Chapter Text
Day 1.
“Moonstone Facet-5T3K Cut-8XP.”
The named gem came forward. Her hands were folded in the familiar diamond salute. Her posture was firm, her gaze devoid of unnecessary emotions, her movements were mechanical. She is not verbose, but a fighter who adapts quickly to the situation.
A perfect role model.
The gems, lined up in an even formation, looked at this gem with apprehension and little envy. Their Emerald has already burned their brains out. Moonstone is this, Moonstone is everything.
Moonstone shifted her bright orange gaze to Emerald in front of her. A satisfied grin touched her owner's lips. A grin at the realization that such a perfect gem had fallen into her hands. A gem that could guard her under orders, fight like a killing machine, and that would never falter under the influence of "Rebel" propaganda. Crystal gems.
Emerald's eyes turned cold at the mere thought of these traitors. The gem in front of her did not flinch under the weight of her gaze.
"You have a new assignment," Emerald finally found her voice, folding her hands behind her back. "The security of this base."
The gem fighters glared at her back, which was well covered by a cloak with a Blue Diamond emblem. The blue gem didn't move, just nodded, accepting the task.
"With pleasure, My Emerald." The expression of the face did not change, maintaining its apathy. The voice was monotonous, but firm in its execution.
"Perfect." The leader of the ship murmured these words. A triumphant grin returned to her face from obeying this gem. Emerald squared her shoulders, glaring at her other ward fighters with a disgusted look. "Everyone on board, now."
To a loud chorus of "Of course, My Emerald," the gems moved in sync to the door, where they were greeted by a rise from this buried base, straight to the ship. Emerald looked back at Moonstone one last time to enjoy the exemplary gem.
"Don't let me down." The doors slammed shut automatically at the end. The lights in the long hallway began to turn off smoothly. Lamp after lamp. Until the light went out over the blue gem's head. Moonstone was not fazed by this. Her eyes were well-adjusted to see perfectly in the dark.
Only his eyes shone like two dots in the darkness.
Moonstone was used to being alone, guarding someone or something while her body was in one position. This activity never exhausted her and did not make her doubt the correctness of the task. She was made for this.
Protect, guard and fight were the first three words that pierced her mind when she first appeared in Kindergarten along with other gems like her.
Time was not something mundane for Moonstone, but sometimes she still counted how much she was worth:
Day 15.
Moonstone felt a slight earthquake that swept through the base. Even under the tremors of the earth, her feet were firmly planted on the same point. She was used to the distant clapping that took place at the top from the war, but this was something new. Silence followed the slight rocking of the lithosphere. The silence that was almost the best friend for the blue gem.
The silence did not force her to do anything, did not address her, did not humble her with an angry look. The silence only enveloped her in its embrace, like an old acquaintance. Moonstone didn't know what it meant to have an old acquaintance. And a friend sounded somehow alien in her vocabulary.
After the good old silence, a vibration went around the base, as if the power of something forced it to do so. Did the Diamonds really decide to intervene in the Rebellion war directly, and not through empty fighters who were replaced after each defeat?
A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't crying on her own, it was more out of compulsion. She felt that familiar lump in her throat from the power of the Blue Diamond. Droplets dripped from her cheeks and fell silently onto the marble beneath her feet, leaving only wet prints.
Moonstone was good at controlling her face. She was specially created for this, so that emotions would not take over her during the service.
The tears left abruptly, as they had come. An imperceptible wet trail on her cheeks burned her skin. Her eyes just blinked casually, brushing away the remnants of tears that were trying to flow out.
Day 451.
Time passed quickly. It's always there. When you're a gem, the clock just ticks against the background sometimes, reminding you that you're still alive. That still hasn't been split.
Moonstone sometimes heard rumblings from underground, which she resembled this strange weather on this planet; stomping, which was not as repetitive or constant as was common for gemstone; and growling, if it was a growl.
She did not move or react to these sounds, because she did not want to give away her location. The lamps would have lit up anyway from reading the movement on her side or on the other. But her mind was still listening to these noises in order to attack those who were wandering around the base in time.
But apart from these sounds, nothing happened. Therefore, this noise faded into the background to the rest of the unnecessary noises.
Day 184325.
Moonstone has never used a projection from her stone to "amuse" herself. She didn't even know what that word was.… Amuse. It sounded wrong, giving off a slight shock to her mentality and the structure of her existence.
