That's why it's better to just have it on. Everyone here is already used to seeing me that way... it'd be weird if everyone stared at me the way you are right now.
[ It feels kind of awkward to be stared at in such a way, especially considering they're not like Diamond or Morganite who have such colorful and bright crystallizations that tended to draw similar attention back at home. But despite saying something so direct, they don't look up, setting another piece near him and going to paint another. It'll be faster if they just get more of them done at the same time - it's more practical. ]
I don't know how long I was gone after that shadow incident, but probably not for a whole week like your roommate. I can't really remember everything after losing some of my color... [ They trail off, carefully setting a second piece near him and placing the paintbrush down. ] But it's possible those memories are in these pieces.
[ manners, lupin!! you're a gentleman thief! He shakes his head just slightly, focusing his gaze on the new shard as he picks it up and repeats the same procedure as last time - minus the hesitation. ]
Your memories are in these?
[ he'd better be extra careful, then. Cairn probably doesn't have a brain if they're a rock, so... that makes sense...? Maybe? Not really. ]
Yes. Small pieces like this have things that I won't even notice not remembering... But losing bigger parts means losing more, like when my leg was off. It's possible I forgot who entire gems were at that time.
[ They wait patiently for the other piece, looking more like a sculpture than anything given the eerie stillness of their body. ]
I guess something like that probably can't happen to you.
[ he muses as he sets the second piece into their face. Fortunately, he actually is pretty good at this, so they won't look like a Picasso when he's done - he has an eye for details and is good with his hands. ]
We can lose memories, but only if we hurt our heads really badly. There's not usually any coming back from that. [ he leans back, having finished, and double-checks his handiwork. ] ... Anyway, now I'm even more relieved you got all your parts back. Forgetting and being forgotten - that's worse than death, if you ask me.
[ They can't agree or disagree that it's scary, since it's the only reality they've known - they just give a little 'hmph' in response, actually quite interested in the memory functions of humans. Humans, and everything about them - it's definitely something the other gems would want to hear about, so they'll try to remember what they can. ]
I don't know if it's worse than death. [ Pulling away again, they feel the smoothness of their cheek, looking distantly thoughtful for a second when they open their eyes. ] The closest thing we have to "death", at least the way I understand it, is to be taken away to the moon.
[ They realize right after saying that that they haven't exactly explained the We Get Abducted By People From Space thing to Lupin, so they just go back to painting the last piece and give a preliminary sigh in mental preparation. ]
And even then, most sane gems would prefer losing a limb and some memories to that.
[ the moon thing definitely requires an explanation, especially seeing as one of his best friends - no, probably just his best friend, period - is determined to get there one day, somehow. Of course, Cairngorm's moon is probably totally different, but the interest is there all the same. ]
The moon...? Who's taking you there? [ a pause; then, somewhat hesitantly: ] ... What's so bad about it?
[ this rock person's life just keeps getting weirder?! if Lupin wasn't sitting here looking at their weird reflective skin and listening to their story while sticking shiny bits of crystal back on their face, he probably would never believe it, but, well. he is. he doesn't have much of a choice. ]
[ As they speak, its quickly and distantly. They agreed to answer his questions, after all. ]
They're people from our moon that harvest gems for weapons and jewelry. Or at least, [ They set the last piece near him, using a cloth to clean off the brush while they talk. ] That's what we assume, their arrows have shards of previously abducted gems sometimes...
[ Setting all their tools down properly, they prop their head up on their hand, tilting their face so the last open break is as easily accessible as possible. ]
Those gems aren't "dead", but. We've never recovered enough of someone to revive them. So that's what's bad about it.
[ it's immediately apparent he's touched on a delicate topic - not that it wasn't obvious already, considering the subject matter of their conversation, but he can't predict what will actually bother Cairngorm and what won't. Lupin listens respectfully.
It still sounds like a fairy tale. The mention of turning gems into the jewelry is just close enough to his reality to make him feel a pang of guilt, however. Lupin's been offering comparisons to life on his world thus far in the conversation, but he decides it's probably better not to mention this one, even if the jewels on Earth aren't sentient. That would be insensitive. He simply frowns as he leans in one last time to put the final piece into place, his brow furrowing. ]
... Yeah. That's worse than "bad." [ maybe worse than anything that could happen to a human, too. He won't apologize for asking about this - Cairngorm did volunteer the information - but there's an apologetic note to his voice, and a bit of compassion, too. He has a strong sense of justice; unsurprisingly, this news bothers him. ] Killing someone just to use them for parts... That's unforgivable. They must be real monsters.
