Work Text:
#01 - Take Out
Floral white beings summoned from a timely black mist, the chime of unsung music grating against Rutile’s ears; pierced by a familiar piece of their former brethren, they made a perilous move and decided their fate from this point forward.
#02 - Full Moon
It didn’t matter which phase it was to Yellow Diamond; when the clock struck two and the moon turned full, it cast an unsettling light upon the school and they wondered if those four watched them from above in disappointment.
#03 - Bitter
A strange judgment corroded their inclusions; the sight of Yellow Diamond and Padparadscha’s long term involvement together had them biting their tongue.
#04 - Pretty
Yellow often took a peek at Red Beryl’s fashion sessions, hooked by one (un)willing participant whose main piece of attire consisted of a lab coat accompanied by an all too infatuating scowl.
#05 - Miscommunication
"Will you stay?" They asked, their mind ringing with hopes and desires that they wouldn't leave; their answer took the form of a selfish departure and a trace of eight souls missing as they launched themselves off the corner of the school, the shackle of a white cloth becoming nothing but a former title.
#06 - Fall
Falling, falling, falling; gravity takes hold of them and in the distance, they spot Rutile, struck by the horrifying image of the elder moments away from crashing into the hard earth floor.
#07 - Path
The doctor took the long way back to the school this time, thoughts filled with calculations on what material they should use to awaken Padparadscha; along with how they’ll have the diamond crack at least one smile this year.
#08 - Yellow
A luminous gleam of yellow that reflected off the medical bay shelves reminded them of who was present at night, a common visit for the one who resided in the quiet wooden coffin.
#09 - Night
Another night of frustrated sighs and disorderly materials clacking against each other in a hurried pace; Rutile hoped they wouldn’t wake them and receive scoldings for working several hours until the crack of dawn.
#10 - Home
The giant husk of a machine may have given them comfort through rare instances of physical gestures but the only time it felt like home is when they collapsed into Yellow Diamond’s arms.
#11 - Role
Adamant never desired this for his children; witnessing Rutile’s spiral as he grabbed their fragile waist and hoisted them over his shoulder; their material dropping quietly upon the sand beneath the deep blue and solacing the doctor through his regretful system, "it isn’t your fault."
#12 - Carry
The few that helped overlooked something important that day; Yellow Diamond never missed it, the new flame that erupted in the young Rutile’s eyes as they helped carry back Padparadscha in the ghostly white sheet, a consequence of their turbulent actions.
#13 - Run
'They aren’t that fast,' the delinquent thought before insulting them; their speed catching up to them quicker than a bolt of lightning and an accidental collision shattering them into pieces, followed by the diamond’s frantic apologies and Sapphire’s flippant remarks.
#14 - Burn
There was no easy way to explain the sheer devastation that ruptured beneath; Rutile’s one track mind heading straight for the person that they’ve been trying to revive all these years and Yellow felt useless.
#15 - Old
Padparadscha spoke fondly of their friendship, laughing joyfully as they described the time Yellow saved them from a nearly dangerous strike and a pang hit Rutile deep, wishing they were around when those two were truly at ease.
#16 - Bed
Their arrangement wasn’t slowing down any time soon; Yellow scooted closer, careful not to shatter them, while Rutile traced lazy patterns against their shoulder to help them fall asleep.
#17 - Poem
The way their journal was structured was a marvel to flip through; each messy stroke of the alphabet creating a consonance of observations and long hypotheses until they stumbled across a forbidden entry labeled ‘Yellow Diamond.’
#18 - Wish
Mume had never experienced a grueling task such as this; through constant therapy sessions and the transportation of the slugs, she heard the eldest of Phosphophyllite’s group utter a name in passing; one that currently stood still back on earth.
#19 - Denial
They weren’t sure where these feelings stemmed from— Loneliness? Circumstances?— They’ll never understand, burying them in the recesses of their mind.
#20 - Babysitting
Lapis Lazuli chuckled to themself, watching as the newborn was taken under Yellow’s guidance temporarily, soon to become their biggest nuisance throughout the entire school.
#21 - Visit
This was a meeting they’d never expected; one of entirely different planets, two of clashing weapons, and three familiars tearing each other apart.
#22 - Frosted
The reflection staring back at them wasn’t the same person, the frozen pond reminded; death changed them and so did the unending process of the new doctor’s objective.
#23 - Thankful
Shifting against their lap, they laid upon the grass under an overcast sky; the sunlight barely broke through and for once, it felt like they were the last beings amidst this desolate land.
#24 - Huddle
Antarcticite wasn’t one to be surprised by most actions the gems did throughout winter; despite that, they were perplexed by the proximity of Yellow Diamond and Rutile during their hibernation.
#25 - Heat
Why were they even blushing? It was an offhanded compliment, possibly an unconscious thought floating out of their mouth; Rutile’s facade breaking for a mere second terrified the deepest part of their core.
#26 - History
The cycle was over, their lives finally at peace; but the time they had can never be repeated as this generation of gems was the only one to have them together as Yellow Diamond and Rutile.
#27 - Hand
Removing one’s glove carefully was such a tedious process; they no longer cared about the hardness difference as they pressed their mouth against their hands in an ancient gesture, a human tradition long forgotten.
#28 - Stutter
Rutile was too close for comfort; the doctor had to step within their boundaries but there was something obscene about the way they touched their pieces so delicately.
#29 - Why
Each day was agonizing as time passed, their pointed fingernails digging into the marble column, keeping track of the days; they never stuck around the medical bay and no longer entered the room where the former gems laid their heads to rest.
#30 - Rings
From the highest tower on the moon, Yellow looked out and observed the other planets, studying their intricate colors and rutted surface, not daring to face back toward their home, unable to come to terms with leaving the one they left behind.