[Steven and Connie approach the front entrance of the Barn.]
Connie: Wow! I like what they've done to the place! I should've visited them sooner!
Steven: Yeah! You three got on well when we were in space.
Connie: Well, we had a few bumps, but they turned out to be really nice. They were grateful for what you gave them, Steven.
[Steven looks off to the side, appearing slightly tense, scratching his head, nervously smiling.]
Steven: Umm, yeah.
[Pumpkin bursts out of the barn entrance, running towards them.]
Pumpkin: Ruff! Ruff!
Connie: Oh! It was the four of us, too!
[Pumpkin jumps up into Connie, Connie catching him in her arms. Pumpkin starts licking her face.]
Connie: Hahahah, stop it, Pumpkin!
[Peridot leans out of the barn door.]
Peridot: Steven! And Connie, too!
[Peridot runs up to them.]
Peridot: Wait until you see my latest creation in the making! A fully realised 1 to 60 scale replication of the Camp, constructed out of tree-pulp matrix panels! [Inhales] This, Steven. I think this will be my masterpiece.
[The three of them, Connie carrying Pumpkin, enter the barn. Lapis is lounging in her chair with a book]
Lapis: Oh, hey Steven! And hi again, Connie!
Steven: Hi! Connie suggested we do some reading here at the Barn!
[Lapis furrows her brow, but keeps smiling.]
Lapis: Wow, that...that sounds great.
[Pan to one corner of the barn with a layer of packed dirt instead of woodboard floor. A half-constructed compound of huts and stalls made from folded cardboard is built on the layer of dirt, a noticeable groove in the dirt forming what looks like a stream.
Steven: This is amazing, Peridot!
Peridot: Of course, I have yet to find a method to make the canoes survive placement on actual water, but... [holds up sheets of calculations] I have already derived the dimensions and position of every building in the camp via meticulous analysis of frames of Camp Pining Hearts. Well, minus Season Five, obviously.
Connie: Why, what's wrong with Season Five?
Peridot: Ugh, what wasn't wrong with Season Five? That was when they got the new animation studio, and all the proportions went weird. I swear Percy became smaller and smaller with every new shot.
[Steven and Peridot continue poring over the model camp, Connie turns back to Lapis and looks at the book in her hands. Connie smiles in amazement.]
Connie: Lapis, you read Pretty Hairstylist?!
[Lapis stiffens, begins sweating.]
Lapis: Uhhh, yeeeeeah...?
Connie: I have every copy that came out! I would've brought some if I knew your were a fan! Which one are you on?!
[Lapis's eyes start shifting.]
Lapis: I'm on the one where...uh, well, the one she...she does the...[Exhales] I don't know which one I'm on.
[Connie looks blank.]
Connie: ...Well, that's alright, I guess you only have the issues you could find. Here, I'll lend you the first issues if you wa-
Lapis: That's not the problem. I...
[Lapis starts sweating again, and begins to blush. Steven and Peridot look over to them, Peridot especially looking mortified.]
Steven: Lapis?
[Lapis buries her face in her palm.]
Lapis: I can't read. I've only been looking at the pictures.
[Peridot silently runs over to stand beside her, placing her hand on her shoulder, showing concern.]
Connie: Well...[puts on reassuring smile] how could you? You and Peridot must be older than the Alphabet, never mind modern English, how could either of you know how to read our books?
Steven: Yeah...yeah! [picks up one of Peridots sheets of calculations] I bet I can't read any of your Homeworld writing any better than you could re- [looks at sheet] Uhh, Peridot, this is all in English.
Peridot: ...there isn't exactly a way to write 'Maple Syrup Store' in Homeworld Script.
Connie: How did you learn to read English, Peridot?
Peridot: When I was still trying to connect with Homeworld, I would find samples of your writing in refuse cylinders. Huh. At first I thought you humans just threw away writing you didn't like.
Steven: You learned to read just from finding old newspapers?
[Peridot makes a tiny smile of pride, before reassuringly patting Lapis's shoulder.]
Peridot: Us peridots do a lot of reading. We were made to be good at seeing patterns.
Lapis: I wasn't.
Steven: W...what do you mean?
[Lapis puts down her hand, brings back up her book, looking at the writing.]
Lapis: When I look at the letters, they seem to...float about, mix together. The same word would look different if read two times. I just can't read, in Homeworld or English or anything else.
[Lapis sets down the book on her lap, despondent. The whole barn goes silent.]
Connie: I'll help.
[Everyone turns to Connie, surprised.]
Lapis: What?
[Connie tenses up.]
Connie: Uhh, if you want me to. The school year has just ended, so I can get some books from the library and take the time to help you learn. It won't be a problem on me, I swear.
Lapis: I'm...I'm not sure if I cou-
Peridot: Lapis, I think you should do it.
[Lapis looks at Peridot, unsurely.]
Peridot: Think about the countless things we discovered that we couldn't have even imagined when we first came here. I didn't think I could control metal, or make things of my own design, or care about others like you and Pumpkin and Steven! [glances at Connie] Oh, and Connie, as well. Sure, you weren't made to read, but neither of us were made to do much at all. That hasn't stopped either of us yet.
[Lapis turns to face Steven.]
Steven: [puppy-dog eyes]
Lapis: [Inhales] I suppose I can try.
Steven, Connie and Peridot: YES!
Pumpkin: Ruff!
Yes, this entire thing is made impossible by one moment in Barn Mates where Lapis reads a card from Peridot, but...shush.