Chapter 10: Interesting Development.
Previously on Lapis & Lazuli
"Woah, you guys found another half gem like us!" he says looking over to the twins slowly making their way to us.
"Yes quite, another half gem…like you…" my throat tenses and the familiar tight feeling in my chest shows up, as I feel the cool droplets begin to run down my face.
"Hey um…you okay?" Steven and…seriously who is that girl? Say at the same time, both looking shocked as I throw my arms around Steven.
"I thought I'd never see you again!" I wail, tears pouring down my face.
Now on Lapis & Lazuli
"Hold on I think your confusing me for someone else." Steven says, gently removing Peri from him and wiping the tears from her face.
She sniffs and stares teary eyed, before vaguely smiling, "Well your half right." She says, staring up at the movie theater billing board and going agape at the sight of Dog-Copter 3.
"Oh man, I love Dog-Copter, but I never thought I'd get the chance to see it in an actual theater!" she exclaims, changing the subject.
"Hey, I'm sorry about that whole crying thing, but could we go see DC3, please!?" she begs Steven, Connie looking immensely confused.
Oddly enough we all sat down and had a…awkwardly decent time together watching a dog, shit missiles at his enemies and fly around town.
Emile lost his shit as he laughed like a small kid, kicking the seat in front of him, in the nigh empty theater.
After the movie finished, Peri ran up to Lion and called him Whisker's the Wonder Cat, and oddly enough got the cat to lean into her head rub affectionately.
Steven rode with Connie and Peri, Emile made a wise crack that the little guy was amassing a harem, I clocked him in the arm for that dumb joke.
Stopping in front of the garrison style home, Emile waved a hand at Connie's mom who, worriedly shook a wave back as her husband sat on the porch of his house looking at Emile and Steven with a sour disdain.
Steven gulped as he and Emile drove around a corner where we were waiting.
The excitedly confused fourteen-year-old Peri looked between us and finally breathed out.
Steven getting on lion and her arms going under his to hold on to the wild pink Maine.
Emile's smile widens as an idea popped into his mind.
"Hey, Steven I wonder what's faster a presumably magical lion or my modified Victor OX motorcycle." Emile said, leaning slightly so the twelve-year-old would get a better look at my brother's chillingly serious eyes.
Emile pondered as Peri roared with excitement, "Please Lion could get anywhere your bike could in a matter of seconds."
Steven chuckled, and then looked confused as he turned to stare at the girl, but before he could ask any questions Emile revved the motor of his bike, speeding off, leaving the black streak and some smoke for them, as my arms tightened around his waist from surprise.
"First one home wins!"
He yells over the roar of the motor.
Driving in the tight streets of the suburban area at nearly two-hundred miles an hour a fun challenge for him, if his exited, and childlike grin was any indication.
But it turned into a bitter smirk as the pink feline, with Peri at the helm, and Steven riding on the back getting a slight lead on us before roaring a bright pink circle flew forward creating a portal.
Emile pulling hard on the break and then racing, almost catching the felines heels on more than one occasion.
"I have no clue what will happen if we do this, get an ice streak ready just in case, he called as we flew through the quickly closing portal behind them.
Peri turned to see the twins gaining on them, and turned forward as the feline began running again instead of just flying through the portal.
Emile cackling, revved the engine and rode onto the sides of the portal doing a spiral loop over them getting in front.
The end of the portal begun to shine as it opened to the familiar view of the ocean.
Flying through a foot or two above the head of the tallest gem Garnet and I quickly flash freeze the portion of ocean water for our landing, slamming down cold chips flying up as he does a semi-circle turn and races onto the sand, as the feline jumps through the portal landing on the ice, and sliding away until its claws dig in and it begins a run onto the sand.
Emile turning the bike off as we drive under the stairs, setting the kick stand and removing the helmet and handing it to me, a smile on his face.
Steven gets off the Lion looking dizzy, and disoriented, and Peri with a smirk of disbelief and respect as she shakes Emile's hand.
"Whoa what was that about!?" excitedly exclaims Amethyst.
"Steven are you ok!?" ask Pearl looking the boy over.
"I see you've brought us a new roommate." Says Garnet in her usual monotone.
Pearl removes the steaming pot from the stove, as I help her grab all the cups.
"So, one minute I'm flipping switches like some mad scientist, and the next my ears are popping and I'm staring down these two." Peri recounts the story of how she made a machine to escape an evacuated earth, from another dimension she told to me and Emile on our way to the movies.
I placed the cups down on a copper platter staring at her. Her physique of someone vaguely athletic, her tight polo shirt, her cargo shorts, her converse sneakers…she was cute!
The realization made my cheeks warm and Pearl asked, "Are you feeling I'll Emilia?" her cool hand resting on my burning cheek.
Emile seeing through me, lets out a laugh. As he grabs his side falling onto Steven laughing. Pointing a finger at me a tear or two coming down the side of his face.
"Nah, she's fine, just go take a shower and you'll feel better." He says wiping the tear away, and remembering to breathe, as everyone gives him the odd look.
"Hey, Emile remind me whose the older sibling?" I ask walking over with the platter of steaming tea, setting it quickly on the coffee table.
"Oh yeah, older by all of two seconds." He says waving me off, sipping gingerly at his tea.
Peri giggled, and asked Steven "They do this a lot?"
