star-conqueror

[star-conqueror]

// Starter for @justashadetalkative

Yellow Diamond had almost sat down at her workstation again when she thought that she heard a terrible commotion outside the Palace. She set her tweezers carefully back into their holder.

"Yellow Diamond!" Pearl's voice echoed just outside her door, "I apologize for the interruption. But it's urgent."

The Diamond's brows scrunched, not necessarily in frustration, but rather out of concern. When she straightened again up and met Yellow Pearl outside, the tiny gem had the anxious expression she had come to expect. However, Pearl was not focused on her at all. She was clearly fixated on door at the end of hall, obscuring something much more terrifying than her Diamond's irritation.

"Visitor! W-worm!"

Yellow's jaw tightened. If this was what she thought it was, then they were all quite lucky she had declined a vacation. It was unfortunate she was the only Diamond left to deal with this. She sidestepped Pearl, heading at a brisk pace for the entrance.

[star-conqueror]

"I don't know," said Yellow briskly, "I suggest, a place where you rather live than be shattered."

The Diamond squared her shoulders, feeling another brief spark of electricity travel along them. She drew herself away from the workstation, looking sour. Her heels were already lined up towards the exit, but not before casting one last look at Spinel.

"Why don't you talk to Blue? I'm sure you get along so much better."

[star-conqueror]

Yellow Diamond half-sighed, bitterly. "No, I suppose not. There's nothing else I can do."

She had likely come across a few curious individuals and nothing more, but the amount of questions was beginning to grate on her. Without her physical form, it was difficult to know her true environment, and whether these individuals, as well as this Dr. Chandra figure, were to be trusted.

"And yes," she said tersely, "Yellow Diamond is a yellow diamond and refers to herself as such." A bit of extra emphasis on herself, as she was not merely a thing.

The machine's refrigeration hummed in the pause. If Colossus was questioning her objective state, it was likely that her gemstone was encased within something. It was the worst case scenario, although unsurprising, given how dark it felt.

Yellow could sit here and entertain Dr. Chandra's lackeys with answers. Or, she could wait for his appearance, and conserve what little light that remained in her.

"I'm rather exhausted. If you have any more questions, I suggest that you make them the important ones," she said.

[star-conqueror]

// If the SU RPC ever comes back, one of my top wishlist items is a double thread with another Yellow Diamond where she has an argument with herself about how conquering parallel universes is logistically unsound and how she should cut that out immediately

[star-conqueror]

"You don't know," said Yellow, "You wouldn't understand."

The Diamond glowered down her work station, at her own hands which made craters in the stone surface. She winced again, at her own potential.

She refused to face the other gem, no matter what it was she muttered to herself. Spinel couldn't possibly know what old wound she had struck, but it was already done.

Yellow swiped her hand across her face, ridding herself of the nuisance tears. She had dealt with this pain long before and it was already beginning to subside.

"If you want to leave… then leave."

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Yellow’s smile faded, uncertain. She realized then that Spinel did not consider this a relief. In fact, she louder than ever. Everything she said was more impactful than before.

The Diamond was about to tell her that it was only so amusing because the solution was so simple. It would not take more than a few seconds to alter her form. Of course, Spinel was welcome. She was adored by all of them. Of course, Spinel was perfect for them, in the way no being could ever be now.

It wasn't until the words, 'I hate you most of all' that the Diamond’s breath caught in her chest. In everything that followed, she was once again in Era-1, standing in a room just like this, stuck listening in place. No doubt, there was so much of Pink in this little creation. She could think of no other reason, that Spinel would be telling her this, other than she meant it. She had gone beyond her purpose of simple games, somehow reconstructed this same time and place, until it was playing out again, exactly as it had before.

A crackle of electricity flickered out along Yellow's shoulders. “H… hate? Me…?” Her voice shook, pitiful and hoarse, "You can't... say that. You... can't."

The Diamond had always known it to be true, that she had done something terrible, that she was the one to blame. It was true, of her very self. It was her fault, that she made gems like this.

Her entire form shivered, and with a gasp, her eyes blurred together with tears. She twisted her body away from Spinel, her palms crashing down on the desk for support.

[star-conqueror]

By now, Yellow Diamond had begun to settle into something of a pattern. In the tool settings on her touch screen, she dragged another grid row into the work area, populating each space with virtual gems.

She knew she couldn't afford to let her mind wander at the planning stage, much less take shortcuts. Still she couldn't help but notice the last few colonies had been much the same. It had become her instinct lately to finish as soon as possible. This round was no exception, given how quickly she attacked her tablet with gestures, until at last, she could settle on the next, empty cursor.

It blinked at her patiently, like a subservient creature awaiting her orders. Having none to give, the Diamond batted her screen aside and stood up from the chair.

Something was crawling on the inside of her form, as she examined the surroundings of this control room. Everything was made of bright stone, perfectly organized and smooth, polished to a shine in her absence, exactly as she ordered it. She clawed her fingers into her palms, until they started to hurt. She was overcome with the purpose to tear into something, but it was impossible. Everything was burnished to perfection.

She caught the look of Pearl, appearing shyly at the bottom of the platform. "I'm going to the Pool," Yellow spoke to her. As the gem filed in next to her boots, an imaginary construct played out, in which she sent her hurdling through the glass dome. She would do nothing of the sort. Disregarded.

Yellow tread gracefully down the stairs, her capabilities brought to mind as a terrifying force. She could shapeshift her hands into claws, dragging them through every portrait along the way. She could jump all the way down, making a huge crater that would take cycles to fix. She could punch at the walls, until the entire command center crumbled.

Instead, the Diamond folded her arms behind her back and proceeded, until she reached the warp at the bottom. The calming waters and music awaited her.

[star-conqueror]

The warp chimed from the other room.

