Old Habits

[7XB]

The bright, sterile light of the Moon Base's dedicated communications glinted defiantly from surfaces both metallic and crystalline, including the angular gem bonded to the rugged Quartz hand as they entered- though perhaps it was more correct to say that they were bonded to it, simply a hard-light projection from their true being. 7XB, in times when their thoughts threatened to overwhelm them, found some comfort in this reminder, however austere it might seem- they were not designed to think, to carry all of these petty, personal concerns on their broad shoulders, and it should have been easy enough to just..shrug it off..right? The clear gem’s mind had been tumultuous as of late, though, and their usual methods of dismissing these troublesome thoughts had proven..uneffective. Any time that the Quartz had set aside to think about that, though, was spent as the lights in the room began to fade, dark shadows pooling first in the corners of the room as the holographic table's usual, cool blue shifted and soured to a more citric hue- right on time. A vertical line came into being as the clear Quartz straightened their spine, crossing their arms across the yellow emblem upon their chest as the line widened into a diamond-shaped holo-screen.

It had been far too long since 7XB had communicated with their superiors back Home and, truthfully, they were looking forward to it. To the continuation of what had been a long-held tradition until assignment had found them stranded on this miserable backwater, far from even their fellow yellow-aligned gems, but that was about to change. It would be good, reminding them that, outside of the petty affairs of Earth, nothing in the greater Galaxy has changed.

.. Nothing.

The Quartz was at full attention by the time the blaze orange gem appeared upon the screen, leaning back in her seat with a sharp gaze. “Clear Quartz?” The Hessonite began, crisply listing off their designation, “1R7J- 7XB?” “Yes, your Radiance. I have compiled the reports our Diamond requested on the status of my mission since my reassignment to the Earth colony, as well as several observational reports.”

[Paddy]

The communications hub on Earth, and subsequently the commonly empty communications room of the Moonbase, had long been a decrepit reminder of the fact that rebels had taken hold on Earth, and that Pink Diamond seemed to be mysteriously unconcerned about them for the past few millennia. When she had first arrived in this star system, the privileged Padparadscha had been nonplussed by her Diamond's inaction, but field mission after field mission had crafted the petite dilettante she once was into a keener, more worldly sapphire; one who could see that Pink Diamond was playing the long game. Homeworld's inevitable victory would be delivered gently; one of many ways to show the rebels how absurd their collective tantrum was.

She considered it no small victory that she was able to convince a strange rebel Peridot to repair and protect the communications hub on Earth until more technicians could arrive on the scene to initiate more thorough repairs. The corners of Padparadscha's lips were turned up slightly as she tried to downplay the smug smile she wore. A glinting, red satin dress flowed in her wake as she made her way down the hall, chin high and shoulders back, and her polished gemstone flashed in the harsh lighting. Pink Pearl too seemed to glide over the tiles of the corridor, her dainty steps overshadowed by the sharp clack of Padparadscha's heels.

Seeing the communications room of the Moonbase in fully functioning condition for the first time since her arrival in the Sol system was a small way to congratulate herself for a job well done; the reports had been made, and now she wished to enjoy smooth, intergalactic communications with her retinue that had remained on Homeworld. She slowed her steps, allowing her giddy smile to blossom as Pink Pearl swiftly moved up to the door panel and opened it for her. The sapphire's lustrous teeth gleamed for a moment longer as her huge, lotus-pink eyes passed over many gems moving between terminals and receiving lines to use-- perhaps the first they've seen in centuries.

Then, her eyes snagged on to a beautifully severe form that stuck out like a shock of snow atop a rigid mountain, a gem so well crafted, so perfectly...stubborn, callous, and ultimately suited to their role as a vulgar quartz soldier, despite their austere elegance. Her efforts to downplay the emotions that sprang into her mind at the sight of them, to not let them effect her so much, were futile. Her smile wilted, and she attempted to appear more neutral, though any attempt to modulate her expression wouldn't hide the contemptuous curl of her upper lip as she quickly motioned for Pink Pearl to find her a terminal. Truth be told, she had meant to find and speak to 7XB again, as she had noted their name on the roster of gems who would be selected for a presence on Pink Diamond's emergency council, but nonetheless she pretended to not notice them.

