OPEN (forward dated a little Jan 1)

[beyourrock]

CHARACTERS: Pearl (beyourrock) and you!

DATE: Jan 1st

WARNINGS: N/A

SUMMARY: Pearl takes some time to clear her head. Sort of.

[This past week, Pearl had been busying herself with errands, cooking, baking, anything that would get her mind off the mark on her hand. She slowly started to realize that these mundane tasks weren’t doing her any good. Her mind was still loud.

Let it be the most beautiful sort of disaster that consumes you...

Maybe it was time to take a different approach.]

A: Sworn to the Sword
[Pearl had cleared a small area for herself and her training. Scooping what snow she could into precise mounds. Dead grass was revealed, along with worn down dirt, in a perfect square, large enough for combat. It wasn’t preferred, but it would have to do. Especially without the use of Warp Pads here, in order to transport to the area she usually trained.

The Gem stood in the middle of the miniature arena, two swords in hand. He gem on her forehead glows brightly, producing a blue figure in front of her. A perfect copy, give or take the emotionless face it held. She tosses the sword to the hologram and it in turn catches it by the handle.

And the sword dance begins. Clashing metal, sparks flying, elegant movements, and yet, they both had considerable power behind each blow, letting out a rush of air in the nearby radius of the arena. To anyone observing, they may notice Pearl is rather focused on the task at hand, as her hologram evades her attacks, returning with its own.]

B: May I Have this Dance?
[After her self appointed training, Pearl had put away her swords, letting them disappear with a flurry of sparkles. The hologram of herself holds out its hand out to Pearl, in which she takes. Similar to her fight with the hologram, it’s elegant, but with a much softer edge to it as they danced. Spinning and twisting, gliding across the arena, despite the unstable ground.

Pearl closes her eyes, as if she has memorized all the steps, falling in line with her hologram. As she moves, the hologram flickers into different shakes of different people, never missing a beat. She spins, and the hologram changes into a barefooted young woman with long hair, and when she’s dipped back, a woman in uniform holds her under the small of her back, and then straightens her back up again. The hologram extends her arm outward, Pearl holding it and doing the same. Again, the form changes, into a man with armor. And then she’s tugged in, twirling again until she rests against the holograms chest, looking up to see a tall woman with large curls, a soft smile on her face.

The gem’s eyes widen and she breaks away from the hologram, which splits into two shapes. A tall woman with square shaped hair and shades, while another stood beside her. Much shorter but with long unkempt hair. The both stare down Pearl, smiling as well, arms either crossed or on their hips. Silent laughter passes their lips, soft and heart warming before they disappear in a fizzle.

Pearl stares at where the holograms stood, her breathing suddenly ragged. Her left hand clutches over her chest, her gaze falling to the ground. Furrowing her brow, she exhales heavily, closing her eyes.]

What would they think...?

C: A Girl and her Bird
[Pearl sits in the middle of the arena, sitting beside a giant white bird, with blue trimmed feathers. A small bag of feed is set down for him, and she quietly observes him eating, her gloved hands running through his feathers on his back. He was a hassle, but she seemed to be warming up to the idea of a mount. A pet of sorts, and Quartz seemed to be calming her mind.

The Gem closes her eyes and laughs weakly as she hears the bird gobble down his food.]

Relax Quartz. You’ll choke if you eat too fast.

[She says, scoldingly, but the bird doesn’t seem to heed her words, continuing his ‘feast’. Her shoulders slump, it wasn’t worth it at this point.]

D: Wildcard
{{ooc: If none of these tickles your fancy, you're more than welcomed to toss in your own! If you're not sure, just drop me a pp on plurk at littlestpenguin}}

Comments

a+b (sort of)

[darkbarrage]

[ he's always been one for exploration; when riku needs a place of his own, he chooses to lose himself in the city he's been dropped into. without his usual black coat, though, he has to rely on the coat he'd been gifted on christmas to skulk around in, and it's not very effective. nevertheless, when he comes along and strangely catches a scent of metal but not the scent of a person, he goes to investigate, and he's not entirely surprised by what he sees.

of course. pearl didn't have a scent--he'd noticed that before. it was because she was projection, wasn't she?

hold on, was she fighting a projection of her projection? intrigued, riku watches from a distance, enchanted by the way she moves and handles a sword, like it's second nature. moving from swordplay to dance is as easy as breathing, and riku can't help but notice how the projection she's conjured flips between people, people he doesn't recognize but obviously people all the same.

when the hologram fizzles out and she's curled in on herself, he can't help but immediately start moving, snow crunching before he extends a hand out to her, knee bent. ]

Friends of yours?

