People Always Do Crazy Things--

[Phantom]

In turn, Star didn't know what to say either. She was never the most eloquent of Gems, so she was caught off guard and left completely uncertain when Chalce brushed aside her bangs and told her what she had. On the one hand, it made Star feel good that someone thought there was something unique about her. Someone thought she was something special even if she was a failure of a star ruby. Well... Maybe Chalce didn't think the failure part. But still, it was something Star herself thought. On the other hand, though, there wasn't much to be done about her situation. She was a personal bodyguard of Azurite, and there would be no extracting herself from that situation. The only way out was to be shattered, and Star didn't want that to happen. It wasn't like Azurite was going to simply let her walk away one day or anything along those lines. Still, she did manage a tiny smile at Chalce's words.

"Thanks..." It was all Star really could think to say in response to any of that. But the problem was still present. She knew that there was a chance that Chalce was right. Maybe she really hadn't found her place. But what else was she supposed to do? A star ruby was supposed to serve their owner for the rest of their days. Their whole lives were spent doing that exact thing. But what Chalce was saying seemed to imply that maybe, just maybe, she should look for some other place she belonged. No such place existed, though. Not in Star's eyes.

"But what am I supposed to do, Chalce? It's not like I can just up and leave. I'm supposed to serve Azurite until she either gets sick of me, something happens to her, or something happens to me. And short of the last thing happening because I fail at something, I don't think there's any way I can find a 'true place' for myself. I'm stuck," she said. Quartzes were lucky, she realized. They didn't have to be tied down to a single owner. Technically each quartz had their respective diamond that they were bound to serve, such as Yellow Diamond or Blue Diamond, but they weren't considered to be owned by any particular Gem like star rubies were. So Chalce had the freedom to do as she pleased as long as she was assigned to someone. Star, though? She was going to be stuck with Azurite until something inevitably happened. The chances of that *something* happening were slim to none. Like Star had thought, the only real way out was for Azurite to get sick of her and shatter her for a mistake somewhere down the line.

...Better question, she realized. How would Chalce help her find a real place? Chalce had freedom, sure, but she also had responsibilities. Surely someone would notice if she suddenly showed up back at her quarters with a star ruby. The thought didn't really instill much hope in Star, if she was being honest. So she let a soft sigh escape her and closed her eyes again.

Little did she know that Chalce's feelings might come into play. She had no idea what Gems in love were capable of, after all. It also benefitted that she didn't know how Chalce felt about her.

[Angel]

"I don't know - but we'll find something. There have got to be other options."

Maybe even other gems who had already skipped out on the caste system? Chalce was sure she couldn't be the only one to feel so disillusioned with how the elite gems handled things, and maybe someone else had even done something about it that was just waiting for them. There had been those rebels on Earth a few millenia ago, she remembered hearing; who was to say there hadn't been others too? She wouldn't pretend to know - but for Star's sake, she was sure she could find out. Even if it was just a matter of careful enquiries, and of poking around until she found the right gem. All the while, avoiding the superiors she'd blown off earlier, who would surely be out to get Chalce herself sooner or later.

Still.

Something.

"I can't have been the first gem to want out of this stupid caste system. There's going to be some way, there has to be; all we need to do is find it."

Though she voiced the words aloud, she was musing to herself as much as directly speaking to Star at this point. There were no other gems in the immediate vicinity to overhear any of this, which was a good thing for sure; and Chalce simply wanted to put her thoughts into some coherent order. If Star had anything to add, then great - but this was her initiative, primarily, and so the taller gem figured it fell to her to see it through.

There was one thing, however, that she did want to say directly to Star, one promise to make; and it was noticable by her change in tone as she addressed her friend again.

"I might not know this yet, but I know one thing. I'm not going to let you be shattered, Star. Not by Azurite, not by anyone."

Could she genuinely keep that promise? Chalce didn't know; she couldn't follow Star around forever 'just in case', after all. But with her whole heart, she truly meant the words.

You mean far too much to me.

[Phantom]

Gems that bucked the system seemed to be few and far between, Star knew. The only case she knew of had been the rebellion that occurred a long, long time ago, and she only knew of that through little bits and pieces she had read in her spare time. The thought of it was nice, though. Star did try to manage a smile when Chalce said she wouldn't let her be shattered. However, there was only so much that Chalce could do to prevent it. It wasn't as though the quartz could follow her around for the rest of her life, after all. Azurite would most assuredly reject that idea, and someone would figure out that Chalce was gone sooner or later. That didn't mean that Star couldn't speak on it, though.

