Mysterious Hierarchies ((Paddy))

[Paddy]

"Hmm," The sapphire tapped her chin as she considered the question, eyeing the gem whose bold body language was as telling as the shouting match they'd gotten into upon arrival. She decided not to dwell so much on that, as she found herself more curious about the subject. Though she had already thought about it many times, how would she word it for this particular pearl? "It could be numerous things," She stated in her modulated fashion,"--and that alone alludes to the hidden complexity of the subject," She turned her shoulders to more squarely face the gem.

In many ways, Cocoa's behavior matched what the sapphire had seen in the interrogation room time and time again, avoidance and mistrust, frustration, or even hate-- it didn't outwardly faze her to be met with this sort of face from an otherwise docile gem, though internally her own fiery emotions were at a low boil. Whatever had put the ornery servant into a good mood before had utterly evaporated, and the sapphire had already had her sweltering temper strung out over the course of the day-- she was on hair trigger, waiting for the pearl to threaten her again. Her own body language would reflect her forced restraint, very still and controlled.   

Her hand fell into her lap and she clasped her hands."Love is a word I've used to describe a great liking of a thing. I love the fact that my ship can park automatically, should the need for it arise," She gave a little smile at her own dry sort of humor, then it dissipated before she continued,"But from what I've seen, love is a word utilized by Earthling organics to describe a distinct emotion or action. But that's not all there is to it. As you may have predicted, exposure to emotion is limited for gems such as myself, so it was shocking for me to find that gems too experience something that might be described as such, which is why I found your statement compelling," As she continued on, a small breeze floated through her otherwise controlled, formal tone,"It's a series of involuntary emotional symptoms, which can lead to more voluntary action," Her attempt at distilling that feeling lacked some facets, she tapped her chin again,"It's...an emergent property of many related emotions. More than the sum of its parts,"

6UE had been a bit nervous following the words she'd allowed to escape from her lips-- Azzy was an Honor Guard after all, such a gem could've just as easily been a hard-nosed follower of the old military philosophy Amethyst detested so much. But she seemed to be in agreement, and it bolstered Amethyst's confidence in her own beliefs to know that an Honor Guard shared them. At the hard questions posed by the younger amethyst, 6UE tensed up a bit and glanced to Azzy,"Chev's over here givin' us the third degree," 6UE chuckled, trying to lighten things up as she peered between the others. It made her very uncomfortable to think she might see another emotional break down today, or be the subject of one herself. "You might make a good interrogator, though I have to admit I'm not the expert here. At any rate...that's-- it's just...well, we were made for an important, dangerous job, I guess. Without us, Homeworld wouldn't be getting anywhere, that's for sure," She stopped and crossed her arms while she thought harder about what Chevron was really asking. Even if the three of them didn't think they and other soldiers were disposable...in practice, pragmatically, what were they?

"We-- uh," Her voice stifled, she tried to come up with a suitable answer,"I mean, does it-- does it need to change?" She posed, more to herself. This was just the way things had to be, right? What would she do if not the thing she was made for? How would she end if not doing the thing she had been purposed to do? Those thoughts seemed to contradict the beliefs she already outlined. Stumped, with furrowed brows, the large soldier gem tilted her head and peered at the winged trooper,"What do you think, Chev? It's not sitting well with you, eh?" 


     

[Mad Azurite]

The pearl didn’t really want to make eye contact at something she loathed enough to wish harm upon, but she knew it would be necessary to get her point across as she would slowly shift herself around to listen to the sapphire’s words with predisposed intent. In fact as she spoke, the pearl almost felt elated, she heard exactly what she wanted to hear and the smile on her face curled even more as her eyes lit up—the rather snobbish expression a telltale sign of her impending wisdom she wanted place on this poor misguided creature. “My dear, you couldn’t be farther from the truth.” She’d say with suave underlying pity, “Such a thing as love transcends something as trivial as your ship’s parking systems.” She’d say the last, almost as if she was a bit offended with something so small being attached to the word. “Has that been your idea, that ‘love,’ is some menial word you can attach to something you favor or like? I promise you, it is much more than that. For it is a deeper essence wrought with philosophy and madness.” She stared back to the bees in front of them, “Love is the crux of creation, without it, the fire that drives beings like you and I to exist becomes mundane and without purpose. All things share ‘love,’ whether they know it or not, they represent it in one form, or another—for it is a constant that echoes like the meanings in art. Mysterious and ever-growing, but there nonetheless.”

“Love, grants one insight, reason, purpose and inner value, it grants one power—and through that power the greatest goods and evils are born into the world, given a chance to test their might, to survive. If one wants true power, to truly feel complete, then all they must seek is that which they love most. That which they desire above all else.” But what she purposely left out was of course the darker aspect of love—as one found something they truly adored, truly loved beyond a doubt—then the loss of it was the greatest fear surmisable, the true birth of pain, agonizing beyond any doubt. The loss of love was a scar that took more time than naught to heal. For herself, she wished this sapphire might pursue it, just so she could lose something she truly loved, so she’d know that pain—it would set her straight, or so she hoped. Or break her, who knows. But then that venture could be left alone too—she’d happy knowing this gem wouldn’t be anything more than a tool. “It is the struggle, worth pursuing, worth dying for even. It may come to your, or you may have to search for it—who knows.”

She crossed her legs to take a more relaxed stance as she smiled and stared into the trees around them, “But then, this is only my own opinion. It’s not like I could define something so mysterious, it isn’t so grand—at least for those who cannot see it, or care to acknowledge it even. It’d take your own reckoning to discover what you truly love.” She added the last part her eyes seemed to glean with a certain knowing, she knew the love she found was more than enough to continue her ways.

…

Azurite chuckled, “Right, might drag us to court.” She’d say, she knew what they were doing is something their obviously look down on, she seemed to get squeamish thinking of being put on the spotlight again for putting out her opinions on the empire. She listened to 6UE words and part of her wondered if the gem often thought this way. It honestly drove herself crazy sometimes. When the gem seemed to answer if it was necessary for Homeworld to change its view of them, Azurite honestly wanted to say yes, but for once the gem was stumped herself.

