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. ]
[ and that's essentially the understanding he thought Cairn might have. Other humans might have a bad impression of him right off the bat, seeing as most thieves don't give two figs about doing the right thing - but they're willing to accept what he says for exactly what it is. It's kind of nice, actually, although he does like the "bad boy" impression when it works for him. ]
Human laws are complicated, and there are plenty of times when they're just vague enough to let people get away with all sorts of things. If you have enough money, you can pay your way out of any trouble you get into.
[ wait, do they even know what money is... well, he's not quite ready to explain that, so he just waves a hand. ]
It sounds like your thinking's more in line with mine, though. Good.
[ Law??? Money?!?!? There's so many words he's using that are lost on them... so they're thankful when he waves his hand dismissively, since it gets pretty tiring having to ask for a definition for every little thing. Not to mention that it makes them feel pretty stupid. ]
I don't know about that.
[ It takes a second for them to think, rubbing the back of their neck and genuinely trying very hard to imagine a life like he is describing, if only so they can understand future encounters with humans. ]
It's just that us gems are all supposed to be equal. Even in beauty...so naturally it seems wrong for some to benefit more than others. I'd probably get annoyed if life was like that too, but I don't know if I'd go around stealing stuff to remedy it. Honestly, I'm not even really sure how that's supposed to help the problem.
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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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
Human laws are complicated, and there are plenty of times when they're just vague enough to let people get away with all sorts of things. If you have enough money, you can pay your way out of any trouble you get into.
[ wait, do they even know what money is... well, he's not quite ready to explain that, so he just waves a hand. ]
It sounds like your thinking's more in line with mine, though. Good.
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I don't know about that.
[ It takes a second for them to think, rubbing the back of their neck and genuinely trying very hard to imagine a life like he is describing, if only so they can understand future encounters with humans. ]
It's just that us gems are all supposed to be equal. Even in beauty...so naturally it seems wrong for some to benefit more than others. I'd probably get annoyed if life was like that too, but I don't know if I'd go around stealing stuff to remedy it. Honestly, I'm not even really sure how that's supposed to help the problem.