Morning
"There are no stars in your sky."
For some reason, Sadie found it oddly sweet when Kimberlite referred to features of the Earth with a direct possessive pronoun. It made her feel as though she had suddenly become the sole monarch and owner of the planet itself.
Her favourites included "your ground", "your air", "your gravity" and now she could add "your sky" to the list.
While it wasn't something she was dedicated to deeply reflecting on, every conversation they had was a raw and informal instance of interplanetary discourse.
Sadie Miller was now an ambassador for the entire human race.
"Well, yeah there are. You just can't see them right now because it's too bright out. It's easier to see them at night. I guess it was probably too cloudy last night to see them. Beach City doesn't get too much light pollution so the night sky is actually really beautiful. Heh, the perks of living in a small town pretending to be metro, I guess."
It was mornings like this that the little seaside tourist trap was Sadie's favourite place in the whole world.
"So listen," she told Kimberlite. "Last night you said that you wanted to meet Steven and the gems, right? Well, I messaged him before we left and he said he can meet us at the Big Doughnut today. I can take you back to the woods on my lunch break…" She scratched the back of her neck, bashful. "It'll mean you've gotta hang around the Big Doughnut for a few hours but it's not as boring as you'd think and-!"
"Will you be there for the duration of my time at the Big Doughnut?"
"Yeah, sure."
"In that case, this plan sounds perfect."
The newly risen, springtime sun glazed the rooftops a soft honey colour and the faint distant rush of the rolling tides provided the perfect soundtrack for a familiar route to work.
The ever present smell of car engines and mowed lawns was practically blanketed by the vivacious, slow-burn scent of sea-salt.
Peace was prevalent and it was all almost cinematically perfect.
As though it wanted to add its own cameo to the already fairytale scene, a butterfly flitted past, barely brushing against Sadie's nose.
She let out a small shout and watched as the sweet little thing drunkenly drifted over to the gem at her side.
Kimberlite flinched slightly, immediately lifting a hand, seemingly in protection.
"Oh! That's just a butterfly!" Sadie exclaimed quickly, realising that the gem was probably terrified. "They're harmless. It'll go away on its own."
But the human woman was surprised when Kimberlite's face broke into a smile and her body gave into a small bow as the butterfly made its dotting exit.
"It's alright," she informed Sadie, completely reassured in the wake of her human's guide bewilderment. "We've met already."
As they neared the centre of town, signs of life began to show themselves.
This was typical of Beach City in the early morning; with the bulk of the town being comprised of family run businesses, it was only to be expected that the heart of the city would be awake and alive long before sunrise.
Kofi Pizza was busy prepping the shopfront, under the watchful, bespectacled eye of Nanefua.
He looked up as the duo passed, nodding to them. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Mr Pizza!" Sadie called back with the obligatory Beach City salute: a smile and a wave.
Kimberlite flinched a little as though she'd been stung by static electricity, doubling back and instantly garnering the human woman's concern.
Sadie lowered her voice as they walked onward. "Is something the matter?"
The gem looked straight ahead, her cheeks turning dark and her own voice a bare whisper: "I do not know that person. I do not know their rank or their work status."
"So?" the human placed her hand on the gem's shoulder. "Kofi was just being friendly. None of that stuff matters…" Sadie's voice trailed off as she realised something. "But it matters where you're from, doesn't it?"
Kimberlite nodded, her eyes sliding sideways to look at the human as she moved a little closer. Her countenance was nervous to say the least, her hands clasped in front of her. "To speak openly to one not of your class is considered extremely rude at best and at worst?" She looked downward, looking suddenly rather perturbed. "I-I've seen rep-repeat offenders subjected to…to…"
The look in her eyes reminded Sadie of the way Ronaldo's eyes had looked when she had heard him talk about his friendship with Lars or the way Steven's eyes had looked whenever someone brought up the topic of his mother.
It was the look of someone burdened but unable to properly verbalise their burden.
"You don't have to say anything," Sadie told her with a wide smile. It was slightly forced but the intent was very genuine. "It's ok. For the record, here in Beach City if someone says hi, there's no punishment for saying it back. Doesn't matter who you are or what you do."
It was at this point that Sadie realised that they had stopped walking.
