Black Pearl (ACiAR)

## Black Pearl

**Black Pearl** is the leader of the Dazzling Gems, alongside co-leader and lover Howlite (ACiAR).

## Appearance

Black Pearl is a slight, svelt Gem with dark blue skin, blue-black hair, and blue-green eyes. She has beauty marks below her left eye and to the right of her upper lip.

Unlike future makes of pearls, Black Pearl has more "muscularity" and striking features, with a prominent chin and cheekbones, along with thick legs and hips.

Her gemstone is located on her left inner wrist. She regards it as a direct counterpart to her companion, Howlite, who has his gemstone on his right wrist.

Her outfits are often inspired by human flapper fashions of the 1920s, though modernized to include trousers or leggings in fishnet patterns, and heavy-duty combat boots.

## Personality

Black Pearl, as a prototype for the mass-produced Pearls of Homeworld, reflects their famous grace and gentility, along with their capacity for teaching and reciting history. However, Pearl also has no obligation to serve under any "superior" entity, and has taken growing offense in being compared to her subservient contemporaries.

Regardless of her stance on Pearl independence and refusal to serve for just anyone, she still enjoys doing chores and shared tasks with those she trusts, including cooking and caretaking; her motherly attitude is not to be tested, however, and she will pierce through any attempts to take advantage of her gratuity, sometimes literally with her glaive.

## History

One of the first-generation Pearls "mined" from bivalves on the ocean planet of Dulcinea Marina, Black Pearl's grace and beauty distinguishing her from her "sisters" set a template for future Pearls created for Homeworld purposes.

She was soon put to use as a singer, dancer, and mural painter, but her popularity waned after the Homeworld mined Dulcinea Marina of all its resources, as by then she was considered a Pearl too "rough" and "unfashionable" to care about, even though she had once set a standard for fashioning Pearls.

She subsequently crashed a party organized by White Diamond XVIII in an attempt to vouch towards equal Pearl rights, but found herself fighting off WD18's Nacre and her homegrown squadron of Attack Pearls; her wild fighting set off a chain of events that would lead to the shattering of the White Diamond under a falling chandelier.

Forced to flee from the crime scene, she collected other dejected Gems seeking sanctuary and escaped in a stolen starship to Earth, where she would lead an epic battle defending life and love against imperial Gem forces. When not battling Homeworld forces, she enjoys cooking, sewing, and gymnastics.

## Abilities

Black Pearl possesses standard Gem abilities, including super strength and durability, shapeshifting, agelessness, regeneration, fusion, and bubbling.

### Fusions

#### Two-member

* Black Pearl fuses with Howlite to form Vivianite
* Black Pearl fuses with Phosphosiderite to form Scorodite
* Black Pearl fuses with Emerald to form Chlorastrolite
* Black Pearl fuses with Malaya Garnet to form Lithium Quartz
* Black Pearl fuses with Mali Garnet to form Petroleum-Fluorescent Quartz

#### Three-member

* Black Pearl fuses with Winza Corundum to form Iolite
* Black Pearl fuses with Howlite and Phosphosiderite to form Galaxite
* Black Pearl fuses with Howlite and Emerald to form Hypersthene

### Skillset

* **Glaive and polearm proficiency:** Like many defending Pearls, Black Pearl is armed with a bladed polearm, or glaive. Though not sharp enough to cut through stone, soft flesh and Light Bodies easily yield to it.
	+ **Energy projection:** With enough surplus energy, Black Pearl can channel psychokinetic and even thermal energy through her glaive to blast away enemies from a long distance and set obstacles or enemies ablaze. She cannot project it through her hands without damaging herself, and overuse of her energies can destabilize and dissipate her body.
* **Ballet, acrobatics, and capoeira:** Black Pearl's shapely and graceful body can perform any number of acrobatic feats, specializing in charmingly dance-like moves. These moves are not to be underestimated, however, as they are capable of delivering superhuman kicks and even punches as necessary; she will even snap necks and break bones with the grace of a *brisé en avant*.
* **Photographic memory:** Pearl's multilayered gemstone houses thousands of years of crystal-clear memories and skills, and can learn nearly any trick or piece of knowledge just by witnessing it once.
	+ **Technical knowledge:** While not as genius-level as Phosphosiderite or Emerald, Black Pearl has plenty of technological and engineering knowledge thanks to eavesdropping on technician Gems during her time on Homeworld. She utilizes this knowledge in her everyday activities and missions, as well as to be a capable assistant to her highly intelligent comrades.

## Relationships

### Howlite

Black Pearl and Howlite's love was forged in fire and only grew stronger since coming to Earth. They are the quintessential sickening sweethearts, much to The Gem 16's chagrin.