The question reached the chevron, and it seemed her words inspired something in this gem, she thought for a moment before speaking, “Z’at I v’ish Homev’orld v’ould treat us v’ith more ree’spect. Considering v’e protect z’em because v’e care for z’em.” She would say and then got somewhat nervous, raising her shoulders and looking away as if she had said something wrong. Her accent make the gem far cuter than she really was and Azurite couldn’t help but adore this little warrior. 

[Paddy]

Her lips pursed as it became apparent that the pearl had swerved around her joke like dodging a bullet, and she was going to say something to that affect; then, the sapphire realized this was an error of communication on her part. The dry statement had muddled the effect of what she was trying to get at, which was something of a failure on the part of a gem whose job consisted largely of clarity of informing. She had the instinctual urge to clarify her meaning by it. Though, as the pearl went on, Padparadscha forgot all about her failed attempt a humor and her inability to put into terms what love was in her understanding.


The pearl's velvety words were poetic, orchestrated in a manner that showed the sapphire that Cocoa had been thinking about this subject for a long time, and had come to her own explanation for such a confusing and complex thing in terms that were both specific and vague. The explanation managed to catch and hold her attention, even after the pearl was done speaking. There was so much to unpack, turns and intricacies to the words offered that needed to be more closely analyze and picked apart for their essence. The aristocratic gem glanced around, a bit concerned about keeping track of the organic life forms and their trajectory, before turning her eyes back to the pearl.


"Well, it certainly is mysterious. But all mysteries can be solved-- my intention is to define, categorize, and study. How can gemkind hope to understand anything if it doesn't understand itself, it's emotions?" She stated in a matter-of-fact tone, then she gave a coy sort of look to the pearl, softening her brows and letting a small smile onto her lips,"It sounds that you have a lot of data about this subject. I have to wonder at your source, however-- all data is subject to scrutiny," The sapphire tilted her head, wondering if the pearl would actually divulge how she had come to hold such an ostentatious and well versed opinion about something like love. First hand experience was valuable data, but the context needed to be understood for proper research to be done. 

Despite the seriousness of the subject, Amethyst had to crack a smile at Azzy's agreement and most definitely at Chevron's bashfulness; even after grilling the two other soldiers with such hard questions the younger amethyst seemed to have a bit of reticence about sharing her own ideas, but not enough to keep her opinions hidden. The smile slowly faded, and she gave a sigh through her nostrils, letting her stance become less tense. It seemed the three of them were in an agreement of some kind, but what did that mean? What did it mean to Chevron, to Azurite, to herself? "I--" Her eyes flicked away. She thought of all the days she'd spent, staring out of the moonbase windows, wondering what was out there in the wider universe. Already she'd found so many interesting things in her travels on Earth, and to think there were billions of other planets like it out there. "--that...that resonates with me," She said bluntly, not sure what else could be said safely,"Having some more...say, or freedom... respect definitely..." The soldier muttered, trying not to say what she was really thinking.   

[Mad Azurite]

Cocoa only seemed to raise a brow at the sapphire’s response, thinking for a moment about how this gem though there was no such thing as a mystery that couldn’t be solved, she would surely disagree with such a statement, though she would honestly think on whether or not she would voice her opinion, yet for some reason debating or even talking with this gem—despite how much she loathed her was strangely enjoyable, even if it was because she wanted to prove her intelligence triumphed this youngling beyond a doubt. The pearl would again reach for the gem at her belly, the hammer space portal opening as she withdrew a book of all things from its confines, lo its cover was something of an old lamb-skin leather, a tassel out its top and the words etched in old ink, “H. P. Lovecraft, The Necronomicon.” And she’d flip through its various chapters, the parchment seemingly warn as if this book was possibly an older original print. She’d stop just at title, “The Call of Cthulu,” before she made a sly grin and looked over at the sapphire as she spoke. 

“Before I answer your question, I must say—it might be a bit nightmarish to believe, but there are surely mysterious that are—and forever will be, unsolved, and maybe even unsolvable.” She’d say as she recalled her favorite of this terrifying example of human literature’s more darker and existential tones. “Some emotions, much like fear can only be understood so far, the same goes for love … maybe hate as well.” She seemed to look way from the sapphire as she closed the book in her hands and though for a moment, it wasn’t in her to forgive, but it seemed the younger gem was predisposed to an intelligent conversation after all. “And to be honest,” she’d begin, “Most of what I say is of my own study and belief; and what I’ve felt of course, you don’t have to believe it. Words of gems much older than I, and much wiser. I trust their account. Maybe time will prove some worth to my words.” She’d stare into the garden, truly not caring if the sapphire believed her or not—though she hoped the realization of any bit of truth in her words would hit her like a starship someday.

…

Azurite managed to raise a brow as she thought more into this, it was something that had irked her for some time. It was certainly a topic that got her thinking. She realized she was put into a special spot really, honor guards weren’t necessarily aristocrats, but they held some say and stature in what they were and what they represented. But sometimes it bothered her, trying to find true honor in what she was doing, sometimes she felt like a glorified guard really. And here 6UE was being something with even less say, with even less freedom, hopefully the new job title would prove to bring her something better. “Yeah ...” she managed to utter with something of a sad look on her face, not before a large tiger swallowtail butterfly would land on the top of the honor guard’s head without her noticing it, bobbing its wings on one of her wild bunches of hair.

Chevron who would again peer at the two with confusion would want to express that they should obviously be trying to change things, not realizing it was a naive thing to think—she actually made a double take as her attention shifted to the insect on Azurite’s head and her eyes grew wide. It wasn’t too odd, until, well another one joined the exact strand its cousin was perched and then another …

“Um … Azurite.” Chevron would manage to say, her accent troubling her ability to pronounce it correctly, and then she’d look over at 6UE wondering if they should do something. Azurite of course noted the strange look Chevron was giving her and raised a brow as she suddenly tensed up, “Wa’t?”