Kimberlite's eyes practically sparkled and she suddenly turned around, her voice raising to the very tops of her (metaphorical) lungs as she shouted: "HI!"
Kofi and Nanefua both jumped a little, surprised by the sudden salutation but both of their nonplussed expressions fell to natural, (if not slightly weirded-out) smiles as they waved back.
The gem was quivering from head to toe, a wide smile on her face as they made their way towards town.
She happily greeted the Frymans, Mr Smiley, Yellowtail, Mayor Dewey (and Buck- who seemed a little less than enthusiastic to be dragged from his bed at this hour of the morning) and her voice was louder and more confident with every new encounter.
Sadie checked her watch as they neared the Big Doughnut.
"Hey, check it out. It's only ten after seven. I've got a little time before opening. Wanna go for a walk along the beach front?"
Kimberlite looked as though she'd just been asked to be queen of her own world and Earth and the human's smile was almost as big as hers as the gem scrambled forward.
There was something about that kind of excitement that made Sadie inexplicably happy.
The wind picked up a little as they neared the strand.
Sadie found herself doing a double-take at her own reflection in a nearby car window, squinting at the slightly quivering image and grimacing. Her hair was flossy, lifting in thread-like wires at her scalp and slightly slicked to her scalp where a none-to-glamorous sheen of perspiration was evident.
Small things like the russet speckles on the bridge of her nose and the unflattering way the bulk of her jacket settled just a few inches shy of her actual shoulder line were suddenly bothering her a hundred times more than they usually would have.
She could remember other girls in her home room class back in high school making her feel somewhat self-conscious but this was a whole new level of checking herself.
It was this alien kind of pressure to look good coupled with a kind of nervous, giddy excitement.
And the weirdest part?
The feeling wasn't bad.
It wasn't completely unfamiliar either.
It was the one she had felt before, just after she had pulled Kimberlite from the water, but it seemed harder to ignore now.
"Are you alright?"
An erratic sweetness pulsed in her mouth as she turned to look at the extra-terrestrial being who had addressed her. She stood with a patient repose, her hands folded neatly in front of her in wait.
"Yeah. 'm fine. Shall we, then?"
Kimberlite fell into step at her side as they made their way across the pier, the gem's long poncho-like garment swishing at every stride. It was only then that Sadie noticed that Kimberlite had returned to her default outfit before they left the house.
Good thing she'd known not to leave the house in nothing but an oversized t-shirt.
That could have resulted in a slightly more awkward morning walk.
She also noticed that the little plaits from the night before were still in Kimberlite's hair.
Not that it meant anything.
But it was still something that she decided to notice.
"Hey, are you hot in that?" Sadie asked, coughing quickly and adding: "Too warm, I mean. Are you too warm in that?"
"Hm?" Kimberlite followed Sadie's gaze, pursing her lips. "Is there something wrong with my uniform? I suppose I should probably seek to fit in a bit better."
Her body was engulfed by a greenish glow for a few seconds and when the light subsided, a giggle immediately rose in Sadie's throat. Kimberlite had copied Sadie's doughnut shop attire, even adding in a scruffy rain-jacket for good measure.
"Ah, you don't have to dress exactly like me!" Sadie gestured herself. "I'm not exactly a great muse when it comes to human fashion. I just mean that maybe you dress a little…lighter? Maybe shorten your sleeves a bit? Or just get rid of the vest?"
Kimberlite looked thoughtfully at her arms for a moment before slowly shifting back to her usual attire.
"I can regulate my body temperature without the need to alter my appearance," she said with a shrug. "But if my visual enhancers are considered out of place…"
"Well, it's not that" Sadie said quickly. "It's just that…I want you to be…comfortable…" She leaned back against the faded wooden railing. "Y-Your clothes are really, really nice though. Very…uh…functional-looking."
Kimberlite sighed, smiling faintly. "On my planet, my attire would be considered very out of place." She gestured to her the turtle neck, her lips stretching into a comical frown. "Blue Diamond requests that I remain covered so that my epidermal layer is both visually neutral and well protected." She tugged on the strange chiton, stretching out the blue coloured patterns. "And this is just for ornamentation…and recognition I guess. Every gem is required to wear their Diamond's emblem as a show of pride when in public. I'm never really allowed out in public but…" The gem gave a nervous little smile, her head lowering a little. "My Pearl says if I ever were to get lost, the first person to find me would know the Diamond to whom I belong…and they could return me…"
Sadie watched Kimberlite's expression with great care, taking stock of the small lines that appeared in her forehead- each crease adding a little more weight to the human's heart.
