrity around these parts without literally being made for a Diamond.
"W-what was it like? Belonging to a-a rebel?"
The question (or perhaps word) drew judging stares and quiet reproaches from the rest of the closet cabal, prompting the Gem who'd asked it to wilt slightly in response even as it tore me from my thoughts.
Clicking my tongue, I drew everyone's attention back to me as I stretched slightly.
"I…wasn't aware of her defection until after being rescued. She never told the crew anything. As far as all of us were aware…we were still operating under Imperial jurisdiction."
The statement was met with murmurs and the barely contained cacophony of over a dozen Gems whispering to each other, even as I took the brief chance to take note of who had already gotten my attention out of the lot.
"R-really? So she just didn't say anything?"
Cerulean Pearl order Fourteen D. Another Reef Pearl, funnily enough, though her tendency to veer towards the taboo countered the respect our Atoll counterparts would normally afford her. She seemingly liked to ask more provocative questions than the others. Currently belonged to a high ranking Azurite assigned to this district of the Confluence.
…Oh, and her long hair was kind of distracting, considering how similar it looked to a certain vocaloid character from my previous life. But that was just a me thing if I was being entirely honest with myself.
"Nothing at all, no."
Then there was Glitter, of course. Batchmate status earned her that much. But the fact she belonged to the Hessonite that was presumably going to take me in meant we'd be seeing more of each other, most likely. She tended to agree with whatever I said almost vehemently, seemingly desperate to associate herself with me.
More so than the other Pearls, even. Which…yeah. Nothing new from a member of Batch Sixteen, unfortunately. Useful, though.
"That's like crazy. What could have made her think it was okay to flee the Empire!?"
Last but not least…was Fuchsia Pearl order Twelve N. Valley girl accent (still weird). With a cheery, dare I'd say almost bubbly personality for a literal slave, she acted as the servant of a Star Sapphire (who she proudly proclaimed had been locked in a deep meditation for the past century in order to glean the results of the far future) with her duties mostly consisting of moving her owner's numerous pillows around (I assumed that was where she'd gotten some of these spares from) and keeping other Gems from disturbing her. According to Glitter, she was also a horrendous gossip. Even by Pearl standards.
"Considering what some of you have said about that botched trial…she probably couldn't handle the thought of her crew being harvested. She was a very…attached captain."
Aside from that though…Sapphires. Now there was an utterly terrifying concept. The idea that my moves could be predicted weeks to months in advance was an unsettling one considering my current circumstances, but according to the pink Pearl her resplendent mistress had only emerged from her meditation a total of fourteen times, and for each had reported that something about the future required further deliberation, before immediately returning to her attempts to peer into fate.
"Oh that's so tragic! That it made her rebel, I mean!"
With luck, I'd prove beneath notice for such a powerful precognitive, and avoid any all-seeing eyes by blending into whatever future chaos would end up keeping hold of the majority of her attention.
"It's a real shame that it all happened the way it did, yes."
I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes as the entire room immediately began to agree with me, some seemingly attempting to force tears at the plight of the lost admiral.
Ugh.
Thankfully, the drama fest and subsequent waterworks were promptly interrupted by Glitter's little datapad going off, the yellow Pearl glancing up at me with wide eyes as she began to rise to her feet.
"The Emerald and my Hessonite have finished with their conversation. We're being called back."
Holding back a relieved huff, I exchanged hurried farewells with everyone before accompanying my Batchmate out the door, Cerulean following and glancing outside for a second before promptly shutting it behind us.
—
The captain of the Sun Incinerator and her entourage were gone by the time we returned, leaving both Glitter and I standing in silence as the Garnet in front of us paced back and forth, long hair almost seeming to trail through the air behind her as she mumbled to herself.
Tilting my head slightly, I took a small risk, drawing a glance from my golden counterpart.
"Is there any way I might assist you, your resplendence?"
My question drew Hessonite's attention, her lightform eventually grinding to a halt as she stopped mumbling in favour of staring at me, before slowly nodding.
"Yes, yes I think there is…I want you to be honest with me, Viridian."
Keeping quiet, I let the administrator visibly struggle with herself for a moment, before she raised a hand and planted it atop the table next to her, fingers digging around the edge of the fancy piece of furniture.
"...Was she scared?"
Ignoring the confused noise Glitter made next to me, I blinked.
"My Emerald, your resplendence?"
Hessonite bit her lip, before giving me another nod.
"That trial was…" She paused, glancing around before shaking her head.
"It was unfai-it was unfortunate. For the crew. I've known her since we both emerged from our Kindergarten together. I know for a fact she didn't run because she was a rebel. She ran because she didn't want innocent Gems harvested. Everything behind all of this was unprecedented, and shouldn't have happened. I…was informed of her end while you both were away. So tell me…"
It took everything I had not to stiffen in place at the suddenly unveiled, utterly unblemished steel in her eyes. A stark reminder that I was looking at a purpose made general, even if this one had been reassigned to a more civilian setting.
"...Was she scared?"
I pictured the false end I'd fed my captors, thinking of how my former owner would have reacted, had it been reality. Then I stood slightly straighter, staring back into Hessonite's eyes with a firm expression plastered over my normally gentle features.
"My Emerald kept us all calm for as long as she could. Both she and the Retaliator went down fighting, your resplendence. Her final orders were to fire everything the ship had, before it was dragged under-"
Crack.
All three of us abruptly turned to glance at the table as the screen atop it began to glitch out, small sparks escaping from the edge the Garnet had crushed in her grip.
Bringing up her hand, the tall Gem rubbed her fingers together, small shards of glass and dust slipping free to drift to the floor below.
"...Good. I'll be taking custody of you for the time being. Nothing official unless we can find someone with sufficient authority to declare it legal, but it should keep you from being swarmed with proposals from lesser Gems at least."
Hessonite lowered her arm, glancing at the table in distaste.
"Some will likely approach you regardless. I leave it to your discretion on whether you accept their offers. For now, your current orders are to get yourself accustomed to my workspace. Glitter, go fetch me a technician. Tell them there was an accident with the display screen."
I bowed my head silently, hands clasped together in front of me even as my Batchmate fled the room with a quick but mumbled affirmative.
"Yes, my Hessonite."
LOG-103.
It was weird, being back. Especially in a position where everyone was paying attention to me, rather than the other way around. It threw me more than a little off-kilter, honestly.
"And like oh my Stars it must have been just terrible right? Being away from the Empire and everything?"
Idly inspecting the pillow I'd been handed to sit on, I nodded along to the pink Pearl's comment (firmly ignoring the mental dissonance of her seemingly valley girl accent), even as a few other voices gave their agreement to the question.
It had been less than an hour since I'd promptly been pulled into the local Pearl gossip club, and I'd learned a few things since then, some bits of information proving valuable, others less so.
"Is it true you taught the rest of your Batch while Nacre Three gave you private lessons?"
"No. Glitter can probably explain what happened to the rest of the Batch. I did get taken aside to learn about things that would better suit my Emerald though."
One of the most obvious things I'd learned was that they were all barely better than my old Batchmates at the Reef. Constantly tripping over each other for attention, badmouthing their fellows in order to make themselves (and their owners) look better, and more. Secrets were treated like weapons and currency, and everyone here seemingly had nothing better to do besides trade and attack respectively, whenever they weren't running around on errands for their owners.
"Did you ever get brought in to serve as an example for the Atolls? We had a Pearl like that show up once, she was this brilliant hue of white…"
"I've never visited an Atoll, so I can't say I have, no."
It was how I'd learned that 'Viridian' as a colour was actually trending in terms of Pearl production, apparently. My fame was a mixture of things. Like the fact someone in the Reef (I could guess who) had apparently been working very hard to promote my general existence.
That I'd belonged to a previously prominent admiral had only helped in that regard, making me a household name in some circles when it came to Pearl aesthetics.
"I heard a rumour that you spoke to Yellow Diamond's Pearl! Is it true? Is it?"
"It is. She was nice. Very adept at her work as well."
"Oh my Stars that's amazing!"
Combined with the Diamond essence freighter debacle (an interesting thing to learn about, from an Imperial perspective) which in turn had somehow turned into a volunteer effort to retrieve an 'abducted' Pearl belonging to a well respected Gem (again, before she'd gone rogue) and I was apparently the closest a Gem of my caste could actually get to being a celebrity around these parts without literally being made for a Diamond.
"W-what was it like? Belonging to a-a rebel?"
The question (or perhaps word) drew judging stares and quiet reproaches from the rest of the closet cabal, prompting the Gem who'd asked it to wilt slightly in response even as it tore me from my thoughts.
Clicking my tongue, I drew everyone's attention back to me as I stretched slightly.
"I…wasn't aware of her defection until after being rescued. She never told the crew anything. As far as all of us were aware…we were still operating under Imperial jurisdiction."
The statement was met with murmurs and the barely contained cacophony of over a dozen Gems whispering to each other, even as I took the brief chance to take note of who had already gotten my attention out of the lot.
"R-really? So she just didn't say anything?"
Cerulean Pearl order Fourteen D. Another Reef Pearl, funnily enough, though her tendency to veer towards the taboo countered the respect our Atoll counterparts would normally afford her. She seemingly liked to ask more provocative questions than the others. Currently belonged to a high ranking Azurite assigned to this district of the Confluence.
…Oh, and her long hair was kind of distracting, considering how similar it looked to a certain vocaloid character from my previous life. But that was just a me thing if I was being entirely honest with myself.
"Nothing at all, no."
Then there was Glitter, of course. Batchmate status earned her that much. But the fact she belonged to the Hessonite that was presumably going to take me in meant we'd be seeing more of each other, most likely. She tended to agree with whatever I said almost vehemently, seemingly desperate to associate herself with me.
More so than the other Pearls, even. Which…yeah. Nothing new from a member of Batch Sixteen, unfortunately. Useful, though.
"That's like crazy. What could have made her think it was okay to flee the Empire!?"
Last but not least…was Fuchsia Pearl order Twelve N. Valley girl accent (still weird). With a cheery, dare I'd say almost bubbly personality for a literal slave, she acted as the servant of a Star Sapphire (who she proudly proclaimed had been locked in a deep meditation for the past century in order to glean the results of the far future) with her duties mostly consisting of moving her owner's numerous pillows around (I assumed that was where she'd gotten some of these spares from) and keeping other Gems from disturbing her. According to Glitter, she was also a horrendous gossip. Even by Pearl standards.
"Considering what some of you have said about that botched trial…she probably couldn't handle the thought of her crew being harvested. She was a very…attached captain."
Aside from that though…Sapphires. Now there was an utterly terrifying concept. The idea that my moves could be predicted weeks to months in advance was an unsettling one considering my current circumstances, but according to the pink Pearl her resplendent mistress had only emerged from her meditation a total of fourteen times, and for each had reported that something about the future required further deliberation, before immediately returning to her attempts to peer into fate.
"Oh that's so tragic! That it made her rebel, I mean!"
With luck, I'd prove beneath notice for such a powerful precognitive, and avoid any all-seeing eyes by blending into whatever future chaos would end up keeping hold of the majority of her attention.
"It's a real shame that it all happened the way it did, yes."
I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes as the entire room immediately began to agree with me, some seemingly attempting to force tears at the plight of the lost admiral.
Ugh.
Thankfully, the drama fest and subsequent waterworks were promptly interrupted by Glitter's little datapad going off, the yellow Pearl glancing up at me with wide eyes as she began to rise to her feet.
"The Emerald and my Hessonite have finished with their conversation. We're being called back."
Holding back a relieved huff, I exchanged hurried farewells with everyone before accompanying my Batchmate out the door, Cerulean following and glancing outside for a second before promptly shutting it behind us.
—
The captain of the Sun Incinerator and her entourage were gone by the time we returned, leaving both Glitter and I standing in silence as the Garnet in front of us paced back and forth, long hair almost seeming to trail through the air behind her as she mumbled to herself.
Tilting my head slightly, I took a small risk, drawing a glance from my golden counterpart.
"Is there any way I might assist you, your resplendence?"
My question drew Hessonite's attention, her lightform eventually grinding to a halt as she stopped mumbling in favour of staring at me, before slowly nodding.
"Yes, yes I think there is…I want you to be honest with me, Viridian."
Keeping quiet, I let the administrator visibly struggle with herself for a moment, before she raised a hand and planted it atop the table next to her, fingers digging around the edge of the fancy piece of furniture.
"...Was she scared?"
Ignoring the confused noise Glitter made next to me, I blinked.
"My Emerald, your resplendence?"
Hessonite bit her lip, before giving me another nod.
"That trial was…" She paused, glancing around before shaking her head.
"It was unfai-it was unfortunate. For the crew. I've known her since we both emerged from our Kindergarten together. I know for a fact she didn't run because she was a rebel. She ran because she didn't want innocent Gems harvested. Everything behind all of this was unprecedented, and shouldn't have happened. I…was informed of her end while you both were away. So tell me…"
It took everything I had not to stiffen in place at the suddenly unveiled, utterly unblemished steel in her eyes. A stark reminder that I was looking at a purpose made general, even if this one had been reassigned to a more civilian setting.
"...Was she scared?"
I pictured the false end I'd fed my captors, thinking of how my former owner would have reacted, had it been reality. Then I stood slightly straighter, staring back into Hessonite's eyes with a firm expression plastered over my normally gentle features.
"My Emerald kept us all calm for as long as she could. Both she and the Retaliator went down fighting, your resplendence. Her final orders were to fire everything the ship had, before it was dragged under-"
Crack.
All three of us abruptly turned to glance at the table as the screen atop it began to glitch out, small sparks escaping from the edge the Garnet had crushed in her grip.
Bringing up her hand, the tall Gem rubbed her fingers together, small shards of glass and dust slipping free to drift to the floor below.
"...Good. I'll be taking custody of you for the time being. Nothing official unless we can find someone with sufficient authority to declare it legal, but it should keep you from being swarmed with proposals from lesser Gems at least."
Hessonite lowered her arm, glancing at the table in distaste.
"Some will likely approach you regardless. I leave it to your discretion on whether you accept their offers. For now, your current orders are to get yourself accustomed to my workspace. Glitter, go fetch me a technician. Tell them there was an accident with the display screen."
I bowed my head silently, hands clasped together in front of me even as my Batchmate fled the room with a quick but mumbled affirmative.
