Bouncy steps echoed through the halls of Beach City Academy as Steven Universe galloped away, searching for a quiet space to finish off his last Cookie Cat. He muttered to himself the room names and their occupancies, the clubs and classes and wondered when he'd pass across one that was vacant. He certainly couldn't consume a treat like this in the presence of others. They would defile the sanctity of the moment. Oh who was he kidding. He was hungry and the cafeteria was full.
"Mom, there are waaay too many people at this school." He muttered to himself. The corridors of the academy were grandiose at minimum. Like, seriously there were so many unnecessary trinkets decorating the walls, that if there was an earthquake every hallway would be flooded in artwork, miniature tables and chandeliers. Each hallway looked the same, cream and pink walls, etched with markings similar to Grecian pillars, each pillar stretching over to arc with one on the opposite side of the hall.
Steven minded his footsteps as he caught sight of an unfamiliar room.
Music Room #3
Steven stared up at the sign. Nothing seemed special about it. And his stomach was grumbling again. With a huff he touched the packaging of the quickly melting Cookie Cat in his pocket, and nudged the door open with the shoulder.
"Hello?" He called.
He stepped into the pink tiled room, and along with the many expensive looking vases, Steven caught sight of nine respectably dressed figures, in tuxedoes and dresses rather than the school uniforms. All nine averted their attention from whatever they had been doing to the short, chunky, bright-eyed boy staring at them.
His staring could not be helped though, as he was in the presence of some of the greatest students Beach City Academy had known. His eyes were drawn immediately to the tall burgundy-skinned figure sitting in a large dark-red throne that faced the door. She had expansive fluffy-looking hair, that was parted into two size able, cubic, afropuffs, and her eyes were guarded by a pair of wide dark- red sunglasses. She wore a dark-red jacket with pink lapels, and suit pants to match. Her full lips were the only means of judging her expression Steven had, and at the moment they were stoic.
Unnerved by the tall female's uninterpretable gaze, Steven hastily apologized, and stepped back, only to be met with a firm hand.
"And who might you be?!" A voice commanded from behind. Steven turned immediately, and looked up at the male the voice belonged to. He was thick-set, and had thickly-coiled blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore glasses, and a blue suit with a dark green snake pin on the lapel.
He loomed over Steven with a suspicious gaze, an eyebrow raised.
"Have you come to steal the most treasured secrets of our club?! You would not be to blame, for we ARE fantastic, but your leader will have know avail!" The blonde shouted and circled the younger boy, who was wide-eyed with nervousness.
"Wha-I?" Steven whimpered.
"YOUR SNAKE-PEOPLE BOSS! WH-"
"That is enough." Afropuffs spoke, her voice smooth but authoritative.
"But Garnet, he obviously is working for them! He has the insignia on his hand!" The blond pointed to a white splotch on the wrist of Steven's pink button-up. Steven stared at the blotch then looked up at the tall blonde.
"That's...ice cream, from my snack...earlier." He said quietly.
Snake Pin's suspicious look returned. He swiped a finger across the splot and dubiously licked it eyeing Steven the whole time.
"Story checks out...but I'm watching you." He muttered and sulked off towards a loaded buffet table.
"Hello." Garnet said, standing from her chair. That was when Steven was able to see she wasn't just tall, she was Amazonian. She had to at least be six-foot-eight, and that made her presence all the more daunting, aside from the fact she was the strongest student at the school.
"I-I'm sorry. I was just-"
"Who are you?" A soft voice asked.
Steven looked around unsure of where it came from.
A blonde girl only slightly taller that him, stepped forward. She wore a lilac dress with puffy sleeves and a wide rim, a white bow on the front of he waist and a white barrette over her left ear.
"Steven. My name is Steven. Sorry to bother you all. I just wanted to eat my Cookie Cat."
"Your what? You eat cats?" Called an obnoxious voice.
"Oh, shut up Lars." The blonde called back.
"NO! I like cats! It's an ice cream sandwich! See!" He cried.
Steven pulled out the sandwich in a desperate attempt but it flew out of his hand mid tug and tumbled thought the air, landing and bursting squarely on Garnets face. Steven stared at her wide eyed in horror, hastily attempting to apologize. The sandwich dropped down her face and plopped sadly onto the floor.
Garnet's lips tightened and he could almost see the ice cream melt off her face due to her irritation. She took a threatening step forward, and Steven scrambled backwards only to be met with the closed double doors.
"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" Steven begged as his stubby nails scurried over the doors as he tried to find the handles. Garnet loomed over him fists clutched to her sides. Steven looked to the side and raised a forearm over his face.
The worst part of this was that he didn't even get to eat his Cookie Cat...