Cult of Personality (C: Obsidian)

[Ari]

The arsenic gem waltzed brazenly through town, her brows floating upward on her placid face while she looked ahead for signs of gem activity. Beach City had pleasant, salty air, and a hum of leisurely activity that reminded her of some of her favorite places in the world. The coast certainly had its downsides, but it wasn't a bad place to have a base-- apparently the Crystal Gems had thought as much themselves. It hadn't taken long for Homeworld to locate the place, and after her inside contacts had relayed the information to her, it was a cake-walk to find the headquarters of the infamous rebel group. She slowed to a stop, with her hands stuff into the pockets of her black sweat pants as she scanned the statue of a fusion that looked stoically out over the water. Ari couldn't help but to crack a grin; if it were this easy to find them, maybe it would be even easier to convince them to give up some technology to her cause-- if not, maybe a few new gem cores could be added to her toolbox. 

First, however, perhaps she could enjoy the nice, sunny day a bit more, and see what kind of snacks the humans in this area had come up with. She kept strolling until she came to spot an enormous doughnut perched ontop of a building. "Perfect!" She exclaimed to herself as she got herself moving. She was use to seeing flyers posted up on human establishments, but she passed a table that had a particularly strange message painted across it. The paper was discarded and stained, but she took a moment to read it before straightening up and continuing toward the doughnut shop. "A cult, eh?" She mumbled, still chatting to herself, then the corner of her lip lifted slightly,"Humans are so wacky," 

@shadowreaper

[Deleted]

"Hmmmm... I request of you two frosted sprinkles and one of these 'caramel glazes' your kind keeps rambling on about." A hissing noise caught Obsidian's attention and brought his gaze down to the snake like creature besides him. "No, you only get ONE donut. One as in a singular donut! We don't have human money to be tossing around!" The creature made a whine, then coiled up and sat silently. Obsidian interrupted the tellers announcement of the cost and instead handed him a waded 10$ bill with a smile. "Keep the money you are obligated to return to me for overpayment of an item." The person behind the counter instead silently handed him a brown paper bag and murmured: "Have a nice day." "How lovely to wish fortune upon somebody, right Emmy?" The snake growled in reply and curled up Obsidian's leg. "Tut, tut. How lazy. Now! We shall continue having a lovely day-" His expression contorted as he pushed open the door. "And we shall NOT let those Crystal fools interrupt us again. Next time, we shall shatter them for their arrogance." Obsidian continued murmuring as he walked out into Beach City proper, lost in thought.

[Ari]

Nearly as soon as she reached the shop, it's glass door swung open and she was faced with a gem loudly proclaiming a vitriol for the Crystal Gems. She didn't recognize the gem's type; for an arsenic who had been building artifacts with hundreds of gem species for thousands of years, it was always a bit startling for her to see one she couldn't name. Though she was tempted to say he wasn't even a gem based on his menacing, other-worldly appearance, he had to be one, she didn't have any other explanation. However, as she continued to blatantly stare at the gem, spidery brows slowly pulling together, there was a faint pang of recognition there; had she seen this particular gem somewhere before? Ari's eyes trailed back to the table where she'd seen the flyer.

After a moment of blankly watching the gem, it clicked,"Hey there pal, I think I recognize ya," Ari cracked a grin as she strolled up to him,"You been around here for a while? On Earth, I mean," Her eyes slid toward the gem's pet, the arsenic wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but her eyes flicked back to the gem who she couldn't place a name to,"They call me Ari these days," 

[Deleted]

"Who dares speak to me?!" Obsidian looked up, and his facial features contorted for a moment - going from angry to a seemingly genuine smile to bored. "Oh. A Gem. Nevermi- OOOOohhh! Wait a moment! A Gem!" He squinted his eyes, taking a step closer. "Yes I've been here for... some time. Can't really remember it all that well." The Gem snake slowly slid up to Obsidian's arm, coiling around it and unhinging its' jaws slightly. "You... whom do you own your loyalty to, Arsenic? After all, there are many mean people out to get me. It would be a shame if you were one of them." His face went slack for a moment before Obsidian suddenly sighed, dramatically crashing down into one of the benches nearby. "And don't lie." He snarled suddenly. "Emmy here is quite good at telling falsehoods from truths, isn't that right Emmy?!" The creature made an unintelligible noise, to which Obsidian bursting out laughing, clawed hands making a few scratch marks in the wooden seat. "You... said you were Ari? I... hmph. Who am I again? Er I- It is none of your concern, at least until you divulge the answer to my question first."

[Ari]

Ari's brows shot up at the gem's flamboyance, she almost had to take a step back and reconsider her approach, but as the gem continued, she allowed herself to relax a bit more, and followed him over to the bench-- only to be caught off guard again as he burst into laughter. She reeled a bit and glanced around, the punchline must've missed her, though her eyes flicked back onto the snake. Could it talk to him? Her eyes followed the gem's movements, as well as the snake he seemed to be keeping for it's peculiar abilities. Something told her she had only seen the tip of the iceberg here. 

