Chapter 35: Food
A Little bit of a taste of how Orange functions. There are two chapters coming up after the next arc/season, that goes into how Orange was made and functions, and came to be with Pink.
This takes place directly after Chapter 2. A sort of continuation or expansion.
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"Here. Do not drop it." Peridot Facet-4B28 Cut-X9A handed Yellow's Pearl a black, pressurized cylindrical container, a small holographic shield of the Diamond's sigil reflected on the top, refusing to let go until Pearl gave a tug to signify she should let go.
"What is this?" Pearl questioned, eyeing the container in her hands.
"It is for Orange Diamond." She responded, "it contains tablets that you will have to get her to swallow every three hours."
Pearl's head snapped up to level X9A with an alarmed expression, "What!? Swallow?"
"The gulping thing humans do when they put things into their mouths. Humans call it food. This is her equivalent."
"I know what swallowing is!" she paused before asking, "what's food?"
"Food. Nutrients, minerals, and saccharides, everything our young diamond needs to remain healthy. These tablets are compressed versions of powdered forms in concentrate. She is unable to keep down any liquid versions we synthesize. We refer to them as supplements, I suggest you do as well, it'll be easier when you have to request more be made." X9A instructed, bringing up a holo-display on her pad, "I am sending you the form for quicker ordering."
"Very well. How am I supposed to get it-her to swallow," Pearl made a face that was met with a blank look from X9A, "this...supplement?"
"Open her mouth gently, and place them on the back of her tongue. She might attempt to chew them if you break them up but it's just as likely she'll spit them back out at you because she thinks it's funny."
Pearl's face scrunched up as her eyes widened and her mouth formed into a jagged frown,"That's disgusting."
"She's young." X9A responded passively. Pearl questioned just how often this Peridot had been spit on that she no longer seem bothered by the idea.
"And?" Pearl's tone conveyed her confusion, "What does it matter how long ago she was made?"
"Never mind. Place them on the back of her tongue, and close her mouth enough that she reflexively swallows. Don't hold her mouth closed. If you do, you could make her inhale it or choke on it. If she spits it out, retrieve a new one and try again." X9A did not bother to inform her as she sent a diagram on the process she had described, knowing ahead of time it would be more useful than any description she could give a simple Pearl. "Do not put anything that has made contact with any foreign surfaces that are not the inside of this container, or your hand, into her mouth."
"Why?"
X9A looked up from her screen, "You are liable to contaminate the tablets and potentially make her sick."
"This is a lot of work." Pearl groaned.
"Organics of any kind take a lot of care. You are lucky, in that Orange Diamond's form does not require as much maintenance as one would at Pink Diamond's zoo." X9A's tone turned smug. She knew her work at the Zoo was hard, and that this Pearl had no idea how easy this would be in comparison to her typical day to day. "For much of her time currently, she will be fluctuating between states of being awake and active, a portion of which you will need to stimulate her mind."
"Doing what?" Pearl felt she was asking too many questions, but if she didn't, and she messed up, it would be her gem on the Diamond's judgement block.
"Anything that requires her to think. You could read to her, or allow her to play with something physically. Simply watch her to insure she doesn't put it into her mouth, however."
"Gross. You said a portion of her time? What of the other?"
"A great portion of her time will be spent in an inactive state of rest. Hold her or lay her down on a soft surface. So far as we can tell, temperature does not bother her, but do not leave her alone for long. We generally monitor the young constantly in the Zoo, so we are aware if something occurs."
"What could possibly occur?" Pearl rolled her eyes.
"Death." X9A deadpanned.
Pearl's eyes widened as she held onto the container in her hands tightly, "My Diamond would kill me!"
"Pink Diamond would kill you." X9A responded evenly, "So I suggest you keep atop this, as best as a Pearl is capable, I suppose."
Pearl narrowed her eyes, holding back her retort. "You said she would be spending this time resting. What does all that involve? Will I need to do something else?" She would get every last bit of information from this Peridot to insure she could preform to her best. She could only imagine how the other Pearls would fare when it was their turn to be instructed as well. Well, however they did, she would be better. No one did better than Yellow Diamond's subjects.