"Yeah, you're probably right. But-"

"Star Ruby!"

Star jumped at the sound of Azurite's voice. Crap... The elite Gem must have had something that she wanted Star to do. What now, though? Hadn't Star already proven that she was useless and incompetent by that point? Green eyes flicked away from Chalce and off in the direction of Azurite's quarters. If she had to guess, Azurite might have recovered from her injuries and just wanted to berate her further. Or maybe she just had some meaningless task for Star to accomplish. No matter what, though, Star knew she had to answer the call. Her time to converse with Chalce was up. So, after sucking in a slow, shaky breath, Star looked to Chalce again. Her expression was pathetic, and that was putting it mildly. Star really didn't want to go, but she had no choice. A star ruby always had to answer the call of their owner. It wasn't as bad as pearls had it, she knew, but Star knew that if she didn't answer then Azurite would come looking for her. That might just give the elite Gem reason to hurt her.

"I... I guess I gotta go," Star said. "Azurite needs me. I... I don't know what for, but... I can't keep her waiting." Her heart ached. The very last thing Star wanted to do was answer her owner's call. That was plain enough to see in her eyes. But she had to go. Star took a couple of steps back, but kept her gaze locked with Chalce's. If somehow she screwed up whatever she was about to be assigned again, and if Azurite was still angry over what had happened on top of that, she didn't want to forget her friend's face. Star wanted this to be the last thing she saw before heading out.

"I... I guess I'll see you around."

Maybe, she thought grimly. There was a chance she might not come back. If Azurite really was going to follow through with the idea of shattering her if she made another mistake, then this would be the last time she ever saw Chalce. She didn't want to actually say that out loud. This was both because Chalce hadn't wanted her to talk like that and because she just didn't want that to be true. Maybe Azurite would be kind this time. Maybe... Maybe she wouldn't be berated over something small or reminded of her incompetence. A star ruby could dream, after all. She didn't leave just yet, though. Once Chalce answered her, she would head on her way.

Hopefully things turned out all right.

[Angel]

She winced, too, at the elite bellowing for Star. If Chalce was completely honest, she'd never much cared for the way Azurite could treat the small gem, even back when Chalce had first been assigned to the gem herself; and today, here and now, that had reached an all-time lack of tolerance. Azurite was nothing short of cruel and ungrateful, as far as the orange quartz was concerned - and, quite frankly, it was hard to quash a desire to go ahead and tell the elite that much.

Which, she knew, wouldn't end well for either her or Star. She wasn't going to actually go and do as much, of course, Chalce figured; but she wanted to, for certain. Anyone who treated Star badly was someone she had no respect for at all; and, in point of fact, she almost didn't even want to let Star answer her owner's summons. She could see as plain as anything the expression lurking in the small ruby's eyes, the reluctance, the uncertainly... and even the fear, that made Chalce's heart break all over again. If she had her way, Star would never need to be scared, never be at risk of shattering, ever.

But what could she do? Star had to go, or she'd just be in even worse trouble. Azurite wouldn't listen if Star failed to show up, no matter if it was Chalce's fault rather than her own.

And she could not, absolutely could not get her loved one even deeper in trouble.

But the way Star spoke, she couldn't bear to let her go alone. Azurite's villa wasn't far at all, but even the distance from here to there felt like it was much further than Chalce wanted to be separated from the smaller warrior right now. At least, however, that had an easy solution; and it could even lend her the chance to watch over Star as she went about whatever business Azurite had for her.

"I'll come, and I'll wait for you outside."

Standing up straight again, she placed a hand on Star's back, just off from her shoulder. A reassuring touch, she figured, as they crossed the short distance to where Star was needed. After all, Chalce was sure, at this point she was essentially free. The ship bound for the expansion colony that needed defending, the one that she was supposed to be on, must have left by now - no one would hold up an entire operation just to wait for one semi-defective quartz. But it would be a while yet before anyone came looking for the insubordinate chalcedony who hadn't boarded with the rest of her kind.