[Paddy]

Her brows pulled together as the pearl pulled something strange out of her gem-- she'd seen similar objects on Earth but wasn't exactly sure what it's purpose was, or why a gem would have one. The sapphire scrutinized the lettering and realized it was in a language she could read, but the words didn't make much sense to her. She had nary an idea what a "H. P. Lovecraft", "Cthulhu", or "Necronomicon" was.


Truthfully, it was nightmarish for her to imagine a world where things could go without explanation, forever consigning those matters to the void of unknown possibility. The very notion of it made her eye twitch, but she continued to listen intently. Cocoa's argument remained rather vague for Padparadscha's tastes, who valued precision where it came to the source of her data, but acquiesced to the fact that the pearl found this subject matter too obscure to delve toward the root of. Still, it was something the sapphire was determined to get to the bottom of; and there was something of great significance that the pearl had divulged, that she counted her own experiences as a source of data. She took Cocoa's words, and translated them through her own perspective; something that couldn't be known, would ultimately be without true purpose or meaning.


"I see, perhaps, only time will tell," She said simply, keeping her gaze on the other gem as she thought, shifting her hands where they were in her lap,"It's likely those gems you speak of weren't necessarily tasked with research on the subject, but I digress," Though it wasn't technically her prime directive, nothing she did on Earth really was for the time being; her secondary task was to gather data, more or less."A handful of rebels I've encountered have pointedly referenced love when I've asked for their testimony as to why they would choose such a lifestyle. If what you say is true, that love has no...inherent crux to it, that would lead me to several conclusions about the manner of rebels," She began to muse, but then shifted her attention back to the book, and made to gesture toward it,"Do you pose this as a source? What is it?"


6UE raised a brow as she watched the small, delicate organic insect place itself onto the Honor Guard's head-- then it seemed these tiny creatures had decided to hold some kind of conference there, though it seemed to be a very inconvenient place to do so, "Uh..." She frowned, thoroughly confused by what she was seeing,"I guess they've taken you for their leader," She joked, though she wasn't sure if these little things could understand her or not. There were certainly some very small, intellectual models of gem, so she had to wonder about these organics.

[Mad Azurite]

The pearl seemed to stare unamused into the distance, eyes partially locked on a pond with lotus flowers bobbing on its surface and lily-pads not far off from them, a certain almost disinterested look in her eyes as she seemed to be dismissing the sapphire with every second she spoke. Since however, one of the gems she referred to was someone very close to her, the pearl would shift her gaze in the direction of the noble and, with eyes slowly shutting with a slow candid response, she’d say languidly, “Research? I find it funny that they’d probably understand more about love than you ever will, rather that they feel it than simply research it. These gems are much older than you, carrying with them their wisdom as well.” But as she went to think of rebels, a matter that truly she didn’t care for, the gem started to realize that the sapphire was more analytical in this type of view. 

“Rebels may be fighting for something they love, whatever the case may be. But love can make gems and other creatures do wild things, rebellious things maybe, and sometimes in a response to protect what they love—for the most part it is not something inherent to a rebel. For organics, love seems to be something sharing parts of their biology, a natural sort of response to their need to procreate and yet, it is also the trigger that drives them to create more than just themselves, at a basis it acts as the a stepping stone to their ability to exist in world where their lives are but a blink of time to our own and yet they manage to exist and create despite their transient nature.” She’d think for a moment, “But love does not apply to just something between organics, as any gem should notice our strange resemblance to the humans on the planet—that strange uncanny liking is also reflected in our emotions as well. Just as human’s can find love in others, they can find love in an idea as well—in an art form, a purpose, a revolution, even maybe something they do not understand. The same truth lies with gems, where my master has found love in creating her art—her raison d’etre as humans call it. Her reason for existing.”

The pearl seemed to go distant though the look of sadness returned to her face for some reason, “And this, is just one of the many ways humans express love,” she would wave the book idly, “This human, took his time to create an art form based around the power of words, and chose to write stories and more that chronicled maybe events of his life, maybe some kind of cryptic truth they hold to themselves. Who knows.” She said, “If you’re looking for some kind of citing for love, maybe you should go ask your diamond.” The way she said this, it was almost hard to tell if she was trying to be facetious or honest in this moment. 

--

Azurite just seemed to look down at the two and tilted her head some as they both seemed to be staring at something on her head which, considering she couldn’t look up at started to grow more nervous by the second. “O… okay what, what is it!?” She said and with each word the gem became visibly unsettled and then started to panic, “Seriously Ame, what the hell is on my head!” She started shaking, “What is it!” her usually dark eyes seemed to blacken out with panic and chevron would stand as it seemed to her the strange insects weren’t too much of an issue, that and they seemed rather docile, “Please, Azurite—juz’t remain calm!” she’d say as she stood to her feet, contemplated reaching out for the small creatures—which found absolutely adorable for some reason—they could fly, just like her. Though differently, “Please z’trange creatures, leave my companion be, do not harm her!”

[Paddy]

The sapphire listened, using Cocoa's prior framing of this concept as a context for understanding her continued explanation. It was difficult for her to conceptualize all that was said, especially since she lacked general knowledge about organics that would've perhaps made it easier to grasp the essence of what the pearl was saying to her. As the book was waved around, her eyes followed; she was tempted to ask for a look at this human artifact, to scan its contents and study it, but for now she was more swept into the words the pearl spoke for the time being. Translated through the gem's investigative filter, the ideas were broken down and distilled, categorized and ready for further analysis-- though, the comment about Pink Diamond caught her off guard, knocking her thoughts into another direction.

Pink Diamond was the gem who had saved her, the gem who had imbued her faulty being with purpose. Even if the sapphire didn't quite understand this conceptualization of love, she wondered if there could be any gem other than Pink Diamond who was wise, curious, insightful and generous enough to know what it truly was. But, it wasn't something the aristocrat was brazen enough to ask for, not at this time and place with tensions so high; dangerous ideologies would be easy to spot, and after hearing Cocoa's two cents about why rebels did what they did, it was even easier to make the association between love and treason. Still, correlation wasn't causation.