There was something unsettling about the detached way that the gem spoke of her home and particularly this Blue Diamond individual.
Originally, Sadie had assumed that the Diamond acted as some kind of guardian to Kimberlite and that her running away was simply an impulsive, petulant act of rebellion but when she compared the way the gem spoke about Blue Diamond to her own loved ones…there was an evident note of something between fear and spite.
Perhaps Blue Diamond was not best compared to Kimberlite's mother.
She was lost for words for a moment, desperately wanting to say something reassuring or positive or intelligent but not having the slightest idea what she could possibly offer to rectify a situation that she essentially knew nothing about.
"Well…you're not on your planet right now…are you?"
Stating simple facts was the best Sadie could muster and for a split second, she felt stupid for even having opened her mouth.
This downward spiral ended abruptly when both of Kimberlite's hands were suddenly on her shoulders, her eyebrows shooting into hairline.
"You're right. I'm not."
She closed her eyes, signalling that the clothes-changing glow was about to make its return but at this sudden, close proximity, Sadie was afforded a truly ethereal sight.
At close range, what had once simply been a pulsing light could now be clearly identified as hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny, iridescent beads of crystal.
The tiny orbs seemed to be involved in some kind of ornate dance, speedily rearranging their position as the light gradually faded away.
When Sadie's eyes readjusted again, Kimberlite was simply left standing in the body suit she had been wearing underneath the chiton though now, her sleeves had been shortened to her elbows and the collar was now short enough to put her neck on show.
"Do I look alright?" the grey-skinned alien asked anxiously, preening a little and lifting her hands to give her arms a flex.
"Yeah…perfect," Sadie told her, her voice burbling a little as she hastily added: "Not that you didn't look good before…it's just now…you…you look good…also…"
The human had never wanted so badly to slam her forehead into one of the wooden bollards that held up the pier.
Or at least, that was her most prominent desire until Kimberlite gave her a low bow and a wide smile, declaring:
"With your help, I shall master the human habit of changing my appearance regularly in no time at all!"
Sadie couldn't help but envy the gem's ability to be so gracefully awkward in everything she did and despite that envy, she couldn't help but smile back.
"Heh, I'm happy to help."
Rebel
She had kept the braids.
She wondered if Sadie noticed that she had kept the braids.
She didn't want to draw Sadie's attention to it verbally, (how uncouth would that have been?), but she did so desperately want Sadie to notice that she had kept the braids.
Specifically, she had kept the braids that Sadie had so carefully woven into her hair the night before.
Kimberlite had considered phasing them out when she had changed her clothes but she had decided that such an action was vastly unfavourable.
For one thing, these braids were clearly a staple of Earth culture and it was important that she tried her best to adhere to it.
From what she'd heard about travelling to other planets, one's stay could be greatly impacted based on how one interacted with the locals.
For another thing entirely, Kimberlite couldn't remember the last time someone had put so much time and effort into doing something for her without being directly ordered/obliged to do so.
Sadie had gifted her with this hair-art because she wanted to.
Not because she had to.
Had anyone ever done something for her simply because they wanted to?
Of course her personal staff always acted as though catering to her was their one and only desire and true, they were carrying out the purposes for which they were designed but …
…Kimberlite couldn't help but notice a miniscule sigh of boredom escape her Jasper's ochre lips or a twinge of exasperation in her Pearl's azure brow. Then she would always feel a little tristful and quite a pang of guilt when she realised that serving a kept gem that was never allowed to leave an underground storage area was probably one of the least fulfilling jobs that a working gem could be asked to do.
Of course, she never felt spiteful enough to fully resent the fact that she was never allowed to leave Blue Diamonds' temple.
Usually, she was able to dissipate any negative feelings by reasoning that her function in society demanded that she stay safe and out of harm's way.
But that was just her programming, wasn't it?
Pearls and Jaspers were made to do long-running, immersive, laborious and stamina-demanding tasks…so maybe it was only natural that they didn't want to spend all of their time carrying out the repetitive rituals that were required of them while caring for her?