"Eyes closed, respiration slowed, limb movements minimal. Simply holding her will work. It will be long hours in between waking. Eventually this will reduce as she advances in age until she is as active as you."
"I see. And I'll be able to work at this time?"
"Yes. So long as the surroundings remain quiet and she is undisturbed, you should be fine."
Pearl's head fell back as she let out a relieved sigh, "Oh thank the stars."
"That should be all the required information you need. Good luck." X9A said as she closed her screen, looking at Pearl as she straightened up.
"I don't need luck. I am Yellow Diamond's pearl. I am highly efficient, and this should be easy." Pearl responded smugly.
"Again, good luck." X9A smirked, "Call us if there are any issues, concerns, or needs."
"No need. I will be able to care for Orange Diamond, now that I am aware of what is required. Thank you, you are no longer needed."
"..." X9A glared at Pearl as she turned to leave her without another word.
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"Okay. My Diamond, its time to get you to swallow this tablet. No, your clarity, please release my hair. I...please let go-no, don't tug on my nose. Errg... Okay. Let's keep our hands to ourselves. I mean, if that pleases you...umm...hmm." Pearl paused in her efforts to hold Orange's hands away from her face as she knelt before the youngest Diamond, having offered her seat to her. "You don't understand a thing I'm saying, do you? Of course you don't, it's that stupid organic upbringing those useless Peridots have been teaching you." Pearl paused again, looking at Orange with fear, as if she expected to be punished for her words but was only met with large orange eyes that stared at her in wonder, and a wide grin, the corner of which was wet with drool.
Pearl continued on, renewed in her efforts as she retrieved another tablet that hadn't been spit out at her. "But you're a Diamond, so I, Yellow Diamond's great, amazing Pearl, will aid you..." Pearl pulled out a single tablet. It was no bigger than her thumb nail, and a opaque pink color. Turning back to Orange, she held out the tablet in front of the tiny gem's mouth, "Would you please open your mouth so that I may administer your energy tablet."
Orange looked down at the tablet in her hand, her face lighting up as her jaw fell in a hardly laugh, that Yellow's Pearl took advantage of, placing the tablet at the back of her tongue and nudging her chin to slightly close her mouth. Instead of a wet, half mushed pill hitting her face, Pearl's patience was rewarded as Orange swallowed the tablet, pulling her chin away from Pearl's hand so she could drop her mouth back open in a loud giggle, gurgling and clapping her hands together.
"Yes, that's it!" Pearl jumped up, her fists in the air in her excitement, "You do understand! You just needed away from those hallow brained clods." Pearl paused, slapping a hand over her mouth and looking at Orange with large, open eyes, "Oh, forgive my language, your clarity."
Pearl knelt back down to Orange, a large grin spreading over her face, "Just wait until the other Pearls have to do this. They'll never be so good at it as me. Oh, i mean, it was you doing the work, i just-
"Pearl!" Yellow's voice thundered around the room, her face turned down to look at Pearl with enough anger that she shrunk back, using the chair and Orange as a shield against Yellow's eyes. "My Diamond! I apologize."
"Just keep it down..." Yellow Diamond grunted, turning back to her screen.
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Yellow paused in her work, looking from the corners of her eyes to watch as Pearl spoke quietly to Pink's hybrid. As Yellow suspected, it was a useless thing, and was better off wasting her Pearl's time than her own. So long as she could hand it over to one of the other Diamonds at the end of her cycle, alive, than she could say she had done her part in taking care of it.
Yellow was curious about it, she could admit, but in the way one is curious about the colorful insect that has just scurried across your path, and is an unknown to you. It should be a fleeting curiosity, and not made into a pet, like Pink had done.
'Orange Diamond', as White has declared it's name, despite Pink's assertions of Zirconia at least being used when it is just the Diamonds in It's presence, which for good reason was shot down by White again.
Orange Diamond.
Diamond.
