|
Post by Angel on Feb 29, 2016 13:51:11 GMT -5
"...okay."
She wanted to ask, of course she did; but Chalce could also tell that Star was rather deliberately avoiding the subject. It could just have been that the smaller gem didn't want to bother her anymore - or it could be that whatever had come up was intensely personal to Star, too much so to let her in on. That... Chalce supposed she could accept that. She didn't want Star to be suffering or feeling bad, not for any reason - but she also didn't want to pry.
And, like Star had said, Azurite was waiting.
For both of them, whether the elite gem was aware of that fact or not.
The distance back was equally short, but it passed in a rather awkward silence. Chalce wanted to say something to her friend, but aside from continuing to press the last matter - which she had resolved not to unless Star actually wanted to tell her - she was coming up blank. Of course, Star might have had something more to say, and Chalce was open to that much, but for herself... no immediate words were forthcoming.
But an idea, a rough plan, certainly was.
"I'm coming in with you, okay?" They were already in sight of Azurite's villa by the time she said that; and Chalce's tone made it clear that, at least here and now, she wouldn't easily accept no for an answer. "I know you probably don't want me to make a fuss, but I'm gonna have a few words with Azurite. I..."
She shrugged.
"I heard how she was talking to you just now. It's not right, and I'm gonna put a stop to it if I can."
And, silently: Please, let me do this for you.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Feb 29, 2016 14:01:10 GMT -5
She'd already made Chalce worry about her enough. Informing her that it wasn't just Azurite that found her to be a failure would only make matters worse, Star reasoned, so she decided to keep it quiet. But the trip back became awkward as a result. It wasn't like Star had much else to say about anything, so she supposed it made sense, but still... She almost wished she'd mentioned it. It wasn't worth it, though. Soon enough, the pair of them returned to Azurite's villa and Star prepared herself to face her owner again. Before that happened, though, Chalce spoke up again.
"What...?" Star listened as Chalce spoke, and the tone she took was one that Star didn't expect. She wanted to come with her to face Azurite. Now, Star didn't want that. She didn't want to make any more trouble than it was worth. After all, she'd already made enough bad things happen. But Chalce spoke further, and revealed that she had heard the conversation between Azurite and Star. If it were possible, Star's wine-colored skin would have turned a bit paler. She hadn't wanted Chalce to hear any of that, but it had happened anyway. Who was to say, then, that Chalce wouldn't have heard what Rhodonite had said too? ...No. No, she couldn't focus on that minor aspect. The major thing to focus on was the fact that Chalce wanted to face Azurite herself. This couldn't have ended well. Why did Chalce want to do that, anyway?
"B-But Chalce," Star said, "that's just... That's how she is. I-I don't think anything is going to change, e-even if you do do something. She's so set in what she thinks. I-I..."
I don't want you to go out of your way for me.
Star didn't say so out loud. It wasn't worth mentioning, right? So... She tried to think of something else to say. Nothing came to her, though. Chalce seemed to be set on her desire of helping Star somehow, and there was no changing that much. Star could see that plainly in the chalcedony's expression. Did she try to insist that she not worry about it? Or should she do something else? Star wasn't altogether sure, but... It wasn't looking like she would be able to convince Chalce. So...
"...O-Okay," Star said at last. "You can come. But I don't think Azurite's gonna listen..."
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Feb 29, 2016 15:22:52 GMT -5
Then I'll have to do more than just talk, won't I?
She didn't say it aloud. It wasn't that she didn't trust Star or anything, because Chalce truly did; but she also didn't want her friend to worry. If the smaller gem knew any of the potential solutions she was bouncing around in her head right now, Chalce was almost sure Star would simply urge her not to make trouble for herself on her behalf. She didn't think Star believed that she was quite worth that much--
Nothing could be further from the truth, in Chalce's mind. Star was worth near enough everything to her.