By then, she'd be somewhere else; Chalce didn't want to get caught anyway, and she especially didn't want to implicate poor Star, who had enough problems of her own already. But for now, once they got there she could wait on the steps outside Azurite's villa while Star went inside - and she could listen, and she could keep an ear on what would happen.

She gave Star her best reassuring smile - though even that had a tinge of uncertainty to it. What if, after all, Azurite really was going to follow through on a punishment for the smaller gem? What could she possibly do to prevent that? She couldn't very well barge straight into the elite's villa to intervene - could she?

"I'll be as near to you as I can be. And if she gives you a hard time, just remember what I said. You're something else, Star, something special; and someday, I'm gonna prove that to you."

[Phantom]

...Was she hearing her correctly?

Star almost told Chalce not to come, if only because she didn't want her friend to worry, but there was no time. She felt Chalce's hand on her shoulder, and this did some to reassure her. Maybe she really would be okay. Then again... This was Azurite they were dealing with. The chances seemed pretty good that the elite would find some way to humiliate her, or even just berate her in general. Star wasn't sure which would be worse. But they were on their way to her owner's villa, and that was all that mattered. A small thanks was murmured for Chalce's tagging along. She wasn't sure if Chalce would do anything beyond just waiting outside for her, but that hardly mattered. They were going together. That had to count for something.

Soon enough, they were near the villa and Star was steeling herself as best she could for whatever was to come. Chalce's words didn't miss her, either. Chalce would be just outside... As near as she could be. Star looked up at Chalce again and allowed a small smile to form on her face. It wasn't much, and it didn't erase the uncertainty or fear she felt within her, but at least it was a little something. Chalce had her thanks for that much.

"Thanks, Chalce. I... Guess I better see what she wants, then," Star said. She slowly took a few steps forward and began to go up the steps and into the villa. It wasn't long before she would be facing Azurite again. Hopefully the elite wouldn't notice how red and puffy Star's eyes actually looked. Upon thinking of this, Star purposefully moved her bangs to cover her right eye. She couldn't do much for her left eye, but at least she could hide one bit of evidence that she'd been emotional over what had happened. Inside, Azurite was waiting for her. She looked a bit calmer, but no less intimidating to Star Ruby. The smaller Gem gulped and stepped forward to meet her owner. Their gazes locked, and a shiver ran down Star's spine. This wasn't going to be good. She could tell.

"Y... Yes, A-Azurite? Y-You called?"

A low laugh was Azurite's first response. Shit... She must have picked up on how nervous Star was. No going back now, though. The taller Gem wasn't going to make things easy for her... Especially after her failure.

"Yes," Azurite said. "I see you're quite finished letting those pesky emotions run wild."

Star winced at those words. Her efforts to hide that she had been crying had been in vain. Before she got a chance to say anything, though, Azurite spoke again.

"I have a task for you. I'm sure even an incompetent clod like you can handle something as simple as this," Azurite said. "If not... I'm sure there's a pearl out there somewhere that would be happy to take your place."

"N-No, ma'am," Star said. "I-I won't fail you again. Wh-Whatever you've got for me to do, I... I can do it."

"Good. I need you to deliver a simple message to Rhodonite for me. I'm sure even a failure of a star ruby like you can handle that, can't you? Or am I to assume you're a failure of a messenger as well?" The words sent an icy chill down Star's spine again, and she shuddered a little. Why was Azurite doing this? Well... She knew why, honestly. Mocking Star's failure seemed to be a favorite pastime now, and she just had to endure it. So, the little ruby shook her head. She didn't need to assume that she was a failed messenger. Delivering one message to Azurite's friend should have been an easy task... Even for an incompetent clod like her.

"N-No, ma'am," Star answered. "I can deliver a message."

"Good," Azurite said again. "Perhaps you're not quite as much of a failure as I thought. But tread lightly, Star Ruby. Remember what I told you before. One more mistake..."

"D-Don't worry. I won't make another mistake! I promise!"

Now Chalce was getting to see all over again just how bad Star had it. This incident had her completely fearful of what was going to happen. By all accounts, though, Azurite didn't have it so bad at all. She could have been through a lot worse if Star hadn't shown up when she did. But she hadn't. She'd escaped the encounter that had happened with little more than a few minor injuries in the long run. In fact, looking at the elite it was difficult to tell she'd even been injured. Star had been the only one to see how the wounds had looked before they'd healed. Azurite had healed, quite obviously, so there was nothing to worry about. But did that stop her from milking the torment for all it was worth? Of course not.

