Like a Sore Thumb ... (Intro/Open)

[Paddy]

Her lips pursed as she witnessed Hematite's reaction to her own words, brows coming together as her confusion grew over the surface. When the gem stood, Padpara didn't flinch, but her fists clenched in anticipation for whatever was to come next-- more words, that she hadn't been prepared for at all. Her mouth fell open. What the fusion spoke of had struck at a deep sore in Padparadscha's mind, something she definitely hadn't counted on attempting to contemplate today. The delicate debate of purpose.

Then, she remembered words she'd once heard from her beloved leader, Pink Diamond. Her lips came back together, and her jaw set. The sapphire knew well the generosity of the Diamonds, her own creator specifically. Padparadscha's hatred for rebels came from many places, but one was of frustrated compassion. They could be saved, but chose otherwise, under pretenses which the aristocrat found irrational. She had to assume there was some discrepancy in experience that led to these perspectives she couldn't understand. 

At this point, she could see that there was no sense in holding back her own allegiance, it was clear that Hematite had guessed who this sapphire was and who she served. Perhaps an attempt could be made to save these gems, and bring them back to the right side of things. 

"A waste," She sighed, attempting to let her flaring anger subside. Though, staring the fusion in the face as she stood didn't help,"--A waste it would be to simply resort to shattering. I will be honest, Hematite-- I have seen many like you. Lost gems, attempting to hide themselves away--" She stopped short, and stood silently for a brief moment. What she wanted to say was difficult, it would be quite the task to get the words passed her lips. Each one weighed down like a sandbag on her mind. But, it seemed that she and this fusion were two sides of a coin. 

"We were all made with a purpose, yes. But, as you allude to, purpose is subject to change, with time and circumstances," She cleared her throat, further preparing herself for her own confessions. If she were to level with Hematite, it was completely necessary. Padpara gestured to the fiery gemstone embedded in her throat. "You say I'm something else, perhaps I would have to agree. Of what few padparadscha exist, those who do are...prototypes, experiments...faulty models. But the creation of gems is expensive. To waste...well, it just isn't efficient, and our Diamonds know this. It's not luck, simply efficiency. A place was found for me. A place could be found for you. In the past I've met gems who considered themselves a lost cause. Now, they're working full schedules back on base. It's not too late for you to be helped." 

It was hard for her to imagine that the fusion would simply accept this, especially after being on the run for so long. But she kept trying. Waste of gemkind life was inefficient, and unsavory. The fusion would certainly have to answer for her crimes, but shattering could be avoided, if only her components showed repentance. She clasped her hands in front of her. "I can see that the three of you are...close. It's true what you say, that your level closeness perhaps wouldn't be accepted. But, it's possible to maintain partnerships without straying from your duties."

[Hematite]

Padparadscha’s anger only seemed to harden Hematite’s resolve in the matter. She felt it, the emotions of this gem was tumultuous underneath despite the ruse put on above that. But what happened next was something the fusion was not ready for.



"A waste, --A waste it would be to simply resort to shattering. I will be honest, Hematite-- I have seen many like you. Lost gems, attempting to hide themselves away—“ Hematite’s face grew somewhat softer for a second, there were probably plenty that seemed like her, but she knew the comparisons this gem was either getting at or the way she viewed fusions was like-wise a cultural one, as human’s viewed each other’s stereotypes or racism. “We were all made with a purpose, yes. But, as you allude to, purpose is subject to change, with time and circumstances," Hematite crossed her arms at this, yes she alluded to that, but she wondered if the gem could contemplate as she did on how complicated such a saying was. But she waited, it seemed she had more to say, much more. "You say I'm something else, perhaps I would have to agree. Of what few padparadscha exist, those who do are...prototypes, experiments...faulty models. But the creation of gems is expensive. To waste...well, it just isn't efficient, and our Diamonds know this. It's not luck, simply efficiency. A place was found for me. A place could be found for you. In the past I've met gems who considered themselves a lost cause. Now, they're working full schedules back on base. It's not too late for you to be helped … I can see that the three of you are...close. It's true what you say, that your level closeness perhaps wouldn't be accepted. But, it's possible to maintain partnerships without straying from your duties."



“Ooohho~” she cooed with a sly grin, her eyes even almost having a fox-like tinge to them, within the words of this little gem were her own folly in the matter. Though, it also didn’t come with some truth, Hematite knew to an extent that she could be ‘repurposed,’ or she could, say in same words, be reassigned. Her eyes shifted from the gem and she showed her back to her as walked away and stared towards the light of the window. “So just like us, you are a failure of a gem, you didn’t meet the standards necessary did you?” Hematite’s eyes shifted back, “And yet, you haven’t realized. What will happen when they design a gem, one that is doing exactly what you are doing now, except so much better? Where will your purpose go to then?” Weren’t the Bismuth class-gems eventually over-looked as gem technology advanced and gem weapons became less effective? She hoped she was wrong about this.