Rather than mention her first thought, however, Chalce shrugged. She wanted to do something to lighten the mood, or at least put on a face of confidence, but even she had to admit that Star was most likely right. Azurite wouldn't listen to someone like her. It was true that, in her tenure under the elite, that Azurite had taken a couple of Chalce's suggestions to heart - but that had simply been about defensive strategies for her pet project, which had been the whole reason the quartz had been there in the first place. This was something entirely different, and she was almost certain Azurite wouldn't take at all kindly to being told how to treat her own bodyguard.
But without alluding to the more extreme measures she was thinking of, Chalce didn't want to say any of that, either. She was trying to build up Star's confidence that this would work, not crush it even further.
"Well, maybe. But who knows, maybe I can be really persuasive?" She snorted lightly at that, although in reality it was a pretty pathetic attempt at anything.
"If nothing else, I can be emotional support for you if I'm in there with you, okay? I know that's not a lot, but... I just can't stand the thought of you facing this alone right now."
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Feb 29, 2016 15:52:45 GMT -5
"Heh... Maybe."
Star didn't sound all that confident, honestly. She already was expecting Azurite to be just as hard on her as always and not willing to listen to anything that Chalce might have had to say. But since Chalce had put on a sort of air of confidence and insisted that she would be emotional support, that was all that really mattered. Star managed a bit more of a smile, and her thoughts related to what had transpired earlier seemed to disappear a little bit. Maybe this wouldn't end quite as badly as she thought it would. The only way to find out, though, was to actually go into the main receiving room and go meet with Azurite. So, Star decided to start leading the way. She took a few steps forward, trusting that Chalce would follow her, and led the pair of them to where Azurite was waiting.
The other Gem didn't look any better spirits when they entered. If anything, Star swore she looked a little more intimidating. Star wasn't even sure of why that was. Maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. Nonetheless, Star led herself and Chalce closer.
"I'm back, ma'am," Star said almost needlessly. She saw Azurite's stern expression fall on her and Chalce, and for a moment she shrank back. This wasn't going to go well. Why did her thoughts keep trying to insist that maybe things would be different? She wasn't sure, but now she knew without a shadow of a doubt that one way or another, something was going to happen. It was just a matter of seeing what that *something* was and how that something would happen. Before Star even got a chance to try and speak again, though, Azurite cut her off.
"Why have you brought that chalcedony with you? What is she doing here?" Azurite asked. Her gaze fell on Chalce, and Star hesitated. How was she supposed to explain this? Quartzes didn't answer to anyone but their specific superiors, and Star wasn't anywhere near important enough to be one such Gem. Needless to say, it was a bit odd to see that Chalce had decided to follow Star at all. But Star knew that Chalce would want to do this. She couldn't speak for her. So, she decided to let Chalce speak for herself.
"Um... Well..." That didn't stop Star from at least trying to say something. Now it would be Chalce's turn, though. She would have her chance to tell Azurite what was on her mind.
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Feb 29, 2016 17:06:23 GMT -5
Under Azurite's stern glare, even Chalce felt herself wilt slightly. She hadn't... she'd never really stood up to a superior before, not like this. Sure, she'd once advised Azurite on defensive strategies, even to the point of contradicting the elite on a point or two. Sure, she'd defied her own present direct superior earlier in her haste to get to Star. But that wasn't quite the same as this.
Deliberately going against an elite gem could earn a sentence to be shattered, she was well aware. And she didn't want that to happen, she didn't want Star to have to suffer additionally if this did end badly - and permanently - for her.
But for the other gem, for Star... if this really would help her, then any risk was worth it.
Chalce locked her heels together, drew herself up as straight as she dared.
"I needed to speak with you, Ma'am." It was a strain to make that sound even partially respectful; she only just managed it. And then, though it wasn't proper protocol at all, pressing ahead before she could lose her nerve. "I saw how you're acting towards your bodyguard, and I-- That is-- She still saved your life; and as one warrior standing up for another, I don't think you should be treating her that way."
Well, she'd just put her foot in it. This would have gone smoother, she knew, if she was a gem with any kind of way with words at all; Chalce swallowed hard; but also straightened, abruptly and formally, to await the reaction from the elite.