[7XB]

7XB relished the communication, swift and to the point as it was (which was itself comforting in it's regularity), but they were keenly aware of the other gems aroujd them as well, gems in the service of the very same Diamond to which this Moon Base and the attached Colony, belonged, so they were not quite as open with their derision in regards to the utter mismanagement of the Earth Rebellion as they might have had the Communications Room been otherwise vacant, and what they did say was couched in terms that they might not bother doing had the surrounding gems wore a different Diamond; The full reports they had sent ahead of time, however, carried all of the severity that the incredibly brief summary, essentially bullet points of what the Hessonite could could find within, did not. They could not help but feel embarrassed for the Pink Court's lack of control over the situation, but perhaps that would soon change..or they would be reassigned within one of their own Diamond's crystal systems. They didn't belong here, and it's not like anything was..keeping them here, was there? Such a thought carried the distinct, familiar sense of eyes burning into them, but they paid it no heed. Surely it was just the memory of the troublesome aristocrat causing such peculiar sensation. The upper-caste gem listened to 7XB with some interest, clearly already scrolling through the reports visible on her side of the screen. Known rebel gems, locations of interest..it was a compilation of everything the Quartz knew of the planet in painstaking detail.

Almost everything, anyway.

“Very well,” She continued, dismissing the maelstrom of information with an upwards flit of her finger, settling back into the captain's chair of what, judging from the background, was a starship, “I'll have these reports studied in greater detail and see if they warrant passing up to our Diamond.”

“Of course, Your Radiance. Will there be anything else?”

“Hm. No, that will be all for now..ah, yes. As per your initial report, perhaps we can have you reassigned to more active duty in the next few cycles. Until then, 1R7J-7XB, consider your current mission still active.”

[Paddy]

Pink Pearl, ever more perceptive than she was often given credit for, let her soft pink eyes become more slender as they flickered between Padparadscha and 7XB. This wasn't the first time Pink Pearl had seen her assigned patron acting strangely around this quartz; the pearl found herself as a fly on the wall during many encounters between them, and could follow the sapphire's gaze even as the aristocrat seemed to purposefully turn her nose away from the quartz.

The inquisitive sapphire couldn't keep her eyes off of 7XB, even as she tried to ignore their presence; not only because a starkly perfect gem stood out in a room of common others, but because her curiosity had been stoked. It was routine to report to one's superiors, but her mind ran in circles trying to guess what they might be telling that superior; what were they reporting about, and was she in those reports? Not only that, but what were they saying about Pink Diamond's colony, and about the top secret business they had gotten themselves into back on the site of the lotus? Were they indeed working with the Yellow Sapphire she loathed, or was she just making herself dizzy with thought? 

The pearl detected a few open terminals, but opted for one closer to 7XB; her own curiosity was piqued by the sapphire's various strange reactions to this particular quartz, and decided to throw some more fuel on the fire. The closer the two of them got to 7XB, the more Padparadscha went out of her way to pretend she hadn't been staring; when they got to the terminal, she swiveled to turn her back to them, but found herself listening to their conversation. Her brows lowered, but she kept her eyes focused on her own terminal as Pink Pearl interfaced with it for her. 

The words themselves weren't all that telling, but the sinking in her midriff at the mention of active assignment-- likely frontline duty on new colonies-- reminded her that she still hadn't been able to shake off the emotions that 7XB conjured in her, despite the implosion of her rapport with them. The sapphire pursed her lips, and peeked over her shoulder to see who it was that 7XB was reporting to. 

[7XB]

Even through the medium of the small, holographic screen of the terminal, the Hessonite with which 7XB was communication, who they themselves had only communicated with personally a handful of times before this as she was several steps above their traditional superiors, cut a formidable figure. Her orange creamsicle irises faded into a brighter, sunny yellow around her dark pupils, lending her gaze a sharp and fierce edge that seemed as though it might burn through a lesser gem than the burly Quartz soldier much like a white-hot plasma blade through frigid ice. But they stood resolute and, in fact, rather proudly- it was an honor to be in the presence of such a noble and commanding gem, even through a holoscreen..but 7XB could not shake the feeling of unease as, unbeknownst to them, the very aristocrat that had dominated their thoughts drew closer, the unusual magnetism that had emerged between the two gems ever since their first mission on Earth even when they weren't aware she was present. “By your command, Your Radiance.”

“Very good,” Hessonite finitely, turning her gaze back to something off-screen quiet suddenly, causing the curly yellow-red hair that framed her serious face to bounce, “then that will be all. As you were, Clear Quartz.”

And with that, the orange gem was gone, her image vanishing from the holo-screen, which itself deactivated moments later, before 7XB could say anything else. The Quartz relaxed visibly..or as much as they even did, turning around to depart the comms hub, straightened up as if struck by lightening as their gaze landed on a certain, familiar sapphire.

“Oh..Your Clarity.” Was all they said, respectfully monotonous as they crossed their arms across their chest despite the twisting chasm that yawned open in their gut.

