The Calm Before The Storm: Neutral Huddle

[Ari]

The peridot's discomfort was palpable despite her silence, Ari could relate to the dour shade that seemed to settle over the gem. Though, Cat's Eye's exclamation snapped her out of it for a second, her brows pulled upward as she gave a subdued grin. Being ancient usually wasn't a compliment, but an old gem had a lot of knowledge and skill to brag about-- she wasn't offended, more amused. "Very ancient. All you gems look fresh out of the kindergarten to me," She chuckled, though soon the corners of her grin faded; after all, the glow in her eyes today wasn't quite so bright as it had once been.

Ari thought for a moment about the rest of what the Cat's Eye gem had said. Her eyes drew toward the sky; blips of light, a scintillating myriad of colors, were flashing to and from the moon. Homeworld ships, preparing for war. Her lips pressed into a thin line, then she looked toward the other gems,"Not just Beach City..." She swallowed, shrugged, and stuffed her hands back into her pockets. Her head tipped back as her brows furrowed; it was going to be an odyssey to pack up everything she had invested into on this world and jump ship. "The whole Earth is going to heat up, and it's going one of two ways. Either Homeworld is going to blast it to bits and harvest what's left, or the Crystal Gems are going to win and start their own regime," Her head again canted while she glanced between the two gems,"If either of you have a base of operations, and a space cruiser, start packing and get the heck out of Dodge...and if you happen to have a ship, well--" She grinned, and pointed toward herself,"I'd like to offer my services as an engineer, in exchange for a ride off world, preferably on the fringe of Gemkind's empire,"

[Bloodstone]

Bloodstone stepped out from her makeshift shack on the beach, glancing in the direction of the Crystal Gem's temple. The group that had gathered there..she wasn't quite sure what to think. It had been awhile since there was this much activity, it couldn't mean anything good. Considering how close things had to be for combat to happen, this was what Blood had been constantly keeping herself in shape for. Gems like her don't just train for nothing, after all. 

The tall fighter looked back in the direction of some other voices, ones that she hadn't recognized. Blood had gotten used to the Crystal Gems that went back and forth along the beach, but these gems were different. She had to see for herself what was going on. She clambered down from the shack, heading up the sand. She didn't take any attempts to try to hide or anything like that, there wasn't much of a point. "You guys mind if I join you? Didn't realize there was a watch party going on." Blood looked the three gems over as she made her way towards them. 

[Rafamixer]

A new Gem arriving usually would mean that PR would gladly receive them with open arms, but she was still recovering from the shock. "If you're not going t-to hurt a-anyone... Y-You can i g-guess" But then PR decided to answer the silver Gem. "M-My..." She remembered how she got on earth, it could let them escape, but she was not ready to run away, not again. "... My Ship... Ari, can i call you by that? I know the coordinates, i can give it to you guys, and maybe a lift with my Spikes" PR couldn't stop shaking out of fear, and now fear of her past.

She looked to the Gem that arrived to tell what was going on, telling about the possible war, the Crystal Gems and Diamonds reunited up to something. "Believe me, this is no party, but..." She just didn't ask her if she was from any faction. "... Did you already know about this?"

[Cat's Eye]

"You're an engineer, huh?" Cat's Eye pondered. She was pretty sure PR was also an engineer, but a ship...? She doubt any of them had one. "We're all going to get..." she started to mumble after that thought, but then the peridot had spoken of her ship. "Great!" she immediately exclaimed. "Anything to get off of this planet!" It was true, she really did want to leave Earth. After spending years on it, she'd had to admit, it would be a pain for her to leave. But, from the moment she was trapped on here forever, she loathed it. Getting away from those bad memories would be for her benefit. Not knowing if any of them cared about the Earth at all, she added, "I don't think anyone wants to get shattered today."

Sensing something coming afoot, she looked behind her to see a red-and-green figure approaching the group. The yellow gem could only assume that she, too, was also a gem. Though she too was unfamiliar, she appeared to be friendly at the very least. This belief was solidified when she asked if the trio was a watch party. "Well, we just happened to be here at the same time." She paused, and then said, "Though, we'll all be leaving this planet soon, if PR leads us to her ship." She glanced at the statue, where the Crystal Gems were still gathered, and then at the gem. "If you have any idea of what's going on, I bet you'd want to leave, too."