But here she is.
The gentle light from the white projection from her gemstone on her chest illuminated the wall opposite. With the projection, she reproduced some moments that she remembered. Moments where she was in some kind of company, except for the silence that began to settle on her mind a little.
Although she had never been spoken to by other gems that were under the command of her Emerald, or by other Moonstones, she always considered these mute companies to be a conversation in her mind. A conversation that doesn't force you to address someone higher up, that isn't steeped in fear of being overheard.
The projections cracked a bit as the memory changed, making the sound a bit broken.
After the memories, there were tricks with creating a copy of her. The hologram glowed brightly, causing her eyes to narrow slightly.
Moonstone was looking at a replica of herself. The same bluish tint all over the body. There were spots around her eyes and cheekbones that looked like frost, dark circles under her eyes that weren't from fatigue, and yellow lines that extended from her mouth to her chin, which were covered by a dark veil from her cheekbones to her jaw. The curls that stuck out from the sides of her head resembled the shape of the moon, while the rest hung down to her chin. From behind, the hairstyle turned into a sharp triangle from the base of the head. With some of the curls slightly detached from the form at the end
Gem had never looked at her form before, because the way she looked was not in her functions. But it was quiet enough now, giving her every right to admire herself to some extent.
Even if it was a hologram of her stone.
Day 935495.
Moonstone wasn't built to doubt her task. She was specially created so that her loyalty was the first priority.
But silence at some point turned from a friend into the worst enemy. The silence was suffocating, squeezing her form. And thoughts that had not visited her before began to settle in her head uninvited.
"Have they forgotten about me?" No, don't think nonsense.
"I made a mistake somewhere, so they don't come back for me..." This can't be happening, Moonstone. You carried out your Emerald's orders perfectly, without a single slip.
"She will definitely come back for me." …
They must. She's not just standing here and guarding everything for eternity, is she?
Gem didn't have time to figure out when "guarding this base" became a common expectance. Her Emerald? Maybe. After all, then she will be able to leave these old corridors, the walls of which have begun to crack a little.
Her gaze, filled with emptiness from the moment she appeared in her Homeworld, landed on her feet. Some white threads were attached to it, creating a trap for small creatures, which were then eaten by a living organism on eight legs.
This was an unusual occurrence for Moonstone. But she didn't shake off those little stripes, because at least it was some kind of variety in her expectance.
This living being became her kind of waiting buddy. He has an expectance of sustenance, and she has a change.
Day 1557820.
Gem didn't know what had gotten into her.
Her toe moved to the side, disrupting her posture, which she had so diligently maintained for 4268 years. Moonstone blinked at the changes in her position. Sirens crackled in her mind. How dare she disobey protocol?
But under this howl of her consciousness, her other leg moved too, disobeying itself. Moonstone looked carefully around through the darkness, trying to spot the silhouettes of non-existent gems higher in status that could stop it. Stop it, and then count it as a defect.
But there was no exclamation. Just the quiet chattering of some small creatures that she was able to get used to. She exhaled heavily, causing her veil to move a little.
Moonstone took a full step, then a second, a third, and her usual gait returned. Her body ached, even though she shouldn't feel tired from the job, because she was a gem. But besides being tired, her mind was filled with relief. She had been guarding for so long that she began to forget a little what it was like just to walk.
The lights above her head were flickering, trying to light her way, but she was doing well without them. Her feet took her on autopilot to the heart of the base, where everything was so abandoned. A little greenery appeared on the walls. Her fingers gently touched the mass. These greens were soft and silky to the touch. Gem examined her hands. Her fingers were in yellow-orange patterns that were on her stone and on her chin, and her gloves ended between the middle and ring fingers in a diamond shape on both hands.
Moonstone's gaze caught on a panel that was blinking easily. She allowed herself to approach this panel. Her fingers were filled with a tingling sensation that fueled her desire to explore everything that was here. But her fingers closed into a fist at the last moment, and her hand dropped to her hip.
Gem shook her head and studied the base further. Some corridors were completely broken under the weight of the ground. The entire base was so abandoned that some parts were unrecognizable to Moonstone. She was tracing the walls with her hand. Every pattern that faded told a story similar to hers.
Moonstone swayed at some point. Consciousness was slipping away. She was too tired. She needed the light. Light.
