#su au project matriarch

[azurereap3r]

I'm absolutely in love with this banner- You can see the banner in the Project Matriarch Blog but I just love it too much NOT to post it to my personal blog as well :DD Nora is T R I G G E R E D

[suau-projectmatriarch]

I live once more [There's going to be a lot of these-]

Hey my dudes, holy shit it's been a long time, becoming an adult threw me for one HELL of a loop- SOOO much has happened and holy wow it's been too long I don't even want to check exactly how long it's been Updates might be rarer and rarer nowadays cause both my passion and motivation for the story has died down again but I'm trying my best to stoke those fires, I also have a LOT less time and more work nowadays, but I'm still determined to finish this little story

[twitchesandstitches]

in light of the recent SU episodes, here’s an update on the state of the Gems in Crossthicc AU right now!

firstly, Gems in this AU are one of the giant races, and even a Ruby is larger than a canon three-gem fusion. Exact sizes aren’t really established; possibly the more powerful a Gem is, the bigger they get, so one that has more magical power can put more mass into their projection and thus grow larger, and stronger as well. Drain magic, they get smaller. Add magic, they get bigger!

Gems have pronounced curves here, even those who are canonically slender; at minimum they usually have boobs as big as their heads, if not larger, with butts large enough to support at least a few dozen humans or similar beings comfortably. Their body types are still ‘built in’ and Gems of the same type are physically identical, barring the traits of thier Diamond maker; Rubies are buff, Sapphires are hourglasses, Topazes and Bismuths are powerful amazons, Pearls are also hourglasses (though slimmer than others; ‘our’ Pearls hyper boobs is something specific to her, and her alone), and quartzes are unbelievably super thicc. Diamonds have ultra MILF curves so pronounced they probably border on ‘how do they even move’

They are generally bigger than their fellow race, the Transformers, with whom they share a heritage; both of them in Crossthicc were created by the Quintesson alien race as slave labor and tools (at least, the Gems are, and the most extant sub-type of Transforemrs were, after studying the artifacts of several Transformer deities. This is largely irrelevant to both, as Gems and Transformers have a fierce hatred that continues to this age. Among the Crystal Gems and Autobots, this has faded into a more friendly rivalry, and in the fleet, they are kindred spirits and lovers. While Gems tend to be bigger, Transofrmers are absurdly durable; while Gems can be mentally destroyed fairly easily if you aim for their Gem, Transformers are so tough to permanently kill they might be immortal, if you can’t hit the Spark chamber and destroy their processor after they go into a coma.

They are, as mentioned in previous posts, much more genuinely alien looking here, but still pretty. Just not in a, well, human sense.

The Diamonds are literally Matriarchs here, and in old times they gave birth to Gems by ingesting raw materials (organic materials or lifeforms, stone, soil and anything they could shovel down their maws), compressing the digested remnants in factory-wombs, infusing their essence into that dross, and making Gems out of it all and giving birth to them. Over time they refined this process and created the Kintergarten and injector technologies to do it on an industrial scale, but an even more destructive one. Of them, only Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz generally does things ‘traditionally’ anymore.

Homeworld no longer exists in Crossthicc, having being destroyed by wars with many enemies, primarily the Decepticon Empire. For a time, Megatron, the maddened Emperor of Destruction and vessel of Unicron (and speak not the name, for the Unmaker comes, filled with a ravenous hunger and all will die beneath the harvesting of its Reapers) even wore the Diamonds as jewelery after the destruction of Homeworld. Rose Quartz led a daring raid with the MILF Fleet, besting Megatron and fleeing the Diamonds, though none remained at her side. Yellow has since joined the Ringers, intent on bringing some order to the multiverse after the horrors she has witnessed, while Blue Diamond has joined Task Force X in an attempt to find some salvation. Eventually, she may join the MILF Fleet once she feels she has become at peace with what she has done, and/or as an envoy to the task force.

White Diamond’s position is, at the moment, completely unknown. She might be working with an unknown group, attending her own purposes, or perhaps be voyaging deep into the magical realms in search of her own answers.

[suau-projectmatriarch]

Chapter 8: Team

[TRIGGER WARNINGS: Swearing, firearms, graphic depictions of panic and anxiety, threats]

���It just doesn’t add up,” Nora grumbled under his breath, pacing around the room. Stars only knew how much time had passed, and they had nothing else to do but sit and think in the eerie silence of the cold steel prison. There was the occasional strange noise here and there, machinery noises, yelling, clicking, buzzing, and a variety of other weird noises that only made Nora and Steven more anxious and jumpy. Stuck with their thoughts, all they could think about was what happened, why, when, and how the hell it happened. But neither Nora nor Steven could come to a conclusion that made sense.

“I don’t… I-I don’t know what to tell you, Nora.” Steven stuttered nervously, fumbling with the edge of the blanket. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, watching Nora pace back and forth in front of him, his cold gaze staring holes into the floor. 

Nora gave a forceful sigh, stopping in his tracks. He glanced over at Steven, then at the patient monitors. Steven’s heart rate was still quickened, and he was still shaking. Steven looked like he was about to fall asleep, but he was trying to keep himself awake. His breathing was careworn and raspy, and he had an exhausted expression, even after sleeping so much. Nora frowned, another sigh escaping him as he walked back over to the bed. He sat down next to Steven, who blankly stared at his lap in thought, still fidgeting with the blanket. 

“Are you in pain?” Nora questioned with a slight tilt of his head and a worried look in his eyes. Steven took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes and face, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before responding. “I… I-I don’t know. I don’t think it’s pain, it’s…” Steven trailed off with his mouth parted open, trying to find the right words. He then shook his head and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. Nora seemed worried, but he wasn’t too sure what to do. 

“Do you want me to try and heal you again?” Nora suggested, but Steven shook his head again with another sigh, leaning over as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“You already did, it eased the pain but like I said… It isn't pain, it’s just this, sickening empty feeling. Feels like bricks in my chest and stomach.” Steven said with an uncomfortable expression, staring down at his hands. Nora placed a hand on Steven’s shoulder. 

“I think it’s because we’re separated. I’ve been experiencing a similar feeling ever since I woke up. It gets worse the farther you are. But all we can bet on for a cure for it is that weird mech gemstone Azure made…”

Steven paused when he heard Nora mention Azure, zoning out for a moment. He mumbled a few things under his breath as he glanced at the patient monitor, still deep in thought, his brows furrowing a little. Nora arched a brow with a curious yet concerned look on his face. “I can’t hear what you're saying, Steven.” 

Steven’s eyes stretched open wide as he gasped a little, sitting up straight, turning to face Nora’s concerned and puzzled expression. 

