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Post by Angel on Feb 23, 2016 15:27:01 GMT -5
((Closed thread for me and Phantom to test out our recently-developed Steven Universe gemsonas and their story. Design references are here, just to have them to hand: i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag219/AngelPyrope/Non-animated/GemsonasV1.png)) Phantom as Star Ruby Angel as Orange ChalcedonyAnother day... another training routine she'd been through a million times before. Of course it was important. With Homeworld still extending its reach in every direction imaginable, planting new gem colonies and stretching its arm of steel further and further across the galaxy, all warriors needed to be in optimun shape, ready to fight for their Diamonds on any front where it was deemed necessary. Clearing out resistance wherever it might spring up; destroying any who dared oppose Homeworld's will; even shattering other gems who proved to be troublemakers - all these required a gem warrior to be in top shape. She simply couldn't allow herself to get rusty around the edges. Especially not when she was getting ready to be shipped off to the battle lines in some far-flung corner of the galaxy any day now. That didn't make the process any less tedious after a few hundred years of it. And quite frankly, Orange Chalcedony had long ago decided she was sick of it. She could fight, sure; like any other quartz warrior, it was the sole purpose she had been created for. But unlike many of her fellows, Chalce had never felt like it was her true purpose in life. She would do her bit for Homeworld like a good little gem; but ultimately, she felt as though her worth lay outside of what the rest of gemkind would dictate it as. Then again, she wasn't anyone's typical quartz warrior. Small for a quartz thanks to a defect in her injector, Chalce had come dangerously close to being shattered as defective; only proving that she was as strong and capable as the Jaspers and other warriors who were a full head or more taller than her had saved her. Perhaps it was this, though she'd never really considered it in detail, which gave her the peculiar view on her station in life. She might thrust, parry and batter at her training partners with her quarterstaff-weapon for hours on end, but Chalce had long since left behind the point where she enjoyed any of it. To her, it was all simply a role she was expected to fill, not a true reason for existing. And so it was with no small ammount of relief that she heard the call for the combat session to end. A temporary end, she knew; unless one of the Diamonds called for them to head out straight away, she'd be expected to return to this soon enough. But a break, no matter how small, was a chance to get away into the privacy of her own thoughts. Retracting her staff weapon, returning it to the bright orange gem set in her collarbone, Chalce took her leave of the arena to return to what passed as her quarters. For a species that had no need to eat or sleep, this was little more than a small closet of a space to store a very small number of prized belongings, a communication console, and a place for her gem to be returned to if she ever needed to regenerate her physical form. But it was enough. Enough to get her away from everyone else. Or not-- a scowl flickered across Chalce's face as she saw her communication console blinking. Most likely new orders - since there were precious few gems she would talk to on personal terms, and she doubted any of them would have called her - but as much as she might like to tell her superior to stuff it until she was in a better mood, the orange gem knew that she had little choice in the matter. She would answer, she would obey and go wherever she was sent, or she would suffer the consequences; a little thing like wanting her own time didn't factor into it. Running a hand over her face, collecting herself, Chalce had to do little more than think at the console to activate it. The screen projected itself into thin air, as always-- but the face who appeared was as big a surprise as the warrior could possibly have expected. Her irritation vanished in a moment as she found herself looking at the gem who was, quite possibly, the only really true friend she had on Homeworld. "Star?"
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Post by Phantom on Feb 23, 2016 15:48:33 GMT -5
I screwed up. IscrewedupIscrewedupIscrewedupIscrewedup-
Azurite was furious.
...She was a failure of a star ruby.
Those were the thoughts rushing through Star Ruby's head at breakneck speed after everything that had happened. Being the personal bodyguard to a rare, valuable Gem wasn't always the easiest task in the world. For the past few days, though, things had been peaceful. It had allowed Star to slip into a sort of peaceful mindset when really, she should have been keeping her guard up. At any moment a Gem that disliked her owner could have come along and decided to... Take care of things, Star knew. And that was exactly what had happened. Or rather, almost happened. It had been a time like any other, and Star had been relaxing, when something deep within her told her that something wasn't right. Now, the little Gem had brushed it off. She hadn't been openly worried since Azurite hadn't unintentionally pissed anyone off that she knew of, so she allowed herself to keep relaxing.