The last of her strength was enough to walk through the creaking automatic doors and climb the stairs. Her knees bent and she fell to the ground. Her gaze lifted to the sky. It was pretty dark at the top right now. On the ground. But the moon illuminated the sky, along with its little helpers, the stars.
The gem let out a soft sigh, peering at the moon. Her light fell on her form. She rolled over onto her back, exposing her stone to the night rays. The moonlight began to soak into her, but she was still too tired. She hadn't been able to use her stone light as a hologram or projection for a long time.
The moon was her savior. The only one. And she was grateful to her.
Day 1557834.
She had to recover in the light for two weeks. It's been a long time. Her recovery was incomplete, because she still felt some kind of fatigue, but she decided to get up from the ground anyway.
During this time, she managed to admire the sky. How it changes in one day and what different colors it happens after sunrise and sunset. The white fluffs that slowly moved across the sky were of various shapes, which impressed and intrigued her.
She felt the strangeness of this weather again. Drops of water fell from the sky, washing her face, and sparkling lightning stirred her consciousness from fear that it was the wrath of diamonds. But all this was only a temporary phenomenon.
Moonstone definitely did not expect that the component of nature would so quickly take over the surrounding world, where there had been battles before. The underground entrance to the base was surrounded by bushes and huge trees. Everything around her was too green for her. But nothing compares to the big mountains that towered in this clearing.
Gem explored the area carefully, quietly, and without a trace, as she was used to doing. She watched the living organisms from hiding places. They were big with claws, and sometimes small with wings. She researched each one and memorized them.
But at some point, she came across an animal that wasn't exactly the size to describe an ordinary animal on this planet. Moonstone watched the creature's behavior with unblinking eyes. This beast had suspiciously strange colors that were not present on the animals' furs. It let out a growl, trying to dig something out of the ground.
The beast turned its fleshy jaw to the side, and only then Moonstone's gaze caught on the gem on the creature's neck. The air was knocked out of her body by such a sight. It's the first time she's seen a gem in this form. The gem, standing on all fours, abruptly began to sniff. His muzzle moved towards Moonstone and her hiding place, picking up her scent. The beast began to growl and crumple the ground under its paws, preparing to attack.
Moonstone quickly summoned her gemstone weapon. An elegant, thin sword of pale blue light with a white border appeared in her hand. The blade was wavy, resembling frozen water. The guard was shaped like half moons. Gem quickly jumped aside in time, because immediately after the jump she heard a loud crunch of wood. She blended into the shadows, even though she knew that the gem was most likely relying on scent in battle. Therefore, she began to quickly change her location, running in circles, confusing the beast with her smell. The beast began to spin, growling into the void, sometimes swinging its paws, trying to catch the runner. Gem was getting angry from these cat-and-mouse games, breaking every tree around. One tree after another.
Moonstone jumped onto the bark of one of the last trees, causing the wood to make a treacherous crunch. She immediately jumped up, raising her sword above her head. The gem-beast ran at the sound of the crunch, crashing into the hardness of the bark, not into the body. Lifting his head, he tried to sniff out this stranger, but when he lifted his head up, a thin sword pierced his body with lightning speed.
The gem beast let out a sick whine, trying to shake off that sword, but Moonstone pierced it harder. The gem puffed up into a light cloud at the end. The gem fell to the grass with a thud. Moonstone was breathing heavily, looking at this strange gem from afar. She shook off her sword, which disappeared in blue sparks of light, back into her stone.
She sat down on the ground by this stone and picked it up. She held it up to the light and examined the intricate patterns on it. They didn't look like the defects of a gem. And they didn't look like the usual gemstone patterns that some Gems had, like hers. She dropped the stone into her other palm, weighing it.
What should she do to it? This gem was too aggressive. She can't leave it to reform and look for her for round two. Moonstone had a flashback where she saw her Emerald sometimes create bubbles around some objects, mostly sharpening gems.
She decided to try it too. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her powers. Her palms gathered around the stone, and then opened, forming a blue bubble around this gem. Moonstone pressed her lips into a thin line, taking into account her ability to create strong bubbles.
Moonstone gently touched the top of the ball and let it go, watching it disappear into thin air. She hopes it won't lead to anything bad.
Day 2099115.
Creaking sounds have been heard underground in recent days.