“You talk of the expensiveness of gems, but you forget somehow to include that we are a space-faring race, one who terraforms and destroys planets for own agendas. Many other creature’s wish they could attain such powerful abilities and yet you make it seem as if though there’s some cost to replace us.” She chuckled some, “Maybe so, but that cost is little in the eyes of a Diamond, who sees only grandiose views and the future of her race through so-called virtuous sacrifice. They only rearranged your position now because soon she’ll work on something to replace you.” It was such a shame, this gem was deluded for sure but there was also something about her Hematite adored, was it how well she put on two faces? It wasn’t her looks, what was it that brought a bit of sympathy out of this gem for her-she’d almost find her attractive if she wasn’t sure this gem might try to kill her someday-but then killer queens were something else, “You see, the line here is that purpose is still a matter of perspective, and that our differences are simple. I chose my own purpose, you allowed someone else to define your own which is fine. Walk whatever path you wish, I won’t stand in the way. Until that is, you intend to harm or defile my lands. Do what you like with the rest of the humans on this planet, just stay away from what I own and we’ll have no issue.”



She smiled again and took a more attractive stance, “And I love my new form, I love how uncomfortable it makes you.” Her eyes showed a certain knowing as she might of been revealing more than she should saying that.

[Paddy]

The word failure immediately sparked Padparadscha's thinly veiled wrath, like a flint against steel. Her lips twisted with indignation at the way this fusion continued to talk down to her, as if all three of her components weren't below her. She stared at the silhouette of the fusion against the daylight, her dark figure and the glint of her gems, and continued to listen. Filtering through each word, she attempted to understand this backwards viewpoint, so she could turn it around on her opponent in this endeavor.

At Hematite's last words, and the evocatively smug poise she'd taken, the sapphire's delicate brow twitched. Her teeth clenched as she realized there was, in fact, something more to her irritation. This fusion had something which Padparadscha couldn't, something she refused with every fiber of her being to accept. No matter how close she had been with another gem, she would never have that. Never could she foresee having need of that kind of relationship-- fusion-- but this thought only seemed to further antagonize her. Uncomfortable, indeed.

Within, she felt the overwhelming urge to defend herself, to put into clear terms what her own situation was. But, the sapphire had to remind herself that this exchange wasn't about her. It was about trying to steer these fusion components into the right direction, to level with them-- if they were willing to discuss rather than resort to violence, then surely they had some amount of civility left between the three of them. Her words would have to suit this purpose, while perhaps shedding light into her own perspective. 

"As a gem made for the purpose of leadership and judgement, I would have to trust my Diamond's decision should she change my purpose, just as she had the first time," She said, each word cut with her growing exasperation,"I was terrified to face this new life that she had given me. Over time I found that it suited me well, just as her majesty's judgement had dictated. I continue to prove myself to Pink Diamond, mission after mission. Should she someday see my contributions as inadequate, then surely there will be no necessity for me to combat her absolute will. Efficiency is paramount. If I were to be replaced, harvested, shattered, then let it be the will of the Diamonds." Her hand gestured languidly toward the sky, in the general direction of the moon base. Though it couldn't be seen, she'd garnered a sense for its position over the century she'd been working in the field.

The sapphire was losing her patience. Though she wished to help, now, she more so found herself wanting to bite back at this traitor. "The only perspective that truly matters is that of the Diamonds. The only ones harming these lands are those working against the empire. You never chose your purpose, you simply ran from it, out of a short-sighted desire,"  

[Hematite]

And just like those who think they have an inkling of power, they become almost wrathful when they are brought to the reality of their existentialism, or those disillusioned by it at least. And sadly this gem had a deeply rooted fear, or something in her that was keeping her from seeing the world in ways Hematite could only say was ‘natural.’ This gem truly thought whatever pinnacle of power held defined her and that is where Hematite’s eyes grew worrisome. Power, status, fame, these things were just short sighted views that fixed nothing. As this gem will probably learn, her struggle for these traits will be like climbing a pyramid --being lost in eternal battle with the self and others, and for what? A purpose defined by the one above you? Was it that this gem was afraid to make a choice for herself, or-was it that she was incapable of doing so because she didn’t know how-could she not see a world beyond the limitations she’s put herself in? It must have been fear, fear drives us to do a lot-but in this situation, fear drove them both to make the decisions they made.

She at least didn’t strike Hematite when she turned her back to her, maybe there was some honor to this gem after all.

"As a gem made for the purpose of leadership and judgement, I would have to trust my Diamond's decision should she change my purpose, just as she had the first time," Leadership, and judgment … what in world? Was she talking to some kind of on-field aristocrat? If there was one thing that she learned from the war stories of the warrior monks who traversed her land-those sent on such missions were like Arbiters. This was suicide! Has this gem not realized her honor was riding on a mission designed to be her end? Oh, but it was far more complicated than that, if this gem was shattered by the enemy, her only purpose would be to fan a fire, a martyr whose only point was to simply ignite the anger and selfish morals of the forces being sent here, orchestrated by the one pulling all the strings behind this. “I was terrified to face this new life that she had given me. Over time I found that it suited me well, just as her majesty's judgment had dictated. I continue to prove myself to Pink Diamond, mission after mission. Should she someday see my contributions as inadequate, then surely there will be no necessity for me to combat her absolute will. Efficiency is paramount. If I were to be replaced, harvested, shattered, then let it be the will of the Diamonds."