[Paddy]

Seeing a Hessonite on their screen shouldn't have been as surprising to her as it was; since Padparadscha had been so caught up in the pressures of living up to the expectations of two different Diamonds, she had almost expected to see Yellow Sapphire's smug grin on the screen. The sapphire hadn't spent much time around martial gems in general before she came to Earth, but it seemed perfectly routine for 7XB to report to a military general. Still, she didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

Then she was caught red-handed in the act of staring, a jolt sprang up her back as the quartz turned, and their eyes met. The sheer discomfort of holding eye contact with them was almost too much to bear, but the sapphire did some nimble thinking, and held the quartz's gaze more pointedly as her lips opened to respond. Pink Pearl let her eyes flicker innocently between the two gems as she tried to suss out the situation for herself.  

"Ah," Her upper lip twitched, then pulled into a thin smile as she looked up at them,"How unexpected." Pink Pearl drew a communications line from the terminal, and handed it gingerly to the sapphire, who continued to glare at 7XB even as her hand extended to accept it. Padparadscha took on a more self-satisfied smile as she continued,"It's quite nice to finally be able to communicate with Homeworld, isn't it?" She gave a breathy chuckle, and didn't wait for any kind of answer as she continued,"Oh-- by the way, I heard that you'll be on the next Council with moonbase management," Her eyes finally broke contact as she thought, gazing at the communication line in her hand as she spoke,"We might have the honor of being in the presence of the Diamonds themselves, too! An exciting time for this precious colony, no?" Her face turned just slightly, and she peered at the quartz from an angle.

[7XB]

The clear gem might as well have been a statue that Padparadscha was talking to, bringing their heels together moments after they segwayed easily into their Diamond salute, rigid and austere as an prison tower. If anything the Quartz soldier was even more distant and proper than usual, and though in seemed nothing less than impeccably respectful and subservient to Padparadscha's station, it was a cold imitation of the meaningless, courtly pleasantry that they knew the Sapphire both loathed from them, and had no choice but to accept. If she wished to speak to down to them so coldly from her aristocratic podium as if they were just another quartz, than that was how they would act. Though they expected no less after their estrangement, and it was perfectly logical for her to do so, the same part of their being that had driven the Quartz into their improper escapades drove them to be equally petty to this gem that had longed to see since their last parting, but in their own way. “Its always a pleasure to see you, your divine Clarity.” They replied simply, though the Quartz was unable to conceal it was, in fact, the truth- even if begrudgingly.

“Indeed it is.” And it would hopefully find them leaving this colony soon.

Her mention of their being on Pink Diamond’s next council, though, came as a bit of a surprise.They refused to let that, or anything, show, so they pretended to have already known.

“Oh, of course, I'm in awe just at the thought of being in the presence of so many gems of such dazzling radiance.

[Paddy]

Despite her guarded ambivalence, it was nothing short of uncanny to see this gem, the very same that had shown her such a myriad of passionate emotions back on Earth, become as placid as any other common soldier patrolling the halls. There was always something alien to her about those gems, especially back on Homeworld; the best soldiers were mechanical in their pragmatism, examples of absolute loyalty, empty of superfluous thought and void of their own will-- or at least good at pretending to be. Though, she had known 7XB far too long to not recognize the spark of sunlight that glinted in their frigid eyes.

The truth, despite being embedded within pleasantry, knocked her through a loop, and the sapphires eyes widened just a bit, catching the overhead light enough to sparkle for just a moment before her gaze flicked to the side, then trailed back up to hear the rest of what they said with full perception. Her head canted to the side-- there was something off for just a split second-- but no outright lies, perhaps something 7XB simply wasn't saying.

The sapphire leaned back on one hip, her eyes tracked up and down their form,"You're good at that," She commented bluntly on their performance as a bleak machine, then moved on as if she hadn't said it,,"The table will be filled with a truly luminescent congregation of gems, no less than Homeworld's most loyal and brilliant will be in attendance," She gave a grandiose sweep of her hand. Of course, there were things both of them weren't saying. The last time she'd seen this gem, she had been entirely wrapped up in her emotions; fuming with indignation, vision blurred with tears, illusions of confidence shattered. She still felt like assailing them with the tempest that they had left her with ever since that day, yet the fact that she couldn't decide what to think held her back from making a scene.

She flicked a stray curl from her face,"At any rate it appears we'll be working together on the task force-- your stellar performance hasn't gone unnoticed," Padparadscha gave a cheeky smile, and in the background, her pearl pursed her lips, a keen eyed look bounced between the two gems,"I take it you're keeping our astoundingly magnificent Yellow Diamond aware of our colonial progress?"