[ They shrug. The other's compassion feels like pity, and they don't like the feeling, so they just offer a little hum in acknowledgement of what he says, agreeing but having no further opinion on it - the Lunarians were bad, beyond a doubt, but it was also just the way things were.
Lunarian talk aside, it feels nice to be whole again, and it's instinctive to cup their own face to make sure everything is pressed in correctly. ]
Hm. You are not too bad at this.
[ To be fair, they don't think it was a very hard thing to fix, but they're still appreciative, willing to give credit where it is due. They barely pause after saying so, as if it was just a passing thought that they mumbled aloud. ]
Gems can get pretty distracted fighting against weapons made of their former partners... Lunarians likely do it on purpose. [ Sending particular shards of gems on particular days, that is. ] So I'm sure you can see now why we would prefer to lose some memories than become tools used against our own.
Heh. I told you, didn't I? The great Arsène never fails.
[ ... not that he actually had any experience doing something like this, but his confidence says otherwise. He interprets their cupping their face as satisfaction, and it's enough to pick him up from his momentary concern over the Lunarians. ]
But yeah, you're right. It's just hard for me to imagine. Humans can do terrible things to each other, but we don't really have anything like that. ... Well, not that I've heard of. [ with his work finished, he leans back, draping his arm over the back of his chair. ] Has it always been like that? The fighting between your people and them.
[ Ugh.... why is he so smug. They almost regret complimenting him, but not enough to show any more displeasure than the always-present crease in their brow returning. It's better to just leave it and answer his questions. ]
Well, originally Lunarians just tried to convince gems to come to the moon... but those gems began to act strangely and break themselves, so they stopped trying that and moved on to more violent methods. That's how it's been for the majority of our existence, including my entire lifespan.
[ They can't think of a time when there was peace, other than maybe the first century when the very first gems had been born. And they have a severe lack of knowledge on that particular time period, given their relatively young age. ]
But since you mention it, I was pretty surprised when I heard humans fight among each other. That's unheard of for gems.
[ he's running on the assumption that Cairngorm is always at least 20% annoyed with him based on that RBF, really, so it doesn't bother him. More accurately, he probably doesn't even notice it anymore. ]
I see. A war that never ends, then. [ hmm. ] We've had a few like that, too. We pay more attention to the differences between us than the similarities, so we end up fighting a lot. I don't know if gems are the same way... Even if they are, having a common enemy usually brings people together.
[ a pause. there is one thing he's wondering about now, though. ]
Uh, this is backtracking a little, but you piqued my curiosity. How old are you? I'm 24, for the record.
Twenty-four? [ They can't hide their shock over his age. ] I thought you'd be at least thirty to forty, or something...
[ Cairngorm had heard that humans only live for seventy years, and seeing as Lupin was a bit more mature than the child ones, they'd been under that assumption. Now he just seems like a baby. ]
I'm just under a thousand. That might seem old to you, but out of the twenty-eight gems, I'm actually in the lower half in seniority. [ A slight pause, as they close their eyes and give a little sigh. They really do wish it was easier for them to understand the life course of humans, but it's so wildly different that they keep making incorrect assumptions. ] Though even the two youngest gems are already nearly triple your age. So that probably doesn't mean much to you.
[ he was expecting like, 200... so now they're both here being shocked. Really, though, is there even a difference in his perception between 200 years old and 1000 years old? They're both impossibly long amounts of time to live from his point of view - so much so that he can't really comprehend the reality of it. That knowledge doesn't stop his eyes from turning into dinner plates for a second or two, however. ]
Well... You don't look a day over 500. [ this is the best he can come up with; he laughs a little. they really are different... ] And you've spent all that time fighting against these moon people?
We look the same our whole lives after being perfected, you know.
[ The joke is lost on them, but they adjust the way they're leaning on the table while they think about how to answer. It does take them a moment since they're still thinking about just how very different the lives of humans are, how a gem his age would be considered an absolute clueless infant by everyone around them. ]
What else would I be doing? I just told you they've been abducting us since long before I was born. Even during times that I wasn't patrolling, I still had to do jobs related to helping gems survive. That's just how our life is.
