"We don't do it because it has some deep and hidden meaning! We do it because it's fun! All the people meeting, dancing, and having fun to the music. Why last year I too participated!"
Peridot blinked. Of course Gems didn't have the same necessity for the gesture as a human would. To close their eyes - even momentarily, would impede their battle capability. And though Peridot had mostly played a part of support, and technical assistance, she still didn't do it out of necessity. No, rather it was a gesture she had copied from Steven, the half gem - half human. Best of both words, if she could say that. It was meant to express disbelief or surprise.
"I am well aware of your importance to the city Steven. However what I fail to grasp is the necessity of wearing garments to this so called beach party…", Peridot waved a short stubby arm around, to which a tablet was crudely attached, with duct tape. Her data plan was mad, she could get internet any place she liked. Including, and this was important, in this place.
Steven rubbed the back of his head cheekily, embarrassed. Growing up in a house where none of the caretakers were human, and which had seen their fair share of human nudity, it had taken him quite a while to grasp the necessity of clothings. It had taken a trip to the park with his dad where he had just straight up dropped it, and a talk about social conventions - with kid friendlier words - for him to figure it out.
Still it wasn't as if, even to that day, Steven had a particular hang up about clothes. He wore the star - that was his defacto Universe trademark. He liked pink - But he could go for any other color. While it was usually warm in Beach City, sometimes it got cold, which required a jacket. It was all pretty self explanatory.
"Heh, yeah, with humans is different. Boys and girls, and men and women, they like to cover their bodies. I guess it's always been this way."
Steven put a hand to his belly where a gem could be felt. He didn't know why the commotion about clothes was felt, but he didn't care. As long as the clothes were wide and comfortable enough to harbor the gem.
Peridot seemed transfixed on her little tablet device and Steven smiled. It wasn't exactly HomeWorld level tech, the planet from where Peridot hailed. But she seemed to adapt rather quickly, video-chatting and giving out random words on social network.
"Oh, Steven...I thought that clothes were identified and mandated by gender -", Peridot glanced at the screen and Steven couldn't help himself, his curiosity getting the better of him. He looked. Pictures of the previous year - where he had worn a dress, were apparent. They were shared in group, along a whole lot of other photos, but he was clearly recognisable. If not by his curly hair, then by the gem on his navel.
"Well, yeah, Peridot, most people use the clothes their gender normally wears". Steven didn't quite know what to say, Connie surely would be better at explaining this than him, or his dad, he didn't quite have the grasp on what was ok and what was not.
"I mean normally Connie would wear dresses instead of me or my dad. And Pearl wears a skirt - or at least something that looks like it. And boys like me normally wear pants or shorts. You know with the heat and all?"
Peridot paused only for a moment, her brain calculating and assesing the new information.
"So Greg would wear shorts, as he indeed does, and the Pearl would wear something befitting her feminine image", Peridot seemed to relish in the new information. "The fusion does seem to wear pretty masculine garments, however. Is it -"
She glanced around. Steven was looking at her with a cross look. His eyes seemed to pierce right through her, not exactly shattering her but making it feel like she was small and vulnerable.
"We've talked about this Peridot. It's not the Fusion or the Pearl, it's Garnet and...hum...well Pearl, I didn't like it when you called me a half-gem either!"
Peridot rushed to her own defense, she had something to point out.
"I did not call you a half-gem Steven! You are far far superior to most gems I knew - you actually value my opinion, and love everything around you. Like -"
Steven put a hand to Peridot's wrist, where the "Mistery act" was still shown in her arm. He had a problem with being called a leader, or superior, or whatever. He was only himself, he was unique, yes, but he didn't feel superior to anyone else.
"We're just different that's all! I'm not my mom, and I'm not my dad, but I'm me, it took me a long time to realise I could just be what I wanted.", Steven sighed, and Peridot looked down at her own motion appendages, commonly called feet. "But me putting a dress, to help someone I care about, or Pearl not eating food - those are things that we do, ourselves."
Peridot looked thoughtful and Steven hoped to be getting to her.
"My dad has this line about how if every Pork-chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot-dogs. Everyone's different, but I am glad for it. Pearl is not just "a Pearl" she made herself unique and Garnet is Garnet. She choose that, and I respect it. I think you should too:"
Peridot had no words to intervene and prove her point, even moreso when she knew that Steven was right. She had abandoned most homeworld mentalities, but some things did cut deep inside of her.
"I guess it is in your rights to ask for an apology, and I am truly sorry", Peridot realised Steven's arm was still on her wrist and though gems were by their own design and nature incapable of blushing, she felt like she was. Like the tv shows she watched on the Barn.
"That's okay, Peridot, you're still learning! We all are! The important thing is trying to better yourself!"
Peridot felt a lump in what passed for her throat. What was wrong with her? Had she succumbed to one of the human's "viruses",, as they called them? She had read this book War of the Worlds, that while it had a very silly idea on aliens - no gems in mars! Just an outlook post! Duh - Showed them to be propense to it.
"But Gems don't change! That's in their very own nature, I personally attended to the formation of hundreds, and they all came out perfect, ready to follow orders!"
Steven had an amused smile on his face.
"Don't they? What about Amethyst, our friend, more importantly, what about you?", Peridot almost gasped. What did he mean, what about her?
"Me?"
"Yes you, you were vengeful and eager to get to homeworld, but you saw the value of planet earth!" - Steven spread his arms around, to where the music was played and lights lighted the white sand in different colors. To teens dancing, Connie having fun, and the Ocean, where the Gems had gone on a mission. To everything around and in the planet known as Earth.
"I did learn an appreciation for life that was not in my parameters, I must admit that."
Steven laugh.
"You sure did, I don't think Yellow Diamond knew what to expect.", Steven said, referring to a particular incident with Peridot and her superior. That had been a fun one, just the expression that Yellow Diamond had had! It still made Steven giggle whenever he focused on what it had looked like.
"Don't remind me." Peridot Swiped right and more photos of the event showed up. Dozens of people had showed up last year to have fun, and this year had been no different. Steven had looked nice in the dress - he looked nice at that very moment if she were being honest. No matter what he chose to wear. The fact Steven was nice to everyone he knew - to the point he had seen how alone and scared she was. - Peridot didn't much like to remember those early days on earth. But Steven had shone like a beacon.
She had seen it before in shows, an act of affection, she let her her hands grip Steven's own. That was what they were designed to do grip and hold things, but this was much much tender. She could swear she could feel the heat, even through the sweat - sweat she couldn't produce but Steven, as part human, could. It was one of the things that made Steven unique, along with his view of the world. But it wasn't what made Steven a good companion, friend and perhaps someone who attracted her. She could see Steven smile, and his hand gripping hers too.
For that brief moment, everything appeared to have fallen in place. For Peridot, all was well.