Then, she heard something break and her owner screaming. It was in that moment that Star knew that something was wrong. Azurite never screamed like that unless it was important, and the little bodyguard knew she had to do something. So upon summoning her gauntlet, Star rushed to her owner's aid. When she reached Azurite's chamber, she saw the much larger Gem that had attacked her and wounded her. She was too late to keep her owner from being hurt, and she knew that meant trouble. But Star could still do something. She could salvage the situation and maybe avoid getting into trouble. So she acted as quickly as she could and fended off the attacker. The attacker Gem in question eventually backed down and fled, leaving Star to check on whether or not Azurite was okay, but... Honestly? Star almost wished that she hadn't. Azurite had been wounded, but not seriously enough to retreat into her gem. That was almost a relief. But when Azurite regained her senses and saw Star hanging over her...
"You... You... INCOMPETENT CLOD!"
"A-Azurite, I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know you were in trouble!" Star squeaked. This wasn't good enough for the rarer Gem, though. Star rubies were rare, sure, but in the grand scheme of things they were still just rubies. They could be replaced with better Gems. Azurite, of course, was not happy with what had happened. Star was berated harshly for her failure in preventing the attack. While Star Ruby had managed to send the attacker on their way, she still had failed to keep Azurite from being hurt. That was cause enough for being called every horrible name in the book. Clod, incompetent, waste of a Gem... That was what she was.
"I ought to have you shattered for this failure, Star Ruby! Your incompetence almost got me shattered! You should be ashamed of yourself! You're a failure to Gem kind!" Azurite shouted. Star Ruby shrank down and her weapon disappeared as tears started to well in her bright green eyes. No Gem liked getting yelled at, and this was especially true for Star. She was what other star rubies might refer to as... Sensitive. She'd tried to push that side of her back while working with Azurite, and for the most part it worked, but when reminded of a mistake or failure like this it just bubbled back up to the surface.
"I-I... I... I'm sorry!" Star said again. "I-It won't happen again! P-Please forgive me, A-Azurite, ma'am!" She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped that her tears wouldn't make themselves visible, and for several long moments nothing happened. Star's worst case scenario caught up with her and she imagined that Azurite was getting ready to end her. No one would miss her, anyway. She was just a star ruby, after all. But when nothing happened, Star opened her eyes again and met the stern scowl of her owner. It didn't make her feel any better about the whole situation.
"Get out of my sight, Star Ruby," Azurite growled. "I won't shatter you this time. But should you fail me again..."
"I-I won't! I-I promise!" Star exclaimed. She took this as a sign that she was dismissed, and hastily disappeared from Azurite's quarters. The whole way back to her own meager quarters, though, Star was fighting herself to keep from crying. She was a failure. She couldn't do her job as a bodyguard well enough anymore! She couldn't do anything right...
When she finally reached her quarters, she did the only thing she could think of. Orange Chalcedony was her only real friend among Gemkind by that point, and even though she was so far away she felt like she was the only one she could talk to. Chalce would understand... Right? She wouldn't think Star was a failure. Or at least, Star hoped she wouldn't. Maybe Star was wrong to put so much faith in Chalce. The warrior could have been busy right then and might not even want to talk to her. But she had to try. The little Gem was on the verge of breaking down completely.
Finally, though, she got through to her friend. For a beat, she saw irritation in her friend's expression. It seemed to disappear as Star's eyes were clouded with tears all over again. She tried to blink them away, but it wasn't really working. Chalce would undoubtedly have seen them.
"H-Hey, Chalce..." Star said. "I... I-I just need someone to talk to..."
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Post by Angel on Feb 23, 2016 16:38:55 GMT -5
Seeing the tears in her friend's eyes?
Just about broke Chalce's heart.
The fact of the matter was that friends was rather an understatement, at least from Chalce's point of view. For a while, some time ago now, the warrior gem had been assigned to Azurite herself for a particular assignment. She wasn't guarding the high-ranked gem herself, of course; quartz were rarely assigned to bodyguard duty unless there was a serious threat to be dealt with. Rather, she'd been acting as chief guard for a particular project of Azurite's, charged with defending the site where the thing - Chalce had never been told exactly what it was, although everything she had seen pointed to some kind of personalised weapon - was being built. Still, in that role, she'd been reporting to Azurite often.
It was on those occasions that she'd met Star Ruby. A rarer class of ruby than the common soldiers, though still part of that overall class just the same, star rubies were typically owned by a single gem of the eliter classes, and served that gem as their bodyguard for the entire duration of their lives. So it was with this particular Star Ruby, personal property of Azurite, who had been around for almost every report Chalce had given to the high-ranked gem.