[ he had a feeling that joke wouldn't land, but it was more to make him feel less alienated than anything, if he's being honest with himself. And Lupin's thoughts are actually somewhat similar to Cairn's: are they thinking of him as some idiot child now? Moreover, are they wrong? From their perspective, he must be one. But they don't act like a grizzled old sage. Reality is in conflict with the actual person sitting in front of him. ]
I know. It's not like I don't believe you. It's just... a thousand years is a really, really long time to live. When I think of all the things I've done, and then I realize it's not even ten percent of the life you've lived...
[ Spending it all fighting seems like a waste. Lupin doesn't want to live forever, but if he did, he's certain that's the last thing he'd want to spend his time on. ]
... I don't know. There's so much to do in the world, and you've got so much time to do it all. I hope you get moments of peace here and there to enjoy it.
[ They're quiet, mulling over his somewhat emotional response. The way he is responding...it's just not the way that gems tended to think about their situation with Lunarians; it would be nice if the Lunarians weren't there, but they have to wonder what the gems would even do with themselves without some reason to do work. ]
...You are making me feel old. I have siblings four times my age...
[ They curl up and put their head in their hands, sulking and feeling suddenly very awkward being talked to like an ancient being when they're used to being considered a cute young adult back home. So this is what it's like to be a senior... ]
And even gems that old — it would be impossible for them to live that long if there were never "moments of peace". Whole centuries can pass by without anyone being abducted, if we're lucky. In fact, it's here that I wish I could have a moment of peace...
[ They have siblings...? That's the most surprising thing here, especially since they just said they were "perfected." He sort of assumed they just... popped up out of the ground fully-formed. That wouldn't lend itself to siblings, unless they think of all the gems as their siblings, which is possible, he guesses.
But he lets it slide, giving Cairn an apologetic look. ]
-- Sorry. Try not to take it so hard. You don't act like you're that old, so it caught me off guard. [ a quick smile. ] If you don't treat me like a baby, I won't treat you like a senior citizen.
[ that's a fair deal, right. ]
You do have some time off, though! What do you do with a hundred years of free time?
[ That's fair... if they're being honest, Lupin is a lot more mature than the seventy-year olds they knew. ]
Ah, I didn't mean we're free from them for a century - they come almost every three days no matter what. Just that sometimes we're able to keep them from taking anyone for that long.
[ They clarify, dragging their hands down their face. For them, its peaceful enough if no one had recently been taken, so there could be long stretches of time where gems werent mourning or freaked out by a new capture method. ]
In what free time I have between work, I usually read. I'm in charge of the library, so I'm around books all day anyway. War journals, science texts... things like that.
[ every three days? His face falls at that a little, disbelieving. That really is constant warfare - much more constant than what he'd been imagining. No wonder they were always patrolling.
Still, he can set that aside for the moment hearing them reveal some more humanizing information. His usual smile is back on his face in a flash, and he leans in interestedly. ]
[ They're not sure what to make of that comment, but they'll take it positively nonetheless. They'd rather be seen as a bookish type than someone obnoxious with bad hobbies... ]
I can't really imagine what you do in your free time.
[ Do humans even have a lot of free time...? They're not really sure how much time eating and other human daily stuff takes out of the day. Plus, Lupin's personality is so strange that they're not really sure what he likes other than climbing. ]
Then again, most human hobbies are pretty unimaginable to me. I've only started learning about them recently from others...and through fairytales.
[ maybe lupin likes JOUSTING and spinning gold from straw ]
[ if cairngorm asked him if he could do those things, he would definitely say yes, for the record ]
Hah. Fairy tales aren't very accurate - at least not where I'm from. We haven't got magic or anything like that.
[ there's nothing else to read around here, though, so he can't blame them. His hobbies, though... Hmm. ]
To be honest, I don't have much free time, either, but I have a job doing something I really like, so it all works out. I suppose I like going out on the town, having a jog, maybe doing a little bit of gambling...
[ wow lupin you're so talented.... can you turn frogs into princesses too
But really, all those hobbies seem pretty normal, nothing stands out to them as particularly strange. Gems fake gambled over cards kind of, so they get it. ]
What, that "risk your life all the time" job? You didn't really tell me what it was.