[Ari]

She typically didn't elaborate on what kind of engineer she was-- an artifact engineer-- as it made other gems uncomfortable more often than not. However, she knew enough about how gem technology operated that she was confident in her ability to provide such services in the event that these gems actually had a space fairing ship. The fact that Peridot indeed had one blew the arsenic away; there had to be some caveat to such a boon, or maybe the gem was setting up falsehoods for one reason or another.

Her train of thought was broken as a Bloodstone casually waltzed up to the group; Ari was ready to fly back into her mixed martial arts stance again, but the quartz-related gem seemed more laid back than the typical jasper or chalcedony, indicating that this probably wasn't a Homeworlder, and if they were then they were exceptionally relaxed. Still, either the gem was oblivious to the war unfolding around them, or had generally a fearless demeanor. "Well, howdy there stranger," Ari said with a bit of incredulity to her tone,"Watch party indeed. Would be a nice night for one, but it looks like Homeworld and the Crystal Gems are getting ready to turn this planet into a true warzone,"

Ari pressed her lips as she looked at the newcomer, then at Cat's Eye and Peridot. The ridiculous amount of artifact tech and gemstones she had stashed away in her personal subterranean Siberian headquarters would not likely fit in a small space pod, and would likely strike the others as an uncanny collection nonetheless. Still, it physically pained her to think of leaving all of that behind, all those years of work left to ruin on Earth. Ari reached to her belt, which appeared to be a typical human clothing artifact, but when she tapped it, three small bubbles appeared around her waist. She selected one, and it grew to full size-- a cracked disk, wide enough for one skinny gem to stand on,"This, my fair gems--" She could never introduce this item without a giddy smile taking over her expression,"--is what I call the Celestial Warp. Now, I know it looks a little rough," A small flake of crystal fluttered off of the surface with a slight breeze,"But I assure you it still works. This will take us to the nearest warp, and from there we can get to this Peridot's ship. Probably a bit quicker to travel via warp than, uh..." Spikes, was it? She didn't like the sound of that, seemed too sharp for her tastes,"...Well at any rate, I can't shape shift, but you gems probably can right?" She leaned down, and gently placed the warp on the ground.

[Bloodstone]

Bloodstone glanced back at the Crystal Gem's temple, letting out a soft sigh before nodding as she'd listen to the others. The quartz seemed to have a bit of a mixed expression on her face, not too enthused about the situation at hand. "Unfortunately I..I didn't know about everything, but I've got a good guess from what I've heard. Kinda figured this was going to happen at some point." Blood nodded at Cat's Eye and the Peridot. They always had a small fear that there was going to be some sort of confrontation coming her way, with how things between Homeworld and the Crystal Gems likely were. 

They listened quietly as Ari revealed their Celestial Warp, eyes widening in surprise at the tech itself. Blood had come across their fair share of tech in the past through pure exploration and..well, other methods, but this was new even for her. The thought of getting to a warp that quickly was tempting but..Blood didn't feel quite ready for an escape. Something felt off but they weren't quite sure what. 

"Yes, I uh..I can shapeshift." Bloodstone looked down at the Warp, thinking their options over before glancing back up at the other gems with a somewhat concerned expression. "As much as I'm sure you three have a decent plan at hand, there's another gem I'd like to find before I fully commit to leaving this planet or..well anything, really. Best to have all the allies available, y'know?" Maybe it was old habits of theirs coming back, but part of Blood just felt they weren't fully prepared for attempting this. They'd be charging right into a battle without all their tools..