“‘I’m sorry.’” Steven quoted with a look and tone of realization. Nora tilted his head again in confusion. “Sorry? For what?” “No, no, not me. That’s the only thing that the blue gem, no, Azure, has said to me… ‘i’m sorry.’ She said the same thing twice. And the look on her face when she…” Steven trailed off, his eyes lowering. Nora was obviously still confused but he waited for Steven to continue before asking anything else. 

“She’s a prisoner too, Isn’t she?” Steven asked, his perkiness faltering a little. Nora paused, thinking for a moment before nodding. “I’m pretty sure. Unless it’s an act to get on our good side.” Nora grumbled, glaring at the door. Steven however, wasn’t convinced it was a lie. There was a short pause from Steven before he spoke again. “How many other gems do they have trapped here?” Steven said fearfully, looking around before he gave Nora another anxious look. Nora shrugged, seemingly apathetic. Steven was his only priority. Steven was the only one he could truly trust in this hellhole, and the only one he was intent on protecting. But the look in Nora’s bright pink eyes hinted otherwise, and so did the slight frown his lips formed at the thought that there might be more prisoners here. 

“I don’t know… I haven’t seen any other gems besides Azure. But knowing the 2nd Armada, they probably have more. Stars only know how many more…” Nora spoke with a quieter, somber tone. Nora gripped Steven’s shoulder, clenching his teeth. 

“But that doesn’t justify what she did. She sedated you for fuck’s sake- If she hadn’t weakened or distracted you, you would have been able to take them all out.” Nora growled under his breath, glaring at the cameras mounted to the walls. 

“And if it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t be hooked to that glorified kill switch. Sure it’s keeping you alive, but it can also take your life at any second. We could have fused and been out of here hours ago.” Steven was swept up in his thoughts once more as he stared blankly at the ground. He opened his mouth a few times to talk but never spoke a word. His mind was fighting itself, torn between two thoughts. Part of him wanted to believe there was something or someone good, even in this concrete laboratory hell. But the other part of him knew that Nora was right. They couldn’t take any chances or risks. He and Nora were vulnerable enough already. With another sigh, Steven eventually gave up continuing that conversation. He didn’t need to spend much time with Nora to realize that his other half had severe trust issues and a fixed, apprehensive mindset that was hard to change. But truthfully, Steven couldn't blame his other half for being so cautious.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m too hopeful.” Steven admitted defeat, rubbing the back of his neck with both of his hands in an attempt to comfort himself. 

“Maybe, maybe not. There’s still a chance I’m wrong, I just, I don’t want to risk it. Maybe Azure could be good, but I don’t want to assume, trust her, and then lose you for good.” Nora admitted with a serious expression and tone, leaning forward to look Steven in the eyes, his unyielding diamond gaze sending a shiver down Steven’s spine.

“You’re right. I know you’re right, but…” Steven trailed off again, glancing at the cameras again. Before Steven could finish, Nora spoke up with a small smile. “You have hope. You always have. I’m not saying you can’t have hope, I’m just saying that we have to be careful.” Steven nodded, taking a few deep breaths. Nora reached down and squeezed his hand in a gesture of reassurance, glancing over at the patient monitors every now and then. The steady beeping of the machines made the deafening silence just a little bit less unbearable, but it was becoming repetitive and aggravating. 

There was a sudden spike in his heart rate when a knock sounded from the door. Steven flinched, gripping Nora’s hand tighter. Nora tightened his grip as well, his eyes glowing as he glared at the door. 

“It’s Azure. I’m not here to hurt you, I have some people that Black Diamond wants you to meet.” Nora rolled his eyes and scoffed. Yeah right, like he was gonna believe that weak ass promise. A familiar metal clang echoed throughout the room as the locks in the doors were released. The door slowly creaked open, revealing Azure, followed by two male soldiers Nora had not seen yet. The soldier on the left was taller than Azure and had a muscular build and darker skin. He had short military-style black hair, a chiseled face, and speculative brown eyes. A small chunk of his left ear was missing, and he had various other scars on his torso, face, and arms. He wore an outfit similar to Black Diamond’s, a small communication device in his ear, a Glock 19 pistol strapped to his thigh, and various knives and ammunition attached to his bullet-proof vest. Also attached to his vest was a small metal nameplate similar to Azure’s with the name “Gunner” engraved in the steel. 

The soldier to Azure’s right was a tad shorter than the one on the left, with a similar hairstyle, outfit, and athletic build. He had dark, heavy-lidded eyes and an angled chin spotted with stubble and paired with chestnut-brown hair. His skin was weather-beaten and grayish, marked with scars similar to Gunner’s wounds. He also had a vest decorated with knives, ammunition, and a small silver name tag with the nickname “Echo” written on it. Along with a Glock 19 attached to his hip, he held an M-16 with both hands pulled close to his chest, aiming it at the floor in a low port position.

Azure noticed the disgusted, enraged look in Nora’s eyes as he glared at the assault rifle in Echo’s arms. They sighed, turning to Echo with knit brows. 

“I told you not to bring the gun.” Azure scolded, scowling at the weapon with disdain, their expression similar to Nora’s. Echo glanced at Gunner, who’s gaze was transfixed on the bright pink Gem a few feet away from him. 

“I have orders from Black Diamond, Azure. We know Matriarch is unstable, carrying a weapon is necessary.” Echo asserted, looking Azure directly in the eyes. Nora growled, his eyes blazing pink as he shot daggers at Echo with this irate gaze. “You’re gonna need more than that feeble chunk of metal to get through me you senseless fuckwit.” Nora snarled, his left eye twitching in frustration. His booming voice reverberated throughout the room, cracking the floor and the walls a little. Steven squeezed Nora’s hand again, reaching forward with his free arm to hold Nora’s hand with both of his own; in hopes of calming him down at least a little bit. Nora paused, turning his head to glance at Steven, who gave him a pleading look. 

Azure fought the urge to grab the gun and just shove Echo back out into the hallway. Instead, they frowned with a low grumble, their eyes glistening with irritation. Echo swallowed and avoided Azure’s murderous expression. Gunner placed a hand on Azure’s shoulder to try and avert their attention, speaking cautiously with a gentle monotone voice.

“Easy there, Matriarch. We’re not here for a fight. We’re just here to talk, I promise.” Gunner reassured, easing Azure’s aggravation, but not Nora’s. Nora just scoffed again and rolled his eyes so hard he nearly gave himself a headache. Azure wasn’t entirely convinced either, but they knew starting a fight with a soldier would only make things worse. A lot worse, for all of them.

“You don’t walk into a room harboring weapons to talk .” Nora spat, gritting his teeth. Meanwhile, Steven’s heart rate and anxiety spiked every time Nora responded with cynicism and malice. 

