➥ { continued | e k d i k i s i. }
➤ ⋮ jasper has never been known to be Q U I E T. ever since the passing of her diamond, however, her thick lips have not once parted so as to break the impermeable silence; that’s not to say that she hasn’t been THINKING. no, in fact, her mind has been racing with troubling ideas && pressing questions nonstop. though she occupies a species that needn’t trouble themselves with resting, whose boundaries far surpass those of mortal, organic lifeforms, jasper looks undoubtedly EXHAUSTED. her eyes are vacant && weary, while her vibrant coloring has somehow lost some of its luster. her hair is unkempt, a clear sign that she hasn’t bothered with the two hours it usually takes her to keep it neat. even so, even with the obvious signs pointing to the contrary, she continues to lie through her teeth. ❝ like i said, i’m F I N E. ❞ her tone is a little harsher than she intended it to be, && thus, the following statement is uttered carefully, && hesitantly. this IS a diamond she’s talking to, after all. ❝ why bother looking after a jasper from EARTH? you’re a DIAMOND. i’m sure you have better things to be doing. ❞ try though she might to choke down her insecurities, the tigress sounds a little HURT as she brings up the standard that agates have ruthlessly pounded into her head since the moment she had hatched. no matter how much she strives to prove herself, at the end of the day, she’s still an EARTH gem. it doesn’t matter that she came out perfect––she’s still lumped in with the other sorry, defective quartzes that somehow managed to crawl off planet. she’s seen as something less than a gem, even after all she’s done. that never seems to pain her any less. ❝ you've done enough. you kept me around when you could’ve easily shattered me. i know you thought about it. ❞ she smirks, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. ❝ keep it up && your court might think you’re favoring me. ❞