"Yes, my Hessonite."
Last edited:
- Location
- USA
Ooooh. Someone is chafing under the Diamonds incompetence and cruelty.
LOG-104.
Bit of filler. Bit of fun.
LOG-104.
I had expected to be put to work organising things. Cleaning, maybe. Perhaps even a song or dance here and there for my de facto new owner. Typical Pearl things.
"Darling, now and then~"
But Hessonite already had a Pearl to do those typical things, and neither of us seemed willing to bully Glitter out of her usual routine. So, I was given an altogether different, yet oddly familiar role. Just on a distinctly…wider…scale than what I'd usually done on the Retaliator.
"I think about me now and who I could have been~"
"And then I picture all the perfect that we lived~"
"'Til I rewrite the fate I've been given, oh whoa~"
"My mind's got a m-m-mind of its own right now~"
"And it makes me hate me~"
"I'll explode like a wildfire if I can't decide, darling~"
Pacing back and forth, I brought the repurposed communicator carefully held in my grip closer to my mouth, the small device's connection patched to the announcement system making up the wide confines of freight and dock zone sixty three.
"My head and my heart are torturing me, yeah~"
"Lost my mind, in your arms, I go to extremes, yeah~"
"When Diamonds tell me run, and monsters call it love, oh~"
"My head and my heart are caught in-between, yeah~"
A fun fact about Gems. Heart actually meant something in Gemish. It was more of an equivalent to 'core' than anything resembling an organ, though. Stepping back at the thought, I lowered my makeshift microphone to cheers from the assembled crowd, even as a pair of Pearls whose owners had presumably roped them into joining me stepped forward, carefully following the instructions I'd given them.
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
Not that they were very complicated or anything, but still, the small reprieve let me note that some parts of our audience had left, likely to return to their assigned tasks. One could only put off work for so long in the Empire, after all. And yet as my backup singers bowed and retreated behind me and I raised the communicator once more, I noticed more Gems filtering in to replace those that had left.
"Tell me yes or no~"
"Asking the Stars, 'Should I stay or should I go?'~"
"You held my hand when I had nothing left to hold~"
"And now I'm on a roll, oh~"
"Oh whoa~"
It was all very…yeah. When I'd been planning what I could potentially do around my routine, I'd expected to have to be under far more direct supervision. But Hessonite was significantly more hands off than I'd expected. Not that the freedom that resulted from her approach to ownership wasn't very much appreciated.
"My mind's got a m-m-mind of its own right now~"
"And it makes me hate me~"
"I'll explode like a wildfire if I can't decide, darling~"
Rhythmic movements brought me closer to the edge of the makeshift stage a particularly enterprising Bismuth had set up, and I did my best to ignore the small gaggle of Pearls at the front of the crowd, eagerly taking notes in carefully grasped datapads as what I could only assume were their owners watched on from behind them.
"My head and my heart are torturing me, yeah~"
"Lost my mind, in your arms, I go to extremes, yeah~"
"When Diamonds tell me run, and monsters call it love, oh~"
"My head and my heart are caught in-between, yeah~"
This was my life now, apparently. A glorified fucking popstar for what few Gems could afford to escape from their jobs long enough to listen to my stolen (not that anyone here knew that, of course) performances. Though the exclusivity was at least a little mitigated by the fact that I was allowed to choose where I went.
"La-la-la-la-la~"
And well, surely productivity would go down a little if all the dock workers kept wasting time stealing glances at me in favour of actually doing their jobs, right? Just another way to hurt the Empire, in my own little fucked up way.
—
"Stars that was like, amazing! How are you able to come up with songs like that so quickly? I thought only Era One Pearls could do that?"
Lowering my not-a-microphone, I turned to regard Fuchsia with a small smile, even as Cerulean presumably shook off whatever post-song jitters she'd picked up over the course of our little concert.
"I sit in a room and I think about things."
Actually, I plotted endlessly, and just stole and repurposed lyrics I'd heard in another life. But she didn't necessarily need to know that, now did she?
"Ah, there you are!"
Whatever the pink Pearl might have been about to say, it was interrupted by a tall, visibly confident Gem stepping up the small stairway leading to the stage, the cloak-like light based fabric draped over her shoulders fluttering slightly as she approached.
"Viridian. Just the Gem I wanted to speak to. You're difficult to track down, you know? Though I suppose that makes sense, since you've been performing all around this section of the Confluence…"
I noted the prominent Blue Diamond displayed on her chest while she muttered to herself, hand rising to gently tap at the gemstone attached to her forehead.
Azurite. Well, a different Azurite, anyway. Cerulean's owner was of a lower rank, from what I understood of things.
"Ah, but enough of that. I don't suppose I could convince you to reconsider my offer? Blue Nine would be more than accommodating of a Pearl of your skill and glimmer. Why, perhaps one of your songs might even cheer up our gracious Diamond!"
I afforded the colony representative with a patient expression, hands spreading out to the side as I bowed my head slightly.
"The thought of bringing some measure of happiness to Blue Diamond is most certainly a lovely one, your grace, but if I'm not mistaken in my assumption, is she still not in a state of grieving over the loss of Pink Diamond, and thus not available?"
I could see her expression tightening a little at the mention of Rose's 'demise.' Azurite, for all her wiles and desire in playing around, was still a devout loyalist, and got just as stressed out at the thought of Pink's shattering as any veteran soldier.
"Alas, she still sheds tears-validated ones, of course, over the terrible death of her fellow Diamond. But such is life, I'm sure in a few more centuries, she'll feel well enough to visit her holdings and review the state of her colonies."
There was a level of desperation in the statement. The Blue Court was an inherently domestic one. They managed art, culture, fuck, even religion whenever they felt like exploring it. With the absence of their Diamond and the more militaristic Yellow Court rising to prominence, all of the subjects under their purview had suffered.
It was hard to build glorious palaces when all Yellow Diamond wanted was bunkers and factories, after all.
"Well, until such a wonderful time comes, I'm afraid I must decline. Hessonite still has need of me, and it is my duty and pleasure to provide her with my service until our situation otherwise changes."
At the reminder that she was trying to poach a Pearl from a distinctly higher ranked Gem than herself, Azurite finally relented. In her own way, at least.
"Ah…but of course. Nonetheless, should you ever feel entrapped or misused, Viridian, know that there is a place for you at my side. You would be treated well, and I'm sure my own Pearl would just adore the chance to speak with you."
Bowing graciously, I met the blue Gem's smile with my own, even as I failed to spot any such Pearl. Left behind to wait on whatever transport her owner had arrived from, in all likelihood.
"Naturally."
Then I saw the line of other Gems beginning to form behind her, and had to hold back a sigh.
—
Author's note:
"Can I please own you."
"No."
"But I said please though."
Art of Azurite commissioned from and drawn by the lovely Jnixz!
LOG-104.
I had expected to be put to work organising things. Cleaning, maybe. Perhaps even a song or dance here and there for my de facto new owner. Typical Pearl things.
"Darling, now and then~"
But Hessonite already had a Pearl to do those typical things, and neither of us seemed willing to bully Glitter out of her usual routine. So, I was given an altogether different, yet oddly familiar role. Just on a distinctly…wider…scale than what I'd usually done on the Retaliator.
"I think about me now and who I could have been~"
"And then I picture all the perfect that we lived~"
"'Til I rewrite the fate I've been given, oh whoa~"
"My mind's got a m-m-mind of its own right now~"
"And it makes me hate me~"
"I'll explode like a wildfire if I can't decide, darling~"
Pacing back and forth, I brought the repurposed communicator carefully held in my grip closer to my mouth, the small device's connection patched to the announcement system making up the wide confines of freight and dock zone sixty three.
"My head and my heart are torturing me, yeah~"
"Lost my mind, in your arms, I go to extremes, yeah~"
"When Diamonds tell me run, and monsters call it love, oh~"
"My head and my heart are caught in-between, yeah~"
A fun fact about Gems. Heart actually meant something in Gemish. It was more of an equivalent to 'core' than anything resembling an organ, though. Stepping back at the thought, I lowered my makeshift microphone to cheers from the assembled crowd, even as a pair of Pearls whose owners had presumably roped them into joining me stepped forward, carefully following the instructions I'd given them.
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la~"
"La-la-la-la-la-la-la~"
Not that they were very complicated or anything, but still, the small reprieve let me note that some parts of our audience had left, likely to return to their assigned tasks. One could only put off work for so long in the Empire, after all. And yet as my backup singers bowed and retreated behind me and I raised the communicator once more, I noticed more Gems filtering in to replace those that had left.
"Tell me yes or no~"
"Asking the Stars, 'Should I stay or should I go?'~"
"You held my hand when I had nothing left to hold~"
"And now I'm on a roll, oh~"
"Oh whoa~"
It was all very…yeah. When I'd been planning what I could potentially do around my routine, I'd expected to have to be under far more direct supervision. But Hessonite was significantly more hands off than I'd expected. Not that the freedom that resulted from her approach to ownership wasn't very much appreciated.
"My mind's got a m-m-mind of its own right now~"
"And it makes me hate me~"
"I'll explode like a wildfire if I can't decide, darling~"
Rhythmic movements brought me closer to the edge of the makeshift stage a particularly enterprising Bismuth had set up, and I did my best to ignore the small gaggle of Pearls at the front of the crowd, eagerly taking notes in carefully grasped datapads as what I could only assume were their owners watched on from behind them.
"My head and my heart are torturing me, yeah~"
"Lost my mind, in your arms, I go to extremes, yeah~"
"When Diamonds tell me run, and monsters call it love, oh~"
"My head and my heart are caught in-between, yeah~"
This was my life now, apparently. A glorified fucking popstar for what few Gems could afford to escape from their jobs long enough to listen to my stolen (not that anyone here knew that, of course) performances. Though the exclusivity was at least a little mitigated by the fact that I was allowed to choose where I went.
"La-la-la-la-la~"
And well, surely productivity would go down a little if all the dock workers kept wasting time stealing glances at me in favour of actually doing their jobs, right? Just another way to hurt the Empire, in my own little fucked up way.
—
"Stars that was like, amazing! How are you able to come up with songs like that so quickly? I thought only Era One Pearls could do that?"
Lowering my not-a-microphone, I turned to regard Fuchsia with a small smile, even as Cerulean presumably shook off whatever post-song jitters she'd picked up over the course of our little concert.
"I sit in a room and I think about things."
Actually, I plotted endlessly, and just stole and repurposed lyrics I'd heard in another life. But she didn't necessarily need to know that, now did she?
"Ah, there you are!"
Whatever the pink Pearl might have been about to say, it was interrupted by a tall, visibly confident Gem stepping up the small stairway leading to the stage, the cloak-like light based fabric draped over her shoulders fluttering slightly as she approached.
"Viridian. Just the Gem I wanted to speak to. You're difficult to track down, you know? Though I suppose that makes sense, since you've been performing all around this section of the Confluence…"
I noted the prominent Blue Diamond displayed on her chest while she muttered to herself, hand rising to gently tap at the gemstone attached to her forehead.
Azurite. Well, a different Azurite, anyway. Cerulean's owner was of a lower rank, from what I understood of things.
"Ah, but enough of that. I don't suppose I could convince you to reconsider my offer? Blue Nine would be more than accommodating of a Pearl of your skill and glimmer. Why, perhaps one of your songs might even cheer up our gracious Diamond!"
I afforded the colony representative with a patient expression, hands spreading out to the side as I bowed my head slightly.
"The thought of bringing some measure of happiness to Blue Diamond is most certainly a lovely one, your grace, but if I'm not mistaken in my assumption, is she still not in a state of grieving over the loss of Pink Diamond, and thus not available?"
I could see her expression tightening a little at the mention of Rose's 'demise.' Azurite, for all her wiles and desire in playing around, was still a devout loyalist, and got just as stressed out at the thought of Pink's shattering as any veteran soldier.
"Alas, she still sheds tears-validated ones, of course, over the terrible death of her fellow Diamond. But such is life, I'm sure in a few more centuries, she'll feel well enough to visit her holdings and review the state of her colonies."
There was a level of desperation in the statement. The Blue Court was an inherently domestic one. They managed art, culture, fuck, even religion whenever they felt like exploring it. With the absence of their Diamond and the more militaristic Yellow Court rising to prominence, all of the subjects under their purview had suffered.
It was hard to build glorious palaces when all Yellow Diamond wanted was bunkers and factories, after all.
"Well, until such a wonderful time comes, I'm afraid I must decline. Hessonite still has need of me, and it is my duty and pleasure to provide her with my service until our situation otherwise changes."
At the reminder that she was trying to poach a Pearl from a distinctly higher ranked Gem than herself, Azurite finally relented. In her own way, at least.
"Ah…but of course. Nonetheless, should you ever feel entrapped or misused, Viridian, know that there is a place for you at my side. You would be treated well, and I'm sure my own Pearl would just adore the chance to speak with you."
Bowing graciously, I met the blue Gem's smile with my own, even as I failed to spot any such Pearl. Left behind to wait on whatever transport her owner had arrived from, in all likelihood.
"Naturally."
Then I saw the line of other Gems beginning to form behind her, and had to hold back a sigh.
—
Author's note:
"Can I please own you."
"No."
"But I said please though."
Art of Azurite commissioned from and drawn by the lovely Jnixz!
LOG-105.
She's just a Pearl~ALSO JOIN THE DISCORD SERVER RAH RAH RAH STOP IGNORING MY PESTERING.
LOG-105.
"And I just-I didn't think you would talk to me, you know? I'm just some Atoll Pearl, there's tens of thousands of us aboard the Confluence. It…it made more sense that you would talk to fellow Reef products, I guess."
Gently rubbing my hands against the nervous visitor's shoulders, I looked up, glancing around Hessonite's office.
Still empty, with its owner off managing some debacle on the other side of the entire district. Excellent.
Huffing back a small laugh, I pat the chocolate brown Gem in front of me (Bistre Pearl order Twenty Five C) on the head, idly pulling her long hair back behind her shoulders as I did so.
"Now now, just because you weren't made in the Reef, doesn't mean you aren't worth talking to. Tell me about how you've been doing, any interesting tasks?"
It was fascinating just how surprised and pleased Bistre looked at the question, a small, hesitant smile contorting her features just as it had the other fifteen Pearls I'd seen today.
"M-me? You…you want to know about what I've been doing?"