It was fear, she didn’t do this to find peace within herself, or happiness or to further her own growth as a singular experience, Padpara was afraid, afraid of living without a purpose-but unlike herself, Padpara chose to allow her purpose to be given to her-she didn’t think pass it, she didn’t even truly care. She took on her role without question, because she felt that now she had a reason. And, even so much so that if her Diamond willed it, she would allow herself to be sacrificed.

Hematite’s face became solemn, but, it seemed the gem wasn’t done, she could feel when other’s wanted to harm her-it was direct, but this wasn’t a matter of physical hurt-Padpara’s next words came as excuse to harm her inwardly. "The only perspective that truly matters is that of the Diamonds. The only ones harming these lands are those working against the empire. You never chose your purpose, you simply ran from it, out of a short-sighted desire," By now, Hematite’s lips had curled with disgust, not towards this gem, but the one she followed. This was madness at its finest. What she had said had even hit a cord with this old Gem, she was not sure she could argue --her goal was indeed short-sighted but even that can lead somewhere happier than this.

“You’re right, I ran away. I admit that,” She said grimly and looked away, “I cannot refuse that. But where you are wrong is that I did chose my purpose. Unlike you.”

“Tell me, have you ever been loved? Cared for? Appreciated for something more than just being a tool? To have someone look you in the eyes and tell you they need you, even if it’s a fleeting ephemeral moment that will end before the next night? Have you ever lived for yourself?” the gem had a look in her eyes that spoke that she truly wanted to at least get this gem to think for a moment, even if it might be fruitless in the end. “Where perspectives matters is your own choice, I just hope you realize you are the one making it. You, Padpara, could be worth more to others than just your ‘efficiency,’ because eventually no one will see that efficiency, no one- not after you are gone, not even to the diamond who won’t even remember you when you are. And trust me, when you begin to get eaten up by your fears that moment she sacrifices you for her better world --well, I hope you see before then.”

There was sudden realization after she said this, one that sent a chill through Hematite. This is what she was missing through her thousand-year exile, indoctrination and madness.

[Paddy]

It was perplexing to see the troubled expression that the fusion held for the moments that she did. The sapphire's analytical skills allowed her the ability to deeply read into the tell tales of others, but ultimately she couldn't know what was going on beneath the surface. What was this fusion concerned about? That she could be attacked or detained, perhaps. That seemed most logical, yet Padpara would've thought that this gem would flee if that were the case. Her look of revulsion was less unreasonable it seemed, it could be presumed that both gems had a similar distaste for each other's perspective.

She felt some satisfaction at the admission, even if her opponent hadn't fully accepted what was said. Then, before she had a chance to let her expression relax, the thoughts which the sapphire had so desperately been trying to shove out of her mind were dragged forth by the rest of the fusion's words. There was a time when Padparadscha had willingly let down her status and dignity, to put herself on equal terms with a gem she thought fondly of. Even now she couldn't think of that particular gem being below her in any way. Since then, she'd been given time to think on that exchange, and where it fell in her life. But right now, it was the last thing she wanted to be talking about.


The sapphire's patience was an unraveling twine as she continued to stand and hear out this rebel. Many times, she had stopped in her tracks in order to give traitors a chance to explain themselves, and she'd always told herself it was to hear their side of the story, to try to understand them. Every single time, she had tried, and failed, to understand how they could be so misguided. It always came down to one thing, one issue that seem to appear in every case. 

"Ego," She started curtly, her chin raising as her eyes swept up and down the fusion who stood before her,"shouldn't place itself above duty. One is created in servitude of all. The empire is many pieces working together to complete the ultimate objective, to see out a better universe for all gemkind. Care for my comrades shouldn't wedge itself in front of my goal, my lustrous leader's goals-- care for my comrades should, if anything, aid in my endeavor to help them see out our shared purpose. In theory, gems should appreciate one another, as compatriots for a common cause. It's only when they turn against their given purpose, in pursuit of choice and living for oneself that this idea of compatriotism comes into question." Her arms folded behind her back and she rocked back on her heels, before taking another step in the path she had been slowly pacing before. As irritated as she was with this other perspective, the judicial court gem thrived on controversial exchange. She relished this opportunity to pry into the mind of a renegade, and to likewise antagonize her viewpoint. Her eyes flicked away from the fusion's form, to wander around the room, until settling on the sky outside of the window. 

"Earth was the home of cutting edge research and development, a place that would become a hub for intergalactic science. Imagine a universe where shattering isn't known. Where all gems are able to serve without hindrance or defect. Now consider that, if the rebels hadn't gone out of their way to live for themselves, to impede the research undergone on this very colony, the hypothetical universe I speak of would be more than imaginary. That is the universe the magnanimous Pink Diamond envisions. My fear is that this conflict, an exercise in vanity, will be drawn out, and costly," There was a gleam in her gaze as she imagined what could've been, what could still be, but her expression stormed over as she finished speaking. Then, her eyes cut back over to the fusion. 