[Rafamixer]

PR would gladly accept the offer, but she just couldn't, and now that Peridot was trying to take control again, it was getting tougher. She turned to the new Gem, and nodded. "I wouldn't like to leave friends behind neither, but..." PR lost control immediately turning her look to the new Gem with an entirely dark mood, then she crouched to see the Celestial Warp. She detected some failures as if it were some prototype or damaged by the time, as she said, she was ancient, maybe this was too. Then Peridot stood up, looked at every single gem around her, and told the bold truth. "Look Ari, even if it works, my ship landed at Badlands Guardian eighty years ago. According to the earthlings coordinates of this planet, there's no Warp Pad even far from this place"

Peridot could resume her researches after this war, so she needed to survive first going to the middle of space or somewhere else safe. She would try one more time to bring them, if it didn't work, was none of her business. "Last call for the ride, it works like a grappling hook, but even better and faster... Also stronger, so i cannot carry everyone here, but if i poof everyone, i can... Anyone? No? Then i guess i'll leave the planet alone" It was kinda obvious that they wouldn't trust her with their Gemstones, and just her could do it, because the Spikes pierce through your own Gem while you use it, making her the only one already affected by this disease. After the rhetorical question, she turned over and started to walk to the woods. According with her estimate, she would need to stop by to heal herself between fifty and seventy times thought the travel, but anything to get rid of this war, she probably would just get used if get caught in the middle of the confusion, or even shattered.

[Cat's Eye]

Cat's Eye's eyes widened in wonder as Ari revealed the Celestial Warp. "Woah..." she gasped. Indeed, it was a little worse for ware, but as long as it worked, that would be no issue. However, there was a completely different issue - where the nearest warp actually is. She assumed there had to be some around here, since the statue nearby was the Crystal Gems' home base. Warping within view of the Crystal Gems? That could cause trouble. Considering that the diamond insignia still presented itself on her shirt, they could recognize her as a threat. She was not the best speaker, either, and if she was unable to convince them that she was safe, then she would be shattered for sure. She did not speak her concerns out loud. Ari must have an idea of where all the warps were, considering how long she said she was on Earth. When the silver gem asked if they could shapeshift, she simply nodded, pushing her earlier thoughts to the back of her head.

The yellow gem returned her attention to the red gem. "We have a little time before Homeworld attacks... Hopefully." Yes, she was eager to get off the planet and find PR's spaceship, but her friend seemed important to the red gem. "We can look around first for your friend, how about that?" She smiled. "Have any idea where she might be?" Speaking of friends, she then heard PR speak, putting up her colder persona again. The green gem explained the location of her ship, causing Cat's Eye to frown.

"Is it really that far away...?" She was not a fan of walking for an abyssal amount of time, but it was the only way to get to Peridot's ship. She was not of Peridot poofing her to carrying her to her ship either. She did not understand the effects of her spikes too well, and she did not know if she wanted to take the risk. PR was her friend, though... but Peridot did not consider her such. When she began to walk away, she called out to wait. "You can't just leave all by yourself! What about us?!"

[Ari]

Ari nodded at Bloodstone, even if she didn't fully understand the sentiment. She did, however, understand that every gem had their own motives, and she wouldn't question them any further to that regard. Conversely it was a little different where it came to this whimsical Peridot who seemed to flip like a coin; one moment she had been shaking like a leaf, and now the green gem was threatening to poof everyone-- Ari reeled back from the gem, her yellow eyes wide as she suddenly questioned her own decision to trust the intentions of this gem. Still, while she would have liked to let the gem be off on her own, this green technician seemed to be the quickest ticket off-world.

Her jaw dropped open as the gem stormed off toward the woods without the rest of them in tow, and she found herself perplexed by the gem's insistence about the her alternative method of travel. "Going off world on your own can be a tough gambit," Ari called after the gem, crossing her arms,"While you're piloting, who will watch the engines? What happens if you get a shield compressor leak in an asteroid field? What are you going to do when a Yellow Court Destroyer Patrol intercepts you with questions?" She tried to keep her tone casual, but for the old arsenic, this was a life or death negotiation. If she wasn't able to convince the Peridot to let her on the ship, then she'd have to scramble to find another way off the planet.