Moonstone was hunched over in the middle of one of the corridors in the base. Her hands paused, but with an onslaught, guided the tip of her sword against the stone wall. Sketching became another pastime that she didn't get bored of.
The drawings were a full-fledged kaleidoscope of images that left an imprint on the mind. These were the living creatures she had encountered during her small travels; landscapes that made a huge impression on her that she had been watching for more than a month; strange gems that she had crossed paths with, she did not attack them, only watched from afar, following in her footsteps so that she would not be seen. it was possible to smell; and "people".
Gem removed her sword from the scratched wall. "People" were weird. Strange, but free. Free. Her eyes narrowed. The drawing consisted of a "human", but more in a small version, who was talking to a larger individual. When she first saw that the big "human" was talking to a smaller individual calmly, no, even somehow gently, she was caught off guard.
It all seemed far away, like a silly fantasy. A fantasy that would remain in the shackles of her mind, that would never become real.
The grip on the sword tightened. Moonstone lowered the sword to her lap. Her cheek rested on the wall, right next to the drawing. The eyelids fluttered. She could hear the quiet speech of these creatures in her memories. Her hand gently rested on the drawn image, tracing with her fingertips each line that she had drawn on the stone from an echo of the past. Gem hadn't noticed this habit in herself the first time, but for some reason it felt somehow sacred. Somehow in her own way. Something that belonged to her.
Moonstone pushed away from the wall and looked up at the ceiling. It would have been difficult for an ordinary gem to see it, but it was easy for her – there were solid bubbles with gems levitating there. Exactly five. So many times she had fought off these gem beasts when they came close to the base's entrance or when they attacked her. They were a humble reminder that even though she was violating the charter, she was still successfully defending the base.
Her head turned to the side. Drawings of various scenarios and events were being extended on the walls right along the corridor. Moonstone pressed her lips into a thin line, examining her work. She will definitely be punished for damage to property. Maybe even shatterred for such antics. But since that was the way she was being reprimanded in the future, she wouldn't resist.
The sword dissolved into sparks of light on her lap. She didn't even pay enough attention to it. Moonstone just stood up, her hand continued to rest on the wall while her feet led into the heart of the base. His fingers felt every memory through touch. The skin on these areas throbbed pleasantly.
Blue Gem gracefully sat down behind the main chair. She hadn't touched the panel in all that time. She exuded a kind of heaviness, as if one touch would break her gem into pieces. She didn't even dare to look at the flashing thing. Moonstone looked at the patterns of the walls, which were overflowing with her drawings. Somewhere they were bad, even broken in a fit of disappointment, somewhere they were perfect copies of what she had seen every time she went outside.
Moonstone closed her eyes, her hands folded on her hips. She noticed how some living creatures could not move for a long time while they had their eyes closed. After being in the same position for an hour, she opened her eyes back. Gemstone didn't exactly understand the essence of this activity, because it only dulled her senses. Relaxing her so much that it was dangerous.
The distant creak of the automatic doors made her head turn sharply in the direction of the sounds. Gem summoned her sword. She got down from her chair and went down another corridor, not towards the sounds. Towards strangers.
The darkness did not resist the fact that she merged with it into one. She moved silently through the corridors to catch gems off guard... or "people". She didn't care. They broke into her protected area, so they should learn their lesson.
“It's amazing! These drawings were accurately drawn recently. Compared to the state of this database… Oh, and how detailed they are!” An admiring voice followed somewhere deeper in the corridors. Moonstone saw a whitish light coming from the figure. Her eye outlined three more figures next to this one. They were all gems. And quite a strange composition.
“Meh. Drawings are like drawings.” The tiny gem swung her shoulders, disinterestedly looking around the corridor, illuminating it with her light from the gem.
“Garnet, do you think Peridot is hiding here?" A boy's voice probed. He looked like a human being. Moonstone squinted as she moved on. Why do the gems keep this creature with them? Is he their servant? No, if he had, then he wouldn't have said a thing to the leader of this team.
“Maybe." Their leader replied briefly. She walked confidently down the corridor, as befitted a Garnet. Moonstone tensed, her hand gripping the hilt until her knuckles hurt. She had never fought anyone above her in status before. That would be unforgivable. But she has to scare them away from this territory.
“Um, guys?" Purple gem suddenly raised her voice. Her gaze was directed at the ceiling, right at the five bluish bubbles with gems floating in the air. The group exchanged glances among themselves. Their bodies were in such a position that they were ready to summon weapons at any moment.