"I can appreciate and care for my comrades, and simultaneously be as effective as I can, living for the greater good. I believe we're all capable of that, which is why I still believe there is a place for all of you," She titled her head forward to regard Hematite.

[Hematite]

"Ego, shouldn't place itself above duty. One is created in servitude of all. The empire is many pieces working together to complete the ultimate objective, to see out a better universe for all gemkind. Care for my comrades shouldn't wedge itself in front of my goal, my lustrous leader's goals-- care for my comrades should, if anything, aid in my endeavor to help them see out our shared purpose. In theory, gems should appreciate one another, as compatriots for a common cause. It's only when they turn against their given purpose, in pursuit of choice and living for oneself that this idea of compatriotism comes into question." Hematite raised a brow at her terminology in this matter. Ego she says, she was starting to realize this gem was more mindful than she had original thought, but even stranger was her perspective on these things. It seemed she could only see them from a perspective of her culture—she couldn’t really blame her, it was simply how the gem was conditioned. But it was still worrisome, something about this gem touched her to an extent, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She always has been a strange one though, even the oddest of entities seemed to get her attention, in all the right and wrong ways. She sighed, not out boredom or anything but she realized this was going to be quite a long discussion.

Hematite looked over at a counter space that was about half her height. She made her way over, climbing on top and then laying in her hair in somewhat feline-like position as it curled about her, it even gave her an almost tail-like visage at the end, and would flop and lilt about much like a cats. Her eyes showed she was unamused, but certainly still listening. "Earth was the home of cutting edge research and development, a place that would become a hub for intergalactic science. Imagine a universe where shattering isn't known. Where all gems are able to serve without hindrance or defect. Now consider that, if the rebels hadn't gone out of their way to live for themselves, to impede the research undergone on this very colony, the hypothetical universe I speak of would be more than imaginary. That is the universe the magnanimous Pink Diamond envisions. My fear is that this conflict, an exercise in vanity, will be drawn out, and costly," Hematite frowned even more as the gem seemed almost empowered by whatever vision she was trying to carry out. She realized, this gem was very much like the Edo Period Samurai Hematite eventually ran into in her times in the land of the rising sun. When Samurai used to be warriors of the people, they served no man, they served only the actions of their morals and beliefs—it changed, they became men obsessed with serving masters, willing to give everything for their masters, willing to die for a vision that she watched last for only two-and-a-half centuries before the Edo Period fell apart and Tokugawa Clan lost their footing as the grand ruling force of the lands. And then, their deaths, their oaths of honor, meant nothing to those who forgot their struggles and pain. This vision, this perfect world her diamond wanted, it was truly ephemeral in the grand scheme of things.

"I can appreciate and care for my comrades, and simultaneously be as effective as I can, living for the greater good. I believe we're all capable of that, which is why I still believe there is a place for all of you," Hematite seemed to wake from a trance as memories of the past were floating through her mind, she listened to this last part. And there was a moment of silence as the gem considered her next words. What she knew of the words ‘ego,’ was only from the aspect of a culture she was introduced to, the Hindu values of what ego transpired to and what the Buddhist monks who accepted her presence in that forest referred too. “Ego …” she muttered some as she seemed to be thinking aloud and her thoughts went to what the monks had told her on the matter, “Ego, Aham, is a reflection of oneself-it is essentially you-what creates you from the span of your mentality, to the psyche-and if you believe in spirit, your soul. However, when ego is subjected to egotism, ahamkar, the ego becomes impure and one develops a false identity within themselves and may accept it. Ego is not just a term for oneself-ego is a worldly term, which means your duty is subjected to your own worldly desires, and possibly even your own egotism.”

“Egotism is much like a serpent; a creature with no arms, no legs-whom slithers about feeding, readying itself to rear children. Its emotions are limited, its viewpoints limited – its only purpose is to further itself, to sustain itself, and to carry on its legacy. It isn’t evil-but wholly obsessed with itself and if it isn’t careful, it will consume until it consumes everything --until well--it bites its own tail.” She looked at the gem with a gaze that meant she should think hard on that saying, wondering if she would catch on to the wisdom of it. The snake who consumes itself is the Ouroboros, the ultimate fate of one who is devoured by their own egotism.

“Your diamond is a small factor in what plays the roles of the universe-there are forces in which she cannot even fathom – the truth is that your belief is held to their own, tied to their dreams, dreams driven by existential fear as they realized they are not eternal, and that they will always be threatened by the horrors of unmaking, and their eventual return to the void. Whatever plan they have, whatever they intend-it is folly. It will last for naught and the sacrifices of all the innocents, all the wayward gems, all of the natural beauty this galaxy has spawned will be wasted on their own internal selfishness. Your diamonds are egotism at its finest.”

