Howlite

Howlite is a Gem currently residing in The Palace on Mars. She is considered the leader of the Watchers.

## Appearance

Howlite is a somewhat tall Gem, being slightly taller than Pearl, with exaggerated curves and a heart-shaped face. Her hair is pale gray and in a beehive. She has black eyes with small irises, but they are usually closed. She never moves her mouth, not even to speak, and always has a smile on her face regardless of what she may be feeling. Howlite has gray eyeshadow, dark gray lipstick in a heart shape, and several lines along her arms giving her the appearance of having joints. Her Gemstone is on her throat.

Howlite wears a long white and gray dress with White Diamond's insignia on the top, and a diamond pattern on the skirt. The inner portion of the skirt is completely static. She wears a choker that appears to be connected to her Gemstone.

## Personality

Howlite is just as perfectionistic and self-centered as the Diamond she serves. She nitpicks the slightest flaws in other Gems and boasts about her work on other Gems, as well as her own "perfection." In fact, she is so obsessed with making both herself and others perfect that she even modified her form to prevent emotional expression.

Howlite is notorious among the other faction leaders for her patronizing behavior. She regularly talks down to other Gems, even and especially her peers, when she feels they are going against their purpose. Howlite also implicitly or even explicitly claims that she knows what is best for everyone, and insists that true happiness can only be achieved through perfectly adhering to one's role.

Ironically, despite her claims of perfection, Howlite does not truly practice what she preaches. This is not a conscious effort; rather, much like her Diamond, she has long been blinded to her own imperfections and hypocrisies. She is even willing to bend or break her own rules, so long as it benefits her. While she enforces the caste system among her subordinates, for example, she herself does not adhere to it. Instead, she puts herself as the head of command, dismissing and disregarding Gems that would outrank her.

## History

Howlite is one of the first Gems ever made by White Diamond, and is considered by Homeworld Gems to be one of the most perfect. She has loyally served the Authority from the minute she emerged, deprogramming countless Gems that were deemed too valuable to shatter. Howlite as a result became infamous and greatly feared by Gems of all types, even more so than most Howlites.

When the Rebellion surfaced and Gems started to defect, Howlite was sent to the nearby outpost on Mars to receive and correct potential and captured rebels. While her efforts had modest success, they were obviously not enough to stop the Rebellion, and the entire star system was suddenly abandoned. In the chaos, Howlite realized countless Gems would be left behind. She not only opted to stay, but prevented anyone in White Diamond's outpost from leaving Mars, soon forming the Gems she stranded into the cultlike faction known as the Watchers.

## Abilities

Howlite has standard abilities typical of Era 1 Gems, such as superhuman strength, though due to her status she does not normally exhibit them.

### Skillset

* **Wisdom:** Howlite displays a sharp mind and virtually an entire library's worth of knowledge. She is so adept at drawing accurate conclusions that she can seem omniscient.
* **Manipulation:** Howlite is adept at manipulating others with words alone. She can often determine a Gem's flaws and insecurities just by observing them briefly, and, should the need arise, she will use these faults as ammunition against them to get her way.

### Unique Abilities

* **Gem Reprogramming:** Howlite's signature ability. She can alter a Gem's personality through a form of hypnosis; this is typically used to force loyalty. The process isn't flawless, as a Gem with a strong will can resist the hypnosis, and especially powerful Gems can even cause the hypnosis to backfire.
	+ **Gem Enthrallment:** Using her reprogramming, Howlite can make Gems blindly loyal to her, allowing her to effectively claim ownership of them. This process requires her to "rewrite" them to such an extent that they do nothing besides what they were made for. This form of reprogramming is so intense that it affects the victim's physical form, "fading" their colors.
* **Levitation:** Howlite can hover above the ground without technological assistance.
* **Extrasensory Vision:** Howlite is able to see without opening her physical eyes.
* **Telepathic Communication:** Using a weak form of telepathy, Howlite can "speak" without moving her mouth.
* **Anatomy Manipulation:** Howlite has doll-like joints; she is capable of rotating many of her body parts a full 360 degrees.

