#garnet and amethyst and pearl

[seldomscilence16]

Whumptober day 17:

"You're the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest."

Collar | touch aversion | "Leave me alone."

Fandom: Steven Universe (UA)

Prompts used: vaguely all

So, yes White Diamond and the others were redeemed and stuff yada yada. She was still terrifying, and white diamond Pearl just makes sense to me. So I tried a new take on my usual headcanons.

The collar in this is based on what they use in Wheel of Time (the show I haven't read it, but know they are slightly different). It's honestly pretty similar to White's powers if you dumb it down to what I did.

So TW for torturous devices/Abuse

Not a lot of detail on this one but be safe.

…

"Whoa, there's a lot of junk in here." Amethyst sidesteps a small avalanche of said junk with a raised brow.

"Don't touch anything, we don't know if any of this stuff is dangerous." Garnet adjusts her visor, eyeing the space with caution.

"What is this place anyway?" Steven examines a pile, careful not to touch but curious nonetheless, it was gem stuff after all.

"The warp malfunctioned, this could be anything from forgotten storage to a waste facility." Pearl does her best not to linger on any one item too long, ignoring the swirling feeling in her gut at the familiar objects.

"Oo! I found some jewelry! Garnet can I keep em??" The three gems turn, Steven always managing to find something fun.

Amethyst joins Steven in marveling at the small pile of shiny things, Garnet feels a niggling in her mind, a small recognition but no memory to go with it yet, she turns to Pearl to ask the once Homeworld Gem only to find her frozen. Her stare has yet to leave the pile, posture stiff and eyes wide. Garnet turns back to the pile, trying to figure out what could garner such a reaction, When Steven reaches out for something near the top, Pearl is across the room before Garnet can say anything, tackling the two smaller members of their party as the object in question rolls off the pile.

A circlet of golden material spins and totters to a stop, and Garnet still doesn't quite get it, not until a cuff bracelet at the bottom of the pile catches her notice. She'd seen that before for sure, on Diamonds and high ranking gems as well, the ones who… owned Pearls….

"Are you both alright?" Pearl examines Steven and Amethyst with frazzled movements, moving their heads this way and that.

"We're fine Pearl, what gives?"

"Are you alright Pearl?"

Garnet reaches for the circlet, wondering what about it spooked Pearl,

"Garnet, don't!" She both hears and feels the plea, a part of her warning her just as Pearl does.

Everyone is frozen for a moment, before Pearl inches closer, she pulls her spear from her gem and pokes the circlet until it's buried beneath the pile. Even with it out of sight though, Pearl remains tense, Garnet moves forward slowly,

"Maybe we should try and head back." She suggests, gesturing towards the warp pad.

Pearl seems to be on autopilot now, as she slips under Garnet's hand and towards their transportation, she's removed from the group, quiet as her eyes speak of troubles beyond their understanding. The ride back is tense.

Garnet and Amethyst find Pearl later that night, after Stevens went out with his dad, and hours after their surprise trip. She's sitting in the middle of one of her water levels, staring blankly ahead, she doesn't react to their arrival as they sit behind her on either side.

"Pearl-"

"It's alright Garnet. I… don't want to keep secrets from you guys… but so many years as a pearl… I yell at myself so often you know, those little voices in my head that make it near impossible to speak sometimes, they're the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest, and they look so familiar it hurts."

She closes her eyes, her gem glowing before a projection begins.

"That was no simple piece of jewelry." The circlet and forearm cuff spin above them, "These were tools used to… keep Pearls in line." The image shifts, a basic shape of a pearl is shown, the circlet- no a collar- wraps around the pearls neck, the figure writhes in agony, cries ringing out in the room, Pearl swallows thickly, the collar becoming a chest piece of sorts- and that's why Garnet couldn't recognize it before, she'd only ever seen the activated version, "The Pearl wears the," she clears her throat, word too hard to force past her lips, "while whoever they belong to wears the cuff."

The image shows a glowing chain of light connecting the two pieces, and how the Pearl is seemingly controlled by it.

"But we've seen what you can do Pearl, why don't pearls just kick gem butt?" Amethyst looks physically ill at the images before her.

"It'll be easier to show you I suppose." Her gem shines again and Garnet and Amethyst brace themselves as they are absorbed into the gem.

A giant holographic oyster floats before a single being. It opens in a burst of light, the pearl within projecting its form in a brilliant light show. As the light fades, the Pearl stands with her head bowed, draped in veils of white, the being she stands before bends, showing the great distance between the two, a hand- larger than pearl- reaches forward,

"Who do you serve?" A voice asks, echoing about the room with a fake sort of pleasantry.

"Do… Do I have to serve?" The small gem holds a look of innocence, freshly made and naive of the world.