And hope against hope that, somehow, it would be a favourable one.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Feb 29, 2016 17:22:16 GMT -5
Oh stars... Oh stars, this is really happening. Is it too late to pretend none of this happened and run back to my home? ...Yeah, it probably is. Welp.
Star didn't actually say anything, but the look in her eyes might have told a whole other story. All she could do was look on between Azurite and Chalce as Chalce spoke. This was definitely not at all what she had expected to happen, but there it was anyway. It was happening and she was just going to have to settle with being a bystander while Azurite, who looked no less amused than before, tried to handle the situation. The look on her owner's face was more than enough to convey her thoughts. She looked about as bored as anything and undoubtedly wasn't thrilled about having Chalce there, even if they had worked together once before. It was more or less evident to Star that no matter what happened, things were about to take a turn that she probably wasn't going to like. It was far too late to back out now, though. She knew that.
"And is it really any of your business how I act toward her?" Azurite asked. "She saved me, yes. I can acknowledge that. But she still screwed it up nonetheless. Had she been here sooner, or at least paying attention to what was happening, I wouldn't have been attacked at all. So I am well within my right to scrutinize her actions."
Azurite's pointed dark blue gaze fell hard on Star, and Star shrank back even further. Star couldn't help thinking that she was right. Had she been paying attention instead of enjoying what she thought was a peaceful time, then Azurite wouldn't have gotten hurt to begin with. Any confidence that Star had disappeared rapidly and she looked at the floor in front of her shortly thereafter. Haunting thoughts of her failure danced in her mind, and she paid no mind to what Azurite might have looked like. She was right... Just like always, Azurite was correct. It had been Star's fault for not coming soon enough to prevent what had happened. Sure Star had acted quickly, she had protected Azurite from even worse damage, but the fact of the matter remained that Azurite still had her ways of destroying any of the confidence and self worth that Star had managed to build up.
"What business is it to an orange chalcedony, anyway? It's not as if this star ruby is your body guard. Why should you care if I point out how flawed she is and how she failed to begin with?"
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Feb 29, 2016 17:50:17 GMT -5
For good, long moments, Chalce was feeling about exactly the same as Star. She was way out of line, she was screwing this up badly, and it was showing. She should have taken her time, thought through what she was going to say, and not charged into it like this... but now, here she was. And, as far as Chalce was concerned, there was no backing down. She wasn't going to admit defeat, not until she got at least something out of this that would benefit Star, no matter how uncomfortable she made herself.
How uncomfortable she made the both of them.
The worst part was that, at least to start with, Azurite sounded so damned reasonable. She even admitted that Star had saved her - and then proceeded to tear the poor ruby down even further. So much was warring in Chalce's mind, impulses in both directions, that she hardly knew what to argue. She wanted to stand up to Star, she really, really wanted to not mess this up--
And then Azurite had to go and lable Star as flawed again. Anger burst afresh in Chalce's chest, and she all at once found with crystal clarity what she wanted to say right then. Looking back in the future, she might come to regret it, but for now, it seemed like the best possible thing to say.
"I care because she's a fellow warrior, and that means we need to stick by each other. I care because she's a friend, and she's damned important to me. And I can tell you for certain that not only did you cross the line between fair scrutinizing and belittling for your own pleasure a long way back, but that if you keep treating her like this it's going to hurt her ability to protect you in the future, not help it. You tell her what she did wrong once and then let her get herself back together and fix it; you don't keep on reminding her of it just because you enjoy holding it over her."
Somewhere along the line, her fists had clenched and her voice grown stronger as Chalce had got into her flow. Perhaps, she would be willing to admit, this didn't sound half as impressive and convincing out loud as it did in her head - but still, she was getting her point across coherently now, at the very least.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Feb 29, 2016 21:09:19 GMT -5
"You're this star ruby's friend?"
Azurite spoke as though she thought that it was impossible for Star to make friends. Star wouldn't have argued that point. She wasn't the most talkative Gem in the best of circumstances, and more often than not it took her a while to open up to others. And that was when she wasn't being a blunt little ass. Azurite frowned deeper as she listened to Chalce speak, and Star paid none of it any mind. Well... She might have heard what Chalce said, but was more interested in the floor than anything else. Azurite, on the other hand, was not having any of what Chalce had to say.