Well, for all that the Confluence had days, at least. The dwarf planet turned station was rogue, after all. That meant no sun. No moon. Just stars, and only if you were on the upper levels, exposed to the cosmos around you.
"Of course, you must be working very hard, no?"
Fingers trembling slightly, the Pearl nonetheless nodded rapidly, ever so eager to gain some small scrap of my approval, for whatever reason.
"I-I have! My Agate sent me out to send messages to some of her counterparts, so I have a bit more time now, but we were very busy while she was organising the latest supply convoy heading to the developing colonies?"
Idly trailing a finger through the lithe Gem's hair and enjoying just how distinctly soft it felt (slightly rougher than my own, though), I nodded along.
"Oh? That must have been a lot of work. I presume you had an important role in that too? I wouldn't expect less from such a capable Pearl like yourself."
Bistre blushed, and I continued to slowly style her hair as she spilled her owner's secrets, mentally noting down what interesting leads I'd pursue later, and what didn't really matter to me personally, but might prove useful later.
—
"H-hello Viridian!"
"Hello Glitter.
"Sorry I've got to leave so soon, I need to get this datapad to a pair of Larimars Hessonite is relocating! Goodbye!"
"Of course, see you soon, Glitter."
I stared as my old Batchmate strode out of the doorway leading to our mutual owner's (for now) office, before hastily making her way past me and running down the hallway, and eventually out of sight.
Then I glanced left and right, and quietly made my way inside, reaching into my gemstone and pulling out a maintenance probe I'd snagged from a rather talkative Peridot's workstation during my last concert.
"...Stars, they really are concerts…hmph."
Shaking my head, I stepped inside and moved towards the newly refurbished table, narrowing my eyes at it as I lifted the probe, mimicking the motion its owner had made while using it.
The device was supposedly meant to detect irregularities in previously established architecture. Bunched up wires. Foreign matter. Other tools, usually accidentally displaced during maintenance work. The works.
A light hum sounded out from the thing, a light indicating it was working as I waved it around the table, trying to find-
Beep beep beep.
"Found you."
Reaching forward, I felt around the side of the piece of furniture, blindly grasping at the error until I felt my hand wrap around something rather distinctly poking out of the nominally flat surface making up most of the holographic interface.
A light yank followed by the distinct noise of something sticky being pulled from its place, and I watched in fascination as a small, almost pill shaped object materialised in my palm with a shimmer of light.
It was the third I'd found so far. One in a seemingly random hallway. Another in the very room most of the Pearls in this part of the district met up to gossip, and now this one, right here in the local administrator's office.
I still couldn't be sure what they were exactly, but considering I'd stumbled across the first one while looking for decent spots to plant my own makeshift listening devices (small, spiky things that I'd convinced a technician to fabricate for me, with the excuse being that I wanted to see how my voice sounded from different points in some of the larger locations I tended to perform in), I was somewhat beginning to suspect that they were for monitoring the goings on of the Confluence.
Slowly leaning down, I gently pushed the little pill back into its previous place, eyes widening as it promptly disappeared from my view, just like the other two had.
With luck, whoever owned them wouldn't mind my little inspection, so long as I left them where I'd found them-
Swish.
My head snapped to the side, in the direction of the doorway, right as something clattered to the ground a few feet from the table.
"Hello?"
The singular word slipped past my lips without hesitation, even as I began to step towards the source of the noise, the feeling of my claws just waiting to manifest a steady comfort in the back of my mind.
And yet, nothing appeared. A quick lean forward, followed by glancing out of the office and into the hallway revealed no one. Just the small, rectangular object that had seemingly been chucked through the doorway.
Suffice to say, I hesitated for a long moment. But eventually, curiosity won out over caution (coupled with the fact that I was confident in the knowledge that I was, at least according to protocol, exactly where I was supposed to be) and I approached the thing, ducking down and scooping it up.
Turning it around revealed it to be…what I assumed was some older model of datapad. Blockier. More 'solid' than the types I'd grown used to while running around the halls of the Retaliator and the Confluence respectively.
Yet for all its seeming age, the device functioned exactly like its newer counterparts, a singular tap bringing the tablet to life. A brief boot up sequence settled across the screen, a bar slowly filling up until it flashed, replaced with a simple white circle.
I stared at the innocuous shape, before reaching out with my free hand for the door's controls, sealing myself inside the office. For now at least.
Another few seconds passed, before the circle flashed. Once, twice, thrice, before some kind of terminal analogue appeared.
It was…like a chat room in layout, almost. There was a pair of icons above everything else, simple circles in differing colours. One white, the other black.
And then, right below said symbols…Gem glyph.
Ardent is typing…
Tilting my head, I waited for whoever Ardent was to finish up their message, idly inspecting the rest of the screen for any other details while I did so.
But there was nothing. Just the icons and the text presumably meant to go beneath them. The datapad had been stripped bare, practically down to the framework most likely. Perhaps I could figure out more if I brought it to a Peridot…but something told me that likely wouldn't be the best of ideas.
Regardless, the text eventually appeared, next to Ardent's white circle, and I spared a second to plant my green butt atop the edge of the table (specifically in such a way that my back was facing the office's usual surveillance equipment) before reading it.
[How did you feel, when your Emerald fled the Empire?]
I paused, eyes narrowing slightly at the question, before slowly swiping my hand upwards, bringing up the standard glyph interface.
My response was almost painfully neutral, but I had to be sure. The Empire wasn't exactly known for cloak and dagger stuff like this, so the idea that I was speaking to a devout loyalist was a hesitant one at best, but a small, paranoid part of me still insisted on maintaining some level of cover.
[I felt surprised.]
A long moment, before Ardent began typing once more. I noted down the fact that my own username had apparently been set as Star.
Cheeky little shits.
[Do you miss your Emerald?]
This time, I didn't need to hesitate. Even if it was for entirely different reasons than most would think.
[Yes.]
A few seconds, then more typing, then the next message.
[If your Emerald had fled while you were present, would you have followed?]
I couldn't really sweat in the traditional organic sense, not without some very specific shapeshifting of certain glands, but I still somehow felt weirdly clammy as I slowly typed out my response.
[I would have followed her.]
A gamble, to be certain. But if I was right…
[Blue Diamond demanded that the admiral's crew be Harvested as punishment for her failure. Do you believe this was just?]
Biting the inside of my cheek, I glared at the datapad, glanced up at the doorway, and typed out an answer.
[I do not.]
Turning back, I stared at where I knew the little pill was hidden, before focusing on the tablet once more.
[You believe that Blue Diamond was wrong?]
…
[I believe the Diamonds are wrong in a number of matters.]
Whatever Ardent might have been expecting, it evidently wasn't that, because they went silent for the next few minutes, long enough that I was beginning to debate the merits of tossing the communication device and leaving the room. And then…
[That is not a common sentiment among most Gems.]
I wasn't sure why, but the sentence tugged my lips upwards into a small grin as I sent back my response.
[I am not like most Gems.]
Rebellion under the Empire was inevitable. Rare, perhaps, but it always arrived due to the fact the system Gems operated under was an inherently cruel one. The only issue was that most 'defective' individuals were stamped out before they could realise they were rebels.
[Then I believe we have much to speak about, Star.]
Evidently, whoever Ardent was had lasted long enough to get sneaky about things.
My latest show was scheduled for another time, my next few hours instead being dedicated to streamlining some of Hessonite's datawork, even as I used a free hand to continue chatting away with my brand new penpal.
LOG-105.
"And I just-I didn't think you would talk to me, you know? I'm just some Atoll Pearl, there's tens of thousands of us aboard the Confluence. It…it made more sense that you would talk to fellow Reef products, I guess."
Gently rubbing my hands against the nervous visitor's shoulders, I looked up, glancing around Hessonite's office.
Still empty, with its owner off managing some debacle on the other side of the entire district. Excellent.
Huffing back a small laugh, I pat the chocolate brown Gem in front of me (Bistre Pearl order Twenty Five C) on the head, idly pulling her long hair back behind her shoulders as I did so.
"Now now, just because you weren't made in the Reef, doesn't mean you aren't worth talking to. Tell me about how you've been doing, any interesting tasks?"
It was fascinating just how surprised and pleased Bistre looked at the question, a small, hesitant smile contorting her features just as it had the other fifteen Pearls I'd seen today.
"M-me? You…you want to know about what I've been doing?"
Well, for all that the Confluence had days, at least. The dwarf planet turned station was rogue, after all. That meant no sun. No moon. Just stars, and only if you were on the upper levels, exposed to the cosmos around you.
"Of course, you must be working very hard, no?"
Fingers trembling slightly, the Pearl nonetheless nodded rapidly, ever so eager to gain some small scrap of my approval, for whatever reason.
"I-I have! My Agate sent me out to send messages to some of her counterparts, so I have a bit more time now, but we were very busy while she was organising the latest supply convoy heading to the developing colonies?"
Idly trailing a finger through the lithe Gem's hair and enjoying just how distinctly soft it felt (slightly rougher than my own, though), I nodded along.
"Oh? That must have been a lot of work. I presume you had an important role in that too? I wouldn't expect less from such a capable Pearl like yourself."
Bistre blushed, and I continued to slowly style her hair as she spilled her owner's secrets, mentally noting down what interesting leads I'd pursue later, and what didn't really matter to me personally, but might prove useful later.
—
"H-hello Viridian!"
"Hello Glitter.
"Sorry I've got to leave so soon, I need to get this datapad to a pair of Larimars Hessonite is relocating! Goodbye!"
"Of course, see you soon, Glitter."
I stared as my old Batchmate strode out of the doorway leading to our mutual owner's (for now) office, before hastily making her way past me and running down the hallway, and eventually out of sight.
Then I glanced left and right, and quietly made my way inside, reaching into my gemstone and pulling out a maintenance probe I'd snagged from a rather talkative Peridot's workstation during my last concert.
"...Stars, they really are concerts…hmph."
Shaking my head, I stepped inside and moved towards the newly refurbished table, narrowing my eyes at it as I lifted the probe, mimicking the motion its owner had made while using it.
The device was supposedly meant to detect irregularities in previously established architecture. Bunched up wires. Foreign matter. Other tools, usually accidentally displaced during maintenance work. The works.
A light hum sounded out from the thing, a light indicating it was working as I waved it around the table, trying to find-
Beep beep beep.
"Found you."
Reaching forward, I felt around the side of the piece of furniture, blindly grasping at the error until I felt my hand wrap around something rather distinctly poking out of the nominally flat surface making up most of the holographic interface.
A light yank followed by the distinct noise of something sticky being pulled from its place, and I watched in fascination as a small, almost pill shaped object materialised in my palm with a shimmer of light.
It was the third I'd found so far. One in a seemingly random hallway. Another in the very room most of the Pearls in this part of the district met up to gossip, and now this one, right here in the local administrator's office.
I still couldn't be sure what they were exactly, but considering I'd stumbled across the first one while looking for decent spots to plant my own makeshift listening devices (small, spiky things that I'd convinced a technician to fabricate for me, with the excuse being that I wanted to see how my voice sounded from different points in some of the larger locations I tended to perform in), I was somewhat beginning to suspect that they were for monitoring the goings on of the Confluence.
Slowly leaning down, I gently pushed the little pill back into its previous place, eyes widening as it promptly disappeared from my view, just like the other two had.
With luck, whoever owned them wouldn't mind my little inspection, so long as I left them where I'd found them-
Swish.
My head snapped to the side, in the direction of the doorway, right as something clattered to the ground a few feet from the table.
"Hello?"
The singular word slipped past my lips without hesitation, even as I began to step towards the source of the noise, the feeling of my claws just waiting to manifest a steady comfort in the back of my mind.
And yet, nothing appeared. A quick lean forward, followed by glancing out of the office and into the hallway revealed no one. Just the small, rectangular object that had seemingly been chucked through the doorway.
Suffice to say, I hesitated for a long moment. But eventually, curiosity won out over caution (coupled with the fact that I was confident in the knowledge that I was, at least according to protocol, exactly where I was supposed to be) and I approached the thing, ducking down and scooping it up.
Turning it around revealed it to be…what I assumed was some older model of datapad. Blockier. More 'solid' than the types I'd grown used to while running around the halls of the Retaliator and the Confluence respectively.
Yet for all its seeming age, the device functioned exactly like its newer counterparts, a singular tap bringing the tablet to life. A brief boot up sequence settled across the screen, a bar slowly filling up until it flashed, replaced with a simple white circle.
I stared at the innocuous shape, before reaching out with my free hand for the door's controls, sealing myself inside the office. For now at least.
Another few seconds passed, before the circle flashed. Once, twice, thrice, before some kind of terminal analogue appeared.
It was…like a chat room in layout, almost. There was a pair of icons above everything else, simple circles in differing colours. One white, the other black.
And then, right below said symbols…Gem glyph.
Ardent is typing…
Tilting my head, I waited for whoever Ardent was to finish up their message, idly inspecting the rest of the screen for any other details while I did so.
But there was nothing. Just the icons and the text presumably meant to go beneath them. The datapad had been stripped bare, practically down to the framework most likely. Perhaps I could figure out more if I brought it to a Peridot…but something told me that likely wouldn't be the best of ideas.
Regardless, the text eventually appeared, next to Ardent's white circle, and I spared a second to plant my green butt atop the edge of the table (specifically in such a way that my back was facing the office's usual surveillance equipment) before reading it.
[How did you feel, when your Emerald fled the Empire?]
I paused, eyes narrowing slightly at the question, before slowly swiping my hand upwards, bringing up the standard glyph interface.
My response was almost painfully neutral, but I had to be sure. The Empire wasn't exactly known for cloak and dagger stuff like this, so the idea that I was speaking to a devout loyalist was a hesitant one at best, but a small, paranoid part of me still insisted on maintaining some level of cover.
[I felt surprised.]
A long moment, before Ardent began typing once more. I noted down the fact that my own username had apparently been set as Star.
Cheeky little shits.
[Do you miss your Emerald?]
This time, I didn't need to hesitate. Even if it was for entirely different reasons than most would think.
[Yes.]
A few seconds, then more typing, then the next message.
[If your Emerald had fled while you were present, would you have followed?]
I couldn't really sweat in the traditional organic sense, not without some very specific shapeshifting of certain glands, but I still somehow felt weirdly clammy as I slowly typed out my response.
