title: average swimmer
summary: "Sorry, what- what was your name again?"
pairing: Jasper and Sadie, I think, I don't know—but as if they wouldn't make an awesome couple.
notes: Okay so you may notice Jasper is referred to as 'hir' it's a gender neutral term, you may notice her referred to as woman, but that's because people often assume gender. Also, writing the 'they' will probably read as awkward but hey, it would be way more awkward to give a genderless character a gender. Am I right? But there may be some slip ups where I accidentally write she, I do reread but I may miss something so yeah apologies in advance.
note2: This initially had like 600 words and I put it in the draft thing and had no intention of adding anything but then I finished an exam came home, relaxed and wrote like another 900 words. For this reason, although this is labelled complete, there is a possibility that I will update it. We'll see.
disclaimer: I quite obviously, own nothing and am making absolutely no profit off of writing this. If anything I'm losing money lol
She sat in her arm chair, picking at the lint on her pants, maybe she shouldn't have done this… But she had to! She couldn't have just left them there! But still… Sadie bit her lip and continued watching the large lump that lay on her bathroom floor. She could see the rise and fall of their chest. Sadie frowned at the orange skin of their face and felt relieved when they moved, clearly showing signs of regaining consciousness. Sadie pressing herself up and stood over the shifting form cautiously, unsure of what she should do with the previously unconscious body on her porcelain tiles.
"Hey are you…" Sadie eyed the damp form warily. "Are you okay? I wasn't sure what to do with you since, well— you didn't seem like the average swimmer but I didn't think it would um…" She twiddled her thumbs and stuttered hesitantly. "A- Are you one of Stevens friends?"
The stranger shook hir body free of the water and blinked confusedly at the human, pulling hir body into a sitting position. Hir eyes narrowed and they tilted hir head, mouth falling open slowly. A raspy voice filled the small room. "What is a Steven?" They spat the name is confusion.
Saddie's mouth opened in surprise and she rapidly blinked regaining her thoughts, her twiddling thumbs paused and her hands fell to her sides uselessly. "He's just a kid… He has some friends, like you so I thought…" Saddie paused before sheepishly scratching her head and smiling. "Sorry, what- what was your name again?"
"Well, human," Jasper lifted hirself and straightened her damp clothes, "if there's one thing I can say…" She moved forward and grinned predatorily, her teeth shining ominously in the low lit room. "It's that no one on this insignificant planet is like me."
Sadie took in the crystal nose, the streaks of dark orange across their face and the damp white hair that fell to their knees. It reminded her of the crystal gem, Amethyst. Sadie frowned, shifting away from the woman in an attempt to avoid eye contact. "Okay..." She responded slowly. There was definitely something off about this person, had she really found someone crazy and let them into her house?! Beginning to fret once more, Sadie paid no mind to Jasper as the gem followed her pacing form. She walked briskly into her room, trying to calm down. Finally, registering the footsteps behind her she turned around. Jasper was tall, Sadie realised, her eyes slowly moving up the orange woman's body.
"Oh!" Sadie yelped. Jasper watched her silently, eyes narrowing as they stared the small human down.
"Where am I?" Jasper moved closer, glaring at the human now, "Who are you? Are you working with–" Jasper stopped, recalling the small child with the abilities of Rose Quartz and the suspicious absence of the pink haired warrior. Jasper stopped, making a low noise with hir throat. "Who are you?"
"Um, you're in my house and I-," Sadie glanced around now, looking for something sharp in case this woman (gem? she thought) turned on her. "I'm Sadie, I found you on the beach and I dragged you here, you were in the ocean–"
"The water!" Jasper exclaimed, "You took me out of the water?"
Unsure of the reason behind the woman's excitement Sadie nodded, shifting her weight. "Um... yeah. Is that- Is that what I was meant to do or...?" Sadie's eyes widened as she felt herself lifted into the air. Her eyes caught those of Jasper's who looked at her intently. Almost as if she were trying to ascertain the abilities of the small woman before her. "Can you put me down... Ms?" Slowly, Sadie was lowered to the ground by Jasper who gazed at her with something akin to reverence.
"Jasper," the gem corrected curtly. "I apologise, I was simply surprised that a..." Jasper looked at Sadie intently, voice coloured with doubt. "Human, managed to subdue the Lapis Lazuli who held me captive. I thank you for freeing me from her grasp." Jasper bent in an attempt to level her gaze with Sadie's.