After all, she definitely had another layer to filter this conversation through; her connection with that quartz gem, who she often had trouble getting off of her mind. Neither of them were rebels of any sort, neither of them would allow for it. Of course, that wasn't exactly something she wanted to expound upon to this pearl, who was still a gem who had threatened her on multiple occasions. "Any investigator worth the minerals of their composition would perhaps endeavor to acquire three levels of perspective," She would allude, her brows remaining high on her face as her large, jewel-like eyes became more narrow,"But I find it interesting that we would both draw parallels to the organic interpretation of this concept. You see, I recently found myself on a field excursion to study human behavior, and I learned about this concept of love as put by humans. Your information is valuable in conjunction with what I came across," She even considered having Cocoa repeat what she said for the record, but doubted the pearl would do so willingly, and simply continued,"Humans certainly are...interesting. But given the information I have, love as experienced by gems seems to be fundamentally different, or else I'm seeing things from the wrong perspective," The sapphire puzzled for a moment, pursing her lips. She considered Serendibite's artistry, her love for what she did, and connected it back to her prior characterization of love in her former attempt at humor. Perhaps this was all much more simple than she had initially decided, or far more complicated. The sapphire's head was swimming with disparate possibilities at this point. Her eyes slid back to the book in the pearls hands,"I should like to have something like that, if it is an example of the phenomenon in question. I assure you that Pink Diamond sanctions my data collection endeavors, but is often too busy for idle discourse,"


6UE's eyes widened as she realized that this was affecting Azurite more than she initially realized. "Uh!" She began to panic a bit herself, not sure what to do or say as she registered the visual signifiers of the fellow soldier's change in aspect,"Er! They-- uh! I don't know what they are, but-- here," The amethyst gem reached over and waved her hand around the top of the Honor Guard's head, trying to shoo away the little things,"Hey little...things-- uh...not to be rude or something, but it seems Azzy here isn't appreciating your company," 6UE attempted to reason with them while also trying to keep herself from bumping Azurite in the head, or accidentally hurting one of the small organics; who, in Amethyst's eyes, clearly didn't deserve maltreatment despite their unwanted incursion.           

[Mad Azurite]

Cocoa carefully, despite not really wanting to, listened to this gem speak about on the matter, something she realized soon enough may have been waste of time, this gem preferred her data, what she could see at hand—or at least that is what it seemed like. Three perspectives? On something like love, this idea of being an investigator was beyond her—but like many who took upon such professions, this gem seemed to think she could find resolve in her abilities to scrutinize and thoroughly criticize an idea as if though it was some kind of power almost. This made her wonder really, if truly this was a concept beyond most gems who did not strictly pursue it. The gem who taught her love, well, she was fortunate the gem had discovered this emotion in the many years she had existed and truly showed her what love was; or at least had opened the door for her to understand it. She seemed to straighten up as she didn’t seem to want to speak anymore on the subject, she was actually becoming impatient at this point, she wanted her master to enter so she could hurry and shoo this gem off to her perspectives and research. “You might want to reconsider looking at this emotion in such stifling ways, yes humans may feel love differently than gems—and even so I am not entirely sure of that, but they too see love in as infinitely possible ways as we do.”

She’d reach for her gemstone again, and produce another book form it, stacking it on-top of the one she had placed beside her, and then she go to produce another, and another—it would go as far to seem the gem might have had a library or something hidden in her gemstone as she had made several books beside her. They titles seemingly a myriad of human romance titles, books on philosophy and more, fictions, non-fictions. It expanded into a lot of reading. “I’ve read many of these time and time again, they may open a mind to the possibilities of love, but it will take one truly experiencing it to know—as you can see, if this is just the countless ways humans see love, than what more will you get from me. Or anyone else really. I’d simply explore it for yourself.” She’d say, she wondered if the gem was offhandedly asking for her books, she would certainly want to say no as these were precious items to her.

As soon as the Amethyst attempted to swat the butterflies away, the tiny creatures, who had become accustomed to guest, and gems within this small sanctuary for them, would flutter into the air, one would take straight for the face of the shorter of the solders, whom Chevron would let out a soft squeal, as she canted backwards, stumbling as she misplaced her footing to fall over an ornate stone bench behind her, unfortunately straight into a bush. If that wasn’t enough, the bush unleashed what amounted to swarm of these creatures of various colors, who seemed to dash about in a panic, “NOPE!” Azurite would shout and immediately started running in what ... amounted to a figure out, “Serpentine! SER-PEN-TINE!” She was torn between drawing her sword but it would seem these creatures were just as spooked as she was. 

Chevron continued to flail as she was caught in the bushes, “Bonjour!” She’d shout as she struggled to pull herself from the entangled branches! It seemed the three were falling into something rather chaotic very fast.

[Paddy]

As much as Cocoa was done with the subject, Padparadscha was stumped, and reeling for more. She couldn't make sense of much of what was said, a simple lack of necessary background knowledge or context, aided by her inability to directly see how her perspective could be stifling. Despite the questions stampeding over her mind, she sensed the shortness in the pearl's words, and knew that whether she wanted it to or not, the conversation would end. If it were any other situation, it was likely to become an interrogation if she couldn't reach the answers she was looking for. She had been so insulted today, that she almost relished the idea of putting all of these gems under questioning at Pink Diamond's sanction, though that was an unrealistic fantasy at this point, and to officiate an interrogation on a subject so uncouth would turn out to be a mark on her record. 