The two had spoken once or twice. Once or twice had become a lot more times, as the unlikely duo hit it off well together, until a firm friendship had grown between the two warriors. Entirely different classes aside, Chalce had come to look forward to spending time with Star when they were both off-duty, and it had been a wrench when her assignment to Azurite's project had ended and she'd been moved on to other places and assignments.
It had only been after a while of their separation, though they had kept in touch all the same, that Chalce had come to realise that she had fallen hard for the little bodyguard. It was a fact that she'd never dared to confess to Star - love was hardly a desirable emotion for a soldier to feel, at least according to the ruling classes - and it was something that she wanted to make very certain of before she made any move.
But it was a feeling that was incredibly real to her.
And to see Star now, to see her... like this, looking almost on the verge of sobbing her heart out...
"Just tell me where, Star, and I'll be right there." Unseen by the one on the other end of the communication, Chalce's hands clenched into fists. What could have happened to bring Star to this state, she didn't know; but if some other gem was responsible, if she'd been hurt in some way... well, as much as Chalce itched to batter the responsible party into oblivion, even more than that she just wanted to be with Star, to be right there, wherever she was. Even if she had to travel half way around Homeworld in direct defiance of her superiors' orders, Chalce didn't care; she'd do exactly that. Because she couldn't be this far away when the gem who she cared about as much as - if not more than - her own life was so miserable.
And it wasn't as if her assurance of being right there was an idle promise, even in that case; after all, that was what warp pads were for.
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Post by Phantom on Feb 23, 2016 16:52:47 GMT -5
Where...?
Star hadn't thought quite that far ahead. She had just assumed that Chalcedony would be busy and that just talking over communicator would be good enough. Apparently not, though, based on what Chalce had said. Star didn't speak right away and instead decided to rub her eyes for a moment in an attempt to get rid of tears. It didn't work that well, though. She could still feel them building up as the guilt and terrible feelings in general washed over her. It had been a while since she'd been insulted so. Azurite wasn't exactly the most understanding Gem around, and Star was used to being reprimanded when she made mistakes, but this? This had to be the worst mistake she had ever made. It was plain to see that much, even if Chalce didn't know the context.
"Uh... O-Outside," Star said at last. "M-Meet me outside, i-in the general a-area n-near my quarters. W-We can talk there." It would be safe there. Azurite would be none the wiser about the two talking, and it wasn't too far from where a warp pad was located. If Chalce did intend to warp, she would be able to do so without anyone knowing she was even there. That was probably ideal, honestly. Star needed to talk to someone and it was clear enough to her that Chalce wanted to be there for her. Why that was escaped the smaller Gem. She wasn't exactly the most pleasant star ruby to be around, at least in her opinion, but somehow she had befriended Chalce. That counted for something, and her friend's company was desperately needed.
"I-I'll see you there," Star said. She didn't close the communication channel just yet, though. She imagined that Chalce would want to say something before heading out. Something like a 'see you soon' or anything along those lines. She didn't know exactly what, but Star kind of had a feeling it would come.
The sooner they were together, the better. Then she could just tell Chalce everything that had happened. Hopefully the orange Gem wouldn't mind if she just disintegrated into a puddle of tears before explaining everything, though.
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Post by Angel on Feb 23, 2016 17:31:15 GMT -5
"I'll be there, Star; promise."
The shortest conversation in the history of ever? Perhaps. But it was just... while she could have asked Star what was wrong then and there, talking over a communicator made her feel so distant, so useless. It was okay for casual conversations, true enough; but when it came down to something like this, physical presence was required. And it would only take her a few minutes to warp over to Star's location.
"Stay strong."
Awkwardly, not quite sure what had driven her to say that - though she had no desire to take the words back, either - Chalce closed the link. Without wasting a moment, she headed out of her quarters. Bare feet slapped the smooth, cold stone that everything on Homeworld seemed to be made of as she made a beeline for the nearest warp pad. The only thought in her mind, her friend's tear-streaked face, and how she wanted to simply get there and be whatever support Star needed. Her pace, that had started off as a swift power-walk anyway, picked up until she was making a brisk jog for the warp. It was only a little way away now, she was almost--
"You! The Chalcedony!"
Jerked out of her thoughts, Chalce almost tripped over her feet as she spun around to see who had called her. A higher-ranked gem was approaching her, one who she couldn't place a name to but who she knew was one of her current superiors. Brow furrowed in concern for her friend, and for every moment of delay this would cost her, the warrior's jaw worked; grinding her teeth together silently, she could only manage a nod of acknowledgement.
"The ship's ready. Gather your unit and meet the other quartz detachments there; it's your time to fight for our Homeworld's glory!"