She started to stroke her own hair, and almost made a purring noise in the process and her voice became lighter and conclusive in its tone, “which, is why I have no intention on joining them. Though I am not exactly against them either, if they wish to proceed with their lunacy, let them. Though, if they continue it will not end well for them. I can promise that. Gemkind are about as veritable and expansive as they get – as they sacrifice their loyal followers for their ludicrous goals, more will splinter off and spark mutiny between them.”

[Paddy]

Some of what Hematite said had flown straight over the sapphire's head-- spirits, souls, she'd only ever heard such words, in such a context, come from this fusion, along with other vocabulary she'd never encountered. But the core of the idea, as she interpreted it, was turning over her idea of ego. She stewed on what was said momentarily, eyeing the other gem as she seemed to lounge without a regard for any kind of immediate threat. The sapphire might have been offended over it, if she wasn't already somewhat relieved that this gem didn't seem to have an interest in making this conflict more violent than necessary. But the idea that her generous Diamond, the one who'd given her everything she had, was an egoist with fallacious intentions, was something she just couldn't accept. That was offensive. 

At the final declaration that was made, Padparadscha's temper deadened into something darker. Almost any gem could be rehabilitated, but there was a point where it became a fruitless endeavor. She would have to make a decisive calculation on whether or not this fusion deserved any mercy. As much as she wanted to avoid having to make an arrest today, especially since she had already been in the midst of another assignment, she was equally irked by the idea of giving in and letting a fugitive go free. Her fists tightened. 

"Millennia of conquest in the universe, and here we stand on Earth, the only colony to ever suffer from such a widespread defection issue," She ruminated, stepping closer to the counter Hematite was sprawled onto,"One would think if there was an issue inherent in the leadership of the Diamonds, that such problems would have affected many colonies in the past. But that's not what we've observed. No, there is something about Earth itself that seems tied to the behavior we've witnessed. Which makes it an even more prime location for research," At this point she seemed to be thinking aloud, rather than directing her words at the fusion. However, she stepped closer and closer, and swiped her hand across the air to bring up her holoscreen. Then, her eyes bore forward, into her opponent. 

"But, at any rate-- You're either with or against the Diamond Authority, there is no in-between. Continuing a path of treason wont end well for you, that much is certain. Every advantage lays with Homeworld in this conflict. When those advantages strike through, do you believe you will be treated differently from other rebels? Do you figure you'll continue to hide on Earth after it's colonization is completed? It would seem to me that the lunacy here would reside in standing against an absolute power. I'm giving you another chance to make the right decision for all of you," She stopped her forward advance, one hand hovering over her holoscreen. The other lithe hand stretched out toward the fusion, open palmed. Padpara hoped that this could be another successful attempt at saving the lives and livelihoods of lost gems. But, if Hematite continued to refuse, which the sapphire supposed was very likely, then that would be her decisive, final decision. "Show your repentance, and I will be glad to bring all three of you in for reassignment,"

[Hematite]

Well, Hematite – who’m was quite ready to relax — felt a shiver crawl up her spine, something she immediately dreaded. She kept her poker-face; however, and watched the gem with a light smile as she verified it was indeed some kind of cold intent. Some emotions she would say, came with a vibration and of the more noticeably are feelings of love, fear, anger and well … a little more specific to that last one – the intent to harm, and not just anyone- her. It filled her with a cold shiver that ‘used,’ to scare her-until she realized it was a blessing in disguise. It came in handy for, ironically, not getting shattered, or simply maimed. Both are uncomfortable.

Luckily, if there was one thing this gem knew how to use, it was the environment, and her mindfulness. She made a quick note of its location as she searched her head. "Millennia of conquest in the universe, and here we stand on Earth, the only colony to ever suffer from such a widespread defection issue,” Honestly with how Homeworld was looking to her at this point, they could be hiding dark secrets from everyone. All the workings they do behind closed doors. But it seemed her estranged acquaintance didn’t want to draw lines to some of the odd patterns her race were showing in terms of 'bad decision making,' to light. And instead was going in with pure intent to do—well, something—whatever it was, she could feel it and she didn’t like it.


"One would think if there was an issue inherent in the leadership of the Diamonds, that such problems would have affected many colonies in the past. But that's not what we've observed. No, there is something about Earth itself that seems tied to the behavior we've witnessed. Which makes it an even more prime location for research." Again, maybe they simply were hiding their history. It would be wrong, in terms of respect towards those lost civilizations, to assume earth was the only planet in their wake that woke up some of these gems in the past. She watched as the gem came closer and her eyes shifted to the holographic display that suddenly appeared as her finger dashed across the air. She kept her poker-face, but wasn’t going to lie, the sudden shift of intent from this gem was mindblowing.


"But, at any rate-- You're either with or against the Diamond Authority, there is no in-between. Continuing a path of treason won’t end well for you, that much is certain. Every advantage lays with Homeworld in this conflict. When those advantages strike through, do you believe you will be treated differently from other rebels? Do you figure you'll continue to hide on Earth after its colonization is completed? It would seem to me that the lunacy here would reside in standing against an absolute power. I'm giving you another chance to make the right decision for all of you," her eyes shifted to the gem’s hand as it extended outward, thin fingers like the legs of widow spider. "Show your repentance, and I will be glad to bring all three of you in for reassignment," she decided at this moment their conversation was indeed about to head into a more violent resolution, at least from Padpara’s energy. Hematite looked the gem in the eyes for a moment, and then her own hand extended outward slowly.


