Pink Lace Agate sat down against the cold metal of the empty corridor.

She hated how empty it was. She thought she'd get used to it over time, but it had been thousands of years and it still bugged her.

The Agate grit her teeth, forcing herself not to think about it. The more she thought about it, the more upset she'd get about it. It didn't matter if the building was empty she told herself, Pink's court was still alive and thriving.

She smiled as one of the little doors in the walls opened up, a little Pebble poking her head out. Ah, there she was, proof that the place wasn't quite so empty.

She hopped down into Lace's hands, "Agate, Agate, look what I learned to do!" The Pebble said excitedly, holding out her arm and showing how the stone shifted into a small blade.

All of the Pebbles could shift parts of their body to perform various tasks, hence making such good helpers. But this one had taken quite a bit longer to learn how to do it, and quite a bit of help from Pink Agate. Not that she minded of course.

The Pebbles were the only thing left of her Diamond... Pink Lace shook the thought out of her head, and smiled wide, "That's great Pebble! You're getting so strong." She said with a giggle.

Pebble beamed at the praise, and took some practice slashes at the air with her stone blade arm before returning it to normal. "Where have you been?" She asked, "Going on missions again?"

Pink lace shook her head, "No.. the Diamonds have no need for a Pink Agate on the colony planets. But they do want me to keep training other gems. Yellow Diamond was unsure about it, but Blue seems convinced that with a little help, we can get gems to go beyond their limits, if only briefly."

The Pebble gave a soft gasp, "Does that mean the Rubies are coming back?" She questioned excitedly.

Pink Lace gave a nod, "Certainly does. They'll be over shortly for more training. And a little fun, but the Diamonds don't need to know about that part." She said, the two both giggling. "Are the Rubies gonna play the game with you?" Pebble asked.

Pink Lace paused, then shrugged, "Not quite sure. Thats all up to Ceylon. Still not sure what kind of game it is, but I'm sure the Rubies would like it."

Pebble nodded, "I wanna play it to!" She said with an eager jump in the Agate's palm, landing on her back in her hands. The pink gem giggled once again, her spirits lifted by the little stone creature. Her attention was caught as she suddenly heard the beeping of her communicator; her special one.

As an Agate, she'd had access to more advanced research and leisure technology than other gems might, but for some reason Ceylon had felt it necessary to gift her and indeed everyone in the group a new one, one that operated on an untraceable line.

She had been expecting some kind of rebellion talk, and after what the Rose Quartz had done to her Diamond, had been ready to shut such conversation down.

But no treason had taken place. Normal conversations and talk of a game from a Sapphire. She looked over the messages.

Caroline: Why do you keep asking?

Olive: I'm a Peridot, and a certified kindergartner. I can't help but be curious when a gem doesn't admit what they are. I wouldn't have to pry if you'd just tell me.

Corundum: Whas it matter?

Olive: 1. It's spelled 'what's', or 'what does it' if you want to be grammatically correct. 2. You would say that. Corundum: I wood?

Olive: Ugh. 1. It's 'would.' And 2. Yes, you would. I've never heard of a White Corundum before, not a Gem kind anyway.

Caroline: So you don't know as much as you think you do huh?

Olive: I've sussed out that you're a Quartz gem, I'm just undecided on what kind, and more so why you're so quiet about it.

Caroline: What? What makes you think I'm a quartz?

Olive: Oh please, its written all over you. How you talk (or type as the case may be) and what you talk about. Definitely a quartz soldier. I'm leaning towards Carnelian, or maybe a Fire Agate. Definitely a Pink Court gem.

Jade: Oh hush up Olive. Ceylon told you it doesn't matter what kind of gems we are. We were chosen for the game, that's all that matters.

Caroline: Exactly. You never grill R for what kind of gem she is.

Olive: I have personal reasons for not requiring that information. Lace couldn't help notice how long it had taken for Olive to respond with that last one, and figured she'd interject.

Pink Agate: Everyone calm down. Jade, thank you for keeping the peace in my absence.

Jade: A pleasure.

Pink Agate: Olive, we know its just curiosity, but its a unnecessary and rude.

Pink Lace could see from the spinning circles that Olive was about to respond, and so quickly preempted.

Pink Agate: That wasn't a discussion point, it was me telling you.

Olive: Oh fine. At least for now.

Corundum: Hehehehe.

Olive: Must you type out your amusement?

Corundum: its fun XP

Olive: Xp?

Corundum: Its a face ^-^

Olive: You are an odd thing.

Pink Lace: Oh just leave her be. Caroline, much as it doesn't matter, if you are a Pink Court, just know you aren't the only one here. Pink Lace didn't get to see the response. She was stirred from the conversation by the mechanical sound of the door opening.

Seemed her Ruby recruits were here. Pebble had moved up to Lace's shoulder, bouncing excitedly as the Agate closed the communicator and got up to get to work.

Maxixe was fine with missions and weird alien planets.