"And how do you know that my reminding her of her failures isn't making her stronger? Now she knows not to make that mistake again, and knows the consequences if she does. That is how you mold a bodyguard. Tough love, I believe it's called," Azurite stated. She reveled in the fact that Star couldn't exactly leave this position she found herself in, either. It was perfect; she could keep this up forever. No one would ever bat an eye at the way someone treated a star ruby since, technically speaking, they could still be replaced about as easily as a regular ruby. They were slightly rarer, sure, but not as rare as say... A sapphire. Besides... What was the harm? It wasn't as though Star actually mattered in the grand scheme of things. She was worthless beyond being a bodyguard. Azurite knew that, and surely Chalce knew it too. Why should it have mattered if Azurite wasn't the kindest owner?
"It would do you well to pay no mind to how I treat her. This should not concern a quartz such as yourself. She's just a star ruby, after all. Look at her. Do you honestly think it matters how she's treated?" Azurite's gaze had fallen on Star again, and she could see how wounded Star actually was. Her green eyes were tightly shut and it looked like she was fighting back the desire to just break apart emotionally. She didn't matter. What anyone thought of her didn't matter. She was just a star ruby. Just an expendable little bodyguard that Azurite could replace with something better. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she did to try and please Azurite, it would never be good enough. Never.
Please, Chalce, Star begged silently. Just let it go. It's not worth trying to do anything about this...
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Mar 1, 2016 14:17:28 GMT -5
Fire burned deep in her gut, threatening almost to consume her, at the clearly derisive tone of Azurite's words. Either she didn't believe it was true, or she didn't think it should be, or-- Chalce was too mad to even think what other possibilities there might be. Her temper had long been close to the surface; and while for the most part, she had more of a handle on it nowadays, there were still times when she would just snap. Usually over something incredibly small that was just the final in a string of minor annoyances that she'd seemed perfectly okay with--
But this? This was anything but.
This was the gem she cared for - who she loved, damnit - and who was being disapproved of and torn down. Chalce's hands had clenched into tight fists, pure anger was written all over her face as Azurite's words seemed to reverberate around her--
And it only got worse.
'Tough love', her butt. Star didn't need tough love - which Azurite's jeering didn't even count as - she needed real, genuine love. Whether it was her or someone else who gave it to her, Chalce (almost) didn't care; but she wasn't just going to stand by and listen to this, and let it go on. She wouldn't accept-- Couldn't accept--
And THEN.
Then came the words that really made Chalce see red. Did it matter how Star was treated?
DID IT FUCKING MATTER?!
Her quarterstaff was in her hand before she even realised she'd summoned it from her gem. Clenching it hard enough that it was a wonder it didn't splinter beneath the sheer force of her grip, Chalce roared with inarticulate rage. What she was going to do, she had no idea - reason had been left behind the instant Azurite had dared utter that her beloved was 'just' a star ruby - but she didn't care, she didn't care, she didn't CARE!
"IT DAMN WELL DOES MATTER!"
Her staff was extended, and Chalce didn't so much as think before raising it above her head as if to strike a blow at Azurite. Whether she would, whether that blow would fall, she didn't know, and felt as though she didn't even care. Her whole body trembled with rage; the one person in this room who mattered to her more than anyone on the entire planet was Star, and all she knew was that she would not, not, NOT allow anyone, even an elite, to talk about her in this way.
Would this get her sentenced to shattering with absolute certainty?
See if I care.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Mar 1, 2016 14:33:16 GMT -5
For just the briefest moment, Azurite's seemingly emotionless facade was dropped and she let fear slip into her features. This quartz had to be out of her mind, she thought. Was she seriously meaning to attack her? Well, it certainly looked like it was happening.
...Thankfully, she had an ever loyal star ruby to defend her.
