Pearl stood poised in her room, atop one of the pools of water. Their unusually high surface tension allowed for anyone to walk atop them with ease. Pearl then did a sissonne fermeé into a pirouette and dipped down. Rising up, she spun and a mass of swords rose around her from the cool swords organised themselves into a neat circle around her, and she put another into the circle. That's what I like about my room; everything is organised! Pearl thought, unlike Amethyst's. She had just gone down to Amethyst's room to retrieve the fallen sword. It had fell out of the pool and drifted down one of the waterfalls to Amethyst's room. She couldn't stand going down there, with all of the filth and disorder, it was just impossible. It took her hours to find the sword, and Amethyst didn't even help. She was a few thousand years younger than Pearl, but that was no excuse! Suddenly, a noise woke Pearl from her reveries. The swords crashed back into the water and Pearl shot up.
"Pearl!" Steven shouted, "Garnet wants you!"
"Oh," Pearl sighed with relief, "It's just you."
"Yep! Just widdle ol' me" Steven said sticking out his tongue and pointing two thumbs at himself. Pearl took his hand and lead him to the door.
"You know you can just go in there, right?" Pearl asked, walking into the outer temple to meet Garnet.
"I didn't want to intrude." Garnet said pushing up her shades. "Plus, we all have to talk."
Peridot and Lapis Lazuli stood on the far wall of Steven's room, a small cottage built onto the front of the crystal temple so Steven could have a place to live until he had enough control over his gem to open his mother, Rose's, door. Amethyst was sitting on the couch eating chips, and Steven sat down with her.
Pearl gasped, "Why are they in Steven's room!"
"Pearl," Garnet responded, "They have as much, if not more say than we do in what we're discussing"
"And precisely what would that be?" Peridot inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"It's about where you're gonna live." Garnet answered, "You can't just camp out in the sand forever."
"What are you suggesting, Garnet." Pearl said looking over at Garnet, "There aren't exactly any extra rooms in the temple, and... No, I won't allow it. Lapis and Peridot are not staying with Steven!"
"Chill it, dude" Amethyst said transforming into a bird and flying onto Garnets shoulder, "Steven should decide what happens in his room. I don't let you say what happens in my room."
"Amethyst!" Pearl shouted raising her arms, "Peridot tried to kill us! She could hurt Steven!"
"Pearl, Peridot only did that because of Jasper. Peridot was told to check on the cluster, and Jasper was the one who forced Peridot to attack us."
"Ye-yeah!" Lapis defended, "She had no choice in the matter, she was as much a prisoner in the matter as I was."
"Lapis, you're biased." Pearl fumed, "Y-you wouldn't say that if you weren't dating her!"
"Pearl," Garnet put her hand on Pearl's shoulder, "Calm down. This is up to Steven, and no one else."
"Well," Steven thought, "If they're up for it they can share the couch."
"Yeah," Lapis cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Pearl crossed her arms and went back into her room. She had first hand experience of how the hot coals of romance affected one's rationality. She had risked life and limb for Rose, and had came within an inch of the void many times. If not for Rose's healing tears, she wouldn't have made it through the war alive. But now she was gone, and the only thing she left was Steven, and the memories within all of the crystal gems. Rose's last remaining physical remainder was at risk do to the very inherited generosity that had been Rose's most appealing feature. Lapis didn't know what she was talking about, and Pearl wouldn't stand for it.