Sillimanite

Sillimanite is the rogue fusion of Benitoite and Gray Spinel. Her components seldom unfuse, making her a perma-fusion.

## Appearance

Sillimanite is about a head taller than the fusion Opal in her default state, though she tends to make herself much larger when in combat. She has pronounced curves and four arms and eyes. However, her eyes are hidden under her bangs, and her arms are usually intertwined, giving her the appearance of having two arms with two hands each. Her hair is short with two earlike ponytails, and a halo is hovering slightly above her head. She wears a navy blue vest and a white undershirt with a dark blue bowtie on the collar. Sillimanite also wears a dark blue belt with four white, round buttons on the front, and puffy blue sleeves of the same color. Two of her four arms have long dark gray sleeves, making her arms appear two-toned when intertwined. She has navy blue shorts and no leggings, white socks and gloves, and dark blue shoes that each have a white diamond on the heel. Her Gemstones are on her left cheek and right shoulder.

## Personality

Sillimanite takes Benitoite's self-interest and Gray Spinel's warped sense of humor, combining and twisting them into full-blown sadism. She delights in causing unnecessary pain, destroying structures and Gems' physical forms wherever she goes. She is more likely to laugh uncontrollably than say a single word, but she is perfectly capable of speaking in full sentences; she just chooses not to.

## History

Sillimanite first appeared around 4,000 years ago, when her components fused either accidentally or deliberately. Ever since, every time she was formed, she has wreaked havoc on faction members and rogues alike, and has single-handedly caused so much damage that Gems all over Mars know who she is.

## Abilities

As a fusion between two Era 1 Gems, Sillimanite has standard Gem abilities, including shapeshifting and agelessness. As a fusion, she is presumably stronger than both her components combined.

### Unique Abilities

* **Elasticity:** An ability inherited from Gray Spinel; Sillimanite's body behaves like that of a cartoon character. This allows her to change the size and shape of various body parts at will and bend in ways most Gems could not, all without shapeshifting. This ability makes her a formidable foe despite lacking a summonable weapon.
* **Illusion Creation:** An ability inherited from Benitoite. She can create complicated intangible images, including illusory copies of other Gems and objects. She combines this with her elasticity to terrify others.

## Trivia

* Sillimanite's type was chosen primarily because of the dark bluish-gray color some samples display; however, it was also chosen as a play on words to reference her Spinel component.
* Sillimanite's design draws inspiration from the indie horror game "Bendy and the Ink Machine," especially from the soulless, twisted version of the eponymous character.

## Gemology

Gemstone Information

* Sillimanite is an aluminosilicate polymorph with the formula Al2SiO5 first described in the early 1800s. It is named in honor of the American chemist Benjamin Silliman. It is closely related to andalusite and kyanite.
* Sillimanite is typically gray or colorless, but its color ranges from brown or yellow to green, to blue.
* Sillimanite has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, which is usually a good hardness for jewelry, and the mineral can be beautiful when faceted properly. However, it is still not an ideal gemstone, since it is brittle with perfect cleavage and can be prone to chipping.
* Sillimanite is a collector's mineral above all else, not being a birthstone for any month of the year or zodiacal sign. However, it is the state mineral of Delaware, and, like most minerals, it is associated with some metaphysical properties.
* Sillimanite is considered a "feel good" stone, believed to stimulate the production of endorphins. It is also believed by some to help one find importance in even the most menial tasks and promote self-love.