Steven shrugs but Garnet tells her "It's just one of their ways of expressing how much they love each other. So yes, it happens a lot."
This time Emile blushes and crosses his arms looking away from the leader of the gems.
"Aw that so adorable, you know I sometimes wish I had a brother…though I guess I'd settle for a mother." Peri says jokingly shrugging as everyone in the room goes silent.
Steven shifts uncomfortably and Amethyst and Pearl do the same, Garnet remains as unmoving as ever, and I almost want to tell her off.
Emile gets up, grabs her by the collar, his fist coked back.
"You think that shits funny!?" he asks her, his knuckles becoming an unusual white, as the flesh of his palm begins to make a clenching sound, as the fingers rub tighter, and tighter against it.
Steven stands in front of her and says, "Wait stop!"
But his fist releases and begins flying toward the girl. Stopping with a loud thud as his fist collide with Garnets gauntlet.
The flesh of his knuckles burst as the blood smears her weapon.
The room eerily quiet, as Steven looks at the event with slight disgust and specks on blood on his forehead and cheek, Peri visibly shaken by what almost occurred, and Gauntlet shaking her head with disapproval.
"Pearl go fetch the first aid kit, Steven are you ok?" she asks looking down at the hybrid whose stares disapprovingly at Emile.
"Are you ok." Steven asks clearly concerned for the new girl.
She looks surprised that my brother almost punched her with such force. She sighs and lowered her head. "Sorry that was uncalled for, I shouldn't have joked about something so…tender." She says, looking down onto her lap.
"Don't apologize." States Garnet pulling her fist back, and wiping the bits of flesh, and smear of blood off, before walking over to Pearl sifting through the first aid kit looking for the gauze.
Seven hours ago, my brother was about to crack Peri's skull in two, now I'm sharing a bed with her and Steven!
I sigh, the clock saying four o' ten and Emile isn't having another mental breakdown yet so I'm stuck waiting under the comfy cover, and Peri's soft, smoot legs snaked around mine, her body arched in a way, with one arm on my side, sometimes tickling my ribs, and her head so close that her breathes lick the back of my neck.
I can feel my face red hot.
'I don't know anything about this girl.' I keep repeating mentally.
Peri murmurs something, as her legs get tighter, and she scoots closer to me, her arms crossing my side swiping over my breast landing on my cheek, a finger on the corner of my mouth, her other hand wrapping around my waist.
"no…Cerci…get…your…head out…of the…gutters." She moans as her soft lips touch the back of my neck, sending goosebumps down my spine.
'I am Lapis, I am Pure' I begin repeating the mantra written on the final pages of my mother note book. My mind forgetting where I was as I recalled the other half of the mantra being claimed by Emile. "I am Lazuli, I am Strong." Fitting really.
But I'm brought back to reality as Peri plants a soft kiss on the back of my neck.
'Alright last straw, I'm not a play thing.' I say to myself as I forcefully tear myself from her ensnarement and roll out of bed, her stirring doesn't last long as she entangles herself around one of the loose pillows on the cramped medium sized bed.
"Ok, time to start the day." I say out loud, jumping down onto Emile's leg, as he pulls it out falling onto the floor with a groan.
"What? What could you possibly want?" he asks until he see the red on my face.
Coughing into my fist and standing straight. "Fusion training time." I tell him, as he moans.
The dice skate across the board landing on double three's and Emile pumps his fist up.
"Ha, land on Coroner Ave, I think I'll buy it." He says, as me and Peri groan, Steven raises a confused eye brow, and our banker Connie just laughs and says.
"You sure do own a lot of property."
As Emile plants, another building down accepting another street card, as his fingers inadvertently clamp shut around, it as his hand shakes, and he grabs it.
I stand up with a worried look on my face and ask him, "What's the matter?"
He laughs as he says "Strong G.P. incoming."
Before the temple doors split open and the gems run out, saying, "Gem monster on the way let's go!"
All of us running after them.
To our surprise a giant floating puffer fish, its gem resembling one of its green spikes.
I summon a wave of water to fall over it, bringing it down to ground level.
Steven acts as a cheer leader calling me out on my quick thinking, as Peri crosses her arms and points them to the fish, as small bits of metal, coins, bottle caps, etc. That were dug into the ground shoot out like artillery pelting the oversized yoga ball. Garnet slamming down on it with both hand over head interlocked, only to be sprung off in the direction of town. Emile cutting Amethyst and Pearl off, summoning his sword and cutting the thing in two without the sea splitter enhancement.
"We did it!" says Steven, as Peri high-fives him. Connie running down to join the group.
Pearl bubbles the gem.
Emile glares at the girl, who looks away, Steven goes wide eyed as a thought enters his head.
"Oh my gosh Garnet!" he yells running toward town.
Getting down to ground level Emile shrugs and heads off his own way, Peri grabbing my wrist.
"Wanna go help him find Garnet?"
I sigh calming my nerves as I nod yes.
Authors Note: This chapter goes out to LolitaKG, an all-around great writer who's returned recently and my god I couldn't be happier. This chapter was fun to write and I hope you don't mind that this and the next chapter focus on the relationship for characters, I hope that doesn't turn you away, but also just to let you know I have big plans for Mirror Gem and Ocean Gem!
Alright guys, have a blast reading, leave a review if you want, and till next time take it easy.