"Good, Star Ruby. Perhaps you'll be able to recover from your failure after all. Given enough time and enough simple tasks, that is."

[Angel]

Every single insult she could hear Azurite heaping upon her beloved--

Chalce was listening in, of course she was. She hadn't bothered, even, with sitting to wait for Star to be done with this; she had taken to pacing restlessly as soon as the other was out of sight. Pacing, and keeping her ears wide open to whatever she could pick up from inside. Azurite's main recieving room was near the front of the villa, so the words easily drifted out to Chalce, by the open door, as she kept up her vigil.

And what she heard made her blood boil, her breath coming in heavy rasps as she listened.

The laughter-- The derisive tone-- The words like failure, incompetent, clod--

And the threat--

And Star, poor, poor Star... her stutter, the tremble in her voice... Chalce was almost sure she could tell, just by hearing it, how deeply Azurite's words had cut her. And she was out here, nothing she could say or do besides barging in there and presumably sealing both her and Star's death warrents right there. But still, STILL...

"She's wrong - damn her, she's wrong!"

Chalce didn't even realise she'd spoken aloud until she noticed another couple of gems - a couple of pearls on an errand - had paused to give her an odd look. The warrior just shrugged, a response that seemed to satisfy the pearls; but inside, she still seethed. How dare, how DARE Azurite talk to Star like that? The fact that she was higher ranked completely notwithstanding, it was just... just vile.

Once the pearls had moved on, Chalce drew back a fist and punched the nearest wall with all her might. It left her with nothing more than badly scraped knuckles, but... she just felt the need to pound something into an unrecognisable pulp. Azurite's head would have been her first choice, but failing that... well, she didn't have many more potential targets.

Busting up her knuckles would hardly help Star, but... what could she do, what else could she do?

Chalce hated feeling so helpless.

Hearing footsteps from inside - which she hoped were those of Star returning to her, though she couldn't say for certain - Chalce finally sank down to the steps. Even so, she couldn't hide her rage and her helplessness; one fist pounded her own thigh in the only expression of her absolute anger towards Azurite that she could think of.

And she mumbled again.

"She's wrong - damn it all, she's wrong."

[Phantom]

"...Chalce?"

It was indeed Star that Chalce heard approaching. Star had been so caught up in what was happening with her and Azurite that she hadn't heard any of what Chalce had been saying until she started down the stairs. In her hands was a small message. Since Star was just a star ruby, and just a messenger in this instance, she wasn't permitted to know the fine details of this simple message. Even if she was, though, she probably wouldn't have wanted to know. All Star needed to know was that she was a messenger now, and that Azurite might potentially be happy with her if she was able to complete this without incident. She hadn't expected to see Chalce just sitting on the steps and mumbling to herself, though.

Star cleared her throat and stepped onto the step where Chalce was sitting. She probably could have stayed on one of the higher steps, if only to keep themselves on eye level with one another, but she didn't think of that. Instead, Star just looked at the steps in front of her and let her bangs cover her eyes a little more completely. It was all the more evident how Azurite's repeated reinforcement of the idea of her being a failure had affected her.

"I gotta deliver a message to Rhodonite. You don't have to hang around if you don't want. It's just a simple thing for a simple messenger like me. I... Shouldn't take long," Star said. Her stutter was gone, at least for the moment, but her tone had shifted a little. She sounded more dejected than anything else. Maybe Chalce was right; she didn't belong with Azurite. But where else did she potentially belong? It wasn't like she could leave. Not without serious consequences, anyway. In truth, though, she did want Chalce to stick around. But she was giving her friend the option to leave if she wanted. No reason to stick around if all Star was going to do was get cut down again and again. Dammit... She hated how easily failures could affect her. Why did she always let this happen? Chalce was right, she was more than what Azurite said she was, but she still let what someone she wanted to please get her down. It was pathetic.

Why Chalce even wanted to hang around her by that point was beyond Star's understanding.

[Angel]

"I'm coming with you."

For a moment, just a moment, her voice sounded hard as a rock as Chalce didn't even try to tone down the rage seething through her veins at what she'd just overheard. There was a possibility that the harshness of her tone might even startle Star, who had never seen her quite this angry before - but it faded quickly as the quartz's head came up and she found the broken gaze of the gem she cared about more than any other.