Two base natures clashed in Chalce's mind. The instinct, bred into her from day one after she'd popped out of the ground, to obey without question; and its opponent, the need to be there for her friend, for Star, no matter what.
The second quickly won out.
"Like hell. I've got somewhere else I'm needed more; sorry, but you'll have to do without me. Ma'am."
The final word was a failed attempt at being defferential in spite of her blatant disobedience. Without waiting to see how the elite gem would respond, Chalce was sprinting to the warp pad; and in mere moments she was teleported away.
She was going to be in so much trouble later; and while, usually, Chalce would have wanted to avoid making her superiors angry at all costs, there were some circumstances that were far from usual - and this was one of them. She'd made a promise to the gem she was pretty sure she loved, and damn everything, she was going to keep that promise.
The warp stream spat her out at the nearest pad to Star's quarters, and Chalce hit the ground running. She was aware of some distant voice in her head already starting to chide her for the way she'd spoken to her superior, who she knew could have her shattered with a word if she so chose, or otherwise punished, but she ignored it; Star Ruby was her top priority here and nothing and no-one was going to keep her from her friend in the smaller warrior's time of need.
"Star?"
Nearing area around the other's quarters, Chalce slowed to a stop. Dark ginger hair swinging with her motion, the small quartz turned first this way, then that, looking out for the presence of one very particular gem.
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Post by Phantom on Feb 23, 2016 17:43:17 GMT -5
Stay strong.
The words echoed in Star's head as she closed the link, and she let a weak laugh escape her. Easier said than done in a time like this. She couldn't shake how furious Azurite had been at her and how close she'd come to being shattered for her incompetence. But now... Now she could talk to someone about it. It was going to be okay, she told herself. Assuming, of course, that Chalce really would be coming. Star didn't have any doubt that her friend's words would remain true, but she also knew that Chalce was a soldier. There was a chance that she could get called away and have to obey an order before she could warp. If that happened, Star would be on her own and have to continue facing the position she was in on her own. But somehow, in her heart of hearts, she knew that she didn't have to worry. The way Chalce had said that she would be there was enough to convince her of that much.
Why, though? Star didn't understand why Chalce had been so moved to just be there for her. After all, she wasn't anything special. Just a failure of a star ruby who couldn't really do much of anything right. Then again, who was Star to question it? She did want her friend there. It would help with things so much right then.
Eventually, Star decided to make her move to meet with Chalcedony. When she did make it out of her quarters, though, she heard someone say her name. The voice was unmistakable, of course. Warp technology did make things infinitely easier for the pair of them in times like this. So, when Star registered who was speaking to her, she looked up and saw the taller Gem approaching. Immediately, a wave of relief hit the little bodyguard Gem. She broke into a run and crossed the distance between the pair of them. This time, she wasn't trying to hide the tears streaking down her face. Chalce would have been unable to miss them anyway, considering how emotional Star had been over the whole thing.
"Chalce!" Star didn't care who heard or saw them. Azurite probably was tending to her wounds and wouldn't have cared about what was happening anyway. After all, Azurite had basically told Star to get lost. Who cared if she was spending time with her friend now? At long last, Star reached her and came to a stop.
The obvious questions that would have followed would be about what happened. Star wasn't going to spare Chalce any of the details, either. It was a story that needed to be told. Chalce knew how Azurite was, or at least had gotten a sort of idea when she'd worked with her, but she suspected she didn't know how Star was insulted. She'd just have to explain everything. It would be easy enough, after all. So, despite the tears, she prepared herself.
"I-I... I'm so... So g-glad you came," Star said.
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Post by Angel on Feb 23, 2016 18:02:40 GMT -5
And there she was-- Any hardness that might usually have been resident in Chalce's expression melted away the instant she set eyes upon Star. The little Ruby looked in such a state... if not physically, then it was impossible to miss that she certainly was emotionally. Behind the hair that fell partway across Star's face, Chalce could see the tears running down her cheeks, and her heart broke afresh for her friend. What had happened, she didn't know, but...
Star had stopped just short of her, but Chalce abruptly decided that wasn't quite good enough. Crouching a little - just to make the gesture less awkward, as different as their heights were - the quartz pulled her friend into a strong embrace. It mattered not at all to her that it was probably an unseemly thing for a quartz to be doing, that she was acting completely wrong for a warrior gem; what mattered was that Star ever so clearly needed this.
