lostcarnival | title goes here [Open]

Entry tags:

title goes here [Open]

Who: Blue Diamond, Open
What: Getting down locations, meeting new 'coworkers'
When: 1-2 days before Event
Where: All over the Carnival
Warnings: None currently

1

[The only thing keeping Blue complacent is knowing she made the choice to be here herself. The indignity of being reduced to a mere aid for others when she was a diamond for stars' sake would be intolerable even for her. But the prize is worth it.. and it's only a year.

A year is still long enough to need to know who her coworkers are and more importantly who those who outrank her are. Not all of them would be telling her what to do, but keeping things working smoothly in case she did need to go to them for something - or them to her for some requisition or other - is simple common sense. A little asking around gets Blue pointed in the right direction..

Which means visiting supervisor's grove. She has a mental list of descriptions and names of those she's supposed to be looking for, and once she spots one (and presuming they don't look otherwise occupied at some other task - Blue is mindful, and she knows what work looks like in its many forms), it's just a matter of saying hello.]

Pardon me. Do you have a few moments?

2

[Peoplewatching follows. There's a lot of people in the carnival, some human, some ... mixed? Some don't seem as if they were ever human to begin with but there's plenty of locations for Blue Diamond to settle down in a somewhat out of the way place and do nothing at all but watch the others go about their duties, sitting or standing depending on location.

The diamond - in this case the Ringmaster - of course set the tone of a location, but it's the lower class gems that always lived and breathed it, and if she was going to blend into this place, she needed to better understand how they behaved, what they did ... and why.

Perhaps you're the person Blue's chosen to watch right now, a silent seven and a half foot tall azure shadow keeping tabs on what you're doing, what you're wearing, everything you're saying.. it might be a little uncomfortable but for the air of benign benevolence she manages to cultivate.]

3

[With a better idea of what this place expects by way of appearance, it's time to familiarize herself with locations. If a new arrival can get there, Blue's going to be there sooner or later, looking around with interest and attempting to at least become familiar with various locations and what they're for.

Roping her into lending a hand with this small task or that one shouldn't take much effort at all, Blue seems interested in learning and being of what assistance she can be. Got a task? Make use of the strange blue lady hanging around.]

4

[There are times when Blue simply leaves the main carnival and heads into the woods for a little bit of quiet to allow herself some time to acclimate to new information and the general headache and effort of pretending to be this entire place's newest Pearl.

The forest prevents anyone from leaving, but Blue isn't trying to leave and perhaps something of the entangling, confusing place understands that. It's easier to find little quiet out of the way spots amongst the trees to loiter a while, even if she's not terribly comfortable with being surrounded by so much organic mass. She'll be here well into the evening, a dark blue wraith between the trunks, seemingly looking for something. She's not lost .. not yet, but that could change at any time with this place.]

5

[Wildcard; bring it on]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Unfortunately for Blue, there's at least one supervisor here who, despite the Diamond's best intentions, is going to be more than a little wigged out by receiving a simple hello from someone of her stature.

What happens is, when Blue is wandering around the supervisor's grove, the screen door to one of the trailers slams open very suddenly. That's kind of an accident, on Peridot's part; sometimes when she's juggling a lot, she can lose some of the nuance to her metal powers and winds up moving things a lot more quickly and forcefully than intended. That's the case here, because she's preoccupied with carrying a huge box of light-bulbs that's more than half her size down the front steps, while also trying to avoid tripping on the over-eager vegetable dog that zooms past her feet.

As a result, the little gem doesn't spot Blue until she's finished navigating her way down the stairs. She's preoccupied with the box, and with admonishing her weird canine.]

Geez, it's too bad Steven didn't grow you with hands Pumpkin, then maybe you could actually make yourself useful and help me with this box--HHHH---

[annnd that's the sound of her noticing there's a Diamond standing right there. THE. Blue Diamond. Just like Lapis had warned her. Peridot goes wide-eyed and takes a sharp gasp, fumbling her box, claws piercing into the cardboard sides. Her tail stiffens, the tuft on the end frizzing out in alarm, and she flounders, mind racing until she pieces together an assumption for why Blue must be at their doorstep.]