“Nora, we don’t exactly have the upper hand here- We probably shouldn’t make them mad,” Steven whispered, speaking only to Nora, who couldn’t physically care less about making Azure or either of the soldiers angry. In fact, he wanted them to retaliate, so he had more reason to crush every bone in their body and get away with it. Azure wordlessly looked up at Gunner with a concerned expression that said it all. Nora wasn't necessarily wrong. Even Gunner and Echo knew that even if they wanted to admit it or not. 

“I know, I know. Call it a safety precaution, if you will. Our objective is to talk.” Gunner assured with a calm and collected tone. Nora knew he was making an attempt to be peaceful, but there was no way in hell Nora would trust any of them. 

“Alright, fine. What do you want to “talk” about?”

Gunner opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself, taking a moment to think with a slightly nervous look on his face. Nora arched an eyebrow, tilting his head with cautiously curious expression, mixed with one that could kill. Echo and Gunner exchanged uneasy glances, which only made the anxiety and rage in Nora’s gemstone worse. It didn’t help Steven’s fear either. Steven had to fight the urge to run as the sickening dread twisted up his stomach and chest. Gunner took a deep breath, and began to speak softly again, as if he was talking to a scared animal. 

“Okay, well… Let’s start with this. Azure will be Steven’s assigned nurse, since they are familiar with him. Azure is our most trusted combat medic, and they wouldn’t hurt a fly, believe me.” 

Azure couldn’t help but crack a small smile after hearing Gunner compliment them. It was the first time Nora and Steven had ever seen Azure smile. They usually looked absolutely terrified, angry, or far off from reality. But this time, they genuinely seemed appreciative and somewhat joyful. It melted Steven’s heart a little when he saw Azure’s timid yet noticeable grin. Nora would have been lying if he said it didn't give him some sense of relief too. 

But as soon as Nora felt a brief moment of euphoria, he crushed those feelings and shoved them deep inside the back of his mind. Ensuring his and Steven’s survival was the ONLY priority. He wasn’t about to let himself think about anything or anyone else. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, Nora spoke with cautious curiosity mixed with a hint of irritation. “... Fine. I don’t have a say in this, do I?” Nora grumbled, squinting his eyes at Gunner, who shrugged. 

“Yea, Black Diamond’s orders. But he’ll be in good hands.” Gunner reassured with a confident nod and grin. He glanced over at Steven, who surprisingly did not break eye contact. Steven was still scared, but he knew that Nora was right next to him, and these people seemed a lot more docile than the others. 

“I’ll take care of him as if he was my own, I promise.” Azure avowed sincerely, looking Nora directly in the eyes, which surprised him. They were always afraid of looking at him directly, he could tell. However, they couldn’t hold eye contact for long before they resumed staring at the floor with a scared expression.

“Okay… I can live with that.” Nora muttered, although he wasn’t exactly telling the truth. But arguing and fighting with a soldier right in front of Steven and getting in more trouble was not something Nora was keen on doing. 

Gunner sighed in relief, releasing the breath his nervousness had a fierce grip on. 

“Okay. Now… Black Diamond’s other order…” Gunner trailed off, looking off to the side. He looked scared almost. Worried, definitely, but fearful too. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused when he saw the murderous look Nora was giving him. “Just spit it out.” Nora ordered, his somewhat neutral expression now morphed back into one of anger. Gunner sighed again, glancing at Echo before he started speaking. “I am the commander of a squadron known as the Force Recon Strike Team. Black Diamond has brought to my attention her plans on integrating you into my team as a reconnaissance sniper. You passed the combat test with flying colors, and I’m sure a person of your caliber would be useful to us.” 

Gunner explained as calmly as he could, but it was clear he was as enthusiastic about the idea as Nora was. Nora’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open. He had to take a moment to process what the hell Gunner just told him. Both Steven and Azure had a similar reaction to the news, however neither of them could match Nora’s fuming temper. 

“No. FUCK no. I won’t ever join your little butcher squad!” Nora swore through bared, clenched teeth with flaming pink eyes and a face contorted with fury, his voice echoing once again.  

“I was afraid you would say that… I’m sorry. But this is a decision you do not have the power to change.” Gunner said with a heavy sigh and a stern expression. 

Steven and Azure looked up at Gunner with horrified looks, while Nora only grew angrier with each response from the commander. He opened his mouth to shout back in retaliation. But he was interrupted by a disturbingly familiar, distorted voice that spoke through the blaring static which echoed from the speaker embedded in the wall.

“He’s right, Matriarch. Don’t act like you have a choice here. If you want to keep Steven safe, follow my orders. You will leave this room with Gunner and follow his lead.” Black Diamond commanded, sending chills down Steven’s spine. Azure shivered, eyes filled with terror hearing Black Diamond’s angry, demanding tone. 

Nora ground his teeth, scowling at the speaker as Steven’s heart rate spiked again. He squeezed Steven’s hand in a silent gesture of reassurance. It was clear that Steven didn’t want to be alone, or at least, without someone he knew for sure he could trust. Nora glanced behind him with a worried look, seeing Steven’s terrified, pleading expression. But deep down, they both knew they had no choice but to split up and follow along. If not, there was a likely chance that they would suffer a fate worse than the one Black Diamond promised. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go- I’ll come back as soon as I can, I promise. They broke a deal with me. They won’t kill you, and they sure as hell won’t hurt you if they want me to obey them.” Nora murmured to Steven with knit brows and a determined expression hinted with anxiety. Steven could only nod shakily in response, trying to keep his breath steady as Nora slowly let go of his hand and stood up. Nora shot Gunner another merciless glare as he walked up to Azure, giving them the same expression. 

“If I see a single wound on him when I get back, I’ll shatter you.” Nora warned with a threatening tone only Azure could hear. Azure swallowed, nodding in compliance. After Nora was done glaring them down, they eventually wandered over to Steven’s side.

The moment Nora was no longer at Steven’s side, the ache and exhaustion from being split apart got worse. Steven watched Nora as he begrudgingly walked up to Gunner’s side, fear taking him in a chokehold. Nora spared one last glance at Steven, who gave him a nervous smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Nora frowned with a worried look, mouthing the words, “I’m so sorry.” Steven took a deep breath, his defeated expression saying it all. He was sorry as well. Nora kept his eyes on Steven, and Steven did the same until Echo sealed the door shut with a hiss and metal clank. 

Nora’s worried, sympathetic, and caring expression immediately switched to a bitter one when Echo shut the door. 

“Follow me.” Echo ordered, gesturing down the hallway with a nod of his head.