[beyourrock]

[She doesn't move until his hand comes into her view, and she hears that familiar voice. Pearl's head shoots up and she recognizes who it is, her face softening from being startled.

She offers a weak smile and takes his hand, pulling herself up to full height.]

Yes, a few friends of mine, I suppose you could say... Some here, some from home.

I think my mind got the best of me, I didn't intend to have that happen.

[darkbarrage]

It happens.

[ he gives a quiet 'oof' when he hefts her up. ]

I do it too, most of the time. It's allowed, you know?

You're impressive, though. [ he smiles. ]

also rolling with a/b combo! just try and stop me!!!

[babbylon]

[Though Pearl has wandered off from the others, she's far from alone. A familiar presence floats nearby, but says not a word to her; it merely observes as she sets up the arena and projects an opponent for herself. And for a while, it does nothing, letting her fight on her own, at least until the movements become more hectic and the hologram begins to retaliate more fiercely.

When the tip of the hologram's sword comes too close, a golden lance appears from nowhere and holds it off. The lance works together with Pearl, jabbing and thrusting yet applying a precise amount of force. Never does it make the sparring too trivial, too easy. It preserves the challenge of it while encouraging her to work in tandem. Occasionally it switches forms, assumes the shape of an axe instead, or even a bow, shooting from afar.

But always it works together with her, always it watches over her. Always it serves her as she needs it, until she sheaths her weapon and opts for a few rounds of dancing. The presence becomes warmer throughout until the man behind it can no longer help himself, materializing beside her with an easy smile after the hologram disappears.]

If you desired to dance with a King, you could've asked at any time.

[Gilgamesh neglects to answer her self-imposed question; his stance on matter should already be obvious. He seems a bit quieter than usual, though no less bold.]

Still, you've shown impressive hustle today. It pleases me to see you better yourself in this way.

[beyourrock]

[While she fights, she's taken aback by the sights of other weapons aiding in her battle against the hologram. But it isn't long when she puts it together that it was her Servant aiding her. So much for getting her mind off things, but it was Gilgamesh after all. Easily enough, she works alongside the weapons. And once the battle is over, she notices the weapons fade away, and she gives a knowing glance over her shoulder, where ever his presence may be at the time.

And then she transitions into her dance, almost forgetting her Servant for the time being. At the end of the dance, she draws into herself, trying to recollect herself. And that's when she senses a physical presence beside her.

She lets out a heavy sigh and slumps her shoulders.]

It was a mistake. I was a little scatterbrained, you could say. I have a lot of things on my mind.

[She does offer a small smile up at him at his comment and shrugs her shoulders dismissively.]

Thought some training might help.

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh studies her for a short while, and of course he can guess at just what's occupying her. But to discuss it would mean retreading ground, rehashing things they'd already covered at length within the Gate. Pearl had been a given a choice to shed this burden—she'd been offered an out and refused it. So here they stood and here she sighs under the weight but bears it regardless, because she must, because she still has her pride as a Crystal Gem.

It makes him smile back, in a cryptic sort of way, always knowing more than he lets on.]

No need for self-critique quite so harsh. You continue to exceed my expectations.

[He steps forward and mimics her spinning from before, coming to rest on the tip of his foot and extending a hand to her. He is laughing through his words, light-hearted and of good cheer and hoping to spread the mood to her as well.]

Well, then. Please be my partner instead, Pearl. I'll grant you a break for a bit and take care of everything, such is the extent of my magnanimity.

B!

[adlantisag]

[ Winter closes in on Chantes and the warmth of celebration gives way to a bone-deep chill Kida just isn't familiar with. She layers: cloaks over sweaters over tunics over whatever undershirt she can find. It's usually not enough.