It was the sound of Chalce summoning her weapon that snapped Star out of her state. Her eyes opened rather abruptly, and she saw and heard Chalce reacting to what Azurite had said. Now, Star had been fully intent on just letting what Azurite continued to do go and sticking with her life as it was. What she hadn't expected was Chalce actually reacting and preparing to attack her owner. Instinct kicked in before Star even knew what was happening. She didn't even really realize she had summoned her weapon until she'd started to move to protect Azurite.
Yes. She was actually moving to protect Azurite. Even after all the crap the taller Gem had put her through, even after she had insulted and berated her again and again, Star still felt dedicated to her owner. It was stupid, she knew, but still... Star couldn't abandon her duty.
"Chalce! STOP!"
Star leaped in to protect Azurite and raised her gauntlet to block Chalce's quarterstaff. Green eyes were wide and full of emotion, and they were locked on Chalce. Was this really happening? Her friend had just moved to attack her owner, and now she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Azurite was her owner, and she was supposed to protect her. But Chalce was her friend, and she didn't want to fight her. What was she supposed to do? It was obvious enough that she needed to protect Azurite, but if that meant having to fight Chalce... Was she even capable of doing that much?
"Chalce, please... Don't do this!" Star begged. "I-If you mean to hurt her, then... Then I'll have to fight you!" Surely Chalce could realize that. Even if she was angry with the way Azurite had treated her, the quartz had to realize that this wasn't going to get them anywhere. ...Right?
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Mar 1, 2016 15:11:34 GMT -5
"Star--"
Chalce's features twisted, her warring emotions playing across her face as she stared dumbly down at Star, the tinier gem interposing herself between the quartz and the elite. Her gauntlet was raised to block, and her face... the little ruby wore a look of the utmost desparation as she pleaded. The plea and the look in her eyes tore at Chalce's heart so deeply, she hated that she was putting the other gem through this at all, but--
But--
Azurite-- What she'd said was unforgivable. Chalce had, if not relished the moment of fear in the elite's expression, then at least taken some satisfaction from it; but now Azurite's barriers all seemed to be up again, and she was as unreadable as ever. Chalce desperately wanted to make the other know fear, know pain, know regret for the damnable way she was treating towards Star--
But she couldn't, she just couldn't hurt Star. The small ruby standing so desperately in her way, begging her not to do this. That if she wanted to hurt Azurite, Chalce would have to go through her first; and that was the thing that Chalce just couldn't do. She was already hurting her friend by forcing her to make this decision, the quartz could tell from just one look into her eyes, and there was no way in hell she could add physical pain for that. Even so, long moments dragged in which Chalce didn't move, she simply stood, still poised to strike, her body trembling with anger and regret and a thousand other emotions that she couldn't even put names to.
And then she dropped.
The staff tumbled from her abruptly-limp hands, clattered across the floor, as Chalce slumped forward to her knees. Head bowed, dark-ginger locks falling across her face as she sagged there, feeling utterly drained and defeated. Rage still burnt like fire through her viens, but the will to fight had left her all at once. The sight of Star, of poor, poor Star, barring her way, the emotion coursing through her beloved's eyes, the certainty that they were going to end up at each other's throats...
How could she have, in the process of trying to defend Star, brought her to an even worse place emotionally than she'd been before?
She couldn't even help her friend, she could only make things worse. What right did she have to love some gem as precious as Star - in her eyes, if not in Homeworld's - when all she was capable of was making things worse for her? She felt like a wretched failure; and when she finally managed to speak, without looking up at all, her words were but a low mumble.
"I'm sorry, Star. I'm so, so sorry."
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Mar 1, 2016 15:36:58 GMT -5
The moments that passed were painful. Star never wanted to fight Chalce, and she most certainly didn't want to see her so willing to do something like this to begin with, but she also didn't want her friend to deal with these sorts of emotions either. But even so, all she could do was watch as Chalce dropped her weapon and sank down to the floor. This finally made Star move. Her gauntlet disappeared and she ran to Chalce's side. Whatever Azurite thought of the matter didn't even cross her mind. The last thing she had seen was Azurite's brief fear before she'd moved in to protect her. Now it didn't even matter. What mattered was comforting Chalce. After all, her friend had already done so much to try and help her. So she'd made a mistake and let her emotions get the better of her. Big deal. Star still cared about her.