Even if the other gem only came up to the bottom of Chalce's chest, that was fine with her. She just held Star, letting the other's head rest on her stomach if the ruby so chose, powerful arms around Star's lightly trembling shoulders.
"Nothing could have kept me away, my friend."
Truer than Star was aware. After a moment, Chalce let ber embrace slacken; enough that Star could pull away if she wanted to. But without fully removing her arm from the small soldier's shoulders, either.
"You needed me, so I'm here."
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Post by Phantom on Feb 23, 2016 18:23:57 GMT -5
She really needed that hug.
The second Chalce's arms found their way around her, Star let her head rest against the other Gem and lost herself to her emotions. Not that she hadn't lost herself to them before, but Star Ruby hardly cared. She cried freely and just listened to what Chalce had to say. Never before had she thought that any Gem, let alone a quartz, would care enough to be there for her. Not many Gems liked her because she tended to be rather blunt. Some thought it was a good thing, because she didn't beat around the bush, but there also were issues with it. Chalce never seemed to mind how she was, though. That was a good thing as far as she was concerned. The smaller of the two needed a friend, and Chalce fit the bill perfectly. So she managed a small smile when Chalce's embrace slackened a bit and looked up at her. She was so grateful that Chalce was there, as she already had said.
Now came the hard part. She had to explain what actually was wrong. Obviously it had to do with Azurite. There weren't any physical injuries on Star, and her gem was just fine. So it was more emotional damage than anything else. Star sniffled and just tried to smile a little more, but her smile faltered a little. Chalce hadn't asked what was wrong. She just said she was there, and while Star was grateful for that much she didn't really know how to begin explaining what had happened. So, she pulled back a little and looked at her feet. The tears were still present, but she wasn't crying quite as much. Now she just had to determine what to say.
"I... I screwed up," Star said at last. "A-Azurite... Sh-She..."
Failurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailurefailure
Green eyes closed tightly and Star's body started to tremble again as emotion overtook her. She couldn't just dive into the explanation like she wanted to. Small hiccups escaped her as she fought to keep her tears contained, but she failed at that too. It seemed Star was failing in every aspect right then.
"I... I failed," Star said. Somehow she was still able to speak through her tears. "I-I f-failed her, Ch-Chalce! A-And now I...!"
She knew there would be more required in that explanation, but she couldn't get the words out. Given a moment to calm down, though, it would be possible to explain a bit more coherently. She just didn't want to let the Gem she served down again. It was bad enough being called an incompetent clod, among other things. Knowing that she was a failure, that she could fail again, and probably would fail again, didn't make her feel any better.
"I'm an incompetent clod!"
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Post by Angel on Feb 24, 2016 10:03:43 GMT -5
Star...
Every one of the little gem's sobs jabbed at Chalce like knife wounds as she simply held her friend, letting her cry into her shirt for as long as she needed. Many gems, she knew, would just have dismissed the small bodyguard as an emotional wreck and not bothered with her, but there was nothing in the universe that could make Chalce think that way about her friend. She was aware that Star could be sensitive, it was true enough, but only something really bad could have brought the ruby to this point. The larger gem didn't ask, didn't push the matter, trusting that Star would get to the details in her own time. For now, all she needed was someone to hold her.
At length, Star pulled back, and Chalce allowed her to. Looking down into her friend's face, seeing the tears still shimmering there... in that moment the quartz didn't even care what it took, she would do anything within her power to make things right for Star. To make the small gem, who she cared so deeply for, happy again. She still kept one hand on the ruby's shoulder, just a gently reassuring touch, as Star managed to collect herself enough to speak.
Every word, every tremble, every tear the other shed just tugged at Chalce's heart even further. Without even thinking about it, she began to tenderly rub Star's shoulder, as if the very simple motion would somehow make the situation better - or at least, somewhat more bearable for the purplish-coloured gem.
And then when she burst out with the statement of her own incompetence...
"No."
There was force behind the word; but Chalce's touch, as she turned Star's face back towards her own, was indescribably gentle. She felt as though could see every ounce of hurt and misery lurking in the little gem's green eyes, felt as though it was pouring out all over her too, threatening to drown them both-- And she could well understand why her friend felt so bad. For any ruby - but especially for a star ruby, whose natural role was as a bodyguard - the physical safety of their charge or owner was their absolute highest concern in life. To have made a mistake at that, to have allowed the gem who owned them to be hurt, poofed, or shattered... it had to be the highest form of disgrace one of her class could ever feel.