It's Pearl that brings her out, actually. The contract weighs on her mind; guilt weighs on her mind. She'd left after their previous conversation, and thought about it, and realized: she'd been the one to convince Gilgamesh. In fairness, of course, she realizes the idea had been trotting in his head before--but she'd been the one to push him. In a sense, Pearl's burden is partly hers to bear.

Pearl's made an arena for herself out past town limits, and it's easy to find her by following the light and sound. Kida doesn't interrupt what appears to be dance practice: she watches the hologram flicker in and out of forms, some incredibly familiar--others impossibly foreign.

In her arms, she has a package. ]

[beyourrock]

[Once Pearl has time to gather her bearings, she lifts her gaze to see someone nearby. She squints a little, seeing all the layers on the individual. Pearl herself actually wore little to keep her warm. Her usual clothes and a pair of calf leatger gloves. But seeing how the individual stood and that ivory hair of hers, Pearl knew who it was.

Kida.

A moment of uncertainty washes over her. The two had not spoke in quite some time. It felt that way to Pearl, at least. She clasps her hands close to her chest, before she flits over to the young woman. Hesitation is apparent in her steps as she draws closer, standing a few feet away from Kida. Almost like she wasn't allowed to get any closer. An unseen boundary.]

Kida...? What are you doing out here?

[adlantisag]

[ She doesn't like the distance that Pearl keeps between them--and so she crosses it, stepping up with her package help out. ]

I came to see you. [ Her voice is warm, despite her hesitation. ] I wished to give you your Christmas present.

[ No one told her that there was a time limit on these things, or that Christmas was meant to be over in a day, so she'd just been holding onto it while she considered the situation. In the end, her desire to see her friend had won out. ]

Take it. It is for you.

[ Inside, Pearl will find a thickly-knit scarf in a soft pink. ]

c!

[sunderings]

Quartz. [ It had been difficult not to take notice of the makeshift arena, during his trek through the snow, the golden light of a spell—karasagi—hovering overhead to illuminate his path in the dark. The clearing is rudimentary, but its construction is nothing if not precise, and with a too-charming girl and her bird at its center, Sion allows for his curiosity to best him, bridging the distance between them seamlessly and in an instant. ] A splendid name for such a creature; I've not seen one like it my weeks here.

[ He regards the girl with a warm smile, a bow of his head, before his eyes fall upon the swiftly disappearing bird feed. ]

Do you mean to train him, then? [ The bird is a him, or so he presumes, for a Lady would never have such terrible eating habits! ]

[beyourrock]

[Pearl perks right up at the newcomer. Quartz? Nah, he keeps eating, only offering a glance up at the young man. It causes the gem to bristle, seeing as how her bird friend did little to show concern over it. Some guard-bird he'd ever turn out to be.

The Gem sighs, slumping her shoulders as she greets Sion with a weak smile. She runs her hand along the softer and finer feathers around his neck.]

Yes, I do hope so, eventually. He's a juvenile, and has much to learn. He was a gift from ALASTAIR themselves.

[sunderings]

From ALASTAIR? [ Golden eyes keen with interest, Sion cants his head, considering Quartz with a lofted brow...! And vague hints of amusement. ] And to think, that their 'gifts' could ever prove to be beneficial. For the holiday, I received a book from the department, one which I will be certain to never lay eyes upon again.

[ He laughs lightly, then, for it is no great secret that upon receiving the text, he'd given it straightaway to an attendant at the bonfire—why, had it wound up in the flames, after that? ]

But to receive the gift of companionship, even in the form of a thoroughly insatiable bird, is quite kind of our recruiters, is it not? [ A grin: ] And as the fellow is a juvenile, yet, perhaps it is all right for him to eat enough for an extra meal— [ Or several! ] —while he can.

a!

[heavyhitter]

[ While Pearl's been trying to keep herself busy, Ramir has mostly just been bored. She thought it'd be nice, a little mini-vacation in a weird dimension where people just hand you enough money for the essentials, but the charm wore off pretty fast. You can really only loaf around for so long before you gotta change it up a little.

Mostly she's been taking walks, walks that get progressively more and more adventurous. Today (tonight? does that even mean anything when it's always tonight?) she's found a spectacle to make it worth it. Ramir has stopped a pretty good distance from the makeshift arena, crouched down to get a little more comfortable. It's basically front row seats.