“You know, Padpara. I know you better than you think. Actually,“ Her hand cupped the other gem’s with a certain look in her eye as she caressed it softly, her thumb against her palm twirling. The gem’s exterior felt nothing like the storm going in inside her, it was perplexing, it was also ... eerie. Then Hematite’s eyes looked into the other’s dead center, “Your feelings are even more known to me.” And then, in that small instance there would have been a flare of movement, as Hematite made a quick and simple roll backwards that had her fall behind the counter-top –hopefully-- fast enough to land in a blind-spot. her cat like reflexes allowed her to land on all fours where hopefully the gem couldn’t see her. She’d take this moment to make a dash towards the stairs while still keeping low and as much out of sight as possible. And surprisingly, she was quite dexterous on all fours as well. If the chase continued, she’d use everything at her disposal to get away.

[Paddy]

With her hand outstretched, she knew she was taking a risk. Despite how expressive this fusion was, she was a puzzle on many analytical levels. From the strange way she presented herself to the world upon Padpara's first sight of her, to the bizarre things that came out of her mouth since then. The sapphire's curiosity was a growing flame; it would be too bad if Hematite decided to reject the offer. If she accepted, there was at least a possibility of finding out more about the mystery behind her story. The loyalist almost felt a bit giddy when the fusion's hand reached out toward her own, her mind already brimmed with questions she could ask on the way back to base. 

However, it was perhaps naive to think that just a few words could change ancient gems' minds about something they were adamant about. Padparadscha's brows furrowed deeply at the cryptic words of the fusion, and the unsettling aura behind her visage. Despite the initial appearance of acceptance, the sapphire didn't like how familiarly she was being treated, or referred to. Along with her confusion came a sudden fear, of that which she couldn't know. To think that this Hematite could possibly know more about her than she knew about the fusion was not only utterly perplexing, but terrifying.

Padpara fumbled forward as the fusion's grasp slipped away. In that moment, she realized, it all could've been a dupe in order to throw her off-- and throw her off it had, but she couldn't shake the fact that the fusion seemed to have been speaking some kind of truth. What could that gem possibly know about the way she felt? While she reeled from the obscurity, her eyes wandered the room in search of the suspect who'd just disappeared. Her eyes flickered toward the stairwell, where she caught movement. The fusion was quick, much faster than the sapphire's short legs could bring her in pursuit. 

Instead of attempting to barrel down the stairs after Hematite, the sapphire summoned a pool of scorching, liquid plasma that washed back the shadows in the room. The pool formed around her, and she intensified the heat until it ate through the wood and concrete. As it punched through the floor, she settled her feet into the plasma, and used it to quickly descend onto the next floor without getting her skirt rustled. She retracted what she could of the substance, then hurried toward the stairs so she could lay a trap at its base. She threw down the plasma, and let it form a sticky mat across the bottom few steps-- it might have looked conspicuous, though she had already used her ability earlier to fill in the spaces in the stairwell, and could have perhaps blended in a bit better despite the heated fumes kicking off of it.  

[Hematite]

Something was wrong, and it registered with her almost immediately. There wasn’t a lick of sound behind her indicating someone was following, not even a gasp or anything! Something wasn’t right, something wasn’t—and suddenly, there was a light bright enough to almost blind the gem for a moment as the darkness almost shivered away with the strobing-light that suddenly fell through the ceiling. She looked to the gem, surrounded in a burning energy unlike anything she’s ever seen descend from the stare and rush to cut her off. This was about to get nasty for sure. The wood and metal’s sparked from the increased temperatures, the top floor was probably catching fire by now! But maybe she should be more worried of the gem collapsing more of this liquid hot material in front of her.



It seemed her acrobatic prowess was about to be put to the test.



She was lucky this stairwell had railings past a certain point, or this wouldn’t have worked nearly as well. Her eyes shifted to the right as hair suddenly lashed towards the walls besides her propelling off its edges with an incredible amount of force. The gem tucked her body in and her hair went to grasp everything it could as she scaled the ceiling like a spider. Some of the lights and hanging ramparts gave way to her weight, but with her hair acting like many arms grasping more supports than she even needed, it barely stopped her. As he dove from the ceiling to land on floors feet away from her pursuer.



An then she smelled it, something akin smoke, and burning carpet, she looked up to see the hole where the gem had burned her way through currently aflame, melting metal and stone falling to the floor and immediately catching fire to the wood and soft cotton flooring below. This was getting worse and worse. “Padpara, my dearest,” she says as she looked to the flames beginning to glow as they grew into fierce bundles. “You might wanna stop doing that before you catch this whole building on fire.” She made the most innocent smile winked at the gem, “Just be a good girl and let me go?” it was obviously a ruse but it was a very cute one at least.