When the pearl began to draw stacks of these mysterious items out of her gem, Padpara's eyes widened. It was clear to hear from the pearl's side-step of her implied question that she wasn't going to be simply given access to these particular items, but it was certainly a point of interest. The sapphire made a mental note of when she would pursue this lead. She had to wonder how many of these Cocoa had, and more particularly, how she'd even come across them. The story of the pearl's own acquisition of these Earthling relics had her curious, but the practical question still loomed,"Excellent! These objects should suit the needs of my study. Where did you acquire such artifacts?" Her head tilted as she asked, and her eyes drifted back to the books. Then, the sapphire's brows furrowed at the commotion happening further down the path in the garden, and she swiveled to see the group of soldiers participating in some manner of hijinks. 

6UE made a futile attempt to grab Chevron before she fell, and her awareness jumped between the other gems as she tried to figure out a solution to this debacle. Her glance cast back over her shoulder and she caught sight of Padparadscha glowering in her direction. "c'mon," She muttered to herself. No doubt the sapphire was making another mental check-mark on the 'reasons to eject Amethyst into deep space' list that had compounded since she'd taken on this new bodyguard position. 6UE turned back to the situation unfolding, and first rushed around the bench to get to Chevron. Without thinking, she reached over to begin snapping away the branches-- then a memory flashed through her mind, of a time when this instinctively civic nature of hers had been reprimanded,"Uh--" She stopped short of easily freeing the other gem from this tangle of organics, and gave a sheepish grin to Chevron,"Would you like some help?" Her eyes flicked up to Azurite, who seemed to be making good enough progress with her battle considering the nature of her foe. 

[Mad Azurite]

The pearl narrowed her gaze as the sapphire seemed intent on reading human works now, or well experiencing human literature—something that opened various doors for herself to the realm of expanded knowledge she would tap into to attach to her expanding philosophies. This would either prove to be a blessing for the sapphire, which she honestly hoped it wouldn’t—or open her to the world of madness inspired by such a mind-expanding opportunity. All in all, this would prove to be a struggle for her and so the Pearl wasn’t afraid to expound how she found her knowledge. “I take walks here and then,” the pearl would pause before sending a look over the shades of the trees around them, the orb shaped room having something of a simulated sun-casting light through ornate opening around them, where it had just peaked above the trees like dawn looking over its shoulder, “Ever so often you see, to where humans accumulate their knowledge, strange places known as libraries.” She would cross her legs again, “some are larger than others, but there they gather these books, written literature passed on within the various ages of their human lives, some even from ones no longer existing—some held with grand respect for their perspectives of life by the communities they built.”

“I believe a rather large facility is located in the heart of Empire City, you can find it there—or possibly in other less known locations.” And then she heard something, some kind of commotion caught her and the gem’s eyes widened first before she turned to see the three gems below in distress. She stood from her spot immediately, a look of something like worry and fierce anger in her eyes as she realized what was happening and walked over to the small incline looking down on them, it seemed the group had startled her carefully breed collection of tiger-striped butterflies, she was spooked—they were delicate creature she had grown very attached too—a rare sort used to handling as well. “I’ll put this as simply as I can for you dimwitted miscreants! You harm one wing on my tiger-stripes, one antennae out of place, and I will personally end you!” the rage in her voice was so pungent and hoarse that the birds surrounding them took off like bats out of hell, and it was uncertain how serious she was in this situation.

Azurite had heard something of a violent, angry, yelling pearl, but she too busy stumbling back making harmless parting swipes with her hands as for some reason these butterflies were very attracted to this gem. “S-stop!” She cried out as she had just realized she was losing this—what was this? An assault? A rude harassment? Or, oh no ... she knew exactly what was going on here—she was being hit-on by butterflies! Just like how the human males in the movies all crowded around the beautiful women, curse her luscious form! Curse her … lack of a butt? She actually managed to scratch her head for a second as that seemed rather confounding, why did she lack an ample posterior—did she really not have back? Before looking back up at these butterflies after drifting into that odd side-thought, “Look, I get it—something about me makes your hearts flutter—no pun intended—it’s my eyes, and my lack of figure, and my voluptuous hair! But I’m not interested! I mean I’ve been interested, but dating butterflies is odd right, I mean I can’t do that!” She had just reconsidered the possibility, until that is the back of her heel caught the edge of a stone-lined pond and she fell back not before yelling, “Aggh!?” a splash following as she tripped back-first into the nearly foot-deep pond, the karp and small koi-fish swimming calmly were so spooked, a couple hopped up the water’s surface and then swam off—but the butterflies, sensing the danger of intense moisture in the air, scattered quite suddenly. The azure gem, actually playing dead would remain there, feeling the water rush up her nose as she stared past the surface and up into the sky-lights above them. 

Chevron had just looked up to see the hand extended by the sapphire, and the smile on her face lit up as she reached out to take her hand and heave herself up, “Z’ank you, you are z’o respect-abelle, Mees’ Amee’th’est!” The gem twaddled with her fingers shyly before jumping with surprise, a light gasp in her voice, at the Pearl’s shouting which rung like a speakerphone in the room, “But Madame! Your tigerre-stripesse’ are attacking poor Azzerr’!” She immediately retorted and complained as she pointed to the event—just as Azurite had fell back into a pond her jaw dropped almost instantly. Cocoa also seemed like she was going to snap back at her—but then watched as Azurite had managed to fall back into the water-pond she had carved up. 

“Please, I’ve had enough of this idiocy today.” Her hands went to her forehead as she seemed to be massaging the stress out of her skull, her voice lacking energy or patience. But then, afar the most adorable chuckling was coming from somewhere, none other than Chevron seemed to be culprit as the events managed to bring her to an innocent laugh, especially the sight of the water bubbles marking Azurite’s decaying breaths seemed to grow more and more violent by the second. She playfully run over to look into the water and make a relishable smile at the gem who stared back with an apathetic scowl. “Maître Azu’rre! Are you not uncom’febelle?” She’d ask as she leaned over and looked into the water, she’d extend her had much as her cousin(sister?) gem did for herself, however Azurite shook her head and mouthed something like, “Are they gone?” to which the Chevron, not understanding lip-talk would tilt her head with a curious smile at the gem.