[ Now that does make them a bit curious since he talks so fondly about his job; why would anyone particularly enjoy putting their life on the line after all... they guess it wouldn't be the first time Lupin did something that was incomprehensible by their standards. ]
[ the question gives Lupin some pause. Typically, he'd steamroll right over it without giving a straight answer; telling people that he's a thief is generally a bad move. He never does it to anyone he's not going to be involved with for the long term back home, and even here, he's keeping it to himself (as much as he's able, since he's apparently become world-famous in the next century.)
Cairn's a little different. Obviously, they know what stealing is, considering bits of their people are being snatched away, but he doubts their society has many actual thieves. So, after a second or two of tapping his lips in thought, he smiles. ]
I'm an infamous criminal. [ a note of mischief. ] I steal from the rich and the wicked, and give back to those who rightfully deserve it. The law isn't fair to everyone where I'm from, so I've decided to do away with it.
[ If Cairn was the type to laugh, they would laugh here. But they aren't, so they just give out a dry exhale, gazing off and nearly smiling. The concept of a thief exists for gems just as someone who 'steals', but not in the criminal sense...in fact, it's the idea of crime and inequality that's confusing to them. What they can make of his description is that he'd be the kind to steal from Lunarians and give back to the gems, or something like that...? That's pretty stupid, in their opinion, but also amusing, in a weird sense. It's definitely a brand of heroism that didn't exist in gem culture, was unfathomable just out of how their society was built. ]
And other humans would kill you over it? Even if it's fair.
[ Unlike human society, gems were wholly collectivist; everyone was equal and did their fair share to contribute. That a society would have inequality and punish those trying to neutralize it... it's almost enough for them to find it laughable, just out of how irrational that behavior is. It's still hard for them to understand that a species would sabotage itself or its members in any way. ]
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[ It feels kind of awkward to be stared at in such a way, especially considering they're not like Diamond or Morganite who have such colorful and bright crystallizations that tended to draw similar attention back at home. But despite saying something so direct, they don't look up, setting another piece near him and going to paint another. It'll be faster if they just get more of them done at the same time - it's more practical. ]
I don't know how long I was gone after that shadow incident, but probably not for a whole week like your roommate. I can't really remember everything after losing some of my color... [ They trail off, carefully setting a second piece near him and placing the paintbrush down. ] But it's possible those memories are in these pieces.
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[ manners, lupin!! you're a gentleman thief! He shakes his head just slightly, focusing his gaze on the new shard as he picks it up and repeats the same procedure as last time - minus the hesitation. ]
Your memories are in these?
[ he'd better be extra careful, then. Cairn probably doesn't have a brain if they're a rock, so... that makes sense...? Maybe? Not really. ]
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[ They wait patiently for the other piece, looking more like a sculpture than anything given the eerie stillness of their body. ]
I guess something like that probably can't happen to you.
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[ he muses as he sets the second piece into their face. Fortunately, he actually is pretty good at this, so they won't look like a Picasso when he's done - he has an eye for details and is good with his hands. ]
We can lose memories, but only if we hurt our heads really badly. There's not usually any coming back from that. [ he leans back, having finished, and double-checks his handiwork. ] ... Anyway, now I'm even more relieved you got all your parts back. Forgetting and being forgotten - that's worse than death, if you ask me.
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I don't know if it's worse than death. [ Pulling away again, they feel the smoothness of their cheek, looking distantly thoughtful for a second when they open their eyes. ] The closest thing we have to "death", at least the way I understand it, is to be taken away to the moon.
[ They realize right after saying that that they haven't exactly explained the We Get Abducted By People From Space thing to Lupin, so they just go back to painting the last piece and give a preliminary sigh in mental preparation. ]
And even then, most sane gems would prefer losing a limb and some memories to that.
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The moon...? Who's taking you there? [ a pause; then, somewhat hesitantly: ] ... What's so bad about it?
[ this rock person's life just keeps getting weirder?! if Lupin wasn't sitting here looking at their weird reflective skin and listening to their story while sticking shiny bits of crystal back on their face, he probably would never believe it, but, well. he is. he doesn't have much of a choice. ]
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[ As they speak, its quickly and distantly. They agreed to answer his questions, after all. ]
They're people from our moon that harvest gems for weapons and jewelry. Or at least, [ They set the last piece near him, using a cloth to clean off the brush while they talk. ] That's what we assume, their arrows have shards of previously abducted gems sometimes...