"Chalce... Chalce, it's okay," Star said. She was still terribly emotional, of course, but at least she could speak coherently. She thought about hugging Chalce, but stopped short of doing so and instead let her hand rest against her friend's shoulder. Chalce shouldn't have been apologizing. She wouldn't have had to act on the desire to hurt Azurite if Star hadn't called her and told her about all of this. If anything, it was Star's fault. She was sure it was. But she hardly knew how to put that into words. Mostly she just didn't want her to blame herself.
"You just wanted to help. I-I can't thank you enough for that. B-But please... Don't be upset," she said. Now what, though? The whole matter had turned rather awkward and she didn't know how to proceed. Azurite must have still been scrutinizing every move the pair of them were making now that she was out of danger. Star couldn't just tell Chalce to leave. She didn't want her friend to go. All she wanted was for the two of them to forget what had happened and move on from there. That might not happen, of course, but still... They were dealing with intense emotions here, right? At least Star was, anyway...
Then, the silence broke again.
"Well done, Star Ruby," Azurite said. "Perhaps you aren't as useless as I was starting to think you were. Even if you are a failure, you still have that loyalty to defend me."
Little did she know what those words would set something else entirely into motion.
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Mar 1, 2016 16:11:27 GMT -5
It was her friend, her love, suddenly at her side. It was the whispered words of reassurance, when Chalce knew they were empty. It was Star's murmured thanks, even though she'd done nothing but make things worse for her friend. It was the tears she could feel tracing patterns down her own cheeks, tears of regret, of loathing, of the whole whirlwind of emotions that she could barely identify.
More than those things, Chalce was hardly aware of anymore.
She just wanted to sag against Star. To hold the smaller gem in her arms and whisper a thousand apologies, and a thousand more reasons why Star was worth so, so, so very much to her. To just spend the rest of their lives locked in that moment of intimate privacy, to never let Star go again. If the little warrior had meant a lot to Chalce before, somehow these last few moments had made her even, even more undescribably precious to Chalce; and if this moment was going to be her last before being sentenced to her own shattering, then she wanted to drag it out for as long as she possibly could.
As long as she could hold Star, could protect her for the rest of her own life, no matter how short that ended up being--
She couldn't, of course. Not here, not now, not with Azurite looking on. Somehow, Chalce remained shakily upright; somehow, she resisted the desire to just cling to Star right then and there. She didn't quite know why she was bothering, if these were going to be her last moments anyway; didn't know where she was finding the will to manage even this. She just remained where she was, breathing hard, still shaking, still trembling, not looking any higher than Star's knees.
It was all over for her. She'd threatened a superior, she'd be shattered for sure - and then she couldn't even protect Star. But even if there had been something to do about it, she hadn't the strength or the energy to do so.
Until Azurite made the mistake of opening her mouth again.
"Just. Stop. TALKING."
Somewhere, an extra reserve of strength was seeping into Chalce. Maybe it was Star's attempt at comforting her, maybe something else entirely, but - though with some effort - her head rose again until she was glaring at Azurite with all the vehmence she possessed and then some. It wasn't even just the words, the calling poor Star a failure again, it was that damn patronizing tone that the elite had turned on Star that finally, finally drove Chalce to make a move. Maybe not the best move, maybe not even a right move.
But a move, all the same.
"If-" Her voice shook with more emotion than she'd realised she even possessed. "If you're not gonna treat Star properly, then you can't have her. I won't..."
Her deep brown eyes blazed.
"I won't let you."
The words were more appropriate to a parent disciplining a naughty child, at least to a species that understood such a concept. Nonetheless, Chalce just didn't care any longer. She was tired and emotional and drained and she just wanted to take Star and get away from it all. She usually tried to be considerate of those she cared for, but for once it didn't even cross Chalce's mind what Star would think about this; she just knew, or at least believed, that this was the best possible solution.