Nora ground his teeth and sighed as he marched forward alongside Gunner and Echo, but every inch of his light-composed being was screaming at him to stop and run back to Steven. But he kept himself poised, keeping his eyes on the floor as his feet carried him quickly through the concrete hallways. His form flickered and cracked a little more once he got far enough from Steven’s room, it felt like his gem and body was being violently split into two pieces. He could imagine what Steven was feeling in that moment, and it made the pain all the more worse. Nora just prayed Steven would still be alive by the time he got back. Echo and Gunner exchanged concerned glances, noticing Nora’s obvious discomfort, agony, and rage. Echo’s grip on his M16 grew tighter the more he looked at the furious look in Nora’s eyes. Each time Nora’s form glitched or broke, Gunner and Echo would both jump and stare at Nora, who acted as if they never existed in the first place, even though he could feel both of the soldiers staring holes into him. He could feel the tension and anxiety in the air and didn’t need to look up to know they were whispering and looking at each other. Nora just sighed and tried paying no mind to his surroundings. He was too angry and in too much pain to even see his peripheral vision clearly, much less process the sights, smells, and sounds. Every room in this diamond-forsaken construct looked the same anyway. Claustrophobic, dark, metallic, dreary, gross, and uncomfortable. A Gem could barely handle this place. It made Nora wonder why the hell these humans were still here, why they were still doing this in the first place. These humans really hated Gems this much, didn’t they? Those thoughts continued to swirl around in Nora’s head and haunt him, before they were abruptly interrupted by Gunner’s voice. “We’re here.” Nora nearly bumped into Gunner, his mind so out-of-reach he didn’t even realize Gunner mentioned they had arrived. While Gunner pressed a few buttons into a keypad to the right, Nora slowly lifted his head, eyeing the giant metal door in front of him labeled “Barracks A.” The doors opened with a loud clunk and hiss, revealing another large metal room decorated with what seemed to be sleeping quarters for the soldiers. Bunk beds were spaced evenly along both the left and right walls with metal lockers in between. Surprisingly enough, instead of stone, the floor was made out of a dark, dead-looking wood that Nora had never seen before, even through Steven’s eyes. Various personal items were placed neatly on each of the beds, including backpacks, boots, clothes, suitcases, and bags. Dim lights hung low on the ceiling, barely even illuminating the room. There were no windows, just stone walls, which made the room look more like a decked-out prison cell than an actual living space. Everybody in the room immediately froze when they sensed the diamond’s presence, still as statues, eyes boring into Nora, who simply glared in response. “This is Force Recon Strike Team. Figured it’d be best to introduce you to everybody before we begin any training. You already know me and Echo. Closest to us is Striker,” Gunner gestured to the woman standing a few feet away from Nora. She had long, paper-white hair tied into a high ponytail with a torn black ribbon. Her eyes were a deep hazel, almost red, her dark sienna skin rough and calloused, marked with numerous scars. She had tattoos peeking out from under her clothing, paired with many black piercings on her ears, brow, lips, and nose. Striker didn’t even glance upward upon hearing her name; her piercing gaze fixated on the floor near Nora’s feet. 

“To the right, we have Reaper and Hogs,” Gunner explained with a nod toward the two men to his right. The two looked nearly identical. Messy blonde hair, pale skin, shorter stock build, wide cheekbones, brooding dark gray eyes, it was almost impossible to tell them apart. The only differentiating features were their scars, or lack thereof. The man wearing a jacket labeled ‘Reaper’ had a wide scratch mark across his nose and a burn mark on his left hand. The other guy had no visible scars. Everyone in the room besides Nora wore the same clothing as Gunner and Echo, give or take a few boots, jackets, and vests. 

Nora’s eyes flicked askance, his gaze meeting a cold glare from one of the soldiers near the back of the room. He tilted his head, squinting his eyes, glaring right back at the dude. Gunner noticed Nora’s expression, and followed his look over to the sniper staring at him. Gunner sighed a little, seeing who it was, pinching the bridge of his nose before continuing. “And that, over there, is Whiskey.” 

The soldier in question rolled his eyes and turned to the back of the room. His menacing brown eyes were so dark they were almost black. He had obsidian, reddish hair and a scar plastered across his forehead over his left eye. His face was more oval-shaped and he had a lean, muscular build. His skin, similar to the other soldiers’, was rough, calloused, and scarred. It seemed that all of them had been in the business for a while. They had to have been through hell. In a place like this, he didn’t want to imagine what happened to anyone within these walls. “And this, here, is Matriarch.” Gunner declared, dropping a hand onto Nora’s shoulder. Nora growled a little, shrugging Gunner off with a huff. All eyes were back on him, which only made him more defensive. His form cracked and faltered a little again, making everyone tense up. 

“He will be working with us from now on as a fellow recon sniper. He needs a bit of training first, but soon enough he will be an extra pair of boots on the ground.” Every soldier in the room exchanged skeptical and concerned looks, while Nora gave a deep sigh. Clearly, no one in this situation was happy about it. But at the same time, nothing could be done. 

“Alright, fellas, play nice.”

Gunner pats Nora’s back before heading towards his bunk to the right. Nora watched Echo climb onto a top bunk, standing still near the entrance for a moment, searching the room, trying to ignore the looks from the rest of the snipers eyeing him like some sort of weird zoo animal. “Matriarch, you can, uh… Sit down.” Echo suggested, nodding in the direction of an empty bed. Nora scrunched up his nose and grumbled at the horrid ‘nickname,’ taking his time to think if he really wanted to sit down. In the end, he muttered and gave in. 

Carefully maneuvering his way toward the back wall, Nora sat down on a rather cramped bed toward the back left of the room. For the most part, the other soldiers seemed to finally ease up on the staring and whispering, which helped make the scenario slightly less uncomfortable, for Nora at least.

With another long sigh, Nora buried his face in his hands, propping his elbows up on his knees. Finally, he had a moment of peace. He rubbed his face, sniffling a little as his gaze burned holes into the dingy wood floor. Cautiously, he let his mind wander. Nora had an endless amount of questions swirling around behind his light-composed eyes, questions he’d probably never get answers to, the sheer amount and weight of them all giving him a headache. 

What does the 2nd Armada want with him? Do they really only want him as a weapon? How did they get away with staging Steven’s death? How did they even manage it? What the hell was Steven’s family thinking right now? Stars, there was so much, too much. Nora pressed his palms to either side of his head, squeezing his eyes shut, shaking a little as he inhaled through his nose, holding his breath for a moment. 

Nora paused, releasing his breath. He could use this. He could use his position to gain intel, to see the inside workings of the 2nd Armada. He opened his eyes, lowering his hands, surveying every crack and imperfection in his form. He curled his hands into fists, pressing his lips into a thin line as he sat up straight with a stern, determined expression.  