Though, after she spoke, she started to think it through a little more. She glanced toward Cat's Eye,"I like your optimism, but it could really be any day now, that's the scary part. Could be three weeks, five months, maybe tomorrow," Ari then leaned down and plucked the Celestial Warp off the ground, grumbling a bit under her breath. Then she turned toward Bloodstone,"So you're planning to go off world after you find your friend?" She asked, her brows floating up a bit, then glanced between the gems that remained on the beach,"Allies can be in short supply these days. If you're looking for help..." She stuck her hand into her pocket, fished around, and pulled up her next-gen smart phone. Then, she put her number on the screen for the other gems to copy,"You can call me,"

[Bloodstone]

The red gem looked down at Cat's Eye, letting out a slightly melancholic sigh and shrugging. "I...admit I'm not quite sure where they might be. I have a few guesses but it's been awhile since we've properly talked. I don't want to keep you all from being unable to do any plans you have in store. Last thing I'd like to be is a liability, after all."

Bloodstone looked a bit unsettled at the then sudden change in pace with the Peridot. They had seemed...well, nicer beforehand. Now they seemed a lot more abrasive and came off as a bit of a jerk. She watched as the stormed off to the woods, sighing in slight frustration "If you think that's the better option, go on ahead. Stay safe regardless!"

She shook her head as she turned her attention back to Ari, nodding as the question was asked. "I MIGHT, might go off world. I can't honestly guarantee I will..my friend's someone that's helped me out a lot through my recent time here on Earth. Just as strong of a fighter too, not gonna lie. But..any allies are good allies after all.."

Blood looked down at Ari's phone curiously, nodding as she tried her best to put the number to memory. She hadn't grabbed the phone she managed to snag from her cabin, but her memory was decent enough to where she could remember it. "Got it..thanks for the offer, by the way. Considering we've just met, it's good to know there's more gems willing to look out for each other. Bit of a rarity outside of the factions.."

[Rafamixer]

Peridot didn't pay attention to what they said, mostly because she didn't need to, but deep down, PR did. While she was heading to the woods, when Peridot was about to use her Shoulder Spikes to get out of there, the Spikes got stuck on the trees, unable to move again. Once she felt something on her Shoulders, she already deduced that her alterego was behind it, so she just removed the Shoulder Spikes, and then removed the Spikes with her own hands from the trees by the ropes, so she didn't need to climb. Then she tried once more but the same happened again, so this time she aimed far away to see if it would work. When she did, one of the Spikes came at her, but she blocked with the other Spike.

"Alright, the brat don't want to leave anyone, if i can't go alone neither you can follow me until we get to the ship, i need..." Peridot looked at the Crystal Temple. "Anyone knows someplace where i can get pieces to build an earthling vehicle? I saw the face on Cat's Eye- Yeah, i know!" She was fighting with herself again. After some seconds she headed towards the Celestial Warp. "Look, if you tell me more about this, maybe i can change its settings for better"

[Cat's Eye]

"Can't we just buy one?" said Cat's Eye upon Peridot's pondering of building a vehicle. "It'd be more convenient." Her eyes glanced from side to side, and then back to the green gem. "And I bet there's something here that's worth a lot of money!" Judging by her attitude at the moment, it would be hard to convince her, but it was worth a shot. She hoped that they could all just hop into a car or something and drive out to wherever the spaceship was located. However, when Peridot went over to examine the Celestial Warp, she said nothing more. It was up to the engineers to sort out what to do with the mystical artifact.

Her optimism was dampened by Ari's pessimism. "I think it's better to be optimistic..." she mumbled to herself, though someone could hear what she said if they listened close enough. Regardless, she did have a point. While she did want to go search for the red gem's friend first, she also wanted to get off the planet as fast as possible. And if Homeworld suddenly did something to retaliate, something very bad, then that would be the end of them. As much as she wanted to keep the group together, strife would divide them. Nonetheless, Cat's Eye then chimed, "I can be an ally, too!" to the red gem. She didn't even know her name, but like she said, any ally is a good ally. "I'm not sure how you could get me if I'm not here, but you can always call on me if you do find me." She sighed, embarrassment creeping down her neck. "By the way, what's your name?" she asked the red gem. It was the most simple of questions, yet she had never asked her that.