### Tools

* **Icepick Rejuvenator:** A tool issued to Howlite by Homeworld during the Rebellion to help ease her workload. She stores it in her Gemstone when it's not in use, and uses by stabbing her target (usually in the head) to reset them completely, destabilizing their form in the process. Howlite prefers to reprogram Gems herself, and only uses the Rejuvenator as a last resort.

### Weaknesses

* **Personal Bias:** Despite having a sharp mind and keen memory, Howlite's wisdom is limited by her own personal bias. She frequently ignores information that conflicts with her worldview, and tends to even dismiss her own deductions when they prove her worldview wrong, concluding she is being misled or missing some vital detail. This closed mindset has caused her to occasionally underestimate potential threats and fail to safeguard against them.

## Relationships

### Benitoite

Howlite did not trust Benitoite, knowing she was self-serving and didn't truly care about her Diamond. During the Rebellion, she used her position to get Benitoite a Spinel to keep her preoccupied. However, she was still convinced the overseer would be valuable, and forced her to stay on Mars when they were ordered to evacuate. Howlite is certain that Benitoite will return to the Palace—even if not on her own volition—and intends to brainwash her as she had threatened millennia before.

### Blue Goldstone

Howlite has openly praised Blue Goldstone for her actions during and after the Rebellion to, in her words, "preserve perfection" on the anarchic planet. She knows that her actions and mannerisms disturb the Goldstone, but typically feigns ignorance to this. There are rumors that Howlite has more of an influence on the Goldstone than either of them would admit, but these rumors are unconfirmed.

### Chameleon Diamond

Howlite has never met Chameleon Diamond personally and has been known to state that she doesn't believe in her existence, calling the synthetic Diamond an "impossibility." However, despite these claims, she has warned the elite Watchers that there is no way to deny that Chameleon Diamond physically exists.

### Herkimer Quartz

Howlite both respects and depends on Herkimer Quartz. She is known to boast about her "flawless" bodyguard, and, while she tries to hide it, it is apparent that Howlite would be devastated if she were to lose Herkimer.

### Hessonite

Howlite had little respect for Hessonite due to their differing views, but especially despised her for her "licentious behavior." How she learned of the Garnet's private, intimate relationship is unknown to this day. After her death, Howlite has not changed her tone, and has even outright stated that Hessonite got exactly what she deserved.

### Kunzite

Howlite, much like with her other hypnotized subordinates, considers her treatment of Kunzite to be a favor to her. She especially values Kunzite for her singing, and will sometimes even set time aside to listen to Kunzite's songs herself, despite knowing their hypnotic capacity.

### Nacre (Renegade)

Through her sister, Howlite is fully aware of the renegade Nacre's existence, and, while she has no idea where she is, intends to bring the Nacre sisters together under her rule.

### Nacre (Watchers)

Howlite treats Nacre like a Pearl, considering her a mere servant but still keeping her by her side at all times. She considers this treatment to be a **favor** to Nacre, believing she gave the obsolete servant a new purpose.

### Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz

Howlite has long deduced that Pink Diamond was the true leader of the Rebellion, and even that she survived the Diamond attack. However, rather than think she was just "playing" like White Diamond did, Howlite recognizes the genuine intent behind it. She sees Pink Diamond as inherently defective, yet believes she can be "made perfect." Howlite hopes to one day make it to Earth to find and hypnotize Pink Diamond to make her into a "perfect" Diamond, despite knowing perfectly well that this would be against White Diamond's wishes. Since she is unaware of Pink Howlite's fate, she also is unaware that attempting to hypnotize Pink Diamond has failed in the past.

### Pink Howlite

The two Howlites knew each other personally prior to the Rebellion, and would occasionally meet with other Howlites to discuss the status of their facilities. However, while Howlite knows that her fellow Gem was sent to Earth to confront Rose Quartz, she is unaware of her modifications; rather, she assumes that Pink Howlite was shattered by the rebel.

### Pink Zirconia

Similar to Pink Diamond, Howlite sees Pink Zirconia as mentally broken, though not beyond repair. Though their distance is preventing her from doing so at the moment, she intends to eventually corner and brainwash Pink Zirconia to "scrub away" her insanity.