That’s what Nora would do. That’s what he had to do. There was no time to sit and mope around, he had to act, and he had to act fast. Steven’s life was on the line, and so was Nora’s. He would search every nook and cranny of the entire facility if he had to. Gain information and weapons then get the fuck out of there, and maybe burn the place down as an added bonus, shut it down for good, maybe even free a few other prisoners while he’s at it. He wasn’t ecstatic with the idea, Steven was his top priority, nothing would change that, and he didn’t particularly care for the other hostages. But he knew Steven would be damned before he didn’t even try to help the others. Nora furrowed his brows, making up his mind. He would play along with Black Diamond’s little game, fall in line, play the role of the perfect reconnaissance soldier, until he had the perfect chance to tear the place down. He had to, there was no other option.

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[suau-projectmatriarch]

Progress on art for the 5th chapter!!

Did I spend way too long drawing PM!Steven's side profile? Yes Am I gonna be lazy and copy and paste and shit his face to PM!Nora's because they are supposed to look the same? Absolutely

[suau-projectmatriarch]

Updated Nora's outfit, forgot to put in the version without the jacket, fixed the gloves, the hand, etc etc

[suau-projectmatriarch]

Finally finished! Did a little doodle with my good friend @readers-main-blog-woowa's Midnight!Steven And yes, the entire reason I drew this is because M!Steven is a smol bean compared to PM!Steven and PM!Nora lmao PM!Steven is excited to meet this tiny verison of himself (who is actually older then him PDOGJSDKFG) because he is, as I said, smol bean M!Steven is confused while PM!Nora is the dissapointed older brother who's been through PM!Steven's shenanigans before

[suau-projectmatriarch]

If anyone ever asks what Steven and Nora's personalities are, Imma just show them this Cause this is pretty much them in a nutshell if they aren't in a serious situation-

[suau-projectmatriarch]

Chapter 6: Gone

[TRIGGER WARNINGS: Swearing, Threats, Gruesome descriptions of blood, Grief, Implied major character death, detailed depictions of devestaion and mourning the loss of a loved one, implications of gruesome violence, detailed descriptions of panic and anxiety]

Connie paced the dark carpeted floor of her dorm room, muttering to herself as she rubbed her arms. Daniel got up from Patricia’s office chair with a worried expression, placing a hand on Connie’s shoulder.

“You alright, Connie?” Daniel queried with an anxious tone. Patricia seemed as worried as both Connie and Daniel combined as she fumbled with her sleeves, glancing at her phone every now and then.

“He should have been here by now…” Connie muttered, more to herself than anyone else. She paused, then looked up, glancing out the window. With a heavy sigh, she slouched into a sitting position on her bed, bouncing her leg as she lowered her head and ran her fingers through her hair. 

Patricia sighed and placed her laptop beside her. Getting up from her bed, she sat down next to Connie, hugging her. She knew she and Daniel were worried, but Patricia also knew she couldn’t even begin to imagine how Connie felt at that moment. 

“He’s not responding to my texts, I-I haven’t tried calling him yet, but…” Connie trailed off, anxiety twisting her gut and drying out her throat as she tried to think of all the logical reasons Steven wasn’t here yet. 

“Maybe he’s in traffic? Maybe the weather? Phone died on him? I don’t know, there could be millions of reasons more likely than him getting hurt.” Patricia reassured as she pulled out her small purple phone, pressing the power button to check for messages. Daniel nodded in agreement, then walked over to the window, crossing his arms as he stared out at the parking lot a few feet away from the dorm building. Connie knew Patricia was right, but she just couldn’t shake the sinking dread in her chest. 

As Patricia scrolled through her phone, Daniel opened the blinds and peered outside the window, pressing his palms against the windowsill as he leaned over. He watched the cars drive by, squinting his eyes, trying to find Steven’s Dondai in the massive wave of traffic. 

“Yeah, he’s tough. Half Diamond, right? He can take care of himself, he’s done it before. Many times, actually.” Daniel chimed in with a small chuckle, eyes still glued to the intersection.

Connie nodded, rubbing her arms again. Patricia stood up, walking over to her desk. Connie slumped backward onto her blanket and pulled out her phone. As Connie pressed her finger against the power button, dread and anxiety sank deep into her chest when she noticed none of her notifications were messages from Steven. She was Connie Maheswaran; she couldn't help but worry. Overthinking and planning was a trait of hers. The trip to Jayhawk was the first road trip Steven had gone on all by himself. Yes, he was tough, he could always shake off the violent, stray anti-gem person with ease, but he was still vulnerable in a sense, even with the powers of a gem monarch. Closing her eyes, Connie silently prayed that Steven was safe. 

Fifteen painstakingly slow minutes passed as the trio grew more paranoid for their close friend's safety. Connie had texted Steven a few times and even tried to call him. Daniel and Patricia did the same, but no reply. Connie’s anxiety was skyrocketing now. No reply from Steven was NEVER a good thing. He was usually pretty quick with replying, and history had proved that when Steven did not reply, something was happening. As desperately as Connie tried to calm herself down by thinking of reasons Steven would not reply that weren’t life-threatening or world-ending, this was Steven she was talking about. She just couldn’t shake the feeling. It only festered and made her even sicker. 

Unfortunately, the anxious paranoia among the three proved justified when Connie got a call from her phone. At first, she immediately sat up with a hopeful expression, thinking it was Steven. But it wasn’t Steven’s phone number calling her; it wasn’t even a phone number at all. It was a direct call from the Diamond Line code that Peridot had implemented into Connie’s phone, so she could call reinforcements off-planet if it was necessary or the other way around. 

But that was only the first red flag she noticed. Once she answered the call, she tilted her phone as a pink holo-screen emitted from her phone’s screen. The image on the holo-screen was of Spinel. But she had a worried expression on her desaturated pink face, and her dark pink pigtails were droopy, a telltale sign of Spinel being upset. Connie felt a lump in her throat when she saw the horrified look in Spinel’s eyes. Connie answered the call, and Spinel was already speaking in a desperate tone of voice, with black tears welling up in her eyes.

“C-Connie, listen friend, W-we need ya back at Homeworld. R-Right now. I know you have ya, college, or whateva it’s called… B-But you need to see this.” 

Daniel and Patricia exchanged worried looks as Connie nodded with a determined look in her eyes. Her knightly instinct took over, overpowering her fear as she braced herself for a fight. As terrified as Connie was, she knew she had to act, especially if Spinel’s emergency involved Steven and why he wasn’t responding. Connie swiftly grabbed her sword from under her bed and an emergency backpack she always had on hand just in case, turning to Daniel and Patricia before leaving.

“Hold down the fort for me, guys. I’ll be back.”

Daniel and Patricia both nodded with worried expressions and quickly went to their laptops to keep an eye on Steven’s activity. Connie didn’t look too excited either but she swore that she would help when she could. It was a job she took seriously and was dedicated to, no matter what. A role she fulfilled with pride and power. 

