Despite the fact that she was completely confused and had no idea what was going to happen, Lapis couldn't help but be kinda happy. Yes, she had a person who was practically a total stranger in her house, sitting on her bed, and talking to her in a way that was weirdly familiar – and yes, the person was a weird supernatural creature who didn't live up to the stereotypes at all and was actually rather rude – but hey, this was an adventure! It was something new and interesting, and Lapis liked that and wasn't just going to give up on this chance to learn more; her curiousity had always been pretty powerful. So she had decided to treat Peridot as a she would a human, despite the angel's eccentricities – perhaps even better than she would treat any random human, since she had never been too nice to strangers.
Right now, though, she had plenty she wanted to know, and she wasn't planning to shrink away from asking. Peridot could flirt with her all she wanted – and honestly, that angel's kinda cute, so the flirting doesn't bother... What? No, Lapis, you can't think your guardian angel is cute. Even if she is. It's not appropriate in the least. Lapis gathered herself and began asking. "So Peridot. What have you heard about me? I'd like to know what sort of information the angel database has about me, or whatever info you have."
"Let's see," Peridot replied, adopting a distant expression and listing the facts on her fingers. "You were born in 1995. Your father died when you were three. You lived in the city for years, going to a public school where you were often bullied. Your mother was distant and didn't care for you very much, so you pretty much raised yourself. Ended up becoming clinically depressed when you were seventeen, cut yourself, didn't eat much– which are habits I now have to help you break. You came out as a homosexual to your mother, eventually, although you've rarely actually dated people. After highschool you moved here, where you've lived alone for a long time, trying to save up for college. Aaaaand you got PTSD as a teen, although I don't know why. Also: you're very stubborn, independent, proud, need your personal space, insist on people being themselves, and overall," Peridot looked up and cracked a grin, "act pretty darn adorable."
During this recitation, Lapis's eyes had widened. How did Peridot know so much? Had there been angels stalking her? Was she being judged all the time? She didn't like being reminded of her problems, but at last had decided that it was worthless to insist that she didn't need help. Therapeutic treatment or something of the kind would help her, she knew. It was just slightly embarrassing to admit. The last part of Peridot's speech, though, broke into her thoughts and made her blush and glare at Peridot.
"What? It's true," the angel shrugged.
"Whatever," Lapis replied, deciding not to get into that again. "So you know a lot, I guess. Is... there anything you need to know?" She hoped not. Talking about her past was painful.
"Yeah, it would be useful to hear more, if you're up to telling me," Peridot replied, her smile fading. "I mean, I know they're hard topics, but... the reason you have PTSD?"
"Post traumatic stress disorder... yeah, well, the 'trauma' that caused it is not something I like to talk about it. Mirrors have to do with it. It's – it's complicated. And the PSTD mainly bothers me at night, if I have nightmares, or if I get triggered, usually by a mirror or... or something."
"Okay, I understand your not wanting to talk about it." Lapis had to admit, she was rather surprised by Peridot's soft tone. Calming, quiet, and comforting – very different from the Peridot she had grown to know, but it wasn't a bad change. "What about the cutting? When's the last time you did that?"
"A... a few weeks ago," Lapis admitted, looking down at her forearms, which were criss-crossed with thin scars. She traced one line with her fingernail, wondering why she let herself do this. She knew it was bad, but sometimes...
"That's better that I would've expected. Okay. Does your homosexuality bother you or get you bullied?"
"I... well, it used to. But it doesn't anymore. Mostly because I stick with my acquaintances, many of whom are gay themselves. And it's not like I go around telling people about it." Lapis was still rubbing at her arm, trying to erase the marks even though she knew it was illogical. A cool hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her hand away.
"Don't do that," scolded Peridot. Lapis nodded, still refusing to look at Peridot. She didn't really like telling about her innermost self, but figured that it was for the best, so forced herself to speak.
"So no, my sexual orientation, or as Amethyst would put it, 'gayness', doesn't bother me. Unless I develop a crush on someone. Which can be very inconvenient." Done talking, Lapis pulled her hand away from Peridot's grasp and looked up at the angel's strangely compassionate green eyes.
"Okay," Peridot replied slowly. "Tell me, do you think there's a specific way that I can help you, or would you rather I do it my way?"