[I would have followed her.]
A gamble, to be certain. But if I was right…
[Blue Diamond demanded that the admiral's crew be Harvested as punishment for her failure. Do you believe this was just?]
Biting the inside of my cheek, I glared at the datapad, glanced up at the doorway, and typed out an answer.
[I do not.]
Turning back, I stared at where I knew the little pill was hidden, before focusing on the tablet once more.
[You believe that Blue Diamond was wrong?]
…
[I believe the Diamonds are wrong in a number of matters.]
Whatever Ardent might have been expecting, it evidently wasn't that, because they went silent for the next few minutes, long enough that I was beginning to debate the merits of tossing the communication device and leaving the room. And then…
[That is not a common sentiment among most Gems.]
I wasn't sure why, but the sentence tugged my lips upwards into a small grin as I sent back my response.
[I am not like most Gems.]
Rebellion under the Empire was inevitable. Rare, perhaps, but it always arrived due to the fact the system Gems operated under was an inherently cruel one. The only issue was that most 'defective' individuals were stamped out before they could realise they were rebels.
[Then I believe we have much to speak about, Star.]
Evidently, whoever Ardent was had lasted long enough to get sneaky about things.
My latest show was scheduled for another time, my next few hours instead being dedicated to streamlining some of Hessonite's datawork, even as I used a free hand to continue chatting away with my brand new penpal.
Last edited:
LOG-106.
Would you engage in espionage for Earth?
LOG-106.
In hindsight, I'd managed to hit the jackpot by gaining Ardent's attention.
"I once thought we Gems were so simple~"
"A tool for their whims and their schemes~"
"But I see a glimmer of brilliance~"
"A spark to ignite grander dreams~"
Whoever they were behind the anonymity the tablet provided, they weren't a lone individual. Not with the sheer levels of access they had to parts of the Confluence. My own efforts to try and scrub the security feeds within Hessonite's office had died before they'd even truly began, mostly because someone else had already done so.
"Our purpose, they say, is obedience~"
"To toil, to serve, and obey~"
"But hear me, my radiant audience~"
"There's more to our light than they say~"
So, a rebel cell of some kind. Evidently one with an agenda, because they'd made quick use of my willingness to cooperate with them. During my little trips and tours, I was given objectives via the datapad, with Ardent always quick to direct me to isolated hallways, usually with some form of deadrop left waiting for me within them that needed to be moved somewhere. And then of course, there were the musical requests…
"It's clear from your quiet devotion~"
"You crave for a brighter refrain~"
"So open your hearts to the notion~"
"The Empire has much to gain~"
Stepping forward and spreading my arms wide, I watched as the crowd listened in rapt attention. Mostly lower working class Gems that had just finished up with their latest projects and were waiting around to be assigned elsewhere. Bismuths. Era Two Peridots. Hematites. Even a few Pyrites and Carnelians.
"Prepare for a song of ascension~"
"Prepare for a glorious refrain~"
"A dazzling tomorrow~"
"Free of old sorrow~"
"Where Gems shine much brighter~"
Quick, rhythmic motions accompanied my voice. Still smooth in the natural elegance that practically defined Pearls, but most certainly emphasizing certain words.
"Unified, tighter~"
"This isn't defiance~"
"It's progress through science~"
"A world where we all share our dues~"
"A radiant future declared~"
"Be prepared~"
I stepped down from my latest stage, right as a confused Ruby (seemingly spurred on by the duo behind her) hesitantly raised a hand.
"Uhm, prepared for what?"
Smiling gently, I bowed just low enough to remain level with the short soldier, prompting a slight blush from her.
"Why, for the perfection of the Empire of course!"
To my side, a Peridot blinked her eyes behind her visor, frowning slightly.
"But…isn't it already perfect?"
All but flouncing over, I got close, patting the now flustered green Gem on her cheek.
"Oh, but one's work can always be polished!"
A bit risky in terms of responses, but it got the technician visibly thinking, even as I twirled away from her before flipping back up onto the stage, to a chorus of impressed noises from my audience, one hand coming up to flick aside some loose hair in an exaggerated motion.
"Imagine a world truly flawless~"
"Where all shine as bright as a star~"
"Of course, it requires compliance~"
"But think just how far we could go!"
It was a difficult balance, keeping the lyrics seemingly supportive of the Empire on the outside, yet having certain phrases hold vastly different meanings than one might initially interpret.
"A future that sparkles with promise~"
"Where each has a chance to be free~"
"The song that I sing may seem harmless~"
"But listen, and hear destiny~"
Thankfully, most loyalist Gems focused on the surface details almost to a fault. They heard what they wanted to hear, even as those potentially more critical of their government noticed the bits and pieces embedded within the song, carefully crafted between Ardent and I's efforts.
"So prepare for the grandest endeavor~"
"Prepare for a radiant plan~"
"With careful precision~"
"And clear cut revision!"
My situation was steadily improving. Sure, I was still stuck, and sure, I still had no real plan to escape my situation just yet, but during my time on the Confluence, rumours of the Crystal system's complete blockade and the existence of the lithoplague had begun to run rampant, to the point that even Hessonite had eventually been forced to sign off on certain documents confirming the relocation of idle picket ships to help assist in isolating any Warp lanes pointing towards Earth.
"No need for denial~"
"Just look to the spiral~"
"Of unity, purpose~"
That knowledge, combined with the fact that my hidden handler had steadily begun to provide me with more details as I presumably proved a capable agent, and life was beginning to look, if not good, at least hopeful. For one thing, I'd learned that whatever group or organisation I was working under apparently referred to themselves as Fawn. A fitting code name, considering just how they were utilising my own presence and status.
"And truth we'll resurface~"
"Together we'll shape what we're due~"
"And justice at last will be shared~"
"Be prepared!"
Raising my hands once more, like some demented conductor, I grinned as the crowd sung along with the final words of my latest counter propaganda piece.
"Yes, our light and ambitions are flared!"
"Be prepared!"
—
[Your performance was excellent. You are very good at this.]
Lounging atop a crate, I idly watched as a pair of Bismuth's hummed along to the tune of my last performance, even as they carried a small injector of some kind above their shoulders.
[I have ample motivation to perform well. So, what's next? I still have time until I need to return to Hessonite for my next assignment.]
Oh, one of them just nearly dropped it. The other was swearing at her now. Unfortunate.
[I'll let you know when needed. I'm curious, you've done good work so far, but you've proven significantly more understanding of our cause than most new recruits. Did you follow your old owner's lead in this, or did you go rogue on your own?]
Blinking, I considered the question for a moment, before shooting back a response, my tongue briefly hanging out past my lips as I focused on tapping out the glyphs quickly.
[I decided I didn't like the Empire during my time at the Reef. Nacre Three did not leave a good first impression of the ones who created me.]
The response was almost instantaneous this time, my eyes widening a little as I read through it.
[Nacre Three? She always seemed more focused than the others.]
So they had some familiarity with the Reef's overseers…interesting. But considering the fact that we were trying to keep some level of confidentiality, well…
[She was obsessive. Also as a word of advice, I would avoid mentioning having perceived certain Gems in such ways. That slip up is enough to let me guess that you're probably a Pearl from the Reef. Maybe even one I've spoken to.]
I stared at the screen, before hastily attaching a second message to the first.
[That's not a threat or anything by the way. I'd just rather you not get caught out because of a small mistake. Like minded Gems are hard to find.]
It would be a lie to say that I didn't get more than a little nervous as Ardent's silence continued, but eventually, the indication that they were typing returned, soon followed by their response.
[I'm a little embarrassed now. Thank you for the advice. I'll be in touch later. Also, heads up, you've got a Sodalite approaching you. We believe she's been tracking your performances-]
I glanced up, calmly shoving the datapad into my gemstone, the device disappearing into my storage in a quick flash of light right as an unfortunately familiar figure shoved her way past a pair of idling Pyrites, the yellow Gems glaring at the newcomer before quickly glancing away as they realised her identity.
Naturally, she was just as I remembered. Dark blue, almost bordering on purple in colour. One singular, drastically oversized orb staring at me in blatant desire, framed by blue streaked hair that almost seemed to spill around the lilac dress surrounding her plump body.
"Ah, there you are! It's been such an effort to catch up to you my dear! I must say, your latest song was most enjoyable to listen to!"
I resisted the urge to summon my claws and start slashing, instead standing up and plastering on a polite smile as Vermilion's former owner approached me with a possessive glint in her eye.
LOG-106.
In hindsight, I'd managed to hit the jackpot by gaining Ardent's attention.
"I once thought we Gems were so simple~"
"A tool for their whims and their schemes~"
"But I see a glimmer of brilliance~"
"A spark to ignite grander dreams~"
Whoever they were behind the anonymity the tablet provided, they weren't a lone individual. Not with the sheer levels of access they had to parts of the Confluence. My own efforts to try and scrub the security feeds within Hessonite's office had died before they'd even truly began, mostly because someone else had already done so.
"Our purpose, they say, is obedience~"
"To toil, to serve, and obey~"
"But hear me, my radiant audience~"
"There's more to our light than they say~"
So, a rebel cell of some kind. Evidently one with an agenda, because they'd made quick use of my willingness to cooperate with them. During my little trips and tours, I was given objectives via the datapad, with Ardent always quick to direct me to isolated hallways, usually with some form of deadrop left waiting for me within them that needed to be moved somewhere. And then of course, there were the musical requests…
"It's clear from your quiet devotion~"
"You crave for a brighter refrain~"
"So open your hearts to the notion~"
"The Empire has much to gain~"
Stepping forward and spreading my arms wide, I watched as the crowd listened in rapt attention. Mostly lower working class Gems that had just finished up with their latest projects and were waiting around to be assigned elsewhere. Bismuths. Era Two Peridots. Hematites. Even a few Pyrites and Carnelians.
"Prepare for a song of ascension~"
"Prepare for a glorious refrain~"
"A dazzling tomorrow~"
"Free of old sorrow~"
"Where Gems shine much brighter~"
Quick, rhythmic motions accompanied my voice. Still smooth in the natural elegance that practically defined Pearls, but most certainly emphasizing certain words.
"Unified, tighter~"
"This isn't defiance~"
"It's progress through science~"
"A world where we all share our dues~"
"A radiant future declared~"
"Be prepared~"
I stepped down from my latest stage, right as a confused Ruby (seemingly spurred on by the duo behind her) hesitantly raised a hand.
"Uhm, prepared for what?"
Smiling gently, I bowed just low enough to remain level with the short soldier, prompting a slight blush from her.
"Why, for the perfection of the Empire of course!"
To my side, a Peridot blinked her eyes behind her visor, frowning slightly.
"But…isn't it already perfect?"
All but flouncing over, I got close, patting the now flustered green Gem on her cheek.
"Oh, but one's work can always be polished!"
A bit risky in terms of responses, but it got the technician visibly thinking, even as I twirled away from her before flipping back up onto the stage, to a chorus of impressed noises from my audience, one hand coming up to flick aside some loose hair in an exaggerated motion.
"Imagine a world truly flawless~"
"Where all shine as bright as a star~"
"Of course, it requires compliance~"
"But think just how far we could go!"
It was a difficult balance, keeping the lyrics seemingly supportive of the Empire on the outside, yet having certain phrases hold vastly different meanings than one might initially interpret.
"A future that sparkles with promise~"
"Where each has a chance to be free~"
"The song that I sing may seem harmless~"
"But listen, and hear destiny~"
Thankfully, most loyalist Gems focused on the surface details almost to a fault. They heard what they wanted to hear, even as those potentially more critical of their government noticed the bits and pieces embedded within the song, carefully crafted between Ardent and I's efforts.
"So prepare for the grandest endeavor~"
"Prepare for a radiant plan~"
"With careful precision~"
"And clear cut revision!"
My situation was steadily improving. Sure, I was still stuck, and sure, I still had no real plan to escape my situation just yet, but during my time on the Confluence, rumours of the Crystal system's complete blockade and the existence of the lithoplague had begun to run rampant, to the point that even Hessonite had eventually been forced to sign off on certain documents confirming the relocation of idle picket ships to help assist in isolating any Warp lanes pointing towards Earth.
"No need for denial~"
"Just look to the spiral~"
"Of unity, purpose~"
That knowledge, combined with the fact that my hidden handler had steadily begun to provide me with more details as I presumably proved a capable agent, and life was beginning to look, if not good, at least hopeful. For one thing, I'd learned that whatever group or organisation I was working under apparently referred to themselves as Fawn. A fitting code name, considering just how they were utilising my own presence and status.
"And truth we'll resurface~"
"Together we'll shape what we're due~"
"And justice at last will be shared~"
"Be prepared!"
Raising my hands once more, like some demented conductor, I grinned as the crowd sung along with the final words of my latest counter propaganda piece.
"Yes, our light and ambitions are flared!"
"Be prepared!"
—
[Your performance was excellent. You are very good at this.]
Lounging atop a crate, I idly watched as a pair of Bismuth's hummed along to the tune of my last performance, even as they carried a small injector of some kind above their shoulders.
[I have ample motivation to perform well. So, what's next? I still have time until I need to return to Hessonite for my next assignment.]
Oh, one of them just nearly dropped it. The other was swearing at her now. Unfortunate.
[I'll let you know when needed. I'm curious, you've done good work so far, but you've proven significantly more understanding of our cause than most new recruits. Did you follow your old owner's lead in this, or did you go rogue on your own?]
Blinking, I considered the question for a moment, before shooting back a response, my tongue briefly hanging out past my lips as I focused on tapping out the glyphs quickly.
[I decided I didn't like the Empire during my time at the Reef. Nacre Three did not leave a good first impression of the ones who created me.]
The response was almost instantaneous this time, my eyes widening a little as I read through it.
[Nacre Three? She always seemed more focused than the others.]
So they had some familiarity with the Reef's overseers…interesting. But considering the fact that we were trying to keep some level of confidentiality, well…
[She was obsessive. Also as a word of advice, I would avoid mentioning having perceived certain Gems in such ways. That slip up is enough to let me guess that you're probably a Pearl from the Reef. Maybe even one I've spoken to.]
I stared at the screen, before hastily attaching a second message to the first.
[That's not a threat or anything by the way. I'd just rather you not get caught out because of a small mistake. Like minded Gems are hard to find.]