[Paddy]

"Tch," She sneered as she watched Hematite glide over her trap. Her fury burst onto a new level as her initial plan failed-- but she wasn't done for yet.  Her head tracked after the fusion as she scaled the ceiling, calculating her speed and the distance she would need to cover in order to be caught. Then, the agile gem dropped to the ground, before taking her moment to taunt. Padparadscha wasn't amused by the suspect's antics, her lips pulled into a line, before drawing down.

Hematite wasn't quite in range for Padpara's ability to be used at its full strength and speed, that would make things more complicated. The sapphire wasn't exactly the most mobile fighter, though she could be quick and light on her feet in shorter ranges, in a sprint with longer-legged gems she'd lose every time. Along with the fact that she were directly observed, this prevented her from using the element of surprise as she often relied upon. But, she had a few tricks up her sleeve, and she formulated her strategy.  

"Ah, but that comes to my advantage," She seethed, letting the corner of her lip twist into a wry smirk. Normally, she might try to avoid doing too much damage to her surroundings. But this restraint was often tiresome, and she wouldn't let it come at the expense of an arrest that sorely needed to be made. "No matter the heat, I'll withstand. Not sure if I can say the same for you," She conjured a surge of plasma, and tore her previous construct up from the ground before it had a chance to cool off. Then, she pulled it around her in a growing mass of corporeal light. The smirk on her face grew; it'd been some time before she'd really been able to let off steam. 

First, she formed a spear of hot plasma. Though Hematite was out of range, she didn't know that, and the sapphire hoped her bluff would do something to distract the fusion-- she shot the spear out, flinging it straight toward her enemy. Even if she didn't react as hoped, this would still put her plasma into position for her next move. In the half-seconds that followed, she sent tendrils out to her sides, aiming to ignite the rest of the room around them, and to cut off the windows. 

[Hematite]

"Ah, but that comes to my advantage," And Hematite’s face grew colder by the second, those emotions she was quite sure Padpara was hiding behind that calm exterior were growing by the second, that storm within her was suddenly accompanied by a raging ocean of furious inner-rage. "No matter the heat, I'll withstand. Not sure if I can say the same for you," By now her cold emotions almost had Hematite sure the temperatures were getting lower but as she watched the strange liquid-flames she controlled so elegantly suddenly morph and move about her, she wasn’t so sure anymore – she was certainly sure that as things were going now, this wasn’t going to end well. Or, at least the look of anxiety in her eyes showed this.

What happened next was something like watching a fiery bird spread its wings and then suddenly everything was on fire, spreading towards Hematite in flurry unlike anything she’s ever seen. All the while Padpara smiled malevolently, enjoying it. Yes, through her empathy she could sense the sudden enjoyment in the gem’s visage, it was moments like this that she came to life and all that violent, tumultuous energy seething through her rushed through the surface showing her true nature, or at least an aspect of it.

That’s when suddenly, she realized something was rushing towards her at deadly speeds! Hematite scoffed with a sudden realization as what looked like a flaming spear was coming towards her, and hopped backwards her hair gripping the walls lifting her out of reach as she crawled towards the ceiling again, But that was a ruse, as the windows that cried freedom to her were suddenly caught aflame, and the stairwell was actually behind the other, had she noticed she would have taken a much different route. But it seemed in this moment she had to rely on her abilities and wits to get out of the situation.

Think, think! Wait …

She saw something like a glint through the floor, and realized not a moment ago this flooring did seem somewhat thinner and weaker than the rest of the building. She took a good breath and winded herself up and then in a small yell, she launched from the ceiling directly at the floor head first. Her hair suddenly took a cone-like shape, razoring out and then it began to whirl furiously like a drill easily penetrating the drywood and then it hit something that not only stopped her, but shook the whole flooring, “Uh oh,” she whimpered as she realized what she hit—it was a support beam! ‘crick’ … ‘SNAP!’ Suddenly the floor beneath her started to collapse, and was probably edging it’s way towards Padpara as well!

She yelped as she fell to ground level, it was the final floor but now she was covered in debris, submerged in it actually. She kept still though despite it hurting, it was mostly wood and some piping, something told her if she made an immediate move, things might not work as well as she thought.

By now, the top floor was on fire, it didn't help that some of the flames were now in the room with her.

[Paddy]

Her giddiness rose as her enemy took the safe route and avoided her attack. She wouldn't have to reveal her range quite yet, and alongside this, her advantages in this situation seemed to be climbing. But, she couldn't let it get the better of her, the pressure couldn't let up if she wanted to secure her victory. Hematite remained out of range were she was, but the ceiling would be a short-lived perch. Padpara directed her spear into the floor, where she would begin to lay another trap.


The sapphire had meant to eventually knock out the footing beneath her opponent, and she would've by that time had something to stand on and lift herself out of harms way. With the building kicking up in flames around her, she realized the next phase of her strategy might be coming a bit too early. Especially when Hematite made her move, slamming down through the floor in her attempt to escape. The Homeworlder's eyes widened; the versatility of the fusion's functions were really something. If it weren't for her irrational disposition, such a function would come of great use in the colonization effort
.