### Rutile

When Rutile was brought to her, Howlite saw Rutile as just another rebel, and acted accordingly. However, she values the hypnotized entertainer for her musical prowess. She has assigned Rutile to Kunzite, to take advantage of their combined musical capabilities. While she is fully aware of the hypnotic capabilities of her music, she still sets aside time to listen to her and Kunzite's songs.

### Tiger's Eye

Howlite shows more respect towards Tiger's Eye than she did towards Hessonite. However, this doesn't mean she is willing to listen to the fellow faction leader's perspective, or even leave her be. She has been able to blackmail Tiger's Eye with a potentially life-ruining secret. In exchange for Howlite's silence, the Progressive faction does not take action against the Watchers, while Tiger's Eye personally performs small favors for the elite from time to time.

### Tourmalinated Quartz

Howlite and Tourmalinated Quartz seldom interact, but it is clear she sees them as little more than a worker under her command.

### Yellow and Blue Diamond

Howlite, while recognizing them as members of the Diamond Authority, does not show the same level of respect towards Yellow or Blue Diamond that she has towards White Diamond. When discussing them, she is known to use backhanded compliments and hint that Homeworld would be better off without them.

### White Diamond

Howlite is completely loyal to White Diamond, even in her absence. She is known to praise her matriarch, and frequently states that everything she does is for White Diamond herself. She consciously blinds herself to her Diamond's flaws, insisting that she is perfect while blaming the missteps of the Authority on other Gems, including the other Diamonds.

## Trivia

* Howlite's instrument is a synth music box.
* Howlite is modeled after ball-jointed dolls, and is intended to have a disturbing appearance.
* Howlite's Gemstone is modeled after real howlite crystals, which are incredibly rare, to reflect her own "perfection."
* Howlite is one of several Mars AU Gems associated with a Major Arcana tarot card; specifically, "The Hierophant."
	+ This is due to her obsession with preserving tradition, even at the cost of individual will.
* Howlite has several named hypothetical fusions, most involving Watchers or faction leaders.
	+ If she fused with Herkimer Quartz, they would form an Ulexite.
	+ If she fused with Herkimer Quartz and Nacre, they would form Alabaster.
	+ If she fused with Pink Zirconia, they would form Star Rose Quartz.
	+ If she somehow fused with Blue Goldstone, they would form Blue Moon Quartz.
	+ if she somehow fused with Tiger's Eye, they would form a Lake Superior Agate.
	+ If she somehow fused with Blue Goldstone, Pink Zirconia, and Tiger's Eye, they would form an Ammolite.
* In the event she received Steven's Era 3 broadcasts, Howlite would be devastated over the loss of her purpose. She would even begin to conspire against Steven, and convince Pink Zirconia to join her using their shared hatred for the hybrid. The two would eventually attack him as Star Rose Quartz.

## Gemology

Gemstone Information

* Howlite is a hydrous calcium borate mineral found in evaporite deposits. It has a hardness of 3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and often forms cauliflower-shaped nodules.
	+ Howlite typically appears in a massive form; howlite crystals do exist, but they are incredibly rare.
* Howlite is named after the Canadian mineralogist Henry How, who formally discovered the mineral in 1868.
* Howlite is naturally white with fine gray or black veining. However, it is naturally very porous and thus regularly dyed different colors.
	+ Dyed howlite is often falsely marketed as other gemstones, especially turquoise due to the value of the latter and similarities in veining between the two stones.
* Howlite is easily confused with magnesite, another mineral that is often found in a massive form and is white with darker veining. Similar to howlite, magnesite is also porous and often dyed.
* Howlite is not a birthstone for any month, but is a zodiacal stone for Gemini and Virgo, and is associated with the heart, solar plexus, third eye, and crown chakras.
* Metaphysically, howlite is commonly viewed as a calming stone, believed to alleviate rage and help with sleep. It is also associated with clearer memory and higher understanding.

## Gallery

Click here to view the gallery for Howlite.