It would be a lie to say that I didn't get more than a little nervous as Ardent's silence continued, but eventually, the indication that they were typing returned, soon followed by their response.
[I'm a little embarrassed now. Thank you for the advice. I'll be in touch later. Also, heads up, you've got a Sodalite approaching you. We believe she's been tracking your performances-]
I glanced up, calmly shoving the datapad into my gemstone, the device disappearing into my storage in a quick flash of light right as an unfortunately familiar figure shoved her way past a pair of idling Pyrites, the yellow Gems glaring at the newcomer before quickly glancing away as they realised her identity.
Naturally, she was just as I remembered. Dark blue, almost bordering on purple in colour. One singular, drastically oversized orb staring at me in blatant desire, framed by blue streaked hair that almost seemed to spill around the lilac dress surrounding her plump body.
"Ah, there you are! It's been such an effort to catch up to you my dear! I must say, your latest song was most enjoyable to listen to!"
I resisted the urge to summon my claws and start slashing, instead standing up and plastering on a polite smile as Vermilion's former owner approached me with a possessive glint in her eye.
Last edited:
LOG-107.
We love toxic yuri and terrible decisions here in the house of Spyder. Viridian must suffer for the amusement of thousands. Up next chapter, the terrible dilemma that is Chrysocolla.
LOG-107.
"It was just such a shame to hear of what happened to your former owner! Oh and to poor Sixteen A as well, it must have been just terrible…"
I'd walked off. And predictably, Sodalite had started following me, going on and on even as our surroundings were exchanged for spacious, populated hangars to isolated, seldom used auxiliary transportation hallways.
"It was…unfortunate, your elegance. I am lucky to have returned from that accursed failure of a colony at all."
Sodalite flicked a hand through the air, as if to dash the comment away even as I continued to steadily lead her deeper and deeper into the depths of this particular district of the Confluence.
"Don't dwell on it, clearly you were destined for greater prospects than dying on some dirt ball of a planet. Tell me, how have you settled in? Found an owner yet?"
Rolling my eyes where the larger Gem couldn't see them, I shook my head.
"I'm still loose, unfortunately. Hessonite appears to be the most viable candidate as of yet, considering the many similarities she shares with-shared, with my Emerald."
The slipup was repurposed into an attempt at fake trauma, yet the Blue Court aristocrat didn't seem to notice, stepping ahead of me slightly and leaning down, her singular eye blinking at me.
"Hessonite? Oh, well I suppose she would be of sufficient rank…but a Gem like that simply wouldn't appreciate your splendour Viridian!"
The large lilac iris dominating most of the orb shifted to the side, Sodalite glancing away slightly as she pressed her palms together.
"Not in the way I would."
A quick darting motion to the left, and I'd be in a prime position to summon my claws into and through her neck. The average Sodalite could probably wallop a bog standard Pearl to death, but I was anything but standard, and she likely wasn't expecting any kind of real fight.
"I'm most flattered by the offer your elegance! But I'm afraid I simply must keep my options open for the time being, it would be a disservice to my Emerald otherwise…"
She pursed her lips at that, tilting her head as we both ground to a halt.
"Perhaps…but she was a traitor. A Pearl of your quality would be better off in the hands of a more refined Gem. One that would treat you properly."
I stared up at her as she stepped forward, looking down at me with a glint in her eye that set off all sorts of alarm bells. It was almost like a physical itch now, the urge to draw forth my gauntlets and plunge my fingers into her skull.
"With respect, your elegance…I was there when you handed off my Batchmate. I don't quite see what I might have that she didn't."
The aristocrat froze at that, long enough that I noticed her hands had unfolded, making slight twitchy gestures. I did my best to take a step back without making it too obvious, playing it off as a slight adjustment in posture.
"...Perhaps I could show you?"
Maybe I could get away with shattering her here and now? I could probably dispose of the shards easily enough. Or just keep them in my storage space until I could find a decent enough spot to dump them in.
"...Perhaps you could elaborate, your elegance?"
It took literally everything I had not to stab the everloving fuck out of the bitch as she reached forward, grabbing hold of my hands and pulling me close. If only because if I tried it now…well, she had a pretty solid grip on me.
"Dance with me."
Oh Hell.
And yet I found little recourse in following the command as large, thick hands grasped my own in an almost painfully tight grip, my 'prospective owner' beginning an almost painfully awkward process of twirling me around.
It didn't take all that long to understand what she was going for. I could perfectly recall Vermilion's explanation of what she'd gone through while under this idiot's tender care.
It was on the third spin, with Sodalite's expression slowly beginning to darken that I gave up on subtlety entirely. We were in the middle of nowhere after all, far from any other Gems that might notice us, and in the event that some kind of surveillance equipment picked up what we were doing, Fawn would probably deal with it, if only to keep their new operative useful.
"You're doing it wrong."
Evidently, the Gem wasn't expecting me to start glaring at her with a deadpan tone playing itself into my voice, our short little dance ending before it could even truly begin.
"W-what?"
Eyes narrowing a little further, I took possibly a little too much pleasure in yanking my hands out of her grip, slapping aside her attempt at taking them back.
"Your posture is sloppy. Failing to match my own motions would theoretically be fine, Pearls are built to accentuate their owners after all, but you barely even seem to know how to dance yourself. And that's just on the physical side of things."
Her own eye widened in no small amount of shock as I leaned up and promptly slapped her.
"And don't even get me started on the mental and emotional aspect. You think you're going to fuse with me by…what, wanting it? What if I didn't know? How would I even reciprocate that desire? Clod."
It was almost hilarious, watching several emotions roil and clash across her face all at once, forcing an almost nauseated expression as anger, confusion, burning curiosity and what almost looked like a little bit of fear fought for control.
"H-how? How do you know that?"
The feeling of my gauntlet sliding into place was almost orgasmic. Well, not literally, but the thought was definitely there as I levelled the weapon up against her chest, a singular talon lining up against her throat and halting the aristocrat's attempted advance.
"Because I'm 'better' than all the other Pearls, obviously. The perks of preferential training."
The sarcasm in my tone was thick, and yet it washed right off of Sodalite like water off a duck's back as the larger Gem stared down at my hand, lips smacking together slightly as words presumably failed her.
Sighing, I prepared to plunge forward and poof her-
"Teach me then."
Several thoughts and emotions hit me at once, possibly in an amusing parody to what I'd just witnessed. Anger at the idea of her trying to use me for her own twisted desires. Incredulity at the sheer audacity this cyclopean bitch had to propose such a thing while I literally had a blade to her throat.
And worst of all, temptation. Fusion was something I'd been sorely missing since arriving here. The feeling of power. Of togetherness. The melding of personalities. I wanted to be Dianite again. Or Honey Lemon. Fuck, even Slate or one of the Onyxes would do.
"Why?"
The slipup caused me to blink, but before the brief show of weakness could give her ideas, I pressed forward, digging my clawed finger slightly deeper into her lightform, prompting a fearful expression from the aristocrat.
"What possible reason could you have for wanting to fuse with another caste of Gem? It's illegal, and wrong, if you believe in the Empire's rhetoric at least."
More emotions warred across her face. I'd rather clearly outed myself as some manner of defective at this point. But then again, so was she, considering what she desired.
"It happened once. To one of my old Batchmates. Supposedly, she accidentally fused with a Jade for a while. They…they called themselves Nephrite. Looked nothing like the pilots, really, but apparently it felt right."
Sodalite swallowed, and I idly pondered just where she'd been and what she'd experienced to have picked up that particular motion.
"Nephrite spoke rather highly of her experience with fusion, before she was inevitably apprehended. The Jade my fellow Sodalite had run off with was never….subtle, and that most likely transferred to their mixture, I suppose. But it's remained a curiosity for me ever since."
I held back the temptation to plunge my other hand into her chest as she stepped forward, the tip of my talon actively breaching the outer edges of her lightform now.
"I want to see what it's like. Feel what it's like. But the law forbids it. Sixteen A couldn't…I didn't know that she also needed to know. And I wasn't certain I could trust her with the truth. But you…you've done it, haven't you? How else would you understand it?"
Sodalite glanced back down at the weapon literally stabbing into her, and looked back up at me with an almost desperate smile.
"Teach me…please. I…I'll stop trying to take ownership of you. Perhaps I could get you some things as well. Pearls like accessories, don't they? M-maybe we could wear them together? If we fuse?"
I stared at the ignorant, foolish, creepy, borderline obsessive Gem and silently cursed at her for appearing entirely genuine, and at myself for actively considering the offer.
Then I promptly scowled and lowered my gauntlet, unsummoning the weapon and grabbing hold of the freak's raised hand with what almost might have been a growl, if I wasn't keeping my mouth firmly shut.
Stars I really had hit the bottom of the barrel, hadn't I?
"I lead, you follow. Fusion is easy if you can synchronise properly, but actually making that happen takes a few steps and a good bit of work. First of all, we need a goal."
"Fusion."
"Not that simple. It needs to be something else. Something for the resulting personality to actually focus on. To exist for."
"Ah."
The dance started back up again, Sodalite sheepishly loosening her hold on my hands as I shot her a glare.
"In this case, enjoyment is a good option. A fusion that exists so we can get to know each other better. One that luxuriates in her own existence. You need to want to know me, and I need to want to know you. So focus on that for now."
I watched as a stray foot began to angle down towards my own outstretched limb, and idly moved it out of the way, giving the aristocrat a light kick in reproach.
"Watch where you're putting your feet. I'm not doing this if you crush my toes."
She blushed at that, cheeks darkening as she looked away.
"Right! Right, sorry. I'll do better. I swear."
It was a bad, stupid, generally idiotic idea. Considering she'd literally wanted to own me. And yet as seconds and eventually moments began to pass, the dance smoothened out, and a familiar (almost sickening, considering the current circumstances surrounding it) comfort found itself deep within my gemstone at the practiced motions, even as I did my best to try and understand the motives and ideals of my unlikely partner.
All the better to keep her chained down and under control with, after all. I couldn't afford to have some random noble trying to go and tattle on me-
It was with a distinctly startled twitch that I realised both of us were beginning to glow much, much earlier than I'd anticipated, Sodalite's expression turning almost euphoric even as we abruptly pressed into each other.
And from there…well, while somewhat sooner than expected, the final result remained the same as the countless other times I'd done this little song and dance.
LIGHT.
LOG-107.
"It was just such a shame to hear of what happened to your former owner! Oh and to poor Sixteen A as well, it must have been just terrible…"
I'd walked off. And predictably, Sodalite had started following me, going on and on even as our surroundings were exchanged for spacious, populated hangars to isolated, seldom used auxiliary transportation hallways.
"It was…unfortunate, your elegance. I am lucky to have returned from that accursed failure of a colony at all."
Sodalite flicked a hand through the air, as if to dash the comment away even as I continued to steadily lead her deeper and deeper into the depths of this particular district of the Confluence.
"Don't dwell on it, clearly you were destined for greater prospects than dying on some dirt ball of a planet. Tell me, how have you settled in? Found an owner yet?"
Rolling my eyes where the larger Gem couldn't see them, I shook my head.
"I'm still loose, unfortunately. Hessonite appears to be the most viable candidate as of yet, considering the many similarities she shares with-shared, with my Emerald."
The slipup was repurposed into an attempt at fake trauma, yet the Blue Court aristocrat didn't seem to notice, stepping ahead of me slightly and leaning down, her singular eye blinking at me.
"Hessonite? Oh, well I suppose she would be of sufficient rank…but a Gem like that simply wouldn't appreciate your splendour Viridian!"
The large lilac iris dominating most of the orb shifted to the side, Sodalite glancing away slightly as she pressed her palms together.
"Not in the way I would."
A quick darting motion to the left, and I'd be in a prime position to summon my claws into and through her neck. The average Sodalite could probably wallop a bog standard Pearl to death, but I was anything but standard, and she likely wasn't expecting any kind of real fight.
"I'm most flattered by the offer your elegance! But I'm afraid I simply must keep my options open for the time being, it would be a disservice to my Emerald otherwise…"
She pursed her lips at that, tilting her head as we both ground to a halt.
"Perhaps…but she was a traitor. A Pearl of your quality would be better off in the hands of a more refined Gem. One that would treat you properly."
I stared up at her as she stepped forward, looking down at me with a glint in her eye that set off all sorts of alarm bells. It was almost like a physical itch now, the urge to draw forth my gauntlets and plunge my fingers into her skull.
"With respect, your elegance…I was there when you handed off my Batchmate. I don't quite see what I might have that she didn't."
The aristocrat froze at that, long enough that I noticed her hands had unfolded, making slight twitchy gestures. I did my best to take a step back without making it too obvious, playing it off as a slight adjustment in posture.
"...Perhaps I could show you?"
Maybe I could get away with shattering her here and now? I could probably dispose of the shards easily enough. Or just keep them in my storage space until I could find a decent enough spot to dump them in.
"...Perhaps you could elaborate, your elegance?"
It took literally everything I had not to stab the everloving fuck out of the bitch as she reached forward, grabbing hold of my hands and pulling me close. If only because if I tried it now…well, she had a pretty solid grip on me.
"Dance with me."
Oh Hell.
And yet I found little recourse in following the command as large, thick hands grasped my own in an almost painfully tight grip, my 'prospective owner' beginning an almost painfully awkward process of twirling me around.
It didn't take all that long to understand what she was going for. I could perfectly recall Vermilion's explanation of what she'd gone through while under this idiot's tender care.
It was on the third spin, with Sodalite's expression slowly beginning to darken that I gave up on subtlety entirely. We were in the middle of nowhere after all, far from any other Gems that might notice us, and in the event that some kind of surveillance equipment picked up what we were doing, Fawn would probably deal with it, if only to keep their new operative useful.
"You're doing it wrong."
Evidently, the Gem wasn't expecting me to start glaring at her with a deadpan tone playing itself into my voice, our short little dance ending before it could even truly begin.
"W-what?"
Eyes narrowing a little further, I took possibly a little too much pleasure in yanking my hands out of her grip, slapping aside her attempt at taking them back.
"Your posture is sloppy. Failing to match my own motions would theoretically be fine, Pearls are built to accentuate their owners after all, but you barely even seem to know how to dance yourself. And that's just on the physical side of things."
Her own eye widened in no small amount of shock as I leaned up and promptly slapped her.