L-L-L-- Lapis isn't here!

[An automatic response, and there's something almost fierce in her tone. If Blue is here to give Lapis more grief, Peridot isn't going to stand for it.]

[Peridot is watched unblinkingly from the moment the door crashes open to when she suddenly slams to a stop, the mobile pumpkin noted but not quite as interesting as what seems to be a still-intelligent corrupted gem. ... Perhaps only half-corrupted, she's still recognizable as a Peridot.

One who is friends with her Lapis.

Blue raises one hand, palm out, as if to try to forestall any further yelling, expression one of mild interest. This is the supervisor for technology? ... Well. If they had to get anyone, a peridot certainly suited the task. But the poor thing looked so wrong.]

Be at peace. I am not here to speak to her for the time being.

[Lazuli has her task, keep Steven alive for another year. What else was there to say?]

I wished to speak to you, Supervisor.

[Blink.]

You're here to speak to... me?

[That information is clearly throwing her for a loop. As does being addressed as "supervisor"; even her own underlings generally don't bother referring to her with that sort of respect, and to hear it from a Diamond is mind-bending, to say the least. That said, it's a good thing Blue does address her that way, because it at least makes it clear that this is about carnival business and not... rebel business. Peridot might be freaking out even worse, otherwise.

She carefully sets the box down on the ground, scarcely taking her eyes off of Blue the entire time, and then throws up the traditional salute. If Blue is going to extend the courtesy of referring to her by her title, she may as well reciprocate... even if she is kind of resentful of the fact that her presence here is apparently what's making Lapis so upset.]

Peridot, lead Engineer at your service. What, uh... What can I help you with?

[At this point, Pumpkin also meanders back to Peridot's side, sits down to face Blue politely, and says 'arf'.]

[It's noteworthy that Peridot doesn't seem to be wearing her diamond's mark anymore. Who did she belong to? It didn't really matter here, when everyone belonged to the Ringmaster until they paid their debt or won their prize, but it was ... interesting. It could mean nothing, but it could also mean that this little gem's given her loyalty to someone else.

Blue's not really thinking Crystal Gems though. When there's a literal wish-granter in the carnival who asks pithy payments such as a year from a rather immortal species, the rank and file positions of gem hierarchy would surely look unappealing in comparison.]

For the next ... mmmm.. three-hundred and sixty four days I believe, you may forgo tradition. While I of course appreciate the honor, even I must bend to another's will here, and I would not insult her position by requiring it.

[Salutes may just get in the way. After all, right now, this mere corrupted peridot, less than a pebble to their vast empire, outranks a diamond. The little pumpkin thing is studied for a moment before her calm regard returns to Peridot, her odd shape and nervous demeanor.]

It seems I will be aiding treasury and acquisitions for a little while, and thus am introducing myself to those in positions of authority to understand what they may require and what their usual requisitions are.

[...Wow, it really is about business! That might be a bit of a relief, though Blue sounds suspiciously amused.]

Though in this case it seems introductions may be ... superfluous.

[Peridot blinks at her, taking that all in quietly. In the end, she drops the salute… Perhaps a little too readily.]

Wow, that’s… Actually incredibly sensible and rational of you.

[Seriously, she looks impressed. It’s a sincere compliment! Even if Peridot does sound kind of impolitely surprised by it. How is it that Blue so much more reasonable than Yellow? It boggles her mind a bit.]

Er, w-what I mean is, I’ve been here a while now, and I can confirm that the Ringmaster? Definitely not the kind of entity you want to get on the bad side of. So. Yeah.

