Kunzite half-expected Peridot to enter the cell with her at one point when she stepped forward. The other gem didn’t seem to be in a good mood. Peridot changed her mind pretty quickly though, perhaps realizing that she needed some kind of weapon if she wanted to exert her anger on Kunzite. Clearly she couldn’t put up much of a fight either way, and she almost told her to go find some more gems to assist her if she wanted to beat Kunzite further into the ground than she already had. 

She noticed Peridot’s hands shaking. It was the first time she’d seen the gem show any physical signs that all of this was getting to her. Kunzite should feel content, this was what she’d been trying to do since they’d met, but all she felt was sorry for her. A strange pity. Could it be that Peridot was as much of a prisoner as Kunzite? Only in a figurative prison, where the cell was built from social norms and expectations that the gems in Homeworld put on her. Did she genuinely want to do any of this, or was she blindly following orders? 

The lie Kunzite was told gave her the impression that she might have stumbled on something resembling a truth with her new way of looking at Peridot. She didn’t know what to say in response. There was a thought telling her to ask if Peridot was getting old and feeble, but she didn’t voice it. Besides, they were both old by the lifespans of other species.

She scoffed when Peridot explained her situation to her. “Why would I want…” On second thought, if she was alive there was still a chance she may escape. It may be very small, but it was larger than the odds she faced if she didn’t at least begin to pretend that she was co-operating. They definitely would have her gem smashed publically. She was surprised that they hadn’t already done it actually. 

“What’s your part in all of this?” Kunzite asked, having changed her mind about openly showing that she would be unrepentant until her death. Maybe if she made nice with Peridot she could use her to escape Homeworld. Maybe she could convince her that she was wrong, that the diamonds were evil, as impossible as it may sound to convince someone who’d been brainwashed for so long. 

“If I accept your offer, do we get to spend more time together? I don’t have any friends on Homeworld anymore, and it would be a pleasure to get to know you better.” Kunzite batted her eyelashes, figuring she’d overdone it, but it had been very easy to get under Peridot’s skin with snide remarks so far. She was curious whether flattery would work just as well. “Fine, I accept.” Not that she had much choice if she didn’t want to give up.