[ Setting all their tools down properly, they prop their head up on their hand, tilting their face so the last open break is as easily accessible as possible. ]
Those gems aren't "dead", but. We've never recovered enough of someone to revive them. So that's what's bad about it.
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It still sounds like a fairy tale. The mention of turning gems into the jewelry is just close enough to his reality to make him feel a pang of guilt, however. Lupin's been offering comparisons to life on his world thus far in the conversation, but he decides it's probably better not to mention this one, even if the jewels on Earth aren't sentient. That would be insensitive. He simply frowns as he leans in one last time to put the final piece into place, his brow furrowing. ]
... Yeah. That's worse than "bad." [ maybe worse than anything that could happen to a human, too. He won't apologize for asking about this - Cairngorm did volunteer the information - but there's an apologetic note to his voice, and a bit of compassion, too. He has a strong sense of justice; unsurprisingly, this news bothers him. ] Killing someone just to use them for parts... That's unforgivable. They must be real monsters.
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Lunarian talk aside, it feels nice to be whole again, and it's instinctive to cup their own face to make sure everything is pressed in correctly. ]
Hm. You are not too bad at this.
[ To be fair, they don't think it was a very hard thing to fix, but they're still appreciative, willing to give credit where it is due. They barely pause after saying so, as if it was just a passing thought that they mumbled aloud. ]
Gems can get pretty distracted fighting against weapons made of their former partners... Lunarians likely do it on purpose. [ Sending particular shards of gems on particular days, that is. ] So I'm sure you can see now why we would prefer to lose some memories than become tools used against our own.
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[ ... not that he actually had any experience doing something like this, but his confidence says otherwise. He interprets their cupping their face as satisfaction, and it's enough to pick him up from his momentary concern over the Lunarians. ]
But yeah, you're right. It's just hard for me to imagine. Humans can do terrible things to each other, but we don't really have anything like that. ... Well, not that I've heard of. [ with his work finished, he leans back, draping his arm over the back of his chair. ] Has it always been like that? The fighting between your people and them.
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Well, originally Lunarians just tried to convince gems to come to the moon... but those gems began to act strangely and break themselves, so they stopped trying that and moved on to more violent methods. That's how it's been for the majority of our existence, including my entire lifespan.
[ They can't think of a time when there was peace, other than maybe the first century when the very first gems had been born. And they have a severe lack of knowledge on that particular time period, given their relatively young age. ]
But since you mention it, I was pretty surprised when I heard humans fight among each other. That's unheard of for gems.
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I see. A war that never ends, then. [ hmm. ] We've had a few like that, too. We pay more attention to the differences between us than the similarities, so we end up fighting a lot. I don't know if gems are the same way... Even if they are, having a common enemy usually brings people together.
[ a pause. there is one thing he's wondering about now, though. ]
Uh, this is backtracking a little, but you piqued my curiosity. How old are you? I'm 24, for the record.
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[ Cairngorm had heard that humans only live for seventy years, and seeing as Lupin was a bit more mature than the child ones, they'd been under that assumption. Now he just seems like a baby. ]
I'm just under a thousand. That might seem old to you, but out of the twenty-eight gems, I'm actually in the lower half in seniority. [ A slight pause, as they close their eyes and give a little sigh. They really do wish it was easier for them to understand the life course of humans, but it's so wildly different that they keep making incorrect assumptions. ] Though even the two youngest gems are already nearly triple your age. So that probably doesn't mean much to you.
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[ he was expecting like, 200... so now they're both here being shocked. Really, though, is there even a difference in his perception between 200 years old and 1000 years old? They're both impossibly long amounts of time to live from his point of view - so much so that he can't really comprehend the reality of it. That knowledge doesn't stop his eyes from turning into dinner plates for a second or two, however. ]
Well... You don't look a day over 500. [ this is the best he can come up with; he laughs a little. they really are different... ] And you've spent all that time fighting against these moon people?
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[ The joke is lost on them, but they adjust the way they're leaning on the table while they think about how to answer. It does take them a moment since they're still thinking about just how very different the lives of humans are, how a gem his age would be considered an absolute clueless infant by everyone around them. ]
What else would I be doing? I just told you they've been abducting us since long before I was born. Even during times that I wasn't patrolling, I still had to do jobs related to helping gems survive. That's just how our life is.
