Resonance in the Void

CHAPTER 2: The Calculated Watch

Days passed. Lapis found herself growing accustomed to the sterile cold of the prison, but her mind was constantly working, looking for an opportunity. Every day, Peridot would come by at the exact same time, her routine unchanging. Lapis had learned the rhythm of her captor's movements, watching how Peridot's fingers danced across the control panels, tweaking the prison's systems with ease.

One day, as Peridot was conducting her usual scans, Lapis broke the silence once again. "I bet you're pretty good with all this tech. It's impressive."

Peridot stopped, her back turned to Lapis, fingers hovering over her tablet. "It's not impressive. It's simply my function." Her tone was dismissive, but there was something softer, almost uncertain in her voice.

Lapis tilted her head, watching Peridot intently. "But you enjoy it, don't you? It's not just a job for you."

Peridot's visor shifted ever so slightly, her hands still poised over her device. "Enjoyment is irrelevant to our duties. The efficiency and perfection of my work are what matter."

"But you do enjoy it," Lapis pressed, a small smile playing on her lips. "I can see it in the way you focus on the details. You take pride in what you do."

There was a long pause. Peridot glanced at her with a mixture of irritation and uncertainty, but she didn't outright deny it. "What are you trying to accomplish with this conversation?" she asked bluntly, her eyes hidden behind her visor but her body language more rigid than usual.

"Maybe I'm just trying to understand you," Lapis replied honestly, folding her arms over her chest. "You're not like the others. You're smarter than them, more... thoughtful."

Peridot frowned. "I don't need your approval, Lazuli."

"Who said anything about approval?" Lapis smirked, leaning back on the cold wall. "I'm just making observations."

Peridot's lips tightened into a thin line, and without another word, she finished her work and left the cell. But Lapis knew that, beneath her calculated exterior, she had gotten under Peridot's skin. The smallest crack in the facade was there.

(This one is also a bit short, sorry.)