(Before we start Reader/Strontium Titanate uses They/them, And Phosphophyllite uses He/Him for no confusion. also the last art belongs to me.)
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"CRACK!!" As Phosphophyllite gets shattered by All the gems that he once called family. Just so he could make sensei pray. To end it all. To finally get the peace he- no, they all wanted. Isn't it ironic? If he just simply made that encyclopedia and was just a tiny bit curious but nothing else, non of this would have happened. Antarc would still be here, Ghost, all the people he involved with his curiosity. He misses them dearly. No longer able to hold it, the alloy quietly seeped out of Phos's pearl eyes, mimicking that of crying. It always happened to him, he always wondered why, why was the alloy falling through his eyes? He is shattered into pieces, looking unrepairable, why, why was it always flowing through his eyes..?
"Tap, tap, tap!" Suddenly the gems hear a noise coming from the hallway, getting closer and closer, and closer. Until what they could tell was a figure getting ready to jump, and plunging in what seemed to be Phos's direction.
"You idiot!! Didn't i say to not go? They would never understand why either way!!" Their tone is filled with worry and concern for Phos even hugging the shattered gem with pity, yet their face doesn't support the kindness heard in their voice. He was the 'traitor', why give such kindness to the likes of him? Any gem would become jealous. Jealous of such gem caring so much for someone who, even with his words, deceived all.
As Bortz got ready to aim at their new target, euclase stops them. Every gem is surprised at this action and demands an explanation. Like angry little children mad at their father because he forgot the milk.
"Tita, y-you're alright.." every gem face then distorts from an angry face to such a shocked face, some softened their features, and some don't even know this Tita. It has been centuries since that name has even been spoken before. Even Rutile surprisingly stopped becoming a menace and sat down like a little puppy. As well as the other gems, they all, in sync, calmed down.
"It's Strontium Titanateto you and every other gem. Don't speak my name as if we are close." A whispered 'tsk' is not heard when they finished the sentence. But the sheer anger laced in their voice, made every gem think they did. Every gem, even Phos, is again now beyond shocked. What had they done to anger their elder? Surely not about Phosphophyllite? The 'traitor'? No. Surely not, right? And they were right. Strontium continued to hug Phos, and more tightly on the shattered body not caring about the looks the gems gave them, the gems they once called family.
"Leave us." To Shocked, the gems move out of the way. Strontium then proceeded to collect all the pieces of Phos, then princess carries Phos's legs. Onward to the line of gems, he sneaks glares at every other gem that used their weapon against him.
The sound of the footsteps then faded more and more as their colorless figure, the wind blowing their hair. They rose up with a black cloud surrounding them, they all knew where it came from. Strontium looks back at them with such an indifferent look, they cannot help but feel guilty for what they have done, every gem then grips on what they were holding a bit too tightly. They had disappointed them. Even to those who are yet to know them.
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"Click!" Now that pieces of Phos's body are back, he's now awake, he then stood sitting slouched, tired eyes with alloy ready to seep down his pearl eyes, again. But he tries to stop it, as he senses their presence. It was far too embarrassing. As he goes to rub away the alloy threatening to go down, a hand holds his.
It was the Lunarian's cue to leave now.
"Let it flow down, let it do its thing. And come here." Strontium opens their arms with a warm welcoming feeling, a tone laced with such a calming and comforting aura, Phos in no time, hugs them back with not a second wasted. The alloy then continued to seep down with silent sobs following, sounding like he was forcing himself to stop. Shushes are then heard calming down the weeping gem. The gem did in fact calm down, now silently crying.
"Shush, shh.." After the alloy stopped seeping down, they recommended to Phos to lie down a bit, and rest their weary mind. They let him lie down on their lap, so they can, even in their sleep, be comforted by the head pats Strontium is giving him. Rubbing some alloy away, intending to remove the smudges left from it.
"Knock knock!" Strontium is surprised that someone actually does care, what's even more surprising is, Phos didn't wake up from that. Relieved, he contemplated if he should move, or just tell them to come in, but Phos might wake up from his long-deserved slumber...
"I'm gonna come in" the person behind the door then decided for him. He is no longer surprised that Phos is not waking up from such loud noises. Curious about who it is, but who else would it be tho? No one else truly helped Phos under no circumstances after all.
"Oh, he's asleep. Strontium, wake him up if you may?" Such a sassy tone, you wouldn't have heard the annoyed ugh whispered. Striking an even more sassy pose, their dark night skin, lighting up with such brilliance that Strontium would prefer wearing fabric to cover their eyes for such blinding skin. Now they definitely knew who it was. Not surprised, after Aechmea supposedly freed Cairngorm from Ghost, from what they heard, the gem was practically obsessed with that Lunarian.
"And why would I, Princess?" They truly pitied this gem, foolishly thinking that their other half was controlling them when in reality, it is just them wanting to have meaning in their life. Then being deceived of the curse from their said other half. And becoming practically a puppet, a shiny toy you could say. Manipulated to think they were manipulated, ironic isn't it? Such pity the one they thought loved them, only loved them for their body.
"Mind telling him if he wants to go and attend my wedding?" Cairngorm mood swings faster than lighting with the mention of this wedding, truly pitiful. Cairngorm had become so, childish. Even forgetting their name at times.
"Mind telling me where you even heard it? let alone know what it is." Again, Caingorm's mood swings rapidly, from such a shining childish face, back to the indifferent face they give Phos. The word Aechmea alone makes them fawn over that Lunarian again, disgusting.
"Just tell him later. I'm leaving to my prince~!"They Barely heard that tsk at the start, but it is truly such a pity such a caring and selfless gem be used in such a way. The door swung open, then slammed closed. After confirming Princess left, is when Phos finally does wake up, truly hilarious that he wakes up only after princess left. I guess you need to slam a door to make them woe.
"Who were you talking to, Tita?" Phos finally got his well-deserved slumber, now rubbing his eyes, fighting the urge to not go back, but another considers so. Strontium lays Pho's head back on his lap to help him relax a bit, and take in everything slowly but surely. And petting him in the process.
"No one you need to care for right now, lie down a bit more to get yourself cozy." and Phos does. Nudging in closer to Strontium's embrace feeling more and more of those past cruel centuries, slip away.
——
Looking back at it now, Phos wished, if he just listened to Tita, would it have ended better? Even in his slumber, Phos dreamt of that scene with such warmth and comfort. Over and over, and over, again and again. But now he has a friend very reminiscent of what once was. He was that of a rock, not needing any of what Phos offers. Why would it? It already likes what it has.