"Oh don't worry pal, I'd never lie to you or your pet," She chimed, then gave a shake of her head as her grin curled further at the corners; that itself was a lie, but she couldn't help pushing buttons sometimes,"Can't say I owe my loyalty to any mean persons, that's for sure. They're out to get me too, ya know. It's rough out here in the wilderness," She shrugged, that was the truth. The gem stuffed her hands back into her pockets as she moved closer to the bench, though she didn't sit down just yet. "I'm kinda surprised you could pin me, I'm a pretty old model-- but maybe that's why, arsenics are all over the place, usually where you can't see em," She gave a chuckle as she hovered around, then kicked up some dust nonchalantly, though she kept her eyes on the unnamed gem. Anyone who knew she was an arsenic was already dangerous enough, but this gem was hard to get a read on. He seemed to shift between aspects suddenly, that made him unpredictable, something Ari wasn't too pleased about. Though, it was always fun to meet someone who kept her on her toes. 

She gave a sigh, then plopped down next to the gem, and grinned at him,"So, what do I call you, buddy?" 

[Deleted]

The Gem snake hissed and Obsidian frowned slightly, fingers tapping on the bench. "Oh yes, I'm sure you would never lie to me." He cut off his own glare with a twisted smile, crossing one leg over the other. "I... remembered your Gem type! HeheheheheHEHEH... I haven't remembered something like that since- you don't need to know. Sizing me up are you? I might be a bit... off the rocker, but I promise that I can certainly defend myself! Though I suppose if we weren't to have any issues... you can refer to me as Cherno." Obsidian abruptly stood up, face inches away from Arsenic's before turning away and stalking down one of the side roads. "If you want to continue speaking, follow. Otherwise, I believe we are done here."

[Ari]

Her first test seemed to work as the truth-sensing serpent gave it's assessment to the gem, and her eyes narrowed slightly; it seemed it really could tell truths, and that meant she would have to be extra careful. She listened with amazement as he continued, her brows floating high on her face as her bright yellow eyes widened with each word. A bit off his rocker was an understatement, she couldn't imagine how this gem got to this point other than receiving some sort of awful damage to his gem core. Ari just hoped there wasn't a possibility of her receiving the same damage just being near him-- very near him, as he drew in she drew back, but as suddenly as he had careened into the bench, he had already popped up to his feet. 

"You're an energetic one, Cherno," Ari drawled, a more sober grin taking up her expression. She'd come to find new technology, or new gem cores to work with, and this gem might not have had either option to offer her. However, it was an interesting lead, the prospect smacked of adventure. She pulled herself up to her feet, and hunched a bit as she lurked after the gem, wondering what she might find on the other side of this whole ordeal. The arsenic gem had to pick up the pace to catch up to him,"I imagine you came out here to Beach City for more than just a few doughnuts eh?"

[Deleted]

"Perhaps I have." Obsidian said smoothly. "Though the same question could be asked of you. An older model, in the middle of a human settlement, who I see to have to no clear allegiance. Quite suspicious, no?" Suddenly taking a sharp turn, Obsidian continued walking at his brisk pace, making it hard for the other Gem to keep up on the increasingly difficult terrain. "I haven't survived this long taking risks with... Gems like you. Crazy or not, I'm no fool. Perhaps you should tell me what you are doing here first. A sign of trust, no? If not, that is acceptable, and I would ask that you depart and leave me writhe in my own suffering." Emmy was silent the whole time, looking back at Arsenic as they walked.

[Ari]

The arsenic couldn't help but to give a bit of a snort. If only this gem knew how piteously harmless she was, though that wasn't something she were going to make apparent. It was clear Cherno didn't want her around, but this was all far too interesting to just let it go. Her stringently bright eyes focused on the snake, who Ari had gathered at this point must be some manner of corruption. For a moment she simply stewed on how to word her next phrase without ticking off the snake. Perhaps annoyingly so, Ari was able to keep a chipper pace with the gem trying to shake her off, and she spoke with the cheerfulness of any casual conversation. 

"I actually came here to get a proverbial cup of sugar from our lovely warlike neighbors," She pointed a thumb over to the Headquarters of the Crystal Gems,"I thought they might take pity on an old wayward gem," Sentimental fools, the lot of them. Her goals were more expansive than this, but she still told the truth,"I happen to collect interesting technology, gemmic origin or otherwise," A smirk tugged the corner of her lips,"Though, you seem a lot more interesting to talk to than a bunch of sanctimonious clods. Am I wrong?" She'd made it clear she came here to get something, but he had as well. Her eyes continued to meet with the snake's,"A bit of chit chat has got to be a little more fun than writhing?" 

