Both gems were having a lot of fun. It had been two weeks since they had arrived on the small island, and for the first time in centuries, two gems from different Diamond Divisions were getting along.
..Sort of.
"You're so annoying sometimes," Peridot groaned, leaning back on the couch. "Why are we even talking about this?"
"Because, a few weeks ago-" Lapis began, tapping her fingers on the warm surface of the comfortable seat.
"1 week and 5 days."
"1 week and 5 days ago, you asked me a bunch of questions about Blue Diamond. Y'know, the first night in our house."
"Temporary living arrangement."
"Tempor- ugh! Can you not correct half of everything I say?" Lapis said, slightly raising her voice.
"I don't correct half of everything you say, it is more like," Peridot cut herself off. "Um, I'm sorry. I'll just answer your questions then.
Lapis put away her frustrations and beamed. "Since you're made of metal, can you rust?"
"No."
"Is your physical form a projection or not?"
"Half and half."
"Explain!" Lapis cheered, feeling like a classy, professional interrogator.
"That's not a question." the technician deadpanned.
"Can you explain?"
"Yes, but I won't."
"How is your physical form half projection and half not?"
Peridot sighed in resignation. "The technology is like your physical form. If my gem is cracked, I will start to.. malfunction, if you will. The metal part of me is what I can regenerate or alter when inside of my gem, but it is not a projection."
"I don't get it."
"...of course not. You know how when you are injured, you are poofed into your gem to regenerate?"
Lapis nodded.
"The technology and inner workings that I am compose of is what regenerates, so I am able to update my appearance or anything else that I wish. Back on Homeworld, there were some things I wasn't allowed to touch."
"Like what?" Lapis said curiously.
"I don't care what you say, I refuse to answer that."
Lapis looked away. She understood keeping secrets, she had kept a lot of them after all. If anything, she was just a little bit upset that Peridot wouldn't tell her. I told you about Blue Diamond, she thought with a frown. There was no point in getting upset about it, however, so she wasn't going to.
"Do you have any more inquiries?" Peridot asked.
"What do you mean by update? You're not a robot, so you don't have... simple wear, right?"
"Software, and.. not necessarily."
A troubled expression briefly passed over Peridot's features.
"Also-"
"Enough questions, Lazuli." Peridot said, turning away from the petite gem. Lapis could see her curl up slightly.
"I'm sorry," she said, giving a frown. "Sometimes I get so caught up, I mean, I love asking questions and finding out answers and I probably should've considered that some of those answers were private to you and-"
"Lazuli.."
Lapis looked up at Peridot hopefully.
"You ramble a lot."
Lapis burst into laughter. "Yeah, I do.. how did this all happen?" she smiled wistfully.
"Well, I was escaping from the Crystal Clods and spotted you flying. Then I came to speak from you and requested your aid looking for Jasper, and you were slightly hostile and stated that-"
"Wow, thanks for the recap, but I was there." Lapis rolled her eyes.
"Of course you were there," the green gem blinked in confusion. "When I stated the pronoun 'you' I was speaking about Lapis Lazuli, who is, well, you. There is no other pronoun that I know of that is used for-"
"I... Peridot, do you understand sarcasm?"
"Yes, of course." Peridot answered. "It means to breath and spawn mystical unicorns in the air."
"..What? That.. ugh! Parrot!"
Peridot was laughing loudly. "Of course I understand sarcasm. Sarcasm is actually my gem weapon, y'know."
"..Seriously?" Lapis's eyes widened.
"No!" Peridot's fingers covered her face. "Why would... you.." she sighed.
Lapis curled herself up on the couch. Rain pounded on the roof, and the petite gem allowed herself a smile. The sounds were soothing and gentle to her, like soft whispered nothings from a mother to her child. Peridot winced at the noises of the weather outside, and was very thankful she wasn't out there at the moment.
"It's hot in here," the green gem whispered. "I'm aware that I'm present in this room, but this is just ridiculous."
Lapis opened an eye, not aware that she had closed them in the first place. Your boots and arm thingies must be adding extra bulk and warmth," she murmured, and then hearing Peridot's last statement, she groaned. "No, Parrot. No."
Peridot looked down at the large, solid chunks of metal encasing her lower arms and legs and gave a small hm. "I am.. uncomfortable with removing them."
"You're the one suffering, not me." the blue gem said quietly, giving a small yawn and stretching.
Peridot frowned and analyzed the situation. Upon deciding that no serious consequences would befall her if she took her boots and the arm additions, she took them off, feeling surprisingly light with them removed. She stretched all of her limbs out, feeling quite comfortable. She heard a faint rumbling noise to her right and found Lapis asleep.
Finally, I get to test this WiFi. Peridot formed her trademark hologram screen, prepared to use the remaining finger on her hand when she realized it wasn't there.
"I knew something was missing!" she hissed quietly. "I hate those mone-keys.."
She summoned a box with the words 'Extra Digits' lightly scribbled onto them and used magnetism to attach the next one. She flexed it for a couple moments before storing the box away
"Map." she whispered, swiping her hologram screen. Hmm, we're quite far from human civilization, she observed, giving a small yawn before falling asleep herself, her fingers automatically resting against one of her leg.
The next morning, Peridot woke up and stretched, wincing as her neck felt painful when she straightened it. She looked beside her on the couch, and Lapis was gone. Probably went out exploring, she thought to herself. Diamonds know she's a curious gem.
Seeing that she was alone in their temporary living arrangement, the gem kept her boots and arm additions off. She had forgotten how light and fluid moving had felt without the heavy boots weighing her down and making her steps heavy. Her exposed metal arms and legs glinted in the natural light that flooded the tiny house. She enjoyed the small fruits they sometimes found in the bushes when they went outside. Lapis had taught her which ones were safe to eat and which ones were not. Gems couldn't die from food poisoning, but that didn't mean that it wasn't a painful experience.
She took three small but plump blueberries, popping each one into her mouth, giving a smile at the delicious taste.
She was feeling very alive and energetic, probably a product of the sleep she had accidentally gotten while on the couch, she twirled around for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of her bare feet on the ground. The metal the outside of her feet were made off was getting dusty, but Peridot didn't care. It all felt amazing. She felt like she was actually alive for the first time in millennia.
She sat back down on the couch, taking in deep breaths, a wide smile on her face.
She heard the creak of the wooden door, and in walked Lapis. "What's got you so happy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at seeing Peridot without her boots and arm thingies for the second time.
"I'm not happy." Peridot gave an exaggerated frown in her direction to emphasize her point. "Where were you?"
"Gathering berries," Lapis said. "And trying to figure out a way to make fruit juice. You seem more at ease with those things off." she said, gesturing towards the large hunks of metal that were still lying in front of the couch.
"It's a constant reminder of what I used to be and the things I used to do," she said, giving a slight frown. "When I take them off, it is similar to physically saying goodbye and leaving. Proof that I am done with that life that I can see, something that says that I've moved on."
Lapis understood that more than she would like to admit. It was one thing to let go, but sometimes you needed a physical reminder that the specific chapter of your life that you had just left was physically over.
"You've changed, Peridot." was all Lapis said before taking the berries in the small woven basket and putting them into the cupboards that 2 weeks earlier, she had been saying they didn't need.
"We both have." the green gem said quietly, staring at her bare, exposed metal feet.