It was laughable, a bad joke that was so horrible, she could see the amusement in making fun of it. This thing wasn't a Diamond, and she questioned just how much of it was actually gem. Pink made it quite clear she adored it, and referred to it with some kind of organic term she didn't understand, but Yellow surmised it was affectionate. Yellow had no interest in using any terms or forms of affection for it. She was pretty sure she could call it any vulgar name and it would laugh, because it didn't understand a word she spoke. It was ignorant as an organic, and defective as a gem. Waste of resources is what it was. A junk pile, a junk pile Pink had managed to bring to life, but that did not change its nature, or its value in their society. If it had been a gem, it would know its place in it's caste already, It would be set to work. But this thing required even more resources, to consume. A mockery of a gem is what it was. Her cycle's end would not come soon enough, she knew. At least her Pearl seemed to have educated herself enough to care for it.
Yellow had watched that whole spectacle, annoyed and disgusted, though seeing it spit whatever it was Pearl had been trying to put in it's mouth, only for it to be rocketed out and hit her nose, thatwas amusing. But it simply went to prove Yellow correct even further. Whatever it was that Pearl was attempting to get it to consume was something it needed to live. No Diamond needed something like that. No Diamond needed the things it did. And all of it could be brought to the same conclusion that everyone else had been rejecting, it isn't a Diamond. Itisn't a gem at all! And this whole thing was a waste of time, something White was doing to entertain Pink's wishes once more. White Diamond and her favoritism for Pink, even though Yellow had more colonies than the Blue and Pink, practically ran the Empire's military herself, and produced the most gems in both quantity and quality. It was ridiculous how much White coddled Pink, even now as she had her own colony to deal with. It made Yellow angry that she was being required to entertain Pink's ridiculousness as well.
"Right, now that that is done, I can...I can't read to you, Yellow Diamond has requested we remain quiet for her work." Pearl spoke softly to Pink's creation, catching Yellow's attention, "So how about you play...with this?"
Pearl placed the spare diamond displays on the ground in front of Orange, amazed when they sparked to life.
"Yes, I see you like them. Then, my clarity, if you so choose, you can play with these while I do some work! I'll be right here." Pearl seated herself in her own chair, as It began smacking at the displays. Yellow rolled her eyes, turning back to her work.
Ridiculous.
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"Hmmm!? Oh! My diamond, you scared me." Pearl covered her gem in surprise, turning to look down as Orange smacked her leg. "Is there something the matter? Is there something I...oh, you wish me to lift you up." Pearl realized as Orange lifted her arms to Pearl in a motion she had learned would get her what she wanted. Pearl leaned over, grabbing Orange under her arms as she proceeded to lift her up.
"Right, I can doooo oh stars your heavy- and you're up." Pearl sighed loudly as she placed Orange on her lap, "Woo. Okay, that peridot said you could be in my lap and I can work while you do that resting thing."
The smaller gem leaned forward to rest her head against Pearl's stomach as she latched onto her sides, causing Pearl to look at her in surprise, "What are you...oh. You like to cuddle. Okay. Okay, I can do this." Pearl nodded, hesitant to touch Orange as she grew still against her.
"Pearl, what are you making so much noise for?" Yellow turned to look at Pearl, an unamused frown on her face for the second interruption from her in less than an hour.
"Oh! Sorry, my Diamond. She's..." Pearl looked down from Yellow Diamond's gaze to Orange, "Cuddling me."
"I see..." Yellow eyed the none moving hybrid, wondering briefly if it was malfunction with how it stopped moving before waving the thought off, turning back to her work. "keep it down."
"Yes my Diamond."
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So, important little update. 'Season 2' finale of this story is nearing us! We're going to have one more fluff chapter, followed by a normal flashback chapter, and then we're hitting our second season final, which is now being called 'DiamondBomb's, coined by the awesome Cartoonman.
It'll all be going down, starting on the 18th.
Im going to be posting a chapter every day, for four days, with the fourth being the final of the 'season'. Afterwards, Im going to be taking a small break from posting to celebrate 2 birthdays in my family, and to give myself a rest from posting. Ill be back on the 4th of March with the newest season and latest chapter.
Thank you to everyone who has commented and shown their love and taken the time to read this! It all means a lot to me, and your all so awesome.
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