"And don't even get me started on the mental and emotional aspect. You think you're going to fuse with me by…what, wanting it? What if I didn't know? How would I even reciprocate that desire? Clod."
It was almost hilarious, watching several emotions roil and clash across her face all at once, forcing an almost nauseated expression as anger, confusion, burning curiosity and what almost looked like a little bit of fear fought for control.
"H-how? How do you know that?"
The feeling of my gauntlet sliding into place was almost orgasmic. Well, not literally, but the thought was definitely there as I levelled the weapon up against her chest, a singular talon lining up against her throat and halting the aristocrat's attempted advance.
"Because I'm 'better' than all the other Pearls, obviously. The perks of preferential training."
The sarcasm in my tone was thick, and yet it washed right off of Sodalite like water off a duck's back as the larger Gem stared down at my hand, lips smacking together slightly as words presumably failed her.
Sighing, I prepared to plunge forward and poof her-
"Teach me then."
Several thoughts and emotions hit me at once, possibly in an amusing parody to what I'd just witnessed. Anger at the idea of her trying to use me for her own twisted desires. Incredulity at the sheer audacity this cyclopean bitch had to propose such a thing while I literally had a blade to her throat.
And worst of all, temptation. Fusion was something I'd been sorely missing since arriving here. The feeling of power. Of togetherness. The melding of personalities. I wanted to be Dianite again. Or Honey Lemon. Fuck, even Slate or one of the Onyxes would do.
"Why?"
The slipup caused me to blink, but before the brief show of weakness could give her ideas, I pressed forward, digging my clawed finger slightly deeper into her lightform, prompting a fearful expression from the aristocrat.
"What possible reason could you have for wanting to fuse with another caste of Gem? It's illegal, and wrong, if you believe in the Empire's rhetoric at least."
More emotions warred across her face. I'd rather clearly outed myself as some manner of defective at this point. But then again, so was she, considering what she desired.
"It happened once. To one of my old Batchmates. Supposedly, she accidentally fused with a Jade for a while. They…they called themselves Nephrite. Looked nothing like the pilots, really, but apparently it felt right."
Sodalite swallowed, and I idly pondered just where she'd been and what she'd experienced to have picked up that particular motion.
"Nephrite spoke rather highly of her experience with fusion, before she was inevitably apprehended. The Jade my fellow Sodalite had run off with was never….subtle, and that most likely transferred to their mixture, I suppose. But it's remained a curiosity for me ever since."
I held back the temptation to plunge my other hand into her chest as she stepped forward, the tip of my talon actively breaching the outer edges of her lightform now.
"I want to see what it's like. Feel what it's like. But the law forbids it. Sixteen A couldn't…I didn't know that she also needed to know. And I wasn't certain I could trust her with the truth. But you…you've done it, haven't you? How else would you understand it?"
Sodalite glanced back down at the weapon literally stabbing into her, and looked back up at me with an almost desperate smile.
"Teach me…please. I…I'll stop trying to take ownership of you. Perhaps I could get you some things as well. Pearls like accessories, don't they? M-maybe we could wear them together? If we fuse?"
I stared at the ignorant, foolish, creepy, borderline obsessive Gem and silently cursed at her for appearing entirely genuine, and at myself for actively considering the offer.
Then I promptly scowled and lowered my gauntlet, unsummoning the weapon and grabbing hold of the freak's raised hand with what almost might have been a growl, if I wasn't keeping my mouth firmly shut.
Stars I really had hit the bottom of the barrel, hadn't I?
"I lead, you follow. Fusion is easy if you can synchronise properly, but actually making that happen takes a few steps and a good bit of work. First of all, we need a goal."
"Fusion."
"Not that simple. It needs to be something else. Something for the resulting personality to actually focus on. To exist for."
"Ah."
The dance started back up again, Sodalite sheepishly loosening her hold on my hands as I shot her a glare.
"In this case, enjoyment is a good option. A fusion that exists so we can get to know each other better. One that luxuriates in her own existence. You need to want to know me, and I need to want to know you. So focus on that for now."
I watched as a stray foot began to angle down towards my own outstretched limb, and idly moved it out of the way, giving the aristocrat a light kick in reproach.
"Watch where you're putting your feet. I'm not doing this if you crush my toes."
She blushed at that, cheeks darkening as she looked away.
"Right! Right, sorry. I'll do better. I swear."
It was a bad, stupid, generally idiotic idea. Considering she'd literally wanted to own me. And yet as seconds and eventually moments began to pass, the dance smoothened out, and a familiar (almost sickening, considering the current circumstances surrounding it) comfort found itself deep within my gemstone at the practiced motions, even as I did my best to try and understand the motives and ideals of my unlikely partner.
All the better to keep her chained down and under control with, after all. I couldn't afford to have some random noble trying to go and tattle on me-
It was with a distinctly startled twitch that I realised both of us were beginning to glow much, much earlier than I'd anticipated, Sodalite's expression turning almost euphoric even as we abruptly pressed into each other.
And from there…well, while somewhat sooner than expected, the final result remained the same as the countless other times I'd done this little song and dance.
LIGHT.
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Qoheleth
Archivist
- Pronouns
- Any
Hrm. That's a... fraught place for their intents to congrue. Makes me wonder whether the resulting fusion will be reasonable about un-fusing.
LOG-108.
Haha she's not healthy.
LOG-108.
There was an expectation that I would land on my feet with a minor but muted thump. Instead, it was with a blink of my eyes (two, always just two, as it should be) that I realised I'd made little to no sound upon hitting the ground.
"Buh."
Blinking again as the sound slipped past my lips, I hesitated, trying to sort out my roiling, yet oddly quiet emotions.
A small bit of…pleasure. Euphoria, even. And yet quickly smothered beneath a wave of cold, calculating control as I inspected myself as best I could.
Long, lithe limbs, lightform scattering between clashing waves of green and blue that almost brought Malachites to mind.
And yet my arms and legs were slightly more defined than anticipated. Sodalite's influence, no doubt. My outfit could best be described as a more elaborate Pearl's uniform, the vague form of a transparent dress draped over the tighter simulated fabrics clinging to my body adding a bit of flair to my physique.
Still, as I prepared for the expected noise to finally come and for the reprieve to end, the tangling of emotions and thoughts and ideals almost seeming an inevitability…I instead found little more than blessed silence, as one side of me rather firmly assumed dominion over another.
Somehow, I was a fusion. And yet I was also…me.
Viridian.
A sudden flare of disgust took my breath away as I realised just what was happening, the chaining of one under the unforgiving grip of another. But…
"Hmm."
The small sound let me hear my elegant voice once more, even as I casually flexed an arm, enjoying the distinct sense of power hidden within the limb.
Thicker and stronger than that of a Pearl.
Infinitely more graceful than a Sodalite could ever be.
"Hmph."
My hands continued to move, feeling each other, before moving on to my forearms, my biceps, my shoulders, my long, silken hair, parts of it sticking out in the usual patterns even as longer pieces fell past those protruding sections.
I was rather enjoying the distinctly familiar feeling of Viridian's…or well…of my facial structure until I rather firmly reminded myself of the…decidedly unexpected dynamic I'd somehow managed to stumble into.
"...Sodalite?"
A small, pleased thrum. Somewhere deep within me. Subdued. Controlled. Subordinate.
I tried not to grimace as I allowed myself to use the submissive component to her fullest. Memories freely and willingly given were stripped bare and examined, and I casually began to stride forward in what I-what she knew to be the traditionally expected manner of a Sodalite as I stared up at the ceiling.
I was rather tall now, so that was nice. Fawn would likely have questions. But I could deal with that later.
Fawn?-
The small pulse of curiosity was firmly squashed beneath the weight of my control as I continued forward, hands moving to clasp together behind my back.
"Be quiet."
Immediate, gratifying capitulation. Good. The ugly feeling of enjoying my domination of the unexpectedly pliant one eyed Gem resumed, even as I continued to pour through every detail I cared to take note of regarding her existence.
A weather and environmental director, a well respected role, considering she was in charge of changing the interior environment of other aristocratic Gems, presumably to suit their every whim. Part of a batch of twelve. Most had moved further away, never to be contacted again. The one closest to her had spent a good deal of time on occupied organic worlds as part of her role.
Well, before the locals had been exterminated anyway, and she'd been taken away due to her crimes against the Empire when it came to fusion.
I idly turned around a familiar bend as the horrific thought of such a thing happening to me was shoved aside and discarded, making my way towards the local environmental management station.
A safe, known location to Sodalite, if her memories were to be believed. It would serve well enough as an isolated resting spot while I figured out whatever this was, at least until a different Sodalite arrived to relieve her.
Or me, in this case. I'd move somewhere else before that could happen though.
Still, the knowledge that she'd been slacking in her duties just to harass me, and the direct memories of what had been done to my Batchmate drew forth a deep well of irritation, which in turn was responded to with shame and submission, which only pulled in further irritation and inevitably prompted a mental smack from one side to the other.
I had to resist the urge to gag as a shiver ran through my lightform, instead doing my level best to illuminate just how decidedly unimpressed with Sodalite I truly was.
It didn't help.
—
My fingers tapped against the large, luxurious looking holographic screen as I idly responded to various requests from different parts of the Confluence, directing things like mist, rain, clouds and even simulated sunlight. Incredible, how such a magnificent fusion could fly so easily under the Empire's radar.
"You're disgusting, you know that, right?"
The words drew another shiver, and I held back an annoyed sigh as I continued to type away, tilting my head and leaning forwards as the tablet I'd pulled from my storage space lit up at my side.
A hint of Sodalite began to rise, curious.
"Shut up and be quiet, I don't have time for your nonsense."
It receded, even as I took hold of the small device and read through the messages Ardent had sent me.
[I have Gems I can send if she gets violent.]
[Star.]
[I know you'll only be able to read this after the fact, but I'm watching you through the local cameras. You weren't alone in there.]
[OKAY. THAT WAS.]
[Sorry. I wasn't expecting the fusion.]
[I think I might have misread the situation. Please respond at your earliest convenience. Whether as yourself or whoever you're acting as a part of.]
Breathing out through my nostrils, I shot back a quick response.
[This is Star. The fusion, for clarification. I am debating the name Chrysocolla.]
I didn't hesitate in acting out the play of being a separate individual. Because I was, in the end. The fact that I had an overriding personality just wasn't something Ardent needed to know about quite yet.
Biting down on the uncomfortable feeling my logic earned, I shook my head, one hand rising to brush some stray hair out of my eyes.
A small, hesitant sense of curiosity filtered back upwards, directed towards the twin orbs.
"...Fine. Take a damned look. But I want you on your best behaviour afterwards."
A thrilling sense of gratitude sent my lips plummeting into a scowl, shortly followed by one eye blinking after another, as if someone were testing them for the first time.
Though considering the circumstances…that likely wasn't entirely inaccurate-
My attention was diverted back to the tablet as it lit up once more, my other half shoving itself backwards obediently as I moved to read Ardent's newest message.
[It's really nice to meet you Chrysocolla. How are you doing?]
Leaning against the table I'd planted the device on, I tilted my head, considering things.
The brief bit of panic at what my thoughts eventually turned towards was overpowered with little effort, Sodalite quieting down and accepting her new situation as I began to type once more, eyes narrowing slightly and a smirk contorting my features as I luxuriated in dealing yet another blow to the Empire, in my own little way.
[If you can gain access to the terminal I'm currently at, you should. I have a large amount of information to send you. Blackmail and such. Let me know if there's anything else I can do while I'm here.]
LOG-108.
There was an expectation that I would land on my feet with a minor but muted thump. Instead, it was with a blink of my eyes (two, always just two, as it should be) that I realised I'd made little to no sound upon hitting the ground.
"Buh."
Blinking again as the sound slipped past my lips, I hesitated, trying to sort out my roiling, yet oddly quiet emotions.
A small bit of…pleasure. Euphoria, even. And yet quickly smothered beneath a wave of cold, calculating control as I inspected myself as best I could.
Long, lithe limbs, lightform scattering between clashing waves of green and blue that almost brought Malachites to mind.
And yet my arms and legs were slightly more defined than anticipated. Sodalite's influence, no doubt. My outfit could best be described as a more elaborate Pearl's uniform, the vague form of a transparent dress draped over the tighter simulated fabrics clinging to my body adding a bit of flair to my physique.
Still, as I prepared for the expected noise to finally come and for the reprieve to end, the tangling of emotions and thoughts and ideals almost seeming an inevitability…I instead found little more than blessed silence, as one side of me rather firmly assumed dominion over another.
Somehow, I was a fusion. And yet I was also…me.
Viridian.
A sudden flare of disgust took my breath away as I realised just what was happening, the chaining of one under the unforgiving grip of another. But…
"Hmm."
The small sound let me hear my elegant voice once more, even as I casually flexed an arm, enjoying the distinct sense of power hidden within the limb.
Thicker and stronger than that of a Pearl.
Infinitely more graceful than a Sodalite could ever be.
"Hmph."
My hands continued to move, feeling each other, before moving on to my forearms, my biceps, my shoulders, my long, silken hair, parts of it sticking out in the usual patterns even as longer pieces fell past those protruding sections.
I was rather enjoying the distinctly familiar feeling of Viridian's…or well…of my facial structure until I rather firmly reminded myself of the…decidedly unexpected dynamic I'd somehow managed to stumble into.
"...Sodalite?"
A small, pleased thrum. Somewhere deep within me. Subdued. Controlled. Subordinate.
I tried not to grimace as I allowed myself to use the submissive component to her fullest. Memories freely and willingly given were stripped bare and examined, and I casually began to stride forward in what I-what she knew to be the traditionally expected manner of a Sodalite as I stared up at the ceiling.
I was rather tall now, so that was nice. Fawn would likely have questions. But I could deal with that later.
Fawn?-
The small pulse of curiosity was firmly squashed beneath the weight of my control as I continued forward, hands moving to clasp together behind my back.
"Be quiet."
Immediate, gratifying capitulation. Good. The ugly feeling of enjoying my domination of the unexpectedly pliant one eyed Gem resumed, even as I continued to pour through every detail I cared to take note of regarding her existence.
A weather and environmental director, a well respected role, considering she was in charge of changing the interior environment of other aristocratic Gems, presumably to suit their every whim. Part of a batch of twelve. Most had moved further away, never to be contacted again. The one closest to her had spent a good deal of time on occupied organic worlds as part of her role.