"Pink?"

The arriving gem had a stern voice. Distinctively, it was Yellow Diamond's, followed by the sound of her enormous footsteps down the hall.

"Pink, are you here?"

Yellow's presence slowed to a towering halt just outside of the room. In the heavy silence that followed, the Diamond hoped to express she was not so keen on being locked out. Perhaps, Pink should come to her senses and open up.

In the meantime, there was a slightly muffled movement of stiff fabric, as Yellow bent to examine something. "Why have you left your Pearl? What did I tell you about leaving your things everywhere? Why have you—"

In a sharp breath, she returned to the point. "Whatever. You said you wouldn't be long, so what's taking you?"

A Golden Encounter || @star-conqueror

The large pink doors slid open before the two beings walked inside while Pearl awaited on the outside as ordered. The small ruby then shapeshifted back into her normal form once the coast was clear.

Coral looked to her diamond who seemed to have a bit of a bittersweet smile on her face as the leader looked around as if reminiscing... but with a sadden look.

       ❝ My diamond? ❞

Hearing her gem, Pink immediately turned to Coral with a cover up smile and waved away whatever concern the spy had.

       ❝ Oh, don't worry. Everything's fine. Just thought I'd come for old time sake. Here... let me show you something. ❞

At the come-hither motion, Coral decide for best interest to push her inward questions aside for her diamond and followed along as Pink tried to feel the wall as if looking for something.

[star-conqueror]

// Yellow Diamond, in less than 1 minute

[star-conqueror]

// Yellow Diamond, in less than 1 minute

[star-conqueror]

// Most of the time, Yellow is impatient and/or condescending. Being no-nonsense and angry is pretty iconic for her personality. I wanna give the people what they're asking for when I write her.

But she also has a surprising range of other emotions. Her inability to understand and manage them well makes her behavior sort of unpredictable.

Like a diamond (literally), she's got a tough exterior, but there's weak points (situations) that will absolutely move her to tears. The flood just comes pouring out. Pretty much anything involving the other Diamonds will, for sure.

[star-conqueror]

“What?” Yellow's eyes widened.

She knew the gem was upset. An overreaction was an understatement. But how was Spinel even capable of such a tirade? Spinel? That giggling thing? The rage of a thousand suns, in that little drop of pink perched on the arm of her chair?

Over something so trivial?

A smile cracked the Diamond's features. All the heaviness she felt was gone. Vaporized.

“A-AAAH ha ha ha ha!” Her laugh sparkled out from her chest. It was all so easy. So, ridiculously easy!

“It's because you’re so… f-funny! Wh-where else could I find this?” Grinning, Yellow wiped a tear and tried to regain her composure. Stars above— once she started, it was hard to stop.

[star-conqueror]

@star-conqueror asked: ⚠

Send ⚠ and a name, and i will make a bad presentation slide about that muse

[star-conqueror]

"Wait, what?" the machine's voice deadpanned, "Oh, so you're listening to me, now. How unexpected..."

She seemed to be faced with a rather well-known interrogation routine. Good luck with that. Although 'Colossus' and 'Guardian' had stated to some degree that they were interested in her well-being, their motives were not yet clear to her. How about a few questions of her own, first?

"And whom is this 'Doctor Chandra'? Your authority?" Yellow scoffed, "I am not hostile, but I am rather vexed. You know as well as I that I don't belong in here."

There was a brief silence, filled only by the crackle of the audio device. Although she did not know the exact circumstances of her gem, it must have been on display, albeit somewhere very dark. "Yellow Diamond," she said, "If it's not obvious enough by my material." She'd give them that.

[star-conqueror]

Yellow Diamond stood by the glass, admiring the panoramic view from the Palace. Already, her mind was wandering. Her hands were clasped behind her back, rubbing together restlessly.

What could Spinel possibly mean, 'I'm a mess'?

Was it her own fault? Had she been too forthright? She was a Diamond, after all. That screen had been kept in pristine condition, barring a few replacements from her own temper.

From a smaller gem's perspective, it wasn't like her to hand over such things. And yet, for all she cared now, it was a toy. It's not like she had an empire to run. She had changed. Pink would have wanted her to, as much as her creations did now.

What was she supposed to say? That Spinel was not nearly as inadequate as she imagined she was? Perhaps.

Yellow turned over her shoulder. "How?" Her brow arched at the other gem, "Spinel, you are perfectly fine." She gestured toward the wider room, "Your gem is in pristine condition. Everything else in this room is exactly as it should be. In fact, there's nothing going on at all. Not even our game."

Her hands settled on her hips, "There's nothing out of order, whatsoever. What are you so worried about?"

[star-conqueror]

"You know what? I try," Yellow huffs, "But I do not understand what compels these gems to spill every last detail of their lives to me."

She certainly didn't make them that way. At least, not by intent. And yet, she must have lost planetary cycles playing the part of the listening ear. Forget all the little pieces; this was the most meticulous part of the job.

The Diamond brandishes her tweezers at an invisible foe. "No, I will not shatter you again. I don't care how incompetent I said you were!"

[star-conqueror]

// Sometimes I think being a mid-tier Diamond is like living in Toy Stor/y knowing that your toys are sentient.

You know they're alive and they're pretending not to be. Yet, you're second-guessing yourself. There's an unspoken agreement that you move them around and they're supposed to put up with it. Most of the time, they're perfectly lifeless. The ones that do their own thing creep you out enough that you get rid of them immediately.

You're throwing them against the wall, scribbling all over them, bashing them together, and dismembering them because you can. Because it's convenient sometimes. Because it's part of the game. The guardian in your life seems to think they're not real so it's fine. It's fine! Keep doing what you're doing because you're having fun!

Then a kid you recognize comes in and confirms every single one of your suspicions. It's one big, horrible realization.