And yet... Chalce found herself refusing to accept it. Even if Star had screwed up some, she was worth so much more, to Chalce, than just one mistake, one failure. She knew Star, the little gem had always taken her role as Azurite's defender seriously, and this... this...
Compassion danced in the quartz's brown eyes.
"No, you're not. I don't know what happened, but even if you did make a mistake, that doesn't define you. You're worth much more than any one screw-up; and whoever thinks otherwise is an idiot."
Because she could tell well enough that the particular phrase, 'incompetent clod', wasn't Star's own words. Someone else had called her that, had planted that thought in her head; and Chalce absolutely would not accept the lable as true, not for the gem who mattered so much to her.
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Post by Phantom on Feb 24, 2016 13:02:53 GMT -5
She wished she could believe that.
This had been more than just some minor screw up like letting a bad sense of direction get in the way of her duty. No, it had been much worse. Her actions, or inaction, could have led to her owner being shattered. Azurite had been right; she'd been incompetent. A failure, even, as a star ruby. If she couldn't do her job as a bodyguard right then what good was she? She should have been shattered... Should have been ended right then and there. Then Chalce wouldn't have had to be in the presence of a star ruby who was such a disgrace. Azurite's harsh words continued to swirl through Star's head as she trembled further. While what Chalce said did get through, she just found herself having difficulties believing what her friend had said. Mistakes defined a star ruby, or so it seemed, and someone who took her job so seriously and wanted so badly to please her owner was more than likely going to let those mistakes get to her. Being coupled with sensitivity that, while being worked on, still existed didn't exactly help Star's case.
Yet she still allowed Chalce to turn her face toward her and looked her in the eye when she spoke. When Chalce finished, though, Star shook her head. If this was some mistake she could correct then it would have been fine. But now Azurite would surely be judging her every action much more harshly. Even looking at her wrong could have led to problems somehow. Star wasn't sure how, but she knew she had to proceed with caution in her job from there. Her breathing, which she didn't need to do since she was a Gem, grew more rapid as she finally found words again.
"But... It's... True! I-I am a failure! A clod!" Star cried. "A-Azurite got hurt because I wasn't there to protect her! I got there too late to keep a Gem from hurting her!" Not too late to send the attacker on their way, but still too late to prevent the damage that had been done. Her owner would be fine, of course. Her gem hadn't been damaged, thankfully, and all would be well. But that hadn't kept Azurite from being completely furious with her. Star fought desperately to keep her emotions under control, but it wasn't working. The star ruby had become swept away by her emotions, and it made explaining everything much more difficult than it needed to be. Still, she did try. Star could at least get some kind of points for that much, couldn't she?
If she was going to get any further with the explanation, she realized, she needed to calm down a little. So she tried calming her breathing a bit. In and out... In and out...
Despite the tears, after a few long moment she found her breathing getting a bit slower. Good; at least she had that going for her. She still was upset, understandably so, but it looked like she wouldn't be on the verge of turning into a puddle of emotion anymore. That was a start. Star could at least accept that much, even if she did still think that every insult that had been thrown at her might have been justified that time.
"...I didn't think anything was wrong," Star said as she brushed tears away from her cheeks. "N-Not until I heard Azurite scream for help. I... I guess she pissed someone off, and they wanted her taken care of. Well, I... I got there as fast as I could. When I did, I saw she'd been hurt and the attacker was still there. I-I thought I could still salvage this and keep her from getting forced into her gem or worse. So I attacked, and I sent the Gem on their way. But when I went to make sure Azurite wasn't too seriously hurt..."
Her green eyes darted back down to the ground and she shivered at the memory. The absolute hate and anger in Azurite's eyes... She could still remember it. She'd been absolutely furious, and Star Ruby realized that that was completely justified. What good was a star ruby who couldn't even do their job right? No good at all. Azurite had been well within her right to shatter her, but she just... Hadn't. Maybe to torment Star a little while longer? Whatever the reason, Star was still around. She should have been grateful for that. But she was just damaged, honestly. Emotionally damaged. Even Chalce could see that, she was sure.
"She... She yelled at me. Berated me for not being able to protect her soon enough, even. I've never seen Azurite so angry. I-I mean I've made mistakes before," she said, "a-and she's gotten mad at me before, but... She called me every name in the book, Chalce. A-And she was right to do so. She could've gotten shattered because I was so incompetent, a-and then what? I really would've been a failure. ...Not that I'm not one already."
She hadn't even mentioned how Azurite said she ought to have shattered her for her failure. That would come soon enough. Star mostly wanted to give Chalce a little bit to digest everything she had said.