Connie hurried down the stairs of the dorm building, swerving around other college students as she made her way down the halls and through the double glass doors leading into the dormitory. Lion was already waiting for her under one of the trees in the courtyard. Lion always had a sixth sense of these things; Lion knew when he was needed and stayed by his allies' side. 

“Alright buddy, we gotta get to the Homeworld warp.”

Lion huffed as his pale pink mane began to flow to a nonexistent breeze and nodded as his eyes and hair glowed white. Stretching open his mouth, he roared as loud as he could. Pink waves of energy shot out from the back of his throat, forming a swirling pink portal over the dormitory’s garden. With another huff: Lion leaped into the portal before it shrunk in on itself, leaving the passerby college students and pedestrians both bewildered and terrified. 

A similar pink portal opened up in the greenhouse connected to Steven and Greg’s home. Lion and Connie popped out of the portal, soaring through the air before landing right next to the baby blue, crystalline warp pad embedded in the floor at the far side of the greenhouse. Lion’s mane and eyes stopped glowing white as the portal closed. Lion wandered over and climbed onto the warp pad, flicking his tail as he turned his head and glanced at Connie. Connie pulled out a small blue warp whistle from her backpack, taking a deep breath before blowing into it.

A few moments later, Connie and Lion were on Homeworld’s surface, stepping off of the Diamond Throne Room’s warp pad. Hopping off of Lion, Connie patted Lion’s head with a small smile.

“Thanks, Lion. You have earned your naps for today.” Connie said with a chuckle before kissing Lion’s forehead. Lion yawned and settled down, curling all four paws underneath his fuzzy chest before closing his eyes and curling his tail around his body. 

Connie glanced at the shimmering floors of the Diamond Throne Room, feeling a lump form in her throat. She took a deep breath in through the nose, and exhaled through the mouth as she turned to face the Diamond’s thrones. Four large crystalline thrones sat atop gorgeous white stairs. Connie curled her fingers into tight fists, taking another deep breath before walking forward. Looking around, she arched a brow, noticing there was no one in the giant gem-made room. This room was usually filled with a crowd or two… Where was everybody?

Connie tensed, gripping her sword handle as she slid her left foot back, grounding herself and lowering her body when swift footsteps echoed throughout the hall. She squinted her eyes, creasing her brows as she scanned the room for anything suspicious. Her expression softened however, once she noticed a familiar pink gem running towards her from the entrance behind Blue Diamond's throne. 

“Connie! Thank the stars-” Spinel yelled from across the room as she hurried over to Connie, stopping dead in her tracks mere inches away from Connie. 

“Spinel! What’s wrong?” Connie responded with a worried tone. She stretched out her arms for a hug. Spinel usually liked to hug people as a greeting gesture, but this time Spinel’s hug only lasted seconds; when it usually lasted minutes, accompanied by a few cheerful hellos. 

“I-I’m sorry, Cons, I don’t have time to explain- Just follow me and stay close,” Spinel said under her breath, speaking only to Connie as her anxious gaze darted around the room. A team of Amethyst Guards, Bismuth, and Peridot burst through the door leading to the entrance behind Blue Diamond’s throne with panicked looks on their faces. 

“SPINEL! You can NOT just run off like that in a situation like- Connie!” Peridot exclaimed and immediately hurried up to Connie’s side, grabbing her hand and practically dragging the poor human along with her.

“No time to explain, we gotta go and we gotta go now . White called us all for an emergency meeting, and considering what was hinted in her message, I wouldn’t be surprised if this room was rigged as a trap. Lion!” Peridot whistled and yelled across the room, but Lion was already sprinting his way towards the small huddle of Gems, catching up to them in no time. He stayed at the back, glancing around every now and then as they dashed through the building. 

Connie stumbled and stuttered over her terrified questions as the Amethyst guards and Bismuth surrounded her, Spinel, and Peridot. Connie reached out her free hand and held Spinel’s hand in an attempt to calm them both. The feeling of dread, fear, and impending doom was too strong now. It made her head throb and her chest tighten to a sickening degree. Something was wrong. VERY wrong. The Amethyst Guards and Bismuth already had destabilizers and their personal gem-summoned weapons at the ready, and even THEY looked scared. Bismuth was a tough gem, and Connie had never seen her scared before. But Bismuth barely said a word the whole time. 

As they sprinted through the abandoned halls of the Diamond’s castle, Bismuth led them through a back alley route that led directly to White Diamond’s room. 

White’s room was a room that Connie had never seen before. It was similar to all the other Diamond rooms, as expected. But the difference was the blinding white coloration. Although, there was one spot in the room that wasn’t white. At the center of the room was a pool of fresh crimson and pink blood. The scent of iron and decay hit Connie as soon as she stepped foot in the room. 

The smell in the air made her recoil as she clapped her hands over her mouth in a desperate attempt to filter out the putrid stench. Amethyst guards joined their fellow quartzes, guarding every wall and entrance to the room. Agates and many other powerful gems lined the walls, weapons at their sides. But everybody in the room, even the Agates, were shaking with pure terror in their eyes at the grim sight before them.

Greg, the Crystal Gems, Lapis, hell even the Off Colors were surrounding the devastated diamond on her knees in front of them. White Diamond was knelt down beside the puddle of blood with a blank look on her face, blood slowly seeping through her fingertips as she clutched something in her shaking hands as if it were her lifeline. She glanced at Connie, then to Greg. Her right hand folded over her left: she gave Connie and Greg one more glance, the broken, glazed-over look in her darkened gray eyes sending shivers down the human’s spines. Finally, her gaze rested on the Crystal Gems as she wordlessly lifted her right hand, revealing a gruesome, disturbing image.  

Resting in her ghost-white palm were fragments of a pink gem. Chunks of pink-hued diamond smashed to pieces and coated in blood. But not the blood of a human. The blood was pink and red. The blood in her hand was Steven's. And the broken gem resting in White Diamond's hand was Steven's gemstone. You could barely even tell it was a gem from all the blood. But the mixed hues of crimson and fuchsia pink were a telltale sign that the blood belonged to Steven. 

Before: the room echoed with terrified whispers, gossip, and questions about what the hell was happening, but as soon as White uncovered the blood-covered shards, a heavy, deafening silence settled in the room.

“We found Pink’s Gem in the throne room. Broken and covered In blood… She’s gone.” White spoke with an empty voice, blankly staring down at the carnage nestled in the crook of her palm. 

Connie’s eyes stretched open wide; as her body trembled and buckled from the weight of the realization, rage, despair, and depression that hit her harder than a comet smashing into the surface of the earth. She had a feeling this situation was about Steven, but she did not expect the news to involve her best friend being mercilessly crushed to pieces. 

Connie fell to her knees, her sword slipping out of her backpack and hitting the floor with a loud clang that made everyone, Gem and human, visibly flinch. Her vision blurred as the horrified screams, crying, and yelling from Greg and the Crystal Gems became muffled, tears streaming down Connie’s face.