Star... Poor Star, who'd been hurt so badly by the gem she served...

Her anger melted in an instant into despair. What business did she even have here, trying to help? Granted, Star needed someone; and granted, she was glad that she could be of at least some help to the gem she cared so desperately about, but... there were surely others who were better equipped to know what to do, what to say, where a warrior like her could only flounder for words and actions and hope that they did some small good.

Even if, at this point, she felt like she wouldn't let anyone else near Star, ever. She just wanted to protect the little ruby, to protect her against anything at all.

"Star..."

Her voice had softened drastically, though the tone was still one of someone who felt hopeless. She was out of her depth, Chalce knew; desperate to make things better but with no clue how to.

"I'm not letting you go alone. As long as you need me..."

She reached out as if to take Star's hands in her own. Hesitated at the last minute and changed direction to take the smaller gem's shoulders gently in her grasp instead.

"I'll be here as long as you need me. I dunno how much use I'm being, but I'd rather try my best on your behalf than support a Homeworld that encourages this sort of treatment of you any longer." Looking into the one of Star's eyes that she could see, Chalce felt her heart break all over again for the smaller gem. Star had beaten herself up plenty already, she could see; the ruby needed gentleness and kind words, not the constant belittling that Azurite was giving her--

And damnit, Chalce was going to make sure she got that. To hell with Homeworld's rules and statuses and everything; she was going to make sure of this, no matter what it took. For Star's sake, nothing was too extreme.

No matter what.

[Phantom]

Chalce's shift in tone did surprise Star, honestly. She hadn't seen it coming, and so she stiffened a little in surprise. A small part of her wondered if maybe something was wrong, but then she realized there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, Chalce had heard what went down between her and Azurite. While she wanted to ask if this was the case, the dejected little bodyguard decided not to. It was more important to get this task for Azurite done and... Move on with her life, she supposed. But Chalce had already caught sight of the broken look on her face, and Star... Didn't really know how to proceed. She could pretend that it hadn't happened, but it was apparent that that wouldn't happen easily.

It was true that there could potentially be better Gems to deal with the situation Star was on. Chalce was undoubtedly out of her element. Thankfully, Chalce's tone had softened and Star relaxed just a smidge. Then, she felt Chalce's hand go to her shoulder. It wasn't much, just a small gesture, but Star did appreciate it. Even if quartzes weren't normally equipped for this sort of scenario, Chalce was doing her best. That was all Star really could have asked for.

If only she knew just how Chalce actually felt about her.

"You're being plenty helpful," Star said. "And... Thanks. For coming along with me. This is going to be pretty boring, though. I just have to pass along a message to Azurite's friend - I dunno what kinda message it is - and then report back here. Then... I dunno. Do whatever else Azurite might want me to do." If she wanted her to do anything else for her at all. For all Star knew, Azurite would just dismiss her after this oh so simple task and she'd be allowed to just... Spend time with Chalce. Not that a lot would be accomplished that way, but it would be better than continually letting herself be cut down by the Gem she was supposed to serve. It had happened far too many times that day, and she just wanted to be done with whatever else was going to happen. Thankfully, though, Star knew the way to Rhodonite's place well enough. All she'd have to do was drop in, drop off the message, and be on her way. Assuming that Rhodonite didn't want to pass along some kind of message to Azurite in return. She probably wouldn't, though.

"I'm just... Sorry you've gotta see me beat myself up so much," she murmured. "It's not like I can change any of this. I'm really glad you're here to just listen and everything, too."

[Angel]

"Don't worry about it."

Something of Chalce's usual nature was starting to peek through again as she stood back to her feet, managed a little smile at her friend. The fact that Star thought all her unweildy attempts at comfort were actually helping... it did mean a lot to her. She cared for the smaller gem so much, and to be told that she was doing good, even if she kind of felt otherwise, was worth more than Star could have known right then.

And Star honestly did seem as though she felt a little better now, too. Maybe seeing Chalce's own moments of weakness had given the ruby added strength, or maybe it was just having a task to do, no matter how small. In any case, that was worth something, too - although Chalce had no illusion that it would last once she got back to Azurite after this was done.

Which was why she promised herself she would have thought of something by then.

