Lord x sleepy 😴

We did it again boys!!! Another animatic!!

The Power Plant was quiet today.

There was the gentle clinking of movement, none of it seemed brisk to Ametrine. They have grown bored of being in the walls of this safe space, a hundred miles below surface light. It was a little warmer than it was yesterday, perhaps other garnets were forming today? They couldn’t tell. With a huff, they stood up, following the footsteps they heard. They’ve lived here long enough to tell who that was. “Tsavorite!!! You! I’m bored!” “Bored?” It was said with a warm laugh as they turned to face the sterling-plated gem, rearranging their scouter as they thought of what they wished to do. “Hm...are you going to suggest-” “I wanna go outside!” “-You want to go outside, of course.” They glanced away as they remembered the route the other would have to take. “Well, Some of the other Larimar have dug tunnels to look for tiny bits of Uranium and other radioactive bits… You’ll have to take that route up.” “Did you cause another cave-in? Again?” “It’ll be fixed soon enough, Ametrine. Do be careful traversing through there, will you? Wouldn’t want too many particles of that mineral to infest you.” “Mhm!! Mhm!!! Is it cold on the surface today?” “It always is, silly.” “Again??? Ughhhh, but your heating system isn’t enough to keep me warm! I still have to take blankets…” “Oh, come now… it’s not that bad, now is it?” “I feel like a popsicle up there!!!” “Then, would you mind checking a certain mine for me?” “Is it that one stupid place with all that Kimberlite? You know, I’ve been telling you that you could just harvest from there! I don’t see why you don’t want anything from there.” “I’m just biding time. The jewelers wouldn’t want me drilling there yet.”

Jewelers…? “What are those?” Tsavorite was in the middle of replying after the question was begged before Ametrine felt a searing pain in their head. Their hands went up to their head, clenching it violently. They...They hoped this wouldn’t scuff the metal on their scalp. They could hear faint mumbling, but it only made them close their eyes tight, looking away. It felt like their head was splitting in two, every time this happened!

“Oh, dear...is that pain getting to you again? I’m...sorry.” Words finally would get through about a minute later. “Perhaps the information was too much for you to handle. I’m sure going back to the surface would help clear it a little more…” “Then I guess I’ll just go.” They grumbled, trying to keep their mind from going haywire a second time and result in another wave of pain. “Alright. Be safe out there, will you?” “Pff- when am I not…?” “Hah, I simply must make sure. You never know what’s out there.”

“You’re really weird sometimes.”

“Right back at you.” “Hu-Hey!!! No!!! You’re weirder.” “And you’re the weirdest.” The two managed to giggle at such a remark, the smaller turning heel. “Fine! I’ll spend a whole day there, you can’t stop me…!” “If you do, at least have fun while you’re there, alright?” “That’s a promise I can keep!” And with that, they kicked up their boots and darted away.

Already, the new route carved out by all the Larimar looked stunning- clean, dark green in color- it was hard to tell it was a mine at all. Dim, blacklight illuminated shattered Fluorites, which the tiny robots were also collecting by the pound. They had to pause for a moment just to take it all in, a tiny smile brought to their face. Sure, they were gonna miss that other route with all of the masses of different rock, but this was just as interesting! Maybe they’d take this path more often if they could tell how to get to the surface...Because right now, they felt absolutely lost! Well, that is until they saw a piling mass of bluescreening Larimar crowded around a little spot. Ametrine’s visor blinked a few times, a few warning signs popping up about the radioactive particles surrounding the place. Perhaps they could just spare a peek and move on…? They did just that, looking over the small pile to see them crowding over...oh. That was a hand. A hand, glowing a ghastly green in the UV light… It might have been a bit of Uranium, but...What did that even entail?

...Maybe it was just a weird rock growth! Moving along!