[Paddy]

Padparadscha glared at the soldiers, but she cast her attention back to Cocoa as the gem spoke of where she might find books. She took mental note of the information she needed for her lead, but before she could continue her prying for information, the pearl shot out of her seat and berated the antics happening further below them, much to Padpara's initial shock as she sat silently and wide-eyed. The sapphire's lips pursed as she realized these butterflies must've been much more useful and important than she had initially given them credit for; it would be an utter embarrassment for her bodyguard to destroy something so precious to the matronly caretaker of the facility, and by proxy, her mistress.   

"6UE, at attention," She clipped as she got to her feet as well, and folded her arms behind her back. Her brows floated upward as her head tilted, giving her bodyguard the look that told her that listening to this order was imperative. Amethyst was already in the hot seat; her days of doing field missions had become numbered after her recent evaluation, and there wasn't much the gem could do to change her patron's mind. But, if she could at least follow simple orders, it would make everything much easier for both of them.    

Having just helped Chevron up, the amethyst soldier straightened out her back at Cocoa's voice, cracking over the whole room like leather snapping against the air. She tried to keep her attention on her sapphire patron, but it was difficult to not have her attention pulled in by Azurite's fumble-- or was it a carefully orchestrated strategy to rid herself of the butterfly threat? At Chevron's praise, Amethyst became even more bent out of shape, shrinking a bit as she felt it undeserved. After all, how could a respectable soldier be giving a termination notice so soon after receiving a more prestigious position? How could a respectable soldier even let anyone go by the wayside in a situation like this? It warmed her heart to think that Chevron might look up to her in a way, but there was an underlying pang of knowing that the younger gem didn't know the full picture, she didn't know what had made this amethyst much less than respectable, much less than she might think based on such an easy gesture.    

"At attention!" The sapphire's firm voice rose at it appeared her bodyguard was defying her order. Her fists balled together as her lips pressed. She would not be embarrassed any further today, especially not on her own account. It was one thing to be pulled around by other aristocrats or similarly high-ranked gems, but it was another thing entirely for her own entourage to be acting foolishly. 

"Uh! Y-your clarity!" The soldier had become frazzled by this situation, unable to help everyone or prevent disaster from unfolding at the tiny hands of these small, merciless organics. Even that, she couldn't do. For the time being, the attackers seemed to have lost interest, and dispersed; upon closer inspection, she saw Chevron had gone to Azurite's aid, perhaps her own intervention wasn't needed. After swiveling to get a frantic scope out on the situation, she flipped back around to face the sapphire, and straightened out as if turning into a stone statue, giving a rigid salute,"Apologies!" She uttered,"May I continue damage control, your clarity?" Her voice was withheld, she sorely wanted to help Azurite, but she also didn't want to make the sapphire or the pearl any more angry than they were. 

Padparadscha glanced toward Cocoa, and back at her quartz bodyguard,"It would be best for you to step away from the garden, 6UE, and to stay at attention," She motioned for the soldier to come closer to her, away from her fellow combat gems. Amethyst did as she had been beckoned to do, her expression more crestfallen.  

[Mad Azurite]

Chevron, being the only one who could truly keep her eyes on the situation unraveling while Azurite seemed intent on testing how long a gem could stay submersed underwater in times of danger, would peer back as she heard something of a commotion. It seemed her guesses about being a solder were correct, in that they were treated like tools with no true understanding—though the Amethyst was hiding it, she was sure as the events transpired that something had hit her fellow comrade straight in the heart-a look she registered rather quickly from her and elicited her worried gaze as it followed. This what Ame meant, this feeling of being smudged, and belittling the gems' obvious good intentions. The very young gem couldn’t help but shift her gaze to the Sapphire in question, there was certain look of sheer distaste in her eyes. Broken only when Azurite suddenly threw her head from the water and managed to hack up the soup that practically collected at the base of her throat before shooting her glare around the room. “Are they gone!” She’d shout and Chevron would simply nod in response. The honorguard would throw a look to pearl before pushing herself up—her hair thanks to finally getting the moisture it needed, seemed actually nicer and less wild with water soaking it—of course this would be based solely on taste, but the gem’s appearance seemed to change drastically when her hair wasn’t in wild sprawl like it usually was. 

“Yo, Cocoa!” Her voice heavy with a strict and obvious distaste for the situation that just happened, where the pearl would casually look over after having watched the noble get her own solder in order—a necessary and well appreciated move actually. Her frown grew as the honorguard’s blackening eyes fell on her—a telltale sign her fury was growing by the second. “You listen here you small-butt havin’, chocolate spaghetti noodle lookin’ stuck-up!” she shouted, words that struck the pearl immediately who gasped at such crudeness, “You keep you’re whatever’ the hell those were, off my damn head and tell them that I am not interested in dating butterflies!” she was practically roaring at this point, stomping towards the up-reach which she stood upon. The pearl’s eyes twitched furiously as she managed to pull her furious anger together into a single shake of her head and her chest heaved as the flurry she showed the sapphire took seat instantly.

“Azurite, you dimwitted fool! They weren’t attracted to your repulsive looks, they were attracted to the color you give off you buffoon! Butterflies don’t date-they mate there is a difference!” she roared back with a sneetzy-voice, “And my figure is fine!” she shrieked embarrassingly as an afterthought, there were times she certainly wished she was just a little thicker. 

“Nah, I know earthling creatures! They were after my butt! I know it, those things are hungry for it I tell you!”

“Tell me, did you somehow hit your head and become as hollow-brained as a ruby? Are you stupid enough to not understand that humans are the one’s attracted to each other’s rears, and not butterflies of all things?” She would say this gesturing in ways showing she couldn’t believe a gem could be this ignorant of organic life. “This is why I told you to stop watching those human movies! They are absolute poison!”

Azurite crossed her arms at this and thought for a moment, “So … butterflies don’t date humans?”