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I know. It's not like I don't believe you. It's just... a thousand years is a really, really long time to live. When I think of all the things I've done, and then I realize it's not even ten percent of the life you've lived...
[ Spending it all fighting seems like a waste. Lupin doesn't want to live forever, but if he did, he's certain that's the last thing he'd want to spend his time on. ]
... I don't know. There's so much to do in the world, and you've got so much time to do it all. I hope you get moments of peace here and there to enjoy it.
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...You are making me feel old. I have siblings four times my age...
[ They curl up and put their head in their hands, sulking and feeling suddenly very awkward being talked to like an ancient being when they're used to being considered a cute young adult back home. So this is what it's like to be a senior... ]
And even gems that old — it would be impossible for them to live that long if there were never "moments of peace". Whole centuries can pass by without anyone being abducted, if we're lucky. In fact, it's here that I wish I could have a moment of peace...
[ BIG sigh ]
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But he lets it slide, giving Cairn an apologetic look. ]
-- Sorry. Try not to take it so hard. You don't act like you're that old, so it caught me off guard. [ a quick smile. ] If you don't treat me like a baby, I won't treat you like a senior citizen.
[ that's a fair deal, right. ]
You do have some time off, though! What do you do with a hundred years of free time?
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Ah, I didn't mean we're free from them for a century - they come almost every three days no matter what. Just that sometimes we're able to keep them from taking anyone for that long.
[ They clarify, dragging their hands down their face. For them, its peaceful enough if no one had recently been taken, so there could be long stretches of time where gems werent mourning or freaked out by a new capture method. ]
In what free time I have between work, I usually read. I'm in charge of the library, so I'm around books all day anyway. War journals, science texts... things like that.
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Still, he can set that aside for the moment hearing them reveal some more humanizing information. His usual smile is back on his face in a flash, and he leans in interestedly. ]
So you're a bookworm. Hmm... I can imagine that.
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I can't really imagine what you do in your free time.
[ Do humans even have a lot of free time...? They're not really sure how much time eating and other human daily stuff takes out of the day. Plus, Lupin's personality is so strange that they're not really sure what he likes other than climbing. ]
Then again, most human hobbies are pretty unimaginable to me. I've only started learning about them recently from others...and through fairytales.
[ maybe lupin likes JOUSTING and spinning gold from straw ]
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Hah. Fairy tales aren't very accurate - at least not where I'm from. We haven't got magic or anything like that.
[ there's nothing else to read around here, though, so he can't blame them. His hobbies, though... Hmm. ]
To be honest, I don't have much free time, either, but I have a job doing something I really like, so it all works out. I suppose I like going out on the town, having a jog, maybe doing a little bit of gambling...
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But really, all those hobbies seem pretty normal, nothing stands out to them as particularly strange. Gems fake gambled over cards kind of, so they get it. ]
What, that "risk your life all the time" job? You didn't really tell me what it was.
[ Now that does make them a bit curious since he talks so fondly about his job; why would anyone particularly enjoy putting their life on the line after all... they guess it wouldn't be the first time Lupin did something that was incomprehensible by their standards. ]
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Cairn's a little different. Obviously, they know what stealing is, considering bits of their people are being snatched away, but he doubts their society has many actual thieves. So, after a second or two of tapping his lips in thought, he smiles. ]
I'm an infamous criminal. [ a note of mischief. ] I steal from the rich and the wicked, and give back to those who rightfully deserve it. The law isn't fair to everyone where I'm from, so I've decided to do away with it.
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[ If Cairn was the type to laugh, they would laugh here. But they aren't, so they just give out a dry exhale, gazing off and nearly smiling. The concept of a thief exists for gems just as someone who 'steals', but not in the criminal sense...in fact, it's the idea of crime and inequality that's confusing to them. What they can make of his description is that he'd be the kind to steal from Lunarians and give back to the gems, or something like that...? That's pretty stupid, in their opinion, but also amusing, in a weird sense. It's definitely a brand of heroism that didn't exist in gem culture, was unfathomable just out of how their society was built. ]
And other humans would kill you over it? Even if it's fair.
[ Unlike human society, gems were wholly collectivist; everyone was equal and did their fair share to contribute. That a society would have inequality and punish those trying to neutralize it... it's almost enough for them to find it laughable, just out of how irrational that behavior is. It's still hard for them to understand that a species would sabotage itself or its members in any way. ]
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