It would take them hours to reach the surface, shuddering as the cold air surrounding them. Right, right, the Kimberlite mines… How far was that away again??? Mmm...mmmm… At the base of those mountains….They figured that if they went at top speed, they could get there in ten minutes! Those ten minutes did not account for that one tumble they took, but nobody else saw it! That didn’t happen! They managed to stay warm that whole time just by going as fast as they did! They nearly splatted into the post by the entrance to the abandoned mine, taking a step back and sticking their tongue out at it. “Why did you have to be there? You’re a dummy little wood!!!” Ametrine pouted playfully, glancing away. Was it even warm in these mines…? Entering the place, it was...fairly dark. Hard to see much in someplace that’s been ditched for as long as it has… If you weren’t this neat little plated gem! All they had to do was turn the brightness up a little, and- yep! Haha, there was all the rock! None of it was Kimberlite just yet, but in the gaping pitfalls this mine had, it was easier to see it further down. Sure, it was a long way, but they had all the time in the world! A whole day to spend here, trying once again to find movement that they know isn’t here! Tch, Tsavorite would never have the time of day mining in this place, and it would go to someone else. Oh- right!! The jewelers… They completely forgot to ask that scientist to repeat themself! Dammit… a day of never knowing could very easily turn into decades if they forgot about it all! Hm, perhaps others more commonly spoke of them… Why weren’t they ever spoken of to Ametrine until just now? Maybe to keep them from worrying...silly scientist! Nothing worried them! That’s why they were here! All alone! With absolutely nobody to help or save them if they cried out for help, which they wouldn’t need anywhere in the near future! Yep!!! They were doing this all on their own, like a grown-up gem! Maybe someday they’d be considered healthy enough to go back to all the other yellow or purple gems… They hoped that would be the case sooner rather than later! Hmhm, they could take on anything that was thrown at them! And, that’s when they heard clinking. That...wasn’t from them! Maybe it was from stalactites or something. The Pristine Peaks had that happen a lot, and it kind of sounded like clinking! Hehe…

They heard clinking again, a little louder this time. This got Ametrine to stop for a minute, glancing around and letting light hit wherever it could. They weren’t even that deep into the mine, what could possibly be up here?! Another clink. Another. Another. Several successive clinks, it didn’t sound like something that could walk. “Hello?” They called out into the depths, where they thought the noise was coming from. More clinks. This sure was taking forever for it to show itself, but...at some point, they stopped again. It was at that moment Ametrine sensed movement at the other side of the tunnel they were in, a terrible figure to train their eyes on, but… Once it started approaching again, their heart jumped into their throat. It was a cluster of crystalline masses in the shapes of limbs and faces all smothered together, its appearance smeared into the surreal. It was too shallow in the ground to classify it as diamond, so it must have been a cluster of quartz, but even still- what was something like that doing here?! Ametrine was too scared to do more than sputter out fragments of sentences, silenced only by the shrill cry of it as it continued moving in. Did it- did it wish to tear them apart!? And, just as they were ready to turn heel and book it out of there, Another figure dropped down from a hole in the ‘ceiling’ of this dreaded place, facing towards the beast. “Another of you?! I swear, the next time one of you appears this close to the surface without an innocent closeby, I’ll just let you terrorize the world.” It was hard to see what gem they could be when the place was so dark, let alone the fact they had never heard such a voice before. However, their attention was drawn down as the figure pulled out two sharp, curved daggers...one concealed in each heel. The mess of crystal they stood in the way bellowed again, getting this new soul to say just as sternly back,

“Back down from this fellow quartz, you fiend! I will not let you take a single soul so long as you remain in these mines!”

...Ametrine looked away from the scene, too frightened by the enemy’s appearance to dare glance back. Maybe they should have declined to come to the mines! They would have loved being bored in Tsavorite’s radioactive wasteland than being here… Yet, it was a bit late now, and...they’d have to trust whoever this was, for better or worse.