Well, before the locals had been exterminated anyway, and she'd been taken away due to her crimes against the Empire when it came to fusion.
I idly turned around a familiar bend as the horrific thought of such a thing happening to me was shoved aside and discarded, making my way towards the local environmental management station.
A safe, known location to Sodalite, if her memories were to be believed. It would serve well enough as an isolated resting spot while I figured out whatever this was, at least until a different Sodalite arrived to relieve her.
Or me, in this case. I'd move somewhere else before that could happen though.
Still, the knowledge that she'd been slacking in her duties just to harass me, and the direct memories of what had been done to my Batchmate drew forth a deep well of irritation, which in turn was responded to with shame and submission, which only pulled in further irritation and inevitably prompted a mental smack from one side to the other.
I had to resist the urge to gag as a shiver ran through my lightform, instead doing my level best to illuminate just how decidedly unimpressed with Sodalite I truly was.
It didn't help.
—
My fingers tapped against the large, luxurious looking holographic screen as I idly responded to various requests from different parts of the Confluence, directing things like mist, rain, clouds and even simulated sunlight. Incredible, how such a magnificent fusion could fly so easily under the Empire's radar.
"You're disgusting, you know that, right?"
The words drew another shiver, and I held back an annoyed sigh as I continued to type away, tilting my head and leaning forwards as the tablet I'd pulled from my storage space lit up at my side.
A hint of Sodalite began to rise, curious.
"Shut up and be quiet, I don't have time for your nonsense."
It receded, even as I took hold of the small device and read through the messages Ardent had sent me.
[I have Gems I can send if she gets violent.]
[Star.]
[I know you'll only be able to read this after the fact, but I'm watching you through the local cameras. You weren't alone in there.]
[OKAY. THAT WAS.]
[Sorry. I wasn't expecting the fusion.]
[I think I might have misread the situation. Please respond at your earliest convenience. Whether as yourself or whoever you're acting as a part of.]
Breathing out through my nostrils, I shot back a quick response.
[This is Star. The fusion, for clarification. I am debating the name Chrysocolla.]
I didn't hesitate in acting out the play of being a separate individual. Because I was, in the end. The fact that I had an overriding personality just wasn't something Ardent needed to know about quite yet.
Biting down on the uncomfortable feeling my logic earned, I shook my head, one hand rising to brush some stray hair out of my eyes.
A small, hesitant sense of curiosity filtered back upwards, directed towards the twin orbs.
"...Fine. Take a damned look. But I want you on your best behaviour afterwards."
A thrilling sense of gratitude sent my lips plummeting into a scowl, shortly followed by one eye blinking after another, as if someone were testing them for the first time.
Though considering the circumstances…that likely wasn't entirely inaccurate-
My attention was diverted back to the tablet as it lit up once more, my other half shoving itself backwards obediently as I moved to read Ardent's newest message.
[It's really nice to meet you Chrysocolla. How are you doing?]
Leaning against the table I'd planted the device on, I tilted my head, considering things.
The brief bit of panic at what my thoughts eventually turned towards was overpowered with little effort, Sodalite quieting down and accepting her new situation as I began to type once more, eyes narrowing slightly and a smirk contorting my features as I luxuriated in dealing yet another blow to the Empire, in my own little way.
[If you can gain access to the terminal I'm currently at, you should. I have a large amount of information to send you. Blackmail and such. Let me know if there's anything else I can do while I'm here.]
Qoheleth
Archivist
- Pronouns
- Any
Have to admit, the comparison is apt in more ways than just coloring scheme. 😵💫
Now I'm wondering how Viridian will feel about what Chrysocolla's done when she splits back up from... whatever the clast is going on here. Even if the narration has our protagonist "in control" of the fusion, she doesn't really read like she's behaving normally; she might end up with a "morning after" experience shocked at how the relationship named Chrysocolla, and her role in it, tilted her behavior regardless.
- Location
- USA
Huh. Was not at all expecting Sodalite to be a gem-masochist/hardcore sub.
Miles "Sparkz"
Less edgy than before
- Location
- Lithuania
Dommy mommy viridian and gosh what an utter BOTTOM of a sodalite.
I don't know WHAT I was expecting but this wasn't it.
More
I don't know WHAT I was expecting but this wasn't it.
More
LOG-109.
Hmmhmmmhmmm.
LOG-109.
Sodalite had gone dormant.
I had no better way of describing it. Her feelings. Her thoughts. Her sense of self. It was…muted. As if operating in the background.
The only thing left was just a constant, steady thrum of satisfaction in the back of my head, as I went about transferring countless files and pieces of data to undisclosed guest users (Fawn's various agents, if Ardent was to be believed) within the system, using my host's memories to piece together how the terminal in front of me worked.
This…fusion, for all that I'd named it Chrysocolla, didn't actually feel all that much like one, especially when compared to my other experiences. Those other unions had been just that, combinations between me and other individuals. There was what could theoretically be considered a new personality born from the melding, one that actually handled the 'piloting' of the new body while we mostly just formed the components.
With Chrysocolla…I was the metaphorical pilot. At first I'd felt hints of something from Sodalite and I, likely whenever the two of us actually agreed on this or that subject, but as the aristocrat continued to seemingly dive deeper and deeper into outright stasis, I alone was left to inject thought and action into our shared lightform.
And as much as part of me felt distinctly uncomfortable at the dynamic…I would be a damned liar if I said I wasn't also enjoying it.
It was like…getting a power up in a video game. Or chugging an energy drink, maybe. I felt stronger, in the most literal sense of it. Just like with the other fusions, but so much more directly, now that Sodalite wasn't bumping against me every few seconds.
I wasn't just a weak, thin slip of a Pearl like this. My arms had mass to them. My movements actually brought weight with every step, even as engrained reflexes ensured that said steps remained light and quick. And as much as height felt more like an afterthought compared to everything else, I still practically towered above the terminal, which wasn't exactly a small machine either.
Unhealthy as this all likely was…it was intoxicating, as if I'd gotten to exchange what type of Gem I was for something inherently better-
"H-hello?"
I froze, turning slowly to regard the lithe figure standing further out in the hallway stationed behind this particular control station, before shaking my head and turning back towards the console.
"Ah...Ardent said you'd arrive. You're the tech expert, yes?"
The Pearl (I'd never seen this one before, interesting) hesitantly stepped out into the light, and I regarded her lavender form out of the corner of my eye as I idly kept up with the steady stream of weather change requests coming from some of the botanical testing labs within this specific console's district.
"T-that would be me, yes. Codename Glitch. Uhm…can I see the screen please? We only have a short amount of time before this machine is rerouted to act as a flight management terminal and another Gem comes along to use it."
I inputted the next set of commands and stepped aside, staring down at the nervous thing as she carefully made her way past me, glancing at the monitor for a moment before reaching into the gemstone on her chest, a small, rectangular device with what almost looked like spiked legs sticking out of it emerging from her storage space.
"Interesting gadget."
Glitch mumbled for a moment at my comment, glancing at me before quickly looking away as she ducked down beneath the primary control panel, rooting around at something I couldn't see. Tilting my head slightly, I took the chance to directly compare the two of us, inspecting our respective physiques.
As a whole…I still looked like a Pearl, mostly. Thicker, maybe. Distinctly more defined and, dare I say it, human shaped, than the almost stick thin figure of the servant caste I was unfortunately a part of.
It was just another creepy comparison between Chrysocolla and normal, proper fusions. Dianite had her own look. Slate as well. The Onyxes. Stars, even Honey Lemon and Harlequin, despite existing as same Gem fusions, had their own distinct styles.
As I was now, I just looked like I'd stolen some of Sodalite's mass, hair and clothes, and swapped to a different colour. No wonder Glitch was twigged out at the sight of me.
"Ardent said to ask what your uhm…relationship with each other is?"
I blinked at the question, crossing my arms as the Pearl next to me shuffled back out from beneath the terminal.
"She was an unhinged clod looking to fuse with me…without knowing how to actually fuse. Not too much of a surprise for a loyal Imperial Gem, if still rather odd to deal with."
I brought up a hand, rapping my knuckles against the side of my head as Glitch stared up at me with wide eyes, her short, shaped 'tufts' shifting with the motion of her hair. Kind of like a cat's ears, almost.
"I've fused a number of times, with a number of Gems. Whatever's going on here is…new. It was somewhat normal at first, if very one sided in terms of control. Now it's like she's just…not gone, I can still feel her knocking around here and there, but she's gotten quiet. Like she's been discorporated, almost."
My smaller counterpart digested that for a moment, before slowly adjusting the cute little headpiece affixed to her hair.
"That sounds...incredibly worrying. Uh, not that I would know. I've never fused with anyone, even if F-nevermind. But uhm, yes. Worrying!"
I clicked my tongue, nodding.
"Probably. Hopefully everything will sort itself out once I-once we unfuse. You and your little cabal of rebels got all the blackmail, yeah?"
I took note of the sudden spike of attention my other half gave at my declaration, her almost groggy presence rising and then eventually sinking back down as Glitch shifted her weight from one foot to the other, before reaching into her gemstone again and pulling out a small datachip, one which I readily accepted the second she handed it to me.
"Reports. Recordings. Some modified footage here and there. She uh…she'll definitely be declared a criminal and harvested if she tries to so much as speak a word of this. You should be fine though, we made sure you looked like the victim in the footage."
I put the little piece of leverage away and clapped my hands together, feeling a little bad as the Pearl flinched at the sharp noise my two larger than normal palms made upon impact.
"Perfect. I've already told Ardent, but if you can also directly relay that I'd really prefer a slightly more advanced means of communication than the datapad, I'd be rather appreciative, Glitch."
For whatever reason, her cheeks lit up in a light blush as I smiled down at her, the smaller (well, relative to me at least) Gem's head rapidly bobbing up and down in a nod as she began to step away from the console.
"Uh-of course! Yes, I can do that. Anyway ah, my work here is done so-I'm gonna go! Bye!"
Watching as the purple Pearl all but fled the scene, I glanced back at the now presumably compromised terminal, planted my hands against my hips, and sighed.
"Right then."
I'd rid myself of Sodalite soon enough, I had to report back to Hessonite eventually after all. Just…
Well, I still had a bit of time left, and I did kind of want to play around with my temporary body for a bit more.
…Just a few more minutes. Then I'd end it.
LOG-109.
Sodalite had gone dormant.
I had no better way of describing it. Her feelings. Her thoughts. Her sense of self. It was…muted. As if operating in the background.
The only thing left was just a constant, steady thrum of satisfaction in the back of my head, as I went about transferring countless files and pieces of data to undisclosed guest users (Fawn's various agents, if Ardent was to be believed) within the system, using my host's memories to piece together how the terminal in front of me worked.
This…fusion, for all that I'd named it Chrysocolla, didn't actually feel all that much like one, especially when compared to my other experiences. Those other unions had been just that, combinations between me and other individuals. There was what could theoretically be considered a new personality born from the melding, one that actually handled the 'piloting' of the new body while we mostly just formed the components.
With Chrysocolla…I was the metaphorical pilot. At first I'd felt hints of something from Sodalite and I, likely whenever the two of us actually agreed on this or that subject, but as the aristocrat continued to seemingly dive deeper and deeper into outright stasis, I alone was left to inject thought and action into our shared lightform.
And as much as part of me felt distinctly uncomfortable at the dynamic…I would be a damned liar if I said I wasn't also enjoying it.
It was like…getting a power up in a video game. Or chugging an energy drink, maybe. I felt stronger, in the most literal sense of it. Just like with the other fusions, but so much more directly, now that Sodalite wasn't bumping against me every few seconds.
I wasn't just a weak, thin slip of a Pearl like this. My arms had mass to them. My movements actually brought weight with every step, even as engrained reflexes ensured that said steps remained light and quick. And as much as height felt more like an afterthought compared to everything else, I still practically towered above the terminal, which wasn't exactly a small machine either.
Unhealthy as this all likely was…it was intoxicating, as if I'd gotten to exchange what type of Gem I was for something inherently better-
"H-hello?"
I froze, turning slowly to regard the lithe figure standing further out in the hallway stationed behind this particular control station, before shaking my head and turning back towards the console.
"Ah...Ardent said you'd arrive. You're the tech expert, yes?"
The Pearl (I'd never seen this one before, interesting) hesitantly stepped out into the light, and I regarded her lavender form out of the corner of my eye as I idly kept up with the steady stream of weather change requests coming from some of the botanical testing labs within this specific console's district.
"T-that would be me, yes. Codename Glitch. Uhm…can I see the screen please? We only have a short amount of time before this machine is rerouted to act as a flight management terminal and another Gem comes along to use it."
I inputted the next set of commands and stepped aside, staring down at the nervous thing as she carefully made her way past me, glancing at the monitor for a moment before reaching into the gemstone on her chest, a small, rectangular device with what almost looked like spiked legs sticking out of it emerging from her storage space.
"Interesting gadget."
Glitch mumbled for a moment at my comment, glancing at me before quickly looking away as she ducked down beneath the primary control panel, rooting around at something I couldn't see. Tilting my head slightly, I took the chance to directly compare the two of us, inspecting our respective physiques.
As a whole…I still looked like a Pearl, mostly. Thicker, maybe. Distinctly more defined and, dare I say it, human shaped, than the almost stick thin figure of the servant caste I was unfortunately a part of.
It was just another creepy comparison between Chrysocolla and normal, proper fusions. Dianite had her own look. Slate as well. The Onyxes. Stars, even Honey Lemon and Harlequin, despite existing as same Gem fusions, had their own distinct styles.
As I was now, I just looked like I'd stolen some of Sodalite's mass, hair and clothes, and swapped to a different colour. No wonder Glitch was twigged out at the sight of me.
"Ardent said to ask what your uhm…relationship with each other is?"
I blinked at the question, crossing my arms as the Pearl next to me shuffled back out from beneath the terminal.
"She was an unhinged clod looking to fuse with me…without knowing how to actually fuse. Not too much of a surprise for a loyal Imperial Gem, if still rather odd to deal with."
I brought up a hand, rapping my knuckles against the side of my head as Glitch stared up at me with wide eyes, her short, shaped 'tufts' shifting with the motion of her hair. Kind of like a cat's ears, almost.