The hand glows, a golden circlet appears and before the Pearl can react, it snaps around her throat. Her scream is immediate, body convulsing as waves of pain wrack her frame, it spreads to encompass her torso in ornamental gold, a thread of light reaching out for the cuff on the beings forearm.

"Who do you serve?" It's asked in the same tone.

The Pearl gasps out an answer,

"The one and only, iridescent White Diamond."

"Oh! It's a pearl!"

"You idiot, that's White Diamonds Pearl!"

"So? She's not here right now is she?"

Pearl can't stop them from grabbing the cuff, so long as she wears the collar she's unable to even think of touching it. And as she attempts to fight back, well, just the thought of that has agony ripping through her.

"Starlight. I have something for you."

Pearl walks forward, her head is bowed, arms crossed in the Diamond salute, her eyes are devoid of emotion.

"I… I already have a Pearl."

"An inexperienced one I'm afraid. Defective even. I mean really, its been what? A few hundred years? And it still can't complete its duties to you? I've trained this one personally Pink, it'll be perfect for you."

The cuff is held out for Pink to take, and after a moment, she does. White takes her leave and Pearl remains still as she awaits her first commands.

"Well… I'll have to come up with a nickname, so we don't get confused then." Pink Diamond motions to the pink Pearl who had been hidden behind the wall, her eye has a crack through it.

"Pink enjoys her times in the garden, what do you want to do until she gets back?"

"Leave me alone. You'll get in trouble." Pearl remains where Pink left her, half an eye on where the cuff resides inside her vanity, the rest of her attention on the warp.

"Get in trouble? Why?"

Pearl doesn't answer, and when the younger reaches out, Pearl flinches back, waiting for painpainpain.

"I'm… sorry." Pearl doesn't answer.

They're on the battlefield, one of their first, and Pearl is fighting with everything she has. It's strange, that a simple order from Pink allows her this freedom, but she's tense as she waits for the pain to wrack her form again.

Pearl sees Rae, outnumbers and losing, and rushes to the younger pearls side, the fight, gems poofing left and right, when she sees one coming up behind Rae. She doesn't even think, her body moves on its own- but not against her will, this is not an order or an implied one, but her own thought- the ax slices through her form with ease, and she can only hope Rae will be okay.

The gem floats, glowing light showing a formless body, shifts into a silhouette of the Pearl they remember, a few over so slight changes appear, before Pearl herself reforms. She sways, dizzy in a way she can't explain, and lighter too.

"Pearl! Are you alright?" Rae and Pink- Rose- watch her with worried eyes, and she frowns before nodding. She may not feel 100% but she can't let that affect her.

"Pearl," P- Rose, holds out a mirror, Pearl is cautious to take it, but as she finally looks at herself, she begins to understand.

Her throat is free of the collar. It's such a strange sight, in fact, one she'd never actually seen. And her once white attire has taken on COLOR, she… made her own decision. She… didn't hurt because of it.

"You're free." Rae smiles at her, throat never once adorned in gold, and Pearl couldn't tell you what she felt. She didn't think free was quite right, but she wouldn't correct the young gem either.

She looks directly at the two gems that had watched silently, everything else frozen,

"They were created by white. For wayward Pearls, and their masters. I was an example to keep them in line, I only ever saw a few others forced to bear the burden. And it is not one I wished upon anyone…"

The two gasp as they once again look at their Pearl, she looks exhausted, in a way they can't say they'd seen before. Garnet only knew Rebel Pearl, the one who was put together and fierce and loyal. And Amethyst only knew Earth Pearl.

But now… now they know Homeworld Pearl too. What she'd been through, what she'd lost. They understood her on another level, she trusted them enough to share, and they would not betray that.

[popadoot]

reposting old su art i like..

[officialspec]

my friends……........the crystal germs

[discount-supervillain]

[ekrixart]

I like them a lot but I think my main issue with the designs rn is that theyre not monstrous or alien looking enough, wanna find a good middle ground of them being weird humans and fucked up aliens

[thebiskvit]

Gems!

[ratective]

takes some getting used to

[saiscribbles]

If Steven Universe ever returned, what is it that you want to see? Would you like a series that explores on different characters in different episodes? Much like Adventure Time in the later seasons or maybe a prequel series that explores more of the Diamonds backstory?

I've always said this is what my idea is and this Ask was my excuse to draw it finally 😂

Steven falling for every single tourist trap on his road trip without losing even an ounce of enthusiasm for any of them seems like a very Steven thing to me.

[procyoren]

Some crystal merms

[miphza]

Merry Christmas!!!! 💕✨

[alexandriaellisart]

the crystal fairies

[panicawa]

The Crystal Gems

[dokirosi]

If you change your mind 💕

[fakedoe]

happy birthday to me i guess👉👈

thank you for everything, for being here and i'm glad you like my drawings😭💞

[discount-supervillain]

[not-kat]

here's one more steven universe throwback