“No you idiot, humans date each other—they are completely different subspecies!” She shouted furiously at the combat-solder and then practically yelled something incoherent as she had enough of this madness, "Humans are mammalian creatures much like many others! Butterflies are insects, they cannot date you imbecile!” 

Azurite seemed to be mulling over what she just heard, it did seem odd that all the movies she watched, that humans seemed far more comfortable with themselves than other creatures. But there was an exception, “But this movie I watched, this chick dated a bee, and they had a loving relationship. And there were politics. And stuff.”

The pearl’s emotions flatlined immediately at this. “Wh-…” she was stooped, what were these human’s trying to portray with such a message? “What!?” She shouted, “That is impossible!” she would reach for her gemstone’s hammerspace pulling out a gigantic research book on human anatomy, genealogy and much more. “That’s just impossible.” She would state affirming to herself that this movie had to be a farce, “I demand to understand why a bee would attempt to court a human, they cannot mate or provide anything to each oth-- …”

“Well, they did. In the movie.” Azurite would say interrupting the gem, as if though her evidence actually held claim, and the pearl, who admitted that everything she knew about humans came from books, immediately seemed disgusted. “No…” she’d utter, “Absolutely not! It was obviously a strange attempt at human folklore—messages of subliminal motivation to entice their young to learn lessons!” she’d shout with perplexity practically tearing at her as she tried to understand this horrible idea, “What kind of movie was this?” she said with a growing terror as she couldn’t fathom what the point of it was about.

Azurite hunched her shoulders at this, “…I dun’know, the human’s looked real weird though. Like plastic? I dunno … it was just weird. And bees can talk, they just try to hide it.”

The pearl immediately withdrew as her knowledge of humans (and bees) had just been put to the test, none of the specimens she had seen matched that description it would surely be odd if these humans were seen by other walking around dating bees of all things. 

“I mean is it really so weird?” Azurite would throw out there, “I mean humans seem to grow attached to all kinds of weird stuff, man. Like one fell in love with his car, another her horse, and this one human fell in love with like … a sky thing? I dunno what you call it but it was weird. And they fall in love with other ‘extraterrestrials’ they call us. Guardians of the Galaxy, whatever it was. Dude’s dad was dating hella aliens, yo.” Azurite threw out, and the pearl’s eyes narrowed.

“I mean, I see the way you like, check Beady out, and how you are around her—you’d totally date that right? And I don’t know what mate mean’s but you’d prolly do that too since that seems to be what all the humans are doing nowadays.” Azurite would ask nonchalantly, and almost immediately Cocoa’s face grew red with the surmised idea she was hearing just now, “Exc-e-excuse me!?” She shrieked covering her mouth, starring with something of a mixture appalling embarrassment. “I would do no such thing to my master! Never, never in thousands years, not even if she asked me, not even if she ordered me--.” She immediately cut herself off as the tone of her voice carried an odd ... unscrupulous amount of indecisiveness in her tone.

[Paddy]

She knew from experience that certain soldiers could be quite refined; the one she particularly admired came to mind. After briefly, wistfully asking herself where they might be now, her attention had been caught again by the decidedly unrefined actions of the soldiers congregating in the lower gardens. Before she could be too repulsed by the insults slung, the analytical gem soon found herself swept up into an incredibly strange conversation, whose facets were so outlandish to her that she couldn't fathom the meaning, nor did context illuminate the matter. Dating? Bees? Movies? Butts? What did it all mean? As fascinated as she was by what was being said, and as hard as it was for her to follow or make sense of, she was equally fascinated by the idea that this pearl had come upon a compendium of knowledge about humans in books form. It was almost too much for her mind to handle, she couldn't possibly properly organize all of this information in her head.

Though, she had to note that Cocoa seemed to forget that humans were exclusive to Earth, and in consequence, information about them was not widespread. The sapphire didn't feel personally assailed by the pearl's correlation of stupidity and lack of data about organic life, as she knew her own standing where it came to intellect and ability to hunt down the sorts of information she was interested in. She simply looked between the speakers, her brows floating up as she tried to put together what was going on. In the very least, she knew these two were not fond of each other, not overtly at any rate. 

6UE was baffled herself, but remained unable to speak or move as she stood statuesque, unwilling to go against her orders. If she got the chance, she'd have to ask Azurite what all that meant. Maybe even see a movie or two. But she found herself rather more affected than the sapphire by this determination of stupidity. Her eyes flicked to the side; she'd burst from the Earth's crust thirty odd years ago, yet couldn't say much about it. She'd only been there a handful of times after her inception, but should she know more about her birthplace and the creatures who dwelt there? It was a strange, empty feeling, where no answer could be found. 

Padparadscha made note as well, of both of these yellow court gems' fascination with humanity and its products, particularly this notion of love that she and the pearl had been discussing just a short while ago. A new facet had been introduced; attraction. With her brows still floating high on her face, her lips pursed, and she turned a sly eye onto Azurite, then the pearl, "Well. I can't possibly hope to know what any of that means, but an order given by your mistress surely can't be ignored? Would it not be criminal for you to do as much?" She ruminated on the behavior she'd seen from the pearl, and motioned for 6UE to stand at ease; within the second the order was given, the amethyst carried it out. Then, the sapphire wordlessly signaled for the quartz to approach, stop just below the steps into the higher garden, and swivel on her heels to face the other soldiers, as if to oppose them, and the quartz did it without question. 6UE returned to an attentive stance, with her arms crossed into a salute.

"Now...humans loving gems?" The sapphire muttered aloud, with a twinge of amused disdain,"What a tragic condition for the poor creatures, to love something so far out of their reach," She continued to think, tapping her chin and pacing with leisure from one end of the path to the other, trying to explain to herself what all of this meant,"They should stick to loving bees, honestly," She wondered if she could yet understand this conception of love that the pearl had tried to put into words for her. Then, something clicked together; love, power dynamics, hierarchy...this notion of dating and attraction-- she turned to face Cocoa, and spoke impulsively on her investigative instincts,"Do you love your mistress?" A tragic condition that would be. At those words, Amethyst became impossibly still, but for her brows shooting up over her face in shock. 