[Deleted]

"Writhing is something I'm quite accustomed to, I'll have you know." Obsidian stated matter-of-factly, reluctantly slowing down to more easily let the other Gem match pace. "The Crystal Gems... heh. I suppose if you don't look like me or are emblazoned in a Diamond insignia, they'll trust you. A bit of an ingenious move I'll say... though I doubt they will start handing away artifacts, and if there are any in a human settlement to begin with. The ones the organics tend to find make their way into 'secure' government bases around the globe." He paused for a moment in the alleyway, opening a hatch and dropping the bag inside, knocking in a weird pattern and offering no explanation as he immediately continued on. "Most Gems that speak to me for longer than five minutes usually have three goals - A. Shatter me for being 'corrupted', B. save me for being 'corrupted', or C. want something from me. Which one do you fall under, Arsenic?"

[Ari]

She adjusted her pace as she listened to the gem, and watched with interest as he discarded his bag. It was either doughnuts or a bomb, or perhaps something entirely different that she didn't wish to dwell on for too long. However, from what she had gathered, she knew this gem had the potential to be a potent ally in the coming days of war. With Crystal Gems and Homeworld at each other's throats, gems like herself would be caught in between the fighting-- neutrals had to look out for one another in order to look out for themselves. Her brows quirked at his final statement, she was a bit shocked to hear that this gem was corrupted; he was certainly high functioning, more so than any other she'd seen. Corruptions were generally an easy source of materials for her tool making enterprises, but something told her this one had a bit more bite to worry about.   

"Call it a C for Cherno-- and now that I think about it, I suppose writhing could be fun in certain contexts. You might enjoy a good old fashion rave," Though they were a relatively new thing, she'd seen humans doing similar things for the majority of their existence.  

If she wanted this gem to consider her an asset, she needed to illustrate her usefulness, though her tone continued as if she were talking about a stroll in the park,"Anywho, I know a thing or two about acquiring technology. Those secure bases just need a bit of buttering up around the edges," It was hyperbole, but it was true enough in her experience,"Organics really like shiny things, what it represents anyway. Gems are not that different, honestly," None of it was safe from Ari and her contacts, or at least she liked to think. Some were tougher to crack than others. 

[Deleted]

"You never fully answered my question." The corruption pointed out, stretching his hand to let the snake slither free to ground. "Gems and people just don't talk to me about joining them on some grand adventure. They don't interact with me because they want to. I'll take the liberty to assume that you want my assistance in gathering artifacts, correct?" He paused, fingers dragging slowly across his face. "Or... you're hoping I'd be an easy target to harvest. I can't blame you for that - a GREAT deal of people think that I'm a useless maniac, a rabid animal to be put down. This conversation is getting a bit too preachy and depressing for me. Just tell me what ya want, no loop arounds, and I'll consider it."

[Ari]

"Oh?" She quite enjoyed talking in riddles, and irking those who didn't, but this seemed to be an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Ari drew her hands out of her pockets to show her empty palms as she shrugged,"Things are about to get a whole lot more depressing and preachy around here, if you haven't realized it already-- Homeworld is on the move, so are the Crystal Gems. Perhaps if you have technology, it would be useful," The gem shook her head and took on a lighter smile,"But that's not it, exactly. See, I did say what I wanted," Her brows bounced,"I'm not all as sinister as I look," She laughed-- as dubious as the phrase might have seemed to others, she seemed to believe it herself,"What I wanted from you was simple chatter," The arsenic tapped her own temple, then drew her hands back down into her pockets. Information gathering, and perhaps network building, would be a boon to any lone gem in these parts of the universe. Though, her nape had been prickling more and more throughout this exchange, she was sensing that she shouldn't test the gem's patience much longer. 

"If I bump into any unfavorable folks looking for a Cherno, I'll be glad to direct them to the nearest volcanic ridge," Or for the right price, she might just tell the truth-- though it was unlikely she'd be given a favorable offer from unfavorable types. With that she swiveled on her heels, not wanting to make a dangerous corruption feel as if he were cornered, and began to step back off into the direction of the Crystal Gem base.  

[Deleted]

This Gem intrigued Obsidian. Not enough to walk around and 'converse' with them, no, but enough for him to reevaluate the conversation that had just participated in. He turned to face their quickly retreating feature, mind made up as he opened his mouth: "If you wish to find me again... I shall be at the 'Big Donut' at the same time next week." Emmy grumbled, an obvious sign of her distaste at his decision, but her pressed on regardless. "...Though I hope that if we are to meet again it is more business orientated than just speaking. I would wish you luck in dealing with the Crystal Gems, but they can be so dense that you shouldn't need it to manipulate them." He turned on his heel and walked away, seemingly melting away into the shadows.

[Ari]

She gave a snort at the corrupted gem's words, she found it true enough, along with her general amusement at this situation. Ari glanced over her shoulder to reply to him, but pursed her lips when she realized he'd already lurked away, onto the next thing in his own labyrinthine journey. She never was able to quite put her finger on what seemed so familiar about the gem, why she'd felt recognition despite having no idea what kind of gem he was. Though, Ari now decided that she could say she knew why; corruption could make a familiar gem facet into something entirely warped. The arsenic looked ahead as she thought about it, bright eyes glancing over the figure of a fusion who had been chiseled into the rock. 

Perhaps if she didn't get in too much trouble with the Crystal Gems this time around, she'd be back for a snack and some business oriented chatter with another old coot.