[7XB]

Her candidness, though it lasted only a moment, was refreshing to the Quartz gem. It was moments like this that 7XB realized that they were not the only gem that hid themselves behind a mask. Bottomless courtesy and aristocratic manners were as much a protective shell as their own severe demeanor, a shield to keep other gems at arms length and hide their more unsightly aspects from Gem society at large. Some gems might resent this fate, but 7XB had long ago resigned themselves to it. They had eons ahead of them, if they were lucky, and a life of soldiering was difficult enough without such meaningless distractions as emotion. At least..that was what they had thought until they had been assigned to this backwater on what was supposed to be just another thankless security detail on a backwater colony. But it was here that they had met Padparadscha, and everything had changed..for awhile anyway. So much of them, parts that they had never really realized were frozen, had begun to thaw the longer they tempted fate together. Even though they knew that their falling out was inevitable, it didn't make it any easier for them to go back to business as usual.

There was so much they wanted to say to her, but nothing came out. Until, that was, she mentioned their communications with Hessonite 1AB, and they went on the defensive. “I was reporting into my superiors, yes. With my Diamond's continued expansions, it's being determined if certainly assets are being used efficiently.” Namely themselves, their rubies, and every other Yellow Diamond gem on-base. If not, they could all be gone the matter of a few planetary cycles.

[Paddy]

Though her brows continued floating up as they spoke, her lids lowered over her large eyes, the corners of her lips deflated gracefully into place. There was a dissonance drudged up to her consciousness, one she had kept pushing aside for many cycles of Earth's moon; after all, 7XB's presence in the star system went directly against one of her own closely held beliefs in the first place. A belief about the rebellion, and about her own Diamond's way of doing things. A level deeper, her own traipses about the surface of Earth with this gem again contorted her internal ideological world. Paired with her other experiences on Earth, there were only a few conclusions she could draw.

None of which she would dare to say out loud, not until she had irrefutable evidence at least. For now, she couldn't help herself; she continued her seemingly light conversation. "Oh?" She started, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes flicked to the communications line in her hand; her arms moved to clasp behind her back. "I do hope everything is going according to plan, though that can be a tall order on Earth-- a difficult assignment," Nothing had ever gone to plan for her on that world, though she had learned that being adaptive was just an important facet of being efficient. "It's good that our brilliant commander Yellow Diamond sends her best and brightest for Earth's...aid, though I'm curious," Her lips pursed for a moment while she thought,"What do you think? If you were the one going over these reports, what would be your determination?" One of her brows floated expectantly.

[7XB]

Padparadscha, for a number of reasons, had long ago cemented herself in place as one of, if not the, most unusual gem they had had ever met. Under the surface she was nothing like the other Sapphires they had dealt with. No matter the Diamond they served, aristocrats were all cut from near-identical molds, and if you'd dealt with one, you'd dealt with thousands more. From the moment they'd met, though, she had surprised them again and again, with not only her actions, but her words.

And now, even after everything that had torn them apart, it seemed as though that hadn't changed.

“My opinion, Your Clarity?” The Quartz questioned with a lifted brow. Even after everything, she would still ask such a thing of them, even in front of other gems, here on the Moonbase? “I.. I'm afraid I don't understand, Your Clarity. My opinion is of no value. If you'd like the opinion of my Diamond, or my direct superiors, perhaps I could have something sent to your office?” They knew that would frustrate her, but that wasn't the sole reason behind it- they did not feel comfortable having such conversation here amongst their peers.

[Paddy]

Padparadscha listened carefully as they spoke, watching their expression very closely. As they began to give their disingenuous explanation, her brows furrowed, and her lip pulled up. Her first guess as to why they were behaving this way was that their opinion was riddled with things they didn't want her to know about, and her sense for the truth would reveal those things. Her second guess edged toward her own opinion of the other court's involvement in Pink Diamond's colony in the first place.

Other guesses whirled in her mind, but she acted on her mounting frustration. The aristocrat tossed her head back with a scoff, her shimmering curls bounced, and she gestured toward 7XB with a delicate hand,"Oh, you mean to tell me that one of Yellow Diamond's most experienced, reliable, and effective field operatives can't give an educated assessment of the state of things here on the colony, when it is requested of them by an investigations officer?" She spoke firmly, with a snide tint to her modulated voice, and shook her head,"I didn't ask for your Diamond's or your superior's opinion, I asked for yours-- if you are truly so nonplussed by this request, then perhaps I'll have to require that a report be delivered to my office promptly,"

As the sapphire's voice kept getting louder with each word she uttered, Pink Pearl's eyes grew wider; she knew that sometimes this sapphire could be more uninhibited than the usual aristocrat, and other times she seemed dangerously off color, but Pink Pearl hoped her patron wouldn't be the center of another scene today. Pink Pearl's shoulders hunched; if other gems in the room weren't already looking their way, they would be soon.