“Why does Peridot... need corrupted gems?” Another gem asked intently, as Moonstone realized it was a Pearl. And what kind of Peridot? Their accomplice? Their enemy? And Garnet had рук own Pearl? It means she was quite reliable in the eyes of Diamonds, since she was given such a gem. It didn't make the situation a pretty picture for Moonstone. On the contrary, it only confirmed that their leader was a strong opponent for her.
“State your intentions of entering here." Moonstone summoned a replica of her sword in her other hand. Gemstone came out to face them. Her swords sparkled presentably under the light of their gems. Her gaze was cold, as was her face, her posture clearly stated that she would not make a mistake when attacking.
One of them let out a startled squeak, but it was followed by calls for weapons. Garnet has gauntlets, purple gem has a whip, Pearl has a spiral spear, and "human" has a shield. It was amazing to see a mere Pearl pointing a weapon at her at all. Gems like pearls have never participated in battles. It was especially weird to see a pink shield summoned by a human individual. And there was a little rose in the middle. Hm.
Moonstone narrowed her eyes, looking up at the gem leader. Garnet carefully examined the gem in front of her. Her gauntlets were gone with a sheen. A hand reached for her visor, adjusting it. Her followers looked at their leader in puzzlement, to which she only stopped them with her hand.
The blue gem was standing still. Her swords were lowered to the floor, but it was clear how her shoulders remained tense. Garnet didn't take a single step towards her, because she had definitely seen many scenarios where the gem attacked her.
“We are looking for a refugee gemstone. Her name is Peridot." Garnet retorted in her monotone voice. Moonstone examined her face for cracks in the mask of this gem. She looked at her hands, they were without gauntlets. Then her gaze lifted to the company behind Garnet's body. They were still holding their weapons ready for battle. “Do you work for her?”
Moonstone returned to the staring game (if that was what it was, since Garnet had a visor that blocked her eyes) with Garnet. Blue Gem relaxed her posture and tilted her head to the side. She did not recall a single gem with the name "Peridot" that should have been listed on by her Emerald.
She shook her head.
“Have you encountered her?” Another shook of her head.
“Did Homeworld send you here?” There was already a little pause. Moonstone blinked, considering her answer. Probably not, rather than yes. So she shook her head once more in denial.
Garnet made a humming sound as she considered her answers. She turned to face the Crystal Gems behind her, who were exchanging glances between this gem and Garnet, who was not acting so suspiciously towards this stranger. Steven raised a worried eyebrow. Garnet just pressed her lips into a thin line and returned her head position to normal.
“Moonstone.” The named gem squinted her eyes at her name, because she definitely didn't mention it. “Your task is over." Moonstone's lips opened a little, and her posture straightened. She weighed these words critically, because it could be a trap... “We've come to pick you up.”
Loud exclamations like "HUH??" could be heard from behind her. Purple Gem stood with her mouth open, "human" with the shield summoning ability began to blink more often, not understanding the logic of Garnet.
“Garnet?! What are you...” Pearl did not have time to finish, as the stranger in front of them withdrew her weapon back into her gem.
Moonstone folded her hands into a diamond symbol. She stood like a full-fledged obedient gem that was ready to receive new assignments.
“Forgive this gemstone for its inappropriate nature." Blue Gem reported, slightly bowing her head down, clearly showing that she was ashamed of her behavior. Her voice didn't contain any bits of sadness or regret. It remained monotonous.
A heavy silence fell in the corridor of the underground base. Even the breathing seemed too loud in the midst of this bickering. Moonstone did not dare to look up, because she was "defective" on all counts, which completely led to a shattering. She should have just stood still, even though it meant being completely without light. But no, she was grabbing at her existence with a vengeance.
“It's all right." These words made the gem open her eyes, peering into Garnet's. She didn't shout, calling her Off-Color, or promise her that she would definitely report her Diamonds to shattering. ‘Fine’ sounded strange and unfamiliar in her language. She certainly hadn't expected this.
Moonstone continued to drill her apathetic gaze into the gem in front of her, not moving an inch and definitely not attacking her with her fists.
This caused the little man to deactivate his shield by lowering his elbow. The purple dwarf frowned at the blue gem's behavior. She was behaving too correctly, too mechanically. Like a typical machine.