She's quiet (for once) as she watches the fight, but she can't stay silent forever. Almost the instant the swords disappear Ramir hops back to her feet again, happy to play the part of the loud, approving audience. ]

Hell yeah, nice! [ That comes with a volley of one-woman applause and some cheering. ] Who won, huh? I had money on the glowing version!

[beyourrock]

[Pearl flinches at the outcry and turns her head towards the newcomer. Her hologram only turns her head, in a robotic sense, it's souless eyes staring down Ramir idly. Pearl turns to face her, clearing her throat as she looks between her and the idle hologram.]

I was just ah... I was just training! It wasn't a matter of who won. Besides, I did have it set at a rather higher setting than normal.

[She gestures back to the holopearl, who fizzles out of sight a few times, but remains stable, it's body rigid.]

[heavyhitter]

[ Most of her attention as she draws nearer is on that hologram, and she eyes it with obvious interest. If it's an AI, it's not a very lively one... ]

Yeah, sure, sounds like excuses to me but whatever. [ She comes to a stop and immediately reaches out, looking to poke at the hologram. ] How're you projecting this, anyway? Is it hard light or something?

A

[satsujinki]

[It had taken a great deal of effort to acclimate himself with the near constant use of magic all over Chantes, but Shiki managed to squeeze by with a hair's breadth of room left. He watched Pearl fight herself, upside-down, wondering how someone that skinny could swing dangerous swords like that around so lightly.

When he thought about magic, the answer seemed to snuff itself out immediately, in lieu of an 'of course'.

Dressed well for the weather, Shiki hung upside-down by his legs from a branch, doing crunches. It wasn't anything close to exercise meant for fighting, but it was something he got into the habit of doing in Chantes--if only because he felt better than he had in years. The ability to breath without it being stifled and not worry so much about constant headaches or weekly bouts of anemia was an improvement.

Even if he didn't want to announce himself, Shiki's poor taste in timing was just the right amount of inconvenient. His head jerked forward as he sneezed in the middle of doing a crunch, before he let dizziness take hold of him--drooping and allowing his arms to dangle as he felt a sting in the midst of it. It was probably too cold.

So, there was a sneeze in the dark, as Shiki completely forgot that lingering in the shadows was what crazy people did.]

[beyourrock]

[As their swords clashed, the hologram's eyes widen, holding itself against Pearl's weapon with its own. It turns its head, almost owlishly, towards the sound of the sneeze. Immediately, its eyes turn blood red and narrowed. The Gem's own eyes widen as she sees her training program suddenly change.]

Unregistered combatant.

[The hologram pushes off of Pearl's sword, turning towards Shiki and his perch. Pearl calls out, trying to stop it and rushes after it.

Better think quick, Shiki, that hologram is leaping into the air, and coming down on you with a sword.]

[satsujinki]

W--Hey! [The shimmer that came from Pearl's hologram as it rushed him was Shiki's first warning that it spotted him--and, it wasn't looking for a friendly conversation. Shiki pulled himself up onto the branch quickly enough before pressing his feet against it before springing himself away.

He caught another branch, pulling himself up before he felt his glasses slip on his face. They fell, landing on the end of another branch.

Something told him that he wouldn't likely get away that easily once the hologram grew closer. Up in the tree, one could easily assume he was in a bad spot. It wouldn't have been as scary if she hadn't turned to him so quickly. The moment Pearl's hologram spotted him, he felt his heart hammer in his chest, the shudder taking hold of him.

It was the reason why, despite himself, his knife was already drawn and at the ready. There was no thinking that he needed his knife. Instead, Shiki seemed to produce it without any prompting, as if it were just a reaction to unnatural eyes getting put on him. Despite the confidence in his grip, his tone was far from reassuring.]

B-Back off!

c!

[winces]

[ she misses the swords and the dance, but perhaps that is for the best. it would have been rather awkward for their second meeting to devolve into tears again, after all, even if they are ones of happiness or extreme passion. such awkwardness can be saved for later, anyway.

this time, olivia happens upon them after another (mildly) successful run about the trades district, the petite woman's arms laden with a heavy satchel of her day's deals. it is the bird to catch her attention first, a wonderful, majestic image amidst the gloomy darkness that she's come to know as chantes, but it is pearl's appearance that draws her closer. ]

Miss Pearl!