[She clears her throat awkwardly, trying to get back on track. She knows the position of Treasurer is occupied by Elsa, but hell if she can remember who it is that’s in charge of Acquisitions. She’s almost positive that the position has been vacant for a while now… It’s a small blessing for the engineer that at least Blue hasn’t immediately tried to move into that position. As long as she’s not a supervisor, Peridot’s contact with her will hopefully remain minimal.]

Anyway… Both your consideration and your initiative in reaching out are greatly appreciated. Engineering and repairs is in touch with both the treasury and the acquisitions department quite frequently, since we go through materials at a fairly steady clip in order to keep all of the equipment up to snuff. Sometimes special projects come up that require more rare substances, as well.

You must not be one of mine. Good.

[The observation is mild, and comes with a brief smile. Blue had a reputation, after all, among her own gems ... one that had changed somewhat over the past five thousand years thanks to endless grief. But she generally didn't make foolish decisions that weren't directly related to Pink Diamond.

Granted this entire venture probably qualified as a foolish decision directly related to Pink Diamond.

This Peridot not being one of HER peridots at least should make things a little easier. All gems obeyed all diamonds, but every gem preferred their own and certain behaviors would likely be hard to shake off.]

If you maintain a list of commonly required materials and resources, it would be beneficial for me to have it as well. What sort of base technological level are you maintaining? Are they as primitive as Earth enjoys or have you been coercing them into something closer to modern civilization?

[Knowing what to keep an eye out for on simple tech level was also important. Was she looking for data crystals or pens and paper? Holographic projectors or VHS tapes? Wagon wheels or interstellar transportation???

At least it seems Blue is keeping on task, the diamonds surely took their jobs very seriously even when they were no longer maintaining the position of matriarchs of an entire empire. But keeping to that task required getting her hands on as much information as possible, and as soon as possible.]

I presume the Ringmaster has provided you a Pearl or at least some form of competent assistants. Should you be too busy with your assigned work I will accept an intermediary so long as they are efficient and prompt.

Edited 2017-06-09 02:06 (UTC)

[Maybe it's the mention of Pearls, or maybe it's the implication that any of Peridot's underlings would be anything but efficient and prompt, but that last comment kind of rubs her the wrong way. Fear of the Diamonds is enough that she keeps it to herself though, the only indication of her annoyance manifesting in a brief twitch of her tail.]

[She hums thoughtfully and rocks back and forth on her heels, once, twice.]

Most of the technology here is more or less on the same level as current Earth, but there are a few areas where I've tried to update things and bring in a bit of a "Homeworld touch", if you know what I mean. [She grins and winks knowingly at that.] For example, I've installed an attack drone system as a perimeter defense contingency, and recently my team and I finished constructing an "obstacle course" for the nightrunners and security team to utilize in keeping their physical and combat prowess up to snuff.

[She pauses, then adds:] Oh, uh... Just in case you didn't already know: The organics have to train their combat skills through continued practice rather than being created with the necessary knowledge already present in their minds, so. Such a structure was deemed necessary. I filled it with lots of lasers.

[To be effective one MUST have their Pearl. She's lacking hers and she feels the loss keenly, it had been so easy to get used to that tiny quiet presence, always there to aid her or try to comfort her. And now.. she had to do it herself. At least it was only a year, that would be over before she knew it. That the thought of having her own Pearl or the likelihood that humanity is going to be less efficient than a gem would be are not things Peridot likes much ... entirely eludes her, or is utterly irrelevant.

She does brighten up a touch at something in all of that though.]

Oh yes, I was aware. If humans do not move around enough they tend to become very round and slow. Even with the knowledge of how to do things, without keeping their forms functioning properly.. [She waves one hand, bemused. She knows how that one goes, early in she'd had a whole lot of fat humans in her zoo until that mystery got unraveled.] The ones who are not round seem to enjoy the effort more often than not, by observation. Do the lasers motivate them when they do not wish to participate, or is it a ...

[Pause.]

Oh what did she call it. 'Adrenaline rush'?

