#fameblue

Once the Diamonds had left, Holly Blue was really struck by just how isolated she was. After being essentially abandoned at this station, she was desperate for any contact at all from her superiors. Two Diamonds at once had been amazing, but now, it only seemed to make the silence echo more.

While it's true that the quartzes used to have a very difficult life (that she certainly didn't make better), at least they had the support of their lovers (don't think she hadn't noticed the surreptitious touches when they thought she wasn't looking) who shared the same burden. They had each other, and unfortunately, that was a bond that the Diamonds hadn't intended for someone like her.

Now, the sole activity she got was during the "night" (for the humans anyways). Only then would she dare to slip out of her quarters, tiptoeing through the corridors.

She left her high-heeled boots back in her room, and instead of her former straight-backed, imposing stature, she nearly slouched as she tried to press herself even deeper into the shadowed areas. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Even then, instead of her former patrol of the station, all she did was walk to one of the windows three corridors down. It was far enough away from the Quartzes' sleeping area that none of them would notice her presence, and still within a "safe" distance of her room.

Since there was no skeleton crew on during the "night" any more, she didn't need to worry about being caught. One habit the Quartzes seemed to have picked up from the humans was sleeping, which they tended to do all at once together.

While in the past, she would have bemoaned their laziness, today she couldn't complain. Their slothfulness gave her ample hours for her new favourite pastime: stargazing.

She could see Homeworld's galaxy from here, just a few of the many brilliantly shining specks of light. She would stare at it, longingly remembering the days she was a respected-even FEARED-part of Blue Diamond's Court.

She couldn't be further from there now, yet another reminder of a painful past shoved away in this box with all the others, forever idling aimlessly in space.

Thinking about it made her chest hurt, but any feeling other than detached boredom was now quite welcome. Besides, she was no longer the Great Holly Blue Agate, Keeper of the Human Zoo. She could allow herself a little self-pity.

It was during another stargazing session that it had happened.

She had once again been so thoroughly absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the presence behind her until she registered movement in her periphery. She spun around, eyes wide with horror as she stared at the gem behind her.

Oh, how many times had she called the skinny Jasper before her an off-colour failure? Holly could try to run, but with one shout, Skinny could easily bring several burlier quartzes to her aid.

So she stood there, paralyzed, at once ashamed of herself yet unable to bring herself to act.

Skinny had always been a little more perceptive than the others. To make up for her lack of brute force, she seemed to have been gifted with eyes that could look right through you. Holly had never had that piercing gaze directed towards her, and she didn’t like it. She didn’t know what to do, flinching back like a caged animal as Skinny took a step forwards.

"You're lonely." Skinny's voice was barely there at all, but the sound of it hit Holly Blue with the force of a whip. She was finally spurred into action.

She opened her mouth, but no words would come out. Instead, she quickly backed a few steps away from the wall, starting down the corridor in the opposite direction.

After she was a safe distance away, she spun around and almost running down the corridor.