Lurching back to her feet, Chalce bodily grabbed Star around the waist. Not roughly, by any means; there was a surprising tenderness to her grip. But still, with enough strength to lift the smaller gem clean off the ground. Glaring at Azurite, hardly looking at Star except to make sure she wasn't hurting her, Chalce tucked her friend under her arm. She snorted a final, angry breath in Azurite's direction and, without a second thought, turned on her heel and marched straight out of the villa, Star still held carefully but firmly beneath her left arm.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Mar 1, 2016 16:23:15 GMT -5
"Oh, please. And how do you intend on making sure I 'can't have he-"
Azurite's question stopped abruptly when she saw Chalce get to her feet and snatching Star up around the waist. The smaller Gem squeaked in surprise, and before Azurite even knew what was happening Chalce was marching out of the villa. A look akin to someone who had just been told something completely ridiculous, such as how pearls were more than just servants, crossed Azurite's face and the taller Gem just stood there stammering for several long moments. Nothing like this had ever happened in her lifetime.
Star herself was just as dumbfounded by what was happening. One minute she had been trying to stop a fight and trying to protect Azurite against all odds, and the next thing she knew she was being picked up like a small child and tucked under Chalce's arms. Small repetitions of 'What?' slipped from the little Gem's mouth as she was carried away. She didn't even register Azurite's reaction right away. When she finally did seem to realize what was happening, she and Chalce were out of the villa and she was looking up at the Gem carrying her. What on Earth was even happening? This had to be some sort of bizarre... Dream, right? Wait, no. Gems didn't dream. They didn't have need of sleep, after all. So this was all very real and all very likely happening right then and there. But the how and why of it still escaped her. Star still had no idea of why Chalce cared so damn much about her when Azurite had repeatedly drilled it into her head that she was worthless and a failure.
"C-Chalce," Star squeaked at last. "Wh-where are you taking me? What's even going on anymore??" It was a dumb series of questions, but likely fitting for a dumb Gem like her. The small bodyguard genuinely couldn't fathom why Chalce would want to take her away like this. She couldn't piece together that Chalce was trying to take her to someplace where she actually would fit in and actually be happy.
It would take a few minutes more before Azurite actually snapped out of it and demanded for the two to come back, or even take any sort of action against the apparent kidnapping (Gemnapping?) that was going on. What mattered was that Chalce had miraculously been given a chance to get a head start.
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Mar 1, 2016 16:49:41 GMT -5
"Away."
That was the only answer Chalce even had right now. It wasn't specific, it wasn't even a good answer, but it was all she could give. She had some thoughts, some vague ideas in mind, but nothing solid, nothing she could give as a definite reply. And she hadn't the mental energy just now to think of a full explanation; and so for a while, vague it would have to be.
"Away from it all. Away from her. If all I can do is show you what it's like to live with someone who treats you properly for once, then that's what I'm gonna do."
They couldn't go back to her quarters, Chalce knew. She was already in trouble with her own superiors before this and they'd likely be waiting for her - and while, at some point she might slip back there to pick up her few most prized possessions, for now it was well and truly out of the question. Besides, a single gem's quarters wouldn't comfortably accomodate two gems for any length of time, at any rate.
But when you knew a few of the ins and outs of Homeworld, when you tried to keep an ear to the ground and at least pick up some idea of which areas were used and which weren't, just for the sake of... well, in case it ever became useful? Then you at least had some idea of where was good to go and where wasn't.
It was just that, when you were wanted and soon-to-be on the run, those two became exact opposites.
It was only as she reached the nearest warp pad and was stepping foot onto it, that Chalce realised there was at least something she ought to do first. Having the whole of Homeworld potentially converging on them was one thing, but Chalce had little care about that anymore. But if nothing else, then she did just have to ask--
"I mean, if you're okay enough with that?"
She looked down at the gem still tucked under her arm, her brown eyes meeting the distinct confusion resident in Star's deep green.
"I just want you to be appreciated like you should be, and that's never going to happen here. I... please let me do this for you?"
|
|