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Post by Angel on Feb 24, 2016 13:37:57 GMT -5
Just about ever possible emotion had crossed Chalce's features as her friend spoke. It took a sheer force of will for her not to interrupt at all, but she stood no chance at all at keeping her own reactions in check, and they played across her face as plain as anything. The deepest concern for Star and for her well-being; genuine compassion as the other collected herself; attentive listening as Star began to recall her story. Fear for what was to come next as Star abruptly paused, looking away from her again, and sympathy for Star as she continued--
And fierce anger blazed in her eyes as Star faulteringly relayed just what Azurite's reaction had been.
Chalce had seen Azurite angry in the past too, of course. The elite gem had little patience for anything she percieved as incompetence, and at least a few times in her tenure assigned to Azurite, Chalce had uncomfortably stood by while some other unfortunate gem got chewed out. Before the present, she had always adopted a 'rather them than me' attitude, and strived to stay on as much of a good side as the higher-class gem had.
But to imagine Azurite yelling at her beloved Star Ruby, to even think of the little soldier bearing the brunt of the elite's wrath...
"I can't accept that."
Her voice had a slightly strangled tone to it as Chalce tried to wrest her anger under control. The last thing she wanted was Star to think that it was her she was angry at; no, that anger was entirely directed at Azurite. Even so, the hand resting on Star's shoulder had become rigid; and her free hand had clenched into a fist. This was just all... all... And the fact that Star even believed the elite gem had been correct to do so...
It was WRONG.
"Okay, she did get hurt. But still, you saved her, all the same. She didn't get cracked, she didn't even get poofed; even if you were a little late to the party, you kept her from any lasting damage. If she didn't even have to retreat into her gem, she's got no damn right to call you any of that."
In other words, it could have gone a lot worse for Azurite; and quite frankly, she should have been grateful that it hadn't. Not that any elite gem would be grateful for anything, with their damn senses of entitlement... not for the first time, Chalce found herself wishing privately that things were a lot different on Homeworld than they currently were.
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Post by Phantom on Feb 24, 2016 14:36:22 GMT -5
Chalce wasn't wrong. Azurite should have been grateful that she wasn't shattered. Even so, it was plain to see that Star was more focused on the fact that she had failed. She did look at Chalce when she spoke, but didn't say anything. Chalce wasn't wrong; Star had saved Azurite from serious damage. But the damage to Star had been done and everything had played out as she had expected. All Star could do was listen from there. Her expression softened and she let her eyes close again. She felt miserable... Dejected, even.
"But she does, Chalce," Star said. "She's right. She could've gotten shattered if I didn't get there soon enough. I'm lucky she didn't shatter me for failing her like I did. And now I... I don't know what's going to happen. The next time I screw up could be my last at this rate." Chalce was correct in saying things could have been worse for Azurite. Star knew she was right. It didn't take away how awful she felt about everything that happened, though. Worthless didn't even begin to describe how Star felt right then. She looked back up at Chalce again and considered what to even say from there. Maybe it would be better if she didn't say anything. She wasn't even sure of what was going to happen anymore. If she stayed with Azurite, she would have to walk on eggshells for the rest of her life. That wouldn't be the worst fate in the world, but still... There wasn't much else that could happen for her.
"I-I mean... Wh-What good is a star ruby who can't even protect their owner? I-I don't even know why Azurite keeps me around at this point."
It was clear enough to anyone else that Star's self worth was quickly being destroyed. Everything would be okay sooner or later, surely, but Star didn't seem to think so. She should have been apologizing for making Chalce deal with her in such an emotional state, too. Surely Chalce didn't want to deal with this any further.
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Post by Angel on Feb 24, 2016 16:07:07 GMT -5
"But you did get there, and she didn't get shattered."
She shook her head, the anger fading some - though not disappearing by any means - as Star softly argued her point. Ranting against Azurite, as much as Chalce would have loved to right then and there, wouldn't do either of them a lot of good; what Star needed was gentleness and sympathy, not a list of all the reasons why her owner - and by extension, the caste system as a whole - was stupid.
Still. For now, all she could do was continue to listen as the ruby spoke; at least until she voiced the words that, if gems had blood, would have turned Chalce's to ice.
"The next time I screw up could be my last--"
"Don't-! Don't say that."
The idea that Star - her ever so precious Star Ruby, though she would never quite say that to the other gem's face - might get shattered... broken and gone for good... she just couldn't bear to think it. It was always a risk while they were warriors, but Chalce had sparred with Star once or twice, long ago; the other had been able to handle herself, and the quartz had no concerns about her in a battle. But being sentenced to shattering was something else entirely, something from which there was no escape--
And no, no, NO, that wouldn't ever happen to Star.