[7XB]

7XB might have cringed if they'd had even an ounce less of control over their facial expressions as Padparadscha began to get riled up. This was something they had been forced to contend with before- the sapphire carried a wrathful temper well out proportion to her diminutive size- but they had always done so away from Homeworld's watchful gaze- that was something the planet was good for, at least: Privacy. Their brow threatened to raise as her voice did, yet it did not, the clear gem's cheeks glowered an increasingly bright shade of blue as the humiliation and anger they felt reached a crescendo.

They had served Homeworld for thousands of years longer than Padparadscha had existed, yet that had to listen to this stubborn, spoiled little sapphire berate them? It was nothing they'd not been made to endure before, but it was especially wounding from her- she wasn't even a gem of their own court!

“IF it pleases your Clarity,” they began, their voice frigid and with as keen of an edge as it had ever been, but somehow no louder than their earlier subservience,” I will ensure that your concern is noted to my superiors, and send over a report to your office as promptly as I am so able.” There was a certain, fearsome elegant to the cold rage of this gem, so different than the fiery beauty of Padparadscha when incensed, with her curls bouncing luminously. This was like ice, or the rock beneath it.

“Will that be sufficient to please you, Your Clarity?”

This embarrassing encounter had gone on long enough, for the both of them.

[Paddy]

She was not the best soldier, but she often fought verbal battles. Padparadscha pursed her lips when 7XB had sidestepped her provocations, though she could feel their agitation radiating through the stonewalling tactic. A sinking in her midriff accompanied her own anger, stoked up after being shut away. The sapphire couldn't stand this quartz treating her like she was someone they hadn't shown a whole new world to. Not only that, but how often would the gems in the room around them witness an investigation's officer being defied? The rejection stung not only her pride as a member of Pink Diamond's aristocratic court, but her wounded heart, which still felt confused after their betrayal of her trust.

"Hmph! Does it please me?" She huffed, and swiveled away from the quartz as she spoke in a measured, firm tone,"I'll expect a report soon enough, but I wont push my jurisdiction over it. "

Befuddled by the emotions whirling around her, she could only think to take her leave from the room. After all, she had come to see the terminals working once again after years of being disabled, and to make a call home. Seeing 7XB had been a conflicted surprised, and she feared how the task force meeting might go if she escalated the conflict any further. Without finding out how prompt the quartz intended to be with this report or how they would deliver it, the sapphire stepped out of the room, the bottoms of her heels clicking along the tile as she took a brisk pace. She carried along the communication line in her clasped hands. Pink Pearl strode after her, but gave a quick glance toward the quartz.

[7XB]

“Yes, Your Clarity,” They replied obliquely despite the pain that welled up at each parting, though it has curdled into a much deeper sadness since that frigid day at the Earth's north Pole where the connection that had grown so strong, due in no small part to their further nurturing despite knowing better, had been traumatically wounded, “I do apologise for the inconvenience.”At the time the Quartz had thought it severed entirely, but their painful interactions since that day at the site that would one day house the Lotus had proven otherwise: It was wounded, yet clung to just enough life to torment the pair as much as possible. Even now it clawed at their mind. Padparadscha had lied to them, and then again when confronted- this fear had been confirmed by hunting down the rogue Amethyst, 6UE. This betrayal stung enough, but the stern Quartz could not help but wonder if she had lied about..more. Had they been a tool to her, a simple quartz to be manipulated against their own Diamond by sweet words and.. other experiences? Their indifferent facade was particularly exhausting to keep up as the sapphire stormed angrily from the room, countless pairs of curious eyes fixated upon the stoic gem threatening to melt their weakening ice. As she faded from sight, the Quartz allowed their salute to fall, lingering a moment before approaching the door themselves, turning east just past the doorway to follow the winding corridor towards the section of the Base that had been essentially cordoned off as a enclave for the increasing number of Yellow Diamond's gems assigned here. If it was decided by their superiors to commit their resources to war, they would be ready. Needing to check up on their Rubies, a fact that they suddenly remembered amongst the turmoil, they redirected themselves towards the training rooms.

A few hours of training with their team would no doubt clear the Quartz's mind, and lift their mood. They'd spent too much time time thinkjng about Sapphires and the chaos they could cause.