She was an Aqua Marine. She could handle any kind of mission on any kind of planet. She could even stomach the bizarre dealings of the sapphire who'd linked her up to these other gems, mostly misfits though they were.

What was steadily chipping away at her patience like an angle grinder was her assigned Topaz taking so long to clear out the hostiles and leaving her in the ship with nothing to do what watch aforementioned misfit gems chatter.

The Topaz insisted it wasn't a big enough problem for her to concern herself with it, but Maxixe couldn't help but feel a hot frustration burning inside her at what she was certain was an implied insult.

She was an Aqua Marine after all. They were prideful Gems, and for good reasons of course. And she required some form of stimulation to not crack from sheer boredom.

With a sigh, she inspected the chatter of the gems.

Spinel: And then I said, 'Emerald, lets be honest, you only hate fusion because none of the other Emeralds wanna pair up with you!'

Maxixe's bored frown curled at the edges with amusement, only to morph into a scowl at the sight of the response from the others.

Lazurite: That.. sounds pretty mean.

Pink Agate: Very mean.

Spinel: Mean green joking machine as always, heh.

Lazurite: Not what I meant.

Maxixe: And you were 'meant' to waste so much time. How's progress on terraforming coming along? Still centuries behind schedule?

Spinel: Aren't Lapis Lazulies thin and light? Why so much wait?

Maxixe laughed at that one. The Green Spinel was always amusing to chat with, much as the others attempted to hold her back.

R: Your jokes would be a lot funnier if they weren't always so harsh.

Maxixe: And you'd be less of an sorry excuse for a Gem if you'd just fess up to what you are, but we don't always get what we want now do we?

Pink Agate: Max, hush.

Maxixe hesitated before she responded, cheeks burning with the flustering she always got from that infuriating Agate. She was never quite certain how to respond to her. Something innate to the cut of gems, Maxixe was convinced.

Maxixe: It's Maxixe. Please keep to actual names instead of foolish codes.

R: Nothing wrong with a little mystery Maxi.

Maxixe: Don't you get started to. Look, the sapphire hasn't said its time to start yet, and I'm sure all of you have jobs you should be getting to.

Lazurite: What about you?

Lazurite was saved from the absolute vitriol that Maxixe was certain she was about to unleash by the sound of the ship opening.

Maxixe: As a matter of fact I do. My Topaz has returned, and now I can get back to important things. Good day.

Maxixe shut the communicator and let out a sigh to calm herself as the Topaz entered.

Her body and weapon-a massive weight like mallet with heads on either end-were covered in what Maxixe assumed to be the bodily liquids of the native lifeforms of the planet they had been sent to. Mindless creatures.

The dual mallet vanished into the gems on the Topaz's hands. "About time you got back." Maxixe said with a sigh, "Lets get going, I'm losing my mind stuck in here."

The Topaz nodded and went to get the ship moving without a word.

Typical, Maxixe thought, so smug just because she's a fusion.

Green Spinel giggled to herself as she typed. Much as she didn't like being below deck, she had fun chatting and making jokes to the others; particularly Corundum.

Maybe just because she was an easy target for jokes, even for basic puns. Whenever the crew muscled her below deck, she could always pull out the communicator that the Ceylon had given her.

Only her Emerald knew about it, and she'd been told not to let any of the Nephrites know she had been given a gift from a sapphire.

Emerald always got really twitchy when she saw the communicator... so perhaps it was best if she stayed below deck to use it.

Corundum: You're so funny Spinel ^-^

Spinel: Heh, well it's what I was made for. Literally.

Corundum: XD Spinel: Well it's good I've got someone here who's a good audience.

River: I didn't mean to upset you, I just.. don't like when you make fun of my Morganite.

R: Or her name.

Spinel: They're just jokes, come on you're both fragile as mica flakes.

R: I just think you should know when to stop making jokes is all. Not everyone finds the same things funny.

The Green Spinel frowned at that. Several of the gems on the Ceylon communicator had mentioned this, but she always had a hard time wrapping her mind around it. She supposed she understood it in principle.

Her Emerald loved it when she performed for the crew, making jokes on the spot; usually making fun of the one of the Nephrites or some other gem they had encountered recently. She'd practically crack herself laughing.

But the Nephrites... not so much.

And yet she could get smiles and chuckles whenever she wasn't directly making fun of someone. She was curious why, but ultimately making the Nephrites laugh weren't why she was here.

It had been the Emerald who'd earned her, and it was up to the Emerald whether she stayed on board the ship or got tossed out the space lock. She sighed, letting her natural smile waver slightly.

It was effort sometimes to hold. But it returned when she saw Corundum typing. It was never effort with her at least.

Corundum: Ceylon said well all B playing the game togethr. Will U have more jokes while we play? MayB we can work togethr ^-^

Spinel: Heh, you know it tiny-shiny. Not sure what kind of game it is, but fun and funny aren't too far apart; in spelling if nothing else.

Note: Ref pics for all characters can be viewed on the Sinfulnature1123 patron page, perfectly free to view.