She wouldn't LET it ever happen to Star.
"Star..."
Finally, she crouched down to Star's level. Not something she's usually do, most anyone talking to a smaller gem for any reason would simply look down at them, unless deliberately poking fun at their height; but in this case, Chalce couldn't help but feel it was necessary. Maybe it would help, maybe not; but if nothing else, she at least wanted to more easily be able to look her friend in the eye.
"Listen to me, please. You're worth a lot more than you think; worth a whole lot more than Azurite or any of the others reckon. I know this feels like the worst mistake, believe me I understand; but it isn't who you are. You're not just another star ruby; I've encountered others in my time, and not a single one of them has stood out to me like you do. You're something unique. Special."
Pause.
"I know you probably don't believe me."
Now it was her turn to look away, her brown eyes searching the stone beneath their feet - for what, she couldn't have said. Just not even knowing what else there was to say. Chalce had, after all, never been a gem good with words; some quartz might have been, but she was in the vast majority that weren't. Still, what she'd said was absolute truth--
Even if some details of that truth went a fair bit deeper than she'd actually said.
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Post by Phantom on Feb 25, 2016 1:40:43 GMT -5
"Chalce..."
Star still couldn't understand it. Why did Chalce think any of that about her? She wasn't unique, not in her own opinion anyway, and she certainly didn't think that she was worth all that much anymore. Azurite could have her shattered at a moment's notice the next time she screwed up. Knowing her luck, that wouldn't be too unlikely anyway. But what Chalce was saying completely contradicted her racing thoughts. Star was really starting to believe she was a failure and an incompetent clod, but Chalce... She really thought she was unique. Special, even. Star's cheeks did turn a bit darker as she thought about this and she sniffled slightly before rubbing tears away.
She had to ask, honestly. While it was nice to hear that someone thought those things, at the moment it was difficult for Star to believe. She looked up at the taller Gem, which was easier to do since Chalce was kneeling down at her height, and met the taller Gem's gaze a moment later. Doing so must have been strange, really. Star's eyes were undoubtedly red and a bit puffy from how much she'd been crying. It certainly wasn't the most flattering of appearances Star had ever had. The fact that her bangs partly hid her right eye didn't make things all the better. But still... She had to ask about what Chalce had said.
"Do... Do you really think so?" Star asked. "I-I mean... I'm just a star ruby. Not a very good one, at that. I'm sure there're more competent ones out there... Ones who know how to do their job and don't let peaceful days make them slack off. A-And ones that are smarter." She knew she shouldn't let Azurite's opinion get to her, but who was she trying to kid? Star wasn't smart, or competent, or all that unique. She was just a failure and an incompetent Gem. It would take some convincing to prove otherwise to her. But Chalce... Maybe she would be the Gem to finally convince her otherwise.
"I... I don't know, Chalce. How do you see all of that in me, anyway? Especially after I've screwed up so badly...?"
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Post by Angel on Feb 25, 2016 14:07:28 GMT -5
How? Because, Star Ruby, I've fallen completely and totally in love with you, and you don't even know it yet.
She hesitated, however, rather than saying that straight out. It was true, she was sure of it by now; but at the same time... did she really want to dump all that onto Star now, of all times? Love was generally discouraged amongst lesser gems by the elites because of the way it made those under its spell unpredictable; and for soldiers, whose entire purpose in life was to fight and die for their Homrworld? It was almost unheard of.
And besides, a confession would probably just make Star massively uncomfortable, on top of everything else. And that was the last thing her friend needed right now.
Although that left the distinctly difficult question of how to answer otherwise.
"I... I don't know what to say." Gently, she brushed Star's hair back from her eye, looking into her green eyes. Even puffy and tearful as they were, they still looked beautiful to Chalce, and she gazed into them as she gathered her words, hoping they'd have some kind of positive effect.
"I just know what I see when I look at you. I must have met hundreds of other gems in my time, other soldiers, even other star rubies - and not a single one of them stands out to me like you do. I don't know how to define it, I just... I just feel it, really deep inside me. You are something special. And perhaps, if you really do feel that way and it's not just Azurite's words, it just means you haven't found the true place for yourself yet."
Because it sure as hell wasn't with Azurite, not if she treated Star like this.
"And, if it is that... then I'll help you find that real best place. I don't know how, but somehow."
Somehow.
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