Sadie blinked and decided not to challenge the strange person. "Um... your welcome?"
Jasper nodded, before standing—her head almost making contact with the ceiling. "I am in debt to you, I am impressed by your strength, especially as you are only a human." Jasper eyed Sadie once more, "Have you met the crystal gems?" Hir eyes were wide, staring down at the blonde with a great intensity. Sadie felt oddly uncomfortable, as if she were about to divulge information that could change the course of history. Internally she snorted, way to be dramatic much. Still, she answered, hesitance to anger the gem plain on her face.
"Steven's friends? Uh, yeah, they show up every now and then. They live down at the beach-"
"The beach? Where is this beach? Show it to me!" Jasper exclaimed, body leaning forward in interest. Hir damp hair fell in her eyes as she stared at the small human. "Steven... I have heard that name before, you mentioned it earlier but..." The gem's eyes went upwards as she tried to recall the use of such a name. Jasper then turned sharply down, gruff voice making Sadie jump, "Nevermind. I'd like you to take me to the one with the powers of Rose Quartz and the rotting remains of her army." The words came out as an order and Jasper crossed her arms in an arrogant manner, before gazing down at the girl expectantly.
Sadie's eyes grew wide and angrily, she raised her arms. "Wait, just a second! I saved you, I brought you into my house, you don't have the right to tell me what to do." Jasper's arms met hir sides and they snarled. Sadie stamped her foot down, hands waving as she spoke. "You don't get to talk about the crystal gems that way, they're not the best but they always help out when they can! So you know what, no! If you want to see them, you can ask politely or you can go find them yourself!" Sadie huffed and calmed in the span of five seconds as she realised that she had screamed. Immediately she made to apologise. "I-"
"I did thank you for saving me human, but I would like to remind you that I am a member of Yellow Diamonds army, and am qualified to take out you and this sad planet with one arm tied behind my back." Jasper continued smugly, mouth forming a smirk as they closed their eyes, thinking of the destruction they had caused.
Sadie turned red, she bit her lip and her chest heaved with anger. She screamed and her left leg moved forward as she swung her body into a punch from the side—fist moving up to hit the gems jaw. While Jasper was taken off guard, surprised the human had the gall to attack hir, a warrior of the war for the very planet they stood upon, Sadie ran forward, grabbed the gem, hauled hir over her shoulders and carried hir outside of her home, throwing hir into the sand that littered the side walk.
"Come back when you learn some manners!" Sadie yelled as she turned her back. The small woman quickly raced back into her home, angrily slamming the door behind her.
Jasper raised hirself into a seated position and exhaled harshly. They glanced at the suburban house curiously, a newfound respect for the small human swelling in hir chest. Jasper swallowed, both hir pride and saliva as they made their way to the door and raised hir voice. "Hu–," Jasper stopped, thinking back to their introduction and scrunched hir eyes in irritation. "Sadie. Please open the door, I would like to ask you about the dwelling of the crystal gems. I do not understand human convention and although I have no intention of learning, I would like to accommodate the wishes of the being who could be of help to me. I respect your strength and would be grateful if you were willing to share this strength with me." The door opened and Jasper glanced down at Sadie who frowned at her.
"You mean it?" She asked brusquely.
Jasper nodded sullenly and watched as Sadie softened. The blonde gave a small smile and moved backwards, allowing the hulking form of the warrior into her home. Jasper hunched and shuffled her way in. When hir eyes met Sadie's they scowled, but when the human made her way down the hall singing a song beneath her breath about stars and friends. Jasper could not resist a small smile (internally questioning what homeward would think... what Yellow Diamond would think).
(epilogue)
Lapis sat up, shaking herself free of the water that encased her, she glanced around the room she found herself in cautiously. Had she been found? Where was Jasper? The both of them had been...
Malachite.
She shivered, "Pull yourself together Lapis. For Steven." The gem stood quickly and at the noise of her movement the owner of the house entered the room. A small man appeared , a smaller woman tottering in behind him—they both appeared to be elderly and Lapis watched them cautiously, relieved that she was not under the thumbs of the crystal gems.
Lapis readied herself for combat, body shifting–
"Hallo, er du ok?" Asked the moustached man. Lapis blinked and proceeded to shake her head in exasperation.