But, this sudden turn of events caught her off guard. Much more quickly than she could react, that entire side of the room capsized, and both gems went tumbling into the ground. The sapphire threw her hands around her gem to protect it, and landed on her back amidst the rubble. The wits knocked out of her on impact-- she laid there for a moment, almost forgetting what she was up to. The exposed wood and insulation whisked into the intense heat, sparking rapidly into a flame. In her daze, she failed to locate her adversary through the dust and smoke that billowed through the air. 

One of the drawbacks of being a sapphire was her utter lack of durability. Though her ability could serve as her natural defense, and could harden into a shield as durable as igneous stone, the gem herself was fragile. Covered in the wreckage, she grit her teeth, remembering her self-given objective. Plasma curled around her, and she blasted the debris off of her in the heat. "Ugh," She grimaced as she fumbled up to her feet, and scanned the wreckage for her target. The plasma unfurled, and she began to use it to secure the perimeter of the ground floor while she searched. 

[Hematite]

Quiet, just stay quiet. She realized soon enough that her newly found acquaintance was indeed searching for her; indicated of a sudden explosive heat wave, the sound of debris being launched about and then, footsteps. Where she was, hidden under the rubble, there wasn’t much to go off of. She had no indication of an exit. If she wanted to make a break for it, she’d have to reveal herself. The only advantage she had was her ‘pinging,’ sonar which gave the gems’ location off to her radar-like senses. She exhaled calmly, and then using her hair, they coiled and lashed out, flinging the wreckage on top her away as she sprung into the air and attached herself to a wall by holding onto a somewhat loose lamp-mantle.

She looked back to see her pursuer, Hematite’s hair looked even more wild and untamed than usual, there were broken ends and fraying—in fact her hair littered the place. Its unnatural thickness almost-like angel-hair spaghetti and the crystalline hardness of it showed how it could penetrate something as durable as wood. Her hair had its limits though, despite its tactile strength and it would take some serious concentration to regenerate this damage later.

Right now, what mattered was getting away from Padpara.

Her head shifted up as she saw a few weakened sections of wood above her, bundles of her hair lashed out and in an attempt to distract her opponent, she snapped them off and threw them at her. Though she could have thrown them with force enough to harm, they were speedy but surely it couldn’t kill. At least she hoped. And, in this second, as the building was becoming engulfed in flames, she dove from the wall, scuttled on all fours and jumped towards an oddly shattered window, it seemed this window had been pried open before hand-unknowingly to her by Padpara herself.

Yes! She was outside, and her eyes immediately met a large gathering of humans, their gasps of surprise the telltale example of pedestrians witnessing some kind of crime. The top floor of the building was fuming with smoke which crept out the windows. It was obvious by now that something was going on in there. She threw her visor on as fast as she could and went to take off with her wings as that was the smartest thing to do—except her flight fell short, she jumped, but it seemed her hair couldn’t maintain flight in the damage state it was in and she fell to the ground. “Bah!” she yelled in frustration.  

[Paddy]

As she moved cautiously about the room, the sapphire's eyes were peeled on the rubble. Her plasma moved slowly around the perimeter, most of it was out of her range so it would take some time to truly secure it. But, she had a bit of a confidence that she'd be able to react once this enemy showed herself. Then, Hematite burst out of the rubble, and the sapphire stumbled back, not having anticipated it. She grit her teeth-- she was as much upset with her own faltering as she was with the fusion who kept her on high alert. How could she keep messing up like this, giving her opponent room to escape? Why couldn't she react?

The simple answer was, again perhaps, that it was a drawback of being a sapphire. She wasn't a soldier by any means, and she hadn't been in many battles comparatively. The gems that made up this fusion had better combat sense than herself, that much was certain. But she couldn't let that mean the difference between her victory or defeat, she had to keep going. Still, she noticed that this opponent seemed to be avoiding direct confrontation, and that could come to her advantage. 

Then, the fusion hurled splintered wood at her, and she was able to draw up her natural defense in time to spare her from the shrapnel. The liquid shield consumed the wood into a puff of smoke. However, the intention seemed to be diversion rather than to cause harm, and she realized this too late when her shield dropped and she saw that the fusion was gone.

Padparadscha panicked for a moment, she dashed around the room trying to look for some indication as to where her target had disappeared to-- then her eyes cut toward the broken window, and the mass of humans convening around the building outside. Some made declarations of an alien or a demon making her getaway, and a pang of desperation went through her when she remembered that her enemy was capable of flight. "By the Diamonds!" She seethed as she hurried toward the window, and pulled her plasma under her feet to project her out of it, into the street. 

"W-what were you doing in there, kid! Y-you should call your parents-- Hey! Uh..." A bystander rushed up, rattling off as the sapphire tried to locate her suspect. She paid no mind to the human as she trudged on down the street. Then, she located Hematite-- who seemed to be having some technical difficulties. Her wicked grin pulled across her lips, and her pace quickened until she was in a full run, looking to put herself into range to make a final capture.  

In the distance, a cacophony of sirens pelted through the midday air.