She looked away for a moment, up at the high buildings, and even higher spires, of the world they both called home. What inspiration they could give her, Chalce didn't even know; probably none at all. They were as much a product of the inadequate caste system as everything else on Homeworld, there were no answers to be offered by them. Short of finding other malcontents, which would take time - possibly more than she had to spare right now - and effort, the only real option was to take matters into her own hands.

Well... she could do that, couldn't she? She was a quartz, after all; and one who had been designed with resourcefulness being something of a strength. Even if she wasn't a true leader, she could still improvise well enough; in fact, the use of her weapon of choice depended on her ability to do just that. You had to be able to adapt to your opponent's defences with a quarterstaff; you couldn't just batter them until they broke, you had to always keep your eye out for the weak spots in their defence and know exactly how to take advantage of them in a moment.

It was the same here.

And she had an idea, a pretty good idea--

Her thoughts, abruptly, returned to the present as Star spoke once more; an apology that, again, made Chalce's heart ache for her friend.

"You don't have to apologise. I just... I guess I'm just glad you could call on me for this. I'd much rather be here and seeing it than you suffering on your own and not even knowing about it. At least this way I can do something, be some use to you."

[Phantom]

You were the only one I could call.

Star would have said that out loud were it not so sad. The fact remained that Star didn't really have any other friends. Under better circumstances, and lacking in all the belittling that had been done, Azurite could have been considered one. But of course she wasn't. That was the very last thing Star would have counted her as. Other Gems didn't really take well to her, either. It was her nature that drove them off, really. When Star actually did talk to others, she tended to be blunt and cut right to the chase. It just put others off. Chalce was the only exception to that, really. Star didn't even know why that was. The quartz just... Kind of took to her, she guessed. Not that Star was complaining.

A belated shrug followed as Star started to lead the way to their destination. It wouldn't take long, like she said. Rhodonite didn't exactly live that far away. That was probably the reason Azurite had picked this as the task Star was to complete. Since the friends lived relatively close to one another, it would be a matter of going there, dropping off the message, and going back. A simple task for a Gem that could be considered a failure. But Star didn't say that much out loud.

"Well, you were the first Gem I thought of that might understand," Star said at last. "Nobody else would care if a star ruby was having a hard time. I mean... Most other Gems would just write it off as me being a mess of emotion and tell me to just suck it up. But... I dunno. You're my friend and stuff, and even if you couldn't do anything I... Just wanted someone to talk to. Someone that wouldn't think my emotions were pesky or needless, I guess."

Rubies did tend to let their emotions get the better of them at some points. It was a trait that carried over to star rubies, too. Star in particular, though, could have been described as a sensitive little thing. Words cut her deeply when they were meant to, and it led to her being more emotional than other Gems might have liked. Not that she tried to let that show those days, though. This particular day had just been one where Azurite had found just the right way to hurt her and just the right time to do it. In the face of a mistake or a general failure was the worst time. It just made it all the easier to cut Star down and remind her that she wasn't perfect... That she could never be perfect and always would fall just short of that. Her inner desire to please others, when it popped up, only made that worse because Star tried so hard to do just that. She always tried to do what others wanted and tried to be perfect. And when she failed them, even a little, it was all too easy to focus solely on that. Chalce had seen that for herself this particular day.

"Sometimes... I wonder if I would've been better off as a pearl." The thought came without warning, and she rode with it. "They have it easy, you know? Nobody expects a lot from them... Just stand around and look pretty... And hold stuff for their owners. Not that I am that pretty, but... I dunno. I'm starting to wonder if I ever was cut out for this whole bodyguard thing. Like everything that happened today is just making me wonder about it."

[Angel]

"Hey... hey."

They were walking side-by-side by now; although Chalce's attention was much more on her friend than it was on where they were actually walking. If someone had been unfortunate enough to step in front of her, they may very well have been flattened - as it was, however, no mishap of that kind occured. Still, there was no denying that Chalce was focused on one thing and one thing only, at the expense of all else.

It disgusted her that no-one else would have cared about Star's plight. But at the same time, it didn't surprise her at all. Most other gems looked down on rubies as necessary little soldiers, but not anything really worth their time of day; and Chalce found she couldn't exactly say what it was that had made her views different from the rest of the world's. Maybe it had been the beginnings of her friendship with Star, a long while back now; maybe it had been a thing even before that. In the end, did it even really matter? All that mattered was that this was the way she saw things.

