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Yeah. You know... Or I suppose you dont, [ he interjects, cutting himself for a moment before continuing. ] It's a type of bird that bonds for life and spends a lot of time with its partner.

[ a pause; he chuckles. ]

Mostly, it's a saying. You and I are acting like a typical couple - that's all I meant.

Oh. [ Don't mind them as their brow furrows Even more at the description, passing over the typical couple comment. ] Is that not normal for most animals?

[ They discount jellyfish and their weird mating habits because as far as they're concerned, jellyfish are like aliens compared to the animals familiar to humans. Maybe they're thinking of this too much like a gem would. ]

[ he shakes his head. ]

I don't think so. Not that I know too much about animals, but most of them don't even stay together to raise kids, as far as I can tell.

[ ... does Cairngorm even know how that works? Hm. He hopes he didn't accidentally walk into an embarrassing conversation when they were having a nice moment. ]

Except humans. Right?

[ ...right?! Not in his experience maybe, but they're pretty sure humans continue to know their parents for at least some of their lives. ]

I only ask because gems tend to partner for life, too. Or I guess the more accurate thing to say would be at until one or both get captured.

[ Until they get captured. That's depressing. If Lupin was a gem, he can imagine how he'd never be able to give up on any of them -- and, by the sounds of things, he'd never be able to do anything about it, either. No wonder Cairngorm is so stressed out. ]

Well -- generally, yeah. It depends on where you come from. There are a lot of different kinds of people in the world. Where I'm from, though, yeah. You fall in love with someone, get married, and stay together, ideally. [ a pause, followed by a curious look. ] You really keep your partners for all those hundreds of years? Your people are more romantic than I expected.

Edited (style edits...) 2019-05-29 03:29 (UTC)

Well, yes. Me and Ghost's partner before Phos— we were together for centuries. Most of our life, actually.

[ until they got beheaded and taken to the moon. They put a hand to their chin as they consider how to compare the two cultures, shaking their head. ]

But, like I said, gem partnerships aren't... I don't know if I'd call them all "romantic." And none of them are quite like what we have. [ a beat. ] Some gems are only work partners. But others don't ever get better after their partner gets taken away.

[ he's a little surprised to hear there was someone else before Phos - although he supposes it makes sense, since Cairngorm's mentioned that they haven't even known the other gem all that long in the grand scheme of things. He nods, showing a vague sort of understanding. Any romance they have can't be much like this, considering they're all stone, and, according to Cairngorm, don't touch very much (although he's wondering if that's just Cairngorm's personal take after Phos cheesed his arm a few months back.) ]

I'd imagine as much. You live for so long, after all - even we humans sometimes don't get better after losing someone. [ a pause. ] Your old partner... That was Lapis, right?

Edited 2019-05-31 04:06 (UTC)

[ That earns a gentle nod. ]

That's right. Why? You want to know something about them?

[ Despite what they'd just said about some gems never recovering from losing someone like that, they seem pretty aloof about the topic, or at least, they're not devastated by just the mention of them. ]

If you don't mind talking about them... What were they like?

[ he's curious. He only knows Cairngorm's relationships with Phos and Ghost - and both of those are rocky at best. In the end, this relationship they had with Lapis can't have amounted to very much, considering they were trapped inside Ghost at the time, but... he's sure they still had an opinion. They might not have controlled their body, but they were still aware. ]

They were a clever gem. Far smarter than Ghost and I - they had everything in the library memorized. We took over the library after they got taken, but we were no match for them in that job.

[ Cairngorm speaks relatively highly of them, and their tone is one of respect, only the slightest tinge of melancholy bleeding in. Their hand rests at the side of their face as they retrieve their memories of Lapis; the long days of patrol and the witty and charming talks Ghost and them used to have. ]

But - they were cunning and secretive, too. Always smiling like they knew something. [ For once, their remarks about a third party don't sound like complaints - they're even a little fond, if not slightly exasperated. ] That careful and intellectual aura they had is lost on Phos.