"I... I dunno," Lapis pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest. "Your way works."
"Alright." Peridot got to her feet off the side of the bed, her fluffy white wings sprouting in an instant. She hopped into the air and hovered there, wings flapping lightly and causing a slight wind. "That means–" she wrinkled her nose, concentrating, and Lapis couldn't help but think, cute! "–that I'll just have to meet you and talk to you, like a therapist, but in a more relaxed condition. From there, well, we'll see."
"That sounds good to me," Lapis said, although honestly she was slightly apprehensive. Talking about her problems never did sound too appealing. "But if I'm going to talk to you about those topics, I'd – I'd honestly like to get to know you better. Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay. It's only afternoon now. We can talk." Peridot sat down seemingly in midair, dropping down so she was at about Lapis's level and propping her feet up on an invisible footrest. "What would you like to discuss?"
"Well for starters, I need to eat my lunch. Then we can talk." Lapis looked around for the bag containing her sandwich, eventually realizing she had put it on the floor by her bed. "Wait, you wanted to clean my home?"
"Yeah, I did," Peridot replied. "I mean, look at it! It's a mess! And it's hard to clean up your life if your house is a dump."
"I... suppose that makes sense. Okay." Lapis laid her meal out on her bed, ignoring Peridot's facial expression (obviously the angel didn't approve of eating on a bed). "I'll clean up after lunch. You can help."
"Why are you being so accepting all of a sudden?" Peridot asked, tilting her head to one side like a curious bird.
"I guess I've just accepted this angel business," Lapis shrugged. "Like, you can go invisible. And fly. And magically change outfits. And talk, and you feel solid. Sooo you're probably not a hallucination. Or a prankster. Plus, I guess I kinda sorta maybe do need help with my problems, even if I don't like admitting it."
"Oh. Well, it's good that I don't have to convince you any more, I guess." Peridot smiled. "Now I can focus on my job. And on having fun. I don't get assigned to a cutie like you every day."
Hastily swallowing a too-big bite of her sandwich, Lapis coughed and asked, "does 'having fun' mean what I think it means?" She raised one eyebrow and narrowed her eyes suspiciously, not quite sure what to think.
Peridot blushed fiercely. "No! Of course not! I– I don't even know you!" Her words tumbled over each other in her rush to explain. "By having fun, I mean like, being able to be on Earth, which I haven't been able to do for a long time because most of my subjects don't like me being around them so I have to stay hidden!"
"Oh, good," Lapis smirked, taking a smaller bite this time. "Because I'm not taking any nonsense from anyone, be you an angel or not."
"I can tease, though?"
"I don't think I could possibly stop you from doing so."
"Yeah, you probably couldn't." Peridot grinned and lay back on her invisi-sofa thing in a poorly executed draw-me-like-one-of-your-French-girls pose. "I'm just too good for that."
Almost choking on her sandwich, Lapis snorted with laughter. "Are you sure you're an angel? It doesn't seem like it."
Faking an offended look, Peridot pressed a hand to her heart overdramatically. "You pain me so cruelly! I am only trying to net you with my good looks, and you insult my very soul!"
"Yeah, sure," Lapis smiled good-naturedly. "So tell me, what would happen if you succeeded in winning my heart?"
"Uh," Peridot's eyes darted about. "I don't know."
"And if you fell in love with me?"
A shrug.
"Okay then." Lapis finished off her sandwich with a few quick bites and scrutinized the rest of her lunch, trying to decide what to eat. "You have some research to do – either that, or you stop flirting."
"I can't help being charming," Peridot replied haughtily, pretending to flip her hair.
"Do your research, then." Lapis smirked at the angel as she settled upon a carrot. "And be careful, because I might start flirting back, and then you'll be the one unable to resist."
"Hah," Peridot replied, the corners of her mouth curving up slowly. "You wish."
"It'll be fun." Lapis nibbled on the carrot, mimicking a rabbit. "At least, I think so. A game of wits. With you. Cutie." She grinned lopsidedly. It had been ages since she actually had true fun. Here was a chance.
"I'll win, of course," Peridot assured her.
"You've got that backwards," Lapis told her sweetly.
Peridot winked. "We'll see."