[Mad Azurite]

At the words suddenly echoing behind her from the sapphire, the pearl seemed to shiver as if someone pour ice-water down her back and she her head snapped back at the gem with a embarrassed and shocked look, did this sapphire not understand what she was saying? The pearl’s cheeks grew redder by the second as her emotions twisted between an odd comingling of shock, anger and desire. “If she ordered me!?” It bit at her senses, gnawing at her attempts at hiding something she had truly dreamed of since she learned of love and her desire to impress and follow the only gem she had ever attached that word too, “Ha!?” She cried out in a pitched wine as her mind was wracked with a sudden plague, shaking out of pure shock at this point as her thoughts and imagination flew with the pictures of what was being implied here and what the sapphire had just triggered in her—in fact even much of what the sapphire said had simply passed by as she became lightheaded, heaving as she tried exhume whatever madness was going on her mind—what she wanted, what she truly desired beneath all this cacophony in her thoughts. But if that wasn’t enough the gem’s brittle nerves were hit again with the words of love, point at the pearl in question to whom her eyes shifted back to the sapphire with a sudden look of realization at the thought they had guessed her true feeling about her feelings toward her master, “Love …” She said with a airy voice she seemed to be losing her voice, “Do I?! My dearest mistress …” and with those words she let out something a wafting whine as she would suddenly collapse. 

Azurite’s smile, which was innocent enough watched as the pearl went as limp as a noodle, again no pun intended, and collapsed against the ground with unsettling stillness. Before she could even move—there was something of a shadow above her, and she watched as Chevron’s, wings extended, zoomed to the aid of the pearl as quickly as she could and cradled the gem with concerning look on her face, “Madame Cocoa!” She’d shake the gem before placing a hand on her cheek, it was burning hot to the touch-well in comparison for herself at least, “Oh no! Z’ere ee’s so’zin’g wrong v’ith her!” Considering everything she had just seen, she shot an angry look at the sapphire, “V’hat did you do, v’hy are you torre’menting her!” She shouted at the noble with a furious anger. Azurite wasn’t she if she should start laughing or if she should be worried, did the noble just take down a gem with words a lone, that’s the most embarrassing thing she had ever seen—and it wasn’t even in her in the position. “Uh … I didn’t do that, that was all her!” She’d point to Padpara in sequence and start taking steps toward the three as she climbed a small stairway leading to them.

“Ee’t t’is obvi’esse z’at love ee’s very important for dear Cocoa! V’atever love ee’s!” Chevron would say as she would show uncharacteristic strength for her size by lifting the gem into her arms rather heroically, “You ‘ave already hurt z’eh feelings of Maître Amethyst, consider’re your next v’ords carefully!”

[Paddy]

Padparadscha watched with the detached fascination of an investigator of her type, as the pearl succumbed to the very last question of her underlying interrogation. It seemed that she had hit the nail so squarely on its head that Cocoa herself had felt a corporeal knock. The sapphire had seen gems faint under pressure, and she had nearly fainted under pressure herself-- but she didn't realize how potent this effect could be,"Incredible!" She muttered to herself, taking mental notes as she took a step close to the pearl who had slumped to the ground. 

Amethyst didn't know what to do or say, other than what she had been ordered to do. Her eyes flicked to her fellow soldiers, looking to them for guidance on what to feel about this. She knew her patron was one to dig deep, but what would the mistress of this facility think of seeing her pearl knocked clean out by the interrogation of the sapphire? More importantly, what would she do once the other witnesses of this event told Serendibite about what had transpired? It almost seemed to be a sort of revenge, that Padparadscha the noble of high clarity would say something so ludicrous to this pearl. Amethyst hadn't felt much sympathy for the servant gem until now.   

As the accusatory glances and words came into her direction, the sapphire remembered, with a start, that she was a sapphire expected to uphold a standard of withheld, stilted and frustratingly round-about aristocratic social norms. Despite her climbing inhibitions, knowing this wouldn't be taken lightly, it was positively thrilling for her to get such a response. She loved to cause a scene where she could, but at the same time, she did have an image to uphold. "Tch," She swiveled, with a startling energy, rounding onto the amethyst prototype who now cradled the form of Cocoa."You would do well to take your own advice, Chevron. Think of who you are speaking to; it's your patron's task to deal with, not yours-- you have no place to speak here," Her words were sharp, imperious, carrying the weight of a gem who felt she was utterly in command of this situation,"and yes, it would seem love is quite important to this pearl. The consequences of my actions will surely come when the Grand Designer of this facility confronts me appropriately,"

Back straight, chin angling into the air, her eyes swept over the other gems. They fell onto Amethyst, and her slender brow arched. If she had hurt Amethyst's feelings, the sapphire would feel remorse for that. But in the present situation, her words came out sounding less sincere, and more an expedience for her point,"Are you hurt, 6UE? Should I send you back to base with a diaspore dispatch?"

6UE didn't move, as she hadn't been ordered to, and knew that her patron would become more strict with her heightened state of ire. She swallowed, eyes casting down. There seemed to be no way to win in this situation; her feelings had been hurt, many times over, by this sapphire who had thoroughly rejected her at every juncture. If she said no, Padparadscha would know it was a lie, and on top of that, she would invalidate the words of her gung-ho junior amethyst. If she said yes, well, she would miss her chance at trying to ask Azurite about those movies, and she would have to face a confrontation with one of the scariest gems she knew,"I don't require medical intervention at this time, your clarity," She answered, feeling a bit smug with the fact that she was able to come up with something to circumvent her worries, to a degree. 

"Good," Padparadscha turned back to Chevron, her feet tapped against the garden path as she did,"The pearl hasn't lost her form, she will be fine in any event," She gave a dismissive wave. The words were as much a cover for Chevron as they were for herself, in hindsight she recognized that she had overstepped her boundaries. But sometimes, it was so hard to reign her need for answers, as if it was an entity independent of her.