[ This is someone they liked. He doesn't think he's ever heard them talk about another person in such a positive way; it's bittersweet, knowing this person is gone, or at least gone in the form that Cairngorm knew them, but he's glad they was someone they had a positive connection with. Even if it was through the shroud of someone else's body. Lupin smiles a little. ]

You respected them a lot, huh? I can tell.

[ Phos had seemed clever and secretive, too, at least to Lupin - just goofy and enthusiastic on top of it. How much of that was Lapis? He's been wondering that all along, but he just can't imagine it's an okay thing to ask about. ]

[ Surprisingly, they just give a simple, unrestrained nod to that question. There's no use in denying it. Cairngorm has always been kinder to parties that aren't present or capable of responding - Lapis most of all. ]

Ghost and I lived by their instructions. [ Figuratively, of course! If he needed more proof that they've been socialized to be a follower since birth, there it is. ] You know, they would have been very interested in humans and technologies like this. They were really curious about the moon...

[ They are sneaking their hand over to the picture because they want to peek... but they give him a questioning glance as if to ask if it's too early and they'll somehow ruin it by looking. ]

[ curious about the enemy... he supposes there would have to be some gems like that, too, after all that time. The sentence by itself can't help reminding him of his dear friend from home. ]

If we got them in a room with Impey, I'm sure he could tell them all about it. Although our moon hasn't got any villains living on it, as far as I'm aware. [ just another little wish that won't come true. Neither of these people are here, and he doesn't know if Lapis could ever come here - although Ghost's former presence suggests it's not impossible. ] Weren't you partners? It sounds more like they were your boss.

[ as he speaks, he gives them a little nod of approval to look at the photo. It's been a few minutes - he's sure it's fine. ]

[ They shake their head. ]

We were partners. We did a lot together... patrol, playing cards. They would read to us sometimes.

[ Their eyes close momentarily just remembering it, thinking of Lapis's soothing voice and how hearing them read had always relaxed them. They have complicated feelings about Lapis, but recalling a pleasant thing or two about them - it's nice every once in a while.

With that, they finally turn the picture over, revealing a pretty well developed smiling and handsome Lupin. It's a good picture, if not a little crooked, but for someone who's barely seen other ones, it looks just perfect. Without thinking if he wants to look at it too, they pull it closer to themself, holding it gently with their thumbs on the bottom corners.

Momentarily, they're completely taken in by the picture, instantly forgetting what they were about to continue on about in relation to Lapis. They can see why people would like this sort of thing, now. Usually they can look at his smile for a few seconds before it either goes away or they avert their eyes so they don't get overwhelmed, but like this, they can look for as long as they want. They're trying to ignore the little fluttery feeling they get looking at his bright expression, frozen in time, trying to play off their distraction by putting it back on the table... but they're still looking at it, even with their arms crossing nonchalantly. ]

Oh... it worked.

[ VERY smooth... ]

[ Totally smooth. Lupin really was focusing on their story, trying to picture it - it's all a bit sad, no matter how he thinks of it, because as much as Cairngorm describes these events like they were part of them, they were really only watching, and he has to wonder if Lapis even knew there was a third person party to their interactions. Asking about that would probably only make Cairngorm sad, too, though; either that, or they'd have no reaction at all, and that would just make him feel worse.

Luckily, a distraction appears. An obvious one. That wasn't exactly what anyone would call subtle - and while he's no stranger to being admired (it's not egotistical if it just happens, right), it's unusual for Cairngorm to do it. He can't stop the smile from growing across his face, warm affection spreading from his chest. God, they're cute. ]

I'm guessing it came out well, [ he comments, tone sly and knowing. ]

[ They leer as soon as he hits them with that tone, their crossed arms tightening. Ugh. Of course he'd feel cocky over a brief lapse in their attempts to not show too much softness towards him. ]

It's right there. Go ahead and look for yourself.

[ Translation: there's no need to point out that they looked at it for a little too long, and he can see just as well on his own that it developed fine. Clearly that little blip had nothing to do with their personal thoughts about him. They're not admitting it's good, not when he's going to act haughty about it. ]

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