[Blue does not really think of humans as people but she was fond of them at least, Yellow's disgust with all organic life simply isn't shared. They were by rights Pink's, and thus she would care for those she could. But sometimes they did need a little help being motivated.]

Such innovations can only improve the carnival, the Ringmaster must be pleased to have you here. Perhaps touchscreens might be worth attempting to integrate as well? It seems most here rely on flattened tree grindings and graphite.

[Things she doesn't know how to do: building holographic interfaces. She's not an engineer.]

No, the lasers are actually an optional feature... The more physically skilled members have the choice to activate them to add an extra degree of challenge to the course, in case the base experience is too easy for them.

[Which, granted, is a very small portion of the carnival population, but.]

As for the holo-screens... Trust me, that was one of the first things I proposed to the Ringmaster when I got this job. She said something about it not matching the 'aesthetic' of the carnival, I dunno...

[Aesthetics are important, and Blue nods in complete acceptance of this. She knew how she'd react if her court didn't look just so, it was likely the same for the Ringmaster and her own little empire.

She's not likely to ever bother with this obstacle course herself, but learning more of it will be useful for others in her service. More importantly, what DID effect her..]

Perhaps all that needs to change is the visible interface, maintaining the functionality without the appearance of proper technology.

[Peridot was a peridot, she was certain the deformed little gem would have ideas for that herself if she wished to apply her mind to it.. And having such conveniences directly benefited Blue. Sure it also benefited everyone else, but that wasn't nearly as important.]

The surface of a mirror instead of a more convenient hovering display may integrate well with this level of development, and the favored appearance.

[Peridot blinks.]

That's... actually a really good idea. Something to consider, anyway. Most jobs at the carnival wouldn't require it, but I could at least whip something up for the supervisors, and the more book-keeping heavy departments...

Certainly anything like accounting could make use of it, and likely your own department as well simply to keep track of what's been done and what still requires it.

[Blue can be immensely practical when she didn't have the incredible distraction of grieving over Pink hanging over her like a burial shroud. The one benefit to being here ... she didn't have to worry about that any more.]

However if there is anything very specific you may require before general inventory is done [And she still expects that list] as I've been asked to watch for a certain handful of other items, it is no difficulty to add something of yours to it as well.

[It's a job. A job she apparently is going to remain rather professional on. This questionableness of working even adjacent to a corrupted gem sat unwell with her, but .. prices worth paying..]

... Except for 'school glue'.

[Peridot lifts her eyebrows. Every other part of this conversation is momentarily forgotten.]

School glue?

[Why does she have a feeling she knows who's behind this already.]

School glue.

[Blue manages a rather graceful shrug. She really had no idea.]

I didn't ask why, nor am I entirely certain what it is. I'm not sure I want to know beforehand, it takes the fun out of discovery.

Who was asking for so much "school glue" that you've had to block all the other members off from asking for it?

[Not that she wants any for herself, but.]

I'm not sure it's part of my duties to divulge the names of those making requests, just the request itself if a potential conflict might arrive. I am certain there are superior forms of adhesive for genuinely relevant projects than this sort.

[And by her tone, she's absolutely certain of it. Zim didn't seem the sort to ask for things that would actually genuinely get him anywhere even if he thought it would..]

[Peridot settles back and grunts, shrugging lightly.]

Meh. Just curious if it might have been a particular subordinate of mine or not.

[She frowns distractedly, already forgetting about the glue. As long as Blue is here, maybe... Maybe this would be a good time to ask her about matters of a more personal nature? It might be a foolish move. Maybe Peridot should have learned her lesson by now, about trusting Diamonds to be open to reasoning. But, then again... Maybe, Blue will be more willing to listen to an appeal than Yellow was. She looks back up, taking on a more serious tone.]

Blue Diamond. If I may... I'd like to take a brief moment of your time to discuss a matter of great personal importance.

If it is and such requisitions become common, I may have to begin stocking up on the most peculiar things..