Differently.

"All gems have emotions. Even if they like to pretend otherwise, they still have them somewhere. And just because yours are closer to the surface doesn't mean they're a bad thing. They're not."

She was talking, and she was meaning the words; even so, Chalce couldn't help but feel like they were all just falling out of her mouth in a random jumble. Looking away for half a moment, she shook her head, tried to gather her thoughts. In truth, she was just about as emotional about all this as Star was - only her emotions fell on the side of what she felt was surely righteous anger for poor Star. It was making it difficult to collect thoughts into coherence, difficult to know exactly what to say.

She turned back to face her friend in an instant as Star spoke again.

"That isn't true. Maybe you're not in exactly where you belong, I know, but you've got plenty of your own strengths. You're better than any pearl, I know you are." She would also disagree with the statement that Star wasn't pretty; maybe it was true to anyone else's eyes, but Chalce just couldn't see it. Star was pretty, in her eyes; incredibly so. The other's wine-coloured skin; the lighter hair which fell across the right side of her face; the stunning green eyes... to her, Star was far from unattractive.

That was something else she didn't say quite yet. Some day, Chalce promised herself - but right now, it seemed more a sidetrack than anything.

"You're a great fighter, remember? Way back, when we sparred a couple of times? I almost couldn't match you, you kept me on my toes the whole time. And you've got more strengths too, I know it. We'll find what you're good at, where you'll fit. We will, I promise."

It didn't matter to her that the occasional other gem was giving them odd looks. A quartz and a star ruby in close conversation was unusual enough; never mind that the quartz had a gently hand on the smaller gem's shoulder and seemed unable to take her eyes off her. Chalce relished the feeling that she didn't care. Let them look and mutter; they didn't know how strongly she felt for Star, and she wouldn't distance herself from the ruby for anything. Especially not for what anyone else thought.

A moment later, though, she did pause, look up at where they were.

"I guess this must be it, huh?"

[Phantom]

If only Azurite saw half the things you do...

Again, Star didn't voice this thought. It was too sad. Besides, she didn't want to just spend the whole trip putting herself down. Still, some small part of Star continued to wonder how Chalce was able to see all of that in her. She certainly didn't see any of that in herself. She wasn't anything extraordinary. Star was a plain, ordinary star ruby as far as she was concerned. Even as a pearl she wouldn't have been anything extraordinary, but the thought did cross her mind now that Azurite had successfully put her down and all. Still, she did look up when she felt Chalce's hand on her shoulder and managed a small half smile.

"Heh... The only reason I was able to keep you on your toes is 'cause I'm so small," Star said. That was the only excuse she could think of, honestly. Azurite certainly would have never complimented her fighting skills. The taller Gem hadn't done that much when she'd successfully protected her this time, anyway. No... That would have been too much to ask. Star didn't want to really think about it that much, either. She wasn't any sort of remarkable fighter. All Star was was that; a star ruby. Nobody else would have thought anything of her. Chalce, though? Despite being mildly defective she was an incredible quartz. Star hadn't even been sure of whether or not she'd be able to handle Chalce in a fight. She'd been sure that the orange chalcedony would wipe the floor with her and knock her into the following week. But no, somehow Star had held her own. She still was amazed by that much.

"Still... Thanks." Star would have said more, but she realized Chalce had stopped and she looked where they were. The next place they needed to go was right in front of. Rather, it was the next place Star needed to go. When Chalce asked, Star nodded.

"Yeah, this is Rhodonite's place. I won't be long. You can just wait here while I go pass this on to her," Star answered. Rhodonite probably didn't give a damn about Azurite's little star ruby, she realized, so the chances of them having any sort of conversation were slim to none. She doubted that Azurite would have told Rhodonite about her failure, either. It would be a blessing if she escaped an encounter with an elite without having to deal with reprimands or anything. So, Star eased her way forward and started to head up to the door. All she had to do was knock on the door and be let in. She was sure Rhodonite's pearl would let her in if she stated her business. So, Star did just that. Moments after she knocked, the door opened and a pearl received her.

"Ah... Azurite's star ruby," the pearl said. "I assume Azurite sent you to deliver a message?"