“Let's go.” Garnet responded closer to the exit from the base. Moonstone blinked and obediently went after the gem, lowering her arms at her sides. The crystal gems followed her to keep her in sight.
“Garnet, are you sure?" Pearl caught up with Garnet, whispering to her as her gaze stealthily returned to the blue gem. She did not imagine that there would be any gems left on Earth that were not affected by the attack of Diamonds, but here in front of her was one of these gems. And Moonstone at that! Such gems remain one of the rare stones in Homeworld, so it was unimaginable to meet her.
Garnet just nodded, making it clear that she was completely confident in her choice. This made Pearl frown a little, but she didn't challenge Garnet's decision. If she didn't see this gem as a threat in the future, then Pearl had to take her word for it.
Moonstone did not listen to their conversation, or rather pretended that she did not hear them, because then she would not have received a second pardon for eavesdropping. She followed them properly to show herself as a faithful gem. She won't make another mistake.
It was surprising that she hadn't found the warp pad before, because it was a thirty-minute walk away. Even if she had found it, she would have gone back to the base, because she couldn't leave this place. But now she can do it. That was the order of Garnet. She had to obey any gem that was above her in the hierarchy. Even if it wasn't her Emerald, but an ordinary Garnet.
Moonstone continued to poke around in her thoughts in silence as the flood of light engulfed this small group completely. She hadn't felt this teleportation process for quite a long time. She raised her head, watching with her bright orange eyes as the light around them rose up. Moonstone was enjoying this little trip somewhere inside herself. Oh, right, she still didn't know where they could direct the warp pad stream. But she wasn't the kind of gem who asked unnecessary questions, so she trusted the head.
Gem's feet landed on the warp pad as the beam of light hugging them disappeared, non-verbally signaling the end of this trip. Moonstone let her vision adjust to the sudden change in light, blinking a couple of times. She found herself in a spacious place. It was impossible to describe in words, as it was full of things that she had seen for the first time. The Warp pad was in a separate area with crystals on the wall.
It looked like a kind of vacation spot or a base. Moonstone was still trying to process this information. She didn't step off the blue teleportation plate until Garnet did it herself. Pearl and the purple gem continued to stand on it, looking at each other.
A small "human" walked forward and stopped in front of her. She lowered her unblinking gaze to him. Her dark veil shook a little. He looked... harmless enough? His hair resembled these white fluffs that were slowly moving across the sky. Moonstone had never been this close to "people" before. She was just watching from afar. Very far away. They were extravagant in her mind. Some kind of distant entities that lived their own lives. Naive.
Steven swallowed uncomfortably as the gem continued to drill into him. A familiar hand was on his hair. Garnet gave him a thumb up, encouraging him to make contact. Well, since everything is fine…
“I'm Steven!" Moonstone blinked when she heard his voice. The boy held out his hand. Gem looked at the outstretched hand. Did he want to get something? She looked at that palm as if it was some kind of foreign phenomenon. Steven lowered his hand with a small smile. “Ah… Okay, we don't have to shake hands.”
Ah, that's what it meant. It will be necessary to remember, because this “Steven” seemed to be a special person, since Garnet took him on the team.
Moonstone noticed out of the corner of her eye how Garnet turned around and walked back to the warp pad. Her palms rested on Pearl and purple gemstone's shoulders. She heard the minimum, but she definitely heard “Amethyst" from their whispers. Ah, there was a defective Amethyst with them. They were usually quite muscular and tall, but this one was the same height as this boy.
Blue Gem turned around to approach. She should have followed her, because that's how her Emerald always wanted.
“Moonstone, you are allowed not to always follow me." Garnet's voice made her stop in mid-stride. Moonstone squared her shoulders. Her chin twitched slightly, indicating a small nod.
Amethyst and Pearl came off the warp pad, enabling Garnet to teleport. Silence once again hung in space. Amethyst folded her arms over her chest, turning her head to the side. Moonstone noticed that her shoulders were quite tense.
“I'm going to my room.” Amethyst cut through the silence. She went to the door, where there were five gems on each end of the star, which in turn lit up purple, giving her the opportunity to pass.
Pearl sighed heavily as her eyes followed the waning back of the purple gem. Her gaze returned to the two figures that stood in the middle of Steven's house.
The corner of Steven's lips turned down in an inverted smirk as he watched it all. He turned to Moonstone. Her palm grabbed the gem's palm in front of him. “Let me show you the house!”