“Cyb-” “Why did you lie to me.” The question hung in the air between the thief and the half-bot, a sense of guilt looming over the former. They had words they wished to say, yet… each one got stuck in their throat. Why was it so difficult to speak to them?? Why did their attempts only result in sputtering, as if trying to rush an explanation? “...It’s not a hard question to answer, Rogefuck.” “I-I…” Ah, they were blanking. “...I d-don’t...recall.” “Bullshit!” They glared at Roguefort, staying in the bed they had retreated to and bringing up the covers to their face. They were fidgeting with the covers aggressively, as well. “You must have better m...mem...meme...mory….mimimory than I do!” “Memory…? S-Sorry…” What were they even supposed to say!? They knew Aloe was nothing short of dangerous, though...they didn’t realize that they were killed by Cyborg! “U-Uh… I...I didn’t want you to get hurt any further, you never told me that you killed them! I-I thought…” It was so hard for them to come up with something...anything, to keep the other at least a little calm. “I just… saw them hurt...if they went back out there, they would have died a second time.”

There was still aggressive fidgeting, but their gaze flickered, resting upon the blankets in front of them. Seemed that it was enough to make them consider such words. “...If you need further explanation, I could-” “Just go.” Borg’s voice hung low, their words cracked as they tried to maintain such a tone.

“Cyborg, really-” “Just. Go.” “Promise me you won’t harm either of us over this...not yet, anyhow.” “....Fine. Leave.” “...Alright. Rest well, will you?” Why did they feel so terrible…? This was the first time in a while that Roguefort took note of the soft click from closing the door...it felt like something they shouldn’t be doing, but… it wasn’t their place to pry.

“They didn’t give space to talk about much, did they?” “How would you know that?” “...There are several instances where they have talked like that before.” “...But, isn’t that-” “Incorrect? Yes. They… They were fixed many times. More than I can count. It’s what I’m meant to do, however… I kept feeling something irking at me. Even if thought would mean abandoning my purpose, there was something wanting me to deviate from what was normal.” “...How do you feel about that, Aloe?” “If I can be honest? It’s terrifying. There’s only three of us, yet all the ones out there…” “They’re husks, are they not? We could just talk them down.” “With the hivemind they’re in? It’s next to impossible.”

“But...not entirely impossible, right? Perhaps we could help all of those out there so they may find a means to think like we do! Or, you could just study other fields, and I could have all of the fun.” “...I don’t think I’d have the capability to partake in getting others to think without getting wires involved, and even then…” “Science it is.” The thief glanced out from the railing, their gaze landing upon that third plate that had gone untouched. “Ah- right, your...your food, I should have retrieved it sooner. You must be starving.”

“It hasn’t been more than twenty minutes.” “That’s how long it took before Cyborg was ‘starving’, I thought you would react similarly.” “I mean, it’s better than how it used to be. Give them five minutes without food, and they would have gotten it themself without missing a beat.”

Roguefort left and came back with the plate of food, offering it to the scientist. “...I just got comfortable.”

“Well, you kind of need to sit back up to eat properly…”

“Do I really?” “Please don’t tell me I know more science than you do in this regard.” “....mmm…” They grunted, gingerly forcing themself to sit up again. The plate would be given to them, and Aloe would begin to eat what was given to them. “You’re not half bad at making food.” “Aw, tha-” “You’re not half good, either.” “But not abysmal, right?” “...I suppose.” They scoffed, still trying to put up a front. However, they wouldn’t seem to notice Rogue sitting near them on the couch shortly after.

“...You’ve been saying quite odd things since we’ve met.” “Hm?” “Well, you spoke as if you knew me at some point. I...I’m not supposed to know you. I know now that you’re the one I’d go to if I fell out of line, but...that never happened. I would have remembered if that were the case.” The thief glanced at Aloe, who had stopped eating for a moment. It seemed they were trying to process what was just said.

“Ah, well, perhaps it would have been harder for me to find you if we had never met. I was told only to stay in the labs unless someone was acting out of the ordinary. And...acting as if we know each other is a force of habit.”

“But...wouldn’t you have to know everything to function properly?”

“...Not necessarily. If I needed information, it would have been provided.” “Hm. And, I assume you can’t get anything else now?” “Of course not.” They resumed their eating… it almost looked like they enjoyed it more than they let on.

“What a strange world we’ve lived in, for so long…” The other’s gaze wandered to the distance, “But for what…? Why would anyone wish this upon us? Better yet, who?”

“...It’s not my place to answer. It never will be.”

Saw this sneaky man in the almond cookie video