Connie looked down at her shaking hands as tears streamed down her face. She was in such a state of shock her brain hadn’t even processed the horrifying news fully, but her body was shutting down. She felt a bile rise in her throat as she clenched her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and pressed her hands into her ears, desperately trying to block out all the mortified and devastated screams from Greg. Lapis, Bismuth, and Peridot immediately ran up to Connie’s side, trying to get her attention and calm her down but to no avail. Peridot, Bismuth, and Lapis struggled to keep themselves composed, shaking and crying as much as Connie was as they tried to reassure her. 

“MY SON! THAT’S MY SON- PLEASE- PLEASE NO… NO!”

Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst tried to hold Greg back from running up to White, but they were struggling too. White cracks were rapidly spreading across their light-composed bodies. Greg eventually gave up, falling to his hands and knees as he sobbed so hard a bone-splitting migraine began to form. He had yelled so much that his voice was shot, and all he could do was mumble and sob into his hands as he leaned over and broke down. 

“Not my son… M-My son isn’t g-gone, P-Please tell me he’s-” Greg begged and choked through sobs, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head as Pearl and Amethyst tried to comfort him. Garnet clenched her teeth, curling her fingers into tight fists as light enveloped her hands and morphed into her gauntlets. Her visor cracked and shattered, poofing out of existence, her petrified, tearful gaze morphing into frenzied rage. 

“Who did this…” Garnet muttered angrily under her breath, her hands trembling with how tense they were.

“WHO DID THIS!?” Garnet yelled with desperation and anger in her voice. She flinched and yelled in pain, her visor disappearing as her body began to crack, distort, then split into two separate entities made up of misshapen light forms with a Ruby Gem on one and a Sapphire Gem on the other. The glowing white lights morphed into Ruby and Sapphire with deep white cracks on their bodies. Sapphire froze the ground around her as she sobbed, while the floor around Ruby went up in flames. 

“DID YOU DO THIS?! I’LL SHATTER YOU! I’LL SH-SHATTER… I-I’ll…” Ruby stuttered, trailing off when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. It was Sapphire, but her eye wasn’t on Ruby. Her gaze was fixated on the blood. She was shaking with a hand over her mouth. Ruby immediately sobbed and hugged her. Pearl and Amethyst hugged each other, sobbing, seconds away from poofing as deep white fissures continued to spread across their quivering bodies. Neither of them had the strength to even speak. Lapis stood up, her teeth clenched, a dark shadow over her eyes. Tears ran like waterfalls down her navy blue complexion, pure rage in her darkened eyes that shot daggers at White Diamond. 

“White. Answer the fucking question. Who did this to Steven?" Lapis growled through gritted teeth as water shot out from her back, morphing into wings. Volleyball, who was behind White, stepped forward. The cracks over her eye had spread, and she had a sorrowful expression. Holding up her hands in a defensive gesture, she took a few cautious steps closer to Lapis, who glared at her. 

“W-We don’t know what happened, Lapis… M-Me and White walked in here and found P-Pinks Ge-”

“Steven’s Gem . ” Lapis interrupted with a snarl and a manic look in her eyes. Volleyball flinched and trembled in response. 

“Y-Yes, Sorry, S-Steven’s gem. I-It was broken and covered I-In that… Awful smelling s-substance.”

“It’s blood, Volleyball… It’s a liquid inside of humans that carries n-nutrients across their body a-and keeps them alive.” Peridot interjected with a shaken voice, eyes glued to the bloody gem pieces. 

“I-If they lose too much, then…” Peridot shuddered, breaking down into tears as she gripped her wrist and lowered her head. Lapis only grew angrier, but Volleyball body-blocked her from White, desperately trying to ease the water gem’s irritation. 

“L-Lapis please, I was with her, W-White did not do this.”

“THEN WHO DID?! WHO ELSE HAS THE POWER TO SHATTER A DIAMOND!?” Lapis yelled, making Volleyball recoil in fear. Amethyst was the first one to go. She shook her head and screamed in pain, pressing her hands against her ears as the cracks on her body eventually overwhelmed her. Pearl reached out and grabbed Amehyst’s gemstone before it hit the floor, hugging it close to her chest as her body disintegrated into white clouds. 

“PEARL! AMETHYST!” Ruby yelled, dashing forward and catching their gemstones. Sapphire fell to her knees, looking down at her shaking hands. How could she not have seen this? Why couldn’t Sapphire see anything else? She couldn’t focus, couldn’t look forward. She could only focus on the enraged and devastated thoughts swirling in her gemstone: and her lover’s embrace as Ruby hugged her tight with Pearl and Amethyst gemstones in her hand. 

Peridot was the next one to poof. She shook her head, falling to her knees and hands as she cried out before the sorrow destroyed her completely, but her choked sobs got cut short when her body crumbled under the sheer weight of her anguish. Bismuth rushed forward and caught her gem, but the poor weaponsmith was moments away from cracking too. Bismuth held Peridot’s gem close to her, putting her free hand on Greg’s shoulder, but she couldn’t say anything. Words only got caught in her throat, coming out as ever-flowing tears. 

Volleyball shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. “L-Lapis- P-Please-” Volleyball begged as White Diamond’s Agate’s stepped forward, aiming their destabilizers at Lapis.

“This wasn’t us. I-I promise. I swear to the stars, w-we wouldn’t let this happen.”

Lapis growled, her chest heaving as her eyes filled with tears once more. She sighed in defeat, looking down at her hands with devastation in her eyes. 

“W-We think it’s a warning, L-Lapis… Someone killed Steven and p-put his broken gem on display for all of us. We found it, right in the c-center of White's room.” Volleyball stuttered, desperately, practically begging, glancing over to White. White was quiet with tears in her eyes, shaking like a leaf in the wind as she stared down at the pieces in her shaking hand. 

“... Then we find the one who did this. We find them, and we take them out.” Connie muttered through heaving breaths and sobs. Spinel peeked out from her hiding spot behind Lion; and walked up to Connie’s side, kneeling beside her. Connie sniffled and broke down again, hugging Spinel. She was angry and terrified, but most of all, she was heartbroken. Steven was the first friend Connie ever had. The reason she grew into the badass woman she is today. The first lover she ever had. And now he was gone. Just like that, in the blink of an eye. 

She hugged Spinel tighter as the memories flooded back into her head. Memories of them as kids battling monsters, rescuing people, singing, dancing, fusing, and messing around. Meeting him was the best thing that ever happened to her. It didn’t matter what had happened when he grew up. The proposal, the corruption, they’d been through heaven, hell, and back together. Steven wasn’t someone she ever thought she’d take for granted, but the moment Connie realized he was gone, Connie knew that she did. Regrets, nostalgia, rage, fear, and depression stacked up at that moment, hitting her harder than anything that had ever harmed her in the past. And it hurt her a thousand times worse. No monster, sickness, injury, or emotion was as excruciating as the pain she felt at that moment.