Maybe it wasn't right that gems made for grand palaces and tumultuous battlefields were reduced to spending all of their time in just a few small rooms.
Her staff worked well together, in spite of this and she could respect that.
In particular, her Jasper and Pearl worked well together in a rare but not unheard of combination.
Jasper's fierce, passionate attitude seemed to compliment Pearl's quiet, concentrated serenity.
From time to time, Kimberlite would notice strange little occurrences when the two were in each other's company.
It was customary for Jasper to provide her with a security report every three days.
It wasn't that anything dangerous or suspicious ever happened in that district or that Kimberlite ever really understood much about anything Jasper ever had to tell her but the conversation was always appreciated.
Pearl had been sitting at her back, combing out her hair. She felt the serving gem's slender fingers grow tense in against her scalp and an uncharacteristic tremble come to her hands as Jasper began to speak.
Kimberlite usually preferred to star-gaze while listening to reports, (none of her staff were particularly demanding of eye contact), but when she did occasionally glance sideways at the tall, muscular gem, she quickly noticed that Jasper wasn't even looking at her.
She was looking at Pearl.
And she could see in the image reflected by the tiles beneath her chaise that Pearl was looking straight back at Jasper.
And that Pearl was smiling.
Kimberlite couldn't judge from the positioning of Earth's sun but she could guess that all of her personal staff would be taking part in the festivities of the Eclipse Congregation now.
After all, every gem was by right invited to attend the gatherings.
Her caretakers would be no doubt walking through the citadels and arenas right now, rubbing elbows with their own kind and class while swapping stories, discussing opinions and enjoying the great spectacle that the dancing celestial bodies in the sky offered to them.
Kimberlite had only ever asked to attend the festivities once.
"My Diamond?"
"Yes, Kimberlite. Does something trouble you?"
"No, my Diamond…well, not quite…I simply…I just…"
She looked up from under long, cerulean robes, the fine cloths draped over her head. Large, rarely seen eyes met that of the much smaller gem.
"Take your time. Think about what you want to say before you speak. Then, when you've thought of it: speak fluidly and with conviction."
Blue Diamond's gaze retreated beneath her hood once again and gathering her mettle once more, Kimberlite repeated her attempts:
"I have something to ask of you."
"Oh? And what is it that you require? Surely, it is something that I have already provided for you…"
"I …I want to attend the Eclipse Congregation."
"…you may wait outside the gallery with my Pearl as you usually do. When I have concluded my meeting with White and Yellow Diamond, I will take you to the observatory as always. You can be certain of that."
"That's not…I…I wish to attend the public viewings…"
Blue Diamond was silent for a moment before responding with her coldest tone- the tone she specifically reserved for speaking to those who had disappointed her most gravely.
Kimberlite was completely unused to hearing this and she immediately recoiled beneath the folds of her Diamond's long robes.
"…why?"
"I…I…have seen the archive logs of the mass festivities and …gems of all kinds seem so happy to experience the alignments as a group. Everyone always looks so excited and peaceful and…lots of different gems are just standing together and…"
"Kimberlite…"
Blue Diamond's sigh was demure and soft- completely characteristic of the great matriarch- but somehow it managed to echo, resounding through the chamber like a howling wind.
It silenced the small, igneous gem entirely.
"Kimberlite, have I not- on multiple occasions-expressed to you my feelings about you leaving my Temple?"
"W-well, yes but…"
"And have I not given you many reasons why I feel this way?"
"You have and I und-…"
"What is the primary reason?"
"My Diamond, I did not mean to-…"
"What is the primary reason?"
Now it was Kimberlite's turn to sigh.
"Because…an injury inflicted upon me is an injury inflicted upon the Diamond Authority…"
"And?"
"And an injury inflicted upon the Diamond Authority is an attack on our Homeworld…"
"And?"
"And an attack on our Homeworld is an attack on all of Gemkind."
"Which would be?"
"Treacherous and selfish."
Kimberlite had never so badly wanted to evaporate into nothingness, her entire body feeling heavy and a slow pain spreading across her chest.
A barbed silence began to set in and desperate to stop it, the transfusion gem forced herself to say:
"I am sorry, my Diamond. I did not mean to insult you or...anyone…"
The magnificent megalith, towering above her, waited a little longer than usual before finally responding:
"You are forgiven."