[ olivia bustles closer, and cheeks mildly pink from the chill and exertion. ]

Oh, what a beautiful bird... Is he yours?

[beyourrock]

[Quartz perks his head up at the same time Pearl does when her name is called. The large blue and white bird ruffles his feathers a little. Gotta look presentable for a pretty lady! He even preens himself a little.

Pearl notices this, frowning at him before pushing her hand against the side of his beak before addressing Olivia, standing up.]

Hello, Olivia. And yes, this is my... uh. [Was he really a pet?] ...animal. Quartz.

[The bird scrambles on his two large feet, standing up to peer down at Olivia with wide doe-like eyes, cooing. Pearl frowns even tighter at him and knocks a knuckle against his neck.]

Forgive him, he's a little perky today.

D but also maybe Aish - Jan 1st-ish

[runningjoke]

[It was everywhere. She couldn't go outside without touching it. Luckily, her limb extenders were meant to touch things she wasn't, and so she didn't feel too bad stepping out into the strange substance because it wasn't actually touching her. She had to be careful though. One wrong move, and she could wind up dead, as far as she knows.

Leaving her housing was the best way to analyze this. By this point, much of the snow had been shoveled away from common pathways, and she'd want to analyze it without being interrupted, so somewhere a little further from the common goblin villagers would work. Finally she finds an area she thinks is good enough, and switches her left hand into Interface mode. ]

Log date: 1-1-16. Peridot, Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG, documenting unusual occurrence in atmospheric changes on this... undocumented planet. Unofficial name: Chantes.

Currently studying some sort of... frozen condensation? But transitional, between solid and liquid. It's melting point is... very low? A crystalline inorganic solid with an ordered structure, a mineral, even...

May be dangerous. Further investigations needed.

[ Oh, sorry Pearl. Were you hoping for some alone time? It's Peridot's Investigation Hour now. ]

[beyourrock]

[Pearl dismisses her hologram immediately, hearing a familiar muffled voice from nearby. Over the horizon, she sees a green light... and soon that light makes all the more sense. It was Peridot.

Pearl dims her own Gem as she carefully comes up behind a nearby snowbank that she had created due to the creation of her arena. She listens to Periodt's ponderings and squints. Did she really not know what 'snow' was? Then again, when Pearl arrived on earth nearly 6,000 years ago, she didn't know what it was either.

Then it hits her. And idea.

Quietly, she gathers up some snow into her hands, creating a perfectly symmetrical snow ball. Lifts it back. Aims.

And nails the back of the Homeworld Gem's head with said snowball.]

A - sometime after Rin's post

[anti_altruisms]

[ Archer watches.

Though part of him still believe the only true "solution" to the problem they're all facing is to eliminate the individual he sees before him and then Gilgamesh afterwards, he refrains. Rin has already ordered him not to take such action, and while he intends to respect it for now, ultimately, he thinks, there is no saving Pearl, anyway. Not with the Servant she's bound herself to.

He waits, though. He waits until Pearl is finished sparring with her double before he decides to reveal himself. She wasn't especially difficult to find, not after meeting her once before in the kitchen before this mess really got started. ]

You practice a great deal, don't you?

[ As he told Gilgamesh -- there would be no negotiations. ]

[beyourrock]

[Pearl delivers the final strike to her double, causing the hologram to flicker and then poof into a cloud of smoke. The Gem straightens, sword pointed downward and flourishing said smoke. Satisfied, she turns, only to see Archer suddenly there.

Last time they had met, they were baking cookies in a friendly competition. And now, she knew the both of them were contracted. She wasn't sure how she felt about the current situation. Absentmindedly, her hand grips tighter at the hilt of her own sword. However, she offers Archer a small smile, sheepish.]

I used to train on a regular basis back home so... it's for the best that I continue to do so here as well!

NOTE: CUT OFF POINT

[beyourrock]

{{ooc: I won't be taking any more threads after this comment, sorry folks! ;; Trying to maintain my tag load, and I need to distribute my tagging attention accordingly