It took the group a whole day to calm down and recuperate. Greg was upstairs with Priyanka, Doug, and mayor Nanafua. The Crystal Gems and the Off Colors mobilized on the beach, trying to think of a plan. Connie was with them, but her mind was far off. Her eyes, head, and throat hurt from screaming and sobbing, and she was barely awake. She stared off into the ocean with an exhausted, glazed-over look in her eyes. Amethyst rested a hand on her shoulder in a silent gesture of reassurance.  

“Nanafua will help us with funeral preparations. But we need all hands on deck at all times to track down the one who took Steven.” Garnet said finally, cutting through the tense silence. Everyone nodded in agreement.

“We don’t have anything yet… But we can’t give up. We can’t just let this slide. Steven will not die in vain.” Bismuth added with a shaky voice as more tears welled up in her eyes. The group nodded once more with expressions mixed with enraged determination and sorrow. Pearl clutched the fabric of Steven’s old t-shirt in her hands, rubbing her thumb over the faded star pattern. Furrowing her brows, she squeezed her eyes shut to let out the last bit of her tears before she lifted her head and glared at the floor with seething hatred. 

“I will not stop until we find those monsters,” Pearl growled, looking over at Bismuth while shaking with tears in her wide enraged eyes. From their facial expressions alone, it was clear that everyone shared Pearl’s malevolence toward Steven's assailants. 

“I think we know who to start with.” Garnet spoke up, rage in her voice as she looked over at the sunset. 

“Nanafua, the president, and the military have eyes on the 2nd Armada. But we all know who has the power to shatter a being as powerful as Steven. And it’s the Diamonds themselves.” Garnet said finally. 

Lapis growled and shuddered. Peridot gently held her hand, looking up at her with worry in her eyes. Lapis sighed and crossed her arms as Bismuth nodded in agreement. 

“We will pull together a group to investigate Homeworld. But I think some of our allies need some rest first.” Bismuth commented dejectedly, looking over at Connie, who hadn’t even noticed Bismuth was talking about her. 

Garnet walked over to Connie, kneeling down in front of her, gently taking her hands in her own after removing her visor. She stared at Connie’s hands for a moment, taking a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. All three of her eyes met Connie’s two dark ones, tears welling up in both Garnet and Connie’s eyes. Connie was seconds from bursting into tears once more, but she fought the tears as hard as she could. Squeezing her hands, Garnet gave Connie a small reassuring smile. 

Connie finally got the hint, and glanced over to Bismuth with a determined look in her eyes. 

“No. I can take this. I need to-” Connie was interrupted by Garnet framing her face with her hands. Connie felt Sapphire and Ruby’s gems on either side of her face, the cold, hard, glassy surface making her flinch again. Her eyes filled with tears again when she faced Garnet. All three of Garnet’s eyes had tears in them, but her smile was warm enough to break through Connie’s fragile tough facade.

“I can… I-I can…” Connie began, but choked on her sobs as tears ran down her cheeks. Garnet closed her eyes, and pressed her forehead to Connie’s. 

“Steven loved you. With everything he had. Everything. But you need time to grieve, Connie. A living being such as yourself can only handle so much pain before they break. You’re family to us as well, love. and we can’t lose you too.” Garnet said genuinely, her voice breaking a little. She pulled Connie into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head as more tears began to flow. Amethyst, Pearl, Lapis, Peridot, and Bismuth hugged Garnet and Connie, lowering their heads as they embraced their family. 

“And you know him. He’ll be rolling in his grave if he knew you tore yourself apart to try and avenge him.” Lars said with a sad smile and tears in his eyes. Rhodonite and Padparadscha hugged Lars, Fluorite lowering her head as she spoke. 

“Yes indeed. He won’t rest easy knowing you are under duress, my dear.” 

Connie chuckled, wiping away tears from her eyes. Everyone else did the same. 

“He really would.” Pearl added with a sad smile on her face. Bismuth chuckled once more with a sniffle, wrapping an arm around Pearl’s shoulders. 

“He will live on. In our memory, our hearts, our gems, and in everything he built and stood for. Every gem he saved. Every human he saved. He won’t be forgotten. We will put him to rest, and those who dared to hurt him will face retribution.” Garnet said as she squeezed Connie’s hands once more, looking up at her face-to-face. Connie smiled and nodded, sniffling as she wiped away more tears. 

“Steven will be avenged, and he will rest easy, we’ll make sure of that. I promise” Garnet whispered to Connie, squeezing her hands one more time before the group took a moment of silence in respect and memoriam.

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[suau-projectmatriarch]

UPDATE WOOOOO

Art for chapter 2 have been finished and posted!! Super proud of both of them tbfh, I hope you guys like them too!

[suau-projectmatriarch]

[TRIGGER WARNING: Blood and firearms]

HaHA I bet ya'll were expecting Black Diamond to be a gem, NOPE She's a highly trained and fookin' terrifying human If ya'll were wondering why it was taking so long for me to draw the chapter artwork, this bitch is why It took me way too fucking long to draw her- but I am super proud of this ngl Also the difference between her and Steven's design f l o o r s me Steven's a pink marshmallow and Black Diamond is just V O I D

[suau-projectmatriarch]

[TRIGGER WARNING: Blood]

So guess what idiot wasn't paying attention to her own story and accidently copied the design in the reference sheet even though that's not what the character looks like in the particular scene she's drawing :D Yep, you guessed it lmao Anyways, fixed it!

[suau-projectmatriarch]

I also updated this doodle cause why not lol

[suau-projectmatriarch]

Ya'll I can't sleep have a doodle of the angry pink bastard [Old design now oof]

[suau-projectmatriarch]

I Live

Heyo! I'm still alive I promise lmao, Project Matriarch is still ongoing as well, just takin' my time cause holy hell I burned myself out so badly trying to do 15 pages a week, nowadays I can barely do a paragraph a week- But! The AU is not dead, just takin' my time with it Been drawing a lot more recently and finished ref sheets for three new characters which I can't post cause of spoilers but once I finish up the reference photos I can actually post I'll show them to ya'll Have another lil snippet of the 8th chapter, so far I got 8 pages and I am determined to finish it even if I'm struggling with motivation

[azurereap3r]

Ayo guess who's finally doing a shaded inked drawing instead of a colored sketch lmao Working on the banner for my Project Matriarch blog, that's why the canvas is extra l o n g cause the banner size is weird but LOOK, IT'S MY BOYSSSS (Nora is still a sketch right now but I'mma ink and color him in a second)