"Yeah... I got it right here. I guess I should just run it in to her?" The pearl nodded, and Star glanced back at Chalce for a moment. "I'll be back in a bit," Star said. With that, she disappeared inside the villa in question. Thankfully for all concerned, Rhodonite wasn't in the mood for conversation. The pearl just led Star to her, Star informed her of how she'd come from Azurite with a message, and the taller Gem told her to just leave it on her desk. Star did so, and after bidding a brief farewell she started right back outside. But as soon as she left the room...

"I wonder what that star ruby screwed up this time," Rhodonite mused aloud. Star froze at those words. Was... Was the message Azurite had asked her to pass along about her? That... That hurt. Green eyes flicked back to the door of Rhodonite's main receiving room, but she said nothing. All she could do was try not to look too bothered and go back to meet Chalce.

Hopefully, the words of the other elite wouldn't have reached Chalce.

[Angel]

She wouldn't deny that had certainly been part of it. Star's small size had made her a tricky opponent; but Chalce was also sure there more to it than that. She'd taken down smaller enemies, after all, both before and since then, without much trouble. She hadn't even been taking it easy on Star back then; although nowadays, she would certainly try to avoid hurting her friend in any way were they to try it again.

Perhaps that made it a good thing that they hadn't sparred together for ages.

Still, there wasn't a lot to say in response to that - nor, really, time to say it. They were already at Rhodonite's place after all, Star had confirmed it; and so Chalce couldn't do much more than nod her agreement. While the taller gem had already come up with a hell of a lot of things she wanted to say to Azurite about the treatment of her beloved, there was little to gain by making a nuisance of herself for another elite who's only tie to the whole matter was through being Azurite's friend. She'd stay out here, she'd be a good little gem - as far as one who's already disobeyed one direct order that day could be - and not cause any trouble until they got back to Star's owner.

"Sure thing."

Star was already on her way in, so Chalce simply settled herself in for a short wait. In her mind, she was making plans, bouncing about exactly how she was going to handle Azurite, and when that was going to happen. The when, admittedly, was as soon as possible, but that failed to daunt her much; she already had some ideas on the matter. If she was really, really lucky, she could maybe talk Azurite into being nicer to Star - although on that count, Chalce wasn't optimistic. It may be that more drastic measures were needed.

Still, she was prepared to take them. No price was too high to make sure Star was treated right.

Even so, with her thoughts turned inwards, Chalce had little attention to spare for the villa at her back. If she had been paying attention, she might have caught something from inside; but even then, there was no guarantee that Rhodonite's idly-voiced statement would have reached her ears. Perhaps a good thing, given how fiercely protective the small quartz was of her friend at present.

She was not, however, oblivious to the world as a whole. It didn't take Chalce even a moment to hear and recognise Star's footsteps returning to her; and she was back on her feet and already approaching by the time her friend stepped out into the sunlight again.

And, attuned to Star as she was, it became quite obvious to Chalce that something more had happened. Just a subtle look in the other's eyes--

"Is something wrong?"

[Phantom]

"Huh? Oh... Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Star answered as she moved to join Chalce again. She could fake it, she decided. No reason to worry her friend even further. Chalce must have been sick of her getting worked up over every little comment that was made about her by that point. Still... The idea that Azurite and Rhodonite were communicating about her like this instead of through a communication link just didn't sit right with her. How many other times had Azurite done this? The way Rhodonite had spoken made it sound like it wasn't the first time. Star searched her memories for a moment and tried to recall another time when Azurite had asked her to deliver a message, but she couldn't think of any immediately. It probably wasn't important anyway. The fact of the matter was that they needed to head back to Azurite before the other Gem got too impatient.

"We should head back, Chalce. Azurite's waiting," Star said. She hoped that maybe Chalce wouldn't ask too much further. The last thing she needed was to focus on what she assumed she was right about. Instead, she would rather focus on the fact that Azurite would be pissed if she took too long on a simple assignment. So she started to move past Chalce and back in the direction they needed to go. Whether or not Chalce would actually pick up on how she was trying to fake like nothing was bothering her was another matter entirely.

Just go back to Azurite's place, see if she has anything else menial for you to do, and if she doesn't... Just spend time with Chalce. Nothing to worry about. Just forget what you heard and move on, Star told herself. She knew she couldn't push the thought away forever, but hey. She could make the attempt, couldn't she? It was worth a shot.