[School glue, seriously. It didn't even sound like a particularly strong bonding agent, it sounded like something organic littles might use for entertainment.

... Actually that sounded about right given who wanted it.

The shift from very much business matters to something 'personal' draws a long, steady gaze from the taller gem, not responding for a solid minute or so.]

Are you certain it is something that requires addressing now? I would not wish to strain what must already be a difficult working relationship.

[Of course it requires addressing right now. "Now" meaning as long as they're both here and under contract; Peridot might never get a chance like this again, to talk to a Diamond on a level almost approaching equal.

Not that that mile long stare does much for the sense of equality here. Peridot's face scrunches a little in the duration of it, as she debates whether she should speak up or not, like maybe Blue is actually just waiting for her to continue. Stars, she wishes.]

Ehhhhhh... [Don't fidget, fidgeting is a sign of weakness.] I'm afraid it directly affects our working relationship; therefore, I would much rather go ahead and address the issue up front.

[Weakness for the blue court isn't the same as a yellow court gem. Fidgeting was fine - backing down however was not. At least not without considerable grace in the process, but Peridot was .. rather lacking in the grace department too, wasn't she?]

Mm. If you insist.

[There is a faint note of disapproval but it isn't outright refusal. Blue knew things were already going to be uncomfortable in this place, deliberately finding ways to make it worse wasn't on her to-do list.]

[If Peridot is uncomfortable under the presence of that disapproval, she’s doing a valiant job of not letting it deter her. The fact that Blue isn’t her Diamond probably helps her steel herself a bit.]

Thank you. [She clears her throat quietly.] I have some concerns regarding the human hybrid, Steven Quartz Universe. Lapis has informed me of the arrangements you made with her, regarding his safety and preservation.

[“Arrangements”. Like Blue had worked something out with Lapis in an amicable manner, as opposed to giving her a direct order.]

I was also informed me that upon the completion of your contract here, and the subsequent successful restoration of Pink Diamond, you intend to let leave Steven’s fate up to her discretion, and make him face judgement for the crimes of Rose Quartz. Is this correct?

[Peridot may be a bit of a goofball, but she knows how to act professional, when the need rises.]

[This matter, as far as Blue is concerned, is already settled. Why it's being brought up again is a little annoying and a bit of a mystery. As Peridot speaks, and then asks her question, she's studied quietly. The odd ears, the tail. Claws, horns.

Peridot is no empath. There's no visible way to tell she is anything but utterly calm and composed at the moment.]

I do.

[Her tone never wavers in those two words. Likely she'd have to explain matters in a way this small distorted gem could grasp, though she didn't really have to explain herself to a mere Peridot.

A peridot likely intending to argue for the continued safety of the Crystal Gem leader.]

You ... are a newer generation Peridot, are you not?

[Peridot pauses, blinking with surprise.]

Affirmative. I am an era 2 Peridot.

As I suspected.

[There doesn't seem to be any judgment based on simply when Peridot was created, but it did help explain why she'd be interested in defending Pink's killer. She simply hadn't been there for any of it.]

Please continue.

R-right. Um... Where was I...

[There may not be any judgement on Blue's part, but that sure doesn't stop Peridot from feeling strangely self-conscious, all of a sudden. Just having that part of her identity singled out kind of throws her, makes her wonder why she wants to know.

She clears her throat again, trying to fill the silence while she struggles to pick her point back up.]

Oh, yes. As I was getting ready to explain: I'd like to make sure that it's understood why prosecuting Steven would be a vast miscarriage of both logic AND justice. I'm not sure if Lapis had the chance to explain this fully, but Steven is not Rose Quartz. He may possess her gem, but believe me, I've known him for a while now, and he is no rebel leader. He's just some weird hybrid, he's more flesh than light. When I first met him, he barely even knew anything about the war!

title goes here [Open]

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gettng words in edgewise on authoritarian dictators is a chore

SHE'S TRYING HER BEST

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