Gem didn't have time to react as she was pulled along. She listened attentively to this little excursion from “Steven”. Although he spoke in detail, he tried to explain to her what these or those rooms were for. Moonstone didn't understand why "people" needed to “eat” and “sleep,” but the young human assured her that it was a part of their lives. But the “toilet" remained a complete mystery to her.
“We use it after consuming food or water, to put it briefly.” Steven commented while going around the bathroom. Questions matured in her head with each new piece of information, but her lips didn't dare move to ask them.
But what Moonstone definitely felt, besides being puzzled, was Pearl's tenacious gaze. She assessed her behavior with a critical eye. It was as if she wasn't an ordinary obedient servant, but an aristocrat herself who couldn't tolerate mistakes. Moonstone decided not to pay enough attention to this factor.
After a while, however, she was sitting on the “couch,” as the man called it. He babbled about something of his own, and she just listened to him, as she needed to. Her gaze did not leave his eyes, which at the moment she noticed how he tried not to look at her in return. Moonstone turned her head to the side so as not to stare.
“So what were you doing at that base?” "Steven" asked, leaning forward slightly to examine Moonstone's face. The patterns on her face fascinated him. It was like she was an escaped actor from the theater. “Where we found you.”
Pearl was washing dishes that had already been cleaned three times during this entire overheard conversation, or rather Steven's monologue. She was trying to hear meaningful information Moonstone could say. But she didn't say a word. She just watched the boy eerily, which gave the gem goosebumps. Although she was completely devoid of this human phenomenon, this Moonstone was just completely similar to those stereotypical rumors that she sometimes heard about such gems.
And her lack of verbosity only annoyed. Whether she did it on purpose or whether the mindwashing from the rules of Homeworld was at full effect. Stars, she was almost like the average Pearl in Homeworld, that she spoke only to the point and obediently obeyed everyone.
Pearl just sighed heavily. She couldn't deny the fact that she was similar until Rose showed her the world in a different way.
“You don't have to answer if this topic is sensitive to you." Steven finally inserted himself into the resulting silence. His palms waved in front of him. He wasn't used to such taciturnity from anyone. Although he always filled the silence in conversations when the other person didn't want to talk to him. Dang, he was talking to himself and to toys. But this gem did not inspire any obvious desire to continue the conversation. So he was rather a matter of caution in choosing words so that she would open up little by little.
Moonstone looked down at her hands, which were resting neatly on her lap. She let her posture relax a little, disturbing her balance.
“Guarding." The gem's even voice still cut through. She looked at “Steven", reading every emotion on his face. A bright smile lit up his fleshy face, and a couple of small dots scattered across his cheeks and nose almost became more visible.
The sponge in Pearl's hand creaked on the plate as the answer came from this suspicious gem. She cleared her throat softly and turned on the water to wash the foam off the already shiny porcelain.
“Wow! And you did it all by yourself?!" Steven shifted on the couch, letting various exclamations roll off his tongue. His eyes filled with stars. The boy's body began to overflow with excitement, which caused him to shake a little. He got carried away on various questions. “How long did you stay there? I'm sure it will take a very long time! Did you made those crawings on the walls? Did you fight with those gems?!”
Moonstone raised her eyebrows at his sudden burst of energy. She was confused that her answer would provoke such a reaction. Therefore, she moved a little away from the human individual on the “sofa”. She definitely didn't want to answer every question that kept coming at her.
Was this how every human behaved, or was he the only one like that? Although if every “person” fell under the category of this term, then yes. She should observe people more closely to confirm this theory.
Noticing how Moonstone's eyebrows twitched down a little and how she pulled away from him a little, Steven blushed a little. He smiled cautiously, although he still felt the remnants of childish interest bubbling up in him. “You're cool, that's what I wanted to say.” He hurried to explain himself to her.
Gem blinked at the new word. She is "cool"? Like cold? Well, that's how she was created, so she didn't even deny it. There was a small nod from her.
Moonstone could understand one thing: she missed conversations, even if she wasn't the one talking to them. Listen to the voices of these… The “unusual” gems and the organic creature were pleasant in a way. Instead of reproducing holograms from memories that were repeated among themselves.
She was grateful that they decided to spare her from shattering on the spot. Although she was still trying to process this feeling through herself.