Stars and Diamonds

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."