Gem au Purple Sapphire, Pink Topaz, and Crimon Pearl Rambling
(ie) Karl, Techno, and Tommy
a squad!
Karl and Techno are war trauma 🤝
Karl and Techno Relationship Info
Karl out ranks Techno in gem society, but they see each other as equals, and treat each other as such. Techno is older than Karl. Techno is physically stronger and a far superior warrior (tbf not many gems rival his combat skills in general) than Karl, and Karl was originally not a gem intended to actually engage in combat themself, simply to help predict the enemy and advise generals. But Shit Happens. Karl has a history of being both extremely unlucky and lucky. Kept getting poofed in battle but still retrieved or surviving a full shattering, and being very good at anticipating the enemy with future vision. Karl got important enough to be assigned Techno as a guard while in a war-zone. Techno was also sort of asked to teach Karl proper combat skills. He wasn't assigned this task, but it was more of a subtle personal ask from PD and also Techno got tired of having to save Karl constantly in situations he totally could have protected himself. They were inseparable for the heaviest parts of the war. Karl would need to go into war-zones to physically communicate with generals about what to do next, and where most gems would hesitate to follow, Techno charged ahead unbothered and confident in their combined skills. As the pairs need to be in active combat subsided over the thousands of years, they continued to remain together. Although they spent more time apart, Karl said he felt 'safest' with Techno around. As Karl is still a very high stationed Gem he's still got a target on his back. So Techno being assigned to his side as his personal guard seemed natural. Tommy added into the mix <3
With Techno doing less combat work, he needed an assistant. someone to manage the new tech that he had no clue how to use. (Techno's smart, well read still. But while in war for like a thousand years Homeworlds tech got crazy advanced and he doesn't know wtf he's doing with the touch screens. Karl had more involvement with tech and also had an easier time learning it as he had prior knowledge before becoming active in the war. And future vision helps.) So Techno was assigned a pearl. He's been given this option long ago, but considered a pearl a distraction, an accessory, and something he'd have to worry about protecting all the time outside himself as they were not built for any kind of combat. Techno's view on some gems "not being built for combat" has changed since Karl, as Karl wasn't made with the intent to fight but he was a very skilled and dangerous fighter anyway. Techno arrives at The Shell and is Greeted by Tommy, and is bored with the options given for making a fancy custom pearl and how long it's going to take for a new pearl. Eventually he bluntly asks why Tommy is here, and why cant Techno just take him, as he's close enough in color and clearly knows how the tech works that baffles Techno. The Shell tries to downplay and disregard Tommy, saying that he's nothing compared to what Techno could have. And Techno Directly asks Tommy, "What's this disembodied voice got against you? You look fine. You act fine. You know how the tech works." "I'm Defective..." "Okay but like. how. you look fine to me?" "I can't sing- and i drop and fumble things and i trip a lot-" "Okay but like do you fall or just trip? and I don't need you to sing, I need you to use the damn digital communicator. Do you drop things a lot?" "I don't fall anymore- i don't drop-" "I don't see a problem." Techno bickers with The Shell, about how Tommy isnt doing anything anyway, as the Shell told Techno. and That Tommy would be of use to Techno, and isnt that all The Shell cares about? Techno finally threatens getting PD involved if it doesn't let him take "The perfectly good pearl you've got standing here doing nothing, rather than wait ages for a pearl who is also going to have to learn how to do things"