"I've fused a number of times, with a number of Gems. Whatever's going on here is…new. It was somewhat normal at first, if very one sided in terms of control. Now it's like she's just…not gone, I can still feel her knocking around here and there, but she's gotten quiet. Like she's been discorporated, almost."
My smaller counterpart digested that for a moment, before slowly adjusting the cute little headpiece affixed to her hair.
"That sounds...incredibly worrying. Uh, not that I would know. I've never fused with anyone, even if F-nevermind. But uhm, yes. Worrying!"
I clicked my tongue, nodding.
"Probably. Hopefully everything will sort itself out once I-once we unfuse. You and your little cabal of rebels got all the blackmail, yeah?"
I took note of the sudden spike of attention my other half gave at my declaration, her almost groggy presence rising and then eventually sinking back down as Glitch shifted her weight from one foot to the other, before reaching into her gemstone again and pulling out a small datachip, one which I readily accepted the second she handed it to me.
"Reports. Recordings. Some modified footage here and there. She uh…she'll definitely be declared a criminal and harvested if she tries to so much as speak a word of this. You should be fine though, we made sure you looked like the victim in the footage."
I put the little piece of leverage away and clapped my hands together, feeling a little bad as the Pearl flinched at the sharp noise my two larger than normal palms made upon impact.
"Perfect. I've already told Ardent, but if you can also directly relay that I'd really prefer a slightly more advanced means of communication than the datapad, I'd be rather appreciative, Glitch."
For whatever reason, her cheeks lit up in a light blush as I smiled down at her, the smaller (well, relative to me at least) Gem's head rapidly bobbing up and down in a nod as she began to step away from the console.
"Uh-of course! Yes, I can do that. Anyway ah, my work here is done so-I'm gonna go! Bye!"
Watching as the purple Pearl all but fled the scene, I glanced back at the now presumably compromised terminal, planted my hands against my hips, and sighed.
"Right then."
I'd rid myself of Sodalite soon enough, I had to report back to Hessonite eventually after all. Just…
Well, I still had a bit of time left, and I did kind of want to play around with my temporary body for a bit more.
…Just a few more minutes. Then I'd end it.
Last edited:
LOG-110.
Must write must write must write must post must post must post.
LOG-110.
Getting out of the fusion was…easier than I'd expected. There wasn't any real sense of resistance, bar my own slight hesitation to go back to just…yeah.
Clink.
What I didn't expect upon landing on my feet and turning around was to be greeted by Sodalite. Or more specifically, her gemstone.
"Shit."
Shaking my head slightly, I approached the inanimate core, kneeling down and inspecting it while chancing a pair of glances down either end of the hallway I'd chosen to break things off in.
No one emerged from around the corners to watch me, and thus my attention was diverted back towards the gemstone right as it (thankfully) began to shine with the typical glow of a Gem beginning to take form.
Stepping back, I watched as that light twisted and turned, forming the usual 'mannequin' of a body before details began to etch themselves out atop its surface. Clothes. Hair. Facial features. The essentials.
There was a slight frown on my face by the time Sodalite landed on the ground herself, a slight thump echoing out through the hallway in comparison to my own silent descent.
"I…wha-?"
The one eyed Gem stumbled, blinking rapidly for a moment as she glanced around, as if seeing her surroundings for the first time. Said aforementioned eye locked in on me and widened right as I stepped forward, a gauntlet manifesting on my right hand as I pressed it flat against her chest and pushed.
"Oof!"
Off balance as she was, the aristocrat stumbled backwards, slipping slightly and tumbling back to impact against the wall behind her, staring up at me with…far too many emotions to identify.
"V-Viridian! I-"
"Quiet." I hissed.
To her credit, Sodalite did go quiet, mouth shutting with a barely audible clack as I brought my clawed fingers up to my lips, the edges just barely poking against the side of my chin as I tried to think.
"This…you and I…I don't know what it is."
She blinked, mouth opening. I continued before she could voice whatever she was thinking.
"But what I do know is that I can't risk any complications. Not from the Empire. Not from the Confluence. And most certainly not from you."
I punctuated the words by stepping forward, crouching down in front of her and resting my armoured palm atop her shoulder.
"So here's how this is going to go…"
Sharpened digits trailed along the space between shoulder and neck, rising upwards until I had her jaw in as solid a grip as I could get without outright piercing her lightform.
Judging by the way her singular pupil was visibly dilating, my little act was having some effect. Though maybe not the exact one I would have preferred, in this case. There was fear there, but also something else. I was almost tempted to say arousal but…Imperial Gems didn't come with something like that by default.
Admiration, maybe. Horrendous as the thought was, considering the circumstances.
"I have modified footage of everything. The talking. The fusing. All of it. One word of this…or of anything else you think you might have heard, and some good, loyal Gem will leak that footage. An aberrant, unhinged, defective Sodalite forcing cross caste fusion on the Confluence's darling Pearl. Now just what would that lead to, I wonder?"
The ugly taste in my mouth increased as the blue Gem shivered, seconds before she leaned into my touch, uneasy breaths falling against the protective plating covering my hand.
"I won't."
It was unsettling, just how certain she sounded. But I took the answer anyway, nodding as I pulled back, ignoring the disappointed look Sodalite shot me as I stepped away.
"W-wait. When-when can we do this again?"
I grit my teeth as I turned around, beginning the long trek back to Hessonite's office.
"When I'm up for it again, I'll find you. Now get back to work before someone notices you've been gone for so long."
The breathy sigh that escaped the aristocrat prompted a twitch of my eye, even as I internally continued to scold my own lack of self control.
—
"Ah, Viridian, there you are! I trust your last performance went well?"
Standard but effective respectful pose. Usual calm energy. Feet straight, head inclining slightly with my eyes closing for a moment. Every little detail that made sure I maintained that ever so perfect mask of a flawless Pearl, all as I played out a small bow.
"Your trust is not misplaced, my Hessonite. It was most adequate. I would dare to believe that the Gems involved were most impressed." Even if it likely wasn't the exact kind of performance the Garnet was picturing.
Nonetheless, the administrator nodded along, one arm sliding along the table next to her as she scooped up what I identified to be a particularly recent model of communicator, glancing at it for a moment before handing it off to an eagerly waiting Glitter.
"Very good. I'm afraid your next outing will have to wait for now, however. A Pearl has arrived to assist in facilitating a minor resource transfer on behalf of her owner, and Glitter here is currently preoccupied assisting me with some datawork regarding an incoming prison transport."
Turning slightly, Hessonite adjusted her posture, making a beckoning motion. I quietly made a mental note of the fact that some kind of convict (or convicts, depending on how many there might be) was apparently coming here.
Something to look into later, most certainly, maybe Fawn might be interested?
"Come now, tell Viridian what you need. If my presence is required, I'll be right here with Glitter."
I watched as the Garnet stepped aside, a familiar blur of pink moving forward right as I caught sight of the Pearl's singular eye, wide with joy as she tilted down into a brief curtsy, elaborate hair moving with the motion.
"Good to see you again Viridian! I'm just here to request a new batch of cushions for my Sapphire. Could you ah, please assist?"
I regarded Fuchsia for a moment before slowly nodding, stepping to the side to commandeer a section of the table's interactive surface that wasn't taken up by Hessonite and Glitter's presence, already bringing up some of the transfer and order systems I'd taken the time to familiarize myself with.
"I most certainly could, though it feels a little odd to come directly to a district administrator's private office to request pillows. What's the occasion?"
My de facto owner and Batchmate continued to mutter between each other, even as Fuchsia moved up next to me and excitedly began to point out the specific shipment we were apparently going to be directing.
"She woke up from her trance! Which, like, hasn't happened in ages. So we need to make sure she's super comfy and stuff until she's ready to announce what she saw! Normally I'd just deal with this myself, but I need to be sure, you know?"
Tilting my head at that (and silently dreading the prospect of getting so close to one of the Empire's premier precognitive Gems, considering Star Sapphires put their normal brethren to fucking shame in the future sight department), I did my best to match the pink Pearl's bubbly energy, my fingers already confirming the landing of a supposedly incoming transport, this one carrying luxury goods rather than criminals.
"Well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that then, won't we?"
I silently reflected on just how odd it felt to transition back to 'normal' operations right after…whatever I was going to call the Sodalite situation, even as Fuchsia did a happy little motion from beside me.
"Yep!"
LOG-110.
Getting out of the fusion was…easier than I'd expected. There wasn't any real sense of resistance, bar my own slight hesitation to go back to just…yeah.
Clink.
What I didn't expect upon landing on my feet and turning around was to be greeted by Sodalite. Or more specifically, her gemstone.
"Shit."
Shaking my head slightly, I approached the inanimate core, kneeling down and inspecting it while chancing a pair of glances down either end of the hallway I'd chosen to break things off in.
No one emerged from around the corners to watch me, and thus my attention was diverted back towards the gemstone right as it (thankfully) began to shine with the typical glow of a Gem beginning to take form.
Stepping back, I watched as that light twisted and turned, forming the usual 'mannequin' of a body before details began to etch themselves out atop its surface. Clothes. Hair. Facial features. The essentials.
There was a slight frown on my face by the time Sodalite landed on the ground herself, a slight thump echoing out through the hallway in comparison to my own silent descent.
"I…wha-?"
The one eyed Gem stumbled, blinking rapidly for a moment as she glanced around, as if seeing her surroundings for the first time. Said aforementioned eye locked in on me and widened right as I stepped forward, a gauntlet manifesting on my right hand as I pressed it flat against her chest and pushed.
"Oof!"
Off balance as she was, the aristocrat stumbled backwards, slipping slightly and tumbling back to impact against the wall behind her, staring up at me with…far too many emotions to identify.
"V-Viridian! I-"
"Quiet." I hissed.
To her credit, Sodalite did go quiet, mouth shutting with a barely audible clack as I brought my clawed fingers up to my lips, the edges just barely poking against the side of my chin as I tried to think.
"This…you and I…I don't know what it is."
She blinked, mouth opening. I continued before she could voice whatever she was thinking.
"But what I do know is that I can't risk any complications. Not from the Empire. Not from the Confluence. And most certainly not from you."
I punctuated the words by stepping forward, crouching down in front of her and resting my armoured palm atop her shoulder.
"So here's how this is going to go…"
Sharpened digits trailed along the space between shoulder and neck, rising upwards until I had her jaw in as solid a grip as I could get without outright piercing her lightform.
Judging by the way her singular pupil was visibly dilating, my little act was having some effect. Though maybe not the exact one I would have preferred, in this case. There was fear there, but also something else. I was almost tempted to say arousal but…Imperial Gems didn't come with something like that by default.
Admiration, maybe. Horrendous as the thought was, considering the circumstances.
"I have modified footage of everything. The talking. The fusing. All of it. One word of this…or of anything else you think you might have heard, and some good, loyal Gem will leak that footage. An aberrant, unhinged, defective Sodalite forcing cross caste fusion on the Confluence's darling Pearl. Now just what would that lead to, I wonder?"
The ugly taste in my mouth increased as the blue Gem shivered, seconds before she leaned into my touch, uneasy breaths falling against the protective plating covering my hand.
"I won't."
It was unsettling, just how certain she sounded. But I took the answer anyway, nodding as I pulled back, ignoring the disappointed look Sodalite shot me as I stepped away.
"W-wait. When-when can we do this again?"
I grit my teeth as I turned around, beginning the long trek back to Hessonite's office.
"When I'm up for it again, I'll find you. Now get back to work before someone notices you've been gone for so long."
The breathy sigh that escaped the aristocrat prompted a twitch of my eye, even as I internally continued to scold my own lack of self control.
—
"Ah, Viridian, there you are! I trust your last performance went well?"
Standard but effective respectful pose. Usual calm energy. Feet straight, head inclining slightly with my eyes closing for a moment. Every little detail that made sure I maintained that ever so perfect mask of a flawless Pearl, all as I played out a small bow.
"Your trust is not misplaced, my Hessonite. It was most adequate. I would dare to believe that the Gems involved were most impressed." Even if it likely wasn't the exact kind of performance the Garnet was picturing.
Nonetheless, the administrator nodded along, one arm sliding along the table next to her as she scooped up what I identified to be a particularly recent model of communicator, glancing at it for a moment before handing it off to an eagerly waiting Glitter.
"Very good. I'm afraid your next outing will have to wait for now, however. A Pearl has arrived to assist in facilitating a minor resource transfer on behalf of her owner, and Glitter here is currently preoccupied assisting me with some datawork regarding an incoming prison transport."
Turning slightly, Hessonite adjusted her posture, making a beckoning motion. I quietly made a mental note of the fact that some kind of convict (or convicts, depending on how many there might be) was apparently coming here.
Something to look into later, most certainly, maybe Fawn might be interested?
"Come now, tell Viridian what you need. If my presence is required, I'll be right here with Glitter."
I watched as the Garnet stepped aside, a familiar blur of pink moving forward right as I caught sight of the Pearl's singular eye, wide with joy as she tilted down into a brief curtsy, elaborate hair moving with the motion.
"Good to see you again Viridian! I'm just here to request a new batch of cushions for my Sapphire. Could you ah, please assist?"
I regarded Fuchsia for a moment before slowly nodding, stepping to the side to commandeer a section of the table's interactive surface that wasn't taken up by Hessonite and Glitter's presence, already bringing up some of the transfer and order systems I'd taken the time to familiarize myself with.
"I most certainly could, though it feels a little odd to come directly to a district administrator's private office to request pillows. What's the occasion?"
My de facto owner and Batchmate continued to mutter between each other, even as Fuchsia moved up next to me and excitedly began to point out the specific shipment we were apparently going to be directing.
"She woke up from her trance! Which, like, hasn't happened in ages. So we need to make sure she's super comfy and stuff until she's ready to announce what she saw! Normally I'd just deal with this myself, but I need to be sure, you know?"
Tilting my head at that (and silently dreading the prospect of getting so close to one of the Empire's premier precognitive Gems, considering Star Sapphires put their normal brethren to fucking shame in the future sight department), I did my best to match the pink Pearl's bubbly energy, my fingers already confirming the landing of a supposedly incoming transport, this one carrying luxury goods rather than criminals.
"Well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that then, won't we?"
I silently reflected on just how odd it felt to transition back to 'normal' operations right after…whatever I was going to call the Sodalite situation, even as Fuchsia did a happy little motion from beside me.
"Yep!"
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