"Th-Thank you…"
Kimberlite felt foolish and feeble to begin to cry in front of her Diamond and she was surprised to feel the grand matriarch's finger upon the crown of her head.
"Everything that I do is for your wellbeing, Kimberlite. Do I not offer you every comfort that could be afforded to any gem? Do I not provide you with education and protection? Do I not take you with me to ceremonies? To my official business? Do you not understand how many gems would fight with claws extended to have your position?"
The igneous gem sniffed, coughing slightly and trying to summon her voice again. "Yes, yes…I am sorry."
Blue Diamond continued to passively stroke her head in silence until a small troupe of Pearls arrived to escort Kimberlite back to her chambers.
If any of the serving gems found her dishevelled state strange or disconcerting, they managed to hide it quite well.
Kimberlite was staggering to her feet, wiping her eyes when Blue Diamond asked her a final question.
"If you so desire to partake in the Congregation's activities, I would not protest to you attending the Congregation Ball- providing that you were well chaperoned, of course. Is that something that you would like?"
The grey skinned gem couldn't think properly, practically hiding behind her own hair as she shook her head. She couldn't stop Blue Diamond's words from earlier echoing in her ears. She was a selfish gem and it was wrong of her to have even asked to attend part of the Congregation.
"No, my Diamond…my humblest thank yous, but…no." She tried her best to clear her voice. "I should keep myself out of potentially unsafe environments. That's what is best."
She could hear a smile in Blue Diamond's voice as she softly replied.
"Very wise of you, my Kimberlite. You are learning."
At that moment in time, Kimberlite couldn't have felt less like the trembling gem who had been escorted from Blue Diamond's citadel.
There she was, on a dangerous, uncolonised planet, fraternising with one of the locals.
No gem protector.
No chaperone, (well, she wasn't going to count Peridot's auditory probe as a physical presence anyway).
Short sleeves.
No diamond emblem to be seen.
Sadie came to sit on a small section of sloping rocks, patting the space beside her, inviting her companion to take a seat.
Kimberlite couldn't help but feel light-headed as she folded herself into the spot.
In such close proximity, the gem could see all of the marvellous colours in Sadie's face and all of the wonderful, unique markings across her face.
The human's beauty was sufficient to completely distract her from her surroundings, however strange or interesting they may have been.
She found her eyes travelling down to Sadie's hand as the human gestured out to the great body of water before them, telling her a humorous anecdote about something called a "jelly-fish."
Her fingernails were tinted a delicate lilac and while her fingers were slightly calloused, her palms looked soft.
Kimberlite had never so desperately in her entire life wanted to take someone's hand in her own. She had no particular reason for wanting to do so other than the simple, lucid knowledge that feeling Sadie's skin against hers was one of the most comforting feelings in this galaxy and maybe lots of other galaxies too.
She sighed contentedly and scanned their surroundings after finally managing to tear her eyes from the woman beside her.
After a few minutes of squinting at the horizon, she noticed a growing silhouette.
It didn't take long for Kimberlite to identify what it was.
"The avian life on your planet is similar to ours," she commented, sitting up on the rock to examine the distant being that appeared to be gaining distance across the rippling waves.
"Oh yeah?" Sadie chuckled. "You guys have seagulls back where you come fro-?"
The human woman followed the gem's line of sight and her words fell to a horrified silence, her breath falling short in her throat. "Wh-?! That's-?!"
Kimberlite's own eyes widened at the sight of her friend's mounting fear. "What is it? Is this creature not indigenous to this area?"
The winged beast was getting closer now, its four vermillion eyes locked on the pair.
As it rapidly approached, it became painfully obvious that the birdlike being was far bigger than it had initially appeared.
"Th-that's not a seagull!" Sadie spluttered, grabbing Kimberlite by the arm. "It's one of those-! Those-! Never mind, we gotta go! Now!"
The beast's shadow was directly over them before the gem was even able to get to her feet.
Kimberlite could see the fear in both of their eyes, reflected in the gem embedded into the blackened plumage of the beast's chest.
Without thinking, she took immediately took Sadie's hand.
And despite being sick with fear, she felt a small thrum of elation when the human's fingers wrapped around hers.