Please read Still Here first, and if you're one of the people who've been reading this for longer, I recommend reading again because you've probably forgotten the details of what happened haha
"Don't mess this up, Peri." Dot warned.
"Thank you for your support." Peridot said sarcastically.
"Don't get sassy with me, young lady."
"No."
"M'kay," said Dot. "Seriously though, don't mess this up. Perpetuity marks are important and serious. A big deal. Do you remember everything?!"
"Dot, we went over this 5 minutes ago, and yesterday as well," the technician sighed. "I remember the placements, alright?"
"Little Peri is growing up," Dot sniffled. "It was just yesterday she was just about yea high."
"I have always been the same height as you." Peri said.
"Don't mess this up!"
"You're honestly making more of a-"
"Don't mess it up, Peri!"
".. I won't," Peridot said. "So please relax."
"How can I relax? You're getting a- this is a huge thing!"
"You're acting as if I'm going off to war."
"You might as well be! Don't mess this up, Peri!"
"You're really not helping the situation.."
"Diamonds, Peri," Dot groaned. "You're going to mess this up so bad."
Peridot facepalmed.
"What am I doing?" Lapis paced back and forth. "I'm going to mess this up so bad, maybe I should just-"
"L," Amethyst said seriously. "It'll be fine, I swear. You're gonna get your perpetu-whatever and that's it!"
"Okay," Lapis breathed. "Okay, okay, you're right. I can't! I'm too nervous."
"It's just going to be you and Peri, okay? Everyone will be so quiet, it'll be like we're not even there. You remember everything, you know what to do, it'll be awesome."
"Yeah," Lapis nodded. "Awesome."
"It's time," Dot wailed. "Peri, you're going to crash and burn, but try not to crash too hard, okay? Don't mess this up!"
"If you're not going to say anything useful," Peridot told her. "Please don't speak at all."
"Gahh, whatever. Come on."
Peridot rolled her eyes and followed Dot.
"It's time." Amethyst nodded. "Don't freak out L, it'll be fine. Just stay behind me like we practiced until it's time for the important part."
"Okay."
Lapis followed Amethyst down to the beach.
"Ahem." Pearl cleared her throat, upon seeing the four gems waiting.
The humans and gems and half-gem looked up at Pearl expectantly.
"We are all gathered here today to witness the joining together of two gems who have a very special place in our hearts," Pearl recited. "They have a bond so deep and so strong that it can't be broken, and so they have each decided to receive a perpetuity mark, to symbolize that they will stay by each other's side for all eternity."
Pearl shuffled through a whole stack of note cards, words printed on both sides.
"Do you have to do the whole entire speech?" Greg asked, wincing.
"Shh, dad! This is a moment we must remember forever." Steven said solemnly, placing a hand on his heart.
"Ask Dot, she wrote it." Pearl told Greg.
"This is the whole entire ceremony just like I remember it so yes..." Dot nodded frantically.
Peri shook her head.
"...fine. No..." Dot sighed.
Greg and Connie gave a simultaneous sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness," Pearl said. "Wait, give me a moment.."
She flipped through the note cards, looking for the last one. "Would Peridot and Lapis Lazuli please come forward?"
Peridot and Lapis exchanged slightly nervous glances and walked up to Pearl.
"Delirious banana seduces the monkey weed.. what? Dot, I can't read your handwriting." Pearl squinted.
"How scandalous of that delirious banana." Amethyst snorted.
Dot sighed. "That is as far from what I wrote as possible.. Be it months or years, decades or centuries."
"Be it months or years, decades or centuries," Pearl repeated. ".. getting down on terrific lunatics."
She attempted to read Dot's handwriting again.
"What?" Dot furrowed a brow. "No... no. Just.. let me do it."
Pearl stepped aside, handing Dot the note cards.
"What the frick frack does this say?" Dot stared down at the paper, furrowing her brow.
"Exactly my point." Pearl said, wearing the look on her face she gets when she's right.
"Okay, you know what? Forget that," Dot said. "I've got it all up here."
Lapis looked back at Dot skeptically.
"Be it months or years, decades or centuries," Dot said. "The love you two have for each other is as strong as the.. something probably really strong.. um..."
Peridot rolled her eyes.
"Uh, I'm also good at improv?" Dot offered. "The love you two have for each other is strong, fluid, unbreakable, never changing, yet always changing. You two have persevered and faced bleak-looking situations with a smile and confidence in the fact that you would have each other's back. Truly, you two have defined the saying 'the harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph'. And what a struggle this has been. So, delight in your love, delight in your happiness, and delight in your triumph, for it is yours, and you have definitely earned it."
Greg wiped a tear from his eye. Connie wiped two. Amethyst wiped three. Pearl wiped four. Garnet wiped several. Steven gaped, eyes shining.
Peridot and Lapis stared at Dot with wide eyes.
".. you may phase on your perpetuity marks now." Dot concluded, a light in her eyes.
Lapis blinked. "R-right."
The ocean gem gently traced a teardrop shape underneath Peridot's left eye, just as they had discussed. Peridot carefully outlined a simplified robonoid shape on Lapis's right forearm. Their gems glowed and the perpetuity marks appeared, Peridot's in a dark green and Lapis's in a dark blue.
There was a silence, and then there was applause.
The light in Dot's eyes faded. "Uh, that's it." she shrugged.
"Man, did I just see a gem wedding?" Greg asked, scratching his head.
"I think so." Connie said slowly.
"It's a little less than that," Dot said. "But also a little more."
"Ahhh! That was amazing!" Amethyst exclaimed.
Garnet gave a thumbs-up.
"Dot, you never told anyone you could.. speak like that!" Pearl gasped.
"Like what?" Dot asked warily.
"You know.. like how you spoke!"
"Uh, I don't remember half of what I said, and I'm not going to hurt myself trying to remember. But thanks.. I think." Dot shrugged.
"I'm going to head back to the van," Greg said. "Bye, guys."
"Bye." said Garnet.
"Bye, Mr. Universe!" Connie waved.
"Bye, dad!" Steven hugged his father.
Amethyst waved.
"Goodbye, Greg." Pearl said impassively.
"See ya later, Man with a Van." Dot waved enthusiastically.
Lapis waved. Get it? Waved? Cause she does that thing with the ocean?
"Goodbye." Peridot said simply.
Greg made his way back to his van.
"Guyyys..," Dot gasped, turning to Lapis and Peridot. "Eeeeeeee!"
"Eeeeeeeee!" Lapis added.
They both looked at Peridot, clearly expecting something.
Peridot sighed. "Eeeeeeee."
"Eeeeeeeeeee!" the two squealed.
"I am as overjoyed as you are," Peridot said. "But is that really necessary?"
"Yes!" Dot grinned.
"I have to say I agree with Peridot on this one," Pearl said. "Is that really necessary?"
Connie laughed. "Eeeeeeee!"
"Eeeeeeeeeeee!" Lapis and Dot responded.
Amethyst rolled her eyes.
"Eeeeee." Garnet decided to humour them.
"Eeeeeeeeeeee!"
Lapis stiffened.
Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven all made various displeased expressions.
Dot just stared, tilting her head slightly.
"Are you o-" Peridot began.
"Peri.. turn around." Lapis said.
"I hate Mondays." Peridot sighed.