[Ari]

In response to Bloodstone, the corner's of Ari's lips rose in a weak attempt to hide her increasing displeasure with this situation, and she gave a silent nod. Her mood had continued to sour, but she tried to stick to the silver lining here; it was true after all that any allies were favorable to none, and the arsenic felt she had made a rather successful networking venture today-- all three of these other gems had something to offer. 

Her attention was again pulled to the erratic gem, who she still had a hard time understanding. Her brows furrowed as the gem contemplated building a vehicle from scratch, and when the Peridot leered over Ari's prized possession, she reeled back, yanking the Celestial Warp away on impulse. Then, she gave a start, realizing that she was again losing her cool, and lowered the warp. However, she still couldn't help her lip from curling into a sneer, and her eyes dug into the Peridot as if the green gem had uttered the worst possible insult."The settings don't need to be tampered with," Ari hissed, waving her hand dismissively as she cast a dark look onto the gem,"I assure you that I can handle my own artifacts, been doing it for eons," Aside, the Peridot hadn't inspired confidence in Ari with her strange behavior. 

When Cat's Eye suggested they buy a vehicle, that sounded more along the lines of what the old gem could facilitate herself. Though, being that her contact Misha was now at odds with her, she wouldn't be able to call in a limousine or private jet and have it arrive in a matter of hours, as she might have been able to do years ago. Those convenient times would be over until she could patch up her relationship with the human mercenary. Still, there was a better, less conspicuous option. "Why not just fly there?" She raised a brow at the other gems, and wondered how much each of them knew about human infrastructure, institutions, and transactions. Though, she began to reconsider as she paused; what if these gems got her onto the airport's no-fly list with their antics? "I mean, warping would still be faster, even if there aren't warps near the ship itself we could warp to the general vicinity, but whatever floats your boat, as they say around here," 

Arsenic fished into her pocket and pulled out a weighty black card. The small Cyrillic writing on its surface was embossed silver, but the card otherwise lacked defining features. She flashed it toward the other gems as she went on,"How about this; I'll be optimistic for twenty-four hours." She gave a smirk toward Cat's Eye," Anyone who wants to go after exactly twenty four hours can meet me at the Empire Airfield, south of the city-- the one just outside the suburbs. The charter service there rents out helicopter taxis. I'll buy priority tickets. We can take it out right to the coordinates of Peridot's ship. Not that we'll leave Earth right at that moment," She eyed Bloodstone, and gave a shrug at Peridot,"The ship sounds like it need repairs or modifications before it can go off world anyway, so this will be more of a scouting mission," 

[Bloodstone]

Bloodstone watched the Peridot with slight concern, the constant change in tone was a tiny bit unsettling, but it would be best not to question it at the moment at least. She could work things out later. She glanced down at Cat's Eye, a calm smile on her face once again. 
"Bloodstone, although uh..I've gotten used to being called Octavia by some of the humans. So whatever you'd prefer, I guess." 
She shrugged, looking back up at Ari as she filled them in on the twenty-four hour waiting period before any of them would move forward. Blood nodded at the idea, seeming a bit reassured that the plan wasn't to leave right off the bat. 
"I'll try my best to make it if I can, i-if this is just a scouting mission. Like I said though, I'm gonna try to find my friend first. So if I don't make it then..well..." She thought to herself for a moment before pointing down the beach in the direction that she had come
"The shack that I live in is just down that direction, a bit further from the Crystal Gem's temple. I'm usually down there if anyone needs to find me. Just for..future reference and all that." 

[Rafamixer]

At this rate, Peridot was about to give control to her alterego again. The last thing she wanted was that someone that didn't chose a side yet, decided to choose the wrong one just because of her own actions, even if in her point of view it's hard to find a right or wrong side, because everyone always end up suffering at both sides at almost the same amount. "Twenty-Four hours... since i don't have a place to stay..." She reluctantly gave continuity to her sentence. "... I'll go straight to the Empire Airfield, and i'll try to stop acting like that..."

She stayed away from everyone after talking, so she could calm herself and give up the control to her alterego. When PR took control, she stayed still for a while with her eyes closed, paying extra attention to the surroundings sounds.